"No, Mr. PRESIDENT," I said in the note, "far be it from me to stand
between my friend, Mr. GREELEY, and the gratification of his noble
desire to wear military things at receptions abroad. Moreover your
Excellency, I would not for the world deprive our cousins and other
relations in England of an opportunity to cultivate the grand old art of
swearing under the instruction of so eminent a professor as HORACE."

This is the sort of language I used, and I don't see how any man except
Gen. GRANT could get hold of it the wrong way.

Of course I had some reasons besides those stated in my note for
declining the Mission, but I did not want to hurt the President's
feelings by going over the whole ground.

It was not unknown to me that the situation had been offered to about
five thousand persons before it came round to my turn, or that the
English Mission had fallen into a general decline. I knew all about that
just as well as Gen. GRANT, but it would not have done any good to
parade my knowledge on the subject.

There was the Hon. THOS. JENKINS who refused to take it, because his
wife had a prejudice against Bulls ever since she was scared by one that
chased her five miles for no other reason than that she was what might
be called a red woman--well-read in the exciting house-wife literature
of the day. JENKINS positively declined.

Then it was offered to Col. CANNONAYDE, who declined it because his
mother-in-law declared that she would go along too, if he went, and he
thought it would be better not to let her have a change of air, as she