On his return he had found that the feeling against England was very intense, and on April 29th he wrote to Mr. Thurlow Weed, who was in London:
“I regret exceedingly to find a most bitter feeling in this country against England. Mr. Seward is almost the only American that I have heard speak kindly of England or Englishmen since I arrived.”
And to Mr. Seward his next letter is addressed:
“New York, May 5, 1862.
“My dear Sir,—Yesterday I received a letter from our mutual friend C. M. Lampson, Esq., from London, April 17th, in which he says: ‘Our letter has been before Lord Palmerston for more than a fortnight, and as yet have had no answer; he is now out of town for the Easter holidays, and we cannot have a reply for another fortnight. If we are to make sufficient progress to enable us to do the work in 1863, it will be only in consequence of the pressure you bring to bear on your side. This is our only hope for the present. If the Washington government would direct Mr. Adams to press the matter here, I think we should succeed.’ It has occurred to me that, considering the great importance to the whole commercial interest of the country of a telegraph across the Atlantic, you would be willing to act on the suggestion of Mr. Lampson and direct Mr. Adams to press the matter upon the English government.
“With much respect, I remain
“Very truly your friend,
“Cyrus W. Field.
“Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of State,
“Washington, D. C.”
Mr. Lampson, in his letter of April 17th, had referred to a deputation of the directors of the Atlantic Telegraph Company that on the 20th of March had waited upon Lord Palmerston, who was then Prime-Minister.
Mr. Field replied:
“New York, May 9, 1862.