John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

24. V:30. Eclipse of the Sun, as he rose— I saw its beginning; but after a few minutes the Sun passed under a Cloud and the Eclipse was no longer perceptible. It was of about 4 1/2 digits and terminated about half past six O’Clock— I this morning completed the task of bringing up the arrears of Journal, which on the 11th. of March were of a full Month— From this moment I take a new start. Called on Mr Crawford at his Office. He had a Letter from Mr Cheves the President of the Bank since his return to Philadelphia. The Directors had resolved to employ Mr D. Sheldon to negotiate the reloan of the remaining Louisiana Stock— They passed the Resolution before receiving Mr Crawford’s Letter written in consequence of my last Conversation with him, stating that the propriety of appointing him for that agency was doubtful. He asked me now, as the appointment had been made, whether it would be necessary to insist upon its being revoked; or whether it might be allowed, on condition that only Sheldon’s expences in negotiating the business should be paid; or with the allowance of a further compensation— I told Mr Crawford that I did not think it necessary to persist in objecting to the employment of Sheldon for this affair— The principal objection in my mind had been to the blending the character of a Public Minister of the United States, with that of an Exchange Broker for the Bank— It would not apply so strongly to the case of a Secretary of Legation, and in this instance I should withdraw it altogether; on the decisive consideration that the Government itself has an interest in the success of the negotiation— But it must be with the understanding that it will take Sheldon from his proper service only for a short time; and that he shall make an arrangement satisfactory to Mr Gallatin, for supplying his place during his absence. On these conditions, I thought he might go; and besides the payment of his expences might receive a reasonable compensation from the Bank, for the service— I then returned to Mr Crawford the Letter from the Collector at Baltimore to him, concerning the Spanish, king’s brig, brought into Baltimore by Daniels, and which he had sent me; and I read to him the Letter from the District Attorney Glenn to me, concerning the prosecution of these Baltimore Pirates. Glenn says that the vigilance and zeal of the subordinate custom-house Officers, and of the Captains of the Revenue Cutters might be usefully spirited and invigorated for the effectual suppression of this mischief. Crawford promised to give Instructions accordingly— I told him I had received another Letter from Baltimore, from J. J. Appleton with further information, upon the subject—and a Note from Mr Onis, the Spanish Minister; demanding the restoration of the King’s Brig— I thought this was a regular and correct application, but I had some difficulty as to the mode of proceeding proper for the case— Whether the Spanish Consul could libel the vessel as belonging to the king of Spain— Or whether we could direct a seizure of her by the Government, for the purpose of restoring her to Spain— we considered this question, and concluded that the best course would be for the Spanish Consul to libel the vessel— Crawford observed it was unfortunate that the Attorney General was now absent— I asked Mr Crawford how the Treasury stood at this time; it being a period of great pecuniary pressure; and embarrassment. He said there were in the Months of February and March, great deficiency in the receipts from Norfolk in Virginia, but none considerable, from the other Sea Ports— But from the Western Country the receipts from the Sales of Lands had very greatly fallen off, and were dwindling down to nothing— The situation of the United States at this time in regard to their commerce, revenue, manufactures, agriculture, banking Institutions, and political economy generally is such that the most special attention to it is due from those who are in the public service and most especially from the members of the Administration— I deeply lament that my time is so much absorbed by other, and more immediate and indispensable duties that I have scarcely any left for thoroughly investigating this— In the midst of Peace, and of partial prosperity, we are approaching to a crisis which will 95shake the Union to its centre— I see violent and threatening symptoms of the disease, without knowing where to look for the remedy. I asked Crawford what foundation there was for certain reports very unfavourable to the reputation of Coll. R. M. Johnson, the late Representative from Kentucky— He said he had a Letter from a Mr Benton, who was a thorough-going Man, which contained all the information that he had on the subject; and he gave it to me to take with me to read— He said he fully believed that Johnson was an honest, and well meaning man; but he was so excessively weak and credulous, that he suffered knaves and swindlers to work upon him till they destroyed all his moral perceptions; all capacity to discriminate between right and wrong; and made him do just what they pleased. He had thus suffered himself to be drawn into unwarrantable Banking Speculations by a man named Prentiss from Boston or that neighbourhood; and one Smith, a nephew of the late President of Princeton College.