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of  3tmertca. 


A 

NARRATIVE  OF  A  JOURNEY 

OP  FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES 

TUEOVOH 

THE  EASTERN  AND   WESTERN  STATIC 

or 

AMERICA; 

CONTAINED   IN    EIGHT    REPORTS 

ADDlISnO   TO  TBS 

THIRTV-MNE   ENGLISH   KAWIUB8 

•T    WHOM    THE    AUTHOR    WAS    DirfTRD,     IX    JUKI    1817,    TO    AJCIRTA1X 
WIUTHKR    AKT,    A»D  WHAT    FART    OF   TH1    DMtTKO   kTATKS    WOULD 

•i  11-rrAu.t  rom  TIUUB.  wnnmncs. 


REMARKS  ON 
Ma.  BIRKBECK'S  "  NOTES**  AND  "  LETTERS." 


BY  HENRY  BRADSHAW  FEARON. 


THIRD  EDITION. 


LONDON: 

•>  d  by  Strahan  and  Spottitwoode,  Printers-Street; 
LONGMAN,  HURST,   REES,  ORME,  .AND  BROWN, 

FATB*S05TE»-»OW. 
lb!9. 


E  165" 
F3ts 


TO 
00 

THE   SECOND   EDITION. 

CO 


1  HE  early  demand  for  a  Second  Edition  of  this 
^  work,  affords  decided  evidence  of  the  deep-felt 

interest  which  exists  in  the  minds  of  the  people 
^  of  England  upon  the  subject  of  Emigration  to 
o  the  United  States. 

^ 

With  the  success  of  myjirst  effort  I  am  much 

W    gratified,    and    hope    most    sincerely   that   the 

information  contained  in  these  "  REPORTS"  may 

be  of  benefit  to  my  countrymen,  and  also  assist 

Q 

in   producing  a   correct    and    sound   mode   of 
thinking  in  relation  to  the  country  and  people 

X:    of  America. 

TV 

Some  friends  of  general  liberty  have  sug- 
gested that  this  work  is  calculated  to  injure  the 
principles  which  they,  in  common  with  myself 
and  my  most  intimate  friends,  revere :  if  this  is 
its  tendency,  nothing  can  be  more  opposite  to 
my  design  j  but  I  feel  confident  that  the  pub- 


VJii  ADVERTISEMENT 

The  second  is  from  Mr.  Fordham,  of  Royston, 
Hertfordshire  ;  his  son  went  out  with,  and  now 
forms  a  part  of  Mr.  Birkbeck's  colony.  By  all 
interested  in  that  subject  it  will  be  esteemed 
an  important  document 

"  SIH, 

"  Having  a  son  in  America,  who  went  out 
with  Mr.  Birkhi'ck,  1  have  been  anxious  to  gain 
every  information  relative  to  that  country.  1  read 
with  the  g:  avidity,  both  Mr.  Birkbcck'- 

books,  but  without  satisfaction  ;  since  I  have  read 
your  review  of  his  publication,  the  groimd> 
that  ihs> atisfaction  have  become  more  apparent. 
My  son,  in  all  his  letters,  particularly  in  th 
which  have  been  lately  written,  dran-s  ; 
different  conclusions  from  Mr.  Birkbcck,  though 
they  reside  upon  the  same  spot,  and  view  the  same 
persons  and  things  ;  —  his  ideas  on  the  Ame- 
rican character,  as  well  as  on  the  subject  of 
emigration,  are  precisely  yours.  —  Many  per- 
sons have  emigrated,  and  many  have  it  in  con- 
templation, without  any  just  knowledge  of  the 
character  of  the  people,  or  the  means  of  sup- 
porting themselves  in  the  country. — On  which 
account  there  was  wanting  such  a  work  a^  you 
have  produced,  a  true  history  of  facts  without 
colouring.  In  reading  your  work  I  have  received 
so  much  conviction  of  the  truth  of  your  repre- 
sentations, that  I  cannot  do  justice  to  my  ieel- 


TO   THE   THIRD   EDITION.  ix 

ings  without  making  my  acknowledgments  to 
the  author.  I  am  desirous  my  son  should  read 
your  work  as  soon  as  possible,  and  therefore 
request  to  know  if  it  be  published  in  Ame- 
rica, and  where ;  if  not,  shall  send  it  over 
immediately. 

Yours  truly, 

ELIAS  FORDHAM. 

At  E.  K.  Fordham's,  Banker,  Royston. 
Dec.  23.  1818. 

Mr.  H.  B.  FEARON, 

Care  of  LONGMAN  and  Co. 

Paternoster-row. 


With  every  wish  that  the  United  States  may 
exhibit  to  the  world  as  valuable  a  practical  as 
they  do  a  theoretical  example, 

I  subscribe  myself 
Their  well  wisher, 

H.  B.  FEARON. 

18.  Adam-Street,  Adelphi. 
Feb.  25.  1819. 


INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS. 


IN  submitting  the  following  pages  to  the  Public, 
it  is  my  wish  that  the  reader  should  be  put  fairly 
in  possession  of  the  circumstances  under  which 
they  were  written. 

1  was  deputed  by  a  circle  of  friends,  whose 
persons  and  whose  interests  are  most  dear  to 
me,  to  visit  the  United  States  of  America,  in 
order  to  furnish  them  with  materials  to  regulate 
their  decision  on  the  subject  of  emigration. 
Into  the  motives  and  the  .views  which  led  to  this 
proposed  measure  on  their  part,  it  is  not  requi- 
site that  I  should  enter  much  in  detail ;  they 
are,  I  fear,  known  and  felt  too  generally  to 
render  description  necessary. 

Emigration  had,^t  the  time  of  my  appointment 
assumed  a  totally  new  character :  it  was  no  longer 
merely  the  poor,  the  idle,  the  profligate,  or  the 
wildly  speculative,  who  were  proposing  to  quit 
their  native  country  j  but  men  also  of  capital, 
of  industry,  of  sober  habits  and  regular  pursuits  j 
men  of  reflection,  who  apprehended  approaching 
evils ;  men  of  upright  and  conscientious  minds, 


Xll  INTRODUCTORY    REMARKS. 

to  whose  happiness  civil  and  religious  liberty 
were  essential ;  and  me:i  of  domestic  feelings, 
who  wished  to  provide  for  the  future  support 
and  prosperity  of  their  offspring. 

Under  such  circumstances  as  these  it  was,  that 
my  friends  directed  their  thoughts,  in  the  way  of 
enquiry  merely,  to  the  subject  of  emigration  to 
America  j    having  so  done,   they  naturally  >et 
themselves  seriously  to  investigate  the  stau-  of 
the  country  and  the  character  of  the  people  ;  but 

Hilar  as  it  may  appear,  tiiey  were  unable  to 
tain  satisfactory  information.    Most  of  the  bo 
which  they  could  procure  contained  stateim 
which  were  evidently  partial ;  sonu-  were  wri: 
to  exalt  and  some  to  villity  tin    situation  of  the 
country  and  its  inhabitants,  but  none  of  them 
possessed   that  kind  of  information  which  \ 

.ted    by  my  friends  ;    no  lists  of  prices,  of 

•/vis,  rents,  &c.  *  ;  no  statements,  or  but  im; 
ones,  relative  to  individual  trades  or  iriami- 
irr.s ;    little   or    nothing,    in   short,   of  that 
kind  of  intelligence  which  was  wanted 
on  such  an  occasion.     It  was  at  length,  resolved 
that  some  one  shou'cl  visit  the  countrv  to  rr 

p 

the:  necessary  enquiries  —  the  lot  fell  upon  ; 
;   but  I  owe  it  in  justice  both  to  the  pi:b!ic 


*  It  may  be   pu.per    to   ol^crve   tliat,    in   the 

,   the  prices  of  live  sloe!:,  &c.  are  often  stated  it.  • 
appear    singular    amount:.;    ll/  from    tu.. 

dollars  into  British  curren 

I 


INTRODUCTORY    REMARKS.  Xlll 

and  to  myself  to  state,  that  circumstances,  which 
at  the  time,  left  me  free  from  my  usual  pursuits, 
rather  than  any  supposed  peculiar  fitness  for  the 
undertaking,  guided  their  choice  of  me  for  the 
task ;  although  it  is  among  the  first  pleasures  of 
my  life  to  reflect  that  they  relied,  at  least,  upon 
my  faithfulness  and  industry. 

Recurring  to  the  fact  of  publication,  I  pre- 
tend to  few,  if  any,  of  the  accomplishments 
which  are  deemed  necessary  for  the  regular  tra- 
veller, writing  professedly  for  the  instruction  or 
amusement  of  the  public.  The  information, 
however,  which  I  was  deputed  to  collect,  I 
sought  for  with  all  the  diligence,  and  forwarded 
with  all  the  accuracy  in  my  powrer.  It  was  my 
wish  to  put  my  friends  as  muck  as  possible  into 
my  situation  —  to  inform  them  both  pf  what  I 
saw  myself,  and  what  I  learned  from  others, 
where  I  thought  that  information  might  be  re- 
lied upon.  My  enquiries  were  facilitated  by 
various  introductions,  and  aided  by  some  per- 
sonal friends  who  had  previously  emigrated  to 
America. 

I  arrived  in  the  city  of  New  York  August  6th, 

1817,  and  finally  quitted  that  place  May  10th., 

1818,  after   having  made    a   tour,    including 
both  the   Eastern   and  Western  States  of  the 
American   Union.      Keturned    to   England,    I 
have,   naturally  enough,    received   applications 
for  information  relative  to  the  country  I  had 


XIV  INTRODUCTORY    REMARKS. 

visited,  from  many  persons  disposed  to  settle 
there :  some  of  these  were  parties  of  respect- 
ability and  capital,  not  dissimilar  in  their  views 
and  objects  from  those  which  my  friends  had 
proposed  to  themselves.    To  these,  therefore,  the 
information  I  had  collected  might  be  supposed 
to    be    not    unacceptable ;    many    others,    for 
various  reasons,  may  wi*h  to  be  po^s<js>ed  of  these 
facts :  such  are  the  motives  which  have  induced 
me   to  submit  my    "  Reports"    to  the   public. 
In  forming  their  estimate  of  this  production,  I 
have  therefore  to  request  of  my  readers  to  bear 
constantly  in  mind  the  view  with  which  I  have 
written,  and  not  expect  to  find  tin-  work  that-* 
the  author  does  not  pretend  it  to  fa.     My  object 
has  not  been  to  make  a  book  ;  but  circumstances 
having  occurred  to  give  me  information  which 
appears  valuable  because  it  may  be  useful,    I 
wish  to  give  it  to  the  world,  —  and  am  content 
to  do  so  in  a  plain,  unvarnished  manner. 

The  work  maty  have  many  faults  and  numerous 
imperfections.  Little  accustomed  as  I  am  to 
write  for  the  public  eye,  the  critic  will  probably 
find  in  it  much  to  censure — in  style  —  in  arrange- 
ment—  and  perhaps  in  materials ;  but  the  object 
I  have  had  in  view,  will,  at  least,  be  a  pledge  to 
the  public  of  the  faitftfitlness  and  sincerity  of  my 
statements.  My  intention  in  writing  has  certainly 
been  neither  to  flatter  nor  deceive  :  my  Reports 
were  originally  composed  neither  with  a  view  to 


INTRODUCTORY    REMARKS.  XV 

fame  nor  profit,  —  neither  to  exalt  a  country,  to 
support  a  party,  nor  to  promote  a  settlement. 
I  have  had  every  motive  to  speak  what  I  thought 
the  truth,  and  none  to  conceal  or  pervert  it. 
The  interests  of  my  dearest  friends  depended 
most  intimately  upon  the  correctness  of  my 
statements.  I  wished  to  put  them  in  possession 
of  every  thing  I  knew :  the  public  will  now 
decide  whether  what  I  have  found  to  com- 
municate be  either  useful  or  instructive. 


TO 

THE  FRIENDS 

OF 

CIVIL  AND  RELIGIOUS  LIBERTY, 

THROUGHOUT  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  IRELAND^ 
THESE    PAGES 

ARE    RESPECTFULLY    SUBMITTED; 
BY 

H.  B.  FEARON. 

Plaistow,  Essex, 
October  2d,  1818.. 


SKETCHES  OF  AMERICA. 


Voyage  in  the  Ship  Washington  from  Isle  of  Wight. — 
Celebration  of  American  Independence  on  board.  —  De- 
bating Society.  —  Off  Sandy  Hook.  —  First  Impressions 
of  the  People  and  of  the  City  of  Neiu  York.  —  Mrs. 
Bradish's  Boarding- House.  —  Commodore  Rogers.  —  Con- 
versation at  Dinner.  —  Suspicion  of  Corruption  in  the 
American  Government  Contracts.  —  Prices  of  Articles  and 
Pent  of  Shops. 


New  York,  August  9th,  1817- 
MY   DEAR   FRIENDS, 

I  EMBRACE  the  first  opportunity  of  communi- 
cating my  safe  arrival  in  this  land  of  liberty, 
which  I  am  enabled  to  do  by  the  politeness  of 
Sir  James  Yeo,  who  sails  this  day.  We  landed 
here  on  Wednesday  the  6th  instant.  You  are 
aware  that  the  vessel  in  which  I  sailed  is  the 
Washington,  Captain  Foreman,  which  left  Lon- 
don the  4th  of  June.  I  went  on  board  at  the 
Isle  of  Wight  on  the  14th,  and  we  proceeded 
on  our  course  the  following  day.  The  cabin 
was  crowded,  having  nineteen  passengers, 

B 


2  PASSENGERS.  —  POLITICAL    LIBERTY. 

amongst  whom  were  Mr.  or  (according  to 
American  etiquette)  The  HONOURABLE  John 
Quincey  Adams,  (late  ambassador  at  the  Court 
of  St.  James'%  but  now  Secretary  of  State,)  his 
lady  and  family:  the  gentlemen  were  chiefly 
American*.  You  will  be  somewhat  surprised 
to  learn  that  Mr.  George  Washington  Adams 
(eldest  sou  of  the  Se •.  retaiy)  and  myself  were 
the  only  warm  hieniK  of  political  liberty;  a 
subject  which,  of  course,  oflen  came  under  dis- 
i.  All  advocates  in  some  limited 

or  refined  sense  ;  but  \ve  stood  alone  in  wishing 
•xteiiMon  to  Kngland,  to  unfortunate  Ireland, 
to  France,  to  the  Kuropoan  Continent  gone- 
rally,  and  to  the  brave  South  Americans.  1 
delivered  the  letters  of  introduction,  with  which 
Alderman  Wood  and  others  had  favoured  me, 
to  .Mr.  Adams  ;  and  wi*h  to  acknowledge  the 
polite  attentions  which,  in  consequence,  I  re- 
ceived from  him. 

My  pftBStgMiMM  -  forty  guineas,  exclu- 

sive of  wines,  &c.  A  sea-life  was  to  me  more 
novel  than  pleasing.  Sickness,  the  usual  lot 
•f  fresh-water  sailors,  was  my  companion.  It 
was  extreme  for  eight  days,  and  did  not  take  it? 
final  leave  for  fifteen  :  indeed  I  had  but  little 
appetite  the  whole  of  the  passage.  The  weather 
has  been  boisterous  for  the  season;  though  I 
believe  we  were  not  in  imminent  danger,  except 
up W  one  occasion,  arising  from  neglect  in  not 


GALE. "  4<TH  JULY."  3 

taking  in  sail.  The  wind  blew  a  tremendous 
gale,  which  the  ship,  in  consequence,  was  not 
so  well  prepared  to  withstand  as  she  might  and 
ought  to  have  been. 

The  4th  of  July  is  a  great  American  day, 
being  the  anniversary  of  their  declaration  of 
independence.  It  was  kept  on  board  with,  I 
presume,  its  usual  sanctity  —  by  good  eating 
and  drinking.  I  felt  warm  in  the  cause,  viewing 
that  declaration  as  the  common  property  of  every 
friend  of  freedom.  Several  songs  were  sung. 
Two  by  the  mate  were  the  most  remarkable: 
they  were  the  evident  production  of  seventeen 
hundred  and  seventy-six  ;  their  allusions  being 
to  those  occurrences  which  peculiarly  belonged 
to  the  first  stages  of  the  revolution.  The  toasts 
were  also  indifferent.  I  was  not  gratified  with 
even  an  approach  to  the  old  English  sentiment 
of  "  Civil  and  religious  liberty  all  over  the 
world." 

In  the  steerage  there  were  thirteen  passengers. 
These  paid  twelve  pounds  each,  and  had  to  find 
themselves  in  every  thing  but  water.  They 
organized  a  debating  society,  which  was  held 
in  the  steerage  twice  a  week,  "  weather  per- 
mitting/* Young  Mr.  Adams  and  myself 
frequently  attended  their  sombre  discussions. 
Upon  one  occasion  the  question  was,  "  Which 
is  the  best  form  of  government,  a  democracy 
or  a  monarchy?"  It  was  strongly  contested 


4  DEBATING    SOCIETY. NEW    YORK    BAY. 

on  both  sides,  and  at  length  determined  iii 
favour  of  the  former  by  the  casting  vote  of  the 
chairman  —  who  was  seated  in  presidential  state 
on  a  water-cask. 

On  the  5th  of  August,  the  sound  of  "  Land  O !" 
from  the  topmast  though  communicated  by  the 
gruff  voice  of  a  hardy  son  of  Neptune,  sounded 
in  my  ears  "  most  eloquent  music."  In  the 
evening  we  stood  out  to  sen,  being  too  near 
shore.  On  the  morning  of  tin-  P>th  1  was  railed 
up  at.  lour  o'clock.  We  were  off  the  Jei 

:e,  which  was  crowded  with  small  craft.  \\r 
soon  made  Sandy  Hook,  the  entrance  into  the 
bay,  and  thirty  miles  from  the  citv  of'  Neu 
York.  The  busy  scene  around  me,  the  conscious- 
ness that  I  was  about  to  be  relieved  from  tin 
worst  of  prisons,  the  serenity  of  tho  morning, 
and  the  extreme  beauty  of  New  York  bay,  con- 
veved  impressions  which  mock  description. 
Every  object  was  to  me  an  interrsling  one: 
first  our  pilot,  his  stature,  his  manners,  hi- 
dress,  were  all,  at  this  time,  objects  of  my  atten- 
tion ;  though  under  other  circumstances  I  should 
have  viewed  them  with  entire  indifference.  He- 
brought  us  the  newspaper  of  the  morning.  Manv 
of  the  advertisements  had  to  me  the  character  of 
.singularity.  One  announcing  a  play,  terminated 
with,  "  Gentlemen  are  informed,  that  no  smok- 
ing is  allowed  in  the  theatre."  A  newsman  from 
the  "  Evening  Post,"  and  a  custom-house  officer, 

lot 


NEWSPAPER. LANDING.  5 

were  our  next  visitors.  Several  sailing-boats 
passed  with  gentlemen,  many  of'  them  wearing 
enormously  large  straw  hats,  turned  up  behind. 
At  one  o'clock  we  anchored  close  to  the  city. 
A  boy  procured  us  two  hackney  coaches,  from  a 
distance  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  I  offered 
him  an  English  shilling,  having  no  other  small 
coin  in  my  possession.  He  would  not  take 
so  little  ;  "  For  as  how  I  guess  it  is  not  of  value. 
I  have  been  slick  in  going  to  the  stand  right 
away."  This  was  said  with  a  tone  of  inde- 
pendence, which,  although  displeasing  to  my 
pride,  was  not  so  to  my  judgment.  Mr.  Adams 
satisfied  the  young  republican  by  giving  him 
half-a-dollar,  (2s.  3d.)  There  was  no  sense  of 
having  received  a  favour  in  the  boy's  countenance 
or  manner ;  a  trait  of  character  which,  I  have 
since  learned,  is  by  no  means  confined  to  the 
youth  of  America.  A  simple  "  I  thank  you, 
Sir/'  would  not,  however,  derogate  from  a 
free  man's  dignity ;  but  I  must  not  be  too  fas- 
tidious. We  should  not  expect  every  thing  ;  and, 
after  all,  even  cold  independence  is  preferable 
to  warm  servility.  Another  question,  and  one  of 
leading  importance,  suggested  itself  to  me  on 
this  occurrence  j  namely,  Is  not  labour  here  well 
paid  ?  A  great  number  of  people  were  on  the 
wharf  looking  at  us  and  our  vessel.  Many  of 
them  were  of  the  labouring  class.  They  were 
not  better  clothed  than  men  in  a  similar  con- 

B  3 


P  APPEARANCE    OF    INHABITANTS. 

dition  in  Knirland  ;  but  they  were  more  erect 
in  their  postuie,  less  care-worn  in  their  counte- 
nances; the  thought  of"  the  morrow"  did  not 
seem  to  form  a  part  of  their  ideas  ;  and  among 
them  there  were  no  be^uar*-.  Intermixed  witli 
these  were  several  of  the  mercantile  and  richer 
classes.  Large  straw  hat-  pit-vailed;  trowsers 
were  universal.  The  general  costume  oftl 
persons  was  interior  to  men  in  the  same  rank  of 
lile  in  England.  Their  whole  appearance  was 
loose,  >!ovenly,  careless,  and  not  remarkable  for 
cleanliness.  The  wholtxalr  store-  which  front 
the  ri\er,  have  not  the  most  attractive  appear- 
ance. The  carts  are  long  and  narrow,  drawn  by 
one  horse;  the  hackney  coaches  arc  open  at  the 
side>,  being  suited  to  this  warm  climate  —  lighter 
and  much  superior  to  ours  :  the  char  per 

t.    higher    than    in    London.     The    streets, 
through    which    we    passed  to    Mrs.  Bradish's 
boardini'-hou-e,    in    State-street,    opposite    the 
Batiery,  were   narrow  and  dirty.     The  Battery 
I..-*!  dolightful   walk,  on  the  edge  of  the 
bay.     The  houses   in    State-street    are    of  the 
first  class.     The  one  in  which  I  am  now  writing 
:t    the    size    of  those    in  Bridge-street, 
.        I!;.     .-.-:  '    :      JiUO  dollars  (5101. 
;  nnum  ;  tpxcs  are  about  80 dollars, 
(I Si.  sterling.)     The  general  mode  of  living  for 
those  who  do  not  keep  house,  is  at  hotels,  taverns, 
or  private  boarding-houses.     My  present  resi- 


BOARDING-HOUSES.  / 

dence  is  at  one  of  the  latter.  Here  are  two 
public  apartments,  one  for  a  sitting,  the  other 
a  dining  room.  At  present,  about  forty  sit 
down  to  table.  The  lady  of  the  house  presides  ; 
the  other  ladies,  who  are  boarders,  being  placed 
on  her  left.  The  hours  are  —  breakfast,  eight 
o'clock  ;  dinner,  half  past  three  ;  tea  seven  ; 
supper,  ten.  American  breakfasts  are  celebrated 
for  their  profusion  :  presenting  eggs,  meat  of 
various  kinds,  fish,  and  fowls.  My  old  habits  are 
not  yet  overcome,  for  I  cannot  enjoy  any  addi- 
tion to  plain  bread  and  butter.  The  hours  of 
eating  are  attended  to  by  all  with  precision  : 
charge,  two  dollars  per  diem,  exclusive  of  wine. 
The  entire  expense  is  about  18  dollars  per 
week.  There  are  here  at  present,  the  cele- 
brated Commodore  Rogers,  and  several  other 
naval  officers  ;  among  whom  are  Decatur,  War- 
rington,  and  Bidel,  all  of  whom  distinguished 
themselves  in  the  late  war  :  also  Mr.  Graham, 
the  under-secretary  of  state,  and  Mr.  Bracken- 
bridge,  author  of  a  history  of  the  late  war.  The 
two  latter  gentlemen  are  said  to  be  upon  the 
point  of  embarking  in  the  sloop  of  war  Ontario, 
on  a  mission  to  South  America.  That  the  ob- 
ject of  their  voyage  may  be  to  assist  the  patriots 
in  shaking  off  the  yoke  of  the  infamous  IJerdi- 
nand,  is  my  heartfelt  desire. 

Last  evening,  while  I  was  conversing  with  Com- 
modore Rogers,  a  naval  officer,  attended  by  two 

B  4 


COMMISSIONERS   TO    SOUTH    AMERICA. 

black  servants,  ascended  the  steps  :  he  proved  to 
be  Sir  James  Yeo.  Commodore  R — s,  supposing 
roe  to  be  an  American,  was  tree  in  the  expression 
of  his  fuel  in  ITS  :  which,  in  truth,  were  honourable 
to  him,  and  not  derogatory  to  Sir  James,  or 
the  British  navy  generally.  He  referred  to  the 
disgraceful  conduct  of  Admiral  Cockburn  at 
Havre  de  Grace,  wkh  a  forgiving  liberality 
which  did  him  much  credit.  In  his  appearance 
he  has  more  of  the  English  than  the  American 
seaman,  convv  .1  idea  not  dissimilar  to  the 

personifications  of  such  characters  by  Bannister. 
He  is  an  American  by  birth,  but  of  Scotch 
parentage.  His  anecdotes  of  persons  claiming 
relationship  or  acquaintance  with  him  are  nu- 
merous. One  man  met  him  in  Baltimore,  assured 
him  that  he  had  gone  to  school  and  eaten 
porridge  and  drunk  whisky  with  him  when  a 
boy,  at  Aberdeen  ;  another,  a  very  old  man, 
accosted  him,  in  the  Scotch  dialect,  in  Broad- 
way, New- York,  and  insisted  upon  it  that  he 
was  his  (Commodore  ll.'s)  Jollier.  Commodore 
Rogers  is  now  tin1  president  of 'the  Board  of  Naval 
ji/G*»imsjionersat  Washington  ;  an  establishment 
whose  objects  and  powers  are  nearly  similar  to 
those  of  our  Admiralty  Board.  His  present 
business  is,  in  conjunction  with  Commodore  De- 
"atur,  to  lay  the  keel  of  a  seventy-four  gun  ship. 
His  account  of  the  climate  of  Washington  is 
favourable.  He  states  that  he  has  there  a 


STREET    POPULATION,  9 

family  of  seven  children,  and  that  for  two  years 
they  have  had  no  illness  in  the  house. 

Immediately  upon  landing,  I  treated  raysdf 
with  a  glass  of  cider  and  some  fruit :  the  charge 
was  dearer  than  in  London.  As  yet  I  cannot, 
of  course,  communicate  any  useful  particulars.  I 
have  walked  alone  through  the  streets  for  the 
purpose  of  forming  an  independent  judgment. 
Every  object  is  new.  I  hardly  dare  trust  myself 
in  forming  conclusions  :  one  most  cheering  fact 
is  indisputable,  the  absence  of  irremediable  dis- 
tress. The  street  population  bears  an  aspect 
essentially  different  from  that  of  London,  or 
large  English  towns.  One  striking  feature  con- 
sists in  the  number  of  blacks,  many  of  whom  are 
finely  dressed,  the  females  very  ludicrously  so, 
showing  a  partiality  to  white  muslin  dresses, 
artificial  flowers,  and  pink  shoes.  I  saw  but  few 
well-dressed  white  ladies,  but  am  informed  that 
the  greater  part  are  at  present  at  the  springsr  of 
Balstan  and  Saratoga.  *  The  dress  of  the  men  is 
rather  deficient  in  point  of  neatness  and  gentility. 
Their  appearance,  in  common  with  that  of  the 
ladies  and  children,  is  sallow,  and  what  we  should 

*  A  place  of  fashionable  summer  resort,  about  200  miles  . 
from  this  city.  The  route  is  by  way  of  Albany,  which  is  160 
miles  up  the  Hudson  river,  and  to  which  some  of  the  finest 
steam-boats  in  the  world  go  three  times  a  week.  The  fare, 
including  board,  is  seven  dollars,  and  a  tax  of  one  dollar. 
The  time  usuaRy  occupied  from  New  York  to  Albany  is  from 
eighteen  and  a  half  to  twenty-two  hoars. 


1O  CHURCHFS.  HOTELS. 

e.ill  unhealthy.     Our  friend  D telis  me  that 

to  have  colour  in  the  cheeks  is  an  infallible  cri- 

n  l.\  which  to  be  discovered  as  an  English- 
man. In  a  Briti>li  town  of  an\  importance,  you 
cannot  \\alk  along  a  leading  street  for  half  an 
hour  without  meeting  with  almost  every  variety 
of  size,  dress,  and  appearance  among  the  inha- 
bitants ;  whilst,  on  the  contrary,  hero  they  seem 
all  of  one  family  ;  and  though  not  quite  a  "  drab- 
coloured  creation,"  the  feelings  they  excite  are 
'fiy  degrees  removed  from  the  uninten  >t- 
ing  sensations  generated  by  that  expression. 
The  young  men  are  tall,  thin,  and  solemn  :  their 
drevs  is  imiversalk  trowsers,  and  veiy  generally 
loose  great  coats.  Old  men,  in  our  Knglish  idea 
of  that  phrase,  appear  ver\ 

Churches  are  numerous   and   handsome:   the 
interior  of  one   which    I    have  -ted    in 

Broad-way  is  truly  elegant,  being  n't  ted  up  with 

:e  taste,  splendour,  and,  I  presume,  i  \pc 
than  many  in  London.      Several  hoh  Q  an 

:  the  City  HoU  the 

Jon   tavern;   the    dining,   and  some   of   the 
private  rooms   seem  fitted   up  regardless  of 

The  price  of  boarding  at  this  establish- 

i    is,   I   understand,   cheaper    than  where  I 
reside.     Ti  ^  (or  st<  they  are  called) 

have  nothing  in  their  exterior  to  recommend 
them;  there  is  not  even  an  attempt  at  tasteful 
display.  The  linen  and  woollen  drapers  (dry 
good  stores,  as  they  are  denominated)  leave 

nt 


STORES. STREETS.  1 1 

quantities  of  their  goods  loose  on  boxes  in  the 
street,  without  any  precaution  against  theft.  This 
practice,  though  a  proof  of  their  carelessness,  is 
also  an  evidence  as  to  the  political  state  of  society 
worthy  of  attention.  Masses  of  the  population 
cannot  be  unemployed,  or  robbery  would  here 
be  inevitable.  A  great  number  of  excellent  pri- 
vate dwellings  are  built  of  red  painted  brick, 
which  gives  them  a  peculiarly  neat  and  clean  ap- 
pearance. In  Broad-way  and  Wall-street  trees 
are  planted  by  the  side  of  the  pavement.  The 
city-hall  is  a  large  and  elegant  building,  in  which 
the  courts  of  law  are  held.  In  viewing  this 
structure,  I  feel  some  objections  which  require 
farther  observation  either  to  remove  or  confirm. 
Most  of  the  streets  are  dirty :  in  many  of  them 
sawyers  are  preparing  wood  for  sale,  and  all  are 
infested  with  pigs,  —  circumstances  which  indi- 
cate a  lax  police. 

Upon  the  whole,  a  walk  through  New  York 
will  disappoint  an  Englishman :  there  is,  on  the 
surface  of  society,  a  carelessness,  a  laziness,  an 
unsocial  indifference,  which  freezes  the  blood  and 
disgusts  the  judgment.  An  evening  stroll  along^ 
Broad-way,  when  the  lamps  are  alight,  will  please 
more  than  one  at  noon-day.  The  shops  then 
look  rather  better,  though  their  proprietors,  of 
course,  remain  the  same  :  their  cold  indifference 
may,  by  themselves,  be  mistaken  for  independ- 
ence, but  no  person  of  thought  and  observation 
ever  concede  to  them  that  they  have  selected 


BRITISH    GOODS. 

u  \vi  r  mode  of  exhibiting  that  dignified  feeling. 
I  disapprove  most  decidedly  of  the  obsequious 
.iiity  of  many  London  shopkeepers,  but  I  am 
not  prepared  to  go  the  length  of  those  in  New 
>  ork,  who  stand  with  their  hats  on,  or  sit  or  lie 
alongtheir  counters,  smoking  md  spitting 

in  every  direction,  to  a  degree  offensive  to  any 
man  of  decent  feelings. 

The  prevalence  of  Dutch  names  tells  me  I  am 
hero  a  stranger;  but  this  impression  is  often 
counteracted  by  viewing  the  immense  quantities 
of  British  manufactured  goods  \\ith  which  the 
re  crowded,  as  also  the  number  of  English 
works  which  are  advertised,  and  such  placards  as 
*•  Hone's  Kiot  in  London,"  "  Prince's  Hu 
Oil,"  "  Reeves  and  \Voodyer'>  Colours,"  and 
"  Day  and  Martin's  Blacking." 

My  abode  here  ha^  ,  been  so  short,  that 

\ou  cannot  expect  solid  information.  Some 
things  which  I  state  may  appear  trifling,  but  I 
wish  to  communicate  to  you  my  first  impressions, 
and  to  place  you,  as  far  as  1  am  able,  in  my  own 
situation  :  in  that  point  of  view  you  will  regard 
the  following  circumstances. 

I  have  been  with  Mr.  Cook  (a  fellow- 
passenger,  and  an  agreeable  young  man,  a 
resident  of  Kaskaski,  in  the  Illinois  territory) 
into  three  shops.  The  first  was  a  chemist's : 
of  him  we  enquired  the  state  of  trade.  He 
replied  that  the  only  business  which  was  good 
for  any  thing  at  this  time  in  New  York  was 


RENTS. TRADE.  1 3 

shaving,  meaning  the  buying  and  selling  bank- 
notes.    The  rent  which    he  paid  for  his  small 
place  astonished  me.     The  next  was  a  hatter's, 
at  which  Mr.  C.  was  not  suited.     While  waiting, 
a  beggar  came  in,  and  was  relieved  with  a  Spanish 
silver  piece  called  a  sixpence:  it  was  the  sixteenth 
of'  a  dollar.     Beggars,  I  am  informed,  are  very 
uncommon.     The  third  shop  was  in  the  same 
business,  at  which  Mr.  C.  bought  a  hat :  it  was 
of  American  manufacture,  very  narrow  in  the 
brirn,    according    to    the  present  fashion ;    the 
price  was  ten  dollars  (45s.)  ;  the  quality  nearly 
as  good  as  those  sold  in  London  at  from  24s.  to 
£7s.     The    proprietor    of    this    concern    com- 
plained of  the   want  of  business.     He    stated 
that  it  had  not  been  known  so  bad  as  during1 

o 

the  last  and  present  years ;  but  that  labouring 
men  who  were  inclined  to  work  could  generally 
obtain  employment  either  in  the  city  or  back 
country ;  and  that  among  mechanics,  masons 
and  carpenters  were  very  good  trades.  I  asked 
him  the  reason  of  trade  being  bad.  He  replied 
that  he  did  not  know  the  reason  j  that  they 
did  not  trouble  themselves  about  reasons.  To 
my  remark, — business  is  also  dull  in  London, 
he  answered,  "  I  guess  that  is  the  reason ;  for 
we  take  all  our  things  from  them  in  the  old 
country."  His  rent  I  thought  extravagantly 
high :  he  stated  that  it  was  one-fourth  cheaper 
than  last  year ;  and  that  he  expected  it  would 
be  altered  next  May.  This  variation  in  rent 


14  COMMOUOKE    Di 

flows  from  a  mode  of  letting  houses  different  to 
that  practised  in  England.*  You  will  not,  of 
course,  take  information  so  loosely  collected  as 
the  present  as  authentic.  I  do  not  myself,  and 
therefore  I  am  sure  you  will  not  do  so. 

delay,  at  the  dinner-table,  my  attention 
was  strongly  fixed  by  a  conversation  between 
Commodore  Decatur  and  a  gentleman,  I  pre- 
Mtme  a  resident  of  this  city :  the  follow 
i>  nearly  an  accurate  report.  I  would  remark 
that  Commodore  Decatur  is  a  member  of  the 
Navy  Board,  and,  of  com  the 

contracts  issuing  from  that  body. 

(.font.  "  Well,  Commodore,  there  wei 
good  bargains  made  by  some  people  during 
." 

<in.  1).    H  So  1  gllC- 

(Jent.  "  M ,  the  contractor,  did  not 

lose  any  thing  by  turning  round:  his  Mt ion- 
paid  well." 

('<//?/.  D.  *«  A  man  ought  to  profit  by  what  he 
sell 

Gent.  "  >  t-  ;  but  democrats  only  had  the 
chance." 

Com.  D.  "  Contract-  are  conducted  with  the 
most  perfect  fairness.  Government  deals  with 

•  Houses  are  seldom  let  on  long  leases  in  the  cities  of 
America,  the  usual  period  being  for  one  year,  taking  date 
from  the  J  st  of  May.  Upon  this  day  the  removals  are  so  nu- 
merous, that  the  streets  have  a  very  singular  appearance.  — 
Nov.  1818. 


COMMODORE    DECATUR.  15 

that  man  who   can  supply  the  country  to  the 
most  advantage." 

Gent.  "  If  so,  how  is  it  that  throughout  the 
whole  war,  and  up  to  the  present  moment,  not 
a  single  federalist  in  any  part  of  the  Union  has 
been  a  contractor  ?" 

Com.  D.  "  I  guess  they  have  not  made  ap- 
plication. " 

Gent.  "  That  I  know  they  have,  and  myself 
for  one,  and  at  a  lower  rate  by  —  per  cent, 
than  M supplied  them." 

At  this  part  of  the  conversation,  a  gentleman 
sitting  on  my  left  remarked  that  government 
were  perfectly  right  in  pursuing  that  line  of 
policy  ;  that  they  ought  to  favour  those  who 
supported  them  :  this  was  partially  assented  to 
by  Commodore  Decatur.  The  gentleman  before 
alluded  to  continued,  with  some  feeling,  to  com- 
plain of  jobs  and  peculation.  These  were  terms 
which  I  had  imagined  unknown  in  the  language 
of  the  United  States  :  I  had  hoped  that  this 
refined  order  of  things  would  never  be  imported 
from  our  great  but  oppressed  country  to  this 
land,  at  the  emancipation  of  which  from  tyranny 
and  taxation  every  free  mind  throughout  the 
world  joined  in  exultation  and  triumph. 

The  inns  and  boarding-houses  are  crowded. 
At  this  time  great  numbers  are  here  from  the 
more  southern  states.  Among  other  induce- 
ments, they  come  to  avoid  the  present  or  appre- 
hended existence  of  the  yellow  fever.  The 


16  APARTMENT.  — ANTICIPATIONS. 

room  iii  which  I  write  is  in  the  attic  story, 
(.  very  other  being  occupied.  In  this  small 
apartment  are  two  beds,  The  heat  of  the 
weather  is  excessive,  ami  the  visits  of  the  inus- 
quitoes  not  the  most  pleasing.  I  have  not  yet 
•  n  enabled  to  sleep  until  three  or  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  Our  furniture  consists  of  two 
old  chairs;  the  bedsteads  are  temporary;  a 
mattrass,  cotton  and  coverlid  com; 

our  bedding.  There  is  no  bell  in  the  room  —  the 
attendance  of  servants  i>  perfectly  unattainable. 
This  may  arise  from  the  full  occupancy  of  the 
house,  or  it  may  be  a  general  feature  in  the 
condition  of  the  people:  in  either  case  it  trou- 
bles me  but  little.  If  there  be  but  a  good 
governmen  -!thy  and  fertile  country,  and 

an  enlightened  people,  1  for  one,  and  I  am 
sure  you  will  all  join  with  me,  shall  be  contented 
and  happy,  as  little  inconveniences  and  personal 
privations  mu>t  be  .^et  at  nought,  when  put  in 
competition  with  such  important  advantages. 
That  the  state  of  the  country  and  people  may 
realize  the  hopes  I  have  entertained,  is  my  con- 
stant and  sincere  prayer.  With  affectionate 
remembrances  tovou  all, 

I  remain  very  sincerely  your's, 

HENRY  FEAROV. 

I  shall  have  a  report,  for  it  will  be  too  long 
and  too  general  to  be  called  a  letter,  ready  to 
go  by  the  Amity,  C'apt.  Stanton,  which  is  to  sail 
the  1st  September. 


•vf*  I  <&»•£••• 


FIRST  REPORT. 


_ 

Situation  of  New  York Public  Buildings.  —  Exaggerated 

Statements  of  America.  —  Particulars  of,  and  Capital 
usually  employed  in,  the  Business  of  Carvers  and  Gilders, 
Timber -merchants,  Distillers,  Builders,  Dyers,  Boot  and 
Shoe-makers,  Tallow-chandlers,  Taylors,  Printers,  Boole- 
sellers.  —  Present  Prospect  of  Success  for  Emigrants.  — 
Lawyers.  — Doctors. — American  Literature. —  High  Price 
of  American-written  Works.  —  American  Editions  of 
English  Works.  —  Mechanics'  Wages.  —  Schools.  —  Rents 
enormously  high.  —  Country  Houses  to  be  sold.  —  State- 
Taxes.  —  Provisions  ;  their  Quality  and  Price.  —  Charge 
for  Boarding  per  Week.  —  Price  of  Clothing.  —  Indian 
find  French  Goods.  —  Religious  Sects  and  Character  o/'  the 
People  of  New  Yori.  —  Military  Service.  —  Proposal  for 
a  Settlement  on  the  Banks  of  the  Hudson. 

New  York,  August  31st,  1817. 

IN  a  letter,  dated  the  9th  instant,  I  apprised 
you  of  my  safe  arrival  at,  and  my  then  im- 
pressions  of,  this  place,  as  far  as  respects  the 
inhabitants,  and  the  appearance  of  the  city  : 
those  impressions  have  been,  in  general,  con- 
firmed. Concerning  the  important  object  of 
my  journey,  you  will  be  best  capacitated  to 
form  your  judgment  from  the  following  details. 
They  have  been  collected  with  as  much  indus- 
try and  discrimination,  as  my  own 

. 

c 


18  NEW    YORK. 

the  circumstances  in  which  I  was  placed,  have 
enabled  me  to  exercise. 

The   city    of   New  York,  when  approached 
from  the  sea,  presents  an  object  truly  beautiful. 
It  is  built  at  the  extreme  point  of  Manhaltan, 
or  York  Island,  which  is  thirteen  miles  long, 
and  from  one  to  two  miles  wide.     The  city  is 
on  the  south   end,  closely  built  from  shore  to 
shore,  and  extends  in  length  about  two  miles 
and  a  quarter.      The  population  is  said  to  be 
120,000.     The  Kast  river  separates  it  from  Lx>ng 
Island,  anil  the  Hudson  river  from  the  State  of 
Jersey.     Ships  of  any  burden,  and  to  any  extent, 
(an  come  close  up  to  the  town,  and  lie  there 
witli  perfect  safety,  in  a  natural  harbour,  formed 
by  the  above-named  fine  rivers,  and  a  noble  bay, 
completely  protected  by  the  surrounding  lands : 
there  are  at  present  a  great  number  of  ships  in 
harbour.     New  York  is  without  competition  the 
first  commercial  city  in  America.     This  will  be 
seen  by  a  slight  view  of  Mr.  Pitkin's  "Stati*- 
tical  Account  of  the  Commerce  of  the  United 
States  ;"  a  work  which  no  person   ought  to  be 
without,  who  views  the  subject  of  America  as 
an  important  topic.      The    port   of  New  York 
being  open   at  all  seasons  gives  it    a  powerful 
advantage  ;  the  more.so,  as  not  only  its  northern 
but  its  two  southern   rivals,    (Philadelphia  and 
Baltimore,)  are  deprived  of  this  convenience,  so 
desirable  in  an  extensive  commerce. 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  19 

The  public  buildings  of  a  city  of  such  recent 
birth  as  that  of  New  York,  must  appear  trifling 
to  the  native  of  an  European  city,  accustomed 
to  contemplate  the  collected  works  of  successive 
ages  j  but  you,  my  friends,  in  common  with  my- 
self, look  not  at  such  establishments  with  the 
eye  of  the  architect  or  the  painter,  but  as  plain 
men,  desirous  of  knowing  every  thing  concern- 
ing a  country,  around  which  some  of  our  most 
endeared  political  opinions  are  entwined  :  and 
as  we  contemplate  a  possible  removal  to  this  new 
world,  we  feel  interested  in  that  land,  which 
may  not  only  affect  our  interest  and  happiness 
as  individuals,  but  likewise  those  of  many  gene- 
rations yet  unborn. 

The  town-hall  of  this  city  is  a  noble  building 
of  white  marble.  The  ground  around  it  is 
planted  and  railed  off.  The  interior  appears 
well  arranged.  In  the  rooms  of  the  mayor  and 
corporation,  are  portraits  of  several  governors 
of  this  State,  and  some  distinguished  officers. 
The  State-rooms,  and  courts  of  justice,  are  on 
the  first  floor.  In  one  of  these,  a  gentleman 
pointed  out  to  me  the  celebrated  Mr.  Emmett, 
well  known  in  the  history  of  Ireland.  He  is  a 
plain  man,  of  the  middle  size,  in  a  small  degree 
inclined  to  corpulency.  His  dress  was  not  per- 
haps so  respectable  as  that  of  a  gentleman  of  his 
high  legal  estimation  in  England,  but  it  accorded 
with  the  ideas  and  habits  of  the  people  of  this 


MR.  EMMETT. 

country.  His  reputation  at  the  bar  is  of  the  first 
order.  I  was  grieved  to  find  native  Americans 
speak  of  him  with  great  jealousy.  It  appears 
that,  in  their  eyes,  he  has  been  guilty  of  two  un- 
pardonable crimes  —  two  sins  against  the  Holy 
Ghost :  the  first  is  in  being,  as  they  term  it,  a 
foreigner !  the  second  and  greatest  of  all,  in 
l)t iug  an  Irish  rebel!  But  to  proceed  with  the 
city-hall ;  the  staircase  is  circular,  lighted  by  a 
cupola.  The  situation  of  this  building  is  ex- 
cellent iu  point  of  effect,  and  highly  ornamental 
to  the  city.  It  would  be  much  more  so,  had 
not  the  basement  story,  which  is  of  red  granite, 
the  appearance  of  brick. 

In  the  imnu'diate  neighbourhood  of  the  hall 
is  an   extensive    building,   appropriated  to  the 
««  New  York  Institution,"  the    "  Academy    of 
Fine   Arts,"    and    the  "  American  Museum.'* 
There  are  also  a  State-prison,  hospisal,  and  nu- 
merous splendid  churches,     I   might  fill  many 
pages  were  I  to  follow  in  detail  the  deceptive 
example  ot'some  recent  writers,  whose  views  may 
perhaps  be  easily  appreciated.     One  of  these  I 
have  now  before  me,  who  names  every  house  in 
which  public  business  is  transacted  —  "  a  public 
building."      "  There  is,"  says  this  writer,  "  a 
custom-house,    post-office,    public  forum,  &c." 
The  first  is  a  private  house,  formerly  a  book- 
seller's,   belonging    to    Messrs.  Eastbourn    and 
Kirk  j  the  second  is  also  a  private  house,  of  a 


AMERICAN    WRITERS.  21 

very  mean  description,  and  indeed  quite  a  dis- 
grace to  a  commercial  city  of  the  magnitude  of 
New  York ;  the  third  is  merely  held  in  the 
winter  months,  in  the  ball-room  of  the  city  hotel, 
American  habits,  prosperity,  and  intelligence, 
are  described  upon  the  same  model,  and  with,  I 
regret  to  say,  an  equal  degree  of  exaggeration. 
Such  accounts  would  appear  to  answer  no  other 
ends  than  those  of  imposition ;  and  the  nation 
which  reallv  stood  in  need  of  these  arts,  would 

V 

not  deserve  to  rise  and  prosper :  but  as  to  the 
veil  thus  thrown  over  the  real  situation  of  this 
country  by  these  writers,  it  is  equally  the  in- 
terest of  native  and  emigrant  that  it  should  be 
withdrawn.  Every  American,  if  he  be  a  man  of 
sense,  would  wish  to  see  pourtrayed  the  real 
character  and  condition  of  his  country,  in  order 
that  he  might  not  only  perceive  what  was  ex- 
cellent, but  also  be  enabled  to  discover  what 
there  was  to  amend  and  improve ;  while  to  the 
respectable  emigrant  and  his  family,  the  con- 
sequences must  be  lamentable,  when  he  finds 
that  he  has  been  incited  to  a  change  of  country 
by  the  exaggerated  and  base  misrepresentations 
of  romantic  or  interested  individuals.  When  I 
survey  this  city,  and  remember  that  but  two 
centuries  since,  the  spot  on  which  it  stands  was 
a  wilderness,  I  cannot  but  be  struck  with  its 
comparative  extent  and  opulence.  Like  the 
country  of  which  it  forms  a  part,  it  is  a  striking 

c  3 


'±2  BUILDING. 

evidence  of  the  advantages  of  a  cheap  and 
popular  government ;  but  that  country  is  not,  as 
some  won  Id  represent  it,  a  paradise,  any  more  than 
the  city  of  New  York  is  as  yet  a  rival  either  in 
population,  riches,  or  extent  to  that  of  London. 

In  answer  to  the  various  enquiries  relative  to 
their  trade^  and  professions,  made  by  our  several 
friends,  I  shall  now  proceed  briefly  to  give  the 
purport  of  all  the  information  which  I  have 
hitherto  collected  either  by  my  own  observation 
or  through  the  means  of  the  introductions  given 
me;  and  in  doing  this,  I  shall  not  confine  my- 
self to  their  form  of  question  and  answer,  as  the 
>  une  fact  will,  in  many  instances,  reply  to  several 
of  their  queries  ;  and  I  should  wish  to  give  the 
information  in  as  clear  and  compressed  a  man- 
ner as  lies  within  my  power. 

Building  appears  brisk  in  the  city.  It  is 
generally  performed  by  contract.  A  person 
intending  to  have  a  house  erected  contracts 
with  a  professed  builder;  the  builder,  with  a 
bricklayer;  and  he,  with  all  others  necessary 
to  the  completion  of  the  design.  In  some 
cases,  a  builder  is  a  sort  of  head  workman,  for 
the  purpose  of  overseeing  the  others  ;  receiving 
for  his  agency  seven-pence  per  day  from  the 
wages  of  each  man  ;  the  men  being  employed  and 
paid  by  him.  There  are  occasional  instances  in 
which  there  is  no  contract,  every  thing  being 
paid  for  according  to  measure  and  value.  In 


TIMBER-TRADE.  23 

the  city,  houses  of  wood  are  not  now  allowed,  but 
in  the  environs  they  are  very  general ;  and  many 
of  them  handsome  in  appearance.  They  are 
commonly  of  two  stones,  and  painted  white, 
with  green  shutters.  The  expence  of  a  frame 
(wood)  house  is  materially  affected  by  situation : 
on  an  average,  they  will  cost  to  erect  about  the 
same  as  a  brick  house  in  England.  The  builder 
is  sometimes  his  own  timber-merchant,  Indeed, 
all  men  here  know  a  portion,  and  enter  a  little 
into  every  thing :  —  the  necessary  consequence 
of  a  comparatively  new  state  of  society. 

The  timber,  or,  (as  the  term  is  here)  lumber 
yards  are  not  on  that  large  and  compact  scale 

with  which,  in  England,  our  friends  C and 

M are    familiar.     Mahogany    yards    are 

generally  separate  concerns.  Oak  boards  are 
this  day  5L  12s.  6d.  per  thousand  feet.  Shingles, 
(an  article  used  instead  of  tiles  or  slates,) 
11. 2s.  6d.  per  thousand  feet,  to  which  is  to  be 
added  a  duty  of  15  per  cent.  Honduras  ma- 
hogany is  five-pence  halfpenny  to  seven-pence  far- 
thing the  superficial  footj  and  St.  Domingo,  nine- 
pence  three  farthings  to  seventeen-pence  half- 
penny. Mahogany  is  used  for  cupboards,  doors, 
and  banisters,  and  for  all  kinds  of  cabinet  work. 
Curl  maple,  a  native  and  most  beautiful  wood,  is 
also  much  approved.  Veneer  is  in  general  de- 
mand, and  is  cut  by  machinery.  Chests  of 
drawers  are  chiefly  made  of  St.  Domingo  ma- 


24  CAB  I  NET- WORK. 

hogany,  the  inside  being  faced  with  boxwood : 
shaded  veneer  and  curl  maple  are  also  used  for 
this  purpose.  I  would  remark,  that  the  cabinet 
work  executed  in  this  city  is  light  and  elegant, 
superior  indeed,  I  am  inclined  to  believe,  to 
English  workmanship.  I  have  seen  some  with 
cut  glass,  instead  of  brass  ornaments,  which  had 
a  beautiful  effect.  The  retail  price  of  a  three 
feet  six  inch  chest  of  drawers,  well  finished  and 
of  good  quality,  is  >|.  !'>>.  fid. ;  of  a  three  feet 
ten,  with  IMM^S  rollers,  5l.  8s.  A  table,  three 
feet  long,  four  and  a  half  wide,  31.  ?s.  6d. ;  ditto 
with  turned  legs,  H.  5s.  (id.;  three  and  a  half 
long,  five  and  u  half  wide,  (plain,)  31.  12s.  ; 
ditto  better  finished,  1-1.  K>s.  ;  ladies'  work 
tables,  (very  plain,)  18s.  Cabinet-makers'  shops 
of  which  there  are  several  in  Greenwich-street, 
contain  a  variety,  but  not  a  large  stock.  They 
are  generally  small  concerns,  apparently  owned 
by  journeymen,  commenced  on  their  own  ac- 
count. These  shops  are  perfectly  open,  and 
there  is  seldom  any  person  in  attendance.  In 
the  centre,  a  board  is  suspended  with  the  notice, 
"  Ring  the  bell."  I  have  conversed  with  seve- 
ral proprietors  :  they  state  their  business  to  have 
been  at  one  time  good,  but  that  there  is  now  too 
much  competition. 

Chair-making  here,  and  at  the  town  of  x 
ark,  ten  miles  distant,  is  an  extensive  business. 
The  retail  price  of  wooden  chairs  is  from  4s.  6d. 


CHAIR-MAKING.  25 

to  9s.;    of  curl  maple  with  rush  seat,  11s.;  of 
ditto  with  cane  seat,   13s.  6d.  to  11.  2s.  6d.;  of 
ditto,  most  handsomely  finished,  11.  9s. ;  sofas, 
of  the  several   descriptions   enumerated  above, 
are  the  price  of  six  chairs.     1  have  seen  in  par- 
lours of  genteel  houses,    a  neat  wooden  chair, 
which  has  not  appeared   objectionable,    and  of 
which  the   price  could  not  have  exceeded  9s. 
Cabinet-makers,  timber-merchants,  and  builders 
complain  —  they  all  say  that  their  trades  have 
been  good,  but  that  there  is  now  a  great  increase 
in  the  numbers  engaged,  and  that  the  times  are 
so  altered  with  the  merchants  that  all  classes 
feel  the   change   very   sensibly.      These   com- 
plaints I  believe  to  be  generally  well-founded ; 
but  I  do  not  conceive  the  depression  to  be  equal 
to  that  felt  in  England.      I  would  also  make 
some  deduction  from  their  supposed  amount  of 
grievances.     When  did  you  ever  know  a  body  of 
men  admit,  or  even  feel,  that  they  were  doing 
as  much  trade,  as  in  their  own  estimation  they 
ought?  or  who  did  not  think  that  there  were 
too  many  in  their  particular  branches  ?     Every 
individual  desires  to   be   a  monopolist,   yet  no 
wise  legislator  would  ever  exclude  competition. 
A  good  cabinet-maker,  who  should  have  no 
more  than  an  hundred  pounds  after  paying  the 
expences  of  his  voyage,  would  obtain  a  comfort- 
able livelihood ;   as  would   also   an  active  spe- 
culating carpenter  or  mason,    under  the   same 


')  LAWYERS. 

circumstances.  A  greater  amount  of  capital 
would,  of  course,  be  more  advantageous. 

A  timber-merchant  should  have  a  capital  of 
not  less  than  a  thousand  pounds  as  he  ought  to 
pay  cash  for  his  stock,  with  the  exception  of 
mahogany.  The  wages  of  a  journeyman  car- 
penter is  ?s.  lOfd.  per  day ;  of  a  mason,  8s.  5d. 
This  difference  arises  I  believe,  from  the  latter 
being  an  out-door  biiMiie<s,  which,  in  the  winter 
months,  from  the  extreme  severity  of  the 
weather,  is  of  necessity  suspended.  Cabinet- 
makers are  paid  by  the  piece.  When  in  full 
employ,  their  earnings  may  amount  to  50s.  per 
week :  a  safe  average  is  S6s.  A  man  in  either 
of  the  above  trades,  need  not  be  apprehensive 
but  that  hi-  should  get  a  li\ 

Our  friends  A —  and  N are  unfortunate 

in  being  "  learned  gentlemen."  Lawyers  are 
as  common  here  as  paiiju-i>  are  in  England. 
Indeed  for  those  friends  I  see  no  kind  of  opening. 
Projixshmd  men  literally  swarm  in  the  United 
States.  An  anecdote  is  told  of  a  gentleman 
walking  in  Hroad-w  ay :  a  friend  passing,  he 
called  "  Doctor,"  and  immediately  sixteen  per- 
sons turned  round  to  answer  to  the  name.  This 
is  even  more  characteristic  of  lawyers.  At  almost 
every  private  door,  cellar,  or  boarding-house,  a 
tin  plate  is  displayed,  bearing  the  inscription 
"  Attorney  at  Law."  Clerks  are  not  in  demand 
in  this  or  any  other  occupation.  There  are 


SHOPMEN.  —  CLERKS.  27 

here  no  very  large  concerns,  and  most  men  are 
capable  of  attending  to  their  own  business.  A 
shopman  or  clerk,  who  would  receive  in  London 
his  board,  and  a  salary  of  from  301.  to  1001. 
sterling  per  annum,  would  here  experience 
great  difficulty  in  gaining  a  situation ;  and  if 
fortunate  enough  to  obtain  one,  he  would  not 
receive  more  than  from  34.  to  7  dollars  per 
week,  exclusive  of  board  and  lodging.  The 
causes  which  generate  so  great  a  number  of 
"  legal  friends,"  lie  beyond  the  sources  of  my 
penetration.  Perhaps  we  may  date  the  fre- 
quency of  litigation  to  the  intricacy  of  the  pro- 
fession, which  is  bottomed  on  English  practice ; 
while  the  cheapness  of  college  instruction,  and 
the  general  diffusion  of  moderate  wealth  among 
mechanics  and  tradesmen,  enable  them  to 
gratify  their  vanity  by  giving  their  sons  a 
learned  education.  This  also  opens  the  door 
to  them  for  an  appointment ;  and,  by  the  way, 
the  Americans  are  great  place-hunters. 

As  it  respects  distillation  —  There  are 
numerous  distillers  resident  in  the  city  and 
environs.  During  the  late  war  this  occupation 
was  profitable,  in  consequence,  I  presume,  of 
the  difficulties  attendant  upon  importation. 
There  are  none  who  carry  on  business  upon 
an  extensive  scale.  The  capital  employed  is 
from  one  to  twenty  thousand  pounds.  The 
articles  prepared  are  rum,  gin,  and  whisky : 


(~>  DISTILLATION. 

rum  from  molasses ;  gin  from  rye  and  Indian 
corn  :  malted  grain  is  not  used.  Distillation 
is  performed  in  stills  made  of  wood,  operated 
upon  by  steam  :  there  is  no  particular  mode 
required  by  law.  There  are  two  taxes  paid  ; 
the  first  on  the  yearly  capacity  of  the  still, 
the  second  on  the  spirit,  per  gallon.  The 
latter  is  a  general  government-tax,  which  is 
expected  to  be  taken  off  the  next  session  of 
congress.  There  are  collectors,  hut  no  excise- 
men. The  oath  or  affirmation  of  the  proprietor 
is  the  mode  prescribed  by  law  of  ascertain- 
ing the  quantity  <li>tilled,  which  is  certainly 
most  consonant  with  civil  liberty.  Both  whole- 
sale and  retail  wine  and  spirit  sellers  are  grocer* : 
their  establishments  are  called  grocery  stores. 
A  great  proportion  of  the  retail  are  small 
chandlers'  shops,  and  are  often  denominated 
grog-shops.  They  are  usually  at  the  corners 
of  streets,  and  mostly  owned  by  Irishmen. 
Their  chief  commodity  is  New  England,  or 
what  is  emphatically  called  "  Yankee"  rum. 
All  spirits  are  commonly  drunk  mixed  with 
cold  water,  without  sugar.  The  price  per 
glass,  at  the  dirtiest  grog-shops,  is  two-pence, 
where  the  liquor  is  of  the  most  inferior  descrip- 
tion. At  the  more  respectable,  for  a  superior 
quality  three-pence  halfpenny.  At  what  are 
called  taverns  and  porter-houses,  establishments 
similar  to  our  second-rate  public-houses,  six-pence 


SPIRIT- SHOPS. 

halfpenny.  The  size  of  the  glass  is  half  a  gill. 
It  is  estimated  that,  there  are  1500  spirit-shops 
in  this  city  ;  a  fact  opposed  to  my  first  impres- 
sions of  American  habits,  which,  on  the  point 
of  sobriety,  were  favourable,  judging  from  the 
absence  of  broils  and  of  drunkards  in  the  streets : 
but  more  attentive  observation,  aided  by  the 
information  of  old  residents,  enables  me  to  state 
that  the  quantity  of  malt-liquor  and  spirits  drunk 
by  the  inhabitants  of  New  York,  much  exceeds 
the  amount  consumed  by  the  same  extent 
of  English  population.  The  beastly  drunkard 
is  a  character  unknown  here ;  yet  but  too  many 
are  throughout  the  day  under  the  influence 
of  liquor,  or  what  is  not  inappropriately 
termed  "  half  and  half !"  a  state  too  prevalent 
amqjng  the  labouring  classes  and  the  negroes. 
Many  date  the  source  of  this  to  the  extremes 
of  the  climate.  Another  and  a  leading  cause  is, 
that  numbers  of  the  lower  orders  are  European 
emigrants.  They  bring  their  habits  with  them. 
They  are  here  better  employed  and  better  paid 
than  they  were  in  the  country  which  gave  them 
birth ;  and  they  partake  too  largely  of  the 
infirmities  of  our  nature  to  be  provident  during 
the  sunshine  of  prosperity. 

Our  friend  C will  not  be  displeased  to 

learn  that  there  are  here  several  large  carvers' 
and  gilders'  shops.  Glass-mirrors  and  picture- 
frames  are  executed  with  taste  and  elegance  j 


30  CARVERS    AND    GILDERS. 

but  still  the  most  superior  are  imported  from 
England.  Carved  ornaments  are  general,  though 
some  composition  ornaments  are  used.  Plate- 
glass  is  imported  from  Fiance,  Holland,  and 
England,  the  latter  hearing  the  highest  price. 
Silvering  looking-glasses  is  a  separate  trade : 
there  is  hut  one  silverer  in  New  York,  and  he  is 
not  constantly  employed.  Carvers  and  gilders 
are  paid  eight-pence  three  farthings  per  hour. 
The  sale  of  prints  and  pictures  is  usually  com- 
bined with  this  business.  There  are  here  two 
gold-beaters  :  one  of  them  is  a  Mr.  Jones  from 
London.  Leaf-gold  is  frequently  imported; 
but  they  consider  their  own  equal  to  foreign, 
and  it  bears  the  same  price,  40s.  (id.  per  packet, 
containing  20  books.  The  duty  on  imported 
leaf-gold  is  fifteen  per  cent.  A  capital  of  from 
8001.  to  20001.  would  be  requisite  ioi  a  inode- 
ly  respectable  concern.  A  journeyman  gilder 
would  not  succeed  ;  a  carver  may  do  so  ;  but 
neither  trades  are  (to  use  an  Americanism)  of 
the  first  grade. 

To  Mr.  F I  would  remark,  that  boot  and 

>hoe-inakers*  shops  are  numerous,  some  of  them 
extensive.  The  price  of  sole-leather  is  lid.  to 
13fd.;  of  dressed  upper  ditto,  lls.  3d.  to  l->s.9d.; 
to  this  is  to  be  added  a  duty  of  tfu  per  cent. 
Wellington-boots  at  the  best  shops  are  charged 
i,'l.  Os.  Gd.  j  shoes,  13s.  6d.  Spanish  is  much 
worn  ibr  upper  leather.  They  are  made  neat 
13* 


SHOEMAKERS. — DYERS.  31 

and  with  taste  ;  the  workmanship  appears  to  me 
quite  equal  to  the  best  London.  The  American 
leather  is  very  inferior  in  quality.  Native  work- 
men appear  as  good  as  English.  The  business 
is  at  present  dull,  which,  I  believe,  is  usual  at 
this  season  of  the  year.  A  capital  of  from  500 
to  1000  dollars  is  requisite  in  a  moderate  con- 
cern. A  master  shoe-maker  will  not  be  bene- 
fited by  coming  here  ;  a  journeyman  may  be  so. 
C — ,  whom  we  knew  in  London,  and  who  is 
first  rate  in  his  line,  has  been  earning  21.  ,5s.  per 
week  \  but  he  is  upon  the  point  of  going  to 
Philadelphia,  or  perhaps  to  the  Western  country, 
as  he  cannot  have  a  continuation  of  employment 
unless  he  work  at  an  under  price. 

Mr.  W.  and  his  Son,  who  are  dyers,  would 
find  some  difficulty  in  stepping  from  the  practice 
of  their  large  concern  in ,  to  an  Ame- 
rican dye-house  ;  which,  from  the  non-existence 
of  manufacturers  in  this  country,  must  be  essen- 
tially different  from  an  English  one.  The 
articles  usually  done  here,  are  old  clothes  and 
spoiled  goods.  A  dyer's  business  in  this  city 
will  best  accord  with  an  English  scowerer,  such 
as  Sansom,  in  Fenchurch-street.  The  price  for 
dyeing  black  woollen  is  3s.  per  yard,  -|  wide ; 
of  brown  ditto,  3s.  ;  red,  2s.  6d. ;  yellow, 
2s.  6d. ;  scarlet,  20s.  a  pound.  There  is  no 
silk  dyed  in  the  skein,  nor  are  there  any 
silk-weavers  in  the  United  States.  Fast  blue 


32  TALLOW-CHANDLERS. 

is  not  done.  Re-dyeing  old  silk  is  tijd.  per 
yard.  English  alum  is  from  33s.  9d.  to 
per  cwt.  to  which  is  to  be  added  a  duty  of 
4s.  6d. ;  brazilletto,  1  W)s.  to  lf>0s.  per  ton  ;  cochi- 
neal, -Ji-.  !)d.  per  pound,  with  a  duty  of  7f  per 
cent.  ;  logwood,  !K)s.  to  Ili2s.  (id.  per  ton.  The 
bus  of  necessity  limited.  It  is  moderately 

good,  and  would  not  require  a  capital  of  more 
than  from  vJOOl.  to  5001.  A  few  journeymen 
are  employed.  They  earn  21.  5s.  per  week. 

The  trade  of  tallow-chandler  is  united  by 
some  with  that  of  soap-boiler.  Any  other  busi- 
ness may  be  connected  with  it,  as  the  law  raises 
no  difficulty  on  the  subject.  The  operation  of 
melting  must  be  removed  a  specified  distance 
from  the  closely  inhabited  part  of  the  city. 

The  pickle-trade  is  of  no  account,  as  families 
prepare  their  own. 

The  oil  and  colour-business  might  be  com- 
bined with  that  of  tallow-chandler,  though  per- 
haps without  increased  advantage.  Oil  is  sold 
at  grocery-stores,  and  by  painters.  The  rent  of 
a  house  to  suit  an  oil-business,  in  a  fourth- 
rate  situation,  (a  better  being  unnecessary,) 
would  be  13/51.  to  1501.  per  annum.  A  capital 
of  from  SOol.  to  K'ool.  would  suffice.  For  a 
journeyman  or  shopman  it  is  a  bad  trade.  They 
are  paid  Is.  (id.  to  5s.  7fd.  per  diem.  The  chief 
work  is  done  by  apprentices.  The  Irish  have 
scot  the  greater  part  of  this  business  j  and  they 


14* 


TAYLORS.  33 

will,  if  possible,  prevent  an  English  journeyman 
from  having  employment.  The  wholesale  prices 
of  tallow  are,  foreign,  6f  d.  to  74d.,  with  a  duty 
of  fd. ;  American,  7fd. :  of  soap,  Castile,  8£d. 
to  9d. ;  turpentine,  5fd.,  with  a  duty  of  Ifd. 
In  the  eastern  States  there  is  a  superabundance 
of  native  tallow,  but  in  the  south  it  is  scarce. 
Barilla  is  not  used,  American  ashes  being  sub- 
stituted ;  which  are  from  8|d.  to  10£d.  per 
bushel.  A  tallow-chandler  in  London  who  can 
save  501.  per  annum,  would  not  be  benefited  in 
his  finances  by  a  removal  to  this  country. 

Taylors  are  numerous:  they  are  denominated, 

(in  conformity  with   the  accustomed  vanity  of 

the  country,)     "  Merchant   Taylors."      Some 

keep  rather  large  stocks  of  woollen  piece-goods, 

all  of  which,  I   would   remark,   are  of  British 

manufacture.     The  price  of  a  superfine  coat  is 

from  61.  6s.  to  81.  2s.    They  are  paid  for  making 

a  common    coat,  18s. ;  a  best  ditto,  27s.     If  a 

journeyman  find  the  trimmings,  he  receives  for 

a  best  coat  45s.  to  51s.     For  making  trowsers, 

9s.     Apprentices  can  be  had  for  the  terms  of 

three,  seven,  or  ten  years :  seven  is  the  usual 

period.     A  journeyman  can  have  the  work  of 

an  apprentice  under  him.     If  a  man  have  not 

served  his  time,  it  is  not  of  consequence  in  any 

business  j  competency r,  not  legal  servitude,  being 

the  standard  for  employment.     A  journeyman 

taylor  I  would  rank  but  among  the  second-rate 

D 


34  LITERATURE. 

trades,  so   much   being   done   by  women    and 
boys.     A  man  that  can  cut  out  will  be  occa- 
*.       sionally  well  paid  :  the  women  not  being  clever 
in    this    department,    makes   the   employment 
of    men  necessary.       There    are    ready-made 
clothes'  shops,  as  in  London,  at  which  arti* 
of  a  cheaper  but  inferior  description  are  sold. 
Large  quantities  of  clothing  are  imported  from 
England,     and    many     individuals    have    their 
regular  London   taylors.     Black   and   coloured 
Canton  crape,    black  stuff,    white  jean,    white 
drill,  and  Nankin,  are  worn  for  trowsers  ;  jean 
for   coats ;  gingham  for  jackets  in  the  house : 
all  of  which  are  made  by  women,  at  from   £5 
to  50  per  cent,  cheaper  than  if  men  were  em- 
ployed.     A   man    will    earn,    when    employed, 
from  S(')s.  to  54s.  per  week.     To  carry  on  this 
trade  as  a  master,  and  with  a  reasonable  prospect 
of  success,  would  require  a  capital  of  from  5001. 
to   20001.      The   profits   are   large.     Moderate 
credit  is   received ;  long  credit  is  given.     An 
additional  taylor  does  not  seem  now  wanted  in 
New  York,  yet  I  should  not  be  apprehensive  of 
the  success  of  a  man  of  business  who  was  pos- 
sessed of  the  means  above  stated. 

I  have  recently  read  a  book  which  speaks 
highly  of  the  literature  of  this  country.  From 
what  source  the  writer  derives  evidence  in  sup- 
port of  his  assertions  I  know  not.  A  well- 
educated  American,  with  whom  I  have  had 


LITERATURE.  35 

some  agreeable  conversation,  candidly  admitted 
their  very  lamentable   deficiency    in  this  par- 
ticular; and  in  nothing,  perhaps,  is  this  more 
decidedly  shown    than   in  the  scarcity  of  that 
greatest  of  literary  curiosities  —  a  native  Ame- 
rican  standard  work.     The  causes  which  pro- 
duce this  I  shall  endeavour  to  ascertain,  when  I 
become  more   conversant  with  this  country  and 
people.     The  fact  is  indisputable.     Booksellers' 
shops    here    are    extensive.      Old    works    are 
scarce.     Standard  works  are  not  so :  by  these  I 
mean  such  as  Shakespeare,  Milton,  Blair,  and 
Johnson.     Theological  works  (those  only  which 
are  orthodox)  are  common,  and  I  should  suppose 
much  in  request.     Hartley,  Priestley,  and  the 
religious  writings  of  Locke,  are  scarce  ;  I  may 
say  unknown.     English  novels  and  poetry  form 
the  primary  articles  of  a  bookseller's  business. 
They  are  quickly   reprinted.     An  instance  of 
dispatch  in  this  line  occurred  a  fortnight  since 
at    Philadelphia.      "  Manfred"    was    received, 
printed,  and  published  all  in  one  day.     Walter 
Scott,  Lady  Morgan,  Moore,  Miss  Edgeworth, 
Miss  Porter,  and  Lord   Byron,  are  favourites. 
The  late  Scotch  novels  have  been  very  much 
read.     The  Edinburgh  and  Quarterly  Reviews 
are    reprinted    by     Messrs.    Kirk    and     Mer- 
cien  of  this   city.      English   Tory  'writers  are 
neither   unknown    nor  unpopular.     Booksellers 
deal   in   stationary  and  various   fancy  articles. 

D  2 


36  BOOKSELLERS. 

Their  stocks  are  large,  but,  what  we  should 
call  in  England,  ill  assorted.  Mr.  Eastbourne's 
is  the  only  house  which  contains  old  English 
works.  His  general  stock  is  valuable  and  ex- 
tensive. 1  purchased  from  him  gazetteers,  and 
other  American  works,  calculated  to  assist  me  in 
travelling.  The  price  of  all  (which  was  the  same 
as  at  any  other  house)  surprised  me  :  they  were 
dearer  than  English  books  of  a  similar  kind  and 
size,  ami  also  very  interior  in  quality  of  paper, 
and  general  execution.  "Mr.  Eastbourne  politely 
invited  me  to  his  reading  room  —  an  establish- 
ment valuable  to  the  city,  and  honourable  to  its 
proprietor.  The  great  attraction  of  this  depart- 
ment is  a  variety  of  native  and  English  in 
papers,  and  of  English  reviews  and  magazines.  I 
spent  a  morning  hour  here  with  considerable  satis- 
faction. American  editions  of  many  British  writ- 
ings are  layer  in  price,  but  not  cheaper  than  those 
issuing  from  the  London  press ;  the  size  as  well 
as  quality  of  paper  being  reduced.  Folio  is  dimi- 
nished to  quarto,  quarto  to  octavo,  and  octavo 
to  duodecimo.  The  American  edition,  for  in- 
stance, of  that  beautiful  poem  "  Lalla  Rookh;" 
which  I  have  sent  you,  bears  no  comparison  to 
that  of  Messrs.  Longman  and  Co.  Common 
stationary  is  of  American  manufacture  j  the 
superior,  of  British.  Books  pay  upon  import- 
ation 30  per  cent. ;  printing  types,  20 ;  paper, 
SO  j  wafers,  30  ;  playing  cards,  30.  Native  bind- 


PRINTERS.  —  ANECDOTE.  3y 

ing  is  generally  plain  and  common  :  many  of  the 
fine  London  pocket  editions,  bound,  have  been 
recently  imported.  A  capital  of  from  10001.  to 
10,0001.  would  be  required  in  this  business.  — 

Query,  Would  it  be  judicious  for  our  friend 

to  transport  his  capital  to  this  side  of  the  Atlan- 
tic ?  His  literary  talents  would  indeed  be  a 
novelty  in  a  New- York  miscellany. 

Printers  are  paid  21.  5s.  per  week,  but  em- 
ployment cannot  be  depended  upon  :  a  great 
portion  of  the  work  is  dtfne  by  boys.  Stereo- 
typing is  practised  :  Messrs. are  now  en- 
gaged upon  a  work  larger  than  any  which  has 
ever  been  stereotyped  in  England.  An  instance 
occurred  in  their  office  of  the  facility  opened  to 
learning  a  trade,  in  consequence  of  the  non- 
existence  of  statutes  to  controul  that  which 

ought  ever  to  be  free.     S ,  a  clever,  active 

youth,  who  had  been  a  shopman  in  London, 
came  here  in  the  Lorenzo :  he  had  letters  of 
introduction  from  his  uncle,  a  highly  respectable 

man  in Lane,  London,  to  several  merchants 

in  this  city.  The  door  of  employment  was  how- 
ever shut  against  him.  Driven  by  necessity,  he 
resorted  to  carrying  the  hod,  and  thus  earned  a 
few  dollars  ;  but  the  excessive  heat  of  the  weather 
overcame  him,  and  relinquishing  his  new  occu- 
pation, he  obtained  a  situation  at  the  store 
of  Mr.  — v  in  Broad-way  —  was  there  eight 
months,  transacting  the  most  important  part  of 

D  3 


3S  i  IDOLS. 

their  business  —  received  15s.  yd.  per  week, 
exclusive  of  board  and  lodging.  Tired  of  this 
unprofitable  occupation,  he  addressed  a  letter 
to  the  printers  before  referred  to,  requesting 
leave  to  attend  in  their  office  for  the  purpose  of 

learning  to  be  a  compositor.     Mr. ,  though 

a  stranger,  liberally  consented,  with  the  addi- 
tional offer,  that  as  soon  as  S was  capaci- 
tated, he  should  have  the  full  price  of  his  labour. 

S has  been  there  three  months,  was  engaged 

hi  stereotyping  a  new  edition  of  Sternhold  and 
Hopkins,  for  the  last  month  has  received  eight 
dollars  per  week,  is  now  out  of  employment  and 
upon  the  point  of  walking  to  Philadelphia,  (dis- 
tance !M>  miles,)  with  the  intention  of  working 
on  the  road. 

The  Lancaster'um  system  <//'  education  is  in 
practice  here,  but  it  has  not  spread  so  rapidly  as 
in  England  j  perhaps,  because  among  the  lower 
orders  it  was  less  wanted  ;  there  are  800  in  the 
school  of  this  city  ;  the  system  at  present  is  con- 
tined  to  free  schools.  One  or  two  boarding 
seminaries  exist  here  for  ladies  separately  j  but 
in  general  males  and  females,  of  all  ages,  arc 
educated  at  the  same  establishment.  The  effect 
of  this  highly  injudicious  practice  is  not  (at  least 
judging  from  the  surface  of  society)  what  1 
should  have  anticipated.  American  females  arc 
t  \eii  more  distant  and  reserved  in  their  manners 
than  English  :  the  sexes  seem  ranked  as  dibtinct 


SCHOOLS.  39 

races  of  beings,  between  whom  social  converse 
is  rarely  to  be  held.    Day-schools  are  numerous  : 
some  of  them  respectable,  none  large.  A  teacher, 
that  is,  an  usher,  at  any  of  these  establishments, 
is  a  situation   not   worth  the  attention  of  the 
poorest  man.      No    species    of   correction    is 
allowed :  children,   even  at  home,  are  perfectly 
independent ;  subordination  being  foreign  to  the 
comprehension  of  the  youth,  as  well  as  the  aged 
of  this  country.     The  emigrant  proprietors  of 
seminaries  are  Scotch  and  Irish  :  an  instance  has 
not  occurred  of  a  respectable  English  school- 
master establishing  himself  here.     Two  English 
ladies  have   recently  commenced   a  boarding- 
school  for  females  only  :   they  have  been  mode- 
rately successful.     A  capital  of  from  one  to  five 
hundred  pounds  is  essential :  for  a  day-school 
none  is  required.     The  dead  languages,  music, 
surveying,    drawing,    dancing,    and  French  are 
taught  at  the  superior  schools :  the  latter  is  rather 
generally  understood,  and  in  some  measure  neces- 
sary,  French  families    being  more  frequently 
met  with  here  than  in  England.     -At  some  of 
the   academies    plays    are    occasionally   acted. 
The    charges    at    several    seminaries   are,    for 
arithmetic,   reading,  and   writing,  per  annum, 
40  dollars  ;  for  geography,  philosophy,  and  the 
French  language,  60 ;   for  Greek,   Latin,  and 
the  mathematics,  80  dollars  :  these  amounts  are 
exclusive  of  board. 

D  4 


40  RENTS. 

Rents  form  an  important  article  for  your  con- 
sideration :  I  have  therefore  been  very  minute 
in  my  enquiries  on  this  head.  They  depend  much 
upon  situation.    In  the  skirts  of  the  town  a  very 
small  house,  one  story  high,  the  front  rooms  of 
:i  moderate  size,  the  back  less,  but  suited  for  a 
lu-d,  and  with  one   room  in  the  attic  story,  is 
from   112\.   to    141.    per  annum.     This   class  -of 
houses  is  similar  to  the  least  of  those  in  Comers- 
Town,  Commercial- Road,  and  the  new  lanes  in 
Wai  worth.     A  mechanic  who  has  a  family  can 
have  two  small   nu>m->   for  ISl.  a  year.     About 
half  a  mile  out  of  tlu-  city  is  a  small  two-story 

house,  in  which  Mr. lias  two  rooms  on  the 

first  floor,  and  two  closet  bed-rooms  on  the  same, 
one  room  in  the  attic,  and  the  use  of  the  kitchen, 
for  which    he  pays   ^tl.  ifrs.    per  annum  :    the 
landlord    pays    the    taxes    in    both    the    above 
instances.     I  would  remark,   that  many  houses 
have  closets  between  their  rooms  which  serve 
for  a  bed,  or  sometimes  are  used  as  a  pantry.    It 
is  also  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  temporary 
beds  to  be  laid  out  in  dining-rooms  and  parlours  : 
t  being,  of  course,   removed  sufficiently  early  in 
the  morning  to  prevent  inconvenience.    At  the 
distance  of  a  mile  from  the  city,  a  person  of 
the   name    of  Richards   bought   a  small  brick 
house,  containing  two  kitchens  in  the  basement, 
one  front  room,   tolerable  size,  and  one  small 
back  room,  on  the  ground  floor,  the  same  on  the 


RENTS.  41 

first  floor,  and  three  bed-rooms  in  the  attic,  for 
3001.       Garrets    generally   have    no    plastered 
ceiling.     A  very  small  house,  in  a  situation  not 
convenient  for  business,    containing  in   all  six 
rooms,  is  worth  from  751.  to  801.  a  year  ;  a  simi- 
lar house,  in  a  better  situation,  951.  to  1051. ;  a 
ditto  in  a  good  street  for  business,  1301.  to  1401.  ; 
a  ditto  in  first-rate  retail  situation,  1601.  to  2001. 
per  annum.     You  will  remark,  that  this  is  the 
smallest  class  of  houses.     The  house  in  which  I 
am  now   writing  is  No.   53,   Dey-street :    it  is 
neither  good  nor  bad,  in  point  of  situation  or 
gentility,    being  of  a  similar    class  to  those  in 
Hatton-garden,  London  :  it  contains  a  kitchen 
and  servant's  bed-room  under  ground  ;  a  dining- 
room,  small  parlour,  and  an  intermediate  closet 
on  the  ground  floor  ;  a  drawing-room  and  large 
bed-room  on  the  first  floor,  three  bed-rooms  on 
the  second,  three  in  the  attic,  and  a  small  back 
yard  ;  the  rent  is  2021.  10s.  and  the  taxes  111.  5s. 
Observe,  these  are  the  city  and  state,  not  United 
States  taxes.     A  similar  house  to  this,  in  &jirst- 
rate  private-house  situation,  would  be  3001.  to 
3501.  per  annum  :  were  it  appropriated  to  busi- 
ness, the  rent  would  be  higher.     The  concern 

at  which  S lived  is  in  that  part  of  Broad-way 

which  is  first-rate  for  retail  trade  :  the  rent  of 
the  shop  and  cellar  only  is  2921.  10s. ;  the  upper 
part  of  the  house  lets  for  24-71. 10s.  A  house  and 
shop,  equal  in  size  and  situation  to  those  esteemed 


4<2  PRICES. 

1  best  in  Whitcchapel,   Fore-street,    and  tiu 
Surrey  side  of  Black-friars,  would  be  320J.  to 
J.jOl.  per  annum  :   a  ditto,  ditto  to  those  in  Ox- 
ford-street,  Bishopsgate- Within,   the  best  parts 
of  Holborn  and  Gracechurch-street,  would  be 
•1001.  to  6001.  per  annum.     I  am  informed  that 
.Mr.  Eastbourne,  the  very  respectable  bookseller 
before    referred  to,  has  bought   his  house,  for 
which  he  gave  35,000  dollars :  this  house  and 
situation  I  should  esteem  to  be  parallel  with  Mr. 
Waithman's,  the  corner  of  Bridge-street.     Two 
moderate-sized  houses  in  Wall-street,  (the  Lom- 
bard-street of  New  York,)  were  recently  taken 
on  lease  by  Mr.  Gibson,  lor  the  purpose  of  an 
inn  :  he  engaged  to  pay  14171. 10s.  per  annum  ; 
the  concern  did  not  realize  his  expectations  ;  he 
put  up  at  public  auction  a  nine  years'  lease, 
which  it  is  said  was  knocked   down  to  Mr.  St. 
John  for  25871.  10s.  per  annum.     Ground  lots 
for  building,  even  in  the  suburbs,  are  enormously 
dear. 

To  state  the  comparative  expenditure  for  do- 
mestic wants,  I  find  a  difficult  part  of  my  com- 
munication. There  are  few  families  who  keep 
an  account  of  this  essential  portion  of  family 
economy  ;  and  still  fewer  who  have  any  know- 
ledge oi'your  necessary  expenses.  The  following 
list  of  prices  may  be  of  some  assistance  to  you  : 
beef  is  from  S^d.  to  (Jd.  per  pound  ;  mutton,  3^1. 
to  5^d.  j  veal,  5d.  to  Ofd.  ;  ham  ami  bacon.  7fd. 


PRICES.  ,          4fS 

to  lOfd.  ;•  dried  beet;  8f  d.  ;  fowls,  Is.  9td.  to 
2s.  9d.  a  pair  ;  ducks,  2s.  3d.  to  2s.  9d.  a  pair  ; 
geese,  2s.  3d.  to  3s.  lid.  each  ;  turkeys,  3s.  4£d. 
to  5s.  7|d.  each  ;  pork,  6^d.  to  8d.  a  pound ; 
butter  (fresh)  15d.  to  20|d. ;  eggs,  nine  for  6|d.  j 
cheese,  old,  9|d.,  new,  6f  d.,  English,  lOd.  to  I6d. : 
I  have  seen  but  little  of  this  article  used  ;  that 
which  is  of  American  manufacture  is  extremely 
bad:  potatoes,  3s.  4fd.  per  bushel;  cabbages,  2f  d. 
each;  turnips,  2s.  2fd.  per  bushel;  peas,  6|d.  to 
lOd.  per  peck ;  salt,  3s.  3d.  per  bushel ;  milk,  5fd. 
per  quart  ;  common  fish,  2d.  to  3f  d.  per  pound  ; 
salmon,  Is.  If  d.  to  3s.  4fd.  per  pound  ;  brown 
soap,  6|d.;  white  ditto  dressed,  8|d.  per  pound  j 
candles,  8fd.  per  pound;  mould  ditto,  Is.;  flour 
per  barrel  (weighing  196  pounds)  is,  of  the  best 
New  York,  46s.  6d.  to  49s.  lOfd. ;  middling 
ditto,  36s.  to  40s.  6d. ;  rye,  31s.  6d. ;  Phila- 
delphia flour,  46s.  l^d.  to  47s.  3d. ;  Indian 
ditto,  38s.  Od.  to  41s.  6d. ;  hogshead  of  ditto, 
weighing  800  pounds,  148s.  6d.  to  153s. ;  wheat, 
7s.  lO^d.  to  9s.  per  bushel ;  rye,  6s.  4d.  ditto  ; 
barley,  6s.  4d.  ditto  ;  oats,  Is.  lOd. ;  hops,  19s.  to 
21s.  Ofd.  per  pound;  foreign  feathers,  13|d.  to 
14d.  a  pound ;  American  ditto,  3s.  l£d. ;  a  loaf  of 
bread  weighing  17  oz.,  3fd. ;  a  ditto,  34  oz.,  7d.; 
mustard,  3s.  to  4s.  a  pound  ;  table  beer,  5s.  7id. 
for  5  gallons  ;  common  ale,  5^d.  per  quart ;  best 
ditto,  7d.,  wine  measure ;  a  cask  of  9  gallons  of 
ditto,  24s.  9d. ;  apples,  lOd.  per  peck ;  lobsters, 


44  BOARD. 


.  per  pound  ;  onions,  (an  article  much  used,) 
.  a  rope  ;  cucumbers,  5  for  Is.  lAd.  ;  common 
brown  sugar,  ?d.  a  pound;  East  India  ditto,  10$d.; 
lumpxlitto,  134d.;  best  ditto,  if»d.  ;  raw  coffee 
by  tl)e  bag,  10|d.  a  pound  ;  souchong  tea,  Is.  (id. 
to  5s.  7d.  a  pound  ;  hyson,  5s.  ?d.  to  6s.  2d.  ; 
gunpowder,  i(>\.  lul.  The  quality  of  provisions 
I  think  is,  in  general,  very  good  :  the  beef  is 
excellent,  mutton  ratluT  inferior  to  ours  ;  fowls 
arc  much  larger  but  not  better  eating  than  the 
English.  Candles  are  inferior  to  English  ;  soap 
perhaps  superior,  at  least  less  is  required  than  of 
ours,  for  any  given  purpose. 

Boarding.  —  Persons  who  are  not  house-keepers 
generally  live  at  boarding-houses  or  hotels.  A 
mechanic  pays  for  his  hoard  and  lodging  l.'Js.  Ul. 
to  18s.  per  week  ;  the  usual  price  is  15s.  <Jd.  ;  for 
which  he  has  three  meals  a-day,  coffee,  with  fish  or 
meat  for  breakfast*;  a  hot  dinner;  and  tea  (called 
supper)  in  the  evening;  at  which  last  the  table  is 
filled  with  cheese,  biscuits  (cal  led  Boston  crackers,  ) 
molasses,  and  slices  of  raw  dried  beef.  Boarding 
at  a  moderately  respectable  house  is  8  dollars  a 
week,  for  what  is  termed  "  a  transient  man  ;"  or, 
at  the  same  house,  5  to  6  dollars  per  week  for  a 
three  or  six  months'  resident.  Charges  vary  from 
8  dollars  to  14  dollars  a  week,  according  to 
situation,  accommodation,  and  respectability. 
Very  few  allow  four  meals  a  day,  as  at  that  kept 
by  Mrs.  Bradish  :  indeed  I  am  informed  that 


CLOTHING.  —  RELIGION.  45 

Mrs.  B/s    is   the    best   boarding-house    in    the 
United  States. 

Clothing  and  domestic  utensils  are  chiefly  of 
British  manufacture :  they  are  from  25  to  100 
per  cent,  dearer  than  in  England.  India  goods 
are  much  cheaper  than  with  you^:  silk  pocket- 
handkerchiefs  not  more  than  half  the  price. 
Canton  crapes  for  ladies'  dresses  very  moderate 
—  in  England  they  are  prohibited  :  perhaps 
there  are  few  articles  to  equal  these  for  gentility, 
combined  with  economy  and  elegance.  French 
silks,  fancy  articles,  and  ladies*  gloves  are  also 
cheap. 

Religion.  —  Upon  this  interesting  topic  I 
would  repeat,  what  indeed  you  are  already 
acquainted  with,  that  legally  there  is  the  most 
unlimited  liberty.  There  is  no  state  religion, 
and  no  government  prosecution  of  individuals 
for  conscience-sake.  Whether  those  halcyon 
days,  which  would,  I  think,  attend  a  similar 
state  of  things  in  England,  are  in  existence 
here,  must  be  left  for  future  observation.  There 
are  five  Dutch  Reformed  churches ;  six  Presby- 
terian ;  three  Associated  Reformed  ditto ;  one 
Associated  Presbyterian;  one  Reformed  ditto; 
five  Methodist;  two  ditto  for  blacks;  one 
German  Reformed ;  one  Evangelical  Lutheran ; 
one  Moravian ;  four  Trinitarian  Baptist ;  one 
Universalist ;  two  Catholic  ;  three  Quaker ;  eight 
Episcopalian ;  one  Jews'  Synagogue,  and  to 


46  RELIGIOUS    SECTS. 

this  I  would  add  a  small  meeting  which  is  but 
little  known,  at  which  the  priest  is  dispensed 
with,  every  member   following  what   they   call 
the  apostolic    plan    of   instructing  each  other, 
and  "  building  one  another  up  in  their  most  holy 
faith."     The    Presbyterian    and    Episcopolian, 
or   Church  of   England    sects,    take   the    pre- 
cedence   in    numbers    and     in     respectability. 
Their  ministers  receive  from  two  to  eight  thou- 
vind  dollars  per  annum.     All  churches  are  well 
filled  :  they  appear  the  fashionable  places  for  t/ix- 
play  ;  and  the  sermons  and  talents  of  the  minister 
oiler  never-ending  subjects  of  interest  when  social 
converse  has  been  exhausted  upon  the  bad  con- 
duct and  inferior  nature  of  m^garn  (negroes) ; 
the  price  of  flour  at  Liveq>ool ;  the  capture  of 
the  Guerriere  /  and  the  battle  of  New  Orleans. 
The  perfecte  quality  of  all  sects  seems  to  have 
deadened  party-feeling :  controversy  is  but  little 
known.     The  great  proportion  of  attendants  at 
any  particular  church  appear  to  select  it  either 
because  they  are  acquainted  with  the  preacher, 
or    that    it    is  frequented  by  fashionable  com- 
pany,   or  their   great  grandmother  went  there 
before  the  Revolution,    or   because  (what  will 
generally  have  a  greater  weight  than  all  these 
reasons,)  their  interest  will  be  promoted  by  their 
so  doing. 

Licences  are    not    necessary,    for  either  the 
preacher  or  place    of   meeting.     According  to 

7t 


RELIGIOUS    SECTS.  47 

the  constitution  of  the  State  of  New  York,  no 
minister  of  the  gospel,  or  priest  of  any  deno- 
mination,   can  ever  hold  any  civil   or   military 
office  or  place  within  the  State.     In  1806,  a  law 
was  passed,  authorizing  any  religious  denomin- 
ation  to  appoint  trustees,  for  the  purpose  of 
superintending  the  temporal  concerns  of  their 
respective  congregations.  These  trustees  become 
by  that  act  a  body  corporate,    and  capable  of 
all  legal  transactions,  on  behalf  of  the  congre- 
gation :    they  are  allowed,  on  the  part  of  the 
whole,    to    hold  estates,    which   may '  produce 
3000  dollars  annually.  The  Episcopalians  differ,  I 
believe,  in  nothing  from  their  established  brethren 
in  England,   except   that  they  do   not  form  a 
part  of  the  State :  they  have  their  bishops,  &c. 
as  in  Great  Britain.     Ministers  of  all  parties  are 
generally  ordained  :  they  are  exempt  from  mili- 
tary service.     A  case  recently  occurred  in  which 
a  tradesman,  who  occasionally  officiated,  was  de- 
clared exempt,  though  he  had  not  been  ordained. 
I  feel  little  hopes  of  succeeding  in  conveying  to 
you  a  faithful  portraiture  of  this  people  in  their 
religious  character :  they  differ  essentially  from 
the  English  sectaries,  in  being  more  solemnly 
bigotted,    more  intolerant,  and  more   ignorant 
of  the  Scriptures.     Their  freedom  from  habits 
of  thinking   seems  to  emanate   from  the  cold 
indifference  of  their    constitutional  character; 


48  MILITARY    SERVICE. 

and  their  attaching  no  importance  to  investigation. 
There  is  aUo  another  feature  in  their  religious 
national  character,  which  will  he  considered  b\ 
different  men  in  opposite  points  of  view.  I  do 
not  discover  those  distinctire  -mar ha  which  are 
called  forth  in  Kngland  by  sectarianism.  There 
is  not  the  aristocracy  of  the  establishment,  the 
sourness  of  the  presln  terian,  or  the  sanctified 
melancholy  of  the  methodist.  A  cold  uniform 
bigotry  seems  \  ,le  all  parties;  equally  in- 

•essible  to  argument,  opposed  to  investigation, 
and,  1  fear,  indifferent  about  truth  :  as  it  is,  even 
the  proud  pharisaical  quakerappears  under  a  more 
chilling  and  more  freezing  atmosphere  in  this 
new  world. 

Military  Service.  —  The  laws  upon  this  sub- 
ject vary,  I  believe,  in  the  several  States.  In 
that  of  New  York,  every  male  inhabitant  can  be 
called  out,  from  the  age  of  18  to  45,  on  actual 
military  duty.  During  a  state  of  peace,  there  arc 
seven  musters  annually  :  the  fine  for  non-attend- 
ance is,  each  time,  five  dollars.  Commanding 
officers  have  discretionary  power  to  receive  substi- 
tutes. An  instance  of  tiieir  easiness  to  be  pleased 

was  related  to  me  by  Mr. ,  a  tradesman  of 

this  city.  He  never  attends  the  muster,  but,  to 
avoid  the  tine,  sends  some  one  of  his  men,  who 
answers  to  his  name  ;  the  same  man  is  not  invari- 
ably hv*  deputy  on  parade :  in  this,  Mr. 

6 


MILITARY   SERVICE.  4-9 

suits  his  own  convenience ;  sometimes  the  col- 
lecting clerk,  sometimes  one  of  the  brewers,  at 
others  a  drayman :  and  to  finish  this  military 
pantomime,  a  firelock  is  often  dispensed  with,  for 
the  more  convenient  warlike  weapon — a  cudgel. 

Courts-martial  have  the  power  of  mitigating 
the  fine,  on  the  assignment  of  a  satisfactory 
cause  of  absence,  and  in  cases  of  poverty.  Upon 
legal  exemptions  I  cannot  convey  certain  in- 
formation. During  a  period  of  three  months  in 
the  late  war,  martial  law  existed,  and  no  substi- 
tutes were  received.  Aliens  were  not  called 
out.  In  the  adjoining  state  (Jersey)  they  were 
compelled  to  serve.  Instances  occurred  of  re- 
sidents, who  had  not  taken  up  their  citizenship, 
being  banished  to  forty  miles  beyond  tide-water. 

You  will  probably  expect  some  advice  from 
me  as  to  your  emigration.  At  present  I  can 
hardly  form  an  opinion ;  that  is,  such  an  one  as 
would  be  deserving  of  respect.  The  preceding 
information  has  been  collected  from  numerous 
sources,  and  with  as  much  care  and  discrimin- 
ation as  I  am  capable  of  exercising.  It  may 
partly  enable  you  to  draw  your  own  conclusions, 
which  I  shall  greatly  prefer  to  a  dependence 
upon  my  judgment.  Thus  much  I  can  safely 
say  of  this  country,  that  every  industrious  man 
may  obtain  a  living  here ;  but  that  it  is  not  that 
political  Elysium,  which  a  certain  unprincipled 
author  and  bookseller  has  so  floridly  described, 


50  OFFER  OF   A    SETTLEMENT. 

and  which  the  imaginations  of  many  have  fondly 
anticipated. 

In  a  few  months  I  hope  to  be  enabled  to 
apeak  of  America  with  more  division.  That 
the  Deity  may  bless  me  with  a  competent  and 
discerning  mind,  and  that  all  your  steps  may 
be  directed  aright,  is  my  ardent  and  sincere 

The  Amity  will  sail  in  a  frw  hours ;  I  mu>t 
therefore  conclude.  In  my  next  report,  which 
will  be  sent  by  Captain  Foreman,  of  the  Wash- 
ington, 1  shall  forward  some  particulars  of  tlu 
interior  of  this  -:au-. 

The  following  letter  has  just  come  to  hand. 

«  Sir, 

"  Understanding  from    Miss , 

««  of  Boston,  who  came  with  Mrs.  Quincy 
H  Adams,  that  you  are  looking  out  for  a  set- 
"  tlement;  I  beg  to  ofter  one,  which  1  think  may 
•'  answer  your  puqiose.  It  is  at  Fishkill-land- 
"  ing,  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson :  sixteen  frame 
«  buildings,  with  a  church,  are  already  erected. 
«'  There  is  also  a  good  lot  of  land.  The  whole 
•«  I  am  disposed  to  sell  on  moderate  terms,  and 
"  with  a  liberal  credit.  For  reference,  I  refer 
"  you  to  the  late  president,  at  Quincy.  The 
"  distance  is  60  miles  from  the  city  of  New 
"  York.  Sloops  and  steam-boats  pass  every 
"  day.  I  shall  feel  much  pleasure  in  receiving 


REPORT   FORWARDED.  51 

"  a  visit  from  you,  previous  to  your  return  to 
"  Europe. 

"  J.  P.  DE  WINT. 

"  Fishkill-landing, 
"  State  of  New  York." 

*#*  The  present  report  will  be  taken  by  Mr.  Berthele",  of 
the  house  of  Berthed  and  Reeves,  of  Montreal ;  a  gentle- 
man who  is  going  to  pursue  his  medical  studies  in  London, 
and  who  has  politely  consented  to  be  the  bearer  of  this.  He 
sails  in  the  Amity,  for  Liverpool,  on  the  4th  September. 


SECOND  REPORT. 


•  La\u  :n  Neva  York. —  Sfoop  of  War  Ontario.—' 
Slavery;  Anecdote  of  a  black  Barber.  —  Visit  to  Mr.  Cob- 
belt. —  Soil  and  Agriculture  of  Long  Island.  —  Prices  of 
Stock,  and  of  Land.  —  Man-Ratten,  nr  York  Island.  — 
Country  Houses  on  Sale  ;  Prices.  —  Newark,  in  Jersey.  — 
FuhkiU.  —  Mr.  De  Wint's  Property.  —  American  Servants, 
—  Neul/urgh. —  No  National  Monument  to  Washington.  — 
American  Emigration  to  Canada.  —  Cotton  Manufactory. 
— Return  to  New  York.  —  Academy  of  Fine  Arts.  —  Me- 
chanical Panorama.  —  Theatre.  —  Shamrock  Society.  — 
What  Classes  of  Emigrants  are  likely  to  succeed,  and  tehat 
are  not. 

