I am in this city of notions, and am well— very well indeed. I wrote to you a hasty letter from Washington some days ago,2 and since which time I have been in Phil^a Baltimore— NY & now here. I saw Greely and so far as any of our conversation is interesting to you I will relate. We talked— say 20 m[minutes]. He eventually wants Douglas sustained and sent back to the senate.3 He did not say so in so many words, yet his feelings are with Douglas. I know it from the spirit and drift of his conversation. He talked bitterly— somewhat so— against the papers in Ills— and said they were fools. I asked him this question— “Greely— do you want to see a 3^d[3rd] party organized, or do you want Douglas to rise to power through the North, which Douglas ^he^ has so much abused and betrayed?” and to which he replied “Let the future alone: it will all come right– Douglas is a brave man. Forget the past and sustain the righteous”. Good God rightious, Eh!

Since I have landed in Boston I have seen much that was entertaining and interesting. This morning I was introduced to Gov^r Banks. He and I had a conversation about Republicanism and specially about Douglas. He asked me this question— “You will sustain Douglas in Illinois— won’t you—” and to which I said, “no—never.” He affected to be much surprised and so the matter dropt and turned on Republicanism in general—Lincoln, Greely and those other sheets that laud Douglas—Harris— &C.[etc] want them sustained and will try to do it. Several persons have asked me the same question which Banks asked and evidently they get their cue— ideas or what not from Greely— Seward &C.– By-the-By, Greely remarked to me this— “The Republican standard is too high: We want something practical”–

This may not be interesting to you, but however it may be it is my duty to state what is going on so that you may head it off— counteract it in someway. I hope it can be done.4

The northern men are cold & to me somewhat repulsive