“The people who sold us their slaves helped John Brown’s insurrection,” said Bellot.

A sudden recollection came, and I was about to speak, but Bellot continued.  The last thing I could remember clearly was the reading of Brown’s deeds at Harper’s Ferry!

“They claim that they are fighting against the principle of secession, and they have split Virginia into two States.  In my opinion, they are fighting for pure selfishness—­or, rather, impure selfishness:  they know that they live on the trade of the South, and that they cannot make as much money if they let us go to ourselves.”

“Yes,” said Louis; “the war is all in the interest of trade.  Of course there are a few men in the North, whose motives may be good mistakenly, but the mass of the people are blindly following the counsels of those who counsel for self-interest.  If the moneyed men, the manufacturers, and the great merchants of the North thought for one moment that they would lose some of their dollars by the war, the war would end.  What care they for us?  They care only for themselves.  They plunge the whole country into mourning simply in order to keep control of the trade of the South.”

Up to this time I had known nothing of the creation of West Virginia by the enemy, and I thought it discreet to be silent, mentally vowing that I should at once read the history of events since 1859.  So I sought Dr. Frost, and begged him to help me get books or papers which would give me the information I needed; for otherwise, I told him, I should be unable to talk with any consistency or method.

“Let me see,” he said; “there is, of course, no one book in print that would give you just what you want.  We might get files of newspapers—­but that would be too voluminous reading and too redundant.  You ought to have something concise—­some outline; and where to get it I can’t tell you.”  Then, as the thought struck him, he cried, “I’ll tell you; we’ll make it!  You write while I dictate.”

XXIII

A LESSON IN HISTORY

     “So that, from point to point, now have you heard
     The fundamental reasons of this war;
     Whose great decision hath much blood let forth,
     And more thirsts after.”—­SHAKESPEARE.

The doctor brought me a small pocket memorandum-book, thinking that I would require many notes.

“Now,” said he, “where shall we begin?  You remember October fifty-nine?”

“Yes.”

“What date?”

“Eighteenth; the papers contained an account of John Brown’s seizure of Harper’s Ferry.”

“And you know nothing of the termination of the Brown episode?”

“Nothing.”

I took brief notes as he unfolded the history of the war.

In the course of his story he spoke of the National Democratic Convention which was held in Charleston.  I remembered the building of which he spoke—­the South Carolina Institute Hall—­and interrupted him to tell him so.”