Page:Dramatic Moments in American Diplomacy (1918).djvu/183

Rh barrier all day, barking and snapping at each other. One day they came to a large opening recently made in the fence. Perhaps you think they took advantage of this to devour each other. Not at all; scarcely had they seen the gap, when they both ran back, each with his tail between his legs."

The cabinet met to discuss the affair on Christmas day, five days after Lord Lyon had made his demand. This left two days to go, with the British guns before and the warlike mob behind. And, not an unusual occurrence, the President was the only man present who had expressed no violent sentiments, and so had none to withdraw.

As a matter of fact, in spite of the hot blood and the natural resentment, there was never really any doubt of the outcome of this meeting. It has been assumed by rampant partisans of the Union disguised as historians that Seward finally yielded in this matter with creditable bad grace in the face of a dire necessity, chargeable to the tyrannical government