Newburgh,  on  the  Banks  of  the  Hudson. 

l.v  my  last  report,  conveyed  by  the  politeness 
of  Mr.  Berthele,  I  gave  particulars  of  various 
trades  and  professions.  Their  length  prevented 
me  from  entering  into  those  minor  details, 
which  perhaps  may  not  be  without  their  utility. 
My  residence  in  this  country  has  yet  been  but 
short ;  and  whatever  may  have  been  my  exertions 
and  enquiries,  I  am  not  yet  sufficiently  familiar- 
ized  with  the  habits  and  character  of  the  people, 
to  feel  confident  in  my  impressions.  Minute 
traits  and  occurrences  apparently  trifling,  fre- 
quently attract  my  notice ;  as  I  conceive  it  is 
by  means  of  these,  that  we  are  frequently  best 


CITY-HALL.  53 

enabled  to  form  a  correct  estimate,  either  of  an 
individual  or  an  entire  community. 

The  9th  of  August  was,  I  believe,  the  date  on 
which  I  closed  my  first  communication. 

On  the  10th,  I  attended  at  the  city-hall,  to 
witness  an  expected  trial  of  our  captain,  on  the 
charge  of  the  second  steward,  for  alleged  ill 
usage :  several  passengers  and  sailors  were  in 
waiting  to  give  evidence  on  both  sides.  I  felt 
rejoiced  to  see  even  the  latter ;  though,  when 
on  board,  they  had  little  of  my  respect :  such  is 
the  attachment  created  by  a  long  sea  voyage. 
This  trial  was  fifth  on  the  list ;  the  time  spent  in 
waiting  I  felt  as  no  demand  on  my  patience  : 
my  mind  was  occupied ;  the  objects  with  which 
I  was  surrounded  interested,  because  they  were 
novel  to  me.  The  court  is  in  size  about  one- 
fourth  larger  than  the  lord-mayor's  court  in  the 
Mansion-house.  The  presiding  judge  was  a 
young  man,  about  twenty-six ;  tall,  thin,  sallow, 
serious,  and  uninteresting :  his  dress  was  a  long 
loose  great-coat  and  trowsers.  The  counsel 
were  of  similar  ages  and  appearance.  The  com- 
mencement of  the  first  trial  was  delayed  from  the 
want  of  jurymen :  twenty-four  had  been  sum- 
moned j  seven  only  were  in  attendance.  The 
judge  proposed  that  the  first  five  should  be  taken 
from  among  the  bye-standers,  who  were  from  fifty 
to  sixty  in  number.  This  proposition  was  op- 

E  3 


M-  ADMINISTRATION    OF   JUSTICE. 

posed  by  the  counsel  for  the  plaintiff,  who, 
among  other  arguments,  urged  the  possibility 
that  five  so  chosen  might  not  all  be  citizens  of 
the  United  This  was  overruled,  and  the 

trial  proceeded.  It  was  of  a  petty  nature,  not 
possess!  of  features  useful  to  communicate : 
the  decision  seemed  to  me  just.  The  technical 
language  used,  was  borrowed  from  English  prac- 
tice ;  the  general  effect  different,  especially  in 
the  perfect  equality  of  judge,  counsel,  jury,  tip- 
staff and  auditors.  Our  case  was  called  :  it  was 
not  tried,  in  consequence  of,  I  am  informed,  the 
well-paid  management  of  counsel.  I  am  told,  on 
good  authority,  that  great  corruption  exists  in 
those  minor  courts.  The  judge  is  said  to  have 
A  good  understanding  with  the  constable :  he 
receives  too,  a  larger  sum  in  cases  oj  conviction 
than  in  those  of  acquittal.  It  is  indisputable  that 
the  constables  are  remarkably  anxious  for  jobs j 
aud  that  the  judge  strongly  participates,  in  their 
feelings.  My  impressions  of  the  court  were, 
that  it  presented  a  character  of  more  sim- 
plicity, (if  the  term  be  allowable  in  any  case 
where  lawyers  aie  concerned,)  but  of  less  dig- 
nity, than  those  with  which  we  are  familiar. 
The  justice  awarded  in  each  is  perhaps  about 
upon  an  equality :  at  least  I  see  no  fair  rea- 
son to  give  the  preference  to  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic.  - 


THE    SHIP    ONTARIO.  55 

When  at  my  boarding-house  I  am  not  unoc- 
cupied in  observing  the  characters  and  conduct 
of  fellow-residents.  The  manners  of  Americans 
differ  widely  from  those  of  Englishmen :  they 
are  more  easy  but  less  polite.  A  desire  to  please 
does  not  seem  to  form  a  feature  of  the  national 
character.  Their  easiness  of  address  seems  not 
the  result  of  reflection,  or  the  polish  of  good 
society ;  but  appears  to  proceed  from  the  general 
diffusion  of  moderate  wealth,  and  the  national 
civil  institutions.  Every  man  feels  not  merely 
independent  in  his  political,  but  also  in  his 
personal  condition.  The  individual  acts  and 
thinks  as  an  individual ;  and  society  seems  to 
have  diminished  charms  for  men,  who  imagine 
that  they  have  sufficient  resources  within  them- 
selves. 

The  following  day,  Major  Biddle,  of 'the  United 
States'  army,  had  the  politeness  to  take  me  in 
the  garrison  boat  on  board  the  ship  of  war 
Ontario,  which  his  brother  commanded.  She  is 
waiting  to  take  out  commissioners  to  South 
America.  This  vessel  is  remarkably  fine  of  her 
class :  she  carries  twenty  thirty-two  pounders 
and  two  twelves.  Captain  Biddle,  distinguished 
for  his  bravery  in  the  late  war,  was  in  a  ham- 
mock on  deck,  being  indisposed  with  a  slight 
fever,  as  were  several  of  his  officers  and  crew :  his 
reception  of  me  was  most  liberal  and  gentlemanly. 

E  4 


>  SLAVfclll. 

S 

I  was  much  pleased  with  one  of  the  Lieu- 
leiiante.  Having  adverted  to  their  naval  victo- 
ries, he  very  modestly  replied,  "  I  make  no  claim 
44  to  superiority  over  the  British.  Men  cannot 
"  be  braver  than  they  are :  but  they  were  too 
"  confident  of  success,  and  that  feeling  has 
*'  defeated  men  in  many  things  besides  battles. 
"  Besides  which,  Sir,  their  long  unrivalled  suc- 
"  cesses  caused  them  to  be  lax  in  their  dis- 
"  cipline,  while,  on  the  contrary,  we  are  re- 
*'  markably  strict  in  ours  :  our  discipline  is  a 
"  model  in  that  particular,  and  nothing  can  be 
"  done  without  it  at  sea." 

The  existence  of  slavery  in  the  United  States 
has,  I  know,  long  been  to  you  all  a  subject  both 
of  regret  and  astonishment.  New  York  is  called 
a  "  free  state  :"  that  it  may  be  so  theoretically, 
or  when  compared  with  its  southern  neigh- 
bours, I  am  not  prepared  to  dispute ;  but  if^  in 
England,  we  saw  in  the  Times  newspaper  such 
advertisements  as  the  following,  we  should 
conclude  that  freedom  from  slavery  existed  only 
in  words.  The  first  is  from  the  New  York 
Daily  Advertiser.  I  have  not  made  a  memo- 
randum of  the  paper  from  which  I  extracted 
trie  second ;  but  no  American  will  deny 
their  originality ;  and,  what  is  worse,  I  fear 
there  are  few  who  would  acknowledge  their 

iniquity : 
i     / 


SLAVERY.  37 

«  TO  BE  SOLD, 

•'  A  Servant  woman  acquainted  with  both  city  and 
••  country  business,  about  30  years  of  age,  and  sold 
u  because  she  wishes  to  change  her  place.  Enquire 
'•'  at  this  office,  or  at  91  Cherry-street." 

«  FOR  SALE  OR  HIRE, 

"A  likely  young  Man  Servant,  sober,  honest  and 
;<  well  behaved.  He  would  suit  very,  well  for  a  house 
"  servant  or  gentleman's  waiter,  being  accustomed  to 
''  both.  Enquire  at  this  office." 

The  number  of  blacks  in  this  city  is  very  great : 
they  have  instituted  a  "  Wilberforce  Society ;" 
and  look  upon  the  Englishman  whose  name  they 
have  taken  as  the  great  saviour  of  their  race. 
At  Mrs.  Bradish's  boarding-house  I  saw  but  one 
white  servant,  and  I  should  suppose  there  were 
of  her  own,  and  of  her  boarders',  at  least  sixteen 
blacks.  A  negro  child,  about  six  years  of  age, 
often  waited  upon  us  at  tea  :  the  strength  and 
dexterity  of  the  little  thing  frequently  excited 
my  attention  and  sympathy.  Female  blacks  often 
obstructed  my  passage  up  and  down  stairs.  They 
lie  about,  clinging  to  the  boards  as  though  thai 
had  been  the  spot  on  which  they  had  vegetated  : 
several  belonged  to  families  from  the  south,  and 
were,  as  a  matter  of  course,  held  in  unconditional 
slavery.  The  men,  whether  regular  servants  of 
the  house  or  not,  equally  attended  upon  all  at 
table.  There  was  one  waiter  on  an  average  to 
four  gentlemen  j  yet  such  was  the  want  of 


5&  TREATMENT    OP    NEGROES. 

tern  observed,  that  few  could  obtain  what 
they  desired.  Soon  after  landing  I  called  at 
a  hair-dresser's  in  Broad- way,  nearly  opposite 
the  city-hall :  the  man  in  the  shop  was  a  negro. 
He  had  nearly  finished  with  me,  when  a  black 
man,  very  respectably  dressed,  came  into  the 
shop  and  sat  down.  '1  he  barber  enquired  if 
he  wanted  the  propi  ictor  or  his  boss,  as  he 
termed  him,  wlso  was  al>o  a  black  :  the  answer 
in  the  negative;  but  that  he  wished  to  have 
his  hair  cut.  My  attendant  turned  upon  his 
heel,  and  with  the  greatest  contempt,  muttered 
in  a  tone  of  proud  importance,  "  We  do  not 
"  cut  coloured  men  here,  Sir."  The  poor 
fellow  \\aiked  out  without  replying,  exhibiting 
in  his  countenance  confusion,  humiliation,  a»d 
mortification.  I  immediately  requested,  that  if 
the  refusal  was  on  account  of  my  being  present, 
he  might  be  called  back.  The  hair-dresser  was 
astonished  :  "  You  cannot  be  in  earnest,  Sir,5'' 
he  said.  I  assured  him  that  1  was  so,  and  that  I 
was  much  concerned  in  witnessing  the  refusal 
from  no  other  cause  than  that  his  skin  was  of  a 
darker  tinge  than  my  own.  He  stopped  the 
motion  of  his  scissars  ;  and  after  a  pause  of  some 
seconds,  in  which  his  eyes  were  fixed  upon  my 
face,  he  said,  "  Why,  I  guess  as  how,  Sir,  what 
"  you  say  is  mighty  elegant,  and  you're  an  ele- 
"  gant  man  ;  but  I  guess  you  are  not  of  these 
"  parts."  —  "I  am  from  England,"  said  J, 


ANECDOTE.  59 

«'  where  we  have  neither  so  cheap  nor  so  en- 
"  lightened  a  government   as   yours,    but   we 
"  have  no  slaves."  —  "  Ay,  I  guessed  you  were 
"  not  raised  here ;  you  salt-water  people    are 
"  mighty  grand  to  coloured  people ;    you  are 
"  not  so  proud,  and    I  guess  you   have  more 
"  to  be  proud  of;  now  I  reckon   you  do  not 
"  know  that  my  boss  would  not  have  a  single 
"  ugly  or  clever  gentleman  come  to  his  store, 
"  if  he   cut  coloured  men  ;    now  my  boss,    I 
"  guess,  ordered  me  to  turn  out  every  coloured 
"  man  from  the  store  right  away,  and  if  I  did 
"  not;,  he  would  send  me  oft'  slick  ;  for  the  slim- 
"  mest  gentleman  in  York  would  not  come  to 
"  his  store  if  coloured  men  were  let  in  ;  but  you 
"  know  all  that  Sir,  I  guess,  without  my  telling 
"  you  ;  you  are  an  elegant  gentleman  too,  Sir.*' 
I  assured  him  that  I  was  ignorant  of  the  fact 
which  he  stated  ;  but  which,  from  the  earnest- 
ness of  his  manner,  I  concluded  must  be  true. 
"  And  you  come  all  the  way  right  away  from 
"  England.     Well !  I  would  not  have  supposed, 
"  I  guess,  that  you  come  from  there  from  your 
"  tongue  ;  you  have  no  hardness  like,  I  guess,  in 
"  your  speaking  ;  you  talk  almost  as  well  as  we 
"  do,  and  that  is  what  I  never  see,  I  guess,  in 
"  a  gentleman  so  lately  from  England.     I  guess 
*?  your  talk  is  within  a  grade  as  good  as  ours. 
"  You  are  a  mighty  elegant  gentleman,  and  if 
"  you  will  tell  me  where  you  keep,  I  will  bring 


60  ANECDOTE. 

"  some  of  my  coloured  friends  to  visit  you. 
"  Well,  you  must  be  a  smart  man  to  come  from 
"  England,  and  talk  English  as  well  as  we  do 
"  that  were  raised  in  this  country."  At  the 
dinner-table  I  commenced  a  relation  of  this 
occurrence  to  three  American  gentlemen,  one 
of  whom  was  a  doctor,  the  others  were  in  the 
hup :  they  \\ere  men  of  education  and  of  liberal 
opinions.  When  1  arrived  at.  the  point  of  the 
blacK  bung  turned  out,  they  exclaimed,  •'  Ay 
"  right,  perfectly  right,  1  would  never  go  to  a 
"  barber's  where  a  coloured  man  was  cut !" 
Observe,  these  gentlemen  were  not  from  the 
south  ;  they  are  residents  of  New  York,  and  I 
believe  were  born  there.  I  was  upon  the  point 
of  expressing  my  opinion,  but  withheld  it,  think- 
ing it  wise  to  look  at  even  thing  as  it  stood,  ai)d 
form  a  deliberate  judgment  when  every  feature 
was  finally  before  me.  They  were  amused  with 
the  barber's  conceit  about  the  English  language, 
which  I  understand  is  by  no  means  a  singular 
v  K-W  of  the  subject. 

The  general  though  not  absolutely  universal 
exclusion  of  blacks  from  the  places  of  pub- 
lic worship  where  whites  attend,  I  stated  at 
the  commencement.  In  perfect  conformity  with 
this  spirit  is  the  fact,  that  the  most  degraded 
white  will  not  walk  or  eat  with  a  negro  ;  so  that, 
although  New  York  is  a  free  state,  it  is  such 
only  on  parchment :  the  black  Americans  are  in 


LONG   ISLAND.  —  BROOKLYN.  6\ 

it  practkally  and  politically  slaves ;  the  laws  of 
the  mind  being,  after  all,  infinitely  more  strong 
and  more  Affective  than  those  of  the  statute 
book  5  and  it  is  these  mental  legislative  enact- 
^ments,  operating  in  too  many  cases  besides  this 
of 'the  poor  negroes,  which  excite  but  little 
respect  for  the  American  character. 

August  21st.  (You  see  I  am  not  very  regular 
in  my  chronology,  wishing  rather  to  throw  my 
ideas  on  the  same  subject  as  nearly  as  I  can 
together.)  On  this  day  I  went  to  Long  Island, 
for  the  purpose  of  visiting  Mr.Cobbett,  at  Hyde- 
Park  Farm,  which  is  18  miles  distant  from  the 
city.  I  had  no  previous  personal  knowledge  of 
Mr.  C.  nor  had  I  letters  of  introduction  to  him  ; 
but  believing  that  he  could  give  information 
aqd  advice  concerning  America,  and  also  feeling 
a  strong  desire  to  see  a  character  so  celebrated, 
I  resolved  to  forego  the  usual  pre-requisite  in 
calling  upon  a  stranger.  The  conveyance  from 
the  city  to  Brooklyn,  on  Long  Island,  is  by  a 
steam  ferry-boat :  the  East  River,  at  this  point, 
is  about  one-third  wider  than  the  Thames  at 
Greenwich :  horses  and  carriages  are  driven 
into  the  boat,  those  who  ride  seldom  dismount- 
ing. In  order  that  I  might  be  in  time  for  the 
stage,  I  did  not  go  to  my  lodgings  for  dinner, 
supposing  that  as  Brooklyn  was  a  place  of  con- 
siderable population,  I  should  find  no  difficulty 
in  obtaining  an  article  so  necessary  for  a  traveller; 


#2  TAVERNS. 

I  found  there  several  places  of  public   enter- 
tainment,  the  signs    and  outward   appearance 
of  which  bespoke  a  similarity  to  English  taverns. 
The   first   into   which    I    went   hail   one   large 
public  room,  without  a  table,  or,   I  believe,  a 
chair,  with  a  bar  railed  oft'  like  a  prison.     The 
inhabitant  ot  this  department  was  not  dissimilar 
to  many  of  his  countrymen  :  tull  thin,  yellow, 
cold,  suspicious,  and  silent.     At  this  place  I  did 
not  venture  to  make  known  my  wants.     1  passed 
several  others    beton-    I    pa-Mimed   to    make   a 
second  attempt:    when    I   did  so,    it  was  at  a 
"  Tavern  and  Hotel  ;"  the  bar  \\:is  like  the  one 
before  described,  but  there  was  the  convenience 
ol'a  private  room,  the  floor  of  which  was  covered 
with  a  neat  and  economical  >i  .carpet,  of 
domestic  manufacture.    I  made  known  my  waats 
to  the  landlady  ;  saying,  that    I   was  not  at  all 
particular,  and  should  be  glad  of  any  thing  she 
had  in  the  house  :  she  walked  on  to  her   bar, 
answering,  without  looking  at  me,  "  I  guess  we 

II  have  got  no  feed  for   strangers;    we  do  not 
"  practise  those  things  at  this  house,  I  guess." 
The  stage  was  ready  :  the  driver  informed  me 
that  he  would  take  me  to  Wiggins*  Inn,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  four  miles  from  Mr.  Cobbett's. 
The  vehicle  was  a  kind  of  light  farmer's  waggon, 
with    three  seats,    carrying  two  persons   each : 
there  was  no  covering,  and,  of  course,  a  want  of 
protection  from  the  sun  and  dust,  both  of  which, 


MR.  RUFUS  KING.  63 

on  this  occasion,  were  very  unpleasant :  my  ther- 
mometer in  the  shade  was  88°,  in  the  sun  120°. 

Long  Island  is  called  the  garden  of  America. 
We  passed  some  pleasing  scenery,  and  several 
remarkably  fine  fields  of  Indian  corn :  this 
article  can  hardly  be  excelled  in  beauty  of 
appearance.  The  residence  of  the  celebrated  Mr. 
Rufus  King  is  on  the  road  side :  it  is  a  frame 
house,  painted  white,  with  green  shutters,  and 
would  class  in  England  as  a  fourth-rate  country 
seat.  A  gentleman  informed  me,  that,  were  Mr. 
King  travelling,  he  would  not  hesitate  at  riding 
in  our  waggon.  Mr.  K.  is  what  is  called  a 
Federalist ;  but  this  trait  of  real  dignity  of  cha- 
racter is  not  the  peculiar  feature  of  a  party :  it 
appertains  to  all  public  men  in  America ;  at 
once  exhibiting  an  evidence  of  their  good  sense, 
and  the  wise  institutions  of  this  government. 

The  murder  of  American  prisoners  at  Dart- 
moor was  the  subject  of  a  conversation  between 
myself  and  an  American  medical  fellow-pas- 
senger, arising  from  Mr.  King's  son  having  been 
one  of  the  commissioners  appointed  by  the 
•United  States  to  investigate  that  most  unfor- 
tunate and  disgraceful  transaction.  The  Doctor 
was  unwilling  to  censure,  in  this  instance,  the 
conduct  of  the  British.  He  stated,  that  there 
was  a  great  deal  to  be  said  on  both  sides ;  and 
that,  for  himself \  he  had  suspended  his  judg- 
ment. Lord  Castlereagh  and  the  English 


64*  .MR.  COEBETT. 

cabinet  were,  in  this  gentleman's  estimation, 
"  great  men,  who  acted  with  good  intenti< 
"  for  the  welfare  of  their  country."  Taxation 
was  partially  discussed  ;  he  labouring  to  con- 
vince me  that,  in  proportion  to  their  means, 
they  (the  Americans)  were  more  heavily  taxed 
than  the  people  of  England. 

Upon  arriving  at  Mr.  Cobbett's  gate,  my 
feelings,  in  walking  along  the  path  which  led  to 
the  residence  of  this  celebrated  man,  are  diffi- 
cult to  describe.  The  idea  of  a  person  self- 
banished,  leading  an  isolated  life  in  a  foreign 
land  —  a  path  rarely  trod,  fences  in  ruins,  tin 
gate  broken,  a  house  mouldering  to  de* 
added  to  much  awkwardness  of  feeling  on  m\ 
part,  calling  upon  an  entire  stranger,  produced 
in  my  mind  feelings  of  thoughtfulness  and 
melancholy.  I  would  fain  almost  have  returned 
without  entering  the  wooden  mansion,  imagining 
that  its  possessor  would  exclaim,  "  What  in- 
"  truding  fellow  is  here  coming  to  break  in  upon 
"  my  pursuits?"  But  these  difficulties  ceased 
almost  with  their  existence.  A  female  servant 
(an  Englishwoman)  informed  me  that  her  master 
was  from  home,  attending  at  the  county  court. 
Her  language  was  natural  enough  for  a  person  in 
her  situation  :  she  pressed  me  to  walk  in,  "  being 
"  quite  certain  that  I  was  her  countryman ;  and 
"  she  was  so  delighted  to  see  an  Englishman, 
"  instead  of  these  nasty  guessing  Yankies."  Fol- 

t  s 


NAPOLEON.  05 

lowing  my  guide  through  the  kitchen, '(the  floor 
of  which,  she  asserted,  was  imbedded  with  two 
feet  of  dirt  when  Mr.  Cobbett  came  there  —  it 
had  been  previously  in  the  occupation  of  Ame- 
ricans,) I  was  conducted  to  a  front  parlour, 
which  contained  but  a  single  chair  and  several 
trunks  of  sea-clothes. 

A  French  gentleman,  whom  I  found  in  the 
house,  residing  with  Mr.  Cobbett,  interested  me 
much  by  his  character  and  conversation.  He 
had  been  in  the  suite, of  Napoleon,  and  .came 
over  with  Santini.  His  account  of  the  Emperor's 
treatment  corresponds  with  the  published  nar- 
ratives. Of  his  late  master  he  speaks  in  the 
most  affectionate  manner.  He  jumped  about, 
whistled,  and  sang  with  a  thoughtless  gaiety, 
peculiarly  French.  At  half  past  eight  in  the 
evening  Mr.  Cobbett  had  not  returned.  My 
design  was  to  walk  back  to  Wiggins'  Inn.  This 
idea  I  abandoned  on  the  recommendation  of  an 
English  servant,  who,  as  it  proved,  knew  little  of 
the  country.  He  conducted  me  to  the  road  side, 
directing  me  to  proceed  in  a -direction  opposite 
to  that  which  led  to  Wiggins',  stating,  that 
in  about  one  hundred  yards'  distance  I  should 
see  a  tavern.  My  walk  extended  for  many 
hundred  yards,  but  no  human  habitation  ap- 
peared. The  night  fortunately  was  fine  —  the 
moon's  brilliancy — the  surrounding  scenery  — 
the  serious  turn  of  my  mind,  and  the  belief  that, 

F:     ' 


WALK    AT    NIGHT. 

for  that  night,  wandering  without  repose  in  a 
strange  land  was  to  be  my  lot,  produced  feelings 
which  would  have  furnished  my  poetic  friend 

D with  a  good  subject  for  further  "  night 

thoughts."  The  coolness  of  the  air  was  also  a 
most  pleasing  treat  after  the  oppressive  heat 
which  I  had  experienced  during  the  day.  I 
proceeded  at  a  slow  and  thoughtful  pace,  willing 
to  foster  a  faint  hope  that  I  might  yet  arrive 
at  a  tavern.  A  house  appeared,  but  it  was  a 
private  one,  and  all  were  gone  to  bed.  I  became 
very  uneayy,  having  in  my  pocket  a  large  re- 
mittance from  Washington.  At  length,  to  my 
great  joy,  I  saw  a  light  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance :  it  proved  to  come  from  a  hut  by  the  road 
side.  Upon  my  approach  to  the  door,  a  dog 
jumped  out :  when  he  was  partially  silenced, 
I  enquired  for  a  public  house ;  none  was  near. 
This  habitation  belongs  to  an  old  woman,  who 
once  kept  what  is  here  called  a  tavern.  After 
the  repetition  of  my  request,  she  answered,  by 
desiring  to  know,  "  What  do  you  want  with  a 
"  public-house  ?  What  is  your  name  ?  Where  were 
"you  raised?  Were  are  you  going?  You  are 
"  from  York  (New  York)  I  guess  ?  You  want  a 
"  bed  I  guess?  now  I  guess  if  you  be  not  a  hard 
"  character,  I  will  let  you  have  elegant  lodgings 
"I  guess?"  I  accepted  ihr  offer  with  A  com- 
filiation  of  fear  and  gladness  The  old  lady 
still  sells  liquors,  iier  prcacul  slock  is  con- 


u  ELEGANT    LODGINGS."  6? 

tained  in  three  dirty  bottles,  carefully  preserved 
in  a  corner  cupboard.  At  the  moment  of  my 
entrance,  she  was  supplying  a  black  pedlar  with 
a  glass  of  New  England,  or  what  is  here  deno- 
minated "Yankee"  rum.  The  old  lady's  witch- 
like  appearance,  and  the  cast  of  character  of 
her  guest,  were  strong  drawbacks  upon  my 
desire  for  repose.  This  pair  seemed  living 
portraits  of  Dirk  Hatterick  and  Meg  Merrilies : 
they  looked  really  terrific.  I  seated  myself,  and 
was  busied  in  physiognomical  research,  when 
the  man,  holding  a  candle  in  my  face,  exclaimed 
ff  She  wants  to  look  at  you."  When  I  had 
passed  my  examination,  the  old  woman  with- 
drew to  prepare  a  bed ;  her  guest  continued 
drinking,  giving  me  a  great  many  winks  and 
nods,  and  saying  "  how  wealthy  the  old  bag- 
gage was."  I  was  heartily  glad  to  find  that  this 
sable  hero  was  not  to  be  an  occupant  of  the 
same  house  with  myself.  As  the  old  lady  con- 
ducted me  to  an  apartment,  she  apologized 
for  the  passage  to  it  being  through  a  room,  in 
which  were  an  entire  family  strewed  over  the 
floor.  The  wretchedness  and  poverty  of  my 
chamber  must  remain  undescribed.  Yet  I  never 
in  my  life  lay  down  with  more  sincere  gratitude 
to  the  Deity. 

Before  seven  o'clock  on  the  following  morn- 
ing I  regained  Mr.  Cobbett's.  His  servant 
conducted  me  into  a  room  in  which  he  wan 


68  MR.  COBBETT. 

writing,  with  his  coat  off'.  The  first  question 
was,  "  Are  you  an  American,  Sir?"  then, 
"  What  were  my  objects  in  the  United  States  ? 
"  Was  I  acquainted  with  the  friends  of  liberty 
"  in  London?  How  long  had  I  left?"  &c. 
He  was  immediately  familiar.  1  was  pleasingly 
disappointed  with  the  general  tone  of  his 
manners.  His  sons,  particularly  the  second, 
are  genteel  young  men.  Of  their  talents  I  had 
no  opportunity  to  form  a  judgment.  Mr.  C. 
thinks  meanly  of  the  American  people,  but 
spoke  highly  of  the  economy  of  their  govern- 
ment. He  does  not  advise  persons  in  respect- 
able circumstances  to  emigrate,  even  in  the 
present  state  of  England.  In  his  opinion,  a 
tamily  who  can  but  barely  live  upon  their  pro- 
perty, will  more  consult  their  happiness  by  not 
removing  to  the  United  States.  He  almost 
laughs  at  Mr.  Birkbeck's  settling  in  the  Western 
country.  This  being  the  first  time  I  had  seen 
this  well-known  character,  I  viewed  him  with 
no  ordinary  degree  of  interest.  A  print  b\ 
Bartollozzi,  executed  in  1801,  conveys  a  correct 
outline  of  his  person.  His  eyes  are  small,  and 
pleasingly  good-natured.  To  the  French  gentle, 
man  he  was  attentive ;  with  his  sons  familiar ; 
to  his  servants  easy  ;  but  to  all,  in  his  tone  and 
manner  resolute  and  determined.  He  feels  no 
hesitation  in  praising  himself,  and  evidently  be- 
lieves that  he  is  eventually  destined  to  be  the 


MR.  COBBETT.  69 

Atlas  of  the  British  nation.  His  faculty  of 
relating  anecdotes  is  amusing.  —  Instances  when 
we  meet. 

My  impressions  of  Mr.  Cobbett  are,  that  those 
who  know  him  would  like  him,  if  they  can  be 
content  to  submit  unconditionally  to  his  dicta- 
tion. "  Obey  me,  and  1  will  treat  you  kindly  j 
"  if  you  do  not,  I  will  trample  on  you,"  seemed 
visible  in  every  word  and  feature.  He  appears 
to  feel,  in  its  fullest  force,  the  sentiment, 

"  I  have  no  brother,  am  like  no  brother,, 
"  I  am  myself  alone." 

The  little  Frenchman  was  whistling,  jumping, 
and  singing,  with  all  the  gaiety  of  a  delighted 
boy  upon  a  gala  day.  In  reply  to  my  ques- 
tions concerning  the  treatment  of  Napoleon, 
he  was  rapid,  energetic,  and  nearly  unintelli- 
gible. "  Gover-neur,  bad  man,  rascal  man, 
"  insult  empe-reur :  empe-reur  not  like  gover- 
"  neur,  not  speak  to  him,  —  Balcomb,  Oh  !  Oh  ! 
"  Oh  !  bad  man,  bad  man  —  rats,  run,  run,  run." 
Mr.  Cobbett  complained  of  the  difficulty  of 
obtaining  labourers  at  a  price  by  which  the  agri- 
culturist could  realize  a  profit :  so  much  so,  that 
he  conceives  that  a  farmer  in  America  cannot 
support  himself  unless  he  has  sons,  who,  with 
himself,  will  labour  with  their  own  hands.  He 
had  contracted  with  a  man  to  do  his  mowing  : 
the  terms  were,  an  equal  division  of  the  produce, 
Mr.  C.  took  me  round  his  grounds.  The  con- 

F  3 


70  LONG    ISLAND. 

tractor  complained  that  even  half  the  hay,  tor 
merely  his  labour,  was  a  hard  bargain.  With 
pleasing  sensations  I  departed  from  Mr.  Cob- 
bett's  residence ;  and  most  willingly  express  my 
obligation  to  him  for  a  reception  generous  and 
liberal. 

Long  Island,  a  part  of  the  State  o;'  Nov.  ' 
is  chiefly  occupird  hv  fanners  :  tlieir  populous 
capital  affords  a  ready  market  lor  produce.  This 
island  in  li-n^th  i-.  1  Jo,  and  in  breadth  12  miles. 
It  is  divided  into  counties  two  of  which  retain 
the  names  of  nnalty,  after  the  disappearance 
of  the  reality;  the  HIM.  being  railed  King's, 
the  second  Queen'*  County  —  such  inveterate 
tyrants  are  ancient  establishments.  The  west 
end  has  a  good  soil,  and  is  in  a  state  of  moderate 
cultivation  ;  the  east  has  a  considerable  portion 
of  sandy  plains.  The  introduction  of  gypsum, 
and  other  improvements  in  their  mode  of  agri- 
culture, have  much  increased  the  annual  pro- 
duce. I  am  informed  that  within  the  last  14- 
years  farms  have  risen  in  value  25  per  cent. 
Land  is  worth  from  31.  ?s.  6d.  to  331.  1.5s.  per 
acre.  A  choice  of  farms  may  now  be  purchased 
in  this  island  at  from  151.  15s.  to  '2:2\.  10s.  per 
acre,  including  necessary  buildings.  Farmers  do 
not  live  extravagantly  :  few  of  them  have  money 
in  reserve.  The  high  price  of  labour,  indifference 
of  the  soil,  and  general  want  of  capital,  mustcau^r 
a  long  continuance  of  this  state  of  things.  The 


AGRICULTURE.  11 

agriculturist,  who  alone  can,  in  this  island,  enter- 
tain rational  hopes  of  profit,  must  have  sons  that 
will  work,  and  be  himself  among  the  foremost  by 
labouring  with  his  own  hands.  There  being  no  tax 
upon  horses,  their  labour  is  preferred,  and  mules 
and  asses  are  seldom  if  ever  used.  The  breed 
of  horses  is  good,  but  not  large  :  one  fit  for  a 
waggon  is  worth  221.  10s,  ;  a  saddle  or  drawing 
horse,  351. ;  gig  horse,  331.  15s.  to  561.  5s. ; 
carriage  ditto,  901.  to  1201.  j  fine  riding  ditto,  901. 
to  1201.  Cows  are  worth  —  lean,  91. ;  fat,  111.  5s. 
to  131.  10s.  Pigs  are  sold,  per  pound,  alive ; 
the  present  price  is  Jd.  ;  sheep,  9s.  They  are 
very  small :  an  entire  carcase  is  not.  much  larger 
than  a  Leicestershire  leg  of  mutton.  A  sheep, 
when  fattened  for  market,  is  1 3s.  fid.  A  good 
farm  cart  is  worth  7!.  to  91. ;  a  ditto  waggon, 
221.  to  231  j  a  farmer's  man-servant,  241.  to  301. 
per  year ;  a  ditto  woman,  121.  to  161.  Early 
wheat  is  cut  in  the  middle  of  July.  The  wheat 
.and  rye  harvest  is  completed  by  the  end  .of 
August  j  buck-wheat,  in  October  ;  Indian  corn, 
ditto  j  oats,  middle  of  August ;  grass,  from  1st 
to  the  end  of  July.  The  seed  for  winter,  rye 
and  wheat,  is  sown  from  end  of  August  to  end 
of  September.  The  following  advertisement, 
extracted  from  the  New  York  Evening  Post, 
may  convey  more  specific  ideas  of  the  value  of 
farms  than  the  preceding  statement.  Previous 
to  this  notice  of  public  sale,  I  applied,  .with  a 

F  4 


~  FARMS    0\    SALE. 

view  to  our  friend  L ,   to  know  the  lowest 

ready  money  price.    Mrs.  Ledyard,  their  owner, 
informed  me  that  th.    tir^t  would  be  100  doll, 
and  the  second  70  dollars  per  acre. 

«  FOR  SALE  AT  AUCTION, 

"  At  the  T.  C.  II.  on  the  1-t  ilny  of  March  next,  the 
'*  farm  belonging  to  tin-  estate  of  the  late  Dr.  Isaac 
"  Ledyard,  situated  one  mile  south  of  the  village  of 
•  \  -own.  Long  Islaiul.  The-  Wi!liaius>burgh  turn- 
'•  pike  rim.-,  through  tlie  farm,  on  one  side  of  which  is 
new  excellent  stone  wall,  half  a  mile  in  length.  The 
**  farm  contains  about  l.lo  .icrcs,  15  of  which  are  a  line 
**  wood  lot,  with  two  apple  orchards,  one  old,  the  other 
'*  just  beginning  to  bear  well,  and  »  suitable  proportion 
4t  of  good  salt  meadow.  The  mansion  hou^e  is  large 
"  and  convenient,  four  rooms  on  each  floor,  with  a  good 
"  kitchen  and  cellars ;  attached  is  a  large  barn,  crib, 
"  hen  house,  smoke  house,  well,  and  a  new  cistern,  &c. 
"  The  court-yard  and  garden  contain  a  variety  of  fruit 
"  trees  and  shrubbery,  a  large  asparagus  bed,  rasp- 
"  berries,  and  currants. 

"  Also  —  A  farm  adjoining  the  above,  containing 
**  about  sixty  acres  ;  atUiched  to  which  is  an  equal  pro- 
**  portion  of  salt  meadow,  and  a  lot  of  young  wood, 
"  situattxl  within  less  than  a  mile  of  the  farm,  containing 
"  ten  acres,  with  a  farm-house,  barn,  well,  garden,  &c," 

Wishing  to  see  York  Island,  Mr.  Daslnvood,  a 
fellow-boarder,  had  the  politeness  to  accompany 
me,  in  a  single  horse  chaise.  We  proceeded  a 
few  miles  beyond  Haerlem  Bridge,  where  \fce 
visited  a  farmer  with  whom  Mr.  I),  was  ac- 


FARMS    ON   SALE.  7 3 

quainted.  Apple  trees  were  in  profusion  on  the 
road  side.  There  is  no  obstacle,  and  seems,  in- 
deed, no  objection  raised  to  any  person's  taking 
fruit.  The  scenery,  during  this  ride,  particu- 
larly on  the  margin  of  the  East  River,  is  pleasing 
and  diversified.  Country  seats  are  rather  nu- 
merous :  one  half  of  them,  at  least,  are  to  be 
sold  or  let. 

My  excellent  friend  S could  make  a 

pleasing  selection  on  York  Island.  I  enquired 
the  price  of  several  places  :  they  vary,  of  course, 
as  being  affected  by  causes  similar  to  those  which 
serve  to  lessen  or  to  increase  the  value  of  houses 
in  England.  A  residence,  two  stories  high,  suf- 
ficiently large  for  a  family  of  ten  or  twelve  per- 
sons, with  a  garden,  and  from  two  to  fifteen 
acres  of  land,  is  from  eight  thousand  to  twenty 
thousand  dollars  (18001.  to  45001.  sterling) ;  a 
variation  occasioned  by  difference  in  the  situa- 
tion, or  in  the  style  of  building. 

The  following  description  I  extract  from  a 
letter,  sent  me  by  the  solicitor  of  a  person  to 
whom  I  applied.  The  house  referred  to  is  four 
and  a  half  miles  from  the  city,  and  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  of  a  good  road :  — 

"  The  house  and  other  buildings  are  substan- 
"  tially  and  neatly  built. 

"  The  cellar  to  the  house  is  perfectly  dry, 
"  being  partly  blown  out  of  the  rock. 

"  The  house  is  filled  in  with  brick,  furrowed 


"  ottj  latlu  listered,  so  as  to  be  as  tight 

iicl  comfortable  as  a  brick  house. 
"  Tli    tv.o  v,v!ls  on  the  place  are  both  blo\vn 
"  through  a  rock ;  the  one  near  the  house  for 
"  twenty  or  thirty  feet,    and  both  coir 
"  cellent  water  for  family  us-,-,  particularly 
"  one  near  the  house. 

Articular  pains  have  Wen  taken  with  the 
"garden,  r  a  fine    level  pinK  n    spot,  and 

lied  up  on  one  side,  with  mould  .nto 

•'  it,  to  the  height  of  eight  or  t 

There  are  a  great   number  and  \arit 
H  fruit    trees    <>l    the   most  improved    and   belt 
"  kinds. 

••1  .  ition  is  nd  healthy,  and 

ommands  one  of  the  finest  prospects  on 
»nd. 

I  i      .  «>,000  dollars,  v  in  be 

"  made  payable,  a  small  part  in  cash,  anil  tin 
"  siduc  in  Mieh  payments  as  may  be  convenient." 

15 (a  coach-maker),   who    sailed   in   the 

•  Boston,  and  M (n  chair  and  fancy 

inner),  who  came  in  the  Criterion,  have  got 
:k  at  Newark,  a  town   in   .lei  n   miles 

ity  of  New  York.     I  have  been  with 
them   several    limes,   and   through   their  m- 
am    possessed   of  some  information  relating  to 
mechanics  and  manufacturers.     I  made  several 
visits   to  Jersey:    it  is  situated  opposite   N 

York,  on  the  southern  banks  of  the  Hudson. 

8 


NEWARK.  75 

An  excellent  steam  ferry-boat  connects  these 
States  as  completely  as  could  be  effected  by 
a  bridge.  In  the  valleys  are  black  oak,  ash, 
palms,  and  poplars  j  in  some  parts  there  is 
considerable  variety  of  the  red  and  white  oak  ; 
the  hickory  grows  in  those  situations  which  are 
overflowed.  The  soil  is  not  esteemed  prolific. 

NEWARK  contains  a  population  of  about  eight 
thousand  persons,  including  slaves.  It  is  a 
manufacturing  town  of  some  importance  :  car- 
riages and  chairs  are  made  on  a  very  extensive 
scale,  chiefly  for  the  southern  markets.  I  saw 
a  very  beautiful  model  of  a  carriage  at  Camp- 
field's  factory,  which  was  ordered  for  a  Spanish 
patriot  chief.  This  town  is  delightfully  situ- 
ated, and  contains  a  great  number  of  excellent 
houses. 

Wishing  to  see  Mr.  De  Wint's  property,  at 
Fishkill,  (see  the  postscript  of  my  first  report,) 
I  took  a  passage  in  the  steam-boat  "  Chancellor 
Livingstone  ;"  fare  8£  dollars,  distance  60  miles, 
time  of  departure  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  of 
arrival  half  past  one  the  following  morning. 
This  vessel  is,  perhaps,  equalled  by  none  in  the 
world:  she  may  be  denominated,  without  the 
charge  of  exaggeration,  a  floating  palace  ;  her 
.length  is  175  feet,  and  breadth  50,  and  she  is 
propelled  by  a  steam-engine  of  80  horse  power  j 
there  are  beds  for  160,  and  accommodation  for 
40  more  by  settees*  The  ladies  have  a  distinct 


'(>  STKAM-BOAT. 

cabin  :  they  seem  cut  off  from  all  association  01 
conversation    with    the    gentlemen.      On  deck 
there  are  numerous  conveniences,  such  as  bag- 
e  rooms,   smoking  rooms,  &c.  ;  on  the  de- 
it  to  the  cabins  are  placvd   cards  of  trades- 
men and  hotels  in  the  chief  cities,  and  also  re- 
ligious   tracts,    which    are    chiefly    reprints    of 
i'.fiu'  -i'     i  vm<4clical    effusions  —  affording    an- 
other   instance    of  the  slavish    dependence    of 
America  upon  British  writers.     The  interior  of 
this  vessel  is  extremely  splendid.     The  late  pe- 
riod of  the  day  at  which  we  embarked,  allowed 
me  but  a  limited  opportunity  of  viewing  the 
bold  and  grand   scenery  of  this   majestic  rp 
Near  the  hanks  is  erected  a  monument  to  thai 
great  ornament  of  the  federal  party,  Hamilton  : 
he  was  in  the  administration,  and  some  say  the 
director    of  Washington.      Those   who    knew 
him  tate  that  he  was  a  man  far  above  the 

iinary    standard    of  public    characters:    en 
doucd,   indeed,   with  such  talents    as  but    few 
mortals  are  destined  to  possess  ;  he  was  deprived 
life   by  the  celebrated   Mr.  Aaron  Burr,  thus 
ling  another  and   a  splendid  victim  to  the 
barbarous  practice  of  duelling  —  which,  by  the 
,  is  very  general  and  almost  uniformly  fatal 
in  this  country.     A  slight  provocation  produces 
A  challenge,  and  if  the   parties  consider  them- 
selves of  what  is  called  "  equal  standing,"  that 
is,    of  families    and    in  worldly    circumstance- 


ALEXANDER   HAMILTON.  97 

of  equal  respectability,  they  rarely  decline  the 
combat;  and  the  Americans  being  generally 
good  shots,  and  as  remarkable  for  their  cool  deli- 
beration as,  too  frequently,  for  deadly  malignity, 
it  is  seldom  that  both  parties  escape  with  life. 

In  the  churchyard  of  New  York  there  is  a 
monument  to  Alexander  Hamilton ;  there  is 
also  one  to  Captain  Lawrence,  of  the  Chesa- 
peake :  that  the  latter  may  be  deserving  of  this 
distinguished  honour  I  wish  not  to  dispute,  but 
surely  Washington  is,  to  say  the  least,  entitled 
to  as  much  respect  as  a  rash  naval  officer ;  yet, 
singular  to  relate,  to  Washington,  the  father 
and  saviour  of  his  country,  there  is  no  national 
monument !  unless,  indeed,  you  will  call  by  that 
name  an  existence  in  the  hearts  and  affections 
of  the  remaining  few  who  are  deserving  of  his 
unexampled  exertions,  and  equally  unparalleled 
devotion  to  the  sound  interests  of  his  country. 
But  if  Washington  has  no  national  monument  in 
America,  he  has  one  in  England  that  never  can 
decay  but  with  the  annihilation  of  the  British 
character ;  he  lives  in  their  generous  and  liberal 
minds  as  a  model  to  the  general  and  the  politi- 
cian of  the  present  and  every  succeeding  age. 

Relative  to  Hamilton,  I  extract  the  following 
from  a  New  York  publication,  written  by  one, 
an  Englishman  by  birth,  but  an  American  by 
adoption :  —  "  General  Hamilton  was  born  in 
"  one  of  the  English  West-India  islands ;  he 


78  FOREIGNER 

•*  came  to  the  American  colonies  when  a  lad ; 
*•  entered  into  the  revolutionary  war  with  zeal ; 
''  became  early  in  the  war  one  of  the  aids  of 
**  General  Washington  ;  gallantly  commanded 
"  a  regiment  at  the  capture  of  Cornwallis ; 
"  fought  through  the  revolution  ;  was  a  member 
i  the  convention  from  which  our  national 
"  constitution  originated  ;  was  the  first  secretary 
"  of  the  treasury,  or  chancellor  of  the  exche- 
"  quer,  under  the  national  government;  he 
*«  formed  the  department,  and  brought  order 
44  out  of  chaos ;  he  was,  perhaps,  the  ablest 
••  writer,  and  most  eloquent  man  in  America. 
Kven  Hamilton,  one  ol'  the  most  ingenuous 
"  and  disinterested  of  mankind,  was  called  and 
"  considered  and  treated  as  a  JL  .  His 

•'  early  distinctions  are  to  be   ascribed  to  the 
"  circumstances  of  the  times,  to  a  poverty  of 
"  talents.     The  late  President  Adams  says,  in 
"  his   recent  publications,  that  Hamilton  being 
44  A  FOREIGNER,  it  could  not  be  supposed  that 
"  he  could  have  American  feelings,  or  he  well 
"informed    on  American    affairs!!!"      But  to 
return  to  my  detail,    the   boat  in  which  I  had 
pmbarked  for   Fishkill  was  well  filled  with  pas- 
sers.    The    general    occupation    was    card- 
playing  ;  one  or  two  had  a  book  in  their  hands : 
>e  whose  beds  were   in  the  births  fitted  up 
that  purpose  were  passengers  going  the  en- 
route  (to  Albany),  and  who  had  taken  the 


MR.  TOMPKTNS.  7,9 

precaution  to  have  their  names  early  entered  in 
a  book  kept  by  the  captain  for  that  purpose. 
Mr.  Tompkins,  the  Vice-president  of  the  United 
States,  was  among  the  number  going  to  Albany, 
the  seat  of  the  New  York  State  government : 
he  was  seated  among  the  other  passengers,  with- 
out ,  assuming  consequence,  or  receiving  any 
particular  attention.  In  person  he  is  of  the 
middle  size,  in  complexion  dark,  with  a  coun- 
tenance at  that  time  thoughtful  to  an  extreme; 
he  is  taller  than  Mr.  Waithman,  but  in  other 
respects  the  latter  gentleman  will  convey  an 
idea  of  his  cast  of  character:  his  solemnity  may 
not  have  been  habitual,  for  I  am  told  by  those 
who  knew  him,  that  he  carries  jocularity  and 
lively  good-nature  to  an  extreme. 

Newburg,  the  town  where  I  stopped,  is  60 
miles  from  New  York ;  I  obtained  a  bed  after 
one  or  two  unsuccessful  applications  at  the  ho- 
tels which  keep  open  regularly  •  for  steam-boat 
passengers.  The  following  morning  I  crossed 
the  Hudson  to  Fishkill-landing.  The  gentleman 
to  whose  house  I  was  going  was  a  fellow- 
passenger  in  the  ferry-boat,  though  at  that  time 
unknown  to  me.  The  property  for  sale  con* 
sisted  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  fourteen 
small  frame  (not  log)  houses  ;  the  price  for  the 
whole  is  &5,000  dollars  (56251.) :  there  is  on 
this  lot  a  neat  frame  church,  which  may  be 
purchased  for  2500  dollars  (5621.  10s.)j  it  is 


•• 
SO  FISHKILL-LANDING. 

not  fitted  u|>,  except  a  frw  common  seats,  ami 
a  pulpit  of  rather  primitive  simplicity.     A  credit 
of ftmr years  will  lu  nivc;),  rharL'in:.'-  the  intcrdlP^ 
the  present  cash  price  is  not  lov 

Mr.  Do  Wim's  residence  is  uit'iin  half  a  mile: 
I  had  the  pleasure  of*  dining  with  him  in  com- 
pany with  several  1;  id  gentlemen  of  a  very 
superiorclass.  Thefbllowingday  Judge  Verplaak, 
. i  neighbouring  gentleman  and  farmer,  had  the 
politeness  totakr  me  to  hi^  house.  My  reception 
at  both,  as  well  as  the  style  of  living,  the  sub- 
stantial elegance  of  the  furniture,  and  the  mental 
talents  of  the  company,  \\ M>  essentially  Rngl' 
I  felt,  indeed,  for  the  first  time,  that  I  u 
more  in  your  little  island.  'That  peculiarly  Britfsh 
word  covifart  was  well  understood  in  these  hos- 
pitable mansions.  Another  thing,  too,  was  here 
an  evident  favourite,  though,  I  lament  to  say, 
•careely  known  on  this  side  the  Atlantic  — 
cltcrnlhic**  .-  the  servants  also  were  in  their  dr 
neat,  and  in  their  manners  attentive,  forming  a 
striking  contrast  to  what  I  have  too  often  seen 
on  other  occasions. 

Servants,  let  me  here  observe,  are  called 
"helps:"  if  you  call  them  servants  they 
leave  you  without  notice.  Englishmen  -often 
incur  their  displeasure  by  negligence  in  con- 
tinuing to  use  this  prohibited  word.  Tntf  dif- 
ference, however,  would  appear  merely  verbal; 
lor  indeed  I  should  misrepresent  the  impressions 
nt 


SERVANTS.  »1 

I  have  received  on  the  subject,  if  I  stated  that 
the  Americans  really  shewed  more  feeling,  or 
were  more  considerate  in  their  conduct  towards 
this  class  of  society  than  the  English  :  every  one 
who  knows  them  will,  I  think,  pronounce  the 
direct  contrary  to  be  the  case.  A  friend  of 
mine,  the  other  day,  met  with  a  rebuff  at  his 
hotel,  which  taught  him  the  necessity  of  alter- 
ing—  not  his  ideas  indeed,  but  his  words.  Ad- 
dressing the  female  "  help"  he  said,  "  Be  kind 
*'  enough  to  tell  your  mistress  that  I  should  be 
"  glad  to  see  her."  —  "  MY  mistress,  Sir !  I  tell 
"  you  I  have  no  mistress,  nor  master  either. 
"  I  will  not  tell  her,  Sir,  I  guess ;  if  you  want 

"  Mrs.  M you  may  go  to  her  yourself, 

"  I  guess.  I  have  no  mistress,  Sir.  In  this 
"  country  there  is  no  mistresses  nor  masters  j 
"  I  guess,  I  am  a  woman  citizen."  —  The  term 
"  boss,"  as  I  have  before  observed,  is  substituted 
for  that  of  master :  but  these,  I  would  remark, 
are  not  the  only  instances  in  this  country  of  the 
alteration  of  names,  while  things  remain  the 
same :  indeed  some  very  absurd,  and  even  in- 
delicate changes  have  been  made  which  cannot 
well  be  communicated  on  paper. 

Servants  are  usually  engaged  by  the  week : 
enquiry  as  to  character  is  not  practised  :  blacks 
and  whites  are  seldom  kept  in  the  same  house ; 
they  are  chiefly  blacks,  and,  though  held  in  the 
most  degraded  estimation,  appear  to  do  almost 

G 


$2  WEATHER. 

what  they  please.  The  condition  of  their  kitchens 
is  what  in  England  would  be  considered  ver\ 
objectionable:  there  seem  usually  several  black 
friends  of  the  servants  in  this  apartment.  Their 
children  I  observed  frequently  sprawling  about 
the  floor  like  kittens  or  puppies. 

Judge  Verplank  is  a  large  farmer :  his  sheep, 
I  think,  he  stated  -a  large  flock  for  this 

country.  Ili^  land  appearetj  rather  barren. — 
Mr.  IX*  \Vint  informs  me  that  their  winters  are 
dry  and  iQvcpre:  they  commence  about  the  .Oth 
of  December,  and  end  by  the  middle  of  March. 
At  this  time  the  ice  begins  to  break  in  the 
Hudson.  The  thermometer  is  from  56  to  70, 
from  the  1st  of  April  to  the  middle  of  May; 
in  July  and  August  it  is  78  to  90;  in  March 
and  April  the  weather  is  subject  to  sudden 
changes :  the  cold  sometimes  intense,  with 
much  rain  and  easterly  winds.  June  is  a  de- 
lightful month,  as  are  also  part  of  September, 
and  the  whole  of  October.  The  summer  heats 
and  winter  colds  are  usually  extreme.  The  ad- 
vance in  the  value  of  land,  in  this  part  of  the 
State,  has  made  many  of  the  old  settlers  men  of 
large  property.  The  general  style  of  living 
consists  of  a  plentiful  supply  of  the  necessaries 
of  life,  with  but  few  of  what  in  England  we 
should  call  its  comforts.  I  visited  the  mountain 
adjoining  Fishkill-landing  —  a  walk  to  the  sum- 
mit was  fatiguing,  but  the  prospect  amply  re- 


NEWBURGH.  83 

paid  the  labour.     The  town  from  which  I  am 
now  writing  (Newburgh),  appeared  situated  in 
a  most  delightful  and  fertile  valley,  with  many 
fine  roads  connecting  it  with  several  parts  of 
this  immense  continent.     Newburgh  has  a  popu- 
lation of  3000,   many  of  whom  are  of  Dutch 
descent.     There  are   many  new  and  excellent 
.buildings  :  the  genuine   log   house  I  have  not 
yet  seen.     Paper  currency  seems  to  be  the  only 
circulating   medium  :    it   is   of   every   amount, 
and  with  a  reputation  infinitely  varied  ;  being 
regulated  according  to  the  distance,  and  the  re- 
putation of  the  bank.     1  see  no  man  in  absolute 
want,  nor  any  who  appear  particularly  anxious 
about  their  future  prospects.     These  are,  per- 
haps, the  natural  signs  of  an  improving  country, 
and  one   whose   resources,    so  far   from    being 
exhausted,    are    yet    not    even    called    wholly 
into  action.     A  Lieutenant  in  the  United  States' 
army,  who  has  just  arrived  from  his  station  on 
the  lakes,   and  is  now   sitting  opposite  to  me, 
states  that  the  number  of  Americans  who  emi- 
grate from   the   western  part  of  this  State  to 
Canada,    is  very   considerable.     I   asked,   with 
surprise,  what  could  be  their  inducement.     His 
reply  was,  that   "  the  King  gives  them  great 
"  encouragement,  with  land  for  nothing ; — no 
"  taxes,  and  a  present  of  the  implements  of 
"  husbandry."     This   is,    indeed,    "  great   en- 
"  couragement  !'*  and  such  as  we  old  friends 


84  COTTON    MANUFACTORY. 

of  His  Majesty  would  be  happy  to  see  imitated 
in  our  native  land. 

Upon  returning  from  my  mountain  excursion, 
I  visited  Yanskanlv's  cotton  manufactory.  It  is 
ttUantageoiisly  situated  on  a  fine  fall  of  water, 
which  empties  itself  into  the  Hudson.  The 
proprietor  conducted  me  over  every  part  of  this 
establishment.  It  was  erected  in  1814,  has  with- 
stood the  brunt  of  British  competition,  and  is 
said  to  be  profitable.  There  are  sixteen  hundred 
spindles  in  operation.  Children  perform  the 
same  kind  of  labour  that  they  do  with  us :  they 
receive  3s.  4$d.  per  week;  women,  11s.  3d.; 
men,  Sis.  6d.  Every  part  of  the  machinery  is 
manufactured  on  the  premises.  There  is  also  a 
general  shop  or  store  on  the  ground  floor,  at 
which  the  work  people  are  supplied  with  any 
thing  they  may  want,  in  payment  of  their  wages. 
The  chief  articles  made  are  ginghams,  plain 
chambrays,  calicoes,  and  bed  ticks ;  the  latter 
at  a  price  to  exclude  English  cotton  tick. 
Linens  are  still  imported.  The  fabric  of  all  the 
-articles  is  coarser  and  stronger  than  ours :  the 
finishing  department  is  very  defective ;  but  this 
will  be  amply  compensated  by  the  wear.  This 
concern  is  modelled  upon  British  establishments. 
Hearing  in  New  York  that  native  manufactories 
were  ruined,  I  felt  astonished  in  witnessing  the 
prosperous  appearance  of  Mr.  Vanskank'sj  which 
may  be  accounted  for  perhaps  by  the  able  way 
in  which  it  is  conducted,  and  the  excellence  of 


ACADEMY    OF   FINE    ARTS,  &C.  8^ 

the  machinery.  Their  connection  is  chiefly  with 
the  southern  merchants.  The  question  as  to  the 
success  of  domestic  manufactories,  is  one  in 
which  I  cannot  but  feel  personally  a  particular 
interest.  My  present  design  is  to  proceed  to 
the  New  England  States,  for  further  information 
upon  this  and  other  subjects. 

Returned  to  New  York,  I  visited  the  several 
public  exhibitions.  The  first  in  order  was  the 
"  Museum,"  the  collection  of  which  is  small  — 
in  excellent  condition,  and  displayed  with  much 
taste.  The  charge  is  Is.  lid. 

"  The  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,"  as  it  is  called* 
is  exhibited  in  the  same  building.  The  collection 
is  small ;  and,  upon  the  whole,  very  indifferent, 
with  the  exception  of  two  or  three  rustic  pieces. 
Among  the  casts,  there  are  a  Venus,  an  Apollo, 
and  a  fighting  gladiator.  —  Admission,  Is.  l*d; 
The  printed  particulars  of  this  exhibition  are 
pompously  denominated,  "•  A  catalogue  of* 
"  paintings,  statues,  busts,  drawings,  models, 
"  and  engravings,  exhibited  by  the  American 
"  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  Sept.  1,  181?.  — 
"  Auditque  vocatus  Apollo.  —  The  third  Exhi-. 
"  bition.  N.  B.  —  The  catalogue  of  pictures  is 
"  entirely  new.  —  Printed  for  the  Academy.*' 
Then  follows  a  list  of  directors  and  officers  for 
the  year  1817 ;  containing  a  president,  vice- 
president,  eleven  directors,  a  treasurer,  a  secre*. 
tary,  a  librarian,  and  sixteen  academicians  ! ! 

G  3 


Sti  i  in:  \i  in.,  ,xc. 

Mr.  Van  Derlyn,  an  artist  of  considerable 
merit,  has  a  small  exhibition,  in  which  is  a 
well-  ed  copy  of  Lefebre's  Napoleon.  — 

(  I  targe,  *8.  3d. 

There  if  a  mechanical  Panorama,  exhibiting 
much  ingenious  mechanism.  The  wax-work 
•  •xhibitioii  is  tolerably  good:  the  dresses  are 
splendid.  The  figure  of  tin-  Goddess  of  Libnty 
feeding  the  American  eagle  is  beautiful  and 
interest  i 

Tht  Theatre  is  about  the  size  of  the  ••  Kovai 
Circus,"  and  as  well  fitted  up  as  the  second-ittr 
1  .ondou  tlu-atro.  The  prices  are,  Boxes,  4s. 
Pit,  36.  4*d.  (iallcry,  *-.  Jd.  1  went  to  the 
pit,  concluding  that,  with  an  allowance  for  the 
difference  of  country,  it  would  resemble  the 
jKiitment  in  an  English  establishment ; 
hut  found  it  eoiiMMrd  ot' none  in  dress,  manners, 
appearance,  or  habits  above  the  order  of  our 
Irish  bridxlayois  ;  —  a  >trong  tact  tins  to  prove 
the  good  }•  labour.  Here  were* men 

that,   it'  in    London,   could   hardly  buy  a  pint   ot' 
porter  —  and  should  they  ever  think  of  seeing  a 
pla\,   imiht  take  up  their  abode  among  the  gods 
in  the  upper  gallery  :   yet,  in  America,  they  can 
pa\  thrre-<|uarters  of  a  dollar  —  free  from  t 
ami  uithout   feeling,  on  the  following  morn 
that   they   must  compensate,    by  deprivation  or 
ordinary    labour,     lor     their     extia\agunce. 
M  HIV   uorc    their    hats,    and   se\-  :    up 

during  the  performance!  there  did  not  seem  to 


SHAMROCK    SOCIETY.  87 

be  any  power  which  could  prevent  either  prac- 
tice. The  boxes  were  respectably  filled :  the 
female  part  of  the  audience  made  considerable 
display.  Between  the  acts  gentlemen  with- 
drew :  indeed  at  this  period  the  house,  in  every 
part,  was  deserted,  except  by  the  ladies.  The 
cause  of  this  practice  is  to  indulge  in  the  fatal 
habit  of  rum-drinking.  A  part  of  the  gallery  is 
allotted  for  negroes,  they  not  being  admitted 
into  any  other  part  of  the  house.  Women  never 
go  to  the  pit.  The  entertainments  were,  "  Laugh 
"  when  you  can,"  and  the  "  Broken  Sword :" 
both  performed  very  respectably.  The  dresses, 
scenery,  and  decorations  were  superior  to  what 
I  had  expected  to  find  them. 

Agreeably  to  your  wishes  I  waited  upon  the 
gentlemen  of  the  "  Shamrock  Society,'*  who 
lately  published  a  pamphlet,  entitled,  "  Hints  to 
"  Emigrants. "  This  association  is  composed 
chiefly  of  Irishmen.  Among  the  gentlemen 
present  was  the  distinguished  Dr.  M'Neven. 
Their  place  of  meeting  is  at  the  Globe  public 
house,  in  William-street,  where  their  business 
is  conducted  with  much  regularity.  The  society 
bears  a  high  character  for  benevolence,  and  is 
no  doubt  of  material  service  to  their  distressed 
countrymen.  One  of  their  members  had  just 
prevented  an  imposition  which  is  commonly 
practised  in  this  city,  and  which,  in  common 
with  all  my  fellow-passengers,  I  had  submitted 
to  —  the  payment  of  two  dollars  to  the  port 

G  4 


8S  SHAMROCK  SOCIETY. 

\ 

doctor.  Their  room  is  decorated  with  flags 
commemorative  of  American  victories.  Their 
hatred  of  the  English  ministry  is  implacable ; 
but  they  do  not  seem  to  distinguish  between  our 
government  and  people.  It  would  prove,  I 
think,  impo->il)lc  to  make  a  native  of  Ireland, 
who  had  never  been  in  England,  believe  that 
\<>u  have  among  you  inen  who  feel  tor  their 
•wrongs,  and  sympathise  with  their  sufferings. 
These  gentlemen  being  engaged  in  a  variety  of 
town  occupation-,  then  acquaintance  with  Ame- 
rica has  hardly  extended  beyond  the  city  of  New 
York  ;  and,  as  far  as  I  can  form  a  judgment, 
their  capability  of  giving  such  information  as 
c  an  be  relied  upon  is  very  limited  j  much  more 
so,  indeed,  than  their  pamphlet  might  have 
caused  us  to  expect.  Mr.  Alexander  Pike,  their 
secretary,  is  a  young  lawyer  :  from  him  I  re- 
ceived much  attention,  though  but  little  faith 
can  be  placed  in  his  answers  to  our  queries  :  not 
that  he  designs  to  deceive,  but  he  affects  to  give 
intelligence  concerning  rents  of  houses,  profits 
of  trade,  and  domestic  expenditure,  upon  each 
of  which  I  generally  found  his  statements  about 
50  per  cent,  too  low ;  — the  fact  is,  he  resides  in 
boarding  houses,  and  is  not  informed  upon  these 
subjects. 

To-morrow  (the  8th)  I  shall  depart  from  Bos- 
ton. My  old  captain  has  offered  to  be  the 
bearer  of  this.  I  shall  write  again  as  soon  as  I 
have  leisure  and  materials.  Even  yet  I  must 


EMIGRATION.  89 

withhold  ray  advice  as  to  emigration    —    — 

—     —     —     —     __    _    _    _.    —  .  — 

The  capitalist  may  manage  to  obtain  7  per 
cent,  with  good  security.  The  lawyer  and  the 
doctor  will  not  succeed.  An  orthodox  minister 
would  do  so.  By  the  way,  the  worn-out,  ex- 
posed impostor  Frey,  who  said  he  was  converted 
from  Judaism  to  Christianity,  has  been  attracting 
large  audiences  in  New  York.  The  proficient 
in  the  fine  arts  will  find  little  encouragement. 
The  literary  man  must  starve.  The  tutors' 
posts  are  pre-occupied.  The  shop-keeper  may 
do  as  well,  but  not  better  than  in  London  —  un- 
less he  be  a  man  of  superior  talent  and  large 
capital:  for  such  requisites,  I  think,  there  is  a  fine 
opening.  The  farmer,  (Mr.  Cobbett  says)  must 
labour  hard,  and  be  but  scantily  remunerated. 
The  clerk  and  shopman  will  get  but  little  more 
than  their  board  and  lodging.  Mechanics, 
whose  trades  are  of  thejirst  necessity,  will  do 
well :  those  not  such,  or  who  understand  only 
the  cotton,  linen,  woollen,  glass,  earthenware, 
silk  and  stocking  manufactures,  cannot  obtain 
employment.  The  labouring  man  will  do  well ; 
particularly  if  he  have  a  wife  and  children,  who 
are  capable  of  contributing,  not  merely  to  the 
consuming,  but  to  the  earning  also  of  the  com- 
mon ^tock. 

.  ,          .^    _  . 


THIRD  REPORT. 


Leave  New    York  for  Bottom East  River,   1/,-U  (,ah:  — 

American  Dislike  to  Emigrants. —  Stenin-lioats,  Connecticut 
and  Fulton.  —  First  Landing  OH  Continent  of  America.  — 
Stages.  —  Roads.  —  Taverns.  —  Military.  —  Condition  oj 
People.  —  Mrs.  Fisher's.  —  Public  Roads,  and  Ideas  of  their 
endangering  Liberty.  —  No  Slaves  in  Neva  England.  —  Face 
of  the  Country  of  Connecticut,  and  Rhode  Island.  —  Ar- 
rival at  Providence.  —  Rent* Prices  of  Provisions.  — 

Of  Labour.  —  Trades.  —  Cotton    Manufactories   at   />au<- 

tufkrt.  —  Price   of  Lands.  —  Size  of  Farms Entrance 

into  Boston.  —  Character  of  the  B  ottomans.  —  The  Athe- 
iieum.  —  Cambridge  College.  —  Religious  Sects.  —  State  of 
Society.  —  People  of  New  England  aristocratical.  —  Cli- 
mate. —  Health.  —  Morals State  House.  —  Scenery.  — 

Bunkers    Hill Visit    to   the  late.    President   Adams. — 

Servants  superior  to  those  of  New  York.  —  European 
Politics  in  New  England. — Leave  Boston  for  Albany. — 

—  Pittxfield.  —  Military.  —  Hudson.  —  Face  of  Country. 
Condition     and     Character    of    Americans.  —  Albany.  — 
Population.  —  Rents.  —  Prices  of  Provisions.  —  Of  Labour . 

—  Feelings  concerning  America. 

Albany,  the  River  Hudson,  &c.  Sep*.  1817. 

( )\  the  8th  of  September  I  left  New  York  for 
Boston  in  the  steam-boat  "  Connecticut," 
Captain  Bunker  ;  fare  to  New  London,  seven 
dollars,  including  board;  distance,  about  HO 
miles;  time,  21f  hours.  The  various  charac- 


EAST    RIVER.  91 

ters  on  board  a  steam-boat,  for  ten  minutes 
before  starting,  afforded  a  fruitful  source  of  ob- 
servation. I  supposed  we  should  have  been 
much  crowded,  but  found  that  at  the  ring  of  the 
bell,  three-fourths  went  on  shore.  The  banks 
of  the  East  River  are  pleasing :  by  Americans 
and  some  interested  European  flatterers,  they 
are  bepraised  most  extravagantly.  On  the 
York  Island  side,  there  is  fine  hill  and  dale 
scenery :  among  which  are  scattered  several 
country  seats,  belonging  to  the  city  merchants. 
The  view  of  Long  Island  is  not  so  interesting. 
We  passed  the  navy  yard,  in  which  is  the  far- 
famed  steam-frigate.  Eight  miles  from  New 
York  is  the  difficult  passage  called  Hell  Gate. 
At  the  moment  of  passing  this  strait,  a  bell  rang 
for  breakfast  j  the  ticket  for  the  partaking  of 
which  is  a  receipt  given  by  the  captain  for  the 
passage-money.  My  appetite  and  my  curiosity 
had  a  strong  struggle  ;  the  latter,  however,  pre- 
vailed. There  are  here  numerous  whirlpools, 
which  at  a  state  of  the  tide  lower  than  when  I 
passed,  produced  a  loud  roaring  noise.  The 
whirlpools  are  said  by  Mr.  Morse  to  be  occa- 
sioned by  the  narrowness  and  crookedness  of  the 
passage,  and  a  bed  of  rocks,  which  extend  quite 
across  it.  A  skilful  pilot  may  conduct  a  ship  of 
any  burden  with  safety  thrpugh  this  strait,  at 
high  water  with  the  tide,  or  at  low  water  with 
a  fair  wind.  There  is  a  tradition  among  the 


LIBERAUTY. 

Indians,  that  at  some  distant  period  their  an- 
centers  could  step  from  rock  to  rock,  and  cross 
this  ami  of  the  sea  on  foot. 

The  .sound  now  opened  upon  our  view,   with 

a   light-house,  at   eighteen  mile>'  distance.     A 

Dutch  ship  sailed   In,   lull  of  passengers.     This 

sight   did  not  meet  with  the  approbation  of  my 

American    friends.     One   of  them,   who  was  a 

farmer,  w.is  the   lirst    to  express  liis    opinion: 

"  There  ( -aid  he)  is  some  more  of  them  'ere  salt- 

«J.  water  fellows  I  guess ;  curse  them   I   say;  I 

•'  guess  it    I  had  my  will  they  should  never  lie  a 

"  salt  waterman  employed  in  the  Sta< 

wa*  warmly  assented  to  by  those  who  stood  i 

him.   He  continued,  "  What  a  jag  (a  load)  there 

them  'ere  salt-water  fish  lately  come  into 

"  t  s.    I  iruess  they  are  starving  in  the  old 

"conn4  ;  id  when  they  come  here  they  soon 

"  get  kedge  (bi  >od  health  and  spirits), 

"   1  \\ish   every    \essel  that  brings  such  freight 

"  miiiht  go  to  the  bottom  !"    Other  objects  now 

attracted  the  old  man's  attention.     His  train  of 

illiberal   ideas   which   I   hope   are   not   national,. 

e  way  to  general  observations  upon   busi- 

IBi     He  wanted  a  plasterer  at  his  farm  ;  here 

his   antipathies  were  lost  in.  a  sense  of  his   in. 

terest.     "  I   guess  I   should  like  one  of  them 

*'  'ere,  if  he  was  a  plasterer  ;   I  would  not  mind 

"  his  salt  water  lingo  a  cent,  so  that  lie  could 

"  plaster." 


STEAJJ- VESSELS.  93 

After  a  passage  of  twelve  hours,  we  arrived 
off  New  Haven,  a  city  in  Connecticut,  distance 
from  New  York  by  water,  almost  ninety  miles. 
This  small  city  is  said  to  have  a  population 
of  about  five  thousand,  and  has  the  reputation 
of  ranking  among  the  first  towns  in  respect 
to  beauty  in  the  United  States.  I  have  since 
understood  that  Colonel  Humphreys  resides 
here :  he  is  largely  engaged  in  Merino  sheep, 
and  the  woollen  trade.  I  regret  very  much 
that  I  do  not  take  up  my  residence  for  a  few 
days,  feeling,  as  I  do,  the  subject  of  manu- 
factures to  be  very  important,  not  only  to  my- 
self but  to  all  our  friends  in  Yorkshire. 

The  greater  part  of  our  passengers  went  on 
shore.  The  following  day  was  to  be  a  grand 
one  at  the  college  ;  it  was  what  is  here  called 
"  commencement  day."  The  college  is  said 
to  be  a  very  excellent  one.  Those  who,  like 
myself,  were  bound  for  New  London,  were  re- 
moved to  the  steam-boat  "  Fulton."  "  The 
Connecticut"  has  an  engine  (en-gine,  is  the 
American  pronunciation)  of  forty  horse  power : 
two  cabins  for  gentlemen,  one  for  ladies,  a  very 
extensive  kitchen  and  other  conveniences.  It 
is  fitted  up  with  minute  attention  to  accom- 
modation, and  with  much  elegance :  the  chief 
fault  consists  in  its  having  too  many  erections 
on  deck.  In  a  conversation  with  Captain  Bunker 
he  expressed  his  decided  opinion  that  steam- 


94  STAGES. 

vessels,  as  now  constructed,  could  safely  navi- 
gate the  ocean  ;  this  passage  from  New  York  to 
New  Haven  was  often,  he  said,  very  boisterous ; 
and  upon  one  occasion  a  gale  blew  so  violently 
that   he   accomplished    the    route    in    the    ex- 
traordinarv    short   period    of  six    hours.       The 
"  Fulton,"  in    most  respects  a  similar  boat,  has, 
however,   some  variations  in    her  construction. 
The  engines  of  both   arc  on   liolton  and  Watt's 
principle.      She   was    built    for    the;    Kmperor 
Alexander,  and  contracted  for  to  be  in  Russia 
at  a  specified  time.     Captain  I  Jail,  the  conqueror 
of  our  "  GuerriOre,"  was  to  have  had  the  com- 
mand :   had  he  successfully  navigated  her  across 
the  Atlantic,  he  would   have  added  another  un- 
lading laurel  to  his  own   brow,  and  that  of  his 
rountry.      We  landed  in  New   London  before 
Jay-light :  our  passage  was  so  rough  that  1 
once  more  approaching  towards  the  sick  list. 

At  New  London  I  took  a  place  in  the  coach 
ibr  Providence.     American  s  .  re  a  species 

of  vehicle  with  which  I  know  none  in  Knglaml 
that  will  compare  :  they  carry  twelve  passenger^ 
—  none  outside.  The  coachman,  or  "  driver," 
(and  who  is  not  unfrequently  a  military  officer,) 
sits  inside  with  the  company.  In  length  they  are 
jiearly  double  that  of  English  stages.  Few  go  on 
springs.  The  sides  are  open  —  the  roof  being 
supported  by  six  small  posts.  The  baggage  is 
carried  behind,  and  inside.  The  seats  are  pieces 


MRS.  FISHER'S.  95 

of  plain  board.  There  are  leathers  which  can 
be  let  down  from  the  top,  whicli  are  useful  as  a 
protection  against  wet,  but  of  little  service  in 
cold  weather.  Few  of  them  have  doors  ;  the 
places  of  entrance  and  exit  being  by  the  horses. 
They  form,  upon  the  whole,  both  in  construction 
and  management,  a  very  unpleasant  mode  of 
conveyance.  The  charges  are  nearly  equal  to 
English  inside  fares. 

We  breakfasted  at  the  town  of  Norwich  (a 
city,  I  believe,  it  is  denominated)  ;  distance  from 
New  London  fourteen  miles,  and  at  the  head  of 
the  -navigation  of  the  Thames :  three-mast  ships 
can  come  up  to  the  town.  It  was  in  this  river 
that  Commodore  Decatur  was  blockaded  during 
the  last  war :  and  so  approachable  are  the  Con- 
necticut men  represented  on  the  side  which  pro- 
motes their  pecuniary  interest,  that  they  are  said 
to  have  had  the  baseness  to  betray  their  country 
by  giving  information  to  the  English  admiral 
whenever  their  shipping  attempted  putting  out 
to  sea.  The  mode  of  doing  this  is  said  to  have 
been  by  throwing  up  blue  lights ;  a  circum- 
stance which  has  given  rise  to  the  party  appel- 
lation of  "  blue-light  men," — a  term  of  reproach 
used  by  the  democrats  against  the  federalists. 

Our  dinner  was  at  the  well-known  Mrs. 
Fisher's,  at  Scituate.  She  is  certainly  a  most 
original  character  ;  but  I  must,  for  the  present, 
pass  over  a  description  of  this  oddity  of  oddities. 


'Mi  RHODE   ISLAND. 

The  supply  for  our  whole  party  consisted  of  beefi 
a  ham,  two  fowls,  potatoes,  cabbage,  and  apple 
pie.  They  grumbled  at  the  scantiness  of  the  sup- 
ply :  for  myself  no  epicure  ever  enjoyed  his  din- 
ner more,  and  chiefly  because  every  thing  was 
cleanly.  At  the  back  of  Mrs.  Fisher's  house  there 
is  a  fine  orchard,  from  which  any  person  may 
take  as  much  fruit  as  they  please,  free  from 
charge,  and  without  the  act  being  considered  a 
liberty.  Mrs.  F.  makes  from  forty  to  a  hundred 
barrels  of  cider  per  annum  :  this  year  apples  are 
so  abundant  that  it  scarcely  pays  for  the  trouble. 
Farms  are  here  worth  from  thirty  to  forty  dollars 
per  acre.  An  old  man  was  sitting  in  the  room ; 
I  supposed  that  he  was  a  day  labourer ;  I  ad- 
dressed him  with  a  remark  that  their  roads  were 
bail :  "  Yes,"  said  he,  "  roads,  I  guess,  are  un- 
"  popular  in  this  State  :  we  think,  I  guess,  that 
"  they  are  invasions  of  our  liberties :  we  were 
"  mightily  roiled  (vexed)  when  they  were  iirst 
"  cut,  and  we  always  spoiled  them  in  the  night!" 
At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  entered 
Providence,  the  capital  of  Rhode  Island.  We 
had  been  thirteen  hours  travelling  fifty  miles. 
Of  the  general  appearance  of  the  country  I 
wished  to  force  myself  to  think  well  j  but  I  must 
tell  the  truth,  and  therefore  honestly  say,  that,  as 
it  respects  my  bird's  eye  view  of  its  soil  and  cul- 
tivation, I  am  rather  disappointed  —  but  we  must 
our  judgment.  The  western  States  are 


'      HOES.  97 

said  t0  be  vesy  superior.  Where  I  now  amis 
that«part  of  America  which  has  been  colonized 
almost  since  the  days  of  Columbus ;  and,  of 
course,  is, too  well  occupied  to  offer  present 
encouragement  to  English  emigrants.  ^  ^' 

In  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island  there  are 
numerous  dairies.  Cheese  is  sold,  for  export- 
ation, at  from  ten  to  twelve  cents  a  pound. 
Farms  contain  from  ten  to  two  hundred  acres. 
All  houses  within  sight  from  the  road  are  farm- 
houses. .The  genuine  country  seat  has  not  ye.t 
made  its  appearance  -in  the  four  States  which  I 
have  seen.  The  condition  of  the  people  -in 
Connecticut  and  Rhode  island  is  an  absence  of 
the  extreme  either  of  wealth  or  of  poverty.  The 
land  is  very  stony,  and  the  price  of  produce  not 
commensurate  to  that  of  labour.  The  absence 
of  negroes  from  these  last-mentioned  States  gives 
me  much  pleasure  :  certainly  not  on  account  of 
a  prejudice  against  our  darker-tinged  fellpw- 
creatures,  or  from  a  belief  that  they  are  of  an 
inferior  order  in  creation  j  but  from  a  hatred  of 
oppression,  whether  exercised  in  a  monarchy  or 
a  republic,  more  especially,  indeed,  in  the  latter, 
which,  professing  to  be  built  on  the  basis  of 
freedom,  ought  to  respect  the  rights  and  protect 
the  liberties  of  ah1.  In  the  States  of  New  York 
and  Jersey  the  treatment  of  Americans  of  colour, 
by  their  white  countrymen,  is  illiberal  and  bar- 
barous. 

H 


98  I'ROVIDLNCE. 

A  few  of  the  aborigines  still  reside  l>ere. 
Their  iU-shapen  miserable  huts  exhibit  but  a 
small  remove  towards  civilization. 

With  regard  to  the  agriculture. — Stones  are 
cleared  from  the  surface  of  the  land  by  large 
holes  being  dug,  into  which  they  are  rolled. 
Fields  of  Indian  coin,  which  struck  me  with  so 
much  beauty  in  Long  Island,  are  here  a  com- 
paratively melancholy  sight.  The  stalks  are  not 
half  the  height,  are  at  a  greater  distance  from 
each  other,  and  look  as  though  they  were  spring- 
ing from  a  bed  of  broken  rock. 

On  entering  PROVIDENCE,  the  capital  of 
Rhode  Island,  I  was  much  pleased  with  its 
beauty.  In  its  appearance,  it  combined  the 
attractions  of  Southampton  and  Doncaster. 
There  are  manufactories  in  the  neighbourhood. 
On  that  account  1  took  up  my  abode  at  Cha- 
potan's  Inn  until  the  llth. 

All  places  of  public  social  worship  are,  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  called  churches —  not,  as 
with  our  dissenters,  chapels.  In  these  States, 
the  old  English  distinction  of  "  church,"  and 
"  meeting  house,"  continues.  Here  is  an  ex- 
cellent market-house,  a  workhouse,  four  or  five 
public  schools,  an  university  with  a  tolerable 
library,  a  public  library,  and  an  hospital. 
Several  of  the  churches  are  very  handsome : 
they,  as  well  as  many  private  houses,  are  built 
of  wood,  painted  white,  with  green  Venetian 


PAWTUCKET.  99 

shutters,  presenting  a  neat  elegance  very  su- 
perior .to  our  smoky  brick  buildings.  I  have 
not  seen  a  town  in  Europe  or  America,  which 
bore  the  appearance  of  general  prosperity  equal 
to  Providence.  Ship  and  house-builders  were 
fully  occupied,  as  indeed  were  all  classes  of 
mechanics.  The  residents  are  native  Ameri- 
cans. Foreign  emigrants  seem  never  to  think 
of  New  England.  Rent  and  provisions  are  much 
lower  than  at  New  York. 

At  Pawtucket,  four  miles  from  Providence, 
are  13  cotton  manufactories  ;  six  of  which  are 
on  a  large  scale.  They  are  not  the  property  of 
individuals,  but  of  companies.  I  visited  three 
of  these.  They  had  excellent  machinery  j  not 
more  than  one  half  of  which  was  in  operation. 
The  articles  manufactured  are  the  same  as  de- 
scribed at  Fishkill.  Children  from  six  to  ten  years 
of  age,  of  both  sexes,  are  paid  6s.  9d.  per  week  j 
ditto,  11  to  16,  10s.  per  week;  women,  12s. ; 
men,  27s.  to  31s.  6d.  Very  few  of  the  latter  are 
employed.  Several  of  the  manufactories  of  this 
place  are  situated  on  a  fine  fall  of  water,  50  feet 
in  length,  and  passing  through  several  chasms 
in  a  rock  which  extends  across  the  river.  The 
scenic  effect  of  the  fall  is  most  'materially  in- 
jured by  the  situation  of  Pawtucket  bridge. 

To  a  labouring  man  who  accompanied  me 
through  the  manufactories,  I  gave  half  a  dollar. 
I  remarked  that  he  addressed  men  of  similar 

H  2 


100  ANECDOFK    OF    INDEPENDENCE. 

appearance  to  himself  by  the  titles  of"  major," 
"  captain,"  and  "colonel."  The  population  of 
this  village  is  very  trifling,  yet  it  has  "  TWO 
BANKS  !"  The  persons  employed  at  all  the  manu- 
factories combined,  are  not  equal  in  number  to 
those  at  one  of  a  moderate  size  in  Lancashire. 
A  considerable  portion  of  weaving  is  done  by 
women,  who  have  or  live  in  farm-hoi: 
They  receive  3$d.  per  yard  for  |  wide  stout 
dark  gingham  ;  an  article  which  is  sold  at  1 
wholesale,  and  15d.  retail.  These  female  weavi  is 
do  not  in  general  follow  the  occupation  regularly ; 
it  is  done  during  their  leisure  hours,  and  at  the 
dull  times  of  the  year.  Some,  who  have  no 
other  means  of  support  exerpt  servire,  (which 
is  unpopular  in  America,)  lodge  with  farmers, 
and  give  half  the  produce  of  their  labour  for 
their  board  and  lodging. 

The  PUNS tucket  manufacturers  have  shops  or 
stores  in  Providence.  On  their  doors  a  board 
is  affixed,  "  Weaving  given  out."  During  a 
conversation  with  a  proprietor  of  one  of  these 
establishments,  a  woman  came  in,  who  from 
her  independent  (though  not  impudent)  air,  I 
supposed  must  be  a  customer.  His  address  to 
her,  "  I'll  attend  to  you  directly,"  confirmed 
my  opinion.  She  replied,  "  1  want  work,  Boss, 
I  guess,  for  Harriet  Angel."  He  immediately 
called  to  his  assistant,  "  Where  is  that  work  for 
«*  Miss  Angel."  —  What  would  a  starving  Man- 


ENGLISH   PREJUDICE.  101 

Chester  wcaveress  say  to  this  ?  and  how  would 
Sir  Robert  Peel  feel  it'  addressed  in  the  true 
language  of  honest  independence  ? 

The  road  from  Providence  to  Boston  is  much 
better  than  that  from  New  London  to  the  latter 
place.  The  appearance  of  the  country  also 
improves  ;  but  there  is  nothing  in  either  as  to 
mere  appearance  which  would  be  inviting  to  an 
inhabitant  of  our  beautiful  and  cultivated  island. 
From  New  London  to  Providence  (50  miles),  I 
met  several  waggons,  all  of  which  were  drawn 
by  two  oxen  and  one  horse.  When,  travelling 
in  the  stage,  we  passed  boys  or  girls,  they  bowed 
or  curtsied.  Some  of  them  brought  apples  to 
sell,  the  amount  of  payment  being  left  to  our 
liberality.  We  did  not  meet  many  persons  on 
the  road,  and  no  pedestrians,  except  a  black  man 
and  woman.  There  were  no  beggars  —  none, 
that  seemed  distressed  —  all  either  were  at  work, 
or  going  to  or  from  their  labour  ;  and  in  all  my 
enquiries  of  farmers,  inn-keepers,  store-keepers, 
manufacturers,  their  servants,  and  others,  I  un- 
derstand that  employment  is  not  difficult  of 
obtainment  by  industrious  and  honest  men. 

I  separated  from  an  English  fellow-traveller  at 
Providence ; — he  proceeded  in  the  stage.  During 
our  journey  he  directed  nearly  all  his  discourse 
to  me,  so  much  so  that  it  was  supposed  we 
\\tere  old  friends.  I  was  by  no  means  proud  of 

H  3 


102  ENGLISH    PREJUDICE. 

this  impression,  as  my  fellow-countryman  \va> 
so  full  of  the  importance  and  superiority  of 
England,  that  any  thing  American  did  not,  in 
his  eyes,  seem  worthy  of  notice.  A  man  passed 
us  on  horseback,  without  bowing  or  speaking  j 
my  friend  exclaimed,  "  There,  you  see  they 
"  have  neither  manners  nor  common  sense  in  this 
"  country ;  if  we  were  in  England,  you  know, 
"  and  a  man  passed  the  stage,  he  would  bow  and 
"  say,  How  do  you  do  ?"  To  this  gentleman  the 
old  story  was  strictly  applicable  of  two  English- 
men and  an  American  travelling  in  a  stage 
from  Boston.  They  indulged  their  patriotism 
by  abusing  every  thing  American.  The  butter 
was  not  so  good  as  the  English — nor  the  beef — 
nor  the  mutton — nor  the  peaches — nor  the  la\v^, 
nor  the  people — nor  the  climate — nor  the  coun- 
try. Their  fellow-traveller  was  displeased,  but 
he  remained  silent.  At  length  there  came  on  a 
tremendous  storm  of  thunder  and  lightning.  He 
then  burst  forth,  boiling  with  rage  —  "  There, 

"  d you,  I  guess  that   that    thunder  and 

**  lightning  is  as  good  as  any  you  have  in 
"  England." 

As  far  as  I  have  proceeded  I  have  not  seen 
much  good  land.  It  may  do  for  grazing,  but 
upon  the  whole,  it  is  stony  and  sterile  :  —  and 
what  would  seem  remarkable  is,  that  in  these 
old  settled  States,  a  considerable  portion  remains 


FARMING,  &C.  103 

uncultirated.  Travelling  in  this  country  con- 
veys none  of  those  delights  which  are  connected 
with  an  English  excursion  :  here,  when  your 
eye  carries  you  in  imagination  to  the  distant 
eminence,  you  feel  no  relief  in  the  fancied  con- 
templation of  your  elevated  position's  presenting 
a  view  of  fine  seats,  and  extended  cultivation. 
On  the  contrary,  you  first  feel  that  you  could 
hardly  arrive  at  the  summit  through  the  density 
of  a  gloomy  forest ;  and  even  if  you  could,  that 
your  eye  would  be  fatigued  with  forests  and  the 
parched  monotony  of  unproductive  nature. 

Arable  land  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood 
of  Boston,  is  worth  from  50  to  100  dollars  per 
acre  (111.  2s.  6d.  to  221.  5s.),  farm-house  and 
buildings  included.  The  same  quantity  of  land 
at  from  8  to  30  miles  from  Boston,  brings  from  20 
to  30  dollars  ;  —  meadow  and  pasturage,  from 
10  to  30  dollars ;  orchard  ditto,  50  to  100 
dollars  per  acre.  Wood  land,  near  towns,  is,  of 
course,  more  valuable  than  any  other,  its  worth 
also  increasing  yearly.  Moderate-sized  farms 
usually  contain  all  the  different  kinds  of  land, 
in,  of  course,  varied  proportions.  Plaster  of 
Paris  is  used  for  manure  j  — it  does  not  succeed, 
I  believe,  in  those  lands  within  the  influence  of 
the  sea  air.  There  are  some  rich  farmers  in  the 
New  England  States,  but  generally  it  is  not  an 
occupation  by  which  more  than  a  living  can  be 
obtained. 

H  4 


104  BOSTON. 

Gentlemen-farmers  do  not  make  more  than 
from  two  to  three  per  cent,  of  their  capital. 
The  more  wealthy  farmers,  from  20  to  10  miles 
from  Boston,  own  large  pastures,  at  the  distance 
of  from  30  to  60  miles  from  their  residence ; 
and  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  New  Hampshire 
and  Vermont,  cattle  and  sheep  are  fattened  lor 
the  Boston  market. 

My  entrance  into  BOSTON  was  not  favoured 
by  the  weather.  From  its  irregularity,  and  other 
circumstances,  this  town  in  appearance  has 
more  of  an  English  character  than  New  York. 
The  names  are  English,  and  the  inhabitants  arc 
not  so  uniformly  sallow.  In  proceeding  along 
the  street  with  my  baggage,  to  Jones's  boarding- 
house  in  Pearl-street,  a  gentleman  accosted  me — 
"  Where  are  you  from  ?  When  did  you  arrive? 
"  Any  thing  new  in  York  ?  What  is  your  name  ? 
"  Any  thing  special  ?" 

JloatuH  lias  a  population  of  4-0,000,  yet  it  is 
not  a  city  :  this  arises  from  an  apprehension  in 
the  inhabitants,  that  the  powers  vested  in  cor- 
porations would  be  injurious  to  their  liberties. 
This  town  is  the  head-quarters  of  federalism  in 
politics  and  unitarianrsm  in  religion.  It  con- 
tains many  rich  men.  The  Bostonians  are  also 
the  most  enlightened  and  the  most  hospitable 
that  1  have  yet  met  with  :  they,  in  common  with 
all  New  Englanders,  have  the  character  of  being 
greater  sharpers,  and  more  generally  dishonour- 


ATHENEUM.  105 

able,  than  the  natives  of  the  other  sections  of 
the  Union  :  for  myself,  I  should  be  inclined  to 
think  otherwise ;  and  if  I  must  affix  such  a 
reputation,  I  should  be  disposed  to  remove  it 
further  south. 

The  Atheneum  public  library,  under  the  ma- 
nagement of  Mr.  Shaw,  is  a  valuable  establish- 
ment. It  contains  18,000  volumes,  four  thousand 
of  which  are  the  property  of  the  present  secre- 
tary of  state.  In  this  establishment  I  observed 
American  editions  of  the  following  works : 
Rees's  Cyclopaedia,  Edinburgh  ditto,  Calmet's 
Dictionary  and  Fragments,  Unitarian  Version  of 
the  New  Testament,  the  Writings  of  Mosheim, 
Jeremy  Taylor,  Bishop  Lowth,  M'Knight,  New- 
comb,  Paley,  Murphy's  Tacitus,  two  or  three 
editions  of  Shakspeare,  Edinburgh  Review, 
Quarterly  ditto,  and  the  Christian  Observer. 
English  magazines  and  newspapers  are  filed  re- 
gularly :  among  the  latter  were  the  Examiner, 
Courier,  and  Morning  Post :  the  former  are 
miscellaneous,  and  collected  apparently  without 
regard  to  party.  Mr.  Shaw  obligingly  offered 
me  access  to  this  library: — he  is  a  singular  cha- 
racter :  —  his  whole  soul  is  engrossed  by  his  pur- 
suits ;  at  the  same  time  he  knows  every  body, 
and  every  body  knows  him.  I  have  walked 
with  him  in  the  streets: — our  progress  was  slow 
indeed: — every  few  yards  we  were  accosted, 
"  Ah,  Mr.  Shaw,  I  have  got  something  for  the 


106  CAMBRIDGE    COLLEGE. 

"  Atheneum — a  Russian  copper." — "Well,  Mr.. 
«  Shaw,  I  have  thought  of  you  —  such  a  snake!" 
—  "  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Shaw  ?  I  have  got  a 
"  prize  —  such  a  prize !" 

Mr.  S.  "  What,  something  for  the  Atheneum, 
"  I  guess  ?" 

"  Yes,  a  stufFd  rat,  in  fine  preservation ;  my 
««  brother  brought  it  from  Pernambuco." 

At  Cambridge,  four  miles  from  Boston,  is 
situated  a  college,  upon  a  large  and  liberal 
scale.  Mr.  Washington  Adams,  who  is  a  student, 
took  me  to  view  it :  it  contains  250  apartments 
for  officers  and  students.  There  is  a  philoso- 
phical apparatus,  a  hall  for  public  recitations, 
a  dining  hall,  and  a  valuable  library,  which 
contains  a  few,  and  almost  the  only  standard 
works  in  the  United  States.  Admission  into 
the  college  requires  a  previous  knowledge  of 
mathematics,  Latin,  and  Greek,  All  students 
have  equal  rights  —  each  class  has  peculiar  in- 
structors—  they  meet  twice  a  day.  There  are 
quarterly  and  annual  public  examinations.  This 
college  is  regarded  by  the  orthodox  party  as 
heretical  in  religious  subjects — it  being  observed 
as  somewhat  remarkable,  that  most  of  the  theo- 
logical students  leave  Cambridge  disaffected  to- 
wards the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  The  staunch 
advocates  of  this  system  taking  the  alarm,  they 
have  established  an  academy  for  the  education 
of  young  men,  "  who  must  be  compelled  to 


SOCIETY  OP   BOSTON.  107 

"  learn  and  to  defend  the  doctrine  of  their 
"fathers"  as  the  most  effectual  means  to  op- 
pose the  "  Cambridge  heresies."  A  legislative 
act  has  not  yet  been  obtained  to  incorporate 
this  establishment  as  a  college.  Fr,om  rny,  brief 
observation  of  these  two  prominent  parties,  I 
should  be  induced  to  consider  the  Trinitarians  to 
be  much  behind  their  English  orthodox  brethren 
in  theological  knowledge,  liberality,  and  sin- 
cerity; and  the  Unitarians  (or  more  properly, 
the  Anti-Trinitarians,  for  few  have  gone  the 
whole  length  of  Dr.  Priestley)  to  be  at  the  best 
too  worldly-minded ;  —  the  open  avowal  of  their 
opinions  being  a  point  upon  which  they  appear 
to  maintain  general  reserve. 

The  state  of  society  in  Boston  is  better  than  in 
New  York,  though  the  leaven,  not  of  democracy, 
but  of  aristocracy,  seems  to  be  very  prevalent : 
many  of  the  richer  families  live  in  great  style, 
and  in  houses  little  inferior  to  those  of  the  first 
Squares  in  London  or  Dublin.  Distinctions  exist 
to  an  extent  rather  ludicrous  under  a  free  and 
popular  government:  there  are  the  first  class, 
second  class,  third  class,  and  the  "  old  families." 
Titles,  too,  are  diffusely  distributed. 

Foreigners  are  not  often  met  with  in  New  L^ 
England ;  —  neither  are  Jews,  or  Quakers.  There 
once  existed  a  law  in   Massachusetts,    which 
awarded  the  punishment  of  death  to  the  high 


108  BOSTON. 

crime  of  being  a  Quaker !  It  is  hardly  necessary 
to  observe,  that  this  barbarous  statute,  enacted 
by  a  people  who  themselves  had  fled  from  reli- 
gious persecution,  is  not  at  present  in  existence. 
It  is  not  now,  therefore,  civil  disabilities  which 
exclude  the  Society  of  Friends  from  this  "  land 
"  of  steady  habits,"  but  a  cause  is  said  to  t 
for  their  absence,  perfectly  adequate  to  the  effect 
—  the  New  Englanders  are  as  kten  as  theinse. 
The  same  fact  applies,  perhaps,   to  the  deso 
ants  of  Abraham. 

Boston  is  not  a  thriving,  that  is,  not  an  in- 
creasing town :  it  wants  a  fertile  back  country, 
and  it  is  too  far  removed  from  the  western  St.. 
to  be  engaged  in  the  supply  of  that  new  and  vast 
emporium,  —  except,  indeed,  with  inhabitants, 
a  commodity  which,  I  am  informed,  they  send 
in  numbers  greater  than  from  any  other  quarter. 

The  winds  here  are  violent ;  as  are  also  rains, 
but  not  nearly  so  frequent  as  in  England.  A 
clear  sky  is,  I  believe,  the  general  characteristic 
of  America:  the  evenings  are  certainly  most 
delightful. 

The  police  of  Boston  must  be  very  far  supe- 
rior to  that  of  New  York;  at  least,  if  effects 
may  be  taken  as  the  criterion.  The  state  of 
morals  I  cannot  speak  upon ;  but  medical  gen- 
tlemen inform  me,  that  their  town  is  not  an 
exception  to  others  with  regard  to  puritv : 


BUNKER'S  HILL.  10Q 

one  fact  is,  however,  apparent,  that,  unlike 
some  other  towns,  gross  vice  is  not  obtruded 
upon  the  public  eye. 

On  an  eminence  in  the  Mall  (a  fine  public 
walk),  is  built  the  State  House,  in  which  the 
legislature  hold  their  meetings.  The  view  from 
the  top  of  this  building  is  surpassed  by  nothing 
which  I  have  seen :  the  bay  with  its  forty 
islands  —  the  shipping  —  the  town  —  the  hill 
and  dale  scenery  for  a  distance  of  thirty  miles, 
present  an  assemblage  of  objects  which  are  beau- 
tifully picturesque.  A  great  increase  of  interest 
is  communicated  by  the  knowledge  of  the  fact, 
that  Boston  is  the  birth-place  of  the  immortal 
Franklin,  and  that  here  broke  forth  the  first 
dawnings  of  the  ever-memorable  revolution. 
The  heights  of  Dorchester  and  Bunker's  Hill 
are  immediately  under  the  eye  of  the  spectator. 

On  the  20th  of  September  I  walked  to  Bun- 
ker's Hill :  it  is  about  two  miles  from  the  centre 
of  Boston.  The  young  gentleman  who  accom- 
panied me  is  a  native  of  the  town,  and  yet  did 
not  know  the  road  to  this  spot  —  sacred  to 
patriotism  and  to  liberty.  The  hill  is  one  of 
moderate  height.  The  monument  placed  here 
in  commemoration  of  the  victory  is  of  brick  and 
wood,  without  an  inscription  j  —  except  what  is 
supplied  by  the  boyish  tricks  of  visitors,  who 
disfigure  it  with  their  names.  "  J.  Fessenden, 
"  1817,"  is  cut  in  every  direction  j  so  anxious 


110  MR.  ADAMS,    THE   EX-PRESIDENT. 

are  obscure  blockheads  for  posthumous  fame. 
At  the  bottom  of  this  hill  are  now  lying  two 
most  unexpected  and  far-famed  American  monu- 
ments of  national  glory —  the  frigates  Guerriere 
and  Java,  named  after  two  taken  from  the  British. 
What  would  a  Franklin,  a  Patrick  Henry,  or  a 
Washington  have  felt,  could  they  have  foreseen 
these  things  ?  In  the  afternoon  of  this  day, 
young  Mr.  Adams  came  from  Quincy  to  conduct 
me  to  his  grandfather's  (the  late  President)  at 
that  place.  We  sailed  out  of  the  harbour  by 
way  of  Hingham  :  this  route  increases  the  dis- 
tance 13  miles.  The  inner  and  outer  harbours 
are  both  handsome :  they  are  more  extended, 
but  have  not  that  compact  and  varied  beauty 
which  so  peculiarly  belongs  to  those  of  New 
York.  We  passed  Forts  Warren  and  Independ- 
ence, near  which  the  inhabitants,  in  1814,  were 
stationed  in  shoals  of  boats,  viewing  the  contest 
between  the  Chesapeake  and  Shannon.  So  con- 
fident were  they  of  the  success  of  their  country- 
men, that  dinners  were  absolutely  prepared  in 
Boston  for  both  the  victors  and  the  vanquished : 
—  but  in  this  they  were  sorely  disappointed  by 
the  event. 

