DIARY 175
deposited in a niche between the nether and upper stone. The upper stone had been removed and the papers taken away. Thus arose and fell the Jackson City. The General was present at the laying of the said stone.
I returned about dark, and wrote on said answer sometime till 8 o'clock, then wrote to my wife and to L. N. Phelps of New Hampshire to get him to go to Oregon. Next read some, wrote the memorandum of this day and went to bed at 11 P. M.
January 7, 1850 Immediately after breakfast, I went up to the Treasury to see the Secretary about the ports of delivery in Oregon. He was not in. I then went and got some bills to send for papers for persons who had sent money by me. Sent money $6.25 to the N. Y. Tribune, and 9 dolls, to the N. Y. Herald, as per charge in my book. I then bought six more Intelligencers containing my letter, to send to persons who had read the one in the Courier and who had written me about it. Sent one to Ohio Statesman and requested him to publish, and wrote him to advocate our claims to donations of land.
Next attended on the session of the House, and while they were balloting for clerk which they did not elect this day, I went to the Senate and talked with Atchison, Rusk, Benton, and Corwin about our Indian bill, and got Douglas to call up and get passed his resolution relative to Indian title in Oregon &c. I also heard J. P. Hale and Clay speak on Cass's resolution to dissolve diplomatic intercourse with Austria. Hale pre- tended he was favorable, but moved to include Russia, and the whole tenor of his arguments was opposed to it. Clay opposed it, and while Hale was speaking of Cass, remarks about liberty and the rights of man, I thought truly they were noble and Heaven-born sentiments, and when he spoke them, methought I heard Deity himself sitting on his throne with the listening hosts of Heaven round him, while he called one of his strong- est and most vigilant guardian angels, and giving him a shield of livid fire, bid him to protect and defend those sentiments.
After supper, I went to see John Bell who had charge of the Indian bill from the Committee. After talking with him, I came home and wrote seven pages to him on the subject of
