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Adams, John Quincy. Personal Diary. Adams Family Papers.
Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, Mass.
Washington. Tuesday. 23 February 1841.
23. VI. Tuesday
Trisby
Whitcomb
Parkman Daniel
With increasing agitation of mind, now little short of agony I rode in a hack to
the Capitol, taking with me in confused order a number of books which I may have
occasion to use. The very skeleton of my argument is not yet put together. When the
Court met, Judge Wayne and Judge Story read in succession two decisions of the Court,
and Mr. Baldwin occupied the remainder of the day, four hours, in closing his argument
in behalf of the Amistad captives, and in the support of the discussion of the District
and Circuit Courts. The point upon which he dwelt with most emphatic earnestness
was the motion to dismiss the appeal of the United States, as the contest of their
right to appear as parties in the cause they having no interest therein--His reasoning
therein was powerful, and perhaps conclusive--But I am apprehensive there are precedents,
and an Executive influence operating upon the courts which will turn the balance
against us on that point. In commenting upon the insurrection of the blacks, Mr.
Baldwin firmly maintained their right of self-emancipation, but spoke in cautious
terms to avoid exciting Southern passions and prejudices, which it is our policy,
as much as possible, to assuage and pacify. When he came to the point of questioning
the validity of the Governor General’s ladino passports he left a good deal still
to be said. He closed at half past 3, and left the day open for me tomorrow. I went
into the Congress Library, and took out for us the 37th volume of Niles’s register
containing the speech of James Madison, in the Virginia Convention on the double
condition of slaves in that state as Persons and as property--I did not wait to attend
the meeting of the House after the recess; but meeting as I was walking home Mr.
Brockway, I enquired of him what had been done in the House. [H]e told me, that they
had agreed to take the civil and diplomatic appropriation Bill out of the Committee
of the whole on the State of the Union at 5 o"clock this afternoon. Mr.Trisby
brought me this morning the new Edition in two large thick 8va Volumes of
Noah Webster’s Dictionary. The applicants for official appointments are gathering
into a multitude--Mr. Whitcomb, heretofore a clerk in the general land office, is
here and came to solicit my influence for himself and for his son to obtain an appointment
as a cadet at West Point. Daniel Parkman is also here for an appointment to the marshal.
