Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Elizabeth Reid, [no address], 27 September 1861.                                                       

London

30 Russell Square W. C.

27th Septr 1861./--

My dear Mrs Reid.

       Are you still in London? you ask – The more suitable question at this time is Are you already in L.? Both are applicable – I was not able to adhere to my plan – Viz to devote myself to the arrangement of my letters and papers – Here too instead of asking where whether I had completed the arrangemt You should have asked Did you begin? The answer would have been scarcely – When I consider my own incapacity in comparison with the capacity of Joseph Hunter I ought to be filled with shame – So I am yet, such is the power of self-love – There is always something that makes us unwilling to be any other than one’s self for this plain reason – that our own existence is the only one except when under the influence of stray passions of which we can be said to be really conscious –

       The reason why I have done nothing – is that after passing a week at the Chrystal Pal Hotel – in wretched weather – And with no one at the Hotel – I had in the immediate neighbourhood Mrs Robinson her nearly bed ridden Sister And her Scotch nieces During part of the time they were in an adjoining hotel as well as Mrs Fisher who was our decoy bird

       I did not remain long in London but spent a fortnight nearly at Green Keys (the seat of De Quincey’s exquisitely narrated invent adventures – with the Factory-Girls at the house of Mr Schunck my old German friend a patriot and Unitarian – He had done me the honour to invite me to meet John Kenrick, Duckenfield Derbyshire and Samuel Robinson the Schwager of ChadwickLord ^Inspector^ of the Sewers – Ld Belper one of the first of the noblesse de Cotton – So I was honoured And the great scholar was very but not obtrusively condescending And the two matrons very charming women – I witnessed the Stand up fight between Hercules Crawford agt ^and^ a troop of black collard who conducted the claims of the monopoly – not endurable but undesirable – had great good humour which carried him thro’ – But why dwell on these petty matters when a revolution is ravaging the new world by which the fate of millions will be affected? – I wish I could see the conflict in the light of security and triumph which you do – but I do not – They who ought to defend the cause of humanity and justice are doing their utmost to set it aside And from the beginning of the war have conducted themselves with reference to the Slaves more contemptibly than their avowed tyrants do – And indeed I feel something like respect towards the Southern Cotton Growers compared with the Northern traitors pretty much as one gives a sort of preference to Belzebub  & Molock in comparison  with Mammon and Belial – This Miss Montgomery told me was the avowed Sentiment of Charles Trotter – Now therefore any one can express any thing like applause of the atrocious proclamation of Fremont I cannot comprehend – You say it is a masterpiece of policy – So it is, if by policy you mean the iniquitous frauds & unprincipled artifices of Louis Nap: The proclamation in substance offers the liberty and property of the slaves as a bribe to their masters – Be faithful to us the Government and we will guarantee them to you for ever – but we give freedom to all who are the slaves of the disloyal – This they hope will induce and doubtless it will, many to be faithful: at the same time the government has protested agt the  act as <–> ^unauthorized^ – So that if this fraud shod be successful which is barely possible And the only thing I dread – the slaves will be reduced to their former state – I think however that like L Nap towards Italy, they will be against their will, unstrained to admit what they would gladly avoid – I rejoice as the most fortunate event the victory obtained by the South – Had the North conquerd in the first instance.  The case of the Slaves would have been ^otherwise^ worse – I long for continued success on their part – as affording the best chance for them – I am sorry to see Mrs B: Stow discredit herself by so silly a letter Mr Channing talked rubbish from the first – They both worship the idol which is of the coarsest material – You must have remarked that the real hearty honest abolitionists have taken little or no part in the fight ^triumph^ – And they have shewn their good sense in so doing <–> My <–> fear is that the interposition of the European States in the affairs of Mexico which seems to be necessary will open the eyes of both North & South to the folly of their conduct – They are jealous of Spain too in havg bought Sant Domingo of one of the treacherous barbarous chieftains – These are untimely events – I think with you the good cause must triumph eventually, but a bloody ^long^ war may be the necessary bloody sacrifice And the bad passions of men will do more be the awful instruments of heaven 

But thy most dreaded instrument

Is working out a pure intent

Is man arrayed for mutual slaughter

Yea Carnage is thy daughter

Thou clotheth the wicked in their dazzling mail

And by thy just permission they prevail

These grand lines were neer more truly verified than in this stupid and mad war but I feel sure that good will arise out of it – I must break off My kindest regards are offerd to you & your and Sister yours jointly

            Ever yours

                         H. C. Robinson

Text: BC/RF/103/4/27, Archives, Royal Holloway University of London.