Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 8
1839-12-30
Clear and very cold. Office as usual. Nothing new. Evening, W. C. Gorham.
I devoted my time much as usual. Nothing very material of any novelty. Mr. Gilpin sent me an early copy of the President’s Message, which is civil. I feel half inclined to review it which would be much otherwise. Home to read Oedipus which goes on pretty swimmingly. Letter from my Mother in not very good spirits.1
Afternoon, reading Storch in fifth volume of Notes. I find a striking coincidence with my views. Looking over Bank Abstract also. Much change for the better since 1836 but property is all down now and incomes are exceedingly shortened.2
Evening, W. C. Gorham made us a visit which he has not before done for a long while. He is pleasant but much thrown away. Evening, writing MS.
23 Dec., Adams Papers.
By Massachusetts law, the governor annually issued a circular requiring returns from each bank in the state showing its condition in some detail. The returns were processed by the secretary of the commonwealth and an abstract printed, primarily for the use of the legislature. Title and format varied somewhat from year to year. That for 1839 read “Abstract Exhibiting the Condition of the Banks in Massachusetts, on the first Saturday of November, 1839; prepared from official returns.” Because the economy had been severely depressed in 1837 and 1838, CFA’s thought was that comparison with 1836 would provide a truer picture of the current situation.