ives--that is to say, they are based upon speculations of
national power, territorial aggrandizement, political
advantage, and commercial gain. Neither side can claim any
superiority of principle, or any peculiar purity of
patriotism....

"We certainly cannot discover in these arguments anything to
remove the case from the common category of national or
monarchical quarrels. The representations of the North might
be made word for word by any autocrat or conqueror desirous
of 'rectifying' his frontier, consolidating his empire, or
retaining a disaffected province in subjection. The
manifestos of the South might be put forth by any State
desirous of terminating an unpleasant connexion or exchanging
union for independence....

"It is just such a question as has been left times out of
mind in this Old World to the decision of the sword. The
sword will be the arbitrator in the New World too; but the
event teaches us plainly enough that Republics and
Democracies enjoy no exemption from the passions and follies
of humanity."

Under these impressions Adams presented himself on May 18 for his first
interview with Russell[169]. He stated that he had come with the idea
that there was

".... little to do beyond the duty of preserving the
relations actually existing between the two nations from the
risk of being unfavourably affected by the unfortunate
domestic disturbances prevailing in my own country. It was
not without pain that I was compelled to admit that from the
day of my arrival I had felt in the proceedings of both
houses of Parliament, in the language of Her Majesty's
ministers, and in the tone of opinion prevailing in private
circles, more of uncertainty about this than I had before
thought possible,"

Adams then inquired whether the replies given by Russell to Dallas
refusing to indicate a policy as to recognition of the South implied a
British purpose "to adopt a policy which would have the effect to widen,
if not to make irreparable, a breach [between North and South] which we
believed yet to be entirely manageable by ourselves."

Russell here replied that "there was no such intention"; he had simply
meant to say to Dallas that the British Government "were not disposed in
any way to interfere." To this Adams answered that:

".... it was deserving of grave cons