April the 25th.  At a dinner given by the bar to the federal judges, Chase and Peters, present about twenty-four lawyers, and William Tilghman in the chair, this toast was given; ’Our King in old England.’  Observe the double entendre on the word King.  Du Ponceau, who was one of the bar present, told this to Tench Coxe, who told me in presence of H. Tazewell.  Dallas was at the dinner; so was Colonel Charles Sims of Alexandria, who is here on a law-suit vs.  General Irving.

May the 3rd.  The President some time ago appointed Steele, of Virginia, a commissioner to the Indians, and recently Secretary of the Mississippi Territory.  Steele was a Counsellor of Virginia, and was voted out by the Assembly because he turned tory.  He then offered for Congress, and was rejected by the people.  Then offered for the Senate of Virginia, and was rejected.  The President has also appointed Joseph Hopkinson commissioner to make a treaty with the Oneida Indians.  He is a youth of about twenty-two or twenty-three, and has no other claims to such an appointment than extreme toryism, and the having made a poor song to the tune of the President’s March.

October the 13th, 1798.  Littlepage, who has been on one or two missions from Poland to Spain, said that when Gardoqui returned from America, he settled with his court an account of secret service money, of six hundred thousand dollars. Ex relatione Colonel Monroe.

January, 1799.  In a conversation between Doctor Ewen and the President, the former said one of his sons was an aristocrat, the other a democrat.  The President asked if it were not the youngest who was the democrat.  ‘Yes,’ said Ewen.  ‘Well,’ said the President, ’a boy of fifteen who is not a democrat is good for nothing, and he is no better who is a democrat at twenty.’  Ewen told Hurt, and Hurt told me.

January the 14th.  Logan tells me that in his conversation with Pickering on his arrival, the latter abused Gerry very much; said he was a traitor to his country, and had deserted the post to which he was appointed; that the French temporized at first with Pinckney, but found him too much of a man for their purpose.  Logan observing, that, notwithstanding the pacific declarations of France, it might still be well to keep up. the military ardor of our citizens, and to have the militia in good order:  ‘The militia,’ said Pickering, ’the militia never did any good to this country, except in the single affair of Bunker’s Hill; that we must have a standing army of fifty thousand men, which being stationed in different parts of the continent, might serve as rallying points for the militia, and so render them of some service.’  In his conversation with Mr. Adams, Logan mentioned the willingness of the French to treat with Gerry.  ‘And do you know why,’ said Mr. Adams.  ‘Why, Sir?’ said Logan.  ‘Because,’ said Mr. Adams, ’they know him to have been an anti-federalist, against the constitution.’