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Diary of Charles Francis Adams, 1864

Tuesday 12th

12 April 1864

Thursday 14th

14 April 1864
13 April 1864
630
Wednesday 13th
London
CFA

1864-04-13

AM

Clear with a cold East wind. The Arabia has arrived at last, but with little news. I had some leisure after finishing up all my arrears, and devoted it to my Catalogue of British coins. I weighed all the specimens, which is gradually fixing in my mind the theory of the coinage. Long walk to find Mr S. C Brown, who brought me a letter from Mr Butler. But by some mistake of mine I did not find the right lodgings. Read today the Diary of Mr Senior, which is very interesting on many accounts. The intrigue with France that brought Maximillian to Mexico, the dislike of leading Frenchmen to United States, the general desire to have our disruption completed by a combination of England and France, and the confidence in the Spring that the result was sure, are all portrayed distinctly enough. The arch enemy is however Napoleon, whose treachery has been only exceeded by his camaraderie. In the evening Mr 631 Evarts and his son came in, and the mails from America likewise. We all went to Stafford House to a reception in honor Garibaldi. There were perhaps three hundred persons, many of them the Ministry and the high nobility of the liberal school. I was presented at Garibaldi by the Dowager Duchess of Sutherland. He is a man of middle height, of mild and pleasing to America, and in my turn I alluded to his reception and the gratification he must feel in this well merited compliment. There was an ease an freedom from all sorts of exaggeration or pretension that was remarkable. Natural manners which if prompted by a Christian temper are always the best. He seemed feeble and walked a little lame. It was curious to see this plain citizen in the splendid palace receiving the voluntary homage of rank, and wealth and pride for his devotion to an abstract idea. From here we went to Lady Salisbury’s, where I found many of the Corps Diplomatique who with the exception of Mr Musurus were not at Stafford House. The real feeling of the higher classes was made sufficiently palpable by the bitterness with which they alluded to him. Several asked me if he had worn a red shirt; if he could, talk, or behave like a gentleman. It was very clear that this popular demonstration was not at all welcome. We did not get home until near one.

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=DCA64d104