Preston King and John Crittenden
Preston King was a Senator and Representative of New York that shared similar political views to the Seward family. John Crittenden was an Attorney General and Senator and Representative of Kentucky. He did not believe in the same things as the Sewards, and may be most remembered for the Crittenden Compromise. This proposal was an effort at compromise before the Civil War that basically made slavery constitutional to the point that it could never be questioned again.
Fanny met both of these men in Washington and clearly had strong opinions towards both. Fanny criticized Crittenden more than once in her diary and had a bit of a bias against certain elements of Southern culture (which is understandable but not completely fair).
“Evening, Preston King called–also Mr. Crittenden. The latter talked very foolishly, even wickedly about the war. Called at a grand pastime of nations–thought the negroes as inferiors should not be allowed to fight–wanted no foreigners in our army–etc. etc. Mr. King was so cool, and so firm, it was charming. He maintained a humorous and enlightened ground. Mr. Crittenden was all Kentucky & Southern chivalry. Feb 9, 1863
John J. Crittenden, Mathew Brady Studio, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Frederick Hill Meserve Collection c. 1860-1863