“It is my purpose, Mr. President, to marry soon again. You have yourself set the example of second nuptials, and I believe the experiment has been a happy one.”
“Yes; may yours be as fortunate! Who is the lady?”
“A young person not known in society, but highly respectable and well educated. I shall have the pleasure to present her to you here in Richmond in the course of the summer.”
“Mrs. Davis will be charmed to make her acquaintance. Come and help us celebrate Lee’s next great victory.”
“Thank you. If I can get my affairs into position, I may wish to pass the next year in Europe with my new wife. It would not be difficult, I suppose, for you to give me some diplomatic stamp that would make me pass current.”
“The government will be disposed, no doubt, to meet your views. We are likely to want some accredited agent in Spain. A post that would enable you to fluctuate between Madrid and Paris would be not an unpleasant one.”
“It would suit me entirely, Mr. President.”
“You may rely on my friendly consideration.”
“Thank you. How about foreign recognition?”
“Slidell writes favorably as to the Emperor’s predispositions.[predispositions.] In England, the aristocracy and gentry, with most of the trading classes, undoubtedly favor our cause. They desire to see the Union permanently broken up, and will help us all they can. But they must do this indirectly, seeing that the mass of the English people, the rabble rout, even the artisans, thrown out of employment by this war, sympathize with the plebeians of the North rather than with us, the true master race of this continent, the patricians of the South.”