Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 6
1835-08-03
Cool morning. My father went to town with me. At the Office and House and such a variety of places that I had little or no time to spare. This mode of living in the Country makes time fly fast enough. After calling at the Advocate Office and a variety of other places I got back to my Office just in time to get through my Diary before my father was ready to return. He came to attend a Meeting of the Committee of 190Alumni, none of whom attended, so that his labour was in vain. Out to dinner.
Afternoon, I drew off the sketch I had made for a new Article in the Advocate. The only way is to follow up the thing and make an impression, to hammer into the public mind something which will break down the Whig party, that thing of shreds and patches which is more tyrannical where it has exclusive sway than any party that ever existed in this Government. I have now the right end of the Whip and mean to apply the lash. I have no favour to ask of any body and can do it if I develope the force God has given me. Evening, Madame Deffand who grows more and more amusing. Conversation. We had some rain.
1835-08-04
Our weather is singular at present. Quite cool and a shower of rain every day, but fine bracing weather. There is a talk of sickness and yellow fever in Boston but I cannot believe it. I remained in Quincy and amused myself all the morning upon the third Satire of Juvenal which I carefully reviewed.
The Newspapers came and contained my last number of the Appeal. Mr. Hallett in publishing it gives me a very handsome notice, for which I am much obliged.1 It is all the praise I shall probably get, unless I except what my father gives me.2 The Whigs are frightened at present, and show no play, even if they did there are some subjects too strong for their efforts and mine is one of them. Well, we must go on, and drive the party to the wall. We must raise up the Advocate out of it’s lethargic state and save it from death. I shall be content if the party is punished which has endeavoured to destroy all my father’s standing.
I read Thiers in the afternoon but stopped in order to join my father in a visit to his farm at Mount Wollaston. He wants to raise the rent upon the Tenant and is therefore called upon to specify repairs. To be sure they are needed. After looking over the place we returned to Tea and a party at Mr. Beale’s in the evening. Quincy people altogether. Mr. and Mrs. Miller and the Greenleafs. Home early and fatigued.
The “Essays of the True Whig” was Hallett’s heading for his editorial comment in the Advocate on “An Appeal”: “A series of more able papers on matters of high constitutional construction, have not appeared in any paper, since the eventful period of the revolution, and the establishment of the constitution....
“If here is not a just and true construction of the constitution, then no such construction can be established by the most venerated authorities. The ob-191ject of the writer has evidently been one of high moment.... It involves the question of a change in the fundamental principles which separate the different branches of our government; for if the executive patronage bill becomes settled as a principle, the entire character of the executive and legislative departments must be changed.” (4 Aug., p. 2, col. 3.)
The nature of the praise from JQA may be inferred from two entries in his Diary: “These papers contain a critical review of Daniel Webster’s last Winter’s Speech upon J. C. Calhoun’s Patronage Bill. Since the Government of the United States, there has not been so dangerous an assault upon the Constitution as that Bill.... Webster’s Speech ... carried it through. That Speech has been thoroughly exposed, and the principles of the Constitution have been vindicated in these papers written entirely by my Son Charles”; and “These papers are well written and form a defence ... against one of the most formidable and pernicious assaults