- Nourse. Major C. J.
- Frye— Nath
l.jr. - Southard S. L.
- Clay— Henry
- Vandeventer. Chr
r. - Parmly—
Major Nourse brought and read to
me a short summary of a plan for a uniform organization of the Militia:
which I understood him would be reported by the Board of Officers now
assembled here to advise with the Secretary of War— The principal
feature of the plan is a division of all the Militia-men into two
Classes—one from 21. to 25. and the other from 25 to 45— Mr Frye
called to mention, that the Bill of W. S. Smith, endorsed by him, which was protested last
Summer, and is in the Navy Department must be paid this day, and that he
had not money to pay it—and he said he thought it was one of those which
if not paid, would be reported to Congress— I gave Mr Frye, a check upon the Bank, for the whole
of W. S. Smith’s order in his favour including this Navy Department
Bill: and took a receipt from him, for the Executors— Mr
Southard came as he said to ask my advice. Some time since
a man named Spafford was recommended by
Mr
Berrien the Senator, and Coll. Tattnall a member
of the House of Representatives from Georgia, for an appointment as
Purser in the Navy; and Mr Southard had
given him some expectation of success— But Captain r Southard, upon
the first inspection of the Letter thought from the similarity of hand
writing between the Letter and Spafford’s application for an appointment
that the Letter was written by Spafford himself— He informed him of this
Suspicion, 115and Spafford produced a declaration
from a man in Savannah named Deft, that he
wrote the application for Spafford’s appointment as Purser, and did not
write the anonymous Letter— But now Mr
Berrien writes a Letter to Mr Southard,
referring to these imputations upon his protegé, and enquiring whether
they were the only cause of the appointments being withheld from him—
Southard had written a draft of an answer to Berrien, which I thought
more argumentative and apologetic than was necessary— I advised him to
answer that from similarity of hand-writing he had entertained suspicion
that Mr Spafford wrote the anonymous Letter
himself. That Spafford had satisfied him that this suspicion was
unfounded— That Mr Spafford had told him he
knew the author of the anonymous Letter, and promised to inform him who
it was; which he still might do—and that it was not the only cause of
his not recommending Spafford for the appointment— Southard said he
still suspected the Letter was written by Spafford, or with his
knowledge— Mr
Clay brought me a Letter from the President of the Republic of Central
America, announcing the recall of Mr Cañaz
their Minister Plenipotentiary, and informed me that the Chargé
d’Affaires recently arrived wished to be introduced to me, and I
appointed to-morrow at one O’Clock to receive him.— Mr Clay read to me also the additional
paragraphs he had written for the Instruction to Mr
Gallatin, on the British Colonial Interdict— Major Vandeventer came with a
brief statement of the estimates from the War Department, for 1827.
compared with those of 1826. But the Reports from the various branches
of the Department are not yet ready— Mr Parmly came and completed
his operations upon my teeth— He declined taking pay, but asked me for a
recommendation. He is going soon to Charleston S.C. and will call again
tomorrow— In this and the three preceding days, I have signed 681.
Land-grants and 6. Virginia Military Land-warrants— Evening drowsy.