This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project
to make the world's books discoverable online.
It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject
to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books
are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.
Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the
publisher to a library and finally to you.
Usage guidelines
Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to
prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.
We also ask that you:
+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for
personal, non-commercial purposes.
+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the
use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.
+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.
+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just
because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other
countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.
About Google Book Search
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web
at |http : //books . google . com/
r
William B. Cairns Collection
Of
American Women Writers
1650-1920
♦
William B. Cairns
Professor OF English
University OF Wisconsin-Madison
•V- ^
|{
Digitized by
Google
0'7y eJr ho»^ /j 7530
/
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
VIEWS
•r
SOCIETY AND MANNERS
AMERICA;
nr
A SERIES OF LETTERS FROM THAT COUNTRY
TO A FBIEKI) IN ENGLAND,
DUiONO THE TEARS 1618, 1819, AND 182D.
BY AN ENGLISHWOMAN.
fflOM TIB niSV LORDOll BDITIOH, Wim AODITIOHI AMD COIBICTIORI
BT 4kB AUTHOB.
But mark th« judgmem of experienced Time,
Tutor of Natkmt i Axsirf idb.
NEW-YORK :
- PRINTED FOR E. BLISS AND E. WHITE,
188 BroedwBjr.
1821.
Digitized by
Google
SOUTHERJ^r DISTRICT OF JfEW-YORK, ms.
BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the eleventh day of July, id the forty-
sixth year of the Independence of the United States of America,
(L. S.) E. Bliss and E. White, of the said District, have deposited in this
office the title of a book, the right whereof they daim as proprietorS|
in the words and ^gures. following, to wit :
« Views of society and manners in America ; in a series of letters from
" that country to a friend in England, during the years 1818, 1819, and 1820.
« By an Englishwoman. From the first London edition, with additions and
« corrections by the author. But mark the judgment of experienced Time,
« Tutor of Nations ! Akenside."
In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled,
« An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Af aps,
Charts, and Books, to^ the authors and proprietors of such copies, during
the time therein mentioned." And also to an Act, entitled, " An Act, sup-
plementary to an Act, entitled, an Act fotr the encouragement of Learning,
by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and pro-
prietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending
the benefite thereof to die arts of designing, engraving, and etching histo-
rical and other prints."
O. L. THOMPSON,
Oerk qf the Soutium Didriet of J^ew-Yitrk.
IViated by J. Kingsland & Co.
84 Majdcn-lane.
Digitized by
Google
IfeS"
1
SOCIETY AND MANNERS
IN
AMERICA.
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
ADVERTISEMENT.
The following letters form only a part of a more
extensive and desultory correspondence: occa*
eional allusions will, therefore, be found to letters
that hare been suppressed, as interesting only to
the friend to whom they were written.
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
TO
CHARLES WILKES, ESQ.
OF NEW-YORK.
MY DEAR FRIEND9
Although I am uncertain how far the sentiments
contained in this little volume may he in unison
with yours, I cannot resist that impulse of the
heart which induces me to inscribe its pages to
you.
Viewing, as I did, your adopted country with
the eyes of a foreigner, I may have been some-
times hasty, and, therefore, mistaken in my judg-
ments. Though I do not apprehend that my in-
accuracies can extend to facts of any importance,
it is possible that a citizen of America may detect
slight errors which the foreign reader cannot he
aware of, and which the author herself could
not wholly guard against, however authentic the
sources whence she drew her information.
Where, in the following letters, I may have ex-
pressed opinions at variance with yours, I am
Digitized by
Google
vm
persuaded that you will view them with candour;
and that, notwithstanding the defects you may find
in this little work, you will pardon my seizing this
opportunity of openly expressing the high respect
I feel for your character, and my grateful remem-
brance of the many proofe of friendship with which
you have honoured me.
Permit me to subscribe myself,
My dear sir,
Most respectfully and
Affectionately^ yours,
THE AUTHOIt
Digitized by
Google
CONTENTS.
LETTER I.
Voyage. — Iceberg. — Ship's crew. — Bay of New-York. —
Arrival in the city, - - - Page 1
LETTER II.
Boardiog-hoase io New- York.— General appearaoce of the
city and iU environs. - - - /» II
LETTER III.
Manners of the working classes. — Anecdotes, &c. - 16
LETTER IV.
Appearance and manners of the yoang women. — Style of
society. — Reception of foreigners. —General Bernard. —
Foreign writers. — Mr. Fearon. - - 23
LETTER V.
Visit to the city of Philadelphia. — Remarks on the Friends. —
Laws and Institutions of William Penn. — Penal code. —
Dr. Rush. — Abolition of the slave-trade. — Emancipation of
the slaves in the Northern States. — Condition of the negro
in the Northern States. • » • - 35
LETTER VI.
Reference to Lieutenant Hall. -^ Advice to tourists. — Appear-
mice of the city of Philadelphia. — Style of Architecture. —
State-house. — Remarks on the conduct of the first American
Congress. — Anecdotes relating to that period. — Peculiari-
ties in the political character of the people of Pennsylva-
nia. — Internal government of the States. - 58
LETTER VII.
Society of Philadelphia. — Anecdote of a Prussian officer. —
2
Digitized by
Google
X CONTENTS,
Anecdote of Mr. Jefferson. — Chevalier Correa de Serra.-*
Mr. Gamett. - - - - Page 86
LETTER VIII.
Visit to Joseph Buonaparte. — General observations. — Ame-
rican country gentleman. - - - 99
LETTER IX.
Passage up the River Hudson. -^ Account of the Academy at
West Point. — Pass of the Highlands. — Arnold's treachery.
— Albany and its environs. - - - 108
LETTER X.
Departure for the Falls of Niagara. — Mode of travelling. —
Description of the country. — Canandaigua. - 1 25
LETTER XI.
Genesee. — Visit to Mr. Wadsworth. — American farmer. —
Settling of the new territory. — Forest scenery. - 134
LETTER XII.
Indian village. — Observations on the Indians. — Conduct of
the American government towards them. - 147
LETTER XIII.
Departure from Genesee. — Falls of the Genesee river^ —
Singular bridge. — American inns. — Opening of the Post
bag. — Journey to Lewiston. — Cataract of Niagara. 160
LETTER XIV.
Lake Erie. — Water scenery qf America. — Massacre on the
River Raisin. — > Naval engagement on Lake Erie. — Mr.
Birkbeck. - - - - - 181
LETTER XV.
Upper Canada. — Mr. Gourlay. — Poor emigrants. — Lake
Ontario. — Descent of the St. Lawrence. — Montreal and
Lower Canada. • - - - 196
Digitized by
Google"
CONTENTS. XI
LETTER XVr. .
Lake ChamplaiDv — Battle of Plattsburgh. — BtiraiDg of the
Pheaiz steamboat. ... Pc^e 209
LETTER XVn.
Town of Burlington. — Character and history of the State of
Vermont. ..... 220
LETTER XVIIL
Direction of American genius. — Founders of the American
Republics. — Establishment of the Federal government. 228
LETTER XIX.
On the Federal administrations. — Mr. Jefferson. — Causes of
the last war. — Regulations of the navy and merchantmen. —
^ Effects of these on the sailor's character., — Anecdote. —
Defence of the country. — How conducted by the people. —
Army of the West. — Policy of the New-England States. —
Effect of the war on the national character. - 243
LETTER XX.
Unanimity of sentiment throughout ' the nation. — National
government. — Federal constitution. - - 264
LETTER XXL
Character and interestfi of the different sections of the confe-
deracy, and their influence on the floor of Congress. —
New-England. — Final extinction of the Federal party. —
Central States. — New- York and Pennsylvania. — Southern
States. — Policy and influence of Virginia. — Western States.
— Manufactures. — Powers of Congress respecting black
slavery. — Formation and government of Territories. ^-^
Generous policy of the Western States. — Character of the
first settlers. — Shepherds and hunters of the* Border. -*-
Anecdote of Lafitte. — Various ties which cement the union
of the States. ..... 37^
Digitized by
Google
Xll CONTENTS.
LETTER XXII.
UnreatraiDed liberty of the press. — Elections. — Effect of po*
litical writings. — Newspapers. — Congressional debates. -«-
Deportment of the. members in Congress. Page 298
LETTER XXIII.
Education. — New-England. — Public Seminaries. — Discipline
of schools. — Condition of women. • • 306
LETTER XXIV.
4 Religion. — Temper of the different sects. -^ Anecdotes. 318
LETTER XXV.
Account of Colonel Huger. — Observations on t)ie climate,
&c. ------ 326
LETTER XXVI.
Philadelphia Market. — Deportment of the citizens. — Mode
of guiding and breaking horses. — Hints to an emigrant. —
Consequences of bringing foreign servants to America. —
Character of servants in America. — German redemptioners.
— Manner in which the importation of the peasants of the
European continent is conducted. —» Reply to the Quarterly
Review. — Descent of the Delaware. — Letter of Count de
Survillier (Joseph Buonaparte). — Rencontre with Englis
travellers. ..... 336
LETTER XXVII.
Baltimore. — Yellow Fever at Fell's Point — Appearance of
the ci^. — Miscellaneous. ... 352
LETTER XXVIII.
Washington. -^ The capitol. — Hall of the representatiFes. —
Senate chamber. — The president. — Vii^nia slavery. —
Conclusion. . - . - . 369
Digitized by
Google
VIEWS OF AMERICA.
LETTER I.
VOYAGE. ICEBERG. SHIP's CREW. — BAY OP KEW-TORK.
ARRIVAL IN THE CITY*
New- York, September, 1818.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
The report of our safety, as well as of the kind welcome
with which we were greeted on landing, by several fami-
lies in this city, is now, I trust, far on its way towards you*
I wrote too rapidly, and with a head too ^ddy, (you blow
what sort of a head one brings out of a ship,) to enter into
much detail upon the few and dull events of our voyage*
We saw spouting whales, and sharks, and porpoises, and
all sea-monsters, in plenty ; for the breezes were mild, and
the ocean and heaven so fair and smiling, as mi^t well
woo all the hideous tribes of Tethys from their dark ca-
verns* But the only sight worth noticing was a large ice-
berg, in latitiKle 43, towards the most southern extremity
of the Newfoundland bank* This, for the month of Au-
gust, was an unusual object in such a latitude ; nor shall
I easily forget the moment <^ singular excitement which
it occaaoned to tte captain of the vessel, myself, and
another passenger* Li^t northeasterly winds had pre-
vailed throughout the day; so light, indeed, that the island
which had first been descried in the direct line of our
3
Digitized by
Google
2 VOYAGE.
course an hour after noon, lay but some ten miles astern
of us an hour after sunset. We were leaning over one
of the hatchways, in careless conversation, and the eyes
of the Captain were cast accidentally upon the iceberg,
which now (the short twiUght having died away) appear-
ed a black three-pointed rock, upon the clear blue of the
horizon. A sudden exclamation from Captain Staunton
caused me and my fellow passenger to start on our feet,
and gaze as he directed. A bright flame blazed upon the
highest point of the distant rock. None of us spoke ; we
all held our breath, and each wrought out for himself, after
his own manner, some tale of hideous suffering. ^' A few
beings, or, it might be, one solitary wretch, had here sur-
vived his companions, and clung to this isle of frost, to
expire more slowly, under the united horrors of cold, hmi-
ger, and despair. A pile had been collected from the
disjointed planks of the foundered ve-ssel, which was now
kindled, when the first shades of evening afforded a hope
that some eye from the receding vessel would catch the
signal." All this passed through our minds at one glance
of thought. The Captsdn had turned quickly to pve or-
ders for tacking about and lowering a boat that should
put off to the rock, when suddenly a bright star peered
above the crystal, and hung distinct, and clear, over the
distant pinnacle, which still, for a while, quivered beneath
its receding rays. It was some minutes before we could
smile at this sudden and simple explanation of an appear*
ance which had, a moment before, so highly wrought up
our interest and curiosity.
It is usual to complain much of the discomforts of ^
ship, — and I grant that they are numerous; but to those
who are not disabled by sickness or nervous fears, I think
a voyage is not without its pleasures, and certainly not
without interest. Our fellow passengers, mostly An^eri-
cans, were cheerful, obUging, and conversable ; the ship
excellent; her captain a weather-beaten veteran, a kind
Digitized by
Google
VOYAGE. 3
hearted as well as experienced sailor, who looked not
merely after the safety of his ship, but the comfort of every
living being on board of her. A moralizer might have
apostrophized capricious fortune, when he heard this old
seaman recount the many times he had ploughed the
Atlantic, and thank Gkxl that he had weathered every
gale, without ever losing (to use the sailor's phrase) a
single spar. I have conva-sed with sailors not half the
age of this good captain of the Amity, who had never
made a voyage without losing a spar, and holding their
lives in jeopardy into the bargain. But is it not thus on
the varied sea of life ? Some adventurers set forth in youth
and hope, and brave gales and storms, and scud by rocks
and shallows with light and easy hearts, and moor at last
peacefully in the haven of old age, wrinkled indeed by
time, but unscathed by misfortune \ while others, blown
about at the mercy of the elements, their helm broken and
their rigging torn, run foul of every quicksand, and die a
thousand deaths ere they die the last.
I observed much and often upon the quietness as well as
the matchless activity of the crew. No scolding on the part
of the Captidn, nor sulky looks on that of the men. By
the former, authority was exercised with kindness, and
(a sure consequence of this) obedience was, by the latter,
yielded with good humour and alertness. The ship, indeed,
was well named The Amiti/j for I never heard a dispute
on board of her, save, indeed, one night, when I was the
unwilling auditor of an argument in the adjoinmg cabin,
which gradually waxed to a wrangle, between a young
Scotchman, firm in the belief of grace and predestination,
an older Englishman, as firm in the non-belief of both
articles, and an American, who, without agreeing with
either, seemed to keep the peace between both. In this
good office he probably succeeded, as, in the middle of a
nicely drawn distinction, on the part of the Englishman,
between foreknowing and foredecreeing, I fell asleep, and
Digitized by
Google
If
4 VOYAGE*
waked to no other noise than the creaking of timber and
lashing of the waves*
It is worthy of remark, that every man of the crew, from
the old veteran to the young sailor-boy, could read and
write, and, I believe I might almost say, every man could
converse with you upon the history of his counUy , its laws,
its present condition, and its future prospects. When our
ship lay sleeping on the waters in a lazy calm, I often
while^ away an hour in conversing with one or other of
these sons of Neptune, as he sat piecing a torn sail, or
mending a rope, and I am sure that I never came fixim
the conversation without having gained some useful infor-
mation, nor without having conceived a higher idea (^ the
country to which the man whom I had conversed with
belonged.
To one who has only viewed the great deep in contem-
plative ease and security from its shores, there is scnne-
thing pleasingly exciting in being borne triumphantly over
its bosom, and in witnessing how the wonderful creature
man struggles with the elements, holding on his adven-
turous course for days and weeks without doubt or fear,
marking his progress over the trackless waste with uner-
ring certainty, and directing his eye yet mcHre steadily to
the far-distant port than points his guiding needle to the
pole. Forgive me the idle observation, that I never fully
appreciated the perseverance, as well as the adventure, of
the daring Columbus, until I found mysdf watching the
sun sink and rise, in and fiom the eternal waters, day af-*
ter day and week after week. How extracnrdinary was
the mind which could calculate with such certainty upon
the existence of an unknown world ! How daring the sjri*
rit which could throw itself upon the mercy of a ftirious
and unexplored ocean, hitherto deemed impassable and
interminable ! How perfect the self-possession^ which re-
mained unshaken, not merely amid the strife of the ele-
ments, but the warring passions — the alternate rage, and
t:
Digitized by
Google
YOYAGE. 5
fear, and despair of tbe igD(»rant and superstitious crew,
who stood a united host against one man. But what a
man! Alone supported by his own powerftil mind amidst
the perils of the deep, the honws of a mutiny, and the
heart-sickness produced by hope delayed, when sun after
Sim discovered the same watery w^uste— *the same un*
changing horizon <^ sky and sea ; when night after night
bred thoughts, more and yet more anxious, and danger
still more imminent, tbe apprehension of which it had
been defeat or death to betray ! How much the human
race is indebted to this great nnnd is still, perhaps, un-
known. The worid which a hero cBscovered, and which
bigots and robbers for a season polluted with crimes, has
also been tbe refuge ci the poor and the persecuted of
every tongue and every clime ; and now exhibits, in its
northern section, a well organized nation, in all the vi-
gour and pride of youth and freedom ; in its southern, a
spirited people, awaking from ignorance and resenting
oppression, asserting their rights as men and citizens,
and laying tbe foundation of cmnmonwealths, which the
next generation may see estabUshed in power, rich in
resources, enl^btened with knowledge, and fenced by
the bulwarks of just laws, wise institutions, and generous
patriotisms, against the eflforts of for^gn enemies, or the
machinations of domestic traitors.
It was not without emotion tliat, on the evening of the
dOth day from that on which we had cleared out of the
Mersey, we heard the cry of " Landy^^ and, straining
our eyes in the dhrection of the setting dun, saw the
hoghts of Neverwnk slowly rise from the waters, oppo-
^ng a black screen to tbe crimson glories of the evening
sky.
You will but too well remember the striking position
of New-York to require that I should describe it. The
magnificent bay, whose broad and silver waters, sprin*
kled with islands, are so finely dosed by tbe faei^s of
Digitized by
Google
6 BAY OP NEW-YORK.
the Narrows, which, jutting forward with a fine sw^p«
jng bend, give a circular form to the immense basin
which receives the waters of the Hudson — this magnifi-
t cent bay is grand and beautiful as when you admired it
♦ some twenty years since ; only that it is, p^haps, more
thickly studded with, silver-winged vessels, from the light
^ sharp-keeled boat through all the varieties of shape and
size, to the proud three-masted ship, setting and lowering
its sails to or from the thousand ports <4 distant Ekirope^
or yet more distant Asia.
Every thing in the neighbourhood of this city exhHnts
the appearance of life and cheerfulness. The purity of
the air, the brilUancy of the unspotted heavens, the
crowd of moving vessels, shooting in various directions,
up and down, and across the bay and the far-stretching
Hudson, and the forest of masts crowded round the
quays and wharfs at the entrance of the East River.
There is something in all this, — in the very air you
breathe, and the fair and moving scene that you rest
/ your eye upon, which exhilarates the ^irits, and makes
you in good humour with life and your fellow creatures.
We approached these shores under a feiVid sun; but the
air, though of a higher temperature than I had ever be-
fore expenenced, was so entirely free of vapour, that I
r thought it was for the first time in my life that I had
drawn a clear breath. I was no bnger sensible of any
weakness of the lungs, nor have I as yet been reminded
t)f this infirmity.
Probably a great proportion of the neat white houses
that every where peep out from clumps of young trees
along the picturesque shores of the surrounding waters^
have started up since you left this country. As we first
slowly entered the New- York bay, with a breeze so
light as just to save a calm, it was with pleasure that I
observed the number of smiling dwellings that studded
atud shores of Staten cmd Long Islands. Here was seen
Digitized by
Google
NEW-YORK. 7
no great prcqurietor, lus mighty domains stretching in
silent and solitary grandeur for uninterrupted miles, but
thousands of little villas or thriving farms, bespeaking the
residence of the easy citizen or tiller of the soil. I should
not omit another circumstance which I noticed, as evin^
cing the easy condition of the people of this young coun-
try. While our ship slowly moved through the still
waters, pointing her course to the city, which just ap-
peared upon the distant edge of the bright sheet of silver
which opened before us as we cleared the Narrows,
numberless little boats, well manned with active rowers,
darted from the different shores^ and, severally mooring
along-side of our la?iy vessel, with the cry of All toell^a
dialogue ensued, comcaencing with friendly congratula-
tions, between the crews of the boats and the various
inhabitants of the ship. On one side, queries respecting
the length of the voyage, the weather, the winds, and the
latest ne{6l from Europe ; on the other, the health of the
city, the nature of the season, of the harvest, the arrival
and departure of vessels, and a thousand nameless trifles
interesting to men returning from ^ distance to their na-
tive shores. At the close of the dialogue, one or other of
the boatmen would carelessly ask if any of the passen-
gers wished to be landed ; but the request was always
made in a manner which expressed a willmgness to ren-
der a civility rather than a desire to obtain emplo)rment»
These boats had somethmg picturesque as well as
foreign in their appearance* Built unusually long and
sharp in the keel, they shot throqgh the bright waters
with a cderity that almost startled the eye. Their
rowers, tall, slender, but of uncommon nerve and agiUty,
were all cleanly dressed in the light clothing suited to a
warm climate ; their large white shirt-collars unbuttoned
and thrown back on their shoulders, and hght hats of
straw or cane, with broad brims, shading their sun-
burnt foces* , These &ces were uncommonly intelligent*
Digitized by
Google
8 NEW-YORK*
Pierdng gray e]re% gliuicing from beneath even and pro-
jecting brows, features generally regular, and complexions
which, burnt to a de^ brown, were somewhat strangely
contrasted with the delicate whiteness of the clothing. I
made yet another observaticm upon these natives. They
all spoke good En^ish, with a good voice and accent ; I
had before observed the same of the crew of the Amity.
Approaching the dty at sunset, I shall not soon forget
the impression which its gay appearance made upon me.
Passing slowly round its southern pcHnt, (formed by the
confluence of the Hudson with what is called the East
River, though it seems nK>re properly an arm of the sea,)
we admired, at our leisure, the striking panorama which
encircled us. Immediately in our front, the Battery,
with its little fort and its public walks, diversified with
trees, impending over the water, numberless well-dressed
figures gliding through the foliage, or standin^o admire
our nearing vessel. In the back ground, We neatly-
painted houses, receding into distance ; the spiry tops of
poplars, peering above the roofe, and marking the line of
the streets. The city, gradually enlarging from the Bat-
tery, tts from the apex of a triangle, the eye followed, on
one side, the broad channel of the Hudson, and the pic-
turesque coast of Jeisey, at first sprinkled with villages
and Uttle villas, whose white walls just glanced in the
distance through thidi^ beds of trees, and afterwards ri-
sing into abrupt precipices, now crowned with wood, and
now juUing forward in bare walls of rock. To the right,
the more winding waters of the E^st River, bounded oa
one side by the wooded heights of Brooklyn and the
varied i^res of Long-Island, and, on the other, by
quays and warehouses, scarce discernible through the
$)rest of masts that were crowded as far as the eye could
readu Behind us stretched the broad expanse of the
bay, whose islets, crowned with turreted forts, their co-
lours streaming fifom their flag-stafii, seemed to dumber
Digitized by
Google
NEW-TORK. 9
on the still and glowing waters, in daifc or sunny spots,
as they variously caught or shunned the gaze of the sink-*
ing sun. It was a glorious scene ; and we almost caught
the enthusiasm of our companions, who, as ihe^ hailed
their native city, pronounced it the fairest in the world.
When our ship neared the quajrs, there was some bus-
tle, occasioned by the moving crowd of vessels that inter-
vened between us and the shore, and many active tars
sprang from the yards and rigging of the Surrounding ships
to assist in clearing our passage. But neither then, nor
when we finally touched the land, were we boarded by
any needy supplicants imploring work for the k>ve of cha-
rity, or charity for the love of Heaven. There was, how-
ever, no lack of good offices from the busy citizens on the
quay. One laid planks to assist the passengers in their
descent from the vessel ; another lent a hand to stay their
unsteady Jipt, while some busied themselves in taking
charge of^eir bundles and portmanteaus, and many
strange tongues and faces spoke and smiled a good wel-
.come to the city. There was in the look and air of these
men, though clad in working-jackets, something which told
that they were rendering civilities, not services ; and that
a kind thank ye was all that should be tendered in return.
Arriving *at a boarding-house which had been recom-
mended to us, we were very kindly welcomed by a spright-
ly intelligent young woman, the sister of the more staid
and elderly matron of the house. The heat continued
with little abatement after sunset, and every window and
door of the house was c^n. While seated, refreshing
ourselves with tea and fruit, and conversing with om* live-
ly hostess, a sound, which had filled our ears from the first
moment that we left behind us the bustle of the wharfs,
now completely fixed our attention. I remembered your
account of the din of the frogs, and of yciur consequent stir-
prise thereat, in ascending the Delaware. But the sound
we heard did not at all answer to our preconceived no-
4
Digitized by
Google
10 NEW-YORK.
tioDS of a frog concert Tic-a-ie'ticy iic-a-te-tac^ was cried
as it were by a thousand unseen voices. At first we half
suspected the sound had its existence in our fancy -^ a
kind memorial, perhaps, bestowed at parting by the giddy
ship. Gradually, however, I began to esteem these chat-
terei^ breathing realities, and, losing the thread of our gay-
hearted entertainer's discourse, I found myself repeating
tic-a-te-ticy tica-te'tac. " I suppose they must be frogs."
The word caught the lady's ear. " Frogs ! Where P'
" Nay } indeed I know not, but somewhere assuredly.''
" Not here," said the lady. " No !" said I. " Pray,
then, what is the noise ?" " Noise ! I hear none." If
my companion had not here come to my assistance, I
should have had serious apprehensions for the sanity of
my organs. Backed, however, by her support, I insisted
that there certainly was a noise, and to my ears a most
uncommon one. Our good-humoured host||3 listened
again, '^ I hear nothing, unless it be the catty-dids."
" The catty-dids ! and who, or what are they ?" You
will probably recognise them for old acquaintances, though
I do not remember your mentioning them among the thou-
sand-tongued insects of this land.* This whimsical cry,
with the shorter note of the little tree-fix)g, the chirp of
crickets, and the whiz and boom of a thousand other fly-
ing creatures, creates, at this season, to the ear of a
stranger, a noise truly astounding. We are now, how*
ever, tolerably familiarized to the sound, and I doubt not
may soon be able to say to a wondering stranger, like the
young American, I hear nothing.
* I have since had one of these insects in my hand. In size it is larger
than the ordinary grasshopper, and in colour of a much more vivid greea*
It is perfectly harmless, and is altogether a most '' delicate creature."
Digitized by
Google
11
LETTER II.
BOAEDING HOUSE I^ NEW-YORK. GEN^^RAL APPEARANCE
OF THE CITY AND ITS ENVIRONS.
New-York, October, 181«.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
We have removed from our former residence, to a more
private boarding-house at the head of Broadway ; a gay
street that you will remember, though it has now stretch-
ed itself over twice the length of earth that it occupied
when you traversed it* Tliis house has been filled with a
rapid succession of inmates since we first entered it, and
whenever we are not engaged abroad, we find a veiy
pleasing society at the public table. The social mode of
living here adopted in the hotels and boarding-houses,
offers great advantages to foreigners, who may be desi-
rous of mixing easily with the natives, and of observing
the tone of the national manners. During the few days
that we have lived in this house, we have met with a
greater variety of individuals from all parts of the Union,
than we could have done in as many months by visiting
, in half the private houses of the city. FamiUes from the
Elastem States, and gentlemen from the south and west,
have successively appeared, and departed, and left with
us many invitations to their various dwellings — so warm-
ly uttered, that the heart could not doubt their ^ncerity.
We were peculiarly struck by the poUshed manners of
one or two natives of Carolina, and by the independent
air, softened by republican simplicity, of some of the ad-
venturous settlers from the infant west. We gleaned
Digitized by
Google
12 NEW-YORK.
from these iDtelligent strangers many curious facts, tend*
ing to illustrate the amazing advance of this country,
which imparts to it the character of a player's stage,
where both the actors and the scenery are shifted as fast
as you can turn your eye* One gentleman, in the prime
of manhood, told me, that he knew the vast tract which
now forms the flourishing state of Ohio, when it contain*
ed no inhabitant, save the wild hunter and his prey.
Ma(dng lately the same journey, through which he had
toiled 20 years ago through one vast, unbroken forest, he
found smiling landscapes, sprinkled with thriving settle-
ments, villages and even towns, and a people living un-
der an organized government, and well administered
laws. " I had heard of all this," said my informer, " and
knew that it all was so ; but when I saw it with my own
eyes, I felt as a man might be supposed to feel, who should
wake from a sleep of some centuries' duration^ and find
the earth covered vnth states and empires of which he
had never heard the name."
Many changes have taken place in this city and
island since you knew them. Streets upon streets have
been added to the former, and much draining and level-
ing (of this last I incline to think too much) has been,
and is still carrying on in, and about it. The citizens of
Paris were wont to call the narrow streets of their old ca-
pital rues aristocrates, and very justly, since pedestrians
had to make their way through them at the hazard of
their lives. . In opposition to this, the streets here might
with justice be termed rues democrates. Not content
with broad pavements, carefully protected from the en-
croachment of wheels by a sill of considerable elevation,
the little inequalities of the ground are being remaned with
much trouble and expense. I have frequently admired
the ingenuity with which a new, or rather an additional
foundation is introduced beneath a brick house of very to*
lerable solidity, so as to preserve to it the superiority it
Digitized by
Google
NEW-TORK. 13
had faitberto asserted over the passing causeway. But I
have not yet had the opportunity of observing a house
upon its travels. I am told, however, that the curiosity
b still to be seen, though probably very rarely, as the
now universal use of brick, in almost all the chief cities
of the States, as well as the improved style of architecture
in the wooden tenements, still prevalent in the country,
must have rendered the method of travelling in damo, and
shifting the neighbourhood, without disturbing the' house-
hold gods, considerably less feasible. My confidence in
the veracity of a friend has been occasionally put to the
proof, when he has pointed out to me, in the outskirts of
the city, a house that had undergone a transportation of a
quarter of a mile to arrange itself in the line of the street,
and which stood a very secure looking tenement of two
floors, with brick chimneys, and walls of very substantial
frame work.
Notwithstanding the pleasant, opulent, and airy ap-
pearance of the city, a European might be led to remark,
that, if nature has done every tiring for it, art, in the way
of ornament, has as yet done litUe. Except the City-
Hall, there is not a public building worth noticing ; but it
presents what is far better — streets of private dwellings,
often elegant, and always comfortable. Turn where you
will, successful industry seems to have fixed her abode.
No dark alleys, whose confined and noiscmie atmosphere
marks the presence of a dense and suffering population ;
no hovels, in whose ruined garrets, or dank and gloomy
cellars, crowd the wretched victims of vice and disease,
whom penury drives to despair, ere she opens to them the
grave.
I shall not fatigue you with particular accounts of the
excursions we have made into the surrounding country.
We surveyed with pleasure the thriving farms of Long-
Island, and those of the neighbouring state of Jersey.
The coimtry is every where pleasingly diversified ; gentle
Digitized by
Google
14 rfEW-TOBK.
hills, sinloDg into extensive valleys, watered by clear ri-
vers, their banks sprinkled with neat white dwellings,
usually low and broad roofed, shaded by projecting fmx^
zas, and very generally by enormous weeping willows.
These exotics seem to take wonderfully to the soil and
climate, and are much cultivated, in the more immediate
neighbouriiood of houses, as well on account of their ra-*
pid growth, as from the massiveness of their foliage, and
from their being the earUest trees to bud, and the latest to
cast their leaves. I could not so well approve of the
equally universal culture of the Lombardy poplar, a tree
that has no one good quality to recommend it, for the ra*
pidity of its growth can hardly be accounted on^, since
we can only observe upon it, in the words of the old pro-
verb, that ill weeds grow apace. One is the more diqx>-
sed to quarrel with this vile stranger, from the uncommon
beauty of all the native trees. Nor might the neglect of
the more noble sons of the forest find apology in the slug-
gishness of their growth. In this soil and climate, vege*
tation is so powerful, that a very few years may find you
seated under the oak that your hands have planted.
There are some very lovely, though few very lordly
dwellings scattered along the shores of this island. You
will remember how picturesque these shores are ; the one
washed by the magmficent waters of the Hudson, and the
other by that arm of the sea styled the East River, which
runs round the head of Long Island. I know not if you
ever navigated this curious channel. The whiripools of
Hell-Gate are at high water, with good pilotage, passed by
sailing vessels without much hazard, and by steamboats
without any hazard, in almost all states of the tide ; those
huge leviathans pointing their way steadily through the
narrow channels which wind among the whirling eddies
that boil on either hand, styled respectively the greater
and lesser pots. During the revolutionary war, a large
British frigate, richly laden with specie, scdcing to attain
Digitized by
Google
NEW-TORK. 15
the city unobserved by the American force, attempted this
intricate passage without the guidance of an experienced
pilot; suddenly assailed by one of the many powerful
currents which run, with irresistible force, in all directions,
it was sucked into the largest of these caldrons, and, in
all its pride and gallant trim, engulfed in a moment.
The summer residences of some gentlemen of the city
command a fine prospect <^ these convulsed and resound-
ing waters, and form plea^g objects when seen from the
channel* It is singular, in wandering through this island,
to reflect that there is scarce a tree in it older than the
independence of the country- A friend pointed out to me
dome half dozen veterans that, by some strange chance,
had escaped the axe of the British soldier, and now over-
look the land which' fireedom has regenerated.* When
you lode on the young thickets, and thriving trees and
saplings not yet grown to maturity, which shade the neigh-
bouring villas, and fringe the shores, and think that, young
aa they arc, they are old as the country — old as the
date of its national ^dstence, you find yourself strangely
wondering at the wealth and energy that surround you;
and, recalling the rapid strides which these States have
made) in less than half a century, from unknown colo-
nies to a vast and powerful empire, you cannot help in-
yddng the name of Uberty, under whose auq)ice8 all has
been dBfected*
* The Britiihy hammed in hy the Americaiu in their last fattneu, the dty
and island of New-Tork, suffered mach distress from want of fud. They
had so completely cleared the island from one end tb the other, that, at the
liat of its evMiatioii, there was net a stick to be ft>imd upon it, except the
Hiw tites mentioiied hi the text.
Digitized by
Google
16
LETTER m.
MANNERS OF THB WORKING CLASSES. — ANECDOTES.
New- York, November, 1818.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
ITou will marvel, perhs^ps, that I have not observed upon
the rudeness and uicivility of what are termed with us
the lower or poorer classes, but which I know not very
well how to designate here, since there seem to be
neither poor nor uneducated. As yet my experience
would dispose me to dissent from those travellers in the
United States who complain, in our newspc4)ers and jour-
nals, of being elbowed in the streets, and scowled at in
the houses, and made uncomfortable every where. I
have not as yet found even the servants, a race of beings
peculiarly quarrelled vnih by our grumbletonians, either
morose or impertinent They do not, indeed, read your
wishes in your eyes, but I have never found them un-
wilUng to answer them, and that in an obliging manner,
when expressed by your tongue. The only exception
to this which has as yet come, not within my observa-
tion, but to my knowledge, is the following: — A young
British officer, in his way to or from Canada, was lately
lodged in a boarding-house, in this city. The first morn-
ing after his arrival, he came from his apartmient with a
face considerably discomfited and wrathful ; and seeking
the lady of the house, informed her that her servant was
a very insolent fellow. The sum of the story that could
be gleaned firom the indignant gentleman was, that, when
Digitized by
Google
NEW-YORK. 17
roused in the morning, the servant had not brought him
warm water. " I called the fellow, and asked him, how
he thought I was to shave myself; upon which he tiuned
on his heel, and never afterwards made his a{^)earance.'^
The lady expressed much concern at the intelligence,
addmg that she had never found the man insolent, nor
received complaints of him before, but that certainly, if
he had changed his manners, she would part with him
instantly; and thereupon called Uie delinquent before
her. In the presence of his accuser, she tlien began the
lecture you may suppose. The man listened in solemn
silence, and to the lady^s iinal emphatic inquiry, ^' John,
why did you not bring warm water to the gentleman ?"
replied, \^ Because I am not accustomed to answer to the
name of d — ^nd rascal ;'' and then, with philosophic com-
posure; John left the room. I need not state, that it
appeared upon inquiry, that the demand of the military
gentleman had been prefaced by this sonorous title, in
style thus, " You d— nd rascal ! how do you think I am
to shave myself ?"
