872 LIFE OF COBDEN, [omaP

1863.
Ar. 59.

Russell, whatever may be the tone of his ill-mannered
despatches, is sincerely alive to the necessity of putting an
end to the equipping of ships of war in our harbours to be
used against the Federal Government by the Confederates.
He was bond fide in his desire to prevent the Alabama
from leaving, but he was tricked, and was angry at the
escape of that vessel. It is necessary that your Government
should know all this ; and I hope public opinion in Bngland
will be so alive to the necessity of enforcing the law, that
there will be no more difficulty in the matter. If Lord
Russell’s despatches to Mr. Adams are not very civil, he
may console himself with the knowledge that the Confederates
 are still worse treated.”
“May 22,1863. ( ,, )—I called on Lord Russell, and read
every word of your last long indictment against him and
Lord Palmerston, to him. He was a little impatient under
the treatment, but I got through every word. I did my best
to improve on the text in half an hour’s conversation.
Public opinion is recovering its senses. John Bull, you know,
has never before been a neutral when great naval operations
have been carried on, and he does not take kindly to the
task ; but he is becoming graciously reconciled. He also
now begins to understand that he has acted illegally in
applauding those who furnished ships of war to prey on your
commerce. It will not be repeated.”
“Midhurst, dug. 7,1868. ( ,, )—Though we have given
you such good ground of complaint on account of the cruisers
which have left our ports, yet you must not forget that we
have been the only obstacle to what would have been almost
a European recognition of the South. Had England joined
France, they would have been followed by probably every
other State of Europe, with the exception of Russia. This
is what the Confederate agents have been seeking to accomplish.
 They have pressed recognition on England and