i86i.] AMERICAN WAR— DESIGN. i6q 



generous, and on honour bright do not expect any answer to 

 this dull little note. . . 



C. Darwin to Asa Gray. 



Down, September 17 [1861 ?] 



My dear Gray. — I thank you sincerely for your very long 

 and interesting letter, political and scientific, of August 27th 

 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 (i) 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 1 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 

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