Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 4
1832-05-04
Morning damp and rainy. After beginning Vasari’s life of Michael Angelo, which I found pretty hard though a little more entertaining, I went to the Office and passed my morning pretty much as usual. Accounts took up a part of it and the rest was spent either in reading the Newspapers or in talking with Mr. Peabody. The present state of political matters interests every body and my father’s singular1 course at Washington as usual gives occasion to remark. He stands very much as I thought he would and he hazards his peace of mind for the sake of operating upon a parcel of very indifferent characters. The more I see of politics, the more I am satisfied of their nature. Took a short walk.
As it cleared up I went to Quincy and superintended the planting of more trees and the arrangement of the Garden. I think I shall materially benefit the place by what I do. Returned home. Mr. Brooks was sitting with my Wife, and he took tea with us. On the whole we passed an unusually pleasant evening. I afterward went on with Julia Severa, which grows more interesting, and my usual exercises.
Probably to be understood in its original meaning of individual and independent. The immediate occasion of the observation is not clear. Since his return from the Philadelphia sittings of the Committee on the Bank of the United States, JQA had taken part frequently in the hearings on the charge of breach of privileges of the House against Sam Houston and in the debate on the Apportionment Bill, usually on procedural aspects (Daily National Intelligencer, 23–30 April passim). News of his objections to the presentation on 30 April of the report of the majority of the Committee on the Bank and of his dissent from that report would hardly have reached Boston by this date (same, 2 May, p. 2, col. 6; p. 3, col. 3).