- Brown. General
- Lloyd James
- Newton. Thomas
- Southard S.N. twice
- Bailey John
- Barbour. J. S.
- Isaacks.
- Lathrop
- Rose.
- Vandeventer
- Dickens.
- Govan. A. R.
General Brown came to converse with
me on the concentration of the Army; an object which he thinks of great
importance, and concerning which he had some days since sent me a copy
of a Letter which he wrote to the Secretary
of War in November 1820. at the time immediately preceding
the last Reduction of the Army— He spoke also of the appointment of an
Inspector General, which he wished might be conferred upon Coll.
Eustis. He was very averse to the appointment of Nourse— Mr Lloyd spoke on several
Subjects—first, respecting the acknowledgment of the Trustee Deeds, to
the Apthorps, which I told him I would acknowledge before a
Magistrate and send to him— Then of the recommendation in the Message to
remove the remnant of discriminating duties, concerning which he wished
for information to be obtained at the Departments, and some, that I gave
him—and lastly of the proceedings on Commodore Porter’s trial— Mr
Lloyd at Porter’s desire had moved for the proceedings of the Court of
Inquiry, and Mr Southard had suggested that those of the Court
Martial should be communicated with them— Mr
Lloyd assented to this proposal. Though he seemed not to be aware of
Porter’s motive in desiring that the Proceedings of the Court of
Inquiry, only should be communicated— Mr Newton called and delivered
to me a Letter, from himself recommending B Pryor, as Collector of Norfolk, in the place of
James Johnson deceased—but
verbally Newton said he should prefer the appointment of Mr
Prentiss. He objected to Gatewood— Mr Southard called
twice— The first time I was engaged with Genl Brown— The second it was to read a Letter from Captain Morris at Paris— Somerville was very ill— I had
visits from J. Bailey. J. S. Barbour, Isaacks, Lathrop and Rose of
the House of Representatives, and a Card from A. R. Govan— Mr Bailey spoke of several Resolutions, which he has offered in
the House of Representatives, concerning Roads and Canals, and an
Amendment of the Constitution— He said he had not shewn me those
Resolutions before he offered them, on account of the imputations upon
him heretofore, arising from his former relations to me in the
Department of State— I told him that the discussion of his Resolutions
might be useful, but I must in candour say that my opinions did not
concur with them— I thought the power of making Roads and Canals, given
by the Constitution; and then an Amendment asking the grant of that
which was already granted; equally impracticable and useless— Vandeventer came for some
papers relating to the Creek and Georgia controversy 32Dickins brought me
as I had requested a list of the Members of the Columbian Institute; and
had some conversation with me relating to the Address to be delivered by
Dr
Watkins to the Society on the 7th. of January next— He spoke also of his own situation; his
wish for a more lucrative place than that which he now has at the
Treasury; and of his disappointment in the recent election of Walter Lowry, as Secretary of the
Senate. Dickins said he had been not only disappointed but deceived by
many of Mr Crawford’s friends who had encouraged him to
expect their votes for that office; and yet he could not account for the
election of Lowry unless several of General Jackson’s friends had joined in voting for him.
He then enlarged upon the services he had rendered especially during the
last two years in the Treasury—intimating that he had really performed
all the duties of the Secretary— And he added that he supposed I knew
that he had been the medium of communication between the Treasury
Department, and the President, after all personal communication between
Mr Monroe and Mr Crawford had ceased— This fact had not before been known to
me; and I told Dickins so— He said that a few weeks before the close of
the Administration, some words used by Mr Monroe to Mr Crawford had induced the latter to abstain
thenceforward from coming to this house, or ever seeing Mr Monroe again— When Mr Southard came in I asked him if this fact had been known to
him— He said yes— That one day last Winter, on coming here on business,
he found Mr Monroe walking to and fro across
the room in great agitation— That he told him Crawford had just left
him— He had come to him concerning the nomination of certain Officers of
the Customs, in Northern Ports— That Crawford recommended the nomination
of several persons against whom Mr Monroe
expressed several objections—that Mr
Crawford, at last rose, in much irritation, gathered the papers
together; and said petulantly; well—if you will not appoint the persons
well qualified for the places, tell me whom you will appoint; that I may
get rid of their importunities: Mr Monroe
replied with great warmth; saying that he considered Crawford’s language
as extremely improper, and unsuitable to the relations between them,
when Crawford turning to him, raised his Cane, as in the attitude to
strike, and said “you damned infernal old Scoundrel”— Mr Monroe seized the tongs at the fire-place
for self-defence; applied a retaliatory epithet to Crawford and told him
he would immediately ring for servants r Southard does not recollect the precise day upon which this
happened— I told him that if I had known it at the time, I should not
have invited Mr Crawford to remain in the
Treasury Department— It resembles the Scene between Bolingbroke and Oxford in the last days of Queen Anne.
We had this Evening the first drawing room for the Season, which was fully attended, and continued from 7 to half past ten—