o make this their
dining-room. The talk at the table fell on American affairs. Sumner's
name was mentioned. I said he was in London, and that I had had a
long conversation with him a few days before. Would I give them his
address? they asked: they must have a visit from him. I said he would
be glad to visit them, I was sure, for when I told him I was coming
here he said he envied me. He was at present engaged in a round
of dinners--expected to go to France in August to stay with De
Tocqueville, but would be again in England in the autumn. Kingsley
spoke of Brooks's death--of the suddenness of it seeming almost a
judgment. I said Brooks, as I happened to know, was thought a good
fellow before the assault--that he really had good qualities, and
was liked even by Northern men. "So we have heard from others," said
Kingsley, "and one can well believe it. The man who suffers for a bad
system is often the best man--one with attractive qualities." Charles
I. and Louis XVI. were instances he gave to illustrate this. A recent
article in the _Edinburgh Review_ on slavery was spoken of. I said
it had attracted a good deal of attention with us, because we saw
immediately it could only have been written by an American. Of
slavery Mr. Kingsley spoke in calm and moderate words. I told him his
introductory chapter to _Two Years Ago_ showed that he appreciated the
difficulties with which the question was encumbered. He said it would
be strange if he did not see these difficulties, considering that he
was of West Indian descent (his grandfather had married a West Indian
heiress). He admitted that the result of emancipation in the West
Indies was not encouraging as it regarded the material condition
of the islands, especially of Jamaica, and he was quite able to
understand how powerfully this fact would weigh on our Southern
planters, and how it tended to close their ears to all anti-slavery
argument. They could hardly be expected to look beyond this test of
sugar-production to the moral progress of the black race which freedom
alone could ensure.

Our pleasant meal being over, we strolled out on the lawn and sat down
under one of the fine old trees, where we continued our talk about
slavery. Mr. Kingsley said he could quite believe any story he might
hear of cruelty practiced upon slaves. He knew too well his own
nature, and felt that under the influence of sudden anger he would be
capable of deeds as violent as any of which we read. Thi