The South merely desired justice, that is, recognition[1196].

This was a bold front yet one not unwarranted by the military situation in midsummer of 1864, as reported in the press.

Sherman's western campaign toward Atlanta had but just started and little was known of the strength of his army or of the powers of Southern resistance.

This campaign was therefore regarded as of minor importance.

It was on Grant's advance toward Richmond that British attention was fixed; Lee's stiff resistance, the great losses of the North in battle after battle and finally the settling down by Grant to besiege the Southern lines at Petersburg, in late June, 1864, seemed to indicate that once again an offensive in Virginia to "end the war" was doomed to that failure which had marked the similar efforts of each of the three preceding years.
Southern efforts in England to alter British neutrality practically ended with Lindsay's proposed but undebated motion of June, 1864, but British confidence in Southern ability to defend herself indefinitely, a confidence somewhat shattered at the beginning of 1864--had renewed its strength by July.