Although I believe Mr. Seward probably does not truly intend to go to war with Britain, he is very likely to resort to his old tricks by displaying a tough stance against Britain to gain domestic support. Speaking of this, I assume Your Majesty might have already guessed what I am going to say, yes, I think this fellow Seward might be trying to become the second Palmerston in North America.
Since the 1840s, the Washington government has been practicing mob rule, condoning mob actions in exchange for votes, just as they did in the Oregon border dispute. White Hall has long maintained a restrained attitude towards these uncivilized people's rude behavior, but this meaningless endurance has allowed these Yankees to become more and more audacious.
