THE BLUE AND THE GRAY
To Captain Passford the question seemed to be settled; and he could no
longer doubt that his brother fully sympathized with the leaders of the
rebellion, if he was not one of them himself. He was certainly the most
enthusiastic person he had yet seen on that side of the question. But
Homer was thoroughly sincere, for he never was any thing else on any
subject.
Horatio was unable to understand how his brother could reason himself
into the belief that secession was right, when the duty of saving the
Union was to him paramount; and certainly Homer was equally puzzled over
the political faith of Horatio. Until the darkness of evening began to
gather, they argued the tremendous question; and they discussed it ably,
for both of them were thinking and reasoning men.
But, when the darkness gathered, they were not one hair's-breadth nearer
an agreement; and probably if they had continued to argue till morning,
or even till the end of the year, they would have come no nearer
together. Each had a sort of horror of the views of the other, though
they had lived in peace and harmony all the days of their lives.
"Homer, you are my brother; and I am sure that an unpleasant word never
passed between us," said Horatio, when the sun had gone down on the
fruitless discussion.
"Certainly not, brother; and it grieves me sorely to find that you are
upon one side, while I am on the other," replied Homer with a strong
manifestation of feeling. "I did not expect to see you at Glenfield; but
I felt sure that you would not be found, actually or constructively, in
the ranks of the enemies of the South."
"And I was equally sure that you would be found on the side of your
country,--the whole country, and not a miserable fraction of it," added
Horatio, with quite as much warmth as his brother. "I came here in the
Bellevite as much to convey you to a place of safety, as to restore
Florry to her mother."
"My country is here in the South. I have no other country; and I shall
stand by it to the last ditch, wherein I am ready to cast all that I
have and all that I am. If you thought it possible for me to desert the
cause of the South, you strangely misjudged me; and I do not feel at all
complimented by the formation of your opinion of me," said Homer, with a
trifle more of bitterness in his tone and manner than he had used
before.
"I see how it is with you, Homer; and I realize that it is worse than
folly for us to discuss this important question. Your mind is made up,
and so is mine; and I fear that we might quarrel if we should continue
to bandy words on the subject. We had better drop it entirely, once for
all."
"Perhaps we had; but it grieves me sorely, even to think of my only
brother taking part with the hirelings of the North in an attempt to
subdue the free, untamed, and untamable South. It would not hurt my
feelings more to know that you were a buccaneer, roving on the ocean
for the plunder of all nations."
"You should also consider my feelings when I think of you in armed
rebellion against the best government God ever allowed to exist; that my
own brother is a rebel and a traitor, who is liable to be shot or hung
for his armed treason."
This was too much for Homer, and he gave vent to his emotion in a
laugh at the picture his brother had drawn. He walked the library, and
chuckled as though he were actually amused at the remarks of the other;
and perhaps he was.
"I am really and heartily sorry for you, Horatio. Your future, I fear,
will be terribly dark. Of course, all business will cease at the North:
the grass will grow in the streets of New York and other large cities.
You have an immense fortune, which I do not believe you can retain a
single year; for the war is not to be confined to Southern soil, but
will be carried into the North, where the expenses of our men will be
paid by the enemy."
"I think we had better confine our attention to the present, and let the
future take care of itself," said Horatio, with a smile at the prophetic
croakings of his brother.
"Be that as it may, though I feel confident that all I predict will come
to pass, I desire to have one thing understood: when you have lost your
fortune, or wasted it on the hireling armies of the North, or on ships
for its navy, you may always be sure of a home at Glenfield for yourself
and all your family."
"If you do not lose or waste all that you have on the army of the
other side," added Horatio with a smile. "But I am ready to drop this
subject."
"It seems to be useless to continue it; though, if there were any
possible way to convert you from the error of your way of thinking,
I would struggle all night with you," said Homer.
"You cannot make a traitor of me, brother. But I must tell Florry to
pack her trunk at once."
"Pack her trunk? Why are you in such a hurry?" demanded Homer.
"Because this is not a safe place for me and mine; and I have my two
children with me."
"You ought to have left Christy at home."
"I think not. Though he is only sixteen, he has seen so much of the
world, and is so bright, that he is almost a man. He will go into the
navy within a few weeks, and I shall expect him to give a good account
of himself."
"He is rather young. Corny is eighteen, and he has already enlisted with
his mother's blessing and mine. But I think you need not be in such a
hurry, Horatio, to get away from here; for it is a long time since we
met."
"I have expressed my political sentiments very freely to you, Homer, and
you know as well as I do, that, if they were known, I should not be safe
a single day."
