A week later Bruce wrote to Russell in some anxiety that America was about to _demand_ the withdrawal by Great Britain of belligerent rights to the South, that if Great Britain would but act before such a demand was made it would serve to continue the existing good feeling in America created by the sympathy over Lincoln's death, and especially, that there was a decided danger to good relations in the fact that Confederate cruisers were still at large.

He urged that orders should be sent to stop their presence in British colonial ports securing coal and supplies[1309].

Three days later Bruce repeated his warning[1310].

This was, apparently, a complication unforeseen at the Foreign Office.

In any case Russell at once made a complete face-about from the policy he had outlined in reply to Lord Houghton.