The  ex-president  is  a  handsome  old  gentleman 
of  eighty-four  ;  —  his  lady  is  seventy-six  :  —  she 
has  the  reputation  of  superior  talents,  and  great 
literary  acquirements.  I  was  not  perfectly  a 
stranger  here,  as  a  few  days  previous  to  this  I 

I2t 


GENERAL   ARNOLD.  Ill 

had  received  the  honour  of  an  hospitable  recep- 
tion at  their  mansion.  Upon  the  present  occasion 
the  minister  (the  day  being  Sunday)  was  of  the 
dinner  party.     As  the  table  of  a  "  late  king" 
may  be  amusing,  take  the  following  particulars  : 
—  first  course,  a  pudding  made  of  Indian  corn, 
molasses,    and  butter ;  —  second,    veal,  bacon, 
neck  of  mutton,  potatoes,  cabbages,  carrots,  and 
Indian  beans ;    Madeira   wine,  of  which  each 
drank  two  glasses.     We  sat  down  to  dinner  at 
one  o'clock :  at  two,  nearly  all  went  a  second 
time  to  church.     For  tea,  we  had  pound-cake, 
wheat  bread    and  butter,    and  bread  made  of 
Indian  corn  and  rye  (similar  to  our  brown  home- 
made).   Tea  was  brought  from  the  kitchen,  and 
handed  round  by  a  neat,  white  servant-girl.    The 
topics  of  conversation  were  various  —  England, 
America,  religion,  politics,   literature,  science, 
Dr.  Priestley,  Miss  Edgeworth,   Mrs.  Siddons, 
Mr.  Kean,  France,  Shakespeare,  Moore,  Lord 
Byron,  Cobbett,  American  revolution,  the  traitor 
General   Arnold.     Concerning  the  popularity,, 
among  the  mass   of  the   people,  of  this  latter 
personage,  Mr.  Adams  related  a  characteristic 
occurrence.     Washington,  Arnold,  and  himself 
were  viewing  a  spot  of  ground  for  the  purpose 
of  erecting  a  fortification.     A  man,  with  great 
anxiety  depicted  upon  his  countenance,  enquired 
of  Mr.  A.,   "  Which  is  General  Arnold  ?  the 
"  brave  Arnold?  the  victorious  Arnold?5'    His 


EDUCATION. 

curiosity  being  gratified,  he  exclaimed  with  an 
oath,  "  I  guess,  if  I  should  not  glory  even  in 
"  going  to  hell,  provided  General  Arnold  led 
"  me  on." 

The  establishment  of  this  political  patriarch 
consists  of  a  house  two  stories  high,  containing, 
I  believe,  eight  rooms ;  of  two  men  and  three 
maid  servants ;  three  horses,  and  a  plain  car- 
riage.  How  great  is  the  contrast  between  this 
individual  —  a  man  of"  knowledge  and  inform- 
ation—  without  pomp,  parade,  or  vitious  and 
expensive  establishments,  as  compared  with  the 
costly  trappings,  the  depraved  characters,  and 

the  profligate  expenditure  of House,  and 

!    What  a  lesson  in  this  does 

America  teach  !  There  are  now  in  the  United 
States  no  less  than  three  Cincinnati ! 

The  charge  at  my  boarding-house  for  eight 
days,  being  part  of  the  time  I  spent  at  Boston, 
was  31.  Is.  8d.  I  should  remark,  that  neither 
beer  nor  cider  was  served  at  dinner,  —  brandy 
and  rum  were  so  -9  and  the  charge,  in  this 
instance,  was  upon  the  presumption  that  I 
availed  myself  of  them  accordingly. 

Education  is  rightly  valued  in  this  State  as  one 
of  the  most  important  features  of  legislation. 
There  are  public  schools,  and  amongst  them 
some  at  which  the  learned  languages  are 
taught.  The  expences  of  instruction  at  private 
academies  professing  to  give  a  classical  education 


EDUCATION.  —  RELIGION.  113 

are  about  100  dollars  per  annum  j  50  at  a  best 
English  school ;  32  for  a  middling  ditto ;  board 
from  two  to  three  dollars  per  week  extra ;  female 
education  about  12*  per  cent,  cheaper.      The 
Lancasterian  system  is  not  in  operation.    Masters 
of  free  classical  schools  are  exempt  from  military 
duty  and  taxes  :    the  same  exemptions  are  en- 
joyed by  ministers  of  every  denomination.    Clerical 
gentlemen  have  here  an  astonishing  hold  upon 
the  .minds  of  men  :    the  degree  of  reverential 
awe  for  the   sanctity  of  their   office,    and   the 
attention  paid  to  the  external  forms  of  religion, 
approach   almost  to   idolatry ;  —  these  feelings 
are,    perhaps,    never    encouraged   without   be- 
coming  the    substitute   of   real   religion,    and 
expelling  the  active  and   mental   principles   of 
Christianity.       A   man   who   values    his    good 
name  in    Boston,    hardly  dare  be  seen   out   of 
church  at  the  appointed  hours  ;  —  this  would  be 
viewed  as  a  heinous  crime  by  men  who  would 
consider    the    same    individual's    cheating    his 
creditors  as  of  small  import.     They  seem,   in 
these  respects,  not  unlike  the  peculiarly  religious 
among  the  Jews  of  old,  who  showed  their  sanc- 
tity by  a  solemn  countenance  and  a  broad  gar- 
ment, who  would  not  eat  with  unwashen  hands, 
and  who  regarded  it  as  profane  to  pluck  ears  of 
corn  on  a  Sabbath-day  -,  —  but  the  founder  of 
Christianity,  in  those  days  drew  aside  the  veil 
of  hypocrisy  ;  declaring,  that  it  was  fornication, 

I 


114  RELIGIOUS    SECTS. 

false  witness,  and  evil  thoughts  which  defiled  u 
man  —  and  that  neglecting  these  outward 
observances  did  not  defile  a  man.  His  use  of  the 
language  of  Isaiah  would,  I  fear,  be  but  too 
applicable  to  the  religious  bodies  of  this  place  : 
"  They  draw  nigh  unto  me  with  their  mouths, 
"  and  honour  me  with  their  lips,  but  their 
"  hearts  are  far  from  me.*' 

The  number  of  churches  is  as  follows :  viz. 
twelve  Congregationalists  (nine  of  which  are 
said  to  be  Anti-Trinitarian);  two  Episcopalian; 
three  Baptist ;  one  ditto  for  blacks  ;  one  Quaker ; 
one  Universalist ;  one  Roman  Catholic  ;  two 
Methodist ;  one  travelling  preacher  ditto.  There 
being  here  no  peculiar  state  religion,  men  are 
allowed  the  liberty  of  choosing  to  which  of  the 
sects  existing  here  they  shall  belong.  To  the 
support  of  one  of  tkese,  however,  they  are  com- 
pelled to  contribute:  and  should  they  neither 
attend  to  the  worship,  nor  believe  in  the  doc- 
trines of  any  of  them,  the  payment  must  equally 
be  made  —  and  it  then  goes  to  the  funds  of  the 
Congregational ist  body.  This  enactment  would 
appear  rather  at  war  with  enlightened  legislation, 
and  scarcely  reconcileable  with  that  extreme 
jealousy  of  their  liberties,  which  would  appear  to 
have  dictated  an  opposition  to  their  town  being 
incorporated  as  a  city.  —  Americans,  and  espe- 
cially New  Englanders,  ought  to  have  known 
that  religion,  in  all  its  details,  is  an  affair  between 


BOSTON    POLITICS.  115 

God  and  the  individual  only,  and  that  any 
attempt  at  human  interference,  is  a  violation  of 
the  rights  of  conscience,  and  ranks  foremost 
among  the  basest  of  tyrannies. 

Politics.  —  You  may  expect  some  report  as  to 
the  political  principles  of  the  inhabitants  of  this 
place  ;  — the  following  document  will  speak  for 
itself  and  show,  more  fully  than  I  can  pourtray 
them,  what  are  the  prevailing  views  and  opinions 
on  the  subject  of  European  politics.  It  consists 
of  the 

"  Appendix"    to    "  A    discourse    delivered    in 

"  Boston,  at  the  solemn  festival  in  commemora- 

"  tion  of  the  goodness  of  God,  in  delivering  the 

"  Christian  world  from  military  despotism,  by 

"   William  Henri/  Channing,  minister   of  the 

"  church  in  Federal-street,  Boston.'" 

"  After   receiving    intelligence   of   the    late 

"  astonishing  revolutions  in  Europe,  ascertaining 

"  beyond  all  doubt  the  entire  subversion  of  that 

"  atrocious  military   despotism,    which   had  so 

"  long   desolated   the    Christian    and   civilized 

"  world,    a  number   of   the    citizens    of   this 

"  metropolis  and  the  commonwealth  at  large, 

"  assembled  on  the   8th  inst.  at  the  house  of 

"  His  Honour  William  Phillips,  to  consult  upon 

"  the  propriety  of  noticing  these  events   in  a 

"  manner  suited  to  their  character  and  import- 

"  ance,  and  to  the  sentiments  which  they  were 

i  2 


116  DISCOURSE    ON    BONAPARTE. 

"  calculated  to  inspire.  Deeply  impressed  with 
"  the  magnitude  and  the  beneficial  and  lasting 
"  influence  of  this  revolution,  upon  the  best  and 
"  dearest  interests  of  society,  they  had  no  hesi- 
"  tation  in  recommending  to  their  fellow-citizens 
"  the  observance  of  a  solemn  religious  festival 
"  in  commemoration  of  the  goodness  of  God, 
"  in  humbling  unprincipled  ambition,  in  crush- 
"  ing  wicked  and  unjust  power,  in  delivering 
"  the  world  from  cruel  and  disgraceful  bondage, 
"  in  restoring  to  mankind  the  enjoyment  of  their 
"  just  rights  under  the  protection  of  legitimate 
"  government,  and  in  giving  to  nations  the  cheer- 
"  ing  prospect  of  permanent  tranquillity.  For 
"  that  purpose  a  large  and  respectable  committee 
"  was  chosen  to  make  the  necessary  arrange- 
"  ments. 

"  Concluding  prayer  and  benediction  —  Rev. 
"  Dr.  LATHROP. 

"  The  musical  performances,  vocal  and  in- 
"  strumental,  were  executed  by  a  very  full  choir 
"  and  band,  in  a  style  of  enthusiasm,  taste  and 
"  excellence,  seldom  equalled  in  this  metropolis. 
"  The  celebration  was  attended  by  the  governor, 
"  council,  and  both  branches  of  the  legislature. 

"  After  the  religious  services  of  the  day  were 
"  closed,  the  Honourable  Mr.  Gore,  chairman 
"  of  the  committee  of  arrangements,  introduced 


RESOLUTIONS. 

"  the  following  resolutions,  by  remarking  on  the 
"  happy  state  of  Europe  prior  to  the  French 
"  revolution,  the  depraved  and  deplorable  con- 
"  dition  to  which  that  event  reduced  the  civilized 
"  world,  the  just  apprehensions  of  wretchedness 
"  and  barbarism  from  the  continued  despotism 
"  of  Bonaparte,  and  the  consequent  joy  that 
"  must  arise  from  his  destruction  and  the 
"  establishment  of  order  and  public  freedom  in 
"  Europe. 

"   RESOLUTIONS. 

"  A  large  number  of  citizens  of  the  State  of 
"  Massachusetts  convened  at  Boston  for  the  pur- 
*'  pose  of  expressing,  in  a  solemn  manner,  their 
"  thanks  to  Almighty  God,  for  his  late  gracious 
"  and  wonderful  interposition,  in  delivering 
"  Europe  from  that  most  fearful  despotism, 
"  under  which  a  great  portion  of  the  nations 
"  were  actually  suffering,  and  which  the  rest 
"  had  just  reason  to  apprehend:  and  for  the 
"  further  purpose  of  manifesting  their  sympathy 
"  and  participation  in  the  general  joy  of  one 
"  hundred  millions  of  the  Christian  world,  and 
"  their  delight  at  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  and 
"  durable  tranquillity  to  suffering  and  distracted 
"  nations,  the  following  Resolutions,  having 
"  been  duly  matured,  were  introduced. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  citizens  of  Massachusetts 
i  3 


lib  HOUSE   OF   BOURBON. 

"  here  assembled,  contemplate  with  unfeigned 
"  joy  the  emancipation  of  the  French  people 
"  from  the  usurped  power  of  a  ferocious  military 
"  adventurer ;  and  they  rejoice  in  the  prospect 
"  that  thirty-five  millions  of  their  fellow  men, 
"  have  a  reasonable  expectation  of  being  blest 
"  with  temperate  liberty,  adapted  to  their  state 
«*  of  society  and  habits,  and  a  constitution  and 
"  administration  of  government,  apparently  con- 
"formed  to  their  'I 'hey  congratulate 

"  the  venerable  head  <>!'  the-  house  of  Bourbon 
"  on  his  restoration  from  exile,  to  the  throne 
"  of  his  ancestor^,  >c/i  he  is  called  by  the 

"  entreaties  of  his  people,  and  from  which  he 
"  has  been  excluded  by  a  series  of  crimes,  at 
"  which  humanity  shudders.  They  remember 
"  the  language  of  their  revolutionary  sages  and 
"  patriots,  glowing  with  affection  and  respect 
"  toward  the  late  unhappy  and  injured  possessor 
"  of  the  throne  of  the  Bourbons ;  nor  can  they 
"  forget  that  the  good  understanding  between 
"  this  country  and  France  was  never  interrupted 
"  so  long  as  that  family  were  in  power,  but  that 
"  injuries  and  insults,  such  as  no  nation  ever 
"  before  submitted  to,  have  been  heaped  upon 
"  it  by  all  their  successors,  from  the  transient 
"  despot  of  a  day,  to  the  more  permanent  tyrant, 
"  clothed  with  imperial  authority.  It  is  not 
"  more  from  a  conviction  that  the  interest  of 
"  the  United  States  will  be  promoted  by  the 


DUTCH    INDEPENDENCE.  119 

"  late  auspicious  events,  than  from  their  regard 
"  to  the  happiness  of  other  nations,  that  they 
"  congratulate  the  Sovereign  and  People  of 
"  France,  on  the  voluntary  renewal  of  their 
**  ancient  ties. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  people  of  Massachusetts 
"  recollect  the  generous  sympathy  of  the  Dutch 
"  towards  the  American  people  during  the  dark- 
"  est  period  of  their  revolutionary  struggle;  and 
"  rejoice  most  fervently  in  the  glorious  emanci- 
"  pation  of  the  United  Netherlands.  They  bless 
"  God,  thatwhilst  this  people  appeared  to  human 
"  eyes  for  ever  blotted  out  of  the  list  of  nations, 
"  He  was  at  that  moment  preparing  its  restor- 
"  ation  to  independence,  and,  it  may  be  hoped, 
"  to  glory  and  power.  They  rejoice  with  the 
"  patriotic  Hollanders  at  the  return  of  the  illus- 
"  trious  house  of  Orange  to  their \first  magistracy, 
"  and  do  not  'wonder  at  their  enthusiastic  joy 
"  upon  the  occasion,  'when  they  remember  that 
"  this  ancient  family  have  been  always  the  gallant 
"  and  zealous  defenders  of  the  rights  and  liberties 
"  of  the  Dutch  people. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  liberation  of  Germany, 
"  Italy,  and  Switzerland,  and  especially  of 
"  Prussia,  with  whom  this  country  is  connected 
"  by  treaty,  are  also  causes  of  the  most  exalted 
"  pleasi^e  to  this  assembly. 

"  Resolved,  That  they  have  always  witnessed 
"  with  deep  emotion,  and  watched  with  con~ 

i  4. 


120  ALEXANDER    THE    DELIVERER. 

"  stant  anxiety,  the  struggle  of  the  Spanish  and 
"  Portuguese  nations  for  their  independence  : 
"  and  it  therefore  gives  sincere  delight  to  find 
"  this  independence  fully  confirmed,  and  nothing 
"  but  the  unhappy  situation  in  which  this  coun- 
"  try  is  placed  in  relation  to  one  of  the  all 
"  prevents  their  expressing  a  just  sense  of  the 
"  virtues  anil  talents  of  that  chief,  to  whom, 
"  under  God,  whole  nations  are  so  greatly 
"  indebted. 

Resolved,    That    this     assembly     view     tcif/'i 
"  mingled  emotions  of  admiration  and  gratitude, 
"  the  unexampled  magnanimity  of  the  great  head 
"  of  the    Confederacy  J'or    the    delirerdiiee    o/' 
"  Christendom.     The  name  of  ALEXANDER  THE 
"  DELIVERER,  trill  be  always  dear  to  every  l<> 
"  of  national  freedom,  while  the  moderation,  dis- 
"  interestedness,  foresight,  and  determination  of 
"  all  the  Confederates,  to  sacrr  ry  thing  to 

"  the  future  repose  of  Eur^pt ,  -rill  cause  their 
"  names  to  be  venerated,  and  the  epoch  to  be  for 
"  ever  memorable.  It  is  u-ith  the  greater  joy  they 
"  perceive  this  liberality  and  true  wisdom  in  the 
"  allied  councils,  as  it  afford*  a  veil-grounded  hope 
"  of  a  restoration  of  peace  to  this  country,  on 
"  terms  compatible  with  its  interest  and  its  honor. 

"  It  is  because  the  recent  events  in  Kurope 
"  have  a  direct  tendency  to  render  liberty  secure, 
"  to  check  anarchical  propensities,  to  restrain  am- 
"  bition,  foster  morals  and  religion,  and  to  pro- 


FIRE   WORKS,  &C. 

"  tect  property  and  the  arts,  and  finally,  to  give 
"  solid  peace  to  the  Christian  world,  that  this 
"  assembly  hail  them  as  blessings,  that  they  bovr 
"  in  humble  gratitude  before  the  Almighty, 
"  from  whose  goodness  they  all  proceed :  and 
"•  it  is  from  a  desire  it  may  be  known  that,  with 
"  many  thousands  of  their  countrymen,  they 
"  partake  in  the  joy  of  all  civilized  nations, 
"  that  these  feelings  and  sentiments  are  now 
"  proclaimed. 

"  These  resolutions,  having  been  severally  con- 
"  sidered,  were  cordially  approved  and  unani- 
"  mously  adopted  by  the  assembly. 

"  In  the  evening  ^fire-works  were  exhibited,  and 
"  by  a  resolve  of  the  Legislature  the  State-house 
•"  was  illuminated,  as  were  some  private  houses, 
"  in  a  manner  to  complete  the  sober  and  dignified 
"  enjoyment  of  the  vast  multitudes  who  united 
"  in  the  celebration" 


This  is,  1  think,  a  curious  document.  The 
gentlemen,  whose  names  it  contains,  are  the  lead- 
ing men  in  Boston ;  and  it  may  be  taken  as 
speaking  the  general  sentiments  of  the  inhabit- 
ants, not  only  of  Boston,  but  of  New  England 
generally,  and  even  of  some  persons  in  New 
York,  upon  a  subject  clearly  illustrative  of  their 
views,  at  once,  of  European  and  general  politics. 

24th  September,  1817,  I  left  Boston  for  Al- 
bany,, in  the  stage  :  the  distance  is  180  miles  5 


to 


INTERROGATORIES. 

the  fare,  21.  14s. ;  charge  for  all  meals  on  the 
road,   2s.  3d.  each ;  for  bed,    2s.  3d. :  nothing 
given  to  waiters  or  coachmen.     The  stage  called 
at  my  lodgings  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
There  was,  upon  my  entrance  into  it,  but  one 
passenger  ;  he  was  an  American,  anil  of  course, 
soon  obtained  from  me  the  information  that  1 
was  going  to  Albany.     We  were  driven  about 
the  town  for  an  hour,  taking  up  others  ;  so  that, 
before  our  starting,  we  were  well   filled   wiln 
passengers  and  their  luggage.     The  man  before 
referred   to   was  going  but   ten  miles;  yet  he 
must  know  from  every  person  how  far  they  were 
travelling,  and  whether  or  not  they  were  "  na- 
tifees*'  of  Boston.     An  old  man,  partially  deaf, 
was  the  last  object  of  his  attack.     His  seat  being 
central,    the   first    question   put    to   him    was, 
"  «  Where  are  you  going,  middle  on*  ?"     This 
being  answered  satisfactorily,  the  following  dia- 
-  logue  ensued  :  — 

Q.  Do  you  keep  at  Boston  ?  —  A.  No. 

Q.  Where  do  you  keep  ?  —  A.  Fairfield. 

Q.  Have  you  been  a  lengthy  time  in  Boston, 
eh,  say?—  A.  Seven  days. 

Q.  Where  did  you  sleep  last  night  ?  —  A. 

street. 

Q.  What  number  ?  —  A.  Seven. 

Q.  That  is  Thomas  Adonis *s  house  ?  — 

A.  No ;  it  is  my  son's. 

Q.  What,  have  you  a  son  ?  —  A.  Yes  ;  and 
daughters. 


INTERROGATORIES.  123 

Q.  What  is  your  name  ?  —  A.  William  Henry 
-,  I  guess. 


Q.  Is  your  wife  alive  ?  —  A.  No,  she  is  dead, 
I  guess. 

Q.  Did  she  die  slick  right  away  ?  —  A.  No ; 
not  by  any  manner  of  means. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  been  married  ?  —  A. 
Thirty  years,  I  guess. 

Q.  What  age  were  you  when  you  were  mar- 
ried ?  —  A.  I  guess  mighty  near  thirty-three. 

Q.  If  you  were  young  again  I  guess  you 
would  marry  earlier  ?  —  A.  No;  I  guess  thirty- 
three  is  a  mighty  grand  age  for  marrying. 

Q.  How  old  is  your  daughter  ?  —  A.  Twenty, 
five. 

Q.  I  guess  she  would  like  a  husband? — A. 
No; 'she  is  mighty  careless  about  that. 

Q.  She  is  not  awful  (ugly),  I  guess  ?  —  A.  No, 
I  guess  she  is  not. 

Q.  Is  she  sick  ?  —  A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  is  her  sickness  ?  —  A.  Consumption. 

Q.  I  had  an  item  (a  supposition)  of  that.  You 
have  got  a  doctor,  I  guess  ?  —  A.  Guess  I  have. 

Q.  Is  your  son  a  trader  ?  —  A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  he  his  own  boss  ?  —  A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  his  spirits  kedge  (brisk)  ?  —  A.  Yes ; 
I  expect  they  were  yesterday. 

Q.  How  did  he  get  in  business  ?  —  A.I  planted 
him  there.  I  was  his  sponsor  for  a  thousand 
dollars.  I  guess  he  paid  me  within  time  ;  and 


124  FIELD    DAY. 

he  is  now  progressing  slick.     He  bought    ins 
store  at  a  good  lay  (a  good  bargain). 

The  young  man's  arrival  at  his   destination 
put  a  stop  to  this  course  of  question  and  ansu 
and  the  inquisitive  catechiser  invited  his  elderly 
friend,  when  he  should  come  that  way,   "  to  go 
by  his  house  and  dine  with  him." 

Northampton,  07  miles  from  Boston.  We  ar- 
rived at  this  town  at  ten  o'clock  at  night. 

We  started  hence  at  two  o'clock  the  following 
morning.  The  road  leads  over  the  Green  Moun- 
tain, and  is  both  tedious  and  difficult  There 
seemed  scarcely  a  spot  upon  the  mountains 
capable  of  cultivation.  In  one  place  there  were 
ten  frame  buildings,  among  which  a  skeleton 
church  was  not  the  least  prominent. 

At  Pittsfiejd,  140  miles  from  Boston,  we 
stopped  for  an  hour  and  a  half.  This  town  is 
singularly  situated,  in  a  beautiful  and  fertile 
valley,  on  the  banks  of  the  Hausatonic  River. 
There  are  here  two  inns,  five  stores,  100  houses, 
a  congregationalist  church,  and  a  military  bar- 
racks.  We  arrived  on  a  military  field  day :  soldiers 
were  exercising  in  the  street :  they  were  dressed 
in  their  common  clothing ;  —  to  distinguish  of- 
ficers from  men  was  difficult :  some  were  armed 
with  sticks,  some  with  umbrellas,  some  with  mus- 
kets ;  all  were  talking,  and  each  seemed  to  do  as 
he  pleased.  At  the  church  door,  where  a  man  was 
retailing  cider,  the  sons  of  Mars  were  actively 


NAMES. HABITS.  125 

engaged    in    making    purchases ;  their  officers 
joining  in  this  department  of  military  service. 

One  of  our  passengers  was  a  labouring  man ; 
he  conversed  with  ease  and  with  good  sense.  I 
particularly  remarked  his  correct  pronunciation, 
and  concluded  that  this  class  of  society  were 
much  superior  to  the  lower  orders  in  England. 
He  afterwards  proved  to  be  a  Londoner,  and 
had  recently  emigrated  to  this  country,  in  the 
ship  Perseus  j  —  an  instance  this  how  cautious 
travellers  ought  to  be  in  drawing  general  con- 
clusions from  particular  facts. 

The  country  from  Boston  to  Albany  did  not 
equal  my  expectations.  The  soil  appears  sterile, 
and  there  still  remains  immense  tracts  unculti- 
vated. The  towns  look  new  and  handsome.  A 
barren  rock  over  which  we  travelled  is  named 
Lebanon; — this,  I  observe,  accords  with  a  point 
of  national  character,  which  shows  itself  in  a 
love  of  striking,  of  ancient,  and  of  hard  names. 
Counties  or  towns  are  denominated  Athens, 
Homer,  Virgil,  Horace,  Cincinnati.  Men  — 
Cicero,  Brutus,  Solomon.  Women  —  Penelope, 
Adeline,  Desdemona. 

Upon  the  condition  of  the  people  I  have  little 
more  to  say  than  to  repeat  my  former  remarks.  "* 
There  seems  no  absolute  want:  all  have  the 
essential  necessaries  of  life  j  few  its  luxuries. 
Their  habits  and  manners  are  similar  to  those  I 
have  observed  in  their  countrymen  generally: 


126  LIVE    STOCK,    &C. 

all  seem  to  have  a  great  deal  of  leisure,  and  ie\\ 
or  none  to  occupy  it  for  the  purposes  of  mental 
improvement.  The  grossly  coarse  and  vulgar 
man  is  as  rare  as  the  solidly  intelligent  and 
liberal.  Ignorance,  I  suspect,  exists  a  great 
deal  more  in  fact  than  in  appearance.  Men 
seldom  converse  upon  any  subject  except  those 
connected  with  their  immediate  pecuniary  in- 
terest;— few  appear  to  have  any  regard  for  the 
general  extension  of  liberty  to  the  whole  human 
family. 

During  the  route  of  180  miles,  then,  which  I 
have  just  traversed,  I  saw  three  men  travelling 
on  foot,  four  on  horseback,  two  families  in 
waggons  removing  to  the  western  country,  one 
on  foot  pursuing  the  same  course.  There  were 
no  beggars;  —  none  who  appeared  much  dis- 
tressed. The  cows  and  horses  are  smaller  than 
ours  ;  but  they  are  compact  in  shape,  and  well 
fed.  After  having  passed  through  Westboro, 
Worcester,  Northampton,  and  Pittsrield,  (all 
towns  of  considerable  importance,  and  containing 
many  excellent  buildings,)  I  arrived  late  in  the 
evening  at 

Albany,  the  capital  of  the  State  of  New  For/ . 
It  is  distant  from  the  city  of  New  York  about 
160  miles,  and  lies  at  the  head  of  the  sloop 
navigation  of  the  Hudson  River.  Should  the 
canal  to  Lake  Erie  be  completed,  this  must  be- 
come u  first-rate  town  :  it  is,  even  at  present,  ;i 
14 


ALBANY.  —  PRICES.  127 

place  of  extensive  business.  The  building  in 
which  the  State-legislature  meet  is  called  "  The 
Capitol;"  —  it  is  situated  on  an  elevation  at  the 
termination  of  the  main  street,  and  certainly 
presents  a  fine  appearance.  —  I  have  only  time 
to  give  you  the  following  unarranged  inform- 
ation concerning  Albany. 

The  population  is  about  12,000.  Shop- 
keepers, of  whom  I  have  conversed  with  several, 
complain  most  bitterly  of  the  state  of  trade.  A 
large  body  of  mechanics  recently  left  here  for 
want  of  employment; — the  wages  given  to  those 
who  remain  are  the  same  as  at  New  York :  their 
board  is  three  dollars  per  week.  I  pay  at  my  inn 
one  and  a  half  dollar  per  day.  Rent  of  a  house 
and  shop  in  a  good  situation,  is  from  five  to  seven 
hundred  dollars  per  annum,  and  the  taxes  about 
twenty  dollars.  There  are  many  small  wood 
houses,  which  are  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  per  annum,  according  to  size  and 
situation.  Beef,  mutton,  and  veal,  are  5d.  to  6|d, 
per  pound ;  fowls  8d.  to  9id.  each  ;  ducks  13d, 
to  I6d. ;  geese,  2s.  3d.  j  butter,  14d.  a  pound  ; 
potatoes,  20d.  a  bushel ;  flour,  45s.  a  barrel ; 
fish,  4d.  to  7d.  a  pound  ;  rum  and  gin,  4s.  6d. 
per  gallon ;  brandy  and  hollands,  9s.  6d. 

I  must  still  withhold  my  advice  upon  the  ge- 
neral subject  of  emigration.  I  am  not  yet  pos- 
sessed of  evidence  from  which  I  can  form  that 
matured  judgment,  which  should  either  give  you 


EMIGRATION. 


encouragement,  or  the  contrary.  My  feelings 
are  certainly  those  of  disappointment  ;  but  feel- 
ing is  a  bad  guide,  and  therefore  its  suggestions 
must  remain,  at  present,  confined  to  my  own 
bosom.  Perhaps  one  cause  of  these  unfavour- 
ble  impressions  is,  that  my  ideas  of  this 
country,  in  common  with  your  own,  were  higher 
than  an  experience  of  mankind,  or  a  deliberate 
view  of  all  the  circumstances  of  this  people, 
would  have  justified.  Thus  much,  however,  I 
can  say,  that,  although  I  see  no  decidedly  promi- 
ment  inducement  to  emigration,  yet  the  poor  in- 
dustrious man,  who  has  got  a  family,  and  the 
mechanic  who  is  not  earning  more  than  a  guinea 
a  week,  would  find  their  pecuniary  alVairs  im- 
proved by  becoming  citizens  of  this  republic. 
To  the  capitalist,  I  can  as  yet  give  no  satis- 
factory information.  With  anxious  hopes  that  I 
shall  receive  letters  when  I  arrive  at  Philadel- 
phia, I  must  for  the  present  take  my  leave,  in- 
tending to  forward  a  further  report  by  the  very 
first  opportunity. 


FOURTH  REPORT. 


Citizen  Genet.  —  Scenery  of  Hudson  River. — Return  to  New 
York.  —  View  it  more  favourably .  —  Enormous  and  danger- 
ous Powers  vested  in  .the  Governor.  —  Leave  New  Yorkjbr 
Philadelphia.  —  Trenton.  —  General  Moreau.  —  River 
Delaware.  —  Joseph  Bonaparte.  —  Appearance  of  Country 
from  Neva  York  to  Trenton.  —  Arrival  in  Philadelphia. 
— Fine  Appearance  of  that  City.  —  Want  of  domestic  Conifort 
and  Cleanliness.  —  Preparations  for  a  General  Election.  — 
Full  Particulars  of  that  Occurrence.  —  Copies  of  Election- 
eering Hand  Bills.  —  Reflections  upon  Political  Liberty  in 
America. —  Visit  to  Mayor's  Court. — Law  Proceedings. 

—  Visit    to    the  Prison.  —  Its  excellent   Management*  — 
The  Pennsylvanian  Hospital.  —  Public  Buildings  and  In- 
stitutions. —  Fine   Arts.  —  Peale's  Museum.  —  Markets. 

—  Prices  of  Provisions  ;  of  Labour.  —  Rents.  —  Religious 
Sects.  —  Fanatacism  of  some.  —  Estimation  of  Negroes. — 
Military  Service. —  Climate.  —  Diseases. —  High  Charges 

of  Medical  Gentlemen.  —  Poor  Laws.  —  Police State  of 

Morals;  of  Manners. — -  Character  o  j  Philadelphian  Ladies. 

—  What  Classes  of  Emigrants  luould  be  likely  to  succeed.— - 
America  rising  in  my  Estimation.  —  Taxes. 

Philadelphia,  Oct  12.  1817. 

IHE  well-known  citizen  Genet  boarded  at  the 
inn  at  Albany,  in  which  I  took  up  my  abode. 
When  ambassador  from  the  republic  of  France 
to  the  republic  of  America,  he  was  peculiarly 
prominent,  as  having  under  his  influence  a  large 
party,  who  were  actively  in  opposition  to  the 
administration  of  General  Washington  :  he  was 

K 


130  CITIZEN    GENET. 

in  consequence  recalled.  At  present  he  is  an 
almost  unnoticed  individual  j  though  his  polite- 
ness in  this  "  land  without  manners,"  will  cause 
him  to  be  remarked,  at  least  during  his  seat  at 
the  dinner-table. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  inn,  I  was  extremely 
cold.  All  the  fires  were  surrounded  by  gen- 
tlemen smoking  segars,  and  lolling  back  on 
chairs,  with  their  feet  fixed  against  th-j  chimney- 
piece.  An  iiloa  of  making  room  lor  a  shiver- 
ing sn.m^cr,  stvmecl  not  to  enter  into  their 
minds.  I  left  Albany  in  the  steam-boat  Rich- 
mond, and  proceeded  tot  lie  city  of  Hudson.  I 
hasten  on  in  my  detail  to  the  city  of  New  York, 
the  interior  of  the  State  not  having  furnished  me 
with  any  features  peculiarly  different  from  those 
already  communicated ;  but  I  must  not  quit 
the  noble  Hudson  without  first  contributing  my 
share  of  praise,  in  acknowledgment  of  the  de- 
light I  experienced  in  viewing  the  varied  scenery 
of  this  magnificent  river.  Upon  leaving  Albany, 
the  views  which  presented  themselves  were 
mild  and  pleasing  j  as  we  approached  the  Cats- 
kill  mountains,  the  scene  assumed  the  true  cha- 
racter of  bold  and  fearless  grandeur. 

The  city  of  New  York,  upon  a  second  visit, 
improved  in  my  estimation  :  such  is  the  effect 
of  comparison  !  The  season  having  advanced, 
many  had  returned  from  "  the  springs,"  as  Bal- 
ston  and  Saratoga  are  denominated.  This  pro- 


SECTIONAL   PREJUDICES.  131 

duced  a  most  striking  improvement  in  the  effect 
of  the  public  promenade,  particularly  with  re- 
spect to  the  females  :  many  of  them  were  hand- 
some, and  had  the  appearance  of  health,  while 
nearly  all  of  them  were  even  splendidly  attired. 

My  former  acquaintances  were  eager  to  know 
my  opinion  of  Boston,  and  to  discover  how  it 
stood  in  a  "  stranger's  judgment,"  as  compared 
with  their  own  idolized  city.     1  endeavoured  to 
be  impartial  in  drawing   the  parallel ;  but   no 
qualification  of  praise,  as  to  their  own  place  of 
residence,  would  satisfy  them.     Every  sentence 
terminated  with   an   appeal    to   some   peculiar 
beauty  or  excellence  which  they  possessed  and 
the  other  town  wanted  ;  as,  "  Remember  Broad- 
"  way,  Mr.  Fearon !"  or  "You  know,  Sir,  the 
"  battery,  Sir !  —  the  battery,  Sir !  and  Broad* 
"  way,  Mr.  Fearon  —  and  the  battery ;  there 
"  can  be  nothing  like  these  in  the  world."     The 
Bostonians  on  their  part  are  equally  bigotted  in 
favour  of  their  town ;  and  indeed  I  find,  almost 
universally,    that   sectional    prejudices    are    as 
strong  amongst  themselves,  as  those  which  exist 
generally   against   England ;     for   there    seems 
to  be  no  reasoning  in  the  likes  and  dislikes  of  this 
people.  « 

Upon  politics  I  have  little  to  communicate. 
—  I  am  told  that  the  situations  which  are  in 
the  gift  of  the  Council  of  Appointment  (and 
they  comprise  almost  every  civil  office  in  the 

K  2 


132  JOSEPH    BONAPARTE. 

State)  are  bought  and  sold  as  commonly  as  the 
poor  oppressed  men  of  colour  are  in  the  neigh- 
bouring States ;  or,  to  bring  the  matter  nearer 
home,  as  frequently  as  seats  in  our  House  of 
Commons. 

2d  October.  Left  New  York  for  Philadelphia, 
in  the  steam-boat  "  Olive  Branch." 

In  the  evening  I  arrived  at  Treiittin,  which  ^ 
the  capital  of  New  Jersey.  (iem-rul  Moreau's 
stables  are  still  standing  in  this  neighbourhood : 
his  dwelling-house  was  consumed  by  fire.  Kin^ 
Joseph  was  negotiating  for  a  house  here,  in  an- 
ticipation of  his  brother  Lucien's  arrival  :  the 
price  was  to  have  been  30,000  dollars.  At  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning  we  recommenced  our 
journey  for  Philadelphia.  Joseph  Bonaparte's 
house  is  situated  on  the  Jersey  banks  of  the  river 
Delaware :  in  appearance  it  is  equal  to  a  mo- 
derate English  country  seat.  He  is  said  to  have 
bought  it  for  10,000  dollars,  and  to  have  laid 
out  20,000  more  in  having  it  completed  in  a 
splendid  style.  At  present  he  is  from  home, 
having  gone  to  view  Niagara  Falls.  His  asso- 
ciates are  French  gentlemen,  but  he  is  easy 
of  access,  and  appears  to  participate  in  the 
interests  of  the  country  ;  —  owns  a  steam-boat, 
and  would  be  popular,  if  it  were  only  on  account 
of  his  riches.  When  he  arrived  in  New  York 
from  Europe,  an  anecdote  is  currently  related 
of  the  American  porter  who  was  removing  his 


ROUTE    TO    PHILADELPHIA.  133 

baggage  from  the  vessel.  It  was  heavy.  King 
Joseph  was  standing  on  the  wharf; — the  honest 
republican  called  to  him,  "  Come,  Boney,  lend 
"  a  hand." 

At  ten  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Market-street 
Wharf,  PHILADELPHIA.  Before  I  enter  upon 
a  description  of  this  truly  fine  city,  it  may  be 
well  to  occupy  a  few  lines  with  what  remarks 
I  have  made  on  the  country  through  which  I 
have  passed.  The  banks  of  the  Rariton  are  low, 
but  contain  some  fine  salt  meadows.  The 
country  from  New  Brunswick  to  Trenton  is  well 
cultivated,  but  the  soil  appears  indifferent :  the 
roads  are  extremely  bad.  Easiness  of  circum- 
stances, or  rather  an  absence  of  poverty,  ap- 
pears to  characterise  the  condition  of  the  in- 
habitants :  the  negroes  are  sorely  oppressed. 
There  are  many  good  houses  in  the  towns.  Six 
steam-boats  passed  us  on  the  Delaware  :  'the 
scenery  of  this  river  possesses  no  character  in 
common  with  that  of  the  Hudson :  there  is  a 
total  absence  of  the  bold  and  the  grand :  yet  it 
possesses  much  that  may  be  termed  beautiful, 
with  a  calm  serenity  which  is  very  pleasing. 

When  our  boat  arrived  we  were  inundated 
with  porters,  the  greater  part  of  whom  were 
blacks,  the  rest  were  Irish :  they  had  tin  plates 
on  their  hats  or  breasts,  upon  which  were  written 
their  names  and  residences.  I,  for  the  first 
time,  allowed  my  trunk  to  go  out  of  my  sight. 

K  3 


PHILADELPHIA. 

In  England,  among  strange  porters,  I  should 
have  been  more  particular,  but  here  such  things 
are  done  without  hesitation.  I  should  not  sup- 
pose that  this  proceeded  from  any  peculiar  feel- 
ings  of  national  honour,  or  a  general  spirit  of 
integrity :  the  real  cause  lies,  I  rather  think,  in 
the  simple  fact,  that  any  man  may  obtain  work, 
and  when  it  is  completed,  will  be  liberally  paid. 
The  inducements  to  dishonesty  are  tlui*  less- 
ened at  their  true  source. 

My  first  imprr.^ions  of  this  city  \\ere  decid- 
edly favourable  :  it  gave  me  ideas  of  a  suhstantial 
cast.  In  the  p-  >n  of  a  character  essentially 

different  from  New  York  —  it  has  not  so  much 
business,  not  so  much  gaiety,  not  so  much  life ; 
but  there  is  in  Philadelphia  a  freedom  from  mere 
display,  a  relief  from  gaudy  trappings,  an  evi- 
dence of  solidity,  of  which  its  more  commercial 
rival  is  nearly  destitute.  The  streets  are  clean, 
•well  and  regularly  built.  First-rate  private 
houses  are  numerous,  as  are  also  public  build- 
ings ;  but  their  architecture  is  not  of  the  highest 
order.  The  foot-paths  are  impeded  by  an  inju- 
dicious mode  of  constructing  cellars,  by  which 
they  project  into  the  street ;  and  also  by  a  very 
slovenly  practice  of  the  store-keepers,  which  is 
common  in  America,  namely,  placing  quantities 
of  loose  goods  outside  of  their  doors. 

The  quality  of  some  of  the  water  of  Phila- 
delphia may  be  estimated  from  the  experiment 


THE    DELAWARE.  135. 

of  Mr.  Hunter,  who,  upon  analysing  220  gallons 
from  a  pump  in  Second-street,  found  it  to  con- 
tain the  following  ingredients:  12  oz.  chalk, 
32  oz.  salt-petre,  17  oz,  magnesia,  24?  oz.  common 
sea-salt. 

The  Delaware,  of  which  the  Indian  name  is 
Poutaxat,  upon  the  banks  of  which  this  city  is 
built,  rises  in  the  State  of  New  York.  At  this 
city  it  is  1360  yards  wide,  and  is  navigable  for 
vessels  of  any  burden.  It  is  frozen  in  the 
winter  months ;  a  circumstance  which  materially 
affects  the  commercial  interests  of  Philadelphia, 
and  gives  a  great  advantage  to  New  York,  as  the 
latter  port  is  rarely  closed. 

The  present  population  of  Philadelphia  is 
estimated  at  120,000,  many  of  whom  live  in 
houses  which  would  adorn  any  city  in  the  world. 
Rents  are  about  25  per  cent,  lower  than  in  New 
York :  this,  I  should  apprehend,  does  not  pro- 
ceed either  from  a  comparative  want  of  prospe- 
rity, from  cheaper  materials,  or  lower-priced 
labour  j  but  from  a  more  general  equality  of 
desirable  situations,  combined  with  the  exist- 
ence of  more  real,  though  perhaps  less  appa- 
rent capital.  It  may  be  also  that  rents  are  in- 
fluenced by  the  calculating  habits  of  the  Society 
of  Friends,  who  reside,  here  in  great  numbers. 

After  a  residence  of  three  days  at  the  hotel,  I 
removed  to  a  private  boarding-house,  in  one  of 
the  bed-rooms  of  which  I  am  now  writing.  The 

K   4 


OUTSIDE    SPLENDOUR. 

dining-room  of  this  establishment  is  genteel ; 
hut  the  other  apartments,  and  more  particularly 
the  kitchen,  are  of  a  kind  not  much  to  excite 
admiration.  I  perceived  here  what  —  unpleasant 
as  may  be  the  discovery,  I  think  1  have  ob- 
served elsewhere,  and  —  worse  still,  what  I  fear 
pervades  this  new  world,  an  nHirtation  of  splrn- 
dour,  or  what  may  be  called  .v///A  ,  in  those  thii 
which  are  intended  to  meet  the  public  eye  ;  with 
a  lamentable  want  even  of  cleanliness  in  such 
matters  as  are  removed  from  that  ordeal.  To 
this  may  be  added,  an  appearance  of  uncom- 
fortable extravagance,  and  an  ignorance  of  that 
kind  of  order  and  neatness  which  constitute,  in 
the  sight  of  those  who  have  oner  enjoyed  it, 
the  principal  charm  of  domestic  life.  I  should 
rejoice  to  find  myself  in  an  error  in  this  judg- 
ment ;  but  all  I  have  seen  myself  and  all  I  have 
collected  from  the  observation  of  others  most 
competent  to  form  a  correct  opinion,  tend  to 
its  confirmation. 

Last  evening  I  drank  tea  at  a  genteel  private 
house.  —  The  furniture  was  splendid,  the  table 
profusely  supplied,  being  loaded  with  fish,  dried 
heef  and  sausages,  and  numerous  other  articles; 
thebreadand  butter  was  roughly  cutin  huge  hunks 
piled  zig-zag.  The  children's  laces  were  dirty, 
their  hair  uncombed,  their  dispositions  evidently 
untaught,  and  all  the  members  of  the  family, 
from  the  boy  of  six  years  of  age,  up  to  the  owner 


FUNERALS. ELECTION.  137 

(I  was  going  to  say  master)  of  the  house,  appear- 
ed independent  of  each  other.  I  have  seen  the 
same  characteristics  in  other  families  —  in  some 
indeed  decidedly  the  contrary  ;  but  these  latter 
would  seem  to  be  the  exceptions,  and  the  former 
the  general  rule. 

Funerals  are  uniformly  attended  by  large 
walking  processions.  In  the  newspapers  I  have 
frequently  observed  advertisements  stating  the 
deaths,  and  inviting  all  friends  to  attend  the 
burial.  The  dead  are  seldom  kept  more  than  two 
days.  At  the  time  appointed,  intimate  friends 
enter  the  house,  others  assemble  outside,  and 
fall  into  the  procession  when  the  body  is  brought 
out.  Sorrow  does  not  seem  depicted  in  the 
countenances  of  any,  but  few  wear  mourning, 
and  many  smoke  segars ;  none  appear  charge- 
able with  the  hypocrisy  described  by  the  poet  of 
"  mocking  sorrow  with  a  heart  not  sad." 

The  present  is  a  most  busy  time  at  this  place, 
to-morrow  being  the  day  of  election  for  the 
governor  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  I  have 
been  fortunate  in  having  letters  of  introduction 
to  the  leading  man  of  one  of  the  great  political 
parties  which  divide  this  State  ;  inasmuch  as  by 
that  means  I  have  witnessed  all  the  novel  ma- 
chinery which  is  now  in  such  active  operation. 

The  governor  has  the  gift  of  from  forty  to 
fifty  offices,  amongst  which  are  those  of  recorder, 
alderman,  and  indeed  every  minor  as  well  as 

8 


138  POLITICAL   PAKTIES. 

important  civil  occupation.  Auctioneers  also  re- 
ceive their  authority  to  sell  from  the  governor  j 
and  their  number  being  small,  the  profession  be- 
comes a  most  valuable  monopoly.  By  means  of 
this  statement  you  will  see  the  value  and  im- 
portance of  the  office  of  governor,  and  will  not 
be  surprised  that  its  obtainment  should  be  the 
object  of  a  severe  contest. 

16th  Oct.  The  election  bein^  nov.  Closed,  I 
can  sit  down  and  review  it  calmly  as  a  whole. 
It  has  been  to  me  a  highly  interesting  scene. 
The  political  parties  at  present  range  1  believe 
as  follows  : 

1st.  The  violent  democrats  denominated 
"  Patent  Democrats." 

2d.  The  moderate  democrats,  called  by  the 
several  names  of  "  Independent  Republicans," 
"  Democrats  of  the  Revolution,"  and  "  Old 
"  Schoolmen." 

3d.  Federalists,  denominated  also  "  Tories," 
"  Hartford  Conventionalists,"  and  "  Blue  Light 
"  Men." 

4th.  No  party  men,  called  "  Quids." 

The  present  candidates  for  the  office  of  go- 
vernor are  each  of  them  of  the  democratic  party. 
General  Hiester  is  of  the  moderate  faction,  and 
is  also  supported  against  his  opponent  by  the 
federalists  and  quids.  Mr.  Fkilay  has  the  pow- 
erful aid  of  the  unyielding  democrats  ;  and, 
though  he  is  in  a  minority  in  the  proportion  of 


ELECTION    OF    GOVERNOR.  139 

one  to  three  within  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
little  doubt  is  entertained  of  his  election's  having 
been  carried  by  a  large  majority  through  the 
State  at  large.  All  that  are  citizens,  whether 
native  or  naturalized,  of  the  age  of  21  years 
and  upwards,  and  who  have  paid  their  taxes, 
have  the  right  of  voting.  It  is  not  necessary  that 
a  man  should  be  a  householder  in  order/  to  pay 
taxes,  there  being  here  a  direct  or  poll  tax  of  9s. 
per  annum,  which  alone,  when  paid  by  men  pos- 
sessed of  the  previous  qualification  of  citizenship, 
establishes  the  right  to  vote.  The  general  elec- 
tion is  preceded  by  an  election  in  the  different 
wards  of  officers  called  Inspectors,  whose  busi- 
ness it  is  to  receive  the  ballot  ticket  of  voters  : 
parties  try  their  strength  in  this  first  step.  I 
witnessed  the  mode  of  voting:  the  persons 
choosing  inspectors  attend  at  a  stated  place  in 
their  own  ward,  and  deliver  in  their  ballot  through 
a  window.  The  number  assembled  at  any  one 
time  did  not  exceed  twenty.  There  was  no 
noise,  no  confusion,  in  fact,  not  even  convers- 
ation. 1  was  astonished  to  witness  the  anxiety 
felt  by  leading  men,  that  their  party  should  be 
elected  inspectors.  The  eventual  choice  at  the 
general  election  seemed,  in  fact,  in  their  esti- 
mation, actually  to  rest  upon  the  having  "  In- 
spectors" of  their  own  party.  I  remarked  to 
them  that  it  could  be  of  no  con  sequence  of  what 
party  these  gentlemen  were,  as  they  were  pro- 


140  ELECTIONEERING    BETS. 

tectecl  from  partial  or  corrupt  conduct  by  the 
mode  of  voting  being  by  ballot.  One  of  them 
informed  me  afterwards,  that  the  fact  of  the  in- 
spectors being  on  one  side  or  the  other  had  been 
calculated  to  make  a  difference  of  upwards  of 
200  votes  in  a  particular  section  !  —  arising  from 
the  reception  of  improper,  and  the  rejection  of 
good  votes.  The  means  by  which  an  inspector 
can  effect  this,  though  the  mode  is  by  hallo;. 
said  to  be  remarkably  exact.  That  there  may 
be  some  truth  in  this  statement,  would  seem 
probable  from  a  scene  which  I  witnessed  in  the 
evening.  I  called  upon  the  gentleman  before 
alluded  to.  His  room  was  completely  crammed 
with  the  managers  of  the  forth-coming  election  ; 
and  here,  instead  of  finding  that  the  general 
anxiety  was  at  all  connected  with  the  advance- 
ment of  correct  political  principles,  I  heard  the 
following  conversation  :  — 

"  I'll  bet  you  fifty  (dollars)   on  Hiester  in 
Chesnut  ward." 

"  What  majority  will  you  give  him  ?" 

"  One-fourth." 

'*  Give  old  Sour  Kraut  (Hiester)  a  hundred 
and  thirty,  and  I'll  take  you." 

"  Done." 

"  What  will  you  give  Finlay  in  Lower  Dela- 
ware ward  ?" 

"  One  hundred." 

"  And  what  to  Hiester?" 


CAUCUS. 

"  Three  hundred." 

"  Give  Bill  three  and  a  half,  and  I'll  take  you 
for  five  hundred." 

"  No  :  I'll  give  him  three  and  a  half  for  a  pair 
of  boots." 

"  'Guess  I'll  take  you  for  a  pair  and  a  hat.  — 
What  for  Dock  ward  ?" 

"  I  won't  bet  on  Dock :  they're  all  a  set  of 
d d  Tories." 

"  Will  you  give  Joe  four  hundred  in  South 
Mulberry  ?" 

"  I  won't  take  Joe,  I  guess,  in  that  ward  ?" 

"  Whatwillyou  give  Billy  in  South  Mulberry?" 

"  A  couple  of  hundred." 

"  Done  for  five  hundred." 

All.  "  What  majority  upon  the  whole  election, 
Friend ,  will  you  advise  us  to  give  ?" 

Fr.  "  You  must  be  cautious  in  your  majori- 
ties. We  do  not  know  how  Beaver  and  Dauphin 
(the  counties  of  Dauphin  and  Beaver)  may  turn 
out  —  Mind  !  save  yourselves.  —  If  you  find  Billy 
(Findlay)  going  down,  take  up  Sour  Kraut 
(Hiester)." 

I  should  have  explained,  that  elections  are 
managed,  and  even  governed  by  a  something 
(a  species  of  meeting)  which,  1  confess,  I  do  not 
yet  perfectly  understand  :  it  is  called  a  "  Cau- 
cus/' Candidates  do  not  personally  appear* 
Those  who  wish  to  be  chosen  obtain,  as  a  pre- 
liminary step,  what  is  termed  "  The  Appoint- 


14-2  FEDERALISTS'  TICKET. 

ment."  This  is  said  to  secure  them  the  support 
of  the  whole  of  that  party  from  which  "  the 
appointment"  emanates.  An  announcement, 
called  "  The  Ticket,"  issues  from  this  Caucus  a 
few  days  before  the  election  ;  in  this  case  there 
were  three  of  these  "  tickets,"  severaHy  headed, 
Federal,  Republican,  and  Democratic.  The 
federalists  sent  to  an  acquaintance  of  mini- 
their  "  ticket,"  enclosed  in  the  following  cir- 
cular letter;  though  I  would  remark,  that  can- 
vassing, in  the  English  meaning  of  that  word, 
is  not  allowed  — 

"  FELLOW  CITIZEN, 

"  The  exercise  of  the  elective  franchise  is  at 
"  all  times  a  privilege  of  the  highest  value  :  — 
"  on  the  present  occasion  every  federalist  ha> 
"  an  opportunity  to  aid  in  dispelling  preju- 
"  dices  —  in  lessening  the  malignity  of  party 
"  spirit  —  in  restoring  the  right  of  free  electio7i, 
"  and  of  resisting  those  dangerous  abuses  in 
"  government,  introduced  by  office-holders,  which, 
"  if  not  promptly  and  steadily  checked,  threaten 
"  to  become  inveterate  and  irremediable.  Let 
"  every  man  be  vigilant,  active,  and  firm,  on  this 
"  day,  and  success  will  crown  our  efforts. 

"  The  inspectors  have  resolved  to  open  the 
"  poll  precisely  at  9  o'clock. 
"  October  14, 1817." 


DEMOCRATIC    TICKET.  143 

The  democratic  party  adopt  the  same  mode. 
I  enclose  you  two  of  their  circulars.  These  docu- 
ments, as  well  as  others  which  will  follow,  are, 
perhaps,  better  calculated  than  any  other  plan 
which  I  could  adopt,  to  put  you  in  possession  of 
the  state  of  parties,  their  mode  of  conduct  and 
feelings  towards  each  other,  and  also  the  general 
political  condition  of  the  whole  people. 

(CIRCULAR.) 
«  SIR, 

"  We  enclose  you  the  Democratic  Ticket, 
"  which  is  recommended  by  the  delegates  and 
"  conferrees  fairly  chosen,  after  public  notice. 
t<  We  request  you  to  VOTE  IT  and  give  it  all  the 
"  SUPPORT  to  which  you  may  deem  it  entitled. 
"  We  consider  THIS  election  as  involving  the 
"  most  important  consequences.  Federalism, 
"  conscious  of  its  own  feebleness  and  inability 
"  to  wrestle  with  the  STRENGTH  of  democracy, 
"  has  made  a  union  with  a  FEW  disappointed 
"  men ;  hoping  through  them  to  turn  over, 
"  not  only  this  city  and  district,  but  the  State 
'*?  and  Union  to  Federal  misrule. 

"  Be  careful  to  bring  with  you  your  receipt 
"  for  COUNTY  tax.  If  a  naturalized  citizen,  be 
"  sure  to  bring  your  CERTIFICATE  of  naturaliza- 
"  tion,  as  it  will,  in  all  probability,  be  required. 
"  These  cautions  are  deemed  more  than  ever 
"  necessary,  from  the  shameful  conduct  and 


141  ELECTIONEERING. 

*'  persecuting  spirit  manifested  by  the  Federal 
"  Judges,  at  the  late  ward  election.  Be  on  the 
"  ground  early.  It  is  of  an  importance,  that 
'•  every  citizen  votes,  because  it  may  be  that  a 
"  vote  would  carry  a  candidate. 
"  Pliiladelphia,  October  6,  1815." 


DEMOCRATIC    ADDRESS. 

"  Citizens,  Democrats,  Americans  !  Thi.\  is 
"  the  day  of  the  General  Election  !  If  you  value 
"  your  own  rights,  your  own  happiness,  your 
"  political  characters,  your  liberties,  or  your  Re- 
"  publican  institutions,  every  man  to  the  poll, 
"  and  vote  the  Democratic  Ticket ;  it  is  headed 
"  with  the  name  of  the  patriot  WILLIAM  FIND- 
«'  LAY.  —  Citizens!  the  times  are  momentous! 
"  the  seceders  from  the  Democratic  ranks  have 
•«  joined  with  our  old  and  inveterate  political 
"  enemies  to  put  down  Democracy.  It  is  an 
"  unholy  league  between  apostates  and  political 
"  traitors  on  the  one  part,  and  on  the  other  the 
"  angle-federalists,  the  monarchists,  the  aristo- 
"  crats,  the  Hartford  conventionalists,  the  blue- 
"  light  men,  the  embargo-breakers,  the  Henry- 
"  ites,  the  men  who  in  time  of  Peace  cried  out 
•'  for  War !  War  !  but  who  in  time  of  war, 
"  called  themselves  the  Peace  party.  —  Huzza 
"  for  WILLIAM  FINDLAY,  and  no  bribery.  —  A 
"  long  pull,  a  strong  pull,  and  a  pull  altogether." 


WILLIAM  FINDLAY.  '145 

FEDERAL  ADDRESS. 
"  WILLIAM  FINDLAY  — 
"  1.  A  selfish  politician,  whenever  served  his 
"  country,  and  always  on  the  look-out  for  office. 
"  2.  An  apostate  federalist  and  time-server. 
"  3.  A  constant  office-hunter.  4.  A  treasury 
"  broker  and  public  defaulter,  who  exchanged 
"  and  used  public  money  for  his  own  benefit. 
"  5.  One  who  holds  morality  in  contempt,  and 
"  maintains  and  practises  the  maxim,  that  the 
"  end  justifies  the  means.  6.  One  who  has  re- 
"  sorted  to  the  basest  falsehoods  to  support  him- 
"  self.  7«  One  'who  intrigued  and  bargained 
"for  the  office,  and  openly  electioneered  for 
"  himself.  8.  A  state  inquisitor,  who  would 
"  gag»  ^  not  immolate  every  man,  not  of  his 
"  own  sect.  9.  A  man  who  has  blended  the 
"  public  money  with  his  own,  and  is  yet  to  ac- 
"  count  for  misdemeanor  in  office.  10.  A  bar- 
"  barian,  who  holds  that  *  the  study  of  the  law 
"  disqualifies  a  man  from  being  a  judge.'  " 


"  Take  notice  who  are  the  friends  of  WIL- 
"  LIAM  FINDLAY,  —  1.  Traitors  and  apostates. 
"  2.  Inveterate  aristocrats.  3.  Office-holders  and 
"  office-hunters.  4.  Cormorants  for  the  loaves 
"  and  fishes,  and  friends  only  to  themselves. 
"  5.  Fugitives  from  British  gaols  and  justice. 

"  Take  care  III —  WILLIAM  FINDLAY'S  election 
L 


1 J-6        -  ELECTION". 

"  will  be  sure,  1.  If  the  Republicans  stay  al 
«'  home.  2.  If  they  are  negligent  or  timid  on 
««  the  election  ground.  3.  //  election,  like  trea- 
"  sury  frauds,  are  not  detected  and  prevented. 

"•  Take  advice,  —  1.  Look  well  to  your  tickets. 
"  2.  Look  well  to  your  boxes.  3.  Look  well 
"  to  your  tallies.  4.  Look  well  to  your  returns ; 
"  and,  5.  Look  well  to  those  who  vote,  that 
"  they  are  qualified.*' 

The  following  morning  I  was  early  on  the 
election  ground.  The  place  appointed  to  re- 
ceive  votes  *  for  the  city  (exclusive  of  Southwark 
and  the  northern  liberties),  was  in  the  State- 
house —  the  same  building  in  which  that  im- 
mortal document  was  passed  —  THE  DECLAR- 
ATION OF  INDEPENDENCE  !  There  were  two  in- 
spectors for  each  ward  of  the  city  placed  at 
separate  windows.  The  electors  delivered  in 
their  votes  from  the  street.  The  ground  was 
what  is  here  called  manned ;  that  is,  persons  in 

-  the  interest  of  the  parties  have  written  on  their 
hat    or   breast,    "  Federal    Ticket,"    or  "  De- 
"  mocratic  Ticket,"  soliciting  citizens  as  they 

-  approach  the  poll  "  to  vote  their  ticket ;"  for 
which  purpose  they  are  prepared  to  furnish  them 

;  with  the  printed  balloting  list  of  their  party. 
The  neighbouring  public-houses  were,  of  course-, 

*  The  city  and  state  are  divided  into  election  districts. 
The  whole  terminates  in  one  dav. 


GENERAL   BARKER.  147 

occupied  by  the  electioneerers.  I  resolved  to 
devote  to  this  as  much  of  my  time  as  possible,  in 
obtaining  an  insight  into  the  character  and  mind 
of  this  people,  and  to  observe  them  acting  in 
their  political  capacity.  They  were  all  betting 
upon  the  election  ;  but  I  lament  to  say,  that 
few,  if  any,  appeared  to  care  one  straw  about 
principle.  Old  General  Barker  (whom  I  had 
heard  the  previous  evening  make  a  most  able 
speech  in  favour  of  Mr.  Findlay,  at  a  public  meet- 
ing of  the  democrats)  was  travelling  about  to 
the  several  depots  of  leading  characters.  I  could 
hardly  credit  my  sight  that  he  was  the  same 
person  whom  I  had  heard  the  previous  evening. 
His  chief  employment  during  the  day  seemed 
drinking  rum  and  gin,  with  any  and  every  body. 
I  made  some  remarks  to  him  concerning  his 
speech :  he  pleasantly  answered,  "  My  good 
"  fellow,  I  did  as  well  as  I  could,  I  guess  :  they 
«*  made  me  open  the  ball."  This  old  general 
was  the  companion  in  arms  of  Washington  :•  he 
has  been  both  sheriff  and  mayor :  he  has  the 
character  of  possessing  a  good  heart,  and  very 
improvident  generosity. 

The  election  terminated  throughout  the  State 
in  one  day.  The  excitement  of  party  and  pe- 
cuniary feeling,  by  the  universality  of  gambling 
upon  the  occasion,  was  very  great  ;  yet  there 
was  no  confusion,  no  disturbance.  Let  it  be 
borne  in  mind,  that  here  was  $he  right  of 
•  L  2 


148  REDEMPTIONERS. 

voting  to  the  utmost  extent,  and  exercised  by 
a  people,  concerning  whom  it  is  high  praise 
to  say,  that  they  are  not  superior  in  intellect, 
in  information,  in  honest  zeal,  and  in  tempe- 
rate ideas  of  liberty,  to  the  English  nation  ; 
yet  there  is  much  to  lament  here.  The  ori- 
ginal documents  given  in  the  preceding  pages 
are  too  full  upon  this  point :  they,  indeed,  are 
far  from  complimentary  to  our  nature ;  but 
at  the  same  time  we  should  recollect,  that  in 
the  political,  as  in  the  moral  and  natural  worlds, 
we  must  endure  evils,  in  order  to  insure  a  pre- 
ponderance of  good.  The  extent  of  my  ap- 
probation, then,  upon  this  occasion,  is  a  con- 
viction of  the  compatibility  of  popular  election 
with  peace  and  good  order ;  and,  if  possessed 
by  the  English  people,  I  should  presume,  it 
would  not  be  attended  with  so  many  abuses. 

REDEMPTIONERS. 

A  practice  which  has  been  often  referred 
to  in  connection  with  this  country,  naturally 
excited  my  attention.  It  is  that  of  indivi- 
duals emigrating  from  Europe  without  money, 
and  paying  for  their  passage  by  binding  them- 
selves to  the  captain,  who  receives  the  pro- 
duce of  their  labour  for  a  certain  number  of 
years. 

Seeing  advertisements  of  which,  I  visited  the 
ship,  in  company  with  a  boot- maker  of  this  city  : 

i  a* 


"THE  PASSENGERS 

"  On  board  the  brig  Bubona,  from  Amsterdam,  and 
"  who  are  willing  to  engage  themselves  for  a  limited 
"  time,  to  defray  the  expences  of  their  passage,  consist 
"  of  persons  of  the  following  occupations,  besides  women 
"and  children,  viz.  13  farmers,  2  bakers,  2  butchers, 
"  8  weavers,  S  taylors,  1  gardener,  3  masons,  1  mill- 
"  sawyer,  1  white-smith,  2  shoe-makers,  3  cabinet- 
"  makers,  1  coal-burner,  1  barber,  1  carpenter,  1  stock- 
"  ing-weaver,  1  cooper,  1  wheelwright,  1  brewer, 
"  1  locksmith.  —  Apply  on  board  of  the  Bubona,  op- 
*'  posite  Callowhill-street,  in  the  river  Delaware,  or  to 
"  W.  ODLIN  and  Co.  No.  38,  South  Wharves. 
"  Oct.  2." 

As  we  ascended  the  side  of  this  hulk,  a  most 
revolting  scene  of  want  and  misery  presented 
itself.  The  eye  involuntarily  turned  for  some 
relief  from  the  horrible  picture  of  human  suf- 
fering, which  this  living  sepulchre  afforded. 
Mr. enquired  if  there  were  any  shoe- 
makers on  board.  The  captain  advanced  :  his 
appearance  bespoke  his  office;  he  is  an  Ame- 
can,  tall,  determined,  and  with  an  eye  that 
flashes  with  Algerine  cruelty.  He  called  in  the 
Dutch  language  for  shoe-makers,  and  never  can 
I  forget  the  scene  which  followed.  The  poor 
fellows  came  running  up  with  unspeakable 
delight,  no  doubt  anticipating  a-  relief  from  their 
loathsome  dungeon.  Their  clothes,  if  rags 
deserve  that  denomination,  actually  perfumed  the 
air.  Some  were  without  shirts,  others  had  this 

L  3 


150  HOtJSE    OF    CHANGE. 

article  of  dress,  but  of  a  quality  as  coarse  it 
the  worst  packing  cloth.  I  enquired  of  several 
if  they  could  speak  English.  They  smiled,  and 
gabbled,  "  No  Engly,  no  Engly,  —  one  Engly 
"  talk  ship."  The  deck  was  filthy.  The  cook- 
ing,  washing,  and  necessary  departments  were 
close  together.  Such  is  the  mercenary  bar- 
barity of  the  Americans  who  are  engaged  in  thi^ 
trade,  that  they  crammed  into  one  of  those  ves- 
sels 500  passengers,  80  of  whom  died  on  the 
passage.  1  lie  price  fur  women  is  about  70  dol- 
lars, men  80  dollars,  boys  ()0  dollars.  When 
they  saw  at  our  departure  that  we  had  not  pur- 
chased, their  countenances  fell  to  that  standard 
of  stupid  gloom  which  seemed  to  place  them  a 
link  below  rational  beings.  From  my  heart  I 
execrated  the  European  cause  of  their  removal, 
which  is  thus  daily  compelling  men  to  quit  the 
land  of  their  fathers,  to  become  voluntary  exiles 
in  a  foreign  clime:  —  yet  Americans  can  think 
and  write  such  sentiments  as  the;  following : 
"  We  rejoice  with  the  patriotic  Hollanders  at 
"  the  return  of  the  illustrious  house  of  Orange 

o 

"  to  their  first  magistracy,  and  do  not  wonder 
"  at  their  enthusiastic  joy  upon  the  occasion, 
"  when  they  remember  that  this  ancient  family 
"  have  been  always  the  gallant  and  zealous 
"  defenders  of  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the 
"  Dutch  people." 

An  interesting  occurrence  is  said  to  have  taken 


THE  MAYOR'S  COURT.  151 

place  the  other  day,  in  connection  with  the  Ger- 
man Redemptioners  (as  by  a  strange  misnomer 
the  Dutch  are  denominated).  A  gentleman  of 
this  city  wanted  an  old  couple  to  take  care  of 
his  house ;  —  a  man,  his  wife,  and  daughter  were 
offered  to  him  for  sale ;  —  he  purchased  them. 
—  They  proved  to  be  his  father,  his  mother, 
and  sister  ! ! ! 

I  must  now  conduct  you  back  to  the  city. 
The  mayor's  court  is  for  the  trial  of  petty 
offences.  It  is  four  times  as  large,  and  ten 
times  more  convenient  for  the  public  than  our 
lord  mayor's  court.  When  I  visited  it,  the 
mayor  and  two  judges  were  upon  the  bench. 
The  first  case  was  for  assault  and  battery.  The 
plaintiff  had  a  stall  in  a  particular  field,  on  the 
fourth  of  July,  (the  great  national  day,  being 
the  anniversary  of  the  declaration  of  independ- 
ence ;)  the  defendant  claimed  a  right  to  the 
spot  of  ground,  not  that  it  was  his  property, 
but  because  he  had  occupied  it  the  preceding 
year.  The  plaintiff,  to  rid  himself  of  troublesome 
interference,  had,  at  the  time,  given  the  defend- 
ant five  dollars.  This  sum  satisfied  the  latter  for 
the  moment,  but  afterwards  conceiving  that  he 
could  induce  or  compel  him  to  pay  more,  he 
took  with  him  three  men,  and  they  had  assaulted 
and  ill-used  the  plaintiff. 

Mayor.       "How   long   have    you  been    in 
"  prison  ?" 

L  4. 


THE    MAYOR*!   COURT. 

Defend.     "  Two  months." 

Mayor.  "  Have  you  not  been  brought  ta 
"  trial  before  ?" 

Defend.     "  No." 

Mayor.  "  In  consideration  of  your  having 
"  been  that  period  of  time  in  confinement,  wr 
*'  discharge  you." 

Second  case.  Thomas  Rapoon,  brought  up 
at  the  suit  of  his  wife,  for  ill  usage :  the  charge 
was  fully  proved. 

Mayor.  "  What  do  you  wish  to  have  done 
"  to  your  husband  ?" 

Mrs.  R.  "  Nothing,  Sir,  I  discharge  him, 
"  Sir,  I  guess  ;  but  only  I  cannot  live  with  him, 
"  he  beats  me  regularly  before  mass." 

Mayor.     "  I  will  consider  the  case." 

Third.  William  Jackson,  for  ill-treating  his 
wife.  The  charge  proved,  but  no  decision  given 
during  my  stay. 

Fourth.  V.  Fitzgerald  for  stealing  two  tum- 
blers. He  .>]><>kr  in  rather  a  low  tone  of  voice. 
The  court  stated  to  him,  "  Unless  you  speak 
"  louder,  we  cannot  attend  to  your  case."  — 
"  There,"  (said  the  clerk,  whose  voice  was  sin- 
gularly weak,)  "  raise  your  voice  as  high  as 
"  mine."  A  decision  was  not  given  in  this  case. 

Fifth.     A  man  of  colour  for  stealing  a  saw. 

Mayor.  "  Yellow  boy !  what  have  you  to 
*'  say  against  this  charge,  are  you  guilty  or  not 
"  guilty  ?" 


THE  MAYOR'S  COURT.  153 

Prisoner.  "  Not  guilty,  geritimman,  I  was 
"  going  long  street  groggy,  man  groggy  too; 
"  (laughing  in  the  court,)  me  go  long  so  bad 
"  groggy,  lay  down,  put  saw  by  side,  man  steal 
"  saw  from  me,  me  not  steal  saw  from  no 
"  man." 

Mayor.  "  I  guess,  you  have  not  been  long  in 
"  this  country,  yellow  boy  ?" 

Prisoner.  "  No  :  quite  long  enough."  (Laugh- 
ing in  the  court.) 

Mayor.  "  Where  do  you  come  from  ?" 

Prisoner.  "  Jamaica ;  you  let  me  out,  me  back 
"  Jamaica  pretty  quick."  (Universal  laughing.) 

Mayor.  "  How  long .  have  you  been  in 
"  prison?" 

Prisoner.     "  Seven  weeks." 

Mayor.  "In  consideration  of  your  having 
"  had  that  period  of  punishment  before  trial,  we 
"  sentence  you  to  pay  the  fine  of  one  cent  only, 
"  and  to  be  further  confined  for  one  calendar 
«  month." 

MUSEUM,    PAINTINGS,    &C. 

A  brief  account  of  some  of  the  exhibitions  of 
this  city  may  not  be  uninteresting;  and  may  serve, 
too,  incidentally  to  communicate  some  idea*  as 
to  the  manners  and  pursuits  of  the  people. 

PEALE'S  MUSEUM  contains  an  extensive  col- 
lection of  the  curiosities  usual  in  such  establish- 
ments, divided  into  three  departments.  The 


151  PEALK'S  MUSEUM. 

Mammoth  skeleton  complete,  is  a  most  tre- 
mendous object.  I  remarked  that  there  were 
several  quart  bottles  filled  with  ashes  of  the 
paper  called  "  Continental  money."  This  was 
the  circulating  medium  of  the  Revolution,  and 
by  the  means  of  which  they  carried  on  that 
glorious  struggle.  The  nation  have  not  re- 
deemed their  notes,  nor  I  presume  will  they  ever. 
I  boarded  at  the  house  of  a  widow  lady  at  New 
York,  whose  whole  family  had  been  utterly 
ruined  by  holding  these  notes.  I  remarked 
Talleyrand's  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United 
States  in  his  own  hand-writing !  a  cake  of 
portable  soup,  which  was  sent  from  England  in 
177-5,  for  the  use  of  the  British  army !  Pcnn's 
curtains  j  and  a  scrap  of  poetry,  called  "TheCow 
Chase,"  in  the  hand-writing  of  the  gallant  and 
interesting  Andre,  written  a  few  hours  before 
his  execution.  The  portraits  in  this  establish- 
ment are  very  numerous,  including  those  of 
Americans  of  great,  down  to  those  of  very 
limited,  celebrity.  I  also  remarked  the  like- 
nesses of  Paine,  Arthur  O'Connor,  and  Dr. 
Priestley.  The  style  of  their  execution  is  but 
little  creditable  to  the  talents  of  the  artist  (Mr. 
Peale),  and  would  seem  to  be  below  the  standard 
of  his  ability,  if  we  judge  at  least  from  the  speci- 
men which  he  has  given  in  a  fine  portrait  of  Na- 
poleon, after  David ;  where,  by  the  way,  he  has 
committed  the  error  of  substituting  an  American 


EXHIBITIONS.  155 

horse,  marked  by  the  very  long  shaggy  hair  near 
the  hoofs,  by  which  they  are  distinguished. 

The  painting  of  the  Anaconda,  which  was 
exhibited  in  Spring  Gardens,  is  now  here,  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Earl.  It  is  certainly  a  first- 
rate  production.  I  remarked  in  the  same  room 
a  table  of  the  Connecticut  marble,  which  is  so 
beautiful  that  it  has  become,  1  am  told,  an 
article  of  export  to  France. 

Mr.  Sully9  s  collection  of  paintings  is  small,  bufe 
select.     They  are  chiefly  of  his  own  execution. 
"  Madame  Ricamier  returned  from  the  bath,"  is 
by  a  French  artist.  This  is  a  beautifully  executed 
and  delicate  picture.    The  "  Country  Wedding" 
by  Sully  is  interesting,  and  in  the  style  of  our 
best  domestic  pieces.     The  idea  of  the  "  Ame- 
rican village   politicians"  is  taken  from  Wilkie, 
with  much  variation  in  particulars  and  general 
effect,  the  national  characters  having  hardly  one 
part   of   contact.       "  The    Capture    of    Major 
Andre"  is  particularly  interesting  :  1  shall  long 
have  before  my  eyes  the  lively  picture  of  this 
accomplished   gentleman.     Mr.  Sully  is  a  por- 
trait painter :  his  charges  are  for  a  full-length 
500  dollars  j  half;  200 ;  head   and  hands,  150 ; 
bust,  100. 

The  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  is  a  highly  respect- 
able institution,  which,  without  the  pretence 
and  puff  of  its  sister  establishment  in  New  York, 
possesses  a  most  decided  superiority.  There 


l,3t>  PENITENTIARY; 

are  numerous  excellent  paintings,  and  a  hall  of 
statuary,  in  which  are  some  fine  specimens  of 
Venus,  the  Gladiator,  Apollo,,  &c. 

There  is  here  exhibited  what  1  believe  is  the 
first  attempt  at  panoramic  painting  in  America — 
a  view  of  the  city  of  Newhaven.  Its  merits  are 
of  a  very  negative  kind.  The  charge  for  each 
of  these  exhibitions  is  a  quarter  of  a  dollar, 
(Is.  Hd.) 

PENITENTIARY,    MrtT.KETS,    &C. 

The  Penitentiary  system  for  the  rational 
punishment  and  reform  of  criminals,  being  a 
subject  with  which  you  are  familiar,  I  shall  not 
trouble  you  with  the  details  of  the  humane  and 
enlightened  management  of  the  gaol  in  this  city. 
1  visited  it  on  Saturday  last.  The  keeper 
accompanied  me  into  every  apartment,  giving, 
as  we  proceeded,  the  most  full  explanations. 
The  scene  was  novel,  and  I  had  almost  said 
delightful ;  but  a  recollection  that  I  was  viewing 
the  consequences  of  vicious  pursuits,  checks  the 
expression,  and  draws  a  tear  for  the  weakness  of 
humanity;  — yet  I  could  not  but  be  pleased,  and 
highly  so,  on  drawing  a  .comparison  between 
what  I  saw  here,  and  what  I  have  witnessed  in 
the  London  prisons.  Here,  instead  of  the  pri- 
soners passing  their  times  in  idleness,  or  in  low 
debauchery  and  gaming,  all  was  sobriety,  life, 
and  activity.  A  complete  manufacturing  town. 


PENITENTIARY.  157 

was  in  fact  collected  within  the  narrow  precincts 
of  these  otherwise  gloomy  walls.  The  open 
court  was  occupied  by  stone-cutters,  chiefly 
negroes.  It  would  appear,  on  first  seeing  this 
department  only,  that  these  were  either  more 
vicious,  or  more  hardly  dealt  with  in  the  courts 
of  law,  than  their  white  countrymen.  But  the 
true  reason  of  their  numbers  in  the  yard  is,  that 
few  of  them  being  mechanics,  they  are  set  to 
labour  upon  those  things  for  which  they  are 
fitted,  and  which  they  can  undertake  with  little 
previous  instruction.  The  rooms  in  which  the 
mechanic  arts  are  carried  on,  have  a  very  great 
proportion  of  whites,  so  that  crime  would  by  no 
means  seem  to  be  monopolized  by  our  darker 
brethren.  The  produce  of  the  labour  of  pri- 
soners nearly  supports  the  whole  of  this  ex- 
tensive establishment.  Some  have  earned  a 
sufficiency  by  their  own  work  to  enable  them  to 
commence  business  on  the  expiration  of  their 
term  of  confinement.  Those  who  conduct  them- 
selves with  industry  and  propriety,  receive  a 
remission  of  part  of  their  sentence.  Several 
have  become  honest  and  useful  members  of 
society.  When  the  gaoler  spoke  to  the  prisoners, 
they  addressed  him  with  confidence,  but  with 
proper  respect.  He  is  a  plain  intelligent  man, 
liberally,  though  not  profusely  paid  for  his 
services.  To  have  offered  him  money  for  his 
trouble,  would,  I  am  sure,  have  been  considered 


1-58  HOSPITALS. MARKETS. 

an  insult.  What  a  contrast  does  such  a  man 
triford  to  our  prison-keepers,  the  majority  of 
whom  are  perhaps  greater  criminals  than  those 
over  whom  they  tyrannize.  Surely,  the  example 
of  Pennsylvania  will  not  be  lost  upon  our  country. 
Here  is  the  best  of  all  evidence,  DEMONSTRATIVE 
PROOF,  that  brutal  treatment,  hangings,  and  gib- 
beting, are  neither  the  most  economical  nor  the 
most  efficacious,  as  they  are  certainly  neither  tho 
most  humane,  nor  the  most  enlightened  modes 
of  punishing  crime  or  reforming  society  ;  and  if 
we  wish  to  preserve  the  character  of  a  feeling 
and  enlightened  people,  we  must  reform  that 
foul  disgrace  to  England,  and  to  the  age  in 
which  we  live  —  our  CRIMINAL  CODE.  One  fact, 
in  connection  with  the  prison,  I  have  omitted 
to  mention  ;  and  as  it  is  a  characteristic  trait  of 
national  character,  it  ought  to  be  recorded  — 
white  criminals  will  not  eat  with  the  negroes, 
the  latter  therefore  have  a  separate  table  !  ! ! 

From  this  receptacle  of  moral  evil,  I  walked 
to  one  of  physical  pain  and  suffering,  the  PENN- 
SYLVANIA HOSPITAL,  an  institution  in  every  way 
a  national  honour.  The  medical  reputation  of 
the  gentlemen  connected  with  this  establishment 
would  be  highly  estimated  in  the  first  European 
cities. 

The  markets  are  large  and  well  supplied; — the 
chief  is  in  Market-street.  The  time  of  sale  i.s 
from  day-light  to  2  o'clock  from  the  1st  of  April 


PROVISIONS,    BOAIID,  &C.  159 

to  the  1st  of  September,  and  from  day-light  to 
3  o'clock  the  remainder  of  the  year.  No  butchers 
•are  allowed  to  kill  in  the  city,  nor  are  live  cattle 
to  be  driven  to  the  city  markets. 

PRICES. 

The  prices  of  fish  vary   from    2d.    to    6|d. 
•per  pound  ;  beef,  which  is  of  excellent  quality, 
4d.  to  5|d. ;  mutton,  3|d.  to  4£d. ;  veal,  5|d. ; 
pork,  5|d.  to  7d. ;  bacon,  yd.  to  8d.  :  butter, 
lyd.  toSOd.  j  cheese,  9£d. ;  English  ditto,  l6d. ; 
onions,    13d.    per   peck ;    potatoes,   3s.  4^d.  a 
bushel  j    cabbages,  #|d.  each  ;    fowls,  12£d.  to 
2s.  3d.  each ;   ducks,  20d.  to  2s.  3d. ;  geese, 
3s.  4^d.  to  4s.  6d.  ;  turkeys,  5s.  6d. ;  these  four 
last  articles  are  one  half  larger  than  those  you 
have  in  England,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think 
their  flesh  is  inferior  in  quality;  strong  beer, 
20d.  per  gallon  j  apples,  3s.  4^d.  per  bushel  j 
flour,  10  dollars  per  barrel,  of  196  pounds ;  dipt 
candles  are  lOd.   per  pound ;    moulds,    1 2|d. ; 
moist  sugar,  6|d.to  9d. ;  lump  ditto,  Is.  to  Is.  5d.j 
tea,  4s.  dd.  to  9s. ;  soap,  6|d.  to  10d.;  chocolate, 
13£d.  to  20d.  j  raw  coffee,  lOd.  to  13^d. ;  Liver- 
pool  salt,  3s.  4d.   per  bushel  ;    loaf  of  bread, 
weighing  CZ  pounds  2  ounces,  5|d. ;  Indian  corn, 
per  bushel,  4s.  6d.  j  buck-wheat  flour,  4s.  6d. 
'   Mechanics  pay  13s.  6d.  to  15s.  9d.  per  week  for 
board  and  lodging :    many  board  with  their  em- 
ployers :  all  eat,  work,  and  sleep  in  companies. 


60  TRADES,    WAGES,  &C. 

Moderately  respectable  boarding  is  from  'JOs.  3d. 
to  27s.  ;  genteel  ditto,  Sis.  6d.  to  54s.  Charge 
at  the  best  inns,  9s.  per  day,  exclusive  of  beei 
and  liquors. 

WAGKS, 

Labourers  are  paid  4s.  (id.  to  5s.  7^d.  a  day  ; 
female  servants,  4s.  (id.  to  9*.  per  week,  with 
their  board ;  cooks,  6s.  f)d.  to  9s.  ;  men  ser- 
vants, 54s.  to  (>7s.  6d.  per  month  ;  carpenters 
earn  36s.  to  4-7».  •><!.  per  week,  time  ot'  work 
from  sun-rise  to  sun-set ;  cabinet-makers,  36s.  to 
45s.,  working  generally  by  the  piece ;  brick- 
layers, Sis.  6d.  to  45s.  ;  tinmen,  5^7s.  to  54s. ; 
shoemakers,  31s.  6*1.  to  M>s.  <i<l.  —  they  work 
more  hours  than  in  London  ;  saddlers  31s.  t>d. 
to  4.0s.  —  this  business  at  present  is  not  good  ; 
coachmakers,  86s.  to  45s.  —  at  present  bad  here, 
but  tolerably  good  at  Newark  in  Jersey  ;  taylors, 
36s.  to  45s.  —  a  variable  business,  sometimes 
good  employment,  often  not,  it  is  largely  in  the 
hands  of  women  ;  printers,  compositors  and 
pressmen,  36s.  to  45s.  —  employment  tolerably 
good,  but  not  certain  ;  apprentices  perform  a 
large  portion  of  the  work. 

Individuals  may  get  employment  in  any  of  the 
above  trades,  but  there  is  no  actual  want  of 
mechanics.  Many  leave  here  for  the  southern 
States  and  the  western  country.  Men  of  this 
class  of  society  may  decidedly  make  themselves 


APPAREL.  16 1 

extremely  comfortable  in  this  place.  Those  \vhb 
are  here,  speaking  generally,  receive  higher 
wages,  are  more  independent  of  their  masters, 
live  better,  have  less  anxiety  for  the  morrow, 
drink  more,  and  are  less  intelligent  than  men 
following  the  like  occupations  in  England. 

PRICES    OF    WEARING    APPAREL,  &fc. 

Shoes  are  13s.  6d.  to  15s.  9d.  a  pair ;  Wei- 
lington  boots,  38s.  3d.  to  45s. ;  Hessian  ditto, 
42s.  9d.  to  45s.  ;  jockey  ditto,  6?s.  Cid  ;  ladies' . 
shoes,  4s.  (!d.  to  5s.  7±d. —  the  leather  is  not 
good ;  upon  a  fair  average,  two  pair  of  English 
will  last  as  long  as  three  pair  of  American ;  the 
best  beaver  hats  are  40s.  6d. ;  superfine  cloth 
coats,  81.  Is.  tld. ;  surtout  ditto,  111.  5s.  ;  pan- 
taloons and  trowsers,  45s.  to  54s. ;  waistcoats, 
27s.  Clothes  made  of  inferior  materials,  are 
from  25  to  50  per  cent,  lower.  India  and  French 
silks,  China  crapes  for  ladies'  dresses,  and  India 
handkerchiefs,  are  one  half  cheaper  than  in 
England.  Other  articles  of  wearing  apparel,  and 
almost  every  thing  used  in  domestic  economy, 
are  of  British  manufacture.  They  pay  an  import 
duty  of  25  per  cent.,  and  when  retailed,  are  from 
25  to  100  per  cent,  dearer  than  in  London. 

RELIGIOUS    SECTS. 

Having    heard    that    American    methodists 
were  distinguished   for  an   extreme  degree  of 

M 


162  EBENEZER    CHURCH. 

fanatical  violence  in  their  religious  exercises, 
I  visited  the  African  church,  (all  houses  of 
religious  assembly  being  denominated  churches,) 
in  which  were  none  but  blacks ;  and  in  the 
evening,  "  Ebenezer  Church,"  in  which  were 
only  whites.  As  the  latter  possessed  all  the 
characteristics  of  the  former,  with  considerable 
additions  of  its  own,  to  that  only  it  is  necessary 
that  I  should  call  your  attention.  I  went  at 
8  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  door  was  locked; 
but  the  windows  being  open,  I  placed  myself  at 
one  of  them,  and  saw  that  the  church  within 
was  crowded  almost  to  suffocation.  The  preacher 
indulged  in  long  pauses,  and  occasional  loud 
elevations  of  voice,  which  were  always  answered 
by  the  audience  with  deep  groans.  When  the 
prayer  which  followed  the  sermon  had  ended, 
the  minister  descended  from  the  pulpit,  the 
doors  were  thrown  open,  and  a  considerable 
number  of  the  audience  departed.  Understand- 
ing however  that  something  was  yet  to  follow, 
with  considerable  difficulty  I  obtained  admis- 
sion. The  minister  had  departed,  the  doors  were 
again  closed,  but  about  four  hundred  persons 
remained.  One  (apparently)  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers gave  out  a  hymn,  then  a  brother  was 
called  upon  to  pray  :  he  roared  and  ranted 
like  a  maniac ;  the  male  part  of  the  audi- 
ence groaned,  the  female  shrieked ;  a  man 
sitting  next  to  me  shouted  -f  a  youth  stand- 


FANATICISM.  163 

ing  before  me  continued  for  half  an  hour  bawl- 
ing, "  Oh  Jesus!  come  down,  come  down, 
"  Jesus !  my  dear  Jesus,  I  see  you  !  bless  me, 
"  Jesus  !  Oh  !  oh  !  oh  !  Come  down,  Jesus  1" 
A  small  space  farther  on,  a  girl  about  11  years 
of  age  was  in  convulsions :  an  old  woman,  who 
I  concluded  was  her  mother,  stood  on  the  seat, 
holding  her  up  in  her  arms,  that  her  ecstasies 
might  be  visible  to  the  whole  assembly.  In  an- 
other place  there  was  a  convocation  of  holy 
sisters,  sending  forth  most  awful  yells.  A  bro- 
ther now  stood  forward,  stating,  that  "  although 
"  numbers  had  gone,  he  trusted  the  Lord  would 
"  that  night  work  some  signal  favours  among  his 
"  dear  lambs."  Two  sisters  advanced  towards 
him,  refusing  to  be  comforted,  "  for  the  Lord  was 
"  with  them :"  another  brother  prayed — and  an- 
other. "Brother  Macfaddin"  was  now  called  upon, 
and  he  addressed  them  with  a  voice  which  might 
almost  rival  a  peal  of  thunder,  the  whole  congre- 
gation occasionally  joining  responsive  to  his  notes. 
The  madness  now  became  threefold  increased, 
and  such  a  scene  presented  itself  as  1  could  never 
have  pictured  to  my  imagination,  and  as  I  trust, 
for  the  honour  of  true  religion  and  of  human 
nature,  I  shall  never  see  again.  Had  the  inha- 
bitants of  Bedlam  been  let  loose,  they  could  not 
have  exceeded  it.  From  forty  to  fifty  were 
praying  aloud  and  extemporaneously  at  the  same 
moment  of  time  :  some  were  kicking,  many 

M    2 


164  BLASPHEMY. 

jumping,   all  clapping   their  hands  and   crying 
out   in  chorus,    "  Glory !  glory  !  glory  !  Jesu* 
"  Christ  is  a  very  good  friend !  Jesus  Christ  is 
"  a   very  good  friend  !    Oh  God !    oh  Jesus  ! 
"  come  down  !  Glory !  glory !  glory  !  thank  you, 
"  Jesus !  thank  you,  God !  Oh,  Glory !  glory  ! 
"  glory ! ! !"  Mere  exhaustion  of  bodily  strength 
produced   a   cessation    of  madness    for  a   fe\v 
minutes.     A  hymn  was  given  out  and  sung  ; 
praying  then  recommenced ;  the  scene  of  mad- 
ness was  again  acted,  with,  if  possible,  increased 
efforts  on  the  part  of  the  performers.     One  oi 
the  brothers  prayed  to  be  kept  from  enthusiasm! 
A  girl  of  six  years  of  age  became  the  next  ob- 
ject of  attention.  A  reverend  brother  proclaimed 
that   she  "  had  just  received  a  visit  from  the 
"  Lord,  and  was  in  awful  convulsions  —  so  hard 
"  was  the  working  of  the  spirit !"    This  scene 
continued  for  some  time ;  but  the  audience  gra- 
dually lessened,  so  that  by  ten  o'clock  the  field 
of  active  operations  was  considerably  contracted. 
The  women,  however,   forming  a  compact  co- 
lumn at  the  most  distant  corner  of  the  church, 
continued  their  shriekings  with  but  little  abate- 
ment.    Feeling  disposed  to  get  a  nearer  sight  of 
the  beings  who  sent  forth  such  terrifying  yells, 
I   endeavoured  to    approach    them,    but    was 
stopped  by  several  of  the  brethren,  who  would 
not  allow  of  a  neai   approach  towards  the  holy 
sisterhood.     The  novelty  of  this  exhibition  had, 


A    FEMALE    CONVERT.  1 6.5 

at  first  sight,  rendered  it  a  subject  of  amusement 
and  interest ;  but  all  such  feelings  soon  gave 
way  to  an  emotion  of  melancholy  horror,  when 
I  considered  the  gloomy  picture  it  represented 
of  human  nature,  and  called  to  mind  that  these 
maniacal  fanatics  were  blaspheming  the  holy 
name  of  Christianity,  and  set  so  wicked  -an 
example  of  religious  blasphemy,  besides  libelling 
the  name  and  character  of  revelation. 

I  have  since  understood  that  one  of  the  female 
converts  upon  this  occasion  had  been  turned 
away  from  her  situation  the  previous  evening  for 
stealing  five  dollars. 

A  gentleman  informed  me  that  he  was  at 
"  Ebenezer"  a  few  days  since,  when  the 
preacher  stopped  in  the  midst  of  his  discourse, 
and  directed  those  among  his  audience  who  were 
for  King  Jesus  to  stand  up.  Numbers  of  men 
and  women  immediately  rose,  shouting  "  I  am 
•"  for  Jesus,"  "  I  am  for  Jesus,"  "  I  am  for 
"  King  Jesus."  "  Oh,  that  I  could  press  him  to 
•'"  my  bosom  !"  "  There  he  comes."  "  I  am  for 
"  King  Jesus."  I  am  informed  that  these  exhibi- 
tions are  neither  singular  in  occurrence  nor  par- 
tial in  extent,  and  feel  at  a  loss  to  account  for  such 
fanatical  enthusiasm  in  this  country  :  it  is  by  no 
means  an  essential  part  of  the  creed  of  either 
Wesley  or  Whitfield  j  and,  in  Great  Britain,  few 
bodies  of  men  conduct  their  meetings  with  more 
M  3 


iOG  1  N-THUSIAS.M. 

order  than  the  methodists.  In  Wales,  I  under- 
stand, and  perhaps  in  some  country  parts  of 
England,  there  may  be  occasional  exhibitions 
of  the  same  kind ;  but  they  are  of  rare  occur- 
rence,  and  comparatively  moderate  in  their 
excesses.  In  Ireland  I  have  also  witnessed 
occasional  violence  ;  but  never  any  thing  at  all 
equal  to  that  exhibited  at  "  Ebenezer."  In  the 
latter  country,  too,  we  make  some  allowance  for 
national  character :  they  are  all  fire  —  all  feeling  ; 
but  with  Americans,  whatever  may  be  their  ex- 
cellences or  their  defects,  they  are  certainly  not 
chargeable  with  possessing  a  superabundance  of 
warm  blood  :  they  are,  on  the  contrary,  most  re- 
markable for  complete  and  general  coldness  of 
c-haractcr  and  disposition.  That,  therefore,  they 
should  be  enthusiastic,  even  in  matters  of  reli- 
gion, would  appear  a  matter  of  difficult  solution. 
In  the  individuals,  it  would  seem  to  burst  forth 
upon  prepared  occasions,  and  to  exist  in  com- 
mon with  —  perhaps  actually  to  spring  from 
a  cold-blooded  callousness  of  disposition.  The 
general  theory  which  attributes  warmth  of  feel- 
ing to  the  fanatic  is  perhaps,  after  all,  a  false 
one.  Who  so  bigoted,  so  exclusive,  so  illiberal 
towards  others,  so  wholly  devoid  of  every  gene- 
rous sentiment  ?  The  extreme  fanaticism  of 
these  maniacal  saints  may  perhaps  therefore 
actually  spring  from  the  absence  of  real  enthu- 


SECTS. NEGROES.  1 67 

siasm,  combined,  of  course,  with  gross  and 
excessive  ignorance. 

The  sects  of  "this  city,  and  the  number  of  their 
places  of  assembly,  are  as  follow :  1  Swedish 
Lutheran,  3  Quakers,  1  Free  ditto,  or  Whig 
Quakers,  called  also  Fighting  Quakers,  4  Epis- 
copalian, 4  Baptist,  5  Presbyterian,  4  Roman 
Catholic,  6  German  Lutheran,  1  Moravian, 
1  Covenanters,  3  Methodists,  1  Universalist, 
1  Unitarian,  1  Independent,  1  Jews,  2  Black 
Methodist,  and  1  Black  Episcopalian. 

Religious  controversy  appears  unknown. 
Every  man  is  expected  to  choose  one  of  these 
churches ;  and  when  that  is  done,  he  must 
abide  by  it  as  solemnly  and  as  regularly  as  he 
does  his  segar,  his  rum,  and  his  business.  What- 
ever degree  of  religious  intelligence  exists,  is  con- 
fined to  the  clergy  ;  who,  perhaps,  have  lost  no  ad- 
vantage by  the  abolition  of  a  state-religion. 

ESTIMATION    OF   NEGROES. 

The  three  "  African  churches,"  as  they  are 
called,  are  for  all  those  native  Americans  who 
are  black,  or  have  any  shade  of  colour  darker 
than  white.  These  persons,  though  many  of 
them  are  possessed  of  the  rights  of  citizenship, 
are  not  admitted  into  the  churches  which  are 
.  visited  by  whites.  There  exists  a  penal  law, 
deeply  written  in  the  minds  of  the  whole  white 

M  4 


168  CLIMATE. 

population,  which  subjects  their  coloured  felloe- 
citizens  to  unconditional  contumely  and  never- 
ceasing  insult.  No  respectability,  however  un- 
questionable,—  no  property,  ho \vever large, —  no 
character,  however  unblemished, — will  gain  a 
man,  whose  body  is  (in  American  estimation) 
cursed  with  even  a  twentieth  portion  of  the 
blood  of  his  African  ancestry,  admission  into 
society  ! ! !  They  are  consul* TI d  as  mere  Pa- 
riahs—  as  outcasts  and  \agrants  upon  the  face 
of  the  earth!  1  make  no  reflection  unon  these 
thingsj  but  leave  the  facts  for  your  consideration. 

CLIMA1K,    DISEASES,    &C. 

Of  the  climate  of  this  city  I  can  say  but  little 
from  personal  observation.  The  weather,  at  pre- 
sent, is  at  once  healthy  and  delightful ;  the  ther- 
mometer ranges  from  56°  to  70" ;  the  skv  is  per- 
fectly serene,  and  each  day  is  as  fine  and  clear 
as  the  preceding,  forming  a  pleasing  contrast 
to  the  humidity,  and  frequent  changes  of  our 
island.  The  heats  of  summer,  I  am  told,  are 
excesive,  while  the  colds  of  winter  are  equally 
in  the  extreme.  Spring,  in  the  European  under- 
standing of  that  delightful  sea>ou,  then'  :>  none 
at  all.  If  the  appearance  of  the  inhabitants  be 
taken  as  a  criterion,  and  it  that  appearance  be 
not  produced  or  aggravated  by  other  causes, 
(such  as  excess  or  unhealthy  practices  of  many 


DISEASES.  169 

kinds,)  I  should  say  that  this  climate  is  not  so 
congenial  to  the  well-being  of  the  human  con- 
stitution as  that  of  England.  A  Phiiadelphian 
female  is  as  old  at  twenty-seven  as  an  English 
lady  at  forty.  Neither  sex  possesses  the  English 
standard  of  health  —  a  rosy  cheek.  The  young 
females  indeed  are  genteel,  and  generally  pos- 
sessed of  fine  figures ;  but  their  colour  is  pro- 
duced by  art,  for  which  disgusting  practice, 
many  of  them  might  pass  for  beautiful.  You 
will  be  surprised  to  hear,  that  in  the  practice  of 
rougeing,  the  junior  branches  of  the  Society  of 
Friends  are  not  at  all  deficient !  Englishmen  are 
said  to  improve  in  appearance  for  the  first  12 
months  of  their  residence,  but  after  that  time, 
vthey  become  sallow  and  flabby. 

In  estimating  the  character  of  the  climate,  as 
shown  by  the  health  of  the  inhabitants,  it  may 
be  well  to  take  into  account,  on  the  part  of  the 
females,  the  excessive  use  of  stoves  and  want 
of  exercise ;  on  the  part  of  the  males,  the 
constant  use  of  rum  and  tobacco;  and,  with 
regard  to  both  sexes,  the  early  period  of  life  at 
which  the  mass  of  the  population  enter  into  the 
marriage  state.  There  are,  at  any  rate,  it  has 
been  observed,  two  things  but  rarely  seen  here — 
"  good  teeth"  and  "  green  old  age." 

