QUALITY NEW 3 YORK RATE MARKING (ASCC $75) ON THIS 1865 STAMPLESS FOLDED LETTER FROM NEW YORK CITY TO COGNAC, FRANCE . LETTER IS VERY ILLUMINATING REGARDING THE THOUGHTS OF THE CIVIL WAR WINDING DOWN AND THE GOVERNMENT. IT READS IN PART: "THE PROSPECTS HOWEVER FOR AN EARLY RESUMPTION OF BUSINESS WHICH HAS BEEN INACTIVE FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD ARE VERY ENCOURAGING AND IF THE PREMIUM FOR GOLD REMAINS STATIONARY ME HAVE GREAT HOPES OF BEING ABLE TO SELL BRANDIES ONCE MORE. CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT OF THIS COUNTRY AND ITS REPUBLICAN INSTITUTIONS, WHICH HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO A VERY SEVERE TEST IT MUST BE ADMITTED, WAS NEVER STRONGER THAN IT IS JUST NOW, AND THE SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE LAST LOAN REACHED IN ONE DAY THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF THIRTY MILLIONS. WITH THE PACIFICATION OF THE SOUTHERN STATES ONCE ACCOMPLISHED, ME HAVE EVERY REASON TO LOOK FORWARD TO A MOST BRILLIANT FUTURE, AND AN ACTIVITY IN ALL BRANCHES OF BUSINESS UNPRECEDENTED IN THE PAST HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY. GOLD CLOSED LAST NIGHT AT $30."