Henry Adams to Charles Francis Adams, Jr.
London, June 24, 1864
And so we have sunk the Alabama. That at least was well done and has I think no drawback to unmixed pleasures. But the spitefulness which the English have shown has revived all my irritability. Semmes sought the fight, knowing all about the Kearsarge and expecting to whip her. He was so cut up as to be compelled to strike his colors, and actually cut the cross out of his flag, and ran it up again as a white flag. He sent a boat to the Kearsarge and surrendered the ship, and then was pulled out of the water, shouting for help; was stowed away at his own entreaty under a tarpaulin, deserting his own men, and running away by violation of every honorable demand through the treachery of a neutral flag kept near him for the purpose. And they’re trying to make a sea-lion of this arrant humbug. I expect the matter to give us more diplomatic bother.
Fortunately for us in these rough times the attention of people here is pretty thoroughly absorbed in their own affairs. The Conference seems at last to have come to an end, and the prospect is very blue. The crisis will come on Monday unless some last resort is dragged into play tomorrow at the formal close of the Conference. The curious part of the whole matter is that every body is equally anxious to avoid war, and both rulers and people are running into every rat-hole to keep out of it. I send you herewith a copy of our newspaper of the season, the “Owl,” so that you may get an idea of the way things are going. The Owl is probably edited by Laurence Oliphant, with assistance from half the young men about town. We consider the wit pretty fair for London and at any rate much better than the letter-press of Punch. Meanwhile it is said that Gladstone will leave the Ministry next week, in which case be will probably be followed by Gibson, Villiers, and perhaps Argyll — our friends. But another account says Russell is to go out. Palmerston and he have been in favor of a strong policy, but were outvoted in the Cabinet, five to four. I should not wonder if there were a complete reconstruction of the Government. No one seems to suggest it, but I see no reason why the Tories, or the moderate half of them, should not come in under Palmerston, and Derby retain a reversionary interest. Will war be the result of a change? C’est ce que je ne crois pas. At all events it busies them, and as I am now satisfied that Russia must mean war, or at least means to obtain its ends at any risk of war, I do not quite see how Europe can long be quiet. There may be many more calms and squalls before that though. . . .
