My day for writing Despatches. They were not important and yet absorbed time. The current of intelligence from American continues favorable, and so long as that is the case things will remain smooth. A gentleman by the name of Rawle from Philadelphia called, with a letter from Mr Kuhn. He amused me with an account of his experiences among English people, and with his vexation at their illdisguised desire for our permanent disruption. There can be no doubt of this as the prevailing sentiment at least among the higher classes. Hence all these later accounts are slightly distasteful. Mr Rawle expressed some uneasiness at the discontent manifested against General McLellan, and feared that he and Mr Stanton were a little estranged. Doubtless all of it springs from the opposite opinions held on the slave question. The ultra movement men of whom Sumner is the type wising to ride over all law and government to get at emancipation, and the ultra conservatives desiring simply the restoration to the status quo. The task is not slight which the President has to steer between them. Mrs Adams and I dined with Mr and Mrs Bates. The company consisted of Dean and Mr Milman, Mr and Mrs Mildmay, Mr and Mrs Van de Weyer and Sir Henry and Lady Holland. Mr Bates was too unwell to be at table, so that Madame Van de Weyer did the honors. It was sociable and pleasant. Mr Milman is always so, and so is Van de Weyer, though the latter does not attract me much. He has abilities and cultivation, but there is peeping out a little of the petit-maitre, now and then, and the flaw of fortune upon him is just perceptible. We got home before eleven o’clock.