A few days after my arrival in the city, I had recoiu^e
to rather a whimsical mode of trying the temper of the ci-
tizens* I was bound alone and on foot to the house of a
friend in a distant part of the city, and I must confess that
I was in no difficulty as to theline of my route. Meeting
however a man whom, from his appearance, I judged to
be a mason, I accosted him with " Friend ! can you di-
rect me to such a street V^ He paused, and (acing about,
patiently explained the advance, in the straight line that I
was to make, with all the turnings that I was to follow
afterwards. " But I guess you are strange to the city. I
have nothing very presang on hand, and can see you cm
your way." With all due acknowledgements, I declined
the offer as unnecessary. Pursuing my walk a little fur-
ther, I overtook a woman who was about ^ cross the
street. She had the air, I thought, of a servant, and the
Digitized by
Google
18 NEW-¥0RK.
apparently well-stocked basket of j^vioons that she car*
ri^, seemed to say, that she was returning from the mar*
ket. I addressed (ler with the same cpiery I had before
put to the mason, and she, turning round, with wordb and
signs, replied as he had done; then checking herself,
"But perhaps you are a stranger!" "And a foreigner
too,'' said I. "Why then -—wait a moment." And
crossmg the pavement, and placing her ba^et upcm the
broad stone step leading into a diop, " I will waJk with
you to the head of the next street, where I can better pant
your way." " But the ba^et T' said I, eyeing it over
my shoulder, where it stood on the step. " What harm
should come to it ? It will stand there." " Will it f " said
I; "'tis an honest city then." " Honest enoi:^ for that,"
said she. I suffered the good woman to accompany me
to the spot she proposed, for I own that I was curious to
prove whether the ba^et would stand as quietly as its
owner redconed upon. We proceeded aocmdingly, «id,
reachmg the angle of the street, my kind informer repeated
her directions, and exchanged with me a " good morning."
I waited to trace her back with my eye through the crowd
of moving passengers, and socm saw her in die distance
crossing the street with her basket on her arm. You will
think that I had practised sufficiently on die good nature
of the public, but I made yet another trial of it. I stept
into a small but decent-looking shop. A man, the only
person in it, was seated at his ease belund the counter,
reading the newspaper. To my query of " Can you di-
rect me?" &c. he rose, and coming to die doOT, ran
through the necessary instructions. " But, Stop I I have
somewhere a map of the city." He sought and found it,
and spreading it on the counter, traced upon it my route.
I thanked him, and departed ; and was disposed, from the
experiments of the morning, to pronounce the city quite
as civil as any city in E^^nd, and perhaps a litde more
honest ; for, pondering upon the basket, I could not but
Digitized by
Google
m&w-TaRK. .19
suspect that it would scarcely Itfive stood as quietly upon
an English pav^noentj Ofj what I judged was undoubted, a
woman ^th her five senses would never have thought of
lacing it there.
It is truly interesting to listen to an intelligent Ameri-
ean when he speaks of the condition and resources of his
country; and this, not merdy when you find tim in the
more polished circles of society, but when toiling for his
subsistence with the saw or spade in his hand* I have
nev^ yet conversed with the man who could not inform'
you upon any &ct regarding the past history and existing
institutidns of his nation, with all the readiness and accu-
racy with which a schoolboy, fresh fipom bis studies, might
reply to your queries upon the laws of Lycwgus or the
twenty-seven years' war of the Peloponnesus.
Putting sokne questions a few days since to a former
whom I met in a steamboat, I could not help remarking
to him, when, in reply to my questions, he had run through
the gQc^raphy, soil, cUmate, &c. of his vast country, just
as if its map had be^d stretched before him, with the cata-
logue of aU its expcnrts and imports, that he seemed as in-
timately acquainted with the produce and practicabilities
of the United States, as he could be with those of his ovm
farm.
The manner m which an American husbandman or
mechanic connects Imnself with his chief magistrates and
le^slators, and seems in bis discourse to take part in all
their mes^ures, and decide on their wisdom ot error, is apt
at first to make a strai^r smile. He soon, however,
leams to anile at his own ignorance, which could see any
presumption in a man's pronouncing upon the fitness of
legislators whose charact€»r he has studied, or in taking to
himself, the credit or discredit of their measures, when he
has exercised a fi^ee voice in their election, or in judging
of a question which he perfectly understands, or, at least,
wfaicb he has leisurely conndeied. I ha^^ observed, that
Digitized by
Google
20 • NkW-¥ORK.
it is usual for an American, in speaking of political mat-
ters, to say our president does so and so ; toe passed, or
shall bring forward, such a bill in Congress ; we took such
and such measures with a view, &c. To speak in short
from my present confined observations, I should say that
it were impossible for a people to be more completely
identified with their government, than are the Americans.
In considering it, they seem to feel, it is ours; we created
ity and we support it ; it exists for our protection and ser-
vice ; it lives by the breath of our mouths, andy while it an-
swers the ends for which we decreed it^ so long shall it standi
and nought shall prevail against it. If I may trust the re-
port of all my American fiiends and acquaintances, con-
firmed by my own limited observation, there af^ar to be
few remains of those party animosities which divided the
community at the close of the revolutionary struggle, and
the effects of which you found so unpleasmg during your
. short residence in this country. It sa}rs much for the good
sense of the people, and the wisdom of their institutions,
that one generation ^uld have outlived all the tempest
of passion and bitterness of party, occasioned by the clash
of interests and opinions in a great national revolution.
Some weeks since, crossing the North River in one of
the fast-sailing sloops which crowd in such multitudes
upon these waters, I observed a man at one end of the
little vessel, who first attracted my attention by his inte-
resting appearance* He was well' dressed in the plain
garb of a working farmer. His silvered hairs and deeply
lined countenance told that he was approaching the last
resting-place of all human travellers, while his unbent
figure and mild aspect told, also, that be was approach-
ing it without anxiety. Entering into conversation wiih
him, I learnt that he was a Jersey farmer, who remem-
bered the Declaration of Independence, and had drawn
a sword in its support. He recollected the first appear-
ance of " Common Sense," and the electric shock that it
Digitized by
Google
NEW-YORK. 21
produced throughout the country. He could recall the
various cut^umstances of the war, and all the hopes, and
fears, and rejoicings of the people. — "All," to use his
own words, " as if it were yesterday." " I have lived,"
he continued, " to see my country established in her
rights ; to see her trebled in population; and quit of par-
ty jealousies, and factions, and I think," said the old
man smiling, "that I have now lived enough." I felt
scnnewhat affected by his parting salutation. His dis-
course had veiy naturally fixed my attention, which he,
perlmps as naturally, had observed with pleasure. When
the boat touched the shore, " You seem," he said, " to be
a foreigner ; I wish you may soon become a citizen, for I
think that you are worthy to be a citizen of our country."
The old patriot meant this for a compliment ; as such I
received it, and as such, I assure you, I felt iU
It was with much ratjBrest that I visited, some evenings
since, the little villa of wliich you once were an inmate.
We turned down the little lane, wild and rocky a^ when
you traversed it, and reached the gate just as the sun
was sinking behind the heights of the Jersey shore. I
thought that you had gazed on the same oL^ct from the
same spot — I cannot describe how dreary and sad — how
fraught with painful recollections the scene was to me •,
and, had I been alone, I could have sat down, notwith-
standing the keen searching air of a November evening,
and moralized with Jacques for good an hour and a quar-
ter. You know the spot ; but it doubtless lives in your
memory as inhabited by kind friends, and breathing, with-
in and without, warmth, comfcurt, beauty, and hospitality*
We found it desdate and deserted; the house, without a
tenant^ gradually falling into disrepair ; the fences broken
down, the trees and shrubs all growing wild, while the
thick falling leaves that strewed the ground, and rustled
beneath our feet — the season and even the hour, all
wooed (me on to sickly thoughts, and pressed oa the heart
[>igitized by
Google
22 MEW-YORK*
the conviction of the slendemess of that link which holds
us to this changing world, to its good or iU, its joys or sor-
rows.
I would finish this letter with a more cheerful paragrajA,
were not the ship that is to bear it to you about to sail.
Autunm still lingers with us, or rather we are at present
thrown back into July by the Indian sununer* Farewell.
Digitized by
Google
23
LETTER IV.
APPEARANCE AND MANNERS OF THE YOUNG WOMEN.— 8TTLE
OF SOCIETY. — RECEPTION OF FOREIGNERS. ^ GENERAL
BERNARD. ^- FOREIGN WRITERS. MR. FEARON.
New^Tork, Febniaiy, 1819.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
My ktta^ have as yet chiefly spc^en of our more inti*
mate friends; and have said little of the general style of
society in tins city. I feel that a stranger ought to be
^w in pronoimcing an opinion upcm these matters, and
indeed the rigours of the wintor (though unusually mild this
year) have foft some time past made me rather a close
piisoner.
Thouglh the objects around me have now lost the fresh-
ness df novdty, they have by no means lost that air of
dieeilulness and gayety wluch I noticed in my first letters.
The skies, tiiougfa they have e»[>hanged their fervouis fer
biting fix)fil8> have not lost their splendours, nor are the
pavements trod by ^gures less airy, now that they are
dieting wMi fiOiows^ Broadway, the chosen lesort of
the young and the gay, in these cold bright mornings,
seems one moving crowd of painted butterflies. I some-
thnes tiremble for the pretty creatures (and very pretty
they are) as they flutter along through the biting air in
dress more sinted to an Italian winter than to one which,
iK^withstanding tfie fieivourable seas(»i, approaches neara*
to that of Norway. In spite of this thoughde^ness, the
catck<old does not seem to be die same nati(Hial<fisease
that the Frenchman found it in EIngland. This is the
Digitized by
Google
24 NEW-YORK.
more remarkable, as consmuption is very fineqii^[it, and
may be generally traced to some foolish frolic, such as r&r
turning from a ball in an open sleigli, or walking upon
snow in tlun slippers*
I believe I have before remarked upon the beauty of the
young women ; I might almo^ say girls, for their beauty
is commonly on the wane at five and twenty. Before that
age, their coipplexions are generally lovely ; the red and
white so deUcatcIy tempered on their che^s, as if no rude
wind had ever fanned them ; their features small and re-
gular, as if mouMed by fairy fingers; and countenances so
gay and smiling, as if no anxious thoughts bad ever
ckmded the young soul within. It is a pity that the en-
vious sun shot|ld so soon steal the rose and lily from their
cheeks, and perhaps it is also a pity that the cares of a
family should so soon check the thou^tless gayety of their
hearts, and teach them that mortal life is no dream of
changing pleasures, but one of anxieties and cheating
liopes. . The advantages attending early marriage are so
substantial, and the country in which they are practicable,
is in a ccmdition of such enviable prosperity, whether we
regard its morals or its happiness, that I almost Uush to
notice the olgectiops which, as an idle observer, one might
find in a circumstance resulting from so happy an order
of things. The American youdi of both sexes are, for the
most part, married ere they are two-and-twaity ; ^d in-
deed it is usual to see a girl of eighteen a wife and a mo-
ther. It might doubtless, ere this, be possible, if not to
fix them in habits of study, at least to store their minds
with useful and general knowledge, and to fit them to be
not miercly the parents but the judicious guides of their
children. Men have necessarily, in aU countries, greater
focilities than womeu for the acquirement of knowledge
and particularly for its acquirement in that best of all
scbopis, the world. I mean not the workl of fashim, but
the world of varied society, where youth loses its presump-
Digitized by
Google
NEW-YORK. 25
tion, and prejudice its obstinacy, and where self*knowledge
is best acquired, from the mind being forced to measure
itself with other minds, and thus to discover the shallow-
ness of its knowledge, and the groundlessness of its opi-
nions. In this country, where every man is called to study
the national institutions, and to examine, not merely into
the measures but the principles of government, the very
laws become liis teachers; and in the exercise of his
rights and duties as a citizen, he becomes more or less a
politician and a philosopher. His education, therefore,
goes on through life; and though he should never become
versed in abstract science or ornamental literature, his
stock of useful knowledge increases daily, his judgment
is continually exercised, and his mind gradually fixed in
habits of observation and reflection. Hitherto the educa-
tion of women has been but slightly attended to; married
without knowing any thing of life but its amusements, and
then quickly immersed in household aflairs and the rearing
of children, they command but few of those opportunities
, by which their husbands are daily improving in sound
sense and varied information. The wonderful advance
which this nation has made, not only in wealth and
strength, but in mental cultivation, within the last twenty
years, may yet be doubly accelerated when the education
of the women shall be equally a national concern wth
that of the other sex; and when they shall thus learn, not
merely to enjoy, but to appreciate those peculiar blesemgs
which seem already to mark Aeir country for the happiest
in the \vorld. The number of the schools and colleges
establidied throughout the Union for the education of boys
is truly surprising.
Your late distinguished friend, Dr. Rush of Philadel-
phia, remarks, in his paper. On the Mode of Education
proper in a Republic^ "I am sensible that our women
must concur in all our plans of education for young men,
or no laws will ever render them effectual. To qualify
6
Digitized by
Google
26 NEW-YORK.
our women for this purpose, they should not only be in»
structed in the usual branches of female education, but
should be taught the principles of government and liberty ;
and the obligations of patriotism should be inculcated
upon them.'* At present it appears to me that the Ame-
rican women are as deficient upon some of these heads
as the men are practised- They love their country, and
are proud of it because it w their country; their husbands
love and are proud of it, because it is fi-ee and well go-
verned. Perhaps when the patriotism of botli shall rest
on motives equally enlightened, the national character will
be yet more marked than it is at present. A new race,
nurtured under the watchful eye of judicious mothers, and
from them imbibing, in tender youth, the feeUngs of gene-
rous liberty and ardent patriotism, may evince in their
maturity an elevation of sentiment which now to prognos-
ticate of any nation on the earth might be accounted the
dream of an idle theorist or vain beUever in the perfecti-
bility of his species. I ought to apologize for this digres-
sion; but before I leave the subject into which 1 have
wandered, I should observe, that much attention is now
paid to advance the education of women to that of the
men, and for this end public schools are rapidly establish-
ing in various parts of the Union, on the most liberal terms.
The manners of the women strike me as peculiarly
marked by sweetness, artlessness, and liveliness : there is
about them, at least in my eyes, a certain untaught grace
and gayety of the heart, equally removed from the studied
English cokbiess and indifference, and the no less studied
French vivacity and mannerism. They enter very early
into society ; far too early, indeed, to be consistent with a
becoming attention to the cultivation of then* minds. I am,
however, acquainted with striking excepticms to this ge-
neral practice. There are some mothers in this city, who
anxiouidy preside over the education of their daughters,
and are yet more desirous of storing their minds with so-
Digitized by
Google
NfiW-YORK, , 27
iid infonnation, than of decking tliem with personal ac-
complishments. I hope, and am induced to believe, that
in the next generation such individuals .will be no longer
conspicuous among the mass of their fellow citizens. This
might be too much to hope in old, slow-moving Europe,
but Okie generation here sees marvellous revolutions. The
society, I mean by this, that which is collected into large
evening assembHes, is almost exclusively composed of the
unmarried young. A crowded room is in this way a
pretty scene for a quiet observer to look into for half an
hour; but if he have survived the buoyant spirits of first
youth, he will then find it better to walk home again. I
ought not to omit a remark, not merely upon the elegance
of the dress of these young gay creatures,, but what is far
better, on its modesty. It may be sometimes more showy
and costly than is wise or befitting in the daughters of a
republic, but it never mocks at decency, as does that of
our English ladies, who truly have often put me to the
Mush for their sex and their nation. The fashions here
are copied from the French ; but I am told by those that
are knowing in such matters, that they are not very
changeable, and that it is judged, if not more wise, (for
this, I fear, seldom sways with youth,) at least more be-
coming to wear the waist and shoulders where nature
placed them, than to raise them this month to the ears,
and sink them the next to the length of our grandmothers.
The dances too, (and these young women, as far as my
judgment may go with you for any thing, dance wdth
much lightness, grace, and gay-heartedness,) the dances
are also French, chiefly quadrilles; certainly prettier to
look at than the interminable country-dance, whose ap-
palling column seems to picture out some vague image of
space and time which the imagination cannot see the end
of. The young men do not, in general, appear to me to
equal in grace their fair companions ; nor, indeed, in ge-
neral ease of manner and address. Jn accosting a stran-
Digitized by
Google
28 NEW-YORK.
ger, they often assume a solemnity of countenance that is
at first rather appalUng. They seem to look as if waiting
until you should " open your mouth in wisdom," or as if
gathering their strength to open theii*s in the same manner.
I have more than once, upon such an occasion, hastened
to collect my startled wits, expecting to be posed and
shamed by some profound inquiry into the history of the
past, or the probable events of the future. I could ill con-
vey to you the sudden t^lief I have then experienced on
hearing some query upon the news of the day, or as to
my general opinion of Lord Byron's poetry. It is not
firom the young men in an idle drawing-room that a stran-
ger should draw his picture of an American. He must
look at these youths when stamped with manhood, when
they have been called upon to exercise their rights as ci-
tizens, and have not merely studied the history and condi-
tion of their country, but are thoroughly imbued with the
principles of its government, and with that philosophy
which their liberal institutions are so well calculated to
inspire.
The youth of both sexes here enjoy a freedom of inter-
course imknovvn in the older and more formal nations of
Europe. They dance^ sing, walk, and " run in sleighs" to-
gether, by sunshine and moonshine, without the occur-
rence or even the appreliension of any impropriety. In
this bountiful country, marriages are seldom dreaded as
imprudent, and therefore no care is taken to prevent the
contracting of early engagements. It is curious to see .
how soon these laughing maidens are metamorphosed into
fond wives and attentive mothers ; and these giddy youths
into industrious citizens and thinking politicians.
Marriages are usuaUy solemnized in the paternal man-
sion of the bride, in which the young couple continue to
reside for six or twelve months. It is seldom that the
young woman brings with her any dowry, or that the hus-
band has much to begin the world with save a gay heart
Digitized by
Google
NBW-YOBK. 29
and good hopes; whidi even should, be &iLin his profes-
sion as lawyer, or phyacian, or merchant, are not extin-
guished, for he has still the wide field of bounteous nature
open before bim, andean set forth with the wife of his bo-
som and the children of bis love, to seek treasures in the
.wilderness !
It is very customary in this, and I am told in other ci-
ties, to breed up young men to the bar, not always with
an idea of their following the profession for a liveUhood,
but because, if they discover talents and ambition, it is
considered as the best introduction to political life.
Mr. Wells, and Mr. Emmett, whose hbtory is in his
name, are considered at he head of the New- York bar.
In the mild manners, in the urbanity and benevolence of
Mr. Emmett's character, one might be at a loss to con-
ceive where oppression found its. victim. Is it in his
powerful talents and generous sentiments that we must
seek the explanation ? There are other, well known
Irish names in this city.
Were it worth while to vindicate this nation from a
charge, the absurdity of which I am almost tempted to
think must be apparent to those who have advanced it,
that there is an ilUberal prejudice against the employment
of foreign talent, I could from my own observation posi-
tively attest the contrary. The well employed liours of
Mr. Emmett, and his highly respected abilities and cha-
racter, might albne set the charge at defiance. The suc-
cess of Dr. M'Neven as a physician, and his situation as
Professor in the College, and the eagerness with which his
society is sought by travellers from all parts of the Union,
might be quoted as another refutation. But, indeed, if
were idle to run through the various instances in which a
naturalized citizen has risen to eminence in his profession,
and conmianded consideration from the people of his
adopted country. Perhaps where this complaint has been
made it has oiigihated in disappointed vanity. It is true
Digitized by
Google
30 RECEPTUm OF FOREIGNERS.
that this people have a proYoking soundaess of judgment,
and rate men and things acccnrding to their net value.
They have a strai^t-fiMrward common sense about them,
that will set nothing down to name or condition :' th^
wdgh the man against the trapping of his vanity ; and if
they find him wanting, will leave him to walk on Ihs way.
I am proud to rank among my fiiends and acquaintances
many individuals who generously ascribe to the liberality
of their adopted country the honourable success which
has here followed the exercise of their talents. Many of
these I have named to you in my eariier letters, and you
know how much I am indebted to their friendship, and
how warmly I return it.
There is yet another f(H*eigner that I am tempted to in-
troduce to you — General Bernard ; a native of France,
If and one of the earliest and most distinguished scholars of
tb^ Polytechnic school. His manners, simple, and mo-
dest as those of a sage, frank and independent as those of
a soldier ; his principles, talents, varied knowledge, and
profound science, such as do honour to his school and his
nation. After the battle of Waterloo, (in which he re-
ceived six wounds at Napoleon's side,) and the return of
Louis, he reigned his commission, and retired to private
life with his family. The king twice sdidited his service,
\ but he repUed, that having been cade-de-camp to the Elx-
emperor, and honoured with his intimacy, he could not
enter into the service of the reigning &mily without draw-
1 ing upon himself the suspidon that, in conduct as well as
' op'mion, he was guided by mterest. His conduct as an
officer, and skill as an engineer, were so well known and
i acknowledged throughout Europe, that he received invi-
tations from two other courts, Bavaria and Holland, both
of which he successively declined, uiging the same rea-
sons that he had pleaded to the French monarch. He
remained retired in his chateau, and would have remained
there still, but for the vexatbn and inconvenience which
Digitized by
Google
GENERAL BERNARP. 31
the underlings of the court knew bow to bring to the fire-
aides of the suspected foes of legitimacy. " If they would
have let me* sit in my chimney-comer sans me dire motj
I should have heeit content to sit there still.'' ^^ Voila^
mes amis ; vousetesks maUres ; c^est voire tour. Eh Men I
jouezj dafMeZf triomphex^ et laissez moi dormir; maisils ne
voulaient pas*'*^ Even England will occasionally afford
us examples of petty knaves and busy bodies, who, to at-
tract the attention of those in power, will inform them-
selves of the actions, cnt, if there be nothing tangible there,
of the opinions of their neighbours, and evince their own
zeal by denouncing the supposed disaffection of others.
General Bernard could not submit to the official visits of
the petty magistrates and cures of a village, or to those of
the under gentlemen of the poUce of Paris ; and though,
upon application, the high authorities disavowed any
" art or part'' in such vexatious proceedings, a disciple of
Camot, and aide-de-camp of the ci-devant emperor, was
too fair game to receive the shield of their protection. He
was teased and teased till his patience became exhausted,
when he addressed himself to the government of the Uni-
ted States, and made a tender of his services. They
were accepted with every expression of respect and sa-
tisfaction, and he was placed immediately in the corps of
en^eers, with the same rank that he held in the army of
France. The United States are believed to have received
in him ^m inestimable treasure. Since the last war, it has
It^een a great object with the Congress to fortiiy the Ame-
rican coasts ami Unes, to be prepared, in the event of any
future hostilities with foreign powers, against such sur-
prises as cmce lost the infant cai^tal, and threatened the
destruction of New-Orleans. General Bernard has re-
ceived instructions to take a survey of the country, and
draw iq) a r^)ort of what he riiall consider requisite to
conq^lete the plan of precautionary defence, eitter on the
coasts, or on the Canadian, Indian, and Spanish frontiers.
Digitized by
Google
33 GCN£KAL BERNARD.
He has ab-cady examined the southern lines, and pro-
ceeds tliis year to the lakes. The cheerfulness with
which this soldier, broken down as he is by military, ser-
vice, undergoes the fatigues of such hard duty, — travel-
ling in all ways and in all climates, tlu-ough all the varie-
ties of forest, swamp, or savanna ; and the pleasure and
pride which he expresses in being permitted to employ his
time and talents in the service of the republic, is truly
gmtifying to contemplate. It is not from General Ber-
nard that you will hear complaints of the ilUberaUty of
this government, or the inhospitality of this people ; nor is
it of such foreigners, as this soldier and gentleman, that
tlie Americans will express themselves with coldness or
disrespect. I often heard ttiem najocie him with admira-
tion, and acknowledge themselves as proud that their
country should be the chosen abode of such a character,
as he on his part acknowledges himself in being devoted
to its service.
Considering the spleen that for the most part besets men
in foreign countries, not merely his own nation, but man-
kind at large is indebted to the individual who has curio-
sity and good humour enough to travel among strangers
with his eyes in liis head, and his heart in his hand^ but how
much more highly are they indebted to him who, to curiosi-
ty and good humour, unites every gift of the understand-
ing, possesses all the wide range of knowledge, and in-
spires a foreign nation not only witli respect for Iiis own
liigh merits, but for the country which gave him birth. —
Would a few more such individual as General Bernard
visit this republic, more would be done towards setting
the seal of amity between the two hemispheres, than was
effected by the treaty of Ghent, or than could be effected
by any treaty by official authorities. It is governments
that make war, and the same governments that make
|}eace ; but the peace they make is only a cessation of
hostilities by fleets and armies ; they do not make/riendsy
Digitized by
Googk
FOREIGN IVlMTEIlS. 33
mod I know not how it is that they contrive that the people
under them shall never make friends either. In this coun-
try, however, you will remember that the government is
identified with the people, — it is their free voice and their
efficient will ; and to offend the one is to outrage the
other. In the minds of no European people, therefore, can
the abuses of malignity, or the misrepresentations of igno-
rance, rankle more deeply than in those of the Americans.
They cannot say the misrepresentations made of our cha-
racter and our laws have been drawn upon us by the
acts of a government in which we had no share ; on' the
contrary, they are ready to exclaim, " The vast Atlantic
^^ separates os from Europe — from its clashing interests,
^' its strifes, and its ambitions. In peace, we have esta-
'^ bHshed our laws ; in the spirit of liberty and good will
'^ to man, we have framed our constituticMi. The arms of
^' our country have been open to the unfortunate of eveiy
^^ nation on the earth. Tlie stranger onnes to us, and we
^' receive him, not as a stranger, but a brother. He sits
^^ down among us a fellow citizen, and in peace and se-
^^ curity gathers the fruits of his industry, professes his opi-
^^ nions, and leaves a fi'ee inheritance to his children.^'
If the American thus speaks, who shall gainsay him. If
he thus speaks, where is the generous European, the fair,
the honourable man that will not acknowledge that he
speaks justly, and that will not blush, if any of his country-
men have been found among the traducers of his nation ?
These observations have been drawii from me by a
passage in your last letter. Had you not alluded to the
little volume that lately found its way hither, neither
should I. The credit that your letter and the letters of
other trans-Atlantic friends lead me to think that Mr.
Fearon has found in England, could alone have induced
me to advert to him.
When a friend put this little book in my hand, and told
me with a smile to study his nation, I glanced at a few
7
Digitized by
Google
34 FOREIGN WRITERS.
pages here and there, and smiled too. ^' It is to be re-
gretted," said my friend, " that our country is visited by
so many travellers of this description, and so few of any
other kind. We are a young people, and therefore per-
haps despised ; we are a peq)le fast growing in strength
and prosperity, and therefore perhaps envied. We have
doubtless errors ; I never yet saw the nation that had them
not ; but it is equally certain that we have many virtues.
An enemy will see only the former ; the friend who would
wisely point out both, ' nothing extenuating^ nor setting
down aught in malice,'^ would do as kindly by us, as ho*
nourably by himself. Will no such man ever come from
your country ?" " I often lament," he again observed,
" that we should be visited only by tlie poor or the busy,
the prejudiced or the illiterate of the English nation.
Their reports are received for lack of better, and form the
texts from which the European journalists draw their re-
ports of our character and our institutions.
" All this were very ridiculous, if it were not very mis-
cliievousfc Cutting words cut deep ; and I fear that we
are human enough to feel ourselves gradually estranged
from a nation that was once our own, and for which we
so long cherished an aJOTection, that I am sure would have
grown with our growth, and strengthened with our
strength, had not the pen yet more than the sword de-
stroyed it."
I have ^ven you my friend's observations rather mwe
in the form of a ftorangue than they were delivered, but
I saw no reason for breaking them to introduce my own»
which were not half so well worded, or so much to the
purpose.
Digitized by
Google
35
LETTER V.
VISIT TO THE CITY OP PHILADELPHIA. REMARKS ON THE
FRIENDS. LAWS AND INSTITUTIONS OF WILLIAM PENN.
PENAL CODE. DR. RUSH. — ABOLITION OP THE SLAVE
TRADE. EMANCIPATION OP THE SLAVES IN THE NORTH-
ERN STATES. CONDITION OP THE NEGRO IN THE
NORTHERN STATES.
Philadelphia, May, 1819.
MT DEAR FRIEND)
The rapidity of our motions since our arrival in this city,
and the kind attentions of those families to whom our
New- York and Jersey friends had supplied us with letters,
and of others who, without the receipt of such credentials,
sought us in our character of strangers and foreigners, has
left me little leisure, — not for remembermg my friends in
the old world, but for. affording them written proofs of re*
membrance.
I had been led to expect that the citizens of Philadel-
phia were less practised in courtesy to strangers than those
of New- York# Our experience does not confirm the re-
mark. We have only to bear testimony to their civiKty.
There is at first something cold and precise in the general
air and manner of the people, particularly so when com-
pared to the cheerfulness and open-heartedness of the
natives of New- York ; perhaps too we unfiurly contrasted
them with those of the amiable circle we had left on the
shores of the Rariton or at * * * * Pennsylvania. This
coldness of exterior, however, wears off in a great mea-
sure upon further acquahitance, and, what may still re-
Digitized by
Google
36 THE FRIENDb.
main, you set down to the ruling spirit, and pbiianthrcq)ic
father of the city, and reelect it accordingly.
Though we have found some quietism in the society,
we have found less absolute quakerism than we expected ;
and I own that I at first felt something like disappoint-
ment, when, on loddng round a room, I saw not -one
drab-coloured son of Penn in it. It is very true that a man
is none the better for wearing a brown coat, but I have a
notion that he is sometimes the better for being a Friend.
There is no ridicule that has ever given more offence to
my better feeUngs, than that which is often so thou^t-
lessly directed against the society of the Friends. I ob-
ject to the term quakers, a name which they do not ac-
knowledge themselves, and which was affixed to them in
derision by those who could perceive their pecuUarities of
phrase and demeanour, but were unable to appreciate the
unpresuming virtues which distinguished them yet more
fiom every Christian sect and society of men on the face
of the earth.
The children of the peaceful and benignant William
Penn have not only inlinerited the fa^on of their patri-
arch's garments, but his simple manners, his active phi-
lanthropy, his mild forbearance, his pure and persevering
charity, thinking no evil and taking no praise.
The annals of the human race present us with no name
more dear, at once to humanity and to liberty, than that
of Penn. He united every great and every gentle virtue.
His intrepidity withstood the frowns of power ; his chris-
tian philosophy was superior to the lures of ambition ; and
while his fortitude resisted persecution, his candour and
gentle benevolence never sentenced the opinions of others.
His religion was without dogmatism, his virtue without
austerity ; he was tolerant among bigots, inflexible before
tyrants, patient with the factious, humane towards the
criminal, fair and just with the savage as with the civilized ,
man. Proud indeed may the republic be which had such
Digitized by
Google
Tii£ FRIENDS. 37
a man for its founder, and whose history has so generally
done honour to his name ; and justly venerable, justly en-
titled to the respect and love of mankind, is the fraternity
of which that man was a member, (one may almost say
the foimder,) and which has followed up his deeds of mercy
by others not less beautiful, tempering the rigours of justice
to the c^end^, relieving the sick and the destitute, and
even the criminal in the prison-house ; teaching virtue to
the prc^gate, practising humanity to the hard-hearted,
cherishing the unconscious lunatic, bearing with his im-
patience, soothing his despair, and cahning his frenzy.
We may id}y speculate indeed upon the silence and
quietism that might pervade this now bustling world, were
all its varied tribes and sects resolved into one society of
Friends. The pulse of human Ufe might then, it is true,
beat feebly, and we might all Uve and die without greatly
sinning or suffering, but without exercising half those
energies, bodily and mental, which the conflict of human
passions now calls into existence. Whether this were
well or ill for us, it matters not to dream upon ; there is
as Uttle chance of our all turning Friends j as of our all
turning angels ; but filled, as this earth is, with noise and
contention, it is sweet to contemplate those sons and
daughters of peace walking unruffled through the ^^ mad-
dened crowd," their thoughts turned to mercy and un-
ostentatious charity.
It was with much pleasure that I found upon inquiry,
thai many whose dress and phraseology are unmarked by
any peculiarity, are yet attached to the society, and are
proud to rank themselves among its members, and to
trace back their short line of ancestry to the first peaceful
settlers of the soil.
. The society has here very wisely relaxed some of its
rules. It is no longer necessary for its members to fore-
go innocent amusements, or any honest profession ; nor
considered as an important form to use the second person
Digitized by
Google
38 THE FRIEKDS*
singular rather than the plural, or to prefer drab^loth or
pearl-coloiured silk. The same regard to iheir morals and
fair dealings is still preserved ; they must be honest mem-
bers of the community, and then may wear what gar*
ments they please. There is, however, much indulgence
practised towards the follies, and even the errors of youth*
A wild young itian is privately reprimanded, and much
time allowed him to gain wisdom and reclaim his habits,
before he is expelled the society. Expulsion, therefore,
is regarded as a serious blot upon a man's character, even
by those of other persuasions, as it is known to be resort^-
ed to in cases of obstinate vice, or convicted fraudulency.
It is no doubt wise, that, as the community advances in
wealth, and in that refinement which follows wealth, this
truly virtuous society should dispense with some of its
less important regulations, which, in a simple age, with-
out being unsuited to the condition of its members, tended
to confirm them in sober habits, and to keep their thoughts
estranged from ostentatious display and idle diversions.
Did it not in some degree shape itself to the times, its sons
would gradually cease to shape themselves to it, and this
school of genuine christian philosophy would be forsaken,
as was that of the unbending stoics when increasing
knowledge rendered its rules irksome and eveo ridiculous.
Applauding the good sense and Uberality of this society, so
superior in this to many other religious associations, in
whose members a jealous attachment to the external
forms has too often survived that of the internal principles,
I cannot help observing, that not only has it secured to it-
self permanency by this wise temper, but has made a bet-
ter stand against the advance of luxury than it could have
done by a more obstinate resistance. Upon closer in-
spection, you discover in this moral and well-ordered city,
a still nicer attention to neatness and simplicity of dress,
and quietness of demeanour, in the members of this con-
gregation, than in those of any other. The young girls,
Digitized by
Google
THE FRIENDS. 39
indeed, are often in feathers and flowers, and this absolute-
ly in the meeting-house, but it is not unusual to throw
them off, i^s years kill vanity by killing beauty ; and even
in spite of them, you somehow or other, by the air of the
more^^e matron of the house, or the more reserved ad-
dress of the whole family, and sometimes by the addi-
tkmsl help of portraits on the walls, in round-eared caps
and fltarched handkerchiefs, can distinguish the abode of
the children of peace and good works from those of other
men.
I have no peculiar fancy for the fashions of our ances-
tors 'j absurd indeed as our own often are, they are on the
whole in better taste. I should not wish to see a whole
people in the garb of the Friends, but I have sometimes
thought, that I should like to see the daughters of these
republics clad in that simpUcity wMch is so appropriate a
beauty in all that meets the eye and the ear in a young
democracy. Let me, however, observe of the young wo-
men here, as I before observed of those of New- York,
that, though they may be decked in the flaunting silks of
France and the Indies, their dress is always arranged with
womanly modesty ; the bosom never forgets its screen, nor
are the ankles and arms exposed to court every idle gazcj
and bring Jnto discredit the morals of the nation. You
will think me perhaps old-fashioned before my time, but I
cannot help judging in part of national, as well as of in-
dividual character, by the general fashion of the garments.
It is difficult to take cold manners and haughty reserve
Its sureties for pure minds, but when the dress is arranged
with decency and simpUcity, we feel disposed to give wo-
men credit for modesty and good sense* I cannot as yet
accord the latter quaUty to the young Americans, but I
do give them full credit for native innocence of heart,
which prevents their gayety from ever overstqpping decen-
cy ; and though we should sometimes smile at their vani-
ty, leaves us no room to Muah for their immodesty.
Digitized by
Google
40 WILLIAM FENN.
It were needless to recount to you the many wise. laws
and humane institutions for which this country is indebted
to the Friends. Penn was one of those rare spirits who
learned mercy in the courts of oppression. At a time
when the CathoUc persecuted the Protestant, or the Pro-
testant the CathoUc, as ope or the other party obtained
the ascendant, — when the reformed Church, after having
fought the battle for conscience sake^ denied that conscience
to others for which she had bled herself, and enforced
cruel statutes against every dissenter from her doctrines or
her forms, the mild, but intrepid Penn, not only asserted
his own right to freedom of ofnnion, but claimed it also
for mankind. Having joined himself to an obsciue and
persecuted sect, who professed peace, and followed good
works in a world of strife and hard-hearted bigotry, he
confronted, with the energy of insulted virtue and out-
raged freedom, the tribunal of injustice^ ; having borne im-
prisonments, fines and insults, and endured all that could
rouse indignant or revengeful feeling in the breast of man,
this benevolent, and truly christian philosopher, devoted
his time and his fortune to procure a haven of rest, npt
'merely for his persecuted brethren, but for the persecuted
of every sect and clime. A colony of these unfortunates
were planted by his hand in the wilderness of the new
world, and here did he frame a govemmentybr the support
o/power^ that should be in reverence with the people^ and
to secure the people from the abuse of power, and declare
* The gpirited address of William Peno to a London Jury can dever be for-
gotten by Englishmen. Being brought to trial at the Old Bailey, for having
spoken in public according to the rules of his sect, the Jury, after listening to
bis own magnanimous defence, gave in a verdict Guilty only of tpealnng in
Gract Church Street. This was pronounced to be no verdict, and the Jury,'
with threats from the Bench, were commanded to revise the sentence ; when
Penn .cried aloud to them, Ye are Englishmen! mind your privUege$ .' give
not away your right ! The Jury, equally high-minded with the prisoner, hav-
ing endured confinement during the night, without food or fire, pronounced in
Court next momidg a verdict of J^ot Ouilty, Upon this they were fined forty '
marks each, and commfuided to prison with the accated» .
