dger_,
Captain Marchand commanding, in Southampton Harbour, with the alleged
purpose of stopping the British West India steamer and intercepting the
journey of Mason and Slidell. Palmerston stated that he "did not pretend
to judge absolutely of the question whether we had a right to stop a
foreign vessel for such a purpose as was indicated," and he urged on
Adams the unwisdom of such an act in any case. "Neither did the object
to be gained seem commensurate with the risk. For it was surely of no
consequence whether one or two more men were added to the two or three
who had already been so long here. They would scarcely make a difference
in the action of the Government after once having made up its
mind[407]."

The interview with Adams, so Palmerston wrote to Delane on the same day,
November 12, was reassuring:

"MY DEAR DELANE,

"I have seen Adams to-day, and he assures me that the
American paddle-wheel was sent to intercept the _Nashville_
if found in these seas, but not to meddle with any ship under
a foreign flag. He said he had seen the commander, and had
advised him to go straight home; and he believed the steamer
to be now on her way back to the United States. This is a
very satisfactory explanation.

Yours sincerely,

PALMERSTON[408]."

In fact, neither Adams' diary nor his report to Seward recorded quite
the same statement as that here attributed to him by Palmerston, and
this became later, but fortunately after the question of the _Trent_ had
passed off the stage, a matter of minor dispute. Adams' own statement
was that he had told Palmerston the _James Adger_ was seeking to
intercept the _Nashville_ and "had no instruction" to interfere with a
British Packet--which is not the same as saying that she already had
instructions "not to meddle with any ship under a foreign flag[409]."
But in any case, it would appear that the British Government had been
warned by its legal advisers that if that which actually happened in the
case of the _Trent_ should occur, English practice, if followed, would
compel acquiescence in it[410]. This is not to say that a first legal
advice thus given on a problematical case necessarily bound the
Government to a fixed line of action, but that the opinion of the
Government was one of "no help for it" if the case should actually arise
is shown by the instructions to Lyons and by his reaction. On November
16, Hammond wrote to Lyon