ricans, "had been abolished on
land; why should it not be abolished also on the sea?" The American
proposal met with general support among the smaller maritime nations. It
was believed that the one great obstacle to the adoption of Marcy's
amendment lay in the naval supremacy of Great Britain, and that obstacle
proved insurmountable. Thus the United States refused to accede to the
Declaration, and there the matter rested until 1861. But on April 17
Jefferson Davis proclaimed for the Southern Confederacy the issue of
privateers against Northern commerce. On April 24 Seward instructed
representatives abroad, recounting the Marcy proposal and expressing the
hope that it still might meet with a favourable reception, but
authorizing them to enter into conventions for American adherence to the
Declaration of 1856 on the four points alone. This instruction was sent
to the Ministers in Great Britain, France, Russia, Prussia, Austria,
Belgium, Italy, and Denmark; and on May 10 to the Netherlands.

Having received this instruction, Adams, at the close of his first
meeting with Russell on May 18, after having developed at length the
American position relative to the issue of the British Proclamation of
Neutrality, briefly added that he was directed to offer adherence by
means of a convention, to the Declaration of Paris. Russell replied that
Great Britain was willing to negotiate, but "seemed to desire to leave
the subject in the hands of Lord Lyons, to whom he intimated that he had
already transmitted authority[242]...." Adams therefore did not press
the matter, waiting further information and instruction from Washington.
Nearly two weeks earlier Russell had, in fact, approached the Government
of France with a suggestion that the two leading maritime powers should
propose to the American belligerents adherence to the second and third
articles of the Declaration of Paris. France had agreed and the date of
Russell's instruction to Lyons was May 18, the day of the interview with
Adams. Confusion now arose in both London and Washington as to the place
where the arrangement was to be concluded. The causes of this confusion
will be considered later in this chapter; here it is sufficient to note
that the negotiation was finally undertaken at London.

On July 18 Russell informed Adams that Great Britain was ready to enter
into a convention with the United States, provided a similar convention
was signed with France at the same time. This