John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

127 Cincinnati Thursday 9. November 1843.

9. IV. Thursday

I rose again at four, and before breakfast, finished the address to be delivered at the laying of the corner stone— A succession of visitors, invitations and deputations ensued till ten O’Clock when a dense crowd of people gathered in the Street fronting the Henry house, and the procession of the members of the Astronomical Society was formed— An open Barouche with four horses was at the door; into which I entered with judge Burnet the President of the Society, Professor O. M. Mitchel, and . This was followed by other Carriages, an escort of Military companies with a band of music, and an innumerable crowd of people. As we entered the Carriage it began to rain, and we were obliged to raise the sides over our heads for shelter, and exclude the sight of me from the people and of the people from me— The procession marched round sundry streets, the rain increasing till it poured down in torrents. Yet the throng in the Streets seemed not at all to diminish— It looked like a sea of mud— The ascent of the hill was steep and slippery for the horses, and not without difficulty attained— The summit of the hill was a circular plain of which the corner stone was the centre. At the circumference, a stage was erected from which my discourse was to have been delivered; but the whole plain was covered with an auditory of Umbrella’s instead of faces. It was then determined that the discourse should be delivered to morrow morning in the Westleyan Methodist chapel, and the corner stone now laid; which ceremony I performed; and read the address which I had written last evening and this morning, to which the circle of hearers gathered around responded by three hearty cheers— My manuscript was so defaced by the rain, that it was scarcely illegible— The procession then dispersed and the Barouche returned and landed me at the Henrie house, leaving the only part of the ceremony important to me still to be performed— In the evening there was a temperance tea-party given by the Ladies of Cincinnati, and to which I had been invited by Mrs Burnet, Mrs Staughton and Mrs. Beecher.— It was held in a large theatre into which an old dwelling house of judge Burnet had been turned. I walked to it with judge Burnet, between a double line of a torch light procession of firemen— Mr John C. Wright addressed me and presented me to the assembled Ladies— I answered.— Mr Bellamy Storer made a flowery speech, and Dr. Beecher closed with a benediction. There was a sort of subterranean conveyance to the supper room which was crowded. I walked home with Mr Wright.