The  leading  class  of  diseases  are  inflam- 
matory. The  yellow  fever  to  any  great  or  im- 
portant extent  has  not  existed  here  for  the  last 


170  POOR-LAWS.  —  POLICE. 

1 1  years :  a  few  cases  occur  each  year,  both  here 
and  in  the  more  northern  cities.  The  average 
of  deaths  per  day,  during  the  present  year,  has 
been  eight ;  which,  with  a  city  population  of 
120,000,  is  not  more  in  proportion  than  those  of 
London  and  Paris.  Superior  medical  aid  is  not 
cheaper  than  in  London. 

PROVISIONS  FOR  THE  POOR,    POLICE,    &C. 

The  poor  laws  are  administered  by  sixteen 
citizens,  who  are  chosen  annually  by  the  cor- 
poration,  to  superintend  the  provision  for  the 
poor.  They  are  empowered,  with  the  appro- 
bation of  four  aldermen  and  two  justices,  to  levy 
an  assessment  not  exceeding,  at  any  one  time, 
100  cents  (4s.  6d.)  on  100  dollars  (221.  10s.), 
or  one  per  cent;  nor  more  than  three  dollars 
per  head,  on  every  free  man  not  otherwise 
rated.  The  average  annual  number  of  paupers 
supported  in  alms-houses  of  this  city  is  1600  j  the 
expence  of  keeping  them  70,000  dollars  a  year ; 
the  produce  of  the  poor-tax  for  the  city  and 
county  of  Philadelphia  100,000  dollars. 

The  police  is  strict,  at  least  in  some  depart- 
ments. There  are  fourteen  constables  and  two 
high  constables,  whose  business  it  is  to  peram- 
bulate the  streets,  which  they  do  with  a  mace 
in  their  hands,  and  to  examine  all  suspicious 
looking  persons.  If  such  refuse  to  give  a  satis- 
factory account  of  themselves,  they  are  taken 


STATE    OF   MORALS. 

before  the  mayor.  There  are  thirty-six  watch- 
men who  cry  the  hour  (to  imitate  which,  sub- 
jects the  offender  to  immediate  imprisonment), 
and  six  others  who  visit  their  boxes  to  see  that 
they  perform  their  duty.  Tiie  whole  are  under 
the  direction  of  a  "  captain,"  who  attends  to 
receive  vagrants,  rioters  and  thieves.  Watch- 
men  are  paid  fourteen  dollars  (63s.)  per  month, 
tburteen-pence  extra  for  every  lamp  under  their 
care,  and  are  supplied  with  a  great  coat :  they 
are  fined  for  neglect  of  duty.  The  cost  for 
lighting  and  watching  Philadelphia  is  25,000 
dollars  per  annum.  I  had  intended  saying  some- 
thing concerning  the  heads  of  the  police,  but 
shall  reserve  my  remarks  for  the  next  communi- 
cation. Circumstances  have  recently  occurred:, 
which,  if  true  in  all  particulars,  would  prove 
the  magistracy  here  to  be  as  corrupt  as  that  of 
London  in  the  days  of  Fielding. 

MORALS,    MANNERS,    &C. 

Of  the  state  of  public  morals,  I  find  consider 
able  difficulty  in  forming  my  judgment.  The 
habits  of  the  people  are  marked  by  caution  and 
secrecy.  Although  the  eyes  and  ears  of  a 
stranger  are  not  insulted  in  the  openness  of 
noon-day  with  evidence  of  hardened  profligacy, 
1  have,  nevertheless,  reason  to  believe  in  its  ex- 
istence -iff  a  very  great  extent;  though  perhaps 
there  is  no  Philadelphia  parent  would  say  to  me 


CLASSES    OF    SOCIETY. 

what    a   respectable    inhabitant  of  New  York 

did  —  "  There  is  not  a  father  in  tin's  city  but 
"  who  is  sorry  that  he  has  got  a  son." 

To  classify  the  population  of  this  city,  I  should 
only  have  to  repeat  what  I  have  communicated 
concerning  other  parts  of  the  Union.  There 
is,  of  course,  here  no  rank  of  society  corre- 
spondent to  the  peerage,  or  the  "  haul -ton,"  in 
England ;  but  there  are  many  who  keep  car- 
riages, have  truly  elegant  houses,  and  superb 
furniture1.  These  are  called  of  the  "  h'rst  class ;" 
and  although  they  have  not  the  pomp  or  the 
titles,  they  have  the  pride  of  an  aristocracy. 
The  small  and  middling  tradesmen  do  not  make 
much  exertion,  live-  eu-ily,  save  no  money,  and 
appear  to  care  nothing  about  either  the  prest  nt 
or  future.  It  they  rind  business  getting  bail, 
they  do,  what  is  called,  "  sell  out,"  and  pack  up 
for  the  "  back  country."  The  labourer  and 
mechanic  are  independent,  not  in  purse,  but  in 
condition.  Neither  they  nor  their  masters  con- 
ceive that  any  obligation  is  conferred  by  em- 
ploying them.  They  live  well,  and  may  always 
have  a  dollar  in  their  pockets.  Men  are  here 
independent  of  each  other :  this  will  show  it- 
self even  in  half  an  hour's  walk  through  the 
streets  of  Philadelphia. 

The  dress  of  the  gentlemen  is  copied  from  the 
fashions  of  England ;  that  of  the  ladies  from 
France,  — who  very  modestly  believe,  and  indeed 


FEMALE   VANITY.  173 

have  no  hesitation  in  declaring,  that  they  com- 
bine the  excellences  of  the  French  and  the  Eng- 
lish character,  without  possessing  the  defects  of 
either.  For  myself,  I  can  trace  no  resemblance 
to  the  former,  unless  it  consist  in  kid  gloves  and 
artificial  flowers  ;  nor  to  the  latter,  except  in  a 
fondness  for  Lady  Morgan's  writings,  and  an 
admiration  of  Lord  Wellington's  achievements. 
Could  American  ladies  be  content  to  despise 
instead  of  copying  the  vanity  of  their  country- 
men, and  take  a  few  practical  lessons  from  the 
English  female  in  the  management  of  domestic 
concerns,  and  the  cultivation  of  their  minds, 
then,  indeed,  their  fine  forms  might  become  pecu- 
liarly interesting,  —  at  least  to  the  man  of  sense. 
—  But  I  must  turn  to  another  subject. 

Being  anxious  to  depart  for  the  western  coun- 
try before  the  season  is  too  far  advanced,  I  shall 
intrust  this  report  to  Captain  Williams,  of  the 
Electra,  who,  I  am  persuaded,  will  take  par- 
ticular care  of,  and  deliver  it  safely  upon  his 

arrival.     A  letter  to  our  friend  M will 

go  in  the  bag  of  the  same  ship,  advising  you  of 
the  present  communication.  Address  to  me  at 
"  Washington  city,"  as  I  hope  to  be  there  in 
January,  during  the  sitting  of  Congress,  and 
after  the  completion  of  my  western  journey. 
To-morrow  I  intend  leaving  this  city  for  Pitts- 
burgh. Mr.  Mellish  tells  me  that  the  road  is 
very  good.  This  has  relieved  my  anxiety;  for 


EMIGRATION. 

the  journey  has  been  a  source  of  very  uneasy 
inticipation.  As  usual,  I  suppose,  J  must  say 
something  in  the  way  of  advice.  In  my  third 
Report  I  stated,  that  my  feelings  were  gene- 
rally those  of  disappointment.  My  feelings  (to 
use  the  same  unphilosophical  criterion)  are  now 
more  favourable  towards  this  country.  Phila- 
delphia has  done  much  towards  raising  America 
in  my  estimation.  But  I  presume  that  none  will 
come  out  until  they  hear  from  me  again.  Were  I 
proceeding  no  farther  than  this  city,  and  felt  it 
necessary  that  I  should  make  up  my  mind,  for 
or  against  emigration,  I  should  feel  myself 
most  aukwardly  situated  ;  for  although  it  occu- 
pies my  attention  at  all  times,  I  cannot  make 
even  an  approach  towards  a  decision.  The  ca- 
pitalist will  receive  in  this  State  legal  interest  of 
six  per  cent.  ;  in  the  State  of  New  York  seven 
per  cent.  I  think  that  seven,  or  perhaps  eight, 
might  be  made  upon  good  security.  Property 
of  all  kinds  is  selling  every  day  at  the  Ex- 
change Coffee  Rooms.  There  is  not  now  any 
great  scope  for  mercantile  speculation.  Lands 
can  be  purchased,  or  new  and  large  concerns 
established:  but  either  of  these  would  be  ha- 
zardous. Capital  is  certainly  wanted  throughout 
the  country.  I  think  a  brewery  could  be  esta- 
blished with  sound  hopes  of  success,  and  not 
requiring  more  than  from  ten  to  fifteen  thousand 
pounds.  A  London  shopkeeper,  with  a  capital 


AN    ENGLISH    CARPENTER.  175 

of  from  three  to  ten  thousand  pounds,  and  who 
could  import  his  goods  from  the  first  markets, 
would  I  think  succeed  —  not  because  there  is;a 
want  of  "  dry  good  stores ;"  for  I  believe  one- 
half  could  be  spared  :  but  there  is  an  ignorance 
of  good  principles  of  business  j  and,  I  suspect, 
a  very  general  deficiency  of  means.  Lawyers, 
doctors,  clerks,  shopmen,  literary  men,  artists, 
and  schoolmasters,  would,  to  use  an  American 
phrase,  "  come  to  a  bad  market."  Mechanics 
can  form  their  own  judgment,  from  the  state- 
ments in  the  preceding  pages.  Weavers,  stock- 
ing-makers, and  others,  acquainted  only  with  the 
cotton,  woollen,  hardware,  and  linen  manufac- 
tures, would  find  employment  very  difficult  to 
obtain.  A  few  evenings  since  I  saw  a  carpenter 
and  his  wife,  who  have  been  here  but  one  month, 
from  Hull,  in  Yorkshire.  The  husband  stated, 
that  in  England  he  earned  21s.  per  week  ;  that 
he  now  obtains  31s.  6d.  j  that  he  finds  great  dif- 
ficulty in  getting  his  money  from  his  employer  ; 
that,  "  taking  one  thing  with  another,"  the  ex- 
pense of  living  is  as  nearly  like  that  in  England 
as  possible  j  that  had  he  been  acquainted  with 
every  thing  which  he  at  present  knows,  he 
would  not  have  left  home;  but  that,  having 
done  so,  he  is  well  satisfied ;  and  has  now  saved 
some  money  —  a  thing  which  he  had  hardly 
ever  before  effected.  I  state  this  man's  infor- 
mation, because  I  consider  it  deserving  of  your 


176  AN    ENGLISH    CARPENTEfi. 

confidence.  It  is  equally  free  from  the  wild 
rhapsodies  of  some  persons,  and  the  deplorable 
pictures  which  several  Englishmen  in  this  city, 
and  in  other  parts  of  the  Union,  have  given  me 
of  their  disappointments,  and  of  America,  in 
general.  The  carpenter's  success  is  just  what 
would  attend  any  other  industrious  man  of  the 
same  business,  or  of  several  others  previously 
enumerated.  His  ideas  of  the  difficulties  which 
he  had  encountered  are  natural,  as  he  has  not 
been  engaged  sufficiently  long  in  other  pursuit  •» 
to  obliterate  these  impressions.  Could  I  see 
him  in  twelve  months  from  the  present  time,  I 
think  his  condition  would  be,  if  I  may  judge 
from  others,  something  like  the  following :  — 
saved  fourteen  guineas ;  living  in  two  small 
rooms  j  independent  of  his  master,  and  his  mas- 
ter of  him;  thinks  the  Americans  a  very  dirty 
and  disagreeable  people,  and  hates  them  from 
his  soul ;  would  be  delighted  to  see  old  England 
again,  and  smoke  his  pipe  and  drink  his  pint, 
and  talk  politics  with  the  cobbler,  and  abuse  the 
taxes  j  and  then  he  remembers  that  he  is  in 
America,  where  he  cannot  endure  the  thoughts 
of  having  his  bones  buried  ;  thinks  of  returning 
to  England,  where  his  wife  is  also  anxious  to  go, 
in  order  that  she  may  drink  tea  and  gossip  with 
lier  old  neighbours  ;  then  they  both  conjure  up 
their  former  sea  sickness,  their  fear  of  bein^ 
drowned,  the  money  that  their  passage  would 


EMIGRATION.  177 

cost,  and  that  when  they  got  to  Hull,  his  most 
laborious  application  would  not  more  than 
provide  them  with  a  bare  existence.  He  then 
determines  to  remain  in  America,  keep  the 
money  which  he  has  saved,  add  as  much  more 
to  it  as  he  can,  and  make  himself  as  contented 
and  happy  as  lies  in  his  power. 

The  man  of  small  property,  who  intends 
living  upon  the  interest,  and  wants  to  remove 
to  a  cheaper  country  than  England,  should 
pause  before  the  ^object  of  his  choice  be  Ame- 
rica. From  what  I  have  seen  of  large  towns, 
living  is  not,  upon  the  whole,  lower  than  in  Engr 
lish  cities.  In  the  interior  it  may  be  less  than 
in  the  country  parts  of  England.  But  such  a 
man  must,  of  necessity,  have  his  ideas  of  hap- 
piness associated  with  many  sources  of  comfort 
and  gratification,  which  he  would  seek  for  in  vain 
within  the  United  States. 

In  conclusion,  I  wish  to  express  my  anxious 
hopes  that  you  are  all  well :  arid  that  whether 
we  remain  in  England  or  settle  in  the  New  World, 
we  may  continue  to  possess,  and  to  deserve,  as 
great  a  portion  of  enjoyment  as  may  be  cpnsist- 
ent  with  our  improvement  in  the  present  state 
of  our  existence. 

P.  S.  TAXES  are  of  trifling  amount  compared 
with  the  enormous  drafts  made  upon  you  in  that 
particular.  A  gentleman -.  of  this,  city,  whose 

N 


178 


TAXES. 


house  is  his  own  property,  but  which,  if  let, 
would  be  worth  1301.  per  annum,  obliged  me 
with  his  collector's  receipts  for  three  years. 

*'  Mr. Dr.  to  Liberty  Brown,   collector,  No. 

Chesnut-street,  for  taxes  in  Middle  Ward,  for  1813. 


T»x. 

Count) 
Tax. 

Poor 
T.x. 

Health 
Tax. 

Toul. 

.1.      c. 

.1.      <•. 

•  1.        r. 

<l.       r. 

(1.         C. 

House   ... 

18  12 

5  79 

8    70 

1  81 

34,  42 

Poll-tax 

1  50 

75 

72 

28 

3  25 

Ground  on    which  } 
the  house  stands  J 

1  38 

45 

66 

It 

2  63 

Water,  to  July  18  14.1 

'   • 

- 

- 

- 

5 

Total  amount,  45  dollars,  30  cents,  or  101.  5s.  Gd.'' 


"  TAXES  FOR  1815. 


City  Tax 
Poor  ditto 

Dollars. 

19 
10 

Onu. 
38 

62 

County           •         -           8 
Dog       ... 

Ground  on  which  house  1  „ 
stands                          j 

19 
25 

54 

Total  40 

98     or  91.  4s.  3d." 

"    TAXES   FOR 

1816. 

City  Tax 
Poor      - 

Dolltrj. 

18 
10 

Cent*. 

61* 
62 

County                               8 
Ground  on  which  house  )  « 
stands                          j 
Water     -                 -        5 

19 

65  f 
0 

Total  45        8     or  101.  4f.6d." 


TAXES.  179 

The  following  notice  from  the  tax  collectors 
is  just  published  : 

"  TAXES    FOR    1817. 

"  Notice  is  hereby  given,  that  the  taxes  for  1817  are  now 
*'  due  ;  and  the  owners  of  property  and  other  taxable  inha- 
"  bitants  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  district  of  Southwark 
"  and  townships  of  Northern  Liberties  and  Penn,  are  required 
"  to  call  on  the  collectors  hereafter  named,  and  pay  their 
"  taxes,  or  the  law  will  be  enforced  to  compel  payment. 
"  The  following  extract  from  the  collector's  warrant,  is 
"  published  for  the  information  of  those  concerned. 

"  *  And  if  any  person,  charged  in  the  said  duplicate 
"  *  shall  neglect  or  refuse  to  make  payment  within  30  days 
"  '  from  the  time  of  the  demand  by  you  made,  you  are  then 
"  *  hereby  authorized  and  required  to  levy  the  tax  due  by 
«'  '  such  delinquent,  by  distress  and  sale  of  his  goods  and 
"  '  chattels,  giving  ten  days'  notice  of  such  sale,  by  written 
"  *  or  printed  advertisements.  And  in  case  goods  and  chat- 
"  '  tels  cannot  be  found  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  same  with 
"  «  costs,  you  are  authorized  and  required  to  take  the  body 
"  *  of  the  said  delinquent,  and  convey  him  to  the  gaol  of  the 
"  «  said  county  of  Philadelphia,  there  to  remain  until  the  said 
"  '  tax  with  costs  be  paid  or  secured  to  be  paid,  or  otherwise 
"  '  be  discharged  by  the  course  of  law.  And  hereby 
tf  «  fail  not  at  your  peril.'  " 


FIFTH  REPORT. 


Leave  Philadelphia  for  the  Western  country Pennsylvania 

Farms  ;  their  Value.  —  Price  of  Stock  ;  of  Labour.  — 
Produce.  —  Soil.  —  Taverns.  —  Military.  —  London.  — 
Landlords;  their  Politics.  —  Allegany  Mountains;  their 
Scenery.  —  Difficulty  of  crossing.  —  WConneTs  ViUe.  — 
Numerous  Emigrants ;  their  Mode  of  travelling.  —  Soil 
and  Productions  of  the  Alleganies.  —  Character  and  Pur- 
suits  of  the  People.  —  Crossing  the  River  Juninttn.  —  Bad 
Stages.  —  Grensburgh.  —  Face  of  the  Country  towards 

Pittsburgh Improved  Condition  of  the   Inhabitants.  — 

Pittsburgh.  —  Fine  Situation.  —  Scenery.  —  Prices  of  Pro- 
visions ;  of  Lulour.  —  Farming.  Produce.  —  Price  of 
•ck.  —  General  Expences.  —  Condition  of  <j  Pennm/hania 
/  '  iner.  —  Coal. —  Trades  and  Manufacture*.' —  New 
Establishment*  likely  to  surct-cd.  —  Capital  required.  — 
Rapid  Increase  (if  the  Western  Country.  —  Mode  <>f  con- 
ducting Business.  —  Mrr/miiir*.  —  Theatre.  --  Population. 

—  Young    Watson. —  /  /'  . . —  Slate  of  Ohio. 

—  Face  of  the  Country.  —  Price  of  Lands.  —  State  of  Agri- 
cultural  Knowledge.  -      I "     c  of  Labour. —  C!i.i:,ite. — 
Wild   Animals.  —  "  Frolic."  —  Pursuits    of    Women.  — 
Classes  of  Society.  —  Cincinnati.  —  Slavery.  —  Price*. — 
Rents.  —  Trades.  —  Mechanics.  —  Want  of  Capital.  — 

Manufactures.  —  State   of  Kentucky Price  of  Lands  ; 

of  Labour.  —  Slavery.  —  Rents.  —  Soil.  —  Produce.  — 
Trades.  —  Manufactures.  —  Provisions.  —  Climate.  — 
Health.  —  Middletown. —  Louisville. —  What  Class  of  Emi- 
grants "would  succeed.  —  Lord  Selkirk.  —  Unfair  Account 
ofMellish  the  Traveller.  —  Illinois  Territory.  —  Extent.  — 
Fare   of  the  Country.  —  Navigable  Waters.  —  First  Inha- 
bitants. • —  Present  Population.  —  Their  Character  and  Con- 
dition. —  Soil.  —  Produce.  —  Supposed  Expence  of  erecting 
Houses.  —  Wild  Animals.  —  Towns.  —  Considerations  re- 
quiring the  attention  of  my  Friends. 


PENNSYLVANIA   FARMS.  181 

Shawnee  Town,  Illinois  Territory,  Kentucky,  &c. 

Dec.  1817, 

PENNSYLVANIA    FARMS. 

OCTOBER.  —  Left  Philadelphia  for  Pittsburgh. 
Passed  through  an  extensive,  fertile,  well-cul- 
tivated, and  beautiful  tract  of  land  called  the 
"  Great  Valley."  Farms  in  this  district  are 
chiefly  owned  by  Dutch  and  Germans,  and 
their  descendants.  They  consist  of  from  50  to 
200  acres,  each  acre  worth  200  dollars  (451.), 
and  are  cheaper  at  that  price  than  the  50  cent 
and  dollar  and  half  lands,  which  encumber  other 
parts  of  the  eastern  States.  The  substantial 
barns,  fine  private  dwellings,  excellent  breed 
and  condition  of  live  stock,  and  superior  cultiva- 
vation  of  the  "  Great  Valley,"  place  it  decidedly 
in  advance  of  the  neighbouring  lands,  and 
put  it  fairly  in  competition  with  Old  England. 
The  proprietors  are  wealthy.  They  have  the 
reputation  of  being  practical  opponents  of  the 
desolating  system  of  paper  money,  by  keeping 
their  hard  cash  safely  locked  up  in  their  "  old 
"  country"  boxes.  Be  this  as  it  may,  their  pro- 
perty, unlike  that  of  their  fellow-citizens  on  the 
sea- side,  has  not  vanished  into  air  by  the  late 
mighty  political  changes.  They  have  been 
blessed  by  Heaven  with  excellent  land  and  good 
markets ;  and  although  their  progress  in  the  ac- 
ir  em  ent  of  "  this  world's  goods"  has  not  been 
N  3 


AGRICULTUHE. 

like  the  rise  of  Jonah's  gourd,  neither  has  it 
shared  the  fate  of  that  transitory  plant. 

There  are  good  farms  in  other  districts  within 
20  miles  of  Philadelphia,  \vhich  can  be  pur- 
chased at  from  80  to  100  dollars  per  acre,  build- 
ings included.  Limestone  land  will  sell  for 
200  dollars.  In  a  farm  of  200  acres,  the  pro- 
portion may  be  estimated  at  90  acres  of  plough- 
ing, .50  of  meadow,  10  of  orchard,  and  50  of 
wood  land.  The  latter,  near  the  city,  is  worth  3 
to  400  dollars  per  acre.  A  farm  of  the  above 
description  is  worth,  if  within  five  miles  of  the 
capital,  20,000  dollars  ;  at  from  20  to  40  miles' 
distance,  10,000  dollars.  Uncleared  lands,  in 
remote  parts  of  the  State,  vary  in  price  from 
half  a  dollar  to  20  dollars  per  acre. 

The  Pennsylvanian  horse  is  a  medium  between 
our  saddle  and  heavy  cart  horses,  and  is  well 
suited  for  most  purposes.  They  are  worth  from 
50  to  150  dollars  (111.  2s.  6d.  to  331.  7s.  (kl.) 
A  farm  waggon  will  cost  100  to  120  dollars 
(221.  K)>.  to  2?1.)  ;  n  family  ditto,  ?0  to  90  dol- 
lars ;  ditto  with  springs,  150  dollars;  neat  gig, 
300 ;  best  ditto,  450 ;  a  farm  cart,  50  dollars. 
The  annual  cxpence  of  keeping  a  family  waggon 
and  horse  is  about  50  dollars. 

Well-improved  land  will  produce,  on  an  aver- 
age, 25  bushels  of  wheat  per  acre  (a  farmer  with- 
in eight  miles  of  the  city  has  raised  40) ;  ditto 
of  Indian  corn,  25  to  50.  Wheat  is  sold  at  from 


MINERALS. FARMERS.  183 

160  to  220  cents  (7s.  8d.  to  9s.  lid.)  per  bushel ; 
Indian  corn,  80  to  100  cents  (3s.  7d.  to  4s.  6d.)  ; 
oats,  40  to  55  cents  (Is.  9d.  to  2s.  5|d.) :  they 
are  lighter  than  the  English.  Meadows  are 
usually  ploughed  in  rotation,  and  planted  with 
Indian  corn.  Orchards  are  also  put  under  the 
plough,  grain  not  being  considered  as  injurious 
to  the  fruit.  A  good  milch  cow,  four  years  old,  is 
worth  51. 13s.  6d.  Sheep  are  much  smaller  than 
ours.  Half-blood  Merino  are  lls.  3d. :  three- 
quarters  blood,  13s.  6d. ;  full  ditto,  22s.  6d.  j 
rams  are  41.  10s.  to  111.  2s.  6d. ;  pigs  four  weeks 
old  are  2s.  3d. ;  a  sow  and  ditto,  11.  11s.  6d.  to 
21.  14s.  j  a  hog  of  100  pounds,  11.  11s.  6d.  to 
21.  5s. ;  a  yoke  of  oxen,  151.  15s.  to  281.  10s. 

MINERALS. 

A  copper  and  zinc  mine  is  worked  about 
twenty  miles  from  Philadelphia.  Iron  ore 
abounds  throughout  the  State.  Bar  iron  sells 
for  120  dollars  per  ton.  Limestone  abounds 
at  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  city.  There 
is  also  a  coarse  grey  marble  in  large  quantities : 
it  is  used  for  steps  and  chimney-pieces.  The 
price  delivered  in  Philadelphia  is  one  dollar  the 
cubic  foot. 

The  farmers  in  Pennsylvania  are  many  of  them 
rich :  some  reside  in  first-rate  houses,  and  are 
possessed  of  most  of  the  conveniences  of  life. 
Those  remote  from  a  market  generally  distil 

N  4 


181  FARBIERS. 

their  grain,  finding  whiskey  to  he  the  most  con- 
venient and  profitable  form  under  which  to  carry 
and  dispose  of  their  stock.  The  great  body  of 
these  men  are  Germans,  or  of  German  descent. 
They  are  excellent  practical  farmers,  very  in- 
dustrious very  mercenary,  and  very  ignorant. 
The  condition  of  the  labourer  is  similar  to  that 
in  other  parts  of  the  United  StaU  >. 

The  towns  of  Lancaster,  Harrishnrgh,  and 
Carlisle,  through  which  I  passed,  are  all  of  them 
considerable  in  extent  and  in  population.  They 
each  contain  a  large  proportion  of  excellent 
brick  buildings,  and  the  usual  erections  of  market 
houses,  gaols,  and  churches  ;  all  evincing  an  ex- 
tent of  national  prosperity,  and  an  advancement 
towards  European  establishments  truly  extraor- 
dinary, when  \ve  recollect  that  this  is  a  country 
which  may  be  said  to  be  but  of  yesterday. 
The  German  character  is  very  prevalent  through- 
out this  State.  The  original  language  is  still 
preserved,  and  there  are  even  native  Pennsylva- 
nians  who  cannot  speak  the  English  language. 

Arrived  at  Chambersburgh,  157  miles  from 
Philadelphia,  I  went  to  the  inn  where  the  stages 
from  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh 
usually  stop.  These  stages  are  two  days  in  ar- 
riving here  from  the  latter,  and  one  from  the 
former  city.  I  secured  a  place,  for  which  I  paid 
14"  dollars  (three  guineas),  distance  110  miles. 
This  town  contains  about  \M?0  houses  of  all 


MR.  FLOWER.  185 

sorts,  two  or  three  churches,  a  gaol  and  court- 
house. 

October. — The  stage  started  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  A  Mr.  Flower,  connected  with 
Mr.Birkbeck,  left  Chambersburgh  a  few  days 
previous,  on  his  return  from  Illinois  to  Eng- 
land. AVhat  his  views  of  this  country  are  I  have 
not  learned,  though  I  should  conclude,  from  the 
reported  statements  of  an  acquaintance,  with 
whom  he  conversed  at  Chambersburgh,  that  his 
estimation  of  America  is  highly  favourable. 

Arrived  at  eight  o'clock  at  Loudon,  at  the 
foot  of  the  north  mountain,  one  of  the  Allegany 
ridges.     There  are  here  17  log  and  20  frame  or 
brick  houses.     We  were  not  allowed  to  break- 
fast at  the  tavern  in  this  town,  as  one  of  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  coach  had  a  house  at  M'Connel's 
^ille.     The  tavern  at  Loudon  is  cheerless  and 
.dirty:  a  number  of  waggoners  were  breakfast- 
ing.    The  election  was  a  topic  of  violent  de- 
bate ;    bets,    and  as    a   usual    accompaniment, 
choler,  ran  high.     We  brought  the  latest  intelli- 
gence of  the  returns.     All  had  their  hopes  and 
fears.     The  landlord,  who  is  of  Dutch  descent, 
was,  as  a  matter  of  course,  a  Hiesterite,  because 
he  was  descended  from   a    countryman.     The 
Irish    party,    for    similar    reasons,     supported 
Findlay.     We  were  saluted  by  each  at  our  de- 
parture, "  Huzza  for  Hiester !"     "  Huzza  for 
"  Findlay!5'  My  fellow-travellers  were  citizen* 


186  ELECTION. WAGGONS. 

of  the  world :  they  huzzaed  for  eacli  with  true 
philanthropic  liberality.  The  final  return 
throughout  the  State  elected  Mr.  Findlay  with 
a  majority  of  7>000.  I  counted  thirty  regular 
stage-waggons  engaged  in  the  transportation  of 
goods  to  and  from  Pittsburgh.  They  are  drawn 
by  four  strong  well-fed  horses,  are  made  upon 
the  model  of  English  waggons,  but  about  one- 
third  less  in  size.  They  are  from  20  to  35 
days  in  effecting  their  journey.  The  articles 
sent  from  Philadelphia  are  hardware,  and  what 
are  denominated  "  dry  goods."  This  term  in- 
cludes all  articles  of  woollen,  linen,  cotton,  and 
silk.  Those  returned  from  Pittsburgh  are  farm- 
ing produce,  chiefly  flour.  It  is  necessary  to 
understand  that  the  road  I  am  travelling  is  the 
only  trading  waggon  route  to  the  whole  western 
country.  This  circumstance  being  taken  into 
consideration,  in  addition  to  the  fact  that  there 
is  no  water  carriage,  the  number  of  convey- 
ances, though  great,  is  by  no  means  extraor- 
dinary. 

Proceeded  up  the  north  mountain,  over  a 
most  excellent  piece  of  road,  which  is  part  of 
the  new  national  turnpike,  proposed  to  extend 
from  the  head  of  the  Potowmac  to  Wheeling, 
and  when  completed  will  be  of  immense  import- 
ance to  the  western  country,  and  indeed  the 
whole  Union,  the  connection  of  the  old  and  new 
sections  being  at  present  materially  impeded 


GRAND   PROSPECT.  187 

by  excessively  bad  roads.     At  11  o'clock,  when 
near  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  we  enjoyed  a 
most  extensive  view  of  a    large  and  beautiful 
valley,  which  must  contain  tens  of  thousands  of 
acres  that  have  not  yet  known  the  hand  of  the 
cultivator.  The  prospect,  combining  some  grand 
mountain  scenery,  was  the  most  magnificent  I 
had  ever  beheld.      The    interest  of  the  scene 
was  also  not  a  little  heightened  by  the  prospect 
of  M'Connel's  Ville,  which  we  were  approaching. 
This  apparently  delightful  little  town  appeared 
secluded  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  one 
might  have  imagined  it  another  Eden,  cut  off 
by  means  of  woods   and    trackless  wilds,  and 
mountain  snows,  from  the  vices  and  the  corrup- 
tions which,   in  every  other  quarter,  visit  and 
torment  mankind.  —  But  this  is  merely  reverie. 
We  entered  the  town,  proceeded  to  the  tavern, 
where  we  breakfasted,  and  a  nearer  inspection 
showed    every  thing   around    us  to  be  merely 
human. 

M'Connel's  Ville  contains  40  houses,  chiefly 
log. — Beef  is  now  10  cents  a  pound  (5-4-d.);  some- 
times it  is  only  7  (3|d.) ;  mutton  is  not  con- 
sumed :  fowls  are  6s.  9d.  per  dozen  j  charge 
for  breakfast,  2s.  3d.  —  Passed  several  travellers 
on  foot  from  Massachusetts,  going  with  an  in- 
tention of  viewing  the  western  country,  and,  if 
satisfied,  of  selecting  a  settlement  previous  to 
the  emigration  of  their  families :  they  fairly 


188  EMIGRATION    WAGGONS. 

excelled  our  stage  in  expedition.  Came  up  with 
20  small  family  waggons ;  two  of  these  were 
broken  down,  and  the  horses  of  all  in  very  bad 
condition;  they  were  chiefly  from  Massachusetts, 
Jersey,  and  Connecticut.  One  of  these  was  the 
joint  property  of  a  Dutch  and  an  American  family. 
My  companions  seemed  to  know  at  first  sight, 
from  what  State  the  emigrants  travelled.  The 
New  Englanders  were  evidently  better  tilted  for 
the  great  and  unavoidable  fatigues  of  removal, 
than  the  natives  of  Jersey  and  Maryland.  I 
thought  I  could  even  discover  in  the  white  in- 
habitants the  effects  of  residing  in  free  and 
in  slave  States.  The  genuine  Yankies  (New 
Englanders)  are  ignorant  of  slavery ;  they  have 
been  necessitated  to  labour  with  their  own 
hands ;  they  have  not  been  demoralized  by  fa- 
miliarity with  a  system  that  establishes  a  barrier 
between  fellow-beings  on  account  of  their  colour; 
they  have  not  been  taught  that  because  their 
neighbour's  face  was  (to  use  their  own  phrase) 
a  grade  darker  than  their  own,  he  was  there- 
fore of  an  inferior  species  (as  I  am  sorry  to  see 
contended  for  even  by  Mr. Jefferson);  they  have 
relied  on  their  own  resources,  and  the  conse- 
quence is,  that  they  are  more  enterprising,  more 
healthy,  more  enlightened,  and  altogether  better 
suited  to  cultivate  the  wilderness  with  success, 
than  their  slave-holding  neighbours.  Even  the 
women  from  New  England  were  walking  before 

S 


FAMILIES    OF    EMIGRANTS.  189 

their  waggons,  while  the  others  were  either  riding 
or  lagging  behind. 

These  emigrants  preferred  travelling  in  com- 
panies, forming  a  oneness  of  interest,  and 
securing  an  interchange  of  assistance  when 
necessary.  In  difficult  parts  of  this  tract  their 
progress  was  so  slow  as  to  be  hardly  perceiv- 
able. Ropes  were  attached  to  each  side  of  the 
waggons,  at  which,  while  some  were  pulling, 
others  were  most  unmercifully,  though  neces- 
sarily, whipping  the  horses,  which  dragged  the 
waggons  five  yards  at  an  effort.  The  getting 
these  waggons  and  families  over  the  mountains 
appeared  little  less  than  a  continuance  of  mira- 
cles. I  was  prepared  to  expect  much,  but  the 
reality  has  increased  my  ideas  of  the  difficulty 
of  this  emigration  a  thousand  fold. 

Crossed  the  Juniatta  —  arrived  at  Dickenson's 
Tavern  —  proceeded  to  Bloody-run,  where  we 
arrived  at  half-past  eleven,  excessively  fatigued 
—  charge  for  supper  and  bed  4s.  (id.  In  the 
latter  part  of  this  stage  nothing  could  exceed 
the  badness  of  the  roads  ;  yet  the  understanding 
between  the  driver  and  horses  was  so  perfect, 
that  we  proceeded,  though  with  almost  broken 
bones,  with  the  exactness  of  mechanism.  A 
London  coachman  would  in  half  an  hour  have 
dashed  the  strongest  English  stage  to  pieces, 
and  probably  broken  the  necks  of  his  passengers: 


190  BAD  ROADS. 

Second  day.  —  Started  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning:  thermometer  ten  degrees  above  zero : 
at  nine  arrived  at  Bedford,  were  we  were  not 
allowed  to  breakfast,  as  a  stage-proprietor  lived 
farther  on.  We  all  crossed  over  to  the  orchard  of 
a  farm  house  and  stole  some  frozen  apples,  which 
our  keen  appetites  caused  us  to  enjoy.  —  Passed 
over  the  Dry  Ridge,  upon  which  were  great 
numbers  of  family  ami  sta^re  waggons  :  some  of 
the  former  were  from  the  district  of  Maine,  and 
had  been  out  80  days.  The  progress  of  our 
stage  was  so  slow  and  so  painful,  that  I  preferred 
walking :  this  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of 
entering  into  the  views  and  little  histories  of 
fellow-travellers.  No  person  here  need  feel  back- 
ward in  asking  questions,  ami  all  answer  without 
hesitation  or  reserve.  The  women  I  found  the 
must  communicative :  their  husbands  being 
chiefly  engaged  in  dragging  along  their  wretched 
nags.  The  first  I  conversed  with  was  from  Jer- 
sey, out  3C2  days :  she  was  sitting  upon  a  log, 
which  served  for  the  double  purpose  of  a  seat  and 
a  fire :  their  waggon  had  broken  down  the  day 
before ;  her  husband  was  with  it  at  a  distant  black- 
smith's :  she  had  been  seated  there  all  night :  her 
last  words  went  to  my  heart :  "  Ah  !  Sir,  I  wish 
"  to  God  we  had  never  left  home." 

The  view  from    the   summit  of  Dry  Ridge 
even  exceeds  the   one  before  described.     The 


EMIGRANTS.  —  SCENERY.  191 

scenery  is  bolder,  and  marked  with  a  character 
of  increased  magnificence.  The  eye  takes  in  at 
one  glance,  the  various  ridges  called  the  South, 
the  Blue,  the  Cove,  and  the  more  extended 
chain,  peculiarly  denominated  the  Allegany. 
The  calm  serenity  of  the  numerous  valleys 
formed  a  pleasing  contrast  with  the  more  stu- 
pendous works  of  nature  with  which  we  were 
so  profusely  surrounded.  Although  there  is 
here  much  barren  country,  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  fine  fertile  land.  The  most  prevalent 
trees  are  the  beech,  black,  red,  and  white  oaks. 
Clay  slate  appears,  thus  far,  to  characterise 
these  mountains.  —  We  continued  to  overtake 
emigrants'  waggons  from  Maryland,  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Connecticut,  Massachusets,  and 
district  of  Maine.  One  of  the  families  was  that 
of  the  brother-in-law  and  sister  of  Captain  Riley, 
whose  work,  detailing  his  shipwreck  and  conse- 
quent captivity  in  Africa,  has  been  reprinted  in 
England,  and  attracted  such  general  and  well- 
deserved  attention.  This  family  were  in  great 
distress. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  reached 
the  top  of  the  Alleganies.  Our  stage  was  far 
behind.  This  day  I  had  walked  about  sixteen 
miles ;  and,  as  was  the  case  the  day  before,  we 
were  not  allowed  to  stop  for  dinner,  there  being 
no  coach  proprietor  upon  the  road.  "  The 
"  Fountain  Inn"  is  a  miserable  log-house,  or  what 


RUM    AND    WHJSKEY    FEED. 

you  would  call  a  dog-hole  :  it  was  crowded  with 
emigrants.  I  asked  for  something  to  eat,  but 
could  only  obtain  for  answer,  "  I  guess  whis- 
"  key  is  all  the  feed  we  have  on  sale.'*  I  have 
met  with  several  similar  instances,  when  I  have 
asked,  "  Have  you  any  meat  ?"  "  No."  — 
"  Either  cold  or  hot  will  make  no  difference  to 
"  me."  "  I  guess  I  don't  know."  —  "  Have 
"  you  any  fowls  ?"  "  No."  —  "  Fish  ?"  "  No." 
—  «  Ham  ?"  "  No."  —  "  Dread  ?"  "  No."  — 
"  Cheese  ?"  "  No.  —  "  Crackers  (biscuits)  s" 
"  No."  —  "  I  will  pay  you  any  price  you 
"  please."  "  I  guess  we  have  only  rum  and 
"  whiskey  feed." 

The  character  of  the  mountain  inhabitants 
appears  cold,  friendless,  unfeeling,  callous,  and 
selfish.  All  the  emigrants  with  whom  I  con- 
versed complained  of  the  enormous  charges  at 
taverns.  Log-houses  are  the  only  habitations 
for  many  miles.  They  are  formed  of  the  trunks 
of  trees,  about  twenty  feet  in  length,  and 
six  inches  in  diameter,  cut  at  the  ends,  and 
placed  upon  each  other.  The  roof  is  framed 
in  a  similar  manner.  In  some  houses  there  are 
windows;  in  others  the  door  performs  a  double 
office.  The  chimney  is  erected  outside,  and  in 
a  similar  manner  o>  the  body  of  the  house. 
Some  have  clay  in  their  chimneys,  which  is  a 
precaution  very  necessary  in  these  western 
palaces.  In  some  the  space  between  the  logs 


LOG  HOUSES.  193 

remains  open  ;  in  others  it  is  filled  with  clay. 
The  hinges  are  generally  wood.  Locks  are  not 
used.  In  some  there  are  two  apartments;  in 
others  but  one,  for  all  the  various  operations  of 
cooking,  eating,  sleeping,  and,  upon  great  occa- 
sions, washing.  The  pigs  also  come  in  for  their 
due  share  of  the  log  residence.  —  By  eleven 
o'clock  at  night  we  safely  arrived  at  Somerset, 
237  miles  from  Philadelphia. 

Started  at  3  o'clock  on  our  third  day's  jour- 
ney :  thermometer  6  above  zero.  —  Crossed 
Laurel  Hill.  A  family  from  Massachusetts  had 
"  camped  out"  during  the  night.  At  five 
o'clock  we  found  them  cooking  potatoes  for 
breakfast :  they  very  freely  offered  us  a  por- 
tion of  their  homely  fare.  Perhaps  in  Essex 
I  should  have  thought  this  no  treat  —  on 
Laurel  Ridge  it  was  a  most  acceptable  one  ; 
so  naturally  does  our  inclination  adapt  itself 
to  our  circumstances.  This  family  consisted 
of  ten  persons:  an  old  lady,  her  son  and 
his  wife,  with  seven  children,  of  both  sexes, 
from  two  to  sixteen  years  of  age ;  all  in  ex- 
cellent health,  and  full  of  life  and  spirits ; 
despising  difficulties,  and  anticipating  a  rich 
reward  when  they  arrived  in  the  "land,  of 
"  Canaan." 

The  vegetation  on  this  ridge  appears  superior 
to  that  of  the  Allegany :  it  is  considered  to 
take  its  name  from  the  calmm  latifolia,  which 

o 


194«  ALLEGANY    MOUNTAINS. 

grows  here  profusely.  The  mountain  called 
Little  Chesnut  Ridge,  succeeds  that  of  Laurel 
Hill,  the  difficulties  of  tin-  road  increasing; 
though  tho^e  which  we  experienced  were  "  light 
"as  air,"  compared  with  those  \\hich.tlic  poor 
families  were  exposed  to.  The  inconveniences 
of  travelling  principally  arise,  not  from  the  mere 
height  of  the^e  mountain-,  but  from  the  abun- 
dance of  enormou->  stones  and  of  mud-holes. 
The  load  is  not  turnpike  alter  the  small  sp 

libed  previous  to  arriving  at  M'Connel's 
Ville.  The  trees  on  Chesnut  Ridge  are  chiefly 
oak  and  chesnut :  the  soil  appears  chalks , 
This  morning,  after  a  walk  of  four  hours,  we 
halted  for  the  coach  to  come  up  ;  though  the 
pain  of  riding  exceeded  the  fatigue  of  walking, 
yet  the  having  it  as  a  place  of  final  resort  was 
desirable  :  it  i  <  I  us  by  wry  ing  the  weari- 

•  of  our  bodies.  At  half-past  ten  at  night 
we  arrived  at  Greensburglt,  a  town  only  36  miles 
from  Pittsburgh.  I  was  delighted  with  the  near 
prospect  of  a  few  days'  cessation  from  fatigue. 

Stalled,  tlie  fourth  day,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  with  the  high  treat  of  a  turnpike-road  ; 
but  the  advantage!  arising  from  this  were  but  of 
short  continuance.  We  had  to  descend  Turtle 
Creek  Hill,  which,  in  consequence  of  recent 

is,  hud  become,  if  possible,  even  worse  than 
Laurel  Hill.  We  all  got  out,  and,  up  to  our 
knees  in  mud,  took  our  turns  in  holding  up  the 


COAL,  —  EMIGRANTS. 

stage.  This  tract  bore  decided  evidence  of 
being  imbedded  with  coal-  At  the  foot  of  the 
hill  I  came  up  with  a  woman  and  girl,  with  two 
infants  in  their  arms,  who  came,  to  use  their 
own  language,  "  from  Zomersetshire  in  Hing- 
"  land."  Collecting  from  my  remarks  that  I 
had  been  in  their  country,  they  spoke  of  it 
with  heartfelt  attachment ;  were  sorry  that  they 
had  ever  been  persuaded  to  leave  it  j  they  had 
been  told  that  this  was  the  first  place  in  the 
world,  but  they  had  experienced  nothing  but 
difficulties  since  they  had  set  their  foot  upon  it. 
The  husband  was  behind,  dragging  on  their  little 
all.  It  was  45  days  since  they  had  left  Phila- 
delphia. I  assisted  them  over  a  brook,  and  en- 
deavoured to  comfort  them  with  the  hopes  that 
when  they  once  got  settled  they  would  be  well 
repaid  for  all  their  toil. 

Passed  through  M'Nair's  Town,  a  new  log 
settlement ;  also  Eastern  Liberty  Town,  con- 
taining some  brick-houses,  an  hotel,  and  a  large 
steam  grist-mill.  At  two  o'clock  we  arrived  at 
Hunter's  hotel  in  Pittsburgh.  The  town  was 
enveloped  in  smoke.  The  condition  of  the 
people  from  Chambersburgh  to  Greensburgh  is 
that  of  an  absence  of  wealth  and  of  the  con- 
veniences of  life,  with,  however,  the  means  of 
obtaining  a  sufficient  quantity  of  food.  Their 
habitations,  in  our  ideas,  are  extremely  wretched; 
but  in  theirs,  the  contrary.  The  blacksmith  and 

o  2 


NUMBER    OF   EMIGRANTS. 

the  tavern-keeper  are  almost  the  only  occupa- 
tions :  the  former  earns  from  C2()s.  6d.  to  27*- 
per  week  :  the  profits  of  the  latter  must  be 
great,  judging  from  the  high  charges  and  bad 
<jiiah'ty.  From  Greensburgh  to  Pittsburgh,  the 
improvement,  in  size  and  quality  of  the  houses, 
is  evident ;  and  the  cultivation  and  condition  of 
the  land  are  much  superior.  Many  places  bear 
the  evident  marks  of  wealth ;  the  criterion 
for  ascertaining  which  is,  in  this  country,  vi-r\ 
tangible.  Recurring  to  my  old  plan  of  estima- 
tion, I  passed  on  my  road  from  Chambersburgh 
to  Pittsburgh,  being  153  miles,  one  hundred  and 
three  stage- waggons,  drawn  by  four  and  six 
horses,  proceeding  from  Philadelphia  and  Balti- 
more to  Pittsburgh,  —  seventy-nine  from  Pitts- 
burgh to  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia,  —  sixty- 
three  waggons,  with  families,  from  the  several 
places  following :  —  twenty  from  Massachusetts, 
—  ten  from  the  district  of  Maine,  —  fourteen 
from  Jersey,  —  thirteen  from  Connecticut, — 
two  from  Maryland,  —  one  from  Pennsylvania,  — 
one  from  England,  —  one  from  Holland,  —  and 
one  from  Ireland  ;  about  two  hundred  persons 
on  horseback,  —  twenty  on  foot,  —  one  beggar, 
one  family,  with  their  waggon,  returning  from 
Cincinnati,  entirely  disappointed  —  a  circum- 
stance which,  though  rare,  is  by  no  means,  a- 
some  might  suppose,  miraculous, 
nt 


PITTSBURGH 


PITTSBURGH. 

Pittsburgh  is,  in  several  points  of  view,  a  most 
interesting  town  ;  from  its  natural  situation,  being 
at  the  termination  of  two,  and  the  commence- 
ment of  a  third  river,  which  has  a  direct  commu- 
nication with  the  ocean^  though  at  the  almost 
incredible  distance  of  £500  miles  ;  its  scenery,, 
which  is  truly  picturesque  ;  its  exhaustless  pos- 
session   of   that   first-rate    material    for    manu- 
factories, coal  ;  its  original  situation  as  an  early 
military  post,    and  remarkable  for  two  defeats 
of  the  British,  more  especially  that  of  General 
Bradock  by  the  French  and  Indians,  in  which 
the  great  Washington  first  distinguished  himself^ 
though  but  a  youth  and  only  a  militia  colonel  ^ 
and  lastly,  its  present  importance  as  being  the 
connecting  link  between  new  and  old  America  ; 
and  though  it  is  not  at  present  a  "  Birming- 
"  ham,"   as   the  natives  bombastically   call  it, 
yet  it  certainly  contains  the  seeds  of  numerous 
important  manufactories.      The   published   ac- 
counts of  this  city  are  so  exaggerated  and  out 
of  all  reason,  that  strangers  are  usually  disap- 
pointed on  visiting  it.     This,  however,  was  not 
my   case.     I  have  been  in  some  measure   tu- 
tored in  American  gasconade.     When  I  am  told 
that   at   a  particular   hotel  there   is   handsome 
accommodation,    I  expect   that   they   are    one 
remove  from  very  bad  ;  if  "  elegant  entertain- 
ment," I   anticipate   tolerable  j  if  a  person  is 

o  3 


198  FARMING. 

"  a,  clever  man,"  tliat  he  is  not  absolutely  a  fool ; 
and  if  a  manufactory  is  the  "Jirst  in  the  world/9 
I  expect,  and  have  generally  found,  about  six 
men  and  three  boys  employed. 

PRICES. 

Beef  and  mutton  are  3d.  to  4^d.  per  pound  ; 
pork  4£d.  to  5d. ;  cheese,  P±d.  to  14d. ;  butter, 
lOd.  to  20d. ;  tea,  6s.  9d.  to  12s.  4d. ;  moist 
sugar,  13R  ;  loaf,  20d.  to  2s.  Id. ;  coffee,  20d. ; 
potatoes,  2s.  3d.  to  3s.  4id.  per  bushel ;  porter, 
6£d.  per  quart ;  fowls,  13£d.  each  ;  ducks,  20d.  j 
geese,  2s.  3d.  to  3s.  4|d. ;  turkeys,  3s.  4£d.  to 
5s.  8d. ;  flour,  27s  to  31s.  6d.  per  barrel  of  196 
pounds  ;  coal,  4d.  per  bushel.  Mechanic's 
board,  1.5s.  9d.  to  18s.  per  week. 

FARMING. 

Agricultural  produce  finds  here  a  ready  and 
an  advantageous  market.  Farming,  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood, is  not  the  most  profitable  mode  of 
employing  capital ;  but  it  is  here,  as  in  all  other 
parts  of  the  Union,  an  independent  mode  of 
life.  The  farmer  must  labour  hard  with  his 
own  hands.  The  "  help"  which  he  pays  for  will 
be  dear,  and  not  of  that  kind  to  be  relied  on,  in 
the  mode  of  its  execution,  as  in  England.  This 
may  not  proceed  from  a  worse  state  of  character, 
but  a  difference  in  condition,  as  compared  with 
our  working  class.  They  are  paid  about  fourteen 


PRICES.  199 

dollars  per  month,  and  board.  In  many  instances 
they  expect  to  sit  down  with  the  master,  to  live  as 
well,  and  to  be  upon  terms  of  equality  with  every 
branch  of  the  family ;  and  if  this  should  be 
departed  from,  the  scythe  and  the  sickle  will  be 
laid  down  in  the  midst  of  harvest.  There  is 
a  class  of  men  throughout  the  western  country 
called  "  merchants,'*  who,  in  the  summer  and 
autumn  months,  collect  flour,  butter,  cheese, 
pork,  beef,  whiskey,  and  every  species  of  farm- 
ing produce,  which  they  send  in  flats  and  keel- 
boats  to  the  New  Orleans  market.  The  demand 
created  by  this  trade,  added  to  a  large  domestic 
consumption,  insures  the  most  remote  farmer  a 
certain  market.  Some  of  these  speculators  have 
made  large  fortunes. 

Land  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Pittsburgh  is 
worth  100  dollars  per  acre.  At  a  distance  of 
from  five  to  twenty  miles,  tracts  of  from  100  to 
500  acres,  containing  meadow,  pasturage,  arable,, 
and  part  covered  with  wood,  have  been  recently 
sold  at  from  20  to 50  dollars  per  acre.  Wheat  brings 
a  dollar  a  bushel ;  Indian  corn,  75  cents  a  bushel. 
A  four  year  old  cart-horse  is  worth  from  -20  to  30 
dollars;  a  gig  ditto,  50  to  100;  a  saddle  ditto, 
20  to  150  *  ;  a  farmer's  waggon,  100  dollars  ; 

*  A  common  mode  of  selling  horses  is  for  the  owner  to 
gallop  through  the  street,  announcing  the  amount  of  his  last 
bidding.  I  have  witnessed  several  crying  out,  "  twenty-five 
"  dallars,"  "  twenty-five  dollars,"  "  twenty-five  dollars;" 

O  4 


BUILDING. COAL. 

a  family  ditto,  from  50  to  70  ;  i  ait,  .H>.  An 
quaintance  of  mine,  from  Derbyshire]  gave  yes- 
terday for  a  cow  with  a  calf  by  her  side,  twenty- 
li\e  dollars.  Sheej)  an-  from  one  to  three  dollars; 
live  hogs  from  ^ d.  t<»  Vd.  a  pound;  a  j^ood 
10, ist  ing  pig  4$.  (id.  Wool  is  but  little  in  demand 

since  the  tennin.it ion  of  the  war.      Mr.  , 

of  Lexington,  has  informed  me  that  he  pur- 
poses nuking  a  shipment  of  it  tor  Liverpool  ; 
should  this  succeed,  it  will  oiu  M  .1  ne\\  source  of 
profit  to  the  western  tanner.  I  l«  an  Meiino  is 
worth  here  .5s.  Sd.  to  6s.  <)d.  per  pound  ;  Hi  i 
3s.  .3d.  ;  half-bred,  fa  Jd.  ;  tpi  ul.  A  brick 

house,   two  hii;h,   eontainiu«4   ten   rooms, 

may  be  built,  wjth  L(ood  inanaiiemiMit,  in  the 
country  for  4000  dollars  ((J(K>1.),  as  the  bricks 
can  be  made  upon  the  land,  and  J,e  "  help" 
boardedintliehoii.se.  Into,  niiar  build- 

in^ ;  will  cost  (>(XH.)  dollars  \   exch. 

the  grouiul,  which,  in  particulai  .>it  i.at  1011^,  .is  of 
all  town>  that  pro.iiise  \\i-il,  i»  dearer  dun  the 
most  choice  spot  in  the  city  of  London  ! 

COAL. 

Lu   the    coal    hills  which   I   have   \i>ned,    the 
mineral  is  found   in  a  hori/ontal  position,   king 


and  after  half  an  hour's  exerci.-e,  tl;rv  have  bren  transferred, 
saddle,  bridle,  and  all,  to  u  new  bidder,  for  twenty-five 
dollars,  fifty  sants. 


HEALTH    AT   PITTSBURGH.  201 

at  present  above  level.  It  is  worked  by  adits  or 
openings  into  the  side  of  the  hills,  which  draw 
off  the  water.  The  stream  being  boarded  over, 

v 

the  coal  is  wheeled  out  in  barrows,  and  tripped 
from  an  overhanging  stage  into  one-horse  wag- 
gons.    The  waggons  are  without  wheels,  and  the 
horses,  if  blind,  are  preferred,  the  hills  being  so 
steep,  that  in  case  of  the  least  start,  nothing  can 
save  them  from  destruction.     Labourers  earn  in 
the  coal  excavations  31s.  6d.  to  40s.  (id.  per  week. 
—  If  the  inhabitants  of   Pittsburgh   are  deter- 
mined to  call  that  place  after  some  English  town, 
I  should  propose  that,  instead  of  the  "  American 
Birmingham,"  it  be  denominated,  with  relation 
to  the  humidity  of  its  climate,  "  the  American 
Manchester ;"    for   I   remained    at   this    place 
several  days,  during  which  time  the  rain  never 
ceased.     The  smoke  is  also  extreme,  giving  to 
the  town  and  its  inhabitants  a  very  sombre  aspect; 
but  an  English  medical  gentleman  who  has  re- 
sided  here  some  years,  informs  me  that  there  is 
not  a  more  healthy  place  in  the  United  States. 
The  diseases  are  bilious  remittent  fevers  ;   rheu- 
matic among  the  aged  ;   a  few  cases  of  broncho- 
cele  which  affects  the  theroid  gland  of  females  ; 
and   inflammatory  sore-throat  in  wet  weather. 
Medical  aid  is  easy  of  attainment,  though  not 
always  of  the  most  valuable  kind.     There  is  of 
doctors,  as  of  lawyers,  too  large  a  supply,  and 
of  course  many  of  them  very  inefficient.      A 


•202  TRADES   AND    MANUFACTORIES. 

physician  here  is  also  a  surgeon  —  prepares  hrs 
own  medicines,  and  practises  in  every  depart- 
ment of  the  profession  ;  —  generally  they  are 
neither  so  well  educated,  nor  in  such  respectable 
circumstances  as  our  medical  men. 

TRADES    AND    MANUFACTORI1  > 

The  manufacturing  interest  of  Pittsburgh  i* 
that  of  the  United  States.  Many  of  the  manu- 
factories originated  during  the  late  \v:ir,  and  nil 
of  them  flourished  during  it*  continuance.  At 
present  they  are  generally  upon  the  \\ane.  A 
document  was  issued  from  their  committee  last 
year,  setting  forth  their  di>tre>s  in  the  stron 
language  —  from  which  it  would  appear  to  equal 
that  of  our  manufacturing  classes,  even  during 
the  worst  period  of  their  surTcrii 

Mr.  Kphraim  Portland,  the  prothonotary  ol 
this  town,  favoured  me  with  the  following  list  of 
manufactories  up  to  last  January,  published  by 
the  authority  of  the  committee.  Mr.  P.  is  a 
gentleman  of  information,  and  to  whom  I  am 
personally  indebted  for  much  liberal  and  kind 
attention. 


TRADES   AND    MAUFACTORIES.  #03 

MANUFACTORIES  in  and  near  the  city  of  PITTSBURGH, 
in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  in  the  year  1817. 


,            Manufacturers. 

Number 
of  Men 
employed. 

Yearly 
Amount. 

Dollars. 

1  Augur-maker 

6 

3,500 

1  Bellows-maker 

3 

10,000 

18  Blacksmiths     - 

74 

75,100 

3  Brewers        v  - 

17 

72,000 

3  Brush-makers 

7 

8,600 

1  Button-maker 

6 

6,250 

2  Cotton-spinners  and  carders 

36 

25,518 

11   Copper-smiths    and     tin-plate-] 
workers       ...          J 

100 

200,000 

7  Cabinet-makers 

43 

40,000 

1   Currier 

4 

12,000 

2  Cutlers 

6 

2,400 

4  Iron-founders           - 

87 

180,000 

3  Gun-smiths,  and  bridlebit-makers 

14 

13,800 

2  Flint-glass  manufacturers 

82 

110,000 

3  Green  (window)  ditto 

92 

130,000 

2  Hardware       - 

17 

18,000 

7  Hatters           - 

49 

44,640 

1  Lock-smith 

7 

12,000 

1  Linen      

20 

25,000 

7  Nail        

47 

174,716 

1  Paper     -                  ... 

40 

23,000 

1  Pattern 

21 

1,500 

3  Plane      

6 

57,600 

1  Patten 

5 

8,000 

1  Rope  manufacturer 

8 

15,000 

1   Spinning  machine     ... 

6 

6,000 

1   Spanish  Brown         ... 

2 

6,720 

'    1   Silver  plater    - 

40 

20,000 

2  Steam-engine-makers 

70 

125,000 

6  Saddlers          .... 

60 

86,000 

5  Silver-smiths  and  watch-menders 

17 

12,000 

14  Shoe  and  boot 

109 

120,000 

7  Tanners  and  curriers 

47 

58,800 

4  Tallow-chandlers     - 

7 

32,600 

4  Tobacconists 

28 

21,000 

5  Waggon-makers 

21 

28,500 

2  Weavers          ... 

9 

14,562 

3  Windsor  Chair 

23 

42,600 

2  Woollen           - 

30 

17,000 

1  Wire-drawer 

12 

6,000 

1  White  Lead     - 

6 

40,000 

Total  number  of  workmen,  1280.  —  Ditto,  amount 

1,896,396  Dollars. 

%04t  KEFIECTION6. 

Some  of  the  above  manufactories  may  be  de- 
nominated first-rate.  This  remark  applies  par- 
ticularly to  the  nail,  steam-engine  (high  pres- 
sure), and  glass  establishments.  I  was  astonished 
to  witness  such  perfection  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic*  and  especially  in  that  part  of  America 
which  a  New  Yorker  supposes  to  be  at  the  far- 
ther end  of  the  world. 

At  Messrs.  Page  and  Hakewell's  i^lass  ware- 
house I  saw  chandeliers  and  numerous  articles 
in  cut  glass  of  a  very  splendid  description ; 
among  the  latter  \\a>  a  pair  of  decant LT>,  cut 
from  a  London  pattern,  the  price  of  which  will 
be  eight  guineas.  It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that 
the  demand  for  these  articles  of  elegant  luxury 
lies  in  the  Westeiw  States!  the  inhabitants  ot 
Kustern  America  being  still  importers  from  the 
"  Old  Country."  What  interesting  themes  of 
reflection  are  offered  by  such  facts  to  the  philo- 
sopher as  well  as  to  the  politician  !  Not  thirty 
years  since  the  whole  right  bank  of  the  Ohio 
was  termed  the  "  Indian  side."  Spots  in  Te- 
nesse,  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  that  within  the 
life-time  of  even  young  men,  witnessed  only  the 
arrow  and  the  scalping-knife,  now  present  to 
the  traveller  articles  of  elegance  and  modes  of 
luxury  which  might  rival  the  displays  of  London 
and  Paris,  while  within  the  last  half  century, 
the  beasts  of  the  forest,  and  man  more  savage 
than  the  beast,  were  the  only  inhabitants  of 
the  whole  of  that  immense  tract  peculiarly  de- 


STATE    OF   TRADE.  205 

nominated  the  "Western  Country:"  which  is 
now  partially  inhabited,  and  promises  soon  to 
be  generally  so  by  man  —  civilized  man,  pos- 
sessed of  the  arts  and  the  pursuits  of  civilized 
life.  It  is  already  the  refuge  of  the  oppressed  from 
every  other  nation.  May  it  become  the  seat  of 
enlightenment,  of  private  virtue  and  public  liber- 
ty ;  and  it  may  then,  but  not  till  then,  expect  to 
rank  among  the  greatest,  the  most  powerful,  and 
the  most  respected  of  the  nations  of  the  earth  ! 

The  rapid  and  unexampled  progress  of  this 
country,  presents  a  valuable  and  an  extraor- 
dinary political  lesson  to  the  world  at  large.  It 
shows  us  what  a  nation  may  become  when  the 
principles  of  its  government  are  cheap  and  liberal, 
when  its  resources  are  called  forth,  and  its 
powers  expanded  by  the  means  of  a  system  eman- 
ating from  the  people,  and  not  repressed  by  esta- 
blishments whose  only  recommendation  is  their 
antiquity,  nor  compelled  to  contribute  towards  the 
support  of  a  system  which  deprives  them  of  the 
legitimate  reward  of  their  industry.  —  But  to  re- 
turn to  less  speculative  and  more  practical  detail. 

The  state  of  trade  is  at  present  dull  ;  but  that 
thereis  a  great  deal  of  business  done  must  be 
evident  from  the  quantity  of  "  dry  goods"  and 
"  grocery  stores,"  many  of  the  proprietors  of 
which  have  stocks  as  large  as  the  majority  of 
London  retail  dealers.  They  are  literally  stuffed 
with  goods  of  English  manufacture,  consisting 


'206         ENGLISH  GOODS.  —  RENTS. 

of  articles  of  the  most  varied  kind,  from  a  man's 
coat  or  lady's  gown,  down  to  a  whip  or  an 
oyster  knife.  Rents,  of  course,  vary  according 
to  situation  :  houses  in  the  best  stands  for  busi- 
ness are  from  400  to  800  dollars  per  annum  ; 
others  are  from  150  to  350  j  —  two  rooms,  or  a 
very  small  house  a  short  distance  from  town, 
would  be  80  dollars  per  annum. 

It  is  difficult  to  form  a  judgment  whether 
there  is  an  opening  in  any  of  the  present  esta- 
blished businesses.  One  fact  strongly  in  favour 
of  the  stability  of  this  town  is,  that  there  has  not 
been  a  bankruptcy  In  itj'or  three  years  !  !  !  a  sin- 
gular contrast  this  with  New  York,  in  which 
the  last  published  list  of  insolvents  contained 
upwards  of  400  names. 

Should  the  establishment  of  cotton,  linen, 
or  woollen  manufactories,  be  thought  desirable, 
the  want  of  machinists,  such  as  you  have  in 
England,  would  be  a  most  material  consider- 
ation. Persons  with  such  knowledge,  and  ca- 
pable of  repairing,  as  well  as  making  every  part 
of  the  machinery,  would  be  necessary ;  and  also 
the  constant  personal  attendance  of  the  pro- 
prietor would  be  indispensable. 

I  should  have  sanguine  hopes  of  the  success 
of  an  extensive  coarse  pottery.  The  freight, 
carriage,  and  other  expences  attending  the  im- 
port of  such  articles  from  England  to  Pittsburgh 
is  now  from  100  to  200  per  cent.  Some  are  of 


GRUMBLERS.  20? 

opinion  that  a  slate  quarry  may  be  found  three 
miles  from  hence  ;  if  so,  and  there  were  capital 
and  skill  engaged,  it  would  prove  a  fortune.  The 
trade  of  slating  must  be  united  with  that  of 
quarrying  the  material.  —  Houses  are  now  roofed 
with  shingles,  which  are  dangerous,  and  not 
cheap. 

Establishments  might  be  advantageously  made, 
in  which  the  following  articles  would  be  of  pri- 
mary importance :  coal,  castiug  sands  of  every 
sort,  all  kinds  of  clays,  every  species  of  plaster 
of  Paris,  of  lime,  of  iron,  and  of  ochres,  as 
they  are  not  difficult  of  obtainment  in  Pitts- 
burgh. —  Lead  is  brought  from  Louisiana,  and 
copper  from  South  America. 

Understanding  that  mechanics  in  every  occu- 
pation met  at  "  Carey's  Porter-house,"  I  went 
there  several  times  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
information.  I  found  them  chiefly  English,  and 
all  discontented  with  America.  One  remark 
made  by  the  leading  grumbler,  deserves  attention. 
It  was  elicited  by  the  spirit  of  opposition.  His 
friend,  a  stone-mason,  said  that  there  was  "  no- 

"  thing   in    America,  but  d d  Yankies  and 

"  rogues,  and  that  it  was  not  fit  for  a  dog  to  live 
"  in  ;"  —  "  Aye,  aye,  Bob  ;  you  forget  that  you 
"  were  starving  in  England.  Say  what  you  will, 
"  this,  after  all,  is  the  poor  man's  country  — 
"  it  is  the  poor  man's  country,  Bob."  —  "  Yes ; 
"  it  may  be  well  enough  for  getting  pork  and 


WAGES. 

•'  whiskey,  uml  waives,  and  all  that ;  but  curse 
"  the  country;  it  would  be  a  good  country 
"  enough  if  it  was  free  from  dirty,  cheating 
"  Yankies." 

ES,  &C. 

Taylors  earn  from  31s.  6d.  to  4.0s.  per  week, 
are  now  well  employrd  ;  carponter  .Sis.  (id.  to 
40s.  (id.,  dull  ;  baker,  Us.  lid.  to  i-Os.  (id.,  dull  ; 
mason,  jU-s.  to  45s.,  brisk  ;  shoemaker,  Sis.  (id. 
to  d6s.,  brisk  ;  blacksmith,  -Us.  (id.  to  3fis.,  dull  ; 
tinman,  from  >(is.  to  45s.,  dull;  printer,  from 
31s.  (id.  to  3(3s.,  dull  ;  \\  caver,  no  employ- 
ment ;  gla^s-blower,  .'Us.  6d.  to  45s.,  dull ;  glass- 
cutter,  31s.  (id.  to  (iy*-  i>d.,  dull ;  hatter,  31s.  6d. 
to  45s.,  brisk ;  brewer,  3(is.,  dull ;  nail-cutter, 
31s.  Gd.  to  3(is.  brisk. 

I  omitted  mentioning  that  1  conceive  a  brew- 
eryj  upon  an  extensive  scale,  with  adequate  ca- 
pital and  skill,  would  succeed  extremely  well. 
There  are  at  present  three  in  the  business  in 
Pittsburgh,  and  none  of  them  sell  good  beer. 
The  mode  is  similar  to  that  pursued  by  Messrs. 
,  in  London.  The  erection,  or  pur- 
chase of  an  establishment,  in  which  there  should 
be  a  steam-engine,  with  a  malt-house  and  other 
buildings,  would  require  a  capital  of  not  more 
than  from  7  to  15,000. 

Bottled  porter  is  an  article  in  considerable 
demand  by  the  emigrants,  nearly  all  of  whom 


THEATRE. 

take  shipping  for  the  more  western  States,  at 
this  place.  The  use  of  malt  liquors  is  increasing 
in  all  parts  of  America.  Porter  in  Pittsburgh  is 
eight  dollars  per  barrel,  and  6^d.  per  quart. 

THEATRE. 

The  play  of  "  Hamlet,"  and  the  farce  of 
"  Turn  Out,"  were  acted  the  evening  after  my 
arrival.  Upon  either  I  have  nothing  particular 
to  observe.  The  acting  was  equal  to  the  au- 
dience, perhaps  superior.  A  son  of  the  cele- 
brated Lewis  performed  Horatio :  he  was  dead 
drunk,  and  extremely  dirty.  Mrs.  Entwistle's 
acting  in  the  farce,  could  scarcely  have  been 
exceeded  by  that  of  Mrs.  Davison.  Between 
the  apts,  two  boys,  not  14  years  of  age,  were 
very  solemnly  discussing  what  the  profits  of 
the  house  would  be  monthly,  if  that  night 
could  be  taken  as  an. average.  From  this  they 
took  a  view  of  what  interest  the  house  paid  to 
its  owner.  Their  calculations  were  made  with 
the  precision  of  state  financiers,  and  their  conclu- 
sions drawn  with  the  gravity  of  sages.  After  a 
long  dispute,  whether  the  interest  were  8|,  or 
8£  per  cent,  they  determined  that  the  theatre 
was  good  property.  This  occurrence  is  in  per- 
fect accordance  with  national  character.  Gain 
is  the  education  —  the  morals,  the  politics,  the 
theology,  and  stands  in  the  stead  of  the  domestic 
comfort  of  all  ages  and  classes  of  Americans  j  it 


HAMLET    TRAVESTIE. 

is  the  centre  of  their  system,  from  which  they 
derive  both  light  and  heat. 

A  few  days  after  the  performance  of  Hamlet, 
Mr.  Entwistle,  the  manager,  had  for  his  benefit, 
that  irresistibly  amusing  burlesque,  "  Hamlet 
"  Travestie."  His  line  of  acting  is  a  broad-farce 
caricature  of  that  of  Liston.  He  personated  the 
modern  Danish  prince.  The  audience  were 
solemn,  serious,  and  dull.  The  affecting  en- 
trance of  the  deranged  Ophelia,  who,  instead  of 
rosemary,  rue,  &c.  had  an  ample  supply  of 
turnips  and  carrots,  did  not  move  a  muscle 
of  their  intelligent  faces  —  the  ladies,  indeed, 
excepted,  who  evinced  by  the  frequent  use  of 
their  pocket  handkerchiefs,  that  their  sympa- 
thies were  engaged  on  the  side  of  the  love-sick 
maiden.  Some  who  had  seen  the  original 
Hamlet  for  the  first  time  a  few  evenings  before, 
gave  vent  to  their  criticisms  when  the  curtain 
fell.  They  thought  Mr.  Entwistle  did  not  look 
sufficiently  grave  ;  and  that,  as  it  was  his  benefit, 
he  acted  very  dishonourably  in  shaving  (cheating) 
them  out  of  two  acts ;  for  that  they  guessed  when 
Mr.  Hutton  played  that  '  ere  king's  mad  son,  he 

gave  them  five  acts  for  their  dollar.     Mr. 

(one  of  the  actors)  assured  me  that  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  a  respectable  lawyer  of  Pitts- 
burgh met  him,  and  said,  "  I  was  at  the  play  last 
"  night,  Sir,  and  do  not  think  that  Mr.  Entwistle 
"  acted  Hamlet  quite  so  well  as  Mr.  Hutton." 


YOUNG    WATSON. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  consider  Pittsburgh,  in 
every  point  of  view,  to  be  a  very  important 
town  j  and  have  no  doubt,  although  its  pros- 
perity is  now  at  a  stand,  and  property  if  not 
declinirig,  is  not  increasing  in  value,  that  it  will 
gradually  advance  ;  and  that  the  time  must  come 
when  it  will  be  an  extensive  and  very  populous 
city.  The  present  population  is  10,000,  made 
up  from  all  nations,  and,  of  course,  not  free 
from  the  vices  of  each  :  this  indeed  is  but  too 
apparent  upon  a  very  short  residence. 

A  day  previous  to  my  departure  from  Pitts- 
burgh, I  called  at  Carey's  Porter-house :  Mr.  C. 
stepped  forward,  and  pointing  with  his  hand  to 
a  young  man,  said,    "  Mr.  Watson,  Sir."    Eor 
some  minutes  I  did  not  comprehend  his  mean- 
ing.     The   person    to   whom  he   directed   my 
attention  sat  in  a  corner  —  silent,  serious,  and 
indifferent :  he  was  short  in  stature  and  mean 
in  appearance.     Guess  my  surprise  when  I  was 
informed  that   this    Mr.  Watson  was   no   other 
than    Young  Watson ;    he,    concerning   whom, 
for   some  months,    our   whole  country   was   in 
a  general  ferment.     I   felt  some  curiosity  to 
know   the   history   of   a  person    so   singularly 
thrust  into  premature  importance.     His  appear- 
ance greatly  disappointed  me,  not  on  account 
of  the  poverty  of  his  dress,  for  that  1  presume  re- 
sults at  present  from  circumstances  beyond  his 
controul  j  but  I  had  imagined  Young  Watson  to 


YOUNG    WATSON. 

be  a  daring,  bold,  enthusiastic,  indiscreet  young 
man.  He  does  not  seem,  however,  possessed  of 
any  one  of  these  qualities  :  he  is  reserved,  not 
from  constraint,  but  habit,  and  habit  of  a  kind 
that  more  bespeaks  an  absence  of  talent  than 
the  attendant  of  mind.  The  ship  Venus,  in 
which  he  went  passenger,  was  hauled  to  off 
Dover.  Two  Bow-street  officers  went  on  board, 
having  certain  information  that  he  was  there. 
His  face  was  painted  ;  he  had  on  a  farmer'.s 
frock  coat,  stuffed ;  shoes  without  heels,  looked 
stouter,  shorter,  and  younger  than  described 
in  the  proclamation.  He  went  on  deck  upon 
knowing  that  officers  were  looking  for  him. 
When  he  was  standing  by  their  side,  Miss  Wilson, 
a  cabin  passenger,  fainted.  Lavender,  ignorant 
of  his  person,  told  him  to  take  care  of  the  lady  ;  — 
examined  the  trunks  of  all  the  passengers,  not 
excepting  that  of  Watson,  who  continued  sup- 
porting Miss  Wilson.  The  officers  did  not  believe 
but  that  he  was  on  board,  their  information  being 
positive  ;  they  at  length  whispered  to  each  other 
in  his  hearing,  "he  is  not  here ;" — they  de- 
parted ;  —  the  ship  got  under  weigh  ;  —  he  con- 
versed with  all  concerning  Young  Watson.  — 
Upon  arriving  in  America,  Mr.  Busby,  son  of 
Dr.  Busby,  who  was  a  cabin  passenger,  enquired 
of  an  Englishman  in  New  York,  if  young  Wat- 
son was  in  America ;  being  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  he  asked  by  what  ship.  "  The  Ve- 


YOUNG   WATSON.  213 

"  nus."  "  No,  that  is  impossible,  for  1  came  in 
"  the  Venus."  —  "  He  certainly  came  in  the 
•"  Venus."  "  Under  what  name  ?" —  "Thomas 
"  Pearson."  "  Oh,  I  know  the  boy  Pearson 
"  very  well,  we  used  to  call  him  the  proud 
"  farmer."  He  has  got  a  situation  in  a  school 
and  receives  501.  per  annum ;  is  little  known 
and  less  regarded.  Americans  who  have  heard 
of  him  either  care  nothing  about  or  despise  him 
for  the  political  part  which  he  has  taken :  in 
these  few  lines  you  have  the  particulars  of  a 
young  man  who  has  excited  in  no  small  degree 
the  public  attention.  He  did  not  express  the 
least  gratitude  for  the  extraordinary  assistance 
which,  I  presume,  he  must  have  received.  I 
asked  myself,  during  his  conversation,  is  it  pos- 
sible that  this  is  an  individual,  one  of  the  fore- 
most among  those,  to  guard  against  whose  mighty 
machinations,  ministers  suspended  the  birthright 
of  Englishmen  ?  But,  however,  so  it  was ;  and 
in  this  person  we  have  by  no  means  a  novel  in- 
stance of  inexperience  combined  with  fanaticism; 
neither  of  which  qualities  w/)uld  perhaps  ever 
have  been  called  into  action  had  it  not  been  for 
the  existence  of  an  order  of  things  which  de- 
prives a  considerable  portion  of  our  population 
of  the  actual  necessaries  of  life. 

STATE    OF    OHIO. 

Left  Pittsburgh  for  Ohio — the  State  in  which 
every  emigrant  I  saw  on  the  Alleganies  told  me 

p  3 


21  i-  STATE    OF    OHIO. 

he  designed  settling ;  while  there  the  inhabit:, 
are  on  "  the  move*'  for  Alabama  and  Missouri. 
Emigration  in  this  country  is  always  in  motion, 
and  for  ever  changing  in  the  points  of  its  attrac- 
tion.    The  usual  mode  of  travelling  hence  i 
float  down  the  river,  as  being  the  easiest,   mos1 
economical,  and   most   expedition*.     The    land 
route    is   the   most    desirable    for    seeing    the 
country  and  people.     I  am  now  fairly  entered 
upon    the    western    com  which 

geographers  tell  us  contains  fifteen  hundred 
thousand  square  miles,  fifty  thousand  nnlfs  of 
internal  navigation,  one  hundred  tho.is.in.! 
river  coast,  \sith  an  endless  intersection  of  rivers 
communicating  with  each  other.  To  the  con- 
templative  politician  this  presents  a  magnificent 
spectacle;  such  an  one  must  tivl  i -i|uailv  anxious 
that  this  almost  boil'  ''leatro  for  human 

exertion  may  neither  be  polluted  In  politirul  in- 
stitutions,  pernicious  and  dt  in  their 

own  nature,  nor  present  to  the  world  the  mockery 
of  the  best  theoretical  pn  ,  whk-h,  while 

apparently  possessed  by  the  people,  are  virtually 
destroyed  by  an  iniquitous  jn-r version  of  their 
spirit.  —  But  leaving  general  views  of  politics,  I 
pass  on  to  the  particulars  of  the  State  of  Ohio, 
and  shall  detain  you  with  but  little  of  minute 
description  until  my  arrival  at  Cincinnati,  a 
town  which  possesses  all  the  features  common 
to  the  principal  towns  of  •  .!e. 


TAXES. 

The  face  of  the  country  is  an  uninterrupted 
level.  Many  of  those  tracts  of  land  which 
would  be  desirable  for  our  settlement,  should 
we  become  agriculturists,  are  pre-occupied,  and 
cannot  be  bought  without  an  advance  which  I 
think  disproportionate  to  their  actual  value. 
The  agent  at  the  land-office  informs  me  that 
there  are  still  for  sale  one  million  of  acres 
of  United  States'  land,  at  two  dollars  per  acre,  or 
one  dollar  and  sixty-four  cents  for  prompt  pay- 
ment. In  all  the  States  there  are  government 
reservation  lands :  these  are  generally  in  the 
most  choice  situations.  Some  such  tracts  have 
been  sold  in  the  wild  state  in  Tenesse,  at  the 
last  auction,  for  the  large  sum  of  38  dollars  per 
acre  ! 

Taxes  on  wild  land  are,  on  first-rate  2  dol- 
lars per  hundred  acres ;  H  dollar  on  second- 
rate  ;  one  dollar  on  third-rate.  There  is  also  a 
county-tax  of  half  the  above  amounts,  as  the  case 
may  be.  These  taxes  of  6s.  9d.  to  13s.  6d.  on  an 
hundred  acres  are  certainly  very  small,  at  least 
with  our  English  ideas  of  taxation  and  of  pro- 
duce ;  yet  you  would  be  astonished  to  witness  the 
numerous  lots  of  lands  which  are  sold  at  auction 
in  all  the  States  on  account  of  non-payment  of 
taxes.  I  have  seen  lists  in  the  newspapers,  and 
at  the  taverns,  which  could  not  contain  less  in 
each  than  four  hundred  names  of  defaulters, 

p  4> 


216  IMPKOVbD  FARMS. 

whose  property  was  to  be  transferred  to   the 
highest  bidder. 

I  have  been  offered  a  lot  of  six  thousand  acres 
on  the  Little  Miami,  by  Mr. ,  who  is  re- 
moving to  Alabama  :  the  terms  air  not  particu- 
larly objectionable.  Perhaps  this  would  suit  us  ; 
at  least  if  I  do  not  see  any  thing  more  desir- 
able further  west. 

The  section  of  country  bounding  on  the  Ohio 
river,  from  25  miles  on  either  side  of  Cincin- 
nati, and  extending  back  about  100  miles  di- 
rectly north,  to  the  late  Indian  houiui 
line,  (which  according  to  treaty,  was  extin- 
guished a  few  days  since,)  is  generally  an  ex- 
cellent body  of  land,  and  is  well  settled, 
though  but  small  improvements  are  yet  made, 
except  in  u  few  particular  places  near  towns. 
The  land  is  closelv  timbered,  except  near  the 
head  waters  of  the  two  Miamis  where  there  is  a 
beautiful  champaign  country.  1  he  prairies,  or 
natural  meado  here  of  considerable 

tent,  ( i  raxing  is  the  chief  occupation  of  the 
inhabitants.  The  price  of  land  varies  verv  much, 
according  to  situation  and  the  proximity  of  town- 
ships. Farms  which  are  called  improved  can  be 
bought  at  from  8  to  30  dollars  per  acre  :  the 
improvement*  often  consist  of  the  erection  of 
rough  log  buildings,  and  about  from  V2  to 
acres  under  middling  cultivation.  Buildings  arc 
included  in  the  price  per  acre.  The  next  cl 


PRAIRIES.  217 

of  farms  have  from  20  to  50  acres  under  cultiva- 
tion :  the  proportion  of  arable  and  wood  is  about 
two-thirds,  of  meadow  and  pasturage  nearly 
equal  proportions.  Any  of  the  land  is  here  ca- 
pable, by  culture,  of  being  turned  into  meadow. 
The  Miamis  are  navigable  in  the  spring  and 
autumn.  Limestone  abounds ;  coal  and  iron 
have  not  yet  been  discovered,  except  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State.  Wheat  sells  now  in 
the  Chillicothe  and  Cincinnati  markets  for 
3s.  4|d.  per  bushel ;  rye,  2s.  8£d. ;  Indian  corn, 
2s.  3d. 

There  are  large  prairies  in  Ross  county,  on 
the  north  branch  of  Paint  Creek,  near  Chilli- 
cothe ;  these  prairies  are  from  five  to  eight  miles 
square :  in  them  there  is  not  a  shrub  to  be  seen. 
They  produce  a  grass  growing  thick,  and  about 
four  feet  high,  which  makes  excellent  fodder  :  it 
is  similar  to  Massachusetts  upland  grass,  and  is 
there  called  English  hay.  These  prairies  are 
filled  with  herds  of  cattle  fattening  for  the  Balti- 
more and  Philadelphia  markets,  which  are  sold 
in  this  State,  on  the  hoof,  for  about  3  dollars  per 
hundred  weight.  The  chief  expence  of  pastur- 
age consists  in  a  man's  wages  to  look  after  the 
herds,  twice  a  week,  giving  them  salt,  &c. 

The  principal  towns  are  situated  on  the  banks 
of  rivers.  There  are  no  canals,  and  indeed 
not  much  occasion  for  them,  the  whole  State 
abounding  with  rivers  and  creeks,  which  empty 


218  TREES,  &C.  OF  OHIO. 

themselves  into  the  Ohio  river  :  produce  is  con- 
veyed with  little  expence  by  this  means,  during 
the  freshets,  or  rise  of  the  waters. 

The  trees  produced  by  the  best  class  of  land 
are  honey-locust,  black  walnut,  and  beach  ;  — 
by  second  quality,  sugar-tree,  sycamore  or  butter- 
wood,  and  white-wood,  used  for  building  and 
joiners'  work  ; — the  third  quality  produces  oak. 
Throughout  this  State  there  is  but  little  under 
or  brush-wood,  caused,  I  presume,  by  the  height 
and  spreading  tops  of  the  trees,  which  prevent 
the  sun  penetrating  to  the  ground,  and  nourish- 
ing inferior  articles  of  vegetation.  Wood  for 
firing  is  sold  in  the  towns  at  from  1£  to  3  dollars 
per  cord  (equal  in  consumption  to  half  a  chal- 
dron of  coals). 

The  yearly  wages,  I  am  informed,  of  a  labour- 
ing man,  is  from  581.  10s.  to  6*1. :  of  a  woman, 
311.  10s. 

With  regard  to  the  seasons,  they  are  said  to 
have  severe  winters  of  from  three  to  four 
months,  with  a  keen  dry  air,  and  cloudless  sky  ; 
during  summer  excessive  heat,  (thermometer  in 
the  shade,  80°  to  96°,)  with  heavy  dews  at  night ; 
springs,  cold  and  heavy  rains ;  autumns,  fine, 
followed  by  "  Indian  summer,"  which  is  truly  de- 
lightful. This  I  have  experienced,  and  can  say 
that  until  now  I  never  knew  what  really  fine 
weather  was.  Along  the  route  I  have  travelled, 
in  this  State,  there  is  scarcely  an  elevation  which 


MINERALS.  219 

can  be  called  a  hill,  with  exception  of  slight 
bluffs  on  the  margin  of  rivers.  The  dreary 
monotony  of  limited  views  of  such  endless 
uniformity  produces  sensations  of  the  most  de- 
pressing melancholy.  The  atmosphere,  after  a 
hot  day,  causes  head-aches,  which  frequently 
terminate  in  an  intermittent  fever.  A  man's 
being  sick,  (the  term  applied  to  every  species  of 
illness,)  is  as  common  in  this  country,  as  being  in 
distress  is  in  England.  In  regard  to  healthiness 
of  situation,  there  is  considerable  variety,  as  the 
appearance  of  the  inhabitants  will  in  some  mea- 
sure indicate ;  though  as  a  general  character- 
istic, I  would  say,  there  is  a  want  of  sound 
regular  health.  The  people  are  of  a  tall,  vaulty 
aspect,  and  seem,  even  during  their  most  active 
occupations,  to  be  the  victims  of  fever  and 
ague. 

Of  the  existence  of  minerals,  and  to  what  ex- 
tent and  variety,  at  present  but  little  is  known. 
Judging  from  the  beds  of  the  rivers,  and  quality 
of  the  water,  I  should  presume  that  coal  must 
be  abundant.  Salt  is  found  in  several  situations, 
particularly  on  the  Kenhaway.  The  common 
order  of  the  strata  is — first  sand-stone,  then 
lime-stone,  argillaceous  schist,  and  coal.  The 
wild  animals  are  neither  numerous  nor  trouble- 
some ;  though  the  wolf  and  the  squirrel  are  still 
depredators  :  but  the  sport  afforded  in  capturing 
them,  and  the  addition  which  the  flesh  of  the 


220  A    FROLIC. 

decay  in  from  eight  to  twelve  years,)  stones,  and 
latter  makes  to  the  family  stock  of  provisions, 
compensate  for  their  lawless  invasions  of  the 
rights  of  property. 

Land  is  sometimes  partially  cleared,  by  what  is 
rather  ludicrously  termed  ^frolic.    A  man  having 
purchased  ;i  quarter,  or  half  section,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  settling  down,   his  neighbours  assemble 
upon  an  appointed  day :  one  cuts  the  trees ;  a 
second  lops  them  ;   a  third  drags  them  to   the 
spot  upon  which  a  log  mansion  is  to  be  erected  ; 
others  cross  the  logs,  roof  the  habitation,  and  iu 
three  days  the  emigrant  has  a  "  house  over  his 
"  head  :"  —  thus  ends  the  American./ro/zc.    The 
raising  of  food  is  the  next  point  with  the  new 
settler :  in  this  he  must  rely  upon  his  own  re- 
sources.    If  he  be  strong-handed,  (has  property,) 
he  has  the  trees  felled,  about  one  foot  from  the 
earth,    dragged  into  heaps,   and  made  into  an 
immense  bonfire.     Should  he  be  weak-handed* 
(poor,)  he  is  compelled  to  be  content  with  what 
is  termed  girdling ;  which  consists  in  cutting  the 
bark,  thereby,  of  course  killing  the  trees ;  and 
he  afterwards  clears  away  the  underwood,  which 
is  seldom  considerable.     These  preliminary  oper- 
ations being  effected,  according  to  either  mode, 
grain  is  sown,  and  the  produce  reaped  with  a 
fruitfulness  of  production,  and  a  dexterity  truly 
extraordinary,     considering     that    these    oper- 
ations  are   carried  on    amidst   stumps,   (which  >. 


CLASSES    OF    SOCIETY. 

surrounded  by  entire  trees.  The  beauty  of  an 
Indian  corn  crop  cannot  be  exceeded.  When 
cut  and  carried  home,  the  neighbours  assemble 
to  assist  in  husking ;  this  is  called  a  hushing 
frolic.  In  some  parts  of  the  country  the  term 
frolic  admits  of  a  different  application ;  —  the 
religious  females  present  their  minister  with  a 
variety  of  gifts,  each  according  to  their  taste 
or  means :  some  send  a  coat,  others  a  hat, 
and  some  a  goose.  They  are  invited  to  the 
preacher's  house,  to  partake  of  a  supper,  as  a 
return  for  their  liberality  :  this  is  termed  a  knit- 
ting frolic.  Very  little  agricultural  labour  is 
performed  by  women.  The  slender  means  of 
many  settlers  not  enabling  them  to  purchase 
British  goods  at  the  high  price  at  which  they 
are  sold,  the  females  are  therefore  chiefly  em- 
ployed in  making  articles  of  domestic  cloth- 
ing. 

The  interior  population  may  perhaps  be 
divided  into  three  classes :  First,  the  squatter, 
or  man  who  "  sets  himself  dotvn,"  upon  land 
which  is  not  his  own,  and  for  which  he  pays 
nothing  ;  cultivates  a  sufficient  extent  to  supply 
himself  and  family  with  the  necessaries  of  life ; 
remains  until  he  is  dissatisfied  with  his  choice  j  — 
has  realized  a  sufficiency  to  become  a  land- 
owner ;  • —  or  is  expelled  by  the  real  proprietor. 
Second,  the  small  farmer  who  has  recently  emi- 
grated, had  barely  sufficient  to  pay  the  lirst 


CLASSES    OF    SOCIETY. 

instalment  for  his  80  or  160  acres  of  two  dollar 
land  ;  cultivates,  or  what  he  calls  improves,  ten 
to  thirty  acres  j  raises  a  sufficient  "  feed"  for 
his  family  ;  has  the  females  of  it  employed  in 
making  or  patching  the  wretched  clothing  of  the 
whole  domestic  circle ;  is  in  a  condition  which, 
if compelled  by  legislative  acts,  or  by  external  force* 
to  endure,  would  be  considered  truly  wretched ; 
but  from  being  his  own  master,  having  made  his 
own  choice,  from  the  having  "  no  one  to  make 
"  him  afraid,"  joined  with  the  consciousness 
that,  though  slowly,  he  is  regularly  advancing 
towards  wealth ;  the  breath  of  complaint  is  sel- 
dom heard  to  escape  from  his  lips.  Third,  the 
wealthy  or  "  strong-handed"  farmer,  who  owns 
from  five  to  twelve  hundred  acres,  has  one-fourth 
to  one-third  under  cultivation,  of  a  kind  much 
superior  to  the  former ;  raises  live  stock  for  the 
home,  and  Atlantic-city  markets ;  sends  beef, 
pork,  cheese,  lard,  and  butter  to  New  Orleans  j 
is  perhaps  a  legislator,  at  any  rate  a  squire 
(magistrate)  ;  is  always  a  man  of  plain  business- 
like  sense,  though  not  in  possession,  nor  desirous 
of  a  very  cultivated  intellect ;  understands  his 
own  interest,  and  that  of  his  country ;  lives  in 
sufficient  affluence,  and  is  possessed  of  comfort, 
according  to  the  American  acceptation  of  the 
term,  but  to  which  we  "  old  country"  folks  must 
feel  inclined  to  take  an  exception:  but  in  con- 
clusion, and  a  most  important  conclusion  it  is, 


CINCINNATI. 

a  number  of  this  class  of  men  were,  ten  or 
fifteen  years  ago,  inhabitants  of  the  eastern 
States,  and  not  worth,  upon  their  arrival  in 
Ohio,  twenty  dollars. 

Well-prepared  land  in  this  State  produces,  per 
acre,  30  bushels  of  wheat ;  50  to  75,  of  Indian 
corn  ;  50  to  7^>  of  rye.  Horses  are  worth  from 
40  to  100  dollars  (91.  to  221.  10s.)  Cows,  (four 
years  old,)  12  to  20  dollars  (54s.  to  90s.) 

The  management  of  farms  is  full  a  century 
behind  that  of  England,  there  being  here  a 
want  of  improved  machinery  for  the  promotion 
of  economy  in  time  and  labour,  and  no  regular 
attention  to  the  condition  of  live  stock,  while  the 
mode  of  culture  in  general  appears  slovenly  and 
unsystematic.  Cows  are  milked  sometimes  twice, 
sometimes  once  a  day :  at  others  four  times  a 
week.  Barns  are  erections  which  you  would  not 
know  by  that  name,  and  which  must  materially 
deteriorate  the  annual  receipts  j  —  upon  the 
whole,  Bowles's  rude  but  delightful  picture  of 
"  The  Farm  Yard  "  would  be  as  unintelligible  to 
an  Ohian,  as  it  is  to  the  Cockney,  whose  ideas 
of  a  country  life  are  limited  to  a  Sunday's 
excursion  to  ChalK-farm  and  Highbury-barn. 

CINCINNATI. 

My  arrival  in  the  interesting  town  of  Cincin- 
nati was  at  10  o'clock  at  night.  I  put  up  at  the 
Cincinnati  hotel,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio, 


SLAVES. 

When  I  had  remained  here  half  an  hour,  the 
bar-keeper  informed  me  that  all  their  beds  were 
engaged.  This,  at  so  late  a  period  in  the  evening, 
and  with  the  rain  pouring  in  torrents,  was  not  the 
most  agreeable  reception,  particularly  as  I  had 
not  rested  upon  a  bed  for  the  four  previous  nights. 
A  gentleman  whom  I  had  seen  when  in  Pennsyl- 
vania endeavoured  to  procure  me  a  share  in  that 
of  his  friend,  his  own  being  already  doubly  en- 
gaged. The  negotiation  failing,  I  applied  to 
the  bar-keeper  to  be  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
house,  though  without  a  bed.  To  this  he 
assented,  and  placing  some  chairs  against  the 
wall,  with  saddle-bags  for  my  pillow,  1  enjoyed 
a  comfortable  night's  rest. 

Many  persons  in  this  State  have  coloured 
people,  which  they  call  their  property.  The 
mode  in  which  they  effect  this  perpetuation  of 
slavery,  in  violation  of  the  spirit  of  the  Ohio 
constitution,  is  to  purchase  blacks,  and  have 
them  apprenticed  to  them.  Some  are  so  base  as 
to  take  these  negroes  down  the  river  at  the  ap- 
proach of  the  expiration  of  their  apprenticeship, 
and  sell  them  at  Natchez  Jor  life  ! 

Yet  the  first  article  of  the  Ohio  constitution 
is,  "  ALL  MEN  are  born  equally  free  and  inde- 
pendent" 

PRICES. 

I  visited  the  public  market  before  the  sun 
had  appeared  above  the  horizon.  The  whole 

lit 


PRICES. 

town  presented  a  scene    of    life  and   activity. 
The  market-house  is  an  excellent  building,  and 
under  judicious  regulations ;  but  the  supply  on 
this  occasion  was  neither  various  nor  profuse. 
Beef  and   mutton    are    from   2d.  to  3|d,  per 
pound  ;  veal,  4d. ;  pork,  2|d.  to  44d. ;  potatoes, 
£&.  3d.  a   bushel ;  flour,  27s.  a  barrel   of  196 
pound ;  fowls,  lOd.  each  ;  geese,  2s.  3d.  each ; 
turkeys,  3s.  4£d.  to  4s.  6d. ;  moist  sugar,  13d.  a 
pound ;  loaf  ditto,  20d. ;  porter,  27s.  to  31s.  6d. 
per  barrel  of  32  gallons,  6id.  per  quart ;  cider, 
lls.  3d.    per  barrel;  gin,  5s.  7£d.    per  gallon; 
whiskey,  2s.  8d.  ;  brandy,  13s.  6d.  to  18s. ;  rum, 
lls.  3d.;  shoes,  13s.  6d.   to  15s.  9d.  per   pair; 
Wellington  boots,  36s.  to  40s.  6d. ;  Hessian  ditto, 
49s.  6d.  to  54s. ;  superfine  blue  cloth,  21. 18s.  6d. 
to  3l.7s.6d.  per  yard;  making  a  coat,  27s.;  super- 
fine hats,  of  American  manufacture,  31s.  6d.  to 
45s. ;  rent  of  two  small  rooms,   181.  per  annum  ; 
ditto,  of  a  small  house  in  a  third  or  fourth  rate 
situation,  from  331.  15s.  to  67!.  10s.   The  general 
average  of  houses,  in  good  business  situations,  is 
from  901.  to  1371. 10s.  per  annum  :  taxes  trifling, 
indeed  1  could  not  ascertain  their  amount;  a 
good  evidence  that  they  cannot  be  oppressive. 
Women-servants  are  paid  20s.  3d.  to  29s.  3d.  per 
month  ;  men  ditto,  63s.  to  72s.  Mechanic's  board 
and  lodging  per  week,  13s.  6d. ;  respectable  ditto, 
18s.  to  22s.  6d. ;  ditto  at  the  best  inns,  31s.  6d. 
to  47s.  3d.     These  charges  are  enormously  dis- 
ci 


226  TRADES. 

proportionate  to  the  rate  of  provisions ;  although 
large  rents,  dear  clothing,  and  high  price  of 
labour,  are  items  of  no  small  importance  in  the 
hotel  and  boarding-house  keepers'  calculations, 
and  for  which  allowances  should  fairly  be  made. 
The  wages  of  mechanics,  in  all  trades  suited  to 
the.  present  condition  of  the  country,  vary  from 
36s.  to  45s.  per  week.  Taylors,  shoemakers, 
carpenters,  blacksmiths,  masons,  and  saddlers 
are  at  present  good  businesses ;  these  I  would 
distinguish  by  denominating  first-rate ;  tinmen, 
bakers,  and  hatters,  second-rate ;  printers* 
third-rate ;  for  the  weaver  there  is  no  employ- 
ment. A  watchmaker,  as  such,  could  not  ob- 
tain a  subsistence,  watches  not  being  manu- 
factured in  America ;  such  a  mechanic  pos- 
sibly could  get  a  living  by  mending  watches,  and 
attending  to  every  department  of  silversmiths' 
work.  It  is  thought  there  is  an  opening  for  a 
dyer,  there  being  but  one  in  the  town,  —  an  old 
woman. 

You  are  aware  of  the  sudden  rise  and  im- 
provement of  this  place  j  the  present  population 
is  said  to  be  10,000 ;  though  Mr.  Williams, 
editor  of  "  the  Western  Spy,"  told  me  that  he 
considers  it  does  not  exceed  eight,  including 
blacks,  who  are  rather  numerous.  The  town 
s  built  upon  the  model  of  Philadelphia ;  and* 
should  it  ever  become  as  large,  which  I  think 
not  improbable,  its  whole  appearance  will  be 


EDUCATION.  227 

more  pleasing.     There    are   five    churches   be- 
longing to  Methodists,    Episcopalians,    Presby-' 
terians,    Quakers,    and   Baptists:    two   others, 
large  in   size,    and    handsome   in   appearance, 
are  now  erecting. 

EDUCATION. 

The  School-house,  when  the  whole  plan  is 
completed,  will  be  a  fine  and  extensive  structure. 
In  the  first  apartment,  on  the  ground-floor, 
the  Lancasterian  plan  is  already  in  successful 
operation  :  I  counted  150  scholars,  among  whom 
were  children  of  the  most  respectable  persons 
in  the  town  ;  or,  to  use  an  American  phrase, 
"  of  the  first  standing.'*  This  school-house  is, 
like  most  establishments  in  this  country  —  a 
joint  stock  concern.  The  terms  for  education, 
in  the  Lancasterian  department,  are,  to  share- 
holders,  11s,  3d.  per  quarter;  others,  13s.  6d. 
There  are  in  the  same  building  three  other 
departments  (not  Lancasterian) ;  two  for  instruc- 
tion in  history,  geography,  and  the  classics ; 
and  the  superior  department  for  teaching  lan- 
guages. Males  and  females  are  taught  in  the 
same  rooms,  but  sit  on  opposite  sides.  The 
terms  for  the  historical,  &c.  department  are  — 
to  share-holders,  22s.  6d.  per  quarter ;  others, 
27s. :  there  were  present  21  males  and  19  females. 
In  the  department  of  languages,  the  charge  is 
—  to  share-holders,  36s.  per  quarter  j  others,  45s. 


