Excerpt from Diary of George Mifflin Dallas: While United States Minister to Russia 1837 to 1839, and to England 1856 to 1861<br><br>From his youth up he was acquainted with the cares and responsibilities of public office, and in every posi tion to which he was elevated by his countrymen, he not only displayed great abilities, but also the most con scientious regard for both public and private rights, and that zeal and assiduity in the discharge of public duties which earned the approval of his fellow-citizens and the commendation of all familiar with public affairs. The diaries which you propose to publish were, as you know, read by me long ago, and I found them full of instruction and amusement. Mr. Dallas's pure and hon ourable life and his agreeable and courtly manners made him always a favourite at the courts to which he was accredited, and often, no doubt, put him in possession of secrets of state which would not have been intrusted to a less popular minister. Hence the diaries are full of interesting facts, while the occasional gossip of courtly circles adds much that is interesting as well as amusing to the reader. These records of the daily experiences and observation at foreign courts of one so quick of apprehension, so versatile, and so competent to impart to them an attractive form in their relation, are records which we could ill afford to lose, and you will deserve, and I doubt not will receive, the thanks, as well as the praise, of all who read this volume, for having given it to the public.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.