iew with Napoleon
and tried to show that on a previous occasion he had been, in fact,
"employed" by the Government. Palmerston was pithy and sarcastic in
reply. Lindsay, he said, had "employed" himself. He hoped that this
would be the "last time when any member of this House shall think it his
duty to communicate to the British House of Commons that which may have
passed between himself and the Sovereign of a foreign country[1103]."

The entire debate on Roebuck's motion was a serious blow to the cause of
the South in Parliament. Undertaken on a complete misunderstanding of
the position of Tory leaders, begun with a vehemence that led its mover
into tactical error, it rapidly dwindled to a mere question of personal
veracity and concluded in sharp reproof from the Government. No doubt
the very success (so it seemed at the moment) of Southern arms, upon
which Roebuck counted to support his motion was, in actual effect, a
deterrent, since many Southern sympathizers thought Great Britain might
now keep hands off since the South was "winning anyway." There is no
evidence that Russell thought this, or that he was moved by any
consideration save the fixed determination to remain neutral--even to
the extent of reversing a previous decision as to the powers of the
Government in relation to Southern ship-building.

Roebuck withdrew his motion, not because of any imminent Southern
victory, but because he knew that if pressed to a vote it would be
overwhelmingly defeated. The debate was the last one of importance on
the topics of mediation or recognition[1104]. News of Lee's check at
Gettysburg reached London on July 16, but was described by the _Times_
two days later as virtually a Southern victory since the Northern army
had been compelled to act wholly on the defensive. In the same issue it
was stated of Vicksburg, "it is difficult to see what possible hope
there can be of reducing the city[1105]." But on July 20, full news of
the events of July 4, when Vicksburg fell and Lee began his retreat from
Gettysburg, was received and its significance acknowledged, though
efforts were made to prove that these events simply showed that neither
side could conquer the other[1106]. In contradiction of previous
assertions that "another Vicksburg" might easily be set up to oppose
Northern advance in the west there was now acknowledgment that the
capture of this one remaining barrier on the Mississippi was a great
disaster to the South. _The