This was all that was contemplated by the Queen's proclamation.

It was designed to show the purport of existing laws, and to explain to British subjects their liabilities in case they should engage in the war." To this Adams answered "...

that under other circumstances I should be very ready to give my cheerful assent to this view of his lordship's.

But I must be permitted frankly to remark that the action taken seemed, at least to my mind, a little more rapid than was absolutely called for by the occasion....

And furthermore, it pronounced the insurgents to be a belligerent State before they had ever shown their capacity to maintain any kind of warfare whatever, except within one of their own harbours, and under every possible advantage.