“If Great Britain should revoke her decree conceding belligerent
rights to the insurgents to-day, this civil strife, which is the cause
of all the derangement of those relations, and the only cause of all
apprehended dangers of that kind, would end to-morrow. The United
States have continually insisted that the disturbers of their peace
are mere insurgents, not lawful belligerents. This Government neither
can nor is likely to have occasion to change this position; but her
Majesty can, and it would seem that she must, sooner or later desire
to relinquish her position. It was a position taken in haste, and in
anticipation of the probable success of the revolution. The failure of
that revolution is sufficiently apparent. Why should not the position
be relinquished, and the peace of our country thus be allowed to be
restored?”