Digitized by
Google
WILLIAM PEICN. 41
that none acknowledging erne Gody and Iwing peaceably in
society y should be molested for his opinions^ or compelled to
frequent or maintain any ministry whatsoever. This doc-
trine of religious as well as civil liberty was never abjured
by tjie colonists, and formed a str&ing contrast to the
bigotry of the puritans of New-England, and the Luther-
ans of Vii^nia. Penn had not, it is true, the merit of be-
ing the first to establish the right of religious equality.
This honour is due to Leonard Calvert, the Roman Catho-
lic who, in 1634, near half a century before the establish-
ment of Penn's settlement on the Delaware, had pro-
claimed the same principles in his infant province of Ma-
ryland* But the wise decree of this father of Maryland
was broken down by the authority of the mother country,
first, during the triumph of puritanism under Cromwell,
and again, after that of Lutheranism under Wilham, when
protestant episcopacy was established by law in a pro-
vince whose principal inhabitants were Catholics. Thus,
the infant Pennsylvania stood conspicuous among the colo-
nies as the haven of rest for the persecuted for conscience
sake. The Calvinist could fly to New-England, the Lu-
theran to Virginia, but to the woods of Pennsylvania, men
of every sect could fly ; and, at the time of the revolution,
this state was one of the few which, in new modelling
her code, had not to abrogate former intolerant decrees
against religious liberty, or to annihilate the privileges of
some pre-eminent church.
To William Penn also humanity is indebted for the first
enactment of that beautifiil penal code which is now the
admiration of all enlightened political economists through-
out the world. In retaining Uie punishment of death even
for the murderer, his mild spirit seems rather to have is-
sued the sentence of " blood for blood" in conformity to
the divine law, as given in the old testament, than from
the argued conviction of its propriety. The code of this
humane legislator was cancelled by the authority of go-
B
Digitized by
Google
\
42 PENAL CODi:.
vemment, as were the tolerant enactments of the liberal
minded Calvert. After the revolution, by the strenuous
exertions of many philantliropic citizens, among whom
were chiefly conspicuoBs the venerable Franklin, William
Bradford, Caleb Lowndes, and Dr. Rush, the abrogated
code of the father of Pennsylvania again superseded the
bloody statutes of England. You are doubdess well ac-
quainted with the pamphlets of Dr. Rush upon this sub-
ject. I remember to have seen one in which he ably
canvasses the justice and policy of punbhing even mur-
der by death. He endeavours, I think, to explain away
the scriptural texts, in obedience to which Penn had
adopted his sentence; how far this may be possible, I
know not, but it does not appear important. The law of
Moses is not the law of Christians, nor the law of nations ;
and if we dispense with it in other cases, we may be al-
lowed to do so in tliis.
Thus, in her penal code, as before in her religious liber-
ty, the repubKc of Pennsylvania set an example of human-
ity and wisdom to her sister states ; nor were they slow
in following it. This mild code has now abolished the
punishment of death throughout the Union for all crimes,
the highest degree of murder excepted, (that is, where it
is proved to have been premeditated and maUgnantly wil-
ful,) and also all public and corporal punishments, other-
wise than by imprisonments and labour justly apportioned
to the habits and strength of the prisoner.* The wishes
of your honoured friend, Dr. Rush, and of other philan-
thropists, have not yet been carried into effect as regards
* This code most be uoderttbod as modified in some of die soattiern States
with ref^rd to slaves. Piracj, wlrich comes under the Jurisdiction of the
UmUd States, has hitherto been sid»jected to the punishment of death. A
law of Congress has now remitted the sentence to confinement in the peni-
tentiary, except in cases of peculiar flagrancy. An overt act of treason, (for
which no man hat ever suffered,) and the being taken on the high seas in the
smv^ggled trafiEb of slavesi are the other offences capitally penal by law of
the United States.
Digitized by
Google
fEKAt COPE. 43
tbeabolitionof the punishment of deatti in this last case of
malignant murder. In considering the atrocity of the
crime, we feel that no punishment can reach its deserts ;
but even with this view, it may be questioned whether
that of death be wisely chosen. Solitary imprisonment
is proved by experience to be a sentence more dreadful
and more dreaded than death. In the prisons of these
States, it has subdued the most hardened profligates, and
inflicted mental agonies which they would gladly have
^cchanged for the transitory horrors of the scafibld. It
is not therefore in mercy to the criminal, but to the com-
munity, that the change can be propc^ed. The chief
purpose of judicial punishments is said to be example. I
know not how far the legislature should be guided by (his
principle ; but is it not undoubted, that he must be careful
that the example, that is, the eflect produced by the sen-
tence of the judge and sufiering of the offender on the
mind of the spectator, shall be pure and decided ? must
he not be watchful that no pity for the criminal shall be
roused to wesJcen our horror of the crime? — that our
moral indignation shall not be turned aside by an appeal
to our nervous sensibility ? Elxecutions, where they are
fiequent, have been found to render the mind callous to
the last moral sufferings of the ofilender ; and thus to leave
with it no effect but what is decidedly vicious. To fanu-
liarize the human eye to blood is to render savage the hu-
man heart. An English multitude of men, women, and
children, crowd round the scaffold of the mutderer or the
thief with gaping curiosity, as did the French, during the
bloody tragedies of Robespierre, round that of the innocent
citizen, or the intrepid sage, eager only to have their qmi-
pathy awakened, or perhaps eager only to see how the
hapless wretch will meet his fate. On the other hand,
where executions are rare, they as naturally excite un-
mixed iKMTor; the atrocity of the crime and of the crimi-
nal are lost in this one overpowering sensation ; he whom
Digitized by
Google
44 PENAL CODE.
the heart cursed, and at whose sight the blood ran cold,
is changed in a moment to an chjeci of compassion ; his
deeds of darkness are foi^tten when his life's blood is
poured at our feet ; — the murderer in our eyes is no longer
the lifeless wretch, it is the hired executioner. Can the
law be wise which thus trifles with pur moral feelings ?
and that it does so, we need not look to the speculations
of philanthropists. I have the testimony of many citizens
of these repubUcs for asserting, that when executions^
rare and far between, as they are in this happy country,
occur, they have no other effect than to excite amazement
and horror at the suffering, and commiseration for the
sufferer. Nay, so much is this the case, that the execu-
tion of a pirate, convicted of the most atrocious crimes,
has, upon one or two occasions, assumed the appearance
of a martyrdom ; multitudes crowding to gaze upon him,
as led from the prison, with all the respect that the citi-
zens of Rome might have seen a victorious general enter
their gates under the honours of an ovation. The crimi-
nal himself has caught the enthusiasm of the hour, and
ascended the scaffold with the majesty of KemUe in
Coriolanus, seeking the hearth of his enemy ; the scene
closing with a funeral procession, and all the solemnities
of Christian interment. A judicial execution, thus trans-
formed into a heroic tragedy, is sometimes like a farce ;
but can it be otherwise in a country where the human eye
is unused to the sight of human suffering ? The fault is
not in the people, but in the law — I correct myself; the
law being here made by the people, the fault is with them.
It is time it should be corrected.
I must observe, that it does not seem to be the terror of
example that is here sought by the infliction of this worst
sentence of law ; and I am led to believe, that it is per-
mitted to remain on the statute-book from the persuasion,
that justice, considered in the abstract, demands, for the
highest degree of malignant murder, " blood fiw bkxid."
Digitized by
Google
SLAV£-TRAI>£. 45
But this principle of retribution cannot howeva: demand,
tbat an injurious effect should be produced on the feeUngs
of the community ; nor can it require that, to any human
being, should be delegated the office of executioner, — an
office which no human being should ^ver be called upon,
which no man should ever be allowed^ to exercise. Rarely,
indeed, is this officer of death in requisition in these bene-
volent republics \ the importance of human life is here ac-
knowledged ; the dignity of man felt and understood. Law
may not lightly molest him, nor justice, except for the last
outrage, attach his life. It is not for the sake of the crimi-
nal, but of the comniunity, that I min^e my wishes with
those of the American philanthropists who would blot
from their code the penalty of death.
To the sodety of Friends also is humanity indebted for
a continued opposition to the odious traffic in the African
race ; for unwearying efforts to effect its abolition, which
no clamour, no ridicule, no heart-sickening delays and
disai^Kuntments could relax, until they were crowned with
success. It is pleasing to see these simple and unpre-
miming friends c^ man raising their voice in either hemi-
spBere against the most atrocious of all the sins that de-
&ce the annab of modern history. All the American co-
lonies may lay claim to the honour, not merely of having
yielded, with marked unwillingness and tardiness, to the
example of Europeans who sought the coasts of wretch-
ed Africa for human ohgects of barter, but to the con-
straining ecUcts of the mother country, which made the
new hemisphere the maort for the wretched victims of her
avarice. The early laws of the New-England colonists
upon tins subject, reflect a glory upon those infant people
of which their descendants may well be proud. The
struggle of their intrepid Houses of Assembly against the
supreme authcmty of England, to prevent, in the very in-
fancy of this odious traffic, the importation of slaves into
th^ provinces, appears with no less honour in their annals,
Digitized by
Google
46 SLAVE-TRADE.
than does their subsequ^it stru^e for national indqiea-
dence.
In Pennsylvania, the society of Friends were united in
opposition to the African trade from their first settlement
in the province ; and, had they constituted the majority
of the population, (which their own liberal institutions
tended to prevent,) it is probable that the European tra*.
ders would have found the implanting black davery on
the banks of the Delaware impracticable* It must be re*
membered, however, that the will of the mother country,
was upon this matter imperative ; and that a positive pro-
hibitory statute, on the part of Pennsylvania, would have
been treated in like manner with those of Massachusetts*
Her restrictive regulations, however, were numerous ; nor
could the eager cupidity of the foreign traders ever create
a certain market for the enslaved Africans to the North of
Maryland. It is a striking fact, and one greatly in favour.,
of religious as well as civil liberty, (if in this age of the
world either needed the support of argument,) that in
those provinces where the home authority was insufficient,
to establish one privileged church, this traffic was held in
odium from its very commencement* Religion, there bn
grafted in the heart, instantly bred scruples as to its legsJ-
ity, humanity, and policy, while in the distant European
empires, living under proud hierarchies, and in the neigh-
bouring colonies in which the Church of England had
been by law established, the human mind was more slow-
to acknowledge the crime. It is not to be doubted, that the
difference of climate, between the southern and northern
provinces of British America, contributed yet more than
the differing standard of conscientious scruple among the
colonists, to produce a more marked reluctance to the
trade in the one than the other ; yet we cannot peruse the
colonial histories of these states without counting for some*
thing the varying influence of religion in those districts
where its principles were ingrafted in willing minds, and
Digitized hv
GooQie
SLAVE-TRADE. 47
thobe where its forms were established by compulsory
edicts.
The low and marshy lands stretching along the coasts
^nd great rivers of the south, tainting the warm atmo*
sphere, and generating diseases fatal to a white popula-
tion, held out too alluring a temptation fox the employ-
ment of the African, to whose constitution the climate
was less fetal, for the offers of the trader to be resisted by
the young settlers;* but let it not be forgotten, that the
slave-holding Virginia, while yet a colony, revolted at the
crime4o which she had been allured. Her energetic ap-
peal to the throne, to release her from the inundation of
domestic slavery, which was forced upon her, is grateful
to the human heart to read ; and the deaf ear which was
turned to her prayer is what the friends of that tbrone will
not wish to remember. The history of African slavery
is at once the disgrace and honour of America ; the dis-
grace she shares in common with the whole civilized
world — the honour is all her own. Surrounded by every
temptation which could seduce her to the crime, at first
courted and then awed into compliance, slie openly re-
probated it when all the nations of the earth were silent,
and dared, even in her weak infancy, to brave the anger
of a powerful empire in behalf of the wretched slave who
was -thrown upon her shores. She was the first country
to abolish the ti-ade ; first by the laws of her separate
states, among which Virginia led the way, and secondly
by the law of her federal government. More than a do-
zen years before the abolition of the trade by the British
parlianiatit, it was abolished in America by act of Con-
gress. There is sm*ely something to admire — something
grand, as well as beautifiil, in the effect of liberty on the
* It is highly creditable to the Infant Georgia, that she, for several yearS|
Sttcceseiiilly resitted, by an imperative law, the hatroductioa of slaves into
her province.
Digitized by
Google
,J
48 SLAVE-TRADE.
human heart. This Congress was composed, in great
part, of representatives from slave-holding states, tlLem-
selves slave holders. Had the British abolition waited un-
til the West India planters should have voted for the mea-
sure, when would it have passed ? I intend no invidious
comparison. There were found among the West India
planters, some few illustrious exceptions to the crowd of
opposers to the abolition. If the exceptions among Ame-
ricans were found in the opposition, and the crowd on the
side of mercy and wise pohcy, we must ascribe it to the
more liberal institutions under which they lived. •
Canvassed as the question of the African trade has now
been, until it is not only set at rest for ever, but that men
wonder how its legality and humanity could ever be a
question, it may be difficidt for us fully to appreciate the
merits of the infant American colonies, who, more than a
century before the attention of Europe was seriously turn-
ed to the consideration of this crying outrage, were en-
gaged in passing statutes to prohibit it. To obtain the
sanction of the government to any law of abolition, was,
however, found impossible by any of the provinces, until
the era of the revolution, when their governments spoke the
will of their people. Then, one after another, the assem-
blies rendered penal a crime which they had so long de-
nounced ; and where circumstances permitted the speedy
application of the remedy, fixed the year of emancipation
for their negro bondsmen. Where, as was the case to the
north of the Susquehanna, the slave population was incon-
siderable, this was effected with little, or at least with
temporary, inconvenience. To the south, where it is
numerous, and as it were ingrafted in the soil, the evil yet
needs years of patience, the more perfect understanding
of the mischief to the master, or the more universal feel-
ing of the injustice to the slave ; the more absolute con-
viction of the necessity of a remedy, or the more clear
insight into the mode in which it should be applied, ere
Digitized by
Google
SLAVE-TRADE, 49
thb&ul blot can be efiaced from that portion of this great
Union, and the whole of these omfederated republics
aspire, in their political, and ccmsequently in their moral,
character, to a glorious equality.
It is not for a young and inexpei-ienced foreigner to
surest remedies for an evil which has engaged the atten-
tion of native philanthrqnsts and statesmen, and hitherto
baffled their efforts, though not relaxed their exertions.
Those who, removed in distant ccwntries, know only of
these southern republics, that they are disgraced with black
slavery, without reflecting upon the manner, and the era
in which that curse was introduced, without inquiring into
the exertions that may have been made towards alle-
viating the misery of the negro, or finally achieving his
emancipation, without considering the difficulties that
must impede so great a measure in its progress — the
doubts and fears that must be endured, the interest that
must be sacrificed, the consequences that must be braved
— those who do not know, and calmly weigh these cir-
cumstances, are, I apprehend, not impartial judges of the
merits or demerits of the American planters ; nor, though
they should be among the most generous deplorers of the
evil, would they perhaps be the wisest devisers of its re-
medy. There is indeed, in the history of African slavery,
something so revolting, that we may well pardon any in-
temperance of feeling, which, in breatliing the energy of
virtuous indignation, forgets the measure of justice, and
visits too heavily the crime upon those who may sufier its
continuance both with regret and alarm. That this is
more peculiarly the case with the majority of the white
population of Virginia, cannot be doubted by any candid
mind. We need not trust to their opinion, as expressed
in private conversation, we have but to peruse the history
of their country, tlie various statutes enacted by their
eolonial legislatoi*s, their unavailing petitions.to the throne,
their enumeration of the forced continuance of the African
9
Digitized by
Google
50 SLAVE-TRAl)!;:.
trade, among the list of grievances which warranted their
dismemberment from the British empire; and we shall
see how very early they deplored the evil, and how ar-
dently they sought to crush it in the germ. The first
assembly of their independent repubUc, amid all the dis-
traction of war and revolution, prohibited the traffic for
ever, and almost every session of their subsequent assem-
blies affords some proof, that the public mind is ever turned
towards the calamity with a view to its alleviation or re-
moval* The most enlightened part of the community
appear, indeed, to think these terms synonymous, and that
no half measures can meliorate the condition of the slave
or of the master. Every publication that I have seen on
the subject, and even the very laws, first trying, and then
repealing as inefficient or mischievous, regulations which
went not to the root of the evil, seem to point to emanci-
pation as the final, and only remedy.
A plan of colonization has, for many years, been prose-
cuted with vigour. The friends and supporters of the so^
cieties organized for this purpose, even cany their views
so far, as to propose the removal of such a proportion of
the slave population, as shall raider practicable the eman-
cipation of the remainder ; it is obvious, however, that,
before such a system can be productive of any national
benefit, it must be made a national concern. The report
of the committee, appointed by the first Virginia assembly
after the revolution, to revise the laws of the common-
wealth, contains an amendment by which it was propo-
sed to educate the whole black population at the public ex-
pense ; and then to send them forth in vessels equii^)ed
with arms, implements of husbandry, &c., to the coast of
Africa or elsewhere, extending to them the protection of
the republic, until they should be established as a nation.
After much discussion this was abandoned, either fix>m
want (^ funds, or a deficiency of persevering benevolence.
Some at present have devised the scheme of appropriating
Digitized by
Google
CONDrnON OF THE NEGRO.^ 61
to this purpose the money arising from the sale of the na-
tional lands. From various circumstances, I am led tp
think that this measure is neither visionary nor impracti-
cable, especially as it finds supporters among the slave-
holders of the South.*
I have not as yet replied to your inquiry, and that of
your friend, concerning the appearance of the black popu-
lation in those districts of these northern republics which
we have hitherto visited. I hope you did not suspect me
of Imving thrown your questions aside ; I have been slow
to answer, only because I was unwilling to pronounce
hastily.
It has i^)peared to me, so far as my observations and
inquiries may authorize an opinion, that, in no one particu-
lar, has the American character been more unfairly re>
presented, than as regards the treatment and condition of
the negro. The feelings of a European, when he lands
in one of these northern. cities> are, I have observed, of a
mixed and somewhat contradictory nature. When he
sees a crowd of black faces assembled at the comer of a
street, or descries the sable cheeks and clumsy features
of a negro giri under a pink silk bonnet, the sight ofiends
him from its ugliness, and an immediate distaste at the
country, defaced by a mixture of so novel and unseemly
a population, takes possession of his mind. It is from
foreigners, themselves professing an im willingness, or even
an absolute disgust at being served by black hands, that
I have heard complaints of the prejudice entertained to-
wards them on the part of Americans.f So little of this
* A motion for this purpose was made in Cong^ress, during^ the last sessioni
by Mr. Meigs, of New-York. It was proposed to purchase the slaves from
their owners at a regulated price, to fit them out for the colony established
on the coast of Africa, and to extend to them tlie protection of the republic
in the manner formerly proposed by Virginia.
t It was with surprise, that I heard this illiberal disgust ercpressed, byword
and gesture, with peculiar vehemence, by foreign women^ and these oftea
Digitized by
Google
62 CONDITION OF
prejudice have I observed among this people, that recol-
lecting how very lately it was that the black citizens were
their slaves, I was for some time absolutely at a loss to
understand how there was not more. I believe, how-
ever, that the very cause which I had expected to operate
in an opposite manner, explains the gentleness of their
feelings towards these tlieir freed bondsmen. So much
had been said and written in favour of the unhappy Afri-
can, he had been so long held up to their view as the ob-
ject of compassion, the slave-trade has been for so many
years carried on in absolute defiance of the laws of their
colonial assemblies, that the majority may be supposed to
have been gradually disposed to befriend them in the spi-
rit of poUtical opposition, as weU as from the gentler dic-
tates of human pity. There is yet another cause which,
in the northern repubUcs, interests the public feeling in be-
half of the African ; — it is his condition in the dd repub*
Ucs of the south. The com{>assion felt in England for
the degradation of the black population in her islands,
cannot necessarily equal that which is here felt for those
who are kept in bondage within the bosom c^ their own
America. The stiict bond of union which unites the in-
terests of the numerous states, seems as it were to ap-
proximate the most distant inhabitants of this vast empire
to each other. The blot which defaces a portion of the
Union is felt as reflecting disgrace upon the whole. The
shame and the sorrow which Uk) consideration of the
southern slavery keeps alive throughout the great north-
ern and free western states, in quickening their desire to
hurry forward the day of its termination, awaken often a
bitterness of feeling, periiaps unjust and unwise, towards
the unfortunate masters of more unfortunate slaves.
Much do the southern planters merit of their country for
their energetic patriotism in the hour of danger. Well
have they often fought the battle in the senate and the
field, when ti-ans- Atlantic power has threatened the
Digitized by
Google
THE NEGRO. 53
lights and lives of America's citizens ! If they are yet
cursed with an institution, at once a misfortune and a dis-
grace, from which their more fortunate brethren are re-
lieved, let these trace it less to superior humanity or jus-
tice, than to those happier circumstances which encoura-
ged them at first to resist the evil, and enabled them af-
terwards to correct it. The counsel, and perhaps ulti-
mately the assistance, of the great and numerous north-
em and western states, may in time be useiul in relieving
their sister states from this crime and calamity ; — if the
former be given with temper, and the latter yielded with
unpretending generosity.
I apprehend that the fiiend of humanity may consider
with much satisfaction the condition of the negro in the
great northern portion of this Union. Every where are
schools open for his instruction. In small towns, he will
find him taught by the same master, and attending the
same church with the white population. Would it not be
more wise to rejoice in this visible decay of prejudice, than
to dwell on what remains, and which still ranges the black
and white children on different forms in the school-room,
or the place of worship ? In cities, the Afiicans have
churches as well as preachers of their own, a fact from
which we can only draw a satisfactory proof of their rapid
advance in situation and knowledge. A European has
learned, perhaps before he lands on these shores, that black
and white servants sit down to meat at different tables; and
should he find the fact substantiated in the first hotel in
which he takes up his lodging, he marks it in his memoran-
dum book with a note of admiration, and follows it up with
some reflection upon the liberal opinions that prevail under
democracy. Did he reflect upon the history of this country,
and the history of the African in every country, and did
he consult his own feelings, which, I believe, seldom ac*
knowledge — I do not say an equality^ but a similarity of
race between the negro and himself, he would peiliaps
Digitized by
Google
54 coNJDiTiQN or
find little in the circumstance to argue the existence of
any peculiar illiberality in the smitiments of this pec^e.
That wise institutions will do much towards im{Hx>ving
both the physical condition and moral feelmgs of men, I
am ready to admit, but I do not believe that they can
perfect either. It seems to me, however, that such an
expectation must have been formed by those who are
sij5>rised to find in this community an unwillingness to as-
sociate with the negro as with an equal. Nature has
stamped a mark upon the unhappy African which, though
the more cultivated and liberal will account an acciden-
tal distinction, the vulgar will regard as a symbcJ of in-
feriority. Had not the European of a less humane age
^ degraded the African below the human standard, and laid
I
the benumbing hand of oppression on his intellect, it is
doubtful whether the least enlightened of us should ever
have seen any thing in a sable skin but a whim of nature,
or attributed the ignorance and slavishness of the African
tribes on their own soil to any other causes than those
which variously operate on the human race in all the dif*
fering cUmates and countries of the globe. As it is, an
invidious comparison has often been drawn between the
black man and the white, which, considering the actual
condition of the former, is perhaps neither wise nor hu-
mane. In these northern republics, where alone such a
comparison could be instituted witii any seeming plausibili-
ty, a thousand hidden causes conspire to retain the African
in a lower scale of being than that of the American. The
latter looks around him upon a world of his creation, up-
on a race of men, his brethren and equals, who, like him,
acknowledge no superior but the one great Being who
blessed the exertions of their heroic ancestors, and to
whom their hearts rise in grateful adoration for the bless-
ings showered on their country. What great and invigo-
rating thoughts are here which are unknown to the sons
of slaves ! It was but yesterday, that they were " hewers
Digitized by
Google
THE NKGRO. 55
of wood and drawers of water" in the lapd which yields
them their subsistence ; for the veiy rights with which they
are now endowed, (and of which their minds cgji, as yet^
scarcely kel the value or understand the meaning,) for
those very rights, for all they know, and all that they en-
joy, they are indebted to the repenting justice of masters*
This repentance, however complete, cannot obliterate in
a moment the wrongs of years ; cannot transform an ab-
ject slave into a virtuous citizen ; cannot banish from his
mind that he lately trembled at the frown of those who
are now his equals, nor banish from the minds of these,
that it was only by the law of their own lips that he
ceased to be the tool of their will. It requires no deep
insight into the secrets of human nature to read the con-
sequences of this state of things. There must inevitably
exist a barrier between the American and the negro, simi-
lar to that which separates the higher from the poorer and
less polished classes of society in Europe. The black and
the white man are a distinct race; and the distinction is,
as yet, no less marked in the internal than the exter-
nal man. How far a nearer approach in tliought, feeling,
and nK»ral character, in future generations, may tend to
remove the barrier, it is not easy to judge. I nmst ob-
serve that, considering the inferior grade in society that
the African as yet holds ; and considering also the frac-
tion that he constitutes in the sum of the population, it
speaks honourably for the morals of the American com-
munity, that the two races continue so distinctly marked.
Notwithstanding the inferior estimation in which the
blacks are held, not so much on account of complexion
and feature, as fit)m the greater laxity of their morals, they
may be more properly said to constitute a distinct than a
degraded race. They are equally under the protection of
mild and impartial laws ; possess, in general, the same po-
litical rights with the mass of the community ; are more
peculiarly the objects of humane consideration with the
Digitized by
Google
i)6 CONI>ITION OP
benevolent and the religious, and are enabled, from the
very condition of the country, jto procure a subsistence, ib
spite of their indolence and thoughtless forgetftilness of the
morrow- Though neitlier a frugal, nor, compared with the
American population, a moral people, they are singularly
cheerful and good-humoured, and are bound in close ties
of social intercourse with each other. They are every
where immoderately fond of dancing, and, when assem-
bled for that purpose in the room of a country tavern, or
in the hall or kitchen of some one of their employers, ex-
hibit a show of finery which might amaze Harlequin him-
self. It is always thus that man emerging from the savage
or the slavish state, seizes on the indulgencies and the tin-
sel of luxury, before he discovers the value of those higher
enjoyments, derived from the acquirement of knowledge
and the cultivation of refined and elevated sentiment. In
spite of the many disadvantages under which the African
has hitherto laboured, instances are not wanting where he
has risen to considerable wealth jsscnd respectability, par-
ticularly, I believe, in the New-England states. Nothing
indeed is here necessary but his own exertions to raise
him in the scale of being. His poUtical rights must in
time awaken in him political ambition, in which he has as
yet been usually found deficient. In some of the states,
the blacks now fi-equently exercise their right of suffrage ;
and it is a curious fact, that in Massachusetts some black
votes were given so long back as the election for the gene-
ral Convention, appointed to digest the plan of the Fede-
ral Government. In some of the northern states, tlie
right of suffrage is still witheld from the negro ; and with
seeming reason, for he is evidently, as yet, but ill fitted to
exercise it.*
* Where the negro holds Uic right of suffrage, I do not believe the law ex-
cludes him from any public office of the state ; the qualifications demanded
are» of course, such as he is not likely to be found possessed of. This and
cQstom operate sufficiently to insure his exclusion.
Digitized by
Google
THE AEGRO. 57
I have wandered into more general observations than I
had intended at the commencement of this letter, but, as
they rose naturally out of a subject upon which you have
expressed some curiosity, I hope they will not appear al^
together misplaced.
10
Digitized by
Googl^
68
LETTER Vl.
BEF£B£NC£ TO LIEUTENANT HALL. ADVICE ^O TOURISTS*,
APPEARANCE OF THE CITY OF PHlLADELPHIA»-r
STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE. STATErHOUSE. — REMARKS
ON THE CONDUCT OF THE FIRST AMERICAN CONGRESS.
•^—ANECDOTES RELATING TO THAT PERIOD. PECU-
LIARITIES IN THE POLITICAL CHARACTER OF THE PEO-
PLE OF PENNSYLVANIA. — INTERNAL GOVERNMENT OF THlT
STATES.
PhHadelphia, May, 1819.
mr DEAR FRIEND,
I SHALL not fatigue you with the enumeration and de-
scription of tbe public edifices and institutions of this city«
Innumerable travellers, however unwilling to see beauty
and good order in the moral and political frame of Ameri-
can society, bear ample testimony to the peaceable virtues
and active benevolence of the people of Philadelphia.*
I refer you to Lieytenant Hall f for an accurate and
interesting description of the state-prison, an object which
must attract the attention of every foreigner. Let me, by-
* Mr. FearoD indeed saysi << Although the eyes and ears of a stranger are
not insulted in the openness of noon-day with evidence of hardened profliga-
cy, I have nevertheless reaton to believe in its existence to a very great ex-
tent." Whoever this Mr. Fearon may be, or whatever may have been bis mo-
tive for travelling tbrough the United States, it is not by such vague insinoa-
tiont that the character of the moral and truly Christian city of Philadelphia
can bt brought into discredit either in America or Europe. It had been wise,
however, if this writer had always kept to these general terms, and not ven-
tured upon false fa^.
t Travels in Canada and the United States, by Lieutenant Hall, I4th Light
Dragoons.
Digitized by
Google
ADVICE TO TOURISTS. 59
tbe-bye, distinguish from the mass of travellers who have
disfigured this country, that intelUgent ofScer ; not that I
am always disposed to think or feel with him in his obser-
vations upon this nation ; I incline to think that he has not
always done justice either to their character or their man-
ners. The same objects often aj^ar so differently to two
different pair of eyes, though both should be equally intent
i^n seeing them as they are, that one might readily be
tempted to tarn Pyrrhonist, and call in doubt^ not only the
sanity of one's judgment, but the evidence of one's senses.
The fact is, that though we should even be disburdened of
national and individual prejudice, th^e will yet remain in
our constitutional temper, or certain fortuitous circumstan-
ces of wind or weather, a dull companion, exhausted ^i-
rits, wearied limbs, or some one of the thousand nameless
accidents to whose influence we frail mortals are so mi-
serably subjected, enough to jaundice our eye-sight and
pervert our feelings. A traveller is, of all men, most at
the mercy of these nameless trifles ; it is a pity however,
that nations should be laid at their mercy too, or rather at
the mercy of a jaded traveller's distempered mind.
Would it not be a good rule, that when a tourist sits down
with pen and paper before him to pass judgment upon ibe
world around him, he should first ask himself a few ques-
tions : '^ Am I in good health and good humour ? in a
comfortable room and an easy chair ? at peace with my-
self and all men about me ?" I have a notion that some
such short catechism would save volumes of misstated
. facts and misrepresented characters, and keep the peace
not cHily between man and man, but nation and nation, m
a manner undesired by statesmen, and undreamedof by
philosophers. I mean not exactly to apply this to Lieu-
tenant Hall, whose remarks in general do as much honour
to his heart as his head ; it strikes me only that he has
sometimes judged hastily, or perhaps I think so because J
incline to judge difierently.
Digitized by
Google
60 PHILADBLPHJA.
I have meBtioDed with how much pleasure I fomid
your name remembered in some house of this city; of
course, more particularly in that of the family c^ the^late
Dr. Rush. I much regret that this venerable philan*
thropist should have sunk beneath the weight <rf years
before our visit to this country. It makes even the young
pause to ruminate on the swift wings of time, when they
find the path of life forsaken by those whom the heart has
been taught to venerate. There would, indeed, be much
in this city to mark the lapse of years, were not this some^
what checked by the reflection that years, in their eflfects,
count for ages in this young and vigorous world* Wash-
ington, Hamilton, Gates, and all the older veterans of the
Revolution, who yet trod the stage when you surveyed it,
are all gathered to their fathers ; and though their names
are still fresh in men's mouths^ could they now look up
from their graves, they might scarcely know their own
America.
It is curious to picture the Philadelphia into, which the
young Franklin threw himself, friendless and pennyless,
to seek his fortune, and the Philadelphia that now is —
we may say, too, the Philadelphia that he left it, when he
sunk, full of years and honour, into the grave. From a
small provincial town, without public libraries or institu-
tions of any kind, he lived to see it not only the thriving,
populous, and well-endowed capital of an independent
state, but the seat of a government, the novelty of whose
principles fixed the eyes of the whole civilized world. It
has nQW all the appearance of a wealthy and beautiful me-
tropoUs, though it has lost the^interest which it possessed
to you as the seat and centre of political life. Not merely
has it ceased to,be the seat of the great central government,
as it was when you knew it, but even of that of the Penn-
sylvania republic. The Legislature now meets in Lan-
caster, about 60 miles west from hence, but this also has
already grown out of the centre of the fast-spreading ciri
Digitized by
Google
PHILAI>fXPHIA. 64
cle of pc^nilation ; and, by an act of the Assembly, the
capital is ordained to travel yet farther west to Harris-
bijorgh, on the east branch of the Susquehanna. This
town, the definitive seat of the Pennsylvania state-go-
vernment, is, I am informed, laid out with great care,
much on the same (dan as Philadelphia, and promises, in
the grandeur of its public buildings, to outstrip the parent
city.
I nev^ walked through the streets of any city with so
much satisfaction as those of Philadelphia. The neatness
ajod cleanliness of all animate and inanimate things, houses,
pavements, and citizens, is not to be surpassed. It has not,
indeed, the commanding position of New-Yoric, which
gives to that city an air of beauty and grandeur very im-
posmg to a stranger, but it has more the appearance of a
finished and long-established metropcdis. I am not sure
that the streets have not too many right angles and straight
lines to be altogether pleasing to the qre, but they have
so much the air of cheerfulness, cleanlibess, and comfort,
that it vwMiM be quite absurd to find fault with them. 'Die
side pavements are regularly washed every morning by
the domestics of each house, a piece of out-door house-
wifery, by the way, which must be somewhat mischievous
to the ladies^ thin slippers, but which adds much to the
fair appearance, and, I doubt not, to the good health of
the city. The brick walls, as well as frame-work of the
houses, are painted yearly. The doors are usually white,
and kept delicately clean, which, together with the broad
slabs (k white marble spread before them, and the trees,
now gay with their first leaves, which, with some inter-
vals, line the pavements, give an air of cheerfulness and
elegance to the principal streets quite unknown to the
black and crowded cities of Europe. The plan laid out
by William Peim, which has been generally followed,
was very early swervckl from in one important -particular.
Instead of leaving a sloping bank of verdure rising gra*
Digitized by
Google
62 PHILAMXPHU.
dually fitmi the river, wiiich would have left the city opeo
to the view of its magnificent waters, as well as to whole*
fKMoe and refreshing breezes, it is choked up widi wharfii
and ugly riiinous^loddng buildings, the nest of infection
during the heats of summer* Fortunately these are of
wood, and must soon run thdbr time; when, though it
should be found impossible to restore the original plan of
the beneficent founder, it is to be presumed that some imr
provements will be efiected» To do without whar& and
warehouses Penn himself might, in these days, allow to
be out of the question ;. but I think that he would recom-
mend their being built d* a more pure as well as more
durable mat^ial than wood. Any thing whidn favours
the collection of filth and vegetable matter, which the in*
terstices between the rafts and frames of the projecting
quays must now certainly do, should carefiiUy be avoided
beneath so fervid a sun as here shines during the summer
months* The crowd of u^y buildings, and altogether
Hhe negligence of this confused comer of the city, forms
a strange contrast to the regular beauty which opens to
the eye the moment you emerge from it. The orderly
and cleanly citizens of Philadelphia must, indeed, look to
it and amend it altogether, or assuredly the demon of yel-
low fev^ will occasionally knock at their dooirs*
The public buildings are all remarkable for neatness,
and some for pure and classic elegance. Another
bank is about to be built on as simple a model as the
Pennsylvania. I trust the citizens will never swerve from
the pure style of architecture to which they seem at pre-
sent to have attached themselves ; above all, I trust they
will never attempt the Gothic, a failure in which, being a
fiulure in the sublime, is of all failures the worst. The
Academy of Arts contains a small, but well-choeen col-
lection of pictures, among which I have regarded with
most pleasure two modem pieces-^ an exquisite Niobe
by Rehberg, and a masteriy scriptural piece hy the Ame-
Digitized by
Google
PHlLAPELPHIiU 63
ricflB artist Alkton. It is truly suiprising how prolific
this young coUntiy has already been in painters. Westi
Leslie, Coppely, Trumbull^ and Allston, are names
known ^md respected in both hemispheres. The last-
mentioned artist seems destined to rise to peculiar emi-
nence. There is a genius in his conception, an ease in
bis execution^and a truth in his colouring, which stamp
bim for a master in his art. He is now in Boston, and it
is said, has patriotically ple(|ged himself to try his fwtune
in his own country.
