The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

STATE PAPERS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

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second by a vote of sixty-eight to fifty-eight. No furtler
action was taken by Congress in the matter, nor was it
ever publicly referred to by the President.
Congress adjourned on the 23d of December for the
holidays. The Presidential reception on New Year's day
was the occasion of a remarkable spectacle for Washington, in the appearance of the colored people at the White
House. They waited around the doors till the crowd of
white visitors diminished, when they made bold to enter
the hall. Some of them were richly dressed, while others
wore the garb of poverty; but alike intent on seeing the
man who had set their nation free, they pressed forward,
though with hesitation, into the presence of the President.
Says an eye-witnessFor nearly two hours Mr. Lincoln had been shaking the hands of the
'sovereigns," and had become excessively weary, and his grasp became
languid; but here his nerves rallied at the unwonted sight, and he welcomed this motley crowd with a heartiness that made them wild with exceeding joy. They laughed and wept, and wept and laughed, exclaiming,
through their blinding tears, "God bless you l" "God bless Abraham
Lincoln!" "God bress Massa Linkum "
The proceedings pending before the Canadian court,
when Congress met, for the extradition of the St. Albans
raiders, were brought to an unexpected termination on the
13th of December, by the decision of Mr. Justice Coursol,
by whom the case was heard, discharging the accused
from custody on the alleged ground of want of jurisdiction. Not only were these men thus discharged, but
the money which they had stolen from the banks was
given up to them, under circumstances which cast
great suspicion upon prominent members of the Cana
dian Government. This result caused the most intense
indignation throughout the States. General Dix, commanding the Eastern Department, immediately issued
an order referring to it, and directing all military commanders on the frontiers, in case of any future raids, to
shoot down the perpetrators; "or, if it be necessary,
with a view to their capture, to cross the boundary