228  NEWSPAPERS. 

Teachers  are  paid  a  yearly  salary  by  the  com- 
pany :  these  men  are,  I  believe,  New  Englanders, 
as  are  the  schoolmasters  in  the  western  country 
generally. 

I  also  visited  a  poor  half-starved  civil  school- 
master :  he  has  two  miserable  rooms,  for  which 
he  pays  22s.  6d.  per  month  :  the  number  of 
scholars,  both  male  and  female,  is  28  :  the  terms 
for  all  branches  13s.  6d.  per  quarter  :  he  com- 
plains of  great  difficulty  in  getting  paid  ;  and 
also  of  the  untameable  uisubordination  tf  his 
scholars.  The  superintendant  of  the  Lancas- 
terian  school  informs  me,  that  they  could  not 
attempt  to  put  in  practice  the  greater  part  of 
the  punishments  as  directed  by  the  founder  of 
that  system. 

NEWSPAPERS. 

This  town  produces  two  newspapers,  "  The 
««  Western  Spy,"  and  "  Liberty  Hall."  The 
impression  of  each  is  said  to  be  1200  per  week. 
As  the  terms  upon  which  they  are  sold  are  an 
index  to  the  want  of  capital,  though  not  of  pro- 
perty, in  this  country,  1  extract  the  following 
statements  verbatim  from  the  XlVth  volume  of 
"  Liberty  Hall,"  Nov.  10.  1817- 

"  The  price  of  this  paper  is  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
"  for  52  numbers ;  but  which  may  be  discharged  by  the 
"  payment  of  three  dollars  within  the  year,  or  two  dollar*- 
'*  and  fifty  cents  in  ADVANCE. 


NEWSPAPERS. 
/ 

**  Subscribers  must  pay  the  postage  of  their  papers. 

"  Payments  in  advance  being  to  the  mutual  interest  qfb  oth 
*'  parties,  that  mode  is  solicited. 

'*  A  failure  to  notify  a  discontinuance  at  the  expiration  ot 
*'  the  time  subscribed  for,  will  be  considered  a  new  engage* 
"  ment. 

"  When  Subscribers  wish  to  discontinue,  all  arrearages 
•"  must  first  be  paid. 

"  Letters  to  the  Editors  must  be  POST-PAID. 

"  TERMS  OF  ADVERTISING  :  12  lines,  or  less,  for  three 
"  insertions,  one  dollar  :  each  continuance  25  cents. 

"  Longer  advertisements  in  the  same  proportion. 

"  When  a  customer's  advertising  amounts,  in  the  course 
of  a  year  to  3  12  and  not  exceeding  g  25,  a  deduction  of 
<f  20  per  cent,  will  be  made;  and  25  per  cent,  on  all  sums 
«  above  $  25. 

Terms  from  the  "  White  Water  Gazette." 

"  Wheat,  Rye,  Corn,  Oats,  Whiskey,  Pork,  Bacon, 
"  Sugar,  Linen,  Flax,  Feathers,  Wool,  Beeswax,  Tallow, 
"  Candles,  Furs,  Rags,  or  CASH  (notes,)  at  market  prices, 
**  and  delivered  at  such  places  as  may  be  agreed  upon,  will 
**  be  taken  in  payment  for  subscriptions." 

The  type  and  general  execution  of  the  above- 
named  papers  are  superior  to  those  of  Philadel- 
phia ;  but,  in  common  with  all  American  news- 
papers, they  are  extremely  uninteresting,  relying 
almost  entirely  lor  matter  upon  advertisements 
and  English  news,  the  latter  being  always  made 
their  leading  article.  From  the  paper  mentioned 
above  ("  Liberty  Hall"),  and  of  the  same  date, 
I  take  the  following,  which  is  a  fair  sample  of 
the  general  contents  of  every  news  publication 
in  the  United  States  : 

Q  3 


SPECIMEN    OF   NEWS. 
LATEST  FROM  ENGLAND. 

New  York,  Oct.  27. 

"  By  the  schooner  Weymouth,  Benedict,  in  33  day* 
"  from  Liverpool,  the  Editors  of  the  Mercantile  Advertiser 
"  received,  at  a  late  hour  last  evening,  the  papers  of  that 
"  place  to  the  17th,  London  to  the  15th ;  and  by  the  Maria 
"  Theresa,  from  Havre,  French  papers  to  the  13th  ultimo, 
"  all  inclusive.  They  contain  no  news  of  moment. 

"  Accounts  from  Ireland  state,  that  the  typhus  fever  had 
"  begun  to  sub.Mtlt . 

"  The  Prince  Regeot  was  landed  at  Brighton  on  the  lSth> 
"  having  been  at  sea  four  days  and  three  nights,  during 
"  which  time  he  visited  the  coast  of  France. 

"  Mrs.  Cobbett,  with  her  two  sons  and  three  daughters, 
"  sailed  from  Liverpool,  on  the  16th,  in  the  Aurora,  for 
"  New  York. 

*'  The  papers  speak  of  the  universal  revival  of  trade  in  all 
*'  parts  of  the  kingdom,  and  particularly  of  the  rise  of  cotton 
"  and  linen  goods. 

"  Paris  papers  to  the  13th  contain  nothing  of  interest. 
"  Desbands  and  Chayoux,  who  plotted  the  assassination  of 
"  Monsieur  and  son,  had  been  shot  in  the  plain  of  Grenoble. 

"  Lord  Wellington  had  been  non-suited  in  his  prosecu- 
««  tion  of  the  printer  of  the  Ghent  Journal,  and  adjudged  to 
"  pay  the  costs.  It  is  said  the  duke  had  appealed  from  this 
'*  decision." 

TRADE    AND    MANUFACTURES. 

The  woollen  manufactory,  the  steam  grist- 
mill, and  u  glass-house,  are  on  a  tolerably  large 
scale  :  the  two  former  are  said  not  to  pay  the 
proprietors.  In  the  main  street,  English  goods 
abound  in  as  great  profusion  as  in  Cheapside.  A 
first-rate  shop  sells  every  thing  ;  keeps  a  stock 
of  from  20  to  30,000  dollars  j  annual  returns  may 


TRADE.  231 

be  50,000  dollars,  upon  half  of  which  they  give 
from  6  to  18  months'  credit.  Some  of  their  goods 
they  import  direct  from  England,  but  more  com- 
monly purchase  at  Philadelphia ;  their  journey 
for  which  purpose,  to  and  from  that  city,  occu- 
pies them  three  months  :  goods  average  50  days 
in  arriving.  A  house  at  Pittsburgh  advances 
money  in  payment  of  carriage,  and  attends  to 
the  receipt  of  the  goods  by  waggon  and  their 
shipment  by  boats,  for  which  the  dealer  here 
pays  5  per  cent,  commission.  The  credit  which 
they  receive  at  Philadelphia  is  from  six  to  seven 
months,  but  they  can  seldom  pay  at  the  speci- 
fied time,  and  are  then  charged  7  per  cent, 
interest.  Shopkeeping  has  been  very  profitable, 
but  it  certainly  is  now  very  much  over-done : 
all  complain  that  trade  is  extremely  dull.  I  re- 
mark what  appears  to  me  an  universal  and  most 
important  error  in  all  the  stores  —  too  large  a 
stock  :  by  this  means  tradesmen,  in  every  coun- 
try, are  exposed  to  lose  as  much  as  by  bad 
debts.  I  find  much  difficulty  in  deciding  whe- 
ther any  manufactures  in  which  our  Yorkshire 
and  Leicestershire  friends  could  engage  would 
be  successful :  English  ascendancy  is  so  strongly 
established,  that  America  must  be  tributary  for 
many  years  to  our  country.  Some  of  the  best- 
informed  inhabitants  are  of  opinion  that  cotton, 
woollen,  linen,  and  stocking-making  would  suc- 
ceed, if  large  capital,  with  competent  and  varied 
Q  4 


IMPORTS    AND    EXPORTS. 

skill,  were  employed  ;  but  in  these  opinions  I 
place  little  confidence. 

The  imports  are  —  nearly  every  description 
of  English  goods,  and  some  French  and  India  : 
these  are  received  via  New  Orleans,  Baltimore, 
or  Philadelphia;  chiefly  the  two  latter  cities. 
The  exports  are  flour,  beef,  pork,  and  butter. 
The  town  contains  two  chartered  banks  and  one 
unchartered,  all  in  respectable  credit ;  a  branch 
of  "  The  United  States'  Bank"  is  also  just  esta- 
blished there  ;  the  paper  money  system  has  gone 
beyond  all  bounds  throughout  the  western  coun- 
try. Specie  of  the  smallest  amount  is  rarely  to  be 
seen,  and  the  little  which  does  exist  is  chiefly  cut 
Spanish  dollars,  which  are  divided  into  bits  of 
50,  25,  and  1^  cents.  Notes  of  Sid.,  (Sid.,  13d. 
and  2s.  2d.  are  very  common  ;  indeed  they  con- 
stitute an  important  part  of  the  circulating 
medium.  I  purchased  Cincinnati  notes  in  Pitts- 
burgh at  5  per  cent,  discount,  and  Louisville 
notes  at  7\.  This  does  not  proceed  from  want  of 
faith  in  those  banks,  nor  are  the  latter  esteemed 
less  safe  than  the  former :  the  increase  of  dis- 
count arises  from  Louisville  being  150  miles 
farther  distant.  The  same  principle  applies  to 
every  other  town,  and  operates  vice  versa  upon 
Pittsburgh.  The  paper  of  banks  which  are  not 
chartered,  or  which  are  deficient  in  reputation, 
can  be  bought  at  similar  distances  from  the  place 
of  its  first  circulation,  at  from  10  to  40  per  cent. 


PAPER   MONEY.  233 

discount :  had  I  sufficiently  understood  this  trade 
when  I  landed  in  America,  I  think  I  could  have 
nearly  paid  my  expences  by  merely  buying  in 
one  town    the    notes   of  that   to  which   I  was 
going.     There  is  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  them, 
as  there  is  always  a  stock  on  hand  at  the  shavers 
(brokers)  and  lottery  offices.      Had  I  bought 
pistoreens   (lOd.  pieces)   from    Philadelphia,   I 
should  have  made  25  per  cent,  by  them :  they 
pass  here,  in  consequence  of  the  want  of  specie, 
for  thirteen  pence.     Before  I  leave  Cincinnati, 
let  me   say,    that  I  think   it  a  very  handsome 
town  ;  a  town  in  fact,  that  must  astonish  every 
traveller   when   he   recollects   how   recently  it 
has  been  established.     Mr.  Piatt  is   building  a 
house  here  which  would  not  disgrace  the  very 
first  London  squares.     The  number  of  moderate- 
sized,  well-built  brick  buildings  is  considerable  ; 
the  three  markets  are  excellent  establishments ; 
the  churches  are  neat  and  elegant ;  the  post- 
office  would  bear  a  comparison   in  its  arrange- 
ment and  management  with  that  of  London ; 
some  of  the  streets  are  paved,  others  are  now 
paving  5   ground   for  building   in   the  town   is 
enormously  dear ;  Mr.  Piatt  (banker  and  mer« 
chant)  informs   me   that    one  particular   spot, 
which  cost  when  he  first  settled  here  (18  years 
ago)  30  dollars,  is  now  worth  20,000. 

The  next   consideration   is,   does  this   town 
offer  substantial  inducement  to  settlers  ?  I  think 


234  KENTUCKY. 

not ;  it  has  advanced  rapidly,  but  it  cannot 
continue  to  do  so ;  the  future  progress  is  certain, 
but  it  must  be  gradual.  Property  is  as  high 
here  as  in  Philadelphia,  and  all  occupations  are 
rilled.  On  the  road,  every  emigrant  tells  you  he 
is  going  to  Ohio ;  when  you  arrive  in  Ohio,  its 
inhabitants  are  "  moving"  to  Missouri  and  Ala- 
bama ;  thus  it  is  that  the  point  for  final  settle- 
ment is  for  ever  receding  as  you  advance,  and 
thus  it  will  hereafter  proceed,  and  only  be  ter- 
minated by  that  effectual  barrier  —  the  Pacific 
Ocean. 

KENTUCKY. 

• 

Being  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Kentucky,  I 
felt  anxious  to  see  a  State  that  forms  so  very 
important  a  part  of  the  "  Western  Country  ;"  and 
although  I  knew  it  was  a  slave  State,  yet  having 
seen  so  much  of  practical  slavery  in  those  States 
denominated//-^,  I  did  not  anticipate  that  one 
in  which  this  deplorable  order  of  things  is 
legalized,  could  be  really  worse.  In  addition  to 
this,  I  had  received  an  impression  that  the 
genuine  Kentuckiau  had  many  excellent  traits  of 
character.  Mr.  Mellish  says  that  "they  resemble 
"  the  Irish  ;  are  frank,  affable,  polite,  and  hos- 
"  pitable  in  a  high  degree ;  they  are  quick  in 
'"  their  temper,  sudden  in  their  resentment,  and 
"  warm  in  all  their  affections."  A  variation  of 
character  was  evident  in  a  trifling  occurrence  at 
the  first  tavern  at  which  I  put  up :  six  gentle- 


LANDS,  &C. 

men  were  seated  at  the  dining-room  fire  drink- 
ing wine,  and  engaged  in  varied  and  rational 
conversation ;  this  was  an  instance  of  sociality 
which,  common  as  it  may  appear  to  you,  /  had 
not  witnessed  in  my  previous  western  travels. 

I  proceeded  into  the  interior  with  the  inten- 
tion of  seeing  Lexington  and  then  proceeding 
to  Louisville,  but  found  the  roads  so  excessively 
bad,  winter  rapidly  approaching,  and  my  objects 
not  half  effected,  that  I  relinquished  that  design. 
This  at  the  time  was  a  source  of  regret,  as  I  had 
imagined  Lexington  from  its  high  reputation  to 
be  a  Paris  in  minature. 

A  gentleman,  who  is  a  resident  of  Lexington,, 
had  the  politeness  to  forward  me  the  following 
particulars  of  the  prices  of  lands  in  its  vicinity. 

LANDS,  &c. 

LANDS  depend  on  a  variety  of  circumstances, 
such  as  the  distance  from  the  town, -the  conve- 
nience of  shipping  produce,  the  contiguity  of 
the  same  to  some  populous  town,  the  quality  of 
the  land,  its  water  privileges,  and  the  perma- 
nency of  such  streams.  A  general  estimation 
may  be  made  as  follows  : — Those  within  five 
miles  are  from  twenty  to  forty  dollars  per  acre  ; 
ti ve  to  ten  miles,  ten  to  twenty  dollars  j  ten  to 
fifteen  miles,  from  five  to  fifteen  dollars.  This 
statement  supposes  wo  improvements  to  have  been 
made  on  the  land.  Such  land  is  computed  to 


NEGROES. 

produce  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  bushels  of 
Indian  corn  per  acre,  and  very  frequently  one 
hundred  bushels  when  well  tilled.  As  wheat 
requires  land  not  so  rich,  its  produce  is  less, 
being  from  twenty  to  thirty  bushels  per  acre  j 
thirty  to  forty  of  oats  ;  twenty  to  thirty  of  rye ; 
one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  pounds  of  to- 
bacco, and  about  the  same  quantity  of  hemp, 
may  be  taken  as  fair  averages,  although  fre- 
quently a  much  greater  quantity  is  produced. 
•*  The  price  of  good  field  negroes  is  now  about 
'*  eight  hundred  dollars.  The  annual  expeiice  of 
"  such  hands  may  be  estimated  at  from  seventy-, 
"  five  to  one  hundred  dollars  ;  ditto  for  clothing 
"  at  from  twelve  to  fifteen  more  ; — say  together, 
"  eighty-seven  to  one  hundred  and  fifteen,  or  an 
"  average  of  one  hundred  dollars  per  annum. 
««  Their  provisions  differ  but  little  from  hired 
"  white  servants."  In  general,  farmers  command 
a  ready  cash  sale  for  their  produce.  The  old  cus- 
tom of  carrying  it  to  the  New  Orleans  market  is 
nearly  superseded  by  the  creation  of  a  new  order 
of  tradesmen,  who  are  a  medium  between  the 
western  farmer  and  the  Orleans  merchant. 

The  state  of  education  is  improving.  The 
terms  are  various  :  the  best  is  451.  per  annum, 
including  board.  Schoolmasters  of  talent  and 
respectability  are  in  demand  in  Kentucky.  In- 
stances exist  of  their  realizing  from  seven  hun- 
dred to  fourteen  hundred  dollars  per  annum. 


SOIL.  —  PRODUCE.  237 

Rents  may  be  said  to  be  high  in  Lexington  : 
there  are  so  few  persons  really  poor,  that  all 
houses  command  great  prices.  Even  buildings 
of  mean  appearance  let  for  from  fifty  to  five 
hundred  dollars  per  annum ;  and  stores  and 
shops  for  double  these  amounts. 

The  trees  of  this  State  are  various,  and  some 
which  I  have  seen  are  of  a  very  enormous  size. 
The  black  oak  and  honey  locust  denote  the 
richest  lands :  they  grow  thirty  feet  in  height. 
The  white  and  yellow  poplar,  and  cucumber 
tree,  measure  in  circumference  twenty  feet. 
The  general  character  of  the  soil  is  chalk, 
covered  with  a  stratum  of  vegetable  earth  from 
eight  to  twelve  feet  in  depth.  A  want  of  water 
in  the  summer  season  is  much  felt,  'except  in 
the  vicinity  of  great  rivers  and  their  principal 
dependent  streams.  Indian  corn  is  raised  here 
in  vast  abundance,  and  also  stock  of  various 
kinds  for  the  New  Orleans,  southern,  and  At- 
lantic markets.  Thirty  thousand  hogsheads  of 
tobacco  were  shipped  from  this  State  last  sea- 
son, and  eighty  thousand  barrels  of  flour ;  the 
price  of  which  latter  experiences  great  fluctu- 
ation, varying  from  four  to  eight  dollars  per 
barrel :  at  present  it  is  six  to  seven.  Pork 
is  well  fed,  and  of  excellent  quality :  the 
present  price  is  three  to  four  dollars  per  cwt. 
Beef  is  also  of  good  quality,  and  the  stock 
has  received  considerable  attention  by  the  mix- 


238  EXPORTS. 

ture  of  English  breeds.  Whiskey  is  an  exten- 
sive article  of  .manufacture  :  the  export  of  last 
season  was  one  million  of  gallons.  Cordage, 
yarn,  and  bagging,  have  been  important  busi- 
nesses ;  but  European  competition  has  materially 
decreased  their  consumption.  The  following 
statement  of  exports  for  the  last  season  may  be 
considered  correct.  Such  a  statement  is  useful, 
as  aiding  us  to  form  an  estimate  of  the  produc- 
tions and  wealth  of  Kentucky.  » 

Dollars. 

Flour  and  Wheat  amount  of  1,000,000 

Pork,  Bacon,  and  Lard  -          350,000 

Whiskey  -         500,000 

Tobacco       -  1,900,000 

Wool  and  fabrics  of  Wool  and  Cotton  100,000 

Cordage,  Hemp,  and  fabrics  of  Hemp  500,000 

Cattle  200,000 

Horses  and  Mules  -     100,000 

Salt-petre  and  Gun-powder  60,000 

White  and  Red  Lead  45,000 

Soap  and  Candles  -  -      27,000 

4,782,000 


Being  at  Middletown,  in  rny  way  to  Louisville, 

I   met   with    Mr. and   Mr. ,  of 

Liverpool,   together  with  Dr.  B and  Col. 

B  •  ,  who  were  going  to  New  Orleans.  They 
had  been  two  days  and  nearly  two  nights  com- 
ing in  the  stage  from  Lexington,  a  distance  of 
about  fifty  miles.  We  all  went  to  "  Lawes* 


LAWES*    HOTEL. 

Hotel,"  the  following  charges  and  rules  of  which 
are  posted  up  in  the  public-room, 

Cents. 

Board  for  Horse,  per  year 
Ditto,  per  week 
Ditto,    per  night 
Ditto,  single  feed        -  . 

Dinner  for  Man 

Supper 

Bed 

Breakfast 

Board,  per  year  120 

Ditto,  per  week  -  3 

Ditto,  per  day  1 

Rules  to  be  observed  by  all  Gentlemen  tvho  choose  to  board  at 
Lowe's  Hotel,  Middletotun,  Kentucky  : 

1st.  All  Gentlemen   to  give  in  their  names  to  the  Bar- 
keeper. 

2d.   No  Gentleman  shall  enter  the  Dining-room  until  the 
second  bell  rings. 

3d.   No  gambling  allowed  in  the  Bed-rooms. 

4th.  The  doors  closed  at  ten  o'Clock,  except  on  the  night 
of  public  amusement. 

5th.  No   Gentlemen   shall    take  the  Saddle,    Bridle,    or 
Harness  of  another  Gentleman  without  his  consent. 

TREATMENT    OF   NEGROES. 

A  few  minutes  before  dinner,  my  attention 
was  excited  by  the  piteous  cries  of  a  human 
voice,  accompanied  with  the  loud  cracking  of  a 
whip.  Following  the  sound,  I  found  that  it 
issued  from  a  log  barn,  the  door  of  which  wa& 
fastened.  Peeping  through  the  logs,  I  perceived 
the  bar-keeper,  together  with  a  stout  man,  more 
than  six  feet  High,  who  was  called  Colonel 
and  a  negro  boy  about  14  years  of  age 


240  FLOGGING    A   NEGRO. 

stript  naked,  receiving  the  lashes  of  these  mon- 
sters, who  relieved  each  other  in  the  use  of  a 
horse-whip :  the  poor  boy  fell  down  upon  his 
knees  several  times,  begging  and  praying  that 
they  would  not  kill  him,  and  that  he  would  do 
any  thing  they  liked  :  this  produced  no  cessation 
in  their  exercise.  At  length  Mr.  Lawes  arrived, 
told  the  valiant  Colonel  and  his  humane  em- 
ployer, the  bar-keeper,  to  desist,  and  that  the 
boy's  refusal  to  cut  wood  was  in  obedience  to 

his  (Mr.  L.'s)  directions.     Colonel said, 

that  "  he  did  not  /mow  what  the  nig  gar  had  dune, 
"  but  that  the  bar-keeper  requested  his  assistance 
"  to  whip  Caesar  ;  of  course  he  lent  him  a  hand, 
"  being  no  more  than  he  should  expect  Mr. 
"  Lawes  to  do  for  him  under  similar  circum- 
"  stances."  At  table  Mr.  Lawes  said,  "  that 
"  he  had  not  been  so  vexed  for  seven  years." 
This  expression  gave  me  pleasure,  and  also 
afforded  me,  as  I  thought,  an  opportunity  to 
reprobate  the  general  system  of  slavery ;  but  not 
one  voice  joined  with  mine  ;  each  gave  vent  in 
the  following  language  to  the  superabundant 
quantity  of  the  milk  of  human  kindness,  with 
which  their  breasts  were  overflowing  :  — 

"  I  guess  he  deserved  all  he  got." 

"  It  would  have  been  of  small  account  if  the 
"  ntggar  had  been  whipt  to  death." 

"  I  always  serve  my  b— d  niggars  that  way ; 
"  there  is  nothing  else  so  good  for  them." 

It  appeared  that  this  boy  was  the  property  of 


PROPERTY   INJURED.  241 

a  regular  slave-dealer,  who  was  then  absent  at 
Natchez  with  a  cargo.  Mr.  Lawes*  humanity 
fell  lamentably  in  my  estimation  when  he  stated, 
<{  that  whipping  niggars,  if  they  were  his  own, 
*<  was  perfectly  right,  and  they  always  deserved 
"  it ;  but  what  made  him  mad  was,  that  the  boy 
"  was  left  under  his  care  by  a  friend,  and  he 
<{  did  not  like  to  have  a  friend's  property 
"  injured." 

There  is  in  this  instance  of  the  treatment  of 
a  negro,  nothing  that  in  this  State  is  at  all  sin- 
gular ;  and  much  as  I  condemned  New  York, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio,  when  in  those  sections, 
I  must  now  give  them  the  character  of  enlight- 
ened humanity,  compared  with  this  State,  in 
which  such  conduct  as  that  I  have  described  is 
tolerated  and  approved,  and  where  such  public 
notices  as  the  following,  extracted  from  a  news- 
paper, are  of  every-day  occurrence  :  — 

«  20  DOLLARS  REWARD. 

«  RAN  AWAY  on  the  27th  instant,  a  NEGRO  MAN 
named  JACK,  about  5  feet  6  or  7  inches  high,  very  stout 
made,  of  a  dark  complexion,  and  has  several  of  his  fore 
teeth  rotten  or  out,  about  25  years  of  age.  He  was  brought 
from  Lexington,  Kentucky,  by  Messrs.  Jacoby  and  Stone, 
negro  traders,  where  I  think  it  is  likely  he  will  try  to  get 
to.  The  above  reward  will  be  paid  on  his  being  appre- 
hended and  lodged  in  any  gaol,  so  that  I  may  get  him, 
together  with  all  reasonable  expenses,  if  brought  to  the 
subscriber.  BASIL  LAMAR." 

Is  it  possible  to  read  and  to  hear  of  these 
things,  without  exclaiming,  in  the  indignant 


242  SLAVERY.   ~  LOUISVILLE. 

language  of  the  poet,  who,  after  describing  the 
miseries  of  war,  adds, 

"  Thus  man  devotes  his  brother,  and  destroys  ; 

«  And  worse  than  all,  and  most  to  be  deplored, 

"  As  human  nature's  broadest,  foulest  blot, 

"  Chains  him,  and  tasks  him,  and  exacts  his  sweat 

"  With  stripes,  that  Mercy,  with  a  bleeding  heart, 

"  Weeps  when  she  sees  inflicted  on  a  beast. 

'*  Then  what  is  man  ?  And  "what  man  seeing  this, 

11  And  having  human  feelings,  does  not  blush 

"  And  hang  his  head  to  think  himself  a  man  ?" 

LOUISVILLE. 

IjOuiwillt;,  ut  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  is  daily 
becoming  a  most  important  town,  being  the 
connecting  link  between  New  Orleans  and  the 
whole  western  country.  It  must  soon  take  the 
lead  of  Lexington  in  extent  of  population,  as 
it  has  already  done  in  the  rapid  rise  of  town 
property,  the  increase  of  which  during-  the  last 
four  years  is  said  to  have  been  two  hundred 
per  cent.  Rents,  prices  of  provisions^  nature  of 
employment,  and  earnings  of  mechanics,  prices 
of  land  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  town,  &c. 
do  not  possess  a  difference  of  sufficient  import- 
ance to  those  given  in  the  previous  part  of  this 
report,  to  require  minute  detail.  Mechanics  can 
have  immediate  employment,  and  are  paid40s>6d. 
to  54s.  per  week.  Shoes  that  are  very  inferior  in 
wear,  though  not  in  make  to  English,  are  from 
15s.  3d.  to  18s.  a  pair.  Best  hats,  36s.  to  45*. 
each  j  and  every  other  article  of  clothing  in  pro- 


GANDER-PULLING.  24S 

portion.  The  population  of  this  town  is  from  4 
to  5,000.  Good  brick  buildings  are  fast  increas- 
ing. One  of  the  hotels  (Gwathway's)  is  said  to 
be  rented  at  6,000  dollars  per  annum  :  from  150 
to  200  persons  dine  at  this  establishment  daily. 
About  every  twelfth  house  in  the  main  street 
is  a  doctor's. 

Lousville  is  said  to  be  improving  in  health: 
the  prevalent  diseases  are  fever  and  ague  :  be- 
sides which,  the  common  disorders  of  this  State 
are  consumption,  pleurisy,  typhus,  remittent 
and  intermittent  fevers,  rheumatism,  and  dysen- 
tery. I  do  not  feel  myself  competent  to  con- 
firm or  deny  the  general  claim  of  the  Ken- 
tuckians  to  generosity  and  warmth  of  character ; 
of  their  habits  I  would  wish  to  speak  with  equal 
diffidence  ;  that  they  drink  a  great  deal,  swear 
a  great  deal,  and  gamble  a  great  deal,  will  be 
apparent  to  a  very  brief  resident.  The  barbarous 
practice  of  gouging,  with  which  they  are  charged, 
I  have  not  seen  occur,  though  I  have  good  reason 
to  believe  in  its  existence.  They  have  also  an- 
other practice,  nearly  akin  to  this,  called  "gander- 
pulling."  This  diversion  consists  in  tying  a  live 
gander  to  a  tree  or  pole,  greasing  its  neck,  riding 
past  it  at  full  gallop,  and  he  who  succeeds  in 
pulling  off  the  head  of  the  victim,  receives  the 
laurel  crown.  1  think  I  have  heard  of  a  similar 
pastime  as  practised  in  Holland ;  but  these  are 

R  2 


244  NEWSPAPER   ADVERTISEMENTS. 

not  to  be  taken  as  unmixed  characteristics.*  So- 
ciety is  unquestionably  improving,  and  Lexing- 
ton probably  already  posseses  inhabitants  who 
are  polished  and  refined. 

i 

*  American  newspaper  advertisements  have  frequently 
the  character  of  singularity,  at  least  to  an  English  concep- 
tion :  as  the  following  one  from  the  "  Kentucky  Reporter," 
published  at  Lexington,  possesses,  in  addition  to  this  quality, 
a  partial  illustration  of  Kentucky  society,  I  copy  it  for  your 
perusal :  — 

«  TAKE  NOTICE, 

«  And  beware  of  the  swindler  JESSE  DOUGHERTY,  who 
"  married  me  in  November  last,  and  some  time  after  mar- 
"  riage  informed  me  that  he  had  another  wife  alive,  and  be- 
"  fore  I  recovered,  the  villain  left  me,  and  took  one  of  my 
«'  best  horses  —  one  of  my  neighbours  was  so  good  as  to  fol- 
"  low  him  and  take  the  horse  from  him,  and  bring  him  back. 
"  The  said  Dougherty  is  about  forty  years  of  age,  five  feet 
"  ten  inches  high,  round-shouldered,  thick  lips,  complexion 
"  and  hair  dark,  grey  eyes,  remarkably  ugly  and  ill-natured, 
"  and  very  fond  of  ardent  spirits,  and  by  profession  a  noto- 
"  rious  liar.  This  is  therefore  to  warn  all  widows  to  beware 
"  of  the  swindler,  as  all  he  wants  is  their  property,  and  they 
"  may  go  to  the  devil  for  him  after  he  gets  that.  Also,  all 
"  persons  are  forewarned  from  trading  with  the  said  Dough- 
"  erty,  with  the  expectation  of  receiving  pay  from  my  pro- 
"  perty,  as  I  consider  the  marriage  contract  null  and  void 
"  agreeably  to  law  :  you  will  therefore  pay  no  attention  to 
"  any  lies  he  may  tell  you  of  his  property  in  this  county. 
"  The  said  Dougherty  has  a  number  of  wives  living,  per- 
"  haps  eight  or  ten,  (the  number  not  positively  known,) and 
"  will,  no  doubt,  if  he  can  get  them,  have  eight  or  ten  more. 
"  I  believe  that  is  the  way  he  makes  his  living. 

"  MARY  DODD." 
"  Livingston  county,  Ky.  Sept.  5, 1817 — 38  at  (ch.  W.  G.)" 


MANUFACTORIES.  245 

111  drawing  towards  the  conclusion  of  my  re- 
marks upon  Kentucky,  I  wave  the  usual  import- 
ant consideration,  whether  or  not  emigration 
here  would  be  desirable ;  because  I  am  sure 
that  were  gold  to  be  obtained  in  countless  quan- 
tities for  the  mere  asking,  that  there  is  not  a  man 
or  woman  among  you  who  would  leave  England 
to  become  citizens  of  a  slave  State ;  but  as  Ken- 
tucky is  perhaps  the  strongest  member  of  the 
western  body,  and  must,  of  necessity,  influence 
its  growth  and  healthfullness,  and  as  in  this  State 
the  vitally  interesting  subjects  of  agriculture  and 
manufactures  have  received  a  considerable  de- 
gree of  attention,  I  forward  you  an  estimate 
which  has  been  just  made  by  some  very  judi- 
cious men  of  the  state  of  manufactories  in  Lex- 
ington : — 12  cotton  manufactories,  employing  a 
capital  in  the  whale  of  67,5001. ;  3  woollen 
ditto,  32,6001. ;  3  paper  ditto,  20,2501. ;  3  steam 
grist-mills,  16,8751. ;  gun-powder  mills,  9,0001. ; 
lead  factory,  14,8001. ;  founderies  for  casting 
iron  and  brass,  connected  with  a  silver-plating 
establishment,  9,0001. ;  4  hat  factories,  15,0001.; 
4  coach  ditto,  12,6001. ;  5  tanners  and  curriers, 
20,0001. ;  12  factories  for  cotton  bagging  and 
hempen  yarns,  100,4001. ;  6  cabinet-makers, 
5,6001. ;  4  soap  and  candle  factories,  12,1501. ; 
3  tobacco  factories,  11,4501. ;  sundry  others, 
120,0001. ;  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in 
the  manufactories  of  Lexington,  467,2251. 

R  3 


246  HOTELS. 

1  believe  that  the  capitalist  could  employ  his 
money  to  much  advantage  in  Kentucky.     Per- 
haps, in  the  way  of  manufacturing,  hat-making 
might  be  suggested.     Farming  is  lucrative,  as  is 
also  distilling.     A  good  woollen  dyer  is  wanted. 
Oil  crushing   mills   are   established,   but    upon 
principles   which  are  susceptible  of  great  im- 
provements ;    the   part   which   affords    what    is 
termed  the  oil-cake  is  thrown  away.     Flax  and 
hemp  seed  sell  from  2s.  3d.    to  2s.    8^d.  per 
bushel.     The  price  of  boating  goods  from  New 
Orleans  to  Louisville  (distance  11-12  miles),  is 
from  18s.  to  22s.  6d.  per  hundred.     The  freight 
to  New  Orleans  from  hence,  is  3s.  Hd.  to  4s.  (id. 
per  hundred.     The  average  period  of  time  which 
boats   take    to   go   to   New   Orleans,    is   about 
28   days ;    that    from   New  Orleans,  (JO    days. 
Steam-vessels  effect  the  same  route  in  an  average 
of  12  days  down,  and  30  thus  uj>,   when  their 
machinery  does  not  meet  with  an  accident. 

HOTELS. 

Having  been  twice  at  Louisville,  1  bourded 
at  both  the  hotels  (Allen's,  Washington  Hall, 
andGwathway's,  Indian  Queen):  they  are  similar 
establishments,  both  upon  a  very  large  scale, 
the  former  having  an  average  of  80  boarders 
per  day,  the  latter  of  140  :  their  charges  are  — 
breakfast,  Is.  8d. ;  dinner,  2s.  3d.  j  supper, 
Is.  8d. ;  bed,  13d.  j  if  fire  in  room,  an  extra 


HABITS   AT   HOTELS.  247 

Charge  of  6$d.  per  night ;  board  and  lodging, 
per  day,  6s.  9d. ;  ditto  per  day  for  three  months 
certain,  4s.  6d.  Such  charges,  with  an  immense 
extent  of  business,  must  insure  a  man,  mo- 
derately careful,  a  large  fortune.  These  hotels 
are  conducted  differently  from  those  with  which 
you  are  acquainted.  A  person  desiring  to  put 
up  at  one  of  them,  applies  to  the  bar-keeper, 
and  he  must  not  feel  disappointed  should  he 
be  refused  admittance  from  want  of  room. 
The  place  for  washing  is  in  the  open  yard,  in 
which  there  is  a  large  cistern,  several  towels, 
and  a  negro  in  attendance.  The  sleeping-room 
commonly  contains  from  4  to  8  bed-steads,  hav- 
ing mattrasses,  but  frequently  no  feather-beds ; 
sheets  of  calico,  two  blankets,  a  quilt  (either 
a  cotton  counterpane,  or  made  of  patchwork  ;) 
the  bedsteads  have  no  curtains,  and  the  rooms 
are  generally  unprovided  with  any  conveniences. 
The  public  rooms  are  —  a  news-room,  a  boot- 
room,  in  which  the  bar  is  situated,  and  a  dining 
room.  The  fires  are  generally  surrounded  by 
parties  of  about  six,  who  gain  and  keep  posses. 
sion.  The  usual  custom  is  to  pace  up  and  down 
the  news-room  in  a  manner  similar  to  walking 
the  deck  at  sea.  Smoking  segars  is  practised 
by  all  without  an  exception,  and  at  every  hour 
of  the  day.  Argument  or  discussion  in  this 
part  of  the  world  is  of  very  rare  occurrence ; 
social  intercourse  seems  still  more  unusual ;  con.- 

R  4 


HABITS    AT    HOTELS, 

versation  on  general  topics,  or  the  taking  en- 
larged and  enlightened  views  of  things,  rarely 
occurs ;  each  man  is  in  pursuit  of  his  own  indi- 
vidual interest,  and  follows  it  in  an  individual- 
ized manner.  —  But  to  return  to  the  taverns : 
at  half  past  seven,  the  first  bell  rings  for  the 
purpose  of  collecting  all  the  boarders,  and  at 
eight  the  second  bell  rings  ;  breakfast  is  then 
set,  the  dining-room  is  unlocked,  a  general 
rush  commences,  and  some  activity,  as  well  as 
dexterity,  is  essentially  necessary  to  obtain  a 
MM l  at  the  table.  A  boy,  as  clerk,  attends  to 
take  down  the  names,  in  order  that  when  bills 
are  settled  no  improper  deduction  should  be 
made.  The  breakfast  consists  of  a  profuse  sup- 
ply of  fish,  flesh,  and  ibwl,  which  is  consumed 
with  a  rapidity  truly  extraordinary ;  often  be- 
fore I  had  finished  :ny  first  cup  of  tea,  the  room, 
which  when  I  had  commenced  was  crowded  to 
suffocation,  had  become  nearly  empty. 

At  half-past  one,  the  first  bell  rings,  an- 
nouncing the  approach  of  dinner ;  the  avenues 
to  the  dining-room  become  thronged.  At  two 
o'clock  the  second  bell  rings,  the  doors  are 
thrown  open,  and  a  repetition  of  the  breakfast 
scene  succeeds.  At  six,  tea,  or  what  is  here 
called  supper,  is  announced,  and  partaken  of  in 
the  same  manner.  This  is  the  last  meal,  and 
usually  affords  the  same  fare  as  breakfast.  A 
billiard  table  adjoins  the  hotel,  and  is  generally 


HABITS   AT    HOTELS.  249 

well  occupied.  At  ten  o'clock,  nearly  all  have 
gone  to  bed,  or  what  they  call  "  turned  in." 
At  table  their  is  neither  conversation  nor  yet 
drinking  ;  the  latter  is  effected  by  individuals 
taking  their  solitary  "  eye  openers,"  "  toddy," 
and  "phlegm  dispersers,"  at  the  bar,  the  keeper 
of  which  is  in  full  employ  from  sun-rise  to  bed- 
time. A  large  tub  of  water,  with  a  ladle,  is 
placed  on  the  bar,  to  which  customers  go  and 
help  themselves.  When  spirits  are  called  for,  the 
decanter  is  handed,  and  you  take  what  quan- 
tity you  please ;  the  charge  is  always  6|d.  It  is 
never  drunk  neat,  or  with  sugar  or  warm  water. 
The  life  of  boarders  at  an  American  tavern, 
presents  the  most  senseless  and  comfortless 
mode  of  killing  time  which  I  have  ever  seen. 
Every  house  of  this  description  that  I  have  been 
in  is  thronged  to  excess,  and  there  is  not  a 
man  who  appears  to  have  a  single  earthly 
object  in  view,  except  spitting  and  smoking 
segars.  I  have  not  seen  a  book  in  the  hands  of 
any  person  since  I  left  Philadelphia.  Objection- 
able as  these  habits  are,  they  afford  decided 
evidence  of  the  prosperity  of  that  country,  which 
can  admit  so  large  a  body  of  its  citizens  to  waste 
in  indolence  three-fourths  of  their  lives,  and 
would  also  appear  to  hold  out  encouragement  to 
Englishmen  with  English  habits,  who  could 
retain  their  industry  amid  a  nation  of  indolence, 
and  have  sufficient  firmness  to  live  in  America, 


250  LORD    SELKIRK. 

and  yet  bid  defiance  to  the  deadly  example  erf 
its  natives. 

When  at  Gwathway's  hotel,  I  had  the  plea- 
sure of  meeting  with  Lord  Selkirk :  he  was  on 
his  return  from  his  unsuccessful  expedition  in 
the  north-western  territory.  I  procured  for 
him,  from  the  respectable  house  of  Vernon  and 
Blake,  some  Boston  papers  which  were  only 
two  months  old :  they  contained,  as  usual, 
English  news.  He  had  not  heard  any  intel- 
ligence from  Europe  for  nine  months,  and  was 
therefore  much  pleased  with  the  novelty.  During 
my  first  visit  to  this  town,  I  addressed  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Birkbeck,  at  either  Princeton  or  Vincennes, 
not  having  determined  at  that  time  to  visit 
Illinois.  On  leaving  Kentucky,  I  have  to 
regret  that  so  much  remains  to  be  done  for  the 
habits  of  the  people,  and  to  feel  from  my  soul 
the  most  sincere  sorrow,  that  men  who  can 
form  a  theoretic  constitution,  in  which  it  is 
declared,  that  "men  when  they  form  a  social 
"  compact  are  equal ;  that  no  man  or  set  of  men 
"  are  entitled  to  exclusive,  separate  public 
"  emoluments  or  privileges  from  the  community, 
"  but  in  consideration  of  public  services  ;  that 
"  all  men  have  a  natural  and  indefeasible  right 
"  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates 
"  of  their  consciences ;"  I  cannot,  1  say,  but 
feel  sorrow  that  men  who  can  in  theory  lay  down 
such  principles,  can  in  their  practice  continue, 

'5 


MR.    MELLISH.  251 

and  even  boast  of  the  most  demoralizing  habits, 
treat  their  fellow-creatures  worse  than  brute 
beasts,  and  buy  and  sell  human  beings  like  cattle 
at  a  fair. 

In  quitting  this   State,  J   can  by  no  means 
coincide  with  Mr.  Mellish,  when  he  says  "  The 
"  only  serious  evil  that  I  had  to  complain  of  in 
"  my  journey  through  this  country,  arose  from 
"  the    proneness   of    many   of  the    natives  to 
"  swearing."     If  this  be  a  fact,  I  cannot  envy 
Mr.  Mellish  his  feelings,  although  his  love  for 
universal   liberty    is  so  great,    that    he    could 
neither  remain  in  England,  nor  bear  to  set  his 
foot  in  Canada.     Neither  can  I  agree  with  this 
profound  philanthropist,  that  "  these  sad  doings 
"  are   outdone  every   day   by   transactions    in 
"  the  capital  of  a  nation  who   think  themselves 
"  the  most  polished  on  earth,  and  some  of  these 
"  even    supported     and    encouraged    by    the 
"  Corinthian  capitals  of  polished  society."    Mr. 
Mellish  calls  Mr.  Ashe  "  a  hireling."     When  I 
find  a   writer    at   times   thus    blindly   glossing 
over   the   most   glaring   faults,    and  at  others 
enlarging  and  exaggerating,  and  finding  excel- 
lencies and  signs  of  prosperity  which  only  exist 
in  his  own  imagination,  I  confess  1  am  inclined 
to  suspect  that  he  is  himself  a  candidate  for  an 
occupation  by  no  means  dissimilar  to  that  which 
he  thus  attributes  to  his  rival  traveller. 


ILLINOIS   TERRITORY. 


ILLINOIS    TERRITORY. 

After  a  long  and  fatiguing  journey,  I  have  at 
length  reached  the   Illinois  territory,  which  in 
all  probability  will  soon  become  the  twentieth 
State  of  this  flourishing  Republic.     In  my  re- 
port from  Philadelphia,  sent  in  the  Electra,  and 
which   1  calculate    you  will  receive  by   about 
the  12th  December,  I  forwarded  all  the  inform- 
ation of  which  I  was  then  in  possession.  Though 
I  have  seen  a  large  portion  of  this  interesting 
continent,  my  mind  is  by  no  means  yet  made  up 
concerning  it.     I  have  in  fact  come  to  no  deci- 
sion, and  feel  that  my  residence  here  has  been 
too  brief  to  enable  me  correctly  to  form  a  judg- 
ment upon  what  is,  in  more  senses  of  the  ex- 
pression than    one,    "  a   new    world,"  or  fully 
to  comprehend  a  land  and  a  people  essentially 
different  from  those    I  have  been   accustomed 
to  contemplate.     Acting  under  this  impression, 
therefore,  I  would  wish,  at  least  for  the  present, 
to  give  you,  as  far  as  lies  in  my  power,  facts 
from  which  you  may  form  your  own  judgment, 
and   be  enabled  hereafter,   perhaps,  the  better 
to  see  the  propriety  of  mine :   I  shall  proceed, 
therefore,   as  before,    in  giving   extracts   from 
my  journal,    which  I   have   kept  with  minute 
exactness  from  Philadelphia  to  this  place. 


ILLINOIS    TERRITORY. 

; 

Although  it  was  not  a  part  of  our  original 
views  that  I  should  have  visited  the  Illinois 
territory ;  yet  conceiving  the  practicability  of 
a  comfortable  settlement  in  the  eastern  States 
extremely  questionable,  and  rinding  that  the  old 
settled  States,  even  on  this  side  of  the  mountains, 
offered  not  much  greater  encouragement,  pro- 
perty in  all  the  towns  which  are  possessed  of 
reasonable  advantages  having  attained  the  full 
amount  of  Philadelphian  value,  and,  in  the  coun- 
try speculators  having  laid  their  hands  upon  a 
vast  number  of  fine  tracts,  I  thought  it  best  to 
seek  elsewhere  ;  not  that  in  the  States  of  Ohio, 
&c.  there  was  no  land  yet  to  be  purchased 
at  government  prices;  but  it  appeared  to  me, 
that  if  a  removal  from  England  should  become, 
ander  all  circumstances,  our  duty,  and  if,  as 
was  by  no  means  improbable,  we  should  be 
induced  to  mark  out  a  new  channel  for  our 
exertions,  by  becoming  agriculturists,  it  would 
be  no  great  addition  to  our  privations  to  proceed 
a  little  farther  west  than  Ohio,  where,  if  we  could 
not  find  cheaper  lands,  we  should  at  least  have 
a  greater  variety  for  selection,  and  possess  all 
the  advantages  enjoyed  by  the  first  proprietors 
of  well-chosen  sections.  With  these  impressions 
I  have  advanced  thus  far,  and  am  now  anxious 
to  close  this  report  in  time  for  the  post,  pre- 
vious to  the  farther  pursuit  of  my  objects.  As 
it  is  written  close,  and  on  very  thin  paper,  I 


254  ILLINOIS. ACRES. 

trust  the  postage  will  not  be  extravagant.  It 
will  go  by  way  of  New  York,  inclosed  to  the 

care  of  Messrs. of  that  city.     I  pass  over 

Indiana,  a  State  to  which  there  exist  some  strong; 
objections  that  may  be  detailed  in  my  next. 
The  territory  of  Illinois,  though  but  very  thinly 
populated,  has  been  inhabited  at  Kaskaski,  and 
a  few  other  places,  for  many  years,  originally, 
I  believe,  by  the  French  from  Canada. 

The  mean  breadth  of  the  territory  is  said  to  be 
200  miles,  length  350,  lying  between  N.  latitude 
36°  30'  and  42°.  The  Ohio  river  is  its  southern 
boundary,  extending  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wa- 
bash  to  the  junction  of  the  former  with  the  Missis- 
sippi, a  distance  of  150  miles.  The  Mississippi 
forms  the  western  boundary,  stretching  from  the 
above  junction  to  the  rocky  hills,  a  distance  of  60(' 
miles,  following  the  course  of  that  river,  but  the 
windings  are  so  great  that  the  real  distance  is 
much  less.  The  Wabash  river  separates  Illinois 
from  Indiana :  an  imaginary  line,  which  it  is 
proposed  shall  extend  due  east  from  the  Rocky 
Hills,  will  separate  it  from  the  north-western 
territory.  The  number  of  acres  is  calculated 
to  be  85,000,000 :  that  of  square  miles,  50,000. 
Exertions  are  now  making  to  have  this  territory 
admitted  into  the  Union,  and  you  will  join  with 
me  in  praying  that  slavery  may  not  form  a  part 
of  its  constitution,  as,  should  it  do  so,  that,  I 
conceive,  will  form  an  insurmountable  barrier 


ILLINOIS.  —  RIVERS.  255 

to  the  emigration  of  every  man  possessed  of  a 
humane  or  independent  mind.  The  popula- 
tion, I  am  informed,  is  at  present  chiefly  on 
the  Wabash,  below  Vincennes,  and  on  the  banks 
-of  the  Kaskaski,  Ohio,  and  Mississippi  rivers. 
The  means  of  internal  navigation,  without  the 
«xpence  of  cutting  canals,  are  truly  extraor- 
dinary ;  added  to  which  the  facilities  of  export 
afforded  by  those  "  fathers  of  waters,"  the  Ohio, 
Mississippi,  and  Missouri,  present  a  picture  of 
future  greatness  dazzling  to  conceive  —  impos- 
sible to  estimate. 

The  estimated  courses  of  the  waters  of  this 
territory  are,  in  length, 

Wabash,  230  miles. 

Mississippi,  600 

Ohio,  -  150 

Illinois,  300 

Kaskaski,  300 

Various  tributaries,       1400 


2980 

Amount  of  internal  navigation,  2000  miles ; 
ditto  of  frontiers,  1000 ;  the  distance  from 
Shawnee  Town  by  water  to  Buffalo,  through 
the  lakes,  1200  miles ;  ditto  from  the  same  place 
to  New  Orleans,  1130 :  thus  securing  a  most 
immense  internal  water  communication,  as  well 
as  a  direct  one  with  the  ocean  ;  the  face  of  the 


256  SOILS,  &c. 

country  must,  in  so  large  an  extent,  possess  con- 
siderable variety.  The  general  surface  of  the 
lands  in  the  Shawnee  Town  and  Kaskaski  dis- 
tricts, and  in  the  neighbouring  parts  of  the  Il- 
linois, is  more  than  ordinarily  level,  though  to 
this  there  are  some  exceptions.  The  alluvial 
lands  of  both  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers 
occasionally  terminate  in  bluffs,  in  some  places 
high  and  craggy,  in  others  more  gradual  in 
their  rise,  and  easy  of  ascent.  There  are  through- 
out the  State  a  vast  number  of  prairies,  of 
boundless  extent,  and  presenting  a  most  de- 
lightful contrast  to  the  sombre  character  of  an 
American  wilderness.  The  soil  is  infinitely 
more  varied  than  the  face  of  the  country.  It 
has  been  classified  by  some  as  follows  :  1st.  Hills 
of  a  barren  soil,  and  covered  with  pines  and 
small  oaks.  2d.  Moderately  hilly  land,  and  well 
watered.  3d.  Wet  prairies,  which  are  remote 
from  streams,  the  soil  cold  and  barren, 'abound- 
ing with  swamps,  ponds,  and  covered  with  a 
tall  coarse  grass.  4th.  Dry  prairies,  bordering 
the  rivers,  lie,  on  an  average  level,  higher  by 
60  feet,  are  from  three  to  fifteen  miles  wide,  and 
possess  a  rich  soil,  well  adapted  for  cultivation. 
These  natural  meadows  are  generally  destitute 
of  trees,  except  where  crossed  by  streams.  Some 
have  clusters  of  trees,which  may  be  denominated, 
what  they  very  much  resemble — islands,  though 
upon  tcrrajirma.  The  prairies  of  this  territory 

13* 


ANIMALS,    &C.  257 

are  said  to  cover  more  than  a  million  of  acres. 
The  soil  in  some  places  assumes  the  hue  of  iron 
rust,  interspersed  with  a  light  sand.  5th.  Un- 
ripe alluvial,  which  bears  sycamore,  water- 
maple,  ash,  and  willow.  This  land  is  generally 
found  at  the  mouths  and  confluences  of  rivers, 
and,  as  a  place  of  residence,  in  the  present  un- 
cleared state  of  the  country,  is  considered  as 
highly  injurious  to  health.  6th.  Ripe  alluvial. 
This  land  is  of  the  best  quality,  and  is  found  in 
various  degrees  of  extent  on  all  the  rivers.  It 
bears  honey  locust,  pecan,  black  walnut,  and 
sugar  maple  trees.  In  autumn,  the  fruit  and 
leaves  of  the  black  walnut  are  said  to  produce  an 
agreeable  flavour.  This  land  is  considered  to 
be  remarkably  fertile,  in  proof  of  which  some 
part  of  it  is  asserted  to  have  been  cultivated  to 
profit  without  manure,  for  the  last  hundred 
years. 

Squirrels,  racoons,  foxes,  deer,  wolves,  and 
bears  abound ;  as  do  wild  turkeys  and  quails ; 
geese  and  ducks  partially ;  hawks,  buzzards,  and 
pigeons  in  tolerable  quantities ;  the  rivers  con- 
tain several  species  of  fish ;  in  the  prairies  there 
are  rattle-snakes ;  the  woods  supply  grapes, 
pecan  nuts  (similar  to  our  walnut),  and  hickery 
nuts ;  hops,  raspberries,  and  strawberries  grew 
wild ;  there  are  several  salt  ponds — the  produce 
is  sold  at  the  saline  works,  26  miles  below  the 
Wabash,  for  3s.  4£d.  per  bushel.  The  annual 

s 


258  TOWNS. 

produce  of  this  establishment  is  from  one  to 
two  hundred  thousand  pounds.  Copper  and 
lead  have  been  found.  The  French,  when  in 
possession  of  this  territory,  procured  mill-stones 
near  the  Illinois  lake.  Coal  has  been  discovered; 
and  also  white  clay. 

ILLINOIS    TOWNS. 

Kaskaski,  the  seat  of  the  territorial  govern- 
ment,  contains  about  150  houses,  built  on  a 
plain  ;  some  of  them  are  of  stone.  This  town 
is  150  miles  from  Vincennes,  and  1000  from 
Washington.  The  inhabitants  are  chiefly 
French  :  their  principal  occupation  is  raising 
stock.  This  town  has  been  settled  more  than 
a  century. 

Shamiee  Tourn  (from  which  I  now  am  writ- 
ing), about  30  houses  (log.)  The  chief  occu- 
pation of  the  inhabitants  is  the  salt  trade. 
There  is  here  a  "  United  States'  Land-office," 
and  a  log  bank  is  just  established.  The  chief 
cashier  of  this  establishment  was  engaged  in 
cutting  logs  at  the  moment  of  my  arrival. 

Wilkinson  Ville,  u  miserable  settlement,  takes 
its  name  from  General  Wilkinson,  who,  in  1801, 
established  a  station  here  for  the  American 
troops ;  it  then  prospered,  but  has  since  fallen 
into  complete  decay.  The  other  towns  of  this 
territory  are  —  Cahokia,  containing  150  small 
houses,  chiefly  inhabited  by  French.  St.  Philip, 


INDIANS.  25Q 

fifty  miles  from  Cahokia,  is  smaller  but  more 
pleasant.  Prairie  du  Rockers,  containing  60 
French  families  :  this  is  a  fine  prairie.  There  are 
also  three  very  small  places,  called  Belle  Fon- 
taine, L'Aigle,  and  Edward's  Ville. 

The  lands  belonging  to  the  Indians  lie  chiefly 
between  the  Wabash  and  Illinois  rivers.  They 
have  considerable  reservations  north  of  the 
Illinois  river.  The  United  States  have  lately 
obtained  a  cession  of  six  miles  square,  at  the  end 
of  Peoria  lake.  The  aborigines  now  remaining 
are  the  Soukies,  who  have  three  villages ;  —  their 
number  is  about  3000.  The  Kaskaskians,  Caho- 
kias,  and  Peorias,  are  much  decreased  in  num- 
bers, in  consequence  of  their  wars  with  the 
Soukies  and  Foxes. 

Private  sales  at  the  Land-office  are  here,  as 
in  all  other  parts,  of  the  Union,fixed  at  2  dollars, 
or  1  dollar  64  cents,  for  prompt  payment.  The 
public  sales  by  auction  have  not,  for  the  most 
choice  tracts,  exceeded  six  dollars  per  acre  :  the 
oldFrench  settlements  are  from  one  to  fifty  dollars 
per  acre.  The  land-tax  is  levied  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple as  described  in  Ohio.  The  military  bounty 
lands  in  this  state  amount  to  3,500,000  acres. 
They  are  appropriated  to  the  soldiers  who  were 
engaged  in  the  late  war,  and  are  frequently 
sold  by  them  in  the  eastern  States,  for  a  quarter 
and  a  half  dollar  per  acre.  Indian  corn  (maize) 
is  the  leading  article  of  produce.  There  are 

s  2 


CROPS.  —  PRICES. 

some  fields  of  500  acres,  cultivated  in  common 
by  the  people  of  a  whole  settlement.  Wheat  i^ 
abundant,  except  where  the  soil  is  too  rich.  Flax, 
hemp,  oats,  potatoes,  and  cotton  are  also  produc 
tive,  giving  very  considerable  crops.  The  French 
have  made  excellent  wine  from  a  wild  grape,  which 
grows  here  luxuriantly.  Indian  corn,  I  am  in- 
formed, produces,  with  moderate  care,  and  in  r. 
favourable  soil,  50  to  70  bushels  per  acre ;  wheat, 
20  to  30;  barley,  20  to  SO;  oats,  30  to  50; 
tobacco,  10  to  13  hundred.  Indian  corn  sells 
from  13d.  to  iG^d.  per  bushel ;  wheat,  3s.  4id. ; 
oats,  19*d. ;  tobacco,  20s.  3d.  per  hundred.  The 
price  of  horses  is  from  131.  10s.  to  181. ;  cows, 
41.  to  51. ;  a  good  sow,  21.  14s. ;  beef  is  sold  at 
22s.  6d.  per  hundred;  pork,  15s.  9d.  to  18s. 
Labourers  are  paid  2s.  3d.  per  day,  and  board. 
Clothing  and  groceries  are  extremely  dear. 
Indian  corn  is  gathered  in  November.  Wheat  is 
cut  in  June,  and  housed  in  July.  Pork  for  ex- 
port is  killed  in  December.  Freight  from  thi< 
place  to  Louisville  (distance  307  miles)  is  5s.  per 
c\vt  \from  Louisville,  Is.  8d.',from hence  to  New 
Orleans,  (distance  1130  miles,)  4s.  6d. ;  from 
New  Orleans,  20s.  3d.;  hence  to  Pittsburgh,  (dis- 
tance 1013  miles,)  I5s.9d.;from  Pittsburgh,  4s.  6d. 
This  vast  disproportion  in  charge  of  freight  is  pro- 
duced by  the  difference  in  time,  in  navigating  up 
and  down  the  streams  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi. 
I  have  not  had  sufficient  experience  in  these 


BUILDING.  —  SOCIETY. 

back  woods,  to  feel  confidence  in  the  following 
estimate  of  expences  for  erecting  a  residence ; 
it  is,  however  the  most  authentic  that  I  have 
been  enabled  to  procure.  A  log  cabin  of  two 
rooms  can,  I  am  informed,  be  erected  for  111.  5s. 
to  161.;  a  frame  house,  10  to  14  feet  square, 
for  1301.  to  1501.;  a  log  kitchen,  7!.  to  81.  ;  a  log 
stable,  71.  to  91. ;  a  barn,  181.  to  221.;  fencing 
13d.  per  rood ;  ditching,  in  prairie  land,  l6d. 
to  2s.  per  rood. 

INHABITANTS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

The  inhabitants  of  Illinois  may,  perhaps  be 
ranked  as  follows  :  First,  the  Indian  hunters, 
who  are  neither  different  in  character  or  pursuits 
from  their  ancestors  in  the  days  of  Columbus. 
2d,  The  "  Squatters,"  who  are  half-civilized 
and  half-savage.  These  are,  in  character  and 
habits,  extremely  wretched :  indeed,  I  prefer 
the  genuine  uncontaminated  Indian.  3d,  A 
medley  of  land-jobbers,  lawyers,  doctors,  and 
farmers,  who  traverse  this  immense  continent, 
founding  settlements,  and  engaging  in  all  kinds 
of  speculation.  4th,  Some  old  French  settlers, 
possessed  of  considerable  property,  and  living  in 
ease  and  comfort. 

Concerning  the  state  of  society,  my  experi- 
ence does  not  allow  me  to  say  much,  or  to  speak 
with  confidence.  Generally,  I  suspect  that  the 
powers  of  the  legislature  are,  as  yet,  weak  in 
s  3 


262  CLIMATE. 

their  operation.  Small  provocations  insure  the 
most  relentless  and  violent  resentments.  Duels 
are  frequent.  The  dirk  is  an  inseparable  com- 
panion of  all  classes  ;  and  the  laws  are  robbed 
of  their  terror,  by  not  being  firmly  and  equally 
administered.  A  general  character  of  independ- 
ence, both  as  to  the  means  of  living  and  habits 
of  society,  appears  universal.  Here,  no  man  is 
either  thought  or  called  "  master ;"  neither,  on 
the  other  hand,  is  there  found  any  coarse  vul- 
garity. A  cold,  selfish  indifference  is  the  com- 
mon characteristic  of  the  labourer  and  the 
judge ;  and  I  should  hope  that  Illinois-State 
constitution  will  not,  when  formed,  authorize 
and  legalize  slavery ;  yet  the  Ohio  practice 
will,  I  have  no  doubt,  continue  as  it  now  is  in 
Illinois,  —  indenturing  negroes  for  a  term  of 
from  10  to  15  years.  This  baleful  practice 
promises  a  perpetuation  of  practical  slavery 
throughout  America. 

Of  the  climate  I  know  but  little  from  personal 
experience.  The  mornings  and  evenings,  at  this 
time,  are  extremely  cold.  In  July  and  August 
Fahrenheit  ranges  from  85°  to  105°.  In  the  win- 
ter (which  is  not  long),  from  10  below  to  20  above 
zero.  The  wildness  of  the  country  implies  an 
unformed  climate.  The  disturbance  of  a  great 
body  of  surplus  vegetable  matter,  upon  the  first 
settling  of  land,  together  with  the  dampness 


WESTERN   EMIGRATION.  263 

arising  from  stagnant  waters,  frequently  produce 
bilious  fevers  and  agues. 

My  mind  continues  undecided  concerning 
our  removal.  When  in  England  I  had  hoped, 
in  common  with  yourselves,  that  the  old  settled 
States  of  America,  which  must  be  so  much  better 
suited  to  our  habits  and  pursuits  than  an  un- 
cultivated wilderness,  would  have  afforded  suf- 
ficient inducement  to  emigration,  particularly 
as  our  objects  are  the  continuance  in  well- 
established  habits  of  industry,  and  not  rapid 
fortune-making.  With  the  means  of  forming 
a  judgment  on  this  subject,  I  have  endeavoured, 
as  far  as  lies  in  my  power,  to  supply  you  in  the 
course  of  my  preceding  reports. 

Should  your  minds  be  favourable  to  a  western 
country  settlement,  I  should  wish  to  press  upon 
your  deliberate  re-consideration  the  following 
ideas : 

First,  —  Is  it  essential  to  your  prosperity  and 
happiness  that  you  should  leave  England  ? 

Second,  —  Do  the  habits  and  character  of  the 
American  people  afford  you  rational  grounds  for 
desiring  to  become  their  fellow-citizens  ? 

Third,  —  Have  all  of  you  the  dispositions 
requisite  in  order  to  become  cultivators  of  a 
wilderness  ? 

Fourth,  —  Assuming  that  you  have  those  dis- 
positions, are  you  fitted  for  such  an  entire 
change  of  pursuits,  and  can  you  endure  the 


264"  EMIGRATION    TO    ILLINOIS. 

\ 

difficulties  and  dangers  necessarily  attendant  on 
such  a  situation  ? 

If,  after  cool,  deliberate,  and  rational  con- 
sideration, with  your  minds  as  free  from  en- 
thusiastic expectations  connected  with  this  con- 
tinent, as  they  well  can  be  under  the  existence 
of  the  present  order  of  things  in  England,  you 
can  answer  in  the  affirmative,  then  I  have  little 
doubt  of  the  propriety  of  recommending  to  your 
attention  the  Illinois  territority. 

P.  S.  Should  I  resolve  upon  taking  New  Or- 
leans  in  my  route  to  Washington,  I  shall  most 
likely  address  you  from  the  former  city. 


SIXTH  REPORT. 


Leave  the  Territory  of  Illinois  for  New  Orleans.  —  City  of 
Natchez.  —  Boat-Loads  of  Negroes  for  Sale.  —  Prevalence 
of  British  Goods.  —  Habits,  and  State  of  Morals.  —  Em- 
bark on  board  Steam- Boat  (t  Orleans," —  Mississippi  River; 
its  Scenery. —  Arrival  at  New  Orleans. —  Vast  Importance 
to  the  Western  Country.  —  Habits,  Character,  Morals, 
Amusements.  —  The  Mayor's  barbarous  Proclamation  con- 
cerning Negroes.  —  Leave  New  Orleans  for  the  City  of 
Washington. —  A  Review  of  the  Western  Country. —  Cha- 
racter of  Tradesmen.  —  Mode  of  employing  Capital. — Arri- 
val in  Washington.  —  Its  Situation.  —  Fine  Scenery. — Ca- 
pitol and  President's  House.  —  British  Crusade. —  Effects 
in  increasing  the  Prosperity  of  this  City.  —  Aristocratical 
Absurdity  of  the  original  Plan  of  the  City. —  Population. — 
George  Town  and  Alexandria.  —  Price  of  Provisions.  — 
Rents.  —  Mechanics.  — Prevalence  and  Price  of  British 
Goods.  —  Paper  almost  the  only  Currency.  —  The  "  fir- 
"  ginian  Dynasty."  —  English  Ambassador.  —  Mr.  Clay. 
— President's  Drawing-Room.  —  Habits.  —  Customs.  — 
The  Theatre.  —  Incledon.  — Indian  Juggler. —  Cobbett  and 
his  Friend  of  Philadelphia. —  His  ill  Treatment  by  the  Le- 
gislature of  Pennsylvania,  and  his  Statement  of  their  political 
Corruption.  —  American  Manufactures  ;  their  present  ruin- 
pus  State.  —  Capital  employed  during  the  late  War.  — Vete- 
rans of  the  Revolution.  —  General  St.  Clair.  — " Attend  both 
Houses  of  Congress.  —  Their  Forms :  Members  ;  Subjects 
discussed.  —  Corruption  in  Caucus  Election  of  President. — 
General  Harpers  and  Mr.  Riifus  King's  Speeches  upon 
t^e  Subject.  —  Poet  Moore. —  Opposition  to  Napoleon.  — 
European  Politics  of  Washington  ~  Mr.  Birkbeck's  Letter 
to  myself. 


State  of  Virginia,  and  Washington  City, 
February  and  March,  1818. 

AT  the  date  of  my  last,  in  December,  I  had 
not  left  the  Illinois.  Since  my  departure  from 
that  territory  to  the  present  time,  I  have  tra- 
velled a  vast  distance,  and  I  lament  to  say  that 
there  is  little  of  it  which  I,  or  indeed  any  man 
among  you,  could  be  induced  to  make  a  perma- 
nent settlement.  The  white  population  are  the 
victims  of  demoralizing  habits.  The  native  In- 
dians present,  of  course,  nothing  but  a  picture 
of  mere  savage  life  ;  and  the  poor  negroes  suffer 
even  more  than  commonly  falls  to  the  lot  of 
their  oppressed  and  degraded  condition.  What 
a  foul  stain  upon  the  republic,  professing,  as  it 
does,  the  principles  of  liberty  and  equal  rights, 
that,  out  of  twenty  States,  there  should  be 
eleven  in  which  slavery  is  an  avowed  part 
of  their  political  constitution ;  and  that  in 
those  called  free  (New  England  excepted)  the 
condition  of  blacks  should  practically  amount  to 
slavery  !  Like  the  Greeks  of  old,  they  talk  of 
freedom,  while  the  degraded  Helot  is  within 
their  doors. 

Previous  to  entering  into  details  concerning 
this  city,  I  would  wish  to  call  your  attention  to 
two  others,  certainly  not  under  any  idea  of  their 
being  suitable  places  lor  emigration,  but  in  con- 
sequence of  their  immediate  and  important  con- 
nection with  the  whole  western  country.  First, 


NATCHEZ.  267 

NATCHEZ,  in  the  State  of  Mississippi ;  and 
second,  NEW  ORLEANS,  on  the  Mississippi  River, 
one  hundred  miles  above  its  entrance  into 
the  Gulph  of  Mexico.  Natchez  stands  on  a 
bluff,  about  250  yards  above  the  level  of  the 
river,  a  situation,  from  what  I  have  seen,  very 
unusual  on  the  Mississippi,  the  greater  part 
being  level,  and  often  overflowing  its  banks. 
The  landing-place  is  on  the  river  edge,  about  half 
a  mile  from  the  town.  At  this  place  there  are 
about  thirty  houses,  the  greater  part  of  which 
are  whiskey  shops,  gambling  and  other  houses, 
in  which  there  is  a  degree  of  open  profligacy, 
which  I  had  not  before  witnessed  in  the  United 
States.  While  contemplating  this  melancholy 
scene,  my  attention  was  directed  to  the  number 
of  boats  which  were  then  in  port.  They  consisted 
of  twenty- five  flats,  seven  keels,  and  one  steam- 
vessel.  The  flat,  I  should  explain,  is  a  square, 
covered  vessel,  of  considerable  capacity,  used 
for  carrying  freight  from  Pittsburgh,  and 
other  places  below  that  town,  down  to  New 
Orleans ;  their  construction  is  temporary,  and 
of  slight  materials,  being  broken  up  at  New 
Orleans,  as  not  sufficiently  strong  to  be  freighted 
up  the  river.  The  keel  is  a  substantial,  well- 
built  boat,  long,  and  in  form  resembling  the 
floating  bath  at  Blackfriars  Bridge,  London. 

Observing  a  great  many  coloured  people,  par- 
ticularly females,  in  these  boats,  I  concluded  that 


268  CHARGES  OF    SLAVES. 

they  were  emigrants,  who  had  proceeded  thus 
far  on  their  route  towards  a  settlement.  The 
fact  proved  to  be  that  fourteen  of  thcjlats  were 
freighted  uit/i  iiumau  beings  for  sale  ! !  They  had 
been  collected  in  the  several  States  by  slave- 
dealers,  and  shipped  from  Kentucky  for  a 
market.  They  were  dressed  up  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage, on  the  same  principle  that  jockeys  do 
horses  upon  sale.  The  following  is  a  specimen 
of  advertisements  on  this  subject :  — 

"  TWENTY  DOLLARS  REWARD, 
*'  Will  be  paid  for  apprehending  and  lodging  in  gaol,  or 
"  delivering  to  the  subscriber,  the  following  slaves,  belong- 
"  iog  to  JOSEPH  IRVIV,  of  Iberville  :  — 

"  TOM,  a  very  light  Mulatto,  blue  eyes,  5  feet  10  inches 
"  high,  appears  to  be  about  35  years  of  age,  an  artful  fellow 
"  —  can  read  and  write,  and  preaches  occasionally. 

"  CHARLOTTE,  a  black  wench,  round  and  full-faced, 
"  tall,  straight,  and  likely  —  about  25  years  of  age,  and  wife 
"  of  the  above-named  Tom. 

"  These  slaves  decamped  from  their  owner's  plantation,  on 
**  the  night  of  the  1 4th  of  September  inst. 

"  WILLIAM  KENXER  &  Co." 

The  treatment  of  the  negroes  throughout  these 
States  is  as  villainous  as  can  be  well  imagined  ; 
and  although  they  are  themselves  not  insensible 
to  the  evils  of  their  condition,  they  do  not  seem 
to  feel  it  so  acutely  as  might  be  anticipated, 
or  as  the  man  of  common  humanity  would  feel 
on  their  account.  This,  however,  is  natural 
enough,  and  easy  to  account  for.  As  the  body 


INDIANS.  —  TRADE.  269 

is  enslaved,  the  mind  becomes  degraded,  and 
loses  a  sense  of  its  own  dignity,  and  of  the  value 
of  independence. 

I  observe  that  there  are  a  few  native  Indians 
who  raise  cotton,  and  hold  slaves  ;  others  (but 
only  women)  are  hired  to  pick  the  cotton,  their 
fathers  or  husbands  receiving  their  wages.  No 
male  Indian  would  submit  to  the  supposed  de- 
gradation of  being  in  the  employ  of  any  one.  — 
A  man  possessed  of  from  %  to  10,0001.  capital, 
with  a  pliable  conscience,  above  the  common 
feelings  of  humanity,  and  whose  only  object  is 
gain,  would  soon  realize,  by  the  culture  of  cot- 
ton in  this  district,  a  very  large  fortune. 

There  are  here  numerous  stores  j  three-fourths 
of  the  stock  of  every  one  consist  of  British 
goods.  Shopkeeping  is  profitable.  Mechanics 
are  very  highly  paid,  and  at  this  time  much 
wanted,  in  consequence  of  their  having,  more 
than  the  other  classes  of  society,  fallen  victims 
to  the  late  contagious  disorders.  —  "  Paekwood's 
"  razor  strops1*  have  even  penetrated  into  this 
remote  quarter  of  the  globe :  the  negro  barbers 
do  not  omit  making  that  circumstance  a  leading 
point  of  attraction. 

Lotteries  are  as  prevelant  here  as  in  the  east- 
ern States  j  the  one  carrying  on  at  this  time  is  for 
building  a  Presbyterian  church  !  The  "  scheme" 
is  preceded  by  a  long  address  upon  the  advan- 
tages of  religion,  and  the  necessity  of  all  citizens 


270       HOLY  LOTTERY.  HEALTH. 

supporting  Christianity  by  purchasing  tickets  in 
this  holy  lottery  ! ! 

The  church-yard  is  opposite  to  Irvine's  hotel 
(at  which  I  stopped).    Two  young  men  that  were 
standing  at  the  door  hail  been  warmly  engaged 
in  a  debate;  one  was  a  ix-Mdciit  in  Natchez,  the 
other  not  so;   their  subject   of  controversy  was 
the  healthiness  of  the  city  ;  the  latter  contended 
that  it  was  sickly  ;    his  friend  could  not  endure 
so  foul  an  aspersion  upon  his  native  town  ;   the 
other  explained  that  he  did  not  mean  any  tiling 
personal,  but  he  considered  Natchc/  was  sickly, 
and  as  a  strong  proof  that  his  opinion  was  cor- 
rect,   he  pointed  to  the   church-yard,  in  \\hich 
one-fourth  of  the  late  population  had  been  en- 
tombed in  the  course  of  live  \\ivks.     This  ex- 
planation  was  of  no  avail  —  he  should  call  him 
out  for  daring  to  say  that  Aiv  city  ua.s  sickly; 
to  be  sure,    rive   hun.lred  people  had  died   in  a 
short  time,  but  men  did  not  live  for  ever,    even 
among   tsie   Ya.ikk-   ^Nev  nd).      "  1 

"  Sir,  that  there  is  not  a  more  healthy  place  in 
"  the  world  than  Natchez."  —  I  rind  it  indeed 
a  universal  trait  of  character,  that  no  American 
will  allow  any  place  to  be  so  healthy  as  the  one 
in  which  he  resides. —  Upon  the  whole  I  leave 
Natchez  with  little  knowledge  of  its  inhabitants 
indeed,  but  with  an  impression  of  its  comparath  e 
prosperity  exceeding  any  town  which  I  have  ever 
seen.  The  streets  are  literaUy  crammed  with 

14 


A    SERGE  ANT-AT-ARMS. 

cotton  bales  for  the  Liverpool  market,  they  are 
carried  to  the  water-side  in  carts  drawn  by  two 
mules,  horses  being  little  used,  —  in  consequence, 
it  is  said,  of  the  severe  chastisement  usually 
inflicted  upon  them  by  negro  drivers  ;  thus 
these  much-injured  men  revenge  upon  the  dumb 
animal  the  wrongs  they  themselves  receive  from 
their  common  owner.  During  my  residence  at 
this  town  1  twice  visited  the  State  legislature, 
which  is  composed  of  men  who  appear  any  thing 
but  legislators.  Their  place  of  meeting  was  in 
a  kind  of  superior  hay-loft.  The  imitation  of  the 
forms  of  the  British  parliament  was  rather  ludi- 
crous: —  the  only  business  transacted  during  my 
stay  was  the  election  of  a  sergeant-at-arms  ! 


ORLEANS. 

Viewing  this  city  as  intimately  connected  with 
the  considerations  of  a  western  country  colony, 
I  felt  desirous  of  seeing  it.  I  was  aware, 
besides,  that  this  would  be  desirable  to  assist 
my  judgment  in  forming  a  correct  estimation  of 
the  whole  American  people  j  for  I  feel  per- 
suaded, that  for  myself  I  could  not  make  up  a 
final  judgment  without  personal  acquaintance 
with  the  entire  "  body  politic."  The  steam- 
boat "  Orleans"  being  upon  the  point  of  de- 
parture, I  engaged  a  place  for  New  Orleans  — 
fare,  including  board,  31.  7s.  6d.  ;  distance, 
300  miles  j  time  56  hours. 


NEW    ORLEANS. 


The  scenery  of  the  Mississippi  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  Natchez  is  interesting:  at 
but  a  short  distance  from  that  city  it  becomes  ex- 
tremely dull,  being  a  dead  flat,  with  banks  over- 
flowed ;  for  150  miles,  until  we  came  near  Point 
Caupee  church,  we  were  moving  through  an  im- 
mense and  dreary  forest,  without  openings  or 
breaks  of  any  kind,  destitute  of  variety,  and  only 
prodticing  by  its  sombre  monotony  the  most 
melancholy  sensations. 

Approaching  to  New  Orleans,  a  more  civilized 
country  than  I  had  previously  seen  presented 
itself,  though  there  were  (according  to  the 
old  story)  no  men  hanging  in  chains.  The 
banks  were  cultivated,  settlements  multiplied, 
good  houses  were  not  uncommon  :  while  nu- 
merous extensive  sugar  plantations  bespoke 
population  and  wealth.  Upon  my  arrival  at 
New  Orleans,  it  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive 
the  delight  which  I  experienced  ;  after  a  tedious 
and  dreary  journey,  even  the  masts  of  ships 
afforded  me  pleasure,  as  recalling  by  association 
what  I  should  now  denominate  the  comforts  oi 
New  York  and  Philadelphia.  The  increase  of 
the  city  since  it  has  become  a  part  of  the  United 
States  is  truly  extraordinary,  affording  another 
proof  of  the  advantages  possessed  by  a  people 
who  are  unshackled.  Originally  its  trade  was 
conducted  by  men  who  purchased  the  right  ot 
monopoly  from  the  parent  country,  or  the 

lot 


MANNERS    AND   HABITS.  #73 

viceroys  and  governors.  While  this  enriched  the 
few,  it  of  course  impoverished  the   many,  and 
was  wholly  inconsistent  with  general  prosperity. 
Trade  is  a  plant  that  can  only  luxuriantly  flourish 
in  a  free  soil.     Under  the  government  of  Ame- 
rica, every  man  is  left  to  pursue  the  bent  of 
his  own  inclination,  and  to  go  to  the  full  extent 
of  his  means; — there  exists  no  monopoly,  ex- 
cept  that  which    superior    talent    or   property 
always  must,  and  always  ought  to  confer.     The 
consequence  of  this  state  of  things  is,  that  the 
United  States  are  making  unprecedented  strides 
towards  substantial  wealth  and  national  great- 
ness, though  cursed,    as  I  am  sorry — mortified 
to  the  heart  to   be  obliged  to  confess,  with  a 
population  undeserving  of  their  exuberant  soil 
and  free  government. 

The  French  language  is  still  predominant  in 
New  Orleans.  The  population  is  said  to  be 
,30,000;  two-thirds  of  which  do  not  speak 
English.  The  appearance  of  the  people  too  was 
French,  and  even  the  negroes  evinced,  by  their 
antics,  in  rather  a  ludicrous  manner,  their  con- 
nection with  the  natives  of  that  nation. 

The  general  manners  and  habits  are  very  re- 
laxed.  The  first  day  of  my  residence  here  was 
Sunday,  and  I  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  find 
in  the  United  States  the  markets,  shops,  theatre, 
circus,  and  public  ball-rooms  open.  Gambling 
bouses  throng  the  city:  all  coffee-houses,  to- 

T 


INTERESTING    EXHIBITION. 

gether  with  the  exchange,  are  occupied  from 
morning  until  night  by  gamesters.  It  is  said, 
that  when  the  Kentuckians  arrive  at  this  place, 
they  are  in  their  glory,  finding  neither  limit  to, 
nor  punishment  of  their  excesses.  The  general 
style  of  living  is  luxurious.  Houses  are  ele- 
gantly furnished.  The  ball-room,  at  Davis's 
hotel,  I  have  never  seen  exceeded  in  splendour. 
Private  dwellings  partake  of  the  same  character; 
and  the  ladies  dress  with  expensive  elegance. 
The  sources  of  public  amusement  are  numerous 
and  varied  ;  among  them  I  remark  the  following : 

*  INTERESTING  EXHIBITION. 

"  ON  Sunday  the  9th  inst.  will  be  represented  in  the  place 
M  where  Fire-works  are  generally  exhibited,  near  the  Circus, 
"  an  extraordinary  fight  of  Furious  Animals.  The  place 
"  where  the  animals  will  fight  is  a  rotunda  of  160  feet  in  cir- 
"  cumference,  with  a  railing  17  feet  i«  height,  and  a  circular 
«'  gallery  well  conditioned  and  strong,  inspected  by  the 
"  Mayor  and  surveyors  by  him  appointed. 

"  1st  Fight  —  A   strong   Attakapas   Bull,   attacked   and 
"  subdued  by  aix  of  th«  strongest  dogs  of  the  country. 
"  2d  Fight —  Six  Bull-dogs  against  a  Canadian  Bear. 
"  3d  Fight  —  A  beautiful  Tiger  against  a  Black  Bear. 
*'  4th  Fight  —  Twelve  dogs  against  a  strong  and  furious 
"  Opeloussas  Bull. 

"  If  the  Tiger  is  not  vanquished  in  his  fight  with  the  Bear, 
"  he  will  be  sent  alone  against  the  last  Bull;  and  if  the  latter 
"  conquers  all  his  enemies,  several  pieces  of  fire-works  will 
"  be  placed  on  his  back,  which  will  produce  a  very  euter- 
**  taining  amusement. 

"  In  the  Circus  will  be  placed  two  Manakins,  which,  not- 
"  withstanding  the  efforts  of  the  Bulls  to  throw  them  down, 
**  will  always  rise  again,  whereby  the  animals  will  get 
"  furious. 


LAWS   AT    NEW   ORLEANS. 

**  The  doors  will  be  opened  at  three  and  the, Exhibition 
r<  begin  at  .four  o'clock  precisely. 

"  Admittance',  one  dollar  for  grown  persons,  and  50 cents 
*'  for  children. 

•"  A  military  band  will  perform  during  the  Exhibition. 

"..If.  Mr.  Renault  is  so  happy  as  to  amuse  the  spectators 
"  by  that  new  spectacle,  he  will  use  every  exertion  to  diver- 
"  sify  and  augment  it,  in  order  to  prove  to  a  generous 
"  public,  whose  patronage  has  been  hitherto  so  kindly  ber 
"  stowed  upon  him,  how  anxious  he  is  to  please  them." 

I  visited  the  theatre:  it  is  an  old  building, 
about  two-thirds  the  size  of  the  little  theatre  in 
the  Haymarket.  The  play  was  "  John  of 
"  Calais/'  well  performed  by  a  French  com- 
pany to  a  French  audience.  At  a  tavern  op- 
posite  I  witnessed  a  personal  conflict,  in  which 
I  suppose  one  of  the  parties  was  dirk'd.  These 
things  are  of  e very-day  occurrence ;  and  it  is 
not  often  that  they  are  taken  cognizance  of  by 
the  police. 

I  was  present  at  a  criminal  trial :  the  pleadings 
were  a  mixture  of  French  and  English.  The  jury 
consisted  of  ten  French,  and  two  Americans. 
The  counsel  were  equally  divided,  being  two  of 
each  language :  the  judge  was  American.  The 
French  counsel  requested  leave  to  quote  the  code 
Napoleon,  which  was  granted,  on  condition  that 
he  should  explain  to  the  French  part  of  the 
jury  that  it  was  not  law,  and  that  he  adduced 
it  on  the  same  principle  that  he  would  the 
works  of  a  poet,  merely  to  illustrate  his  ideas. 
The  English  law  is  the  law  of  Louisiana,  with 


#76  SLAVE    REGULATIONS. 

such  additions  as  local  circumstances  have  ren- 
dered necessary ;  one  of  which  that  was  cited 
upon  this  occasion,  is  a  law  against  "  biting 
"  oft' the  ear,  the  nose,  tearing  out  the  eyes,"  &c. 
I  was  proceeding  to  remark  upon  the  condi- 
tion of  negroes  in  Louisiana,  but  an  official  docu- 
ment lying  before  me  upon  the  subject,  I  pre- 
fer forwarding  to  you,  without  note  or  con  - 
ment,  except  to  observe  that  such  regulations 
as  these  exist  in  spirit  throughout  nine  at  least, 
if  not  eleven  more  of  the  State  republics ! 

«  CITY  COUNCIL  OF  NEW  ORLEANS. 

"  An  ordinance  in  relation  to  slaves  in  the  city  and  suburbs 
"  of  New  Orleans,  as  aho  in  the  neighbourhood  thereof, 
"  and  to  no  other  persons  herein  mentioned. 

"  The  City  Council  ordains  as  follows : 
•*  ART.  1.  No  slave  or  slaves  within  the  city  and  sub- 
"  urbs  of  New  Orleans,  and  the  neighbourhood  thereof,  shall 
"  have,  hold,  occupy,  reside  or  sleep  in  any  house,  out- 
"  house,  building  or  enclosure,  other  than  his  or  her 
*c  owner's,  or  his  or  her  owner's  representatives,  or  of  th< 
"  person  whom  he  is  or  they  are  serving  for  hire,  without 
"  first  obtaining  a  ticket  or  tickets  from  his,  her,  or  their 
"  owner  or  owners,  expressly  describing  the  place  which 
"  such  slave  or  slaves  is  or  are  allowed  respectively  to  oc- 
"  cupy,  reside,  or  sleep  in;  and  specifying  also  the  time 
"  during  which  the  aforesaid  permission  or  permissions  is  or 
"  arc  granted;  and  every  slave  holding,  occupying,  resid- 
"  ing  or  sleeping  in  any  house,  out-house,  building  or  en- 
"  closure,  without  obtaining  the  permission  aforesaid,  shall 
"  be  committed  to  the  gaol  by  any  officer  of  police,  or  any 
"  other  white  person,  there  to  receive  twenty  lashes^  on  a 
"  warrant  from  the  mayor,  or  from  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
"  unless  the  owner  or  owners  of  such  slave  or  sieves  shall  prc- 


SLAVE    REGULATIONS. 

"  viously  pay  a  Jine  of  five  dollars  for  each  of  them,  tuith  all 
"  costs  and  charges. 

"  ART.  6.  The  assemblies  of  slaves  for  the  purpose  of 
"  dancing  or  other  merriment,  shall  take  place  only  on 
"  Sundays,  and  solely  in  such  open  or  public  places  as  shall 
"  be  appointed  by  the  mayor ;  and  no  such  assembly  shall 
"  continue  later  than  sunset ;  and  all  slaves  who  shall  be 
"  found  assembled  together  on  any  other  day  than  Sunday, 
"  or  who,  even  on  that  day,  shall  continue  their  dances 
"  after  sunset,  shall  be  taken  up  by  the  officers  of  police, 
"  constables,  watchmen  or  other  white  persons,  and  shall 
«'  be  lodged  in  the  public  gaol,  where  they  shall  receive  from 
"  10  to  25  lashes,  on  a  warrant  from  the  mayor  or  a  justice 
"  of  the  peace ;  the  clauses  specified  in  the  preceding  article 
"  against  all  owners  or  occupants  of  houses  or  lots,  forming 
"  or  tolerating  such  assemblies  on  their  premises,  being  in 
"  full  force  against  them. 

"  ART.  7.  No  person  giving  a  ball  to  free  people  of 
"  colour  shall,  on  any  pretext,  admit  or  suffer  to  be  admitted 
"  to  said  ball  any  slave,  on  penalty  of  a  Jine  from  10  to  50 
"  dollars  ;  and  any  slave  admitted  to  any  such  ball  shall  re- 
t(  ceive  15  lashes. 

t(  ART.  8.  Every  slave,  except  such  as  may  be  blind  or 
"  infirm,  who  shall  walk  in  any  street  or  open  place  with  a 
"  cane,  club,  or  other  stick,  shall  be  carried  to  the  police 
*'  gaol,  where  he  shall  receive  25  lashes,  and  shall  moreover 
"  forfeit  every  such  cane,  club  or  other  stick,  to  any  white 
"  person  seizing  the  same ;  and  every  slave  carrying  any 
"  arms  whatever,  shall  be  punished  in  the  manner  pre- 
"  scribed  by  the  Black  Code  of  this  State. 

*'  ART.  9.  If  any  slave  shall  be  guilty  of  whooping  or 
"  hallooing  any  where  in  the  city  and  suburbs,  or  of  making 
"  any  clamorous  noise,  or  of  singing  aloud  any  indecent 
"  song,  he  or  she  shall  for  each  and  every  such  offence,  re- 
"  ceive  at  the  police  gaol,  on  a  warrant  from  the  mayor,  or 
"  any  justice  of  peace,  a  number  of  20  lashes  or  stripes  ; 
"  and  if  any  such  offence  be  committed  on  board  any  vessel, 
"  the  master  or  commander  thereof  shall  forfeit  and  pay  a 
"  sum  of  20  dollars  for  each  and  every  such  offence. 

T    3 


275 


PROVISION'S. 


"  ART.  10.  Every  slave  who  shall  be  guilty  of  disrespect 
I:  towards  any  •white  person,  or  shall  insult  any  free  person, 
"  shall  receive  30  lashes,  upon  an  order  from  the  mayor, 
'•'  or  justice  of  the  peace. 

'  ART.  13.  The  present  ordinance  shall  be  printed  in  the 
"  usual  Gazettes,  and  shall  moreover  be  published  by  drum- 
"  heat,  within  the  city  and  suburbs  twice-a-week  during  h'f- 
"  teen  days,  and  once  every  month,  after  that  time. 

J.  SOULIE,  Recorder. 
"  Approved,  October  15th,  1817- 

"  AUG.  MACARTY, 
"  Nov.  3.  Mayor." 

Provisions  are  of  very  bad  quality,  and  most 
enormously  dear.  Hams  and  cheese  from  Eng- 
land, potatoes,  butter,  and  beef  from  Ireland, 
are  common  articles  of  import.  Cabbages  are 
now  ten-pence  per  head ;  turkeys,  three  to  five 
dollars  each.  Rents  are  also  very  extravagant. 
Yet  to  all  men  whose  desire  only  is  to  be  rich, 
and  to  live  a  short  life  but  a  merry  one,  I  have 
no  hesitation  in  recommending  New  Orleans. 

Proposing  at  once  to  transport  you  to  the  city 
from  which  part  of  this  is  written,  that  of  Wash- 
ington, I  have  only  now  to  take  a  general  retro- 
spect. With  regard,  then,  to  the  western  coun- 
try generally,  let  me  first  observe  upon  the  strong 
evidence  which  it  affords  of  increasing  national 
wealth,  strength  and  population.  This,  indeed, 
is  striking  to  a  degree  which  has  been  the  sub- 
ject of  astonishment  in  "various  ways.  The  rapid 
ratio  of  its  increase,  the  maturity  of  its  establish- 


WESTERN    COUNTRY. 

vnents,  the  ignorance  of 'real 'freedom  among  the 
people,  the  immense  advantages  resulting  from 
ah  enlightened  political  constitution,    and   the 
probable  future  condition  of  this  part  of  the  Ame- 
rican continent,  are  all  themes  calculated  to  ex- 
cite   speculation,    and    each   affords    abundant 
sources  for  reflection.     Throughout  the  western 
country,  there  are  many  men  of  real,  but  more 
of  fictitious  capital.     In  their  occupations  they 
are  not  confined  to  any  one   particular  pursuit, 
the  same  person  often  being  farmer,  store  and 
hotel-keeper,    land-jobber,    brewer,    steam-boat 
owner,    and    slave-dealer.     In  their   characters 
they  bear  evidence  of  this  diversified,  though, 
I  think,  but  in  few  instances  able  application  of 
talent.      They  talk  much  of  American  genius, 
persuading  themselves  that  because  they  were 
born  on  this  continent,  there    is  prepared    for 
them,    in  every   department   of  knowledge,    a 
royal  road.     All  are  speculators  j  and  each  man 
anticipates  making  a  fortune,  not  by  patient  in- 
dustry and  upright  conduct,  but  by  "a  lucky 
**•  hit."     Should  he  be  disappointed,  the  conse- 
quences must,  of  course,  fall  upon  his  creditors; 
but  neither  those  who  suffer  by  his  failure,  nor 
his  neighbours,  nor  himself,  attach  to  him  any 
kind  of  disrespect  for  the  transaction.     1  wit- 
nessed some  whose  success  had  been  astonish- 
ing, both  as  to  amount,  and  the  rapidity  with 
which  it  had  been  collected  ;  as,  indeed,  must 

T  4> 


280       MERCHANTS  AND  TRADERS. 

ever  be  the  case  with  a  speculating  people  in  a 
new  country,  particularly  in  one  unburthened 
with  taxes,  and  in  which  the  habits  of  trade  are 
yet  unsettled.  Merchants  and  tradesmen  bear 
little  or  no  similitude  to  those  of  England  : 
their  diversified  pursuits,  and  migrating  cha- 
racter, cause  them  to  possess  more  general  but 
less  particular  and  substantial  knowledge.  The 
impression  which  they  convey  on  first  acquaint- 
ance, is  that  of  being  well-informed,  and  com- 
paratively enlightened  :  but  this  wears  off  upon 
more  intimate  acquaintance,  if,  at  least,  by 
the  expressions  well-informed  and  enlightened 
we  should  imply  men  of  reading  or  of  thought, 
men  possessed  of  sound  information,  who  take 
large  views,  who  feel  liberally  towards  men 
of  opposite  sentiments,  and  attached  to  the  ge- 
neral cause  of  human  happiness :  looked  at  in 
this  point  of  view,  they  are,  in  tr,uth,  any  thing 
but  enlightened.  This  order  of  men,  the  mer- 
chant and  tradesman,  here  generally  compose 
the  second,  some  of  them  rank  in  the  first  class 
of  society.  Though  residing  in  a  republic,  they 
are,  in  fact,  more  really  aristocratic  than  English- 
men  similarly  circumstanced.  The  mechanic  in 
this  country  is  naturally  an  important  character, 
the  more  so  if  the  town  or  settlement  in  which 
he  resides  be  of  recent  establishment.  If  in- 
dustrious and  economical,  bis  earnings  soon 
place  him  on  an  equality  with  the  second-rate 


TOWNS.  281 

tradesmen  j  •  and  should  he  feel  disposed  for 
agriculture,  and  be  willing  to  forego  the  comforts 
of  a  town  life,  he  may  purchase  a  tract  of  land, 
which,  if  judiciously  selected,  will  in  the  course 
of  twenty  years  make  him  a  rich  man.  I  saw 
many  families  in  tfris  part  of  the  Union  in  rags 
and  wretchedness  :  but  there  is  this  peculiarity 
about  American  poverty  —  it  seems  free  from 
anxiety,  exhibiting  a  total  carelessness  about  the 
future,  and  apparently  leaving  the  morrow  t6 
provide  for  itself. 

Towns  which  are  of  any  importance,  are  fiot 
what  we  understand  by  "  county  towns:19  they 
are  miniature  cities,  containing  numerous  first- 
rate  brick  buildings,  all  new,  very  neat  in  their 
exterior,  and  always  high  rented.  Town  pro- 
perty is  as  high  as  in  Philadelphia,  and  more  so 
than  in  London.  The  tide  of  emigration,  it 
should  be  observed,  is  eternally  changing  its 
course.  The  attractions  of  Ohio  are  now  lost 
in  those  of  Missouri,  Alabama,  and  Illinois. 
Lexington  was,  a  short  time  since,  the  general 
magnet :  its  advances  towards  prosperity  Have 
now,  however,  ceased  to  be  rapid,  and  property 
there  has  become  stationary  in  value,  whilst4  at 
Louisville  it  is  rising  prodigiously.  This  last- 
mentioned  place,  with  St.  Louis  on  the  Missouri, 
promise  to  be  ranked  among  the  first  towns  in 
the  western  States.  Provisions  in  the  country 
are  cheap,  and  groceries  and  clothing  erioi  • 


582  PRICES. BANKS. 

vnously  high  in  price.  In  towns,  25  per  cent, 
may  be  added  to  the  former,  and  the  same,  per- 
haps, deducted  from  the  latter ;  though,  at  the 
lowest  market,  you  would  be  surprised  at  the 
charges,  arising  from  the  high  price  of  labour, 
combined  with  the  extraordinary  fact,  that  the 
crockery,  hardware,  linens,  cottons,  and  wool- 
lens, which  fill  the  log-stores  of  even  the  most 
remote  parts  in  the  wilderness,  are  imported 
from  Great  Britain. 

Banks,  as  I  have  before  remarked,  are  ex- 
tremely numerous.  They  afford,  to  an  unlimited 
extent,  all  the  facilities  within  the  possible  ca- 
pacity of  an  immense  paper  currency.  But 
still  even  this  species  of  capital  is  rarely  em- 
ployed in  agricultural  pursuits  :  it  is  engrossed 
by  town  lots,  building,  steam-boats,  and  mill- 
seats  ;  in  any  of  which  occupations  there  is  cer- 
tainly a  profitable  opening  for  the  European 
capitalist. 

Without  further  dwelling  on  this  country,  or 
on  my  journey,  I  shall  now  at  once  take  you  to 

WASHINGTON. 

It  has  been  so  fashionable  with  natives,  as 
well  as  foreigners,  to  ridicule  the  federal  city, 
that  I  had  anticipated  the  reality  of  Moore's 
description  of 

"  This  famed  metropolis,  where  fancy  sees 
"  Squares  in  morasses,  obelisks  in  trees." 

But  in  this  I  was  pleasingly  disappointed. 


WASHINGTON, — THE   CAPITOL. 

The  river  Potowmac,  at  this  place,  is  only  na- 
vigable for  small  craft  near  its  banks.  Besides 
the  Potowmac,  the  River  "  Tiber'*  runs  through 
the  city  j  its  stream  is  about  the  width  of 
the  Paddington  canal.  The  ridiculous,  though 
characteristic  vanity  displayed  in  altering  it 
from  the  original  name  of  "  Goose  Creek," 
to  that  of  the  Tiber,  has  been  happily  exposed 
by  Moore. 

The  President's  house,   and  the  Capitol,  si- 
tuated on  opposite  hills,   are  the  chief  public 
buildings,  both  of  which  were  nearly  destroyed 
by  the  buccaneering  incursions  of  our  country, 
men,    who   acted,   perhaps,   agreeably  to   their 
orders,   but  certainly  in  opposition  to  the  feel- 
ings, judgment,    and   character   of  the  British 
people.     These  buildings  are  now  rapidly  rising 
into  increased  splendour.    The  Capitol,  in  which 
are  both  houses  of  the  legislature,   and  several 
public   offices,    stands   on    a   bank   of  the    Po- 
towmac, seventy  feet  above  the  level  of  that 
river;  it  as  yet  consists  of  but  two  wings,  in- 
tended to  be  connected  by  a  centre,  surmounted 
by   a   dome.      The  architect   is    Mr.  Latrobe : 
In  the  internal  construction  of  this  building,  he 
has  not  evinced  even  a  common  knowledge  of 
what  contributes  to  convenience,  and  still  less  to 
elegance  of  appearance.      The  apartments  are 
small,   crowded,  and  without  unity  of  design : 
the   exterior,  when  completed,    will,    however, 

8 


FOREIGN    ORNAMENTS. 

produce  a  really  grand  effect.  Some  of  the  pil- 
lars are  of  a  native  marble,  of  a  peculiarly  novel 
and  beautiful  description,  bearing  some  resem- 
blance to  the  finest  specimens  of  mosaic.  The 
Americans,  however,  are  not  content  with  the 
productions  of  their  own  country:  they  have 
made  large  imports  from  Italy  of  its  most  ex- 
pensive marble ;  and  so  anxious  is  even  the 
President  himself  for  "  foreign  ornament,"  that 
he  has  imported  chairs  at  one  hundred  dollars 
each,  though  the  cabinet-makers  of  Baltimore 
would  have  equalled,  and  I  believe  surpassed 
them  in  every  particular,  at  the  price  of  sixty 
dollars ! 

