John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

508

19. V:30. Rain. Saturday.

Graham— George Baker Absalom Hayne— Robert Y. Davis— judge Porter— Eliphalet Richmond Smith— William M’Cord— Coll. Briggs— Revd. Mr Tayloe— Edward Bell— Samuel Rush— Richard

The weather deprived me again of my morning walk, as by the same cause I had lost that of yesterday morning— I walked out with George about a half an hour before dinner, and this was all the exercise, I could take in the day. The effect upon my Spirits superadded to that of the catarrhal cough which tortured me all the last Spring and is now returning upon me, is more than I can describe— Mr Graham the Commissioner of the General Land Office came for the Commissions of James P. Turner as Surveyor General of Lands South of Tennessee— He had applied for it at both the Department of State and of the Treasury; but it had not been found— It appeared by my Son John’s Record, that the Resolution of the Senate conferring the nomination, was sent to the Treasury Department the 29th. of February— Mr Graham said he would apply there again, and if it should not be found, another copy must be obtained from the Secretary of the Senate— Absalom Baker is an old Revolutionary Soldier who comes from the State of Illinois soliciting a pension from the Government, and contributions from individuals— While he was here, Mr Hayne the Senator from South-Carolina, came to introduce judge Davis from Columbia in that State— The old Soldier was lame from honourable wounds, but he became so loquacious, and so self-important in his patriotic dogmatism that I was obliged to call him out of my chamber, and furnish him with motives for going away. Mr Hayne and Mr Davis 509made a short visit— Dr Porter of Roxbury was here; to be present at the Ordination of Mr Burnap at Baltimore next Wednesday— He told me he was accompanied here by his niece, and by Mrs Harrington— Mr Richmond, was from Augusta; and had a horse which he wanted me to purchase for 200 dollars. Mr Smith, Senator from South Carolina, introduced to me Coll. M’Cord from that State, who said he had been introduced to me before— Mr Briggs is Minister of Lexington, Massachusetts, and brought me a Letter of introduction from Mr Edward Everett. He has been passing the winter in Georgia, for his health, and now on his return home traveling on horseback, and proceeding this day towards Baltimore, where he is to attend at the ordination of Mr Burnap— Edward T. Tayloe came to solicit an appointment as Secretary of Legation abroad— Mr Bell, Senator from New-Hampshire was here, and conversed with me on various political topics— The nomination of General Macomb as Major General, and the dissatisfaction it has given to General Harrison, and to his friends particularly of the Ohio and Indiana Delegations— He said he was aware, that no other of the four Candidates could have been appointed without producing still greater excitement, and dissatisfaction— He thought the choice upon which I had fixed was the best; but he believed if the question of abolishing the Office of Major General should come again before the Senate it would prevail— A Resolution to that effect had been moved in the House of Representatives by Lewis Williams, immediately after the death of General Brown— Since the nomination of Macomb it had been brought forward again; and may very possibly pass in the House— It would now have the appearance of a censure both upon Macomb, and his nomination—but the same disposition would have been aroused though in other individuals, by the nomination of either of the other competitors, and to the measure itself, whether adopted or rejected I attach little importance— Mr Bell spoke also of the appointment of a Minister to Great-Britain, and was very anxious that it might be delayed until the next Session of Congress— He mentioned also the proceedings in the Senate upon my message relating to the assault of Russell Jarvis upon my Secretary; and thinks that the opposition party will for the sake of their own credit, do something to manifest their disapprobation of his conduct— I have no belief that they well. They brought him here for the purpose of assassination, and they cannot punish him for labouring in the vocation to which they called him— My Son received this day a Letter from Mr M’Duffie Chairman of the Committee of the House of Representatives upon my Message requesting his attendance before the Committee next Monday Morning— Mr Rush was here, and mentioned that General S. Smith the Chairman of the Committee of the Senate upon Finance had called on him this morning and with professions of friendship read him the Report he was about to make for the Committee to the Senate upon the finances— It sustains altogether the views of Mr Rush’s annual Report, and so far counteracts the Report of the Committee of Ways and Means to the House of Representatives, made by Mr M’Duffie, and which was throughout a violent and uncandid attack upon Mr Rush’s Report. Foot-bath