Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 2

8th. JQA

1788-01-08

8th. Adams, John Quincy
8th.

It snow'd all the forenoon; but as the weather kept continually moderating, in the afternoon it began to rain, and before the weather cleared up, the snow was almost gone. I went with Townsend, and drank coffee at Mr. Thompson's. His son goes to Boston to-morrow. I gave him my letter for Cranch: after we went from there, we called in at Putnam's lodgings and found Captain Noyes there. Mr. Townsend soon went away. I sat there till after nine o'clock; and heard the doleful story of the Clock upon Mr. Murray's meeting house, which the other night, kept striking without ceasing almost the whole night; and how it is an indisputable omen, foreboding the death of the Parson, who is very sick.

Superstition and bigotry, will ever be inseperable compan-342ions: and they are always the tyrants of a mean and contracted mind.

9th. JQA

1788-01-09

9th. Adams, John Quincy
9th.

This day our State convention is to meet in Boston for the purpose of assenting to and ratifying, the federal Constitution. The members from this Town, went for Boston yesterday, except Mr. Parsons, who will go to-morrow. The conjectures concerning the issue of their debates, are different, according to the dispositions of the speculators. Some think there will be a great majority for adopting the Constitution, while others hope, the opposite party will greatly preponderate. In the evening I play'd with Mr. Parsons at back-gammon, and was beat by him. After leaving the office, I pass'd the remainder of the evening with Townsend, at Mrs. Hooper's.

10th. JQA

1788-01-10

10th. Adams, John Quincy
10th.

Between eleven and twelve Mr. Parsons, went for Boston; Amory goes with him in a Chaise as far as Salem: from whence he will proceed in the Stage. I went this evening to Dr. Swett's with the Intention to pass the evening there, but neither the Doctor nor his Lady were at home; I called upon Putnam, and would have gone with him to Mr. Bradbury's; but they were all out. I met Little in the Street, he came home with me, and sat half an hour.

The convention, met at Boston yesterday. About 300 members present; They chose Mr. Hancock president, and as his infirmities are such as will probably prevent him frequently from attending, Judge Cushing was chosen vice-president. But they have not yet proceeded to business of any consequence. Nor does it appear, which party is most likely to prevail: from which we may perhaps infer that in either case, the majority will be small.

11th. JQA

1788-01-11

11th. Adams, John Quincy
11th.

From the office this afternoon I went with Townsend to his lodgings, and there past a couple of hours; after which I went in to Mr. Tufts's, spend the remainder of the evening, and supp'd there. I found Mr. I. Smith there, and conversed with him upon the subject of the late disturbances at college. He hinted to me, 343that one of my brothers, had been much irritated, and that he was suspected of being peculiarly active upon some of the late occasions.1 I hope however there was no just ground for their suspicions.2

1.

See entry for 2 Feb. (below).

2.

Beginning on this date and continuing until 31 Dec., JQA also wrote in another Diary, designated by the Adams' editors as D/JQA/13, consisting of line-a-day memoranda written on blank pages in his copy of Fleet's Pocket Almanack and Massachusetts Register for 1788, Boston, [1788]. This leather-bound volume, measuring 3¼ × 5½, also contains notes from JQA's readings and lines of poetry. These entries occasionally add some small detail to the fuller entries contained in D/JQA/12. Significant additions are mentioned in the notes.