[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas

[BroJoeK]

"The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas"

"The political entity known as the United States of America is found out at last, after imposing on the community of nations for three-quarters of a century.
The bird of our country is a debilitated chicken, disguised in eagle feathers.
We have never been a nation; we are only an aggregate of communities, ready to fall apart at the first serious shock and without a centre of vigorous national life to keep us together."

Old George is not so happy about surrendering Fort Sumter and laments in language which might well apply to us today.

Curiously, Strong calls Seward the "conservative", as opposed to Horace Greeley, even though it's Seward who's putting out the word on Fort Sumter's "surrender".
Seward will soon enough come around to supporting Lincoln's plan for Fort Sumter, but as of "today" is singing a very different tune.