1851-July-02: British Minister Henry Bulwer communicated his strengthened suspicions of the American government to Lord Palmerston, noting the presence of an…

1851-July-02: British Minister Henry Bulwer communicated his strengthened suspicions of the American government to Lord Palmerston, noting the presence of an American naval force cruising off the coast of Haiti. While Webster continued to offer official excuses for various diplomatic delays, the British and French remained convinced that the United States held “secret views” on the island. They believed the U.S. was being pushed by expansionist public opinion to find a pretext for intervention. The European powers sought to “compromise” the U.S. into joint diplomatic steps specifically to prevent unilateral American action that might threaten the independence of the island.