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Adams, John Quincy. Personal Diary. Adams Family Papers.
Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, Mass.
Washington. Wednesday. 24 February 1841.
24. V. Wednesday
Dearborn H. A. S.
Wilson Patrick
Morning snow, which powdered the face of the earth, and cleared away before the setting
sun. I rode to the Capitol with Mr. W. S. Smith, and Elizabeth C. Adams came afterwards--I
was busied in preparation in the Clerk of the Supreme Court’s room, in nearly an
hour to the moment of the meeting of the Court--When that was opened Josiah Randall,
and Mr. Polk, now a clerk in the Department of War, were admitted as Attorneys and
Counsellors of the Court, and Chief Justice Taney announced to me that the Court
were ready to hear me. The judges present were Taney, Story, Thompson, McLean, Baldwin,
Wayne, Barbour and Catron. Judge McKinlay has [not] been present during any part
of this trial. The Court room was full, but not crowded, and there were not many
ladies. I had been deeply distressed and agitated till the moment when I rose, and
then my spirit did not sink within me--With grateful heart for aid from above, though
in humiliation for the weakness incident to the limits of my powers, I spoke four
hours and a half with sufficient method and order to witness little flagging of attention
by the judges or the auditory; till at half past 3 o'clock, when the Chief Justice
said the Court would hear me further tomorrow--Mr. Baldwin mentioned that he would
stay and hear me tomorrow, but that he should be obliged to leave the city on Friday
to return home. The structure of my argument so far as I have yet proceeded is perfectly
simply and comprehensive needing no artificial division into distinct points, but
admitting the steady and undeviating pursuit of one fundamental principle, the ministration
of justice--I then assigned my reason for invoking justice, specially, aware that
this was always the duty of the court; but because an immense array of power, the
Executive Administration, instigated by the minister of a foreign nation has been
brought to bear in this case on the side of injustice--I then commenced a review
of the correspondence between the Secretary of State and the Spanish Ministers Calderon
and Argaiz, which I analyzed with critical research as far as I was able, but with
not half the acuteness nor with a tenth part of the vigour which I would have applied
had they been at my command--I did not. I could not answer public expectation--but
I have not yet utterly failed--God speed me to the end. After the adjournment of
the Court I went for a few minutes into the House, but they were yet in recess--I
rode home with Mr. Smith and Elizabeth C. Adams at 4. General Dearborn called here,
while I was absent after dinner, a written inventory was taken by Mr. Smith, signed
by him and Patrick Wilson, of all the effects left by my poor deceased Jeremy Leavy.
Thomas Bumphy and myself were present all the time the effects as far as possible
were packed in his trunk, which was locked up and I have the key.
