POETRY.-The Artist's Angel, 482. Sonnet, 482. Sonnets on Prayer, 482. The Emperor's Return, 502.

SHORT ARTICLES.-Why Bees work in the Dark, 501. The Egg a Miniature Universe, 517. Tomb of Voltaire, 517. Out-of-door Exercise, 524. Lecture on Campanology, or the Science of Bell-ringing, 524.

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE UNION.-Extract of a letter from the Rev. Thomas W. Humes, of Knoxville, Tenn :

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From Macmillan's Magazine.

HAS ENGLAND AN INTEREST IN THE DIS

RUPTION OF THE AMERICAN UNION?

BY GOLDWIN SMITH.

panding myriads are destined to spread our language, our intellectual empire, and the essential parts of our political institutions over a continent to which the mother-country is but a speck. It is worth while at least to examine carefully the grounds of this assumption, and to see that it accords with the reason of the case and with the experience of history.

THE struggle which is going on in America, whatever may be the rights of the question and the merits of the parties, is so important in a moral, political, and social point of view -the issues which it involves are so vital to the grandest interests of humanity—that we Now, of course it cannot be denied that in should not show greatness of mind by choos- an immense nation, one in blood and united ing our side in it on merely diplomatic in interest, in full physical vigor, abounding grounds. This, however, we have done at in wealth, and commanding the resources of least to some extent. The chairman of a a vast territory, great military power must meeting of the Southern Independence Asso- reside. We have the proof of this before our ciation said, the other day, that one of the eyes, and probably shall experience it in a still great objects of the association was the "dis- more practical way if we give ourselves over ruption of the Union," and that this object to the guidance of the Southern Independence was sought not only in the interest of the Association. But the mere existence of such American continent (to which it was assumed power, in a dormant state, is no source of a" balance of power" would be a great bless-danger to the world, unless there are causes ing), but "in the interest of our own dear to call it into action and to incite the people country." This supposed interest of our own possessing it to war. The great bulk of some dear country has, it may safely be said, been graminivorous animals, though accompanied at the bottom of a good deal of our profess- by great muscular strength, and great ferocedly disinterested admiration of the Confed-ity when they are provoked, does not make erates and condemnation of the Federals; and us look upon them, or guard against them, it alone gives any meaning to the epithets of as beasts of prey.

un-English and unpatriotic which are con- In the hunter and nomad state man is genstantly applied to those who, on grounds con-erally a warrior; but in the settled and civilnected with the general interests of human-ized state he is a warrior only under certain ity, have taken the side of the north. It is conditions. A conquering race, ruling over assumed that the restoration of the Union, serfs, by whose labor they are supported, and with a prospect of unlimited extension, must having no intellectual occupation, preserve produce a military power formidable to the their love of war as well as of the chase,—if security of all other nations; and that it they are heathens, till their physical energy is therefore essential to us, as the possessors is overcome by sensuality;-if they become of Canada and the West Indies, and as being Christians, till moral influences subdue the liable to be brought into collision with the animal passions, and dispose the barbarian to Americans by those possessions, that the a gentler way of life. This was the case with Union should be broken up into a number of the Persian and Assyrian hordes, with the independent and (as far as may be) hostile Moguls and the Turks. A nation of slaveStates. This, we say, is assumed, and upon holders, such as the Spartans, without intelthe strength of the assumption we have said lectual tastes and despising labor as the lot and done things which might make the of the slave, is nearly the same thing in this Americans our enemics, even if they had no respect as a conquering horde. At Athens natural tendency to be so. We have, more- the mind of the dominant race was diverted over, placed ourselves in an attitude of fear, from war by intellectual tastes, with which, which rather provokes the other party, if he nevertheless, the slave-owner's warlike prohas anything of a disposition to bluster in his pensity struggled hard for the predominance. character, to place himself in an attitude of In the feudal ages, the noble-unlettered, attack. We have also been on the point of without political interests, and supported in being drawn into very sinister and unnatural proud idleness by the labor of His serfs-was alliances against a people who, after all, are compelled to give vent in war to all the suour kinsmen, and whose increasing and ex-perfluous energy of which he could not re