John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

4. VI: Wrote a short despatch to the Secretary of State, and after an early Breakfast went with Mrs Adams into London. After leaving her at Mrs King’s lodgings in Conduit Street I went immediately to my Office. Mr Hammelin, the Swede who had been recommended to me, by Baron Rehausen, came with a Passport from him to go to America, which I certified— I received at the Office Letters from Mr Fox, the Consul at Falmouth, and from Mr Edward Perkins, appointed by Mr Ingraham, Vice Consul at Bristol, who asks my advice in behalf of Captain Fales, Master of an American vessel arrived there, upon a question of considerable delicacy— I dressed, went again to Conduit Street, where I took up Mrs. Adams, and we went to the Queen’s Drawing-Room at Buckingham House. It was announced for two O’Clock, and precisely at that hour the Drawing-Room commenced— The forms of this presentation are different from those of the Circles on the Continent, and of those held by the Prince Regent at the Levees— The Queen does not go round the Circle. She takes a stand, before a Sopha— The persons attending the Drawing Room, go in from the adjoining Hall; go up to her and are spoken to her in succession, after which they pass onto the Princesses and Princes who stand at her right hand, each of whom speaks a few words, and then the person files off by another door, and goes down Stairs to go away. Privileged persons however, among whom are the foreign Ministers, may remain in the Drawing Room, after having been presented— All the foreign Ambassadors and Ministers were there, excepting Baron Jacobi. I spoke to Count Munster the Hanoverian Minister, about my old friend Bussche, and bore testimony to the Sentiments he had always avowed to me. He said he had already taken some steps in Bussche’s favour, but there were reports in circulation much to his disadvantage— Especially of his having been too intimate with Mr Caulaincourt, and even to have served him as a spy— I told him I was convinced Bussche never did act, and never would have acted as a Spy— That he was by his situation placed in a state of necessary intimacy with Mr Caulaincourt, but that he always spoke to me of it, as a situation which he had been forced to accept, and that it had been invariably repugnant to his own feelings and inclinations— I mentioned that I had spoken upon this Subject to Count St. Julien, while he was here with the Archdukes, and had entreated him if he should see Count Munster, to bear his testimony concerning Baron Bussche; and he had assured me that he would testify to the same facts as myself— The Count proposed to call upon me to converse further with me on this matter, but I observed to him that I resided out of town, and that I would call again upon him, to give him any more particular statement that he might desire— I spoke to Count Lieven, concerning my Letter of recall from the Court of Russia— He said that at the time when I had given him notice, last Summer that I had it, he had immediately written to take the Emperor’s orders concerning it— That Count Nesselrode, had replied it would be best to wait until the Emperor’s return to St: Petersburg, to make the official arrangements suitable to the occasion, and for transmitting to him the customary present to be given me, on his receiving from me the Letter, which he expected now to be very shortly authorized to do— I told him I was sorry there had been any delay on that account. That by the Constitution of the United States, their Ministers abroad were not permitted to accept Presents, from foreign Sovereigns, and that I had made this fully known to Count Romanzoff while I was in Russia, and when he was Chancellor; I regretted not having thought of it when I informed him last Summer that I had the Letter of Recall; but it was only because the idea had not at-all occurred to me, that any offer of a Present would be made.— The Count asked me, whether my distance from town was such that he could without indiscretion invite me to his house, to which I could only answer how much I was obliged to him— For one of my strongest reasons for remaining out of town, is to escape from the frequency of invitations at late hours, which consume so much precious time, and with the perpetually mortifying consciousness of inability to return the civility in the same manner. When the Drawing Room opened, the Corps Diplomatique, 422first entered it, and went up and paid their Respects to the Queen. Mrs Adams went with Princess Castel-Cicala, and Mrs: Bourke; the Ambassadors and Ministers afterwards succeeded, and Prince Esterhazy, presented his father— Mr Chester accompanied me, as it was my first presentation at the Drawing Room, and after the Queen had spoken to me, he presented me to the Princesses Elizabeth and Mary, to the Duke of Gloucester, and his Sister the Princess Sophia— The Queen and Princesses Elizabeth and Mary, have a topic to speak to me about—My health—the Climate, and my residence in Russia— The Princess Sophia of Gloucester told me she was glad to see an American Minister here again, and she hoped we should long continue friends. I thanked her for the wish, and said it was the first duty of my station and the first inclination of my heart to promote the friendship between the Nations— The Duke of Gloucester said he was happy to renew the acquaintance he had made with me last Summer at Earl Grey’s— The Dukes of Kent and Sussex, also spoke to me; the latter came late, because he said he thought proper to take his time. The Duke of Clarence was there, but I had not the opportunity of speaking to him. After passing through all the presentations we stood and saw the succession of others pass through theirs for about an hour. The Duke of Sussex and Lord Graves came up and conversed with my wife, with whom they remembered their antient acquaintance at Berlin. We left the Drawing Room between three and four O’Clock—went and left Mrs Adams at Mrs: King’s, and returned to Craven Street, where I changed my Dress— Amused myself with reading Boston Newspapers, and last Sundays Examiner, until seven O’Clock, and then went and dined with the Earl of Westmorland in Grosvenor Square. The company was small; only thirteen persons, all Men, and of whom I was acquainted only with Mr Bourke, Count Beroldingen and the Under Secretary of State, Mr Hamilton— There was a Sir Charles Flower, who has been Lord Mayor of London, a Mr Lowther and his Son, and others whose names I could not catch. One Gentleman came from the House of Commons, where he had left them debating upon an insult suffered by Lord Milton and Lord Essex this Morning, as they were riding in an open Carriage in Pall-Mall. They were stopped by a Soldier, and not suffered to proceed. The Soldier struck the horses, with his Sabre, and threatened to cut down Lord Milton himself, if he attempted to proceed— The member had come away preferring the dinner to the debate— Lord Westmorland shewed Mr Bourke and Mr Hamilton as Connoisseurs three old pictures which were offered to him to purchase, and which those Gentlemen assured him were not worth half a crown a piece. Yet one of them was professed by a sketch by Rubens— The meeting of Jacob and Esau. The dinner party was pleasant— They spoke of a Company of French Players now performing here to which some of them were going this Evening— And of certain Subscription Balls, at seven shillings a head; under the direction of Lady Castlereagh, and other persons of rank— Select to the last degree, and to which I was told we could be admitted by applying to Lady Castlereagh— I left Lord Westmorland’s shortly after ten O’Clock, and went for Mrs Adams to Mrs King’s where she had dined. Found there Mr John and Mr Henry White, who have lately returned from France and Holland— We got home just at Midnight.