ympathetic with the North could see no outcome of the Civil
War save separation of North and South. Thus the historian Freeman in
the preface to the first volume of his uncompleted _History of Federal
Government_, published in 1863, carefully explained that his book did
not have its origin in the struggle in America, and argued that the
breaking up of the Union in no way proved any inherent weakness in a
federal system, but took it for granted that American reunion was
impossible. The novelist, Anthony Trollope, after a long tour of the
North, beginning in September, 1861, published late in 1862 a two-volume
work, _North America_, descriptive of a nation engaged in the business
of war and wholly sympathetic with the Northern cause. Yet he, also,
could see no hope of forcing the South back into the Union. "The North
and South are virtually separated, and the day will come in which the
West also will secede[1041]."

Such interpretations of conditions in America were not unusual; they
were, rather, generally accepted. The Cabinet decision in November,
1862, was not regarded as final, though events were to prove it to be so
for never again was there so near an approach to British intervention.
Mason's friend, Spence, early began to think that true Southern policy
was now to make an appeal to the Tories against the Government. In
January, 1863, he was planning a new move:

"I have written to urge Mr. Gregory to be here in time for a
thorough organization so as to push the matter this time to a
vote. I think the Conservatives may be got to move as a body
and if so the result of a vote seems to me very certain. I
have seen Mr. Horsfall and Mr. Laird here and will put myself
in communication with Mr. Disraeli as the time approaches for
action for this seems to me now our best card[1042]."

That some such effort was being thought of is evidenced by the attitude
of the _Index_ which all through the months from November, 1862, to the
middle of January, 1863, had continued to harp on the subject of
mediation as if still believing that something yet might be done by the
existing Ministry, but which then apparently gave up hope of the
Palmerstonian administration:

"But what the Government means is evident enough. It does not
mean to intervene or to interfere. It will not mediate, if it
can help it; it will not recognize the Confederate States,
unless there should occur some