an item in the bill, for the prolongation of the war was directly
traceable to England. "The rebellion was suppressed at a cost of
more than four thousand million dollars...through British
intervention the war was doubled in duration; ...England is
justly responsible for the additional expenditure." Sumner's
total bill against Great Britain, then, amounted to over
$2,000,000,000; "everyone," said he, "can make the calculation."

Had an irresponsible member of Congress made these demands, they
might have been dismissed as another effort to twist the British
lion's tail; but Charles Sumner took himself seriously, expected
others to take him seriously, and unhappily was taken seriously
by a great number of his fellow countrymen. The explanation of
his preposterous demand appeared subsequently in a memorandum
which he prepared. To avoid all possible future clashes with
Great Britain, he would have her withdraw from the American
continents and the Western Hemisphere. Great Britain might
discharge her financial obligations by transferring to the United
States the whole of British America! And Sumner seems actually to
have believed that he was promoting the cause of international
good will by this tactless proposal.

For a time it was believed that Sumner spoke for the
Administration, and public opinion in the United States was
disposed to look upon his speech as a fair statement of American
grievances and a just demand for compensation. The British
Government, too, in view of the action of the Senate and the
indiscreet utterances of the new American Minister in London,
John Lothrop Motley, believed that President Grant favored an
aggressive policy. Further negotiations were dropped. Both