A daguerreotype sketch of any conversation of his would do
him no justice, for its slang, its grammatical mistakes, its mistaken
words (as "portable" for "portly"), would represent a vulgar man, whereas
the impression he leaves is by no means that of vulgarity; but he is a
character quite perfect within itself, fit for the deck and the cabin,
and agreeable in the drawing-room, though not amenable altogether to its
rules. Being so perfectly natural, he is more of a gentleman for those
little violations of rule, which most men, with his opportunities, might
escape.
The men whose appeals to the Consul's charity are the hardest to be
denied are those who have no country,---Hungarians, Poles, Cubans,
Spanish-Americans, and French republicans. All exiles for liberty come
to me, if the representative of America were their representative.
Yesterday, came an old French soldier, and showed his wounds; to-day, a
Spaniard, a friend of Lopez,--bringing his little daughter with him. He
said he was starving, and looked so. The little girl was in good
condition enough, and decently dressed.--May 23d.
May 30th.--The two past days have been Whitsuntide holidays; and they
have been celebrated at Tranmere in a manner very similar to that of the
old "Election" in Massachusetts, as I remember it a good many years ago,
though the festival has now almost or quite died out. Whitsuntide was
kept up on our side of the water, I am convinced, under pretence of
rejoicings at the election of Governor.
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