John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

671 F Street, Washington Saturday 1. December 1838.

1. V. Saturday.

Thomas Coll. James Buller Charles Marechal Baron Kingsbury Harmon

Morning visit from Coll Thomas, and then from Mr Charles Buller the private Secretary of Lord Durham the late Governor General of the Northern British Provinces on this Continent— He brought me two Letters from Miss Harriet Martineau in England, and from Mr Charles A. Davis at New-York— Lord Durham, whose magnificent Mission to Canada has proved a failure embarked at Quebec about the 1st. of November, on his return to England— Mr Buller remained behind, but has now come on to embark next Wednesday in the Steamer Liverpool, from New-York. He said he had availed himself of the interval to pay a flying visit to this City, and Mr Cambreleng had promised to take him this Evening to see the President— I had more than an hour’s conversation with Mr Buller upon the affairs of Canada, and our own— He was more inquisitive than communicative, but said that affairs in Canada were so very bad, that Lord Durham had thought it his duty to make the best of his way home; without indulging himself in a visit of curiosity to the United States— He said that the worst feature in the condition of Canada was the inveterate and rancorous mutual hostility between the English and French population— He was followed by Baron Marechal, lately arrived here as Minister Plenipotentiary from the Emperor of Austria, who on coming up claimed an acquaintance of more than 25 years standing. His name had not been announced, and when he came up I did not recognize him; but immediately on his naming the acquaintance of 25 years, I knew him for the Baron Marechal, Secretary of Legation to Count St. Julien at St. Petersburg in 1811 and 1812. But I remembered not a feature of his face— He was then a young man, certainly not exceeding 25. he is now an elderly personage turned of fifty—but very lively and conversible— He told me Count St. Julien had been many years dead, and indeed in running over the roll of distinguished persons Russian and foreigners whom we had both known there, it was a mere necrology; as if we were wandering among the Sepulchres of a Church yard— Even the story of the survivors was not joyous— Nesselrode and the Baron de Blome yet flourish in a green 672green old age; but his account of Einsïedel was melancholy— He himself came on a mission to Brazil in 1819. and lived there 11 years. He returned home in 1830 and has been residing the last 8 years in Europe— My last morning visitor was Mr Harmon Kingsbury of Ohio, the person who was last Winter so anxiously earnest for the suppression of the Sunday-Mails. He is not less zealous in the pursuit of the same object now, and intimated rather obscurely a wish that I would introduce the Bill— But I do not inclined to enter upon that controversy— I told him that the shortest way would be to call up the petition of the last year and have it referred to a Committee; and if he was prepared with another petition, it might be presented and referred to the same Committee— Before dinner, I walked to Mr Frye’s, and there saw Mrs Sanford, widow of the late Nathan Sanford, and once an inmate of my house as Mary Buchanan— Her Son, a boy ten years of age is with her here on a visit of ten or twelve days to Mrs Frye, who was her father Andrew Buchanan’s second wife—married at my house in Boston in 1808— Captain Wade of the army was also there; whose wife is a Sister of Mrs Sanford; and a youth by the name of Kuhn, son of the late Captain Kuhn— Thomas B. J. Frye is at Philadelphia; attending the medical schools— At half past 5. I went and dined at Mr Woodbury’s—the Secretary of the Treasury— President Van Buren was there, and his Son Martin— Mr Forsyth and Mr Paulding— And several foreign Ministers—of whom Baron Marechal from Austria—Mr Bodisco from Russia, Mr from Sweden, Mr Martini, from Holland, Mr Serruys from Belgium, Genl. Alvear from the Argentine Republic, and Mr Jones fom Texas, with two or three others, and Mr Calderon de la Barca from Spain— The French and British Ministers Pontois and Fox were not there— Mr Bodisco and General Alvear claimed old acquaintance with me, one from the time of my residence at St. Petersburg; and the other having been a very short time here, when I was President— The Belgian told me that he had a letter of introduction to me, from Mr Cornelissen of Ghent— He also told me that our old kind friend Meulemeester was dead but that his widow was yet living— Mr Woodbury was particular in the etiquette of his places at table— The President led Mrs Woodbury into the dining room, and Mr Woodbury requested me to lead in his daughter Elizabeth— I sat between the mother and daughter, at the left hand of Mrs Wooodbury the President being at her right hand The heads of Departments, foreign Ministers, Speaker of the House and one Senator present John W. Allen of Ohio, set promiscuously— All these people might have disputed my Seat with me a simple member of the House—but no pretensions were raised— I had some conversation after dinner with Mr Calderon the Spanish Minister upon the Comedies of his ancestor, which he says preceded those of Shakespear— Mrs Woodbury asked me in behalf of her daughter to write verses in her Album, which I promised— Walked home about 10.