My first and greatest inducement was to meet in the spirit of kindness and friendship an overture made in that spirit by...
It was not considered a conclusive reason for declining this invitation that the proposal for assembling such a Congress...
I shall, indeed, in the first instance, consider the assembly as merely consultative.
But objects of the highest importance, not only to the future welfare of the whole human race, but bearing directly upon...
To meet the temper with which this proposal was made with a cold repulse was not thought congenial to that warm interest...
