passages from an old volume of life-第24章

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r。　We　are　pouring　out　the　most　generous　blood　of　our　youth　and　manhood；　alas！　this　is　always　the　price　that　must　be　paid　for　the　redemption　of　a　people。　　What　have　we　to　complain　of；　whose　granaries　are　choking　with　plenty；　whose　streets　are　gay　with　shining　robes　and　glittering　equipages；　whose　industry　is　abundant　enough　to　reap　all　its　overflowing　harvest；　yet　sure　of　employment　and　of　its　just　reward；　the　soil　of　whose　mighty　valleys　is　an　inexhaustible　mine　of　fertility；　whose　mountains　cover　up　such　stores　of　heat　and　power；　imprisoned　in　their　coal　measures；　as　would　warm　all　the　inhabitants　and　work　all　the　machinery　of　our　planet　for　unnumbered　ages；　whose　rocks　pour　out　rivers　of　oil；　whose　streams　run　yellow　over　beds　of　golden　sand；what　have　we　to　complain　of？

Have　we　degenerated　from　our　English　fathers；　so　that　we　cannot　do　and　bear　for　our　national　salvation　what　they　have　done　and　borne　over　and　over　again　for　their　form　of　government？　　Could　England；　in　her　wars　with　Napoleon；　bear　an　income…tax　of　ten　per　cent。；　and　must　we　faint　under　the　burden　of　an　income…tax　of　three　per　cent。？　　Was　she　content　to　negotiate　a　loan　at　fifty…three　for　the　hundred；　and　that　paid　in　depreciated　paper；　and　can　we　talk　about　financial　ruin　with　our　national　stocks　ranging　from　one　to　eight　or　nine　above　par；　and　the　〃five…twenty〃　war　loan　eagerly　taken　by　our　own　people　to　the　amount　of　nearly　two　hundred　millions；　without　any　check　to　the　flow　of　the　current　pressing　inwards　against　the　doors　of　the　Treasury？　Except　in　those　portions　of　the　country　which　are　the　immediate　seat　of　war；　or　liable　to　be　made　so；　and　which；　having　the　greatest　interest　not　to　become　the　border　states　of　hostile　nations；　can　best　afford　to　suffer　now；　the　state　of　prosperity　and　comfort　is　such　as　to　astonish　those　who　visit　us　from　other　countries。　　What　are　war　taxes　to　a　nation　which；　as　we　are　assured　on　good　authority；　has　more　men　worth　a　million　now　than　it　had　worth　ten　thousand　dollars　at　the　close　of　the　Revolution；whose　whole　property　is　a　hundred　times；　and　whose　commerce；　inland　and　foreign；　is　five　hundred　times；　what　it　was　then？　　But　we　need　not　study　Mr。　Still's　pamphlet　and　〃Thompson's　Bank…Note　Reporter〃　to　show　us　what　we　know　well　enough；　that；　so　far　from　having　occasion　to　tremble　in　fear　of　our　impending　ruin；　we　must　rather　blush　for　our　material　prosperity。　　For　the　multitudes　who　are　unfortunate　enough　to　be　taxed　for　a　million　or　more；　of　course　we　must　feel　deeply；　at　the　same　time　suggesting　that　the　more　largely　they　report　their　incomes　to　the　tax…gatherer；　the　more　consolation　they　will　find　in　the　feeling　that　they　have　served　their　country。　　But；let　us　say　it　plainly；it　will　not　hurt　our　people　to　be　taught　that　there　are　other　things　to　be　cared　for　besides　money…making　and　money…spending；　that　the　time　has　come　when　manhood　must　assert　itself　by　brave　deeds　and　noble　thoughts；　when　womanhood　must　assume　its　most　sacred　office；　〃to　warn；　to　comfort；〃　and；　if　need　be；　〃to　command；〃　those　whose　services　their　country　calls　for。　　This　Northern　section　of　the　land　has　become　a　great　variety　shop；　of　which　the　Atlantic　cities　are　the　long…extended　counter。　　We　have　grown　rich　for　what？　　To　put　gilt　bands　on　coachmen's　hats？　　To　sweep　the　foul　sidewalks　with　the　heaviest　silks　which　the　toiling　artisans　of　France　can　send　us？　　To　look　through　plate…glass　windows；　and　pity　the　brown　soldiers；or　sneer　at　the　black　ones？　to　reduce　the　speed　of　trotting　horses　a　second　or　two　below　its　old　minimum？　　to　color　meerschaums？　　to　flaunt　in　laces；　and　sparkle　in　diamonds？　　to　dredge　our　maidens'　hair　with　gold…dust？　to　float　through　life；　the　passive　shuttlecocks　of　fashion；　from　the　avenues　to　the　beaches；　and　back　again　from　the　beaches　to　the　avenues？　　Was　it　for　this　that　the　broad　domain　of　the　Western　hemisphere　was　kept　so　long　unvisited　by　civilization？for　this；　that　Time；　the　father　of　empires；　unbound　the　virgin　zone　of　this　youngest　of　his　daughters；　and　gave　her；　beautiful　in　the　long　veil　of　her　forests；　to　the　rude　embrace　of　the　adventurous　Colonist？　　All　this　is　what　we　see　around　us；　now；　now　while　we　are　actually　fighting　this　great　battle；　and　supporting　this　great　load　of　indebtedness。　　Wait　till　the　diamonds　go　back　to　the　Jews　of　Amsterdam；　till　the　plate…glass　window　bears　the　fatal　announcement；　For　Sale　or　to　Let；　till　the　voice　of　our　Miriam　is　obeyed；　as　she　sings；

