se aay aeeeaaninaae 
at. 51.] TO CHARLES DARWIN. 477 
whom refused to attend the dinner, and in at least 
one paper, in a tone like your own. It was really as 
bad as the speeches of some members of Parliament, 
and worse because it was foolish. 
The fact is, a set of cunning fellows on both sides 
of the water (but here utterly characterless) have 
contrived to make both English and Yankees believe 
that each was bent upon quarreling with the other. 
Your thinking of me “as an Englishman” would 
once have been a compliment, and is what from my 
well-known feelings and expressions I have passed for 
among my friends here. Had the North gone on giv- 
ing in to the South as for years past, I should have 
been one, at least in residence, just as soon as I could 
have got out of the country. I thank God, it has 
been otherwise, and that I have a country to be proud 
of, and which I will gladly suffer for, if need be. 
With all its weakness and follies (and I know them 
well) I go for my country, and to be friendly with 
those we ought to be on good terms with. I am cured 
of some illusions. We shall do very well, and the 
two countries will be on the best of terms when we 
are strong; till then we must not expect it. 
If it is the old question of struggle for life, good 
feeling has not much to do with it: the weak must go 
to the wall, because it can’t help it. ‘“ Blessed are 
the strong, for they shall inherit the earth.” 
My wife, who is loath to strike you from her books, 
begs you to make allowances for the people here, who 
were so very cocky at having caught two such ineffa- 
ble seamps as Mason and Slidell, whom we have rea- 
son to hate with perfect hatred; that they thought of 
nothing else, and did not mean to be saucy to Eng- 
land. But you have made us sore, there is no deny- 
ing it. We did not allow enough for longitude. 
