acres of diamonds-第9部分

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lunder。

That　other　young　man　gets　up　and　says；　‘‘There　are　going　to　be　great　men　in　this　country　and　in　Philadelphia。''　　‘‘Is　that　so？　　When？''　　‘‘When　there　comes　a　great　war；　when　we　get　into　difficulty　through　watchful　waiting　in　Mexico；　when　we　get　into　war　with　England　over　some　frivolous　deed；　or　with　Japan　or　China　or　New　Jersey　or　some　distant　country。　　Then　I　will　march　up　to　the　cannon's　mouth；　I　will　sweep　up　among　the　glistening　bayonets；　I　will　leap　into　the　arena　and　tear　down　the　flag　and　bear　it　away　in　triumph。　　I　will　come　home　with　stars　on　my　shoulder；　and　hold　every　office　in　the　gift　of　the　nation；　and　I　will　be　great。''　　No；　you　won't。　　You　think　you　are　going　to　be　made　great　by　an　office；　but　remember　that　if　you　are　not　great　before　you　get　the　office；　you　won't　be　great　when　you　secure　it。　　It　will　only　be　a　burlesque　in　that　shape。

We　had　a　Peace　Jubilee　here　after　the　Spanish　War。　　Out　West　they　don't　believe　this；　because　they　said；　‘‘Philadelphia　would　not　have　heard　of　any　Spanish　War　until　fifty　years　hence。''　　Some　of　you　saw　the　procession　go　up　Broad　Street。　　I　was　away；　but　the　family　wrote　to　me　that　the　tally…ho　coach　with　Lieutenant　Hobson　upon　it　stopped　right　at　the　front　door　and　the　people　shouted；　‘‘Hurrah　for　Hobson！''　and　if　I　had　been　there　I　would　have　yelled　too；　because　he　deserves　much　more　of　his　country　than　he　has　ever　received。　　But　suppose　I　go　into　school　and　say；　‘‘Who　sunk　the　_Merrimac_　at　Santiago？''　and　if　the　boys　answer　me；　‘‘Hobson；''　they　will　tell　me　seven…eighths　of　a　lie。　　There　were　seven　other　heroes　on　that　steamer；　and　they；　by　virtue　of　their　position；　were　continually　exposed　to　the　Spanish　fire；　while　Hobson；　as　an　officer；　might　reasonably　be　behind　the　smoke…stack。　　You　have　gathered　in　this　house　your　most　intelligent　people；　and　yet；　perhaps；　not　one　here　can　name　the　other　seven　men。

We　ought　not　to　so　teach　history。　　We　ought　to　teach　that；　however　humble　a　man's　station　may　be；　if　he　does　his　full　duty　in　that　place　he　is　just　as　much　entitled　to　the　American　people's　honor　as　is　the　king　upon　his　throne。　　But　we　do　not　so　teach。　　We　are　now　teaching　everywhere　that　the　generals　do　all　the　fighting。

I　remember　that；　after　the　war；　I　went　down　to　see　General　Robert　E。　Lee；　that　magnificent　Christian　gentleman　of　whom　both　North　and　South　are　now　proud　as　one　of　our　great　Americans。　　The　general　told　me　about　his　servant；　‘‘Rastus；''　who　was　an　enlisted　colored　soldier。　　He　called　him　in　one　day　to　make　fun　of　him；　and　said；　‘‘Rastus；　I　hear　that　all　the　rest　of　your　company　are　killed；　and　why　are　you　not　killed？''　　Rastus　winked　at　him　and　said；　‘‘　'Cause　when　there　is　any　fightin'　goin'　on　I　stay　back　with　the　generals。''

