Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 6
1835-10-13
Fine day. My father and Mr. Price Greenleaf were in the parlor when I got there. They had walked in from Quincy and were proposing to take breakfast. After this Meal was over, the latter took his leave while I accompanied my father on his way to return some visits. I called at my house 5. Acorn Street to see the Tenant who wished some repairs done. She was very reasonable. This made it very late before I got to the Office.
The Newspapers too were full of matter this morning. The Morning Post has at last come out in decided commendation of my Appeal.1 So far, so good. The Globe has also a Manifesto from the friends of Mr. McLean seceding from the Whig ranks,2 and at the presentation of the vase of silver last evening, Mr. Webster took occasion to repeat his ground upon the Executive Patronage bill as a sort of answer to my Pamphlet.3 I called to see Mr. Hallett and discoursed the matter over with him. He had seen and observed none of these things. This conversation made me so late that I did not find time to do any thing at the Office. Returned home.
According to engagement, Mr. Everett and Mr. Hallett dined in company with my father. Conversation chiefly political and an exposition of my father’s policy in the present state of affairs. He is as independent as he ever was and presents one of the singular instances in this Country where superior ability makes it felt in the policy of the Country. I do not think he can be imitated in this by any body. I certainly have no fancy for so thorny a path.
At seven, I left my company and went to the Theatre with my Wife, to see the Maid of Judah a piece founded upon Ivanhoe, the music of Rossini. It is a scene of constant clatter and motion, with music much too loud for my taste and without any decided character. The 242best portions of it were a concerted piece during the trial scene of the Jewess, a little chorus of Robin Hood’s men, borrowed however and inferior to those in the Freyschutz, and one or two of her songs. The roughness of a first representation was also a disadvantage.4 The omission in the Opera of the black knight strikes me as a great mistake. Mr. Wood as Ivanhoe, Mrs. Wood as Rebecca, Cedric of Rotherwood, Mr. Brough, who seemed to me out of voice. We sat with the Millers. The piece finished at ten and we returned home finding Mr. Hallett not gone. He went soon after however.
“We commend this sound, sensible, patriotic pamphlet to the serious, careful perusal of every supporter of the administration party.... It is a most able and lucid exposition of the most important article of the constitution, drawing the plain and palpable line of demarcation between the Executive and Legislative power” (
Boston Morning Post, 13 Oct., p. 2, col. 2).
John McLean of Ohio having withdrawn from the presidential race, eight members of a committee formed to promote his candidacy, in a letter of 25 Sept., considered and rejected the claims of Webster, White, and Harrison for their support, giving it instead to Van Buren (Washington Globe, 10 Oct., p. 3, cols. 1–3).
At a public meeting held at the Odeon on 12 Oct. the citizens of Boston presented a silver vase to Daniel Webster. Webster responded with a speech that was a defense of his position on executive patronage. The speech was printed in the Daily Atlas, 2 Nov., p. 1, cols. 1–4. See also entry for 27 Oct., below.
Rophino Lacy’s adaptation of Rossini’s opera had been performed in New York in 1832; the Woods had had it in their repertoire since Nov. 1833 (Odell, Annals N.Y. Stage
, 3:554, 661).