President Lincoln, the man who said and did so many kindly things,
taught Seward how to write state papers. He was not only master of
the situation in this country, but when England and France were about
combining to recognize the Confederacy he so won the admiration of Lord
Lyon, the British ambassador at Washington, that that official informed
Lord Russell that he was in error when he sent instructions to prepare
the government for the recognition of the South by England, and Lord
Lyon afterwards resigned his office in consequence of the opposition to
Lincoln. At that time there was a Russian fleet in New York harbor under
sealed instructions, to be opened when France and England made their
move, and the instructions were afterward found to be a command to the
admiral to report to his excellency, President Lincoln.