The  President's  house  is  at  the  opposite  end 
of  "  Pennsylvania  Avenue,"  commanding  a  most 
beautiful  prospect.  On  each  side  of  it  stands  a 
large  brick  building ;  one  of  which  is  the  trea- 
sury, the  other  the  war  and  navy  offices.  These 
are  to  be  connected  with  the  palace,  which, 
when  completed,  would  form  an  ornament  even 
to  St.  Petersburgh  itself.  Upon  a  second  visit 
to  the  Capitol,  1  explored  nearly  all  its  recesses. 
Marks  of  the  late  conflagratipn  are  still  very  ap- 
parent, while  the  walls  bear  evidence  of  public 
opinion  in  relation  to  that  transaction,  which 
seems  to  have  had  the  singular  fate  of  casting 
disgrace  upon  both  the  Americans  and  British. 
Some  of  the  pencil  drawings  exhibit  the  mili- 
tary commander  hanging  upon  a  tree ;  others  re- 


PATENT-OFFICE. LIBRARY,    &C.  £85 

present  the  President  running  off  without  his  hat 
or  wig  j  some,  Admiral  Cockburn  robbing  hen- 
roosts :  to  which  are  added  such  inscriptions  as, 
"  The  capital  of  the  Union  lost  by  cowardice  ;" 

"  Curse   cowards;"  "  A sold  the   city 

"  for  5000  dollars  j"  "  James  Madison  is  a  ras- 
"  cal,  a  coward,  and  a  fool ;"  "  Ask  no  ques- 
"  tions,"  &c. 

The  post-office  is  a  large  brick  building,  situ- 
ated at  about  equal  distances  from  the  President's 
house  and  the  Capitol.     Under  the  same  roof  is 
the  patent-office,  and  also  the  national  library, 
for  the  use  of  members  of  congress.     In  the  first 
of  these  departments,  I  witnessed  upwards  "of 
nine  hundred  specimens  of  native  mechanical 
genius.     This  would  appear  to  afford  decisive 
proof,  that  Americans  are  not  deficient  in  in- 
ventive talent,  though  it  cannot  be  extensively, 
or   with  profit,   called  into  action,  until   your 
little  island  ceases  to  be  the  universal  workshop. 
The  library  is   small,   consisting  of  but  3000 
volumes ;  but  it  is  select  and  well  chosen,  and 
includes  various   classes   of  literature,    having 
been  the  property  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  for  which 
he   obtained  from  the   United    States    20,000 
dollars.     The  former  library,  containing  from 
7  to  8000,   was  destroyed  by  our  enlightened 
countrymen.      So    great    has   been,    at    some 
periods,  the  depreciation  of  property  in  this  city, 
that  in  1802,  what  had  originally  cost  #00,000 


280  LOWER    ORDERS. 

dollars,  was  sold   for  25,000.     This  decay  c. 
tinued  to  go  on,  until  the  visit  of  General  Ross, 
and  the  subsequent  signature  of  peace :  since 
that  time  it  seems  to  have  risen,  like  the  phcenix 
from  the  flames,  and  is  once  more  partially  in- 
creasing in  prosperity.     There  are  now  a  num- 
ber of  two  and  three  story  brick  buildings,  none 
of  which  are  uninhabited  ;  and  also  some  small 
wooden  houses,  though,  according  to  the  ori- 
ginal plan,  none  were  to  be  built  less  than  three 
stories  high,  and  all  to  have  marble  steps.     But 
the  childish  folly  of  this  scheme  was  soon  sub- 
verted by  the  natural    course   of  events;  and 
though  the  existence  of  "  lower  orders"  even 
in  the  capital  of  the  republic,  may  not  accord 
with  the  vanity  of  its  legislators,  they  ought  to 
be  told,  that  neither  prosperity  nor  population 
can  be  possessed  by  any  nation,  without  a  due 
admixture  of  the  natural  classes  of  society. 

The  population  of  Washington  city  is  stated 
to  be  about  9000;  of  Georgetown,  6000;  of 
Alexandria,  8000 ;  and  of  all  other  parts  of  the 
district  of  Columbia,  7000 ;  making  a  total  of 
30,000.  Alexandria,  which  is  seven  miles  from 
the  city,  may  be  considered  the  sea-port. 
Georgetown  is  the  residence  of  shopkeepers,  and 
Washington  the  depot  for  office-holders,  place- 
hunters,  and  boarding-house  keepers,  none  of 
whom  would  appear  to  be  in  possession  of  too 
much  of  this  world's  goods.  Between  these 


PRICES.  287 

three  divisions  of  this  district  there  exists  con- 
siderable jealousy. 

PRICES,  &c. 

There  are  three  market-houses  in  Washington, 
and   I   believe,    four   market   days   per    week. 
Negroes  are  the  chief  sellers.     The  supplies  at 
this  time  are  neither  good  nor  various.     Beef  is 
from  Sid.  to  6|d.  per  pound ;  pork  the  same  f 
potatoes,  3s.  4|d.  per  bushel  j   bread,    2d.  per 
pound ;    beer,  6£d.  per  bottle ;    milk,  5|d.  per 
quart ;  tea,  4s.  6d.  to  13s.  6d.  per  pound  j  coffee, 
12|d.   to   I6d. ;    sugar,    from  54s.  to  90s.  per 
hundred.      Rents    are    as    high    as    elsewhere. 
Mechanics  are  fully  employed,  and  well  paid. 
.  Shopkeepers  are  too  numerous,    and  none  of 
them    remarkably    successful.      British    goods 
abound,    as  in  every  other  part   of  America. 
When  I  had  been  here  a  few  hours,  I  went  to 
a  store  to  purchase  a  pair  of  worsted  gloves : 
they  were  of  the  commonest  kind,  such  as  are 
sold  in  London  at  8s.  6d.  per  dozen.    The  price 
was  half  a  dollar  per  pair.     I  presented  a  Phila- 
delphia one  dollar  note ;  it  would  not  be  taken 
without  a  discount  of  2|  per  cent.     I  then  ten- 
dered a  Baltimore  bank,  of  the  same  amount. 
This  being  one  hundred  miles  nearer  was  ac- 
cepted. The  store-keeper  had  no  silver  change ; 
to  remedy  which,  he  took  a  pair  of  scissors  and 


28S  PAPER   MONEY. 

divided  the  note  between  us :  I  enquired  if  the 
half  would  pass,  and  being  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  took  it  without  hesitation,  knowing 
the  want  of  specie  throughout  the  country, 
and  being  previously  familiarised  with  Spanish 
dollars  cut  into  every  variety  of  size.  rfl  now 
find  that  demi-notes  are  a  common  circulating 
medium.  Capital  is  generally  wanted,  though 
my  enquiries  do  not  lead  me  to  believe  that  it 
can  be  employed  here  with  any  thing  more  than 
ordinary  advantage.  The  increase  of  the  federal 
city  cannot  be  rapid.  Here;  is  fine  natural 
scenery,  but  no  decidedly  great  natural  advan- 
tages; little  external  commerce,  a  barren  soil, 
a  scanty  population,  enfeebled  too  by  the  deadly 
weight  of  absolute  slavery,  and  no  direct  means 
of  communication  with  the  western  country. 
For  the  apparently  injudicious  selection  of  such 
a  spot,  upon  which  to  raise  the  capital  of  a  great 
nation,  several  reasons  are  given.  Some  have  even 
gone  so  far  as  to  attribute  to  Gen.  Washington, 
the  influence  of  pecuniary  interest,  his  property 
befog  in  the  neighbourhood.  But  the  most  com- 
mon argument  adduced  in  support  of  the  choice 
is  that  it  is  central,  or  rather  that  it  was  so  ;  for 
the  recent  addition  of  new  States  has  removed 
the  centre  very  far  west,  so  much  so  indeed,  that 
the  inhabitants  of  Lexington  affirm,  that  their 
town  must  on  that  ground  soon  become  the 


SITE    OF    WASHINGTON.  289 

capital ;  and  even  the  people  of  St.  Louis,  in 
the  Missouri,  put  in  their  claim,  that  city  be- 
ing said  to  be  geographically  the  exact  centre 
of  the  Union.  But  assuming  that  Washington 
were  central,  I  do  not  see  much  validity  in  the 
argument ; — at  least  if  we  are  to  be  influenced  in 
our  judgment  by  any  country  in  the  old  world  — 
where  is  the  important  nation,  whose  capital  is 
placed ' exactly  in  the  centre  of  its  dominions? 
Spain  is  perhaps  the  only  country  which  can 
be  adduced,  and  no  very  favourable  conclusion 
can  be  drawn  from  such  an  instance :  though 
unquestionably  if  rivers  and  soil,  if  roads  and 
canals,  all  united  to  recommend  that  situation, 
it  would  be  in  some  other  respects  extremely 
convenient;  but  this  not  being  the  case,  the 
knowledge  of  Euclid  must  be  dispensed  with 
for  something  of  more  practical,  though  perhaps 
more  vulgar  utility. 

There  may  be  other  objections  to  this  capital : 
among  them  I  would  venture  to  suggest,  that 
the  legislators,  and  rulers  of  a  nation,  ought  to 
reside  in  that  city  which  has  the  most  direct 
communication  with  all  parts  of  their  country, 
and  of  the  world  at  large  j  they  ought  to  see 
with  their  own  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  own 
ears,  without  which,  though  possessed  of  the 
best  intentions,  they  must  often  be  in  error. 
Newspaper  communications,  letters  and  agents, 
are  but  substitutes,  and  sometimes  very  poor 


VIRGINIAN    DYNASTY. 

ones ;  besides  which,  I  conceive  that  mere  ex- 
pedients should  not  be  admitted  in  national  legis- 
lation. Unless  this  city  increases  with  a  rapidity 
unsanctioned  by  the  most  sanguine  anticipa- 
tion, the  American  law-makers  will  be  half  a 
century  behind  what  they  would  become  by  a 
residence  in  New  York  or  Philadelphia.  Another 
objection  to  Washington  may  suggest  itself  to 
some  minds,  in  its  neighbourhood  to  Virginia. 
The  "  Virginian  dynasty,**  as  it  has  been  called, 
is  a  subject  of  general,  and  I  think  very  just 
complaint  throughout  other  parts  of  America. 
This  State  has  supplied  four  of  the  five  presi- 
dents, and  also  a  liberal  number  of  occupants 
of  every  other  government  office.  The  Virgi- 
nians very  modestly  assert,  that  this  monopoly 
does  not  proceed  from  corrupt  influence,  but  is 
a  consequence  of  the  buoyancy  and  vigour  of 
their  natural  talent.  Without  entering  into  the 
controversy,  whether  or  not  seventeen  States  can 
supply  a  degree  of  ability  equal  to  that  of  Vir- 
ginia single-handed,  I  must  express  my  want  of 
respect  for  a  State  in  which  every  man  is  either 
a  .slave-holder,  or  a  defender  of  slavery — a  State 
in  which  landed  property  is  not  attachable  for 
debt  —  a  State  in  which  human  beings  are  sold 
in  the  streets  by  the  public  auctioneer,  are  flogged 
without  trial  at  the  mercy  of  their  owner  or  his 
agents,  by  whom  indeed  they  may  be  murdered, 
almost  without  punishment  j — yet  these  men  dare 


CUSTOMS. DRAWI.NG-ROOM. 

to  call  themselves  democrats,  and  friends  of 
liberty ! — from  such  democrats,  and  such  friends 
of  liberty,  good  Lord  deliver  us ! 

The  customs  of  society  at  this  season  differ, 
I  presume,  in  some  degree,  from  those  portions 
of  the  year  when  congress  is  not  sitting.  Tea 
parties,  and  private  balls,  are  now  very  frequent. 
Mr.  Bagot,  the  English  ambassador,  and  his  lady, 
are  particularly  assiduous  in  their  attentions  to 
all  classes,  and  maintain  a  strict  conformity  with 
the  habits  of  the  place.  Their  cards  of  invita- 
tion are  left  at  my  boarding-house  for  different 
gentlemen  every  day.  The  Speaker  (Mr.  Clay) 
gives  public  periodical  dinners.  A  drawing- 
room  is  held  weekly  at  the  President's  house : 
^t  is  generally  crowded.  There  is  little  or  no 
difficulty  in  getting  introduced  on  these  occa- 
sions. Mr.  Munroe  is  a  very  plain,  practical 
man  of  business.  The  custom  is  shaking,  and 
riot  the  degrading  one  of  kissing,  hands.  Con- 
versation, tea,  ice,  music,  chewing  tobacco,  and 
excessive  spitting,  afford  employment  for  the 
evening.  The  dress  of  the  ladies  is  very  elegant, 
though  that  of  the  gentlemen  is  too  frequently 
rather  ungentlemanly. 

The  theatre  is  a  miserable  building.  I  have 
.attended  several  representations  in  it  by  the 
same  company  which  I  saw  when  in  Pittsburgh. 
Incledon  has  been  here  —  the  Washington  critics 


INDIAN    JUGGUJR. —  COMFORT' 

think  him  too  vulgar,  and  also  an  indifferent 
singer ! 

In  this  city  I  witnessed  also  the  exhibitions  o* 
Sema  Sama,  the  Indian  juggler,  from  London. 
My  chief  attention  was  directed  to  the  audience  ; 
their  disbelief  of  the  possibility  of  performing 
the  numerous  feats  advertised,  and  their  incon- 
ceivable surprise  at  witnessing  the  actual  achieve- 
ment, appeared  extreme, — approaching  almost 
to  chHdish  wonder  and  astonishment. 

The  few  private  families  to  which  I  have  had 
introductions,  do  not  evince  a  more  accurate 
knowledge  of  that  English  word  contort  than  I 
have  remarked  elsewhere  j  indeed,  I  would  class 
them  a  century  inferior  to  Boston  and  half  a  cen- 
tury behind  New  York.  The  boarding-house* 
and  inns  partake  of  the  same  characteristic  >. 
I  first  applied  at  the  chief,  which  is  Davis's 
Indian  Queen  tavern  :  most  of  the  door-handles 
are  broken  ;  the  floor  of  the  coffee-room  is 
strewed  with  bricks  and  mortar,  caused  by  the 
crumbling  of  the  walls  and  ceiling ;  and  the  cha- 
racter of  the  accommodations  is  in  unison  with 
tins  unorganised  state  of  things  :  the  charges  are 
as  high  as  at  the  very  first  London  hotel. 

Mr.  Law,  brother  of  Lord  Ellenborough,  re- 
sides here,  and  is  the  owner  of  numerous  houses. 

Mr.  H ,  a  Lancashire  cotton-bleacher  and 

friend  of  Mr.  Gobbett,  has  lately  emigrated 
to  this  country,  and  has  been  recently  here, 


MR.  COBBETT. 

endeavouring  to  induce  this  government  to  lay 
double  duties  on  all  British  goods  :  what  :his 
success  has  been  I  have  not  learned. 

Observing  the  following  statements  in  the 
Philadelphia  Aurora,  I  forward  them  to  you,  a^ 
shewing  Mr.  Cobbett*s  impressions  of  the  Penn-* 
sylvanian  government. 

"    FROM  THE  HARRISBURG  ORACLE. 

«  THE  CASE  OF  WILLIAM  COBBETT. 

*'  While  the  subject  was  before  the  senate  on  Tuesday 
tf  and  Wednesday  last,  considerable  discussion  took  place, 
*'  advocated  chiefly  by  Mr.  Lowrie,  and  opposed  by  Messrs. 
"  Reed  of  Westmoreland,  C.  Smith,  Reed  of  Philadelphia, 
"  and  B.  R.  Morgan.  And  on  the  question  of  agreeing  to 
*'  the  resolution,  it  was  negatived. —  Ayes  9.  Nays  20. 

"  Immediate!}'  after  this  decision,  Mr.  Cobbett,  who  was 
*'.  present  during  the  debate,  walked  up  to  the  Speaker's 
"  chair  and  handed  the  following  to  the  speaker,  which  was 
c<  read  and  laid  on  the  table. 

"  To  the  Honourable  the  Senate  and  House  of  Represent- 
"  atives  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  in  Gene- 
*'  ral  Assembly  met* 

"  The  Petition  of  William  Cobbett,  an  Englishman,  this 
««  19th  day  of  February,  1818, 

"MOST  RESPECTFULLY  SHEWETH  : 

"  That  your  petitioner  has  heard  with  inexpressible  sur- 
"  prise  that  the  senate  of  the  commonwealth  has  rejected 
"  the  petition  lately  presented  to  that  honourable  body  by 
»«  your  petitioner ;  that  seeing  the  flagrant  enormity  of  the 
"  injustice  of  which  he  complained,  he  confidently  hopes 
*«  that  such  rejection  has  arisen  from  some  great  misunder- 
*'  standing  as  to  the  circumstances  of  the  case ;  that  he, 
"  therefore,  most  respectfully,  but  most  earnestly,  prays 
"  that  the  honourable  senate  will,  without  loss  of  time,  be 
"  pleased  to  permit  him  to  appear  in  person  at  the  bar  of 
*'  their  honourable  house,  there  to  support  the  prayer  of  his 

u  3 


MR.  COBBETT. 

"  said  petition  ;  that  he  feels  the  more  contideace  in  the 
"  making  of  this  respectful  request,  since  it  appears  that  his 
"  petition  has  been  opposed  upon  arguments  drawn  from  the 
"  laws  and  usages  of  England,  where  similar  requests,  under 
"  similar  circumstances,  are  never  refused  ;  and  he  finally 
u  begs  leave  to  be  permitted  to  state  (which  lie  does  with 
"  the  most  profound  respect)  that  a  sense  of  duty  towards 
"  his  beloved  country  and  his  Sovereign,  his  love  of  truth 
"  and  justice,  his  attachment  to  real  and  his  hatred  of  skam 
"freedom,  are  the  principal  motives  of  this  his  most  respect- 
"  ful  petition. 

"  WM.  COBBETT.'' 

M  TO   THE  EDITOR  OF  THE   AUltORA. 


«  Philadelphia,  22tf  February,  1818. 

"  Sin,  —  I  have  read,  in  tfte  Democratic  Press  of  this  day, 
*'  an  article,  purporting  to  be  an  '  extract  of  a  letter  from 
"  Harrisburg;'  in  which  extract  it  is  ss-.id,  that,  after  that 
«'  mo.st  honourable  body,  the  si-natc  ,  had  u  fiu-ed  to  hear  me 
**  at  its  bar>  in  support  of  my  petition,  another  petition  was 
"  presumed  by  me  to  the  house  of  representatives  ;  thar 
*'  petition  was,  by  some  of  tlia  members,  tliought  '  to  cast  a 
"  rffleflion  on  tho  political  institutions'  of  this  country;  but 
"  that,  the  subject  \\  us  an  important  one,  and  that,  '  if  the 
«'  individual  could  be  forgotten,  it  would,  perhaps,  be  viewed 
"  in  a  different  light.' 

"  This,  Sir,  is  a  pretty  sort  of  shuffle  indeed  !  So,  because 
?'  I  complain  of  great  and  shocking  injustice,  suffered  by  me, 
"  under  these  institutions,  I  am  to  be  accused  of  casting 
f<  reflections  on  the  institutions  themselves,  and,  on  the  ground 
«'  of  that  accusation,  my  claim  is  to  be  rejected  !  —  This  mode 
*'  of  arguing  is  a  finisher  as  to  all  petitions  for  redress  of 
"  grievances.  No,  no,  Sir!  It  is  not  the  '  individual  con- 
•'  cerned'  that  needs  to  be  *  forgotten.'  Say,  rather,  the 
"  six  thousand  three  hundred  and  seventy-three  dollars.  If 
"  these  could  be  forgotten,  the  writer  of  the  extract  would, 
"  I  fancy,  view  the  matter  in  the  right  line  in  a  moment. 
"  It  is  impossible,  Sir,  for  this  stain  on  the  government  of 


MR.  COBBETT. 

the  State  to  be  wiped  away  without  the  doing  of  complete 
justice.  I  can  perceive,  clearly  enough,  what  some  per- 
sons think  will  do.  They  are  gently  preparing  the  way  for 
hushing  the  people  by  recommending  an  act  to  prevent  the 
like  in  future ;  and  thus,  to  keep  the  dollars,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  as  they  imagine,  to  remove  the  odium.  You 
remember,  I  dare  say,  the  story  of  La  Fontaine's  Nun, 
who,  having  had  one  dastard,  became  a  virgin  for  the  rest 
of  her  life! 

"  I  am,  Sir, 

"  Your  most  humble, 

"  And  most  obedient  servant, 

"  WM.  COBBETT." 

Mr.  H.  informs  me  that  he  was  with  Mr.  C.  at 
Harrisburg;  that  Mr.  C.  declares  that  during 
the  several  years  which  he  resided  near  the 
Treasury  in  London,  he  did  not  witness  so  much 
bribery,  corruption,  and  place-hunting  as  he  had 
seen  in  one  week  in  Pennsylvania ;  that  the 
members  of  the  legislature  were  engaged  in 
little  except  smoking,  drinking,  and  gambling ; 
and  that  he  could  certainly  have  carried  his 
point  had  he  condescended  to  bribe.  In  all  these 
opinions  Mr.  H.  joins  his  friend. 

Although  I  cannot  go  the  length  of  Mr.  H. 
and  Mr.  Cobbett  in  their  wholesale  censures, 
perhaps  from  not  having  had  the  same  oppor- 
tunities with  them  of  forming  a  judgment,  yet 
I  have  become  acquainted  with  facts  in  Wash- 
ington which  no  man  could  have  induced  me  to 
believe  without  personal  observation. 


296  STATE   OF   MANUFACTORIES. 


MANUFACTURES    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES. 

The  object  of  Mr.  H.'s  visit  to  the  capital  is 
one  of  high  national  importance,  and  in  which  I 
should  have  individually  felt  much  interested  at 
an  earlief  period  of  my  acquaintance  with  this 
country  ;  but  I  am  now,  after  the  most  deliberate 
examination,  convinced  that  our  Yorkshire  and 
Leicestershire  friends  could  not  profitably  suc- 
ceed as  manufacturers.  This  opinion  is  amply 
borne  out  by  memorials  to  congress  from  various 
parts  of  the  Union,  and  in  these  documents  it 
is  essential  to  remark  that  the  request  is  not 
for  Government  to  erect  new  establishments, 
fatt  to  protect  those  which  are  in  existence  from 
vtter  ruin.  The  memorial  from  Oneida  county, 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  contains  the  following 
striking  passages  : 

"  A  Memorial  presented  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  Sfalcs, 
"  January  7,  1818. 

"  To  the  Honourable  the  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
"  sentatives  of  the  United  States,  in  Congress  assembled, 
"  the  Petition  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  County  of  Oneida, 
"  in  the  State  of  New  York,  as  well  Manufacturer*  a* 
"  Others, 

"    RESPECTFULLY    SHEWETH  : 

"  That  the  above  county  contains  a  greater  number  of 
"  manufacturing  establishments,  of  cotton  and  woollen,  than 
"  any  county  in  the  State,  there  being  invested  in  said  esta- 
"  blishments  at  least  600,000  dollars. 

"  That  although  the  utmost  effbrte  have  been  made  by 


STATE    OF    MANUFACTORIES.  297 

"  the  proprietors  to  sustain  those  establishments,  their 
u  efforts  have  proved  fruitless,  and  more  than  three-fourths  of 
*'  the  factories  remain  necessarily  closed,  some  of  the  pro- 
'*'  prietors  being  wholly  ruined,  and  others  struggling  under 
"  the  greatest  embarrassments. 

"  In  this  alarming  situation,  we  beg  leave  to  make  a  last 
"  appeal  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  While  we 
**  make  this  appeal,  at  the  present  crisis,  the  extensive  em- 
"  barrassments  in  most  of  the  great  departments  of  industry. 
"  as  well  as  the  peculiar  difficulty  in  affording  immediate  re- 
"  lief  to  manufacturers,  are  fully  seen  and  appreciated.  Yet 
"  your  petitioners  cannot  believe  that  the  legislature  of  the 
"  Union  will  remain  an  indifferent  spectator  of  the  wide- 
"  spread  ruin  of  'their  -fellow-citizens,  and  look  on,  and  see  a 
"  great  branch  of  industry,  of  the  utmost  importance  in 
u  every  community,  prostrated  under. circumstances  fatal  to 
"  all  future  attempts  at  revival,  without  a  further  effort  for 
"  relief.  We  would  not  magnify  the  subject,  which  we  now 
•'*  present  to  Congress,  beyond  its  just  merits,  when  we  state 
"  it  to  be  one  of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  future  interests 
"  and  welfare  of  the  United  States. 

"  We  hope  to  find  excuse  in  the  importance  of  the  sub- 
"  jeet,  for  submitting  to  the  consideration  of  Congress  the 
•"  following  principles  of  political  economy,  which  have  been 
*'  adopted  by  the  most  enlightened  governments,  and  are 
"  deemed  not  altogether  unapplicable  to  the  United  States. 
"  That  the  public  good  requires  of  government  to  restrain, 
'*  by  duties,  the   importation  of  articles  whieh  may  be  pro- 
"  duced  at  home,  and  to  manufacture  as  much  as  possible  of 
"  the  raw  material  of  the  country. 

"  That  the  branches  of  industry  particularly  necessary  or 
"  useful  to  the  independence'  of  the  community  ought  to  be 
"  encouraged  by  government. 

"  That  the  most  disadvantageous  commerce  is  that  which 
"  exchanges  the  raw  material  for  manufactured  goods. 

"  That  any  nation  who  should  open  its  ports  to  att  foreign 
*'  .importations,  without  a  reciprocal  privilege,  would  soon  be 
•'  ruined  by  the  balance  of  trade. 

i4  The  policy  of  Great.  Britain,  in  support  of  which,  no 


298  STATE    OF    MAN(JFACT01U1>. 

"  wars,  however  bloody,  no  expense,  however  enormous, 
"  are  too  great  a  sacrifice,  ought  never  to  be  lost  sight 
"  of  by  the  United  States.  That  nation  assumes  to  manu- 
"  facture  for  all  nations,  but  will  receive  the  manufactures  of 
<:  none. 

"  But  let  no  one  imagine  that  a  general  system  ofmanu- 
"  factures  is  nova  proposed  to  be  introduced  into  the  United 
"  States.  We  would  be  understood  as  limiting  our  views  to 

O 

"  the  manufactories  already  established;  to  save  those  which 
"  have  not  already  fallen,  from  the  ruin  which  threatens  them. 

"  It  might  have  been  expected,  that  the  present  fallen 
"  condition  of  manufactures  would  have  soothed  prejudice 
"  and  disarmed  hostility.  Witli  all  their  alleged  war  profits, 
"  there  are  now  none  P->  poor.  Is  it  not  seen,  that  the 
"  destruction  of  the  present  manufactories  must  inevitably 
"  produce  the  same  evils  of  extravagant  prices  in  the  event 
"  of  a  future  war,  as  were  experienced  in  the  last. 

"  It  is- objected,  that  thy  entire  industry  of  the  country 
"  may  be  most  profitably  exerted  in  clearing  and  cultivating 
"  our  extended  vacant  lands.  Hut  \vh:U  does  it  avail  the 
"  farmer,  when  neither  in  the  nation  from  which  he  purchases 
"  his  goods,  nor  elsewhere,  can  he  find  a  market  for  his  abun- 
"  dant  crops.  Besides,  the  diversion  of  labour  from  agri- 
"  culture  to  manufactures,  is  scarcely  perceptible.  Five  or 
"  six  aduks,  with  the  aid  of  children,  will  manage  a  cotton 
•"  manufactory  of  two  thousand  spindles. 

"  From  the  gloomy  condition  of  the  manufacturers,  the 
"  mind,  turning  to  another  quarter,  is  cheered  with  the 
"  brightest  prospects  to  others.  In  the  more  southern 
"  States,  it  is  believed,  that  the  amount  received,  during 
"  the  last  year,  from  the  export  of  two  or  three  articles 
*'  of  agricultural  produce  only,  exceeds  forty  millions  of 
«  dollars." 

The  manufacturers  of  Baltimore  use  not  dis- 
similar language. 

The  amount  of  capital,  real  or  fictitious,  said 
to  have  been  employed  (though  I  suspect  erro- 


MANUFACTURES. 

neously)  in  manufacturing  establishments  pre- 
vious to  the  late  peace,  is  the  following : 

Hats,                   ....  *£2,000,000 

Iron,                             .         .         .  2,500,000 

Leather,              ....  4,000,000 

Cotton  and  Wool,        -         -         -  10,000,000 

Spirituous  Liquors,      -  3,000,000 

Wood,                                    .  500,000 
Soap,  Candles,  Tallow,  Oil,  Sugar,  &c.     600,000 


*£22,600,000 

Total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  all  the 
manufactories  of  the  United  States  22,600,0001. 
At  present  this  must  be  greatly  reduced  ;  per- 
haps even  two-thirds  would  not  be  too  large  a 
deduction.  Fine  sites  for  cotton  and  woollen 
factories  exist  in  every  State  which  I  have  visited  : 
the  Falls  of  Pasaic,  near  New  York,  cannot,  for 
such  purposes,  be  exceeded.  Mr.  Casey,  lately 
of  Liverpool,  is  endeavouring  to  form  a  cotton- 
twist  establishment  at  that  place. 

Much  diversity  of  opinion  exists  amongst 
Americans  as  to  the  policy  which  it  would  be 
desirable  their  government  should  pursue  with 
regard  to  domestic  manufactures  ;  and  it  would 
still  appear  to  remain  an  unsolved  question  among 
them,  whether  the  strong  arm  of  government 
should  or  should  not,  in  the  present  infant  stage 
of  the  republic,  be  held  out  to  protect  and  en- 


300  MANUFACTURES. 

courage  those  establishments,  by  the  usual 
means  of  bounties  on  the  one  hand,  and  duties 
or  prohibitions  on  the  other?  Mr.  Jefferson 
originally  took  the  negative  side  of  this  .ques- 
tion :  .he  wished  Americans  to  remain  a  nation 
of  agriculturists,  deprecating  the  time  when 
that  people  should  be  changed  from  "robust 
"  and  virtuous  farmers,  into  deformed,  sickly, 
"  and  profligate  manufacturers :"  but  it. should 
now  seem,  from  his  letter  to  the  "  American 
"  Society  for  encouraging  Manufactures,"  and 
also  from  another  letter  of  his,  inserted  by  Mr. 
'Mellish  in  a  pamphlet  he  has  recently  written 
at,  I  am  informed,  the  dictation  of  Mr.  Hulnie, 
that  he  (Mr.  J.)  has  changed  his  opinions. 

The  general  arguments  against  manufactures 
are,  that  their  encouragement  w,ill  enhance  the 
price  of  clothing :  that  this  will  operate  as  a 
heavy  tax  upon  the  whole  community,  for  the 
benetit  of  but  a  few :  that  the  revenue  of  the 
United  States  would  be  materially  injured,  as  its 
chief  supply  is  from  duties  on  imports:  that  in 
an  extensive  country,  with  but  a  scanty  popu- 
lation, it  is  most  beneficial  to  direct  the  mass  of 
labour  to  the  clearing  of  new  lands,  and  other 
agricultural  pursuits  :  that  by  so  doing  they  will 
make  greater  and  more  rapid  advances  in  extent 
of  population  and  amount  of  national  wealth, 
than  by  drawing  off  a  part  of  their  capital  and 
labour,  and  devoting  it  to  purposes  of  manufac- 


MANUFACTURES.  801 

tare  ;  more  especially  while  most  of  the  articles 
wanted  can  be  imported  from  England  SO  to 
50  per  cent,  cheaper  than  it  is  possible  for  them 
to  be  produced  within  the  Union :  that  as 
labour  is  so  high  and  land  so  cheap,  there  is  an 
evtr-existing  inducement  for  men  to  leave  fac- 
tories, and  free  themselves  from  masters,  to  be- 
come lords  of  their  own  domain  :  and  that  this 
has  been  uniformly  found  to  be  the  case,  — the 
slow  advance  of  manufactures,  and  the  conse- 
quent high  price  of  the  articles  having  been  a 
natural  result  of  the  situation  of  the  country: 
that,  in  a  word,  it  is  the  true  interest  of  Ame- 
rica to  continue  supplying  Europe  with  ^aw 
material  and  with  agricultural  produce,  both  of 
which  find  there  a  certain  market,  while  labour 
is  from  25  to  50  per  cent,  higher  than  in  England, 
and  from  50  to  7^  more  than  on  the  European 
continent. 

3  On  the  manufacturer's  side  of  this  truly  great 
national  question  is  Mr.  De  Witt  Clinton,  go- 
vernor, of  New  York  :  in  a  speech  which  has  had 
few "  equals  in  comprehensive  and  philosophic 
views,  addressed  to  the  legislature,  he  makes 
the  following  able  reflections : 

"  The  excessive  importation  of  foreign  fa- 
"  brics  was  the  signal  of  ruin  to  institutions 
'""  founded  by  enterprising  industry,  reared  'by 
"beneficial  skill,  and  identified  with  the 'ge- 
"  iieral  welfare.  The  raw  materials  of  iron, 
6 


MANUFACTURES. 

"-  woollen,  and  cotton  manufactures  are  abun- 
"  dant,  and  those  for  the  minor  and  auxiliary 
"  ones,  can,  in  most  cases,  be  procured  at  home 
"  with  equal  facility.  Nothing  is  wanting  to 
"  destroy  foreign  competition  but  the  steady 
"  protection  of  the  government,  and  the  public 
"  spirit  of  the  country.  High  duties,  and  pro- 
"  hibiting  provisions  applied  to  foreign  produc- 
5*  tions,  afford  the  most  efficient  encouragement 
"  to  our  manufactures :  and  these  measures 
"  appertain  to  the  legitimate  functions  of  the 
"  national  government. — But  much  maybe  done 
"  by  the  State  government,  by  liberal  accommo- 
"  dations,  by  judicious  exemptions,  and  by  the 
"  whole  weight  of  its  influence ;  and  much  more 
"  may  be  accomplished  by  the  spirit  of  the  com- 
"  munity.  For  I  am  persuaded,  that  if  every 
"  citizen  who  adopts  the  fabrics  of  other  na- 
"  tions,  would  seriously  consider  that  he  is  not 
"  only  paying  taxes  for  the  support  of  foreign 
"  governments,  but  that  he  participates  in  un- 
"  dermining  one  of  the  main  pillars  of  our 
"  productive  industry,  he  would  imitate  the 
"  honourable  practice  which  you  have  this  day 
"  evinced  in  favour  of  American  manufactures." 
Mr.  Hellish  stands  forth  prominent  in  this 
discussion :  his  picture  of  present  distress,  if 
well  founded,  would  be  truly  deplorable.  For 
myself,  I  have  seen  nothing  in  the  district  of 
Philadelphia,  or  indeed  throughout  America, 

5 


MANUFACTURES. 

which  justifies  his  calculation,  "  that  nearly  one- 
"  fourth  of  the  whole  population  are  engaged  in 
"  unproductive  labour ;"  but  as  I  wish  to  put 
you  in  possession  of  the  materials  from  which  I 
draw  my  conclusions,  I  forward  you  Mr.  Mel- 
lish's  ideas  in  his  own  words : 

"  Failures,"  he  says,  "  innumerable  have 
"  taken,  and  are  taking,  place  ;  and  the  com- 
«*  mercial  character  of  the  country  is  sunk  and 
"  degraded  in  consequence.  The  surplus  wealth 
"  of  the  country  is  drained  off,  to  support  our 
"  rivals  in  Britain ;  and,  in  many  districts  of 
"  the  country,  a  great  portion  of  the  citizens 
"  are  at  a  loss  for  employment  I  Yes,  in  this 
"  very  country,  this  industrious  population  are 
"  absolutely  at  a  loss  for  something  to  do.  It 
"  is  really  painful  to  contemplate  the  picture ; 
"  but  contemplate  it  we  must ;  for  in  no  other 
"  way  can  we  do  justice  to  the  subject. 

"  This  melancholy  picture  pervades  the  coun- 
"  try  throughout,  less  or  more;  but  it  is  very 
"  prominent  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  parti- 
"  cularly  in  and  about  the  great  commercial 
"  cities.  It  is  calculated  that,  in  Philadelphia 
"  city  and  county,  at  least  15,000  people,  all 
"  able  and  willing  to  work,  are  either  idle,  or 
"  occupied  in  unproductive  labour.  The  pro- 
"  portion  along  the  seabord  is  probably  equal  to 
"  this,  through  its  whole  extent-,  and  half  this 
"  proportion  may  be  the  estimate  for  all  the 
"  other  parts  of  the  country. 


MANUFACTl 


••  This  will  give,  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  about      150,000 
"  And  in  other  parts          -  ...      350,000 

•v  Making  a  population,  in  all,  who  have  either  • 
"  nothing  to   do,   or  are   engaged    in    unpro- 
••  ductive  labour,  of        .....      500.000 
"  Now,  by  looking  at    the  last   census   of  the  • 
"  U.  S.  we  will  see   that  the  whole  popula- 
"  lion  is        -  -  7,239,903 

•'  Of  these,  the  free  white   males,  between    16  -  - 
-'  and  !.->,  amount  to      -  -1,119,944 

"   Females         .......  1,105,824 


Total     2,225,768 


"  This  we  may  assume  as  the  number  of  in- 
"  habitants  in  the  U.  S.  lit  for  productive  labour ; 
"  and  we  find,  that  if  the  estimate  of  those  who 
"  are  rendered  unproductive  by  existing  cir- 
"  cumstances  be  correct,  it  amounts  to  nearly 
"  one-fourth  part  of  the  whole!" 

How  these  statements  of  want,  of  ruin,  and  of 
unproductive  labour,  can  be  reconciled  with  a 
romance  in  two  volumes,  called,  "  Travels  in 
"  America,"  by  the  same  author,  I  am  at  a  los> 
to  conjecture.  It  is  not  to  be  denied,  that  there- 
may  be  individuals  uuprotitably  employed,  but, 
I  believe,  there  is  no  person  in  health,  and  dis- 
posed to  labour,  but  what  may,  at  this  moment, 
obtain  advantageous  work  in  America.  To  con- 
clude— upon  this  subject  of  manufactures,  as  far 
as  I  have  been  enabled  to  form  an  opinion,  I 
should  incline  to  think  that  it  is  not  now  tht 
interest  of  the  United  States,  artificially  to  en- 


DOMESTIC   EXPENDITURE.  305, 

courage  their  growth,  by  granting  them  peculiar 
advantages.  It  appears  at  any  rate  certain,  thy  t 
in  the  present  state  of  things,  none  of  our  friends 
could  engage  in  the  cotton,  or  woollen  establish- 
ments without  a  certainty  of  loss. 

DOMESTIC   EXPENDITURE. 

Perhaps  some  useful  information  upon  the 
important  subject  of  domestic  expenditure  may 
be  derived  from  the  two  following  statements. 
The  first  is  a  list  of  household  furniture,  which 
was  sold  by  auction  in  Chesnut-street,  Phila- 
delphia, by  order  of  the  sheriff,  for  the  payment 
of  rent,  at  the  sale  of  which  I  was  present. 
None  of  the  articles  were  very  old,  but  nearly 
all  were  in  bad  condition.  The  second  is  a 

statement   of   Mr.  H Js   expences  for    six 

rsontbs,  ending  the  first  of  March  1818.     1 
gentlemsn  is  an  English  emigrant ;  the  account 
he  allowed  me  to  copy  from  his  petty  ledger, 
and  is,  I  presume,  correct. 

SHERIFF'S  SALE  IN  CHESNUT-STREET. 

Amounts  in  English  Currer.cy. 

/.  $;  d. 

12  Chairs,  (wood,  painted,)  each  -  0  5  10 

A  small  writing-desk  -  1  0    3 

A  lady's  work-box       ...  »  0  9    0 

2  Plated  candlesticks  and  snuffers  -  0  13    6 

A  bed-room  looking-glass             -  -  0  18     0 

A  small  toilet  table     -  -  0  4?     9 

A  mahogany  wash-hand  stand      -  -014-8 

4  Pair  linen  sheets,  (Irish,)  per  pair  -  1  14; 

X 


306  •  SALE    OF    FURNITURE. 

Amounts  in  English  Currencj- 
/.    s.    d. 

Cotton  counterpane,  (12  quarters  square,)  -223 

Marseilles  quilt,  (ditto,)  -223 

Bed  curtains,  lined  with  blue,  fora  small  four-post 
bedstead  -  -616 

(The  furniture  print  was  by  John  Low,  calico- 
printer,  of  Manchester,  and  worth,  in  England, 
15jd.  per  yard.  The  lining  worth  about  14d. 
per  yard.) 

A- large  and  good  hair  mattress  -         -540 

A  straw  ditto  -  1     06 

A  breakfast-table       -  -  -         -  2     0    G 

A  card-table  -  2    0    6 

An  English  Brussels  carpet  and  rug  -780 

A  feather-bed,  at  per  pound      -  -  0    2     6 

2  vols.  Edgeworth's  Patronage,  Scott's  Lady  of 
the  Lake,  Byron's  Childe  Harold,  and  Curran's 
Speeches  -  -  0  :> 

No  Auction  duty. 

MR.  H *S    EXPENSES   FOR    SIX    MONTHS. 

This  family  consists  of  thirteen  :  Mr.  H ,  Mrs.  H -, 

three  Misses  H ,  sixteen  years  of  age  and  upwards,  two 

ditto,  younger,  four  boys,  four  to  twelve  years  of  age,  one 
woman-servant,  one  girl. 

They  occupy  the  whole  (store  excepted)  of  an  excellent 
house  in  Maiket-btreet,  Philadelphia;  in  it  there  are  13 
rooms,  kitchen  included,  and  three  cellars.  The  rent  is  500 
dollars  per  annum.  The  following  account  is  for  the  first 
«ix  months  of  their  residence  in  the  United  States.  It  in- 
cludes rent,  and  what  little  clothes  the  females  may  have 
found  necessary  to  purchase,  in  consequence  of  the  difference 
of  American  fashions  ;  also  about  onu  hundred  dollars  for 
travelling  expenses.  Their  style  of  living  is  extremely  plain, 
respectable,  and  economical. 

1817,  Dollars.  Cent-. 

Sqit.  1st.  to  8th.     One  week's  board  and  lodging 

at  a  boarding-house  80       (>' 

Sept.  8th.     Wood,  (for  firing)  19     76 


VETERANS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION.     307 

Dollars.   Cents. 

Wine  and  spirits  -                          -,     9  50 

Other  expenses  -             -  199  6 

Wood,  (firing)  -     21  18 

Other  expenses           -  149  2 

Wood,  (firing)  -     39  39 

Shoes  -                         -    25  50 

Other  expenses  -  221  36 

Schooling,  (for  two  boys)  -            -            -     15  65 

Wine  and  spirits         -  -     15  0 

Aurora  newspaper     -  -                          -       5  0 

Schooling,  (eldest  boy)  -    21  50 

Wood,  (firing)  -    50  0 

Ditto      Ditto  -    39  50 

Other  expenses           -  -  388  37 

Schooling,  (for  two  boys)  -                          -     12  0 

Total,  1st  Sept.  1817  to  March  1818,  131S  79 


This  account  does  not  include  the  expenditure  for  house- 
hold furniture  :  they  have  paid  for  Scotch  carpeting,  yard 
wide,  (commonest  qualities)  170  cents  per  yard  ;  stair  car- 
peting, narrow,  strong,  and  common,  of  domestic  manufac- 
ture, 100  cents  per  yard  ;  oil-cloth,  yard  wide,  175  cents  per 
yard ;  Windsor  chairs,  216  cents  each  ;  fancy  rush  bottoms, 
light  and  genteel,  375  cents  each. 

VETERANS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 

I  have  been  highly  interested  upon  several 
occasions,  by  being  in  company  with  some  of 
the  veterans  of  the  revolution.  There  is  a  some- 
thing in  the  associations  connected  with  that 
immortal  cause,  which  attracts  insensibly  towards 
those  who  were  engaged  in  it  feelings  of  respect 
—  almost  of  reverence.  The  attention  of  the 
government  has  lately  been  directed  towards 

x  2 


308  REVOLUTIONARY    CLAIMS. 

these  men  in  consequence  of  discussions  which 
have  taken  place  in  congress  relative  to  what  is 
called  "  Revolutionary  Claims  :"  these  claims 
are  for  monies  advanced,  or  services  rendered, 
which  have  never  been  repaid  or  recompensed. 
The  leader  of  this  poor  but  sacred  band  of 
national  creditors,  is  General  St.  Clair.  This 
respectable  veteran  is  now  80  years  of  age ;  he 
was  the  companion  of  Washington,  engaged  in 
his  country's  service  at  the  gloomiest  periods  of 
the  revolution,  fought  and  bled  in  the  cause  of 
liberty ;  when  the  national  finances  were  bank- 
rupt he  advanced  1800  dollars  of  his  private 
property  for  the  common  defence  :  this  sum  has 
never  been  repaid  ;  and  in  consequence  of  the 
scanty  amount  of  his  annual  income,  he  has  been 
compelled  to  take  up  his  abode  in  the  wilderness. 
Tin's  aged  patriot,  with  clothes  which  might 
seem  from  their  appearance  to  have  felt  the 
effects  of  all  the  seasons  for  the  last  ten  years, 
with  flaxen  hair,  tottering  limbs,  a  care-worn 
countenance,  deeply  dejected  from  supposing 
his  country  ungrateful,  and  with  one  foot  in 
the  grave,  is  now  a  petitioner  to  that  people 
in  whose  service  he  spent  his  youth,  his 
treasure,  and  his  blood,  aiding  them  in  their 
emancipation  from  external  dominion,  and  in 
raising  them  into  a  great  and  an  independent 
nation. 


THE  SENATE.  509 


CONGRESS. 

Congress  being  sitting,  I  have  several  times 
attended  their  debates.  Their  present  place  of 
meeting  is  a  temporary  one :  it  was  designed, 

I  believe,  for  an  hotel,  and  is  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  the  Gapitol. 

My  first  visit  to  congress  (which  assembles  at 

II  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  adjourns  at  4 
in  the  afternoon)  was  to  the  senate.     This  body 
is  at  present  comprised  of  forty  members,  the 
States  having  increased  from  their  original  num- 
ber of  thirteen,  to  that  of  twenty,  and  each  State, 
regardless  of  its  population,  sending  two.     The 
gallery  is  open  to  all,  without  orders  from  mem- 
bers,   or  half-a-crown   to   the  door-keeper ;   the 
only  form  to  be  observed,  is  taking  off  the  hat 
in  obedience  to  a  public  notice  to  that  effect. 
The  chairman's  seat  is  central,  under  a  hand- 
some canopy ;  the  members  are  placed  on  rich 
scarlet  cushions,  some  at  double,  and  some  at 
single  desks.     There  are  two  large  fires.     The 
room  is  carpeted,  as  is  also  the  gallery.     The 
forms  of  business  are  taken  from  those  of  our 
parliament,  with  a  few  minor  exceptions.     One 
point  of  variation,  at  least,  from  the  British  senate, 
is,  that  every  speech  is  apparently  listened  to,  and 
all,  whether  good  or  bad,  whether  marked  by  su- 
perior excellence  or  by  unequalled  dullness,  seem 
regarded  with  equal  apathy  and  complete  lifeless 

x  3 


310  SENATORS. 

endurance,  neither  applause  nor  censure  being 
allowed;  and  it  would  not  be  an  easy  task  to  dis- 
cern which  were  felt,  judging  from  the  counte- 
nance.  I  have  heard  nearly  all  their  usual  speak- 
ers.    Mr.  Otis,  of  Massachusetts,  is  an  eloquent 
man,  but  not  remarkable  for  solidity  of  reasoning. 
Mr.  Rufus  King  is  a  true  gentleman,  and  one 
whom  I  should  conceive  has  not  many  superiors 
among  the  public  men  of  any  country.  Mr.  Bar- 
bour,  called  Governor  Barbour,  of  Virginia,  is  a 
speaker  who,  perhaps,  violates  all  the  rules  of 
theoretic   oratory,    but   who,     notwithstanding 
possesses  an  irresistible  charm  from  his  evident 
sincerity,  and  the  manliness  of  his  deportment, 
which,  while  it  rivets  the  attention  of  his  au- 
dience, compels  them  to  love  the  object  of  their 
admiration.   His  countenance  is  one  of  that  kind 
which,  in  a  few  minutes,  enlists  in  its  favour  all 
the   social    affections,    and   you   insensibly  feel 
anxious  and  predisposed  to  take  that  side  of  the 
argument  of  which  so  apparently  kind  and  able 
a  man  professes  himself  the  advocate.     A  friend 
from  Boston   replied   to   some   observations   of 
mine  concerning  him,  "  I  entirely  agree  with 
"  you  .in  relation  to  Mr.  Barbour, — -he  is  a  man 
"  in  whom  you  cannot  be  deceived,  he  carries 
«'  his  heart  in  his  hand."     There  are,    in  the 
senate,  a  great  proportion  of  men  of  experience, 
of  sound  ability,  and  who  would  do  credit  to 
any  nation  upon  earth. 


HOUSE    OF   REPRESENTATIVES.  Sll 

The  Representative  chamber  is  in  the  same 
building,  and  of  about  twice  the  extent.     An 
admission  to  the  gallery  is  equally  easy,  and  is 
also  open  to  both  sexes.     This  assembly  consists 
of  nearly  two  hundred.  They  want  in  appearance 
the  age,  experience,  dignity,  and  respectability, 
which  we  associate  with  the  idea  of  legislators* 
and  which  are  possessed  by  the  superior  branch 
of  the  congress.     The  interior  decorations  of 
this  room  are  marked  by  an  inferiority  to  the 
senate,   which   is   rather  anti-republican.     The 
members   sit   on    very  common   chairs,  at  im- 
painted   desks,  which  are   placed  in  rows,  the 
whole  resembling  a  Lancasterian  school,  though 
without    its   regularity.      Some   two   or    three 
speakers  regularly  command  attention ;  others 
talk  on  as  long  as  they  please,  the  members  being 
occupied  in  writing  letters,  and  in  reading  or 
folding  up  newspapers.      This  is-  carried  to  such 
an  extreme,  that  it  appears  fully  to  justify  the 
charge   of  Mr.  Randolph,  that  "  the  House  of 
"  Representatives  consisted  only  of  a  large  col- 
"-  lection  of  printers'  boys."    Spitting  boxes  are 
placed  at  the  feet  of  each  member,  and,  con- 
trary to  the   practice  of  the  Upper  House,  at 
once  members  and  visitors  wear  their  hats.     I 
have   been   present   at    numerous    discussions, 
among  which  were  the  subjects   of   "  Revolu- 
"  tionary  claims,"  "  a  General  Bankrupt  Bill,"' 
and  "General  St.  Clair's  Claim."     The  latter 

x  4 


GENERAL    ST.  CLAIR, 

was  the  topic  when  I  first  entered  the  gallery  or 
this  assembly.  The  fact  of  his  having  advanced 
1 800  dollars  of  his  private  property  for  national 
purposes,  was  proved  by  a  receipt,  attesting 
it  at  the  time,  given  by  the  next  in  command. 
1  was  surprised  to  find  the  question  of  repay- 
ment of  this  sum  could  he  made  a  subject  of 
debate,  naturally  concluding  that  this  powerful 
nation  would  not  have  suffered  itself,  even  for  a 
moment,  to  remain  debtor  to  poor  individuals ; 
and  that  the  mere  fact  of  a  revolutionary  gene- 
.;!  having  fallen  into  distress,  only  required  to 
be  known  in  order  that  he  should  be  relieved. 
To  my  extreme  surprise  and  regret,  however, 
i  was  speedily  undeceived.  General  St.  ClairV, 
claim  was  so  strongly  opposed,  that  J  concluded 
it  would  necessarily  be  lost.  The  arguments 
advanced  by  its  advocates  were,  first,  that  the 
money  was  due  to  him,  and  if  not  paid,  the 
country  were  neither  more  nor  less  than  swind- 
lers; and  secondly,  that  having  been  one  of 
their  political  saviours,  they  ought  to  go  hand 
and  heart  to  pour  oil  and  wine  into  his  \vounds, 
and  not  to  suffer  his  grey  hairs  to  descend  with 
sorrow  to  the  grave.  These  reasons  met  with 
the  following  mercenary,  cold-blooded  argu- 
ments, in  the  way  of  reply  :  — "  General 
"  St.  Clair  certainly  has  claims  upon  our  grati- 
'•'  tude ;  and  if  we  could  be  directed  by  our 
"  wishes,  we  should  assent  to  the  bill  :  but  we 


MR.  HENRY   CLAY,  313 

"  were  not  sent  here  by  our  constituents  to  be 
"  governed  by,  or  to  legislate  according  to  our 
"  feelings.     The  obtainment   of  -our  liberties, 
"  also,    was  certainly  a   valuable   acquisition  : 
"  but  those  are  arguments  foreign  to  the  pre- 
"  sent  discussion.     We  have  now  got  our  con- 
"  stitution,  and  how  it  was  obtained  is,  at  this 
"  time,  a  matter  of  little  moment.     We  are  not 
"  eternally  to  be  looking  at  t-he  past:  we  m\ 
11  now  free :  that   is  our   main   consideration  ; 
"  our  duty  and  true  policy  is  to  look  at  the  fu.- 
"  tare."-    The  prominent  leader  of  this  side  of 
the  question  was  a  man  gifted  with  great  volu- 
bility of  speech,  much   self-importance  in  de- 
livery, considerable  occasional  violence  of  man- 
ner, and  who  seemed  to  command  much  atten- 
tion, rather   from   the  strength   of   his   lungs, 
however,  than  the  solidity  of  his  reasoning.  This 
gentleman    I   found    to    be   Mr.  Henry  Clay, 
speaker  of  the  House   of  Representatives,  -  an 
active  man  of  business.     He  is  said  to  under- 
stand the  forms  of  the  house  better  than  am 
other  member.     His   manners  are   not  exactly 
gentlemanly.     His  natural  talent  I  should  sus- 
pect to  be  good,  though  but  little  cultivated,  at 
least  by  present  application.    His  mode  of  speak- 
ing possesses  strength,  but  is  totally  destitute 
either   of   pathos  or   of   logical  arrangement, 
His  arguments  against  Gen.  St.  Clair  I  thought 
ably  refuted.     It  was  proved  to  demonstration, 
that,  although  gratitude  ought  not  to  be  over- 


314  REVOLUTIONARY    CLAIMS. 

looked,  this  claim  was  not  of  that  class.  It  was 
a  demand  upon  their  justice  ;  and  if  they  did 
not  pay  the  money,  principal  and  interest,  they 
\vere  actually  robbing  their  creditor.  Upon  a 
division  the  original  motion  was  lost,  and  an 
amendment  carried,  allowing  him,  on  the  ground 
<>/' national  gratitude,  131.  10s.  per  month.  I  be- 
lieve there  is  not  a  man  in  Washington  who  would 
insure  the  General's  life  for  a  year  and  a  half. 

The  claims  of  some  of  the  private  soldie 
the  revolution  were  met  in  a  similar  spirit.     A 
great  number  were  rejected  altogether.     Those 
whose  claims  were    admitted,    received,    after 
numero  ons,    the  liberal  allowance    o/ 

ISs.  6d.  per  week  during  life.  Two  of  the  Phi- 
ladelphia federal, -t  newspapers,  in  report ing 
this  debate,  were  printed  in  deep  mourning, 
considering  the  honour  and  character  of  the 
country  compromised  by  such  ;i  mean  pnnision 
for  men  towards  whom  the  nation  was  deeply  in- 
debted. Nearly  all  the  members  of  the  repre- 
sentative chamber  are  young  men  ;  and  out  of 
the  190  members,  150,  at  the  least,  are  lawyers, 
a  class  of  men  whose  minds,  here,  as  elsewhere, 
appear  moulded  and  contracted  by  their  pro- 
fession, and  not  possessed  of  that  general  know- 
ledge, or  not  taking  those  large  and  equitable 
views  of  things,  which  should  be  the  distinguish- 
ing characteristics  of  the  legislators  of  a  great  and 
mmercial  people.  Last  session  the  member 
.1  Baltimore,  who  is  a  merchant,  introduced 


LAWYERS.  315 

the  late  "  tariff."  While  giving  the  details,  and 
necessary  statements  on  this  most  important  sub- 
ject, he.perceived  that  nearly  the  whole  assembly, 
Mr.  Speaker  included,  were  inattentive  or  slum- 
bering. Stopping  in  the  midst  of  his  speech,  he 
apologised  for  his  own  deficiency  of  ability,  stat- 
ing, "  that  he  perceived  the  subject  he  was  speak- 
"  ing  on  was  not  understood  by  the  body  he  was 
"  addressing.  The  exact  cause  of  this  he  could 
"  not  pretend  to  determine  :  but  of  this  he  felt 
"  quite  confident,  that  there  was  not  a  boy  in 
"  his  counting-rooms  but  would  comprehend  the 
"  subject  perfectly."  This  roused  the  "  learned 
"  gentlemen  ;"  and  throughout  the  remainder  of 
the  subject  they  put  on,  at  least,  the  aspect  of 
attention. 

The  State-legislatures  are  equally  i  infested 
with  lawyers.  They  occupy,  in  fact,  eight- 
tenths  of  all  the  public  situations  in  America, 
This  is  a  great  and  a  crying  evil,  and  being  one 
that  is  more  likely  to  increase  than  dimmish., 
may  naturally  give  rise  to  some  melancholy 
forebodings  concerning  the  practical  continu- 
ation of  this  excellent  constitution. 

In  relation  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States, 
1  have  remarked,  on  a  previous  occasion,  the 
dependence  of  judges  upon  the  counsel.  I 
have  been  present  in  courts  where  this  has 
been  strikingly  injurious  to  the  cause  of  justice, 
though  this  is  not  to  be  understood  as  an  uni- 
versal feature  of  judicial  proceedings  ;  at  least  I 


316  JUDGE*. 

saw  no  evidence  of  it  in  the  Supreme  Court  at 
Washington,  where  Judge  Washington  is  among 
those  who  preside.  He  is  nephew  to  the  late 
General,  and  resides  at  Mount  Vernon. 

Some  of  the  judges   are,  doubtless,  men  of 
superior  legal  knowledge,  and  high  standing  in 
society ;  but  there  are  others  who  certainly  are 
not  in  possession  of  the   former,    though  they 
may  be  of  the  latter  qualification  ;  as,  for  in- 
stance, the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Common  Pleas 
at  Newark,  who,  I  am  informed,  is  a  butcher  — 
not  a  butcher  retired  from  business,  and  become 
a  lawyer,  but  he  attends  to  both  trades,  even 
on  the  same  day,  selling   at   seven   o'clock   in 
the   morning  a  leg  of  mutton,    and  at  eleven 
supplying  his  customers  with  a  slice  of  Black- 
stone.     Much  evil  must  necessarily  result  from 
this  heterogeneous  admixture  of  ignorance  with 
learning.     Although  we  might  hail  the  appoint- 
ment of  plain  men  of  business,  and  possessed 
of  good  solid  understandings,   to  award  justice 
to  their  fellow-citizens  as  an  important  benefit 
conferred    on    society,    in    substitution  of  the 
legal  quibbling  and    learned  oppression  of  the 
bar  and  bench ;  yet  if  such  men  are  not  per- 
mitted to  follow  the  plain  dictates  of  their  own 
understanding,  \>ut  are  tied  down  by  legal  forms, 
by  ancient  precedents,  and  by  the  laws  and  prac- 
tice of  a  country  with  which   they  are  entirely 
unacquainted,  then,  indeed,  the  appointment  of 
such  men  becomes  an  evil  instead  of  a  benefit  to 


-  LAWYERS.  317 

society  ;  and  it  would  be  better  to  place  indivi- 
duals on  the  bench,  who,  —  whatever  may  be 
their  characters  in  other  respects,  —  their  arro- 
gance of  deportment  or  their  political  subser- 
viency,— yet,  at  any  rate,  understand  the  busi- 
ness upon  which  they  are  employed. 

Although  there  may  be,  and  doubtless  are 
many  members  of  the  legal  profession  who  arc 
honourable  men,  yet  from  all  I  have  seen,  or 
have  been  able  to  understand,  the  lawyers  oCthis 
country  do  not  seem  to  merit  a  particularly  high 
character.  My  impression  of  them  is,  to  use  an 
American  mode  of  estimation,  at  least  thirty- 
three  and  a  third  per  cent,  lower  than  of  their 
brethren  in  England.  There  are  various  causes 
which  may  have  produced  this  deterioration. 
In  the  first  place,  deep  and  solid  research  in  any 
occupation  is  neither  so  much  wanted,  so  much 
esteemed,  nor  is  it  so  •'  marketable"  a  commodity 
as  in  Great  Britain ;  further,  the  greater  equality 
of  society,  which  renders  men  more  independent 
of  each  other  ;  the  non-classification  of  the  pro- 
fession of  the  law,  which  prevents  either  portion 
from  being  deeply  studied,  while  the  ease  with 
which  even  legal  gentlemen  can  and  do  alter 
their  mode  of  obtaining  a  livelihood,  naturally 
weakens  the  motives  to  exertion,  and  lessens 
too  that  strong  impression  of  having  at  once  a 
reputation,  and  the  very  means  of  existence 
at  stake;  —  these  latter  causes  we  know  to  be 


518  ELECTIONS. 

powerfully  operative  in  England.  The  vast 
number  of  lawyers  also,  as  compared  witK  the 
amount  of  American  population,  divides  the 
business  into  so  many  channels,  that  when 
a  job  is  obtained,  no  means  can  be  afforded  to  be 
left  untried  to  render  it  profitable.  These  causes, 
aided  by  that  prolific  source  of  chicanery,  our 
statute  book,  may  account  for  that  of  which 
Americans  complain  so  loudly  — -  the  expence  of 
law  proceedings,  and  the  want  of  principle  in 
their  professional  men. 

ELECTIONS. 

To  pass  to  another  subject.  —  In  all  the  elec- 
tioneering addresses  which  I  have  seen,  it  is 
deserving  of  remark,  that  the  defeated  party 
omplain  of  the  corrupt  influence  of"  Caucus." 
I  have  often  enquired  the  meaning  of  this  term, 
or  the  nature  of  the  power  exercised,  but  have 
not  received  any  very  satisfactory  information. 
An  American  writer  says  that  it  is  "  a  cant 
"  term  for  those  private  meetings  which  are 
"  held  by  the  political  parties,  previous  to  elec- 
"  tions,  for  the  purpose  of  agreeing  upon  can- 
"  didates  for  office,  or  concerting  any  measure 
"  which  they  design  carrying  at  the  subsequent 
"  public  meeting."  The  other  day  I  called 
upon  a  resident  of  this  city,  a  person  of  some 
political  importance.  Aware  that  the  subject  is 
already  and  very  variously  discussed  throughout 


THE    CAUCUS.  319 

the  States,  I  casually  enquired,  "Who  do  you 
«'  think,  Sir,  will  be  your  next  president?" 
He  gave  no  reply,  except  by  a  significant 
nod.  I  followed  up  my  enquiry  by,  "  Do  you 
"  think,  Sir,  Mr.  Adams  will  be  selected  ?" 
To  which  he  answered,  with  decided  confidence, 
"  No ;  I  guess  not,  Sir  j  wre  have  the  man,  we 
*«  have  the  man,  we  know  our  man.  —  Crawford 
"  (the  present  secretary  of  the  treasury)  had  it 
"  in  caucus  last  time,  within  a  few."  I  enquired 
what  he  meant  by  having  it  in  caucus  ;  for  that 
Mr.  Munroe  was  elected  by  an  overwhelming 
majority.  His  answer  was,  "  Ah !  I  guess  you 
*'  don't  understand  our  modes ;  when  you  have 
"  been  here  a  few  years,  you  will  comprehend 
««  these  things.  Only  mind,  I  tell  you  Adams 
"  never  can  be  president ;  for  he  will  not  be 
"  able  to  do  any  thing  with  caucus."  From 
minute  enquiry,  I  understood  that  this  thing 
called  caucus,  was  practically  invented  by  Mr. 
John  Adams,  during  his  presidentship ;  and 
that  it  is  now  universally  practised  in  the  elec- 
tion to  every  office  in  America.  Since  the  first 
choice  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  the  presidential  elec- 
tions are  managed  by  private  meetings  (or 
caucus*)  of  the  democratic  members  of  congress, 
previous  to  elections :  they  settle  among  them- 
selves who  shall  be  president.  This  is  what  is 
called  getting  "  the  appointment  in  caucus," 
and  an  instance  never  occurs  of  the  votes  being 


320  THE    CAUCUS. 

» 

in  opposition  to  caucus.  When  they  have  de- 
termined upon  who  they  wish  to  be  president, 
they  send  circulars  to  their  different  States, 
pointing  out,  by  a  kind  of  conge  d'elire,  who 
they  have  resolved  should  be  elected:  and  as 
the  right  of  voting  for  presidents  is  confined 
10  a  very  limited  number,  there  is  no  instance 
of  the  caucus  being  disobey<  •</.  Mr.  Munroe 
being  a  democrat  was,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
voted  jbr  by  the  democratic  States ;  and  those 
of  New  England  being  federal,  would  not,  I  be- 
lievt'i  give  a  vote  upon  the  occasion.  It  appears 
that  the  mem  i  the  Washington  caucus 

were  almost  equally  divided  betv/een  Mr.  Craw- 
ford  and  Mr.  Munroe ;  but  that  some  accom- 
modation being  agreed  upon,  the  latter  got 
"  the  appointment."  Had  his  rival  obtained  this, 
he  and  not  Mr.  Munroe  would  have  been  voted 
tor  by  the  democratic  States,  as  a  matter  of  course. 
These  are  alarming  facts  ;  for  thus  we  see  that 
the  very  men  (the  members  of  congress)  vcko 
are  directly  excluded  by  the  constitution  Jrorn 
voting,  become,  by  means  of  a  secret  something 
unknown  to  that  constitution,  and  at  variance 
with  both  its  letter  and  spirit,  the  real  electors  ?o 
the  presidentship.  How  necessary  are  the  most 
unceasing  vigilance,  and  the  greatest  degree  of 
public  principle  and  public  virtue,  to  preserve 
even  the  best  institutions  from  gross  perversion  ! 
No  oligarchy  can  be  more  dangerous  than  • 


THE    CAUCUS. 

wliich  deludes  the  people  with  a  belief  that  they 
are  all-powerful,  and  the  electors  of  their  chief 
magistrate,  while  virtually  they  are  the  mere 
tools  of  a  faction,  and  have  not  a  voice  in  the 
matter.  By  a  reference  to  the  proceedings  of  con- 
gress, it  would  appear  that  this  vitally  important 
subject  was  brought  under  their  public  consider- 
ation in  1816 ;  upon  which  Mr.  Rufus  King, 
and  General  Harper,  made  the  following  obser- 
vations, every  syllable  of  which  deserves  your 
most  marked  attention  :  — 

Mr.  King  said,    "  If  there  was  any  part  of 
*'  the  constitution,  deemed  by  its  framers  and 
"  advocates  to  be  better  secured  than  any  other 
•"  against  the  enterprises  which  have  since  oc- 
41  curred,  it  was  the  very  provision  on  the  sub- 
"  ject  of  election  to  the  presidency.     The  idea 
*'  was,  that  the  action  of  that  particular  agency, 
"  which   has   since  controlled  it,    was  as   much 
"  displaced  by  the  constitutional  plan  of  elect- 
"  ing  the  President  and  Vice  President,  as  could 
**  possibly  be  devised.     We  all  know  the  course 
"  which  this  thing  has  taken.     The  election  of  a 
"  President  of  the  United  States  is  no  longer  that 
6t  process  which  the  constitution  contemplated.     In 
"  conformity  with  the  original  view  of  the  authors 
"  of  that  instrument,    I  would  restore,   as  tho- 
**  roughly  as  possible,  the  freedom  of  election  to 
*'  the  people.     On  the  contrary,  our  progress  in 
**  government  is  not  for  the   better  ;  'it  is  not 

Y 


ABUSES    OF    ELECTION. 

"  likely,  hereafter,  to  be  in  favour  of  popular 
"  rights.  It  was  with  the  people,  the  constitu- 
"  tion  meant  to  place  the  election  of  the  chief 
"  magistrate ;  that  being  the  source  the  least 
"  liable  to  be  corrupt.  But  if,  under  the  name 
•*  of  the  liberty  of  the  people,  we  put  this  /> 
"  into  other  hands,  with  different  interests,  we 
"  place  it  in  a  situation  in  which  the  rights  of  the 
"  people  are  violated.  Men  now  live,  who  will 
"  probably  see  the  end  of  our  government,  as  we 
"  now  go  on  ;  terminate  when  it  will,  the  termin- 
"  a  tion  will  not  be  in  favour  of  public  liberty. 
"  For  Jive  years  past,  I  have  seen  a  cfiaracter 
"  developing  itself]  the  predominance  of  which  I 
"fear." 

General  Harper  said,  "  As  to  the  main  propo- 
"  sition,  he  was  decidedly  in  its  favour ;  for  this 
"  general  reason,  that  its  adoption  would  tend 
"  to  make  the  election  of  President  less  a  matter 
"  °J  Jli£gte  and  intrigue  than  it  now  is. 

"  He  would  not  say  that  it  would  have  the 
"  effect  of  wholly  excluding  intrigue ;  of  placing 
"  this  great  election  on  the  footing,  on  which  the 
"  great  men  who  framed  the  constitution  vainly 
"  imagined  they  were  placing  it,  of  a  free,  un- 
"  biassed  expression  of  the  public  will ;  but  it 
"  would  bring  it  nearer  than  at  present.  Party 
"  arrangements  and  bargains  would  not  be  so 
"  cosy.  Bargains  could  not  be  so  readily  struck 
"  with  one  State  for  this  great  office,  with  another 


ADMIRAL    COCKIUJ&N.  323  ' 

**  Jbr  that;  as  according  to  the  present  mode  of 
"  election.  Districting  the  States  for  electors, 
**  would  have  a  tendency  to  render  the  presi- 
"  dential  election  more  free  and  independent ; 
**  to  remove  it  more  from  the  grasp  of  party 
"  arrangements  ;  to  prevent  bargains  between 
"  profligate  agents,  and  the  selling  of  the  nation 
**  for  offices  to  the  highest  bidder." 

The  motion  to  remedy  these  evils  was  lost  by 
a  large  majority. 

The  prevailing  American  politics  of  Wash- 
ington at  this  time  are,  what  is  here  called 
democratic.  Previous  to  what  they  consider  the 
piratical  attack  of  the  English  government,  some 
among  them  were  strong  federalists,  The  con- 
duct of  our  soldiers,  with  the  exception  of  de- 
stroying the  public  buildings,  is  said  to  have 
been  exemplary  j  private  property,  and  indivi- 
duals, receiving  the  most  complete  protection. 
Anecdotes  are  related  of  English  officers  assist- 
ing the  ladies —  the  male  population  having  all 
run  away,  leaving  their  homes  to  the  protection 
of  the  women  and  children. 

The  children,  particularly  in  Alexandria,  have 
a  dread  of  the  name  of  "  Admiral  Cockburn," 
similar  to  that  I  used  to  entertain  of  Bonaparte 
and  the  Devil.  General  Ross  is  an  universal 
favourite,  from  being,  I  presume,  more  humane, 
and  enforcing  the  orders  of  .his  government 
with  less  rigour  than  that  exercised  by  the  naval 

Y  2 


GEN'tEAL  LA  cQCK. 

commander.  General  Lacock,  senator  from 
Pennsylvania,  who  boarded  at  the  same  house 
with  myself,  and  with  whom  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  a  slight  acquaintance,  amused  me  one  even- 
ing  by  a  humourous  detail  of  what  foreign 
travellers  have  said  against  America,  especially 
the  celebrated  poet  Thomas  Moore,  who  had 
visited  America  in  180J.  With  the  following 
epistle,  dated  from  Washington,  the  General  was 
particularly  familiar :  — 

"  The  lover  now,  beneath  the  western  star, 
Sighs  thro*  the  medium  of  his  sweet  segar  ; 
The  weary  statesman  *  for  repose  hath  fled 
From  halls  of  council  to  his  negro's  shed, 
Where,  blest,  he  woos  some  black  Aspasia's  gra<. 
And  dreams  of  freedom  in  his  stave's  embrace. 

In  fancy  now,  beneath  the  twilight  gloom, 
Come,  let  me  lead  thee  o'er  this  modern  Home. 
Where  tribunes  rule,  where  dusky  Davi  bow, 
And  what  was  Goose  Creek  once  is  Tiber  nov 
This  fam'd  metropolis,  where  fancy  sees 
Squares  in  morasses,  obelisks  in  trees, 
Which  travelling  fools  and  gazetteers  adorn 
With  shrines  unbuilt  and  heroes  yet  unborn  ; 

Though  none  but  wood  and they  see, 

Where  streets  should  run,  and  sages  ought  to  be. 
Oh,  great  Potowmac  !  Oh,  you  banks  of  shade, 
You  mighty  scenes  !  in  natures  morning  made  , 
Say,  were  your  towering  hUls,  your  boundless  floods, 
Your  rich  savannahs,  and  majestic  woods  ; 
Oh !  was  a  world  so  bright  but  born  to  grace 
Its  own  half-organised,  half-minded  race 


*  Supposed  to  refer  to  a  charge  made  by  the  federalists  against  a 
celebrated  politician  of  Virginia. 


MOORE,    THE   POET.  S&5 

Of  weak  barbarians,  swarming  o'er  its  breast    .'. 
Like  vermin  gender'd  in  the  lion's  crest  ? 
Were  none  but  brutes  to  call  that  soil  their  home, 
Where  none  but  demi-gods  should  dare  to  roam?' 
O'er  lake  and  marsh,  through  fevers  and  through  fogs, 

'Midst  bears  and  Yankies, and  frogsi 

Thy  foot  shall  follow  me;  thy  heart  and  eyes 
With  me  shall  wander,  and  with  me  despise.'' 

The  old  general  laughed  at  Moore's  conceit ; 
and  observed,  that  foreigners  were  commonly 
disappointed  with  this  country,  more  particularly 
those  that  were,  in  Europe,  friends  of  liberty. 
He  thought,  however,  that  such  a  publication 
was  discreditable  to  our  poet,  only  because  he 
had  received  while  here  much  personal  attention. 
This   same  argument   was   adduced  to  me'  by 
the  son  of  Colonel  Boyd,  with  whom  I  dined  at 
New   Orleans,    concerning   Moore,    and   other 
writers,    who    told   unpleasant  truths  of  their 
co.untry,    or  did  not  view  it  as  the  great  and 
faultless  political  Elysium.    That  a  distinguished 
individual  receiving  attentions  in  a  foreign  land 
is  a  proof  of  the  existence  of  the  common  habits 
of  civilized  society  is  unquestionable ;  but  that 
that  should  be  the  criterion   by  which  he  is  to 
judge  of  the  whole  mass  of  a  country,  requires  no 
refutation.     Yet  I  have  generally  found  ...this  to 
be  the  standard  by  which  Americans  themselves 
estimate  the  different  parts  of  their  own  conti- 
nent, as  well  as  of  Europe  :  it  is  not  what  they 
saw,  but  how  they  were  personally  treated,  which 

Y  3 


WASHINGTON    POLITICS. 

forms  the  burden  of  their  song ;  as  thotigh  in 
describing  a  country,  either  for  our  friends  or 
the  public,  we  are  not  bound  by  every  moral  tie 
to  speak  the  truth  of  that  country,  and  its  inha- 
bitants too,  whatever  may  have  been  the  personal 
conduct  of  individuals  towards  ourselves.  There 
can  be,  surely,  in  this  no  breach  of  hospitality  ; 
on  the  contrary,  the  man  who  tells  the  honest 
truth  of  a  nation  is,  as  I  should  conceive,  its 
best  friend.  Seeing  it  with  the  eye  of  a  stranger, 
lie  discerns  defects  which,  perhaps,  custom  has 
rendered  invisible  to  the  eye  of  the  native,  and 
by  candidly  pointing  them  out,  he  affords  an 
opportunity  of  amendment  which  would  not 
otherwise  be  gained. 

LL  ROPE  AN    POLITICS. 

What  the  European  politics  of  Washington 
are  at  this  time,  I  should  feel  some  difficulty  in 
ascertaining:  what  they  were  in  1813,  maybe 
judged  by  the  following  extracts  from  a  small 
pamphlet  which  has  just  fallen  into  my  hands  : 
it  is  entitled  "  The  celebration  of  the  Russian 
"  victories,  in  Georgetown,  district  of  Columbia, 
"  .5th  June  181S,  including  the  oration  of  Mr.Cus- 
*'  tis  and  the  address  of  Mr.  Harper. — Printed  by 
*'  James  B.  Carter."  After  describing  in  glow- 
ing  language  the  "  second  Lucifer"  (Bonaparte), 
who,  like  his  archetype,  was  envious  and  jealous 
of  the  poor  remains  of  human  happiness  —  who 


WASHINGTON   POLITICS.  827 

•spread  devastation  with  his  sword,  and  medi- 
tated the  banishment  of  all  true  religion ;  the 
writers  adds,  —  "  In  the  redemption  of  the  world 
"  by  the  arms  of  Russia,  all  nations  must  re- 
'««  joice  i  And  the  heart  that  would  not  join  in 
"  the  "  Te  Deum"  which  religion  and  huma- 
*'  nity  shout  for  the  deliverance  of  mankind, 
"  must  be  already  attuned  to  the  fell  discord 
**  of  fiends  howling  in  frantic  despair.  Can 
**  it  then  excite  surprise  that,  in  America, 
"  among  a  people  enjoying  the  blessings  and 
**  happiness  of  a  government  of  their  own  choice, 
"  the  news  of  BONAPARTE'S  DEFEAT  was  re- 
*'  ceived  with  a  burst  of  joy  and  gratitude,  such 
**  as  a  virtuous  and  humane  people  would  dis- 
"  play  upon  the  downfall  of  tyranny,  and  the 
"  promised  restoration  of  peace  and  prosperity 
*'  to  an  EMANCIPATED  WORLD  ?  Could  they  con- 
"  template,  without  emotions  of  sympathy, 
"  any  portion  of  the  human  family,  hunted 
"  down  by  the  *  dogs  of  war,'  and  panting  _un- 
*'  der  a  load  of  oppression,  extortion  and  cruelty? 
"  While  you  rejoiced  at  the  success  of  Russia, 
"  you  evinced  a  sympathy  known  only  tP  vir- 
"  tuous  hearts.  Then  glory  in  the  example 
"  you  have  set  the  world  -•—  shew  the  parasites 
«'  of  power,  and  the  creatures  of  ambition,  that 
"  freedom  and  virtue  expand  and  warm  your 
"  hearts  with  general  benevolence  to  mankind 
•"  -*-and  teach  a  TYRANT  and  his -MINIONS,-  that 

Y  4 


RUSSIAN    VICTORIES. 

* 

"  when  the  grand  destinies  of  the  United  State* 
"  are  most  beautifully  developed,  they  will  be 
"  seen  in  sympathy  with  those  who  suffered  by 
44  his  wrongs,  and  exulting  in  his  OVERTHROW. 

"  Influenced  by  such  considerations  as  are 
"  here  briefly  and  faintly  described,  it  was  pro- 
"  posed  at  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  George- 
"  town,  in  the  district  of  Columbia,  to  testify 
"  their  gratulation,  and  to  evince  their  gra- 
"  titude  to  the  Dispenser  of  all  good,  by  a  suit- 

"  able  COMMEMORATION  OF  THE  LATE  RUSSIAN 
"  VICTORIES. 

"  Saturday,  the  otli  of  June,  was  rixed  upon 
•'  for  the  celebration  ;  and  John  Peter  (Mayor), 
"  Robert  Beverly,  William  Marbuary,  Thomas 
"  Peter,  Washington  Bowie,  Francis  Dodge, 
"  John  I.  Stull,  and  John  Lee,  Esquires,  were 
*'  appointed  a  COMMITTEE  to  prescribe  and 
u  superintend  the  arrangements  fcnfthe  day. 

"   NARRATIVE    OF    THE   CELEBRATION. 

*  The  celebration  of  the  Russian  victories  commenced  on 
"  Saturday,  the  5th  of  June,  at  the  hour  of  2  o'clock,  P.M. 
«'  The  company  principally  assembled  previously,  at  the 
«'  Union  Hotel,  where  the  committee  of  arrangement  an- 
"  nounced  the  follo\ring  as  the 

Order  of  the  Day. 

M  In  procession  to  the  church  —  1st.  Ladies.  2d.  Pre&i- 
"  dent  of  the  United  States  (Madison),  and  Heads  of  De- 
"  partments  !  !  3d.  Senators  and  representatives  in  Congress . 
"  4th.  Members  of  the  Maryland  legislature.  5th.  Strangers 
"  erf  distinction,  6th.  Citizens.  The  assembly  seated  — 
•«  7th.  The  Russian  minister,  with  his  lady,  and  suite . 


RUSSIAN   VICTORIES. 

*«  8th.  Foreign  consuls.  9th.  Reverend  clergy  and  orator 
"  of  the  day.  10th.  Committee  of  arrangement.  Exercises 
"  in  church  —  1st.  Solemn  music.  2d.  Introductory  prayer. 
*•«  3d.  Music.  4th.  Oration.  5th.  Music.  6th.  Concluding 
"  prayer.  7th,  Grand  Russian  march,  and  adjournment  16 
"  the  hotel. 

"  This  order   was  punctually  observed,   and 
«'  contributed    much    to    the    regularity    and 
"  solemnity  of  the  occasion.     Agreeable  to  its 
."  terms,  a  vast  crowd  assembled  in  the  Presby- 
"  terian  church  at  the  hour  appointed.     At  half 
"  past  two  the  Russian  minister,  his  lady,  COUFN 
"  sellor  of  legation,  and  secretary,  reached  the 
"  place  in  his   carriage   of  state.     They  were 
"  received  by  the  committee  of  arrangement, 
"  and   escorted    to   a   large   pew   appropriated 
"  especially  Tor  their  accommodation.     At  thfc 
"  same  time  the  foreign  consuls,  accompanied 
61  by  the  president   and  vice-president   of  the 
"  day,   were  conducted  to  another  large  pew 
"  adjoining  that  occupied  by  the  Russian  lega- 
"  tion.     The  reverend  clergy  and  the  orator  of 
"  the  day,  (Mr.  Custis,)  were  next  introduced 
*'  by  the  committee. 

"  The  hearts  of  all  in  sympathy  being  suit- 
"  ably  tranquillized,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Balch,  m  a 
"  pathetic  and  reverential  strain,  addressed  the 
"  throne  of  heaven,  imploring  the  blessing  of 
"  God  upon  the  assembly.  Mr.  Custis,  after  a 
"  short  interval  of  music,  then  delivered  an 
."  highly  interesting,  historic,  and  didactk- 


330         IMPERIAL  AND  REPUBLICAN  TOASTS. 

"  oration,  in  a  style  peculiar  to  his  oratory,  and 
"  reflecting  warm  and  sympathetic  encomiums 
"  upon  Russian  valour.  The  scene  in  the  church 
"  was  closed  with  prayer,  when  the  lady  of 
"  the  Russian  minister  was  conducted  to  her 
•'  carriage,  the  band  playing  a  fine  exhilarating 
"  Russian  march.  The  Russian  legation,  suc- 
"  ceeded  by  foreign  consuls,  and  other  persons 
"  of  distinction,  including  senators  and  repre- 
"  sentatives  in  Congress,  were  escorted  to  the 
"  Union  Hotel. 

"  At  four  o'clock  the  company  entered  the 
"  dining  rooms,  and  was  seated  in  the  most 
"  perfect  order  —  The  Russian  Legation  and 
"  foreign  consuls  ranged  on  the  right,  the 
"  Orator  of  the  day  on  the  left  of  the  Pre- 
"  sident.  The  whole  entertainment  was  sump- 
"  tuous,  and  beautifully  ordered,  to  which  a 
"  company  of  near  three  hundred  gentlemen 
"  sat  down. 

"  After  the  cloth  was  removed  the  President 
"  announced  the  following  toasts : 

"  The  United  States  of  America  —  May  justice 
"  be  her  guide,  neutrality  her  policy,  and  liberty 
"  the  essence  of  her  national  existence. 

"  [Music — Hail  Columbia. 

"  The  Empire  of  Russia  —  May  this  Northern 
"  Star  break  the  power  of  attraction  that  has 
"  fastened  the  Continent  of  Europe  to  the  mag- 
"  net  of  France.  [Grand  Russian  air. 


TOASTS,    &C.  331 

"  When  the  fourth  toast  was  to  be  gi\ren,  the 
"  President  called  on  Mr.  Harper  of  Baltimore, 
"who  gave  "  ALEXANDER  THE  DELIVERER.*' 

«*  (This  toast  was  accompanied  by  a  course  of 
"remarks  made  by  Mr.  Harper,  that  excited 
"  bursts  of  applause  highly  descriptive  of  the 
"  feelings  which  animated  this  patriotic  as- 
"  sembly.) 

"  Moscow  in  Flames  —  This  is  the  holy  confla- 
ft  gration,  that  lights  the  nations  of  the  earth  to 
"  independence  and  peace.  [Solemn  Russian  air. 

"  The  Memory  of  Washington  —  Oh  !  that  thy 
"  canonized  form,  hearsed  in  death,  could  burst 
"  its  cearment  and  raise  a  drooping  empire ! 

"  [Washington's  March. 

"  Tlie  Heroes  of  the  Revolution  —  Alas !  the 
"  fruits  are  fast  withering  of  your  patriot  toils.; 

"  [Solemn  Dirge. 

"  The  American  Navy  —  This  is  the  cradle  of 
"  our  rights,  here  let  us  cherish,  foster  and 
"  honour  those  heroic  spirits,  who  are  destined 
"  to  punish  the  aggression  of  hostile  powers. 

"  [Tars  of  Columbia. 

"  Capts.  Hull,  Jones,  Decatur,  Bainbridge, 
"  and  Lawrence ;  «  and  ye  too  have  scattered 
"  thunderbolts.'  —  Columbia,  these  thy  chosen 
'?  sons,  outstrip  the  world  in  deeds  of  valour. 

"  [Decatur's  March. 

"  The  native  Tars  of  America  —  Eternal  war, 
*•'  when  necessary;  -for  their  essential  rights, 

"  [Freedom  and  our  Native  Land. 


TERMS    1-OR    I/AND. 

"  Agriculture  mourning  —  Commerce  in  tears  — 
"  You  have  our  sympathies,  we  can  do  no  more\ 

"  [Guardian  Angels. 

"  The  Fair  of  America  —  With  what  Roman 
"  matron  may  we  not  compare  ? 

"  [Sweet  Passion  of  Love/' 

OFFICIAL  COMMUNICATION  FROM  THE  LAND  OFFICE. 

Having  been  invited  to  visit  the  tomb  of  the 
great  Washington,  which  is  about  10  miles  from 
hence,  I  hasten  to  a  conclusion  ;  and  shall  leave 
my  own  reflections  to  my  next  and  last  report, 
which  I  design  shall  follow  this  in  about  three 
weeks,  when  I  shall  have  seen  Baltimore,  and 
also  visited  some  of  the  smaller  eastern  towns. 

By  a  private  letter  to  my  friend  R  -  you 
are  aware  of  an  application  whicli  I  have  made 
to  the  land-office,  concerning  a  tract  of  40,000 
acres  ;  I  inclose  you  Mr.  Meigs's  reply. 


General  Land-Office. 
"  In  reply  to  your  letter  :  I  have  to  say,  that 
"  the  public  lands  north-west  of  the  river  Ohio 
"  are  sold  at  two  dollars  per  acre,  payable  one- 
"  fourth  cash  ;  one-fourth  in  two  years  ;  one- 
"  fourth  in  three  years  ;  one-fourth  in  four 
"  years.  A  discount  of  eight  per  cent,  per 
"  annum  for  prompt  payment  reduces  the  cash 
"  price  to  one  dollar  sixty-four  cents  per  acre. 
"  If  the  instalments  are  not  all  paid  within  five 


MR.  BAGOT'S  NOTE.  383 

"  years,  the  land  is  offered  at  public  sale  j  if  it 
"  brings  more  tban  the  principal  and  interest 
"  due  to  the  United  States,  the  surplus  is  paid 
"  to  the  original  purchaser ;  if  the  principal 
"  and  interest  is  not  bid,  the  land  reverts  to  the 
"  United  States,  and  the  monies  paid  on  account 
"  are  forfeited. 

"  These  are  the  terms  of  sale  without  respect 
"  to  persons  or  quantity. 

"  I  am  very  respectfully, 

"  Sir, 
"  Your  obedient  servant, 

•"  JOSIAH  MEIGS.*' 
"  MB.  HENBY  FEARON, 
"  At  Mrs.  Lindsay's,  Washington." 

The  present  report  will  go  by  the  British 
packet  free  of  expence,  the  English  ambassador 
having  acceded  to  my  application  in  the  follow- 
ing polite  note,  though  I  had  not  an  introduc- 
tion to  him : 

"  Mr.  Bagot  presents  his  compliments  to  Mr. 
"  Fearon,  and  has  the  honour  to  inform  him 
"  that  if  Mr.  F.  will  send  the  papers  alluded  to 
"  in  his  letter  to  Mr.  Bagot's  house  in  the 
"  course  of  Friday  next,  he  will  endeavour  to 
"  transmit  them  to  England  in  his  bag,  should 
"  they  not  prove  voluminous." 

'*  Washington, 
"  MR.  HENRY  FEARON,  Pennsylvania  Avenue." 


LETTER   FROM    MR.  B1RKBECK. 

Wishing  health  and  happiness  to  you  all,  and 
inulilging  the  anxious  hope  that  I  shall  soon  see 
you  either  on  this  or  the  other  side  of  the 
.Atlantic,  I  for  the  present  take  my  leave. 

P.S.  I  break  open  the  package  to  inclose  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Birkbeck,  in  reply  to  one  which 
I  addressed  to  him  upon  my  first  visit  to  Louis- 
ville ;  it  is  addressed  to  me  at  Baltimore. 

«  SIR,  Princeton,  Nov.  29,  1817. 

"  IT  would  give  me  much  pleasure  to  afford 
"  you  satisfactory  information  on  the  several 
"  particulars  you  mention,  but  I  am,  like  your- 
"  self,  a  stranger  in  this  country,  and  can  there- 
"  fore  only  communicate  to  you  my  opinions  in 
"  answer  to  your  inquiries. 

"  To  the  first,  as  to  the  most  eligible  part  of 
"  the  United  States  for  obtaining  improved 
"  Jarms,  or  uncultivated  lands  for  Englishmen, 
"  &c.  I  reply,  that  with  a  view  to  the  settlement 
•"  of  the  number  of  families  you  mention,  it  will 
"  be  vain  to  look  for  improved  farms  in  any 
'"  part  that  I  have  seen  or  heard  of.  Probably 
"  a  single  family  might  be  suited  in  almost  any 
"  large  district,  as  the  changes  which  are  con- 
"  tinually  occurring  in  human  affairs,  will  occa- 
"  sionally  throw  eligible  farms  into  the  market 
"  every  where.  But  you  can  have  no  choice  of 
"  cultivated  lands,  as  those  you  would  prefer 


MR.  BIRKBECK'S  LETTER.  338 

f*  are  the  least  likely  to  be  disposed  of;  and  it 
"  is  altogether  unlikely  you  should  meet  with 
"  a  body  of  such  lands,  for  the  accommodation 
"  of  thirty  or  forty  families  j  considering,  too, 
"  that,  by  travelling  a  few  day's  journey  farther 
"  west,  you  may  have  a  choice  of  land  of  equal 
"  value  at  one-tenth  of  the  price,  where  they 
"  may  settle  contiguous,  or  at  least  near  to  each 
"  other,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  recommending 
"  you  to  do  as  I  have  done ;  that  is,  to  head 
"  the  tide  of  emigration,  and  provide  for  your 
"  friends  where  the  lands  are  yet  unappro- 
<c  priated. 

"  After  traversing  the  States  of  Ohio  and 
"Indiana,  looking  out  for  a  tract  suited  to 
"  my  own  views,  and  those  of  a  number  of 
"  our  countrymen  who  have  signified  their  in- 
"  tentions  of  following  our  example,  I  have 
"  fixed  on  this  spot  in  Illinois,  and  am  the 
"  better  pleased  with  it  the  more  I  see  of  it. 

"  As  to  obtaining  labourers.  A  single  settler 
"  may  get  his  labour  done  by  the  piece  on 
"  moderate  terms,  not  higher  than  in  some 
"  parts  of  England  j  but  if  many  families  settle 
"together,  all  requiring  this  article,  and  none 
"  supplying  it,  they  must  obtain  it  from -else- 
"  where.  Let  them  import  English  labourers, 
"  or  make  advantageous  proposals  to  such  as 
*'  are  continually  arriving  at  the  eastern  ports. 

"  Provisions  are  cheap  of  course.  Wheat  three 


336  MR.  BIRKBEGK'S  LETTER. 

"  and  four-pence  sterling  per  bushel.     Beef  ami 

•'  pork    two-pence   per   pound,   groceries   and 

iothing  dear,    building  moderate,  either  by 

•;  wood  or  brick.     Bricks  are  laid  by  the  thou- 

and   at   eight   dollars    or    under,    including 
•'  lime. 

"  Privations  I  cannot  enumerate.  Their 
*«  amount  depends  on  the  previous  habits  and 
•4  present  disposition  of  individuals :  for  myself 
"  and  family,  the  privations  already  experienced, 
"  or  anticipated,  are  of  small  account  compared 
*.*  with  the  advantages. 

"  Horses,  60  to  100  dollars,  or  upwards;  cows, 
"  10  to  20  dollars  ;  sows,  3  to  ^  dollars. 

"  Society  is  made  up  of  new-comers  chiefly, 
"  and  of  course,  must  partake  of  the  leading 
"  characters  of  these.  There  is  generally  a 
"  little  bias  of  attraction  in  a  newly  settled 
"  neighbourhood,  which  brings  emigrants  from 
"  some  particular  state  or  country  to  that  spot ; 
"  and  thus  a  tone  is  given  to  the  society.  Where 
"  -we  are  settling,  society  is  yet  unborn  as  it 
"  were.  It  will,  as  in  other  places,  be  made 
"  up  of  such  as  come  j  among  whom  English 
"  farmers,  I  presume,  will  form  a  large  pro- 
"  portion. 

"  Roads  as  yet  are  in  a  state  of  nature. 

"  Purchases  of  land  are  best  made  at  the  land- 
"  offices :  payments,  five  years,  or  prompt ;  if 
"  the  latter,  eight  per  cent»  discount. 


MR.  BIRKBECK'S  XETTER.  337 

"  Mechanics'  wages,  1  dollar  to  l£.  Carpen- 
w.  ters,  smiths,  shoemakers,  brickmakers,  and 
"  bricklayers,  are  among  the  first  in  requisition 
"  for  a  new  settlement :  others  follow  in  course ; 
*'  —  tanners,  saddlers,  taylors,  hatters,  tin-work- 
"  ers,  &c.  &c. 

"  We  rely  on  good  markets  for  produce, 
"  through  the  grand  navigable  communication 
"  we  enjoy  with  the  ocean. 

'*  Medical  aid  is  not  of  difficult  attainment. 
"  The  English  of  both  sexes,  and  strangers  in 
"  general,  are  liable  to  some  bilious  attacks  on 
"  their  first  arrival  j  these  complaints  seem, 
"  however,  simple,  .and  not  difficult  to  manage 
"  if  taken  in  time. 

"  The  manufactures  you  mention  may  here- 
"  after  be  eligible;  cotton,  woollen,  linen, 
"  stockings,  &c.  Certainly  not  at  present. 
"  Beer,  spirits,  pottery,  tanning,  are  objects  of 
"  immediate  attention. 

"  The  minerals  of  our  district  are  not  much 
"  known.  We  have  excellent  limestone ;  I 
"  believe  we  have  coal :  wood  will,  however,  be 
"  the  cheapest  fuel  for  some  years. 

"  Implements  are  cheap  till  you  commence 
"  with  the  iron.  A  waggon,  35  or  40  dollars, 
"  exclusive  of  tier  to  wheels.  A  strong  waggon 
"  for  the  road  complete  will  amount  to  160 
"  dollars  or  upwards. 

"  The  best  mode  of  coming  from  England  to 


338  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  LETTER. 

"  this  part  of  the  western  country  is  by  an 
"  eastern  port,  thence  to  Pittsburgh,  and  down 
"  the  Ohio  to  Shawnee  town.  Clothing,  bed- 
"  ding,  household  linen,  simple  medicines  of 
"  the  best  quality,  and  sundry  small  articles  of 
"  cutlery  and  light  tools,  are  the  best  things  for 
"  an  emigrant  to  bring  out. 

"  I  can  hardly  reply  to  your  inquiry  about 
"  the  manner  <tf  travelling  ;  it  must  be  suited  to 
"  the  party.  Horseback  is  the  most  pleasant 
"  and  expeditious ;  on  foot  the  cheapest :  a 
"  light  waggon  is  eligible  in  some  cases  ;  in 
"  others  the  stage  is  a  necessary  evil.  I  see  I 
"  shall  render  you  liable  to  double  postage,  but 
"  I  wished  to  reply  to  each  of  your  inquiries  as 
"  far  as  I  could. 

"  To  serve  you  or  your  friends  will  be  a  plea- 
"  sure  to,  Sir, 

"  Yours,  &c.  &c. 

"  To  MR.  H.  FEARON,  "  MORRIS  BlRKBECK." 
'c  Post-Office,  Baltimore." 

Note. — In  preparing  these  pages  for  the  press,  I  observe 
that  this  communication  of  Mr.  Birkbeck's  forms  a  part  of 
his    recent    publication,    called    "  Letters    from    Illinois.' 
Aug.  1818. 


SEVENTH  REPORT. 


Leave  Washington.  —  Arrive  in  Baltimore.  —  Character  of 
the  People.  —  Churches  ;  their  Architecture.  —  Religious 
Sects.  —  Mode  in  which  Capital  could  be  advantageously 
employed.  —  New  York  Forum.  —  Politics  of  Americans  in 
relation  to  Europe.  —  Their  Feelings  towards  Citizens  of 
foreign  Birth.  —  Public  Resolutions  upon  this  Subject.  — 
My  Friends  commission  Mr.  Flower  to  purchase  Land  in 
Illinois.  —  Review  of  the  Character  and  Condition  of  Ame- 
ricans. —  The  first  Settlers.  —  Progressive  Advancement 
towards  the  Comforts  and  Intelligence  of  Europe.  —  The 
Colonial  Government.  —  The  Revolution  ;  its  Cause.  — 
Mr.  Jefferson's  Statement  concerning  the  Effect  of  Pome's 
<'  Common  Sense."  —  Effect  of  Revolution  upon  Moral 
and  National  Character.  — Disorder  of  the  Government.  — 
Revision  of  the  Constitution.  —  Rise  of  the  Parties  called 
Democrats  and  Federalists  ;  their  adverse  European  Po- 
litics. —  Administration  of  Mr.  Adams.  —  Rise  of  Mr.  Jef- 
ferson. —  Indolent  Character  of  Americans  ;  its  Cause.  — 
The  War  of 1812.  —  Depreciation  of  Government  Security. 
—  National  Laws. 

New  York,  April  21.  1818. 

HAVING  now  again  arrived  at  the  point  from 
which  I  set  out  in  the  summer  of  last  year,  I 
have  determined  to  take  up  my  residence  in  this 
city,  at  least  until  I  receive  the  long  wished-for 

letters  of  my   friends  ,   ,    and   • , 

which  will,  of  course,  govern  my  future  pro- 
ceedings, and  inform  me  whether  to  prepare  for 
your  reception,  either  in  this  city  or  that  of 

z  2 


340  BALTIMORE. 

Philadelphia,  or  return  to  the  western  country, 
and  make  a  final  arrangement  concerning  some 
lots  in  either  Ohio  or  the  Illinois ;  or  recross 
the  Atlantic,  making  Liverpool  the  port  of  my 
destination,  in  order  to  visit  our  friends  in  York- 
shire and  Leicestershire,  previous  to  my  arrival 
in  London.  —  —  —  —  — 


BALTIMORE. 

On  leaving  Washington  for  this  place,  I 
took  Baltimore  in  my  way,  and  resided  there 
some  time.  It  is  a  commercial  city  of  great 
importance  ;  and,  though  not  at  present  of  the 
first  rank,  is  rising  with  a  rapidity  almost  un- 
paralleled. 

The  substantial  features  of  the  American  cha- 
racter appear  here  to  be  the  same  as  throughout 
the  Union,  although  the  "  Baltimorians"  them- 
selves lay  claim  to  a  superior  reputation  for  hos- 
pitality, enterprise,  and  bravery.  Taking  my 
own  experience  as  a  sample  of  the  first,  I  most 
willingly  bear  favourable  testimony  to  their  cha- 
racter ;  but  then  it  must  be  understood  com- 
paratively, and  not  in  the  English  sense  of  the 
word.  In  regard  to  the  second,  they  appear 
entitled  to  it,  judging  from  their  shipping,  much 
of  which  is  engaged  in  hazardous  pursuits, 
together  with  the  speculative  improvements  of 


BALTIMORE.  ,341 

their  town,  and  their  having,  by  superior  ac- 
tivity, supplanted  Philadelphia  in  part  of  the 
western  country  trade ;  yet  the  merchants  of 
this  city  are  said  to  be  deficient  in  capital.  Of 
their  bravery,  history  will  speak  when  recording 
their  gallant  and  successful  defence  of  their  city, 
though  attacked  by  the  combined  naval  and 
military  forces  of  England, 

Dancing  and  music  are  the  prevailing  amuse- 
ments. 

The  ladies  dress  gaily  and  expensively. 

Rents,  occupations,  price  of  labour,  clothing, 
employment  for,  and  wages  of  mechanics,  are 
here  so  precisely  similar  to  those  of  the  other 
Atlantic  cities,  that  a  detail  is  unnecessary. 

Some  idea  may  be  gained  of  the  rapid  progress 
of  certain  parts  of  the  United  States,  from  the 
fact,  that  70  years  ago  Baltimore  consisted  of 
10  houses :  it  now  contains  60,000  inhabitants. 

