John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

17. VII. Judge Cranch called here this morning with his Son William, whom he had some encouragement to expect Mr John Graham would take with him as his private Secretary and preceptor to his children. After making some enquiries of me they went to Mr Graham’s. I drafted a private Letter to the French Minister Hyde de Neuville, requesting answers to six questions in relation to the grants— These questions were founded upon circumstances which he has repeatedly mentioned to me in the Conversations between us— One was that Onis had told him he made it a point of honour that those grants should be annulled, because rumours had been in circulation, and even alluded to in our newspapers, that he was personally interested in them— Another, that he De Neuville had the certain knowledge, from sources other than those to which I had access, that the Spanish Government itself were aware that those grants were annulled by the Treaty— But as I doubted whether De Neuville would like to answer directly these questions in writing, I took the draft with me to the Office; sent for him, and reading it to him asked if he would prefer to have it in any other form— He said the delicacy due from him to the Spanish Government, and to Mr Onis scarcely allowed him to suppose it possible that any occasion should arise to make a direct answer to these questions from him necessary— He wished therefore that I would ask him in 65more general terms a statement of his knowledge and participation in these transactions, and he would immediately send me an answer, with reference to my questions, which he would recollect, and with all suitable decorum with regard to Mr Onis— And if afterwards any thing further and still more explicit should be necessary he would give it without hesitation; for honour and honesty could have but one course, and he felt his own concerned in the fairness and good faith of this transaction. He had already written an account of the whole affair to his own Government, by his Messenger Mr De Mun, who sailed from Newcastle Delaware, for France on the 10th. (Onis also sent Zamorano, as a special Messenger, with the Treaty. He had first asked a passage for him in the Hornet to go with Mr Forsyth; which was readily granted; but he afterwards concluded to send him on before Mr Forsyth was ready; and he sailed the 9th. from New-York for Lisbon.) I wrote a Letter to Mr De Neuville, as he had requested, asking in general terms a statement of what he had known during the negotiation, and at the conclusion of the Treaty, concerning the Grants; and received his answer this Evening.— While he was at the Office I communicated to him the substance of despatches received yesterday from Mr Gallatin, giving a particular account of the change of the French Ministry and its causes. He had no official account of it himself— He said he did not know, but that he was to expect his immediate recall. He comforts himself however with the reflection, that “Les choses sont plus fortes que les hommes.” He is a man of singularly compounded character— A mixture of ultra-royalism and republican liberality— Frank, candid, honourable, generous, benevolent, humane, devoted to and adoring his Country; worshiping Monsieur, the king’s brother and the Duke and Duchess d’Angoulême, adhering upon a principle of honour to his party, but detesting the foreigners by whom his king was restored, and most especially the English. He is flighty, but not inconstant in his Sentiments; accessible to reason, but not powerful as a reasoner, quick, but placable in his temper. Has little knowledge of Literature, and less of Science. Somewhat vain; and manageable chiefly by his Vanity. Altogether, a safe man with whom to transact business, and one whose good qualities, greatly outweigh his failings.