To W.W. Cerjat 28 May 1863:
A very intelligent German friend of mine, just home from America, maintains that conscription will succeed in the North and that the war will be indefinitely prolonged. I say "No", and that however mad and villainous the North is , the war will finish by the reason of its not supplying soldiers. We shall see. The more they brag , the more I don't believe them.
Showing posts with label Charles Dickens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles Dickens. Show all posts
Monday, September 03, 2012
Charles Dickens on the Civil War - August 1863
From a letter to Willie Collins - 9 August 1863:
Lehmann (on his faith as a War-Contractor, I take it) informed me when he was coming back from America that I laboured under the strangest delusion in holding that an enforced conscription could not succeed in New York! Flat head...gave me the same piece of information on the very day the news of the riots arrived!! I took the liberty to suppose that I know something of the people [Americans] and still do take the high flight of daring when I opine that they [Americans] are the greatest and the meanest of scoundrels. But Lord, as Mr. Pepys says, to see what making a fine profit does!
Lehmann (on his faith as a War-Contractor, I take it) informed me when he was coming back from America that I laboured under the strangest delusion in holding that an enforced conscription could not succeed in New York! Flat head...gave me the same piece of information on the very day the news of the riots arrived!! I took the liberty to suppose that I know something of the people [Americans] and still do take the high flight of daring when I opine that they [Americans] are the greatest and the meanest of scoundrels. But Lord, as Mr. Pepys says, to see what making a fine profit does!
Charles Dickens on the Civil war - March 1862
From Charles Dickens letter to the WW Cerjet 16 March 1862:
"I take the facts of the American quarrel to stand thus. Slavery has in reality nothing on earth to do with it, in any kind of association with any generous or chivalrous sentiment on the part of the North. But the North having gradually got to itself the making of the laws and the settlement of the tariffs, and having taxed South most abominably for its own advantage, began to see, as the country grew, that unless it advocated the laying down of a geographical line beyond which slavery should not extend, the South would necessarily to recover it's old political power, and be able to help itself a little in the adjustment of the commercial affairs.
Every reasonable creature may know, if willing, that the North hates the Negro, and until it was convenient to make a pretense that sympathy with him was the cause of the War, it hated the Abolitionists and derided them up hill and down dale. For the rest, there's not a pins difference between the two parties. They will both rant and lie and fight until they come to a compromise; and the slave may be thrown into that compromise or thrown out, just as it happens."
"I take the facts of the American quarrel to stand thus. Slavery has in reality nothing on earth to do with it, in any kind of association with any generous or chivalrous sentiment on the part of the North. But the North having gradually got to itself the making of the laws and the settlement of the tariffs, and having taxed South most abominably for its own advantage, began to see, as the country grew, that unless it advocated the laying down of a geographical line beyond which slavery should not extend, the South would necessarily to recover it's old political power, and be able to help itself a little in the adjustment of the commercial affairs.
Every reasonable creature may know, if willing, that the North hates the Negro, and until it was convenient to make a pretense that sympathy with him was the cause of the War, it hated the Abolitionists and derided them up hill and down dale. For the rest, there's not a pins difference between the two parties. They will both rant and lie and fight until they come to a compromise; and the slave may be thrown into that compromise or thrown out, just as it happens."
"As to Secession being Rebellion, it is distinctly provable by State papers that Washington, considered it no such thing – that Massachusetts, now loudest against it, has itself asserted its right to secede, again and again – and that years ago, when the two Carolinas began to train their militia expressly for Secession, commissioners sent to treat with them and to represent the disastrous policy of such secession, never hinted it would be rebellion."
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