"Not quite so bad as that, for I think I should have sufficient
influence to save you from arrest," added Homer.
"The Bellevite cost me over half a million dollars, and she is worth all
she cost. If I were safe a single day, the steamer and ship's company on
board of her would not be. I brought them down here, and I intend to
take them back."
"And then you present this fine vessel to the Yankee Government, and
doubtless the men on board of her will go into the service of the navy."
"I certainly expect as much as that of them."
"Then I question whether I ought to allow such a prize to pass out of
the bay for such a purpose," said Homer.
"Then, with such a doubt as that in your mind, I ought not to remain
here another hour," added Horatio quietly. "If you have gone far enough
in treason to betray your own brother, coming here to your home for no
warlike purpose, into the hands of the enemy, why, all I can do is to
look out for myself."
"I did not say that I should betray you, Horatio. It is simply a
question with me whether my duty to my country will allow me to let your
steamer leave these waters. I have not settled the question in my own
mind."
"I hope you will settle it soon. If I am to take my first step in this
fratricidal war by defending myself against my own brother, let him
speak, and I am ready," replied Horatio, shaken by an emotion deeper
than he had ever experienced before.
"Horatio, whatever you may do, whatever I may do, each in the discharge
of his duty to his country, his country as he understands it, let us
have no unfraternal feeling," continued Homer, almost as much disturbed
in his feelings as his brother.
"In other words, if you hand me and my vessel over to your leaders, and
consequently take from me the means of bearing my daughter to a place of
safety, I am to put my hand on my heart, and say that my brother has
done right, for I will not use any stronger terms," said Horatio,
struggling with his emotion.
"I must do my duty as I understand it," protested Homer. "The question I
put to myself is this: can I justify myself, before God and my country,
if I permit the finest steamer in the world, as you state it, to be
transferred to the Yankee navy, to be used in killing, ravaging, and
destroying within the free South? The steamer is here, and within my
reach. After all you have said, she would be the lawful prize of any
tug-boat in the bay that could capture her. I begin to realize that I
should be guilty of treason to my country in letting her go."
"You must be your own judge in regard to that," replied Horatio
bitterly, as he rose from his chair and walked towards the door.
"One word more, Horatio. I look upon the Bellevite as already belonging
to the Southern Confederacy. Of course, being a private yacht, she is
not armed?"
Homer paused and looked at his brother as though he expected an answer
to this question; but the owner of the steamer made no reply.
"Do you say that the Bellevite is armed, Horatio?" repeated Homer.
"I do not say any thing about it. I find that I am in the presence of an
enemy, though he is my own brother."
"Do not assume that tone to me, Horatio: it wounds me to the heart,"
said Homer, in a deprecatory tone. "If we are enemies because you choose
to oppress our people, I cannot help it; but we will still be brothers."
"The attack upon Fort Sumter was made by the South; and thus far, at
least to the extent that I have been informed, the South has been the
assailant; and you say that I choose to oppress your people. They have
taken the sword, and they will perish by the sword."
Captain Passford could not trust his feelings any longer to remain with
his brother, and he left the room. In the hall he met Florry, who had
been lying in wait for him for over an hour. She threw herself on his
neck as she had done before; but she found her father full of energy,
and he was not even willing to use his minutes to caress her.
"What is the matter, papa?" asked the fair girl, astonished at the
manner of her father, for she had never before seen him so agitated.
"Do not ask me any questions, Florry, for I have not time to answer them
now," said he hastily. "Go to your room and pack all your things as
quick as you possibly can, and without saying a word to any one."
"Why, papa!"
"Not a word, my dear child," he added, kissing her.
"It will not take me five minutes, papa; for I have been packing my
trunk this afternoon, when I had nothing else to do."
"Where is your room, Florry?"
"It is on the lower floor, next to the library."
"I will be there in a few minutes. Dress yourself, and be ready to leave
at a minute's notice," continued Captain Passford. "Where is Christy?"
"He went out about an hour ago, when he saw from the window a young man
I did not know," replied Florry, as she passed into her room.
Captain Passford wondered who the young man was whom his son had gone
out to meet; for no one was allowed to leave the deck of the Bellevite
who belonged to her, and he was not aware that Christy had any friend in
the vicinity. He was annoyed at his absence, for he wanted him at that
very moment.
Mrs. Passford and Gerty were up-stairs, where nimble fingers were busily
at work for the soldiers of the Southern Confederacy, as they were also
in the North for the Union. The captain looked all about the house, but
he could not see or hear of his son.