THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 209 



Americans. Earl Russell consistently refused 

 official intercourse with the commissioners sent 

 by the Confederate Government to England, and 

 the instructions as to enforcement of neutrality 

 by the local and colonial officials of the empire 

 showed no special favor whatever for either of 

 the belligerents. The South was indeed grat 

 ified by the proclamation of neutrality; but its 

 chief hope of early success in establishing inde 

 pendence rested on the expectation of a more 

 complete recognition by Great Britain a recog 

 nition through the reception of its diplomatic 

 representatives in their official character. The 

 refusal of such reception in the spring and sum 

 mer of 1 86 1 caused mutterings and disquiet 

 among the more ardent Southerners, with sub 

 dued curses of the abolitionism that was be 

 lieved to poison the sources of British policy. 

 After the triumph of the Confederates at Bull 

 Run in July, hope took on a brighter hue. All 

 the reports from England teemed with evidence 

 of unofficial sympathy with the South and 

 confidence in its success. The impending cot 

 ton famine, which was expected to force the 

 government to action by the ruin of Lancashire, 

 was already beginning to make itself felt. To 

 be quite ready for the change of attitude that 



