Hither I Went With General Dix, And He
Explained To Me How The Cannon Had Heretofore Been Pointed Solely
Toward
The sea; that, however, now was all changed, and the mouths
of his bombs and great artillery were turned all
The other way.
The commandant of the fort was with us, and other officers, and
they all spoke of this martial tenure as a great blessing. Hearing
them, one could hardly fail to suppose that they had lived their
forty, fifty, or sixty years of life in full reliance on the powers
of a military despotism. But not the less were they American
republicans, who, twelve months since, would have dilated on the
all-sufficiency of their republican institutions, and on the
absence of any military restraint in their country, with that
peculiar pride which characterizes the citizens of the States.
There are, however, some lessons which may be learned with singular
rapidity!
Such was the state of Baltimore when I visited that city. I found,
nevertheless, that cakes and ale still prevailed there. I am
inclined to think that cakes and ale prevail most freely in times
that are perilous, and when sources of sorrow abound. I have seen
more reckless joviality in a town stricken by pestilence than I
ever encountered elsewhere. There was General Dix seated on
Federal Hill with his cannon; and there, beneath his artillery,
were gentlemen hotly professing themselves to be secessionists, men
whose sons and brothers were in the Southern army, and women, alas!
whose brothers would be in one army, and their sons in another.
That was the part of it which was most heartrending in this border
land.
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