John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

157

The Month.

Day— Much the same as last month. With the exception of two or three light Colds, my health has been better than for several preceding years. I have recovered much of my bodily strength, and only find the difficulty of writing increase upon me. This is a source of deep concern to me, as all the usefulness and all the promise of comfort before me, for my remnant of life will consist in the faculty of writing— But I must take the dispensations of Providence as they come— Thankful to heaven for the good Resigned and submissive to the severe. The month has been remarkable as the last of my public service, and the preceding pages will shew that the business of my office crowds upon me, with accumulation as it draws near to its end— Three days more and I shall be restored to private life and left to an old age of retirement, though certainly not of repose. I go into it with a combination of parties, and of public men, against my character and reputation such as I believe never before was exhibited against any man since this Union existed— Posterity will scarcely believe it—but so it is—that this combination against me has been formed, and is now exulting in triumph over me, for the devotion of my life, and of all the faculties of my Soul, to the Union—and to the Improvement, Physical, Moral and Intellectual of my Country. The North assails me for my fidelity to the Union—the South for my ardent aspirations of improvement— Yet bate I not a jot of heart and hope— Passion, Prejudice, Envy and Jealousy will pass— The Cause of Union and of Improvement will remain; and I have duties to it and to my Country yet to discharge— On the eleventh of this Month Andrew Jackson of Tennessee was declared to be elected President and John C. Calhoun Vice President of the United States for four years from the fourth of March next— On the same day, the President elect, arrived in this city and took lodgings at Gadsby’s Hotel. A self-constituted Central Committee, of persons pretending to be his exclusive friends and partizans, with John P. Van Ness at their head; undertook to usher him into the City: to order the firing of guns, and manifestations of public rejoicing in his honour, and to assume the Office of Masters of Ceremonies to introduce to him all his visitors. They continued to exercise these functions till the public disgust became audible 158audible— They even published a regulation of the ceremony of his inauguration, and proclaimed Coll. Towson the Paymaster General, and one of their own number, Marshal for arranging the procession to the Capitol— This however has since been given up— The President-elect, a few days since sent for Coll. Towson, and requested him to resign his Office of Marshal for the central Committee, which he did, and the Marshal of the District of Columbia, is to have the ordering of the Commission as has been customary heretofore. Mrs Jackson having died in December, the General has signified his wish to avoid all displays of festivity or rejoicing, and all magnificent parade. He has not thought proper to hold any personal communication with me since his arrival. I sent him word by Marshal Ringgold, that I should remove with my family from the House so that he may if he thinks proper receive his visits of congratulation here on the 4th. of March. He desired Ringgold to thank me for this information— Spoke uncertainly whether he would come into the House on the 4th. or not; but said if it would be in any manner inconvenient to my family to remove he wished us not to hurry ourselves at-all, but to stay in the house as long as should suit our convenience, were it even a Month— He has with him his nephew Andrew Jackson Donelson with his wife, a Miss Easten, an adopted Son, named Jackson, and perhaps some others. His avoidance of me has been noticed in the newspapers. The Telegraph Newspaper has assigned for the reason of this incivility, that he knows I have been personally concerned in the publications against his wife, in the National Journal— This is not true—I have not been privy to any publication in any newspaper, against either himself or his wife— Within a few days another reason has been assigned— Mr David Hoffman of Baltimore, urged me to attend the inauguration, and said, in that event he was informed it was General Jackson’s intention to pay me a visit— His reason for not having done it before having been the chance there might have been of his meeting Mr Clay with me— Mr Ringgold says Mr M’lean the Postmaster General told him that he had conversed with the General, upon his abstaining from visiting me, and that the General had told him he came here 159with the intention of calling upon me, but had been dissuaded from it by his friends— Mrs Adams went out to Meridian Hill on Thursday; and my Son’s wife and Abigail Adams this day. As I shall be constantly occupied with public business until and including the third of March I shall not be able to leave this House until the Evening of that day— The removal of my Effects and the preparation of the House for the reception of another family have so much absorbed the time that it has been, and will be impossible till after the third to take the inventory of the furniture belonging to the house, and to be delivered over— As the General had sent a courteous Message desiring us not to hurry our removal and had expressed himself very doubtful whether he should come in, I sent word to him By Mr Ringgold that it might take two or three days beyond the third before the inventory could be taken; he sent for answer that he wished not to put us to the slightest inconvenience, but that Mr Calhoun had suggested that there might be danger of the excessive crowds breaking down the rooms at Gadsby’s House, and the General had concluded if it would be perfectly convenient to us to receive his company at the President’s House after the Inauguration on Wednesday next— I have therefore concluded at all Events to leave the House on Tuesday— Michael Antony Giusta the man whom I engaged in my Service at Amsterdam in June 1814. and who has lived with me ever since, and his wife have both been engaged by the General to remain in the house and in the same capacity which they now hold— This Separation from Domestics who have so long lived in the family is among the painful incidents of the present time—

160

The following is the list of Domestics employed at the President’s House.

Giusta— Michael Antony. Steward and Butler. Giusta— Mary (Newell) his wife. Assistant Housekeeper. Kirk John Kirk Elizabeth his wife— Housemaid Best. Susan. Housemaid Winnull— Jane E. Chambermaid Pumphrey Levi Coachman Berney    Cook Auguste    Footman Ricard Mrs Laundress Ouseley J. Gardener Thomas John— Porter Cokeley George— Footman Roden Robert. Footman Davis— James Hostler Clark Rachel— Waiting maid Baun Mary Cook maid Thomas Fanny— Cook maid Jener Charlotte Kitchen maid.