490 LETTERS TO DARWIN AND OTHERS. [1862, 



CAMBRIDGE, November 10, 1862. 



It is refreshing to me that you find the special cor- 

 respondent of the "Times" detestable. 



Your comments upon our affairs always show such 

 a good spirit that you need not fear even my wife's 

 " indignation." 



We are sorry that you suffer in England ; but you 

 must blame the rebels for it, not us, and your Man- 

 chester people should have looked earlier to India for 

 cotton. 



You don't see, as you would if here, the total im- 

 possibility of coming to any terms of peace with the 

 South, based on their independence. Before that can 

 be they or we must be thoroughly beaten. You can't 

 be expected to see too, what seems plain to me, that 

 you English would give us no end of trouble if we 

 attempt a piecemeal existence. We must be strong 

 enough to keep any Old- World power at bay. Then 

 we shall behave pretty well, on the whole ; surely so 

 when the North is dominant and is fairly treated. 

 " Seizing on Canada." What do we want of Canada? 

 When the South was aggressive and making slave 

 States we often looked to the peaceful acquisition of 

 Canada as desirable, as a counterpoise. But when we 

 had " changed all that," and it is changed, and 

 slavery limited, past all doubt, however the combat 

 ends, we no longer have use or need of Canada. If 

 we get set up again, we have work enough at home, 

 and our hands full for years ; we shall be strong for 

 defense, but weak for aggression. The ill-feeling to 

 England will die out when we are well able to defend 

 ourselves and our home interests. 



It does seem that all England wishes us to be weak 

 and divided; perhaps that is good national policy. 



