April 10, 1865
Evening
Beautiful sunset
Now that the war is over, Grant thinks we can reduce army expenditures by at least a half a million per day. We can reduce navy costs at the same time; this will bring down our national debt to something like normal proportions.
I am cheered by such prospects.
Peace is ahead and I will be exploring its possibilities intensively. It will be a pleasure to convene a cabinet meeting, to discuss economic changes, foreign relations, amnesty, rail expansion, and state laws. I find a new amicability in senate and house.
In another two or three months it may be possible to have a week or so in the Adirondacks, the three of us.
The White House
Sunday—late