206 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



not a bare shilling, and the settlement of their claims 

 by the state is as far off as ever. Therefore it should 

 not be a matter of surprize if one hears these men let 

 fall words and judgments not to be expected of those 

 who had, one might have supposed, been fighting out 

 of pure patriotism. Was it patriotism alone that put 

 arms in their hands, they would have ample cause to 

 be content and to regard themselves as richly repaid 

 in the self-satisfaction arising from the happy outcome 

 of their war. But besides the honor of being called 

 liberators of their country they desire pay, and loudly 

 grumble at being so put off. How superior then are 

 they to those whom they thought to dishonor with the 

 injurious name of hirelings? In their expressions of 

 ill-will, elicited by the withholding of their pay, they 

 swear that neither they nor any one else would ever 

 be so foolish again as to dedicate themselves to the ser- 

 vice of the state, fighting for empty promises, and that 

 if another war should break out after 10 or more 

 years it would be impossible to assemble another army, 

 since the small attention and gratitude given the first 

 would not so soon be forgotten. Moreover it is be- 

 lieved and affirmed pretty generally that the Ameri- 

 cans do not show a natural disposition for war and 

 pleasure in military service such as are to be remarked 

 in other nations. Love of softness and desire of riches 

 incline them more to the peaceful and monotonous 

 pursuits of agriculture and commerce. Nothing but a 

 positively hostile attack would in the future move 

 them to take up arms again. These opinions are 

 doubtless mistaken. America, as well as other na- 

 tions, has men enough who from natural disposition 

 take pleasure in war as war; this may be inferred in 



