l86l.] AMERICAN WAR DESIGN. 377 



and 29th, and Sept. 2nd received this morning. I agree with 

 much of what you say, and I hope to God we English are 

 utterly wrong in doubting (1) whether the N. can conquer 

 the S. ; (2) whether the N. has many friends in the South, and 

 (3) whether you noble men of Massachusetts are right in 

 transferring your own good feelings to the men of Washing- 

 ton. Again I say I hope to God we are wrong in doubting 

 on these points. It is number (3) which alone causes Eng- 

 land not to be enthusiastic with you. What it may be in 

 Lancashire I know not, but in S. England cotton has nothing 

 whatever to do with our doubts. If abolition does follow 

 with your victory, the whole world will look brighter in my 

 eyes, and in many eyes. It would be a great gain even to 

 stop the spread of slavery into the Territories ; if that be 

 possible without abolition, which I should have doubted. 

 You ought not to wonder so much at England's coldness, 

 when you recollect at the commencement of the war how 

 many propositions were made to get things back to the old 

 state with the old line of latitude. But enough of this, all 

 I can say is that Massachusetts and the adjoining States 

 have the full sympathy of every good man whom I see ; 

 and this sympathy would be extended to the whole Federal 

 States, if we could be persuaded that your feelings were at 

 all common to them. But enough of this. It is out of my 

 line, though I read every word of news, and formerly 



well studied Olmsted 



Your question what would convince me of Design is a 

 poser. If I saw an angel come down to teach us good, and I 

 was convinced from others seeing him that I was not mad, I 

 should believe in design. If I could be convinced thoroughly 

 that life and mind was in an unknown way a function of other 

 imponderable force, I should be convinced. If man was 

 made of brass or iron and no way connected with any other 

 organism which had ever lived, I should perhaps be con- 

 vinced. But this is childish writing. 



