I Wonder Whether These Lads Appreciate The Fact That They
Are Studying Fourteen Hours A Day Amid The Sweetest River, Rock,
And Mountain Scenery That The Imagination Can Conceive.
Of course
it will be said, that the world at large is not excluded from West
Point, that the
Ferry to the place is open, and that there is even
a hotel there, closed against no man or woman who will consent to
become a teetotaller for the period of his visit. I must admit
that this is so; but still one feels that one is only admitted as a
guest. I want to go and live at West Point, and why should I be
prevented? The government had a right to buy it of course, but
government should not buy up the prettiest spots on a country's
surface. If I were an American, I should make a grievance of this;
but Americans will suffer things from their government which no
Englishmen would endure.
It is one of the peculiarities of West Point that everything there
is in good taste. The point itself consists of a bluff of land so
formed that the River Hudson is forced to run round three sides of
it. It is consequently a peninsula; and as the surrounding country
is mountainous on both sides of the river, it may be imagined that
the site is good. The views both up and down the river are lovely,
and the mountains behind break themselves so as to make the
landscape perfect. But this is not all. At West Point there is
much of buildings, much of military arrangement in the way of
cannons, forts, and artillery yards. All these things are so
contrived as to group themselves well into pictures. There is no
picture of architectural grandeur; but everything stands well and
where it should stand, and the eye is not hurt at any spot. I
regard West Point as a delightful place, and was much gratified by
the kindness I received there.
From West Point we went direct to new York.
CHAPTER XIII.
AN APOLOGY FOR THE WAR.
I think it may be received as a fact that the Northern States,
taken together, sent a full tenth of their able-bodied men into the
ranks of the army in the course of the summer and autumn of 1861.
The South, no doubt, sent a much larger proportion; but the effect
of such a drain upon the South would not be the same, because the
slaves were left at home to perform the agricultural work of the
country. I very much doubt whether any other nation ever made such
an effort in so short a time. To a people who can do this it may
well be granted that they are in earnest; and I do not think it
should be lightly decided by any foreigner that they are wrong.
The strong and unanimous impulse of a great people is seldom wrong.
And let it be borne in mind that in this case both people may be
right - the people both of North and South.
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