The state-house, state-house no longer in any thing
but name, is an interesting object to a stranger, and,
doubtless, a sacred shrine in the eyes of Americans. I
know not but that i was a httle ofiended to find stuffed
birds, and beasts, and mammoth skeletons fflling the place
of senators and sages. It had been in better taste, per-
haps, to turn the upper rooms of this empty sanctuary into
a Ubrary, instead of a museum of natural curiosities or n
mausoleum of dead monsters.* I might have judged that
the citizens felt less respfct for tUs venerable building
than had been pleasing to me, had not every fiiend or ac-
quaintance that ever passed it with me, paused before it
to make some observation. ^^ Those are the windows of
the room in which our first Congress sat." ^^ There was
signed the declaration of our indq>endence." '^ From
those steps the declaration of independence was read in
the ears of the pec^le.'^ Ay ! and deq)ly must it have
thrilled to their hearts, ^is a fine moment to recall;
one that swells the bosom, and makes us proud of our
nature.
Who can consider, without deep and affecting sym-
pathy, that little assembled senate, who, in the name of
a young and unskilled people, there set at defiance the
power of a mighty empire, — not rashly and ignorantly,
but advisedly and calmly, — having weigh^d their own
* The lower roomi are more appropriately occupied by the courts of law.
Digitized by
Google
64 REMARKS ON THE
weakness as well as their adversary's strength,— {eeling
the heavy responsibility that rested on their decision, —
calculating the consequences of attempt and failure, and
then, with a full conviction of all the mighty odds against
them, " having counted the cost of the contest^ and finding
nothing so dreadful as voluntary slavery ^^'^ solemnly appeal-
ing to the supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude ^their
intentions^ and pledging to each other " their lives, their
fortunes, and their sacred honour," ranging themselves and
their infant nation under the banners of liberty, denoun-
cing their oppressors enemies in war, in peace friends. I
know not, in the whole page of human history, any thing
more truly grand and morally sublime than the conduct
of the American Congress throughout that Muequal contest,
upon which hung not the liberties of one people but those
of mankind. How admirable was the moderation which
marked their earlier deUberations ; the calmness which
they opposed to ministerial haughtiness, the firmness they
q^posed to ministerial obstinacy, tempering vigour with
prudence, and inflexible principle with req)ectful submis-
sion ! How admirable their dignity when called upon
finally to decide between unconditional submission^ or
resistance by force I With what stoical composure they
made the noble choice, and, having made it, with vdiat
unshrinking fortitude they met all the vicissitudes of for-
tune, — the ebb and flow of the tide of war, the discontent
of the factious, the fears of the timid, the despondency
even of the high-minded, never cast down by repeated
misfortunes, nor too much elated by momentary success.
When the houseless people were scattered before their
invaders, when the army unpaid, unclothed, vainly sought
assistance from the commander, and he vainly sought it
in the exhausted treasury, when the sword fell from then:
fainting hands, and the blank of despair seemed falling on
their hearts, still did these patriots weather the storm, still
did they find confidence in their just cause, and, with their
Digitized by
Google
FIRST AMGRiCAN CONGRESS. 65
eyes upon the pole-star of liberty, did they steady the
helm of the reeling vessel of the infant state, ride out tri-
umphantly the storm of war and revolution, arid gain the
glorious haven, from which their thoughts had never
swerved.
The annals of every nation can supply us with some
brilliant characters who stand superior to the sordid pas-
sions which sway the minds of ordinary men, and but too
often dictate the feelings of national communities. But
how seldom is it, that, in the most energetic pages of
history, we find a body of men uniting all the qualities of
sages and heroes, — cautious in their deliberations, firm
and united in their measures, pure in their feelings, besrond
suspicion in their conduct.
To the unbending spirit and perfect rectitude of the
Congress, was mainly owing the salvation of the Ame-
rican people, not merely from foreign conquest, but from
intestine broils. To their little senate-room, amid all the
changes of war, did the eyes of the people ever tumju
hope and confidence. Were their little armies defeated,
were their heroic generals fighting in retreat, were theii*
cities taken, were their houses in flames, was their com*
merce destroyed, was their gold and their credit gone ;
they still looked to that high-minded assembly, whose
counsels, they were satisfied, were ever framed with good
intention, and whose energies were ever employed to
relieve the sufferings that they could not prevent.
It is interesting to ima^ne, what must have been the
earnest thoughts of those modem Romans throughout that
trying contest ; — what their anxieties, and, finally, what
the flood of joy that must have poured on their hearts,
when the tidings reached them, that the last great victory
was achieved. There is a little anecdote, recorded in
the history of that period, which seems, in a manner, to
set this before us. The old door-keeper of the house of
Congress, when the news suddenly reached him of the
11
Digitized by
Google
C6 REMARKS ON THE
surrender of Comwallis, dropt on the instant dead. The
feelings of this poor veteran, too intense for his feeble age,
seem to image well those of the members of that assem-
bly, upon which he had been so faithful an attendant.
In the history of the American Revolution, I know not
which is most admirable, — the integrity of the Congress,
or the confidence of the people in their integrity. The
first was so piu«, that throughout that distracted period,
which might so well have furnished temptation to the self-
ish or the ambitious, we find not one member of that mag-
nanimous assembly even suspected of peculation, or of
a desire of personal aggrandizement ; and the latter was
so entire, that, during the worst days of that stormy period,
the public suffering was never charged to any wilful mis-
management on the part of the government ; not even
when its faith wns violated, by the gradual depreciation and
final extinction of a paper currency, which had been issued
witliout funds, and which ceased to circulate, with scarce
the shadow of a prospect being held out for its future re-
demption. '^ The demise of one king, (sa3rs Ramsay, in
Iiis succinct, but classical history of his country,) and the
coronation of a lawful successor, have often excited greater
commotions in royal governments than took place in the
United States on the sudden extinction of the whole cur-
rent money. The people saw the neces^ty which com-
pelled their rulers to act in tlie manner thegr had done ;
and being well convinced that the good of tfieir country
was their object, quietly submitted to measures, which,
under other circumstances, would scarcely have been ex-
piated by the lives and fortunes of their authors."
That a gpvemment, framed in all the distraction of re-
volution, — a powerful enemy on the very shores, the
emissaries of that enemy in the very heart of the country,
the Indians on one side their allies, and the ocean on the
other possessed by their fle^, that, at such a time, a go*
vemment so hastily oi^anized, unpractised in those powers
Digitized by
Google
FIRST AMERICAN CONGRESS. 6?
it was called upon to exercise, with armies untrained, un^
fed, unclothed, and without a 'treasury to meet the de-
mands that assailed them on every side, the commerce of
the country suddenly destroyed, the harvests laid waste,
not a guinea in the whole country, except in the hands of
the enemy, — that at such a time, and under such circum-
stances, the pubhc confidence should have been preserved,
argues a degree of moderation on the part of the govern-
ment, and of good sense, and devoted feeling on that of
the people, as perhaps in the history of ancient or mo-
dem times was never equalled, and certainly has never
been surpassed.
In the history of the dispute which first involved th^
liberty, and latterly the very existence of the young Ame-
rica, it is worthy of remark, that the prudence of her Con-
gress was always equal to their intrepidity, and their in-
trepidity to their prudence. Like a cautious general, they
advanced slowly, but never yielded an inch of the ground
they had once assumed. At first called together by the
voice of their fellow citizens, without consent, or rather in
very despite of existing authorities, the legality of whose
title remained unquestioned, they calmly took in review
the colonial grievances, and petitioned their redress upon
those constitutional grounds, acknowledged by the distant
nK>narchy of which they professed themselves, as they, in
truth, then appear to have been, loyal and affectionate
subjects. Without assuming power to enact laws, they
passed resolutions, to the sacred observance of which, un-
til redress of the enumerated grievances should be obtain-
ed, they boimd themselves by the ties of honour and pa-
triotism. That these simple ties should have proved suf-
ficient to hold together the people of numerous and distant
provinces, who had heretofore been often divided by jea-
lousies and clashing interests, and to give an effect to the
recommendations of private individuals as absolute as
could have followed upon tlie fiat of an established despot,
Digitized by
Google
68 REMARKS ON THE
aflbrdi^ a beautiful evidence of the readin^sa with which
national obedience is yielded when the hearts of a people
are with their rulers* These laws, but too often found
imaginary, were then sufficient at once to supersede the
authority of existing law, and to triumph oyer the vulgar
passions of humanity. They were stronger than msm^s
avarice and woman's vanity ; set at nought poverty and
suffering, and transformed a nation of industrious citizens
into one of patriot sddiers and high-minded heroes. The
state of the public feeling is well expressed by the unpre-
tending historian I have before quoted. " From what-
ever cause it proceeded, it is certain that a disposition to
do, to suffer, and to accommodate, spread frp^n breast to
breast^ and from colony to colony, beyond Ine reach of
human calculation. It seemed as though one mind in-
spired the whole. The merchants put far behind them
the gains of trade, and cheerfully submitted to a total stcq>-
page of business, in obedience to the recommendations of
men invested with no legislative powers. The cultiva-
tors of the soil with unanimity assented to the determina-
tion that the hard-earned produce of their farms should
\remain unshipped, although, in case of a free exportation,
many would have been eager to have purchased it from
them at advanced prices. The sons and daughters of ease
renounced imported conveniences, and voluntarily en-
gaged to eat, drink, and wear only such articles as their
country afibrded. These sacrifices were made, not from
the pressure of present distress, but on the generous prin-
ciple of sympathy with an invaded sister colony, and the
pnident policy of guarding against a precedent which
might, on a future day, operate against their liberties.^'
" This season of universal distress exhibited a striking
proof how practicable it is for mankind to sacrifice ease,
pleasure, and interest, when the mind is strongly excited
by its passions. In the midst of their sufferings, cheer-
fulness appeared in the face of all the people. They
Digitized by
Google
FIRST AMERICAN CWGRESS. 69
eouDted every thing cheap in comparison with lib^rty^
and readily gave up whatever tended to endanger it. A
noble strain- of generosity and mutual support was ge-
nendly excited. A great and powerful difibsion of public
spirit took place. The animation of the times raised the
actors in these scenes above themselves, and excited them
to deeds of self-denial, which the interested prudence of
cabner seasons can scarcely credit."
But though empowered by their fellow citizens to think
and to act for them, at a time, too, when the public feel-
ing was wrought to the highest pitch of enthusiasm, the
members of this virtuous assembly never exceeded the
necessity of the occasion. They kept in view the in-
terests and honour of the community, but held their pas-
sions in check. So long as the most distant prospect
remained to them of obtaining the acknowledgment of
their country's rights,, they preserved the language and
character of British subjects.
In their second meeting, while they issued their coun-
sels to their fellow citizens to persevere in repelling force
by force, and entered with them into active preparations
.for defensive war, they respectfully petitioned the distant
throne, that these preparations might be rendered unne^
cessary. The manly style in which they apostrophized
the mother country was calculated as well to soothe
h^ pride as to convince her reason. Having stated the
grievances which provoked their resistance, they declared
^' that, notwithstanding their sufferings, they retained too
high a regard for the kingdom from which they derived
their origin, to request such a reconciUation as might be
inconsistent vnth her dignity and welfare." The con-
tempt thrown upon these remonstrances, and, it is said,
the contemptuous language addressed to their venerable
Franklin, did yet more to turn the minds of the people
lix)m their parent country than did even the sword which
she pointed at their throats. However this may be, these
Digitized by
Google
r
70 HBMARKS ON tHE
united griefs rapidly prepared the public mind for the re*
ception of the numerous energetic pamphlets which began
to advocate the national disunion of the colonies from the
British empire. The circulation and effect of the well-
known ^' Common Sense" were instantaneous as those
of the electric fluid. Thousands were convinced by its
homely reasoning, but more were carried away by the
passion of feeling, which it wrought to the highest pitch
of human enthusiasm. Then followed the declaration of
independence. The wishes of the peq[>le had preceded
the act of their rulers, and the style of that act affixed yet
a new seal of confirmation to their wishes. The simple
exposition of moral and political truths with which it
opens elevated still higher the already sublimed tone of
the public sentiment; the energetic enumeration of the
national wrongs, opposed as in contrast to these great laws
of nature, kindled anew the national indignation ; the so-
lemn appeal to the great Author of Being, and the sacred
pledge of " lives," " fortunes," " and honour," with which it
closes, roused all the devotion of human hearts and manly
minds ; and, assuredly, never was it roused in a better or
a nobler cause. It was not the cause of Americans only,
it was the cause of the very people whose injustice they
opposed ; it was the cause of every people on the earth ;
of the whole great family of human kind. Well might
that high-minded patriot and statesnjian, the English
Chatham, exclaim in the British parliament, in the
face of the British minister, '^ I rejoice that America
has resisted!" Well might he observe, that " three mil-
lions of fellow creatures, so lost to every sense of virtue,
as tamely to give up their liberties, would befit instru-
ments to make slaves of the restJ^^ Had America basely sub-
mitted to the encroachments of ministerial parliaments,
soon would that same parliament have tried encroach-
ments upon the liberties of England ; or had the infant '
' America been overwhelmed by the armies poured upon
Digitized by
Google
FIRST AMERICAN CONGRESS. 71
her shores, with the buried liberties of her people, without
farther eflbrts on the part of their rulers, her victors had
buried for ever their own national virtue, and honour, and
diaracter. Then, indeed, had we read this moral upon
England's
" faded brow,
Nations, like men who others' ri^ts invade,
Shan donbljr rae the havoc they have made,
And, in a brother's liberties overthrown.
Shall weep to find that they have wrecked their own/'
Vioughh of a Reduie,
Con^dering the common frailties of human nature, we
might well be at a loss to account for the uniform recti-
tude of the first rulers of these infant. repubUcs; but the
secret is thus simply explained by Ramsay. '^ The pub-
lic voice elevated none to a seat in that august assembly
but such as, in addition to considerable abiUties, possessed
that ascendency over the minds of their fellow citizens
which can neither be acqmred by birth, nor purchased by
wealth.'^
The occasional weakness of the central government
during the revolutionary struggle was as much owing to
the unwillingness of its members to assume too much, as
to the difficulty of exacting obedience, or of procuring
that unanimity of measures (which can alone render the
greatest national stru^es effective) throu^iout the ex-
tent of the vast and thinly peopled territory which Was
every where assailed by invading legions. The vigilant
patriotism of the Congress was as uniformly exerted to
protect the civil as the national liberties of their country;
for the former they began the struggle, and, when neces-
sity con4)eIled them to prosecute it for the latter, they
never for a moment lost sight of the one nor the other.
They seem to have ever held before them that page of the
history of their finish ancestors, when having risen
against the tyranny of a monarch, the people fell beneath
Digitized by
Google
7*2 REMARKS ON THE
that of a soldiery. These indeed are the Scylla and Cha-
rybdis between which it is so difficult for a nation to steer
during the storm of political commotions: it was here
that the vessel of the state was wrecked in Ekigland at the
era of the commonwealth ; it was here that it was
wrecked in France at that of the Revolution. If it be
not impossible, it is at least incalculably dkiicult to esta-
blish the liberties of a country on a solid foundation by
means of a vigorous army ; it is, indeed, the roost efficient
weapon wherewith to combat tyranny, but it is a two-
edged one -, it forces open the temple to liberty, but stabs
her as she ascends her throne. The earlier Congress may
perhaps be judged to have carried their scrupulous pre-
caution too far; to have exerted, if I may so express my
self, too paternal a dominion for a season of such exigen*
cy ; to have calculated too much upon that moral force
which they saw so powerfully exerted around them ; to
have deemed, in short, the self-impelled energy of the
country to have been sufficient to spurn the invaders frcxn
her shores. That theur first calculation was errcHieous is
undoubted, and the experience of a second campaign in^
duced them to adopt more vigorous measures ; but their
vigour was ever so tempered with prudence, their ardour
for speedy relief from foreign violence so balanced by the
diread of nerving too strongly the hands of internal power,
that they have frequently been censured for too excessive
a modeiation, for dreaming, in short, upon abstract rights,
while the very existence of the nation was at stake. The
more reflecting, especially among Americans, who may
be allowed to be the best judges of a scene in which they
or their fathers were the actors, are wont to ascribe to the
revolutionary Congress a wisdom as practical as it was
beautiful. They were not dreaming upon abstract prin-
ciples; they were guarding the actual rights and pre-
serving the morals of the community. They judged it
a lesser evil that the war should be somewhat protracted,
Digitized by
Google
FIRST AMERICAN CONGRESS. 73
than that the seeds of political evil should be ingrafted on
the soil. They accounted it impossible to make slaves of
a people who were determined to be free, and the result
proved that they judged wisely. The Fabian shield em-
ployed by their wise general in his miUtary conduct was
spread by themselves over the civil government. Their
aim was to do nothing that might afterwards require to be
undone; a rule the steady adherence to which imparts
more lasting strength to a government than any which
has ever been devised. It must farther be observed, that
the powers of Congress were at this season by no means
clearly defined ; and had they incautiously stretched them
too far, they might have roused opposition, and so divided
the community. As it was, they held it united ; indeed,
the unanimity of sentiment which prevailed throughout
this scattered community during that grievous and pro-
tracted warfare, is perhaps not the least striking feature
in the character of the times. No jealousy of the govern-
ment, none of the commander, ever mingled its leaven
with the patriotism of the people ; both indeed were so
pure, it was impossible to doubt them ; and this it was
that blunted the swords of the enemy, and before which
their experienced and well-provisioned armies fell one
after another, as the ripe leaves of the forest before the
invisible breezes of heaven.
I must here recall to you that singular evidence of the
. devotion of the national feeling, afforded, I think, in the
seventh year of the war, after the revolt of the Pennsyl-
vania line. You will remember the hard sufierings which
produced the mutiny. Fainting under the united hard-
ships of military duty, and deficient food and clothing,
they withdrew from the body of the army, demanding that
which their officers had not to give, the immediate supply
of their necessities. To awe them into obedience. Gen.
Wayne presented hispfetols ; they pointed their bayonets
at his breast. " We love and respect you, but if you fire,
12
Digitized by
Google
74 REMARKS ON THE
you are a dead man. We are not going to the enemy;
but are determined on obtaining our just rights." They
withdrew in good order, with their arms and field-pieces^
to a neighbouring town, committed no devastations, but
obstinately persisted in their demands. Congress dis-
patched some of its members to the mutineers, but before
these arrived, emissaries from the enemy appeared among
them. Unconditional terms were offered; gold, prefer-
ment, and the immediate cover and assistance of a body
of royal troops^ already on their march towards them.
Their reply was the instant seizure of their evil tempters/
whom thdy sent immediately under a guard from their
own body to the same general who had pointed his pistols
at their lives. At the appearance of the Congress' com-
missioners, their grievances were stated and redressed;
but when President Reed offered them a hundred guineas
.from his private puree, as a reward for their fidelity in
having surrendered the spies, the sturdy patriots refused
them. " We have done a duty we owed our country,
and neither desire nor will receive any reward, but the
approbation of that country for which we have so often
bled."* A country peopled by such men might be over-
run, but could not be subdued. This conviction suppcMt-
ed the Congress in the most trying emergencies; they
ever preserved equal hopes, and asserted the same claims,
whether their fellow citizens were victorious or defeated.
They seem to have foreseen this consequence from defeat,
a new ardour in the cause of liberty ; and most truly were
their expectations answered. The national ^irit ever
rose highest in the moment of adversity ; the greatdr the
pressure, the more vigorous the rebound ; the longer the
* Among' these soldiei's were some nataralized citizens, natives of Ireland^
a country which has sent forth many an able hand and head to the Ameri-
can wilderness ; many, too, of high birth, but whom political or religious
persecution has made aliens and foreigners.
Digitized by
Google
FIRST AMERICAN CONGRESS. 7;j
blessings of peace and independence were withheld, the
fiercer was the desire for their possession.
I shall perhaps weary you with these reflections upon
past events^ They are so glorious, however, tliat the
mind has pleasure in recurring to them. Such actions
inculcate lessons beyond all that the schools can teach ;
which charm the dull monotony of ordinary hfe, refute
the misanthrope, and encourage the hopes of good men.
It is true, that great excitement, that is, perhaps, great
crimes, are necessary to call into being great virtues.
The world is happier, therefore, when these are left in
embryo ; but it is good to have proof that the seeds are
there, lest we should sometimes doubt it. You will say,
perhaps, that, according to this calculation, the balance
is even ; but it is not. As the shadow of a giant will
hide the tittleness of a multitude of dwarfs, so will the
dignity of a hero outweigh the meanness of a host of com-
mon men. What child, in reading of the torments of
Regulus, does not so triumph in the proud constancy of
the Roman, as to forget with him the cruelty of his ene-
mies ? In reading the answer of the member of Congress,
when tempted to betray his country, " Tell the King of
England, I am not worth buying ; but that, such as I am,
he is not rich enough to do it^" who does not, in the in-
dignant scorn of the patriot, forget the littleness of those
spirits who doubted his virtue ? In contemplating the suf-
feriisgs of those who endured in a noble cause, we have a
secret assurance that the magnanimous mind had that
vdthin itself which the oppressor never dreamed of. In
considering Henry Laurens in his prison, when we hear
him spurning the offers of liberty and ministerial favour,
and braving the last threats of power rather than demand
of his son a monnent's relaxation from his duty, we forget
that we are reading of a man bowed down with infirmi-
tiesi and feel that his spirit rose then yet more proudly in
his narrow prison than it did when, in t^e strange revolu-
Digitized by
Google
76 POLITICAL CHARACTBR OF THE
tion of buman affairs, be was called forth to mediate a
peace between his enemies and his victorious countrymen.
You may not be acquainted with the anecdote to which
I allude ; it is one among a thousand recorded of the in-
trepid assertors of American independence*
Henry Laurens^ a gehtlipman erf property and high con-
sideration in this his native country, was deputed by Con-
gress, in the latter years of the war, to negotiate a treaty
between the United States of America and those of Hol-
land. He was captured on his passage, and thrown into
a close and grievous imprisonment in the Tower x)f Lon-
don. Many propositions ^ere there made to liim, which
were repelled with indignation. ' At length, news being
received that his eldest son (a youth of such uncommon
talents, exalted sentiments, and prepossessing manners
and appearance, that a romantic interest is still attached
to his name) had been appointed the special minister of
Congress to the French court, and was there urging the
suit of his country with winning eloquence, the father was
requested to write to his son, and persuade his return
to America; it being farther hinted, that, as he was
held prisoner in the light of a rebel, his life should depend
upon compliance. " My son is of age," replied the
heroic father of a heroic son, ^' and Ii€ls a will of his own.
I know him to be a man of honour. He loves me dearly,
and would lay down his life to save mine, but I am sure
that he would not sacrifice his honour to save my life, and
I applaud him." This veteran was not many months
after released, with a request from Lord Shelbume that
he would pass to the continent, and assist in negotiating^a
peace between Great Britain, and the free United States
of America and France their ally.*
* Colonel. Laurens, his interesting son, having executed his commission in
France, retnnted to resume his place in the army. He was killed in the
ver/ last days of the war, in an InsignificaAt skirmish, jnst when the liberties
of his country were decided. ^,
Digitized by
Google
P£OPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA. 77
It is a singular, and perhaps a somewhat inexplicable
circumstance, that the state of Pennsylvania, colonized
by the most peaceable set of men that the earth could
well furnish, has been the seat of more political contention
than any other qf the Union* It is true, that the primitive
Society of Friends made, but for a short term of years, a
majority in the province,, yet the explanation of the fact
cannot well be found in any pecuUar turbulence of dispo-
sition in the people* Whether it was that their earlier
legislators were less skilled in the science of govern*
ment than those of the other provinces, or whether it
was owing to accidental causes not now easy to trace,
we find them disputing in the first page of their colonial
histoiy with their governors and deputy-governors, even
with their friend and parent William Penn himself. A
people 43eldom, perhajj^s never, complain without good
causiB, and the candid mind of Penn seems to have ad-
mitted this truth. He firequently new-modelled the con-
stitution which the colonists had first received fix)m his
hands, and the alterations appear to have been amend-
ments; but whenever he delegated the power he had
preserved to himself^ as proprietor of the infant province,
it appears to have been abused. So true is it that irre-
sponsible authority can never be lodged m the hands of any
individual, however good or wise, without risk to the
peace of a xx>mmunity. It is possible, indeed, that a
people may govern themselves ill, (Uiough it is always
probable that they will understand their own interests
better than others can for them,) but the having them-
selves to blame for the misfortunes that befall them, and
possessing the power to woris: their remedy at pleasure,,
will at least save much public tumult, by shortening the
term of their ill humour. The political disputants, how-
ever, until the era of the Revolution, employed no keener
weapons than the tongue and the pen, and, with the ex-
ception of occasional wrangles with a neighbouring pro-
Digitized by
Google
78 POLITICAL CHARACTER OP THE
vince touching the boundary line, in which the proprietors
were more concerned than the people, tlieir quarrel
seems always to have regarded the vital liberties of the
community.
I have alluded to the poUtical liistory of this common-
wealth, because there are in it some peculiaiities. Its
people appear to have been ^gularly jealous of their li-
berties, and at the same time to have been slower to dis-
cover the best mode of securing them, than those of their
sister states. Though the intentioi^ of their first legisla-
tor was to " frame a government for the support of power,
that should be in reverence with the people, and to se-
cure the people from the abuse of power," neither he nor
his immediate successors could effect this most desirable
object. The convention called by the people at the thne
of the Revolution, could not fail of better success, since
there was no longer any compromise to make with the in-
terests of any one man, or set of men, or with the enact-
ments of a distant government. As the people were now
their own lawgivers, whatever they decreed amiss could
be forthwith amended, and from that time we find no po-
litical disputes in this or tlic other republics, but those of
a day.
Several of the states have called subsequent conven-
tions to amend the constitutions then adopted, and in
many these alterations have been important.
The old thirteen states, with the exception of two, ac-
knowledged, in their original constitutions, two branches of
legislature, a house of representatives and a senate. Penn*
sy 1 vania and Georgia decreed but one. It appeared to them
that, as no distinction of ranks had existence in the Ameri-
can commonwealths, it would not be easy to create two
houses of representatives who should differ in any thing
the one from the other, and consequently, that they would
only be parts of the same body legislating in different
rooms. I have been informed that Franklin was at first
Digitized by
Google
PEOPLE OP PENNSYLVANIA. 79
among the advisers of this more simple mode of legisla-
tion, but that he was, after a short experiment, convinced
that it had its disadvantages. The people were convin-
ced of the same, and, in a few years, Pennsylvania and
Georgia adopted a senate in the manner of their sister
states. Although the two houses are chosen by the same
electors, and tnay be thus said to be the same body divi-
ded into two parts, yet as the discussions on any bill take
place successively, more time is allowed for deliberation-*
Experience has taught communities, that though, upon
some rare emergencies, decision and dispatch may further
measures important to the public weal, as a general rule
it is better to make laws too slowly than too hastily. Penn-
sylvania seems, indeed, to have been aware of this ; and,
in order to provide against anypreci[Mtancyin her legisla-
tive proceedings, she adopted an expedient quite peculiar
to herself, and which was more in the spirit of the old de-
mocracies of Greece than those of modem times. In
place of a senate, she first enacted that the opinion of the
people at large should be taken upon every question
brought foiivard by their representatives. To effect tliis,
every bill was published after its second reading in the
house, and time allowed for tlie body politic of the state
to submit their opinions to their servants in council. One
can hardly imagine a mode of legislation more trouble-
some than this. It was, of course, soon abandoned, to-
gether with a counsel of censors, whose duty it had been
to sit in periodical judgmei;it upon the whole government
of the state, legislative and executive, and to report ac-
cordingly. After the revolution, the lapse of a few years,
and the trial of a few experiments calmed the spirit of
controversy which had so long beset this people. Their
* An attempt is made in gome few of the states to constitute a difference
between the two houses, by requiring a higher rate of property to qualify a
senator than a representative ; many also require the senators to be older
than the members of the other house.
Digitized by
Google
80 INTERNAL GOVERNMENT
rights being now fairly established and guarded beyond
the possibility of invasion, party animosities have subsi^
ded, and the wheel of government, moved by the united
impetus of the whole people, turns noiseless and unimpe-
ded, watched by all, and suspected by none.
The constitutions of all these different confederated re-
publics differ in little the one from the other. The legis-
lative power is vested in a general assembly, consisting
of a senate and house of representatives 5* the executive
in a governor, or in a governor with the assistance, or
perhaps it were more correct to say, the impediment of a
council. Thb impediment, at first adopted by all the
original thirteen states, has been abolished by several, and
has not been adc^ted by those which have been subse-
quently added to the Union.t A majority, however, of
the old thirteen states retain this check upon the will of
their chief magistrate. Considering the short term of his
authority, and the slender powers with which he is vested,
many regai-d this check as unnecessary, some diink it
mischievous, as it tends to retard the operations of govern-
ment, while others think it salutary on that very account.
Perhaps the tmth is, that it is very unimportant. This
will more clearly appear, if we consider the supreme au-
thority of the legislative branch of the government, which
is, in fact, the people speakmg and acting distinctly and
definitively in the person of thefac representatives. The
governor does, indeed, possess a veto upon the decision
of the two houses ; but his veto is not decisive ; he must,
within a given time return the bill, stating the grounds of
his dissent ; when the question is debated anew, and two-
thirds of both houses are then required to give the effect
of a law ; but as this majority can impart to it that effect
without the signature of the governor, it is, of course, rare-
* With the smgle ezceptkm of Vennonty gbe has hitherto held to the sytteni
first adopted by Penofylvania and Georgia, and legislates without a senate.
t Also with the exertion of Vermont.
Digitized by
Google
OF THE STATfiS. 81
ly refused ; I know not, indeed, that the case ever cfcctirs i
it is clear that it can only occur where the voices of the
legislators are pretty equally divided, and, consequently^
when the wisdom of the proposed law may be supposed
to be more than usually doubtful. That the door should
then be left open for its reconsideration must surely be ac-
counted wise ; and we must farther suppose that the exe^
cutive could never adopt the extraonlinary measure of
withholding its consent, but on a question of vital im<^
portance, as well as of doubtful merits. By the English
constitution, a veto is granted to the monarch, and thii^
without a second appeal to the legislative authority^ l(
this veto is never exerted, it is evidently because the royal
influence can previously affect the legislative deciinon,
and thus virtually speak the will of the monarch, without
the too aiq)arent and irritating opposi^n of his voice to
that of the nation. Whatever power the executive here
possesses, it is direct ; its influence is nothing ; it must
simply approve or di^ent. The governor is as powerless
to affect the voices of the assembly as any other individual
in the commonwealth ; they are all powerful on the other
hand to affect his, or, as we have seen, can render it nU'
gatory. The powers of the governor vary somewhat in
the different states ; and it is, perhaps, singular, that in
Pennsylvania, where there has ever existed an excessive
jealousy of the executive, its powers are greater than in
other states. The governor is unshackled by a council)
holds his office for three years, and is trusted with the dis^
posal of many public offices, which, accordmg to the con-
stitution of most of the other republics, are voted by the
joint ballot of both houses of assembly.
One might amuse one's self by imagining that the citi*
zens of this state were so constitutionally disputatious as
to be unwilling to forego all opportunity for wrangling.
By throwing upon their chief magistrate the choice of
judges, mayors, recorders, &c. they reserve to themselves
13
Digitized by
Google
82 INTERNAL GOVERNMENT.
the possibility of quarrelling with him. This seems to be
a fashionable amusement, as it is also in the state of New-
York, where the appointment to some of the chief public
offices is also vested in the governor, though witli the con-
currence of a council. The bickering that this gives rise
to in the public prints may be very entertaining to those
engaged in it, but lookers-on may be allowed to think it
very ridiculous, and altogether unworthy of the dignity of
these two important republics.
All pubUc offices, whether in the disposal of the gover-
nor or the legislature, or the people, are held only on good
behaviour, and are, not excepting the governor, liable to
impeachment in the house of assembly. The concur-
rence of two-thirds of the representatives is necessary to
pass sentence, which extends only to removal from office
and disqualification to hold thereafter " any place of ho-
nour, trust, or profit, under the state."
It is always provided, that no person holding any office
under the state, or the United States, shall be a mem-
ber of either house of assembly ; a regulation of Vital
importance, and without which it is impossible to rely
upon the purity of the representative system. The ser-
vant of the people must be in the pay of no other man, or
set of men, or his interests may be at issue with his duty.
Pluralities^ indeed, are prohibited in every branch of
American government, and all the authorities under it.
This, of course, imparts to it a vigour and clean-handed-
ness wliich no other regulations could insure.*
The house of representatives may generally be said to
be the more popular branch of the legislature : its mem-
* A curious instance of political vigilance occurred lately in New- York :
A postmaster in that state was removed from office, because he was found (o
be a mail cofitr actor. The postmaster-general in Washington, assigning as a
reason for his dismissal, that the postmaster was the check over the irregu-
larity of the contractor, and that, if the same man held both situations, no
security could be considered as given to the public for the proper fulfilment of
the duties of either.
Digitized by
Google
OF THE STATES. 83
bers are chosen annuallyt, by the whole free male citi-
zens of the state. This may be said to be the case
throughout the Union, except in two or three of the old
republics of the south. The mode of election employed
in the choice of senators varies a little in the different
states ; in many the term of service extends but to one
year, in others to three, four, or, as in Maryland, to five
years ; but we cannot exactly calculate the varying po-
pularity of the senatorial elections by the greater or less
frequency of their occurrence; this is effected by th^
greater or less extension of the right of suflrage ; greater
qualifications by some constitutions being required to en-
title a citizen to vote for a senator than i representative ;
by others these are. declared to be equal, though the pe-
riod of election should occur more frequently in the one
case than the other. In Virginia, the governor, represent-
atives, and senators, are chosen annually, and yet her
constitution is the least democratic of any state in the
Union. In the eastern, central, and western .states, all
the elections are thoroughly popular. In Virginia and
the Carolinas the suffrage needs farther extension before
they can be said to legislate truly upon American ^nci-
ples.
The most admirable contrivance in the firame of these
governments is, the provision made in all for their altera-
tion and amendment. The convention is at once the
foundation and comer-stone in the beautifiil structure of
American government ; by its means the constitution of
the state is shaped to the wishes of the people as easily
and silently as its laws ; it is at once the safeguard of
the public rights, and the keeper of the public peace. The
rights of this community rest not on charters or ancient
usages, but on immutable principles, which every head
f Excepting in Sooth Carolina, Tennessee, and lUinob, where the elections
occur every tecond year.
Digitized by
Google
04 INTERNAL GOVERKlfENT
and heart is taught to understaiid and to feel. There is
here do refining upon the meaning of wordsi no opposing
of reoHtk to reason, no appealing fixMn the wisdom of the
present to that of the past ; the wisdom of to-day is often
the ignorance of to-morrow ; what in one age is truth) in
another is prejudice ; what is humanity beccxnes cruelty ;
what justice, injustice ; what liberty, slavery ; and almost
wh^ virtue, wickedness, and hapjnness, misery. All
things are by comparison ; the ^man of tlus generation,
with views and feeling adapted to earUar ages, is cramp-
ed in a sphere of action whidi those before him found
commensurate to their powers and tiieir ambition. If
law oppose barriers, his qnrit is ched^, but not quelled.
The flood of knowledge gathers strength, and the mound
is swept away with a sudden furj^ which shakes the very
fMmdations of society, and q^reads a momentary ruin
over the wide field of civihzed life. Power and liberty,
existing in the same state, must be at eternal war ; it is
cmly where one or other rul^ sm^y and undisputed, that
the public peace can be preserved ; in the one case by the
free exercise of al} the human eneigies, in the other by
their Extinction.
