John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

2. VI:30. Had a succession of members of Congress, morning visitors— B. W. Crowninshield and T. Fuller of Massachusetts, Durfee of Rhode-Island, Farrelly of Pennsylvania, Holcombe of New-Jersey, Kent, Mitchell and Spence of Maryland, Reynolds of Tennessee, Saunders of North-Carolina, Little of Maryland, and Plumer of New Hampshire— This absorbed the morning— Two notes reciprocally passed between the Barons Tuyll and Stackelberg with me, concerning the funeral of Mr Greuhm— They informed me that it would take place, the day after to-morrow morning at eleven O’Clock, from Dr Laurie’s Church in F. Street; to which place the corpse will be previously transported— They desired also that Mr Ringgold, the Marshal of the District might be requested to attend for the preservation of order— I sent for the Marshal who very readily agreed to attend, and to give his assistance for making all the necessary arrangements— They had drawn up an order of procession, to which we made with their assent some modifications— I called at the Presidents, and stated to him the question, how Mr Salazar the Minister from the Republic of Colombia, was to be considered on this occasion— We could not invite him to attend; and they would certainly not— While I was at the Presidents, Mr Parrott of N. Hampshire; and several other members of both houses 185came in. Dined at the French Consul General Petry’s— He had expected the arrival this day of his successor, Mr Durant Saint André; but he did not come— Heads of Departments, and the foreign Corps Diplomatique were there— I spoke to Baron Stackelberg, and afterwards to Baron Tuyll, about Mr Salazar, the Colombian Minister, to enquire if they intended to invite him to attend the funeral tomorrow— They said it was de toute impossibilité, and reasoned very gravely with me to prove it— In the Evening I called again upon Mr Clay; and afterwards upon Mr Gaillard to inform them of the arrangements made for the funeral of Mr Greuhm— They said it was probable the two Houses would adjourn over the day; without public assignment of the reason— But Clay said he did not know but there might be a debate in the House upon it. He entered also into conversation upon the Message, which he said seemed to be the work of several hands— And that the War and Navy Departments made a magnificent figure in it; as well as the Post-Office.— I said there was an account of a full treasury; and much concerning foreign Affairs, which was within the business of the Department of State— He said yes, and the part relating to foreign affairs, was he thought the best part of the Message— He thought the Government had weakened itself and the tone of the Country, by withholding so long the acknowledgment of the South-American Independence: and he believed even a War for it against all Europe including even England, would be advantageous to us— I told him I believed a War for South-American Independence might be inevitable, and under certain circumstances might be expedient, but that I viewed War in a very different light from him— As necessarily placing high interests of different portions of the Union in conflict with each other; and thereby imminently endangering the Union itself— Not a successful War, he said— But a successful War to be sure created a military influence, and power, which he considered as the greatest danger of War— He said he had thoughts of offering a Resolution, to declare this Country an Asylum for all fugitives from oppression; and to connect with it a proposal for modifying the naturalization Law, to make it more easily attainable— The foreigners in New-York, are petitioning Congress to that effect, and Clay will turn his liberality towards them to account. It was near eleven in the Evening when I got home— Mr Clay’s son, Mr Letcher, and J. C. Wright were with Mr Clay, but withdrew— Mr Holmes and Mr Bell, were with Mr Gaillard.