Adams Family Civil War letters; US Minister to the UK and his sons.
    

“People were beginning to believe that the slaveholding generals were demigods…,”–Adams Family Letters, Charles Francis Adams, U.S. Minister to the U.K., to his son, Charles.

London, September 20, 1861

I deeply sympathise with you in your trials about the part you ought to play in the war. Much as I value your assistance during my absence on this side, I should be very reluctant to continue it at the cost of your own convictions of your duty. If you feel that the crisis demands it, I pray that you set aside every other consideration at once. .. . Whichever way you determine, you will know that I appreciate your motives, and that you will have under every circumstance my sympathy and my prayers.

The late modicum of good news has helped us here a good deal. People were beginning to believe that the slaveholding generals were demigods, on Aristotle’s or Longinus’s principle (I forget which), that mystery is a source of the sublime. The London Times at last frankly admits that if split up we shall no longer be a terror to Europe so that there is no need of going any farther for a reason to explain its crooked policy. Mr. Russell’s last letter went far to justify your inference. He has seen a little light and is willing to admit that we are not so badly off after all. . . .

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