338 LETTER J'KOM AN AMERICAN C,ENTl.EMAS\ 



attempt to repeat their unpatriotic actions would be 

 visited with universal condemnation. My opinion 

 of this statesman's course, and the belief of all my 

 countrymen that I have spoken to upon the subject, 

 is that he desires to sow dissention between the agri- 

 cultural labourer and the artisan, the yeoman and the 

 shopkeeper, the country gentleman and the manu- 

 facturer ; in fact, to put class against class, and in the 

 strife that ensues between them to gather sufficient 

 supporters together to place him in office. To ac- 

 complish this, his vast intellect can find nothing so 

 *'pat" to his purpose as to abuse the so-called unjust, 

 unfair, tyrannical Game Laws, and impress the igno- 

 rant with the erroneous belief that they, and they 

 alone, were the causes of all the miseries that exist 

 now and did exist among the lower classes when the 

 feudal system was in full force. 



English sportsmen have the sympathies of American 

 sportsmen, for, although we are Republicans, yet we 

 are intensely conservative — anomalous terms truly, 

 but visit us at home, and you will soon comprehend 

 that what I say is correct. The idea of introducing 

 the American wood grouse into Great Britain is an 

 admirable one, and doubtless will be made a success, 

 but France has taken the lead of you in the experi- 

 ment, as well as having added to these birds, a consign- 

 ment of our western large species of hares, familiarly 

 known by our prairie people as jack-rabbits. The 

 hale and hearty old warrior, Marshal McMahon, is 

 credited with being the projector of this laudable 

 step. 



The first allusion that I have observed in regard to 

 introducing the common quail of Europe into the 

 United States was from your pen, and is an admir- 

 able suggestion, and so simple in all its details that it 

 is certain to be promptly acted upon. I have shot the 

 birds on both sides of the Mediterranean and in the 

 " far East," and it comes up most thoroughly to all 



