Morning clear, warm and very pleasant. Occupied myself this morning in my usual way. Read a large part of the first Olynthiac of Demosthenes, in which he tries to encourage the People of Athens in their struggle with Philip. He uses in this a figure which struck me before in the Oration for the Crown. Here it is amplified—The pains and aches which remain concealed in a healthy body, but break forth again upon the Attack of any new Disease. Is not this coming close to the border of the Rule as to unpleasant objects?1 I also read attentively the Numbers of the Federalist written by Mr. Madison upon the powers and nature of the Government of the United States. They certainly qualify my Father’s position in his late Oration and increase my doubts formerly entertained of the solidity of it.2 I mean to say that though I think the argument he urges is eminently necessary for the safety of the Union, yet that it was not at the time of the formation of the System the intent of its makers to rest upon it.

Afternoon, read a part of the letters to Atticus, but I am so little provided with the necessary Notes and explanations here, that I do not take their force so fully. Bacon’s Essay on Discourse, which contains a great deal of sense, as usual. This little book might be made a practical guide for human conduct though not always for good. The wheat must be winnowed.

Evening at home. Conversation with my Mother. I communicated to her my father’s proposition and talked with her over it. I have reflected upon it considerably. Yet it is hardly of importance until we shall see what a month may bring forth. The objections I find rest in my political opinions, and in my father’s decided temper which leads him to neglect tact, and make the prospects of the paper’s support suffer. These may be avoided if I can obtain the management of i.e. obtain management for the fiscal concerns and confine myself to the literary portion of the Paper in the editorial department. On the other hand the advantages are numerous. It will give me an employ-142ment, at once creditable and useful, perhaps profitable, and it may enable me to obtain reputation sooner than in the beaten road.

Read the Affairs of 1830 in the Cyclopedia, finishing the first Volume, and the Spectator.

Morning cloudy and cold, threatening an unpleasant day, but it cleared away and was on the whole pleasant enough. My Wife is now suffering from a boil on her Nose. A thing calculated to try her patience considerably, though perhaps not otherwise serious.

I read in the morning the remainder of the first and part of the second Olynthiac, and was struck with the philosophical character of the remarks they contain. The want of this is an objection made by my father to the style of this Orator, but I cannot think there is any soundness in it. To be sure we never have the Dissertations which Cicero calls common places, but it is a question by no means settled whether they, however beautiful they may be, are not out of place. I also read with attention the numbers of the Federalist which treat of the powers conferred in the various Articles of the Constitution upon the National Government, all of which numbers strange to say, are the composition of Mr. Madison. It is perhaps a pity that Mr. Hamilton did not contribute one or two of these, as it is now highly desirable that the opinions of the framers should be known, and Hamilton was understood to differ somewhat in several doctrines from his coadjutor.

Spent half an hour in the Garden giving directions about the fruit for next year. Afternoon, reading the Letters to Atticus, and noticing the great trepidation in which the Writer was at the breaking out of the civil war, and his vacillation about the proper course for him to pursue. Had he possessed any military ability he might have settled the Republic himself. Every thing combined in his favour. A Consular Government, a Parthian invasion just alarming enough to authorize him to keep a large army on foot, and great personal popularity. But the vis was not in him. He was therefore floated about at the mercy of the winds which blew upon him from different quarters.

Evening, Mr. T. B. and Miss E. C. Adams came down, and we had music1 and a pleasant time. I continued the Review of Events in 1830 and read the Spectator. Also Bacon’s Essay on Plantations, which with some truth contains many errors.