President Lincoln was calm and unmoved when England and France were
blustering and threatening war. At Lincoln’s instance Secretary of State
Seward notified the English Cabinet and the French Emperor that as
ours was merely a family quarrel of a strictly private and confidential
nature, there was no call for meddling; also that they would have a war
on their hands in a very few minutes if they didn’t keep their hands
off.
Many of Seward’s notes were couched in decidedly peppery terms, some
expressions being so tart that President Lincoln ran his pen through
them.