I　remember　another　illustration。　　I　would　leave　it　out　but　for　the　fact　that　when　you　go　to　the　library　to　read　this　lecture；　you　will　find　this　has　been　printed　in　it　for　twenty…five　years。　　I　shut　my　eyesshut　them　closeand　lo！　　I　see　the　faces　of　my　youth。　　Yes；　they　sometimes　say　to　me；　‘‘Your　hair　is　not　white；　you　are　working　night　and　day　without　seeming　ever　to　stop；　you　can't　be　old。''　　But　when　I　shut　my　eyes；　like　any　other　man　of　my　years；　oh；　then　come　trooping　back　the　faces　of　the　loved　and　lost　of　long　ago；　and　I　know；　whatever　men　may　say；　it　is　evening…time。

I　shut　my　eyes　now　and　look　back　to　my　native　town　in　Massachusetts；　and　I　see　the　cattle…show　ground　on　the　mountain…top；　I　can　see　the　horse…　sheds　there。　　I　can　see　the　Congregational　church；　see　the　town　hall　and　mountaineers'　cottages；　see　a　great　assembly　of　people　turning　out；　dressed　resplendently；　and　I　can　see　flags　flying　and　handkerchiefs　waving　and　hear　bands　playing。　　I　can　see　that　company　of　soldiers　that　had　re…enlisted　marching　up　on　that　cattle…show　ground。　　I　was　but　a　boy；　but　I　was　captain　of　that　company　and　puffed　out　with　pride。　　A　cambric　needle　would　have　burst　me　all　to　pieces。　　Then　I　thought　it　was　the　greatest　event　that　ever　came　to　man　on　earth。　　If　you　have　ever　thought　you　would　like　to　be　a　king　or　queen；　you　go　and　be　received　by　the　mayor。

The　bands　played；　and　all　the　people　turned　out　to　receive　us。　　I　marched　up　that　Common　so　proud　at　the　head　of　my　troops；　and　we　turned　down　into　the　town　hall。　　Then　they　seated　my　soldiers　down　the　center　aisle　and　I　sat　down　on　the　front　seat。　　A　great　assembly　of　people　a　hundred　or　twocame　in　to　fill　the　town　hall；　so　that　they　stood　up　all　around。　　Then　the　town　officers　came　in　and　formed　a　half…circle。　　The　mayor　of　the　town　sat　in　the　middle　of　the　platform。　　He　was　a　man　who　had　never　held　office　before；　but　he　was　a　good　man；　and　his　friends　have　told　me　that　I　might　use　this　without　giving　them　offense。　　He　was　a　good　man；　but　he　thought　an　office　made　a　man　great。　　He　came　up　and　took　his　seat；　adjusted　his　powerful　spectacles；　and　looked　around；　when　he　suddenly　spied　me　sitting　there　on　the　front　seat。　　He　came　right　forward　on　the　platform　and　invited　me　up　to　sit　with　the　town　officers。　　No　town　officer　ever　took　any　notice　of　me　before　I　went　to　war；　except　to　advise　the　teacher　to　thrash　me；　and　now　I　was　invited　up　on　the　stand　with　the　town　officers。　　Oh　my！　the　town　mayor　was　then　the　emperor；　the　king　of　our　day　and　our　time。　　As　I　came　up　on　the　platform　they　gave　me　a　chair　about　this　far；　I　would　say；　from　the　front。

When　I　had　got　seated；　the　chairman　of　the　Selectmen　arose　and　came　forward　to　the　table；　and　we　all　supposed　he　would　introduce　the　Congregational　minister；　who　was　the　only　orator　in　town；　and　that　he　would　give　the　oration　to　the　returning　soldiers。　　But；　friends；　you　should　have　seen　the　surprise　which　ran　over　the　audience　when　they　discovered　that　the　old　fellow　was　going　to　deliver　that　speech　himself。　　He　had　never　made　a　speech　in　his　life；　but　he　fell　into　the　same　error　that　hundreds　of　other　men　have　fallen　into。　　It　seems　so　strange　that　a　man　won't　learn　he　must　speak　his　piece　as　a　boy　if　he　in…　tends　to　be　an　orator　when　he　is　grown；　but　he　seems　to　think　all　he　has　to　do　is　to　hold　an　office　to　be　a　great　orator。

