4 April 1835
adams-john10 Neal Millikan Press Foreign Relations
530

4. V:30. Saturday

Scott Winfield. Genl

I make for myself occupations which absorb all my time, leaving none for others which ought not to be neglected— I forgot to call again this morning at Mrs Wolfendens as I had promised but did call at the Intelligencer Office, with fifty written directions to members of the 531late House of Representatives, to be pasted in before the title page of the Copies of the La Fayette Oration, to be sent to them in my name. At the Congress Library I met Mr William Pitt Adams of the British Legation— I took out The History of the Revolution of 1688 by Sir James Mackintosh, and Hallam’s Constitutional History of England. my object was to ascertain if I could find in them any discussion upon the division of powers in Government—but I had not time for sufficient consultation I looked into Cooper’s Translation of Justinian’s Institutes for definitions— But under the denomination of Law, he includes the Plebiscitum, the Senatus Consultum, the Principis Mandatum, and even the Responsa Prundentium— After returning home I looked into Horace, for the division of Powers and found, in the Epistle to Augustus

Cum tot sustineas, et tanta negotia, solus, Res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes, Legibus emendes—

here is Legislative—Executive—and Moral authority, all exercised by one man, but with the distinction between them explicitly drawn— I was anxious to see how Pope had applied these Lines to George the second.

While you, great Patron of Mankind! sustain The balanc’d world, and open all the main; Your country, chief in arms abroad defend At home, with morals, arts and Laws amend;—

fulsome enough in all conscience—what he means by opening all the main I cannot exactly tell— Chief in Arms is Montesquieu’s executive for the Laws of Nations— But Horace does not confine the defence of arms to agency abroad; nor does he say any thing of Amendment in Arts— There was a heavy thunderstorm this Evening; followed by a Northeast gale—in the midst of which I had a visit from General Scott. He thinks that if Edward Livingston’s Letters communicated to Congress on the 6th. of February in answer to my call, should reach France before the Appropriation for indemnity is made, or if the Peel and Wellington Ministry should be dismissed the French chamber of deputies will not make the appropriation at-all. The General was quite studiously civil—

A A