THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 217 



indeed to have had much influence in official as 

 well as in popular circles, and to have played a 

 considerable part in determining the ministry 

 to a hard, brusque demand for reparation. 

 Earl Russell was not naturally disposed to 

 harshness, and his assumption of so uncompro 

 mising an attitude was apparently due to a 

 purpose not to give Seward any chance to win 

 popular applause. 



As to the Southerners, some pains were taken 

 to show them that British policy was not chosen 

 with any least reference to their interests. The 

 arrival of Mason and Slidell in England was 

 ostentatiously ignored by the cabinet, and The 

 Times served semi-official notice on them in 

 advance that they were not to assume the airs 

 or expect the halo of martyrs. They could well 

 afford, however, to submit with cheerfulness 

 to such snubbing; for they were cordially re 

 ceived in aristocratic society, and they per 

 ceived on every side the currents of public 

 opinion setting strongly in favor of the Con 

 federate cause. Throughout the year 1862 the 

 utter failure of the North to gain any deci 

 sive advantage in the field confirmed the con 

 viction that the South could not be conquered, 

 and that the vast sacrifice of blood and treasure 



