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ster；　and　seemed　to　have　in　his　own　hands　the　power　of　mismanaging　all　foreign　relations　as　he　pleased。　　But；　in　truth；　the　States　of　America；　great　as　they　are；　and　much　as　they　have　done；　have　not　produced　statesmen。　　That　theory　of　governing　by　the　little　men　rather　than　by　the　great　has　not　been　found　to　answer；　and　such　follies　as　those　of　Mr。　Seward　have　been　the　consequence。　At　Boston；　and　indeed　elsewhere；　I　found　that　there　was　even　then　at　the　time　of　the　capture　of　these　two　menno　true　conception　of　the　neutrality　of　England　with　reference　to　the　two　parties。　　When　any　argument　was　made；　showing　that　England；　who　had　carried　these　messengers　from　the　South；　would　undoubtedly　have　also　carried　messengers　from　the　North；　the　answer　always　was〃But　the　Southerners　are　all　rebels。　　Will　England　regard　us　who　are　by　treaty　her　friend；　as　she　does　a　people　that　is　in　rebellion　against　its　own　government？〃　　That　was　the　old　story　over　again；　and　as　it　was　a　very　long　story；　it　was　hardly　of　use　to　go　back　through　all　its　details。　　But　the　fact　was　that　unless　there　had　been　such　absolute　neutralitysuch　equality　between　the　parties　in　the　eyes　of　Englandeven　Captain　Wilkes　would　not　have　thought　of　stopping　the　〃Trent；〃　or　the　government　at　Washington　of　justifying　such　a　proceeding。　　And　it　must　be　remembered　that　the　government　at　Washington　had　justified　that　proceeding。　　The　Secretary　of　the　Navy　had　distinctly　done　so　in　his　official　report；　and　that　report　had　been　submitted　to　the　President　and　published　by　his　order。　　It　was　because　England　was　neutral　between　the　North　and　South　that　Captain　Wilkes　claimed　to　have　the　right　of　seizing　those　two　men。　It　had　been　the　President's　intention；　some　month　or　so　before　this　affair；　to　send　Mr。　Everett　and　other　gentlemen　over　to　England　with　objects　as　regards　the　North　similar　to　those　which　had　caused　the　sending　of　Slidell　and　Mason　with　reference　to　the　South。　　What　would　Mr。　Everett　have　thought　had　he　been　refused　a　passage　from　Dover　to　Calais；　because　the　carrying　of　him　would　have　been　toward　the　South　a　breach　of　neutrality？　　It　would　never　have　occurred　to　him　that　he　could　become　subject　to　such　stoppage。　　How　should　we　have　been　abused　for　Southern　sympathies　had　we　so　acted！　　We；　forsooth；　who　carry　passengers　about　the　world；　from　China　and　Australia；　round　to　Chili　and　Peru；　who　have　the　charge　of　the　world's　passengers　and　letters；　and　as　a　nation　incur　out　of　our　pocket　annually　loss　of　some　half　million　of　pounds　sterling　for　the　privilege　of　doing　so；　are　to　inquire　the　business　of　every　American　traveler　before　we　let　him　on　board；　and　be　stopped　in　our　work　if　we　take　anybody　on　one　side　whose　journeyings　may　be　conceived　by　the　other　side　to　be　to　them　prejudicial！　　Not　on　such　terms　will　Englishmen　be　willing　to　spread　civilization　across　the　ocean！　　I　do　not　pretend　to　understand　Wheaton　and　Phillimore；　or　even　to　have　read　a　single　word　of　any　international　law。　　I　have　refused　to　read　any　such；　knowing　that　it　would　only　confuse　and　mislead　me。　　But　I　have　my　common　sense　to　guide　me。　　Two　men　living　in　one　street；　quarrel　and　shy　brickbats　at　each　other；　and　make　the　whole　street　very　uncomfortable。　　Not　only　is　no　one　to　interfere　with　them；　but　they　are　to　have　the　privilege　of　deciding　that　their　brickbats　have　the　right　of　way；　rather　than　the　ordinary　intercourse　of　the　neighborhood！　　