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The Charles P. McIlvaine letters were written in the 18th and 19th century and therefore may contain language that we understand today as harmful or offensive. You may encounter paternalist descriptions of Native Americans, racial slurs, or sexism. For more information, see our policy page.
Description
Trip to England, meetings with the British Diocese about the war
Date
1-14-1862
Keywords
letter, McIlvaine, Chase, England
Recommended Citation
McIlvaine, Charles Pettit, "Letter to Salmon P. Chase" (1862). Charles Pettit McIlvaine Letters. 302.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/mcilvaine_letters/302
Rights Statement
Transcript
Bp. McIlvaine
London Jan. 14, 1862
My dear friend,
Now that the long anxiety is [?] by the reception of the good news from home of the release of the captives and the amicable adjustment of the difficulty, I can write without the weight of that cloud. I have just prepared a long letter to Bp. Bedell on the state of feeling here, consequent in the news, to be published; written with a view to the better feeling in both sides. He will have it published first in our Ohio Ch. paper, and then it will be copied. I have requested him to send a copy to you; and please give directions that when a copy of the Western Episcopalian comes to your address it be your attention shall be called to it, or else you will never see it. As I hope you will see that, I need say no more in the feeling here, except that the termination of the difficulty seeing how our God has dealt with it, so contrary to all ideas here of what an universal suffrage [government] can, or dare, do, in such a case, is very greatly [?] to us here. He disappointed the Southerners, here! How Chap. [Feller] the [?]. See what it advises concerning the reception of the released [?]! Mr. Seward’s paper to Lord [Lyons] is very able. The tide is all setting well now.
I wrote my son about two weeks and told him to hand you the letter. I believe I was then staying at Sir W. [Heath?]. Since then I have had plenty of opportunities for my [?]. And I have received the thanks of many for what they call the comfort of my being here at such a time. I find that the [universal] idea is that I came with reference to this very [crisis], sent by [government], as an expression of pacific spirit, in myself and in my coming so far and at such a season, and also to make such representations as would allay invitation and tend to unite the two people the [?]. They infer this from the fact of my having come. An Archdiocese the other day said he had no [idea] who I was. The [?] had not then arrived. The letter is now in the [?] watching the Nashville. I have very agreeable [?] with Mr. Adams.
Received the copy of your Report which you sent me. Next time will come, I suppose, that letter. The day after tomorrow, we go to spend some days with the Archbishop of Canterbury at Addington Park. My brother wrote me recently that his son had received no information of the [?] which Mr. [?] said he would give him when I was last in Washington. Suppose you nudge his memory. (51st Regiment of New York winters under Burnside. Francis [?])
Today, I dine with Sir John Lawrence, who saved the [Punjab] in the Sepoy War, and his brother Gen. Lawrence, Governor of Madras at the same time, brothers of Sir Henry Lawrence who was killed at Lucknow, all earnest minded and humble christians.
Please give my love to Miss Kate and believe me,
Yours very affectionately,
Charles P. McIlvaine
When at Southampton, my host (Rev. Dr. Wilson) invited a party of gentlemen to meet me at breakfast on Monday morning, six clergyman, two Admirals, one General, one Major, etc. etc. After breakfast they asked me to address them on American affairs. Nothing [?], I “put in the time,” as they say. How all that has come to light since of the adjustment at home has confirmed all I then said and have been saying since I came.