I never met a great man who so thoroughly made himself one with all men as Mr.Lincoln.As Secretary Hay so well says, "It is impossible to imagine any one a valet to Mr.Lincoln; he would have been his companion." He was the most perfect democrat, revealing in every word and act the equality of men.
When Mason and Slidell in 1861 were taken from the British ship Trent there was intense anxiety upon the part of those who, like myself, knew what the right of asylum on her ships meant to Britain.

It was certain war or else a prompt return of the prisoners.

Secretary Cameron being absent when the Cabinet was summoned to consider the question, Mr.Scott was invited to attend as Assistant Secretary of War.

I did my best to let him understand that upon this issue Britain would fight beyond question, and urged that he stand firm for surrender, especially since it had been the American doctrine that ships should be immune from search.

Mr.Scott, knowing nothing of foreign affairs, was disposed to hold the captives, but upon his return from the meeting he told me that Seward had warned the Cabinet it meant war, just as I had said.