EDWARD ATKINSON. 767 



cialists in London to the Positivists and to the Trades' Unions ; the 

 great American fortunes and their causes, the rapid melting away of 

 some of them, the hindrance which they are to poHtical success ; and 

 servants in the United States, of whom Atkinson spoke relatively, 

 Colonel Hay absolutely, well, saying that he usually kept his from 

 six to eight years. ... 



" Atkinson said that all the young thought and ability in America 

 is in favor of free trade, but that free trade has not begun to make 

 any way politically. Harrison remarked that he was unwillingly, but 

 ever more and more, being driven to believe that the residuum was 

 almost entirely composed of people who would not work. Atkinson 

 took the same view, observing that during the war much was said 

 about the misery, of the working women of Boston. He offered ad- 

 mirable terms if they would only go a little way into the country to 

 work in his factory. Forty were at last got together to have the con- 

 ditions explained — ten agreed to go next morning, of whom one 

 arrived at the station, and she would not go alone ! " 



On another occasion we read in the "Diary ": — 



" We talked of Father Taylor, and he [Atkinson] told us that the 

 great orator once began a sermon by leaning over the pulpit, with his 

 arms folded, and saying, ' You people ought to be very good, if you 're 

 not, for you live in Paradise already.' 



" The conversation, in which Sir Louis ]Mallet took part, turned to 

 Mill's economical heresies, especially that which relates to the fostering 

 of infant industries. Atkinson drew a striking picture of the highly 

 primitive economic condition of the South before the war, and said 

 that now factories of all kinds are springing up throughout the coun- 

 try in spite of the keen competition of the North. He cited a piece 

 of advice given to his brother by Theodore Parker, ' Never try to lec- 

 ture down to your audience.' This maxim is in strict accordance with 

 an opinion expressed by Hugh Miller, whom, having to address 'on the 

 other side of the Firth just the same sort of people as those amongst 

 whom he lived at Cromarty, I took as my guide in this matter during 

 the long period in which I was connected with the Elgin Burghs." 



" Atkinson went on to i-elate that at the time of Mr. Hayes's elec- 

 tion to the presidency there was great danger of an outbreak, and he 

 sat in council with General Taylor and Abraham Hewitt, doing his 

 best to prevent it. At length he exclaimed: ' Now I think we may 

 fairly say that the war is over. Here are we three acting together for 

 a common object, and who are we ? You, Mr. Hewitt, are the leader 

 of the Democratic party in New York ; I am an old Abolitionist who 

 subscribed to furnish John Brown and his companions with rifles ; you. 