The  principal  street  runs  east  and  west, 
parallel  with  the  river,  and  is  intersected  by  nu- 
merous others,  containing  many  excellent  build- 
ings. North  and  east  of  the  town  the  land 
rises,  affording  beautiful  views  of  the  city  and 
bay.  —  Steam-boats  proceed  from  here  to  Nor- 
folk in  Virginia,  and  to  New  London  in  Con- 
necticut, by  way  of  New  York.  In  the  winter 
months  this  delightful  mode  of  travelling  is 
interrupted :  miserable  stages  and  bad  roads  are 
then  its  substitute. 

z  3 


34-2  RELIGION, TRADE. 

There  are  several  religious  sects,  the  most 
numerous  of  which  are  Roman  Catholics.  Epis- 
copalians, Baptists,  Presbyterians,  Methodists, 
and  Quakers,  have  each  a  respectable  number 
of  partisans ;  and  an  Unitarian  Church  is  now 
building.  In  connection  with  churches,  let  me 
observe,  by  the  way,  that  the  architecture  of 
several  displays  iirst-ratc  talent ;  and  it  seems 
not  a  little  surprising,  that  such  ability  should 
have  been  overlooked  by  the  conductors  of  the 
national  buildings  at  Washington. 

The  most  accurate  information  which  J  can 
obtain,  causes  me  to  believe  that  capital  could 
be  profitably  engaged  here,  in  importing  dry 
goods  from  Great  Britain ;  that  mechanics,  in 
the  usual  businesses,  can  get  ready  employment, 
will  receive  40s.  6d.  to  45s.  per  week,  and  pay 
for  their  board  ;:nd  lodging  15s.  9d.  to  18s.  In 
politics,  Baltimore  is  a  singular  exception  to  all 
other  American  sea-port  cities,  in  being  anti- 
federal,  or  what  is  here  denominated  democratic. 
It  lies,  however,  in  a  slave  &tate,  and  seems  by 
no  means  deficient  in  all  the  horrors  of  that 
barbarous  system.  This  city  also  occupies  the 
foremost  ranks  in  deadly  animosity  towards 
England. 

•  Having  returned  through  many  parts  of  my 
former  route,  I  have  no  new  facts  to  communi- 
cate, but  can  say  that  my  impressions  of  Ame- 
rica are  generally  confirmed. 


NEW  YORK.  343 

NEW  YORK. 

There  is  a  highly  respectable  public  assembly 
occasionally  held  in  New  York,  called  "  The 
Forum:"  I  have  attended  twice  —  the  place  of 
meeting  is  in  the  ball-room  of  the  city  hotel. 
In  the  centre  a  sort  of  stage  is  erected,  from 
which  the  orations  are  delivered.  The  charge 
is  6fd.,  with  free  admission  for  ladies.  The 
receipts  are  appropriated  to  charitable  purposes. 
The  speakers,  as  I  understand  was  once  fre- 
quently the  case  in  London,  are  young  lawyers, 
who  practise  as  an  assistant  to  their  more  pro- 
fitable exercises.  Though  the  speaking  is  ex- 
temporaneous, inasmuch  as  it  is  not  written,  yet 
it  appears  by  no  means  spontaneous,  bearing 
decided  evidence  of  previous  rehearsal.  The 
number  of  orators  upon  those  occasions,  when 
I  was  present,  was  six.  To  each  side  of  both 
the  questions  was  allotted  an  equal  number  of 
advocates ;  who,  though  following  each  other 
with  the  regularity  of  mechanism,  did  not  even 
risk  a  glance  at  the  line  of  argument  pursued 
by  their  predecessors,  each  having  got  his 
task  by  rote :  and  when  their  memories  failed 
them,  immediate  recourse  was  had  to  the  writ- 
ten speech,  carefully  deposited  in  the  pocket. 
Although  the  talents  of  these  young  gentlemen 
for  public  display  do  not  rank  in  the  first  class 
of  American  oratory,  yet  they  may  be  regarded 
as  presenting  a  fair  average  sample  of  the  elo- 


344  AMERICAN    ORATORY. 

cution  of  both  the  bar  and  senate ;  an  elocution 
which,  though  said  to  be  founded  upon  the 
English  and  French  models,  is  so  essentially  dif- 
ferent from  either,  that  it  deserves  to  be  regarded 
as  a  distinct  species.  It  is  chiefly  distinguished 
by  a  set  logical  arrangement  with  regard  to  mat- 
ter, but  expressed  in  inflated  language,  unac- 
companied by  correspondent  action  ;  strong  ex- 
pressions are  used  to  express  minor  ideas  ;  words 
of  six  syllables  are  substituted  for  deep  thought 
or  sound  argument ;  and  there  is  evidently  a 
constant  labour  after  allusions  and  simile,  which 
are  often  thread-bare  and  broken.  The  manner 
of  their  speakers  is  generally  marked  by  an  equal 
absence  of  modest  diffidence  and  manly  bold- 
ness :  they  show  little  evidence  of  possessing  a 
literary  mind ;  their  train  of  argument  and  their 
choice  of  language  are,  in  their  general  effect, 
cold,  measured,  legal,  and  bombastic. 

The  question  discussed  upon  the  first  evening 
of  my  attendance  was  the  following :  "  Is  the 
"  present  peace  of  Europe  likely  to  be  of  long 
"  continuance?"  The  number  of  the  audience 
was  about  700,  full  one-half  of  which  were 
ladies,  and  all  highly  respectable  in  their  ap- 
pearance. The  place  of  assembly  is  not  sur- 
passed by  any  ball-room  which  I  have  seen  in 
England.  The  native  political  views  of  all  the 
speakers  were  the  same,  though  they  took  oppo- 
site grounds  in  this  debate  upon  foreign  affairs. 

8 


POLITICAL   VIEWS.  34>5 

The  following  is  a  summary  of  their  principles : 
America,  the  greatest  country  in  the  world ;  re- 
publics, the  best  form  of  government  in  the  world; 
the  revolution,  the  most  important  epoch  since 
the  establishment  of  Christianity  ;  war,  occasion- 
ally necessary ;  a  state  of  perpetual  peace  would 
be  a  perpetual  curse ;  Russia,  the  greatest  coun- 
try in  Europe,  —  will  soon  be  enabled  to  contend 
with  England  at  sea  ;  Napoleon,  a  fiend  —  the 
French,  a  nation  of  atheists  who  do  not  deserve 
peace  ;  English  government,  very  excellent  — 
English  people,  the  contrary ;  Alexander,  the 
deliverer,  the  most  virtuous  and  magnanimous 
monarch  ever  known  ;  evil  necessary  in  society — 
a  long  digression  to  prove  its  origin ;  missionary 
societies  of  incalculable  benefit,  particularly  those 
wkick  were  sent  to  the  wild  parts  of  Kentucky 
and  Indiana;  death  of  the  Princess  Charlotte 
must  entail  upon  England  dire  calamities ;  the 
holy  league,  a  wise,  pacific,  and  humane  combi- 
nation ;  liberty  and  happiness  of  all  parts  of 
Europe  rapidly  progressing. 

The  next  subject  which  I  heard  debated  was, 
"  Is  it  necessary  for  the  interests  of  the  United 
"  States,  that  its  government  should  be  in  the 
"  hands  of  a  party  ?"  This  elicited  similar 
trains  of  ideas  to  those  delivered  upon  the  pre- 
vious evening.  There  was  the  same  strange, 
incongruous  mixture  of  republican  and  anti-re- 
publican sentiments,  mixed  up  in  the  speech  of 


34«6  POLITICAL    SENTIMENTS. 

every  orator.  The  advocates  of  reform  in  Eng- 
land were  ridiculed  with  the  same  breath  that 
praised  their  own  revolution  :  popular  meetings 
censured,  and  the  United  States'  constitution, 
founded  upon  the  rights  of  the  people,  extolled 
to  the  skies.  Lord  Cochrane  was  abused,  the 
American  navy  flattered,  the  rights  of  man  and 
the  excellence  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  in- 
sisted upon,  dangers  of  parties  and  cabals  ex- 
posed, and  popular  meetings  execrated. 

This  being  the  close  of  the  season,  a  vale- 
dictory address  was  delivered  by  Mr.  FessemitMi, 
a  gentleman  of  very  middling  talent,  and 
travagantly  conceited  in  his  manners.  He  laid 
down  as  the  basis  of  good  government,  a  variety 
of  axioms  favourable  both  to  liberty  and  tyranny. 
"  The  first  qualification  for  all  of/ices,  from  the 
"  president  down  to  the  lowest  constable,  ought 
"  (he  said)  to  be,  that  the  candidates  were  nattji- 
"  bom  citizens."  This  sentiment  was  frequently 
repeated,  and  always  tumultuously  and  unani- 
mously applauded  !  I  was  previously  well  aware 
of  the  firm  hold  which  this  feeling  possesses 
in  the  minds  of  all  native  Americans  ;  but  I 
did  not  anticipate  its  fearless  avowal  in  a  large 
and  mixed  assembly.  Throughout  the  States,  I 
have  remarked  that  there  is  a  strong  line  of 
distinction  drawn  between  citizens  of  native  and 
of  foreign  birth ;  and,  in  some  cases,  where  the 
latter  have  professed  principles  of  republicanism 


"   FOREIGNERS."  347 

in  Europe,  (a  sin  which  might,  at  least,  one 
should  suppose,  be  forgiven  them  in  the  United 
States  of  America,'}  they  are  treated  with  scorn, 
as  out-casts,  who  ought  to  have  remained  in 
their  own  country,  and  have  submitted  to  what- 
ever form  of  despotism  it  chose  to  exert  over 
them.  So  deeply-rooted,  indeed,  are  these  sen- 
timents in  the  American  mind,  that  they  give 
some  colour  to,  though  they  can  hardly  justify 
the  address  which  I  find  unanimously  voted 
in  the  year  1809,  at  a  meeting  in  New  York  of 
five  hundred  adopted  citizens,  from  which  the 
following  are  extracts : 

"  At  a  respectable  meeting,  consisting  of  about  five  hundred 
"  Adopted  Republican  Citizens  of  the  city  of  New  York, 
"  held  at  Lyon's  Hotel,  Mott-Street,  —  Mr.  Archil/old 
"  Taylor  being  unanimously  called  to  the  chair,  and  Dr. 
"  Stephen  Dempsey  appointed;  secretary,  the  subjoined 
"  address  was  unanimously  adopted,  and  ordered  to  he 
"  published, 

"  To  the  Adopted  Republican  Citizens  of  the  City  of 
"  New  York. 

"    FELLOW  CITIZENS, 

"  A  long  train  of  disagreeable  circumstances  have  called 
"  us  together,  and  induced  us  to  address  you  upon  a  subject 
"  which,  for  years,  we  have  acutely  felt  and  deeply  deplored. 
"  Some  of  you,  groaning  under  oppression  in  your  native 
"  land,  have  voluntarily  emigrated  from  it,  whilst  others, 
<{  more  afflicted  by  despotism,  and  less  favoured  by  propi- 
'*  tious  events,  find  yourselves  in  the  condition  of involuntary 
"  exile.  All,  however,  have  chosen,  as  a  resting-place  in 
te  the  journey  through  life,  this  '  asylum  for  the  oppressed 
"  of  all  nations.'  Here,  perhaps,  mistaking  the  character 


"   FOREIGN    CITIZENS." 

*'  of  human  nature,  we  pleasingly  anticipated,  from  those 
"  who  avow  themselves  the  friends  of  freedom,  exemption 
"  from  that  religious  persecution  and  civil  tyranny,  whose 
"  inexorable  reign  had  forced  us  from  our  native  country. 
"  Alas  !  how  greatly  were  we  mistaken  .'  how  egregiously  have 
ct  •we  been  disappointed  !  Our  constitutions  and  governments 
"  are  indeed  free,  but.  between  these  admirable  institutions  and 
"  ourselves  a  tyranny  is  intervened,  much  less  tolerable  than 
"  that  from  which  -we  fled.  We  have  made  permanent  set- 
"  dements  in  the  land  of  our  forefathers  ;  we  admire  and  we 
"  are  attached  to  our  republican  institutions ;  we  have 
<*  complied  with  the  injunctions  of  the  constitutions  and  the 
"  laws,  and  we  will  support  them  upon  equal  terms  with 
"  our  lives  and  our  fortunes.  But  how  are  we  treated? 
"  What  has  been  our  reception  ?  Has  good  faith  been  observed  ? 
"  Have  the  promises  been  performed?  Are  not  we,  who  are 
"  citizens  by  all  I  he  solemnities  and  obligations  of  law,  treated 
"  as  aliens  —  stigmatized  as  foreigners?  We  complain  not 
"  of  the  constitutions  and  the  laws;  they  are  liberal  in  prin- 
"  ciple,  and  benign  in  operation.  They  enjoin  an  abjur- 
c<  ation  of  former  allegiance:  have  we  not  with  alacrity 
"  complied  with  the  injunction  ?  They  require  an  oath  of 
<(  fidelity  to  the  Union  and  to  the  States ;  devoted  in  spirit 
"  and  in  truth  to  both,  we  have  eagerly  taken  it.  What  more 
"is  required?  What  more  can  be  expected  ?  The  laws  re- 
"  quire  no  more.  Shall  an  under-plot,  a  counter -operation^ 
"  individual  jealousy,  and  pale  faced  cabal,  frowned  upon  by 
"  the  very  elements  of  the  state,  subvert  the  law — put  it  at 
*'  defiance — trample  it  underfoot?  The  law  places  upon 
"  the  same  undistinguishable  level,  the  citizen  of  native  and 
"  the  citizen  of  foreign  birth.  Are  we  to  be  told,  in  this 
"  enlightened  age,  that  the  law  is  not  to  govern  ;  that  the 
"  essence  of  well-ordered  society  is  not  a  government  of 
<{  laws,  but  a  government  of  the  worst  passions  ?  Go  back, 
«'  then,  to  a  state  of  anarchy  ;  tear  out  the  bowels  of  society; 
"  revert  to  the  rude  condition  of  untutored  nature,  and  let 
"  the  strongest  govern.  We  have  never  ceased  to  cherish 
*'  and  to  inculcate  those  opinions  which  are  most  consonant 
*'  to  the  civil  and  social  state.  We  have  remonstrated  against 


REPORTS    DELAYED.  349 

tc  distinctions,  at  once  impolitic  and  unjust,  between  native 
"  and  adopted  citizens  ;  but  have  not  our  remonstrances  and 
"  efforts  been  in  vain  ?  No  zeal,  no  exertions,  no  services, 
"  however  disinterested,  unremitted,  or  great,  have  been 
"  sufficient  to  shield  us  from  an  epithet  which,  while  it 
"  poisons  the  social  and  impairs  the  enjoyment  of  political 
"  life,  must  ultimately  terminate  in  the  ruin  of  the  repub- 
"  lican  party  in  this  city.  Alas  !  has  our  republic  turned 
"  upon  itself,  and  in  the  short  perjod  of  a  few  years  from 
"  the  adoption  of  the  constitution?" 

"  Resolved  unanimously,  that  500  copies  of  the  above 
tf  address  and  resolution  be  printed  in  hand-bills,  for  the 
"  benefit  of  our  fellow  republican  adopted  citizens. 

"  ARCHIBALD  TAYLOR,      Chairman. 
"  S.  DEMPSEY,  Secretary." 

24th  April. — Upon  my  return  from  an  ex- 
cursion to  New  Jersey,  I  received  a  letter  from 

my  friend  C ,   dated   "  Hertford,  Jan.  30." 

brought  by  Mr.  W.  Walfbrd  of  Bishopgate-street, 
London,  who  came  in  the  "  Minerva,  Smyth,"  and 
is  immediately  proceeding  on  to  Mr.  Birkbeck.  I 
am  much  concerned  to  hear,  that  even  at  that  date 
my  first  was  the  only  report  which  had  reached 
you.  Of  the  accident  which  occurred  to  the 
"  Electra  of  Philadelphia,"  and  the  melancholy 
catastrophe  of  Captain  Williams,  I  was  apprised 
by  Lloyd's  list ;  but  as  she  was  taken  safely 
into  St.  Maloes,  I  had  indulged  the  hope,  that 
before  the  date  of  the  above  letter,  you  had 
safely  received  my  communications  :  they  were 
accompanied  by  a  large  packet  of  newspapers, 
pamphlets,  and  some  curiosities.  Had  I  been 
so  thoughtful  as  to  have  mentioned  to  Mr. , 


350  REPORTS. 

of  Philadelphia,  that  I  wished  a  parcel  taken  to 
England,  he  assures  me  that  Mr.  Rush,  the  am- 
bassador who  sailed  in  the  Franklin,  seventy- 
lour,  would  have  most  willingly  conveyed  it  to 
London; — however,  this  knowledge  is  now  un- 
availing, but  I  trust  that  my  several  reports, 
including  the  last  from  Virginia  and  Washing- 
ton, dated  in  March,  are,  by  this  time,  in  your 
possession.  Your  commission  to  Mr.  Flower,  Mr. 
Birkbeck's  associate,  to  purchase  [K)00  acres  in 
the  Illinois,  is  certainly  a  bold  measure  ;  but  as 
you  desire  my  immediate  return,  I  shall  defer 
the  discussion  of  its  merits  until  I  am  blessed 
with  the  pleasure  of  meeting  you  all  face  to 
face,  and  once  more  enjoying  the  indescribable 
delight  of  your  society  and  an  English  fire-side. 
I  shall,  in  all  probability,  embark  by  about  the 

middle  of  next  month.     Captain   H sails 

in  a  few  days,  and  I  am  sure  will  take  particular 
care  of  this  communication. 

The  remark  is  now  an  old  one,  "  That 
"  Americans  have  no  national  character."  Half 
a  century  ago  the  observation  was  probably  cor- 
rect; but  I  think  a  personal  acquaintance  vvill 
show  its  utter  want  of  foundation  at  the  present 
period.  Their  national  character,  in  my  judg- 
ment, is  broadly  and  distinctly  marked  ;  and,  as 
is  common  with  that  of  other  nations,  partakes 
of  a  mixture  of  wisdom  and  folly,  of  virtue  and 
vice,  of  some  excellencies  and  of  great  defects. 


MOORE'S  VIEW  OF  AMERICA.  3,51 

Although  I  cannot  go  the  whole  length  of 
Moore's  description  of  them,  yet  with  a  mind 
constituted,  as  I  presume  his  to  be,  and  with  the 
disappointments  which  his  strong  prepossessions 
in  favour  of  America  must  have  given  rise  to,  I 
can  easily  conceive  that  he  would  not  find  much 
difficulty  in  concluding  that  —  "  The  rude  fa- 
"  miliarity  of  the  lower  orders,  and  indeed  the 
"  unpolished  state  of  society  in  general,  would 
"  neither  surprise  nor  disgust,  if  they  seemed  to 
"  flow  from  that  simplicity  of  character,  that 
"  honest  ignorance  of  the  class  of  refinement, 
"  which  may  be  looked  for  in  a  new  and  inexpe- 
"  rienced  people.  But  when  we  find  them  arrived 
"  at  maturity  in  most  of  the  vices,  and  all  the  pride 
"  of  civilisation,  while  they  are  still  so  remote 
"  from  its  elegant  characteristics,  it  is  impossible 
"  not  to  feel  that  this  youthful  decay,  this  crude 
"  anticipation  of  the  natural  period  of  corruption, 
"  represses  every  sanguine  hope  of  the  future 
"  greatness  and  energy  of  America." 

National,  like  individual  character,  must  be 
in  a  great  measure  formed  or  controlled  by  the 
circumstances  in  which  men  are  situated.  For 
the  creation  of  a  valuable  standard  of  character, 
Americans  are  disadvantageously  placed :  they 
are  far  removed  from  that  mass  of  floating  in- 
telligence which  pervades  Europe,  but  more 
especially  England ;  and  in  addition  to  this,  as  a 
people,  and  in  their  political  capacity,  they  have 


SITUATION    OF    THE    PEOPLE    OP   AMERICA. 

nothing  to  contend  for  —  nothing  to  call  forth 
their  energies,  and  but  little  of  external  excite- 
ment beyond  the  pursuits  of  gain,  and  merely 
animal   gratification.     In  their   civil  condition, 
all   obtain  a  living  with    ease.      For    religion, 
their  priests  think  for  them ;  they  have  neither 
persecution  to  excite   zeal,  opposition  or  con- 
troversy to  awaken    them  to   enquiry,  nor  yet 
virtue   or   knowledge    sufficient  to   show  them 
its  advantages  ;    whilst   in  their  political  capa- 
city, they  have  the  cheapest,  the  easiest,  and  the 
most  reasonable  form  of  government  in  the  world. 
To  illustrate  nations  by  individuals  is  an  old,  and 
by  no  means  inappropriate   mode  of  estimating 
political  character  j    and,  for   myself,    I   never 
knew  an  individual  who  was  freed  from  strong 
external   excitement,    or   who   possessed  every 
thing  which  he  desired  without  personal  exer- 
tion, that  did  not  sink  into  indolence,  indiffer- 
ence, selfishness,  and  actual  vice.     This  seems 
to  be  made,  and  wisely  so,  one  of  the  terms  and 
conditions  of  our  nature  —  "  Whom  the  Lord 
"  loveth  he  chastiseth,"  is  a  sacred  maxim  j  that 
chastisement  is,  I  believe,  as  valuable  as  tf  is 
necessary.     I  have  not  indeed  seen  the  character 
whom  I  could  call  excellent,  that  had  not  under- 
gone trials,  privations,  and  sufferings.     To  be- 
come intellectual,  energetic,  and  virtuous,  in  the 
present  state  of  our  existence,  seems  to  require 
that  we  should  first  know  sorrow,  and  have  been 


CONDITION   OF   AMERICANS.  353 

acquainted  with  grief;  not  that  I  am  the  advo- 
cate for  political  oppression  in  order  to  produce 
those  consequences,  or  that  I  wish  to  see  trans- 
planted into  this  free  and  hitherto  unoppressed 
country,  enormous  taxation  —  iniquity  in  high 
places  —  civil  disabilities  —  religious  exclusions 
—  standing  armies  —  and  hired  spies  and  in- 
formers j  but  that  a  something  must  occur, 
before  this  people  can  be  roused  from  their  pre- 
sent lethargy, — made,  even  in  a  limited  degree, 
deserving  of  their  unparalleled  natural  and  poli- 
tical advantages — that  something  of  this  nature, 
among  the  wise  dispensations  of  Providence,  mil 
occur,  I  have  no  doubt ;  for  I  cannot  allow  my- 
self to  draw  the  melancholy  conclusion  of  Moore, 
that  what  we  now  see  of  the  character  of  the 
people,  bad  as  it  may  appear,  "  represses  every 
*'  sanguine  hope  of  the  future  energy  and  great- 
"  ness  of  America." 

To  understand  America  correctly,  it  is,  in 
some  measure,  necessary  to  recur  to  the  character 
and  condition  of  its  first  civilised  population. 
They  were,  in  the  first  instance,  emigrants  from 
the^several  European  nations,  particularly  Eng- 
land ;  the  most  respectable  class  of  which  were 
those  who  fled  from  religious  persecution ;  no 
inconsiderable  number  of  transports ;  the  great 
body  of  the  rest  were  as  emigrants  ever  are  — 
the  most  enterprising,  the  most  needy,  but  by 
no  means  the  most  intelligent  of  their  native 

A   A 


354f  EARLY   POPULATION. 

country.  It  is  such  only,  generally  speaking, 
that  can  be  induced  to  quit  the  land  which  gave 
them  birth  ;  even  although  the  exchange  should 
bring  with  it  the  most  decided  advantages. 
The  word  home  contains  a  sacred  spell,  which 
rarely  can  be  broken.  We  cling  to  the  hovels, 
the  rocks,  and  the  sands  of  our  birth-place, 
with  a  filial  affection  which  seldom  ceases  but 
with  our  existence.  These  feelings  the  Deity 
seems  to  have  implanted  for  wise  purposes  in  the 
bosoms  of  all  men.  The  emigrant  to  a  wilder- 
ness will  therefore  rarely  be  a  man  even  mo- 
derate in  his  worldly  circumstances ;  and  he  will 
still  more  rarely  be  possessed  of  regular  habits, 
or  a  cultivated  mind.  Exceptions  will  exist  of 
persons  who  take  distant  views,  and  who  can 
bring  every  feeling  and  thought  under  the  guid- 
ance of  reflection  and  principle  ;  but  such  will 
ever  be  but  exceptions,  while  our  nature  remains 
the  same.  Such  then  were  the  seeds  of  American 
society;  let  us  look  at  the  circumstances  in 
which  these  men  were  placed;  in  a  country 
where  civilisation  had  made  no  progress ;  where 
every  man,  both  in  mind  and  body,  was  fully 
occupied  in  obtaining  the  bare  means  of  subsist- 
ence ;  and  where  their  relative  situation  towards 
the  natives  of  the  soil  was  calculated  to  deaden 
every  just,  benevolent,  and  humane  sentiment. 
As  society  advanced,  indeed,  the  whole  popu- 
lation no  longer  remained  "  heweri  of 


PROGRESS    OF   SOCIETY.  355 

«  and  drawers  of  water."     Classification  com- 
menced ;  but  still  those  whose  views,  means,  or 
habits  could  be  mental,  were  extremely  limited 
in  number.     They  left  Europe  at  a  dark  period, 
not  themselves    the    finest   specimens    of   the 
national   picture ;    even    those  amongst    them 
who  had  leisure  for  literary  objects,  met  with 
obstacles  at  every  step  —  the   want   of  books, 
the   want   of  society,    and   of   communication 
with  learned  individuals  or  of  scientific  bodies. 
There  was  besides  no  history  attached  to  their 
country  j   they   lived   indeed  in   a   new  world, 
"  which  was  endeared  to  them  by  no  recollec- 
"  tions,   and   which  could  neither   excite   nor 
«*  gratify  their  curiosity,  by  the  records  of  the 
"  past."     The  first  accessions  of  strength  from 
tfce  "  old  country,"  furnished  little  besides  an 
increase  of  the   manual  labour.     The  colonial 
government  introduced  some  men  of  inform- 
ation :  public  education  was  attended  to ;  riches 
increased ;    the   slave-trade    was    encouraged ; 
negroes   were   introduced   in    every  American 
colony  ;  the  extermination  of  Indians  went  on » 
the  invaders  gradually  seizing  on  their  country. 
Literature  was  now  in  some  respects  advancing, 
though  the  colonists  depended  for  their  mental 
as   well  as  bodily  clothing  upon  the   mother- 
country  ;  English,  Dutch,  Irish,  Scotch,  Ger- 
mans, and  their  several  descendants,  were  be- 
coming to  speak  one  language,  and  have  one 

A  A    2 


356  THE  ~  REVOLUTION. 

common  interest.  They  were,  as  colonists  ever 
and  necessarily  are,  inferior  to  the  parent  country 
in  the  first  class  of  its  intelligence,  but  above  its 
grosser  ignorance.  Society  had  at  this  time  ac- 
quired stability.  The  Revolution  now  took  place. 
The  motives  and  causes  which  led  to  this  most 
important  event  are  deserving  of  marked  atten- 
tion :  they  were  not,  as  had  been  the  case  with 
most  other  great  national  struggles,  a  dissatis- 
faction generally  with  their  government,  or  a 
desire  to  be  an  independent  people.  Their  resist- 
ance went  to  one  specific  claim  of  the  English 
ministry,  taxation  without  representation ;  this 
object  defeated,  their  design  was  to  return  to 
their  former  political  condition  :  that  there  was 
no  original  intention  to  establish  an  independent 
constitution,  is  admitted  by  Mr.  Jefferson  in  his 
"  Notes  on  Virginia."  In  the  April  of  1776, 
three  months  before  the  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence, Paine's  "  Common  Sense"  appeared. 
Previous  to  the  publication  of  this  book,  the 
leaders  in  the  contest  were  made  acquainted 
with  its  object  and  general  purport.  They  were 
then  alarmed  —  completely  frightened  at  the 
bare  idea  of  declaring  themselves  independent. 
Six  individuals  could  not  be  found,  who,  at 
that  time,  would  go  the  length  of  a  separation 
from  the  mother-country,  from  which  a  small 
concession,  with  regard  to  the  stamp-act,  was 
hailed  with  the  most  enthusiastic  delight  —  the 


DECLARATION   OF   INDEPENDENCE.          357 

wish  of  the  whole  people  being  to  heal  the 
existing  differences,  and  return  to  their  former 
dependent  situation.     These  facts  are  necessary 
to  be  borne  in  mind,  as  they  will  account  for 
much  which  exists  in  the  people  of  the  United 
States    at   the    present    day.      The    effect    of 
"  Common  Sense"   upon   the  public  mind  was 
electric.     Men  were  alarmed  indeed  —  but  they 
read,  and  conviction  flashed  upon  their  minds. 
Three  months  after  the  appearance  of  this  book, 
the  "  Declaration  of  Independence"  was  signed. 
The  contest  now  assumed  altogether  an  altered 
aspect ;  the  struggle  was  no  longer  for  a  rescue 
from  a  peculiar  mode  of  taxation,  but  for  the 
maintaining  of  rights,  political  and  national,  for 
vital  and  fundamental  principles,  which,  if  once 
established,    would  build   upon  their  shores  a 
temple  of  freedom,  and  leave  it  there,  a  model 
for  other  nations  and  for  after  ages.  The  friends 
of  human  liberty  in  Europe  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  fan   their  darling  flame.     Others  also  emi- 
grated of  a  more  dubious  character:  America 
became    the    receptacle    for    speculators    and 
fortune-hunters,   for  adventurers  and  base  and 
demoralised  characters  of  every  shade  and  de- 
scription.    The  peaceful  pursuits  of  agriculture 
were  exchanged  for  those  of  the  sword  ;  society 
was   shitted   from    its   base,    and   every    thing 
became    disorganised.      Peace   was    at   length 
proclaimed,  but  it  failed  to  bring  with  it  those 
A  A  3 


358       RISE   OF   FEDERALISTS    AND    DEMOCRATS. 

halcyon  days,  of  which  the  olive-branch  is 
generally  considered  the  precursor.  America 
was  now  a  chaos,  bankrupt  alike,  it  was  feared, 
in  morals  and  in  finances.  Their  warmest 
patriots  doubted  whether  their  independence 
were  not  in  fact  a  curse  to  them.  The  admi- 
nistration of  Washington,  which  succeeded,  was 
marked  by  policy,  by  sound  views,  and  by 
political  wisdom  ;  but,  in  drawing  up  the  con- 
stitution,  the  desire  to  guard  against  the  possi- 
bility of  corruption,  nearly  produced  the  effect 
of  destroying  all  government  —  a  jealousy  of 
power,  carried  to  an  imprudent  excess,  had  too 
much  weakened  the  pillars  which  should  support 
the  political  fabric.  A  revision  of  the  principles 
of  the  federal  union  became  necessary  to  the 
salvation  of  the  republic.  This  question  gave 
rise  to  two  great  political  parties  *,  practically 
though  not  t/ieoretical/y  possessed  of  opposite 
principles  of  government,  and  fostering  in  their 
breasts,  even  unto  this  day,  the  most  impla- 
cable hatred.  The  friend  of  domestic  peace 
and  of  public  morals,  feeling,  perhaps  too 
acutely,  present  evils,  without  calculating  that 
a  time  for  their  correction  must  arrive,  fondly 
dwelt  upon  a  remembrance  of  those  days  when 

*  Those  who  advocated,  the  measure  of  a  revision  of  the 
Constitution,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  powers  of  the 
general  government,  took  the  name  of  Federalists,  and  their 
opponents  that  of  Democrats. 


THE    FRENCH    REVOLUTION.  339 

they  were  children  of  the  English  family  j  for- 
getting, as  men  too  frequently  do  when  reviewing 
the  past,  all  that  was  painful  and  unpleasant, 
and  only  cherishing  the  recollection  and  sigh- 
ing after  advantages  of  which  they  had  been 
deprived.  European  politics  became  now  the 
subject  of  general  attention.  The  French 
revolution  naturally  produced  unusual  excite- 
ment :  a  large  majority  were  its  advocates. 
They  considered  the  event  as  only  a  continua- 
tion of  the  struggle  which  they  had  commenced, 
for  the  emancipation  of  the  world.  Others, 
sickened  with  the  effects  of  their  own  change, 
viewed  it  with  jaundiced  eyes.  Great  Britain, 
joining  in  the  confederacy  against  the  new 
Republic,  and  the  excesses  committed  by  the 
French,  afforded  fresh  food  for  the  nourishment 
of  political  parties  on  this  continent.  The 
federalists  now  obtained  the  additional  title  of 
English  tories,  and  the  democrats,  that  of 
French  jacobins.  Revolutionists  upon  the 
wildest  principles  flocked  to  America.  The 
French  party  became  so  numerous  and  so 
strong,  that  those  who  differed  from  them  were 
in  fact  exposed  to  a  system  of  practical  pro- 
scription throughout  the  Union.  A  head,  less 
deliberate  and  cool  than  Washington's,  would 
have  been  driven  into  an  open  alliance  with 
republican  France  ;  as  it  was,  the  Gallic  am- 
bassador (Genet)  nearly  set  the  administration 
A  A  4 


360  MR.  ADAMS'S  PRESIDENCY. 

at  defiance.     So  triumphant  indeed  were  these 
advocates  of  desperate  measures,    that  at  one 
period  an  expression  of  difference  of  opinion 
endangered   personal    safety,    and    even    a  list 
of  proscribed    Americans   (among  which    was 
Mr.  John  Quincy  Adams)  was  suspended  from 
the  mast-head  of   a  French   frigate   in  Boston 
harbour.      This  danger,  however,  was  by  pru- 
dence   ultimately  avoided,  and   peril  from   the 
contrary  side  would  seem  next  to  have  followed. 
The    presidency    of    Mr.  Adams  (a  federalist) 
succeeded  that  of  Washington.      Some   of  his 
measures  were  perhaps   compelled   by  the  cir- 
cumstances  of  the    times ;   but   no   friend  of 
liberty  can  advocate  his  fourteen  years'  natu- 
ralisation law  ;  his  frequent  public  prosecutions 
for  libel ;  his  plans  for  a  standing  army,  and  his 
aim  to  obtain  the  state   and    style  of  royalty. 
The  effect  of  his  administration  was  to  re-excite 
all  the  violent  and  turbulent  feelings  of  the  de- 
mocratic party,  which  Washington's  policy  had 
allayed.     At  the  termination  of  the  first  period 
of  his  presidency,  a  desperate  conflict  ensued ; 
the  federal  party  were  defeated  in  his  person  for 
the  Pre>identship  by  a  majority  of  one.    Mr.  Jef- 
ferson rose  upon  his  ruins,  and  from  that  time  to 
the  present,  the  democratic  party  have  sat  at  the 
helm  of  state.     The  unsuccessful  attempt  at  re- 
volution in  Ireland,  threw  into  America  a  con- 
siderable number  of  well-intentioned  perhaps, 


SUDDEN  PROSPERITY.  361 

but  certainly  very  diseased  members  of  the  body 
politic ;    while  the   accession  of  multitudes   of 
the  most  ignorant  classes  of  society  from  Hol- 
land and  Germany,  together  with  the  va.it  in- 
crease  of  black  population,  rapidly  added  to  the 
numerical  population,  extending  the  range  and 
increasing  the  produce  of  manual  labour  without 
adding  any  thing  that  was  valuable  to,  if  I  may 
so  express  myself,  the  stock  of  national  mind. 
America,  in  the  mean  time,  in  her  political  capa- 
city, was  making  rapid  advances  towards  taking 
Irer  standing  as  a  first-rate  power.     Her  internal 
resources    were    boundless ;    her   geographical 
situation  secured  her   from  attack    during  the 
weakness,  as  it  were,  of  infancy  ;  her  population 
went  on  increasing  in  a  ratio  not  paralleled  in 
modern   times,  but  easily  to  be  accounted  for 
upon  well-known  principles  of  political  economy. 
At  this  time  it  was  that  the  disturbed  state  of 
Europe  threw  into  her  hands  the  carrying  trade 
of  the  world,  and  enabled  her  to  erect  a  mer- 
cantile marine,  only  second   to  that  of  Great 
Britain.     This  unexpected,  and  unprepared-for 
influx  of  wealth,  demoralised,  while  it  enriched  ; 
with  the  people,  there  was  no  preparation,  no 
pupillage,  no  gradation,  no  step  from  the  primi- 
tive log-house  to  the  splendour  of  the  palace. 
European  luxury  and  vice,  unadorned  by  Euro- 
pean knowledge,  and  not  ameliorated  by  Euro-  - 
pean  habits   of  refinement,  rapidly  overspread 


362  WAR  OF  1812. 

die  land,  and  produced  their  natural  and  unavoid- 
able consequences.  The  pursuits  of  the  whole 
people  assumed  also  a  hazardous  and  speculative 
cast ;  opportunities  for  indulging  which  were 
constantly  presented  by  the  disturbed  state  of 
European  commerce,  and  by  their  own  vast  un- 
peopled continent.  The  means  of  living  were 
in  the  hands  of  every  man,  with  the  occupation 
of  but  one-fourth  part  of  his  time.  They  were 
in  possession  of  political  and  domestic  ease,  the 
sources  or  the  value  of  which  their  want  of 
reflection  prevented  them  from  estimating ;  and 
having  at  once  the  means,  the  time,  and  the 
opportunity  of  gratifying  their  passions,  or 
indulging  their  indolence,  they  have  not  pursued 
learning  beyond  their  school-books.  Thus, 
neglecting  to  encourage  any  pursuits,  either 
individually  or  collectively,  which  may  be  called 
mental,  they  appear,  as  a  nation,  to  have  sunk 
into  habits  of  indolence  and  indifference ;  they 
are  neither  lively  in  their  tempers,  nor  generous 
in  their  dispositions :  though  a  great  political 
nation,  they  have  little  science  and  no  literature  ; 
and,  as  individuals,  while  they  are  theoretically 
possessed  of  freedom  and  independence,  they 
are  too  frequently  but  mere  machines  in  the 
hands  of  interested  and  unprincipled  men. 

The  war  of  1812  forms  an  important  epoch 
in  their  history  j  it  not  only  called  into  action 
all  their  latent  animosities,  but  it  produced  an 


CAUSES   OF   PRESENT   CHARACTER.          368 

effect  which  had  not  been  anticipated.  It  was 
found  that  their  resources,  though  vast,  and 
even  boundless,  were  as  yet  unorganised,  and 
not  of  a  kind  of  which  they  could  immediately 
avail  themselves.  Party  violence  was  extreme 
—  loans  could  not  be  negociated  —  government 
securities  sold  at  33%  per  cent,  discount  —  specie 
had  disappeared,  and  penny  and  two-penny 
notes  were  a  common  circulating  medium.  A 
convention  was  held  of  the  New  England  States, 
which,  had  not  peace  intervened  to  prevent 
their  views  being  carried  into  execution,  would 
probably  have  terminated  in  a  division  of  the 
States.  Loans,  contracts,  jobs,  smuggling,  pecu- 
lation, and  fraud,  infected  every  part  of  the 
Union.  The  nation  suffered,  —  but,  as  their 
sufferings  were  of  short  duration,  they  have  now 
almost  forgotten  their  existence. 

Looking  fairly  therefore  at  all  these  circum- 
stances we  ought  not  to  be  surprised  to  find 
that  American  theory  is  at  least  two  centuries 
in  advance  of  American  practice.  We  have 
usually  connected  with  our  ideas  of  republi-  - 
canism  and  unpolished  manners,  a  simplicity  and 
honesty  of  mind  which  more  than  compensate 
for  all  minor  defects.  That  we  should  not  meet 
with  even  an  approach  to  these  characteristics  in 
America  is  by  no  means  extraordinary,  when  we 
reflect  upon  their  origin  and  the  materials  from 
which  their  present  character  is  derived.  They 


364-          CAUSEfl   01    PEESENT   CHARACTER. 

were  not  originally  a  new  people  who  have 
gradually  advanced  from  barbarism  to  a  know- 
ledge of  enlightened  political  principles  ;  on  the 
contrary,  they  formed  not  even  the  best  portion 
of  an  old  stock,  and  they  have  been  placed  in 
novel  circumstances,  and  occupied  in  pursuits 
little  calculated  to  increase  political  virtue,  or 
advance  mental  acquirements.  Their  constitu- 
tion itself  is  not  an  original  production  ;  it  is 
modelled,  in  fact,  upon  that  of  England,  par- 
taking of  most  of  its  forms,  intermixed  with  many 
peculiarities  of  the  colonial  regime.  In  the 
instance  of  Rhode  Island,  the  original  charter  of 
Charles  the  Second  is  its  present  form  of  govern- 
ment. The  laws  of  England  are  at  this  moment, 
almost  without  even  an  attempt  at  improvement, 
the  laws  of  America.  Old  Bailey,  Hicks's  Hal], 
and  Westminster  Causes,  with  the  acts  of  George 
the  Third,  &c.  &c.  &c.  are  now  cited  in  the  most 
distant  courts  of  law  —  in  the  wilderness  as  well 
as  in  old  America :  even  the  French  lawyers  in 
Louisiana  are  compelled  to  substitute  Coke's  In- 
stitutes, Blackstone's  Commentaries,  and  East's 
Reports,  in  the  stead  of  the  laws  of  the  ancien  re- 
gime, orthe  mighty  modern  assistance  whichcould 
have  been  derived  from  the  Code  Napoleon  ! 

The  theory  of  education  is  British,  at  least 
so  far  as  that  name  can  be  given  to  mere  exter- 
nals ;  the  plans  of  public  schools,  mode  of  study, 
and  the  authors  used,  being  taken  from  English 


ENGLISH    BOOKS.  —  THEATRES,  &C.         365 

practice,  but  without  the  solidity  of  enquiry,  and 
variety  of  assistance  derived  both  from  writers 
and  professors,  which  characterise  our  present 
establishments. 

The  reading  of  Americans  (for  I  have  not 
seen  in  society  an  approach  to  what  can  be 
called  study)  is  English  ;  there  being  few  native 
writers,  and  but  a  small  number  of  these  who 
possess  the  respect  of  even  their  own  country- 
men. Our  novels  and  poetry,  not  excepting 
those  which  proceed  from  the  Minerva  press, 
meet  with  an  immediate  reprint,  and  constitute 
practically  the  entire  American  library. 

There  are  theatres,  either  stationary  or  occa- 
sional, in  most  towns  of  which  the  population 
is  two  thousand  and  upwards  j  yet  I  know  of 
but  one  native  play  (Bunker's  Hill)  :  the  per- 
formers too  are  English,  at  least  in  the  propor- 
tion to  Americans  of  eight  out  of  every  ten  ;  so 
that  the  stage  of  this  country  may  justly  be  de- 
nominated British.  Many  of  the  vulgar  sayings, 
and  still  more  vulgar  prejudices,  of  our  little 
island  are  transported  hither.  Frenchmen  and 
frogs,  Irishmen  and  bulls,  are  even  the  sub- 
jects of  Amerian  ridicule,  and  in  the  un contami- 
nated style  of  vulgar  Cockneyism.*  Another 

*  In  Washington,  on  last  St.  Patrick's  day,  according  to 
custom,  a  figure  was  stuffed  similar  to  our  Guy  Faux,  and 
called  Paddy;  he  was  placed  within  the  gate  of  the  Navy- 
yard,  with  pipes,  tobacco,  and  whiskey.  —  In  Philadelphia 


366  DISLIKE   OF    THE   ENGLISH. 

source  of  intimate  communication  with  England 
exists  in   the   articles  of  clothing,  and  nearly 
every  domestic  utensil,  being  also  the  manufac- 
ture of  our  island.     Yet   in  spite  of  all  these 
various  ties  of  connection  with   England,   and 
with  Englishmen,  they  appear  generally  to  re- 
gard both  with  jealousy  and  hatred.     Did  this 
dislike  proceed  from  correct  principles,  I  should 
think  it  honourable  to  their  national  character  ; 
for  we,  or  at  least  our  government,  have  cer- 
tainly left  no  means  untried  to  prevent  them,  in 
the  first  instance,   from   obtaining  the  natural 
rights  of  men,  and  —  when  that  was  found  to  be 
impossible,  then  to  blast  all  the  advantages  they 
had  gained,    and  crush  their  rising  prosperity. 
*      But  the  American  hatred  of  our  country  is  not 
bottomed  upon  causes  which  reason  would  have 
dictated  :    its  component  parts  cannot  be  deno- 
minated to  be  either  rational  or  reflective  —  it 
is,  in  source,  and  in  mode  of  expression,  an  exact 
parallel  to  that  of  our  most  uneducated  classes 
concerning  the  French  people,   who  always  dis- 
like Frenchmen,   and  the  only  reason  they  can 
give   for  such   feelings    is,     because   they   are 

a  gentleman  informed  me  that  there  were  numerous  Paddies 
exhibited  in  the  same  style ;  some  were  carried  by  boys, 
begging  to  "  remember  poor  Paddy."  This  offensive  practice 
was  carried  to  such  an  extent  in  New  York  a  few  years  back, 
that  serious  riots  were  produced  by  it.  There  is  now  a  law 
of  that  corporation  prohibiting  "  Paddies"  being  exhibited 
on  the  17th  of  March. 


IMITATION   OF   THE   ENGLISH.  367 

Frenchmen  —  and  because  the  newspapers  have 
said  Frenchmen  ought  to  be  hated. 

To'  copy  from  a  nation  like  England,  which  is 
so  pre-eminently  distinguished  by  knowledge,  as 
varied  as  it  is  profound,  can  reflect  disgrace  on 
no  country  ;  but  in  the  act  of  imitation  there 
should  be  judicious  selection,  and  not  an  indis- 
criminate application  of  institutions  and  prac- 
tices, which,  though  perhaps  suited  to  a  peculiar 
country,  and  a  very  mixed  state  of  society,  can- 
not be  expected  to  harmonise  with  the  wants  or 
the  character  of  another  people,  under  circum- 
stances and  in  civil  condition  essentially  different. 
The  Americans  seem  to  have  forgotten  this,  and, 
like  most  imitators,  very  peculiarly  excel  in  the 
defects  of  the  original.  This  conduct,  on  their 
part,  is  attended  with  serious  disadvantages  to 
themselves,  and  prevents  their  possession  of  a 
solid  base  upon  which  to  erect  a  purely  American 
superstructure.  At  present  their  mental  streams 
are  derived  from  two  sources,  (those  of  the  old 
and  of  the  new  world,)  of  opposite  qualities, 
either  of  which  used  separately,  or  by  a  limited 
and  judicious  admixture,  would  be  beneficial ; 
but  as  they  are  suffered  to  flow  on  to  the  point 
of  their  junction  without  interruption  or  purifi- 
cation, they  only  produce  muddy  and  infectious 
waters.  Converse  with  an  American  upon  the 
condition  of  the  world  at  large,  its  political 
situation  and  true  interests,  he  is  rarely  clear- 


368  IMITATION.  —  VANITY. 

headed ;  not  from  want  of  capacity,  but  the 
sources  of  his  knowledge  have  been  so  jumbled, 
and  his  information  in  general  is  so  ill-arranged, 
that  he  is  often,  in  the  same  breath,  an  advocate 
for  the  extremes  of  liberty  and  of  slavery.  The 
nation  at  large  dislike  England,  and  yet,  both  in- 
dividually and  collectively,  would  be  offended 
should  a  hint  be  expressed  that  they  were  of  Irish 
or  of  Dutch,  and  not  of  English,  descent.  They 
contend  for  the  superiority  of  their  genius  in 
taste,  mechanical  arts,  and  literature,  and  yet 
they  disregard  fashions  or  books  which  are  not 
imported  from  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding 
this  voluntary  national  dependence,  there  are, 
perhaps,  no  people,  not  even  excepting  the  French, 
who  are  so  vain  as  the  Americans ;  their  self-esti- 
mation, and  cool-headed  bombast,  when  speaking 
of  themselves  or  their  country,  are  quite  ludi- 
crous. An  anecdote  is  told  of  General  Moreau, 
who,  at  the  commencement  of  the  late  war  with 
England,  was  in  America  :  a  friend,  addres^ 
him,  observed  that  his  military  talents  would  be 
of  essential  service  to  the  Republic.  He  replied 
in  the  negative ;  adding,  that  there  was  not  a 
drummer  in  the  American  army  who  did  not 
think  himself  equal  to  General  Moreau.  Thisfact 
will  apply  to  all  occupations  with  an  equal  degree 
of  faithfulness.  Every  man  here  thinks  he  ha* 
arrived  at  the  acme  of  perfection  :  the  mechanic  - 
themselves  possess  the  same  feeling.  When 

'3* 


a 


,  NATIONAL    VANITY.  369 

Newark,,  I  was  informed  that  some  choice  designs 
in  chair-japanning  and  coach-plating  were  lately 
produced  by  two  emigrants  ;  the  natives  turned 
upon  their  heels,  "  Ay,  they  guessed  them  'ere 
"  were  fashions  they  had  left  off'.'*  Every  Ameri-  . 
can  considers  that  it  is  impossible  for  a  foreigner 
to  teach  him  any  thing,  and  that  his  head  contains 
a  perfect  encyclopaedia.  This  excessive  inflation 
of  mind  must  be  attended  with  many  disadvan- 
tages ;  thougli  when  I  look  at  the  various  causes 
which  have  combined  to  produce  it,  I  am  not 
much  surprised  at  its  existence.  Asa  people,  they 
feel  that  they  have  got  to  gain  a  character,  and, 
like  individuals  under  similar  circumstances,  are 
captious  and  conceited  in  proportion  to  their 
defects.  They  appear  to  aim  at  a  standard  of 
high  reputation,  without  the  laborious  task  of 
deserving  it,  and  practise  upon  themselves  the, 
self-deception  of  believing  that  they  really  are. 
that  which  they  only  wish  to  be.  This  feelirrg 
has  not  been  lessened  by  their  successes  in  the, 
late  contest  with  Great  Britain  ;  for,  although  in 
several  engagements  on  our  favourite  element, 
they  had  an  overwhelming  superiority,  yet  there 
were  instances  when  that  was  not  the  case ;  and 
the  defeat  of  English  frigates,  with  even  any 
disparity  of  force,  was  too  great  an  honour  to  be 
estimated  exactly  as  it  merited.  The  boasting, 
upon  this  subject  is  so  extravagant  that  it 
burlesques  the  object  of  its  .praise,  ."•  Aiperiea 

B  B 


370  v\\  \r    -i  TCESSES. 

"  is  now  the  ruler  of  the  waves ;"  and  every 
song  and  joke,  fact  and  falsehood,  that  we  have 
bestowed  upon  our  tars,  are  transferred  to  the 
"  Star-spangled  banner,  and  the  brave  sons  of 
"  Columbia,"  with  the  characteristic  fidelity  of 
a  national  intellect,  rendered  barren  from  want 
of  culture ;  and  even  on  such  an  occasion  has 
hardly  produced  an  attempt  at  originality.  * 

*  The  following  naval  songs  are  in  high  repute.  The 
servility  of  imitation  which  they  exhibit  (it  is  not  even  pre- 
tended that  they  are  parodies)  is  a  just  characteristic  of  not 
merely  American  song-making,  but  of  almost  every  pursuit 
in  this  country. 

SONG. 

"  TUNE  —  Battle  of  the  Nile. 
"  Arise  !  arise  !  Columbia's  sons  arise  ! 
"  And  shake  oft'  the  torpor  of  sloth  and  inactivity  ; 
"  And  while  the  loud  cannon  reverb'rates  to  the  skies. 
"  United  swear  to  perish  or  be  free !  — 
"  For  mark  where  her  Genius,  on  her  mountains  standing;. 
"  Cries  with  a  voice  impressive  and  commanding, 
"  When  heart  and  hand  unites 
"  To  guard  our  country's  rights, 

"  Then  death  or  independence  still  the  watch-word  shall  be. 
"  Huzza!  Huzza!  Huzza!  Huzza!  Huzza!  Boys! 
"  Rally  round  the  standard  which  Liberty  first 

"  planted  here  ; 

"  Huzza!  Huzza!  Huzza!  Huzza  .'Huzza!  Boy  ' 
"  Columbia's  sons  will  perish  or  live  free  !" 

SONG. 

"  TUNE  —  Pull  away,  yco  ho,  Boy*. 
'«  Yankee  sailors  have  a  knack, 
"  Haul  away  !  yeo  ho,  boys  ! 
"  Pulling  down  a  British  Jack, 

"  'Gainst  any  odds  you  know,  boy*. 


THE    LATE    WAR.  371 

My  knowledge  of  the  details  of  the  late  war 
was  extremely  limited  when  I  first  landed  in 
this  country.  A  short  residence  here,  however, 
will  force  upon  the  attention  of  all  persons  an 
acquaintance  with  naval  history.  Every  man, 
woman,  and  child  in  America  talk  about  the 
Guerriere,  the  Java,  the  Macedonia,  the  Frolic, 
Lake  Erie,  Lake  Champlain,  and  the  "  vast 
"  inferiority  of  British  sailors  and  soldiers  to 
"  the  true-blooded  Yankees."  A  non-inter- 
course  act  seems  to  have  passed  against  the 
sciences,  morals,  and  literature  in  American 
society ;  even  the  ladies  are  content  to  be  silent, 
or,  when  they  do  express  an  idea,  it  is  sure  to 
contain  the  refined  and  intellectual  names  of 
Commodore  Hull,  Captain  Laurence,  and  Ge- 
neral Jackson.  A  knowledge  of  such  events 
is  certainly  desirable ;  but  to  cause  them,  as 

V 

they  are  here,  to  be  the  never-ending  theme  of 
conversation,  the  circle  round  which  every  thing 
revolves,  is  to  make  the  going  into  society  a 
punishment  instead  of  a  pleasure.  This  ten- 
dency is  stated  to  have  been  finely  ridiculed  by 
Mr.  Jeffrey,  of  the  Edinburgh  Review,  who  visited 
this  country  soon  after  the  war.  To  a  question 


"  Come  three  to  one,  right  sure  am  I, 
"  If  we  can't  beat  them,  still  we'll  try, 
"  To  make  Columbia's  colours  fly, 
"  Haul  away !  yeo  ho,  boys  !" 
B  B    2 


372  NAVAL    AFFAIRS. 

said  to  have  been  put  to  him  by  Mr.  Madison, 
"  What  did  you  think  of  the  war,  Mr.  Jeffrey?" 
he  coolly  replied,  "  Upon  my  word,  Sir,  I  did 
"  not  hear  of  it." 

N.ival  affairs  being  so  frequently  the  subject 
of  remark,  I  took  some  trouble  to  investigate 
the  real  facts  relating  to  them  ;  and  found  that 
a  large  body  of  the  American  seamen  were 
British  subjects ;  and  that,  more  particularly, 
the  forces  of  their  vessels  almost  ensured 
success.  In  the  first  victory,  that  of  the 
"  Constitution"  over  the  "  Guerriere,"  Mr. 
James,  author  of  the  able  work  entitled, 
"  The  Naval  Occurrences  of  the  late  War," 
Mates  the  broad-side  metal  in  pounds  of  the 
American  was  768 ;  of  the  British,  517  •  the 
American  complement  of  men,  468  ;  of  British, 
263  :  of  size  in  tons  of  the  American,  1533  ;  of 
British,  1084.  In  the  affair  of  the  "  United 
States"  and  "  Constitution,"  which  defeated 
the  "  Macedonian"  and  "  Java,"  a  similar  dis- 
parity existed ;  and  in  the  Lake  Erie  fleet,  the 
American  amount  of  broad-side  metal  in  pounds 
was  9^8  ;  of  British,  459  :  the  size  in  tons,  1530; 
of  British,  865 :  in  complement  of  men,  580  ; 
of  British,  31-5.  These  are  matters  about  which 
I  should  have  known  little,  and  cared  less,  had 
they  not  been  in  American  society  the  eternal 
source  of  conversation,  to  the  exclusion  of  every 
subject  of  taste,  morals,  or  literature,  —  indeed 


LORDS   OF   THE    OCEAN.  373 

of  every  other,  except  the  praise  of  priests,  and 
the  price  of  cotton,  flour,  and  niggars. 

The  tyrannical  conduct  of  our  government 
in  naval  affairs,  their  system  of  impressment  and 
of  flogging,  and  the  absurd  and  insolent  claim 
of  the  right  of  search,  might  well,  particularly 
the  last,  have  exasperated  the  American  nation, 
and  more  especially  her  seamen ;  still  the 
Americans  are  deserving  of  great  honour  for 
what  they  really  achieved.  School-boys  in  the 
art  of  war,  they  were  yet  better  prepared  for  it, 
and  evinced  more  practical  dexterity,  than  our 
hoary-headed  practitioners.  But  with  this 
limited  degree  of  praise,  they  are  not  content ; 
they  are,  forsooth,  "  the  Lords  of  the  ocean !" 
"  Neptune's  choicest  sons !"  "  Victorious, 
"  though  the  English  had  great  superiority  of 
"  force!"  "  The  star-spangled  banner  is  the 
"  astonishment,  the  admiration,  and  the  glory 
"  of  the  world !"  —  with  volumes  more  of  such 
frothy,  senseless  bombast. 

Other  causes  of  their  great  national  pride  and 
vanity  suggest  themselves  to  the  mind.  One  >, 
may  consist  in  their  being  so  far  removed  from 
the  seat  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  that  their  ac- 
quirements are  not  tried  by  the  only  effectual 
standard — comparison.  They  are  left  in  undis- 
puted possession  of  the  belief,  that  infancy  is 
manhood  j  that  puerility  is  superiority  j  and  that 

B  B    3 


.\r.  OF    AMERICA. 

mediocrity  is  v  talent.    They  hau-  a  poli- 

i  it-piiMic  within  themselves;   but  they  ^end 
scarcely  one   iepre>entati\e   to  the  »e- 

puhlie    of   letters.        Kurnpean    \\i  O,    who 

have   never  actually   visited    Ameiiea,    taking 
their  ideas  of   the    inhabitants,    their   man: 
and  institir  -m  the  laws  aiul  polit  ;< 

stitiition  of  the  count  r\,   ha\  uitly   In  en 

profuse  in  their  eulogies.  Speculating  i-migr.. 
from   interested    in<>ti\c-,    ha\e   follout-il    in    the 
same  track.     American  MlUlOTS,  in  t1.  •  I  no 
ot'tl.  have  re-echoed  •  hile 

•ieians,  among  whom  I  regi  >ee  Mr. 

Munroe  occupying  a  prominent  par?.  ;old 

them  th  "  thf  !  :^htrnfa 

the  world  //"  Americans  would  be  more 
than  human,  were  they  not  injured  by  tins 
powerful  combination  aga  >nal  im- 

provement.     Man's  vanit;  nta  the 

most  tender;  and  then-  are  few,  I  believe,  willing 
to  ivjivt   flattery,   even   h  \    sourct 

any  ^  >  lar  nnii  cd  !>  t:n 

L'n 

out   the   Miiallest    «  .    no  «  n  , 

erer  made  by  tin  ihe  trut. 

the    -  >   immediati'ly    viewed 

as  a  foul    earnnmator,    or    guilty    o(    premedi- 
tatt  (i    falsehood   and    intentional    iriMilt  ;    an  : 
not  \inlikely  to  be  denominated  a   liiieiing,  in 
tlie  pay  of  some  foreign  go\ eminent.     Mioiild 


SOCIAL   INSUBORDINATION,  375 

this  tone  of  thinking  remain  unconnected,  it 
cannot  but  produce  the  most  pernicious  effects. 
By  such  a  course,  improvement  must  be  checked 
and  error  perpetuated.  The  vanity  of  this  peo- 
ple may  thus  be  gratified ;  but  they  must  be 
content  to  remain  children  in  knowledge  and 
improvement  of  every  kind,  and  submit  to 
be  rocked  for  ages  in  the  cradle  of  European 
intellect. 

There  are  additional  considerations  worthy  of 
our  attention  in  forming  a  correct  estimate  of 
the  American  people.  One  which  suggests 
itself  is,  the  want  of  social  subordination  which 
exists  among  them.  Servants  feel  themselves 
independent  of  their  employers,  and  children  of 
their  parents.  This  may  be  attended  with  some 
advantages ;  it  may  please,  when  contrasted  with 
the  degrading  slavery  of  the  European  world  j 
but  it  is  not  free  from  serious  and  peculiar  evils. 
It  increases  selfish  feelings  and  pursuits ;  it 
individualises  society  ;  and  prevents  a  develope- 
ment  of  those  sockd  qualities  which  are  of  im- 
portant benefit  to,  as  well  as  the  greatest  orna- 
ment of  our  nature.  EARLY  MARRIAGES  partly 
proceed  perhaps  from  this  state  of  things,  though 
the  great  source  of  their  frequency  is  certainly, 
in  conformity  with  a  well-known  theory  —  the 
ease  with  which  the  necessaries  of  life  can  be 
obtained.  Arguments  are  not  wanting  in  favour 
of  youthful  matrimonial  engagements ;  and, 

B  B  4 


THE    FEMALE    CHARACTER. 

without  considering  the  matter  in  an  individual 
point  of  view,  it  certainly  contributes  to  the 
more  rapid  advancement  of  a  country  re- 
quhing  population.  Yet,  strong  as  such  rea- 
sons may  be,  I  should,  if  morally  considered, 
hesitate  in  bearing  my  testimony  to  their  so- 
lidity. The  youth  of  twenty,  and  the  female 
of  fourteen,  are  ill  fitted  for  the  cares,  anxie- 
ties, and  education  of  a  family  —  neither  their 
bodily  nor  mental  strength  has  attained  ma- 
turity. Those  days  also  which  ought  to  be 
devoted  to  the  acquirement  of  solid  information, 
and  to  the  improving,  perhaps  it  may  be  said, 
to  the  creating  the  character,  are  necessarily 
devoted  to  other  objects.  The  cares  of  life, 
under  such  circumstances,  begin  to  press  upon 
individuals  who  have  not  previously  had  time  or 
opportunity  to  learn  its  dutu  >.  \o  provision  has 
been  made  for  the  support  of  a  rising  family — to 
////.v,  therefore,  every  other  object  will  generally 
be  sacrificed  :  by  these  means  a  sordid  and  calcu- 
lating spirit  is  \  red  —  the  more  generous 
feeling.-  of  our  nature  acquire  neither  strength 
nor  stability  ;  ami  every  mental  and  ennobling 
pursuit  is  abandoned  with  a  view  to  the  getting 
on  in  life. 

The  American  female  character  requires  our 
attention :  iu  mental  pursuits  it  would  appear 
to  be  at  present  but  little  advanced.  This  pro- 
ceeds, no  doiibt,  from  a  variety  of  causes ;  all 


STATESMAN.  377 

that  has  been  said  of  the  male  population,  by  a 
natural  re-action  affecting  the  female  also.  The 
demand,  too,  (if  I  may  be  excused  a  mercantile 
phrase  upon  such  a  subject,)  exceeding  the  sup. 
ply,  together  with  the  comparatively  less  value 
set  upon  domestic  comfort,  may,  perhaps,  have 
tended  to  produce  the  extreme  attention  to  mere 
personal  ornament,  and  the  universal  neglect  of 
either  mental  or  domestic  knowledge,  which  ap- 
pears to  exist  among  the  females  here,  as  com- 
pared with  those  of  England. 

The  reflections  generated  by  these  consider- 
ations are,  what  my  personal  observation  has 
confirmed  —  that  a  great  part  of  the  nation  are 
content  to  be  employed  in  procuring  the  first 
necessaries  of  life,  and  in  mere  animal  enjoy- 
ment. These  several  causes  may  have  assisted 
in  the  production  of  a  general  fact,  that  here 
all  knowledge,  beyond  that  of  immediate  pecu- 
niary interest,  is  superficial. 

The  statesman  of  America  has  heretofore  been 
altogether  of  a  different,  and,  perhaps,  a  superior 
race  to  those  of  Europe.  There  has  been  in  this 
country  nothing  of  the  regularly -trained  and 
family-born  great  man.  A  senator,  a  secretary  of 
state,  or  a  president,  is  commonly  a  lawyer,  who 
has  risen  by  his  talents  or  perseverance  ;  and,  in 
addition,  he  is  not  unfrequently  a  farmer :  and 
when  his  official  duties  have  terminated,  he  re- 
turns from  Washington  to  his  home,  and  re- 


SLAVERY. INDIANS. 

MIMICS  his  former  occupations.  From  this 
domestic  ami  sound  mode  of  conducting  the 
public  weal,  there  has  of  late  \ears  been  a  par- 
tial deviation.  Certain  families  have  edged 
themselves  into  government-offices,  and  have 
proved  to  be,  in  practice  at  least,  adherents 
of  the  doctrine  of  hcrciiitarif  ilescent  ;  yet  the 
general  features  ivnia.  -cribed  :  and,  how- 

ever discordant  the  fact  may  appear  with  the 
principle*  of  legitimacy,  I  believe  none  will  be 
found  hardy  enough  to  assert,  that  these  men 
display  any  want  of  the  knowledge  or  ability  re- 
quired by  their  station;  or  that  they  do  not 
play  their  parts  with  as  much  vigour,  effect, 
and  integrity,  as  if  they  had  been  the  descend- 
ants of  an  am  ient  and  titled  aristocracy.  * 

The  existence  of  slavery  in  the  United  States 
has  a  most  \isible  effect  upon  the  national 
character.  It  necessarily  brutalizes  the  minds 
of  the  southern  and  \u->tern  inhabitants  ;  it 
lowers,  indeed,  the  tone  of  humane  and  correct 

*  To  judge,  indeed,  by  the  amount  of  solaria,  there  must 
be  a  lamentable  deficiency  of  intellect  on  the  ji.iri  <>i'  tin- 
Republican  statesmen :  — 

The    President   of  the  United  States   receives  an   annual 
salary  of  only  56251.  and  this  is  found  to  procure  able  . 
whn  have  really  talent  and  mind  ai  their  OU-H  ditposal.     The 
Vice-President,  Secretary  of  State,  and  Chief  .Jr.etice,  each 
are  paid  11251.  per  annum;  other  Judges,  9001.;  tin. 
cretaries  of  the  Treasury,  War,  and  Navy  departments,  each 
9001.  per  annum  ;  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
16871.  10s. ;  ditto  of  Vermont,  1351.  ! ! 


LAWS. BANKRUPTS. 

feeling  throughout  the  Union  ;  and  impercepti- 
bly contributes  to  the  existence  of  that  great 
difference  which  here  exists  between  theory  and 
practice.  The  treatment  of  the  Indian  nations 
is  but  ill  calculated  to  excite  liberal  or  humane 
feelings  ;  for,  however  Mr.  Munroe  and  others 
may  attempt  to  philosophize  upon  the  benefits 
which  arise  from  uncivilized  man's  making  way 
before  a  more  "  dense  population"  the  admitted 
fact  is,  that  Americans  are  making  continued 
encroachments  upon  the  aboriginal  inhabitants, 
either  under  the  semblance  of  treaties,  or  by 
direct  warfare,  produced,  as  the  present  one  is 
said  to  have  been,  by  designed  aggressions,  and 
aggravating  insults  on  the  part  of  the  people  of 
the  United  States. 

The  diversity  of  laws  in  separate  States,  by  y 
which  acts  considered  as  a  crime  in  one  part 
are  not  punishable  in  another,  and  also  many 
confused  impressions  of  right  and  wrong,  gene- 
rate much  evil,  while  the  state  of  the  bankrupt 
laws,  and  an  immense  and  complicated  paper 
currency  *,  are  universal  and  increasing  evils  5 
each  of  these  having  opened  an  extensive  field 
to  the  calculations  of  avidity  and  the  specu- 

*  The  New  York  brokers  publish  a  weekly  list  of  the 
price  of  the  notes  of  all  parts  of  the  Union,  in  the  money- 
market  of  that  city.  There  are  notes  of  all  the  banks  to  be 
had  at  every  variety  of  price,  from  £  per  cent,  to  40  per  cent, 
discount, 


380  I'AUPEItS. 

lations  of  the  dishonest.  The  list  of  insolvencies 
in  the  State  from  which  I  now  write  is  enormous. 
Failure  in  trade,  SD  far  from  being  a  cause  of 
loss,  or  a  subject  of  shame,  is  generally  the 
means  of  securing  a  .fortune ;  and  so  callous 
upon  this  subject  has  the  public  mind  become, 
that  no  kind  of  disadvantage  or  disgrace  at- 
taches to  the  individual,  who  takes,  therefore. 

> 

little  pains  to  disguise  the  source  of  his  wealth. 

Although  f)uujh  riMn  has  not  arrived  at  Eng- 
lish maturity,  nor  docs  it  often  attract  the  pub- 
lic eye  (for  myself,  I  have  seen  but  three 
beggars,  one  of  whom  accosted  me  in  the  gal- 
lery of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  Wash- 
ington) ;  yet  it  does  exist,  and  that  to  an 
extent  which  I  had  not  imagined  until  the  pe- 
rusal of  Governor  Clinton's  most  able  address 
to  the  New  York  legislature.  He  there  re- 
marks —  "  Our  statutes  relating  to  the  poor  are 
"  borrowed  from  the  English  system.  And  the 
"  experience  of  that  country  as  well  as  our  own 
"  shows  that  pauperism  increases  with  the  aug- 
"  mentation  of  the  funds  applied  to  its  relief. 
"  This  evil  has  proceeded  to  such  an  alarming 
"  extent  in  the  city  of  New  York,  that  the 
"  burdens  of  heavy  taxation  which  it  has  im- 
"  posed,  menace  a  diminution  of  the  popula- 
"  tion  of  that  city,  and  a  depreciation  of  its  real 
"  property.  The  consequences  will  be  very 
"  injurious  to  the  whole  State ;  for  the  decay 


LOTTERIES.  381 

"  of  our  great  market  will  be  felt  in  every  de- 
"  partment  of  productive  labour.  Under  the 
"  present  system  the  fruits  of  industry  are  ap- 
"  propriated  to  the  wants  of  idleness ;  a  labo- 
"  rious  poor  man  is  taxed  for  the  support  of  an 
"  idle  beggar ;  and  the  voice  of  mendicity,  no 
«*  longer  considered  degrading,  infects  a  con- 
"  siderable  portion  of  our  population  in  large 
"  towns.  I  am  persuaded  that  the  sooner  a  ra- 
"  dical  reform  takes  place,  the  better.  The  evil 
"  is  contagious,  and  a  prompt  extirpation  can 
"  alone  prevent  its  pernicious  extension." 

To  pauperism  may  be  added  LOTTERIES,  which 
are  numerous  in  all  the  States  ;  and  in  many 
the  English  exploded  iniquity  of  insurance,  and 
"  little  goes,"  exist  in  full  operation. 

The  commerce  of  the  United  States  has  expe- 
rienced a  great  revival  since  1815.  During  the 
calamitous  period  of  war,  the  merchant-ships 
were  rotting,  and  their  owners  became  bank- 
rupt. The  following  statement,  the  amounts 
of  which  are  in  dollars,  copied  from  official  re- 
ports, presents  a  most  interesting  detail  of  the 
trade  of  America  at  this  time  :  — 

Exports  for  the  Year  ending  Sept.  30.  1817. 

The  domestic  products  or  manufactures  ex- 
ported, amounted  to  Dollars  68,313.500 

The  foreign  products  or  manufactures      -       19,  358,069 

Total     -     Dollars  87,671,569 


981 


The  export- 


:    .., 

To  the  northern  countries  of  Europe    3,828,5' 

Dominions  of  the  Netherlands    3,397,775     '-.' 

Ditto            of  (in  at  Britain 

41,1 

Ditto          of  Fran  i 

Ditto 

>0,156    3,89 

Ditto          of  Portugal      - 

.t7       33: 

All  other  dominions 

'.,198,2S3 

Dollar 

n  68,51  3,500  1' 

Tlie  exports  were, 

Dom-ttte. 

FoKif*.                    T<*4. 

From  New  Hampshire          1T*>.  *>!<<* 

<X^               I!'' 

"»>t                     913,201 

Massachusetts    -    5,908,416 

6,019^581      1  1 

le  Inland     - 

372^56 

.iiiTticut      -            .~7  i.  •_'••<  > 

29,849          60- 

New  York    -        I8]/0DO»T99 

5,046,700     18,70" 

New  Jeney     -              5349 

5,849 

Pennsylvania           5,538,003 

3,197.589      8,73 

Delaware                      38 

6,083            44354 

Xf..  ...!«_.!                            c   v.w~   wi 

xviaryiaDQ    -           >      .  •  ^r 

3,046,046       8,933,930 

»bia   1,689,102 

inia                   5^*-       ^ 

rth  Carolina 

'i9          956^8t 

South  Carolina        9,944,443 

4«,270     H 

Georgia                    8,530,831 

259383       8,7$K> 

>iana      - 

Michigan  Territory      64,228 

64,228 

ssiuippi  do.             43,887 

43>887 

Dollars  68,313,500 

1,956 

Of  thc-o  «  \jx>rt»  there  were  — 

1.  Derived  from  the  tea 

2.  from  the  forest 

3.  'i  agriculture 

4.  trom  manufactures 
I  lairt.u: 


«r^  1,«7 

57,1 

- 

734,000 


FINANCES.  383 

The  duties  collected  on  the  importation  of  articles, 
which  were  afterwards  re-exported,  without  being  en- 
titled to  drawback,  amounted  to  627,206  dollars  37  cents. 

Thcjlour  exported  from  October  1. 1816,  to  Sep- 
tember 30.  1817,  amounted  to        -       Dollars  17,751,376 
The  Sea  Island  Cotton  exported  within  the  same 

time  3,240,752 

Other  Cotton  exported,  amounted  to  19,386,8152 

Tobacco,  amounted  to       '  -  9,230,020 

Rice  2,378,880 

Fish  1,328,050 

Timber  and  Lumber,  of  all  descriptions  3,381,349 

Pot  and  Pearl  Ashes  1,967,243 

These  form  the  principal  exports  of  domestic  pro- 
duct: the  iron,  in  all  shapes,  exported,  amounted  to 
138,579  dollars.  Amongst  the  most  curious  exports 
may  be  ranked  maple  sugar,  which  amounted  to  4,374 
dollars.  The  gunpowder  exported,  amounted  to 
356,522  dollars. 

Although  this  does  not  equal  in  amount  the 
business  done  previous  to  the  issuing  of  the 
English  Orders  in  Council,  it  is  still  very  large 
in  extent ;  and  the  articles  of  export  being  all 
bulky,  they  operate  as  an  important  nursery  for 
seamen.  * 

The  FINANCES  of  the  United  States  are  de- 
rived from  sale  of  lands,  and  duties  on  imports. 

*  Among  the  articles  of  import  to  the  ports  of  New  York, 
Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore,  it  is  a  curious  fact,  that  English 
coal,  cheese,  potatoes,  and  porter  are  frequent :  in  the  more 
southern  States,  including  even  New  Orleans  (the  depot  for 
western  country  produce),  Irish  provisions,  and  English 
cheese  and  hams  are  imported ! 


384-  LIBERTY    OF    THE    PRESS. 

The  latter,  in  an  especial  degree,  are  found  verv 
productive.  Still  this  is  in  fact,  though  it  may 
not  be  in  name,  internal  taxation.  It  may  be 
well  to  remember,  that  one-half*  of  the  amount 
collected  is  upon  British  goods,  most  of  which 
are  articles,  not  of  luxury,  but  of  necessity ;  so 
tliat  the  population  of  America  perform  the 
double  duty  of  defraying  their  own  taxes,  and 
contributing  towards  the  payment  of  ours. 

The  Liberty  of  the  Press  exists  here  to  an 
almost  unlimited  extent:  and  yet  it  is  not  used 
as  an  organ  for  putting  the  people  in  possession 
of  even  domestic  information.  The  newspapers 
are  miserably  edited,  .seldom  containing  any 
thing  but  advertisements,  shipping  intelligence, 
and  English  extracts.  The  proceedings  of  Con- 
gress are  not  systematically  reported.  Some- 
times the  substance  of  a  debate  will  be  given 
three  weeks  after  its  occurrence.  The  business 
of  the  State-legislatures  rarely  appears  at  all 
in  the  public  journals,  except  in  the  shape  of 
bare  lists  of  bills  passed  or  rejected.  The 
transactions  in  courts  of  law,  and  all  minor  home 
proceedings,  rarely  appeal'  upon  record.  These 
sins  of  omission  are  certainly  to  be  lamented,  as, 
by  their  existence,  an  interest  fails  to  be  ex- 
cited in  the  public  mind  on  those  occurrences, 
and  those  subjects,  which  are,  unquestionably, 
of  first-rate  importance.  During  the  late  war,  it 
is  stated,  a  military  scheme,  modelled  :ipon  the 


GOVERNMENT.  —  MECHANIC    AIITS. 

French  law  of  conscription  was  in  the  contem- 
plation of  the  then  Secretary,  but  now  President, 
Munroe  ;  the  chief  of  the  naval  department  also 
recommended  to  Congress,  a  plan  for  the  im- 
pressment of  seamen,  to  man  their  infant  navy  ; 
but  such  is  the  habitual  indolence  of  the  people, 
and  their  indifference  with  regard  to  public 
affairs,  that  these  events  are  known  but  by  few 
individuals. 

The  Government,  it  will  be  seen,  are  not  free 
from  charges  of  maladministration  but  when 
compared  with  England,  America  can  afford  an 
annual  increase  of  corruption  for,  at  least,  y 
few  centuries  to  come ;  and  although  the 
people  are  unworthy  of,  and  not  alive  to  their 
unequalled  advantages,  they  still  are  their  owt 
governors,  and  they  are  vain  of  the  distinction. 
This  one  fact,  assisted  by  the  jealousy  of  rival 
parties,  must  preserve  the  United  States  for 
many  years,  from  any  lengthened  series  of  ob- 
noxious measures,  and  protect  the  people  from, 
gross  inroads  upon  their  liberties  or  their  con- 
stitution. 

The  state  of  mechanic  arts  varies,  of  course, 
according  to  the  profession.  Those  which  have 
been  encouraged  by  not  being  exposed  to  Eu- 
ropean competition,  and  which  have  had  the  com- 
bined benefit  of  emigrant  and  native  ingenuity 
have  excelled.  Among  these  I  would  class 
shoe,  coach,  and  cabinet-making,  together  with 


LITER  ATUUE. 

steam-boat  and  ship-building :  I  was  going  to 
say  bank-note  engraving,  but  that  would  not, 
perhaps,  be  correct  as  a  general  statement  of 
the  art  in  America,  though  the  house  of  Murray, 
Draper,  and  Fairman,  of  Philadelphia,  probably 
surpass  in  the  excellence  of  their  art  any 
others  in  the  world :  their  notes,  executed  for 
the  United  States'  Bank,  exhibit  such  eminent 
talent,  that  forgery  may  safely  be  said  to  be  im- 
possible. Why  does  not  your  Bank  of  England 
employ  this  house?  or,  if  that  would  be  too  hu- 
miliating to  their  pride,  why  not  engage  a  first- 
rate  English  Artist,  instead  of  issuing  premiums 
upon  forgery,  in  their  disgracefully  executed 
national  notes?  Piano-forte  making  may  be  si- 
milarly classed :  generally,  it  has  not  arrived  at 
much  perfection,  although  an  individual,  (Mr. 
Stuart,  an  English  gentleman,)  who  lives  at  Bal- 
timore, manufactures  pianos  which  I  should 
have  little  fear  of  comparing  with  those  of  Cle- 
menti  or  Broadwood. 

Of  the  LITERATURE  of  the  United  States  I  can 
.iity  but  little.  Having  examined  booksellers' 
collections,  private  and  public  libraries,  I  find 
that,  like  dry  goods  stores,  their  stock  consists 
only  of  British  manufactures.  Three  American 
works  have  lately  appeared :  the  first,  a  novel, 
called  "  Keep  Cool,"  i  have  met  with  in  most  of 
the  western  and  southern  States.  Upon  its  merits 
I  cannot  pretend  to  give  an  opinion.  I  took  it 


NEW    WORKS.  387 

up  several  times,  with  a  previous  resolution  to 
read  at  least  six  pages,  but  at  no  one  time  could 
I  force  myself  through  a  third.  With  Mr.  Wirt's 
"  Life  of  Patrick  Henry"  I  have  been  much 
interested :  it  evinces  a  mind  familiar  with  polite 
literature  ;  and  if  the  title  were  altered  from  the 
"  Life  of  Patrick  Henry,"  to  that  of  "  Sundry 
"  Essays,  designed  to  prove  the  elegance  of  the 
"  English  Language,  the  extent  of  the  author's 
"  powers  of  imagination  and  talent  of  descrip- 
**  tion,  with  occasional  hints  concerning  the  Life 
"  of  Patrick  Henry,*'  it  would  be  more  descrip- 
tive of  the  book :  for  any  reader  who  takes  up 
this  work  with  the  design  of  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  late  Virginian  patriot,  will  find  fre- 
quent disappointment,  on  the  introduction  of 
each  incident  of  Mr.  Henry's  life,  by  the  extra- 
vagant bombast  of  the  biographer.  The  work, 
in  short,  though  bearing  evidence  of  consider- 
able talent,  evinces,  from  the  commencement 
to  the  termination,  a  disregard  of  the  requisites 
for  the  task  which  is  undertaken,  and  this  by 
allotting  to  Patrick  Henry  a  station  in  the  drama 
inferior  to  that  of  the  author,  Mr.  Wirt. 

Mr.  Bristed's  "  Resources  of  the  United 
"  States,"  has  just  been  published.  The  au- 
thor, I  am  informed,  is  an  Englishman  by  birth. 
His  work  evinces  that  he  is  an  American  Fede- 
ralist by  adoption.  It  contains  many  important 
statements,  and  the  usual  political  admixture 
c  c  2 


388  MR,  BRISTED'S  POLITIC**. 

which  distinguishes  the  American  writers  (par- 
ticnlarly  those  of  this  gentleman's  party)  upon 
Government.  The  following  maxims  are  laid 
down,  in  connection  witk  the  broadest  principles 
of  liberty,  the  whole  presenting  a  code  of  poli- 
tical economy  for  which  it  is  difficult  to  invent 
a  name.  "  It  is  the  duty  of  every  FREE  Govern - 
"  ment  to  train  its  people  gradually  to  bear 
"  a  due  weight  of  internal  taxation."  —  "  It  is 
"  worse  than  childish,  it  is  insane  policy"  (a 
compliment  to  the  President)  "  to  trust  for  the 
"  public  revenue  to  the  duties  upon  imported 
"  goods."  —  "  The  reduction  of  the  direct  tax 
"  from  six  to  three  millions  of  dollars,  and  the 
•'  limitation  of  those  three  millions  to  only  one 
*'  year,  are  fearful  omens  of  the  entire  extinction 
"  of  that  tax  /"  —  "  The  liberties  of  Britain  are 
"  not  about  to  expire  under  the  pressure  of  her 
"  military,  or  the  encroachments  of  her  govern- 
"  ment.  If  they  are  to  perish,  they  will  peristi 
"  under  the  daggers  of  her  Democracy.  If  she 
"  is  to  be  blotted  out  of  the  list  of  independent 
"  and  powerful  nations,  it  will  be  by  the  parri- 
"  cidical  hand  of  her  own  rabble,  led  on  to  their 
"  own  and  their  country's  ruin,  by  anarchical  re- 
•'  formers,  alike  bankrupt  in  fortune,  reputation, 
«'  character,  and  principle  !"  -  Yet,  it  is  said,  "  te 
*'  crown  all,  the  POLITICAL  SOVEREIGNTY  of  the 
"  nation  residing  in  the  people  gives  the  American 
"  people  an  elevation  unknottm  and  unattainable  in 


ENGLISH  REFORMERS.  —  SALMAGUNDI.      389 

^  any  other  country." — "  Liberty  has  struck  deep 
•"  root  in  this  country.  It  is  entwined  with  the 
*'  iirst  affections  of  the  heart :  it  is  spun  into 
"  the  primitive  staple  of  the  mental  frame  of 
"  the  Americans*  It  thoroughly  pervades,  and 
"  perceptively  modifies  even  their  domestic  life* 
"  It  has,  in  fine,  become  the  common  reason, 
cc  and  the  want  of  the  whole  American  people." 
—  "  The  prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  Ame- 
cf  rican  citizens  seem  too  great  a  price  to  pay 
"  tor  the  privilege  of  manufacturing  a  few  yards 
£C  of  broad  cloth,  or  a  few  pieces  of  muslin. 
"  England  herself  is  a  portentous  illustration  of 
"  this  truth ;  now  at  this  time,  and  for  the  last 
*'  five  and  twenty  years,  her  manufacturing  dis- 
"  tricts  have  sent  forth,  and  are  issuing  out,  full 
"  bands  of  Luddites  and  Spenceans,  and  Jaco- 
**-  bins  and  anarchists,  and  rebels  and  assassins, 
**  that  continually  put  to  the  strength,  and 
*'  strain  the  nerves  of  her  Government."  — 
I  send  these  extracts  for  the  purpose  of  present- 
ing you  at  one  view  the  mind  of  the  whole 
Federal  party,  and  indeed  that  of  the  entire 
American  people,  concerning  English  reformers 
and  United  States'  liberty. 

Salmagundi  *,  a  work  written  after  the  man- 

*  Of  this  work  I  perceive  an  English  edition  has  been  pub- 
lished,  with  notes  and  a  preface  by  the  editor,  illustrative 
of  the  character  of  the  Americans  ;  but  upon  the  merits  of 
those,  not  haying  read  them,  I  can  give  no  opinion, 
c  c  3 


o[)0  FUTURE    IMPROVEMENT. 

ner  of  the  Citizen  of  the  World,  is  a  most 
able  native  production :  for  amusement,  wit, 
talent,  and  satire  I  should  conceive  it  can  have 
few  equals.  Mr.  Erving,  the  present  ambas- 
sador at  the  court  of  Madrid,  is  said  to  be  one 
of  the  authors.  Mr.  Quincy  Adams  has  pub- 
lished Lectures  delivered  at  Cambridge  College,  in 
tv.  o  volumes.  You  have,  I  believe,  Joel  Bar- 
low's national  epic,  "  The  Colnmbiad"  There 
are  several  other  American  works  ;  but,  upon 
the  whole,  the  tuitive  library  is  exJivmely  cir- 
cumscribed. 

In  the  Fine  .//As  much  advancement  has  not 
been  made.  Individuals  have  excelled,  as  in 
the  cases  of  Mr.  Alston  and  Mr.  West,  both 
natives  of  America.  The  proofs  of  their  talent, 
but  particularly  those  of  the  latter,  must  descend 
to  future  ages.  Still,  the  mind  of  the  American 
nation  is  scarcely  alive  to  an  enjoyment  of  the 
more  noble  productions  of  art,  or  the  higher 
walks  of  mental  cultivation. 

I  have  thus  endeavoured  to  lay  before  you  a 
true  representation  of  the  American  character, 
with  the  sources  from  which  it  may  have  been 
formed,  and  the  causes  which  have  conduced 
to  .its  production.  Although  I  believe  it  must 
improve,  yet  I  am  by  no  means  sanguine  in  my 
anticipations  that  improvement  will  be  imme- 
diate, or  even  rapid  in  its  progress.  Many  of 
the  causes,  external  and  internal,  which  have 


MR.  BJKRBECK'S  "  NOTES."  39 1 

already  operated,  will  continue  to  exist;  and,  as 
I  have  before  said,  there  would  appear  to  be 
placed  in  the  very  stamina  of  the  character  of  this 
people,  a  coldness,  a  selfishness,  and  a  spirit  o* 
conceit,  which  form  strong  barriers  against  im- 
provement. Let  us,  however,  still  hope  for  the 
best.  In  opposition  to  these  obstacles,  there  are 
strong  and  living  truths  abroad.  The  princi- 
ples at  least  of  liberty  are  acknowledged*  and 
the  fact  of  a  free  government  exists  as  an  ex- 
ample to  the  world.  As  rational  men,  these 
things  are  worthy  of  our  respect;  and,  in  the 
hand  of  Heaven,  we  may  be  assured  that  all  the 
rest,  however  dark  and  unintelligible  to 'us  it 
may  appear,  will  still  finally  and  effectually 
"  work  together  for  good." 

27th  April,  1818.  —  A  packet  of  your  letters 
is  just  arrived,  bearing  date  March  3d.  You  can 
scarcely  conceive,  my  dear  friends,  the  delight 
which  their  perusal  has  afforded  me.  I  could  fain 
have  launched  out  into  praises  of  the  inventor  of 
writing  and  the  establishment  of  post-offices  :  but 
these  are  stale  topics.  Your  statement  of  the 
non-arrival  of  my  Philadelphia  and  Illinois  Re- 
ports give  me  some  uneasiness,  though  I  can 
have  little  doubt  but  that  they  are  now  in  your 
possession  ;  as  I  perceive,  by  the  recent  ship  news, 
that  the  vessels  which  conveyed  them  had  ar- 
rived in  England.  You  state  that  Mr.  Birkbeck 
has  published  a  book  in  London,  "  Notes  on  a 
c  c  4 


MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  NOTES.** 

"  Journey  to  Illinos,"  and  that  it  has  produced 
an  extraordinary  sensation.  This  intelligence 
does  not  at  all  surprise  me,  and  my  ideas,  upon 
the  perusal  of  that  work,  as  published  in  this 
country,  were,  that  in  several  of  its  occasional  ad- 
missions it  confirms  my  sentiments.  I  have  this 
day  re-read  it  with  minute  attention,  and  feel  sa 
confirmed  in  my  first  impressions,  that  I  expe- 
rience an  increased  dependence  upon  my  views 
of  this  nation,  from  having  the  support  of 
Mr.  Birkbeck's  high  authority. 

As  Captain will  not  sail  until  the  29th, 

I  have  nearly  two  days  of  leisure,  and  I  do 
not  know  that  they  can  be  better  occupied 
than  in  making  some  remarks  upon  Mr.  Birk- 
beck's "  Notes,"  which  may  tend  to  illustrate 
at  once  that  gentleman's  views  of  America  and 
my  own.  My  references  are  to  the  American 
edition :  this  will  occasion  you  some  trouble, 
but  that,  under  my  present  circumstances,  I 
cannot  prevent. 

Mr.  Birkbeck's  entrance  into  this  republic 
was  not,  witli  regard  to  local  circumstances, 
quite  so  favourable  as  mine.  The  State  in  which 
he  landed  is  one  of  the  TWELVE  in  which  absolute 
slavery  exists,  whilst,  on  the  contrary,  in  that 
I  first  visited,  actual  slavery  had  been  abolished 
by  law,  and  it  only  continues  to  linger  among 
the  practical  institutions  of  the  people. 

Mr.  B.  says,  (at  page  22.)  "  L  could  hardly 


VIRGINIAN    PLANTERS,  SQ3 

tf  bear  to  see  negroes  handled  like  cattle ;  in 
*«  selling  these  unhappy  beings,  little  regard  is 
"  had  to  the  parting  of  the  nearest  relations." 

While  waiting  at  a  tavern,  Mr.  B.  is  fur- 
nished with  evidence  of  the  intellectual  cha- 
racter of  the  Virginians,  of  which,  by  the  way, 
I  cannot  but  think  his  estimation  is  far  beyond 
their  deserts :  — 

"  As  it  rained  heavily,  every  body  was  con- 
"  fined  the  whole  day  to  the  tavern,  after  the 
"  race  which  took  place  in  the  forenoon.  The 
**  conversation  which  this  afforded  me  an  oppor- 
"  tunity  of  hearing,  gave  me  a  high  opinion 
"  of  the  intellectual  cultivation  of  these  Vir- 
**  ginian  farmers.'*  (Page  l(j.) 

I  have  frequently  partaken  in  the  conversa- 
tion of  the  same  class  of  individuals,  and  in  no 
instance  could  I  conscientiously  draw  the  same 
conclusion  with  Mr.  Birkbeck.  Mr.  B.  however, 
in  the  succeeding  paragraph,  furnishes  his 
readers  with  the  evidence  upon  which  his 
judgment  is  formed. 

"  Negro  slavery  was  the  prevailing  topic, 
"  the  beginning,  the  middle,  and  the  end,  —  an 
"  evil  uppermost  in  every  man's  thoughts,  which 
lg  all  deplored,  many  were  anxious  to  fly  from, 
"  but  for  which  no  man  can  devise  a  remedy. 
•*  One  gentleman,  in  a  poor  state  of  health, 
"  dared  not  encounter  the  rain,  but  was  wretch- 
"  ed  at  the  thought  of  his  family  being  for  one 


oil!  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  NOTES." 

"  night  without  his  protection  from  7//.v  ou>? 
"  -slaves."  (Page  17.) 

Yet  at  the  same  time  it  is  said,  "  Virginia 
"  prides  itself  on  the  comparative  mildness  of 
"  its  treatment  of  slaves!"  (Page  22.) 

Mr.  Birkbeck's  gratitude  for  the  liberal  re- 
ception which  he  experienced  from  "  the  high- 
"  spirited  independence  of  the  Virginians," 
must  surely  have  biassed  his  judgment,  when  he 
concluded,  "  that  slavery  was  an  evil  uppermost 
"  in  every  man's  thoughts,  and  irhic/i  all  de- 
"  plored"  That  indeed  many  feel  they  cannot 
defend  this  system  by  a  reference  to  abstract 
principles,  or  the  rights  of  man ;  that  they 
dread  the  terrible  though  rarely  inflicted  ven- 
geance of  their  victims,  is  probable  enough  ;  and 
that  when  they  are  engaged  in  argument  with 
an  able  and  enlightened  opponent,  and  cannot 
defend  the  strange  inconsistency  existing  be- 
tween their  professed  love  of  political  freedom 
•  and  their  actual  domestic  tyranny  j  that  they 
should  then,  I  say,  and  under  such  circum- 
stances, deplore  the  evils  of  slavery,  is  natural 
enough  ;  but  that  they  are  sincere  advocates  for 
its  abolition,  or  even  for  a  mitigation  of  its  hor- 
rors, is  what  I  have  not  seen  the  shadow  of  an 
evidence  to  induce  me  to  believe  j  neither  could 
I  have  supposed  that  Mr.  Birkbeck  would  have 
been  so  unphilosophical  as  to  conclude,  that  the 
mere  assent  to  an  abstract  proposition  when  the 


THANKSGIVING,  AND  NEGROES  ON  SALE.      395 

mind  is  not  at  the  moment  interested  in  its 
denial,  is  to  be  fairly  taken  as  a  just  criterion, 
by  which  to  judge  of  the  true  feelings  and  cha- 
racter of  a  people.  Let  them  be  judged  by  their 
actions ;  —  it  is  these  only  that  speak  the  man. 

Mr.  Birkbeck  says,  "  A  Virginian  planter  is 
"  a  republican  in  politics,  and  exhibits  the  high- 
"  spirited  independence  of  that  character." 
(Page  16.) 

Feeling  a  sincere  respect  for  a  character  really 
deserving  of  this  high  commendation,  I  cannot 
willingly  award  it  to  slave-holders.  The  fol- 
lowing advertisements  I  take  from  a  newspaper, 
as  affording  some  evidence  upon  the  consistency 
of  the  "  Virginian  character :"  they  were  printed 
as  they  stand,  adjoining  each  t>ther.  They 
speak  a  language  too  plain  to  require  comment ; 
I  therefore  leave  them  to  their  naked  merit. 

"  The  Synod  of  Virginia  having,  at  their  last  meeting,  ap- 
pointed the  first  Thursday  in  December  to  be  observed,  by 
all  the  churches  under  their  care,  as  a  day  of  Thanksgiving 
to  God  for  the  bounties  of  his  providence  and  the  blessings 
of  his  grace,  to  be  accompanied  with  humble  supplicatior. 
for  the  continuance  of  the  former  and  the  increase  of  the 
latter ;  I  propose,  in  cheerful  compliance  with  the  resolu- 
tion of  Synod,  to  preach  on  the  occasion  to-morrow  at 
eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  in  the  new  methodist 
church  on  Shockhoe-Hill;  leave  having  been  given. 

"  JOHN  D.  BLAIR." 

"  NEGROES  AT  AUCTION. 

"  This  morning,  in  front  of  our  office,  at  11  o'clock, 
*'  will  be  sold  for  cash,  4-  Likely  Negroes. 

<«  J.  BHOWN,  JR.  and  W.  FJNNEY,  Auctioneers. 


396  MR.  BIKKBECK'S  " 

Mr.  Birkbeck's  departure  from  this  State  is  in 
a  tone  of  liberal  feeling.  He  observes  (page  30.) 
"  On  taking  leave  of  Virginia,  1  must  observe 
"  that  1  found  more  misery  in  the  condition  ot 
"  the  negroes  and  a  much  liigher  tone  oj^  moral 
"feeling  in  their  owners  than  1  had  anticipated, 
"  and  I  depart  confirmed  in  my  detestation  of 
"  slavery  in  principle  and  practice,  but  with 
"  esteem  for  the  general  character  of  the  Vvr- 
•*  ginians!  f" 

The  precise  nature  of  Mr.  Birkbeck's  expect- 
ations as  to  the  "  tone  of  moral  feeling"  which  he 
should  find  existing  among  the  Virginian  planters, 
it  is  scarcely  perhaps  possible  to  ascertain,  or, 
consequently,  to  canvass.  I  can  only  hope 
that  the  use  of  such  an  expression  at  all  may 
not,  however  unintentionally,  have  the  effect 
of  misleading ;  for  I  must  own  I  can  have 
no  conception  of  the  existence  of  a  "  tone  of 
"  moral  feeling"  among  men  who  falsify,  and 
that  not  by  occasional  misdeeds,  but  by  the  whole 
tenor  of  their  conduct,  and  every  habit  of  their 
character,  even  the  possibility  of  its  existence. 
Indeed  I  would  put  it  to  any  advocate  of 
liberal  and  of  enlightened  political  principles, 
how  far  it  is  really  possible  for  us,  on  cool 
reflection,  to  entertain  "  esteem  for  the  general 
"  character  of  the  Virginians,"  or  whether  it 
be  possible  to  respect  men  who  profess  the  most 
enlightened  opinions,  and  yet  are,  in  Mr.  Birk- 


HABITS    OF    LABOURERS.  397 

beck's  language,  "  slave-masters,  irascible,  and 
"  too  often  lax  in  morals  !"  and  of  whom  "  a  dirk 
"  is  said  to  be  the  common  appendage  to  their 
"  dress." 

THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  AMERICANS  generally 
is  a  subject  of  great  interest  to  all  who  contem- 
plate becoming  their  fellow-citizens.  Mr.  Birk- 
beck  is  diffuse  upon  this  subject ;  he  remarks 
Cp.  40.)  "  that  in  every  department  of  com- 
"  mon  life  we  here  see  employed  persons  supe- 
"  rior  in  habits  and  education  to  the  same  class 
"  in  England ;"  and  further  (page  72.),  the 
"  inhabitants  are  friendly  and  homely,  not  to 
"  say  coarse,  but  well-informed ;  surprisingly 
"  more  so  than  the  English  peasantry;"  and 
that,  during  his  journey  from  Norfolk  to  the 
heart  of  the  Allegany  mountains,  "  he  had  not 
"  lost  sight  for  a  moment  of  the  manners  of 
"  polished  life."  (Page  40.)  These  are  certainly 
captivating  descriptions,  and  such  as  I  had  anti- 
cipated, before  I  left  England,  to  be  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Americans.  Some  explanation,  how- 
ever, I  conceive  to  be  necessary :  the  difference 
between  American  character  and  society  and 
those  of  England  is  so  great,  that  I  almost 
despair  of  conveying  to  your  minds  a  faithful 
impression  on  the  subject.  The  agricultural 
labourer  here  is  certainly  better  educated  than 
one  of  the  same  class  in  England;  he  is  not 
born  nor  does  he  continue  to  vegetate  on  the 

14 


398  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  NOTES." 

spot  which  gave  birth  to  his  father  and  grand- 
father ;    he   not   only   frequently   changes    his 
station,  but  also  his  occupation  ;  this  necessarily 
communicates  a  range  of  ideas  more  extensive 
than  that  possessed  by  the    English  labourer ; 
but  when  the  whole  character  is  looked  at,  and 
not   the  mere  freedom  from  rusticity  of  man- 
ners, and  an  extension  of  geographical  know- 
ledge,   a   different   conclusion  would,    perhaps, 
present  itself;  and  1  much  doubt,  could  I  now 
converse  with  Mr.  Birkbeck,   with  his   present 
improved  knowledge  of  the   American  people, 
whether  he  would  at  this  moment  award  to  them 
the  meed  of  superiority  of  character,  more  espe- 
cially in  connection  with  their  "  habits,"  —  and 
with  regard  to  the  "  manners  of  polished  life," 
and  their  being  carried  "  even  to  the  heart  of  the 
"  Alkgany  mountains"  —  I  am  surprised  at  the 
assertion  ;  but  wishing  to  speak  with  proper  de- 
ference of  Mr.  Birkbeck,  and  in  looking  back  to 
what  I  myself  saw  of  the  inhabitants  of  those 
mountains,  I  really  cannot  see  how  we  can  talk 
of  the  "  manners  of  polished  life"  in  a  track  of 
country  which  presents  an  absence  of  all  regard  to 
manners,.together  with  an  absolute  indifference  to 
every  person,  and  a  cold  disregard  of  all  objects 
except  as  they  may  promote  the  merely  mercen- 
ary and  selfish  pursuits  of  each  individual.     In- 
deed, without  calling  upon  you  to  trust  to  my  im- 
pressions, I  can  scarcely  see  how  the  existence  of 


MANNERS, — KNOWLEDGE.  399 

these  "  manners  of  polished  life"  is  reconcileable 
with  what  Mr.  Birkbeck  himself  acknowledges, 
— and  that  unwillingly  too;  but  that  feeling  by 
no  means  weakens  the  force  of  his  testimony  on 
the  subject ;  he  says  then,  "  that  he  has  seen  a 
"  deformity  so  general,  that  he  cannot  help  esteem" 
"  ing  it  national,"  which  is,  "  that  cleanliness  in 
"  houses,  and  too  often  in  person,  is  neglected 
"  to  a  degree  which  is  very  revolting  to  an  Eng- 
"  lishman."  In  comparing  the  two  countries,  and 
previous  to  awarding  the  palm  of  excellence  in 
morals  and  manners  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
New  World,  let  us  remember   also  the  strong 
but  too  well  founded  assertion  of  Mr.  Birkbeck 
(page  105.),  that  <c  intellectual  culture  has  not 
"  yet  made  much  progress  among  the  generality 
"  of  either  sex  ;"  and  more  than  this,  and  worse 
than  this,  that  "  ALL  AMERICA  is  now  suffering 
"  in  morals  through  the  baleful  influence  of  negro 
*l  slavery,  partially  tolerated,  corrupting  justice 
"  at  the  very  source"  (page  25.) ;  and  if,  turn- 
ing from  general  representations,  we  look  to  the 
more  newly  settled  part  of  the  country,  we  shall 
find  Mr.  B.  declaring  that  "  an  unsettled  coun- 
"  try,  lying  contiguous  to  one  that  is  settled,'* 
(which  must  be  more  or  less  the  case  with  most 
parts  of  the  western  country,  and  in  an  especial 
degree  with  Illinois,)   "  is  always  the  place  of 
"  retreat  for  rude  and  even  abandoned  charac- 
"  ters,  who  find  the  regulations  of  society  in- 
"  tolerable."  (Page  109.) 


