r Calhoun, when this
morning I received from Governor Clark a Letter, shewing the whole
subject in an entirely new aspect. Flournoy appears to be one of Clark’s enemies, and
therefore attempted totally to exclude the Commissioners of
Georgia, appointed by Clark, from all participation in the
Treaty— He misrepresented a demand from the Georgia Commissioners for
information into a claim to hold the Treaty— There is a contempt of
principle in some of these Georgian partizans, against which it is
indispensable to be guarded. I immediately took Clark’s Letter over to
the President— Clark appeals to the promise, which I had made him with
the President’s approbation; that there should be a free co-operation of
the Commissioners of the United States with those of Georgia— The
President desired me to see and consult with the Secretary of War— I
called at Calhoun’s Office— We had some conversation, and then returned
to the President’s together. Calhoun appeared willing that the Georgia
Commissioners should themselves be appointed Commissioners on the part
of the United States— This Governor Clark had requested, and I was not
aware of any solid reason against it— But the President was averse to
it. He thought that as there was an interest of the Union involved,
distinct though not variant from that of Georgia, to make Georgians a
majority of the Commission would not be right— He thought also there was
deference due to Mr Crawford; not to put
advantages into the hands of persons opposed to him— The two
Commissioners on the part of the United States first appointed had
declined— Pickens of South
Carolina, last appointed, also declined— Another Commissioner was to be
proposed— After discussing various names, the President desired Calhoun
to see and propose it to-morrow Morning to George Graham— And it was agreed that Calhoun should
write to Flournoy, that the United States Commissioners must communicate
freely with those of Georgia—that I should write to the same effect to
Governor Clark; that I should send him a copy of the Instructions to
Flournoy, and Calhoun should send Flournoy a copy of my Letter to Clark—
This affair absorbed my Official day— I was obliged to direct a note to
be sent to Mr Canning postponing the interview, which I had
agreed to give him this day, until the day after to-morrow. I dined with
Mrs Adams and Mary
Hellen at W. S.
Smith’s— Charles
was to have been there, but did not come. He has an antipathy to going
into company, which gives me great concern— I am afraid his disposition
has too many of the faults of my own— Mrs
Smith had an Album, belonging to Miss Lee, a sister of Mrs Gales,
the wife of one of the Editors of the
National Intelligencer— There were between two of the
leaves, a sprig of myrtle in blossom 434and three
evergreen geranium leaves— There was something to be written in the
Album; which Mrs Smith and Mrs Adams after dinner teazed me to write—
Such challenges always mortify me, by testing a cold and sluggish
imagination— I generally resist them by a positive denial; but this Miss
Lee is a beautiful girl— Refusal would have been an acknowledgment of
inability the thought of which mortified me more than the manifestation
of it could do— I produce no impromptus— I racked my brain from dinner
to bed time— Mrs Adams took the Album home
with her, and I wrote the following lines to be covered with the
geranium leaves, and the myrtle.
her gentle hand
shall raise,
I consider this as one of the brightest of my poetical effusions, and it may serve as a sample for the rest. It will at least be the cause of wit in others, and breed better contributions for the Album.