It was as if the people had suddenly had their eyes opened to what it really meant and having seen were wiser and wanted no more of it.

Your brother, personally, looks at it like this.

Salisbury was to blame in the first place for being rude and not offering to arbitrate as he had been asked to do.

When he said to Cleveland, "It's none of your business" the only answer was "Well, I'll make it my business" but instead of stopping there, Cleveland uttered a cast iron ultimatum instead of leaving a loophole for diplomacy and a chance for either or both to back out.

That's where I blame him as does every one else.
Sam Sothern is in Chicago and we all wrote him guying letters about the war.