John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

299 Friday 1 September 1837.

1. V. Friday.— Philadelphia.

Employed the morning before breakfast in writing to my wife— Breakfasted at the Lady’s ordinary, to which Judge Baldwin of the Supreme Court of the United States had recommended me, and who was the only person present whom I knew— After breakfast I was going to Mr Biddle’s when I met Mr John Sergeant, who told me he had concluded to go on by the Steamboat at one O’Clock this afternoon, to reach Baltimore this Evening, and Washington to-morrow morning. He had heard that Charles J. Ingersoll, had authenticated a protest against the return of his competitor, Mr Naylor, and had perhaps done it to prevent Naylor’s voting upon the election of the Speaker— He, Sergeant, must therefore hasten to Washington, to look to the possibility of unfair practices, and counteract them— I found Mr Biddle, in bed—much flushed, and with a feverish hand—but relieved from the violence of the attack which was an inflammation of the kidneys—free from pain, and cheerful and good humoured as is his habitual character— He made me promise to dine, and pass the night at his house, and sent for a few friends, to come and dine with me.— I had a long conversation with him upon the affairs of the Banks, banking and the currency; but found him fully convinced that the resumption of specie payments by the Banks will for an indefinite period of time be impracticable— He thinks the recent proposal of the deposit Banks in New-York for a convention of delegates from Banks throughout the Union, to determine upon a time for the simultaneous return to cash payments, was a mere stratagem to procure the restoration to them of the public deposits— That they well knew, when they made the proposal, that cash payments could not be resumed till the foreign debt shall be paid; and made the proposal, to plume themselves upon it and gain credit for the performance, under the delusion of a false promise— He said James Hamilton of Charleston, South-Carolina, who first proposed in a Letter to him, this Convention of Banks, had been here and was now in New-York— That he had warmly urged this measure upon him, but that he had told Hamilton, that so sure as the attempt to resume should be made, so sure it would prove a fallacy and an abortion— It could not be maintained a week.— He told me that the Bank of the United States, had now eleven hundred thousand dollars of the money to be paid by them to the Treasury of the United States, in October for the first instalment of the Stock owned by the United States in the late Bank, in Treasury drafts, and that he expected when the time of payment should come to have the whole sum, in the same paper currency, so that the Bank will pay the whole instalment without disbursing a hard dollar.— After this conversation I went to the Bank of the United-States, and presented to Mr Jaudon the Cashier 850 dollars in the Bills both of the old and of the new Bank, for which I asked payment by an order on Washington— He gave me an order on Richard Smith, Cashier of the late Branch, and now agent of the Bank there; payable in current Bills— I took it without remark—for in my judgment upon the proceedings of the Bank of the United States, I wish to avoid mingling any possible 300possible private interest of my own; but the adroitness with which this order changed the nature of my demand upon the bank could not escape my observation— I brought to Mr Jaudon Bills payable on demand, in cash— He gave me an order payable in current bills, depreciated from 8 to 12 per cent.— I then went to the Anti-Slavery Office 223 Arch-Street—thence to Samuel Webb’s house, and afterwards to Benjamin Lundy’s Office— I saw and had long conversations with them both, and with two or three others whom I found with them—of whom was Mr Buffum who told me he was a hatter— Lundy returned with me to my lodgings. He and the abolitionists generally are constantly urging me to indiscreet movements which would ruin me and weaken and not strengthen their cause— My own family on the other hand that is my wife and Son and Mary exercise all the influence they possess to restrain and divert me from all connection with the abolitionists, and with their cause— Between these adverse impulses my mind is agitated almost to distraction. The public mind in my own district and State is convulsed between the Slavery and abolition questions, and I walk on this edge of a precipice in every step that I take— After Mr Lundy left me, I took a Letter for my wife to the Post-Office, and returned to Mr Biddle’s to dine— He could not leave his bed, but his brother, Commodore James Biddle, and his Son Charles did the honours of the table. Joseph R. Ingersoll, and Dr Sutherland were of the company— Sutherland said he was going for Washington to-morrow— After the company were gone, I had another Conversation with Mr Biddle, and then went to the weekly meeting of the American Philosophical Society where I met Dr Mease, Mr John Vaughan, Mr Du Ponceau, Dr Harlan, Coll. Totten, and some others— I subscribed my name in a book containing a new and elegantly written list of the members of the Society— Returned to Mr Biddle’s for the Night, about 10 O’Clock.