John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

8. VII. Mr Bradley of Vermont called this morning and introduced Coll. Watson of this City. I called at the President’s, and while I was there Mr Calhoun came with a deputation of five Cherokee Indians— This is the most civilized of all the tribes of North-American Indians. They have abandoned altogether the life of Hunters, and betaken themselves to tillage— These men were dressed entirely according to our manner— Two of them spoke English, with good pronunciation; and one with grammatical accuracy— This was a young man of 23 who has passed three or four years at a missionary School in Connecticut— He interpreted for his father, who made a speech to the President in the figurative Style of Savage Oratory; with frequent recurrence to the idea of the Great Spirit above— They gave us some account of their present Institutions; which are incipient. On returning to the Office, I found Baron Tuyll there— He read me extracts from two despatches which he has received from his Government— One expressing satisfaction at the explanatory paragraph in the National Intelligencer— The other stating the adjustment of the differences, between the Emperor Alexander and the Ottoman Porte— I told Baron Tuyll, that I should shortly send him a copy of the Act of Congress concerning discriminating duties. This being the anniversary of the Victory at New-Orleans, we gave an Evening party or Ball to Genl. Jackson, at which about one thousand persons attended— General Jackson came about eight O’Clock, and retired after supper— The dancing continued till near one in the Morning. The crowd was great and the House could scarcely contain the company— But it all went off in good order, and without accident— the President this Morning excused himself from attending, as I had expected he would— He said that when Mr Crawford went into Virginia last Summer, he the President had pointedly avoided meeting him—even when he was sick at Governor Barbour’s. And at the present moment, if he should depart from his rule of not visiting at private houses it might be thought he was countenancing one of the Candidates for the next Presidency, while he had so cautiously abstained from giving even seeming countenance to another.