"'What will England and France think of it ?' is the question which is asked over and over again," wrote Russell on July 24[325], expatiating on American anxiety and chagrin in the face of probable foreign opinion.

On August 22 he recorded in his diary the beginnings of the American newspaper storm of personal attack because of his description of the battle in the _Times_--an attack which before long became the alleged cause of his recall by Delane[326].

In fact Russell's letters added nothing in humiliating description to the outpourings of the Northern press, itself greedily quoted by pro-Southern foreign papers.

The impression of Northern military incapacity was not confined to Great Britain--it was general throughout Europe, and for the remainder of 1861 there were few who ventured to assert a Northern success in the war[327].
Official Britain, however, saw no cause for any change in the policy of strict neutrality.

Palmerston commented privately, "The truth is, the North are fighting for an Idea chiefly entertained by professional politicians, while the South are fighting for what they consider rightly or wrongly vital interests," thus explaining to his own satisfaction why a Northern army of brave men had _chosen_ to _run_ away[328], but the Government was careful to refrain from any official utterances likely to irritate the North.