File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Mary (Appleton) Mackintosh, 4 February 1861 (510a1729-94cc-48c8-b30e-1043e4c0ca66).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-031#002

Cambridge, Feb 4th 1861
Dear Mary,
I received, today, your letter announcing the death of Mrs Erskine, and you have our sincere sympathy for the sorrow it must cause you. She must have had a most tender, affectionate heart, and seemed to be truly attached to you, to judge from the notes of hers you have sent me. I remember how warmly Mrs Rich always spoke of her, & I hoped so much to see her some day. It must be a cruel blow for Mrs R. at her age, & with so many old friends departing or departed, but she can feel it is not a long separation, & no doubt will see the [p. 2] heaven-lighted side of this cloud. Pray give her my tenderest sympathy & love. She is always the same near & dear friend to me, tho’ it is now ten years since we met, and I shall hope to meet her hereafter as unchanged, save by the loss of her earthly sorrows, as when we communed together of the unchangeable & eternal.
I do not despair yet of seeing her again, however, in the flesh, altho’, while father lives, we shall certainly not cross the ocean, for I fear his years are not many. He has been somewhat stronger this winter than in the autumn, but is quite feeble still, and his cough, at times, seems more than he can bear. The sad state of the country depresses him, and his only enjoyment at present seems to be in his children.
[p. 3] Everything is as unsettled as ever. The southern states go on seceding & helping themselves to all the ports & navy yards they can & the government for fear of bloodshed, does little or nothing to stop them. The Border states we hoped to save (tho’ if there must be separation it would be better perhaps to have all the slavery ones together) but, tho’ some are very unwilling to desert he Union, they will probably go - Lincoln’s election is but an excuse for all this treason – it is a plot of many years growth, & has its root in the intense greed of the South for undivided power – ‘to rule or ruin’ is their motto. But so to push it on, without money or credit, & with so few white men that one of our smallest states is equal to all theirs, is an insanity without parallel. [p. 4] It would seem as if they had not one sensible man among them, but the truth is they are over powered by the threats of the mob, led on by their worst politicians, & many of the bitter feelings attached to the Union grown over their disunion.
I am sorry the London Times speaks of them as the true United States if successful, for they are so inferior to us in numbers, in everything that makes civilization that it would be as wise to call Ireland Great Britain, if standing alone. All the compromises offered thus far are atrocious, & the North cannot accept them. That of Mr Crittenden the Border States are trying to make us swallow, is to put slavery as a perpetual fact in the Constitution, & fasten it forever in all territories, disfranchise our black citizens & other such mild demands – you know the Constitution has not [p. 5] a word about slavery in it, only a vague phrase by which fugitives are claimed, so imagine what an outrage it would be, in this age, to make it protect it forever. Sumner is among the finest of the Republicans, & we regret that Mr Adams offers such a compromise as would make New Mexico, with the worst of the slave codes, a slave state at once. He thinks slavery can never flourish there, but it is not for us to make terms with rebels. We must keep form and quiet, and let them weary of their bad bargain –
Kansas is in happily which is some comfort. Gen Scott is very anxious about the safety of Washington if Virginia secedes before the 4th of March there is great danger, but he has now troops there & all our states offer him more at a moment’s notice. I fear Lincoln may be attacked at some unguarded [p. 6] moment, tho’ he will be well watched, but, even if killed, Hamlin must be President, whom the south has declared, before its negroes, to be a mulatto because he has a dark complexion!
The poor negroes from their master’s talk, think Lincoln is to free them, and will be sadly disappointed, but the South boasts will fight for them if necessary. I do not think we shall have a war – all parties shrink from that or the revolution would not have reached such a head., but if Fort Sumter is attacked as they now threaten, there may be some bloodshed, for Anderson has will & power to defend himself.
The slave Anderson’s case I see has excited interest in England – but the Canadians don’t like the home government to interfere, so I [p. 7] am afraid it won’t do much good. I wonder if Garibaldi will give up his cherished war at the request of Cavour, and how long Bambalino is to weary us by staying where he is not wanted. All Europe seems uneasy, & perhaps there is to be a great crisis for many nations this year as for us – the dawn of a bitter day.
Naty was 18 on Saturday, but did not honor the day with us, enjoying his vacation in N. York where he has classmates & friends. Hatty has few parties just now, but is busy translating an English play into German, reading Jean Paul & in devotion to her Sunday school of poor children The snow continues to spoil the skating, but “sleigh-riding” is in great glory –
I took Alice & Edie yesterday, the Chapel being closed in vacation, [p. 8] to King’s Chapel, which is beautifully decorated with evergreens this year, & which has always to me a pleasant old-world flavor. Old Dr Lowell is dead & Foster Coffin Harriots uncle. Her mother took it very severely, & is as well as usual.
Mary Greenleaf’s house was entered by burglars lately & they carried off some of her pretty china. She says it is painful & for her to hear, in New Orleans, the Marseillaise shouted & the Union vilified. It is very sad to see such a grand nation lessened, - but if we can “live the purer with the other half “ we must not regret it too much.
I saw Miss Sedgwick at Mrs. Henders last week & she was looking very well. She promises to dine with me soon. Young Miss S. goes to all the Cambridge parties, & I met Maria at a musical one at Mrs. Littles. Good Bye, Love to all
Yr aff ty
Fanny E. L.

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