John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

23. IV:15. Monday. Sun rose 4.42. Garden. Ride and Swim.

For the benefit of my health I began this day to combine the river bath and the ride— Rode to the Rock near the Bridge— Swam about ten minutes; and then rode again, round the Capitol Square home— Labour in the garden is a third expedient of exercise to which I shall perhaps hereafter resort— I have not yet ventured to undertake it— My complaints result from Sedentary habits, for which laborious and hardy exercise is the best remedy— I visited this morning the garden. It is said in the Letter about the Lucombe Oak in Evelyn. Vol. 1. p. 75 that other Oaks shoot twice in the year—in May and August— My Oaks in the Garden have put out yet only one shoot, from two to three inches long, and then spread out their leaves like the Petals of a flower— Most of the leaves are of the rock chesnut kind; and in the Nursery many of them have already put out a second shoot, some of them being at least a foot tall. The first appearance of the second shoot in some of them is in the form of miniature leaves of the light Strawberry colour. The first growth of Rock chesnut leaves, have in many of these plants spread out to their full size as on the tree, and the second shoot putting out smaller leaves, gives the whole plant the appearance of Stages one above another like a Chinese Pagoda. I planted two whole Cherries in box N. 5. 584Mr Thomas S. Mitchel came for an answer to the application for the appointment of Richard Butt, as a Justice of the Peace in the neighbourhood of the Poor house— I had not obtained the information necessary to judge of the expediency of the appointment, and asked Mr Mitchel to call in a few days upon Mr Brent at the Department of State— He was afterwards here, and said he could not find upon enquiry who any of the applicants were— Mr Rush called, and soon went to attend the adjourned meeting of the Stock holders of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal— He spoke of the necessity of employing further clerical aid, for the execution of the Act for the relief of the revolutionary Officers and Soldiers— He proposed to refer it all to Asbury Dickins, and to allow him extra-compensation for that extra-service— I told him that to this there was an express prohibition of Law, in the Act of 20. April 1818. which I read to him— I advised him to engage all necessary Clerk-hire; but to observe the limitations of the Law. He still inclined to leave it to Dickins, and rely upon an appropriation by Congress to grant him the extra-compensation— Mr. Fullerton called with Judge Clark the newly appointed Treasurer of the United States— I mentioned to him the public convenience which would be served by his entering on the execution of his Office on the first of next Month— So that his Accounts as Treasurer might commence with the quarter. Mr Fendall was here, and I asked him for a printed copy of the Laws of the last Session which he afterwards sent me so far as they have been printed in the pamphlet— Mr Levy the Consul at St. Thomas called, and renewed his old complaint that the Government of the Island would not allow him to receive and keep the Registers of Vessels of the United States arriving there. I desired him to renew the representation in writing— General Porter, brought me a fresh Letter from General Scott— He says he is distressed and embarrassed by my reiterated decisions against him. That he cannot obey the commands of his junior and inferior officer— That he intends to apply for redress in some form to Congress; and he asks a furlough of six or nine Months for that purpose. As this is an affair in which I deem it necessary to take every step with deliberation, I desired General Porter to give notice to the other members of the Administration of a meeting on the subject at one O’Clock to-morrow; and in the mean time to communicate General Scott’s Letter to Mr Rush, and Mr Southard— General Porter brought also the Reports of the two Commissioners under the 7th. Article of the Treaty of Ghent; and shewed me on a small map the Island concerning the possession of which they differed— He charges unfairness upon the British Commissioner Barclay, and proposed that Major Delafield should make a supplementary written statement in reply to the misrepresentations of Mr Barclay to which I agreed— Mr Brent sent me several despatches received since Mr Clay’s departure yesterday Morning—among them Letters from William B. Rochester, Charge d’Affaires to Guatemala; who has returned and landed at Savannah— The Republic of Central America is in a state of civil War, and the Government is virtually dissolved— There was a recommendation respectably signed recommending William Hebb for the appointment of a Justice of the Peace, and I directed a Commission for him to be made out— Miss Matilda Pleasonton dined with us. Mrs Adams is winding silk from several hundred Silkworms, that she has been rearing; and I am engaged in a long correspondence with my Son Charles, and now much involved in giving him an analysis of Cicero’s Oration for Roscius of Ameria— I have continued to this time, writing almost every day, an hour or two of the Evening. But as the Summer is coming this will be impracticable.