But A Western
American Gives Himself Up To "Loafing," And Is Quite Happy.
He
balances himself on the back legs of an arm-chair, and remains so,
without speaking, drinking or smoking
For an hour at a stretch; and
while he is doing so he looks as though he had all that he desired.
I believe that he is happy, and that he has all that he wants for
such an occasion - an arm-chair in which to sit, and a stove on which
he can put his feet and by which he can make himself warm.
Such was not the phase of character which I had expected to find
among the people of the West. Of all virtues patience would have
been the last which I should have thought of attributing to them. I
should have expected to see them angry when robbed of their time,
and irritable under the stress of such grievances as railway delays;
but they are never irritable under such circumstances as I have
attempted to describe, nor, indeed, are they a people prone to
irritation under any grievances. Even in political matters they are
long-enduring, and do not form themselves into mobs for the
expression of hot opinion. We in England thought that masses of the
people would rise in anger if Mr. Lincoln's government should
consent to give up Slidell and Mason; but the people bore it without
any rising. The habeas corpus has been suspended, the liberty of
the press has been destroyed for a time, the telegraph wires have
been taken up by the government into their own hands, but
nevertheless the people have said nothing. There has been no rising
of a mob, and not even an expression of an adverse opinion. The
people require to be allowed to vote periodically, and, having
acquired that privilege, permit other matters to go by the board.
In this respect we have, I think, in some degree misunderstood their
character. They have all been taught to reverence the nature of
that form of government under which they live, but they are not
specially addicted to hot political fermentation. They have learned
to understand that democratic institutions have given them liberty,
and on that subject they entertain a strong conviction which is
universal. But they have not habitually interested themselves
deeply in the doings of their legislators or of their government.
On the subject of slavery there have been and are different
opinions, held with great tenacity and maintained occasionally with
violence; but on other subjects of daily policy the American people
have not, I think, been eager politicians. Leading men in public
life have been much less trammeled by popular will than among us.
Indeed with us the most conspicuous of our statesmen and legislators
do not lead, but are led. In the States the noted politicians of
the day have been the leaders, and not unfrequently the coercers of
opinion. Seeing this, I claim for England a broader freedom in
political matters than the States have as yet achieved. In speaking
of the American form of government, I will endeavor to explain more
clearly the ideas which I have come to hold on this matter.
I survived my delay at Seymour, after which I passed again through
Cincinnati, and then survived my subsequent delay at Crestline. As
to Cincinnati, I must put on record the result of a country walk
which I took there, or rather on which I was taken by my friend. He
professed to know the beauties of the neighborhood and to be well
acquainted with all that was attractive in its vicinity. Cincinnati
is built on the Ohio, and is closely surrounded by picturesque hills
which overhang the suburbs of the city. Over these I was taken,
plowing my way through a depth of mud which cannot be understood by
any ordinary Englishman. But the depth of mud was not the only
impediment nor the worst which we encountered. As we began to
ascend from the level of the outskirts of the town we were greeted
by a rising flavor in the air, which soon grew into a strong odor,
and at last developed itself into a stench that surpassed in
offensiveness anything that my nose had ever hitherto suffered.
When we were at the worst we hardly knew whether to descend or to
proceed. It had so increased in virulence that at one time I felt
sure that it arose from some matter buried in the ground beneath my
feet. But my friend, who declared himself to be quite at home in
Cincinnati matters, and to understand the details of the great
Cincinnati trade, declared against this opinion of mine. Hogs, he
said, were at the bottom of it. It was the odor of hogs going up to
the Ohio heavens - of hogs in a state of transit from hoggish nature
to clothes-brushes, saddles, sausages, and lard. He spoke with an
authority that constrained belief; but I can never forgive him in
that he took me over those hills, knowing all that he professed to
know. Let the visitors to Cincinnati keep themselves within the
city, and not wander forth among the mountains. It is well that the
odor of hogs should ascend to heaven and not hang heavy over the
streets; but it is not well to intercept that odor in its ascent.
My friend became ill with fever, and had to betake himself to the
care of nursing friends; so that I parted company with him at
Cincinnati. I did not tell him that his illness was deserved as
well as natural, but such was my feeling on the matter. I myself
happily escaped the evil consequences which his imprudence might
have entailed on me.
I again passed through Pittsburg, and over the Alleghany Mountains
by Altoona, and down to Baltimore - back into civilization,
secession, conversation, and gastronomy. I never had secessionist
sympathies and never expressed them. I always believed in the North
as a people - discrediting, however, to the utmost the existing
Northern government, or, as I should more properly say, the existing
Northern cabinet; but nevertheless, with such feelings and such
belief I found myself very happy at Baltimore.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 68 of 140
Words from 68178 to 69215
of 142339
