While it may seem a reasonable speculation it does not appear to be borne out by the new British materials cited later in this chapter.] [Footnote 266: C.F.Adams, "Seward and The Declaration of Paris" _Mass.
Hist.Soc.Proceedings_, XLVI, pp.

23-81.] [Footnote 267: _Ibid._, p.57.The quotation is from a despatch by Lyons of Dec.

6, 1861; but this is inexact language.

It is true that Seward had refused to receive officially this despatch, but he had read and considered it in private.

Hence he knew _privately_ the facts of Russell's proposal and that Lyons had no instructions to negotiate.