A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Diary of Charles Francis Adams, 1861

Sunday 3d.

3 November 1861

Tuesday 5th

5 November 1861
4 November 1861
269
Monday 4th
London
CFA

1861-11-04

AM

We got news from America this morning of a rather better tenor. Without being decisive the military intelligence is better. There is also a correspondence between Mr Seward and Lord Lyons which certainly places the latter in the wrong, and the country decidedly responds to the Secretary’s appeal. But I think the effect is to widen more and more the breach that is making between the two countries. In feeling there is now decided hostility in the popular sentiment. How long will the leading men continue to control it. That is the question I again begin to doubt about my permanency here. I had visits all the morning from different persons. Mr G F Train full of the discovery of the Steamer, and of a plan to catch her. I discouraged it as calmly as I could, and intimated that I knew more about it than he did. Mr Sanford came in afterwards and came to a fair and reasonable settlement of our disputed matter. He withdraws all the spies, and confines himself to observation of shipping movements. I assented to this and recommended the further step of getting rid of unworthy agents. I went out and returned the visit of Mr Parkes, but did not find him at home. Evening, Mr Morse came in and gave me more information. The desire to capture this Steamer is growing quite serious.270

Cite web page as:

Charles Francis Adams, Sr., [date of entry], diary, in Charles Francis Adams, Sr.: The Civil War Diaries (Unverified Transcriptions). Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2015. http://www.masshist.org/publications/cfa-civil-war/view?id=DCA61d308