40O  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  NOTES.'* 

If  it  be  therefore  from  Mr.  Birkbeck's  work 
that  you  would  form  your  estimate  of  this  coun- 
try, you  ought  to  do  so,  not  by  individual  parts, 
but  by  a  candid  consideration  of  the  whole  ;  and 
should  inconsistencies  appear,  to  which,  from 
various  causes,  any  writer  on  a  new  country  may 
be  exposed,  then  of  course  you  will  take  into 
your  consideration  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  and  form  your  judgment  accordingly.  The 
fact,  with  regard  to  the  state  of  knowledge  in 
this  country,  to  me  appears  to  be,  that  men  are, 
in  point  of  information,  almost  upon  a  dead 
level ;  that  gradation  of  intellect  which  exists  in 
England  being  here  unknown ;  so  that,  in  con- 
ceding the  point  of  greater  intelligence  to  the 
American  labourer,  it  by  no  means  implies  a  ge- 
neral superiority.  Let  us  go  a  little  higher  in  the 
scale  of  society  than  our  "  hewers  of  wood  and 
"  drawers  of  water ;"  suppose,  for  an  illustration, 
we  take  the  English  country  gentleman  in  the 
person  of  Mr.  Birkbeck,  and  compare  him  with 
the  American  land-owner,  then  indeed  the  con- 
trast becomes  striking.  His  agricultural  pursuits 
will  doubtless  be  conducted  with  vigour  and  ac- 
tivity, and  with  that  application  of  scientific 
knowledge  to  practical  pursuits,  so  common  in 
the  country  he  has  quitted ;  while  literature, 
experimental  philosophy,  or  other  departments 
of  mental  culture,  will  occupy  his  leisure  hours. 
On  the  other  hand,  to  use  his  own  language, 


NATIONAL  ANTIPATHIES.  401 

"  iliey  cultivate  indolence  as  a  privilege,  exist 
"  in  yawning  indifference,  surrounded  with  nui- 
"  sances  and  petty  wants,  the  first  to  be  re- 
"  moved  and  the  latter  supplied  with  a  tenth  of 
"  the  time  loitered  away  in  their  innumerable 
"  idle  days,"  (Page  143.) 

The  American  character  is,  in  one  passage, 
(p.  74.)  represented  to  us  as  arrived  at  so  high 
a  state  of  perfection,  that  even  national  antipa- 
thies are  annihilated.  "  National  antipathies  are 
"  the  result  of  bad  political  institutions,  and 
"  not  of  human  nature.  Here,  whatever  their 
"  original,  whether  English,  Scotch,-  Irish, 
"  German,  French,  all  are  Americans;  and 
"  of  all  the  unfavourable  imputations  on  the 
"  American  character,  jealousy  of  strangers 
"  is  surely  the  most  absurd  and  groundless. 
"  The  Americans  are  sufficiently  alive  to  their 
"  own  interest,  but  they  wish  well  to  strangers, 
"  and  are  not  always  satisfied  with  wishing, 
"  if  they  can  promote  their  interest  by  >active 
"  services." 

My  judgment  faltered  upon  the  first  perusal 
of  this  passage  ;—-it  so  entirely  contradicts  every 
conclusion  which  I  had  come  to  upon  the  subject, 
that  it  caused  me  to  hesitate  as  to  the  correct- 
ness of  my  own  impressions  :  but  surely  Mr. 
Birkbeck  here  claims  for  the  Americans  a  per- 
fection, which  is  not  only  contrary  to  what  they 
practise,  but  perhaps  is  superior  to  human  nature 

D  D 


402  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  NOTES." 

itself,  or,   at  any  rate,  to  that  class  of  earthly 
beings  with  whom,  in  this  age,  we  must  be  con- 
tent to  associate.     That  national  antipathies,  in- 
deed, are  weakened  in  infant  colonies,  similar  to 
that  in  which  Mr.  Birkbeck  himself  is  now  en- 
gaged, is,  no  doubt,  as  consistent  with  fact  as  it 
is  with  the  laws  of  our  being ;  for  in  such  cases 
each  individual  is  so  dependent  upon  his  neigh- 
bour, that  self-interest  breaks  down  minor  feel- 
ings :  but  from  what  I  have  seen  of  this  country, 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  any  English- 
man who  had  candidly  surveyed  it  as  a  whole, 
and  observed  the  feelings  of  its  inhabitants,  par- 
ticularly in  the  old  settled  parts,  and  where  the 
population  is  dense,  would  declare  that  national 
antipathies  exist  here   to  an  extent  exceeding 
any  thing  which  he  had  ever  seen,  or  could  have 
conceived,  when  in  England.     I  have  already 
stated  many  facts  which  will  tend  to  support  this 
assertion.     Let  me  now  observe,  that  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania  presents  a  further  illustration 
of  this   subject.      Between   the   Americans  of 
Irish  and  of  German  extraction,  there  exists  the 
most   deadly  animosity,  "  even  unto  the  third 
"  and   fourth  generation."     In  the  mind  of  a 
German   American,   the  term   "  Irishman"   is 
one  of  the  most  foul  reproaches   with   which 
his  range  of  ideas   supplies  him.     Throughout 
America,  (the  parts  at  least  which  are  populated,) 
Irishmen    are   despised,    and   Englishmen   are 


WAGES,    &C.    AT   PITTSBURGH.  403 

viewed  with  cool  malignant  jealousy  and  hatred. 
Instead,  indeed,  of  Americans  "  wishing  well  to 
"  strangers  and  promoting  their  interest  by  active 
"  services,"  theyappear  to  me  to  possess  in  a  large 
degree,  and  from  similar  motives  too,  the  feelings 
which  Mr.  Birkbeck  ascribes  to  some  classes  of 
the  back  woods'  men  —  "  a  dislike  to  and  jea- 
"  lousy  of  all  strangers."     Mr.  B.  in  this  case,  I 
presume,  judges  from  his  own  individual  expe- 
rience ;  but  it  should  be  remembered    that  he 
is  himself  a  man  of  property  j  that  such  persons 
generally   meet   with  a  liberal  reception  —  no- 
where more  so  than  in  America ;  and  also,  that 
as  his   residence  has  been   in  the   heart  of    a 
wilderness,  he   may  be  expected  to  know   but 
little  of  the  manners,  feelings,  or  state  of  so- 
ciety  of  the  whole  United  States,   the  greater 
portion  of  the  most  populous  parts  of  which  he 
has   not  even  visited.     There   are  some  minor 
points  that  it   may   be   well  just  to  glance  at. 
Mr.  B.  says,    (p.  46.)     «'  The  journeymen    of 
"  Pittsburgh,  in  various  branches  —  shoemakers, 
"  taylors,  &c.  earn  two  dollars  a  day,"  (54s.  per 
week,)  and  that  those  among  them  who  are  im- 
provident, do  not  expend  their  money  "  in  ab- 
"  solute  intemperance  and  profligacy ;  they  in 
"  general  waste  their   surplus   earnings  in  ex- 
"  cursions  or  entertainments."  —  I  have  only 
to  remark  on  this,  that  in  October  1817,  when 
I  was   at  the  place  in  question,    the  earnings 

DO   2 


404-  MR.  BIRKBLCK'S  "NOTES." 

per  week  were,  according  to  the  statements 
given  me  by  the  mechanics  themselves,  —  taylors, 
31s.  6d.  to  4os. ;  shoemakers,  Sis.  6d.  to  36s. ; 
and  all  the  mechanics  with  whom  I  conversed 
complained  of  the  difficulty  which  tliey  expe- 
rienced in-  getting  paid  for  their  labour,  much 
of  what  they  did  receive  being  given  them 
in  orders  upon  shops  for  necessaries  and  cloth- 
ing ;  the  extra  price  charged  by  the  store- 
keeper, under  these  circumstances,  causing,  in 
their  judgment,  a  clear  loss  to.  them  of  three- 
quarters  of  a  dollar  per  week.  As  to  the  pur- 
suits of  this  class  of  men,  in  Pittsburgh  par- 
ticularlt/,  it  will,  I  believe,  be  found  upon 
enquiry,  that  their  "  surplus  earnings*'  are  ex- 
pended in  "  absolute  intemperance  and  pro- 
"  fligacy." 

It  is  perhaps  from  a  passage  like  the  follow- 
ing that  you  may  have  been  induced  to  form 
some  conclusions  on  the  state  of  this  country  j  — 
"  Vessels/'  says  Mr.  B.,  (page  48.)  "  of  all 
"  sorts  and  sizes,  from  500  tons  downwards, 
"  continually  passing,  and  steam-boats  crowded 
"  with  passengers  (on  James  River) ;  the 
"  same  on  the  Potowmac ;  and  in  the  winter, 
"  when  the  navigation  is  interrupted  by  frost, 
"  stages  twelve  or  fourteen  in  file  are  seen 
"  posting  along  to  supply  the  want  of  that 
11  luxurious  accommodation."  —  This  descrip- 
tion, I  fear,  would  give  you  too  flattering  an 


TAXATION.  405 

• 

idea  of  the  state  of  things  here.  The  com- 
merce  of  the  Potowmac  will  be  seen,  by  a  re- 
ference to  American  imports  and  exports,  to 
be  extremely  limited.  At  George-town,  there 
may  be  an  average,  at  any  one  time,  of  ten 
sloops ;  at  Alexandria,  an  average  of  twelve' 
square-rigged  vessels,  and  perhaps  20  sloops. 
As  to  "  stages  travelling  twelve  or  fourteen 
in  file,"  I  have  frequented  the  best  roads  when 
steam-boat  navigation  has  been  interrupted  by 
ice,  and  have  never  seen  a  number  exceeding 
four,  and  not  commonly  more  than  one  stage, 
during  a  route  of  several  days. 

Upon  the  principles  of  taxation,  this  govern- 
ment appear  to  be  considered  by  Mr.  Birkbeck 
as  complete  novices ;  so  new  (page  75.)  is 
"  the  government  of  this  country  in  the  art  and 
"  mystery  ofjinance^  that  the  revenue  derived 
"  from  all  this  wealth  hardly  exceeds  ^Os.  ster- 
"  ling  per  square  mile." 

A  reference  to  the  articles  taxed'  during  the 
late  war  will  be,  perhaps,  the  best  mode  of  as- 
certaining in  this  particular  the  talents  of  the 
American  government.  In  the  session  of  congress 
in  1813,  duties  were  laid  on  stills  ;  on  brandies  j 
on  carriages  of  every  description  j  licences  for 
retailing  all  goods  of  foreign  manufacture ;  the 
same  for  selling  spirits  j  the  same  on  auction 
sales-,  on  sugar  ;  and  on  paper.  In  1814,  further 
duties  were  laid  on  these  several  articles,  and 

DD   3 


-XIK.  BIRKJBLLK'S  "NOTES." 

also  on  various  goods  manufactured  within  the 
United  States ;  among  which  were  household 
furniture,  leather,  tobacco,  beer,  shoes,  boots, 
saddles,  bridles,  cards,  umbrellas,  paper,  caps, 
hats,  candles,  and  iron  ware ;  and  to  illustrate 
the  subject  of  taxation,  1  subjoin  a  list  of  stamps 
as  sold  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

"  Stamps  for  Sale  by  John  Bioren,  Printer  and 
Bookseller,  No.  88,  Chesnut  Street. 

'•  INTERNAL  DUTIES,  payable.by  law,  after  December  31st, 
1813. 

"   On  Carriages. 

Dolls.  Cts. 

"  Upon  every  coach,  the  yearly  sum  of  20  00 

Upon  every  chariot  and  post- chaise  -         1700 

Upon  every  phaeton  and  every  coachee,  having  pan- 

nel  work  in  the  upper  division  10  00 

Upon   every  other  four  wheel  carriage  hanging  on 

steel  or  iron  springs  -       7  00 

Upon  every  four  wheel  carriage  hanging  upon  wooden 
springs,  and  every  two  wheel  carriage  hanging  on 
steel  or  iron  springs  -  4  00 

Upon  every  other  four  or  two  wheel  carriage       -         2  00 

"  On  licences  to  distillers  of  spirituous  liquors. 
".  For  a  stij^  or  stills  employed  in  distilling  spirits  from  do- 
mestic  materials,   for  each   gallon  including  the  head 
thereof; 

For  2  weeks        (per  gallon)  -  9 

For  1  month  18 

For  2  months  -  -  -  32 

For  3  months     -  42 

For  4-  months        -  52 

For  6  months  -  -  70 

For  1  year         -  -  -  -  1  08 


STAMPS.  407 

Dolls.  Cts. 

For   stills  employed  in  distilling  from  foreign  materials 
For  1  month         (per  gallon)     -  -  25 

For  3  months  -  -  -  60 

For  6  months  -  .  1  05 

For  1  year  .        i  35 

"  On  sales  by  auction. 

"  On  goods,  wares,  and  merchandize,  for  every  100 

dollars       -  1  00 

On  ships  or  vessels,  for  every  100  dollars  -  25 

"  On  refined  sugar. 
"  On  every  pound  -  4 

"  On  licences  to  retailers  of  wine,   spirituous  liquors,  and 
foreign  merchandize. 

'•"  On  retailers  of  merchandize,  including  wines  and 

spirits    -  25  00 

On  wines  alone  -  20  00 

On  spirits  alone         -.  20  00 

On  domestic  spirits  alone  15  00 

On  merchandize  other  than  wines  and  spirits    -  15  00 

"  Where  the  population  is  not  more  than  100  families  to  a 
square  mile. 

"  On  retailers  of  merchandize,  including  wines  and 

spirits  15  00 

On  wines  and  spirits  •  15  00 

On  spirits  alone  ^         12  00 

On  domestic  spirits  10  00 

On  merchandize  other  than  wines  and  spirits       -     10  00 

"  On  notes  of  banks,  bankers,  notes,  bonds,  Sfc.  discounted  by 
banks,  Sfc.  and  on  bills  of  exchange. 

"  On  any  promissory  note  or  notes,  payable  either  to  bearer 

or  order,  issued  by  any  of  the  banks  or  companies,  who 

issue  and  discount  notes,  bonds  or  obligations,  either  in. 

corporated  or  not  incorporated,  which  now  are,  or  here- 

D  D   4 


A1K.    BIltKKKl  K*S    **  NOTES." 

Dolls.  Co. 

after  may  be  established  in  the  United  States,  or  by  any 
banker  or  bankers,  according  to  the  following  scale  : 


"  It'  not  exceeding  1  dollar           -  1 

If  above  1  and  not  exceeding  2  '2 

2  -             -  3  3 

3  55 
5  10  10 

10  20  20 

20  50  50 

50  100  1  00 

100  500  5  00 

500  1000  10  00 

1000  -         50  00 

44  On  any  bond,  obligation,  or  promissory  note  or  notes,  not 
issued  by  any  bunk,  companies,  or  bankers  aforesaid, 
discounted  by  any  such  bank,  companies  or  banker,  and 
on  any  foreign  or  inland  bill  or  bills  of  exchange  above 
fifty  dollars,  and  having  one  or  more  indorsers,  accord- 
ing to  the  following  scale  ;  viz. 

"If  not  exceeding  100  dollars  -  5 

If  above  100  and  not  exceeding          200  10 

200  500  25 

500  1000  50 

1000  1500  75 

1500  2000  1  00 

2000             -  3000  1  50 

TOO  4000  2  00 

ioOO             -  5OCX)         -  2  50 

5000                          •  7000  S  50 

7000  8000  4-  00 

8000  5  00 

"  The  secretary  of  the  treasury  may  agree  to  an  annual 
composition  with  any  bank,  in  lieu  of  stamp  duty,  or  one  and 
a  half  per  centum,  on  the  amount  of  the  annual  dividend  made 
by  such  bank." 


EMIGRATION. SUCCESS.  4<0r 

On  the  grand  subject — that  of  emigration, 
notwithstanding    all    the    captivating    circum- 
stances stated  as  attendant  upon  it,  a  few  facts 
are  admitted  by  Mr.  B.  himself  which  require 
your  most  deliberate  and  serious  consideration. 
—  First,  then,  that  gentleman  informs  us,  that 
"  every   service   performed    by   one    man   for 
"  another  must  be  purchased  at  a  high  rate, 
"  much  higher  than  in  England ;   therefore,   as 
"  long  as  the   English    emigrant  is  obliged  to 
**  purchase  more  than  he  sells  of  this  service,  or 
"  Jabour,  he  is  worse  off  than  at  home"     (Page 
18.)     Second,  "  After  you  have  used  yourself 
"  to  repose  on  your  own  pallets,  either  on  the 
"  floor  of  a  cabin,  or  under  the  canopy  of  the 
"  woods,  with  an  umbrella  over  your  head  and 
"  a  noble  fire  at  your  feet,  you  will  then  escape 
"  the  only  serious  nuisance  of  American  tra- 
"  veiling,  viz.  hot  rooms  and  swarming  beds." 
(P.  126.)     Third,  "  A  traveller  should  always 
".carry  flint,  steel,  and  a  large  knife,  or  toma- 
"  hawk,  &c.  &c."     (Page  108.) 

The  instances  of  great  success,  of  which 
Mr.  Birkbeck  states  several,  are  no  doubt  cor- 
rect :  but  he  certainly  might  have  enlarged  the 
view  he  has  taken ;  and  perhaps  rendered  it 
more  correct  by  the  enumeration  of  many 
failures.  At  least,  I  am  myself  in  possession 
of  several  cases,  on  both  sides  of  this  ques- 
tion ;  but  thinking  the  criterion  to  be  alto- 


410  MR.  BJRKBECK'S  "  NOTES." 

gether  an  uncertain  one,  I  wave  their  enu- 
meration. Such  individual  instances  exist  in 
every  nation,  and  in  every  state  of  society ; 
and  are  very  frequently  caused,  not  by  pe- 
culiarity of  country,  but  of  individual  cha- 
racter. I  notice  this,  because  I  know  that  a 
reader,  whose  situation  is  similar  to  that  in 
which  the  persons  described  were  originally 
placed,  might  naturally  be  disposed  to  imagine, 
that  if  he  were  in  America,  he  would  be 
equally  successful ;  when  probably,  he  may  be 
altogether  unfitted  for  such  circumstances.  A 
writer,  adverse  to  this  country,  could  find  no 
difficulty  in  selecting  instances  of  failure.  In- 
deed, Mr.  B.  has  himself,  upon  another  subject, 
said,  that  "  hundreds  of  these  speculations," 
(making  settlements,)  "  have  failed ;"  so  that 
if  the  criterion  be  a  correct  one,  the  argument 
might  be  turned  against  himself,  for  these  in- 
stances  of  failure  would  prove  that  success  is 
not  attainable  in  the  United  States.  A  sub- 
ject, however,  of  this  magnitude,  must  be 
viewed  in  the  general  and  not  in  the  detail.  A 
man  that  can  "  turn  his  hand  to  any  thing,"  be 
active,  industrious,  sober,  economical,  and  set 
privations  at  defiance,  will  I  believe  be  more 
successful  in  America  than  in  any  other  country 
on  the  globe. 


POLITICAL    INSTITUTIONS*  41  li 

CAUSES    OF    LEAVING   ENGLAND. 

The  soundness  of  Mr.  Birkbeck's  political 
reasons  for  emigrating  must  be  left  for  every 
man  to  judge  of  in  his  own  mind.  By  us  they 
will  be  viewed  favourably,  because  they  are  pre- 
cisely our  own.  His  moral  reasons  require  some 
remark :  his  objects  he  states  to  be,  "  to  pro- 
M  cure  for  his  children  a  career  of  enterprise 
"  and  wholesome  family  connexions,  in  a  society 
"  whose  institutions  are  favourable  to  virtue." 
(Page  8.) 

"  That  institutions  favourable  to  virtue  shall 
"  produce  effects  correspondent  to  their  cha- 
"  racter  upon  the  society  blessed  with  them,  is 
"•  a  conclusion  so  natural,  that  we  should  be  in- 
*'  clined  to  suspect  an  error  in  the  estimate  of  the 
"  institutions  themselves,  if  we  found  a  vicious 
"  people  under  a  good  government."  (Page  9.) 

These  are  conclusions,  I  conceive,  exactly 
such  as  a  man  versed  in  theoretic  speculations 
upon  the  nature  of  society  would  arrive  at,  when 
contemplating  a  country  like  this,  previous  to 
his  leaving  Great  Britain.  But  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  that  a  very  brief  residence  in  America  will 
most  effectually  dispel  the  charm ;  and  I  am 
much  concerned,  that  Mr.  Birkbeck,  when  writ- 
ing his  book  in  this  country,  should  have,  I 
think,  so  unnecessarily  and  gratuitously  placed 
in  the  hands  of  those,  who  always  oppose  correct 
principles,  a  weapon  with  which,  from  his  own 


MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "NOTES." 

admissions,  they  can  so  effectually  cut  down  him- 
self, and,  what  is  of  infinitely  more  importance, 
the  principles  which  he  advocates.  When  he 
asserts  that  the  constitution  of  the  American 
government  is  good,  he  takes  a  position  so 
strong,  that  he  cannot  by  any  combination  of 
talents  be  dislodged  from  it ;  but  when  he  ex- 
tends his  ground  by  concluding  "  that  we  should 
"  be  inclined  to  suspect  an  error  in  the  estimation 
"  of  the  institutions  themselves,  if  we  Jind  a  vicious 
"  people  under  a  good  government"  his  line  is 
nost  effectually  weakened.  The  American 
people  "  are  like  their  fellow  men,  have,"  as  he 
himself  expresses  it,  "  their  irregular  and  rude 
"  passions ;  their  gross  propensities,  and  their 
"  follies  \  so  that  after  all  this  is  the  real  world, 
"  and  no  poetical  Arcadia."  (Page  131.) 

Could  we  begin  society  anew  —  transported 
from  our  present  abodes,  could  we  be  placed 
in  another  Eden,  possessing  there  the  aid  of 
all  the  knowledge  and  virtue,  and  freed  from 
all  the  error  and  vice  of  the  present  day, 
then  we  should  have  rational  grounds  to  an- 
ticipate, that,  under  a  good  government,  there 
would  necessarily  be  found  a  virtuous  people. 
But  as  this  is  not  the  case,  we  must,  in  forming 
our  judgment  on  such  a  subject,  look  at  man 
as  he  is,  and  speculate  on  society  as  we  find 
it ;  and  I  think  we  shall  discover,  that  the  ma- 
terials which  go  to  the  formation  of  individual 


AMERICAN    REVIEW.  413 

and  of  national  character,  spring  up  from  a 
thousand  other  sources  besides  that  afforded  by 
political  institutions.  This  view  of  the  subject 
may  assist  us  in  solving  an  otherwise  difficult 
question,  namely,  why  it  is  that  the  people  of 
England  are  so  much  in  advance  of  their  govern- 
ment ;  and  why,  on  the  other  hand,  the  people  of 
America  remain  so  very  far  behind  the  principles 
upon  which  their  political  system  is  founded. 

I  have  met  with  but  one  American  Review  of 
Mr.  Birkbeck's  work  ;  it  is  contained  in  No.  207. 
of  "  The  Port  Folio,"  a  respectable  and  long 
established  literary  publication,  edited  by  Mr. 
Hall,  of  Philadelphia.  As  this  article  contains  a 
fair  specimen  of  American  writing,  and  also  ad- 
mits some  awkward  political  facts,  which  under 
other  circumstances  might  perhaps  have  been 
concealed,  I  copy  it  for  your  information  :  — 

"  Mr.  Birkbeck  landed  at  Norfolk,  with  which  town  he 

"  is  not  much  pleased.     A  Virginian  tavern  he  describes 

"  as   resembling   '  a   French   one   with    its    table   d'hote, 

"  though  not  in  the  excellence  of  the  cookery ;  but,'  he 

"  adds,  that  it  '  somewhat  exceeds  it  in  filth,  as  it  does  an 

"  English   one  in   charges/     The   gentlemen,    he   thinks, 

<£  are  republican  in  politics,  but  irascible,  and  often  lax  in 

"  morals.     On  his  approach  to  Richmond,  he  found  himself 

"  at  once  in  the  society  of  persons  '  who  appeared  to  be  as 

"  polite,  well  dressed,  and  well  instructed,  as  if  they  had 

"  been  repairing  to  the  capital  of  Great  Britain,'  —  whereat, 

"  no  doubt,  he  marvelled  mightily.     In  the  city  he  finds  a 

"  population  of  13,000  inhabitants,  of  which  nearly  one  half 

"  is  stated  to  be,  we  hop    erroneously,  negroes.     Provisions 


AMERICAN    REVIEAT   OF 

«'  are  scarce,  dear  and  bad,  in  that  city.  The  author  was 
"  horrified,  he  says,  and  well  he  might  be,  at  the  sale  of 
*'  negroes,  in  open  market.  This  is  a  foul  blot  in  an  escut- 
**  cheon  which  is  blazoned  with  high  honour,  with  intelli- 
41  gence,  beauty,  and  taste.  The  good  folks  of  Richmond, 
"  he  says,  are  making  '  a  grand  stir  about  a  monument  to 
"  the  memory  of  Gen.  Washington ;  and  he  takes  occa- 
«'  sion  to  point  out  '  the  mutilated  bust  of  La  Fayette  in 
"  their  capitol,  which  now  stands  an  object  of  horror,  of 
"  derision,'  —  as  worthy  of  attention.  The  project  of  a 
"  monument  was  settled  long  ago,  as  may  be  seen  by  refer- 
"  ence  to  the  debates  in  our  congress  (particularly  in  the 
"  senate)  soon  after  the  accession  of  Mr.  Jefferson.  Our 
"  traveller  bears  testimony  to  the  '  urbanity  and  real  polite- 
"  ness*  of  the  citizens  of  Richmond ;  and  is  pleased  to 
"  declare,  that  he  saw  '  as  good  husbandry  as  would  be 
"  expected  in  some  well-managed  districts  of  Great  Britain.' 
"  We  were  about  to  make  some  remarks  upon  our  author V 
"  practice  of  making  comparisons,  but  an  intimation  at  the 
"  end  of  the  volume,  which  just  presents  itself,  renders  all 
•'  observation  unnecessary.  We  find  that  the  volume  i> 
"  intended  to  contain  'just  the  particulars'  which  the  author 
"  wished  to  communicate  to  his  friends,  and  therefore  it  may 
"  not  be  improper  to  take  England  as  the  standard  of 
"  excellence,  in  order  to  disabuse  honest  John  Bull  of  the 
"  impositions  which  have  been  palmed  upon  his  voracious 
"  credulity.  When  we  find  such  gross  ignorance  respecting 
"  this  country,  as  was  displayed  in  debate  by  one  of  the 
"  hereditary  counsellors  of  the  crown  (Lord  Stanhope — vid. 
"  Port  Folio,  1816,  page  34 1.) — it  seems  to  be  absolutely 
"  necessary  to  permit  writers  to  say  at  once,  that  what  the> 
"  wish  to  describe  is  '  exactly  like  what  we  have  here  iu 
"  Lunnun.'  It  may  then  be  believed  that  we  are  white, 
"  can  speak  the  English  tongue,  and  do  not  carry  our  heads 
•'  under  our  shoulders:  and  when  Lord  Stanhope,  or  any 
"  other  expounder  of  the  laws,  undertakes  to  state,  that  ai 
*c  action  against  a  clergyman,  on  a  bond,  cannot  be  enter- 
•'  tained  in  Connecticut,  he  must  be  informed,  that  in  matters 
"  of  this  sort,  the  courts  of  Connecticut  and  Westminster 

14 


MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  NOTES." 

"  Hall  are  governed  by  the  same  principles.  If  the  earl 
"  has  inferred  the  fact  from  the  rule  de  nan  apparentibus,  it 
t(  is  very  probable  that  a  New  England  docket  would  bear 
"  him  out ;  at  least  we  should  be  certain  of  finding,  for  one 
"  of  our  clergymen  in  this  predicament,  at  least  a  hundred 
t(  in  England  scampering  at  a  fox-chase. 

"  But  to  return  to  Mr.  Birkbeck.  In  travelling  and 
"  travelling  along,  he  came  to  some  paths,  '  which,  for  the 
"  most  part,  were  only  distinguishable  from  the  rugged 
"  waste  by  a  slight  trace,  like  that  of  a  new-formed  road, 
"  or,  in  some  instances,  by  rows  of  Lombardy  poplars.' 
"  Here  he  looked  up,  and  he  saw  a  splendid  palace  ;  but  he 
"  '  could  liken  it  to  nothing  in  America,  except  the  painted 
'«  face  and  gaudy  head-dress  of  a  half-naked  Indian.'  The 
*c  reader  will  be  mortified  to  learn,  that  these  paths  are  the 
"  '  intended  streets  radiating  from  the  capitol,'  and  the 
"  palace,  the  very  capitol  of  the  far-famed  City  of  Washing- 
"  ton.  Year  after  year,  the  most  excellent  schemes  for 
"  improving  our  moral  and  political  situation  are  submitted 
"  to  congress,  and  the  veterans  of  the  revolution  are  borne 
"  on  *  trembling  limbs'  to  the  seat  of  government,  to  implore 
"  for  a  settlement  of  their  accounts  ;  but  neither  our  ancestors, 
'<  nor  those  who  are  to  follow  us,  can  be  heard,  until  this 
"  morass  shall  be  drained,  and  the  '  rugged  waste'  be  filled 
"  with  houses.  If  Great  Britain  is  cursed  with  a  national 
"  debt,  we  have  our  national  city,  from  which  it  is  to  be 
"  feared,  that  nothing  short  of  Aladdin's  Lamp  will  ever 
"  relieve  us.  *  What  is  the  matter  ?'  said  a  gentleman  at 
"  the  head  of  his  table,  addressing  a  guest  who  arose  almost 
"  immediately  after  the  removal  of  the  last  dish,  at  an  enter- 
"  tainment  given  in  this  splendid  city  — «  I  beg  you  to 
"  excuse  me  —  I  have  promised  to  take  tea  with  your 
"  neighbour.'  —  *  Well,  well,  —  there's  time  enough  for 
"  that  —  pray  sit  down.  —  It  is  only  six'  o'clock.'  '  True, 
"  my  good  sir,'  said  the  guest  — '  but  you  forget  that  I  have 
"  seven  miles  to  ride,  and  your  roads  are  very  deep  !'  If 
"  the  money  which  has  been  exchanged  for  the  costly 
«'  columns  that  have  recently  arrived  from  Italy,  had  been 
"  expended  in  the  construction  of  '  good  roads,  substantial 


il6  AMERICAN  REVIEW  OF 

"  bridges,'  and  a  few  lamps,  our  traveller  would  have  found 
*'  less  reason  for  ridicule  and  complaint. 

"  Mr.  Birkbeck  commences  his  journal  in  April,  1817» 
"  'five  hundred  miles  east  of  Cape  Henry.'  He  informs  us 
"  that  he  has  quitted  England  for  the  purpose  of  becoming 
*'  a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  Of.  his  situation  as  an 
*«  English  farmer,  he  draws  a  picture  which  appears  to  him 
*'  very  gloomy.  He  had  no  voice  in  the  appointment  of  the 
*'  legislature  —  he  had  no  concern  in  public  affairs  —  he 
"  could  not  appear  at  county  meetings,  &c.  It  is  impossible 
"  to  reconcile  the  reports  concerning  the  state  of  Great 
"  Britain,  which  are  made  by  travellers  and  emigrants. 
"  Within  a  few  dayg  past,  we'were  assured,  by  an  intelli. 
"  gentleman,  who  had  recently  visited  Europe,  moat  cer- 
"  tainly  with  no  favourable  prepossessions  in  favour  of 
"  England,  that  he  had  not  seen  so  much  contentment  and 
'•  cheerfulness  in  any  other  country.  We  hope  Mr.  Liirk- 
"  beck  has  too  much  good  sense  to  rate  his  share  of  felicity  by 
"  the  considerations  which  he  mentions.  If  he  does,  his  new 
<(  settlements  will  mafce  but  slow  progress.  We  understand 
"  the  trade  of  politics  here  quite  a.\  u-ell  ax  they  do  in  foreign 
"  parts;  and  it  is  just  as  difficult  for  modest  went  In  rise 
"•from  obscurity,  "when  opposed  by  the  intrigues  of  a  caucus, 
"  or  the  glare  of  wealth.  We  have  no  rotten  boroughs  to 
*'  tell ;  but  when  a  voter  is  to  be  seduced  or  supplanted,  we 
"  have  powerful  engines  in  the  shape  of  an  enviable  appoint- 
"  ment  abroad,  or  a  profitable  contract  at  home..  Man  is  the 
"  same  in  all  countries.  These  inestimable  privileges,  for 
*'  which  our  author  sighed  in  vain,  may  easily  be  purchased 
"  in  any  of  our  States,  unless  we  except  MttMchtuettt, 
"  where  a  vote  may  sell  high,  because  an  office  theiv  makes 
*'  a  man. honourable  during  life  ''* 

*  In  confirmation  of  this  assertion  of  the  reviewers,  I  would 
remark  that  Honourable,  and  other  titles,  are  much  sought 
after  in  America.  The  following  extract  from  the  "  Boston 
Sentinel,"  of  August  27th,  will  illustrate  this  idea:  — 

"  Dinner  to  Mr.  Adams.  —  Yesterday  a  public  dinner  wa^ 
"  given  to  the  Hon.  John  Q.  Adams,  in  the  Exchanp< 


MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  NOTES.*'  417 

You  will  perhaps  censure  me  for  occupying 
your  attention  with  selections  from  Mr.  Birk- 
beck's  publication,  when  you  are  iti  possession 
of  the  original  :  my  reasons  for  so  doing,  are 
derived  from  a  fear,  and  indeed,  from  what  you 
say,  a  belief  that,  because  Mr.  B*  sets  at  de- 
fiance every  difficulty,  treating  the  most  serious 
privations  as  a  mere  jest,  you  might  possibly  feel 
disposed  to  join  in  the  opinion.  The  fact  is,  that 
by  his  style  and  manner  he  has  so  captivated 
many  of  his  readers  (Americans  excepted),  that 
they  begin  to  feel  the  conveniences  and  establish- 
ments of  civilized  life  a  source  of  misery,  instead 
of  an  advantage.  There  is,  moreover,  some- 
thing very  imposing  in  the  circumstance,  that  a 
man  of  his  talents  and  property  should  be  per* 
fectly  satisfied  with  the  change,  notwithstanding 
all  its  attendant  privations.  This  certainly  has 
its  weight,  but  having  once  taken  the  step  he 
has  done,  I  would  merely  suggest  (without  pre- 
tending to  enter  very  deeply  into  the  recesses 
of  the  human  mind)  a  few  considerations,  why 

"  Coffee-House,  by  his  fellow-citizens  of  Boston.    The  Hon. 

*'  Wm.  Gray  presided,  assisted  by  the  Hon.  Harrison  Gray 

*'  Otis,  George  Blake,  Esq.  and  the  Hon.  Jonathan  Mason, 

"  vice-presidents.    Of  the  guests  were,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Adams, 

"  late  president  of  the  United  States,  his  Excellency  Go- 

"  vernor  Brooks,  his  Honor  Lt.-Gov.  Phillips,  Chief  Justice 

"  Parker,  Judge  Story,  President  Kirkland",  Gen.  Dearborn, 

"  Com.  Hull,  Gen.  Miller,  several  of  the  reverend  clergy, 

"  and  many  public  officers,  and  strangers  of  eminence." 

EE 


418  EMIGRATION. 

any  man,  under  his  circumstances,  would 
naturally  look  with  a  very  lenient  eye  upon  all 
defects,  and  where  even  a  mole-hill  in  the 
way  of  excellence  existed,  feel  inclined  to 
magnify  it  into  a  mountain.  In  leaving  Eng- 
land he  evidently  turned  his  back  upon  it  for 
ever.  He  was  disgusted  with  the  government, 
and  hardly  any  extent  of  disappointment  would 
probably  induce  him  to  place  himself  in  the 
humiliating  situation  of  returning.  He  has 
gone  into  the  wilderness  —  purchased  a  large 
quantity  of  land  —  has  made  his  final  election  — 
has  reasonable  hopes  of  the  speculation  proving 
profitable  —  would  not  be  disappointed  with 
having  neighbours  natives  qf  his  own  coun- 
try, and  similar  to  himself  in  property  and  in 
information  —  must  desire  that  the  value  of 
his  lands  should  advance  as  largely  and  as 
rapidly  as  possible;  which  can  only  be  ef- 
fected by  emigration  being  directed  to  that 
point,  and  he  having  DO  claim  to  the  character 
of  a  superhuman  being,  would  not  feel  his  sense 
of  importance  lessened,  by  being  the  founder  of 
a  large  English  colony.  Taking  these  con- 
siderations into  our  calculation,  and  reflecting 
upon  their  necessary  effect  on  the  mind  of  any 
man  so  circumstanced,  we  may  be  supplied 
with  an  explanation  of  much  that  is  contained  in 
the  "  Notes  on  a  Journey  to  Illinois." 

Upon  the  subject  of  our  emigration,  I  con- 


EMIGRATION. 

tess  I  cannot  make  up  my  mind ;  and  that, 
among  other  reasons,  causes  me  to  desire  to 
return  to  England  as  expeditiously  as  possible, 
that  I  may  personally  consult  with  you  all. 
But  with  regard  to  the  "  very  favourable "  ef- 
fect of  Mr.  Birkbeck's  book,  if  you  will  carefully 
go  through  it  again,  detaching  his  statements 
from  his  individual  feelings,  you  will,  I  think, 
find  that  if  my  "  Reports  "  have  reached  you, 
they  will  receive  no  ordinary  support  from 
Mr.  Birkbeck's  admissions. 

As  to  America  generally  —  it  possesses  some  iX' 
most  important  advantages,  among  which  are 
to  be  enumerated,  an  extensive  and,  in  parts, 
a  very  fertile  country  —  a  population  not  filled 
up  —  and,  above  all,  a  reasonable  and  a  cheap 
government.  These  give  to  the  poor  man  a 
recompense  for  his  labour  proportionate  to  his 
deserts :  they  also  open  numerous  sources  for 
the  valuable  employment  of  capital ;  and  they 
give  a  solid  satisfaction,  as  to  the  future,  in  the 
mind  of  a  man  of  family  or  of  property,  which 
it  is  impossible  to  derive  from  a  contemplation 
of  the  present  condition,  and  the  present  policy 
of  any  of  the  old  governments. 

In  your  commission  to  Mr.  Flower  for  the 
purchase  of  Illinois  land,  you  have,  I  doubt 
not,  exercised  all  the  caution  which  such  an  im- 
portant procedure  requires ;  for  myself,  I  feel 
anxious  for  the  full  discussion  of  the  subject ; 

E  E  g 


420  ORIGINAL    IMPRESSIONS. 

but  I  shall  defer  stating  my  ideas  further,  until 
I  have  the  pleasure  of  doing  so  in  person.  In 
conclusion,  let  me  express  my  anxious  hopes 
that  you  are  all  in  perfect  health  ;  and  as  this 
Report  will  close  my  communications  to  you 
upon  the  subject  of  America,  1  assure  you,  it  is 
the  warmest  wish  of  my  heart,  that  my  conduct 
and  exertions,  during  tin-  course  of  this  short 
but  important  mi.ssion,  may  have  deserved  and 
may  receive  your  full  approval.  Should  my 
statements  have  received  credit,  and  should  they 
have  made  ;i  similar  impression  upon  your  minds 
which  the  reality  has  produced  upon  my  own, 
you  must  have  found,  like  myself,  frequent 
cause  of  surprise  and  astonishment.  I  perfectly 
remember,  indeed,  the  impressions  with  which 
I  first  visited  America  —  impressions  which  you 
all  possessed  in  common  with  myself.  America, 
we  believed  to  be  (and  I  am  sure  1  wished  to 
find  it  so)  the  abode  of  freedom  and  toleration, 
in  practice  no  less  than  in  theory.  We  fondly 
regarded  it  indeed, 

"  That  land  where  '  self-government'  calls  forth  the  mind, 

"  And  the  rights  and  the  virtues  of  man  are  combined  ; 

*'   Where  the  thought,  unrestrained,  'mid  truth's  regions  mat, 

"  Uncaged  from  the  earth,  may  aspire  to  the  sky  ; 

"   What  the  bosom  conceives,  that  the  tongue  may  express  ; 

"  Not  bounded  by  bigots,  the  power  to  bless  ; 

"  That  land  where  Religion's  sweet  voice  may  arise, 

"    Where  with  Liberty,  Virtue  may  walk  'nealh  tfa  skies  ; 


SANGUINE    EXPECTATIONS. 

'*  Where,  safe  from  each  danger,  secure  from  each  storm, 
*'  Lovely  Freedom  may  nurse  youthful  Piety 's  form  ; 
"   Where  man,  feeling  his  value,  the  impulse  once  given, 
"  May  dare  to  deserve  the  rick  blessings  of  heaven!" 

How  far  the  country  may  have  answered 
these  our  sanguine  expectations  —  at  least,  how 
far  I  have  believed  them  answered,  I  must  leave 
each  of  you  to  conclude  from  the  facts  I  have 
forwarded,  and  the  general  tenor  of  my  observ- 
ations upon  them. 


EE  3 


EIGHTH  REPORT. 


ji.v    Land,  —  Commission    to    Mr.  Flower.  —  Mr. 

f    •  i  lolling   Illinui*. —  Climate  of  Eastern 

/'    >l>tx    n>t     Capital. — Sociity   in 

the  Western  Country. —  Emigration.-  <  inciti- 

nati.  —  Spanish    Patriots What    Classes  (if  Emigrants 

may  succeed  and  tvhat  not.  —  Plan  »/'  Mr.  Birkbeck's  Set- 
''nt. 

Plaistow  Essex,  KnjJ.u.il,  Sept.  1st.  1818. 
AGREEING  with  the  suggestion  of  our  friend 
L ,  that  my  Reports  H'-jimi  <ome  general 

orvations,  as  a  sort  of  wml-up  on  the  sub- 

•  of  America,  I  sit  down  im  the  purpose  of 
endeavouring  to  give  such  iCCOnliBglj  ;  which, 
ulien  effected,  may  remove  the  necessity  of  my 

-juently  conmumiVating  with  our  more  dis- 
tant friends  in  Leicestershire  and  Yorkshire.  I 
propose  also,  at  the  same  time,  to  adopt  the 

hint  of  Mr.  A ,  relative  to  our  supposed 

property  in  the  Illinois;  and  shall  further  give 
my  opinion  of  Mr.  Birkbeck's  "  Letters  "  from 
that  State. 

In  regard  to  the  first,  we  should,  I  think,  be 
particular  in  correcting  an  idea  which  many 
entertain,  that  we  are  actual  land-owners  in  the 
Illinois  j  when  the  fact  of  the  case  is,  that 
Mr.  George  Flower,  (the  associate  of  Mr.  Birk- 


MR.  BJRKBECK'S  "  LETTERS."  423 

beck,)  who  sailed  in  the  "  Anne  Maria"  from 
Liverpool  some  weeks  before  my  arrival  in  Eng- 
land, was  commissioned  to  purchase  for  us  nine 
thousand  acres,  adjoining  his  and  Mr.  Birkbeck's 
settlement ;  and  as  we  have  since  received  but 
one  letter  from  him,  and  that  merely  announ- 
cing his  arrival  in  New  York,*  after  a  fine  passage 
of  thirty  days ;  we  are  not  yet,  at  least  to  our 
knowledge,  American  land-proprietors. 

With  respect  to  Mr.  Birkbeck's  "Letters  from 
"  Illinois,"  several  of  our  London  friends  (who 
had  seen  some  of  them  in  manuscript  long  before 
their  publication)  know  my  opinion  j  but  to  those 
in  the  country,  who  had  not  even  heard  of  them, 
until  their  appearance  before  the  public,  I  would 
offer  a  few  brief  remarks  ;  though  to  make  such 
must  necessarily  be  extremely  difficult,  as  the 
work  consists  of  copies  of  private  correspon- 
dence, in  which  the  details  necessary  for  the  con- 
sideration of  a  proposed  emigrant  not  being  re- 
quired, are  therefore  but  very  partially  given. 
I  shall,  however,  be  relieved  from  a  lengthened 
consideration  of  them,  as  much  of  what  I  have 
said  in  my  communication  from  New  York,  con- 
cerning the  ««  Notes,"  will  be  strictly  applicable 

*  Several  gentlemen  having  addressed  me  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  Mr.  Flower's  commission  to  purchase  the  land  speci- 
fied, I  take  the  opportunity  afforded  by  the  present  edition, 
of  stating,  that  we  have  received  no  communication  whatever 
from  him  since  the  one  announcing  his  arrival  at  Norfolk. 

F«b.  18, 1819. 
£  £  4 


MR.  BIRKJJECK'S  «'  LETTEI. 

to  the  "  Letters ;"  the  latter  g  hut  little 

additional  information.  One  thing  I  would  ob- 
serve, and  which  is  a  subject  of  regret  to  those 
who  wish  well  to  Mr.  l>iikbeik's  reputation,  that 
the  charge  would  seem  but  too  well  founded 
that  his  "  Letters  are  less  impartial,  less  philo- 
"  sophic,  and  less  di$intere*lfj  than  iiis  \'otes" 
In  his  exclusive  recommendation  of  the  Illinois, 
there  woidd  seem  almo>t  a  rixed  determination  to 
be  sch-sati*n*ed  ;  indeed  he  look- 

g  at  it  now  with  a  favourable  eve, 
"  to  idvantages  continually  rising 

"  before  me."  (P.  79-)  And  it  must  be  lamented 
by  Mr.  Hirkbeck's  friends,  tliat  his  eagerness  to 
advance  his  own  settlement  is  rather  too  ap- 
parent ;  tor  not  only  Great  Britain,  but  also 
her  part  of  America  must  be  p  retted 
into  the  service  of  extolling  Illinois.  \\  e  are 
told,  in  rearard  to  England,  that  "  the  soil  is  worn 
'*  out;"  and  in  relation  to  old  America,  that  the 
climate  of  the  eastern  cities  presents  "melting  op- 
"  pressive  sultry  nights, succeeding  broiling  days 
••  and  forbidding  ie>t,  which  are  said  to  wear  out 
"  the  frames  of  the  languid  inhabitants  of  the 
"  eastern  cities,  but  which  are  unknown  here." 
That  the  climate  of  the  eastern  cities  is  pro- 
bably not  so  healthy  as  that  of  England,  I  believe; 
but  much  which  causes  this  ditference  equally 

-    in    the  western  States.     For    myself,    I 
heard  more  of  "  sickness"  (the  term  by  which 

2 


PRAISES    OF    ILLINOIS. 

every  kind  of  indisposition  is  designated)  in 
the  western  than  in  the  eastern  States  ;  and  the 
appearance  of  the  people  entirely  confirms  the 
belief  that,  as  yet,  old  is  more  healthy  than  neu- 
America  ;  not,  I  should  presume,  from  a  natural 
superiority  of  climate,  but  the  more  extended 
cultivation  of  the  country  gives  it,  of  course,  an 
actual,  although  probably  only  a  temporary  su- 
periority. 

English  emigrants  are  told  in  the  "  Notes," 
that  "  those  who  are  not  screwed  up  to  the  flill 
"  pitch  of  enterprise,  had  better  remain  in  Old 
"  England  than  attempt  agriculture,  or  business 
"  of  any  kind,  (manual  operations  excepted,)  in 
"  the  Atlantic  States.*' — What  does  Mr.  Cobbett 
say  to  this,  as  from  personal  knowledge  he  can  re- 
commend the  Atlantic  States  only? — And  in  the 
"  Letters,"  that  even  "land  in  Ohio  cannot 
"  be  had  at  less  than  from  -20  to  50  dollars  per 
"  acre;"  that  it  is  "technically  called  im- 
"  proved,"  but  it  is  in  "fact  deteriorated;" 
that  it  was  "  impossible  to  obtain  a  good  position 
"  in  Ohio,  at  a  price  which  common  prudence 
"  could  justify,  or  indeed  at  any  price."  To 
fairly  consider  those  statements  would  require  a 
repetition  of  the  information  which  I  sent  you 
from  Kentucky  and  Illinois  ;  to  that,  therefore, 
I  wish  to  direct  your  attention  ;  and  I  merely 
insert  an  advertisement  taken  from  the  Philadel- 
phia "  Democratic  Press,"  January  1818. 


426  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  «  LETTERS." 

"  OHIO  LANDS. 

"  Eleven  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  land,  for  sale  for  Cash, 
"  or  Real  Estate  in  Philadelphia,  situated  on  the  East  Fork 
"  ofTodd's  Creek,  a  branch  of  the  Little  Miami,  in  the 
<£  county  of  Clinton,  about  ten  miles  from  the  seat  of  justice, 
"  Wilmington  :  about  5  miles  from  Lebanon,  the  next  county 
"  town  ;  and  about  3  miles  from  the  great  mail  road  to  Cin- 
"  cinnati.  For  terms,  apply  at  the  office  of  the  Democratic 
"  Press,  or  of  William  Lowry,  Lebanon,  Ohio. 
««  Jan.  21 — wfmSt" 

The  price  asked  for  this  land  is  seven  dollars 
per  acre. 

The  power  of  capital  is  depicted  very  strongly. 
Mr.  B.  states,  "  the  faet  is,  however,  that  the 
"  profits  of  capital  on  every  thing  in  this  country 
"  are  marvellous.  In  the  case  of  live-stock,  the 
"  outgoings  are  so  small,  that  the  receipts  are 
"  nearly  all  clear."  (P.  18.)  Looking  at  this 
paragraph,  and  several  others  throughout  the 
"  Letters"  of  a  similar  tendency,  I  must  observe 
that  these  "  marvellous  projits"  are  matters  of 
speculation,  and,  like  all  such,  are  liable  to 
afford  great  success,  or  equally  exposed  to  great 
and  ruinous  failure  :  even  in  Mr.  Birkbeck's 
own  case,  they  are,  as  yet,  in  anticipation.  These 
miraculous  schemes  belong  more  to  the  age  of 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  than  to  the  sober  character 
of  the  nineteenth  century ;  but  in  Mr.  Birk- 
beck's letter  to  his  son,  he  remarks  upon  "  pro- 
"  Jits"  that  "  housekeeping  and  other  expences 
"  being  paid,  there  remains  a  profit  of  22  per 


INDUCEMENTS   TO    EMIGRATE. 

"  cent,  on  the  capital ;  and  you  are  improving 
"  your  own  estate."   (P.  49.) 

From  this,  which  is  a  defined  statement,  you 
may  derive  some  satisfaction  in  calculating  the 
profit  and  loss  of  a  removal  to  the  western  coun- 
try 5  and  not  be  induced  by  general  assertion  to 
expect  to  find  the  territory  of  Illinois  "paved 
"  with  gold,"  or  to  discover  there  the  philo- 
sopher's stone. 

Among  other  inducements  held  out  to  his 
friend  to  emigrate,  Mr.  B.  represents  even  ihe 
society  of  the  wilderness  as  desirable.  He  says, 
"  In  good  faith,  I  think  you  would  have  nothing 
"  to  regret  in  exchanging  such  a  circle  as  I 
"  fancy  yours  to  be,  for  any  society  that  would 
"  surround  you  in  these  wild  woods."  (P.  26.) 
What  this  latter  society  would  prove,  I  might 
pourtray  from  the  information  which  I  have 
myself  collected  ;  but  1  shall  prefer  quoting  Mr. 
Birkbeck's  own  excellent  description  from  other 
parts  of  his  work. 

"  Its  elements"  (those  of  society)  "  are  rude 
"  certainly,  and  heterogeneous.  The  first  settlers, 
«'  unprotected  and  unassisted,  amid  dangers  and 
"  difficulties,  have  been  accustomed,  from  early 
"  youth,  to  rely  on  their  own  powers  j  and  they 
"  surrender  with  reluctance,  and  only  by  halves, 
"  their  right  of  defence  against  every  aggression, 
"  even  to  the  laws  which  themselves  have  con- 
«  stituted?'  (P.  97-) 


428  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  LETTERS." 

These  laws,  we   are   told,  have  been  made, 
"  anxiously   studious   of  mildness;"  but   that 
in   practice  "  they   seem  inefficient :"  for  that 
"  deeds  of  savage  and  even  ferocious  violence" 
are   committed,    "  too  common  to   be   viewed 
"  with  the  abhorrence  due  to  them."     (P.  97.) 
This  admission  of  such  a  difference  between  the 
theory  of  law  and  its  practical  execution,  is  of  the 
first  importance  to  every  man  who  contemplates 
becoming  a  member  of  such  a  community  :  and 
this  though  \ve  are  told  in  the  succeeding  para- 
graph, that  the  innate   feeling  of  justice  is  so 
strong,  that  "  if  a  man,  whom  the  public  voice 
"  has  proclaimed  a  thief  or  a  swindler,  escapes 
"  from  justice  for  the  want  of  legal  proof  of  his 

"  gUllt,  THOUGH  THE  LAW  AND  A  JURY  OF  HIS 
"  FELLOW-CITIZENS  HAVE  ACQUITTED  HIM,  ten 

"  to  one  but  //••  is  met  icith  before  he  can  quit  the 
"  neighbourhood,  and,  tied  up  to  a  sapling,  re- 
"  ceives  a  scourging  that  marks  him  for  the  rest 
"  of  his  life!!!"  (P.  97,  98.) 

This  is  certainly  another  most  important  ad- 
mission •  and  although  it  may  be  passed  off  in 
half  seriousness  —  half  raillery — yet  it  is  no  joke 
to  be  told  that  a  man,  whom  "  the  laws  and  a 
"Jury  °f  his  fellow-citizens  have  acquitted" 
should  be  liable  "  to  be  tied  up  to  a  sapling,  and 
"  receive  a  scourging  that  may  mark  him  for  the 
"  rest  of  his  life."  There  are  no  doubt  some 
instances  where  this  barbarous  procedure  would 


MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  LETTERS."  429 

be  merited ;  but  how  often  is  the  "  public 
"  voice"  mistaken  in  its  "  proclamations  ?"  It 
is  also  to  be  presumed,  that  many  of  these  innate 
lovers  of  justice  were  not  in  court,  could  not 
have  heard  the  evidence,  and  yet  they  exercise, 
at  the  dictation  of  their  own  sovereign  will,  the 
power  of  inflicting  a  punishment  more  severe 
than  would  have  attended  convicted  villainy. 
The  judges  too  would  seem  to  partake  of  this 
"  free"  order  of  things.  "  A  notorious  offender 
"  had  escaped  from  confinement,  and,  mounted 
"  on  a  capital  horse,  paraded  the  town  where 
"  the  judge  resided  with  a  brace  of  pistols, 
"  calling  at  the  stores  and  grog-shops,  and  de- 
"  claring  he  would  shoot  any  man  who  should 
"  attempt  to  molest  him.  The  judge  hearing 
"  of  it,  loaded  a  pistol,  walked  deliberately  up 
«•  to  the  man  to  apprehend  him,  and  on  his 
"  making  a  shew  of  resistance,  shot  him  imme- 
"  diately  !"  (P.  62.) 

Of  what  benefit,  I  would  ask,  can  civilization, 
of  what  advantage  can  "  mild  laws,"  or  any 
laws  be,  to  a  people  that  have  such  judges, 
and  who.  set  their  own  legislature  at  defiance  ? 
who  disregard  the  verdict  of  a  jury,  and  who 
inflict  upon  an  ACQUITTED  fellow-citizen  "  deeds 
"  of  savage  and  even  ferocious  violence?" 
And  these  form  part  of  that  society  con- 
cerning which  Mr.  Birkbeck  writes  to  a  friend 
in  England,  that  he  would  "  have  nothing  to 


430  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  LETTERS." 

**  regret  in  making  the  exchange."  But  Mr. 
Birkbeck  is  satisfied,  and  "  liberty  is  no  subject 
««  of  dispute  or  speculation  among  us  back 
"  woods'  men  —  it  is  the  very  atmosphere  we 
"  breathe."  "  In  passing"  also  "  from  theory 
"  to  practice,"  Mr.  B.  "  has  experienced  no 
"  diminution  of  his  love  for  freedom  :"  nor 
have  I  done  so  either;  but  I  certainly  haw  ex- 
perienced a  most  sensible  diminution  in  inv 
love  for  the  possessors  of  freedom  ;  and  so  when 
I  consider  his  language  elsewhere,  I  must  con- 
clude has  Mr.  Birkbeck,  when  I  find  him  de- 
claring that  he  wants  language  to  express  "  the 
"  loathing"  he  feels  for  personal  slavery  ;  that 

when      "  PRACTISED     BY     FREE     MEN     IT   IS   MOST 

"  DETESTABLE  ;"  that  "  it  is  tfie  leprosy  of  the 
"  United  States,  a  foul  blotch,  which,  more  or 
"  less,  contaminates  the  ENTIRE  system  in  public 
"  and  in  private,  from  the  PRESIDENT'S  CHAIR 

"    TO   THE    CABIN    OF    THE    HUNTER!"    (P.  71*) 

Previous  to  my  offering  some  explanation  re- 
lative to  the  Kentucky  resolutions  in  favour  of  the 
Spanish  patriots,  I  would  remark,  that  the  Ame- 
rican emigration  to  the  western  country  is  cer- 
tainly very  great.  Mr.  Birkbeck  says  upon  this 
subject,  that  he  had  "  just  read  a  statement  of 
"  -500  emigrants  per  week  passing  through  Ai- 
"  bany  westward.  This  occurred  on  one  road, 
"  and  that  far  to  the  north.  If  it  were  really 
"  so  unwise  to  migrate  westward,  out  of  the 


WESTERN   EMIGRATION.  431 

€t  tens  (I  was  going  to  say  hundreds)  of  thou- 
"  sands  who  move  annually  from  the  eastern 
"  States  into  this  western  wilderness,  we  should 
"  hear  of  some  returning."  (P.  10,  11.)  With 
regard  to  the  force  of  the  remark,  that  so  many 
pass  on  one  road,  and  that  far  to  the  north,  it  is 
well  to  understand,  that  there  are  but  two  roads 
to  the  western  country  which  are  generally  fre- 
quented by  emigrants  ;  and  indeed  but  one  which 
is  travelled  by  stage  waggons.  Respecting  none 
returning,  I  insert  the  following  letter  from  the 
'*  Eastern  Argus  j"  not  because  it  conveys  my 
ideas,  for,  in  fact,  I  differ  from  the  writer,  but  to 
shew  that  opposite  opinions  are  entertained  upon 
the  subject  of  western  emigration. 

«  EMIGRATION  TO  THE  WEST. 
"  The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  from  a  gentleman 
who  recently  left  this  place  in  company  with  two  others, 
for  the  purpose  of  establishing  themselves  in  business  in  the 
western  country.  The  letter  speaks  too  plainly  for  itself 
to  stand  in  need  of  any  comments  of  ours.  We  have  never 
had  a  doubt  that  a  vast  number  of  the  emigrants,  we  be- 
lieve a  very  great  majority,  have  been  sorely  di-appointed 
in  their  calculation.  Many  have  returned,  and  many 
more,  after  spending  a  considerable  part  of  their  property 
in  a  long  and  expensive  journey,  have  found  themselves 
obliged,  much  against  their  will,  to  continue.  Some  we 
have  known  who,  after  spending  all  their  property  in  jour, 
neying  over  the  country  to  find  a  suitable  place  for  settles 
«'  ment,  have  returned  as  soon  as  they  could  save,  with  great 
"  frugality,  enough  from 'their  earnings  to  pay  their  expences 
"  home.  We  recommend  this  letter  to  those  who  are  about 
*'  to  seek  for  mines  of  wealth  beyond  the  mountains  ;  but  at 


1.32  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  "  LETTERS." 

"  all  events,  before  embarking  their  fortune  in  such  an  en- 

"  terpri.se,   \ve  would  urge  upon  them  to  see  and  converse 

"  with  some  judicious   person  who   has  had  an  opportunity 

"  of  seeing   the  country  and  fudging  from  his  own  observ- 

"  ation. 

"  Cincinnati,   Aug.  13,  1817. 

"  DEAR  SIR, 

"  I  arrived  here  the  6rst  day  of  the  present  month,  after 
"  a  tedious  journey  down  the  river  of  twelve  days,  and  must 
"  confess  I  am  greatly  disappointed  in  my  expectations, 
*'  I  received  two  letters  to  this  place  from  the  brother  of 
*'  Ruggles  Whiting,  he  being  at  Boston  himself.  After 
"  showing  my  documents  to  the  gentlemen  to  whom  they 
*'  were  directed,  and  receiving  from  them  all  the  civilities 
"  they  could  bestow,  and  opinions  as  to  business,  I  am  con- 
"  vinced  that  it  would  be  folly  in  the  extreme  for  me  to 
*'  attempt  to  do  any  thing  in  the  grocery  line.  Business, 
<c  they  say,  is  duller  than  it  ever  was  before  known.  We 
"  all,  to  tell  the  truth,  are  disappointed,  and  are  determined 
"  not  to  stop  here  longer  than  a  week  from  this.  We  are 
"  at  present  undetermined  what  route  to  take  ;  there  are 
«'  only  two  that  we  have  in  mind  ;  one  is,  to  wait  here  about 
"  three  weeks  and  then  take  passage  to  New  Orleans,  for 
"  which  we  can  receive  fifty  dollars  a  piece,  and  not  much 
"  labour,  only  to  use  the  oars  to  keep  the  boat  from  striking 
"  rocks.  These  boats  are  about  25  feet  long  and  15  wide, 
"  and  carry  from  S  to  500  barrels  salt,  flour,  &c.  :  the  cur- 
"  rent  sets  them,  in  good  water,  from  80  to  100  miles  per  day. 
"  The  other  route  is  to  tramp  from  here  to  Alexandria  (Col.) 
"  which  is  not  far  from  600  miles.  I  think  we  shall  adopt 
"  the  former. 

"  I  will  state  some  of  the  disadvantages  that  present 
"  themselves  ;  the  first  is,  my  goods  must  come  from  New 
"  Orleans,  which  is  1700  miles  from  this  :  I  have  to  pay  five 
"  cents  on  the  pound  for  transportation  :  their  usual  passage 
"  from  here  to  that  place  is  about  30  days ;  from  that  to 
"  this  100  days;  and  by  the  time  I  could  get  my  goods 
"  here,  it.  would  co-t  me  all  the  cash  I  have  for  board,  which 


SPANISH    PATRIOTS,  433 

"  is  from  three  to  seven  dollars  per  week.  Shop-rent  is 
"  higher  here  than  in  Boston.  You  cannot  hire  a  store  here 
"  like  one  in  Haymarket  Row  [[PortlandJ  under  1300  dollars 
"  theyear.  As  to  health,  I  am  told  by  a  doctor  whom  I  have 
"  had  to  vaccinate  me,  that  there  are  in  this  place  eighteen  of 
"  his  profession,  and  all  of  them  getting  rich  ;  and  I  should 
"  think  they  would  —  he  charged  me  two  dollars  for  vaccin- 
"  ating. 

"  Upon  the  whole  I  must  say,  that  I  wish  myself  in  New 
"  England,  and  probably  shall  be  in  about  three  months.  I 
"  should  advise  no  friend  to  emigrate  to  this  place,  except 
"  he  be  a  farmer,  and  he  ought  to  come  (if  at  all)  at  ten 
"  years  of  age,  and  by  the  time  he  is  forty,  if  he  is  indus- 
"  trious,  may  do. 

"  This  probably  will  be  the  last  you  will  hear  of  me  until 
"  about  the  1st  of  October,  when  I  expect  to  be  ir\  New 
u  Orleans. 

"  Respectfully,  &c. 


At  page  103,  Mr.  Birkbeck  inserts  the  excel- 

lent Resolutions  passed  in  the  State  of  Kentucky 

in  favour  of  the  Spanish  Patriots.    The  inference 

which  the    reader  must    naturally   draw   from 

thence  is,   that  these  resolutions  are  expressive 

of  the  feelings  of  Americans  generally  upon  that 

interesting  subject.     Mr.  B.  observes,   in   intro- 

ducing them,  that  they  "  shew  that  the  citizens 

"  of  Kentucky  are  sensible   that  to  be  in  the 

"  possession  and  exercise  of  the  rights  of  self- 

"  government  is   a  blessing;"   (Kentucky  is  a 

slave  State')  —  "  and  that  their  hearts  are  enlarged 

"  by  it,  and  inflamed,  not  by  jealousy  of  their 

"  neighbours'  welfare,  but  with  zeal  to  promote 

"  it."     That  "  these  resolutions  are  indicative 

F  F 


4-31-          ;UR.  BJRKBECK'S  "  LETTERS." 

"  of  a  good  spirit,   and  thus   are  in  accordance 
"  with  the  general  feeling,  as  far  as  I  can  gather, 
"  of  the  citizens  of  all  the   States  of  the  Union" 
Now  what  are  the  simple  facts  of  this  case?  — 
Mr.  Clay,    the  speaker  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, is  a  resident  of,  and  member  deputed 
from  Kentucky ;  he  is  well  known  to  be  strain- 
ing every  nerve  to  obtain  the  next  Presidency  ; 
he  is  extremely  mortified  at  Mr.  Adams's  having 
received  an  appointment  to  the  office  (Secretary 
of  State)  which  is  considered  that  of  the  "  heir 
"  apparent ;"  he  is  taking  every  safe  means  to 
thwart  the  proceedings  of  the  general  govern- 
ment ;    he  sees  that  they  are  backward   in  the 
cause  of  the  patriots  ;   he  knows  that  by  being 
its  advocate  he  will  not  endanger  any  acquired' 
popularity,  for  the  Americans  theoretically  cannot 
oppose  the  glorious  cause  of  the  Spanish  colo- 
nies, and  in  the  probable  event  of  their  success 
he  will  acquire  the  character  of  a  great  statesman. 
He  therefore  set  on  foot,  in  the  legislature  of  that 
State  in  which  he  had  most  influence(Kentucky), 
resolutions  in  favour  of  the  patriots.    When  they 
were  discussed  in  the  senate  of  Kentucky,  counter 
resolutions  were  proposed  by  Mr.  Owens,  as  a 
substitute  for  those  of  Mr.  Bledsoe  ;  but  upon 
the  vote  the  latter  passed.     Let  us  next  look  at 
the  assertion  that  these  resolutions  are  in  accord 
ance  with  the  general  feelings  of  the   "  citizens 
"  of  all  the  States  in  the  Union"    From   what 
sources,  I  would  ask,  and  I  ask  it  with  regret,  are 


SPANISH    PATRIOTS. 

we  justified  in  drawing  this  inference  ?  Is  it  from 
the  law  recently  passed  to  prevent  the  shipment 
of  warlike  stores?  is  it  from  the  seizure  of 
Amelia  Island?  is  it  from  the  irnprisonment-and 
barbarous  treatment  of  the  British  officers  at 
Philadelphia,  who  were  there  on  their  route  to 
join  the  patriots  (and  because  they  were  going  to 
join  the  patriots)  ?  or  is  it  from  the  very  remark- 
able fact,  that,  1  believe,  up  to  the' day  of  my  leav- 
ing America,  which  was  the  10th  May,  (although 
the  resolutions  are  copied  from  the  "  Western 
"  Citizen'*  of  the  10th  February,)  not  one 
state,  county,  city,  or  borough  throughout  the 
whole  Union  had  followed  the  example  of  Ken- 
tucky !!! 

I  have  been  thus  free  in  my  strictures  upon 
Mr.  Birkbeck's  "  Letters"  because  I  have  seen 
the  effect  which  they  have  produced  upon  your 
minds,  and  I  believe  that  effect  to  be  an  improper 
one.  This  has  arisen,  I  apprehend,  more  from 
the  mode  in  which  the  information  is  conveyed 
than  from  the  information  itself;  for  it  appears 
to  me  that  throughout  the  work  there  are  those 
admissions  which  no  colouring  ought  to  prevent 
the  mind  of  a  reader  from  viewing  as  most 
serious  considerations,  connected  with  an  Illinois 
settlement.  Mr.  Birkbeck,  in  fact,  writes  with 
such  superior  talent,  throwing  at  the  same  time 
such  a  charm  over  every  thing  he  describes, 
that  it  is  difficult  not  to  be  captivated  —  and 
influenced,  as  he  has  naturally  been,  by  his 
F  F  2 


4-36  MR.  BIIIKBECK'S  "  LETTERS." 

situation ;  giving  little  or  no  attention  to  the 
important  consideration  that  the  mass  of  those 
who  read  his  book  know  nothing  of  the  objec- 
tions to  the  country  concerning  which  he  writes  j 
that  they  really  can  have  no  conception  of  the 
entire  change  of  life  which  is  required  —  of  the 
extreme  (tiffin-nee  which  exists  between  an  Eng- 
lish residence,  and  one  in  the  back  woods  of 
America ;  and  that  many  of  them  may  possess 
neither  the  e&thlttiftsm  nor  the  accommodateablc- 
ness  (as  a  correspondent  of  mine  at  Liverpool 
expressed  it)  of  which  Mr.  Birkbeck  and  IMS 
family  so  evidently  and  so  largely  partake  :  —  I 
say,  not  perhaps  sufficiently  attending  to  these 
circumstances,  he  appears  to  me  to  bring  every 
thing  which  is  pleasing  in  his  new  settlement 
forward  upon  the  canvas,  throwing  every  ob- 
jection into  the  shade,  insomuch  that  his  two 
works,  however  contrary  to  his  actual  intention, 
have,  I  really  fear,  the  effect,  to  general  readers, 
of  making  "  the  worse  appear  the  better 
reason/'  For  myself,  highly  as  1  think  of  Mr. 
Birkbeck,  (though  1  have  not  the  honour  of  a 
personal  acquaintance,)  and  anxious  as  I  cer- 
tainly am,  that  in  the  event  of  our  going  to 
Illinois,  we  should  be  in  his  neighbourhood, 
yet  we  must  all  of  us  be  ready  "to  allow  that 
every  one  in  resolving  upon  a  measure  so  impor- 
tant, not  only  to  himself  but  to  his  posterity, 
should  examine  and  re-examine  every  statement ; 
exercising  the  most  deliberate  caution,  and,  if 


THE  AMERICAN  PEOPLE.         437 

possible,  expelling  altogether  the  mere  sug- 
gestions of  the  imagination,  remembering  that, 
in  the  language  of  Mr.  Birkbeck,  the  country  he 
describes  ."  is  the  real  world,  and  no  poetical 
"  Arcadia." 

In  going  to  America  then,  I  would  say  gene- 
rally,  the  emigrant  must  expect  to  find  —  not  an 
economical  or  cleanly  people  j  not  a  social  or  ge- 
nerous people  ;  not  a  people  of  enlarged  ideas  j 
not  a  people  of  liberal  opinions,  or  towards  whom 
you  can  express  your  thoughts  "  free  as  air ;" 
not  a  people  friendly  to  the  advocates  of  liberty 
in  Europe  ;  not  a  people  who  understand  liberty 
from   investigation  and  from  principle ;    not   a 
people  who    comprehend   the   meaning  of  the 
words   "  honour"  and  "  generosity."     On   the 
other   hand  he   will   find   a  country   possessed 
of  the  most  enlightened  civil  and  political  ad- 
vantages ;    a   people   reaping   the    full   reward 
of  their   own    labours,    a   people   not    paying 
tythes,  and  not    subjected  to    heavy    taxation 
without  representation ;  a  people  with  a  small 
national   debt ;    a  people  without  spies  and  in- 
formers ;    a  people  without  an  enormous  stand- 
ing army ;    a  people  in  possession  of  an  extent 
of  territory  capable  of  sustaining  an  increase  of 
millions  and  tens  of  millions  of  population  ;  and 
a  people   rapidly   advancing  towards   national 
wealth  and  greatness. 

The  classes  of  British  society  who  would  be 
F  F  3 


438  CLASSES    WHO    SHOULD    EMIGRATE. 

benefited   by  an  exchange  of  country,   are,  I 
conceive,   first,   that  large   and    much    injured 
body   of  men,    who   are   here   chained  to   the 
country   and   the   political    system,    which    op- 
presses and  grinds  them  to  the  earth,  —  1  mean 
our    extreme  poor.     They    would    not    be    in 
America  a  week,  before  they  would  experience 
a  rapid  advance  in  the  scale  of  being.     Instead 
of  depending  for  subsistance  upon  chanty  soup, 
occasional  parochial    relief,    and   bowing   with 
slavish  submission  to  the  tyrant  of  the  poor-house; 
they  would,  if  industrious  and  willing  to  labour, 
earn  4s.  fid.  to  fi>.  !kl.  a  day,  have  meat  at  least 
seven  times  in  the  week,  and  know  «'  no  one  who 
"  could  make  them  afraid."     The  second  class 
would  be  the  mechanics,  in  branches  of  first  ne- 
cessity, with  the  general  exclusion,  however,  of 
those  acquainted  with  the  British  staple  manu. 
factures  of  cotton  and  woollen   only ;    but  for 
others,  whose  earnings  here  are   under  30s.  a 
week,  or  whose  employment  is  of  that  precarious 
nature,  that   they  cannot  reasonably  calculate, 
by  the  exercise  of  prudence  and  economy,  on 
laying  by  any  thing  for  what  is  called  "  a  rainy 
day,"  or  on  making  a  provision  for  old  age  — 
for  such  persons  as  these,  particularly  if  they 
have,  or  anticipate  tlte  having  a  family,  emigra- 
tion to  America  will  certainly  advance  their  pe- 
cuniary interests,  though  it  may  not  enlarge  their 
mental  sphere   of  enjoyments.     To   these  two 

M 


CLASSES    WHO    SHOULD    EMIGRATE.          439 

classes,   I  would  further  add  that  of  the  small 
farmer  who  has  a  family,  for  whom  he  can  now 
barely  provide  the  necessaries  of  life,  and  con- 
cerning a  provision  for  whom,  when  his  own  grey 
hairs  are  approaching  to  the  grave,  he  can  look 
forward  with  but  little  confidence  or  satisfaction  ; 
to  such  a  man,  if  he  should  have  one  hundred 
pounds  clear,  that  is,  after  paying  all  his  expences 
of  removal,  &c.,  America  decidedly  offers  induce- 
ments very   superior  to  those  afforded  by  this 
country.     Such  a  father  would  there  feel  him- 
self relieved  from  a  load  of  anxiety,  the  weight 
of  which  upon  his  spirits,  and  its  influence  in 
repressing  his  exertions,   he  is  perhaps  himself 
scarcely  aware  of,  till    he  feels  the  difference 
by  comparison  when  he  has  shaken  it  off  in  the 
New  World; — but  still  to  every  proposed  emi- 
grant, even  of  these  classes,   1  would  say,  that 
he  must  not  expect  to  find  either  the  country 
full  of  gold,  or  its  inhabitants  as  agreeable  or 
as  sociable  as  the   perhaps   unequalled   people 
of  England.     He   must    prepare    too  for  very 
many  privations,    and   should   previously   have 
the  mind  of  his  family,  particularly  that  of  the 
mother  of  his  children,  so  entirely  in    unison 
with  his  own,  that  they  can  all  have  the  fortitude 
and  good  sense   necessary  to   bear  under   the 
numerous  privations  they  will  certainly  be  sub- 
jected to,  keeping  in  mind  the  substantial  ad- 
vantages they  will  enjoy,  and  setting  off  present 
F  F  4 


CLASSES    Wi  EM1GRA 

evil  against  their  future  and  increasing  prospe- 
rity, which,  in  such  a  country,  with  a  soil 

yet  uncultivated,  and  in  the  infancy  of  its  re- 
cces, may  be  considered  as   almost  insured 
to  them. 

The  man  of  smaii  .ittie 

about  politics,  to  whom  the  comfort*  .  _  and 
are  perhaps  in  some  _  essentiai,  but  who 
wishes  to  curtail  his  expend!  t  A  Id  not 

act  wisely  by  emigrating  to  America.  Indeed, 
should  such  a  man  make  the  attempt,  he  would 
return  as  expeditiously  as  did  a  :  .vho 

arrived  at  >rk  in  the  Pacific,  on  the  - 

March,  with  the  intention  of  continuing,  but 
who  took  a  passage  back  in  the  same  vessel  the 
following  week  ;  —  tht\  u«.:n  to  America  in  the 
cabin,  they  departed  from  it  in  the  steerage. 

The  artist  may  succeed,  but  the  probability 
is,  that  he  will  not  do  so.  I  know  instances  on 
both  sides,  where,  perhaps,  equal  talent  has 
been  possessed.  AM  -,  a  portrait-painter, 

•who  was  a  fellow-passenger  in  the  Wa>hington, 
has  been  eminently  successful  in  New  York ; 

Mr. ,  who  arrived  about  the  same  time, 

has  been  unable  to  procure  his  boarding  ex- 
pences.  Generally,  I  should  anticipate,  judging 
from  the  character  and  habits  of  the  people, 
that,  at  least,  the  superior  artist  would  not  find 
it  to  his  advantage  to  emigrate.  The  law 
and  the  doctor,  and,  turning  to  another  class, 


EMIGRATION.  441 

the  clerk  and  the  shopman,  will  find  no  opening 
in  America. 

The  London  linen  and  woollen  draper,  and 
haberdasher,  who  has  large  capital,  good  con- 
nections in  this  country,  and  who  would  adopt 
the  most  improved  English  modes  of  transacting 
retail  business,  would,  I  think,  be  very  success- 
ful;  —  though,  it  should  be  understood,  that 
shopkeeping  is  overdone  throughout  America; 
but  their  plan  of  doing  business  is  so  defect 
that  I  conceive  there  may  be  a  favourable  op- 
portunity for  a  person  with  the  above  qualifi- 
cations. 

A  literary  man  will  not  meet  with  any  encou- 
ragement, the  American  library  being  imported, 
and  newspaper  editors  having  no  inducement 
to  occupy  their  talents  upon  any  topics  beyond 
extracts  from  English  papers,  advertisements, 
and  shipping  intelligence. 

The  very  superior  mechanic,  in  a  business  of 
which  the  articles  have  heretofore  been  import- 
ed, might  succeed ;  and  if  he  did  so  at  all,  it 
would  probably  be  in  an  eminent  degree.  Two 
cases  of  this  sort  came  under  my  knowledge : 

Mr. ,  of  P ~,  manufacturer  of  bird-cages, 

fenders,  and  brass  stands  for  fire-places,  arrived 
in  America,  without  property,  has  brought  up 
a  large  family,  and  is  now  a  man  of  considerable 

wealth.      Mr. ,  of ,  a  piano-forte 

m;iker,  has  been  similarly  successful.     I  do  not 


W2  CLASSES    TO    EMIGRATE. 

state'these  cases  on  the  ground  that  there  is  now 
an  opening  in  either  of  these  callings,  hut 
merely  as  illustrative  of  the  idea  given  at  the 
commencement  of  this  paragraph. 
x.  The  merchant  I  do  not  conceive  would  be  very 
successful,  that  being  a  profession  so  adapted  to 
the  native  American  habits,  and  besides  it  is 
entirely  pre-occupied. 

To  the  capitalist,  as  such,  I  hardly  know 
what  to  sa)  :  America  is  the  country  of  specu- 
lation, and  therefore,  as  such,  capital  miglit  be 
employed  with  singular  advantage.  On  the 
whole,  to  such  I  can  only  recommend  a  perusal 
of  the  previous  detail>. 

Knowing  that  you  feel  interested  in  Mr.  Birk- 
beck's  settlement,  I  forward  a  plan  of  it,  which 
was  sent  from  Illinois  to  this  country  a  short 
time  before  my  arrival  in  that  territory,  by  a 
gentleman  connected  with  Mr.  Birkbeck. 


MR.  BIRKBECK  S    RESIDENCE. 


443 


Plan  shelving  the  situation  of  Mr.  Birkbeck'sand  Mr.  Flower's 
Jirst  purchase  in  the  Illinois  territory. 

Range  X.  Township  II.  East  of  3d.  Meridian. 


East 


Note.  —  Evei'y  square  in  the  above  is  one  mile,  or  640 
acres,  36  miles  forming  a  township;  the  squares  are  called 
sections. 

REFERENCES,  &c. 

'"  EKGLISH  PRAIRIE,"  in  lat.  38°  30'  N.  and  long.  88°  W. 
of  London,  Ls  4-i  miles  long,  and  4-  miles  wide ;  it  is  high  on 
the  N.  and  E.  sides,  and  lies  on  a  ridge  about  equal  distances 
(6  miles)  from  the  Great  and  the  Little  Wabash. 

The  strong  lines  inclose  Mr.  Birkbeck's  and  Mr.  Flower's 
purchases. 


444  MR.  BIRKBECK'S  RESIDENCE. 

f  Site,  said  to  be  that  intended  for  Mr.  Birkbeck's  house. 

Proposed  line  of  cotta. 

O  A  hunting  cabin  of  Mr.  Birkbeck's  party. 

Entries  of  American  back  woods'  men,  all  but  six 

of  which  are  said  to  have  been  made  between  August  and 
November  1817. 


APPENDIX. 


FOR  THE  INFORMATION  OF  EMIGRANTS. 

CHOICE  OF  A  VESSEL. —  A  ship  is  preferable  to  a  brig, 
as  the  sea  motion  in  the  former  will  be  less  felt,  and  the 
accommodations  are  generally  superior.  The  English 
ships  in  the  American  trade  are  not  equal  to  those  in 
other  trades ;  whilst,  on  the  contrary,  the  best  American 
vessels  are  in  the  British  trade ;  so  that  it  is  well  to  select 
an  American  ship,  the  safe  age  of  which  will  be  according 
to  the  quality  of  the  timber  and  the  building,  and  these 
can  only  be  known  by  persons  very  conversant  in  those 
subjects.  There  are  certain  ships  of  established  reputation, 
a  few  of  which  go  to  the  port  of  London,  and  a  greater 
number  to  Liverpool ;  among  the  former  are  the 
Electra,  Captain  Robinson,  and  the  Tontine,  Captain 
Turly,  for  Philadelphia;  the  Criterion,  Captain  Ave7*y, 
and  the  Minerva  Smyth  (a  very  superior  ship),  Captain 
Allen,  for  New  York ;  there  is  also  the  Venus  of  New 
York,  the  character  of  which  is,  I  believe,  respectable ; 
but  I  cannot  speak  of  her  from  personal  knowledge. 
From  the  port  of  Liverpool  there  are  a  great  number  of 
first-rate  ships  for  Philadelphia,  Boston,  and  New  York  ; 
among  the  latter  is  what  are  called  the  "  Packet  Line," 
which  consists  of  the  Pacific,  (an  old  but  good  vessel,) 
Captain  Williams ;  the  Amity,  Captain  Stanton  ;  the 
Courier,  Captain  Bowne;  and  the  James  Munroe, 
Captain  Watkinson  (Captain  Watkinson  is  a  careful 
and  excellent  seaman).  One  of  these  vessels  sails  punc- 
tually on  the  first  of  every  month  from  Liverpool.  The 


446  APPENDIX. 

charge  for  passage  is,  in  the  cabin  45  guineas,  which 
includes  wine,  and,  indeed,  almost  every  luxury  —  in 
the  steerage  H\.  exclusive  of  every  thing  but  water. 
The  house  of  Cropper,  Benson,  and  I'o.  at  Liverpool, 
are  the  agents  for  these  ship*;,  which  are  lirst-rate  in 
every  respect,  and  all  their  commanders  are  men  of 
great  experience.  There  are  also,  quite  equal  to  these, 
the  Nestor,  Captain  Stirling  ;  the  Atlantic,  Captain 
Matlock;  and  the  Anne  Maria,  Captain  Waite  (of  the 
latter  vessel  and  captain,  Mr.  Flower,  who  recently  went 
in  her  with  a  large  party  to  the  United  States,  speaks  in 
the  very  highest  terms) :  to  these  I  would  add,  as  re- 
spectable ships,  the  Ann,  the  Carolina  Ann,  aud  the 
Importer.  There  are  -r\t  ral  olhi-r-  of  this  class  with 
whose  character  1  am  not  familiar ;  but  it  would  be  judi- 
cious in  every  person  to  make  minute  enquiries  as  to  the 
character  of  the  ship  and  captain  with  which  they  pro- 
pose engauMii^  :  tor  it  *>hould  be  known  that  there  are 
some  very  indifferent  American  >hip»,  which  go  to  both 
Liverpool  and  London,  and  particularly  the  latter  port. 
A  regular  tradei  is  generally  to  be  preferred  to  a  chance 
ship.  The  prices  (with  the  exception  of  the  packet  ships) 
will  vary  according  to  circumstance  :  lor  the  cabin  from 
30  to  *5,  and  for  the  steerage  from  7  to  10  guineas. 
It  should  be  remarked  that  even  this  is  a  subject  of 
barter.  A  few  ships  sail  from  Bristol  aud  Greenock  for 
New  York  —  the  Fanny  from  the  latter  port  is  rather 
celebrated.  A  passage  from  Havre,  in  France,  to  Ame- 
rica, is  often  to  be  obtained  much  cheaper  than  from 
this  country.  Should  a  large  party  engage  the  same 
vessel,  they  would  act  prudently  to  procure  an  extra 
boat,  for  in  case  of  accident  or  shipwreck,  the  tuo  ship- 
boats  would  not  be  found  sufficient  ;  and  upon  such 
melancholy  occurrences  the  crew  commonly  cs.caj.i,  and 
the  passengers  are  lo>t. 


ADVICE    TO    EMIGRANTS.  447 

CABIN  PASSENGERS,  though  supplied  by  the  Captain, 
would  find  a  small  private  stock  desirable.  A  plum 
cake,  soda  powders,  a  few  good  apples  and  oranges  (the 
latter  will  keep  if  not  previously  bruised,  and  if  each 
orange  is  carefully  rolled  in  paper),  preserves  of  several 
4dnds,  and  cider,  which  will  be  found  particularly  plea- 
sant at  sea. 

STEERAGE  PASSENGERS  should  provide  for  seventy, 
though  they  may  not  be  out  more  than  fifty  days.  They 
are  compelled  by  law  to  take  SOlbs.  of  meat.  I 
should  recommend  a  variety ;  say  SOlbs.  of  beef,  20  of 
ham,  20  of  tongue,  10  of  bacon  :  herrings  are  plea- 
sant, and  salt  cod  particularly  so,  when  eaten  with  egg- 
sauce  :  50lbs.  of  bread,  of  the  best  biscuit,  and  loaves  cut 
in  slices  and  toasted  :  rusks  will  be  found  very  pleasant 
in  tea :  30  to  40lbs.  of  flour ;  a  few  pounds  of  oatmeal  ; 
ditto  of  rice;  ditto  of  groats;  ditto  of  arrow-root;  10 
cheese ;  1  OOlbs.  potatoes.  Have  a  small  net  bag  to  boil 
them  in :  this  will  prevent  confusion  with  the  cook,  and 
also  their  being  exchanged  for  others  of,  perhaps,  an 
inferior  quality.  5lbs.  coffee,  ground,  and  kept  corked  in 
a  bottle,  for  the  purpose  of  excluding  the  atmospheric 
air:  lib.  tea;  14lbs.  sugar:  a  small  quantity  of  spirits, 
of  wine,  and  bottled  porter :  the  latter,  mixed  with  an 
equal  quantity  of  water,  with  sugar  and  nutmeg,  will  be 
found  very  agreeable.  Have  a  definite  understanding 
for  the  quantity  of  water  per  day.  A  filtering  machine 
can  be  bought  at  79.  Titchfield-street,  London,  for  20s. 
Eggs  to  be  kept  in  bran,  and  frequently  turned.  lOlbs. 
butter.  Milk  will  keep,  if  boiled,  and  mixed  with  sugar, 
in  the  proportion  of  2lbs.  to  the  quart.  If  the  articles 
enumerated  under  the  head  Cabin  Passengers  can  be 
afforded,  they  would  be  found  particularly  pleasant.  If 
there  are  females  in  the  party,  there  should  be  some 
fowls.  A  few  tin  articles  for  the  purposes  of  cooking, 


448  APPENDIX. 

&c.  Sea  sickness  cannot  be  prevented  by  any  thing 
with  which  I  am  acquainted,  though  it  can  be  materially 
lessened  by  being  as  much  as  possible  upon  deck,  and  by 
eating  little  at  a  time,  and  frequently. 

In  choosing  a  birth,  either  in  the  cabin  or  steerage, 
the  middle  of  the  vessel,  or  as  near  to  it  as  can  be  pro- 
cured, is  desirable  on  account  of  the  ship's  motion 
being  there  less  felt.  Books  will  be  an  occasional,  and 
but  an  occasional,  relief  to  the  monotony  of  a  sea 
voyage.  Those  of  a  light  and  amusing  character  are 
the  most  suitable.  Reading  for  more  than  half  an  hour 
at  any  one  time  produces  the  head-ache,  and  sensibly 
affects  the  eyes.  Medicines  are  an  important  article  of 
sea  stores:  they  should  be  in  pills,  and  taken  frequently, 
with  great  exactness,  at  stated  periods,  and  in  as  small 
quantities  as  can  possibly  produce  the  eflect.  Steerage 
passengers  should  have  a  specific  agreement  with  the 
captain  for  the  use  of  the  phice  <>l 'convenit -nee :  this  is  an 
important  consideration ;  and  I  have  heard  of  great  in- 
convenience experienced  by  such  persons  in  being  denied 
this.  A  flute,  a  violin,  and  a  pack  of  cards,  are  plea- 
sant companions. 

Packing  up. — A  SELECTION  should  be  made  in  a  box 
by  themselves  of  clothes  intended  to  be  worn  at  sea. 
Those  of  the  most  inferior  kind  will  do  as  well  as  the 
best.  A  warm  great  coat  will  be  found  useful.  Tin- 
provision  casks  should  be  written  on  **  Si  ores."  Bag- 
gage must  be  entered  at  the  .Custom-house;  and  in 
procuring  a  cockct,  care  should  be  taken  that  the  whole 
of  the  packages  are  enumerated  ^  if  this  is  neglected,  an 
additional  expence  will  be  incurred. 

Articles  desiralde  to  be  taken  out.  —  Clothing  of  every 
kind,  except  silks  and  silk  pocket  handkerchiefs.  Females 
would  do  well  to  take  no  article  of  dress,  particular 
in  appearance.  Men's  trowsers  should  be  of  the  Wei- 


ADVICE    TO   EMIGRANTS.  449 

lington  kind  only.  The  American  fashions  differ  in  some 
things  from  ours ;  and  any  deviation  from  them  is  much 
remarked  upon.  Most  convenient  and  unbreakable 
articles  of  domestic  utensils.  No  cabinet  furniture.  A 
good  stock  of  table-linen  and  bedding :  whether  feather- 
beds  are  desirable  or  not  is,  I  believe,  questionable. 
Carpeting,  if  it  can  be  cut  to  suit  other  sized  rooms ; 
stationery  of  every  kind;  agricultural  implements; 
musical  and  philosophical  instruments. 

United  States'  Duties  an  Importation  upon  the  following 
Articles : 

Par  Cent. 

Side  and  Fire  Arms             -  20 

All  articles  manufactured  of  brass  -       2Q 

Buttons  20 

Bonnets                -  30 

Bridles  and  Saddles  30 

Books  (blank)  SO 

Cutlery  20 

All  articles  manufactured  of  cotton  -    25 

Millinery  30 

All  articles  manufactured  of  copper  -     20 

Ditto  of  pewter  20 

Ditto  of  steel  20 

Ditto  of  tin  20 

Parasols  and  Umbrellas  30 

Paper  30 

Printing  Types  20 

All  articles  manufactured  of  wool  25 

Ditto  of  wood  30 

Ditto  of  earthen  and  stone  ware  20 

Ale  and  Beer  in  bottles,  per  gallon  8d. 

Ditto  in  casks  5£d. 

Shoes  (leather),  per  pair       -  13d. 

G  6 


.450  APPENDIX. 

Articles  free  of  Daties . 

Philosophical  Apparatus,  if  specially  imported  by  order, 
and  for  the  use  of  any  society,  incorporated  for  phi- 
losophical or  literary  purposes,  or  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  the  fine  arts,  or  by  order  and  for  the  use  of 
any  seminary  of  learning. 

Anatomical  Preparations. 

Animals  imported  for  breed. 

Wearing  Apparel,  and  other  personal  baggage,  in 
actual  use. 

Rate  of  Coins  .• 

English  Pound  Sterling  is  4  dollars,  44  cents. 

Irish  ditto,  4  dollars,   10  cents. 

French  Livre,  1 8$  cents. 

Dutch  Florin,  or  Guilder,  40  cents. 


Fees  of  Officers : 

To  the  Collectors  and  Naval  Officers-, 
Even'  port  entry  2  dollars. 
Permit  to  land  goods,  20  cents. 
Every  bond  taken  officially,  40  cents. 
Bill  of  health,  20  cents. 

(There  is  commonly  a  demand  of  two  dollars  made 
for  this  by  the  captain:  this  is,  of  course,  an 
imposition.) 

Passengers'  Baggage,  Sfc. 

Entry  is  to  be  made  by  passengers  of  all  clothes,  tools 
or  implements  of  trade,  or  profession,  arriving  in  the 
United  States  to  settle,  which  articles  are  exempted  from 
duty.  The  form  of  such  entry,  and  oath  respecting  the 
same,  as  follows: 


ADVICE   TO   EMIGRANTS.  451 

Entry  of  baggage,  wearing  apparel,  8$c.  imparted  by 

in  the  master,  from 

New-York, 

(Here  the  particulars  to  be  inserted.) 

District  of 

Port  of 

I,  do  solemnly,  sincerely,  and  truly 

swear,  (or  affirm,)  that  the  entry  subscribed  by  me  and 
hereto  annexed,  contains,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge 
and  belief,  a  just  and  true  account  of  the  contents  of 
the  several  mentioned  in  the  said 

entry,  imported  in  the  from 

and  that  they  contain  no  goods,  wares,  or  metchandise 
whatever,  other  than  the  wearing  apparel  and  other  per- 
sonal baggage  (or  if  the  case  require)  and  the  tools  of 
the  trade  of  all  which  are  the  pro- 

perty of  who  has,  or  have  arrived, -who 

is,  or  are  shortly  expected  to  arrive  in  the  United  States : 
and  are  not  directly  or  indirectly  imported  for  any  other 
person  or  persons,  or  intended  for  sale. 

So  HELP  ME  GOD. 

If  the  articles  shall  be  entered  by  any  other  person 
than  the  owner,  bond  to  be  given  in  a  sum  equal  to  the 
amount  of  what  the  duties  would  be,  if  imported  subject 
to  duty  :  that  the  owner  shall  within  one  year  verify  such 
entry  on  oath,  or  the  collector  may  direct  such  baggage 
to  be  examined;  and  if  any  article  is  contained  therein, 
which  ought  to  pay  duty,  entry  must  be  made  thereof; 
and  if  an  entry  is  made  as  aforesaid,  and  upon  examin- 
ation thereof,  any  article  is  found  therein  subject  to 
duty,  (not  haviag  been  expressed  at  the  time  of  making 
the  entry)  it  is  forfeited,  and  the  person  in  whose  bag- 

G  G    2 


452  APPENDIX. 

gage  the  same  shall  be  found,  forfeits  and  shall  pay  treble 
the  value  thereof. 

Mechanics,  intending  to  continue  as  such,  would  d'j> 
well  to  remain  in  New  York,  Baltimore,  or  Philadelphia, 
until  they  become  familiarised  with  the  country.  Per- 
sons designing  to  settle  in  the  western  States  will  save 
some  expences  by  landing  in  Philadelphia.  Those  to 
whom  a  few  pounds  is  not  an  object,  will  shorten  their 
voyage  two  or  three  days  by  arriving  at  New  York. 
The  summer  route  from  thence  to  Philadelphia  is  par- 
ticularly pleasant,  with  the  exception  of  25  miles  laiul- 
carriage,  and  sleeping  one  night  on  the  road :  the  whole 
can  be  completed  for  about  ten  dollars.  In  winter,  there 
are  excellent  stages  (by  far  the  best  in  America)  from 
New  York  to  Philadelphia :  the  fare  is  from  eight  to  ten 
dollars,  and  the  journey  is  completed  in  fourteen  hours, 
—  distance,  96  miles. 

The  route  to  the  western  country,  by  way  of  New- 
Orleans,  is  attended  with  many  disadvantages :  it  is  much 
longer,  and  more  dangerous,  in  consequence  of  a  great 
deal  of  coasting,  and  the  difficulties  of  the  gulph  of 
Florida.  The  voyage  from  the  Balaize,  at  the  junction 
of  the  Mississippi  with  the  gulph  of  Mexico,  to  New  Or- 
leans, though  but  1 00  miles,  is  always  tedious,  and  some- 
times vessels  are  three  weeks  in  getting  up  that  distance. 
The  yellow  fever  is  of  annual  occurrence  at  New  Or- 
leans. The  steam-boats,  though  numerous,  do  not  pro- 
ceed at  stated  periods,  and  a  residence  at  New  Orleans 
may  be  long,  and  must  be  expensive ;  and  to  engage  a  pas . 
sage  in  a  keel-boat  up  the  stream,  would  be  an  almost 
endless  undertaking. 

The  best  mode,  in  my  judgment,  is  to  proceed  from 
Philadelphia  by  way  of  Pittsburgh.  Horseback  is  very 


ADVICE   TO  EMIGRANTS.  453 

preferable  to  the  stage,  particularly  on  the  Allegany 
mountains.     A  poor  family  would  have  their  baesage 

*•  *  Do    o 

conveyed  in  the  cheapest  way  by  the  regular  stage- 
waggons,  —  themselves  walking ;  and  this  they  will  find 
in  crossing  the  mountains  to  be  better  than  riding  (ex- 
cept on  horseback.)  They  should  take  with  them  as 
good  a  stock  of  eatables  as  they  can  with  convenience, 
the  charges  on  the  road  being  very  extravagant.  Those 
who  have  their  own  waggons  should  have  them  made  as 
strong  as  possible,  and  their  horses  should  be  in  good 
condition.  Small  articles  of  cutlery,  and  all  the  ma- 
chinery necessary  for  repairs  on  the  road,  are  of  first 
necessity.  When  arrived  at  Pittsburgh,  the  cheapest 
and  easiest  mode  of  travelling  is  to  float  down  the  river ; 
for  which  purpose  there  are  boats  of  almost  every  variety, 
(steam-boats  excepted,)  from  2s.  3d.  upwards,  per  hun- 
dred miles.  Upon  this  mode  of  travelling  I  do  not  en- 
large :  half  an  hour's  residence  in  Pittsburgh  will  convey 
more  information  than  I  could  in  twenty  pages.  Warm 
clothing  should  be  taken,  as  there  is  sure  to  be  some 
severe  weather  in  every  part  of  America.  The  articles 
required  in  floating  down  the  river  will  be  nearly  as  fol- 
lows :  —  The  "  Pittsburgh  Navigator,"  a  small  volume, 
and  which  may  be  had  at  Cramer  and  Spears;  nails, 
hammer,  hatchet,  tinder-box,  box  for  fire,  gridiron,  iron 
pot,  coffee-pot,  coffee-mill,  tea-pot,  plates,  spoons,  knives 
and  forks,  mugs,  candles,  coffee,  tea,  sugar,  spirits,  meat, 
potatoes,  bread,  pens  and  ink,  paper,  medicine,  and  a 
gun.  If  there  is  what  is  called  "  a  good  stage  of  water," 
that  is,  if  the  waters  of  the  Ohio  are  high,  which  they 
always  are  in  the  spring  and  autumn,  boats  will  be 
taken  by  the  stream,  without  rowing,  from  three  to 
four  miles  per  hour.  Except  in  cases  of  dense  fog,  they 
can  be  allowed  to  float  at  night  in  the  Ohio.  In  the 


APPENDIX. 


Mississippi  this  would  not  be  safe,  the  navigation  of  the 
latter  river  being  both  difficult  and  dangerous.  Unless 
the  waters  of  the  Ohio  are  very  high  at  its  falls  near 
Louisville,  a  pilot  should  l>e  engaged  to  navigate  the 
boat  over  them. 


rur 


"  The  Author  irill  take  pleasure  in  attending  to  any 
communications  oil  the  subject  of  America,  if  letters  arc 
addressed  to  him  (post-paid J  at  AL'ssrs.  Coates  and 
Fearon's  H'i»( -Merchants,  18,  Adnm-Street.,  Adelphi* 
London. 


Printed  by  Strahan  and  Spotti.svxoodc 
I'rintcrs-Strcct.  Lon  i 


•J 


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