London, October 5, 1861
Your letter and your articles in the Courier arrived last Monday. I sent one set of them down to Lucas, the editor of the London Star, and received a complimentary note in return which I will enclose to you. The other set I sent down to the editor of the Spectator, and from him I have not heard. There was one article to the Star which was partly drawn from your’s, without quoting it, but there has been no reprint. The Spectator never reprints, but if it notices you, I will send you the notice. Your Manchester paper I have made unavailing efforts to find, but London seems to despise anything provincial, and I can find the paper nowhere. London papers go to Manchester but Manchester ditto don’t seem to return the compliment.
This week I have no news for you. Everything seems to be getting along well and the Government here behaves itself very fairly. I don’t know whether my last letters will appear or not, but if they do you can form some judgment as to my inventive powers. The truth is that I ‘ve lately told so much in that way which was not generally known, that my position began to be too hot and I thought I ‘d try a little wrong scent. The facts are all invented therefore, but the idea is carried out as faithfully as I could, of quoting the state of English opinion.
We have been overrun by visitors this week. My friend Richardson goes in the Arabia to Boston, if he can, but I ‘m not sure that he won’t have to make Halifax his terminus. He was in a horrible position. His family and property are in New Orleans and he has a brother in the Virginian army. He is himself a good Union man, I believe; at all events he talks so; but he does not want to do anything which will separate him from his family or make them his enemies. So he could not make up his mind to take the oath, and determined rather to run his risk without a passport. I believe he means to pass the winter in Boston. He told me all about his troubles and I strongly advised him not to think of ever living in New Orleans again; at least as an architect.
Sohier and Charley Thorndike have been here this week. Both leave for Paris this morning. Sohier was quite amusing, and dined with us twice. But the trouble about London is that no one ever stays here and I can’t keep a companion. As for Englishmen I don’t expect to know any of my own age for at least six months more, as this club business has got to be settled and the season to come round again first. We see no English people now, or very few, and the fogs are thick almost every morning. Hooroar! Can you find out (not through Sumner, who seems to have distorted even your ideas of Washington affairs) what ground Seward takes on the slave question?
I need n’t say that the articles are devilish good and made me blue for a day, thinking of my own weak endeavors in the same way.