Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 2
1788-02-02
I dined with Walker at Mr. Thaxter's. My brother's both dined at Mr. White's. In the afternoon, we rode again in sleighs upon the river as far as we went yesterday. We had a number of songs, somewhat in the Collegiate stile; but in order to be exemplary return'd home quite early in the evening. Mr. Thaxter lives very agreeably, and has retracted his theory with respect to matrimony: and indeed I believe our sex are not less prone than the other to profess a System, which in fact, we wholly disbelieve.
Mrs. Shaw shew me a letter which she has been writing to Walker; and I am in hopes it may have a good effect upon him. If he has any sensibility, or any principles remaining he must be affected by it.
I had with Mr. Shaw some conversation upon the subject of 356the disorders which happened at College, in the course of the last quarter: his fears for my brothers are greater than mine: I am perswaded that Charles did not deserve the suspicions which were raised against him: and I have great hopes that his future conduct, will convince the governors of the University, that he was innocent.1
On 29 Nov., after Thanksgiving dinner, a number of students engaged in a disturbance in the college dining hall in which they broke windows and furniture. All students who could not prove that they had left the hall were charged for the damages. Several students, including CA, who served as waiters in the dining hall were especially singled out for not giving evidence against their fellow students concerning the disorder and were dismissed from their jobs (MH-Ar: Faculty Records, 5:278–279).