There’s almost never a “dear diary, here’s how I feel about [Anelise’s dissertation topic]” source, but its nice to find things that come close:
Returns are still coming in from all parts of the country, showing that the spirit of benevolence is as general as the information (thanks to the American newspaper press,) respecting the distress of our transatlantic brethren. New York Herald, March 11th, 1847