Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 6
1836-05-26
Continuation of the bad weather, I went to the Office and passed my time in writing Diary and in reading desultorily. Looked over Professor Winthrop’s two Lectures on Comets and part of Mr. Edward Livingston’s report to the Louisiana Legislature upon a penal code.1 395Shortly afterwards I heard of his death. This work is certainly one calculated to give him some future reputation in this Country. He was very much of a mixed character, but on the whole possessing more principle and a more extensive mind than the great majority of his generation of politicians and legislators. In this country we are running down to the dregs.
In the mean time, the Indians are overrunning the Southern country and the Americans in Texas by force of a sudden victory gained by Houston over Santa Anna taking him prisoner, are likely to introduce another singular element of discord into our domestic affairs. Well, the clouds look thick but the country marches onward, thus far experiencing an overruling good fortune if so we may call the operations of a divine providence.
Home, Livy. Afternoon Sismondi, whose Account of the Literature of the South of Europe I am nearly through, Ariosto and in the evening Mackintosh, whose book pleases me much.
Professor John Winthrop as early as 1744 had intended to publish a work on comets on which he regularly lectured in his course in astronomy at Harvard, attended in 1754 by John Adams; see JA, Earliest Diary
, p. 55, 60–64. Winthrop’s Two Lectures on Comets Read in the Chapel of Harvard College was not published, however, until 1759. It was republished along with other materials on comets in Boston in 1811. No copy is now listed in any of the repositories of Adams books.
At MQA are presentation copies from the author to JQA of Edward Livingston’s A System of Penal Law Prepared for the State of Louisiana, New Orleans, 1824, and Phila., 1833. Also there is CFA’s copy of Livingston’s A System of Penal Law for the United States, Washington, 1828.
1836-05-27
Morning dark and misty as usual. I went to the Office and was occupied partly in reading, and Diary and Accounts. Nothing of consequence. The capture of General Santa Anna appears to be confirmed1 –A strange reverse of fortune and only going to show how near one extreme in this world is to the other. The consequences of this state of things to the United States remain yet to be developed. I do not pretend to foresee them.
Home earlier than usual and read a good part of Livy’s twenty third book. Afternoon, Mackintosh whose book is a treat. Procrastination and literary indolence appear to have been his besetting sins. How pardonable when one contrasts them with such as usually disfigure the world. How pardonable by me who am so liable to similar influences. Read a Chapter of Sismondi and Ariosto. Nothing further.
On 23 May an official dispatch from Gen. Houston had been received in Washington announcing Gen. Santa Anna’s capture (Daily Centinel and Gazette, 27 May, p. 2, col. 1).