John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

18. V:15. Mr Baring, a Son of Alexander Baring of London, brought me a Letter of Introduction from his father. He arrived, a few days since from England, at New-York— Young Labouchère his Cousin who was here last winter is now with him— These young men, when I was last in England were boys— Baring was at school at Geneva— Mr Sanderson came to the Office. He has undertaken the publication of a Biography of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and has repeatedly applied to me to furnish him a life of my father. He came now to bring the first volume which contains a preliminary discourse, and a life of John Hancock— I made a number of enquiries of Mr Sanderson to ascertain the principles upon which this work will be conducted, and how far the proper sources of information have been explored— I asked him whether the lives, were to be panegyrics, or historical biographies— The applications have been to the families of each individual, who will furnish what materials they please, and whose contributions to the biographies will be tainted at least with all the partialities of friendship. I asked him if the dissensions and antagonisms of all these Patriots among themselves—their mutual oppositions and animosities, their errors and their views were to be included in the narratives of their lives— He was not very well prepared to answer these questions— He did not exactly know how the work would be conducted— I asked him who was to furnish the life of Samuel Chase. He believed that was not settled. At this I expressed some surprize; and enquired whether the publishers of the work were aware how conspicuous that name ought to 468be in the Catalogue of the Signers of the Declaration. He said that application had been made to his family for access to his papers, but they had no papers, that could be applied with any use to this purpose— I told him I considered Mr Chase as one of the men whose life conduct and opinions had been of the most extensive influence upon the Constitution of this Country. He not only signed the Declaration of Independence, but was an active and distinguished member of the Congress during the early and most critical period of the Revolution— He was a man of ardent passions, of strong mind, of domineering temper— His life was consequently turbulent and boisterous. He had for some years almost uncontrouled dominion over the politics of the State of Maryland. At other times, unpopular in the extreme—and was more than once impeached— Appointed by President Washington, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, he had continued in that office upwards of twenty years, until his death— He was the only judge of that Court who had ever been impeached— His impeachment had settled some principles and some practice of our Constitutional Law. But he himself as a judge had settled others of the highest importance; one of them in my opinion of very pernicious importance— He decided as I think directly in the face of an Amendatory Article of the Constitution of the United States (the seventh) that this Union in its federative capacity has no common Law— A decision which has crippled the powers not only of the judiciary, but of all the Departments of the National Government— The reasons upon which he rested that decision are not sound; but as they flattered the popular prejudices, it has remained unreversed to this day. Mr Chase’s life is among those which if historically written, will be of the highest interest, and may give occasion to the freest and most useful discussion— Sanderson said the intention was to write the lives freely, but not controversially. He was however convinced of the importance of the views I had taken of the life of Mr Chase. Mr Canning came, and occupied the remaining Office hours till six. His principal object was to have further conversation upon the subject of the Slave-trade— On the fourth of this Month a Resolution passed the House of Representatives on the motion of C. F. Mercer calling upon the President for copies of the Correspondence, with any of the foreign maritime powers relating to the Slave-trade— Mr Canning now reminded me, that in some of our former Conversations, I had told him that after the meeting of Congress; when there would be opportunities for consulting the opinions of members, the President would again take into consideration the proposals of the British Government, and determine upon some proposal to be offered in its stead, if he should finally consider it as inadmissible. I told him that there was no change in the President’s opinions concerning the British proposals, but if he would write me a note referring to them, they would be deliberately considered, and a written answer given; after which both papers would be communicated with the answer to the call from the House of Representatives— Our conversation also diverged upon the trial of the Queen, and the part which Mr George Canning has taken in that affair, which I thought very creditable to him: and also to the aspect of political affairs in Europe, arising from the recent Revolutions in Spain, Naples and Portugal. Upon all this Mr Canning was cautious to avoid expressing any opinion of his own; but he told me that his Cousin upon differing with his Colleagues, in relation to the prosecution of the Queen had tendered his resignation to the king, who had declined accepting it— The funeral of Mr Hazard was this day, but I could not attend it.