28 May 1824
adams-john10 Neal Millikan
342

28. VII. My visitors this day at my house were a Mr Crawson, D. P. Cook, R. Little, H. Clay, the Speaker, and J. R. Poinsett of South-Carolina, to take leave— At the Office John L. Sullivan, with Professor Silliman and Messrs. Wadsworth and Terry—and E. Wyer— In the course of the morning I called at the President’s— Cook had not heard from N. Edwards; but Dunn, the Messenger from the House, sent to summon him, returned here this Evening, having left Edwards at Washington Pennsylvania—230 miles from hence; to come on by the next Stage. Cook is in great anxiety, knowing that the majority of the Committee remaining here are against Edwards, and aware of the prejudice against him in the public mind— He regretted greatly the absence of Owen upon whose integrity and firmness he relied— Mr Little came with the remainder of the Supplementary Register that he has been compiling— Clay said little upon public affairs— Spoke with apparent coolness of the affair of Edwards and Crawford; and complained to having had within these few days a return of his dispepsy. Poinsett is going to New York—thence to Charleston S.C. and proposes between this and the next Session of Congress to make a voyage to Europe— He said he was willing to go to Naples, and see if any thing could be done there, with certain claims, which had been the object of Mr William Pinkney’s unsuccessful mission there— Poinsett said he would undertake nothing which would disqualify him for his seat in Congress; and of course should receive no compensation for what he might do— But if a Frigate was going out to the Mediterranean, he would be glad to take passage in her, and to be the medium of any communication, that the Government might wish to make at Naples— He said he had spoken of it this morning with the President, who had told him he would confer concerning it with me. I asked Poinsett, whether if he should go, he could not extend his trip farther, and give us some account of the condition of the Greeks. He said it would give him great satisfaction if he could; but he was afraid there would not be time— He was told the frigate would be ready to sail in three weeks, and in that case she might without going out of her way touch and take him up at Charleston— But he knew what three weeks meant, in the fitting out of a ship of War; and he believed he could go to Charleston, and return to New-York, before she would be ready. I spoke of this to the President, who appeared to be desirous that Poinsett should go as he proposed; and that if possible he should extend his excursion to Greece— This Evening I met and walked with Alexander Hamilton who told me he should go to-morrow morning upon his return to New-York. He is much dissatisfied with the neglect of Congress, to take any decisive measure upon his denunciation of his Colleagues, as Commissioners of land-titles at St. Augustine— I know not how to account for this apathy, but by the conjecture, that there, as in all the new territories where there are lands on Sale, the influence of fraudulent Land-claimants is paramount to all other, and that it is fruitless to attempt to sustain the public interest against it. Hamilton offered also to write to me upon the general topic of New-York Politics.

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