Cloudy, but the fog was gone, and it was cold. I was busy in writing home. Some excitement here by the publication of a letter of M. Drouyn de l’Huys, the new minister of foreign affairs in Paris proposing to the Courts of England and Russia, a joint offer of mediation in the American struggle, to being with an armistice of six months. This letter is dated on the 15th of last month, so that it has probably been already234 answered by both governments. The general impression here is that it has been declined. I have a letter from Mr Dayton today giving the substance of his conference with M Drouyn de l’Huys, and reporting him as saying in case of the powers declining, nothing would be done. It is nevertheless a strange move and based upon very remarkable reasoning, such as nobody but Mr Slidell could have prompted. Mr Moran dined with me. I took a long walk as usual