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 Our American Civil War. 153

LECTURES OF CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS ON "OUR AMERICAN CIVIL WAR."

By Col. DAVID QREOQ MclNTOSH.

These lectures delivered by the Honorable Charles Francis Adams, before the University of Oxford, in 1913, and published under the title of "Trans-Atlantic Solidarity," have been re- cently delivered with some enlargement, by the distinguished author before the Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore.

Mr. Adams' position as a man of letters and wide culture in- sured him at the latter place large and appreciative audiences. The liberal views which he was known to entertain respecting the American Civil War, and the kindly and eulogistic senti- ments which he had already expressed for the character of the great Southern leader in that War ; his previous declarations that if he, Mr. Adams, had been placed in 1861, in General Lee's position, with the heredity and environment which surrounded Lee, he would have done just as Lee did have predisposed the people of the South to accept not only with respect, but with a large degree of confidence Mr. Adams' opinions connected with the war. When, therefore, in the course of these lectures he announced his purpose to tell us how and why the recognition of the Southern Confederacy had been deliberately determined on by the English Cabinet, and then suddenly withheld, curiosity was stimulated with the idea of having new light thrown upon the canvass, and the problem which had vexed and disappointed so many Southern souls, illuminerl and set at rest. The gravity and the magnitude of the issues then impending are strikingly set forth by Mr. Adams. Not the least interesting thing which he tells us is, that after all, the issues of the war were settled "not on the banks of the Potomac, as generally assumed, but in Downing street, London." Mr. Adams leads up to the sub- ject by protraying with great skill and much dramatic efifect