One morning this week I went to the State Department. . . .
Found Seward very busy over the complication arising from the “Chesapeake
piracy.” He said Sumner had just come in and said with great glee: — “This
proves my position to be correct, that England was wrong in conceding
belligerency to these people.” “Of course,” said Seward: “but how the devil
does that help the matter?” Sumner was delighted to have his theory vindicated
even by such trouble.
SOURCES: Clara B. Hay, Letters of John Hay and
Extracts from Diary, Volume 1, p. 141; Michael Burlingame, Editor, Inside Lincoln's White House: The Complete
Civil War Diary of John Hay, p. 128
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