THROUGH THREEFOLD TENSION 171 



the claim of a right of visitation, as distinct 

 from the right of search, and that the American 

 view denied the validity of any such distinction. 

 Cass presented the American view in an elabo 

 rate note to Lord Napier on April 10, 1858, deny 

 ing the &quot;right of the cruisers of any other power 

 whatever, for any purpose whatever, to enter 

 their [United States] vessels by force in time of 

 peace.&quot; Lord Malmesbury, Foreign Secretary 

 in the cabinet of the Earl of Derby, which 

 interrupted the domination of Palmerston from 

 February, 1858, to June, 1859, declared in a 

 despatch to Napier that Great Britain recog 

 nized as sound &quot;those principles of international 

 law which have been laid down by General 

 Cass in his note of the loth of April.&quot; This 

 formal abandonment of the claim that had made 

 so much trouble between the two countries was 

 publicly avowed by Lord Malmesbury soon 

 afterward, who said: &quot;We frankly confessed 

 that we have no legal claim to the right of visit 

 and of search which has hitherto been assumed.&quot; 

 So full and frank a confession of persistent error 

 afforded ample ground for the gratification felt 

 and proclaimed by President Buchanan. There 

 was involved in the British action no relaxation 

 of vigor in the suppression of the slave-trade, 



