er, Oct. 21, 1864.]

[Footnote 1253: See _ante_, p. 233.]

[Footnote 1254: Nov. 12, 1864.]

[Footnote 1255: Dec. 22, 1864.]

[Footnote 1256: Dec. 26, 1864. But this was in reality a mere "keeping
up courage" editorial. See Ch. XVIII, p. 300.]

[Footnote 1257: That this was very effective championship is shown by
Henry Adams' letter to his brother, Dec. 16, 1864. (_A Cycle of Adams'
Letters_, II, p. 232.) "Popular opinion here declares louder than ever
that Sherman is lost. People are quite angry at his presumption in
attempting such a wild project. The interest felt in his march is
enormous, however, and if he arrives as successfully as I expect, at the
sea, you may rely upon it that the moral effect of his demonstration on
Europe will be greater than that of any other event of the war."]

[Footnote 1258: State Department, Eng, Adams to Seward, Dec. 16, 1864.
Adams expressed to Seward doubts as to the propriety of his receiving
such deputations and making replies to them. _The Index_ (Dec. 22, 1864,
p. 808) was "indignant" that Adams should presume to "hector and
threaten" England through his replies. But Adams continued to receive
deputations.]

[Footnote 1259: Delane's position on the Civil War and the reasons for
the importance of Savannah to him, personally, are described in
Ch. XVIII.]

[Footnote 1260: Jan. 9, 1865.]

CHAPTER XVII

THE END OF THE WAR

"I think you need not trouble yourself about England. At this
moment opinion seems to have undergone a complete change, and
our people and indeed our Government is more moderately
disposed than I have ever before known it to be. I hear from
a member of the Government that it is believed that the
feeling between our Cabinet and the Washington Government has
been steadily improving[1261]."

Thus wrote Bright to Sumner in the last week of January, 1865. Three
weeks later he again wrote in reassurance against American rumours that
Europe was still planning some form of intervention to save the South:
"_All parties and classes_ here are resolved on a strict
neutrality[1262]...." This was a correct estimate. In spite of a
temporary pause in the operations of Northern armies and of renewed
assertions from the South that she "would never submit," British opinion
was now very nearly unanimous that the end was near. This verdict was
soon justified by events. In January, 1865, Wilmington, North Carolina,
was at last capture