“Dear Mr. Cyrus Field,—Will you kindly refer me, if you can, to a letter of mine, I think addressed to you respecting my declaration in 1862 that the leaders of the South had made a nation—as to its date, and, if possible, without inconvenience, as to any publication in which I might find it, though probably the date will suffice?
“Believe me,
“Very faithfully yours,
“W. E. Gladstone.”
Mr. Field was in London during the excitement caused by the claims for indirect damages which were to be put forward by the American agents at Geneva. These letters refer to that controversy:
“House of Commons,
“London, March 1, 1872.
“Dear Mr. Field,—As I hear, with regret, that you are detained here by illness, I take the liberty, as an old acquaintance, of asking whether you cannot do something in your compulsory leisure to help our countries in this untoward business as to the case.
“If you, who are so well known here, believe your government to be in the right, and that they never did waive, or meant to waive, the claim for indirect damages, and if you will make this statement publicly here, in any manner you please, it would certainly go far to induce me, and I think most of the other public men who were strong Unionists during your civil war, to advocate the submission of the whole case as it stands to the Geneva board. On the other hand, if you cannot do this, I really think we may ask for your testimony on the other side.
“If you do not see your way to taking any action in the matter, pray excuse this note, for which my apology must be that this is no time for any of us who are likely to get a hearing to keep silence.
“I am always yours very truly,
“Thomas Hughes.”
He thanked Mr. Hughes for his “kind note,” and at the same time gave to him the letter he had written to Mr. Colfax on February 24th, and this letter Mr. Hughes sent to the Times:
“London, 24th February, 1872.