John Quincy Adams - John Quincy Adams: Diaries 1821-1848

18211825

[March 1821]

4. VII. Sunday And the Commencement of the second term of the Administration of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States. But the Administration of the Official Oath, which the Constitution prescribes that he shall take before he enter on the Execution of his Office, being postponed till to-morrow this day was a sort of interregnum, during which there was no person qualified to Act as President; an event of no importance now, but which might be far otherwise under supposable circumstances. I attended Church at the Treasury building, where a very small Society of Presbyterians now meet, who are building a Church There were two officiating Clergymen; Mr. Campbell the Chaplain of the late House of Representatives, and a Mr. Van Coop Campbell is a man of talents and eloquence, but has some disagreeable peculiarities of manner T. Cook and Dr. Thornton called at my house after Church. I spent the Evening at home writing.

5. V:15. Second inauguration of James Monroe as President of the United States The arrangements were made at the Hall of the House of Representatives, by . The President and his family were there, but retired before supper We came home immediately after, and finished a fatiguing and bustling day about Midnight.

9. VI. Mr. Clay called at the Office He is pressing upon the President, his claim for a half outfit for the Negotiation of the commercial Convention of 3 July 1815 with Great-Britain. I told him I thought it could not be allowed, without a special appropriation for it by Congress, to which he said he did not know that he should have any objection. But he wants the money now. Clay is one of the Commissioners for taking my Answers to interrogatories in against W. D. Lewis. I agreed if I could have them ready in time to call at the Capitol, where he is in attendance on the Supreme Court, and be sworn to them, Monday or Tuesday. I had some conversation with him on political topics, and on his own present retirement from public life. I asked him if it would be consistent with his views, in case there should within two or three years be a vacancy in any of the Missions abroad, to accept an appointment to it He said he was obliged to me for the question, but it would not The state of his private affairs, and his duty to his family had dictated to him the determination of a temporary retirement from the public Service. But by a liberal arrangement with him, the Bank of the United States had engaged him as their standing Counsel in the States of Kentucky and Ohio. He expected that in the course of three or four years this would relieve him from all the engagements in which he had been involved and enable him to return to the Public Service In that case he should prefer over all others the Station from which he had just retired, a Seat in the House of Representatives, because that would be the place where he could hope to render the most useful service, to the Country. But he said he considered the situation of our Public Affairs now, as very critical and dangerous to the Administration Mr. Monroe had just been re-elected with apparent unanimity; but he had not the slightest influence in Congress His Career was considered as closed There was nothing further to be expected by him or from him. Looking at Congress, they were a collection of