do? "The impression is now very general that
peace and restoration at home are synonymous with war with this
country." There existed an "extraordinary uneasiness and indefinite
apprehension as to the future." So reported Adams to Seward; and he
advised that it might be well for the United States "to consider the
question how far its policy may be adapted to quiet this disturbance";
due allowance should be made for the mortification of those leaders who
had been so confident of Southern victory and for expressions that might
now fall from their lips; it was possible that reassurances given by the
United States might aid in the coming elections in retaining the
Government in power--evidently, in Adams' opinion, a result to be
desired[1274].

Adams' advice as to the forthcoming elections was but repetition of that
given earlier and with more emphasis[1275]. Apparently Seward was then
in no mood to act on it, for his reply was distinctly belligerent in
tone, recapitulating British and Canadian offences in permitting the
enemy to use their shores, and asserting that the measures now proposed
of abrogating the reciprocity treaty of 1854 with Canada and the
agreement of 1817 prohibiting armaments on the Great Lakes, were but
defensive measures required to protect American soil[1276]. These
matters Adams had been instructed to take up with Russell, but with
discretion as to time and he had ventured to postpone them as
inopportune. Professing entire agreement with the justice of Seward's
complaints he nevertheless wrote that to press them "at this moment
would be only playing into the hands of the mischief-makers, and
disarming our own friends[1277]." The day before this was written home
Seward, at Washington, on March 8, recalled his instruction as to the
agreement of 1817, stating that Russell might be informed the United
States had no intention of increasing its armaments on the Great
Lakes[1278].

Thus there were incidents offering ground for a British excitement over
a prospective war with America, even though no such intention was
seriously entertained by the North. The British Government did not share
this fear, but Delane, of the _Times_, kept it alive in the public mind,
and indeed was sincere in efforts to arouse his readers to the danger.
"I do not know what grounds Delane has for it," wrote W.H. Russell to
his American friend Bigelow, "but he is quite sure Uncle Samuel is about
to finish off the dreadful Civil War