north america-1-第66章

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　power。　　If　New　York　had　secededa　State　which　stretches　from　the　Atlantic　to　British　North　Americait　would　have　cut　New　England　off　from　the　rest　of　the　Union。　　Was　it　legally　within　the　power　of　New　York　to　place　the　six　States　of　New　England　in　such　a　position？　　And　why　should　it　be　assumed　that　so　suicidal　a　power　of　destroying　a　nationality　should　be　inherent　in　every　portion　of　the　nation？　　The　Slates　are　bound　together　by　a　written　compact；　but　that　compact　gives　each　State　no　such　power。　　Surely　such　a　power　would　have　been　specified　had　it　been　intended　that　it　should　be　given。　　But　there　are　axioms　in　politics　as　in　mathematics；　which　recommend　themselves　to　the　mind　at　once；　and　require　no　argument　for　their　proof。　　Men　who　are　not　argumentative　perceive　at　once　that　they　are　true。　　A　part　cannot　be　greater　than　the　whole。　I　think　it　is　plain　that　the　remnant　of　the　Union　was　bound　to　take　up　arms　against　those　States　which　had　illegally　torn　themselves　off　from　her；　and　if　so；　she　could　only　do　so　with　such　weapons　as　were　at　her　hand。　　The　United　States　army　had　never　been　numerous　or　well　appointed；　and　of　such　officers　and　equipments　as　it　possessed；　the　more　valuable　part　was　in　the　hands　of　the　Southerners。　　It　was　clear　enough　that　she　was　ill　provided；　and　that　in　going　to　war　she　was　undertaking　a　work　as　to　which　she　had　still　to　learn　many　of　the　rudiments。　　But　Englishmen　should　be　the　last　to　twit　her　with　such　ignorance。　　It　is　not　yet　ten　years　since　we　were　all　boasting　that　swords　and　guns　were　useless　things；　and　that　military　expenditure　might　be　cut　down　to　any　minimum　figure　that　an　economizing　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　could　name。　　Since　that　we　have　extemporized　two　if　not　three　armies。　　There　are　our　volunteers　at　home；　and　the　army　which　holds　India　can　hardly　be　considered　as　one　with　that　which　is　to　maintain　our　prestige　in　Europe　and　the　West。　　We　made　some　natural　blunders　in　the　Crimea；　but　in　making　those　blunders　we　taught　ourselves　the　trade。　　It　is　the　misfortune　of　the　Northern　States　that　they　must　learn　these　lessons　in　fighting　their　own　countrymen。　　In　the　course　of　our　history　we　have　suffered　the　same　calamity　more　than　once。　　The　Round…heads；　who　beat　the　Cavaliers　and　created　English　liberty；　made　themselves　soldiers　on　the　bodies　of　their　countrymen。　　But　England　was　not　ruined　by　that　civil　war；　nor　was　she　ruined　by　those　which　preceded　it。　　From　out　of　these　she　came　forth　stronger　than　she　entered　themstronger；　better；　and　more　fit　for　a　great　destiny　in　the　history　of　nations。　　The　Northern　States　had　nearly　five　hundred　thousand　men　under　arms　when　the　winter　of　1861　commenced；　and　for　that　enormous　multitude　all　commissariat　requirements　were　well　supplied。　　Camps　and　barracks　sprang　up　through　the　country　as　though　by　magic。　Clothing　was　obtained　with　a　rapidity　that　has　I　think；　never　been　equaled。　　The　country　had　not　been　prepared　for　the　fabrication　of　arms；　and　yet　arms　were　put　into　the　men's　hands　almost　as　quickly　as　the　regiments　could　be　mustered。　　The　eighteen　millions　of　the　Northern　States　lent　themselves　to　the　effort　as　one　man。　　Each　State　gave　the　best　it　had　to　give。　　Newspapers　were　as　rabid　against　each　other　as　ever；　but　no　newspaper　could　live　which　did　not　support　the　war。　　〃The　South　has　rebelled　against　the　law；　and　the　law　shall　be　supported。〃　　This　has　been　the　cry　and　the　heartfelt　feeling　of　all　men；　and　it　is　a　feeling　which　cannot　but　inspire　respect。　We　have　heard　much　of　the　tyranny　of　the　present　government　of　the　United　States；　and　of　the　tyranny　also　of　the　people。　　