Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 6

Monday. 5th. CFA

1835-10-05

Monday. 5th. CFA
Monday. 5th.

The day was cloudy with mist and drizzle. I had intended to have gone to Quincy but was unable to do so. Went to the Office. The Newspapers are still violent against my father. He has as usual gone a little too far, and told the truth far too violently to be useful. Nevertheless there was no resource to get rid of the base manner in which he has been assailed. I shall resume my writing and begin a course of Articles explanatory of the reasons of the charge. I think I can make them out.

I sent off more papers of my Appeal, and worked upon Accounts and 236Diary. Home. Afternoon, busy in writing and in assorting portions of my large number of J.A. MSS. I must do something with these. Evening quietly at home. I finished two numbers of papers in a new style under the signature of a Massachusetts Voter. I hope they will prove effective.1

1.

CFA, as “A Massachusetts Voter,” gave his new series of papers the title, “The Policy of the Antimasons.” Before concluding it, he wrote eight numbers. They appeared in the Daily Advocate on the 8th (p. 2, col. 1), 14th (p. 2, col. 1), 16th (p. 2, cols. 1–2), 20th (p. 2, col. 1), 23d (p. 2, col. 1), 27th Oct. (p. 2, cols. 1–2), and the 3rd (p. 2, cols. 1–2) and 6th Nov. (p. 2, col. 4). Some, perhaps all, of the series were reprinted in the Pittsburgh Times (Nos. 1 and 2 on 21 Oct., p. 2, cols. 3–4; No. 4 on 4 Nov., p. 2, cols. 3–4).

Tuesday. 6th. CFA

1835-10-06

Tuesday. 6th. CFA
Tuesday. 6th.

A tremendous rain with a warm southerly wind which lasted all day. I did not go out early in the morning. The reason, because I was engaged to attend with my Wife the Wedding of Miss Julia Gorham, at 11 o’clock and did not incline to get much wet before hand.

At eleven, we accordingly went. The company had for the most part collected. There were all Mr. Robbins’ connections, consisting of father and sisters and brothers too numerous to mention. Then all Miss Gorham’s own which by her relations with the Warren family are extensive. Mr. and Mrs. S. K. Lothrop, he officiating, with Mr. Palfrey to make the concluding prayer,1 Mrs. Carter and Miss Taylor of Dorchester. The bridal party were Miss Anne Carter and Miss Mary Minot, Mr. Gardiner Gorham and Mr. Weld. Mr. Lothrop’s prayer was an impressive one and the bridegroom did what I never saw done before, he cried. On the whole, the affair was very properly conducted. The bride had intended to see her company immediately after the ceremony and go off after dinner on a journey. But the rain prevented almost every body so that we had to remain to keep up the spirits of the set. In this manner I had barely time to go down to the Office for a moment before dinner.

Julia Gorham is a fine girl, and I wish her much happiness. But her prospect does not seem to me very cheering. The young man is well enough but poor and without much of the energetic force which is your only preservative in our Community. There is another thing which even in our democratic country is a serious difficulty and is instanced here, a connexion between persons in different grades of life. To her no institution of a theoretical cast can make some of his relations agreeable—to him, some of her connexions will always be a source of vexation. I meditated upon this much and contrasted with my own 237condition which is about as fortunate as can in the nature of things be expected.

Afternoon at home. I am not yet regularly in order, and my pursuits are desultory.

1.

Rev. John Gorham Palfrey was from 1830 to 1839 Professor of Biblical Literature and Dean of the Divinity School at Harvard. A relative of both the bride and ABA, he would within the year acquire the North American Review from the Everetts and become its editor. Later he was to become a close political associate and longtime correspondent of CFA. See vol. 2:266 and DAB .