John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

27. VI:30. I received yesterday a French Note from a person calling himself Joseph Antinori, requesting me to appoint a time when I could receive him; for which I appointed this Morning at ten O’Clock. He came and with a mysterious air and manner told me that his family name was really Antinori, but that he was the Duke de Brindisi a Neopolitan— That he had arrived about a month since at Philadelphia, whither he should immediately return and embark for Europe. He came upon a secret mission from one of the greatest Ministers of the State of the Age— From Prince Metternick the Austrian prime Minister. He came to tell me that a Treaty was concluded two years ago, at Rome, between Austria and England entirely by secret, signed by Lord Stewart for England, and by Mr Lebzeltern for Austria, against Russia— That in consequence of that Treaty and of the projects of Russia, which it was intended to counteract, the European Powers were preparing for War, which would soon break out— That Baron Tuyll would very shortly arrive here as Russian Minister. (We know that Tuyll’s destination is changed and that Poletica is coming in his stead) that he would come with many compliments, and fair words, and cajoleries, and would make propositions to us, to take side with her in the War— That he himself was instructed to come here, and by indirect means, to seek and obtain my acquaintance; to sound my opinions, and those of the Government and Public, here: but he had preferred coming to the point at once— He had therefore asked an interview of me, and he was charged to enquire, if the United States were favourably inclined to receive propositions from Austria, to take a part in this alliance against Russia, or whether they would determine to remain neutral. That as propositions would certainly be made to us by the Russian Minister; he on his part was instructed to say that if we would join in the Alliance of Austria and England, one object of which would be to break up the Russian Settlements on the North-west Coast of America, Austria would engage to secure to us, an Establishment in the Mediterranean, which we had been desirous of obtaining— I told him I should report to the President the substance of his communication; but he must be aware the President would enquire if he had produced any evidence of his being authorized to make it. He would not require a formal Letter of Credence, but something to shew his authority would be indispensable— He said that hereafter he had no doubt he should be regularly accredited, and would spin out into forty Notes, what he had now disclosed in a quarter of an hour; but that the manner of the Austrian Government was to begin by 326suggestions of unaccredited agents, and if they found their propositions were acceptable to pursue the object further— I told him that it would not be necessary, for him to come to me again for an answer— That the Austrian Government might be sure any proposal coming from them would be received and considered with all the respect due to them; but no answer whatever could be given to anything proposed by a person totally unaccredited. He said he should return to-morrow towards Philadelphia, and in a few days embark for Europe— But as some notice might be taken of his having been in conference with me, there was another subject which he wished to give out, as his motive for obtaining it— He then presented me a paper, containing a petition for a grant of Lands to Italian emigrants; also for a privilege to set up, and carry on a Lotto Lottery, engaging to pay an annuity, and to furnish a frigate of forty guns, ready built and equipped, six years successively for the privilege. I told him that every application for a grant of Land, must be made to Congress, and that for a Lottery to the State Legislatures. He finally asked if he might report to the Austrian Government that, if they thought proper to accredit him to the United States, there would be no personal objection to him, on the part of this Government. I told him that not having the honour of any personal acquaintance with him, and presuming that he was equally unknown to the President, there could be no personal objection to him as an official agent of Austria, if she should think proper to accredit him— He then left me in doubt whether to consider him as an imposter, or a lunatic. I had afterwards some slight suspicions that he might be an emissary from Daschkoff, to entrap the Executive of the United States; at least so as to countenance a charge of having listened to proposals hostile to Russia— The man named King, a workman at the Navy-Yard came with his daughter, wife to a man named J. P. Moore, an American, Master of the Successo, one of Aury’s piratical privateers— He brought two Letters from Moore dated 17. and 18 of this Month at Charleston where he is in prison at the prosecution of the Spanish Consul— He also writes that Aury is in prison there— King said Governor Middleton had promised him to support a petition to the President to direct the prosecution against Moore to be dropp’d— Mr Watmough paid us a visit— At the President’s I met Mr Calhoun with General Bernard the Engineer, who had a map of the Mississippi from its mouth to above New-Orleans which he has been lately taking— At the Office, Mr ten Cate, the Chargé d’Affaires from the Netherlands came to converse with me, concerning the late Message and Report, upon the Negotiation with the Netherlands— He expressed himself to be in general well pleased with it, but said it seemed to manifest a determination not to renew the negotiation. I told him that was not at all intended— We should readily renew the Negotiation, if desired by his Government, and if they had any expedient to propose, by which the two obstacles to the conclusion of the Treaty, which had occasioned the suspension of the negotiation could be removed— That the difficulty on our part was occasioned solely by the difficulty on their’s— We were willing to give up ours, if they would abandon theirs. He asked if there was any question whether the Treaty of 1782 was yet in force. I said none— We considered it as yet in full force. He said his Government did the same— He made various other remarks, and said Mr Clay had a day or two since said in a Speech, that this Government had sent a Minister to the king of the Netherlands, before he had sent one here, which ten Cate said was a mistake— Mr Clay he said had forgotten poor Mr Changuion— Mr Calhoun called in at my Office, to see the last despatch from Mr Gallatin, upon South-American Affairs— I received voluminous despatches from Mr Erving at Madrid, and from Halsey and Worthington at Buenos Ayres— My wife is up again this day. I walked home with Mr Calhoun— After dinner I found myself too drowsy for writing.