They　have　both　been　very　tyrannical。　　The　〃habeas　corpus〃　has　been　suspended　by　the　word　of　one　man。　　Arrests　have　been　made　on　men　who　have　been　hardly　suspected　of　more　than　secession　principles。　　Arrests　have；　I　believe；　been　made　in　cases　which　have　been　destitute　even　of　any　fair　ground　for　such　suspicion。　　Newspapers　have　been　stopped　for　advocating　views　opposed　to　the　feelings　of　the　North；　as　freely　as　newspapers　were　ever　stopped　in　France　for　opposing　the　Emperor。　　A　man　has　not　been　safe　in　the　streets　who　was　known　to　be　a　secessionist。　　It　must　be　at　once　admitted　that　opinion　in　the　Northern　States　was　not　free　when　I　was　there。　　But　has　opinion　ever　been　free　anywhere　on　all　subjects？　　In　the　best　built　strongholds　of　freedom；　have　there　not　always　been　questions　on　which　opinion　has　not　been　free；　and　must　it　not　always　be　so？　When　the　decision　of　a　people　on　any　matter　has　become；　so　to　say；　unanimouswhen　it　has　shown　itself　to　be　so　general　as　to　be　clearly　the　expression　of　the　nation's　voice　as　a　single　chorus；　that　decision　becomes　holy；　and　may　not　be　touched。　　Could　any　newspaper　be　produced　in　England　which　advocated　the　overthrow　of　the　Queen？　　And　why　may　not　the　passion　for　the　Union　be　as　strong　with　the　Northern　States；　as　the　passion　for　the　Crown　is　strong　with　us？　　The　Crown　with　us　is　in　no　danger；　and　therefore　the　matter　is　at　rest。　　But　I　think　we　must　admit　that　in　any　nation；　let　it　be　ever　so　free；　there　may　be　points　on　which　opinion　must　be　held　under　restraint。　　And　as　to　those　summary　arrests；　and　the　suspension　of　the　〃habeas　corpus；〃　is　there　not　something　to　be　said　for　the　States　government　on　that　head　also？　　Military　arrests　are　very　dreadful；　and　the　soul　of　a　nation's　liberty　is　that　personal　freedom　from　arbitrary　interference　which　is　signified　to　the　world　by　those　two　unintelligible　Latin　words。　　A　man's　body　shalt　not　be　kept　in　duress　at　any　man's　will；　but　shall　be　brought　up　into　open　court；　with　uttermost　speed；　in　order　that　the　law　may　say　whether　or　no　it　should　be　kept　in　duress。　　That　I　take　it　is　the　meaning　of　〃habeas　corpus；〃　and　it　is　easy　to　see　that　the　suspension　of　that　privilege　destroys　all　freedom；　and　places　the　liberty　of　every　individual　at　the　mercy　of　him　who　has　the　power　to　suspend　it。　　Nothing　can　be　worse　than　this：　and　such　suspension；　if　extended　over　any　long　period　of　years；　will　certainly　make　a　nation　weak；　mean　spirited；　and　poor。　　But　in　a　period　of　civil　war；　or　even　of　a　widely…extended　civil　commotion；　things　cannot　work　in　their　accustomed　grooves。　　A　lady　does　not　willingly　get　out　of　her　bedroom…window　with　nothing　on　but　her　nightgown；　but　when　her　house　is　on　fire　she　is　very　thankful　for　an　opportunity　of　doing　so。　　It　is　not　long　since　the　〃habeas　corpus〃　was　suspended　in　parts　of　Ireland；　and　absurd　arrests　were　made　almost　daily　when　that　suspension　first　took　effect。　　It　was　grievous　that　there　should　be　necessity　for　such　a　step；　and　it　is　very　grievous　now　that　such　necessity　should　be　felt　in　the　Northern　States。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　it　becomes　Englishmen　to　bear　hardly　upon　Americans　generally　for　what　has　been　done　in　that　matter。　　Mr。　Seward；　in　an　official　letter　to　the　British　Minister　at　Washingtonwhich　letter；　through　official　dishonesty；　found　its　way　to　the　pressclaimed　for　the　President　the　right　of　suspending　the　〃habeas　corpus〃　in　the　States　whenever　it　might　seem　good　to　him　to　do　so。　　If　this　be　in　accordance　with　the　law　of　the　land；　which　I　think　must　be　doubted；　the　law　of　the　land　is　not　favorable　to　freedom。　　For　myself；　I　conceive　that　Mr