Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 2
1827-07-31
Take leave of Mary C. Hellen. Journey to Baltimore with my Father. I receive some information concerning his appointments to public stations, in order to gratify a request of Mr. Southard’s to me. Incident at Merrill’s Tavern. We fall in with an Administration County Committee who were gathered together to hear Mr. Clay’s Speech at Lexington which has just reached us and which is producing a great effect.1 My father went through an introduction of each individual, by Mr. Proud2 who seemed to be their chief man, and after dining we left them, previously taking a parting glass of wine with them.
At Baltimore, Mr. Coale came with an Invitation for me for the following day which I of course declined.
On 12 July, in a speech at Lexington, Ky., Henry Clay had replied to “the vilest calumnies” of the Jackson men (see entry of 8 July, and note, above), declaring that he had voted against Jackson in the recent presidential election because “I believed him incompetent and his election fraught with danger. . . . I believe so yet.” See The Life and Speeches of Henry Clay, N.Y., 1844, 1:285–322.
John G. Proud, of Waterloo (Fifth Census of the U.S., 1830: Fifth Election District, Anne Arundel co., p. 168, microfilm of MS, MdHi).