I went
over among them before the singing began, and talk'd a few minutes
informally. They are from all the States; I asked for the Southerners,
but could only find one, a lad from Baltimore. In age, apparently,
they range from about fourteen years to nineteen or twenty. They are
all of American birth, and have to pass a rigid medical examination;
well-grown youths, good flesh, bright eyes, looking straight at you,
healthy, intelligent, not a slouch among them, nor a menial--in every
one the promise of a man. I have been to many public aggregations of
young and old, and of schools and colleges, in my day, but I confess I
have never been so near satisfied, so comforted, (both from the fact
of the school itself, and the splendid proof of our country,
our composite race, and the sample-promises of its good average
capacities, its future,) as in the collection from all parts of the
United States on this navy training ship. ("Are there going to be _any
men_ there?" was the dry and pregnant reply of Emerson to one who had
been crowding him with the rich material statistics and possibilities
of some western or Pacific region.)
_May 26_.--Aboard the Minnesota again. Lieut. Murphy kindly came for
me in his boat. Enjoy'd specially those brief trips to and fro--the
sailors, tann'd, strong, so bright and able-looking, pulling their
oars in long side-swing, man-of-war style, as they row'd me across. I
saw the boys in companies drilling with small arms; had a talk with
Chaplain Rawson.
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