[360]
that you and he ought never to take a cabinet place; but this opinion was founded on the public sentiment of his day. Would that he were now alive to enjoy the prodigious change!
Meanwhile, we too have had our vicissitudes.
The President is still in office, but checked and humbled.
His removal seemed inevitable; he was saved by the delays of the trial.
Grant will be his successor; of this I cannot doubt.
I am happy to be able to assure you that repudiation is dead in all its forms and aliases.
Long before the five-twenties can mature, specie payments will be the law of the land, and meanwhile the repudiators will be powerless.
Had the President been removed, we might have had specie payments just so much sooner.
I do not see why it should not follow the election of Grant.
Our new minister at London is more a lawyer than a diplomatist.
The lawyers ought to make much of him, for he is ,one of them.
He is easy, affable, and naturally courteous, and disposed to peace.
For several years he has been on my committee, and I believe has uniformly harmonized with me, except on party questions and nominatios.
He hopes to settle all outstanding questions.
I think he will be successful on the naturalization question.
But I do not see signs of .accord on the other question.
Our recent bill on naturalization, with all its abominations, was Seward's work.
He desires to he known as its author.
It passed the House of Representatives by a large vote, and on coming to the Senate was referred to the committee of foreign relations.
The committee was unanimous for postponing it till the next session.
Meanwhile, the Fenians and their sympathizers of both parties came on by committees to press it the Presidential election was at hand, and the committee did not feel authorized to stand in the way. I reported the bill with amendments, taking out its worst features, and these were adopted.
I thought it better to settle the question by a treaty.
The Fenians pressed it, as furnishing possibilities of embroilment with England.
I hope to hear from you soon, invigorated with salmon fishing.
Again, August 13 :—
I have been detained here by the death of Mr. Stevens.
He was a hero, but no financier.
On slavery and the suppression of the rebellion he was always austere and fixed.
His death will make no essential change except on the financial question, where his activity and authority will no longer perplex.
Here he erred; but in all else he was a great leader, to whom be all gratitude and honor!
It is hard that the United States should be so misrepresented by the London press.
The ‘Times’ has a correspondent who sees through rebel spectacles and writes with a rebel pen. I doubt if my name is ever mentioned without a misrepresentation.
But it is harder to bear the pretentious liberalism of the ‘News’ correspondent, who is more mischievous than the other from his pretences.
It is strange that the ‘News’ will tolerate such hostile perversion.
I wish you well through your great election.
Congress took a recess July 27.
1 Sumner lingered at the capital, as was his custom, attending there the funeral of Thaddens
