convention, as submitted
by Adams, simply recorded an agreement by the two powers to abide by the
four points of the Declaration of Paris, using the exact wording of that
document[243]. Adams' draft had been communicated to Russell on July 13.
There then followed a delay required by the necessity of securing
similar action by Dayton, the American Minister at Paris, but on July 29
Adams reported to Russell that this had been done and that he was ready
to sign. Two days later, July 31, Russell replied that he, also, was
ready, but concluded his letter, "I need scarcely add that on the part
of Great Britain the engagement will be prospective, and will not
invalidate anything already done[244]." It was not until August 8,
however, that Cowley, the British Ambassador to France, reported that
Dayton had informed Thouvenel, French Foreign Minister, that he was
ready to sign the similar convention with France[245]. With no
understanding, apparently, of the causes of further delay, and
professing complete ignorance of the meaning of Russell's phrase, just
quoted[246], Adams waited the expected invitation to an official
interview for the affixing of signatures. Since it was a condition of
the negotiation that this should be done simultaneously in London and
Paris, the further delay that now occurred caused him no misgivings.

On August 19 Russell requested Adams to name a convenient day "in the
course of this week," and prefaced this request with the statement that
he enclosed a copy of a Declaration which he proposed to make in
writing, upon signing the convention. "You will observe," he wrote,
"that it is intended to prevent any misconception as to the nature of
the engagement to be taken by Her Majesty." The proposed
Declaration read:

"In affixing his signature to the Convention of this day
between Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland
and the United States of America, the Earl Russell declares,
by order of Her Majesty, that Her Majesty does not intend
thereby to undertake any engagement which shall have any
bearing, direct or indirect, on the internal differences now
prevailing in the United States[247]."

Under his instructions to negotiate a convention for a pure and simple
adherence to the Declaration of Paris, Adams could not now go on to
official signature. Nor was he inclined to do so. Sincerely believing,
as he stated to Russell in a communication of August 23, that