F 
xT. 49.] TO CHARLES DARWIN. 475 
The feelings of many are very hostile, and they 
would like to be strong that they might show it. 
Those of others, who have been exceedingly fond of 
England, always defending her when possible, and 
these are mine, are, that we must be strong to be se- 
cure and respected, — natural selection quickly crushes 
out weak nations; that we have tried long enough 
to have intimate relations between the governments, 
or the peoples in general. Naturalists, etc., being 
enlightened people, can be as intimate as they like ; 
but nationally let each say, “God bless you, and let 
us see as little of each other as possible,” each going 
our own way. 
Well, enough of this. 
Some of the representations of us in the English 
papers would be amusing if they did not now do so 
great harm. One would think it was generally 
thought that there was no law and order here, nor 
gentlemanly conduct, nor propriety of deportment 
among the poorer and laboring people. I wish you 
could come and see. As to such things, and as to 
intelligence, education, etc., I have sometimes thought 
of the picture one could draw from individual cases. 
Take one — very confidentially — for I would not hurt 
a really good fellow by exposing his ignorance of 
what he might be expected to know. Here we lately 
had a Cambridge graduate (F. L. S., and godson of 
an English baronet) who in one conversation let us 
know most frankly that he had no idea where Quito 
was, or that there were two houses of Congress in the 
United States, and was puzzled to know whether Bos- 
ton, United States, time was faster or slower than 
that of Greenwich! . . . 
