you I can read the Constitution as well as Mr. Webster, and I say
that the 'Fugitive-Slave Law' is unconstitutional--is an outrage, and an
imposition of which you will all soon be ashamed. It is a disgrace to
your humanity and to your republicanism, and Mr. Webster should be hung
for advocating it. He is a humbug or an ass--an ass, if he believes such
an infamous law to be constitutional, and if he does not believe it, he
is a humbug and a scoundrel for advocating it."

The Count's sarcastic reference to Secretary Seward is equally amusing.
It seems that one of his duties, while in the State Department, was to
keep a close watch upon the European newspapers for matters of interest
to our government, and also to furnish the Secretary of State, when
requested, with opinions on diplomatic questions, or, as Gurowski
expressed it, "to read the German newspapers and keep Seward from making
a fool of himself." The first duty, he said, was easy enough, but the
latter was rather difficult!

In 1854 Gurowski published his book, "Russia as it is," which was soon
followed by another work entitled, "America and Europe." Both of them
met with a favorable reception, but, after losing his government
position, it became a difficult matter for him to eke out a maintenance,
and his disposition, if possible, became still more embittered. At an
evening party I took part by chance in an animated discussion upon the
subject of dueling. Suddenly my eye lighted upon Count Gurowski, who had
just entered the room. Calling him to my side I asked him in facetious
tones how many men he had killed. He quickly responded, "Wonly (only)
two!"

Count Gurowski's fund of knowledge was in many ways highly remarkable,
especially upon his favorite theme of royalty and nobility, past and
present. He was intensely disliked by the Diplomatic Corps in
Washington, many of whose members regarded him as a Russian spy, a
suspicion which, of course, was without the slightest foundation. Baron
Waldemar Rudolph Raasloff, the Danish Minister, once refused to enter a
box at the opera where I was seated because Gurowski was one of the
party. The Count seemed to be in touch with sources of information
relating to diplomats and their affairs which were unknown to others--a
fact which naturally aroused dislike and jealousy. He once announced to
me, for example, that the _attaches_ of the French Legation were in a
state of great good humor, as their salaries had been raised