It has often been asserted by the advocates of despotn
ism, that the elements of liberty are wild and intractable,
^e position is most true, where they are found in an at-
inosphere uncongenial to their nature, where they have to
contend with other elements, with which they can never
amalgamate, and which wage with them unceasing war-
lare. It is cc»nmon to point our attention to the rq^Hibi-
|ics o( ancient time, and to tell us that fi-ee Rome was
qplit into factions and civil wars : vnthout enumerating
the many causes found in the distincti(» of ranks, the jea-
lousy existing between the various orders of society, the
powerfql armies with their ambitious leaders, which com-
bined to throw society into chaos, we have only to refer
to the ignorance of the doctrine of representation ; this
Digitized by
Google
0]F THE STATES. 85
doctrine, so simple when once revealed, forms the whole
science of a free government ; this it is which gives to mo-
dem liberty a character foreign to that which she bore in
ancient times; t^ it is which has made freedom and
peace shake hands, and which renders the reign of the
one coeval with that of the other.
The representative sj^stem, invented, or rather by a
train of fortuitous circumstances brought into practice in
England, has been carried to perfection in America ; by
it the body of the people rule in every thing ; by it they
establish their constitutions ; by it they legislate according
to the constitutions establidied; and by it again they
amend their constitutions, according to the gradual ad-
vance of the public mind in political wisdom. Thus,
though the form of government should in some cases be
found deficient, yet as the door is ever left open to im-
provement, in ^stem it may always be pronounced to be
perfect. ^^ Quelle repubUche che, se le non hanno Pordine
perfetto hanno preso il principio buono e atto a diventare
inigliore, possono, per la occorrenza deUi accident! diven-
tare perfette."*
Considering how greatly the human mind is ennobled by
liberty, and how raf^dly it becomes humanized when the
book of knowledge is thrown (^n to its inspection, there
is no calculating the progress of a people in virtue as
well as power, whose successive generations shall be bred
up under benign laws dnd Uberal institutions. Who does
not gympathize with the playful wish of the benign sage
and devoted patriot Franklin, who, when he saw a little
fly escape from a bottle in which it had been imprisoned,
exclaimed, ** Itoish I could be corked up as you have beeUj
and let out a hundred years hence, just to see how my dear
America is going on P^
*MaehknfdUtopnUprumiIkeaMTiioJJmo.
Digitized by
Google
86
LETTER Vn.
SOCIETY OP PHILADELPHIA. — ANECDOTE OP A PRUSSIAN
OPPICER. ANECDOTE OF MIU JEFFERSON. CHEVA-
LIER CORREADE 3ERRA. MR. GARNETT.
Philadelphia, May, 1819.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
I MUST not leave this city without observing somewhat
more distmctly .than I have as yet done, upon the gene-
ral character of the society.
It is difficult to make db^rvations upon the inhabitants
of a particular district that shall not more or less apply to
the nation at large. This is the case in all countries, but
more particularly in these democracies. The universal
spread of useful and practical knowledge, the exercise
of great political rights, the ease, and, comparatively, the
equsdity of condition, give to this people a character pe-
culiar to themselves. The man of leisure, who is usually
for the most part the man of pleasure, may, indeed, find
himself somewhat alone in this country. Every hand is
occupied, and every head is thinking, not only of the active
business of human life, (which usually sits lighter upon
this people than many others,) but of matters touching the
general weal of a vast empire. Each man being one of
a sovereign people, is not only a politician, but a legisla-
tor — a partner, in short, in the grand concern of the
state : and this not a sleeping partner, but one engaged
Digitized by
Google
AMERICAN CHARACTER. 87
in narrowly inspecting its operations, balancing its ac-
counts, guarding its authority, and judging of its interests.
A people so engaged, are not those with whom a lounger
might find it agreeable to associate: he seeks amuse-
ment, and he finds business ; careless wit, and he finds
sense ; plain, strait-forward, sober sense. The Ameri-
cans are very good talkers, and admirable listeners ; un-
derstand perfectly the exchange of knowledge, for which
they employ conversation, and employ it solely. They
have a surprising stock of information, but this runs little
into the precincts of imagination ; facts form the ground-
work of their discourse. They are accustomed to rest
their opinions on the results of experience, rather than on
ingenious theories and abstract reasonings ; and are al-
ways wont to overturn the one, by a simple appeal to the
other. They have much general knowledge, bqt are best
read in philosophy, history, political economy, and the
general science of government. The world, however,
is the book which they consider most attentively, and
make a general practice of turning over the page of every
man's mind that comes across them ; they do this very
quietly, and very civilly, and with the understanding that
you are at perfect liberty to do the same by theirs. They
are entirely without mauvaise hontej and are equally free
from effrontery and ofRciousness. The constant exercise
of the reasoning powers gives to their character and man-
ners a mildness, plainness, and unchanging suavity, such
as are often remarked in Europe in men devoted to the
abstract sciences. Wonderfully patient and candid in
argument, close reasoners, acute observers, and original
thinkers. They understand little the play of words, or,
as the French more distinctly express it, badinage.
When an American, indeed, is pressed into this by some
more trifling European, or by some lively woman of his
own nation, I have sometimes thought of a quaker striking
into a Highland reel. This people have nothing of the
Digitized by
Google
88 AMERICAN CHARACTER.
poet in them, nor of the bel esprit^ and I Hunk are apt to
be tiresome, if they attempt to be either. It is but fair,
however, to observe, that they very seldom do attempt
this, at least after they are five*and-twenty. On the otl^
hand, they are well-informed and Uberal philosophers,
who can give you, in half an hour, more solid instruction
and enlightened views, than you could receive from the
first corps literaire or diplomatique of Europe by lifiteniog
to them for a whole evening. It is said that every man
has his forte^ and so, perhaps, has every nation ; that of
the American is clearly good sense : this sterling quality
is the current coin of the coimtry, and it is curious to see
how immediately it tries the metal of other minds. In
truth, I know no people who sooner make you sensible
of your own ignorance. In conversing even with a plain
farmer, it has seemed to me, that I had been nothing but
a foolish trifler all my Ufe, running after painted butterflies,
while he, Uke the ant, had been laying up winter stores of
solid mental food, useftil at all times, and m all exi-
gencies.
I must also remark of this people, that they possess an
uninterrupted cheerfulness of mind, and an imperturbable
evenness of temper, and, moreover, a great share of dry
humour, which is the weapon they usually employ when
assailed by impertinence or troublesome folly of any kind.
I have witnessed many amusing instances of this ; and
you will find some true specimens in the writings of
FrankUn, whose humour was truly of native growth.
A story occurs to me at this moment, which, though it
perhaps owed sbmething to the manner in which I heard
it, may at least serve as an example of the national trait
to which I have here alluded. A Prussian (^cer, who
some while since landed in New- Yorik, in his way to Ve-
nezuela, having taken up his lodgings at a hotel in Broad-
way, found himself in company with two British officers,
and an American gentleman, who was quietly seated in
Digitized by
Google
ANECDOTES. 89
the recess of a window, reading the Washington Gazette.
The Prussian understood not a word of English, but ob-
served that the two foreigners, in conversing with each
other, eternally used the word Yankee. As they leaned
out of an open window which looked into Bix>adway, he
heard them repeat it again and again, and seemingly ap-
ply it to every citizen that passed before them. " Yan-
kee ! Yankee !" at length exclaimed the Prussian ; -
" Clue veut dire ce Yankee ?" and turned, wondering, to
the gentleman who sat apparently inattentive to what
was passing. ** Je vous dirai, monsieur," said the Ame-
rican, gravely looking up fix)m his paper *, '^ cela veut dire,
an homme d'une sagesse parfaite, d'un talent extreme,
jouissant des biens de la fortune, et de la consideration
publique." ^^ En un mot,'Qn sage et un homme distingu^.^'
*' Pretisiment." " Mais, monsieur, que la republique est
riche en sages et en hommes distingu6s !" " Ces mes-
sieurs nous font Phonneur de le croire," bowing to the of-
ficers.
You may smile to hear that the Prussian took the ex-
planation in sober seriousness, (though you will readily
believe that our two countrymen were too petrified to c^er
it a contradiction,) and failed not in employing the word
to comment upon the superabundance of hommes distin-
gui$ to be found in the city, as well as upon the force of
the language, which knew how to convey so many ideas
in one word. It was long before I could understand the ..^
drift of the Prussian's discourse ; when at length 1 had
drawn the above story firom him, and that the mystery
stood explained, the joke seemed almost to good to put
an end to. As I saw, l\owever, that it was his fixed in-
tention to apply the word m its new meaning to every ^;
citizen to whom he meant to do honour, and that, in case '
of an interview with the President himself, he would in-
fallibly, in some flourish of politeness, denominate him
14
^^
r
Digitized by
Google
90 ANECDOTES.
Chef des Yankees, I thought it better to restore the word
to its old reading.*
As I have commenced story-telling, I must sulgoin an
anecdote of Mr. , or as he is more simply styled,
Thomas Jefferson, which I received a few days since fix)m
a gentleman of this city, and which struck me as not on-
ly characteristic of that philosopher, but somewhat also
of this nation generally.
It was the object of Mr. Jefferson to preserve, in every
trifle, that simplicity which he deemed the most appro-
priate characteristic of a repubhc. At his entrance into
the presidency, he found himself a Uttle troubled with the
trifling etiquette which the foreign ambassadors, and more
especially their ladies, were essaying to establish in his
own drawing room ; and, apprehending that the wives
and daughters of his official brethren might catch the con-
tagion, he let pass no opportunity of givuig it his discoun-
tenance. He wisely judged, that in this matter, as in
most others, example was better than precept, and set
about new-ordering the manners of the city, much in the
manner that Franklin might have taken. Did he go to
make a morning visit, he rode without a servant, tied his
horse to the gate, and walked in as plain Thomas Jeffer-
scm. Did all the different legations come to dine with
him, he received them with indiscriminating polite-
ness, and that simple dignity for which he is eminently
distinguished; conversing with ajid welcoming all, he
left the company to arrange themselves at his table, of
* Perhaps the original derivation of the word Taokee is not generally
known in England. It if the Indian corruption of Engli^, Yengleesy Yan-
' gUSf Yanklci9 and finaUy Yanku. In the United States , the nick-name is on-
ly jocularly api^ed to the cidsens of New-England, whose early settlefs
were thus denominated by the savages. The Pennsylvanians are known
among the Indians by the name of (iuekcUf being a corruption of Quakers ;
the Vuqginians by that of Long Knives, I beUere from the bloody wars in
which they were continually engaged with the first adventurous settlers of
that mother of the Ubmb.
Digitized by
Google
\
ANECDOTES^ 91
which he so did the honours, as to spread ease and cheer-
fuhiess around it, and to make his guests in good humour
with themselves and each other ; the wife of the Spanish
Minister, however, upon returning home, began to ponder
upon the events of the evening : she had been seated be-
low the lady of , my informant forgot which am-
bassador, but one whom she judged of inferior import-
ance to her Uege lord. His most CathoUc Majesty had
been insulted, she declared, in her person ; for was not
an insult offered to the wife always offered to the hus-
band ; and as in this case an insult offered to the husband
was offered to the King of Spain — Euclid himself must
have concluded with Q. E. D. The next morning the
£k>n could do no less than summon a council, consistmg
of his most chosen friends among the diplomatic corps.
The case was stated, and their opinions severally taken.
One ventured to apologize for the President, on the ground
of his ignorance as a repubhcan of the rules of etiquette.
To this it was replied, that the dignity of his most Catho-
lic Majesty was not to be laid at the mercy of every man
who might call himself a repubhcan. The lady particu-
larly insisted that satisfaction must be given. It was sug-
gested, that the best way would be for Spain's representa-
tive to go and ask it. The divan broke up, and one of
its members went to advise the President of the matter in
agitation. Some hours after, Mr. Jefferson, while occu-
pied in his Ubrary, was informed that the Spanish minis-
ter was in an adjoining appartment; he called imme- ^^
diately for his boots, and putting one on, and holding the
other in his hand, proceeded to the room. Having half
opened the door, he issued orders to the servant behind
him, touching his horse, and then advancing, and drawing ^
on as he did so his remaining boot, welcomed his visitor
with his wonted amenity. " Pray be seated -, be seated ;
no ceremony here, my good sir. Very glad to see you ;"
and then, without regarding the disconcerted air of the
Digitized by
Google
/
92 SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA.
astonished representative of Spain and the Indies, enter-
ed with his wonted ease into general conversation, oppo-
sing the gentleman to the minister, and the , unaffected
majesty of the philosopher to the frozen haughtiness of
the diplomatist. The combat was soon decided* The
Spaniard departed, and reported to hb lady and diploma-
tic friends that, when they went to the house of the Amer
rican President, they must leave the dignity of their mas-
ters at home.
I have already observed upon the quietism still discerni-
ble in this city ; there is, however, much gayety among
the young people, and much social intercourse among
those of maturer age. Here, as elsewhere, I observe a
distinct line drawn between the young and the old ; no-
thing, indeed, can be more opposite than their characters ;
the former all life and animation, carolling like young larks
in the spring ; the latter mild, composed, and devoted, —
the women to domestic duties, and the men to af&trs do-
mestic and public. Some foreigner has said, tiiat in Eu-
rope there is pleasure without happiness, and in America
happiness witliout pleasure. Something here is doubtiess
sacrificed to the point of the sentence ; I rather incline to
think, that pleasure is equally found in the two hemi-
spheres, but that in the one she resides with youth, and in
the other with mature age. In France, for instance, a wo-
man has scarcely an acknowledged existence until some
Monsieur has placed a ring on her finger ; here, with her^
the joy of life is in its spring. Truly it is a pretty sight to
see these laughing creatures moving and speaking with a
grace that art never taught, and might in vain seek to imi-
tate. I know not if pleasure be a cfivinity that should be
greatly worshipped ; perhaps her spirit intoxicates for a
moment to leave the mind vacant afterwards, and the le-
^slator might do 'wisely who should ieave her out of the
national pantheon ; but if the goddess is to be sought at
all, it seems more in the order of nature that it diould be
Digitized by
Google
^1
SOCIETY OF PHILADEIiPHU. 93
when youth and heakh are mantling on the cheek ; frolic
may then find excuse in the quick blood, and Heraclitus
himself be won to iaii^h at it with good humour* The
thou^tless girl throws away precious mcmients, but the
Aoughfless woman neglects important duties ; and she too
pursues only the shadow of a shade ; witness the faded
cheeks and jaded spirits of a London female rake of thuty
or forty. The American gaij evanescent as her joy may
be, yet finds joy, pure and heart-felt, which older wisdom
miglit ahnost envy.
<* Bleu'd hour of childhood ! tfaeai and then akme,
Danee we the revels close round Pleasure's throne>
Quaff the bright nectar from her fountain springs.
And hmgh beneath the rainbow of her wingB,
Oh ! time of promise, hope and innocence,
Of trust, and lore, and happy ignorance \
Whose every dream is Heaven, in whose fahr joy
Experience yet has thrown no black alloy ;
Whose pahi, when fiercest, lacks the renom'd pang
Which to maturer ill doth oft belong.
When mute and cold, we weep departed bliss.
And Hope expires on broken Happiness.*'
ThougMs of a Recluu.
This last catastrqphe, however, seems seldom to hap-
pen here ; love at an early age ^ves place to domestic
affection, and pleasure to domestic comfort ; the sober hap-
inness of married life is here found in perfection. Let the
idler smile at this; it is assuredly dw best of heaven's
gifts to man.
. But talking of youth and youth's folly, I must not foo^t
to report to you a sight, which I doubt if you will believe
I saw ; I did, however, and that in broad daylight, and in
Chesnut-street, Philadelphia. This is the feshionable pro-
menade, as Broadway is in New-Yoik ; and the figures
are equally gay and elegant in both. Walking one morn-
ing with a friend, a knot of young men approached, whose
air and dr^s were so strangely foreign to those of the ci-
Digitized by
Google
94 CHEVALIER CORREA DE SERRA.
tizens of the country, that I at /irst doubted, If I was not
transported by some fairy's incantation into New Bond-
street or the boulevards. No lounger there, no gay Pa-
risian beau, fresh from the fencing master, could have
worn waists more slender, or looked more like fashion's
non-descripts* " Who are those foreigners P' I asked.
"They are natives," leplied my companion laughing;
" but the fools are rare ; and I hope, for the sake of the
character of our city, will remain so.'*
There are here some circles of very choice society.
There is one lady particularly who appears to assemble
all the talent of the dty in her drawing-room ; and of this,
by-the-bye, no inconsiderable portion is in herself. I have
seldom met a lady who possessed more high gifts, or em-
ployed them more unostentatiously; and yet, while the
life of the evening circle, her mornings are exclusively de-
voted to the education of a numerous family, who cannot
fail to grow up under such tuition worthy of their country
and their name.
We met yesterday at her house a character well knomu
and highly respected throughout this country ; the Pcxtu-
guese minister, Correa de Serra. Mr. Brackenridge of
Baltimore, in dedicating to him his little work on Louisi-
ana, has pronounced him to be " one of the most enlighten-
ed foreigners that has ever visited the United States."
The observations with which he follows up this compli-
ment are so similar to what I have imiversally heard ap-
plied to this amiable philosopher by the citizens of this
country, that I am tempted to quote them. " Your amiable
amplicityofmanners restores to us our Franklin. In every
part of our country which you have visited, (aiid you have
nearly seen it all,)' your society has been as acceptable to
the unlettered,farmer as to the learned philosopher. The
liberal and friendly manner in which you are accustomed
to view every thing in these states, thie partiality which
you feel for their welfare, the profound maxims upon.eve-
Digitized by
Google
CHBVALIER COBREA DE SERBA. 95
ry salgect which, like the disciples of Socrates, we trea-
sure up fix>m your lips, entitle us to claim you as one of
the fathers of our country." After such testimonies from
those who can boast an intimate personal acquaintance
with this distinguished European, the observations of a
stranger were a very impertinent addition. I can only say,
that as a stranger, I was much struck by the unpretending
mmplicity and modesty of one to whom unvarying report
ascribes so many high gifts, vast acquirements, and pro-
fi>un(| sciences. The kindness with which he spoke of
this nation, the admiration that he expressed of its cha-
racter, and of those institutions which he observed had
formed that character, and were still forming it, inspired
me, in a short conversation, with an equal admiration of
the enlightened foreigner who felt so generously. As he
walked home with me from the party, (for your character
is not here fastened to a coach, as Brydone found his was
in Sicily,) I chanced to observe upon the brilliancy of the
skies, which, I said, as a native of a moist and northern
climate, had not yet lost to me the charm of novelty.
He mildly replied, " And on what country should the sun
and stars shine brightly, if not on this ? Light is every
where, and is each day growing bri^ter and spreading
farther." ^' Are you not afraid," I asked, encouraged by
the suavity of the venerable sage to forget the vast dis-
tance between his mind and years and my own, ^' Are
you not afraid, as the representative of royalty, of loving
these repubUcs too well ?" He retorted playftdly. " As
the courtly Melville adjudged Elizabeth the fairest wo-
man in England, and Mary the fairest in Scotland, so I
deem this the fairest republic, and Portugal, of course, the
fairest monarchy." It was impossible to hold an hour's
conversation with this philosof^r, and not revert to the
condition and future prospects of the country which gave
him birth. When I pondered on these, it was with pain
that I maifced the furrows on his brow. Has sw;h a man
Digitized by
/Google
96 MR. OARNETT.
been bom in vain for his countiy ? Is he there too far be-
fore his generation, and must he sleep with I^ fathers,
before the light which has burst in full effiilgence upon
his mind, shall gleam one faint ray upon those of his coun-
trymen.*
It is surely a proud reflection for this people, that, in
the very infancy of their existence as a nation, they diould
attract the attention of foreign statesmen and sages, and
that their country should not only be the refuge of the
persecuted, but often freely chosen as the abode pf the
philosopher. America need not complain ; if she is con-
demned by the ignorant and the prejudiced, she is ap-
plauded by those whose applaud is honour ; by those too
i;«^ have closdy considered her character, |ind whose
matured and candid judgment enables them to decide up-
on its merits. A people who have the voices of a Correa,
a Bernard, and a Gamett, may laugh m good humour at
an Ashe or a Fearon.
The name of Gamett has often appeared in my letters.
I hesitate to depict a character which would defy an
abler hand than mine ; those who have seen the origmaly
would find any transcript of it an unmeaning daub ; those
who have seen it not, would deem that the painter drew
firom an over-wrought imagination. I may have already
mentioned, that he was a native of EIngland, and known
in early life in that country, as he has since been known in
this, (or every gift and every actpiirement that can ennoble
or adora the human mind. To the world he is best known
as a man of science ; but the more deep researches which
have engrossed him as a mathematician, astronomer,
* Wbeo, after my return to Europe, the tidings of the Revolution in Portu-
gal first reached me, my thoughtf reverted to the Chevalier Correa. ShonM
these insignififant paget ever acctdeatally attnMSthiseyeyhe will neverrecsBi
that he once deigned to throw away an idle hour in conversing whh their wri-
ier ; but she is proud to remember it ; nor was it without deep emotion^ that
at one moment die pictured the thoughts and feelings of that benevolent and
iraVghtened fKend of human kind.
Digitized by
Google
MR. OARNETT. 97
and mechanic, form but a fraction in the sum of his rich
and varied knowledge. It were idle to recount the men-
tal powers and accomplishments of this venerable sage ;
ihe difficulty would be to imagine one that he does not
possess. Never was a mind more rich in treasures;
never a heart more overflowing with benevolence ; never
a soul more ardent in the love of Uberty, and of all that is
great and excellent. Were it possible to enumerate tlie
noble endowments of this philosopher, there would still
be that in his manners and appearance which would
mock description ; a simplicity, and withal, a winning
grace, that charms alike childhood, youth, and age ;
which makes ignorance at ease in his presence, and gives
him the air of a disciple, while uttering the words of wis-
dom. The countenance whose beauty in its younger
days fixed the eyes of Lavater, and was the image from
which he drew the portrait of benevolence, might yet pic-
ture the same virtue to the same master. Never, indeed^
were jewels shrined in a nobler casket; never did good-
ness beam more beautifully from the eye, or thought sit
in more majesty on the forehead; never did wisdom
breathe more mildly and playfully from the lips ; never
were such transcendent powers — such vast and univer-
sal acquirements worn with such modesty and sweetness*
How poor are words to speak the charm that hangs about
this son of science and of nature ! To tell how each ac-
cent sinks from the ear upon the heart ; how his know<-
ledge instructs, his fancy charms, his playful, sparkling,
careless wit enlivens ! The moments passed in his pre-
sence are counted by sands of gold, and are treasured up
in the memory for the mind and the heart to recur tp,
whenever their better powers and feelings may need re-
freshing. Should the contemplation of human weakness
and wickedness ever make us call in doubt, for a moment)
the high destinies of our nature, it is by recalling the
ima^ of such a sage as this — of such a philosopher of
15
Qc^gle
M MR. 6AENETT.
the world and fiiend of man, that our confidence in hu-p
laan virtue may be restored, our philanthropy quickened,
and every generous bc^e and aim be revived and exerted
with new ardour.*
* This venerable philosopher and phOanthropift is now niimbered with
the dead i but eight and forty hours alter the writer of these pages parted
(Vom hiflii ai|d almost before she was out of sight of the American shores, he
was a corpse. He suddenly fell asleep, full of years, and in full possession
of all his great powers, without a struggle or a groan, on the night of the
11th of May, 1820, at his farm, in New-Jersey. To hare knowii this amia?
ble sage, and to have been honoured with some share in his esteem, will
pyer be among the proudest recollections of my life, though it is now also
one of the most painful. I beg to apologize to those in either hemisphere
who knew this amiable and highly gifted man, for this poor tribute to his
memory. In no way am I worthy to be the recorder of his vhrtues, unless
the rererence, and aliiiost filial i^ffection that I bore to hifo, may seem to af-
ford me a title.
Lest I should appear, in this instance, to hare swerved from, the mle
which every writer of any delicacy will observe — that of abstaining from
any remarks, which niay tend to attract the public attention to his pri-
▼ate friends, I must observe, that the distinguished and acknowledged place
that Mr. G^amett held in the worid of science, had rendered him, in some
measure, a public character. He is now, too^lost to that world and to his
friends ; had it not been so, this homble testimony of one who feels herself
better for havmg known him* and which must prove so insufficient to ad4
any thing to his fame, would never have appeared to pain his modesty.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
99
LETTER VIIL
TTSIT TO JOSfiPH EUONAPAKTB. GENERAL O^SERVATIONlSf
AMERICAN COUNTRT-OENTLEMAN.
PennsylTania, Jane^ 1819.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
I HATE not much leisure to recount the particulars of ouf
peregrinations; nor perhaps would theygreatlyinterestyou*
In travelling I find it convenient to bear in mind that th6
ground has been trodden before, and that, in detailing the
appearance and population of towns and districts, I should
only write what others have already written, to whose jour-
nals, should you be curious on these matters, you can refer^;
It may amuse you somewhat more to receive the ac-
count of our visit to Joseph Buonaparte.
Some days since, joined by the friends in whose housd
we are now inmates, we filled a carriage and light wag-
gon, caUed a Dearborn *, struck across to the Delaware^
and then took boat to Bordentown, on the Jersey shore.
A friend of our poUte Philadelphia acquaintance ^ ^ '
here joined our party, and we walked forwards to the re-
ridence of the Ebc-King. It is a pretty villa, commanding
a fine prospect of the river ; the soil around if is unpro*
ductive ; but a step removed fix)m the pine-barren ; the
pines, however, worthless as they may be, clothe the
banks pleasantly enough, and, altogether, the place is
cheerful and pretty. Entering upon the lawn, we found
* From the Americaa General of that name , to whom the fanner and
country gentleman are under infinite obligations for its inrention
Digitized by
Google
*
100 VISIT TO
the choice shrubs of the American forest, magnolias, kal-
mias, &c. planted tastefully under the higher trees which
skirted, and here and there shadowed, the green carpet
upon which the white mansion stood. Advancing, we
were now faced at all comers by gods and goddesses in
naked, — I cannot say majesty^ for they were, for the most
part, clumsy enough. The late General Moreau, a few
years since, according to the strange revolutions of war-
stricken Europe, a peaceful resident in this very neigh-
bourhood, and who recrossed the Atlantic to seek his
death in the same battle which sent here, as an exile,
the brother of the French Emperor, — this general in the
same Parisian taste, left behind him a host of Pagan dei-
ties of a similar description, with a whole tribe of dogs and
lions to boot, some of which I have seen scattered up and
down through the surrounding farms. Two of these
dumb Cerberuses are sitting at this moment on either side
of a neighbouring gentleman's door, and the children of
the family use them as hobby-horses. Truly, the amuse-
ment of the child has often less folly in it than that of the
man ; the chiM rides the hobby, while the hobby too of-
ten rides the man ; and then, if ambition be the hobby he
chooses, the man rides down his fellow creatures. Hap-
py the country where, without iron laws, all men are a
check upon each other ! I thought this when I entered
the house of the brother of Napoleon.
Until the entrance of the count, who was superintending
the additions yet making to the house, we employed our-
selves in considering the paintings and Canovas, of which
last we found a small but interesting collection. It con-
sists chiefly of busts of the different members of the Buo-
naparte family. The similar and classic outline prevail-
ing in all is striking, and has truly something imperial in
it. As these were the first works of this Italian Phidias
that I had met with, I regarded them with much curiosity. .
There are two small pieces ef most exquisite workman-
Digitized by
Google
40SEPH BUONAPARTE. 101
ship — a naked infimt, (the little King of Rome^) lying on
a cushion, which yields to the pressure of one of the feet
with a truth that mocks the marble. I remember a child
in the same attitude in a much prized Rubens, from which
my first thou^t was that the sculptor had caught his idea }
but, studying the same nature, genius is often original
when vulgar criticism suspects the contrary ; the same
thought has been eUcited from minds that never had com-
munication, and this not once, but repeated times. There
was another yet more lovely figure of a girl caressing a
greyhound. What softness and delicacy wrought out of
such rude materials ! It is presumptuous for one so little
skilled to venture upon the remark, yet I have always felt
my eye offended by the too glaring whiteness of modern
sculpture; perhaps the mellowing hand of time is as ne-
cessary for the marble as the canvass. Turning to look
at David's portrait of Napoleon crossing the Alps, I was
greatly disappointed with the expression of the young
soldier ; the horse has far more spirit than the rider, who
sits carelessly on his steed, a handsome, beardless boy,
pointing his legions up the beetling crags as though they
were some easy steps into a drawing room. Such, at
least, was my impression. Count Survillier (he wears this
title, perhaps, to save the awkwardness of Mr. Bnona-
parte) soon came to us from his workmen, in an old c6at,
from which he had barely shaken off the mortar, and, —
a sign of the true gentleman, — made no apologies. His
air, figure, and address, have the character of the English
country gentleman — (q)en, unaffected, and independent,
but perhaps combining more mildness and suavity.
Were it not that his figure is too thick-set, I should per-
haps say, that he had still more the character.of an Ame*
rican, in whom, I think, the last enumerated qualities of
mildness and suavity are oftener found than in our coun-
trymen. His face is fine, and bears so close a resem-
jdlance to that of his more distinguished brother, that it
Digitized by
Google
102 VISIT TO
was difficult at the first glance to decide which of the
busts in the apartment were of him, and which of Napo*
leon* The expression of the one, however, is much more
benignant ; it is indeed exceedingly pleasing, and prepares
you for the amiable sentiments which appear in his (fis-
course. The plainness and urbanity of his manners for
the first few moments suspended pleasure in surprise ; and
even aflerwards, when, smiling at myself, I thought, And
iohat did I expect to see ? I could not still help, ever and
anon, acknowledging that I had not looked to see exactly
the man I saw. I felt most strangely the contrast be-
tween the thoughts that were fast travelling through my
brain,, of battles and chances, ambition and intrigues,
crowns and sceptres, — the whole great drama of the
brother's life passing before me, — I felt most strangely
the contrast between these thoughts and the man I was
conversing with* He discoursed easily on various to*
pics, but always with much quietness and modesty.
He did and said little in the French manner, though
he always spdce the language, understanding English,
he said, but imperfectly, and not speaking it at all. He
expressed a curiosity to become acquamted with our liv-
ing poets ; but complained that he found them difficult,
and inquired if there was not often a greater obscurity
of style than in that of our older authors: I found he
meant th6se of Queen Anne's reign. In speaking of the
members of his family, he carefully avoided titles ; it
was mon frire NapoUon^ ma smir Hortense^ &c. He
walked us round his improvements in-doors and out.
When I observed upon the amusement he seemed to find
in beautifying his little villa, he replied, that he was hap-
pier in it than he had ever found himself in more bustling
scenes. He gathered a wild flower, and, in presenting it
to me, carelessly drew a comparison between its minute
beauties and the pleasures of private life ; contrasting
those of ambition and power v^ith the more gaudy flowers
Digitized by
Google
JOSEPH BUONAPARTE. 103
of the parterre, which look better at ^ distance than upon
a nearer approach. He said this so naturally, with a
manner so simple, and accent so mild, that it was impos-
sible to see in it attempt at display of any kind. Under-
standing that I was a foreigner, he hoped that 1 was as
much pleased with the country as he was ; observed that
it was a country for the many, and not for the few ; which
gave freedom to all and power to none, in which happi-
ness might better be found than any other, and in which
he was well pleased that his lot was now cast.
The character of this exile seems to be much marked
for humanity and benevolence. He is peculiarly atten-
tive to suiierers of his own nation — I mean of France ;
is careful to provide work for the poorer emigrants ; and
to (^hers, aflfords lodging, and often money to a conside-i
rable amount. His kindness has, of course, been im-
posed upon, in some cases so flagrantly that he is now
learning circumspection, though he does not suffer his hu-
manity to be chilled. This I learned from his American
neighbours. I left Count SurvilBer, satisfied that nature
bad formed him for the character he now wears, and that
fortune had rather spited him in making him the brothei^
of the ambitious Napoleon.
In reviewing the singular destinies of this family, there
is one acknowledgement that is forced from our candour ;
it is that, considering the power that circumstance threw
into their hands, they vnrested it to less monstrous pur-
poses than has often been done by similarly spoiled chil-
dren of fortune. We may indeed exclaim, in consider-
ing the mad career of Europe's conqueror,
" Ah ! how did*8t thoa overleap the goal of Faroe !
Had'st tbou but propp*d expiring^ Freedom's head,
And to her feet again the nations led ;
Had'st thoo, in lieu of War's blood'dropping sword,
Seis'd her white wand, and given forth her word ;
Bid the mad tumult of the nations cease,
And loud from realm to realm cried lAberiy and Peace !"
VwughU of a Recltue.
Digitized by
Google
104 FAMILY OP BUOKAPAETE.
But it is easier to be a philosopher in the closet than in
the tented field ; and, in reality, tlie real philosopher
shrills even from the trial of his virtue. Had Napoleon
been such, the destinies of Eurqpe would never have been
laid at his mercy. As a soldier of fortune, he fought his
way to distinction. That the young ambition which first
fixed on him the eyes of men, should have died at the
most brilliant moment of his career, had been little less
than miraculous ; as it was, all was in the common order
of vulgar humanity ; he dsured all things for a throne ; he
^ined it, and then dared all things to throw splendour
around it. It was false splendour, you will say. True ;
but it was false gloiy that allured him to the throne. The
mind that coveted the one must necessarily have desired
the other. Instead of quarreling with successful ambi-
tion, it might be more rational, as well as more useful, to
upbraid the nations that stoqp to its insolence. If despots
sometimes make slaves, it is no less true that slaves make
despots ; if men value not their own hberties, are they
to expect that others will for them ? they may find those
that will fight their battles, but not those that will guard
their rights. Heroes are more rare than warriors; thou-
sands are bom who can master others, but scarce one in
a generation who can master himself. The fallen tyrant
has been a good schoolmaster to the nations of Europe ;
may they profit by the lesson.
You will, perhaps, at first be scarcely disposed to ad-
mit the surmise, that it is easier to speculate upon the fu-
ture destinies of Europe in. this hemisphere than the other.
It is not only that vehement jealousies afid vacillating par-
ties distract the attention of the more near observer, and
prevent him from calmly considering the ultimate tendency
of those great principles which, though now more or less
every where acknowledged, are found to clash with the
prevalent interests of the moment 5 it is not only that the
noise of the combatants is lost in the distance, whilst the
Digitized by
Google
GISNERAL OBSERVATIONS. 105
petty actors in the shifting scene dwindle into air, leaving
only apparent the colossal stage itseli^ and the general
purport of the great drama which it exhibits ; it is not only
this, but that the various revdutions which have con-
vulsed tlie European continent, have thrown into Ame*
rica a motley crowd of statesmen, soldiers, and pditicians,
who can here repeat the result of their experience without
nA, and consequently without reserve. This continent
seems.at present to be the great side-scene into which the
chief actors of Europe make their exits, and from which,
in the revolutions of human destiny, they may perhaps
again be called to make their entrances.
It was observed, I think in the English House of Com-
mons, by a generous opposer of the Alien Act, that the
present league subsisting between the great European
potentates, had realized the appalling picture draXvn by
the masteriy^ pen of Gibbon, when the proscribed sought
to fly the power of Rome, and found her every where.
The parallel, however, is not perfect ; since Uiere are now
two hemispheres, while formerly there was but one. Be-
yond the waters of the Atlantic, the proscribed of every
nation, whatever be their merits or demerits, now find a
leudj wherein, though they should bring that with them
which may p(»son happiness they may at least enjoy se-
curity. Perhaps I am sanguine ; but judging firom the
sentimeiris of the foreigners with whom I have chanced to
engage in conversation, I feel disposed to augur well of
many nations which are now little considered. The
march of the human mind is rapid as silent, and many
circumstmices cooBpixe to accelerate its progress. The
very existence of this country teaches volumes ; even
those who have never con^dered its history, and who seek
it from necessity, merely as a haven of rest, or as a field of
mercantile specidatbn, when they look around them upon
a cheerful, intelligent, peaceful, well-ordered community,
are led to examine the secret fljning which impels and re-
16
Digitized by
Google
106 OCNEHAL OBSERVATIONS.
gulates its pofitical machinery. Men are here brought to
think who never thought before, and who then bear with
them to distant climes the result of their observations. A
spark dropt from the toroh of Uberty will always spread,
and spread until it bursts into iSame.
