Confederate agents and their British friends to undertake
further shipbuilding.

While M. Arman was at work in France, the Laird Brothers were at
work in England and their dockyards contained two ironclad rams
supposed to outclass any vessels of the United States navy.
Though every effort had been made to keep secret the ultimate
destination of these rams, the vigilance of the United States
minister, reinforced by the zeal of the "Northern party,"
detected strong circumstantial evidence pointing toward a
Confederate contract with the Lairds. A popular agitation ensued
along with demands upon the Government to investigate. To mask
the purposes of the Lairds, Captain James Bullock, the able
special agent of the Confederate navy, was forced to fall lack
upon the same tactics that were being used across the Channel,
and to sell the rams, on paper, to a firm in France. Neither he
nor Slidell yet appreciated what a doubtful refuge was the shadow
of Napoleon's wing.

Nevertheless the British Government, by this time practically
alined with the North, continued its search for the real owner of
the Laird rams. The "Southern party," however, had not quite
given up hope, and the agitation to prevent the sailing of the
rams was a keen spur to its flagging zeal. Furthermore the
prestige of Lee never was higher than it was in June, 1863, when
the news of Chancellorsville was still fresh and resounding in
every mind. It had given new life to the Confederate hope: Lee
would take Washington before the end of the summer; the Laird
rams would go to sea; the Union would be driven to the wall. So
reasoned the ardent friends of the South. But one thing was