If　that　be　national　law；　national　law　must　be　changed。　　It　might　do　for　some　centuries　back；　but　it　cannot　do　now。　　Up　to　this　period　my　sympathies　had　been　with　the　North。　　I　thought；　and　still　think；　that　the　North　had　no　alternative；　that　the　war　had　been　forced　upon　them；　and　that　they　had　gone　about　their　work　with　patriotic　energy。　　But　this　stopping　of　an　English　mail　steamer　was　too　much　for　me。　What　will　they　do　in　England？　was　now　the　question。　　But　for　any　knowledge　as　to　that　I　had　to　wait　till　I　reached　Washington。

CHAPTER　XVII。　CAMBRIDGE　AND　LOWELL。

The　two　places　of　most　general　interest　in　the　vicinity　of　Boston　are　Cambridge　and　Lowell。　　Cambridge　is　to　Massachusetts；　and；　I　may　almost　say；　is　to　all　the　Northern　States；　what　Cambridge　and　Oxford　are　to　England。　　It　is　the　seat　of　the　university　which　gives　the　highest　education　to　be　attained　by　the　highest　classes　in　that　country。　　Lowell　also　is　in　little　to　Massachusetts　and　to　New　England　what　Manchester　is　to　us　in　so　great　a　degree。　　It　is　the　largest　and　most　prosperous　cotton…manufacturing　town　in　the　States。　Cambridge　is　not　above　three　or　four　miles　from　Boston。　　Indeed；　the　town　of　Cambridge　properly　so　called　begins　where　Boston　ceases。　　The　Harvard　Collegethat　is　its　name；　taken　from　one　of　its　original　foundersis　reached　by　horse…cars　in　twenty　minutes　from　the　city。　　An　Englishman　feels　inclined　to　regard　the　place　as　a　suburb　of　Boston；　but　if　he　so　expresses　himself；　he　will　not　find　favor　in　the　eyes　of　the　men　of　Cambridge。　The　university　is　not　so　large　as　I　had　expected　to　find　it。　　It　consists　of　Harvard　College；　as　the　undergraduates'　department；　and　of　professional　schools　of　law；　medicine；　divinity；　and　science。　In　the　few　words　that　I　will　say　about　it　I　will　confine　myself　to　Harvard　College　proper；　conceiving　that　the　professional　schools　connected　with　it　have　not　in　themselves　any　special　interest。　　The　average　number　of　undergraduates　does　not　exceed　450；　and　these　are　divided　into　four　classes。　　The　average　number　of　degrees　taken　annually　by　bachelors　of　art　is　something　under　100。　　Four　years'　residence　is　required　for　a　degree；　and　at　the　end　of　that　period　a　degree　is　given　as　a　matter　of　course　if　the　candidate's　conduct　has　been　satisfactory。　　When　a　young　man　has　pursued　his　studies　for　that　period；　going　through　the　required　examinations　and　lectures；　he　is　not　subjected　to　any　final　examination　as　is　the　case　with　a　candidate　for　a　degree　at　Oxford　and　Cambridge。　　It　is；　perhaps；　in　this　respect　that　the　greatest　difference　exists　between　the　English　universities　and　Harvard　College。　　With　us　a　young　man　may；　I　take　it；　still　go　through　his　three　or　four　years　with　a　small　amount　of　study。　　But　his　doing　so　does　not　insure　him　his　degree。　　If　he　have　utterly　wasted　his　time　he　is　plucked；　and　late　but　heavy　punishment　comes　upon　him。　　At　Cambridge；　in　Massachusetts；　the　daily　work　of　the　men　is　made　more　obligatory；　but　if　this　be　gone　through　with　such　diligence　as　to　enable　the　student　to　hold　his　own　during　the　four　years；　he　has　his　degree　as　a　matter　of　course。　　There　are　no　degrees　conferring　special　honor。　A　man　cannot　go　out　〃in　honors〃　as　he　does　with　us。　　There　are　no　〃firsts〃　or　〃double　firsts；〃　no　〃wranglers；〃　no　〃senior　opts〃　or　〃junior　opts。〃　　Nor　are　there　prizes　of　fellowships　and　livings　to　be　obtained。　　