It is a useful curiosity which impels us to engage in con-
versation with a foreigner; however circumscribed his
mind, however scanty his stock of information, he is sure
to know many things which we cannot know. It is
curious also to hear his observations upon the men and
things that surround him; even should he see them
through the medium of local or national prejudices, his
remarks may be at least amusing, if not instructive ;
though it is probable, indeed, that they will be the latter
also ; for, in detecting the prejudices of others, we are
often led to detect our own. It is alwa3rs with peculiar
curiosity that I listen to the remarks of Europeans upon
the institutions of this country, and the appearance of its
population, often so strangely, and sometimes so painfully
contrasted with those of their native soil. An Irishman
exclaims, " Ah! it is ajine country !^^ and sighs as he
thinks of his own island. A Frenchman observes, '^ Mais
comme tout va doucement et sagernent /" And a Swede,
whom I chanced to cross some weeks since, closed some
fervent ejaculations with " Ah! we cannot conshieve de
vantages of dish peeplishes ;^^ or, as he afterwards more
intelUgibly expressed it in French, " Noiis autres Euro-
piens nous Tie sgaurions congevoir le bonheur de ce peuple
sans en etre temoins*^^
I have already, in a former letter, introduced you to the
family, to whose kindness and hospitality we are here so
much indebted. I know not that I have as yet met with
a more amiable specimen of the American country gen-
tleman than we hare found in this house ; his children
and infant grandchildren look up to him with that respect
and aifection which ever bear the most beautiful testimo-
Digitized by
Google
AMERICAN COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. 107
ny to a parent's character. In his earlier, I can hardly
say more vigorous years, he carries his accumulating lus-
tres with so. much ease and dignity, he took a part in po-
litical life. On retiring from the senate, he was employed
in diplomacy on the continent of Europe, firom whence
he returned to pass the remainder of his days on his farm
in Pennsylvania. I should like those, whose fancy pic-
tures to them the American farmer as a half-civilized sa-
vage, to see this veteran's mild aspect, but unbent and
majestic carriage ; to see him rendering attentions of the
kindest and most finished politeness to all around him ; in
manner and sentiment invariably the gentleman, the kind
and considerate father, companion, and friend.
Digitized,
izedb^QePgl^
108
LETTER IX.
I
pasriagk up the river hudson. account of the aca-
demy at west point, — pass of the highlands. — ■-
Arnold's treachery, — albant and its environs.
Albany, Julj, 1819.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
Phe hasty letter I addressed to you from Connecticut,
will have explained to you my unusual silence, and I'e-
lieved you from any apprehension that it might be occa-
sioned by a broken neck ; but in truth you are rather un-
conscionable in epistolary demands. You had no man-
ner of title to look for a letter by the Martha, and yet I
thank you that you did look for it. It tells me that your
thoughts are as often on this side the ocean as mine are on
yours.
We have just made the passage up the magnificent
Hudson (160 miles) from New- York to this city, which
has indeed but one, though that no unimportant title to so
grand a name, in being the capital of the state. It is
probable, however, that the government will soon have
to tmvel in search of the centre of the republic in like
manner with that of Pennsylvania. Albany indeed seems
to stand as in expectation of her falling honours, for
though there are some well-finished streets and many
commodious and elegant private dwellings, the general
appearance of the town is old and shabby.
You will not care to trace with me the beautiful course
of this river. The features of nature, so unspeakably
Digitized by
Google
ACADEMt AT WEST POINT. 109
lovely to contemplate, are often tiresome in descriptiqp.
A few observations upon the military academy at West
Point will perhaps interest you more than a sketch of the
rocks and woody precifnces upon which it stands. This
interesting academy, which iloi!irishes under the eye of
the Central Government, was established in 1802. Its
first m'ganization was devolved by Congress upon the late
General Williams, whose talents and unremitting indus-
try did honour to himself and to his country which em*
ployed them. The average number of youths educated
at West Pcnnt varies from 230 to 250 ; 336 dollars are
expended yearly upon each cadet, and the support of the
establishment- is rated by the government at tibe sum of
1 15,000 dollars per annum* The branches o[ education
taught at the academy are similar to those taught at
Woolwich and the Polytechnic school of Paris. About
one thousand youths from all the sections of the Union
have here received a liberal and scientific education. A
few of these now fill respectable posts in the corps of en-
gineers, artillery, and other branches of the Uttle army,
amounting to a few thousands, which, scattered through
this vast empire, are actively employed in the erection and
conservation of foits, the protection of the Indian fron-
tier, drawing of boundary lines, roads, &c. By far the
greater number, however, retire fiom this little military
fortress to the shade of private life, as peaceful cultivators
^ the soil, from whence some have been called by the
voices of their fellow citizens to fiU important civil offices i
and all would be found ready, at the first call of the Re-
public, to rush foremost for her defence.
It is judged by this government, ever liberal in all that
touches the real wel&re and dignity of the naticm, that
military knowledge can never be idly bestowed upon a
citizen, who, whatever be his condition or calling, must
always form one of the cmc militia; and, looking to the
event, alwayi^ possible, and therefore always to be provi-
Digitized by
Google
51
}
I
I
110 ACADEMY AT WEST POINT*
de^ against, of attack from foreign powers, it is perhapd
the wisest of all conceivable precautions to scatter thus
the seeds of military science among the peaceful popula-*
tion. It is true, that these may never be required to put
forth their fruits* These infant soldiers may live and die
as peaceful tillers of the soil ; but it is well to know that
the trump of defensive war could summon skilled heads
as well as devoted hearts to the fieW. This establish-
ment has yet in it the seeds of more good. These youths,
natives of different states, gathered from the north, south,
east, and west of this vast confederacy, and here trained
together for the defence of the great whole^ under the fos-
tering and Uberal care of the government of that whokj
necessarily forget all those paltry jealousies and selfish in-
terests which once went nigh to split these great- repub-
lics, and to break down the last and noblest bulwark of
freedom erected on this earth. Scattered again to the
four winds of heaven, these sons of the republic bear with
them the generous principles here imbibed, to breathe
them perhaps in the senate, if not to support them in the
field; and to hand them down to future generations
throu^ the minds of their children. ^^ The most inte-
resting and important consequences," I quote the words
addressed to me by an enlightened Aknericah officer,
General Swifl, to whom I have often been/)bliged for
many particulars regarding the condition of this country,,
and to whose politeness I am chiefly indebted for my in-
formation respecting this establishment. ^^ The most in-
terestmg and important consequences which I have no-
ticed as resulting from an education at West Point, are a
zealous attachment to the political institutions of the na-
tion, a devotion to country, an ardent love of liberty.''
This last, indeed, I have observed in the mind of an Ame-
rican to be synonjnoAOus with the love of the other two.
In this country the government is the very palladium of
liberty ; her tlirone is at Washington ; upheld tliere by
Digitized by
Gbogle
ACADEMT AT WEST POINT. 1 1 1
the united force of the whole people, she throws back
light and heat upon her children and defenders. Gene-
rally speaking, all those connected with, or forming a part
of the Central (jovemment, engaged in its service, or in
any manner placed under its more immediate direction
or protection, are peculiarly distinguished for elevated
sentiment, a high tone of national feeUng, an ardent en-
thusiasm, not merely for American liberties, but for the
liberties of mankind*
The officers attached to the establishment being distin^
guished both as men of science and ardent patriots, and com-
bining also the mildness and frankness of manner peculiar
to the American gentleman, are well fitted to tutor the
Ofnnions and feelings of youth. Under their tuition they
can acquire no sentiments that are not patriotic and ge-
nerous ; their minds in early infancy imbibe simple, but
sublime truths, invigorating principles, and all the pride
and the energy which go to form free men. It is fine to
see how soon the boy learns within the walls of this
acadeikiy, a knowledge of his own high destinies as the
child of a republic. Our venerable friend * * * * * late-
ly procured admission for his little grandson. '^ I tliought
myself," said he, " among a crowd of young Spartans,
and found my own Uttle fellow, afler a few weeks, look-
ing and speaking as proudly as any one of them."
Among the most promising scholars, there are d^t pre-
sent two Indians, the sons of chiefs. In the second class,
at a late examination, they carried away several of the
prizes. There was an instance of the same kind some
years since, but, ete the boy reached his sixteenth year,
he left his diagrams, (as a- young geometrician he had
been one of great promise,) ran to the woods, and fore-
went all other ambition for that of excelling in the chase.
An officer of the estabUshment, from whom I had this,
added, that he had Uttle doubt the two now with th^cn
woukl follow the same example The account that I
Digitized by
Google
1 1^ ACADEMY A7 WEST-]^»INT.
have received of the unconquerable wildness of the young
savages, who, at diflferent times, have been educated in
the various colleges of these states, have sometioies
brought to my recollection ihe experiments of a philoso-
phic old housekeeper, in Devonshire, who was bent upon
domesticating a brood of partridges. I rememb^ well
how she took me, then a child, into her poiidtiy yard, and
dilated upcm the untameable dispositions of these wild
fowl, of which she had possessed herself of a brood for the
third or fourth tiipe. ^^ I have reared them now from the
egg, and yet two ran away yesterday; and if I had not put
the other rogues under a hen-^oop, they would have been
off this morning." I know not how the partridges learn-
ed, in the old dame's poultry yard, to connect happiness
with hedges and corn-fields ; but it is easy to see how the
young Indian should, in all places, and under all circuoi-
stances, learn to connect it with the wilderness and tb«
wild deer.
You will understand, from what I have said upon this
miUtary academy, that the object of the government^ un-
der whose eye, and at whose expense it is conducted and
maintained, is not to rear a band of regulars. The youth
are in no way under obligations to enter into the service
of the Rqiid)lic, nor indeed, suppoong them so dieposed,
would it ^en be in the power of the government tograti-
fy the de^re. The slender force which is maintained at
die national es^nse, and which is barely sufficient for
the hard duties in which it is engaged, (consisting, a&I
have stated, in the inq^eotion and erection of public
works,) admits but o( few cqpenings to such as might be
ambitious of so arduous a service. It is intended, indeed,
to provide a body of men, whose education shall fit them
ably to fill the chief posts in this little band, and which has
thus a surety of being directed by ability : but as I have
stated, a further and more important object is kept in
view, namely, that (^scattering dirou^iout the Union men?
Digitized by
Google
GENERAL REMAFIKS. * 1 1 3
inibued not merely with liberal principles, but attached to
sdentific pursuits. The course of study in West Point
chiefly diflfers from that of other colleges, in so far as it
leans rather more to the sciences, and follows up those
essential to the soldier in command, more particularly the
engineer.
There b Kttle fear, in these pacific states, of any por-
tion of the citizens acquiring a taste for miUtary glory#
The strength of the country can never be put forth but in
defence. The very institutions make against any other
warfare ; the sentiments of the people, inspired by these
institutions, make against the same ; all here breathes of
peace, as well as freedom. American freedom, founded
upon the broad basis of the rights of man, is friendly to
the freedom of all nations ; it looks not with jealousy up-*
on the improving condition of foreign states; it will — it
never can attack but when attacked, or grossly insulted \
but even in the last case, excepting indeed on the ocean,
war here must still be defensive. The army is ihe people,
and the people must be at home. The enemy must in"
vade, before it can be engaged, and then no American
need fear the issue. A town may be pillaged, a farm
may be burnt, a few acres of cultivated land be laid
waste, and thi^ the aggressors must find their ships, or be
overwhelmed by accimiulating multitudes. Foreign po-
liticians, who, speculating upon the prospects of this na-
tion, augur for it a career similar to that other empires,—*
inoffensive, because feeble in infancy, aspiring and vio-
lent in maturing strength, and then hurried into rmn by
the reaction which ever returns upon aggression, have, I
apprehend, but Uttle conskiered its position and character/
No nation, hi the whole history of the known world, ever
stood in a situation at all similar to this; none ever started
in the career so equipt to run it well. It has no ambitious
rulers, no distinguished classes, who might find it their
interest to turn aside the pubUc attention, by means of
17
Digitized by
Google
114 GENERAL REMARKS^
foreign wai-s, from the too narrow inspection of their aims^
or privileges ; no colonies ; no foreign possessions, requi-
ring the guard of armed forces, or nourishing unjust ambi-
tion.
What country before was ever rid of so many evils T
Without adverting to monarchies, let us consider the old
repubhcs. What points of comparison may we find be-
tween Rome and the United States ? Rome had an arro-
gant and artful nobility, whose poUcy it was to foster the
military mania of the people ; to employ them in conquests
abroad, lest tliey should aspire to dominion at home. The
consequence was inevitable : the army gradually became
the paramount order in the state, fell back upon their em-
ployers, and swallowed the privileges of the nobility, with
every right of the people that the nobiUty had not swal-
lowed before them.
In considering the history of modem Europe, we ever
find the rulers rather than the people lighting up the fir^
flame of war, and madly prosecuting it beyond what the
strength of the nation can support. It may be urged, that
an uni*easonable war has often been a national one. The
fact is. undoubted -, but we must take into the account the
arts first employed by the rulers to rouse the popular feel-
ing ; or, supposing it roused without their assistance, the
arts invariably employed to keep it alive. Pride and pas-
sion may hurry a people into momentary error, but, if
left to themselves, time will bring reflection, and i:eflec-
tion, reason. The people here are left^ to themselves;
they are their own rulers, their own defenders, their own
champions ; should they judge hastily, they can retract
their decision ; should they act unwisely, they can desist
(rom error. But there is yet a more important considera-
tion -^ tkey are their ovm teachers ; not only can none shut
the book of knowledge against them, but, by an impera-
tive law, is it laid open before them. Every child is as
Digitized by
Google
GENERAL REMAKKSy 115
fiurly entitled to a plaio, but efficient education, as is eve-
ry man to a voice in the choice of his rulers. Knowledge,
which is the bugbear of tyranny, is, to liberty, the sus-
taining staff of life. To enHghten the mind of the Ajneri-
can citizen is, therefore, a matter of national importance.
In his minority he is, in a manner, the ward of the ruling
generation ; his education is not left to chance ; schools
are every where open Jfor him at the public expence, where
he may learn to study those rights which he is afterwards
called upon to exercise. In this union of knowledge with
liberty lies the strength of America. The rights that she
possesses, she perfectly understands. Her blessings she
not only enjoys, but knows to trace to their true sources.
To suppose, therefore, that she can ever idly fling them
away, is to suppose her smitten with sudden madness.
Whatever may be the career of this nation, it must at
least be singular j it cannot be calculated by the experi-
ence of the past.
It is impossible to enter, for the first time, the romantic
pass of the Highlands, and to rest the eye upon the inte-
resting academy of West Point, perched upon one of the
highest and most rugged pinnacles, without recalling the
traditionary and historical remembrances of the place.
In earlier ages this was the region of superstitious terror
to the Indian, and even the European hunter. The groans
of imaginary spirits changed in time into the shrill pipe of
war, and now it is only the mimic drum of the academy
that rings among the caverns and precipices, through which
the Hudson rolls his deep and confined waters.
It was in the fastness of West Point that, m the mo-
ment of his country's worst distress, the traitor Arnold
planned his scheme of treachery. There is a moral that
breathes from the tale, and that is thus pointed out by the
historian ; " it enforces the policy of conferring high trtisis
upon men of clean hands^ and ofwithholdirig all public con-
fidence from those who arc siihjected to the dominion of plea-
Digitized by
Google
116 Arnold's treachery.
sure.^^ It is common to separate a man^s puUic from his
private character ; the distinction is more than dangerous,
it is morally atrocious. It is possible, indeed, that a rapa-
cious soldier, or an unpriIK^ipled minister, may (fisplay, in
domestic life, scxne pleasing qualities ; and it is also pos-
sible that a man, notoriously licentious and unprindpled in
private, may preserve a tolerably fair and consistent poli*
tical character ; but this is a chance that none have a
right to reckon upon ; and on the whole it is to be regret*
ted when this chance occurs. It tends to corrupt the
public morals ; to lead men of weak heads and strong
passions to wear their unblushing vices c^nly, and even
to make them a passport to distinction. It is probable
that the example of Amol(} served as a useful wamkigto
the people of these states, and tended to encourage than
in the practice of scrutiiuzing the secret conduct of tliose
dtizens whom they promote to offices of public trusts
It is somewhat remarkable, that the licentious and uvh
principled Arnold should have been a native of Connecti-
cut, a state, as Ramsay observes, ^^ remarkable for the
purity of its morals, for its republican principles and pa-
triotism.'' This might be wrested into an evidence that
early education does little towards forming the character
of the man ; but there is a species of restraint, which, if
suddenly removed, may leave the passions more untamed
than if no bridle at all had been ever laid upon them. It
is not unlikely that the young Arnold was bred up by vir-
tuous, but narrow-minded puritans, whose doctrines were
hammered into the head, rather than breathed into the
heart, and which, afterwards uprooted during a stormy
intercourse with the world, left no moral feelings to stem
the flood of temptation. It wa$ well written by a phih)-
sopher, On ne dispute Jamais sur la vertUjparce qv?eUe vient
d^ jyieuy^ on se querelle sur les opinions qui viennent des
hommesf The Americans are, fox the most part, awi^ (^
©igitized by
Google
Arnold's treachery. 117
this truth ; even the citizens of Connecticut and New*
England are gradually coining round to the opinion.
It is a [Nroud and gratifybg reflection, that an arduous
jrevolutionary struggle of eight years^ duration brou^t to
light but cme such character as Arnold. Tius single ex-
cejption was, indeed, a most atrocious one. Bom and
In^ among a simple and moral race, embarking the first
and the boldest in the noblest cause in which a patriot
could engage, pouring his blood for years freely, and, to
appearance, ungrudgingly, for a country who acknow-
ledged his services with a gratitude and generosity such as
might have melted the heart of a savage, and repaid them
with a confidence which might have flattered the most
selfish ambition ; that a man so situated, so held by every
t» that might seem calculated, not only to induce, but to
constrain fidelity, should, in the very last years of the
M^ar, have sold himself for a bribe, and plotted the de*
struction of the patriotic army which he had so often led
to victory ; and that, after his treason had been balBSed
he should have served under the standard which he had
so often and so boldly defied, laying waste the country of
his nativity, and plundering and butchering the people
who ha<} so often forgiven his ofiences, and repaid his ser-
vices with gold, hardly and yet willingly wrung fix)m their
exhausted fortunes ; truly there is in this a hardened de-
pravity, an atrocious licentiousness, which, to muse upon,
makes the blood run cold. The spot on the beach was
pointed out to me, where the traitor met the mifortunate
young Andr^, so unfit to be a party in the scheme of
wickedn^s. It seems as if fortune had found a pleasure
in opposing every contrast that could set off* to worst ad-
vantage the villany of Arnold. The very spy, despatched
' by the enemy, proved too artless to sustain the character
that was thrust upon him. To portray the feelings of
these two men, of characters so qpposite, met together in
treasonous conference, in the dead of night, upon the wild
Digitized by
Google
118 ARNOLD^S TREACHER^.
and desolate shores of this vast river, might ifumish a sub-
ject for the painter or the dramatist. The Uttle shallop,
moored upon the beach, which has landed the young
Andre ; the sloop of war, waiting to assist his retreat,
sleeping in the distance on the waters; the out-posts of
the American army just visible on the tops of the frovCn-
ing precipices ; from which, with hasty and unequal steps,
listening to every breeze, and startling at his own shadow,
the traitor steals to his appointment. ITie soldiers meet ;
and each looks round as apprehending listeners in the
savage soUtude; t)ne trembUng with the sense of Ins
own iniquity, fearing lest the winds should bear to the lit-
tle band of patriots, then confiding in his honour, the pur-
pose of their treacherous commander ; the other ashamed
of the part in which he is engaged — his honoura-
ble feelings as a man revolting against the obedience
he yields as a soldier to the instructions of his general.
How repugnant to a generous nature, a conference held
in darkness and disguise, with a cold and calculating vil-
lain, who stipulates the price for which he will sell his
unsuspecting countrymen and companions in arms, the
voice of whose sentinels, perhaps, swells at intervals on
the ear!
The interview was prolonged until the dawn threatened
them with detection. The young Englishman was forced
to remain in concealment until the shades of another
night should favour his escape. Arnold, having secreted
his companion, returned to his post, to face, without a
blush, the heroes he had sold.
The romantic position held by this detachment 6f the
patriot army, increases, if possible, the interest of the mo-
ment : it was posted in a fastness, if not impregnable, yet
such as gave to a handful of men a superiority over thou-
sands •, it stretched along the tops of two ridges, broken
into abrupt precipices, sinking on one side into woods and
morasses, and on the other shehing precipitoiisly into the
Digitized by
Google
Arnold's treachery. 119
deep Hudson, whose channel it here securely shut against
the enemy. Perched like an eagle in his eyrie, the little
army looked down securely on its foes. It had many
distresses to bear, — hunger and nakedness, with all
their train of evils; but these it bore cheerfully, uncon-
scious of the Aend who had found his way into this little
Thermopylse of America, and who, in marking out to his
assailants its strength and weakness, forgot, not the mise-
ries of its defenders, which, perhaps, in his calculation,'
reduced their number to a cypher. Thei-e is something
greatly affecting, if we suffer ourselves to picture the se-
curity of this little band, seeking forgetfulness of their suf-
ferings in sleep, while their commander was steaUng forth
to barter them for gold. The confidence reposed by the
pure minded Washington in the honour of this veteran
soldier, is not less affecting. When he soUcited the com-
mand of this important post, (as it soon appeared, for the
express purpose of selling it to the enemy,) some ventured
to whisper doubts of his fideUty, probably from the know-
ledge of his debts, as well as the strong suspicion of his
having embezzled the public money, and entered into dis-
graceful contracts and speculations ; but the American
commander, recollecting the long list of services rendered
by Arnold to his country, and feeling in himself all the
honour of a soldier and a man, generously resented the
suspicions cast on one whose valour and truth seemed to
have been so tried, and frankly accorded the request pre-
ferred to him. Had this treasonable scheme succeeded,
it is painful to calculate the consequences to the country
and the cause. West Point was, perhaps, the post of
most importance throughout the whole of the Union. It
commanded the navigation of the Hudson, secured the
communication of all the states one with another, and pro-
tected the whole interior of the country. The enemy,
already in possession of New- York, would have com-
manded this great river from its mouth to its head, have
Digitized by
Google
120 ARNOLD^S TREACHERY.
pierced directly to the lakes, and established a line of
communication with Canada. The eastern states, thus
cut off from the southern, and assailed on one side from
the sea, and on the other by land, would have been com-
pletely surrounded, and must inevitably have been over-
run, as the Carolinas had lately been by the army under
Comwallis. • Not the least calamitous of the effects that
would have accrued from the loss of West Point, had
been the blow given to the public confidence by so nefarious
a treachery. The people might have seen in every officer
another Arnold, and the soldier have attributed every sub-
sequent disaster to the treason of their commanders. Nor
must we overlook in the account, the despair and rage of
the little army, unsuspiciously devoted to slaughter by
their own leader, and mingling with their dying groans
the curses of righteous, but impotent indignation. From
these calamities America was spared ; and the traveller,
in visiting this romantic pass, recurs to the tale of Arnold
as to that of some demoniac hero of a wild drama.
You remember the circumstances of the closing scene.
Andr6 found his retreat by water cut off, and, in disguise,
took his way to New- York by land. Challenged, within
a few miles of his own army, by three Americans of the
New- York militia, he, unpractised in deceit, incautiously
betrayed himself. Discovering his error, he offered gold,
with any terms they might farther insist upon ; but he
had no longer to treat with an Arnold ; he, and the pa-
pers found upon him, detailing all the particulars of the
intended treachery, were delivered by his captors to their
colonel ; and the life of this young officer was forfeited to
the law. After his seizure, the first object of the disin-
terested Andri was to convey a warning to Arnold ; this
the latter unfortunately received in time to effect his es-
cape. Having joined the British, the traitor well filled
up the measure of his iniquity ; intimately acquainted
with all the distresses of those he bad forsaken, he expo-
Digitized by
Google
ARirOLD^S TREACHERY. 121
scd their weakness to the enemy he had joined, and ima-
gined that he knew how to practise on it, by holding
out offers, calculated at once to tempt their ambition and
cupidity, and to subdue their spirit, already broken down
by famine, sickness, and every suffering which can afflict
humanity ; but there is a strength in man which an Ar-
nold cannot dream of; there is that virtue which the
Romans, in their language, finely made synonymous with
force ; and, truly, that courage which has its seat only in
the nerves, and which the man shares but in common
with the brutes, is no more to be compared in lasting
heat and energy with the heroism of mind, than is the
parhelion to tlie sun* The promises of Arnold were im-
potent as his threats. The fainting soldiers, whom he
had sought to betray, were nerved by indignation with
new valour. The coimtry, every where reduced to the
lowest ebb of calamity, gathered confidence from the very
circumstance which seemed calculated to annihilate it ;
not a man deserted his post ; his very sufferings became
a source of pride, and often of jest ; to be half naked and
half starving were spoken of as marks by which to know
a patriot. Thus it is that man, inspired by the noble spi-
rit of independence, rises above himself, stands superior to
fortune, and discovers the divine image beneath all the
weakfiess and pains of mortality.
We linger here from day to day, unwilling to leave the
kind and cheerful circle who administer so pleasingly to
us the laws of hospitality ; it is time, however, to remem-
ber that we have yet a long journey to make, and must
determine to set forward so soon as the skies shall resuine
their wonted serenity. This has been a seascHA of uncom-
mon heat, and along the whole line of the coast, one of
uncommon drought. At , in Jersey, during the latter
days of July, the mercury twice rose, in a northern expo-
sure, to a hundred ; and for many days successively, when
the sun was at his meridian, varied from 90 to 96. Some
18
Digitized by
Google
122 ALBANY AND ITS ENVIRONS.
local causes might tliore have influenced the atmosphere,
as I found its temperature had been some degrees lower
in other places, but every where it had been unusually
high. In many pai-ts, where the soil was light, the herb-
age had totally disappeared, and plants, of considerable
size and strength, were drooping, and occasionally quite
bereft of leaves. In ascending the Hudson, we had no
sooner passed the Highlands, than our eyes fell upon car-
|)ets of massy verdure, and woods, whose foliage was
fresh as if daily washed by showers. We could have
imagined oui-selves in a second spring, but for the tropical
heat which followed us ; and which was only broken two
days since by the grandest and longest thunder-storm
that I ever witnessed. The sun has tiot yet pierced the
clouds ; his doing so will be the signal for our departure.
I have found this extreme heat much less oppressive than
I could have believed possible;, indeed, I will confess,
under hazard of your thinking me fit to live with the
giants under mount -3Etna, that I have enjoyed it exceed-
ingly. I find a purity and elasticity in the air tliat ex-
hilarates my spirits, even while I am half melted by its
fervour. It may strike you as singular, if you never made
or heard the observation, that the constitution is, in gene-
ral, not immediately sensible to the extremes of climate.
It is often remarked here, that a stranger, from a more
southern latitude, feels the severity of a first winter less
than the natives, though he should feel the second more ;
and, in like manner, that one fiom a temperate climate is,
for some years, less relaxed by the summer heats, than
those who have regularly been exposed to them. This
last se^ns to admit of an easy explanation ; but I know
uot how wise physicians will account for the former ; if
they cannot explain the fact, they will, perhaps, dispute
it, and far be it from me to provoke their wrath by insist-
ing upon it.
In this neighbourhood nature presents many beautiful^
Digitized by
Google
ALBANY AND ITS ENVIRONS. 123
and some grand features ; chief among these, is the well-
koown cataract of the Mohawk ; whose waters piecipi-
tate themselves over a fine wall of rock just before they
unite with those of the Hudson. Its height is stated va-
riously; perhaps sixty feet is nearest the mark; its im-
mense breadth is by some accounted a disadvantage ; I
imagine this to be the true source of its grandeur, particu-
larly as there is nothing in the surrounding scenery to as-
sist the effect. For us, however, circumstances combined
to throw charms around the spot, when beneath an Ita-
lian sky, and on a carpet of verdure which fairy feet might
have sought to print their magic rings, we stretched our-
selves with * * * * under the shade of a spreading tree,
and cast our eyes upon the foaming Cohoez, whose dash
and roar seemed to cool the fervid air. A group of smi-
ling handmaids meantime spread a repast which an epi-
cure might have envied. The scene, the air, the laugh-
ing heavens, and the cheerful companions, have graven
the place on my memory as one of those " sunny spots"
which chequer with gold the shadowy path of human
life.
There are several very pleasing falls of water to be
found in the hills of the surrounding country, and^hough
in grandeur that of the Mohawk stands pre-eminent, in
beauty some may more than rival it. I have frequently
been surprised, in the small section of this vast country
that I have visited, to find, upon a more close examina-
tion, wild and romantic features in a landscape whose out-
line wore a character of mild beauty or dull uniformity ;
rocky glens, clothed with shaggy wood, and traversed by
brawling streams, broken into cascades, are not unfre-
quently found in hills, rising gently out of vast and swampy
plains, or skirting valleys, watered by placid rivers, whose
banks of alluvial soil are rich with golden harvests. The
broken course of America's rivulets and rivers has, I be-
lieve, among other appearances, led the scientific to sup-
Digitized by
Google
124 ALBANY AND ITS ENVIRONS.
pose this a world of later formation than the other. I was
once much startled by the eager refutation which tliis hy-
pothesis received from an American naturalist, no less re-
markable for the simplicity of his character, than for his
enthusiasm in his cliosen pursuits. Chancing to put a
modest query to the philosopher upon the results of his re-
searches into the age of his native continent, I quickly
perceived, that to question her antiquity, were as though
you should question her excellence, and you will believe,
that I bowed out of the subject, (for I had never presumed
to make it an argument,) with all possible politeness and
deference.
Digitized by
Google
r
125
LETTER X.
DEPARTURE fOR THE FALLS OF NIAGARA. — MODE OF TRA-
VELLING. — DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY. — CANANDAI-
OUA.
* Canandaig^ua, Angtut, 1819.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
What is there in life more pleasing than to set forward
on a journey with a light heart, a fine sun in the heavens
above you, and the earth breathing freshness and fra-
grance after summer rain ? Let us take into the accoimt
the parting good wishes of friendship, recommending you
to a kind fortune, and augurmg pleasant roads, pleasant
skies, and pleasant every thing. A preux Chevalier, in *
olden time, setting forth in a new suit of armour, buckled
on by the hand of a princess, to seek adventure through
the wide world, might be a more important j)enN)nage
than the peaceful traveller of these generations, who goes
to seek waterfalls instead of giants, and to look at men
instead of killing them ; but I doubt if he was in any way
happier, or felt one jot more exquisitely the pride and
enjoyment of life, health, vigor, and liberty. These are '
the moments perhaps, which, in the evening of life, when i<
seated in an easy arm-chair, we may rouse our drowsy
senses by recurring to ; and, like old veterans counting
their honourable scratches, and all their "hair-breadth
'scapes in the imminent deadly breach,'^ pour into the
ears of some curly-pated urchin our marvellous adven-
tures upon the back of a mule, or in the heart of a stage-
wagon, with a summary of aU the bruises and the broken
1
i
Digitized
b^i)Oglc
il^ii^—i giiip—^,r»^^^w^P » i i i , ^ i . ^ > . ^-V.
I'
126 MODE OF TKATELLING.
bones, either received, or that might have been received,
by riding in or tumbling out of it. Should I live to grow
garrulous in this way, our journey hither may afford a
tolemble account of bruises, though it is now a sukgect of
congratulation with me, whatever it may be then, that
there must remain a total deficit under the head of frac-
tures.
If our journey was rough, it was at least v^iy cheerful ;
the weather beautiful, and our companions good humoiu'-
ed, intelligent, and accommodating. I know not whether
to recommend the stage-coach or wagon, (for you are
sometimes put into the one and sometimes into the other,)
as the best mode of travelling. This must depend upon
the temper of the traveller. If he want to see people as
well as things — to heai* intelligent remarks upon • the
country and its inhabitants, and to understand the rapid
changes that each year brings forth, and if he be of an
easy temper, not incommoded vnth trifles, nor caring to
take, nor understanding to give offence, liking the inter-
change of little civilities with strangers, and pleased to
make an acquaintance, though it should be but one of
an hour, with a kind-hearted fellow creature, and if too
he caa b^r a few jolts — not a few, and can suffer to be
driven sometimes too quickly over a rough road, and some-
times too slowly over a smooth one, — then let him,
by all means, fill a comer in the post-coacb or stage-
wagon according to the varying grade in civilization
held by the American diligence. But if the traveller be
a lounger, running away from time, or a landscape-paint-
ipg tourist with a sketch-bocJc and portable crayons, or
any tiling of a soi-disant phihsophe, bringing with him a
previous knowledge of the unseen country he is about to
traverse, ha\^g itemed in liis closet the character, with
the sum o^s population, and in his knowledge of how
every tiling ought to be, kno\i7ing exactly how every thing
is, — or, if he be of an unsociable humour, easily put out
Digitized by
Google
INTELLIGENT TRAVELLERS. 127 '
of his way, or as the phrase is, a very particular gentle- v
man — then he will hire or purchase his own dearborn or •" !
light wagon, and travel solus aim solo with his own horse, -'^ »
or, as it may be, with some old associate who has no hu- ^ ^ i
moursofhisown, or whose humours are known by re-
]f>eated experience to be of the exact same fashion with
his companion's. In some countries you may, as it is
called, travel post ^ but in these states it is seldom that^you
have this at your option, unless you travel with a phalanx ^
capable of peopUng a whole caravan ; eight persons will
be sufficient for this, the driver always making the ninth \
seatecithree in a row^ "^'^ |
In tras journey, as I have often found before, the better
half of our entertainment was afforded by the intelHgence
of our companions. It was our good fortune on lea\an» ';•
Albany to find ourselves seated immediately by a gentle- ^ \
man and his lady returning from Washington to this theij-
residence. He was a native of Scotland, but came to this
country in his early youth, followed the profession of the '^ •
law, settled himself many years since in affluence on his ^
fai*m, (which seems rather to furnish his amusement than \
his business,) mairied into a family that had emigrated L
from New-England, and settled down in the neighbour- f
hood, and lives surrounded not only by all the comforts, \
but the luxuries of life. We were variously joined and ^
abandoned by citizens of differing appearance and profes- v^
sions, country gentlemen, lawyers, members of congress,
naval officers, farmers, mechanics, &c. There were two
characteristics in which these our fellow travellers gene- i
rally, more or less, resembled each other, — good humour fe
and intelligence. Wherever chance has as yet thrown fe
me into a public conveyance in this country, I have met f
with more of these, the best articles of exchange that I
am acquainted with, than I ever remember to have found
elsewhere*
Our second day's journey was long and fatiguing, but
Digitized b^
1
Google
128 DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY.
*
^. withal very intei'estiDg ; the weather delightful, and the
^ scenery pleasing. The road bore every where heavy
imrksof the flagellations inflicted by the recent storms.
^ It seemed often as if not only the ram but the lightning
had torn iq) the ground, and scooped out the soil, now on
""t^ this side, and now on that; into which boles, first the
right wheel of our vehicle, and anon the left making a
^' sudden, plump, did all but spill us out on the highway.
To do justice to ourselves, we bore the bruises that were
' in this manner most plentifiilly inflicted, with very tolera-
ble stoicism and unbroken good humour.
'^'- Gaining the banks of the Mohawk, we traced its course
^ for sixty miles, which, between the lower cataract of the
' Cohoez and the ^upper falls^ flows placidly through a
country finely varied, rich with cultivation, and sprinkled
f with neat and broad-roofed cottages and villas, shadowed
with trees, and backed with an undulating line of hills,
T now advancing and narrowing the strath, and then rece-
ding and leaving vistas into opening glades, down which
the tributaries of the Mohawk pour their waters. Massy
woods every where crown and usually clothe these ridges ;
9 but indeed, as yet, there are few districts throughout
this vast country where the forest, or s(»ne remnants of
it, stand not within the horizon.
f The valley of the Mohawk is chiefly peopled by old
Dutch settlers ; a primitive raCe, who retain for genera-
tions the character, customs, and often the language of
their ancient country. Of all European emigrants, the
Dutch and the German invariably thrive the best, locate
themselves, as the phrase is here, with wonderful sagacity,
and this being once done, is done for ever. Great must be
the penury from which this harmless people fly, who are
thus attached to the ways of their fathers, and who, once re-
moved to a land yielding sustenance to the swart hand of
industry, plant so peacefiilly their penates, and root them-
selves so fixedly in the soil. As a settler next best to
Digitized by
Google
EUROPEAN EMIGRANTS. 129
the German, thrives the Scot ; the Frenchman is giv^n
to turn hunter ; the Irishman, drunkard, and the English-
man, speculator* Amusement rules the first, pleasure
ruins the second, and self-sufficient obstinacy drives head-
long the third. There are many exceptions, doubtless, to
this rule ; and the number of these increases daily, — and
for this reason it is a higher class that is at present emi-
grating. I speak now more particularly of England^ It
is men of substance, possessed in clear property of from
five hundred to five thousand pounds, who now attempt
the passage of the Atlantic. I know of thirteen famiUes
who lately arrived in these states from the Thames, not
one of which is possessed of less than the former sum,
and some of more than the latter. I fear that the poUcy
of England's rulers is cutting away the sinews of the
state. Why are her yeomen disappearing firom the soil^
dwindling into paupers, or flying as exiles ? Tithes, taxes^
and poor-rates — these things must be looked into, or her
population will gradually approach to that of Spain^
beggars and princes ; the shaft of the fair colunm reft
away.
