Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 2
1826-01-23
At home all day, Blackstone, indolent, evening with the family, Executive records.1
Beginning with this entry and continuing until the summer of 1828 (see entry for 10 June 1828, below), CFA’s diary makes frequent reference to the “Executive Record” (or sometimes “Executive Records”). JQA allowed his son to earn his allowance by making a copy of the executive proceedings of the United States Senate, a record which was at this time unpublished but which was subsequently printed as the Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America: From the Commencement of the First, to the Termination of the Nineteenth Congress, 3 vols., Washington, 1828. The Adams Papers contain five large bound volumes of these transcripts (M/JQA/65–69, Adams Papers, Microfilms, Reel Nos. 257–261), of which all of Volumes 2–4 and part of Volume 1 are in CFA’s careful handwriting. The proceedings which CFA copied did not, like the
Annals of Congress
and the
Register of Debates in Congress
, contain speeches but were confined to a record of messages submitted by the Chief Executive and of motions and actions 29taken by the Senate on nominations, treaties, etc. For comment on these journals, see Laurence F. Schmeckebier and Roy B. Eastin, Government Publications and Their Use, Washington, 1961, p. 130–131.
1826-01-24
Morning at home, Blackstone, Beaumont and Fletcher, dinner, Mr. Elmsley, Nephew to Mr. Boylston, evening, walk.
1826-01-25
Morning at home, sudden death of the Coachman,1 Convention Journal,2 Beaumont and Fletcher, evening, a Drawing room.
“Our Coachman John Cook was found this morning dead in his bed” (JQA, Diary, 25 Jan. 1826).
JQA’s copy of the Journal, Acts and Proceedings of the Convention, Assembled at Philadelphia, Monday, May 14, and Dissolved Monday, September 17, 1787, Which Formed the Constitution of the United States, Boston, 1819, is in the Stone Library.
1826-01-26
Morning at home, Journal of the Convention, Debates on the Judiciary, Beaumont and Fletcher, evening, walk.
1826-01-27
Morning at home, Journal of the Convention, Debates on the Judiciary, dinner party at home, Mr. Bradley of Vermont.1
Biog. Dir. Cong.
).
1826-01-28
Morning at home, weather bad, finish Journal of Convention, Beaumont and Fletcher, evening, walk.
1826-01-29
Morning at home, letters to my Grandfather, and Richardson,1 evening at home, Executive Record.
Richardson’s letter is missing.
1826-01-30
At home all day, Snow storm, Federalist,1 Beaumont and Fletcher, dinner, Mr. E. J. Coale,2 Executive Records.
JQA’s two copies of The Federalist, published in New York in 1802, and in Washington in 1818, are in the Stone Library. Another copy of the 1818 edition is among JA’s books in the Boston Public Library (
Catalogue of JA’s Library
, p. 9).
Edward J. Coale served as com-30mercial agent for Russia and as vice-consul for Brazil in Baltimore (
Mass. Register, 1826, p. 212).