13 February 1831
adams-john10 Neal Millikan Health and Illness Religion Unitarianism Seminole Wars Supreme Court US Constitution Anti-Slavery Movements
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13. VII Sunday.

Towson Coll. Nathan Lindley. Lundy Benjamin Sergeant John Everett Edward Peters Richard

Fahrenheit. 14— Sun rose 6:44.

Mrs Adams was very ill all Night: and extremely so in the course of this day— Sent for Dr. Huntt—who bled here— There were symptoms of the direction of the Erisypelas to the brain— She was somewhat relieved in the Evening. Coll. Townson called upon me just before Church-time this morning, with a request from Mr Calhoun, for the return of his papers. I gave them accordingly, together with my answer to his Letter to the Coll., who told me that Mr Martin had left the City last Evening as he had mentioned to me that he should— At the Unitarian Church I heard Mr Palfrey, from 1. Corinthians 15.53. [“]For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality”— A discourse upon the hopes and prospects of a future State— Sufficiently cold— Mr Seaton stop’d me after the service, and told me he had given a Letter of introduction to me to a young Quaker from North-Carolina who wished to visit me. I called at Gadsbys Hotel, and had a long conversation with Mr Wirt—who now lodges there— I had sent him an invitation to dine with us this day, 120which he declined— I told him of the correspondence which since I last saw him, had taken place between Mr Calhoun and me; and that he had yesterday sent me a part of the previous Correspondence, which I had read and sent back to him this Morning—but I observed that Mr Calhoun had withheld two important papers—one the Letter from General Jackson to Mr Monroe of 6. January 1818. and the other Crawford’s last Letter to Calhoun; which he sent me word he had returned to Crawford— Wirt said he had been mistaken with regard to the Letter from General Jackson; that it was not the original that he had seen but a copy: and that Calhoun had also kept a copy of the Letter from Crawford which he had returned— Mr Wirt’s recent communications with Calhoun have been verbal, and not by Letter— He has declined giving any statement of Crawford’s sayings and doings upon the Seminole Question; and says he has very freely given his opinion that he had blasted his prospects of future advancement forever— Calhoun nevertheless entertains very sanguine hopes— Wirt spoke to me also in deep concern and alarm, at the state of Chief Justice Marshall’s health— He is 75 years of age; and has until lately enjoyed fine health—exercised great bodily activity, and sustained an immense mass of bodily labour— His mind remains unimpaired but his body is breaking down— He has been 30 years Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and has done more to establish the Constitution of the United States on sound Construction than any other man living— The terror is that if he should be now withdrawn, some shallow-pated wild-cat like Philip P. Barbour, fit for nothing but to tear the Union to rags and tatters would be appointed in his place— Mr Wirt’s anticipations are gloomy, and I see no reasonable prospect of improvement— On returning home I found the young Quaker to whom Gales and Seaton had given a Letter of introduction—Lindley and another by the name of Benjamin Lundy Editor of a weekly paper, called the Genius of Universal emancipation— It was first published in Tennessee, afterwards in Baltimore and now comes out in this City— Its object is to promote the abolition of Slavery; of which Lundy freely expressed his confidence and hopes. J. Sergeant, Edward Everett and R. Peters dined with us.

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