my memories of eighty years-第3节

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ith　whom　all　were　familiar。　　Every　one　in　the　crowd　had　an　idealistic　picture　in　his　mind　of　the　actors　of　the　story。　　It　was　curious　to　note　that　the　presentation　which　the　author　gave　coincided　with　the　idea　of　the　majority　of　his　audience。　　I　was　fresh　from　the　country　but　had　with　me　that　evening　a　rather　ultra…fashionable　young　lady。　　She　said　she　was　not　interested　in　the　lecture　because　it　represented　the　sort　of　people　she　did　not　know　and　never　expected　to　meet；　they　were　a　very　common　lot。　　In　her　subsequent　career　in　this　country　and　abroad　she　had　to　her　credit　three　matrimonial　adventures　and　two　divorces；　but　none　of　her　husbands　were　of　the　common　lot。

Speaking　of　Dickens；　one　picture　remains　indelibly　pressed　upon　my　memory。　　It　was　the　banquet　given　him　at　which　Horace　Greeley　presided。　　Everybody　was　as　familiar　with　Mr。　Pickwick　and　his　portrait　by　Cruikshank　in　Dickens's　works　as　with　one's　father。　When　Mr。　Greeley　arose　to　make　the　opening　speech　and　introduce　the　guest　of　the　evening；　his　likeness　to　this　portrait　of　Pickwick　was　so　remarkable　that　the　whole　audience；　including　Mr。　Dickens；　shouted　their　delight　in　greeting　an　old　and　welI…beloved　friend。

Another　educational　opportunity　came　in　my　way　because　one　of　my　uncles　was　postmaster　of　the　village。　　Through　his　post…office　came　several　high…class　magazines　and　foreign　reviews。　　There　was　no　rural　delivery　in　those　days；　and　the　mail　could　only　be　had　on　personal　application；　and　the　result　was　that　the　subscribers　of　these　periodicals　frequently　left　them　a　long　time　before　they　were　called　for。　　I　was　an　omnivorous　reader　of　everything　available；　and　as　a　result　these　publications；　especially　the　foreign　reviews；　became　a　fascinating　source　of　information　and　culture。　　They　gave　from　the　first　minds　of　the　century　criticisms　of　current　literature　and　expositions　of　political　movements　and　public　men　which　became　of　infinite　value　in　after…years。

Another　unincorporated　and　yet　valuable　school　was　the　frequent　sessions　at　the　drug　store　of　the　elder　statesmen　of　the　village。　On　certain　evenings　these　men；　representing　most　of　the　activities　of　the　village；　would　avail　themselves　of　the　hospitable　chairs　about　the　stove　and　discuss　not　only　local　matters　but　the　general　conditions　of　the　country；　some　of　them　revolving　about　the　constitutionality　of　various　measures　which　had　been　proposed　and　enacted　into　laws。　　They　nearly　all　related　to　slavery；　the　compromise　measures；　the　introduction　of　slaves　into　new　territories；　the　fugitive　slave　law；　and　were　discussed　with　much　intelligence　and　information。　　The　boys　heard　them　talked　about　in　their　homes　and　were　eager　listeners　on　the　outskirts　of　this　village　congress。　　Such　institutions　are　not　possible　except　in　the　universal　acquaintance；　fellowship；　and　confidences　of　village　and　country　life。　　They　were　the　most　important　factors　in　forming　that　public　opinion；　especially　among　the　young；　which　supported　Mr。　Lincoln　in　his　successful　efforts　to　save　the　Union　at　whatever　cost。

A　few　days　after　returning　home　from　Yale　I　entered　the　office　of　Edward　Wells；　a　lawyer　of　the　village；　as　a　student。　　Mr。　Wells　had　attained　high　rank　in　his　profession；　was　a　profound　student　of　the　law；　and　had　a　number　of　young　men；　fitting　them　for　the　bar　under　his　direction。

I　was　admitted　to　the　bar　in　1858；　and　immediately　opened　an　office　in　the　village。　　My　first　client　was　a　prosperous　farmer　who　wanted　an　opinion　on　a　rather　complicated　question。　　I　prepared　the　case　with　great　care。　　He　asked　me　what　my　fee　was；　and　I　told　him　five　dollars。　　He　said：　　〃A　dollar　and　seventy…five　is　enough　for　a　young　lawyer　like　you。〃　　Subsequently　he　submitted　the　case　to　one　of　the　most　eminent　lawyers　in　New　York；　who　came　to　the　same　conclusion　and　charged　him　five　hundred　dollars。　On　account　of　this　gentleman's　national　reputation　the　farmer　thought　that　fee　was　very　reasonable。　　In　subsequent　years　I　have　received　several　very　large　retainers；　but　none　of　them　gave　so　much　satisfaction　as　that　dollar　and　seventy…five　cents；　which　I　had　actually　earned　after　having　been　so　long　dependent　on　my　father。

After　some　years　of　private　practice　Commodore　Vanderbilt　sent　for　me　and　offered　the　attorneyship　for　the　New　York　and　Harlem　Railroad。　　I　had　just　been　nominated　and　confirmed　United　States　minister　to　Japan。　　The　appointment　was　a　complete　surprise　to　me；　as　I　was　not　an　applicant　for　any　federal　position。　　The　salary　was　seven　thousand　five　hundred　dollars　and　an　outfit　of　nine　thousand。　The　commodore's　offer　of　the　attorneyship　for　the　Harlem　Railroad；　which　was　his　first　venture　in　railroading；　was　far　less　than　the　salary　as　minister。　　When　I　said　this　to　the　commodore；　he　remarked：　　〃Railroads　are　the　career　for　a　young　man；　there　is　nothing　in　politics。　　Don't　be　a　damned　fool。〃　　That　decided　me；　and　on　the　1st　of　January；　1921；　I　rounded　out　fifty…five　years　in　the　railway　service　of　this　corporation　and　its　allied　lines。

Nothing　has　impressed　me　more　than　little　things；　and　apparently　immaterial　ones；　which　have　influenced　the　careers　of　many　people。　My　father　and　his　brothers；　all　active　business　men；　were　also　deeply　interested　in　politics；　not　on　the　practical　side　but　in　policies　and　governmental　measures。　　They　were　uncompromising　Democrats　of　the　most　conservative　type；　they　believed　that　interference　with　slavery　of　any　kind　imperilled　the　union　of　the　States；　and　that　the　union　of　the　States　was　the　sole　salvation　of　the　perpetuity　of　the　republic　and　its　liberties。　　I　went　to　Yale　saturated　with　these　ideas。　　Yale　was　a　favorite　college　for　Southern　people。　　There　was　a　large　element　from　the　slaveholding　States　among　the　students。　　It　was　so　considerable　that　these　Southerners　withdrew　from　the　great　debating　societies　of　the　college　and　formed　a　society　of　their　own；　which　they　called　the　Calliopean。　　Outside　of　these　Southerners　there　were　very　few　Democrats　among　the　students；　and　I　came　very　near　being　drawn　into　the　CaIliopean；　but　happily　escaped。

The　slavery　question　in　all　its　phases　of　fugitive　slave　law　and　its　enforcement；　the　extension　of　slavery　into　the　new　territories；　or　its　prohibition；　and　of　the　abolition　of　the　institution　by　purchase　or　confiscation　were　subjects　of　discussion　on　the　campus；　in　the　literary　societies；　and　in　frequent　lectures　in　the　halls　in　New　Haven　by　the　most　prominent　and　gifted　speakers　and　advocates。

That　was　a　period　when　even　in　the　most　liberal　churches　the　pulpit　was　not　permitted　to　preach　politics；　and　slavery　was　pre…eminently　politics。　　But　according　to　an　old　New　England　custom；　the　pastor　was　given　a　free　hand　on　Thanksgiving　Day　to　unburden　his　mind　of　everything　which　had　been　bubbling　and　seething　there　for　a　year。　　One　of　the　most　eminent　and　eloquent　of　New　England　preachers　was　the　Reverend　Doctor　Bacon；　of　Center　Church；　New　Haven。　　His　Thanksgiving　sermon　was　an　event　eagerly　anticipated　by　the　whole　college　community。　　He　was　violently　anti…slavery。　His　sermons　were　not　only　intently　listened　to　but　widely　read；　and　their　effect　in　promoting　anti…slavery　sentiment　was　very　great。

The　result　of　several　years　of　these　associations　and　discussions　converted　me；　and　I　became　a　Republican　on　the　principles　enunciated　in　the　first　platform　of　the　party　in　1856。　　When　I　came　home　from　Yale　the　situation　in　the　family　became　very　painful；　because　my　father　was　an　intense　partisan。　　He　had　for　his　party　both　faith　and　love；　and　was　shocked　and　grieved　at　his　son's　change　of　principles。　　He　could　not　avoid　constantly　discussing　the　question；　and　was　equally　hurt　either　by　opposition　or　silence。



II。　　IN　PUBLIC　LIFE

The　campaign　of　1856　created　an　excitement　in　our　village　which　had　never　been　known　since　the　Revolutionary　War。　　The　old　families　who　had　been　settled　there　since　colonial　days　were　mainly　pro…slavery　and　Democratic；　while　the　Republican　party　was　recruited　very　largely　from　New　England　men　and　in　a　minority。

Several　times　in　our　national　political　campaigns　there　has　been　one　orator　who　drew　audiences　and　received　public　attention　and　reports　in　the　newspapers　beyond　all　other　speakers。　　On　the　Democratic　side　during　that　period　Horatio　Seymour　was　pre…eminent。　On　the　Republican　side　in　the　State　of　New　York　the　attractive　figure　was　George　William　Curtis。　　His　books　were　very　popular；　his　charming　personality；　the　culture　and　the　elevation　of　his　speeches　put　him　in　a　class　by　himself。

The　Republicans　of　the　village　were　highly　elated　when　they　had　secured　the　promise　of　Mr。　Curtis　to　speak　at　their　most　important　mass　meeting。　　The　occasion　drew　together　the　largest　audience　the　village　had　known；　composed　not　only　of　residents　but　many　from　a　distance。　　The　committee　of　arrangements　finally　reported　to　the　waiting　audience　that　the　last　train　had　arrived；　but　Mr。　Curtis　had　not　come。

It　suddenly　occurred　to　the　committee　that　it　would　be　a　good　thing　to　call　a　young　recruit　from　a　well…known　Democratic　family　and　publicly　commit　him。　　First　came　the　invitation；　then　the　shouting；　and　when　I　arose　they　cried　〃platform；〃　and　I　was　escorted　to　the　platform；　but　had　no　idea　of　making　a　speech。　My　experi