John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

27. VII: Wrote to Coll. Aspinwall. Visits from Prescott, J. Gray, Murdoch, while I was out, and G. Joy, who has at length received from Mr Eustis an answer to his Letters, respecting the Consular Office at Amsterdam. He writes that if Joy had been at his post at Rotterdam, his chance for the vacancy at Amsterdam when it happened would have been fair— But Mr Parker had been performing for a year before Mr Bourne’s death, all the duties of his Office— There could be no interruption to the business of the Office— There had been no complaints against Parker, and Eustis appointed him till the pleasure of the President should be known, or until further order.— Upon the strength of this last reservation Joy told me he thought of going over to Bruxelles, with a view to obtain from Eustis the temporary appointment, by the removal of Parker. I advised him not to go, thinking that as the appointment was temporary he could not with propriety remove a man whom he had just himself put into the office, to make room for another, appointment, also merely temporary. Joy did not relish my advice, but he will follow it— Mr Bentham has a strong desire to obtain books and documents published in the United States, and relating to America. I have mentioned to him the obstructions thrown in the way of this species of literary communication by the English Laws, and particularly by the Post-Office regulations. He then proposed that this intercourse should be established by means of some bookseller, or publisher of a literary journal, and asked me, if I would see Sir Richard Philips, the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, if he should call upon me. I willingly consented to see him, and he called upon me this Morning. Sir Richard Philips is a whig and a reformer, and a sort of republican; but most of all Editor of the Monthly Magazine. He said he had a correspondence already established in the United States for procuring American Books; but complained that they often sent nothing but trash which they could not dispose of there. He said the Editor of the Port Folio had proposed an exchange with him of a certain number of copies of that publication, in return for copies of the monthly Magazine; which he would gladly agree to do, if he could have a prospect of disposing of the copies of the Port-Folio that he should receive— And in order to recommend it to English readers he was preparing an extract from it, to be republished in the next number of the Monthly Magazine— He gave me a proof sheet of this extract, which I had however not time to read. Sir Richard then proceeded to tell me, what exceedingly erroneous opinions, the English People entertained of the Americans; and how desirable it would be to spread more correct Notions upon the subject, among them. This might be done by a Daily Newspaper which should be published, and the expence of supporting 202which, should be defrayed by the American Government— Ten pounds a day, together with what would be collected by the daily sale of the Paper and for Advertisements, would be sufficient for that purpose. Less it could not, and more it need not cost. This was the only way in which it was possible to have such statements of facts and opinions generally circulated as might be favourable to America— The Times was a paper employed in that manner by the king of France, and the Bourbon family; but it cost them much more. He verily believed that the downfall of Buonaparte had been occasioned altogether by his having despised to employ such means. He himself had heard Editors of some of the Papers say “Damn him, why should not he be put down; he pays us nothing.[”] I could have no conception of the extent to which they carried this principle— There was not an individual who had a lawsuit or a case before a Magistrate to be reported, but must pay for it; on the penalty of having the statement made in the manner the most disadvantageous to him— I told Sir Richard that I was aware how little correct and just representation of American Affairs could obtain circulation through the English Press; but there could be no motive to the American Government, for spending money, merely to make impression upon the minds of the British Public, in relation to the United States— Even if there could, the sum that he spoke of would in the course of one year amount to more than I believe the American Government had expended for secret Service in time of Peace from the Establishment of the Constitution of the United States to this day— The money could not be expended; without its being at least known that so much had been expended in secret Service. It could not long escape discovery how and for what it would be expended; and once known, it would do more injury to the American Government, than a hired daily Newspaper in London could do them good in a century— Sir Richard said it was much to the credit of the United States to have spent so little money for secret Service; for it was one of the modes of extravagance in which the British Government had run to the worst excess. He had merely meant to suggest a mode of enlightening the public opinion here concerning America, if it should be thought advisable— He then asked me if I had ever taken an interest in the question so much and so often agitated in England; who was the author of Junius?— I said I had shared the public curiosity so much as to have read many of the speculations imputing those Letters to various persons; but I had not read the book lately published to prove that Sir Philip Francis. I had heard that the Evidence adduced in support of this opinion was very strong, but I had not examined it— He said that he had started another candidate, in the last Monthly Magazine a person named Lochlan M’Lean— There would be more about him in the next number, and perhaps some information upon the subject might be obtainable from America— There was said to be a Gentleman in Virginia, who possessed Junius’s own copy of his printed Letters— He did not recollect his name, but would write it to me; and if I could hereafter give him any further information concerning this fact it would greatly oblige him— I promised him I would if it should be in my power— It was past two when Sir Richard left me, and a moment before he went away I recollected an appointment I had made with Sir John Sinclair at half past one; a time that he had named in order that I might be present at a meeting of the board of agriculture. I went immediately to the house, but it was too late—the meeting was over. Sir John told me however that it had been very thinly attended and little or no business done. Two of the members, Arthur Young and Sir Robert Vaughan a welshman were still there. Mr Young is a very old man; upwards of eighty—and now blind: but he yet appears, cheerful; enjoying lively Spirits, and expressing his Sentiments with energy. I congratulated him upon the improvement of the agricultural condition and prospects of this Country; but he shook his head and said they were bad enough. America he added was the only Country in the world, enjoying happiness, and with prospects of greatness— Of too much greatness said he, if you should remain long united—but you will not— You will soon break up into several Governments. So extensive a Country cannot long remain under one Government. I told him I hoped we should prove to the world that it could, and that its greatness would be a benefit and not an injury to the rest of mankind. Sir John Sinclair gave me several Letters to correspondents in the United States, and shewed me some of their new invented implements of agriculture— I spoke of the hay-making Machine, of which Mr Coke had spoken to me; Sir John told me that Sir Robert Vaughan, to whom he introduced me, was going immediately to several shops where they had them for sale, and advised me to go with him. I went accordingly; and Sir Robert Vaughan, a man of portly Stomach, after stopping to take an ice-cream, at a pastry Cook’s in Oxford, took me successively to four or five shops where I saw all the nick-nack machinery of English Agriculture— I saw several of the hay-making machines, but could not well judge of their usefulness. Their construction is of great simplicity. There were Ploughs and Churns in great numbers & variety. Iron fences for farms, waggons, waterpots, and much costly trumpery, of which the usefulness is altogether questionable— Also samples of iron pavements and iron rail-ways. I was finally obliged by the shortness of time, to leave Sir Robert Vaughan in the midst of his machinery, and to call at Mr A. Robertson’s in Gerrard Street, where I found again Sir John Sinclair, of whom Robertson is painting a miniature. I stopped merely to look at the 203model of the Parthenon, and told Robertson I would call upon him again to-morrow. I went home, and with George out to Ealing, and dined at Dr Nicholas’s. My wife was ill, and unable to go. John and Charles preferred staying at home. The company were General Bateman, the Morison’s and Fletcher’s and Mr Copland— We took leave of Dr Nicholas and his family, and it was about one in the Morning when we got home. I found M. R. Gilmor of Baltimore had left a Card, with a Letter of Introduction from Mr Jonathan Mason of Boston. There was also a Letter from Alfred Fox and one from Burt, urging me to take a number of his patent sounding machines for the use of the American Navy.