procured, vessels apparently intended for the Confederate
service will, it is to be hoped, allay the strong feelings
which have been raised in Northern America by the escape from
justice of the _Oreto_ and _Alabama_[1007]."

It thus appears that orders had been issued to stop, on _evidence_ to be
sure, but on evidence of the vessels being "_apparently_ intended" for
the South. This was far from being the same thing as the previous
assertion that conclusive evidence was required. What, then, was the
basic consideration in Russell's mind leading to such a face-about on
declared policy? Chagrin at the very evident failure of existing
neutrality law to operate, recognition that there was just cause for the
rising ill-will of the North, no doubt influenced him, but more powerful
than these elements was the anxiety as to the real purpose and intent in
application of the American "privateering" Bill. How did Russell, and
Lyons, interpret that Bill and what complications did they foresee
and fear?

As previously stated in this chapter, the privateering Bill had been
introduced as an "administration measure" and for that reason passed
without serious debate. In the Cabinet it was opposed by Welles,
Secretary of the Navy, until he was overborne by the feeling that
"something must be done" because vessels were building in England
intended to destroy the blockade. The Rams under construction were
clearly understood to have that purpose. If privateers were to offset
the action of the Rams there must be some definite plan for their use.
Seward and Adams repeatedly complained of British inaction yet in the
same breath asserted that the privateers were intended to chase and
destroy _Alabamas_--a plan so foolish, so it seemed to British
diplomats, as to be impossible of acceptance as the full purpose of
Seward. How, in short, _could_ privateers make good an injury to
blockade about to be done by the Rams? If added to the blockading
squadrons on station off the Southern ports they would but become so
much more fodder for the dreaded Rams. If sent to sea in pursuit of
_Alabamas_ the chances were that they would be the vanquished rather
than the victors in battle. There was no Southern mercantile marine for
them to attack and privateering against "enemy's commerce" was thus out
of the question since there was no such commerce.

There remained but one reasonable supposition as to the intended use of
privateers. If the Ra