I wrote one or two letters to persons at home, and plenty to consuls as usual. I had two visits. One from a person called The O’Donoghue. Yesterday I received a note asking for an interview, and I appointed this morning. He is a young man, quite good looking, and fashionably dressed. He is a member of the House of Commons for Tipperary and professes to belong to the liberal party. He came in announcing that his only motion in coming was to express his entire sympathy with our cause, and to offer his services in the House of Commons in an way in which he could be useful. He reminded me of the fact that he had been deprived of his commission of the peace for his action at a meeting in Ireland during the Trent case. I expressed my thanks for his visit. The fact of the sympathy of his countrymen had been long known to me. I hoped that we might always rely upon it. He took his leave without a word more. The whole thing means more than appears on the surface, but I cannot divine what. The Prince de Joinville came in afterwards and talked to me for an hour. His interest in American affairs is probably the more sustained that he still has his son at our naval school, in Newport. He is a very clear observer, and understands our position very well. He evidently favors McClellan in spite of the report of the committee. His estimate of the action of Great Britain is not far variant from mine. I notices his use of the word “we” in speaking of Americans. He is quite deaf which makes conversation very difficult to me. Evening, in all went to hear Mrs Kemble read the play of Much ado about nothing. When I last heard her, it seemed to me that she so overdid the reading as to make it unpleasant and repulsive. No such fault happened to be committed in Much Ado about nothing. All the early portion was admirable. A small hall holding out more than three hundred persons.355