Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 2
1826-07-26
Rode to Baltimore. Arrived before dinner, and spent a dull and disagreeable afternoon in performing a painful duty of making my last remonstrance to this journey. But it was of no avail whatever. My own spirits dreadfully depressed. In the evening company came in.1
In D/CFA/1, CFA recorded that a visit from LCA’s niece, Mrs. George H. Newman, the former
1826-07-27
Went to Philadelphia in the Steamboats, taking the land passage in our own carriage. The passage was very dull as we found no acquaintances on board. Stopped at the Mansion House.
1826-07-28
In Philadelphia until 12 o’clock. Dr. Huntt and Capt. Read of the Navy, visitors. Went down in the boat as far as we could go and left Madame &c. to go to Bordentown. I took the Stage and rode on as far as New Brunswick. Dr. Huntt in company.
1826-07-29
Steamboat into New York. I made an acquaintance in a Methodist parson from Missouri. A very well disposed man to all appearance. He talked politics, and asked me to correspond with him, gave me his address. Revd. James Keyte, St. Louis, Missouri. Spoke of Benton and his prospects, said Scott would probably lose his election although his opponent was not inimical to the administration. So far he has been right.1 Dr. Huntt went on in the Eastern boat. In the evening I went to the Canal Street Theatre with Watkins who is here on duty in his new capacity of Lieutenant of Marines. The melodrama of the Ruffian boy was performed, I was extremely inattentive.2
Senator Thomas Hart Benton and Representative John Scott were up for reelection in Missouri. One-time allies, they disagreed over JQA’s election to the Presidency and his later policies. Declaring against the administration, Benton won his election, but Scott was replaced by Edward Bates, who belonged to no party but admired Jeffersonianism and supported JQA. See William N. Chambers, Old Bullion Benton, Boston, 1956, p. 91–145. CFA did keep in touch with Mr. Keyte by sending him a copy of JQA’s annual message (10 Dec. 1826, LbC, Adams Papers).
Charles Dibdin’s The Ruffian Boy was playing at the Lafayette Theater, on the west side of Laurens Street near Canal Street. See D/CFA/1 under this date, and Hornblow, Theater
, 2:13.
1826-07-30
Conversation with Satterlee Clark who is attacking Mr. Pleasonton 70in the papers.1 A very singular man, he professes to be very friendly to me and certainly he has very quickly taken up the cudgels for me in answer to a scurrilous piece which appeared in a scurrilous paper just established in this city called Coram’s Champion referring to my last visit to New York.2 Paine Todd, a nephew of Madison’s was here too. I don’t know where I first knew him but I recollect his face of old. Morning passed in a course of lounging. Todd asked me to go over and dine with Col. Smith of the Marine Corps3 which I accepted but owing to a misunderstanding respecting the hour, I thought he had left me and so dined at home. Weed came in and James Baker who is staying upon Long Island with his wife and child for the benefit of the latter. Having nothing else to do Weed and I rode over to see her and spent the afternoon at the place, called the Bath house on the sea shore.
Stephen Pleasanton, the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury Department (Lanman, Biographical Annals
, p. 509).
Few issues of the semi-weekly paper, Coram’s Champion, are extant. CFA was disturbed enough by the story to defend himself in a letter to his father. Only JQA’s reply has survived: “I well knew that the foolish and malicious newspaper paragraph concerning you was without foundation. Our Grub Street is wider than that of London. Coram and Noah, may look for a purchaser and the Messiah, in company. They will find both at the same time” (JQA to CFA, 13 Aug. 1826, Adams Papers).
Captain Richard Smith of the Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel by brevet since 1825 (Force, National Calendar, 1828, p. 229).