inauguration day. i could have. i was that close. now, if the south is to be aided at all, it must be done quickly and it may already be too late. gentlemen, when caesar conquered the enemy of rome and the powers that were his brutus arose and slew him. trouble? not at all. i stand with brutus. lincoln might have remained in virginia on the battlefront with general grant, he might even have been present to witness robert e. lee s surrender on april 9th, but as fate would have it, secretary of state william seward and his son frederick are victims of a carriage accident in washington.