So　he　came　up　to　the　front；　and　brought　with　him　a　speech　which　he　had　learned　by　heart　walking　up　and　down　the　pasture；　where　he　had　frightened　the　cattle。　　He　brought　the　manuscript　with　him　and　spread　it　out　on　the　table　so　as　to　be　sure　he　might　see　it。　　He　adjusted　his　spectacles　and　leaned　over　it　for　a　moment　and　marched　back　on　that　platform；　and　then　came　forward　like　thistramp；　tramp；　tramp。　　He　must　have　studied　the　subject　a　great　deal；　when　you　come　to　think　of　it；　because　he　assumed　an　‘‘elocutionary''　attitude。　　He　rested　heavily　upon　his　left　heel；　threw　back　his　shoulders；　slightly　advanced　the　right　foot；　opened　the　organs　of　speech；　and　advanced　his　right　foot　at　an　angle　of　forty…　five。　　As　he　stood　in　that　elocutionary　attitude；　friends；　this　is　just　the　way　that　speech　went。　　Some　people　say　to　me；　‘‘Don't　you　exaggerate？''　　That　would　be　impossible。　　But　I　am　here　for　the　lesson　and　not　for　the　story；　and　this　is　the　way　it　went：

‘‘Fellow…citizens''　　As　soon　as　he　heard　his　voice　his　fingers　began　to　go　like　that；　his　knees　began　to　shake；　and　then　he　trembled　all　over。　　He　choked　and　swallowed　and　came　around　to　the　table　to　look　at　the　manuscript。　　Then　he　gathered　himself　up　with　clenched　fists　and　came　back：　　‘‘Fellow…citizens；　we　are　Fellow…citizens；　we　arewe　arewe　arewe　arewe　arewe　are　very　happywe　are　very　happywe　are　very　happy。　　We　are　very　happy　to　welcome　back　to　their　native　town　these　soldiers　who　have　fought　and　bledand　come　back　again　to　their　native　town。　　We　are　especiallywe　are　especiallywe　are　especially。　　We　are　especially　pleased　to　see　with　us　to…day　this　young　hero''　（that　meant　me）‘‘this　young　hero　who　in　imagination''　（friends；　remember　he　said　that；　if　he　had　not　said　‘‘in　imagination''　I　would　not　be　egotistic　enough　to　refer　to　it　at　all）‘‘this　young　hero　who　in　imagination　we　have　seen　leadingwe　have　seen　leadingleading。　　We　have　seen　leading　his　troops　on　to　the　deadly　breach。　　We　have　seen　his　shiningwe　have　seen　his　shininghis　shininghis　shining　swordflashing。　　Flashing　in　the　sunlight；　as　he　shouted　to　his　troops；　‘Come　on'！''

Oh　dear；　dear；　dear！　how　little　that　good　man　knew　about　war。　　If　he　had　known　anything　about　war　at　all　he　ought　to　have　known　what　any　of　my　G。　A。　R。　comrades　here　to…night　will　tell　you　is　true；　that　it　is　next　to　a　crime　for　an　officer　of　infantry　ever　in　time　of　danger　to　go　ahead　of　his　men。　　‘‘I；　with　my　shining　sword　flashing　in　the　sunlight；　shouting　to　my　troops；　‘Come　on'！''　　I　never　did　it。　　Do　you　suppose　I　would　get　in　front　of　my　men　to　be　shot　in　front　by　the　enemy　and　in　the　back　by　my　own　men？　　That　is　no　place　for　an　officer。　　The　place　for　the　officer　in　actual　battle　is　behind　the　line。　　How　often；　as　a　staff　officer；　I　rode　down　the　line；　when　our　men　were　suddenly　called　to　the　line　of　battle；　and　the　Rebel　yells　were　coming　out　of　the　woods；　and　shouted：　　‘‘Officers　to　the　rear！　　Officers　to　the　rear！''　　Then　every　officer　gets　behind　the　line　of　private　soldiers；　and　the　higher　the　officer's　rank　the　farther　behind　he　goes。　　Not　because　he　is　any　the　less　brave；　but　because　the　laws　of　war　requ