John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

23. The credentials of Mr: Bayard, as Senator for Delaware, this Session, instead of Mr: Wells, resigned, were read; as were those of Dr: Mitchill, Senator for New-York, instead of Genl: Armstrong— Dr: Mitchill took his Seat. I wrote to my father & Mr: Dennie— Dined with the President; Mrs: Johnson & her daughters Catherine and Eliza went— Mrs: Adams did not— The Company were Mr: R. Smith Secy: of the Navy, and his Lady, Mr: & Mrs: Harrison, Miss Jenifer, and Miss Mouchette—Mr: Brent, and the President’s two Sons in Law, with Mr: Burwell his private Secretary— I had a good deal of conversation with the President— The french Minister just arrived had been this day first presented to him, and appears to have displeased him, by the profusion of gold-lace on his Cloaths. He says they must get him down to a plain frock Coat, or the boys in the Streets will run after him, as a sight— I asked if he had brought his Imperial Credentials, and was answered he had. Mr: Jefferson then turned the Conversation towards the French Revolution; and remarked how contrary to all expectation, this great bouleversement had turned out— It seemed as if every thing in that Country for the last 12 or 15 years, had been a dream, and who could have imagined that such an ebranlement, would have come to this— He thought it very much to be wished, that they could now return to the Constitution of 1789, and call back, the Old Family.— For although by that Constitution the Government was much too weak, and although it was defective, in having a legislature only in one branch, yet even thus it was better than the present form, where it was impossible to perceive any limits. I have used as near as possible his very words—for this is one of the most unexpected phases, in the waxing and waning opinions of this Gentleman concerning the French Revolution.— He also mentioned to me the extreme difficulty he had in finding fit characters for appointments in Louisiana; and said he would now give the Creation, for a young Lawyer of good abilities, and who could speak the French language, to go to New-Orleans, as one of the Judges of the Superior Court, in the Territory— The Salary was about 2000 dollars— He had been very lucky in obtaining one such 111Judge, in Mr: Prevost of New-York, who had accepted the appointment, and was perfectly well qualified; and he was in extreme want of another— I could easily have named him a character fully corresponding to the one he appeared so much to want— But if his observations were meant as a consultation, or an intent to ask whether I knew any such person I could recommend, he was not sufficiently explicit— Though if they were not, I know not why he made them to me— He further observed that both French and Spanish, ought to be made primary objects of acquisition in all the educations of our young men— As to Spanish it was so easy, that he had learn’d it, with the help of a Don Quixote lent him by Mr: Cabot and a Grammar, in the course of a passage to Europe, on which he was but 19 days at sea. But Mr: Jefferson tells large Stories— At table he told us that when he was at Marseilles, he saw there a Mr: Bergasse a famous manufacturer of wines, who told him that he would make him any sort of wine he would name, and in any quantities, at 6 or 8 sols the bottle— And though there should not be a drop of the genuine wine required, in his composition, yet it should so perfectly imitate the taste, that the most refined Connoisseurs should not be able to tell which was which— You never can be an hour in this man’s company without something of the marvellous like these Stories— His genius is of the Old French School— It conceives better than it combines— He shewed us among other things a natural History of Parrots in French, with coloured plates very beautifully executed.