The morning being fine, I thought I would take advantage of it and ride to Quincy. The Country looked by no means so cheerless today and I was not suffering. Found Mr. Adams busily at work in repairing the outhouses in which I should expect he would get through next week. I paid off all the bills and heavy enough they were and returned to town in time for a half hour at the Office besides. Then a little of Herodotus. After dinner, reading the secret correspondence and not much else. I must give up this fascinating book and take to more useful occupation. We hear today from Mr. Frothingham of the safe arrival of the family after a tempestuous passage, at New York but of their sudden disappearance there from his sight.

Evening, a great political Whig caucus at Faneuil Hall. As Mr. Bell of Tennessee1 was to make a speech and I had never heard him, I thought I would go down. The hall was crowded to suffocation and at times I felt a little alarmed for my safety. Mr. Bell was in the midst of an animated address to the people somewhat in the style of Western Oratory, ringing the changes upon Office holders and official corruption with the doctrine of the spoils. He was well seconded by the strong feeling of the audience who responded often to his cries. Indeed he had little to do but to make a point and he received tremendous applause. Once, he touched upon the Massachusetts delegation, and heaped very ill digested eulogy upon the leading members. I was amused with the thermometer, it gave of Boston popularity. My father whom he designated as the first statesman perhaps of the civilized world, was passed over very lightly, while Abbot Lawrence got some applause but when he came to a bombastic puff of Webster the uproar was great, Webster himself being in the chair. Mr. Graves of Kentucky followed in a stump speech which I got tired of listening to so I returned home. I found Mrs. Frothingham and three of her sons, with my Wife and Dr. Gorham and T. K. Davis dropped in afterwards. Nothing particular. The Whigs are in great spirits from the news of the result of the New York elections.