Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 8
1838-08-15
Cool day. After breakfast, walked down to the House to see how Mr. Rowley got along. Found him at work still.
Received by mail from Boston, a copy of the Washington Globe of last Saturday the 11th, containing some strictures upon my papers together with a transfer to it’s columns of the second number.1 This is singular enough. But as the Editor of the Courier probably marked this paper as an invitation to me to notice it, I took it home and devoted 94the remainder of the morning to writing a reply. Curious is the fate of my productions. The Globe makes them a charge against Mr. Webster, and the Whigs shun them as they would pestilence. They nevertheless attract a little attention, and perhaps may be the means of insuring to me respectability in the world.
After dinner which I took at my father’s as usual on this day, he accompanied me in a ride to Squantum which consumed the afternoon. Evening, called with the family upon Mr. Lunt. Found F. A. Whitney and his sister there. Nothing material. Home by ten.
To its reprint of the second of CFA’s four letters to the Boston Courier signed “A Conservative,” The Globe added the argument and conclusion of the fourth letter, that of 8 August. The letters were offered (mistakenly) as examples of the Webster effort to effect an alliance between the abolition party and the National Bank party “upon the broad platform of national consolidation” (11 Aug., p. 3, cols. 2–4).