Something less than twenty miles below Utica, the
river makes a sharp angle, in the manner of the Hudson
at West Point, running into a cleft or gap^ forced in pri-
meval times, with dreadful convulsion, through the ridge
along the base of which it afterwards so peacefiilly winds.
The Mohawk assumes here much the character of Loch
Katrine at the Trosachs ; the beetling crags, and rocksh
in ruin hurled, and shaggy wood, grooved in the dark cre-
vices, and little coves, where the still clear water stirs
not the leaf that has dropped upon its bosom. But there
is no Ben- Venue and Ben- Ann to guard the magic pass ;
nor lady with her fairy skiff, nor is the fancy here entitled
to image her ; it may, however, if it be sportively in-
clined, picture out the wild Indian paddling his canoe, or
springing from rock to rock, swift as the deer he pursues^
19
Digitized by
Google
130 DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY.
It is evident that the water once occupied the whole
breadth of the ravine, when it must have boiled and ed-
died with somewhat more tumultous passions than it
sliows at present. The huge misshapen blocks that now
rise peacefully out of the flood, beetle over the head of
the passenger, or, standmg in the line of his rough path,
force him variously to wheel to right or left, bear on their
sides the ma,rks of the ancient fury of the subdued ele-
ment, which, now having sunk its channel, leaves room
for the road to scramble an intricate way by its side*
When about to issue from the chasm, yoti open upon the
Lesser Falls^ so called in contrast to the greater cataract
at tlie mouth of the river. It is a wild scene, and helps
the fancy to image out the uproar that must in former
ages iiave raged in the depths of the pass below. How
astounding it is to trace in the vast works of nature the
operations of time ; so mighty, and yet so slow, silent,
and unseen ! The whole known history of man reaches
not back to the date of some crevice in a mountain ; each
fathom, worn by a river in his rocky bed, speaks of untold
* generations, swept from the earth, and lost from her re-
cords.^ How grand is the solemn march of nature still
advancing without check, or stop, or threat of hindrance J
Ages arc to her as moments, and all the known course
of time a span.
We reached Utica very tolerably fagged, and bruised
as I could not wish an enemy. A day's rest well re-
cruited us, however, and gave us time to examine this
wonderful little town, scarce twenty years old. .4^1 inn-
keeper here, at whose door fifteen stages stop daifjf, car-
ried, eighteen yeai^s since, the solitary and weekly mail
in his coat pocket, from hence to Albany. This new-
born Utica already aspires to be the capital of the state,
and in a few years it probably will be so, though Albany
is by no n\eans willing to yield the honor, nor New- York
the convenience, of having the seat of government in her
m
./- .T% Digitized by CjOOQIC
DESCRIPTION OP THE COUNTRY, 131
neighbourhood ; but the young western counties are such
/stoat and imperious children, that it will soon be found
necessary to consult their interests*
The importance of Utica will soon be increased by the
opening of the great canal, destined here to join the Mo-
hawk. We swerved the next <lay from our direct route
for the purpose of looking at this work, now in considera-
ble progress, and which, in its consequences, is truly
grand, affording a water high- way from the heart of this
great continent to the ocean ; commencing at Lake firie,
it finds a level, with but little circuit, to the Mohawk ;
at the Lesser Falls are some considerable locks ; others
will be required at the mouth of the river, where the
Hudson opens his broad way to the Atlantic. It is
tliought that fom* or five years will now fully complete
this work. The most troublesome opposition it has en-
countered; is in the vast Onondaga swamp, and not a
few of the workmen have fallen a sacrifice ,to its pestilen-
tial atmosphere.
Leaving Utica, the country begins to assume a rough
appearance ; stumps and girdled trees encumbering the
inclosares ; log-houses scattered liere and there ; the cul-
tivation rarely extending more than half a mile, nor usual-
ly so much, on eiUier hand; when the forest, whose face is
usually rendered hideous to the eye of the traveller by a skirt-
ing line of girdled trees, half standing, half falling, stretches
its vast, unbroken shade over plain, and hill, and dale ;
disappearing only with the horizon. Frequently, how-
ever, gaining a rising ground (and the face of the countiy
is always more or less undulating) you can distinguish
gaps, sometimes long and broad^ in the deep verdure,
which tell that the axe and the plough are waging war
with the wilderness. Owing to some disputed claims in
the tenure of the lands, cultivation has made less progress
here than it has farther west, as we found on approaching
the Skneneatalas, Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga, and Ca-
V
* . JDigntized by Google
4
1 32 CAKANDAIGUA.
nandaigua lakes* Having passed the flourishing town ci
Auburn, we found the country much more open ; 'well-.
finished houses, and thriving villages^ appearing conti-
nually •- The fifth day from that of our departure from
Albany brought us to this village, where our kind fellow
travellers insisted on becoming our hosts. The villages
at the head of the different lakes I have enumerated above,
are all thriving, cheerful, and generally beautiful ; but
Canandaigua, I think, bears away the palm. The land
has been disposed of in lots of forty acres each, one being
the breadth, running in lines diverging on either hand
from the'main road. The houses are all delicately paint-
ed ; their windows w ith green Venetian blinds, peeping
gaily through fine young trees, or standing forward more
exposed on their little lawns, green and fresh as those of
England. Smiling gardens, orchards laden with fruit —
quinces, apples, plums, peaches, &c. and fields, rich in
golden grain, stretch behind each of these lovely villas ;
the church with its white steeple rising in the midst, over-
looking this land of enchantment.
The increase of population, the encroachment of culti-
vation on the wilderness, the birth of settlements, and
their growth into towns, surpasses belief, till on^ has been
an eye-witness of the miracle, or conversed on the spot
with those who have been so. It is wonderfiiUy cheer-
ing to find yourself in a country which tells only of im-
provement. What other land is there that points not the
imagination back to better days, contrasting present de-
cay with departed strength, or that, even in its struggles
to hold a forward career, is not checked at every step by
some physical or political hindrance ?
I think it was one of the sons of Constantine, I am sure
that it was one of his successors, who, returning from a
visit to Rome, said, that he had learned one thing there,
•' that men died in that queen of cities as they, did else-
where." It might require more, perhaps, to remind a
f
nigitized by
Google
CANAKDAIGUA. 133
Stranger of the mortality of his species in these states^
than it did in old Rome. All here wears so much the
^oss of novelty — ^all around you breathes so much of the
tife and energy of youthr that a wanderer fix)m the an*
tique habitations of time-worn Europe might look around,
and deem that man here held a new charter of existence ;
that time had folded his wings, and the sister thrown
away the shears.
Digitized by
Google
134
LETTER XI.
GENESEE. VISIT TO MR. WAD S WORTH. — AMERICAN FAR-
MER. — SETTLING OP THE NEW TERRITORY. FOREST
SCENERY.
Geneseey August, 1819.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
Taking a kind farewell of our hospitable friends in
Canandaigua, we struck into the forest, and by a cross
road, helter skelter over stumps and logs, rattled in a
chimsy conveyance to this thriving settlement on the
banks of the Genesee. The road^ though rough, was not
wholly without its interest ; at first, opening prospects of
liills and vallies, where sometimes the white walls of a
young settlement glanced in the sun, relieving the bound-
less " continuity of shade ;" and then bordered occasion-
ally with corn-fields and young orchards of peach and
* apple, groaning beneath their weight of riches. The
withered trees of the forest stood indeed among them ;
but though these should mar beauty, they give a charac-
ter to the scene that speaks to the heart, if not to the eye.
We were received with a warm welcome by Mr. and
Mrs. Wadsworth, a name you are already acquainted
with. The American gentleman receives his guest in the
true style of old patriarchal hospitality — with open hand
at the gate ; and leads you over the threshold with smi-
ling greetings, that say more than a thousand words.
There is about him an urbanity, and a politeness, breath-
ing from the heart, which courts and cities never teach.
Digitized by
Google
VISIT .TO MR. WADSWORTH. 135
Nothiiig seems to be disarranged by your presence, and
yet all is ordered for your convenience and amusement ;
you find yourself, in a few minutes, one of the family ;
frankness and friendliness draw forth the same feelings
from you ; you are domesticated at the hearth and the
board, and depart at last with heart overflowing, as from
some home^ endeared by habit, and sacred association*
This house stands pleasantly on the gentle declivity of
a hill, commanding a fine prospect of the Genesee Flats
(beautiful prairie land bordering the river,) and the rising
grounds, covered with dark forests, bounding them* Some
scattered groups of young locust trees spread their chequer-
ed shade upon the lawn ; down which, as seated beneath
the porch, or in the halt, with its wide open doors, the eye
glances, first over a champaign country, speckled with
flocks and herds, and gdden harvests ; and then over pri^
meval woods, where the Indian chases the wild deer. To
the right stretches a scattered village of neat white houses,
that have just started into being ; from the bosom of wkich
rises the spire of a little chapel, flashing against the sun ;
behind, bams, stables, and out-houses ; and to the right ajk^
spacious and well-replenished garden, with orchard after^ -jl^*
orchftrd, laden with all the varieties of apple, pear, and
peach.
Mr. Wadsworth is the patriarch of the Genesee district.
He is a native of New-England, in wlnjse earliest history
the name appears frequently and honourably. It is
scarcely nineteen years since this gentleman, with his
brother, Col. Wadsworth, {Merced into these forests, then
inhabited only by the savage and his prey. The rich and
open lands here stretching along the river, fixed their at-
tention, and having purchased a considerable tract of land
from the Indian proprietors, they settled themselves down
among them. The first six years were years of fearful
hardship ; every autumn brought fevers, intermitting and
bilious, and this too in a wilderness where no comforts nor
Digitized by
Google
i
136 VISIT TO MR. WADSWQRTH.
conveniences could be procured. Their constitutions,
however, hardened by early temperance, weathered this
trying season. Other settlers gradually joined them, and
now a smiling village is at their door, rich farms rising
every where out of the forest, and a pure and healthy at-
mosphere ever surrounding them. Mrs. Wadsworth tells
me, that her numerous family have never been afflicted
with sickness of any kind, nor do we hear of any in the
surrounding neighbourhood.
I have not yet seen more thriving or beautiful young set-
tlements than those now surrounding me. Mr. Wads-
worth is considered as one of the richest proprietors in the
state; and well has he acquired his wealth, and gene-
rously does he employ it. Like one of the patriarchs of
old, he looks round upon his flocks and herds, luxuriant
pastures, and rich fields of grain, bounteous heaven ever
adding to his store, and feels that, under its blessings, all
is the reward of his own industry, the work, as it were, of
his creation. It is truly a grateful sight to see the wilder-
ness thus transformed into beauty; to see the bumant
V ^species absolved from oppression, and, with it, absolved
^ from misery, extending tlieir dominion, not unju^% over
their fellow creatures, but over the peaceful earth, and.
leaving to their posterity the well-earned fruits of their
industry, and, what is better, the pure example of time
well employed. In truth it cheers the spirits, and does
the heart good to see these things.
Sometimes, indeed, I cannot help contrasting the con-
dition of the American with 4hat of the English farmer ;
no tithes, no grinding taxes, no bribes received or offered
by electioneering candidates or their agents ; no anxious
fears as to the destiny of his children, and their future esta-
blishment in life. Plenty at the board ; good horses in
the stable ; an open door, a friendly welcome, light spirits,
and easy toil ; such is what you find with the American
fanner. In England —
r
Digitized by
Google
AMERICAN FARMER. 137
<( There is a tale the trareller can read •
Who, oo old Tybcr*f banks, hath check'd his steed,
And paus*d, and mns'd, and wept upon the wreck /
Of what WM Rome." y '
. You will tell me, perhaps, that I now see the old world
in contrast with the new ; that this is comparing age to
j^outh, a comparison that is either unfair or childish. But
is it with nations as with individuals ? Have they no se-
cond youth ? We have seldom seen that they have ; but
few in their old age have shown such vigour as England.
Has she not enough to work her own regeneration ? I
wish it too well not to beUeve it.
<< Oh England ! well I loFe thee ', oft recall
Thjr pleasant fields ; thy hills' soft sloping fall ;
Thy woods of massy shade and cool retreat ;
Thy rivers in their sedges murmuring sweet,
Where once, with tender feet, I wont to stray,
Muttering my childish rhymings by the way ;
And pouring plenteous sighs, I knew not why.
And dropping soft tears from my musing eye. —
Yes ! much I love thee ; — torn not then away
As tho' thou heard'st a heartiest alien's lay.
Childhood and dreaming youth flew o'er this head
Ere from thy pleasant lawns the wanderer fled ;
And tho' maturer years have mask'd her brow,
And somewhat chill'd perchance her feelings now,
Still does her stricken heart beat warm for thee.
Much does it wish thee great, — much does it wish thee free.
Thoughit of a Reeltue, • ' "^
•
Forgive me this quotation. It expresses my feelings
at the moment. I need not say moment ; for they force
themselves upon me very often. '
It were dUiicult, perhaps, to conceive man placed in a
more enviable position than he is as a cultivator of the soil \v;i
in these states. Agriculture here assumes her most cheer-
ful aspect, and (some Europeans might smile doubtinglyi
but it is true) all her ancient classic dignity, as when Rome
20
Digitized by
Goc^le
138 AMERICAN FARMER.
sutumbned her consuls from the plough. I have seen
those who have raised their voice in the senate of their
country, and whose heuids have fought her battles, walking
beside the t^am, and minutely directing every operation
of husbandi-y, with tlie soil upon their garments, and their
countenances bronzed by the meridian sun. And how
proudly does such a man tread his paternal fields ! his
ample domains improving under his hand ; his garners
full to oveiilowing ; his table replenished withguests, and
with a numerous offspring, whose nerves are braced by
exercise, and their minds invigorated by liberty. It was
finely answered by an American citizen to a European
who, looking around him, exclaimed, " Yes ; this is all
weU. Vou have all the vulgar and the substantial, but I
look in vain for the omamentaL Where are your ruins
and your poetry ?" " There are our ruinSy'*^ replied the
republican, pointing to a revolutionary soldier who was
turning up the glebe ; and then, extending his hand over
the plain that st];^tched before them, smiling with luxu-
riant farms and httle villas, peepmg out from beds of
trees, " there is our poetry. '^'^
It is not always, indeed, tliat the farmer may aspire to
affluence, as some of our more ignorant emigrants sup-
ix)se. I have seen small proprietors in this country,
whose life was one continued scene of unbroken toil, and
whose exertions procured little more to themselves and
their famiUes, than common necessaries and indispensa-
ble comforts ; these, however, they may always procure,
and sometimes by shifting the scene of their industry, may
ensure more abundant returns. But here again there are
often positive evils that must be placed in the balance
against positive good. The hardy citizen, who migrates
from the more sterile districts of New-England to the vir-
gin lands of the West, has to encounter &tigues, and but
too firequently unwholesome vapours to which even his
vigorous constitution may fall a . sacrifice. It is wonder-
- ^
" A
Digitized by
Google
AMERICAN FARMER. 139
(ul to see how cheerfully these physical e\'iis are braved,
and often how well and speedily they are surmounted ;
hut still, with many, a hard-earned competence with
health will balance against the chance of greater abun-
dance, purchased by years of sickness, or perhaps by a
broken constitution.
We should, however, but ill appreciate the causes
which pour the tide pf emigration from the east to the
west, if we considered avarice as giving the sole impetus.
Tt is not a mere calculation of dollars ^nd cents, or a
thousand bushels of com placed against a hundred, which
alone sways the mind of the adventurous settler.
The position of this country, its boundless territory, its
varied soils and climates, its free institutions, and, favoured
by these circumstances, the rapid increase of its popula-
tion, — all combine to generate in this people a spirit of
daring enterprise, as well as of proud independence.
They spurn at little hindrances in narrow room, and pre-
fer great difficulties in a wide horizon. In flying to the
wilderness, they fly a thousand constraints which society
must alwa)rs impose, even under the fairest laws. They
have here no longer to justle with the crowd 5 their war is
only with nature ; tlieir evils, therefore, are chiefly physical,
and the comforts they may forego, are amply compensa-
ted by the frets and cares from which they may be re-
l^sed. It is curious to consider the effect which this re-
lease from moral ills seems to have upon tho constitution.
Those who safely weather out the fii-st hard seasoning, or
who, from choosing their ground more judiciously, escapo
with but very little, are often found to live to an unusual
age. It is a singular fact, that the citizens of the new
states are often remarkable for uncommon longevity, and
universally for uncommon stature. This cannot be ac-
counted for by supposing that they are more exposed to
air and exercise 5 the American farmer is this universal-
ly ; and though universally the average of his stature is
Digitized by
140 AMERICAN FARMER.
above that of Europeans, it were, perhaps, more just to
ascribe this vaiying standard of bodily vigour to the less
or greater pressure of mental solicitude.*
Were the human mind less sensible to the charms of
novelty and liberty, the settlement of the new country
might be left only to the necessitous. As it is, men of
property, and gentlemen accustomed to all the refinements
of society, are found among the first occupiers of the wil-
derness. When Mr. Wadsworth settled in this district,
lie formed the advanced guard of civilization; a vast
tract of forest stretched behind him, through which he
^^ cleared a passage for the necessary implements of hus-
^jSPiT bandry, with considerable toil and difficulty. The tide
^v of human life has now flowed up to him, and is rapidly
sweeping onward in all directions.
In the deep verdure of the forest, stretching beyond the
open lands that border the river, the eye discerns specks
' . of a browner hue,*which mark where the new settler has
commenced his work of peaceful industry. It was with
much surprise, that, in a late excursion, we suddenly
opened upon a flourishing little village that has started up
in a couple of years, or little more, in the bosom of the
forest, a few miles higher up Uie river.
It was towards evening when we reached the settle-
ment ; and then, turning again among the trees, and ma-
king a short ascent by a road roughly paved with logjs,
suddenly found ourselves on a lawn, in front of a spacious
,yl * I perceive that Lieutenant Hall has admitted, among the causes to which
lie ascribes the gigantic stature of the members from the western states^
whom he observed in Washington, « the absence of menial irriUUion" The
other causes which he enumerates, " plentiful, but iimplefood, a healthy cH-
mate, constant exercise in the open air" might better account for the differing
_ stature between Europeans and Americans generally, than between the Ame-
ricans of the old and new territory. The climate of the eastern and central
slates, though it should not vie in beauty, must, for some years to come, in
salubrity, with that of the western districts. The people of these states gene-
Ni . rally are well but simply fed, and continually exercised. The difference, if
\ 3ny> can scarcely he sufficient to affect the bedily organs.
E-
>i
f
-^ Digitized by VjOO^ IC
FOREST SCENERY. 141
and elegant dwelling* We had already noade acquaint*
ance with its hospitable owner, who, with his wife and
daughter, had during the day joined our cavalcade in the
forest.
Mr. Hopkinson followed successfully for many years
the profession of law in the city of New- York. His en-
terprise and good taste seemed equal to his opulence*
Tte neighbouring village has grown up under his eye ;
his house, both within and vnthout, wears the character
of convenience and elegance. The manner in which he
has cleared the forest in the immediate neighbourhood of
his dwelling, is peculiarly admirable. In general, the
settler cuts to right and left with unsparing fury, anxious
only to clear the giant weeds which obstruct the light,
and choke his respiration. It is a natural impulse, per-
haps, which leads him thus unthinkingly to lay bare his
cabin to the heavens ; but some may doubt if it be very
wise, and all will agree, that it is in very bad taste. I {
know not if the observation has been made by others, but
it has often occurred to me, that the gap made by the set-
tler in the dense mass of the forest, must serve as a sort
of funnel, by which the hot rays of the sun must draw up
the noxious vapours from the surrounding shades. Were
he to place his cabin under sheher, and commence his
chief operations at a Uttle distance, I have a notion that
his family would both enjoy more comfort and better
health. I have sometimes put a query upon this subject
to a farmer, who has invariably assured me, that any sin-
gle tree, if deprived of the support of its neighbours,
would infallibly be blown down. This seemed probable
enough, biit as the assurance was generally accompanied
by some ^flections upon ike useksmess of the long iveedSf
I felt by no means satisfied that they had ever had fair
play. I was convinced of this, when, in the neighbour-
hood of Canandaigua, we found a New-England farmer,
whose house was surrounded by a fine grove of young
^js
Digitized by
Google
J
142 FOREST SCENERY.
hickory, which had been cleared out with care, and stood
in perfect health and security.
Mr. Hopkinson has tried the experiment on a larger
scale, and cleared the forest around his dwelling in 3uch
a manner as to give to it the air of a magnificent park.
It is surprising to see how soon these giants have thrown
down their branches, rejoicing in the air and Ught sudden-
ly opened to them. When first exposed, they have the
appearance of enormous ship-masts, their smooth, silvery
stems, towering to the skies, sustaining on their heads a
circular canopy of verdure, like the umbrella of a Brog-
dignag. There is one peculiarity that characterizes the
American forest, which is wonderfullyfavourable to the
ornamental clearer ; it is the general absence of brush,
and the fine smooth carpet of verdure spread by the hand
of nature over the surface of the soil.* It is doubtless
necessary, in this operation, to proceed with much cau-
tion, and to consult the nature of the soil as well as of
the tree you intend to preserve. A fence fix)m the north-
west must usually be indispensable. Every thing seems
to have favoured Mr. Hopkinson?s improvements 5 and
we should have been well pleased, had time permitted us
to have surveyed them more at leisure.
Entering the house, the shade of its broad piazzas and
Venetian blinds, through which the evening breeze play-
ed sweetly, refi-eshed us much after the fatigues and heats
of the day. From the windows the eye glanced down
the hill, through vistas tastefiilly opened in the dense
shade, upon the rich valley, watered by the river, and
the undulating lands which lay beyond ; the last rays of
the sinking sui^ flashed upon the white walls of the little
* May not this be the cause, which, by affording facilities to the hunter,
served to arrest the aborigines of North America in the sarage state ? The
woods of the southern continent are represented as impeded by luxuriant
and impervious vegetation. Man, thus shut out from the covert, and driven
lo seek the open plains and vaReys, wan there naturally hired to the pasto-
ral and agricultural life.
Digitized by
Google
FOREST SCENERY. M3
tosm of Genesee, perched upon the distant horizon, and
shed a flood of glory upon the wide world of primeval
forest that stretched around. *
While refreshing ourselves with a vaiiety of delicious
fruit, and, for myself, looking round in wondering admi-
ration at this house of enchantment, for truly, containing,
as it did, every convenience and luxury that art could
afford, and planted down thus in the bosom of the wil-
derness, it seemed like nothing else than some palace of
the genii, — while thus gazing and admiring, ai pleasing
young woman entered, the wife of a neighbouring settler.
She prolonged her stay until the sun had bade good night,
and then, requesting us to look in upon her in her bg-
house before our departure, remounted her horse, disap-
peared in the forest, and gained her home seven miles
distant, more by the sagacity of the steed than any twink-
ling of the stars.
We made her a visit next day. The dwelling, tliough
small, and every way inconvenient, as one might have
imagined, to ^ose accustomed to all the comforts of a
city life, (for this gentleman is an emigrant from Boston,
Massachusetts,) was rather of larger dimensions than the
ordinary log-house, being divided into a room and kitchen,
and having a sleeping apartment above. With all these
extras, however, the dwelling was comfortless enough
for a five years' residence ; yet its owners seemed con-
tented in it, putting off from year to year the building of
a better, and findmg in this narrow and ill-finished tene-
ment in the wilderness, that contentment which many live
and die without finding in a palace.
Returning from this excursion, we again traversed the
open prairie that here stretches along the water-course,
and forms the richest portion of Mr. Wadsworth's mag-
nificent property. We often paused to admire the giant
trees, scattered tastefully here and there by the hand of
nature ; their enormous trunks, rooted ia alluvial scnl,
Digitized by
Google
f
144 FOREST SCENBRY.
pointing up their stems into mid air, like the cdumns of
^ some Gothic minster, and then flinging abroad their migh-
ty arms, from Which the graceful foliage dropping down-
f wards, opposed, in beautiful contrast, the rich verdure
I ^ with the clean and polished bark. The finest trees that
I had ever before seen, had been dwarfs, if placed beside
^'i these mighty giants.
The art of ornamental planting has, as yet, been httle
cultivated in these states. The native forest is generally
in sight ; and, as the human eye is prone to rest with
pleasure on what is uncommon, an American usually
considers an open plain as nature's most beautiful feature.
^ The settler's first desire is to have a clear view of the
heavens ; when his patch of ground is completely naked,
he tells you, that it looks handsome. As the dense shade
of the forest recedes, a tree, in his mind, becomes le^ as-
sociated with wolves and bears, swamps and agues ; and
gradually he conceives the desire that some sheltering
boughs were spread between his roof and the scorching
rays of July's sun. His object now is to jplant the tree
that vnll grow the fastest ; and, consequently, the finest
sons of the forest are seldom those that he patronises. In
the older districts of the Union that I have visited, espe-
cially in Pennsylvania, I have admired trees of a very
^ noble character, surrounding the dwelling of the farmer,
^ V or dropped through his fields as a shelter for the cattle.
Of the American oak, there are upwards of thirty va-
t rieties ; almost as many of the walnut ; several of the elm,
f' which is a tree of very uncommon majesty. The syca-
more of the Ohio, which can receive half a regiment of
soldiers within its trunk, seems to realize the wildest fa-
bles of marvel-loving travellers. The maple and the
'' hickory are also remarkable ; the former for its elegance^
and the latter for the rich colour of its foliage ; the ash ;
the white pine, rising in pre-eminent grandeur ; the scent-
breathing cedar ; the graceful acacia ; the wild cherry,
ri^
Digitized by
Google
FOREST SCEM£RY. 145
With its beautiful fruit clustered on the stalk like currants ;
and, among the flowering trees, the sweet locust, breath*
ing the breath of violets ; the catalpa, with its umbrageous
leaves, and luxuriant blossoms ; the majestic tulip, point-
ing up his clean and unencumbered shaft, and throwing
down his branches heavy with polished foliage and mil-
lions of flowers. Indeed the varieties of the native trees
are almost endless ; and when cultivated with care, and
arranged with taste, may even surpass in majesty the
woodland tribe of England.
It has struck me that the American trees (I spesk of
them When reared for ornament, or dropped by the hand
of nature with more taste perhaps than art could rival,)
have a character which might be termed one of simple
majesty, while those of England are remarkable for a ro-
mantic or even savage grandeur. The gnarled oakj his
boughs covered with lichens, thrust forth horizontally but
grotesquely, stands beneath the watery skies of England,
a hardy veteran, nerved to brave the elements, and op-
posing his broad and shaggy forehead to the storm, as
reckless of its fury, and indifferent alike to the smiles and
the frowns of heaven. Vegetation here being much more
rapid, the American tree puts forth longer shoots, spring-
ing upwards to the sun, with a stem straight, smooth, and
silveiy, and flinging forth his sweeping branches to wave
with every gust. This perhaps applies more peculiarly
to the elm, a tree of singular grace and beauty, but an-
swers, more or less, to all the nobler sons of the forest.
In general, the wood of this country is of superior stature
to that of our island, but is charged with fewer branches,
or more properly speaking, twigs. Under an oak in Eng-
land, you can barely see the winter's heaven ; here, when
stripped of its foliage, the most rugged tree would aflbrd
no shelter. There is, in short, less wood, or rather it
shoots upwards more in straight lines ; the foliage is magni-
ficent, and wonderfiiUy varied in its shades. You will
21
Digitized by
Google
if:r'
146 FOREST SCENERV*
remember the glories of the autumnal tints : their richness
defies the pen or the pencil.
The character of the American forest, you are, perhaps,
familiar with x springing out of a virgin soil, and stm^ling
upwards to catch the sun's glance, the stems are frequent*
ly of enormous stature.; and, from the dryness of the at-
mosphere, wholly free from moss and lichen* I have al^
ready noticed the absence of brush, and the carpet of ver*
dure that covers the soil $ where this is firm and dry, no-
thing can be more pleasbg than to wander among these
primeval shades ; -^ at least those will think so whose
eyes are not palled with their eternal contemplation.
When the first gloom of evening " deepens the horror of
the woods," it is finely impressive to thread their dark
mazes, and greatly interesting when the night closes in to
catch the glimmer of some settler's fire, and, as you ap*
proach, to see its rays streaming across your path from his
cabin door.
During the summer nights, a log hut often presents a
very singular appearance. It is not unusual, when the
hot months set in, to clear away the mud which stops the
interstices between the logs, as they are raised horizontal-
ly upon each other, so as to allow a free passage to the
external air. In the darkness of the forest, the Ught
streaming through these crevices, gives to the cabin the
appearance of being either illuminated or CMi fire. A
painter might then often pause to consider the family
group assembled in the little dwelling : the father resting
afler the day^s fatigues -^ his prattUng urchins around him,
while the busy matron prepares the evening me^. In-
sensible were the heart that could pass without emotion
this little scene of human industry and human happiness.
The cotter's evening light is interesting every where ; but
doubly so when it shines in a world of solitude such as
this.
Digitized by
Google
147
LETTER XII.
INDIAN VILLAGE. — OBSERVATIONS ON THE INDIANS.-^ CON''
DUCT or THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THEM.
Genesee, Aogasti 1819.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
Some days since we made two of a large party to the
high banks of the Genesee, and in our return visited an
Indian village. The huts were scattered vdldly over a
little hill jutting forward from the f^est, and commanding
a magnificent prospect down the course of the river.
These Indians Imd more of the character of the lords of
the wilderness than any I had yet seen ; but even these
are a wasting remnant that must soon disappear with the
receding forest. Notwithstanding their frequent and
friendly intercourse with their white neighbours, they
keep their language pure, and their manners and habits
with but little variation. The richness of the soil, or the
beauty of the spot, seems to have attached them to the
neighbourhood, as they refuse to sell their patrimony,
though every year makes the game more shy, and, conse-
quently, the business of the hunter more doulHfnl and toil"
some.
The falling greatness of this people, disappearing from the
face of their native soil, at first strikes mournfully on the ima**
gination; but such regrets are scarcely rational. The sa**
vage, with all his virtues, and he has some virtues, is still a
savage, nobler, doubtless, than many who boast themselves
Digitized by
Google
148 OBSERVATIONS ON
civilized beings ; nobler far than any race of slaves who hug
their chains while they sit in proud contemplation of days
of glory that have set in night ; but still holding a lower
place in creation than men who, to the proud spirit of in*
dependence, unite the sojfler feeUngs that spring only with*
in the pale of civilized life. The increase and spread of
the white population at the expense of the red, is, as jt
were, the triumph of peace over violence ; it is Minerva's
oUve bearing the palm from Neptune's steed«
Not that the aborigines of this fine country have never
had to complain of wrong and violence, offered by the in-
vaders of the soiL The Indian, as he looks moum&dly
upon the scattered jremnant of his once powerful ^ibe,
recounts a long list 6( injuries, received by his ancestors
from those strangers whom they were at first willing to re-
ceive as friends and brothers. Though he should acknow-
ledge, that the right by which the early settlers were will-
ing to hold a portion of their territory, was that of pur-
chase, he may justly complain, that the sale had little in
it of fair reciprocity, which was often rather compelled
than proposed. The first cmitracts, indeed, were peace-
ful ; entered into with tolerable fairness on the oi^ side>
and with willingness on the other ; but it was not in human
nature, that the native inhabitants should long view with-
out jealousy the growing strength of new comers, whose
knowledge, and cultivation of the peaceful arts^ secured
a ratio of increase to their population so far beyond that
of the wild aborigines ; and whose hardihood, scarce in-
ferior to that of the savage, mariced them as such dang^-
ous antagonists. Actuated by this jealousy, the massacre
of the various colonies, thinly scattered along the shores
of the Atlantic, was often attempted ; and, had these sa«
vage measures been taken in concert by the different
tribes and nations, the extermination of the obnoxious in-
truders must have been effected. Hostile fedings, so na-
turally aroused on the one side, vf&ce soon as naturally
\
J
Digitized by
Google
THE INDIAIfS. 149
aroused on the others Id these earlier acts d* aggression,
were we to allow notfaiDg to the jealous passioos, casnr
mon to the Indians as men, and to the wild passions, pe-
cuhar tQ them a^ savages, we might, perhaps, find mofre
cause to chai^ge the natives vnih cruelty and treachery,
than the European settlers with injustice.
Jin considering the sufferings of those hardy adventurers,
we are filled with astooishnKnt, as well as pity and admi-
ration. How powerfid the charm of independence to re*
concile man to such a course of harddnp ; to lead him
forth fixxn the pale of civilized life, to seek his subsistence
among wolves, and bears, and savages ; now exposed to
Siberian rigours, and then to Afirican heats ; enduring &-
mine, and tnreathing unwholesome exhalations ; lighting
his nightly fire to ward ofi* the attack of the wild beast,
and apprehending'from ev«ry thicket the winged arrow of
the In(han ! Well may we lode to find a proud and vi-
gorous nation in the descendants of sudi hardy proge-
nitors. •
The attacks of the Indians usually ended to their dis-
advcintage ; weakened their numbers, and forced them to
make concessions. By each succeeding treaty, the bounda-
ries receded ; and, as the new people gained in strength
what the natives lost, die latter became as much exposed
to European rapacity, as the former had ever been to In-
dian cruelty. The contention for mastery between the ^
French and Ekiglish, which, had the natives been united
in their councils, might possibly have afforded them the
opportunity of crushing both, only hurried forward their
own ruin. The subsequent policy of the British govern-
ment, so magnificently denounced by the generous Chat-
ham, which, during her struggle with the revolted colonies,
rak^ed the war-whoop of their savage neighbours, was the
cause of additional ruin to the native tribes; whose num-
bers were always thinned, whatever might be the issue of
their incursions.
Digitized by
Google
150 OBSERVATIONS ON
. After the establishment of American indqiiendence, the
Indians soon felt the effect of the wise and humane sys^
tem of policy, adopted by tlie federal government. The
treaties entered into with the natives, have never been vio^
lated by her sanction or connivance, while she has fre-
quently exerted her influence to preserve, or to make
peace between contending tribes. She has sought to pro-
tect them trom the impositions of traders and land jobbers,
and to lure them to the cultivation of the peaceful arts.
Among the most useful of the government regulations, are
those which deprive individuals of the power of entering
into land contracts with the Indians, and which exclude
spiritous liquors and firearms from the bartering trade
pix»secuted on the western borders. It is to be wished,
that the Canada government would equally enforce the
latter regulation. Intoxication has proved a yet worse
scourge to the wild natives, than the small pox. It not
only whets their ferocity, but hurries them into the worst
vices, and consequently the worst diseases. While blan-
kets, wearing apparel, implements of husbandry, peltry,
&c., are the American articles of barter for the game and
furs of the Indian hunters, those of the traders of the
northwest are chiefly spiritous liquors, and fire-arms.
This secures to them the preference in the Indian market,
where more furs will be given for a keg of whiskey, or a
musket, than for a whole bale of woollen goods. But
this is a short-sighted policy. The northern tribes, armed
with muskets, and intoxicated with liquor, go to war with
each other, or else with the more southern tribes ; which
last they have, in many cases, almost, if not altogether,
exterminated. The intrigues of European traders, and
the species of goods exchanged by them with the savages,
have, of late years, done more towards the exterminatioti
of the aborigines, by war and disease, than has even the
rapid spread and increase of the white population, by the
felling of the forest, and destruction of the game. The
Digitized by
Google
THE INDIANS. 151
last cause operates only on the borders; but the others are
felt to the Pacific, and the icy barrier of the north. The
Indians are now disappearing from the face of the earth,
by the silent, but sure operation of corruption and misery :
wherever the Canadian trader pierces, he carries poison
with him, and thus is at once working the destruction of
the native hunters, and of the rich trade which he prose-
cutes with them.
