Mercier at Washington and Lindsay at Paris conceived, quite independently, that the time had come for projects of foreign mediation.
French opinion, like that expressed in England, appears to have been that the Northern successes in the spring of 1862 might result in such a rehabilitation of Northern self-esteem that suggestions of now recognizing the _facts_ of the situation and acknowledging the independence of the South would not be unfavourably received.

In this sense Thouvenel wrote to Mercier, privately, on March 13, but was careful to state that the word "mediation" ought not to be uttered.

His letter dilated, also, on French manufacturing difficulties at home due to the lack of cotton[592].

This was in no way an instruction to Mercier, but the ideas expressed were broached by him in a conversation with Seward, only to be met with such positive assertions of intention and ability soon to recover the South as somewhat to stagger the French Minister.

He remarked, according to his report to Thouvenel, that he wished it were possible to visit Richmond and assure himself that there also they recognized the truth of Seward's statements, upon which the latter at once offered to further such a trip.