The Civil War is a pervasive presence in the journals in this
volume. "The war searches character," Emerson wrote. Both his
reading and his writing reflected his concern for the endurance of
the nation, whose strength lay in the moral strength of the people.
He read military biographies and memoirs, while turning again to
Persian, Chinese, and Indian literature. The deaths of Clough,
Thoreau, Hawthorne, and his aunt Mary Moody Emerson prompted him to
reread their letters and journals, remembering and reappraising.
These were stirring, poignant years for Emerson. The times were
hard, his lecturing was curtailed, and a new book seemed out of the
question. He felt the losses, fears, and frustrations that come to
those who believe in a cause they are too old to fight for. But his
respected position as a man of letters brought him some unusual
experiences, such as a trip to Washington in which he met President
Lincoln, Secretaries Seward and Chase, and other key figures in the
government. Inspecting West Point as a member of the Board of
Visitors, he was deeply impressed by the character and spartan
training of the cadets who were soon to see action.
At the war's end, busy again with a heavy lecture schedule and
feeling his age a little, he took a long look back at the conflict
and concluded that war "heals a deeper wound than any it
makes."
General
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