John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

25. IV:30. Bath in the Potowmack with Antoine. At the President’s, I found he had determined to leave the City and return to his farm, at little river, near Aldie, in Loudoun County, Virginia. He desired to keep the draft of Instructions to A. H. Everett, for further examination. He told me he had revised the article to be published in the National Intelligencer and struck out some passages to which I had objected. He is still so much absorbed in this subject that he relucts at thinking of any other. So that when I am talking to him about the proposed Negotiation in England, the Instructions for Everett, or even South America, he stops in the midst of the discourse, and says something about Jackson and Pensacola. 379He gave me yesterday two Letters to read in confidence as they had been communicated to him. One was from Judge Bland at Buenos-Ayres, to J. S. Skinner the Postmaster at Baltimore, and the other from General Winder to the Supreme Director Pueyrredon. Bland’s letter is long, private, and confidential—contains much information concerning the state of the Country—a decided opinion that they will never again submit to the dominion of Spain, and an opinion equally strong that the Government of the United States ought not at present to recognize that of Buenos Ayres. He has a very bad opinion of Pueyrredon, and still more of his Secretary of State Tagle— I asked the President whether the other two Commissioners entertained the same opinions as judge Bland— He said he did not know. I said that much would depend upon that, as Congress would doubtless look to their report particularly with a view to the question whether Buenos-Ayres was to be acknowledged or not— He said they would only state facts, and give no opinion of their own. I told him that would be very well, if they should state all the facts; but many of those stated by judge Bland, and precisely those upon which he had made up his opinion were of a nature not to be officially and publicly stated; and yet if they were suppressed it would be impossible to give a view of the state of things upon which any reliance could be placed. He shewed some little impatience of manner at these remarks, and passed on to another subject— Two days ago, he had very abruptly asked me to see Mr Bagot, and propose through him to the British Government, an immediate co-operation between the United States and Great-Britain, to promote the Independence of South-America— I asked him what part of South-America?— All South-America—and Mexico; and the islands included— I told him I thought Great-Britain was not yet prepared for such a direct proposition; and entering into details I immediately found it was a crude idea, which he immediately abandoned— But I conjectured that either Rodney and Breckenridge, or the Richmond Enquirer had put it into his head— For the Richmond Enquirer, which Clay’s Kentucky Reporter calls the President’s domestic paper, is on the contrary the Paper by which Virginia works upon the President. Its influence is much more upon him than for him, and it is excessively impatient for the acknowledgment of Buenos Ayres— Winder’s letter to Pueyrredon was to decline the appointment of Agent for Buenos Ayres here, which had been sent him and with it was a long and judicious argument to convince him that the formal acknowledgment of Buenos Ayres by the Government of the United States would be contrary to the interests of both— I finally despatched Mr Wichelhausen, with a copy of the Proclamation in favour of the vessels of Bremen. The President left the City this Evening; but foul weather came on and he returned.