Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 3
1830-09-17
As this was the day destined for the Celebration of the Anniversary of the settlement of Boston, and about to produce a tremendous consequent fuss I thought it would be expedient for me to have nothing whatever to do with it.1 I have a great horror of Crowds, and if I make up my mind to attend public days always have cause to repent it. So I remained at Medford and spent my day in reading Rollin.
The weather was exceedingly cold for so early in the Season and I found it absolutely uncomfortable without a fire. Indeed I felt altogether so chilly that I was obliged to take a quick walk to get warm. This was in the direction of West Cambridge Pond which is a spot always attractive in my eyes.2 Susceptible of being improved into infinite beauty. The day except in the cold was exceedingly fine and gave animation to the spirits. These bracing days make strong frames 322stronger, and weak ones weaker. They are enemies to disease either in preventing or accelerating them. Nobody came through the day and we were very quiet.
The celebration of the 200th anniversary of the settlement of Boston began with a grand procession from the State House down Beacon Street, across the Common to Tremont Street, ending at the Old South Church. There the oration was delivered by President Josiah Quincy. The day ended with an evening party at Lt. Gov. Winthrop’s house (Boston Patriot, 16 Sept., p. 1, cols. 3–5). On JQA’s participation in the observances of the day, see his Diary, 17 Sept., and Bemis, JQA
, 2:205–206.
CFA’s allusion is probably to Spy Pond in West Cambridge, which was a comfortable walk from Mystic Grove.