The abolitionists of the North and the extreme anti-slavery friends in England, relatively few in number in both countries, still sounded the note of "slavery the cause of the war," but got little hearing.

Nevertheless it was seen by thoughtful minds that slavery was certain to have a distinct bearing on the position of Great Britain when the war was concluded.

In May, 1861, Palmerston declared that it would be a happy day when "we could succeed in putting an end to this unnatural war between the two sections of our North American cousins," but added that the difficulty for England was that "_We_ could not well mix ourselves up with the acknowledgment of slavery[855]...." Great Britain's long-asserted abhorrence of slavery caused, indeed, a perplexity in governmental attitude.

But this looked to the final outcome of an independent South--an outcome long taken for granted.
Debate on the existing moralities of the war very soon largely disappeared from British discussion and in its place there cropped out, here and there, expressions indicative of anxiety as to whether the war could long continue without a "servile insurrection," with all its attendant horrors.
On July 6, 1861, the _Economist_, reviewing the progress of the war preparations to date, asserted that it was universally agreed no restoration of the Union was possible and answered British fears by declaring it was impossible to believe that even the American madness could contemplate a servile insurrection.

The friendly _Spectator_ also discussed the matter and repeatedly.