«T. 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 

 u& 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 ! . . . 



