“Very truly your friend,
“William H. Seward.
“Cyrus W. Field, Esq.”
“Rochdale, March 8, 1868.
“My dear Mr. Field,—I have only just received your kind invitation. Unluckily Tuesday is fixed for the Irish debate, and I cannot be away from the House on that evening.
“I regret this very much, for it would give me much pleasure to spend an evening with you. I must call upon you, and have a talk with you on the new crisis which has arisen in your country.
“Some of your statesmen are in favor of repudiation, and you are dethroning your President, and yet your stocks are not sensibly shaken by all this in the English market. There is more faith in you than there was three or four years ago!
“But I hope your people will not repudiate.
“Always sincerely yours,
“John Bright.
“I expect to be in town in the course of to-morrow.”