1858. June 18.—The New York Herald disproves the reported aggression off Pensacola, and represents the idea of war as blown over. There would appear to have been great exaggeration in the accounts of outrage. It is, perhaps, owing to this discovery that I have had no new cases sent me from the State Department. The four or five received are far from being strong ones in incident or evidence.
At the Queen’s concert. An unusually numerous company. More than common display of plate in the supper-room, in consequence, I suppose, of the presence of the Belgian King, his daughter, the Duchess of Brabant, and his two sons. Quite unexpectedly to me, his Majesty singled me out of a group in which I was standing, conversing with Lord Palmerston. He said, “You are doing a great deal of good at this Court. Two such great nations as the United States and England should not quarrel, but remove all causes of difference.” He is certainly politically interested in preserving the general peace.
