"The consternation," wrote Adams, "was extraordinary[1273]." What did the United States intend to do?
"The impression is now very general that peace and restoration at home are synonymous with war with this country." There existed an "extraordinary uneasiness and indefinite apprehension as to the future." So reported Adams to Seward; and he advised that it might be well for the United States "to consider the question how far its policy may be adapted to quiet this disturbance"; due allowance should be made for the mortification of those leaders who had been so confident of Southern victory and for expressions that might now fall from their lips; it was possible that reassurances given by the United States might aid in the coming elections in retaining the Government in power--evidently, in Adams' opinion, a result to be desired[1274].
Adams' advice as to the forthcoming elections was but repetition of that given earlier and with more emphasis[1275].

Apparently Seward was then in no mood to act on it, for his reply was distinctly belligerent in tone, recapitulating British and Canadian offences in permitting the enemy to use their shores, and asserting that the measures now proposed of abrogating the reciprocity treaty of 1854 with Canada and the agreement of 1817 prohibiting armaments on the Great Lakes, were but defensive measures required to protect American soil[1276].

These matters Adams had been instructed to take up with Russell, but with discretion as to time and he had ventured to postpone them as inopportune.

Professing entire agreement with the justice of Seward's complaints he nevertheless wrote that to press them "at this moment would be only playing into the hands of the mischief-makers, and disarming our own friends[1277]." The day before this was written home Seward, at Washington, on March 8, recalled his instruction as to the agreement of 1817, stating that Russell might be informed the United States had no intention of increasing its armaments on the Great Lakes[1278].
Thus there were incidents offering ground for a British excitement over a prospective war with America, even though no such intention was seriously entertained by the North.

The British Government did not share this fear, but Delane, of the _Times_, kept it alive in the public mind, and indeed was sincere in efforts to arouse his readers to the danger.
"I do not know what grounds Delane has for it," wrote W.H.Russell to his American friend Bigelow, "but he is quite sure Uncle Samuel is about to finish off the dreadful Civil War with another war with us scarcely less horrible[1279]." Governmental circles, however, belittled the agitation.