e Governor
of the State selected, thus avoiding any overture to the Confederate
Government[298]. Even with this solution possible they still hesitated,
feeling as Lyons wrote "a little pusillanimous," but believing they had
prevented an explosion[299]. Moreover Lyons was a bit uneasy because of
an important difference, so it seemed to him, in his formal instructions
and those of Mercier. The latter had no orders, as had Lyons, to notify
Seward, if the agreement on maritime law was made in Washington, that
such agreement would not affect the belligerent right of the South to
issue privateers[300]. Apparently Mercier had been given no instructions
to make this clear--let alone any "latitude" to deal with
privateering--although, as a matter of fact, he had already given Seward
his personal opinion in accord with Lyons' instructions; but this was
not an official French stand. Lyons was therefore greatly relieved, the
"misunderstanding" now cleared away, that new instructions were being
sent to Adams to go on with the convention in London. His only
subsequent comment of moment was sent to Russell on July 8, when he
learned from Seward that Dayton, in Paris, had been directed to raise no
further question as to what would or would not be demanded of France in
case a convention were signed for an American adherence to the
Declaration of Paris. Lyons now repeated his former advice that under no
circumstances should a convention be signed without a distinct
declaration of no British responsibility or duty as regards Southern
privateers[301].

The entire matter was now transferred to London and Paris. Lyons' report
of the misunderstanding and that new instructions were being sent to
Adams was received on June 30. Russell replied to Lyons on July 5 that
Adams had "never made any proposition" on the Declaration of Paris, and
that he would now await one[302]. July 11, Adams made his formal offer
to sign a convention and communicated a draft of it on the thirteenth.
On the day intervening, the twelfth, Russell took a very important step
indicative of his sincerity throughout, of his lack of any ulterior
motive, and of his anxiety to carry through the negotiation with no
resulting irritations or complications with the United States. He
recalled his instructions to Lyons about communicating with the
Confederacy, stating that in any case he had never intended that Lyons
should act without first officially notifying Seward. This recall wa