Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 6

Tuesday. 17th. CFA

1836-05-17

Tuesday. 17th. CFA
Tuesday. 17th.

Morning warmer. I went out with the children, but Louisa seems quite poorly. After a little run on the common, I went to the Office. Conversation with Mr. Everett upon the extraordinary course of the Globe against my father. He showed me a letter received from him last Saturday1 before this last event, in which I see clearly an approximation towards Mr. Webster and the Whig policy in the House. This is what I have been fearing and it shows the necessity of my keeping free from party engagement.

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Visits from I. P. Davis about my Picture of my Grandfather,2 and from Ruf. Davis the Revolutionary veteran as well as a tenant. Nothing new. Home, read Livy—Minucius, Fabius Cunctator &ca. Afternoon, reading Sismondi and Ariosto. I am out of humour with Forster who germanizes. My spirits a little depressed—Why or wherefore I cannot clearly imagine.

This political turmoil is the uneasiest sphere in which to live that can be conceived—I mean to keep out of it. Evening at home with my Wife. Conversation until nine, when I made another attempt to write to my father which I did not leave until I signed my name.3 That is the only way.

1.

Probably JQA to A. H. Everett, 10 May (DLC; printed in AHR , 11:349–352 [Jan. 1906]).

2.

That is, the Gilbert Stuart 1823 portrait of JA, on which see vol. 2:426–430; Oliver, Portraits of JA and AA , p. 188–191.

3.

18 May (Adams Papers).

Wednesday. 18th. CFA

1836-05-18

Wednesday. 18th. CFA
Wednesday. 18th.

Morning warm. I went to the Office, spending the previous hour in copying my letter instead of going out. Louisa is out with the measles. This is a complaint about which we feel anxious although as yet every thing, thank Heaven, is tolerably favorable. Occupied at the Office in looking over my Accounts preparing for the year’s winding up. This kept me most of my time.

Accounts come this day from Texas of a most extraordinary character—It is hardly possible to believe the extent of the triumph which has been reported to have been gained.1 And General Houston is too much of a blockhead to have done any thing half so effective. Walk. Home Livy. Received a letter from my father requesting me to procure for him extracts from his Diary at Quincy relating to the controversy at present in question.2 I shall go tomorrow.

Afternoon, Sismondi, Ariosto but mainly copying my long Letter which I finished. Evening, Elizabeth C. Adams came to stay with us. Mr. De Wint and his daughter who came to meet their son returning home from school, spent the evening with us. Afterwards, Swift.

1.

The New York papers of 17 May carried unauthenticated reports originating in the New Orleans papers of 3 May of the capture of Gen. Santa Anna (Daily Centinel and Gazette, 19 May, p. 2, col. 1).

2.

Under continued attack from the Administration and its spokesmen through the Globe challenging the accuracy of JQA’s account of Jackson’s part in approving the Mexican boundary (above, 13 May, note), JQA now called upon CFA to provide him with all material relating to the Florida Treaty to be found in his diary and letterbooks for Feb. 1819 (to CFA, 15 May, Adams Papers).

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