efforts promptly made by the
Confederate agents in London to make use of the _Trent_ affair showed
how little Cowley understood the American temper. Having remained very
quiet since August when Russell had informed them that Great Britain
intended remaining strictly neutral[424], they now, on November 27 and
30, renewed their argument and application for recognition, but received
in reply a curt letter declining any official communication with them
"in the present state of affairs[425]."

The delay of at least three weeks imposed by methods of transportation
before even the first American reaction to the British demand could be
received in London gave time for a lessening of excitement and a more
careful self-analysis by British statesmen as to what they really felt
and desired. Gladstone wrote: "It is a very sad and heart-sickening
business, and I sincerely trust with you that war may be averted[426]."
Argyll hurried home from the Continent, being much disturbed by the tone
of the British press, and stating that he was against standing on
technical grounds of international law. "War with America is such a
calamity that we must do all we can to avoid it. It involves not only
ourselves, but all our North American colonies[427]." But war seemed to
both men scarcely avoidable, an opinion held also by Cornewall
Lewis[428] and by Clarendon, the latter standing at the moment in a
position midway between the Whig and Tory parties[429]. Yet Russell,
with more cause than others to mistrust Seward's policy, as also
believing that he had more cause, personally, to resent it, was less
pessimistic and was already thinking of at least postponing immediate
hostilities in the event of an American refusal to make just recompense.
On December 16 he wrote to Palmerston: "I incline more and more to the
opinion that if the answer is a reasoning, and not a blunt offensive
answer, we should send once more across the Atlantic to ask
compliance.... I do not think the country would approve an immediate
declaration of war. But I think we must abide by our demand of a
restoration of the prisoners.... Lyons gives a sad account of Canada.
Your foresight of last year is amply justified[430]." And on December 20
he wrote, "Adams' language yesterday was entirely in favour of yielding
to us, if our tone is not too peremptory.... If our demands are
refused, we must, of course, call Parliament together. The sixth
of February will do. In any other case we