There was never any danger of war from it, for Lincoln nipped the policy in the bud.

The public excitement in America over the Queen's Proclamation was, indeed, intense; but this did not alter the Governmental attitude.

In England all that the public knew was this American irritation and clamour.

The London press expressed itself a bit more cautiously, for the moment, merely defending the necessity of British neutrality[235].

But if regarded from the effect upon British Ministers the incident was one of great, possibly even vital, importance in the relations of the two countries.