uth.

In judging governmental policy, however, the truth as regards the causes
of distress in England is the more important element. The "Cotton Lords"
did not choose to reveal it. One must believe that they intentionally
dwelt upon the war as the sole responsible cause. In the first important
parliamentary debate on cotton, May 9, 1862, not a word was said of any
other element in the situation, and, it is to be noted, not a word
advocating a change in British neutral policy[690]. It is to be noted
also that this debate occurred when for two months past, the numbers on
poor relief in Lancashire were temporarily decreasing[691], and the
general tone of the speakers was that while the distress was serious it
was not beyond the power of the local communities to meet it. There was
not, then, in May, any reason for grave concern and Russell expressed
governmental conviction when he wrote to Gladstone, May 18, "We must, I
believe, get thro' the cotton crisis as we can, and promote inland works
and railroads in India[692]." Moreover the Southern orders to destroy
cotton rather than permit its capture and export by the North
disagreeably affected British officials[693]. Up to the end of August,
1862, Russell, while writing much to Lyons on England's necessity for
cotton, did not do so in a vein indicative of criticism of Northern
policy nor in the sense that British distress demanded special official
consideration. Such demands on America as were made up to this time came
wholly from France[694].

It was not then cotton, primarily, which brought a revival in July of
the Southern attack on the Government through Parliament[695]. June had
seen the collapse of Lindsay's initial move, and Palmerston's answer to
Hopwood, June 13, that there was no intention, at present, to offer
mediation, appeared final. It was not cotton, but McClellan's defeat,
that produced a quick renewal of Lindsay's activities. June 30, Hopwood
had withdrawn his motion favouring recognition but in doing so asked
whether, "considering the great and increasing distress in the country,
the patient manner in which it has hitherto been borne, and the
hopelessness of the termination of hostilities, the Government intend to
take any steps whatever, either as parties to intervention or otherwise,
to endeavour to put an end to the Civil War in America?" This was
differently worded, yet contained little variation from his former
question of June 13, and this time Palm