S. Low & Co. proposed to publish a handsome English edition of Slave States: if I would revise for one large volume—offering to supply plates for an American edition, no other compensation. Mason’s offered to publish an American edition from the plates at 12½ percent for copy-right. I proposed to Goodloe of Washington to assist me—chiefly in getting statistics from the new Census—for half profits. He accepted.

Some favors are wanted at the census office & he writes me to come on & see Seward & get them. I made up my mind yesterday to go next week. Our bill passed yesterday, and consequent proceedings in the Board may prevent me, but I think not. Shall probably start Tuesday morning or Monday p.m. & come back Saturday. I’m afraid you will hardly wish to join me in this terrible snow storm, but it may be the lion’s teeth will drop out before Monday. I wish you would, with the girls or without them.

I suppose you saw the tremendous puff on Fred in the World a week or two ago, and the tremendouser one in the Atlantic of April!

I presented my resignation in January; it was read in the Board & they agreed to take no notice of it in their minutes & consider it as not read. After a [329] long talk with a majority I was induced to withdraw it, but with a clear understanding that my authority on the park should be placed on a different footing this spring—or that I should quit. We have been working hard at estimates all winter. The rate of cost must be reduced 20 percent or we are likely to fail of completing the park within the sum assigned. As I should be held responsible, I refuse to go on unless I can manage it my own way. All this has been carefully kept mum so as not to embarrass the proceedings at Albany.

My deferred crisis is now imminent. I am quite ready to meet it, whenever they will have a meeting for the purpose, having made up my mind that I would rather go & take my chances for a living elsewhere, than to stay & be humiliated. I think I shall have my way, however: if I don’t, there’ll be a grand row. This, which must be private, will show you how I have been occupied this winter.

Leg is getting stronger, perceptibly, at last; so that I get about the house without crutches, but with a terrible dip & swing. Knee shows no gain, but I don’t despair of it.

Mary is in very bad health—acute dyspepsia, as well as I can make out. All well otherwise.

I am much gratified by the kindness of your note: your article in the Atlantic had already attracted my attention and greatly interested me from the fact, partly, that a few days before receiving it I had, in a paper sent to Washington, stated my conviction and argued that the Cotton Monopoly was a source of poverty to the South. I intend going to Washington this week for the purpose of looking up the latest statistics, of which you speak so disrespectfully, bearing on the subject, at the Census Office; intending to argue that point somewhat carefully in a new edition of my book, which is to be published in London. So far as my knowledge goes, your information is trustworthy and I think your deductions are logical. The article is calculated to do much good. If a [331] few hundred thousand could be distributed now in a pamphlet form in the Slave States, it would be invaluable. It is one of their curses that this can not be.

Those now in power ought to be chiefly directed by the purpose to so arrange matters that when we are again beaten by the cotton power, we shall have advantages for checking, resisting and again overcoming it such as we have not had hitherto. I wish for this purpose we could appropriate some of the Confederates’ Constitution, and as a measure of directly contrary tendency I greatly regret the Morrill Tariff.

I feel less confidence than you do that the Cotton Monopoly is to be broken in our time by the competition of India, Africa or Central America (of which last I have most hope) but it [is] quite sure to be more seriously threatened than it has been hitherto, and the planters will realize this—the planters, merchants & money-lenders, and the politicians too—just about the time probably that their present feverish ardor to fortify slavery will have burned out. Then there will be a time, when, if we could be well organized and prepared for it, we might hope to penetrate the South and to sow the seeds of future thought, if not to at once establish a permanent conservative party there.

I was tempted to ask you, on reading your letter, after your article, ought we not to have some sort of preparatory organization for the purpose of collecting and digesting information, finding suitable agencies and agents and otherwise arranging to stimulate, aid and cooperate with an organized rebellion against the Cotton King, within the South itself? I could do but little, but I can see that if twenty men, each having no better means of obtaining information and distributing it than I have, could work systematically together for such a purpose, in two or three years a great deal could be accomplished.

I am much obliged to you for your invitation and shall be glad to avail myself of it whenever I visit Boston. If you should come to New York, I trust that you will give me the pleasure of seeing you on the park, where I live.