in 1860) (From Lord Newton's "Life of Lord Lyons," by kind permission_)]

Other officials, especially those in minor positions in the United
States, showed a lack of grasp of the situation similar to that of the
press. An amusing illustration of this, furnishing a far-fetched view of
causes, is supplied in a letter of February 2, 1860, from Consul Bunch,
at Charleston, S.C., to Lord Lyons, the British Minister at
Washington[49]. Bunch wrote describing a dinner which had been given the
evening before, by the Jockey Club of Charleston. Being called upon for
a speech, he had alluded to the prizes of the Turf at home, and had
referred especially to the Plates run for the various British colonies.
Continuing, he said:

"'... I cannot help calling your attention to the great loss
you yourselves have suffered by ceasing to be a Colonial
Dependency of Great Britain, as I am sure that if you had
continued to be so, the Queen would have had great pleasure
in sending you some Plates too.'

"Of course this was meant for the broadest sort of joke,
calculated to raise a laugh after dinner, but to my
amazement, the company chose to take me literally, and
applauded for about ten minutes--in fact I could not go on
for some time."

Bunch evidently hardly knew what to make of this demonstration. He could
with difficulty believe that South Carolina wished to be re-annexed as a
colony of Great Britain, and comments upon the episode in a somewhat
humorous vein. Nevertheless in concluding his letter, he solemnly
assures Lord Lyons that