To transmogrify the crisis into a question of patriotism, Seward wanted to demand that Spain, France, Britain, and other countries provide “explanations,” presumably about whether they supported the North or were neutral. If the explanations were unsatisfactory, Lincoln should “convene Congress and declare war against them.” After the European powers were goaded into war, Seward hoped southerners would immediately feel a rush of patriotism, forget about secession, hoist the American flag, and help the North stave off foreign attacks. Lincoln dismissed Seward’s bizarre and neurotic plan, which,
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