8

an interview with Johnson immediately the
burst out their an interview with Jones, and
again with Johnson, and that Johnson left Hert-
ford immediately for his fathers. I had heard
nothing more of it than that [struck: Johnson ] Jones
[struck: in the agony of Mr] Mr John and his wife were
still in the same house some time since, Mr
J. in the ingony of his troubles had taken to dr-
inking freely. A little more than a fortnight
Dr. Johnson was seen on board the steamboat
at Norfolk on his way, as was said, to Bal-
timore, from thence to the West and South.
Yesterday the astounding news arrived that
he was killed in a duel by Mr. Jones and lost
Monday in Pennsylvania. (It should be Bladensburg - Maryland)
Sat 7th, The case of our minister Mr Slidell to tears. As I said
this wants authenticity. A young man from this neigh-
borhood brought the new from Norfolk last week. He
was there, he said, a rumor and brought from
Washington City. None of the new papers as yet that
I know has veted it. Not even the Norfolk Her-
ald, that ready vehicle of earliest news, and when
the rumor was side to be rife. I cannot therefore place
much reliance in it. Yet I fear something has
happened. Mexico has been in internal con[ster?]nation
and revolution so long, under the [??po??] of
Roman Catholic and Spanish feeling, when
according to history as too frequently recreant to honor
and knowing the warlike disposition in Mexico
towards the United States, it is not unprobably that
that such a people have become too indifferent to
crime and its consequences. I fear therefore that
some extraordinary outbreak of serious portent
has happened touching Mr. Slidell. I fear for he is dead,
killed by hired assassien, or a lawless mob. But I can
not believe that the government even of Mexico has
done this. No, she cannot be so hardened to covalessotion
and the law of riotous as to take the life of a foreign
ambassador at her court.