CHAPTER XXVII.
A SPLENDID FAILURE If it is easy to discover why there was no special embassy sent by this government to Turkey for the purpose of inviting the distinguished patriot Kossuth to visit America, (that matter being concluded in rather less formal fashion after the return home of the Hungarian committee of inquiry--a ship of our navy being despatched to carry him to our shores) it with equal ease may be understood why the Countess St.Auban after this remained unmolested.

A quaking administration, bent only on keeping political matters in perfect balance, and on quenching promptly, as best it might, any incipient blaze of anti-slavery zeal which might break out from its smoldering, dared make no further move against her.

She was now too much in the public eye to be safe even in suppression, and so was left to pursue her own way for a time; this the more readily, of course, because she was doing nothing either illegal or reprehensible.

Indeed, as has been said, she was only carrying out in private way a pet measure of Mr.Fillmore himself, one which he had only with difficulty been persuaded to eliminate from his first presidential message--that of purchasing the slaves and deporting them from our shores.

The government at Washington perforce looked on, shivering, dreading lest this thing might fail, dreading also lest it might not fail.