Lyons to Russell, June 18, 1861.] [Footnote 300: _Ibid._, Lyons to Russell, June 21, 1861.] [Footnote 301: _Parliamentary Papers_, 1862, _Lords_, Vol.

XXV.
"Correspondence respecting International Maritime Law." No.22.

Writing privately on the same day Lyons comments on Mercier's "extreme caution" in his relations with Seward.

Lyons implied that all this personal, rather than official communication of documents to Seward was Mercier's idea, and that he, Lyons, doubted the wisdom of this course, but had agreed to it because of the desire to act in perfect harmony with France.

Russell Papers, Lyons to Russell, July 8, 1861.] [Footnote 302: Lyons Papers.] [Footnote 303: F.O., Am., Vol 756.No.227.On this same day Russell was writing privately to Edward Everett, in Boston, a clear statement of the British position, defending the Proclamation of Neutrality and adding, "It is not our practice to treat five millions of freemen as pirates, and to hang their sailors if they stop our merchantmen.