g
fearful reverses in Virginia and professed to regard Sherman's easy
advance toward Atlanta as but a trap set for the Northern army in the
West[1185]. But in reality the gage of battle for Southern advantage in
England was fixed upon a European, not an American, field. Mason
understood this perfectly. He had yielded to Lindsay's insistence and
had come to London. There he listened to Lindsay's account of the
interview (now held) with Russell, and June 8 reported it to Slidell:

"Of his intercourse with Lord Russell he reports in substance
that his Lordship was unusually gracious and seemed well
disposed to go into conversation. Lord Russell agreed that
the war on the part of the United States was hopeless and
that neither could union be restored nor the South brought
under the yoke.... In regard to Lindsay's motion Lord Russell
said, that he could not _accept_ it, but if brought up for
discussion his side would _speak_ favourably of it. That is
to say they would commend it if they could not vote for it."

This referred to Lindsay's original motion of using the "earliest
opportunity of mediation," and the pleasant reception given by Russell
scarcely justified any great hope of decided benefit for the South. It
must now have been fairly apparent to Lindsay, as it certainly was to
Mason, that all this complaisance by Palmerston and Russell was but
political manipulation to retain or to secure support in the coming
contest with the Tories. The two old statesmen, wise in parliamentary
management, were angling for every doubtful vote. Discussing with
Lindsay the prospects for governmental action Mason now ventured to
suggest that perhaps the best chances of success lay with the Tories,
and found him unexpectedly in agreement:

"I told Lindsay (but for his ear only) that Mr. Hunter,
editor of the _Herald_, had written to Hotze about his
connection with Disraeli, and he said at once, that if the
latter took it up in earnest, it could not be in better hands
and would carry at the expense of the Ministry and that he
would most cheerfully and eagerly yield him the _pas_.
Disraeli's accession, as you remember, was contingent upon
our success in Virginia--and agreeing entirely with Lindsay
that the movement could not be in better hands and as there
were but 10 days before his motion could again come, I
thought the better policy w