"The Commissioner had been for several years in Congress before
the Administration of Mr. Buchanan, as well as during his
official term, and had always been in close political and social
relations with him; yet he was afraid of a public visit from
him. He said that he had only three days of official life left,
and could incur no further dangers or reproaches than those he
had already borne from the press and public speakers of the
North.
"The intensity of the prevalent feeling increased as the vast
crowds, arriving by every train, added fresh material; and
hatred and hostility toward our new Government were manifested
in almost every conceivable manner."
Another of the Commissioners (Mr. Forsyth) having arrived in Washington
on the 12th of March--eight days after the inauguration of Mr.
Lincoln--the two Commissioners then present, Messrs. Forsyth and
Crawford, addressed to Mr. Seward, Secretary of State, a note informing
him of their presence, stating the friendly and peaceful purposes of
their mission, and requesting the appointment of a day, as early as
possible, for the presentation to the President of the United States of
their credentials and the objects which they had in view. This letter
will be found in the Appendix,[152] with other correspondence which
ensued, published soon after the events to which it relates. The
attention of the reader is specially invited to these documents, but, as
additional revelations have been made since they were first published,
it will be proper, in order to a full understanding of the transactions
to which they refer, to give here a brief statement of the facts.
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