) I ought to make mention of
the closing levee of Saturday night last. Never before was such a
compact jam in front of the White House--all the grounds fill'd, and
away out to the spacious sidewalks. I was there, as I took a notion
to go--was in the rush inside with the crowd--surged along the
passage-ways, the blue and other rooms, and through the great east
room. Crowds of country people, some very funny. Fine music from the
Marine band, off in a side place. I saw Mr. Lincoln, drest all in
black, with white kid gloves and a claw-hammer coat, receiving, as in
duty bound, shaking hands, looking very disconsolate, and as if he
would give anything to be somewhere else.
ATTITUDE OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS DURING THE WAR
Looking over my scraps, I find I wrote the following during 1864. The
happening to our America, abroad as well as at home, these years, is
indeed most strange. The democratic republic has paid her today the
terrible and resplendent compliment of the united wish of all the
nations of the world that her union should be broken, her future cut
off, and that she should be compell'd to descend to the level of
kingdoms and empires ordinarily great. There is certainly not one
government in Europe but is now watching the war in this country, with
the ardent prayer that the United States may be effectually split,
crippled, and dismember'd by it. There is not one but would help
toward that dismemberment, if it dared. I say such is the ardent
wish to-day of England and of France, as governments, and of all the
nations of Europe, as governments.
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