Morning fine. I went to the Office and began to make up the Arrears of my Diary which are again considerable, but I was not destined to do much with them today. Mr. Hallett came in and began to talk of matters here. I thought it a very good opportunity to have something of an explanation with him. I told him that my position was now such as to make it necessary not to be connected with the movements of the democratic party so far as to render me unable to resist any hostile action on their part towards my father. And I wished to know if he foresaw at all the possibility of being obliged by the course of Mr. Van Buren to aid in a project already agitated as I heard, of opposing my father in his district should he be a candidate for re-election. He said not, that he had no idea of any such thing, that my father would not embarrass him unless he should aid the Whigs at the next State Election. I said I did not expect that much, particularly as Mr. Webster had concluded to remain in public life, but that at present at least I wished to be free from all engagements.

A. H. Everett came in and the conversation turned upon the affairs here which are in a very bad state. Tomorrow is the day for the trial for the County organization in Suffolk, between the party holding Office and the Radicals. And Mr. Hallett has plunged into the contest. He seemed to be confident of victory and read us some resolutions which he proposed to offer. I thought well of them but doubted whether the abdication of the nominations to Office on the part of the County Committee would be acceptable to either party. It being in fact a struggle for power and nothing else. Mr. Hallett said he had assurances from the Radicals. The business is a wretched one and I am glad to have nothing to do with it.

Home late, so that I lost my Greek. Afternoon, Burnet whom I continued to read very constantly. He is tiresome notwithstanding. Evening at home. Read to my wife part of Moore’s Byron, and afterwards finished the first volume of Montbarey.