John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

453 Saturday 1. March 1828.

1. V. Sun rose 6:23. Walk round Capitol Square.

Thompson Wiley Brook Another Robertson James jr Allen William H Bull of Ohio     of Tennessee Green Archer— William S Barbour James Cutts. Richard Hull. Isaac Harbison. Mrs Massy Whittlesey— Elisha

Mr Thompson, a member of the House of Representatives from Georgia, introduced two of his Constituents, one of them named, I think, Brook; the other, I did not retain— Mr Thompson has a hectic cough, from which he says he does not expect to recover— Mr Robertson the Collector at Petersburg, Virginia, was here, and W. H. Allen of Florida, with a Mr Bull of Ohio. One of the members from Tennessee, perhaps Mr Blair, introduced a man from that State, by the name of Green— Mr Archer, member of the House from Virginia, came to speak of the appointment of Major General, and of his friend and constituent General Scott— He said that although younger than the General, he had been his Schoolmate and was his friend— He had felt it due to him, to enquire whether any measure on the part of his friends would be necessary to present the merits of his claim to promotion— I said that for the present, there would not— That General Gaines had been here in person to urge his claims. I had told him, that if I should ultimately come to decide between him, and General Scott, I should not make up my mind against the Latter, without giving him the same opportunity of representing his claims, personally or in writing— But there were other competitors for the Office; in and out of the Army—and there were propositions before both Houses of Congress for abolishing the place altogether— Until they should be disposed of, I should make no nomination; and if the Office should be retained, the question will not be decided without long discussion, nor within time to deprive General Scott of the opportunity to say all that he may wish in support of his own pretensions— Mr Archer said he had expected this would be my course and was satisfied with it. Mr Whittlesey, a member of the House from Ohio, came to enquire concerning the case of Robert Eaton, an old petitioner for the remission of penalty; but the papers relating to it could not immediately be found. Governor Barbour called and spoke of his Report to the House of Representatives, in answer to a call, concerning the appointment of Cadets—from which it appears that Mr Calhoun while Secretary of War had made appointments not only for the year 1825—all to take effect after he left the Department; but for the years 1826, 1827, and one for the year 1828. and this is the president of the Senate, who declines calling to order a drunken ribald, of a member, for want of authority, and the political puritan, who proposes to the deaf and dumb, to define the distinction between power and right. I asked Governor Barbour about the pettish Resolution offered yesterday by Wickliffe, to the House. He said that the papers called for by the Resolution of 19. December 1826 had been all prepared, and ready to be sent as long since as the close of the last Session of Congress— But that from inadvertence the Resolution had not been recollected at this Session, and that was the only reason why they had not been sent— Mr Cutts the second Comptroller called with a budget of Accounts, of Indian Agents, which he thought exceptionable— There was one particularly of John Crowell, the Agent with the Creeks, in which were numerous and somewhat heavy charges, all recommended for allowance by M’Kenney; but which Mr Cutts thought inadmissible, and which Cutts said were not warranted by any usage. He repeatedly stated that these Indian contingencies were the only accounts upon which the Administration would be vulnerable; and they would be so, if M’Kenney should be allowed his range unchecked— He was traceable every-where, and no where responsible— I disliked myself the appearance of the charges to which he objected advised him to remain firm to his duty; and requested him to make out in writing a Statement of all the points upon which he thought a controul of the expenditures was necessary. He promised that he would. Mrs Massy Harbison, announced herself as the widow of a Soldier in General St. Clair’s army, when he was defeated by the Indians in November 1791— She has published a small book containing an account of her sufferings from Indian captivity after that Disaster, and the murder by the Savages of two of her infant children before her face— She said her husband had a pension, from 454the United States, till his death, a few years since, and that she had come here with the hope of obtaining some assistance from the Government, or at least some aid from individuals by the sale of her book— She had a wish to see Mrs Adams, who was now too unwell to receive her; but who I said if she would call again some day next week, would if well enough, gladly see her— Commodore Hull was also here—he came from Philadelphia with Mr H. Allen, and having now a project to go and pass a year or two in Europe, hinted to me a wish to be employed by the Government to visit the naval Arsenals there.