Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, July 27, 1859
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, July 27,
1859
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:cms
student editorTranscriber:spp:tml
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1859-07-27
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, July 27, 1859
action: sent
sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Paris, France
receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
transcription: cms
revision: vxa 2021-03-06
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Page
1
e
William Henry Seward's series of travel
letters in 1859 are organized and listed by the date of each entry.Paris
July 27. 1859
My dearest Frances,
I have little to add to my diary of
yesterday. The evening was given up to a reunion of
what the French call Beaux Esprits at the home of Dr
Castle
His wife
instrument at thea time - I met there Madame Ristori
held the greatest actorress in Europe - I reserved my judgement for trial
before surrendering my partiality for Charlotte Cushman
call her here) is an Italian lady very handsome and intellectual
She goes soon to the United States. I cannot recall now the
names of the literati and artists whom I met at Dr
Castles Among them was an Editor
Republican newspaper here. I shall see more of them
To day I have missed the visit of the Secretary
for foreign affairs
had the pleasure of seeing Fanny
Kemble
Hotel and of Jerome
Bonaparte
is nearby here
to see the
Emperor
Page
2
20
France reveals the activity of several contradictory
forces. 1st. that of the Ancient Regime or the
of the party of the Legitimate Bourbons. 2d that
of the Orleanists or cadet Bourbons. 3d. that
of the Bonapartists or the Emperor, a military
despotism 4th that of the Republic. Each
party seems intent on gaining complete authority
the establishment of its own principles to the
exclusion of all others. The forces are
of such relative strength that it is apparent
that each is fighting for practical an
impossibility. But the temporary success
of one excites such opposition as to bring
into measured cooperation all the others,
and in the end sooner or later one of them
becomes for a time ascendant, by the
means of a revolution in the state more or
less sanguinary, but only to give place in
its time to some one of the others. Which
will ultimately prevail and how soon?
That is what I am studying.
e
Editorial Note
My dearest Frances,
I have little to add to my diary of
yesterday. The evening was given up to a reunion of
what the French call Beaux Esprits at the home of Dr
Castle
Birth: 1831 Death: 1885-12-09
a savan and writer in the department of Suzerainty.His wife
Death: 1912-12-04
and sisterUnknown
played exquisitely on the piano, the two on
oneinstrument at thea time - I met there Madame Ristori
Birth: 1822-01-29 Death: 1906-10-09
who is nowheld the greatest actorress in Europe - I reserved my judgement for trial
before surrendering my partiality for Charlotte Cushman
Birth: 1816-07-23 Death: 1876-02-18
- Ristori (as theycall her here) is an Italian lady very handsome and intellectual
She goes soon to the United States. I cannot recall now the
names of the literati and artists whom I met at Dr
Castles Among them was an Editor
Birth: 1799 Death: 1868
of the Le
Siecle, the only Republican newspaper here. I shall see more of them
To day I have missed the visit of the Secretary
for foreign affairs
Birth: 1802-11-18 Death: 1870-10-29
(or of State) but havehad the pleasure of seeing Fanny
Kemble
Birth: 1809-11-27 Death: 1893-01-15
who stops at
thisHotel and of Jerome
Bonaparte
Birth: 1784-11-15 Death: 1860-06-24
who is nearby here
to see the
Emperor
Birth: 1808-04-20 Death: 1873-01-09
20
France reveals the activity of several contradictory
forces. 1st. that of the Ancient Regime or the
of the party of the Legitimate Bourbons. 2d that
of the Orleanists or cadet Bourbons. 3d. that
of the Bonapartists or the Emperor, a military
despotism 4th that of the Republic. Each
party seems intent on gaining complete authority
the establishment of its own principles to the
exclusion of all others. The forces are
of such relative strength that it is apparent
that each is fighting for practical an
impossibility. But the temporary success
of one excites such opposition as to bring
into measured cooperation all the others,
and in the end sooner or later one of them
becomes for a time ascendant, by the
means of a revolution in the state more or
less sanguinary, but only to give place in
its time to some one of the others. Which
will ultimately prevail and how soon?
That is what I am studying.