Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward
Sir: Upon reflection I concluded that I should be likely to leave more correct impressions, and perhaps exclude some erroneous ones from the mind of Monsieur Drouyn de Lhuys, by reading your despatch No. 300 to him, than by leaving him, after our interview on Thursday week, to imagine its contents. I accordingly called upon his excellency on Tuesday last, and after disposing of some other matters of less importance, told him frankly that I wished to read to him the despatch, to the contents of which I had referred at our last interview, to prevent his supposing it contained anything which I had thought proper or had been instructed to conceal from him.
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When I had finished he thanked me for reading the despatch, though he felt obliged to say that he derived neither pleasure nor satisfaction from its contents.
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I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.