John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

4. V. Round Capitol Square— Rain— Fog.

Having purchased a copy of Rees’s Cyclopaedia, the American Edition, I sent for Mr Este the Book binder, and gave him a direction for binding them— They were published in Numbers, somewhat confusedly: 87 Livraisons in the whole— Four of which are collections of Plates, Lettered A. B. C. and D. and the rest forming forty one Volumes, each in two Parts, and the 83d. part containing the Title pages to all the Volumes, the Preface, and Indexes of References to the Plates. Many of these were published also with each separate number, and the whole constitute Six Volumes. The whole work is therefore in 47— Mr Kane, a Senator from Illinois, came with Mr Stansbury whose object was to apply for a vacant Indian subagency for his Son— Mr Marvin, member of the House came to enquire concerning the Petition and papers of a man named Sheldon, imprisoned in the Western part of New-York for debt to the United States— Mr Sloane, Member from Ohio, called to recommend the final fixation of the Land Office at Tiffin— At one O’Clock Mr Clay came and introduced Baron Krudener, the Russian Minister, who delivered to me a Letter in Russian with a French Translation, from the Emperor Nicholas, announcing the birth, on the 9th (21st) of September of a Grand Duke named Constantine— On presenting the Letter the Baron said it had been despatched under a persuasion that the information of an Event so interesting as well to the domestic happiness of the Emperor, as to the stability of his Government. I answered by assuring him of the pleasure with which I received this communication— I added that the Government of the United States took a deep and cordial interest in every thing that affected the happiness of the Emperor, as well in his family, as in the affairs of his People, and that they judged no Event could more auspiciously contribute to this effect, than this accession to the Imperial family; none could therefore be more gratifying to them— He said he Should take the highest satisfaction in transmitting to his Government these Assurances— I then asked him how he found this climate agree with his health— He answered well; and said he would encourage himself in the expectation that it would so continue, notwithstanding the warnings that he had received—and they were many— He lamented that his hearing had so much suffered, as to deprive him of much satisfaction, and of the means of making himself so agreeable as he would desire— He comes with numerous testimonials, to the pleasantness of his character, and goodness of 388his disposition— Mr George Tucker called to take leave—being about to return to his duty as a Professor at the University of Virginia. He spoke of two recent works, of which he acknowledged himself to be the other—one a novel called the Valley of the Shenandoah, which he said he had written in two Months; and the other a Voyage to the Moon— Of which his publisher P. Thompson, had by his direction sent me a Copy. But I had not known from whom it came; nor that he was the author of it. He said his object in the Valley of the Shenandoah was to paint the manners of that part of Virginia— That no notice of the Book had been taken in this Country, not so much as in a Newspaper— That he had therefore been the more gratified on learning that a translation of it had been published in France— Mr Garnsey, Member of the House of Representatives from New-York, came with the Revd. Eleazar Williams from Green-Bay, and Dr Jemison, both half breed and educated Indians of the Seneca tribe— Mr Williams brought a Letter from Mrs Boyd to Mrs. Adams; and a Letter of earnest recommendation to me, from Bishop Hobart— They came to repeat and renew the remonstrance by the Seneca Indians against the Treaty of the last Summer with the Winebago Indians, who they insist have now ceded to the United States, the same Lands which they had already Sold, to them. I referred them upon this, to the Secretary of War. Jemison brought me a Letter introductory from Mr Southard. He is a candidate for an appointment of Assistant Surgeon in the Navy— We had our weekly dinner party— Philip P. and Mrs Barbour and their two daughters, John Barney, David Barton, Thomas H. Blake, William L and Mrs Brent, John H. Bryan, William Creighton junr., Thomas W. Cobb, William Drayton, Henry W. Dwight, Jacob C. Isacks, Richard Keese, Joseph Lawrence, Isaac Leffler, John Maynard, Alfred H. Powell, Benjamin Ruggles, Horatio Seymour, Peleg Sprague John B. Sterigere, Henry W. and Mrs Storrs, Joseph M. and Mrs White and Miss Perry, Charles A. Wickliffe, Levi and Mrs Woodbury; with seven in the family 36 at table. I sent yesterday the Message N. 3. to Congress with the annual Report of the Commissioner of the Public Buildings; and this day Message N. 11 to the Senate, and Correspondence with the British Government concerning Light Houses in the Gulph of Mexico.