- Giusta Antoine M.
- Lincoln Solomon
- Barnard Daniel D.
- Winthrop Robert C.
- Hallowell Benjamin
- Stabler William
- Henderson John
- Monroe James
- Green Willis
Mild and fair day. The Snow gradually melting away— I called this morning
on my neighbour Mr Daniel D. Barnard, and returned the manuscript
of his Lecture on the Morals of Politics— I had some conversation with
him upon our political prospects concerning which I feel far more
solicitude than hope— Barnard is one of the ablest men of the whig
party. His principles generally are of the best; dashed with errors the
more dangerous because honestly entertained, and rooted in a profound
and vigorous mind. I paid morning visits to Mr Henry Clay lodging at
Mrs
Arguelles’s and to Mr Solomon Lincoln, at Brown’s hotel.— While I was at Mr Clays, numerous other visitors came in,
among whom the Russian Minister
Bodisco, whom Mr Clay bantered
coarsely about his marriage last Spring, with a young girl at Georgetown, daughter
of a clerk in one of the public offices
named Williams. Bodisco took Clay’s greasy jokes very good
humouredly, and with no small self complacency assured him that all was
right— Clay said he had visited Mr Van Buren’s yesterday and
had an hour’s conversation with him on the issue of the Presidential
Election— Mr Clay further told us that
before leaving home he had seen the President elect Harrison, and that he looked well, though
somewhat shattered— At Mr Lincoln’s room I
met Mr
Webster, Governor
Lincoln, and Robert C.
Winthrop. I called at the Office of the Attorney General Gilpin who informed me
that he had seen the President of the United States, concerning the case
of the Amistad negroes, and he had concluded that the case could not be
dismissed from the Supreme Court without an argument because the
Spanish Minister insisted on
the delivery up of the men as slaves to be sent to the Havana, as
Slaves—and further that the motion to dismiss the case was made in the
Circuit Court, and there refused— I said that the refusal of the Circuit
Court to dismiss the cause seemed no reason for precluding the
dismission of it from the Supreme Court, and that the Spanish Minister
had not only not demanded the delivery of the men as Slaves, but had
explicitly so demanded them as Assassins— He said there was a subsequent
Letter from the Spanish Minister in April last insisting upon the
delivery of the men as Slaves, upon the principles of certain
Resolutions of the Senate, adopted at their last Session— I denied the
right of the Spanish Minister to claim them as property—the pretended
owners having claimed them—and not having appealed from the decision—
Mr Giplin had also the papers from the
Secretary of the Treasury
respecting the purchase of the Schooner Amistad before him but did not
appear to understand the question. Mr
Solomon Lincoln, Mr Barnard and Mr Winthrop dined with us— My wife keeps her chamber.
Mr
Hallowell, and Mr Stabler were visitors from
Alexandria, to solicit a Lecture.