It was now
Washington and not Richmond that seemed in danger of capture. Surely the
North must soon realize the futility of further effort, and the reports
early in July from Washington dilated upon the rapid emergence of a
strong peace party.
But the first panic of dismay once past Stuart sent word of enormous new
Northern levies of men and of renewed courage[728]. By mid-August,
writing of cotton, he thought the prospect of obtaining any quantity of
it "seems hopeless," and at the same time reported the peace
party fast losing ground in the face of the great energy of the
Administration[729]. As to recognition, Stuart believed: "There is
nothing to be done in the presence of these enormous fresh levies, but
to wait and see what the next two months will bring forth[730]." The
hopes of the British Ministry based on a supposed Northern weariness of
the war were being shattered. Argyll, having received from Sumner a
letter describing the enthusiasm and determination of the North, wrote
to Gladstone:
"It is evident, whatever may be our opinion of the prospects
of 'the North' that they do not yet, at least, feel any
approach to such exhaustion as will lead them to admit of
mediation[731]...."
To this Gladstone replied:
"I agree that this is not a state of mind favourable to
mediation; and I admit it to be a matter of great difficulty
to determine when the first step ought to be taken; but I
cannot subscribe to the opinion of those who think that
Europe is to stand silent without limit of time and witness
these horrors and absurdities, which will soon have consumed
more men, and done ten times more mischief than the Crimean
War; but with the difference that there the end was
uncertain, here it is certain in the opinion of the whole
world except one of the parties. I should be puzzled to point
out a single case of dismemberment which has been settled by
the voluntary concession of the stronger party without any
interference or warning from third powers, and as far as
principle goes there never was a case in which warning was so
proper and becoming, because of the frightful misery which
this civil conflict has brought upon other countries, and
because of the unanimity with which it is condemned by the
civilized world[732]."
The renewal of Northern energy, first reports of which were known to
Russell earl
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