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ed　by　New　York　in　all　respectsin　population；　commerce；　wealth；　and　general　activity。　　Of　course　it　is　known　that　Pennsylvania　was　granted　to　William　Penn；　the　Quaker；　by　Charles　II。　　I　cannot　completely　understand　what　was　the　meaning　of　such　grantshow　far　they　implied　absolute　possession　in　the　territory；　or　how　far　they　confirmed　simply　the　power　of　settling　and　governing　a　colony。　　In　this　case　a　very　considerable　property　was　confirmed；　as　the　claim　made　by　Penn's　children；　after　Penn's　death；　was　bought　up　by　the　commonwealth　of　Pennsylvania　for　130；000l。；　which；　in　those　days；　was　a　large　price　for　almost　any　landed　estate　on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic。　Pennsylvania　lies　directly　on　the　borders　of　slave　land；　being　immediately　north　of　Maryland。　　Mason　and　Dixon's　line；　of　which　we　hear　so　often；　and　which　was　first　established　as　the　division　between　slave　soil　and　free　soil；　runs　between　Pennsylvania　and　Maryland。　　The　little　State　of　Delaware；　which　lies　between　Maryland　and　the　Atlantic；　is　also　tainted　with　slavery；　but　the　stain　is　not　heavy　nor　indelible。　　In　a　population　of　a　hundred　and　twelve　thousand；　there　are　not　two　thousand　slaves；　and　of　these　the　owners　generally　would　willingly　rid　themselves　if　they　could。　It　is；　however；　a　point　of　honor　with　these　owners；　as　it　is　also　in　Maryland；　not　to　sell　their　slaves；　and　a　man　who　cannot　sell　his　slaves　must　keep　them。　　Were　he　to　enfranchise　them　and　send　them　about　their　business；　they　would　come　back　upon　his　hands。　Were　he　to　enfranchise　them　and　pay　them　wages　for　work；　they　would　get　the　wages；　but　he　would　not　get　the　work。　　They　would　get　the　wages；　but　at　the　end　of　three　months　they　would　still　fall　back　upon　his　hands　in　debt　and　distress；　looking　to　him　for　aid　and　comfort　as　a　child　looks　for　it。　　It　is　not　easy　to　get　rid　of　a　slave　in　a　slave　State。　　That　question　of　enfranchising　slaves　is　not　one　to　be　very　readily　solved。　In　Pennsylvania　the　right　of　voting　is　confined　to　free　white　men。　In　New　York　the　colored　free　men　have　the　right　to　vote；　providing　they　have　a　certain　small　property　qualification；　and　have　been　citizens　for　three　years　in　the　State；　whereas　a　white　man　need　have　been　a　citizen　but　for　ten　days；　and　need　have　no　property　qualificationfrom　which　it　is　seen　that　the　position　of　the　negro　becomes　worse；　or　less　like　that　of　a　white　man；　as　the　border　of　slave　land　is　more　nearly　reached。　　But；　in　the　teeth　of　this　embargo　on　colored　men；　the　constitution　of　Pennsylvania　asserts　broadly　that　all　men　are　born　equally　free　and　independent。　　One　cannot　conceive　how　two　clauses　can　have　found　their　way　into　the　same　document　so　absolutely　contradictory　to　each　other。　　The　first　clause　says　that　white　men　shall　vote；　and　that　black　men　shall　notwhich　means　that　all　political　action　shall　be　confined　to　white　men。　　The　second　clause　says　that　all　men　are　born　equally　free　and　independent。　In　Philadelphia　I　for　the　first　time　came　across　live　secessionistssecessionists　who　pronounced　themselves　to　be　such。　I　will　not　say　that　I　had　met　in　other　cities　men　who　falsely　declared　themselves　true　to　the　Union；　but　I　had　fancied；　in　regard　to　some；　that　their　words　were　a　little　stronger　than　their　feelings。　　When　a　man's　breadand；　much　more；　when　the　bread　of　his　wife　and　childrendepends　on　his　professing　a　certain　line　of　political　conviction；　it　is　very　hard　for　him　to　deny　his　assent　to　the　truth　of　the　argument。　　