It　is；　I　think；　evident　from　this　that　the　greatest　incentives　to　high　excellence　are　wanting　at　Harvard　College。　There　is　neither　the　reward　of　honor　nor　of　money。　　There　is　none　of　that　great　competition　which　exists　at　our　Cambridge　for　the　high　place　of　Senior　Wrangler；　and；　consequently；　the　degree　of　excellence　attained　is　no　doubt　lower　than　with　us。　　But　I　conceive　that　the　general　level　of　the　university　education　is　higher　there　than　with　us；　that　a　young　man　is　more　sure　of　getting　his　education；　and　that　a　smaller　percentage　of　men　leaves　Harvard　College　utterly　uneducated　than　goes　in　that　condition　out　of　Oxford　or　Cambridge。　　The　education　at　Harvard　College　is　more　diversified　in　its　nature；　and　study　is　more　absolutely　the　business　of　the　place　than　it　is　at　our　universities。　The　expense　of　education　at　Harvard　College　is　not　much　lower　than　at　our　colleges；　with　us　there　are；　no　doubt；　more　men　who　are　absolutely　extravagant　than　at　Cambridge；　Massachusetts。　　The　actual　authorized　expenditure　in　accordance　with　the　rules　is　only　50l。　per　annum；　i。e。　249　dollars；　but　this　does　not；　by　any　means；　include　everything。　　Some　of　the　richer　young　men　may　spend　as　much　as　300l。　per　annum；　but　the　largest　number　vary　their　expenditure　from　100l。　to　180l。　per　annum；　and　I　take　it　the　same　thing　may　be　said　of　our　universities。　　There　are　many　young　men　at　Harvard　College　of　very　small　means。　　They　will　live　on　70l。　per　annum；　and　will　earn　a　great　portion　of　that　by　teaching　in　the　vacations。　There　are　thirty…six　scholarships　attached　to　the　university；　varying　in　value　from　20l。　to　60l。　per　annum；　and　there　is　also　a　beneficiary　fund　for　supplying　poor　scholars　with　assistance　during　their　collegiate　education。　　Many　are　thus　brought　up　at　Cambridge　who　have　no　means　of　their　own；　and　I　think　I　may　say　that　the　consideration　in　which　they　are　held　among　their　brother　students　is　in　no　degree　affected　by　their　position。　　I　doubt　whether　we　can　say　so　much　of　the　Sizars　and　Bible　clerks　at　our　universities。　At　Harvard　College　there　is；　of　course；　none　of　that　old…fashioned；　time…honored；　delicious；　medieval　life　which　lends　so　much　grace　and　beauty　to　our　colleges。　　There　are　no　gates；　no　porter's　lodges；　no　butteries；　no　halls；　no　battels；　and　no　common　rooms。　There　are　no　proctors；　no　bulldogs；　no　bursers；　no　deans；　no　morning　and　evening　chapel；　no　quads；　no　surplices；　no　caps　and　gowns。　　I　have　already　said　that　there　are　no　examinations　for　degrees　and　no　honors；　and　I　can　easily　conceive　that　in　the　absence　of　all　these　essentials　many　an　Englishman　will　ask　what　right　Harvard　College　has　to　call　itself　a　university。　I　have　said　that　there　are　no　honors；　and　in　our　sense　there　are　none。　　But　I　should　give　offense　to　my　American　friends　if　I　did　not　explain　that　there　are　prizes　givenI　think　all　in　money；　and　that　they　vary　from　fifty　to　ten　dollars。　　These　are　called　deturs。　The　degrees　are　given　on　Commencement　Day；　at　which　occasion　certain　of　the　expectant　graduates　are　selected　to　take　parts　in　a　public　literary　exhibition。　　To　be　so　selected　seems　to　be　tantamount　to　taking　a　degree　in　honors。　　There　is　also　a　dinner　on　Commencement　Day；　at　which；　however；　〃no　wine　or　other　intoxicating　drink　shall　be　served。〃　It　is　required　that　every　student　shall　attend　some　place　of　Christian　worship　on　Sundays；　but　he；　or　his　parents　for　him；　may　elect　what　denomination　of　church　he　shall　attend。　　There　is　a　university　chapel　on　the　univers