mit that from the
day of my arrival I have felt in the proceedings of both houses of
Parliament, in the language of her Majesty's ministers, and in the tone
of opinion prevailing in private circles, more of uncertainty about this
than I had before thought possible. (_Lord Russell silent and still
smiling blandly_). It is therefore the desire of my government to learn
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's ministers to adopt a
policy which would have the effect to widen, if not to make irreparable
a breach which I believe yet to be entirely manageable.

_Lord Russell_. I beg to assure your Excellency there is no such
intention. The clearest evidence of this is to be found in the assurance
given by me to Mr. Dallas, before your arrival. But you must admit that
I hardly can see my way to bind my government to any specific course,
when circumstances beyond our agency render it difficult to tell what
might happen.

_Mr. Seward (aside)_. But the future will care for itself. We deal with
the 'Now.' '_There is "Yet" in that word "Hereafter."_' Great Britain
has already acted on the assumption that the Confederate States (so
called) are _de facto_ a self-sustaining power. After long forbearance,
designed to soothe discontent and avert the need of civil war, the land
and naval forces of the United States have been put in motion to repress
insurrection. The _true_ character of the pretended new state is
revealed. It is seen to be a power existing in pronunciamento only. It
has obtained no forts that were not betrayed into its hands or seized in
breach of trust. It commands not a single port, nor one highway from its
pretended capital by land.

_Mr. Adams_. Her Majesty's proclamation and the language of her
ministers in both houses have raised insurgents to the level of a
belligerent state.

_Lord Russell_. I think more stress is laid upon these events than they
deserve. It was a necessity to define the course of the government in
regard to the participation of the subjects of Great Britain in the
impending conflict. The legal officers were consulted. They said war _de
facto_ existed. Seven States were in open resistance.

_Mr. Adams_. But your action was very rapid. The new administration had
been but sixty days in office. All departments were demoralized. The
British government then takes the initiative, and decides practically it
is a struggle of two sides, just as the country commenced to develop its
power to cope