　　　　〃Weave　no　more　silks；　ye　Lyons　looms！〃

till　the　gold…dust　is　combed　from　the　golden　locks；　and　hoarded　to　buy　bread；　till　the　fast…driving　youth　smokes　his　clay…pipe　on　the　platform　of　the　horse…cars；　till　the　music…grinders　cease　because　none　will　pay　them；　till　there　are　no　peaches　in　the　windows　at　twenty…four　dollars　a　dozen；　and　no　heaps　of　bananas　and　pine…apples　selling　at　the　street…corners；　till　the　ten…flounced　dress　has　but　three　flounces；　and　it　is　felony　to　drink　champagne；　wait　till　these　changes　show　themselves；　the　signs　of　deeper　wants；　the　preludes　of　exhaustion　and　bankruptcy；　then　let　us　talk　of　the　Maelstrom；but　till　then；　let　us　not　be　cowards　with　our　purses；　while　brave　men　are　emptying　their　hearts　upon　the　earth　for　us；　let　us　not　whine　over　our　imaginary　ruin；　while　the　reversed　current　of　circling　events　is　carrying　us　farther　and　farther；　every　hour；　out　of　the　influence　of　the　great　failing　which　was　born　of　our　wealth；　and　of　the　deadly　sin　which　was　our　fatal　inheritance！

Let　us　take　a　brief　general　glance　at　the　wide　field　of　discussion　we　are　just　leaving。

On　Friday；　the　twelfth　day　of　the　month　of　April；　in　the　year　of　our　Lord　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…one；　at　half…past　four　of　the　clock　in　the　morning；　a　cannon　was　aimed　and　fired　by　the　authority　of　South　Carolina　at　the　wall　of　a　fortress　belonging　to　the　United　States。　　Its　ball　carried　with　it　the　hatreds；　the　rages　of　thirty　years；　shaped　and　cooled　in　the　mould　of　malignant　deliberation。　　Its　wad　was　the　charter　of　our　national　existence。　　Its　muzzle　was　pointed　at　the　stone　which　bore　the　symbol　of　our　national　sovereignty。　　As　the　echoes　of　its　thunder　died　away；　the　telegraph　clicked　one　word　through　every　office　of　the　land。　　That　word　was　WAR！

War　is　a　child　that　devours　its　nurses　one　after　another；　until　it　is　claimed　by　its　true　parents。　　This　war　has　eaten　its　way　backward　through　all　the　technicalities　of　lawyers　learned　in　the　infinitesimals　of　ordinances　and　statutes；　through　all　the　casuistries　of　divines；　experts　in　the　differential　calculus　of　conscience　and　duty；　until　it　stands　revealed　to　all　men　as　the　natural　and　inevitable　conflict　of　two　incompatible　forms　of　civilization；　one　or　the　other　of　which　must　dominate　the　central　zone　of　the　continent；　and　eventually　claim　the　hemisphere　for　its　development。

We　have　reached　the　region　of　those　broad　principles　and　large　axioms　which　the　wise　Romans；　the　world's　lawgivers；　always　recognized　as　above　all　special　enactments。　　We　have　come　to　that　solid　substratum　acknowledged　by　Grotius　in　his　great　Treatise：　　〃Necessity　itself　which　reduces　things　to　the　mere　right　of　Nature。〃　　The　old　rules　which　were　enough　for　our　guidance　in　quiet　times；　have　become　as　meaningless　〃as　moonlight　on　the　dial　of　the　day。〃　　We　have　followed　precedents　as　long　as　they　could　guide　us；　now　we　must　make　precedents　for　the　ages　which　are　to　succeed　us。

If　we　are　frightened　from　our　object　by　the　money　we　have　spent；　the　current　prices　of　United　States　stocks　show　that　we　value　our　nationality　at　only　a　small　fraction　of　our　wealth。　　If　we　feel　that　we　are　paying　too　dearly　for　it　in　the　blood　of　our　people；　let　us　recall　those　grand　words　of　Samuel　Adams：

〃I　should　advise　persisting　in　our　struggle　for　liberty；　though　it　were　revealed　from　heaven　that　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine　were　to　perish；　and　only　one　of　a　thousand　were　to　survive　and　retain　his　liberty！〃

What　we　want　now　is　a　strong　purpose；　the　purpose　of　Luther；　when　he　said；　in　repeating　his　Pater　Noster；　fiat　voluntas　MEA；let　my　will　be　done；　though　he　considerately　added；　quia　Tua；because　my　will　is　Thine。　　We　want　the　virile　energy　of　determination　which　made　the　oath　of　Andrew　Jackson　sound　so　like　the　devotion　of