Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 8
1839-12-09
Heavy rain. Office. Athenaeum. Division as usual. Evening at home.
The rain poured very heavily in parts of today. I was at the Office in business. The news from Washington is that the confusion being daily more striking, Mr. Rhett finally took advantage of a speech of my father’s which had a great momentary effect to put him in the chair as chairman to organize the House. This is a position which I fear he will be unable to avail himself of. The pith of the whole matter is that the Jersey members decide the majority of the house. And the two parties are rabid. I hope the country will not experience so much of disgrace as I believe they will. At any rate, the part my father has thus far acted will be creditable to him.1
Went to the Athenaeum to study Numismatics and was kept there until dinner time. Afternoon, study Bancroft. Evening, finish Nickleby and on with the Lecture. This was City Election day. My classmate J. Chapman was chosen, a good selection and I hope will do him honor.2 Evening, Lecture, which drags.
The House having been unable for three days to complete its membership and thereafter to elect a presiding officer, JQA spoke to the problem and offered a solution on the 5th. R. B. Rhett of South Carolina then moved the election of JQA to preside until organization could be completed. He assumed the chair and continued in it for the next ten days. The events are detailed in JQA’s journal entries for those dates.
On Jonathan Chapman Jr., newly chosen mayor of Boston, see vol. 3:127, 380–381.
1839-12-10
Fine day. Distribution as usual. Evening at home.
It was clear this morning after the heavy blow of last night. Office where I saved half an hour to begin Storch, Economie Politique. I have taken a very great liking to this writer and propose to study his style and thought. Read Hecuba.
Afternoon finish the first volume of Bancroft. I am afraid my dislike of his book springs out of my distrust of the man. Began a number of The London and Westminster Review sent me as particularly good, by Dr. Frothingham. The first article about Carlyle rouses my profound distaste. The style is artificial and the thought is very strained. Modern times do not appear to me to show the results which they pretend.
Evening at home, reading the letters of Horace Walpole,1 and finish the Lecture, which when I look it over gives me some misgivings.
It is not clear which of the collections of Walpole’s correspondence CFA refers to. Before 1840, separate volumes of correspondence with George Montegu, William Cole, and Sir Horace Mann had been published.
1839-12-11
Lovely day. Distribution as usual. Evening at Mr. Brooks’.
The weather remains extraordinarily pleasant for the season and today was such a one as we have few at any time of the year. At the office where I was so occupied about arrears of Diary and accounts that I could not read further of Storch.
Then home where I finished Hecuba. This is the easiest of all the greek dramas that I have ever yet read. There are many fine points of pathos in it, and many moral reflections of great beauty. But I feel the want of greek and latin notes, and a critical apparatus. Inasmuch as I cannot afford to purchase one new and I cannot elsewhere procure it, I think I shall postpone the Author and go back to a thorough re-examination of Sophocles with the edition I procured last year that is very complete.
After dinner, read The Review without much increase of pleasure. 341There is nothing flatter than the aspirings of middling minds to appear great by putting themselves on Stilts. Tried to read my Lecture loud to ascertain its length but was interrupted. Evening, to see Mr. Brooks where were several of the family. Miss L. C. Smith was with us to spend the day.