- Gerry Elbridge
- Johnson T. B.
The consequence of my violent exercise yesterday Morning has almost laid me up— I
rose in the Night and finding it only three O’Clock retired again to bed and lay
without sleeping till five— I nevertheless walked round the Capitol Square, and
returned to see the Sun rise clear the fourth day in succession. My Chronometer had
apparently gained 20 Seconds since yesterday Morning; but the horizon was this morning
not perfectly clear— There was a haze which probably delayed for 10 Seconds the
appearance of the Sun— Mr
Gerry the Surveyor of the Port of Boston, called to see me; and said he
was here to secure if possible his re-appointment to his office— His term of four
years will expire next Month, and there are Cormorants abroad in search after it— He
said the President had promised to renominate
him as soon as the Senate should be ready to receive his nominations; and Mr Ingham had promised his
influence in his favour. None of the nominations have been yet sent in the two Virginia Senators being detained
in the Convention; and Mr
Reed the Senator from Mississippi having died while on his way to this
place. With these three vacancies, there is some doubt whether all the Nominations
would be confirmed— Mr Gerry notwithstanding the promises
he has received is under much anxiety, his mother’s
comfortable support as well as his own depending upon his place— He told me that while
I was at the head of the Government, he took a pride in the public Service; but now he
was obliged to pocket his Pride which I approved— Mr T. B. Johnson was here in the Evening. I
retired after a footbath early to bed quite unwell. I am much engaged and consume much
time in assorting papers— Those of the Trunk belonging to my
father, are not yet assorted, and this afternoon I took up those of
Mr Benjamin
Vaughan— I made little progress with them being somewhat dispirited, a
state of mind which I cannot entirely controul. I am drawing however towards the close
of the second Dialogue of Cicero de Oratore—
The discussion in the first Dialogue is between Crassus who maintains that Oratory is an Art, and that the perfect Orator
should be a man of universal Science; and Antonius who considers it all as depending on Genius and practice— In the
second Dialogue which the author represents as having taken place the next day; he
introduces two new Interlocutors. Quintus
Catulus and Gaius Julius Caesar, the
father I suppose of the Dictator— They join the
party upon hearing of the discussion of the preceding day— The first part of the
second Dialogue is discursive, and several of the Speakers alternately take part in
it— In the latter part Caesar expounds very philosophically the whole theory of
facetiousness and joking; as of great power in the practice of Oratory— There are also
some remarks upon demonstrative Oratory, Panegyrics and funeral Eulogies which Cicero
considers as scarcely belonging to the Art.