“And now,” said the Doctor, as he led the way back to his camp, “and now McClellan’s army can come without fear.”

“Do you think,” I asked, “that the Merrimac is so badly done up that she will not try it again?”

“Yes,” he replied; “we cannot see or tell how badly she is damaged; but of one thing we may feel sure, that is, that if she could have fought longer with hope of victory, she would not have retired; her retreat means that she has renounced her best hope.”

The dinner was cheerful.  I saw Lydia eat for the first time in nearly two days.  She was still very serious, however.  She had become accustomed in hospital work to some of the results of battle; now she had witnessed war itself.

After dinner the conversation naturally turned upon the part the navy would perform in the war.  The Doctor said that it was our fleet that would give us a final preponderance over the South.

“The blockade,” said he, “is as nearly effective as such a stupendous undertaking could well be.”

“It seems that the rebels find ways to break it at odd times,” said I.

“Yes, to be sure; but it will gradually become more and more restrictive.  The Confederates will be forced at length to depend upon their own resources, and will be shut out from the world.”

“But suppose England or France recognizes the South,” said Lydia.

“Neither will do so,” replied her father, “England, especially, thinks clearly and rightly about this war; England cares nothing about states’ rights or the reverse; the heart of England, though, beats true on the slavery question; England will never recognize the South.”

“You believe the war will result in the destruction of slavery?” I asked,

“Of racial slavery, yes; of all slavery, nominally.  If I did not believe that, I should feel no interest in this war.”

“But President Lincoln has publicly announced that he has no intention of interfering with slavery.”

“He will be forced to interfere.  This war ought to have been avoided; but now that it exists, it will not end until the peculiar institution of the South is destroyed.  But for the existence of slavery in the South, England would recognize the South.  England has no political love for the United States, and would not lament greatly the dissolution of the Union.  The North will be compelled to extinguish slavery in order to prevent England from recognizing the South.  The Union cannot now be preserved except on condition of freeing the slaves; therefore, Jones, I am willing to compromise with you; I am for saving the Union in order to destroy slavery, and you may be for the destruction of slavery in order to save the Union!

“The Union is destroyed if secession succeeds; secession will succeed unless slavery is abolished; it cannot be abolished by constitutional means, therefore it will be abolished by usurpation; you see how one crime always leads to another.”