patches [to Lyons] could
have left the Foreign Office," and replying to Adams' proposal to
negotiate on the Declaration of Paris as a _whole_--that is to say, on
all four articles--intimated that instructions had already gone to
Lyons, with directions to assent to any modification of the article on
privateering that the United States might desire. Adams understood
Russell to prefer that the negotiation (for such Adams thought it was to
be) should take place in Washington, and did not press the matter.

This was deliberate deceit; first in a statement of fact since the
interview with Adams took place at noon on May 18, at Russell's country
house nine miles from London, and in all reasonable supposition the
despatch to Lyons would not have been sent until the Foreign Secretary's
return to his office; second because Lyons was not instructed to
_negotiate_ on the Declaration. The interpretation is justified
therefore that Russell "evaded the offer of the United States
Government." The result of this evasion was delay, but when Seward
learned from Lyons that he had no authority to negotiate a convention
and Adams received renewed instructions to proceed, the latter "kept his
temper, but the affair made a lasting impression on his mind, and shook
his faith in the straightforwardness of the British Government." In
renewing his overtures at London, Adams made explanations of the
previous "misunderstanding" and to these Russell replied with further
"inaccuracies" as to what had been said at the first interview.

Thus beginning his survey with an assertion of British deceit and
evasion from the very outset, and incidentally remarking that Lyons, at
Washington, "made little disguise of his leanings" toward the South,
Henry Adams depicts Russell as leading France along a line of policy
distinctly unfriendly to the North. Examining each point in the
negotiation as already narrated, he summarized it as follows:

"The story has shown that Russell and his colleagues ...
induced the French Government to violate the pledge in the
protocol of the Declaration of Paris in order to offer to
both belligerents a partial adhesion, which must exclude the
United States from a simple adhesion, to the Declaration of
Paris, while it placed both belligerents on the same apparent
footing. These steps were taken in haste before Adams could
obtain an interview. When Adams by an effort unexpected to
Russell