— I took the papers with me and read them in the course of the day. My opinion of Johnson after reading them, is less charitable than that of Crawford— I neither think him so imbecil nor so honest; under the guise of a generous, warmhearted, affectionate man, he is a mere unprincipled speculator— Let me not lose the feeling of indulgence for human frailty. When these facts come once to be generally known, Johnson’s character and reputation will be blasted. It is indeed probably already ruined in his own State— I regret it, for from the part which he took in the House of Representatives the last Session, and the relations which it introduced between him and me, I had formed a more favourable opinion of him. As I was going to my office, I was overtaken by a person named Heron, who followed me, with a Letter from A. W. Foster of Greensburgh; and a model in brass and steal of a machine, invented by him, being an improvement on the mode of applying power to wheel machinery— Mr Foster has a high idea of the importance of his invention for which he wishes a patent here, and information how to obtain a patent in various European Countries. I advised Mr Heron to deposit his model in the patent office, and to get a drawing of it to be made, and also there deposited— A Mr Haw, residing in the neighbourhood of Georgetown, came with two Letters; one for his Son, in South America, and the other for Dr Forsyth an American, residing at Angostura— The son at the age of 19. had followed the Fortunes of M’Gregor, and accompanied him to Amelia-Island— Left it soon after M’Gregor; went to Angostura; entered Bolivar’s army; and in January 1818. was appointed a Captain of Artillery. His father said he had received a Letter from him written at that time; and with a tear glistening in his eye, added he had never heard from him since; and feared he should never hear from him again— I could not tell him my feelings at this statement; lest they should aggravate his own—but I promised him to take care that the Letters should be forwarded to Dr. Forsyth— Mr Hyde de Neuville, the French Minister came to ask for an order to the Collector at Baltimore, for the restoration of certain French property, piratically captured, and libelled by the French Consul— A parcel of the same property he said had been thus restored to the French Consul at Alexandria; and Mr Crawford thought it could be done in like manner at Baltimore—but de Neuville thought it would require a short Letter from me to the District Attorney, or to the Judge— I told him that according to our Institutions; it would be improper for any Member of the Executive administration, to write to the Judge; but if he would write me setting forth the facts, I would then, if there would be any propriety in the measure write to the district attorney concerning it— I returned him the copy of Count Palmella’s Note which he had lent me, and of which he consented that I should furnish Mr J. Graham with a copy. He then referred to the Answer I had sent him to his proposal for declaring some half a dozen Piracies, additional to those already recognized by the Law of Nations— He was not altogether satisfied with my answer to it. He admitted however, that there might be some inconvenience in constituting for many new Capital Offences— He asked if I had any late news from France, and appeared to be quite uneasy at the accounts of the addition of fifty or sixty new members to the house of Peers— I had nothing recent from Mr Gallatin, but lent De Neuville, all the latest newspapers that I had received from France. We had also some Conversation respecting the new 96Treaties of Great Britain with Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, allowing a mutual right of search to armed vessels, and joint Courts for trying Slave traders. I told him I was glad that France and Russia at Aix La Chapelle had refused acceding to this principle of mutual search in time of Peace— But he thought it would not be inadmissible for the purpose of abolishing effectually the Slave-trade— He said he was sure there would be no Slaves in the United States in forty years from this time— There would be to be sure in Louisiana; but then Louisiana would not form a part of the United States— I said that Civil War would then be substituted, instead of the Union— We had a small party to dinner— Mr and Mrs W. S. Smith, Mr I. P. Hutchinson, Mr. Maury, and his nephew from Liverpool, Forbes, Bailey and R. Forrest, also Tom Hellen and Robert Buchanan, with whom Mrs Adams went home after dinner.