One　feels　that　a　man；　under　such　circumstances；　is　bound　to　be　convinced；　unless　he　be　in　a　position　which　may　make　a　stanch　adherence　to　opposite　politics　a　matter　of　grave　public　importance。　　In　the　North　I　had　fancied　that　I　could　sometimes　read　a　secessionist　tendency　under　a　cloud　of　Unionist　protestations。　　But　in　Philadelphia　men　did　not　seem　to　think　it　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　such　a　cloud。　　I　generally　found；　in　mixed　society；　that　even　there　the　discussion　of　secession　was　not　permitted；　but　in　society　that　was　not　mixed　I　heard　very　strong　opinions　expressed　on　each　side。　　With　the　Unionists　nothing　was　so　strong　as　the　necessity　of　keeping　of　Slidell　and　Mason；　when　I　suggested　that　the　English　government　would　probably　require　their　surrender；　I　was　talked　down　and　ridiculed。　　〃Never　thatcome　what　may。〃　　Then；　within　half　an　hour；　I　would　be　told　by　a　secessionist　that　England　must　demand　reparation　if　she　meant　to　retain　any　place　among　the　great　nations　of　the　world；　but　he　also　would　declare　that　the　men　would　not　be　surrendered。　　〃She　must　make　the　demand；〃　the　secessionists　would　say；　〃and　then　there　will　be　war；　and　after　that　we　shall　see　whose　ports　will　be　blockaded！〃　　The　Southerner　has　ever　looked　to　England　for　some　breach　of　the　blockade　quite　as　strongly　as　the　North　has　looked　to　England　for　sympathy　and　aid　in　keeping　it。　The　railway　from　Philadelphia　to　Baltimore　passes　along　the　top　of　Chesapeake　Bay　and　across　the　Susquehanna　River；　at　least　the　railway　cars　do　so。　　On　one　side　of　that　river　they　are　run　on　to　a　huge　ferry…boat；　and　are　again　run　off　at　the　other　side。　　Such　an　operation　would　seem　to　be　one　of　difficulty　to　us　under　any　circumstances；　but　as　the　Susquehanna　is　a　tidal　river；　rising　and　falling　a　considerable　number　of　feet；　the　natural　impediment　in　the　way　of　such　an　enterprise　would；　I　think；　have　staggered　us。　We　should　have　built　a　bridge　costing　two　or　three　millions　sterling；　on　which　no　conceivable　amount　of　traffic　would　pay　a　fair　dividend。　　Here；　in　crossing　the　Susquehanna；　the　boat　is　so　constructed　that　its　deck　shall　be　level　with　the　line　of　the　railway　at　half　tide；　so　that　the　inclined　plane　from　the　shore　down　to　the　boat；　or　from　the　shore　up　to　the　boat；　shall　never　exceed　half　the　amount　of　the　rise　or　fall。　　One　would　suppose　that　the　most　intricate　machinery　would　have　been　necessary　for　such　an　arrangement；　but　it　was　all　rough　and　simple；　and　apparently　managed　by　two　negroes。　　We　would　employ　a　small　corps　of　engineers　to　conduct　such　an　operation；　and　men　and　women　would　be　detained　in　their　carriages　under　all　manner　of　threats　as　to　the　peril　of　life　and　limb；　but　here　everybody　was　expected　to　look　out　for　himself。　　The　cars　were　dragged　up　the　inclined　plane　by　a　hawser　attached　to　an　engine；　which　hawser；　had　the　stress　broken　it；　as　I　could　not　but　fancy　probable；　would　have　flown　back　and　cut　to　pieces　a　lot　of　us　who　were　standing　in　front　of　the　car。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　any　such　accident　would　have　caused　very　much　attention。　　Life　and　limbs　are　not　held　to　be　so　precious　here　as　they　are　in　England。　　It　may　be　a　question　whether　with　us　they　are　not　almost　too　precious。　　Regarding　railways　in　America　generally；　as　to　the　relative　safety　of　which；　when　compared　with　our　own；　we　have　not　in　England　a　high　opinion；　I　must　say　that　I　never　saw　any　accident　or　in　any　way　became　conversant　with　one。　　