Lincoln Story Book, The

<h3>"GO, THOU, AND DO LIKEWISE."</h3> <p>Lord Lyons was the British ambassador at Washington when the Prince of Wales--now King Edward--was betrothed to the Princess Alexandra, of Denmark, since queen regent of England. He used the most stilted, ornate, and diplomatic language to carry the simple fact. The President replied offhand with trenchant advice to the bearer, who was unmarried:</p> <p>"'Go, thou, and do likewise!'"</p> <p>This did not alter the amity existing between the two, for Lincoln so won upon the envoy that he notified his premier, Lord Russell, at a critical instant when England and France were expected to combine to raise the Southern blockade, that it was wrong to prepare the American Government for recognition of the Confederacy. As for the Russian alliance with the powers, that was a fable, since the czar had sent a fleet to New York, where the admiral had sealed orders to report to President Lincoln in case the European allies' declared war.</p> <p>In consequence of Lord Lyons opposing the English move, he had to resign.--(A later account in Malet's "Shifting Scenes.") <br/> <br/> <br/></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />