" Upon receipt of Lyons' despatch
and letter of October 28 Russell wrote to Palmerston, "I do not attach
much importance to this letter of Lyons. It is the business of Seward to
feed the mob with sacrifices every day, and we happen to be the most
grateful food he can offer[383]." For Russell saw clearly that Great
Britain could not object to the removal of Bunch on the purely personal
grounds alleged by Seward. There followed in due course the formal
notification by Adams on November 21, just six days before he learned of
the _Trent_ affair, which had occurred on November 8. That alarming
incident no doubt coloured the later communications of both parties, for
while both Adams and Russell indulged in several lengthy argumentative
papers, such as are dear to the hearts of lawyers and diplomats, the
only point of possible further dispute was on the claim of Great Britain
that future occasions might arise where, in defence of British
interests, it would be absolutely necessary to communicate with the
Confederacy. Adams acknowledged a British duty to protect its citizens,
but reasserted the American right to dismiss any British agent who
should act as Bunch had done. On December 9, Russell closed the matter
by stating that he did "not perceive that any advantage would be
obtained by the continuance of this correspondence[384]." Bunch was
expected to leave Charleston as soon as a safe conveyance could be
provided for him, but this was not immediately forthcoming. In fact he
remained at Charleston until February, 1863, actively engaged, but
official papers were signed by his vice-consul. In the excitement over
the _Trent_, he seems rapidly to have disappeared from the official as
he did from the public horizon[385].

The Bunch controversy, seemingly of no great importance in so far as the
alleged personal grounds of complaint are concerned, had its real
significance in the effort of Great Britain to make contact with the
Southern Government--an effort incautiously entered upon, and from which
an attempt to withdraw had come too late. The result was British
assertion of a right in case of necessity to make such contact, having
recognized the South as a belligerent, but a discontinuance of the
practice, under the American protest[386]. While this controversy was in
progress the attention of the British Government was directed to a
proposal urged by Mercier upon Lyons in Washington, which appeared to
have the support of the Fren