It　is　said　that　large　numbers　of　men　and　women　are　slaughtered　from　time　to　time　on　different　lines；　but　if　it　be　so；　the　newspapers　make　very　light　of　such　cases。　　I　myself　have　seen　no　such　slaughter；　nor　have　I　even　found　myself　in　the　vicinity　of　a　broken　bone。　　Beyond　the　Susquehanna　we　passed　over　a　creek　of　Chesapeake　Bay　on　a　long　bridge。　　The　whole　scenery　here　is　very　pretty；　and　the　view　up　the　Susquehanna　is　fine。　　This　is　the　bay　which　divides　the　State　of　Maryland　into　two　parts；　and　which　is　blessed　beyond　all　other　bays　by　the　possession　of　canvas…back　ducks。　　Nature　has　done　a　great　deal　for　the　State　of　Maryland；　but　in　nothing　more　than　in　sending　thither　these　webfooted　birds　of　Paradise。　Nature　has　done　a　great　deal　for　Maryland；　and　Fortune　also　has　done　much　for　it　in　these　latter　days　in　directing　the　war　from　its　territory。　　But　for　the　peculiar　position　of　Washington　as　the　capital；　all　that　is　now　being　done　in　Virginia　would　have　been　done　in　Maryland；　and　I　must　say　that　the　Marylanders　did　their　best　to　bring　about　such　a　result。　　Had　the　presence　of　the　war　been　regarded　by　the　men　of　Baltimore　as　an　unalloyed　benefit；　they　could　not　have　made　a　greater　struggle　to　bring　it　close　to　them。　Nevertheless　fate　has　so　far　spared　them。　As　the　position　of　Maryland　and　the　course　of　events　as　they　took　place　in　Baltimore　on　the　commencement　of　secession　had　considerable　influence　both　in　the　North　and　in　the　South；　I　will　endeavor　to　explain　how　that　State　was　affected；　and　how　the　question　was　affected　by　that　State。　　Maryland；　as　I　have　said　before；　is　a　slave　State　lying　immediately　south　of　Mason　and　Dixon's　line。　　Small　portions　both　of　Virginia　and　of　Delaware　do　run　north　of　Maryland；　but　practically　Maryland　is　the　frontier　State　of　the　slave　States。　　It　was　therefore　of　much　importance　to　know　which　way　Maryland　would　go　in　the　event　of　secession　among　the　slave　States　becoming　general；　and　of　much　also　to　ascertain　whether　it　could　secede　if　desirous　of　doing　so。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　as　a　State　it　was　desirous　of　following　Virginia；　though　there　are　many　in　Maryland　who　deny　this　very　stoutly。　　But　it　was　at　once　evident　that　if　loyalty　to　the　North　could　not　be　had　in　Maryland　of　its　own　free　will；　adherence　to　the　North　must　be　enforced　upon　Maryland。　　Otherwise　the　City　of　Washington　could　not　be　maintained　as　the　existing　capital　of　the　nation。　The　question　of　the　fidelity　of　the　State　to　the　Union　was　first　tried　by　the　arrival　at　Baltimore　of　a　certain　Commissioner　from　the　State　of　Mississippi；　who　visited　that　city　with　the　object　of　inducing　secession。　　It　must　be　understood　that　Baltimore　is　the　commercial　capital　of　Maryland；　whereas　Annapolis　is　the　seat　of　government　and　the　legislatureor　is；　in　other　terms；　the　political　capital。　　Baltimore　is　a　city　containing　230；000　inhabitants；　and　is　considered　to　have　as　strong　and　perhaps　as　violent　a　mob　as　any　city　in　the　Union。　　Of　the　above　number　30；000　are　negroes　and　2000　are　slaves。　　The　Commissioner　made　his　appeal；　telling　his　tale　of　Southern　grievances；　declaring；　among　other　things；　that　secession　was　not　intended　to　break　up　the　government　but　to　perpetuate　it；　and　asked　for　the　assistance　and　sympathy　of　Maryland。　　This　was　in　December；　1860。　　The　Commissioner　was　answered　by　Governor　Hicks；　who　was　placed　in　a　somewhat　difficult　position。