The Americans are the only people who can ultimate-
ly benefit by the destruction of the tribes, and therefore it
is highly to the credit of their government to have placed
the trade under such regulations as are calculated to pro-
mote the interest of the aborigines. The restrictive laws
upon the Indian trade are carefiilly enforced. Crovem-
ment agents, with fixed salaries, are stationed in the line
of forts protecting the western frontier, to whom appeals
can always be made by the Indians. Under the eye of
these agents, trading establishments are conducted, in
which a (air and stated price is laid upon the American
articles of barter. This has the effect of constraining the
{ttivate traders to honesty ; who, of course, will find no
market, if they do not sell on equal terms with the govern*
ment establishments. The price fixed by the government,
places on the prime cost what is sufficient to defray the
expenses of the establishment, which is conducted on the
strictest principles of American economy*
The humane policy of the American government in
this matter, may be supposed to have had in view the
protection of the white settlements on the frontier, as well
as of the ns^tive tribes. The fact is, however, that the
introduction of distilled spirits and fire-arms among the
latter occasbns them rather to make war upon each other,
than upon the distant whites. A quarrel in their feasts
produces murder, and tliis is seldom expiated but by
the Uood of the aggressor, and of his tribe. Some of the
savage incursions on the western firontier have originated
Digitized by
Google
152 OBSERVATIONS ON
in disputes between a white and a red hunter ; but such
quarrels have easily been healed by the intervention of
the federal gpvemment. The cruel Indian wars, which
have occasionally desolated the frontier, massacreing
whole famiUes of wcxnen, children, and infants at the
breast, have been invariably produced by the machina-
tions of Florida, or Canadian traders, or of European
emissaries. The policy of America upon these occasions
has proved rather humane than interested. Her friendly
Indians, more peaceful, and less trained in the use of the
musket, have proved feeble allies ; and often, by draiving
upon her for protection from their ferocious neighbours,
bave turned the tide of their enemies' fury upon her
borders*
There are, in many of the states, some sorry renmants
of the aborigines, settled down as cultivators of the soil ;
and yet this character can hardly be applied to them, so
little skill, or, what is the same thing, so little interest do
they exhibit in pursuits so opposed to the habits of their
ancestors.
In the sale of territory, made at different times by the
native tribes to the states, and now to the national Con-
gress, some reservations of particular tracts have been
stipulated for by the original proprietors. As the white
population flows up to diese districts, the game, of course,
takes flight, and the wilder hunters take fli^ with it
The Indians are then frequently disposed to move off in
a phalanx, and to make a final sale of their landed pro*
perty. Frequently, however, by the humane intervention
of the legislature, or of philanthropic individuals, the more
peaceful, which, with the savage, usually signifies the
more lazy, are induced to remain, and gradually to fore-
go the occupation of the chase for tlmt of husbandry.
Thus it is, that, in the vast field of the white population,
now stretched from the Atlantic to the Missouri, we find
Digitized by
Google
THE INDIAKS. 153
some little specks of the red Indian, scattered like the
spHnt^rs of a wreck upon the surface of the ocean.
The issue of these experiments has invariably been
such as to stamp them with benevolence, rather than wis-
dom. It is, indeed, truly melancholy to see what slender
success has hitherto attended all the attempts, whether
on the part of the legislature, societies or individuals, to
improve the condition of these half-civilized natives.
Filth and sloth are in their cabins ; sometimes supersti-
tion, but very rarely knowledge in their minds. With
scarcely an exception, the Indian, on emerging from the
savage state, sinks, instead of rising in the scale of being.
There are two principal causes to which, perhaps, this
may be attributed; first, diat the nobler the spirit, the
more attached is it to its race, and to what it conceives to
be the dignity of that race. Such fly the approach of ci-
vilization, and bury themselves deeper in the forest, iden-
tifying h8q[)piness with liberty, and liberty vwth the wide
earth's range. Thus it is only the more tame and worth-
less who are submitted to the experiments of the humane
or the curious.
But there is another cause which has operated gene-
rally to prevent the approach of the Indian habits to those
of the whites, they have been each too violently opposed
to the other. Had the red man been less savage, or the
white man less civilized, each would have yielded a little
to the other, and the habits of the two people, and gra-
dually the two people themselves have, in some measure,
assimilated and amalgamated.* In the southern conti-
* It may seem strange aAer this to conjecture, that, had the North>Ameri-
can continent been colonized entirely by French, this would have happened.
That people, though in a relish for many of the ornamental arts, seemingly
further adranced in mental cultivation than their English neighbours, yet
from their inferior acquaintance with the science of government, and from
their being less practiced in the exercise of steady industry, there has always
been a less gap between them and the wild hunter, than between the hitter
and the English. The French have always lived on more friendly terms
22
Digitized by
Google
154 OBSERVATIONS ON
nent, we see that the haughty and cruel Spamard often
condescended to mix his blood with that of his conquered
vassals; and it is probable, that many of the eariy ad-
venturers consulted their pride, as well as their interest,
in uniting themselves to the daughters of tributary cht
slaughtered Incas. It is this mixed race, remarkable no
less for their intelligence than their high spirit, wIk) are
now woridng out the deliverance of their country from
the odious thraldom of Spain, and who are destined, per-
haps, in the course of a few generations, to rival, in
strength and civilization, the proudest empires of the old
hemisphere.
The marriage of Rolfe, a companion of the hercac fa-
ther of Virginia, with the amiable Pocahontas, is almost
the only instance on record of a legal engagement con-
tracted by the early settlers witli the women of this coim-
try. From the moral habits and religious principles of
the former, it is probable, that illicit intercourse was very
rarely indulged in ; where this might occur, the ofl^ring
would, of necessity (as well as by the Indian customs)
I'emain with the mother, and become incorporated with
her tribe. The aborigine^ having remained in statu quo,
or, if any thing, retrograded in the scale of being, while
the new population has been making farther advances in
civiUzation, it is little surprising that an instance is hardly
to be found of a mixture between the two races.
To accoimt for the untameable spirit of the wild Indian,
or the seemingly unimprovable dispositions of the half-do-
mesticated Indian, it is not necessary that we should
ima^e any distinctions implanted by nature between the
red and the white. The savage is not brought within the
with the natives than either the English or the Anglo-American. Many
wild Indians have a mixture of French blood in their veins ; and, in the mi-
serable remains of the old French settlements in the western territory, is
found a mongrel populi^on, bat little removed Ihnn the half-civUiBed m-
▼«g«.
Digitized by
Google
THE INDIANS. 155
pale of civilized life in a day, nor a year, nor a generation :
ages are required to mould him by imperceptible degrees,
as the water smooths the rock over vi^hich it flows ; the hand
of nature must work, not that of art ; it is circumstance,
not precept, that must operate on his mind, and lead him,
unknown to himself, to submit to constraints, and to yield
to the- sway of feelings which his ancestors would have
spumed. There is a charm in the hunter's life to which
even the civilized man is not insensible ; it speaks at once
to the imagination, is felt in the nerves and the spirits, sets
fete at defiance, cancels the list of the moral ills, and in
the very increase of the physical, braces the frame to bear,
and the spirit to mock at them. It would need wiser
teachers than were easily found to uproot the associations
that are fixed in his mind, to break tlie habits that form a
part of his existence, and that have given the beht to his
character ; but, even if such teachers could be found, they
must go to the savage, not bring the savage to them ; they
must not place him in a world whose feelings and habits
are as far removed from his, as the east from the west ;
whose virtues he cannot understand, but whose vices he
will certainly imitate.
It has been remarked, that there is no instance of any
Indian youth, who has been educated in the colleges of
these states, having risen to distinction, or assumed a
place in civilized society. We must bear in mind, first,
that not one in a thousand of any race whatsoever is
gifted by nature so as to become distinguished. Experi-
ments of this kind have hitherto been few, and we must
dmw many blanks in a lottery before we can draw a prize.
Secondly, it may be supposed that the prouder spirits, who
are usually the stronger intellects, have been those who
^umed the restraint imposed by habits and laws foreign to
tfiose of their race, and who fled from the refinements of
strangers to the savage woods, and the savage ways of
their fathers. Where is the young mind of vigour and
Digitized by
Google
I
■T*
156 OBSERVATIONS ON
enthusiasm that is not curious to trace the character of
those wIk) gave it being, and is not prone to ascribe to
it something noble and singularly excellent ? They who
Iiave known tlie feelings of an orphan, when in a house
and country foreign to his race, how he yearns to hear of
those who nursed his infancy, but whose voice and fea-
tures are lost to his memory ; how he muses on tliem in
soHtude, calls upon their names in moments of distress,
and idly fancies that fortune could never have wrung from
him a tear, had they lived to cherish and protect him;
they whose fate it has been to know such feelings, will
easily conceive how the young Indian, alone among
strangers, must look wistfully to the wilderness, where his
tiibe tread the haunts of their fathers, free as the winds,
and wild as the game they pui^sue. I know not if the cir-
cumstances of my own early life have tended to make m&
sympathize peculiarly with such a situation, but the posi-
tion of the Indian youth, as an alien and an orphan,
among his American guardians and play-mates, strikes
me as singularly affecting.
If we look to those feeble remnants of the aborigines,
who, here and there, have settled down in the states, under
protection of tlieir laws, and marvel to see tliem dwindling
away from the face of the soil, a prey to the pestilence of
intemperance and sloth, in spite of all the efforts to reclaim
them, we may, perhaps, without calling in doubt the judi-
ciousness of these efforts, perceive that they are counteract-
ed by circumstances beyond the control either of the legis-
lature, or of individuals. It is invariably seen that the sa-
vage, when removed into the centre of a civilized world, ac-
quires a taste for the coarser indulgences that he finds within
his reach, before he can be taught to engage in irksome em-
ployments that promise only moderate and future good.
Industry and temperance are virtues of calculation, and
the savage is unused to calculate. When removed from
the forest, the Indian has lost bis accustomed incentives to
Digitized by
Google
THE INDIANS. 157
exertion, those more hidden ones that surrounded him he
does not see, or, if pointed out to him, does not feel. His
old virtues are no longer in demand, and a length of .years
were requisite to lead him to adopt new onQs. Ere this
season coniies, his slender and decreasing numbers will
probably be reduced to a cypher. In passing lately
through the Oneida settlement, we saw many cabins de-
serted, and the inhabitants, who still haimted the remain-
der, dragging on a drowsy existence, painfully contrasted
with the life and vigour of the white population that is flow-
ing past them. In many parts of the old states, such settle-
ments have totally disappeared, so gradually and silently,
that none can tell when or how.
I cannot help remarking, however, upon a circumstance
which may be supposed to have considerably impeded the
exertions of the humanizers of the Indian. Religion has
been too generally employed as the first agent. A prac-
tical philosopher were the best tutor in this case. The
more beautiful, not to say the more abstruse the religion,
the more should the mind be prepared to receive it. The
untutored ears of the Indians are assailed by teachers of all
kinds. The Friends and Moravians are undoubtedly the
best, and their exertions are sometimes partially repaid,
and even when unsuccessful, humanity is still their debtor.
But there are sects which this world shares in com-
mon with the old, who, considered by themselves, are
harmless, and so far as intention goes, virtuous, but at-
tending to the effect they work upon others, the weak and
the ignorant, are as mischievous members as a communi-
ty can well be troubled witli.
It is strange, in this nation of practical philosophers, to
find, here and thdre, a society of the wildest fanatics, and
a perambulating teacher, compared to whom the wild-
est followers of Wesley or Whitfield were rational. —
These strange expounders of the simple lessons of Christ
are ever most zealously empbyed in doubly confounding
Digitized by
Google
f*".
i>
V
f:^'}
158
OBSERVATIONS ON
understandings already bewildered ; in making the igno-
rant foolish, and the fooUsh insane. Their more frequent
victims are the poor blacks, who are sometimes seen as-
sembled in CEOwds roimd one of these 'teachers, groaning
and gesticulating like Pythia on the tripod. Their success
on the whole is but indifferent among the Indians ; where
they fail to persuade, they probably disgust, or perhaps
only astonish ; and though these last are the best of the
three consequences, it were doubtless as well that they
were secured from all.
I suspect that the doctrines, or, more properly, absurdi-
ties of these wild fanatics, are what chiefly arrest the
mental advance of the negro in these northern states, and
form one of the minor causes which prevent that of the
savage. Among the ignorant, one fool can work more
harm than twenty wise men can work good ; though in-
deed with the Indian, it is doubtful whether the wise men,
if left to themselves, could work much. It seems that
the fate of the aborigines of this magnificent country is go-
verned by immutable laws, which no efforts of man can
iwm aside. They appear destined to dwindle away with
the forests that shelter them, and soon to exist only in
traditionary lore, or In the wild tale of some wild genius.
Though it is of neces^ty angularly difficult to obtain
any accurate knowledge of a pec^le wholly imacquainted
with the arts, and possessed of no other means of retailing
the most important national revolutions than that of oral
tradition, yet the persevering labours of some Ameiican
citizens and literary societies, as well as of some eminent
European travellers, have done much towards elucidating
the past as well as present condition of the native tribes.
The philosophical society of Philadelphia has more parti-
cularly collected much valuable information.^
* The obsenntiont of the amiabk mitsionarjr John Heckewdder upon the
hisUwy, mftnaerty and customs of the Six Nations, Delawares> Mohicans, kc,
lately published at the request of that society, are peculiarly interesting.
Digitized by
Google
THB INDIANS. Id9
It is certainly greatly desirable that some just know-
ledge of the aborigines, so fast disappearing from the earth,
should rapidly be obtained. Europeans in general, may
peruse with little curiosity the legends of a people with
whom they or their ancestors were never placed in con-
tact ; but with Americans they must ever possess a national
interest, the romance of which will gradually increase
with their increasing antiquity.
I hope I do not send you in this letter too serious a dis-
sertation. I sometimes fear lest I answer your questions,
and those of ^ * ^ * with too much detail, and at other
times with too little. You must allow something occa-
sionally to my more slender stock of information upon one
subject than another, and something also to the humour of
the moment. Farewell.
Perfaapi he may be accounted somewhat partial to his wild aitociatet) but
his statements are made with so much simpUdtyy that it is impossible not to
receire them as accurate. This distingaished missionary Is attached to the
Moravian establishment of Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. The Moravians have
peculiarly distinguished themselves^ not merely by their seal in the religious
conversion of the savages, but by their patient and judicioos exertions to lead
them to the eultlvatioQ of the peaceful arts.
Digitized by
Google
160
LETTER Xm.
DEPABTURE FROM GENESEE, — ^FALLS OF THE OEHESEE
BXVEB.— ^SINGULAR BRIDGE. — AMERICAN INNS. OPENING
OF THE POST BAG.-— JOCJBNEY TO LEWI STON.— CATARACT
OF NIAGARA.
* Niagara, September, 181P. ^
mr BEAR FRIEND,
We left Genesee on a lovely morning, that breathed the
first freshness, of autumn ; our conveyance one of those
light wagons universal in these states ; many a kind part-
ing glance we threw back upon the fair valley, and on the
roofs which sheltered so much worth, and seemingly so
much happiness.
Our route, after some miles, crossed the great western
road, and traced the course of the Genesee to within
four miles of its dischai^ into Ontario. Here the river
makes three considerable falls. At the head of the first
stands the flourishing young town of Rochester, and at
the head of the third one of minor fame, hight Carthage.
A singular fate seems to pursue the latter colony. A
farmer with whom I fell into conversation, informed me
that it had first assumed the more modest appellation of
Clyde, from the resemblance that some travelled settler
had discovered between the neighbouring fall of the Ge-
nesee and that of the Clyde at Stone Byr& ; which re-
semblance, by-the-bye, allowing for the superior dimen-
sions of the American river, is striking enough. After
some time the new occupants received information that
there existed an older settlement of that name in the same
Digitized by
Google
CONFUSION OP NAMES. 161
county ; and, to rectify the confusion that this occasioned
in the post-ofBce, the Scots changed themselves into Pu-
nicians ; but now, delenda est Carthago; it is discovered
that there are two more infant Carthages, claiming the
right of primogeniture^
There is, it must be confessed, the strangest confusion
of names in the western counties of this state that inge-
niHty could well imagine. In one district, you birre all the
poets fi?om Homer to Pope, nay, for aught I know, they
come down to Byron ; in another, you have a collection
of Roman heroes ; in a third, all the mighty cities of the
world, from the great Assyrian empire downwards ; and,
scattered among tliis classic confusion, reUcs of the Indian
vocabulary, which, I must observe, are often not the least
elegant, and are indisputably always the most appropriate.
For the Roman heroes, bad, good, and indifferent, who
in one district are scattered so plentifully, the new popu-
lation is indebted to a land-surveyor, and a classical dic-
tionary. Being requested, in parcelling out tlie lots, to
affix a name to them, the worthy citizen, more practised
in mensuration than baptism, shortly found his ingenuity
baffled, and in despair had recourse to the pages of Lera-
priere.
There is something rather amusing in finding Cato or
Regulus typified by a cluster of wooden houses ; nor, per-
haps, are the old worthies so much disgraced as smne in-
dignant scholars might in^agine.
I met with one name on my route which somewhat
siuprised me, and which struck me as yet more inappro-
priate than the sonorous titles of antiquity, nor was I ill
pleased to learn that it had occasioned some demur among
the settlers. I thought that I had left Waterloo^ on the
other side of the Atlantic, in the streets, bridges, waltzes,
ribands, hotels, and fly-coaches of Great Britain and Ire-,
land. ^V^len objections were made to the founder of the
Digitized by
Google
162 THE FALLS OV TliE
Jittle town flourisliing under this appellation, the stoty
goes; that he called to his aid the stream of water which
' turned the wheel of his mill, gravely afiirming, that he
had that in his eye, and not the battle in his thoughts,
whpn he christened the settlement. " The name speaks
for itself,'* said he, with a humourous gravity peculiar to
Iris native district of New-England — " fFa/er-loo.'' If
the nam^^id not speak for itself, it was impossible not to
let hull speak for it ; and so his neighbours turned away
laughing, and the title of Waterloo stands more undis-
puted than that of poor Carthage.
Tlic falls of the Genesee are well worth going fifty miles
out of your way to look at. The first is a noble cascade
of ninety feet. Seen from the bottom, (to get to which
we had to traverse a marsh and a score of mill-streams,)
Lhave since thought is a sort of miniature of Niagara 5 —
but this is wofully comparing small things to great. It is,
liowever, a lovely sheet of water, and truly grand when
you have not seen the wonder of nature that is now roar-
ing in my ears. I believe we should have enjoyed the
scene more, if the swamp, and tlie slime, and the mud,
had not suggested rattlesnakes to the fancy of my com-
panion. The apprehension was every way groundless ;
at least we saw no rattlesnakes ; and these reptiles, when
seen, I believe are seldom seen in mud, but among rocks
moist with clear wrater.
The second fall is inconsiderable compared to that
either above or below. The third, though not upwards of
eighty feet, is the most picturesque of tlie whole. The
effect is, at present, singularly heightened by a stupen-
dous bridge, thrown across the chasm, just below the basia
of the fall, in the manner of that over the Wear at Sun-
derland. The chord of the arch, as I was informed, is
upwards of 300 feet ; the perpendicular, from the centre
to the river, 250. We were desuDus of viewing it fi:om
the bottom of the chasm; but to do this it seemed neces-
Digitized by
Google
GENESEE RIVER. 163
sary to go two miles farther down the river to seek a boat,
which even then, we were assured, it would be but a
chance if we found. To descend to this spot and wait
this chance, dayliglit would hardly have served us. To
see what we could, we scrambled a fourth of the way
down, first by means of the wood- work of the bridge, and
then by advancing cautiously along the shelving edge of
the precipice, resting our weight on one hand, until we
reached an acute angle, formed by the roots of a blasted
pine, which afforded us a narrow footing, while the bro-
ken stem yielded us support
Having assumed this position, which, had we duly con-
sidered we should perhaps not have ventui-ed upon, we
gazed up and down with a sensation of terror, that I do
not remember to have felt in an equal degree more than
once in my life. Beneath us, on either hand, the preci-
pice now shelved perpendicularly, or rather we were pro-
jected over it, so that a pebble would have dropped into
the gulf of water below. To the left, we looked upon
the falling river ; beneath us, was the basin, broad, deep,
and finely circular ; opposite, the precipice answering to
that we stood upon ; on our right was the bridge, suspend-
ed as it were in mid air. *We were on a level with the
spring of the arch, and I shuddered to observe that, on the
opposite side, projecting over the precipice, the beams
which sustained it seemed to rest on a hair's breadth.
Tracing also the semicircle with my eye, I perceived that
it was considerably strained, about 20 f6et on the same
side from the centre. Afterwards, on crossing the bridge,
we found several heavy logs placed over the spot to pre-
vent the springing of the arch. You cannot conceive the
horror with which we gazed upwards on its tremendous
span. Afler a while, it appeared as if in motion ; and the
impulse was in'esistible which led us to shut our eyes, and
shrink as in expectation of being crushed beneath its
weight. I cannot yet recall this moment without shudder-
^Digitized by
Goggle
164 FALLS OF THB
ing. Our sight swimmiog; our ears filled with the stun-
ning roar of the river, the smoke of whose waters rose even
to this dizzy height ; while the thin coating of soil which
covered the rock, and had once afforded a scanty nourish-
ment to the blasted tree which sustamed us, seemed to
shake beneath our feet* At tlie time I judged this to be
the work of busy fancy. To restore our confused senses,
and save ourselves from loang balance, which had been
the loss of life, we grasped the old pine with considerable
energy, and it was at last, with trembling knees, and eyes
steadily fixed upon our footsteps, neither daring to lode
up nor down, that we regained the height from which we
had descended. Having regained it, I thought we never
looked more like fools in our lives.
Crossing the bridge, (which brought us down not quite
to the level we had sought by a more perilous descent on
tlie other side,) we walked round upon a fine carpet of
verdure, kept always firesh by the spray from the basin
beneath, till we stood above the brink of the fall, and near-
ly facing the arch. While making this circuit, we again
shuddered, perceiving, for the first time, that the point we
had descended to on the opposite side, had a concealed
peril more imminent than those which had so forcibly
affected our imagination. The earth beneath the old
pine, being completely excavated, and apparently only
held together by one of its roots. A young man, who
the next day became our fellow traveller, told me that he
had seen us take this position with such alarm, that his
blood ran cold for many minutes after we left it ; adding,
that he had observed tlie earth crumble beneath our
weight, and strike in the water below. I know not if his
fancy had been as btisy as ours in exaggerating our perils,
but I will confess that they were sufficient to startle me
from sleep twenty times during tlie ensuing night in all
the horrors of tumbling down precipices, and falling
through bridges in the manner of the sons of men. as seen
Digitized by VjOOQIC
GENBSBB RIVER. 165
in lite vinoii of Mirza. I have beard it said that the art
of swimming has lost more lives than it has saved ; per-
haps the art of clambering has done the same.
The Nourishing town of Rochester, thus strikingly situa-
ted, is seven years old, — that is to say, seven jeaxs ago,
the planks of which its neat white houses are built, were
growing in an unbroken forest. It now contains upwards
of two hundred houses, well laid out in broad streets;
shops, furnished with all the necessaries, and with many
that may be accounted the luxuries of life ; several good
inns, or taverns, as they are universally styled in these
states* We were very well, and veiy civilly treated in
one of them ; but, indeed, I have never yet met with any
incivility, though occasionally with that sort of indiffer-
ence which foreigners, accustomed to the obsequiousness
of European service, sometimes mistake for it.
In the country, especially, service, however well paid
for, is a favoutv received. Every man is a fanner and a
proprietor; few therefore can be procured to work for
hire, and these mustgenei;ally be brought from a distance.
Country gentlemen complain much of this difficulty.
Most things, however, have their good and their evil. I
have remariced that the American gentry are possessed
of much more personal activity than is common in other
countrtes. They acquire, as children, the habit of doing
for themselves what others require to be done for them ;
and are, besides, saved from the sin of insolence, which is
often so early fixed in the young mind. Some foreigners
^vill tell you, that insolence here is with the poor. Each
must speak from his own experience. I have never met
with any ; though I will confess, that if I did, it would
offend me less than the insolence offered by the rich to the
poor has .dpne elsewhere. But insolence forms no cha«,
racteristic of the American, whatever be his condition in
life. I verily believe that you might travel from the Ca-
nada frontier to the gulf of Mexico, or from the Atlantic
Digitized by
Google
16ti AMERICAN INNS.
to the Missouri, and never receive from a natwe bom j
citizen a rude"\vord, it being understood always that you J-
never give one* "^
""^ — On arriving at a tavern in this country, you excite no
kind of sensation^ come how you will. The master of the
house bids you good-day, and you walk in ; break&ist,
dinner, and supper, are prepared at stated times, to which
you must generally contrive to accommodate* There are
seldom more hands than enough to despatch the necessary
work ; you are not therefore beset by half-a-dozen meiiials,
imaguiing your wants, before you know them yourself;
make them known, however, and, if they be rational,
they are generally answered with tolerable readiness, and
I have invariably found with perfect civility. One thing
I must notice, that you are never any whe^ charged for
attendance. The servant is not yours but the inn-
' keeper^s ; no demands are made upon you except by the
latter ; this saves much trouble, and indeed is absolutely
neqessary in a house where the servant^s labour is com-
monly too valuable to be laid at the mercy of every
whimsical traveller ; but this arrangement originates in
anotlier cause, the repubUcan habits and feeUngs of the
conmiunity. I honour the pride which makes a man un-
willing to sell his personal service to a fellow creature ;
to come and go at the beck of another, — is it not natural
that there should be some unwillingness to do this ? It is
the last trade to which an American, man or woman, has
recom^sc ; still some must be driven to it, particularly of
the latter sex ; but she always assumes with you the
manner of an equal. I have never, in this country, hired
the attendance of any but native Americans ; and never
have met with an uncivil word ; but I could perceive that
jQieither would one have been taken ; honest, trusty, and
proud, such is the American in service ; there is a cha-
racter here which all who can appreciate it, will respect. ,-,
., At Rochester we dismissed our wagon; and the fol--
Digitized by
Google
THE POST BAG. 167
lowing morning, between three and four o'clock, once*
again seated in the regular stage, struck westward to the
Niagara river. It was not, I assure you, without some
silent alarm, that, on leaving Rochester, we crossed by
starlight the tremendous bridge, for the purpose of opening
the mail at Carthage.
The mode in which the contents of the post bag are
usually distributed through the less populous districts, had
often before amused me. I remember, when taking a
cross cut in a queer sort of a caravan, bound for some
settlement on the soulhem shore of Lake Erie, observing,
with no small surprise, the operations of our charioteer ;
a paper flung to the right hand, and anon a paper flung
to the left, where no sight or sound bespoke the presence
of human beings. I asked if the bears were curious of
news ; upon which I was informed, tliat there was a set-
tler in the neighbourhood, who ought to have been on the
lookout, or some of his children for him. " But when I
don't find them ready, I throw the paper under a tree ;
and I warrant you they'll look sharp enough to find it ;
tliey're always curious of news in these wild parts;" and
curious enough they seemed, for not a cabin did we pass
that a newspaper was not flung from the hand of this en-
Hghtener of the wiMemess. Occasionally making a halt
at some solitary dwelling, the post bag and its guardian
descended together, when, if the assistance of the farmer,
who here acted as postmaster, could be obtained, the
whole contents of the mail were discharged upon the
ground, and all hands and eyes being put in requisition,
such letters as might be addressed to the surrounding dis-
trict, were scrambled out from the heap ; wliich, being
then again scrambled together, was once more shaken in-
to the leathern receptacle, and thrown into the wagon ;
but it sometimes happened, that the settler was from
home. On one occasion, I remember, neither man, wo-
man, nor child, was to be found ; the stage-driver whis-
Digitized by
Google
168 THE POST BAG.
tied and hallooed, walked into the dwelling, and through
the dwelling, sprang the fence, traversed the field of maize,
and shouted into the wood ; but all to no purpose. Hav-
ing resumed hrs station, and set his horses in motion, vl
inquired how the letters were to find their destination,
seeiixg that we were carrying them along with us, heaven
knew where ? " Oh ! they'll keep in the country any
how ; it is likely indeed, they may go down the Ohio, and
make a short tour of the states ; this has happened some-
times ; but it is a chance but they get to Washington at
last ; and then they'll commence a straight course ?inew,
and be safe here again this day twelvemonth may be, or
two years at farthest."
At Carthage we found the postmaster, very naturally
fast asleep; after much clatter against his door and
wooden walls, he made his appearance with a candle,
and according to custom, the whole contents of the mail
were discharged upon the floor. The poor Carthaginian
nibbed his eyes, as he took up one letter after another
from the heap before him ; but his dreams seemed still
upon him. " Not a letter can I see," he exclaimed, as
he again rubbed his eyes, and snuffed his candle. " Friend,
lend me your eyes, or you may just take the whole load
away with you." " I am none of the best at decypher-
itig handwriting," replied the driver. "Why then I
must call my wife, for she is as sharp as a needle." The
wife was called, and, in gown and cap, soon made her
appearance ; the candle and the papers placed m the
middle, wife, husband, and driver, set about decyphering
the hieroglyphics 5 but that the vnfe had the character of
bemg as sharp as a needle, I should have augured ill of
the labours of this triumvirate. Whether right or wrong,
however, tKe selection was soon made, and the budget ,
once again committed to the wagon. -
The road between this and Lewiston ik chiefly re-
markable firom its being, such as it is, the wotk of nature ;
Digitized by
Google
JOURNEY TO LEWI8TON. 169
a bed of gravel was discovered to run almost in a direct
line, its breadth seldom greater than that of the road to
the Niagara river, commencing fom- miles from the Gene-*
see. Between Utica and the lesser Falls of the Mohawk,
tlie great western road strikes into a shorter ridge of the
same description, but which there crosses a deep valley^
while here it is scarce raised above the vegetable soil it
traverses : for forty miles this natural highway, formerly
the confining boundary of the waters of Ontario, remains
unbroken, save now and then where it gives passage to
some muddy creek, the sluggish drain of the vast swamps
whose noxious exhalations breed fevers, intermitting and
bilious, during the autumnal months, in the new and
scanty population. Five years since there was but one
log house between Rochester and Lewiston. A citizen
who got into the stage during the morning for a dozen
miles, and who united the professions of doctor and farmer,
and paunter also, if I understood right, told me that he had
five-and-thirty patients within the stretch of one mile.
' This may convey to you some idea at once of the rapid set-
tUng of tlie country, and the physical evils that the first oc-
cupiers of the soil have to encounter. We did not enter
a house in which there were less than two of the family
either in bed, or looking as if they ought to be there. The
autumn is always the tryuig season, and the prolonged
and extreme heats of the summer months have this
year doubled its usual fataUty. These evils, dreadful
while they last, are, however, but temporary ^ as the axe
and the drain advance into the forest, the maParia re-
cedes. It would recede more rapidly, as well as more
certainly, if the new settlers would contrive to do with-
out, or at least with fewer mills. The collection of the
waters from the creeks and the swamps, soon brought by
the action of a powerful sun to a state of putrefaction, in-
creases tenfold the deadly air already spread by nature.
I could not pass one of these reservoirs of disease without
'24
Digitized by
Google
170 JOURNEY TO LEWISTON*
a sickness at the heart ; and this was not a little increased
when a young fanner was assisted by his father into the
wagon, seemingly m the last stage of decline. As I
placed the poor creature in the seat least uneasy of the
comfortless vehicle, and arranged a bufialo skin with the
addition of a great coat behind his back, he told me he
was recovering from the intermitting fever, and going to
seek change of air at the house of a neighbour, twenty
miles distant. The family bad migrated from New-Eng-
land some two years since, and had been perfisctly healthy
Hntil the late erection of a mill in the close neighbourhood
of their dweHmg. After a stage of fifteen miles, he left us
to be rattled over a causeway of logs that struck off into
the forest at a right angle from the road, and which might
have shattered limbs less feeble than those of this living
sqpectre. "God help thee over it!" said I inwardly, as
the poor youth was lifted half fainting into a wagon.
Forty miles from Lewiston, the ridge is broken for a
considerable extent ; and the log causeway, through a
deep swamp that fills up the deficiency, is only to be cross-
ed on foot* Fatigued and bruised as we by this time
were, it was no easy matter to clamber over these cruel
miles, which, though few, seemed etemal.^ We might
have broken this heavy journey, for there were numerous
dwellings which a sign, swinging upon a pole before the
doors, designated as taverns; and occasionally, in the
ycnmg settlements, which, in the earlier section of our
route, already flourished under the name of towns, and
the appearance of villages, these traveller's rests were, all
thmgs considered, of very tolerable appearance. But we
were anxious to relieve our eyes finom the sight of squalid
faces, and our ears from the eternal sound of ague and
fever, which we trusted to do on em^ging kom these
sh^ules.
For the first forty miles, the road was, with some inter-
missions, bordered by a line of cultivation ; or, where the
Digitized by
Google
JOURNEY TO LEWISTOir. 171
plough had not absolutely turned up the soil, the axe was
waging war with the trees. To this succeeded a stretch
(oi forest ; relieved at long intervals by the settler's rugged
patch, smoking with burning timber, and encumbered with
blackened logs.
A log road, or causeway, as it is denominated, is very
grievous to the Umbs ; and when it traverses a dense and
swampy forest, is not very cheering to the eyes ; nor al*
ways is the travelling greatly more agreeable when, in
Ueu of the trunks of trees, you are dragged over their roots^
and a soil scooped into holes. Storms had been busy here
also ; immense trees had been torn up from their beds,
. and the road, never in its best days over smooth and de-
licate, cut and channelled into sevenfold ruggedness and
deformity. And yet, had it been a healthier season, these
heavy mUes would not have been altogether without their
interest. There was, indeed, neither rock, nor dale, nor
hill, nor pleasant valley ; nothing but the settler's cabin,
and now and then a growing village, backed by the rag-
ged forest. But had health here dwelt with industry, the
eye might have found beauty even in this monotonous
landscape ; as it was, all seemed sad and cheerless in this
young world ; the stroke of the axe fell mournfully on the
ear, when the hand that Ufted it seemed unnerved by past
or approaching sickness ; the cabin told nothing of the stir
of human Ufe ; one solitary figure was sometimes the only
moving creature within its walls. I shall not soon forget
the aspect of a young family who were scattered over a
little knoll, jutting forward from the forest into the waters
of a creek that came sluggishly winding through the
shades. A group of urchins, some sitting, some stand-
ing, were gathered, possibly to observe our approaching
vehicle ; the gaze of their lustreless eyes, and the hue of
their sallow cheeks, haunted me for many hours afler->
wards.
The settlers' fires have now scared away the wolves
Digitized by
Google
172
JOURNEY TO LEWISTON.
I
#
3
r . *«
s^ud bears, who, not five years since, held undisputed do-
loinion in these unbroken shades; as many more, and the
noxious vapours may be dispersed also: it is possible,
however, that the low tracts in the neighbourhood of the
great northwestern watei-s may never be wholly free from
autumnal sickness. We started twice or thrice in the fo-
rest a solitary deer ; and once put a whole herd in motion.
The wild creatures glanced at us from the covert ; and,
bounding over a little rivulet, were soon lost in the depths
of the forest.
The moon was up ere the dull level which we had so
long traversed, was varied by the appearance of the ridge
which is afterwards torn open by the Niagara. We ran
along its base for some miles, on a smooth and firm road,
which would have relieved our tired limbs, had they not
now been too tired to be relieved by any thing. The
phills of an autumnal night succeeding to a day of sum-
mer heat, had yet farther increased our discomfort when
we entered the frontier village of Lewiston.
Ahghting at a little tavern, we found the only public
apartment sufficiently occupied, and accordingly made
bold to enter a small room ; which, by the cheering blaze
of an oak fire, we discovered to be the kitchen, and, for
the time being, the peculiar residence of the family of the
bouse. An unusual inundation of travellers had thrown
all into confusion. The busy matron, nursing an«infant
with one arm, and cooking with tlie other, seemed work-
ed out of strength, and almost out of temper. A tribe of
young urchins, kept from their rest by the unusual stir,
were lying half asleep ; some on the floor, and some upon a
bed, which filled a third of the apartment. We were suf-
fered to establish ourselves by the fire ; and having relieved
the troubled hostess from her chief encumbrance, she re-
covered good humour, and presently prepared our supper.
While rocking the infant, it was with pleasure that I ob-
served its healthy cheeks, and those of the drowsy imps
»
Digitized by
Google
CATARACT OF NIAGARA. 173
scattered around. It was unnecessary to be told that
we were now on healthy ground. There had, the mo-
ther said, been some fever in the neighbourhood ; but the
cases were few. The season probably will be a trying
one every where.
In the night, when all was stilly I heard the first rum-
bling of the cataract. Wakeful from over fatigue, rather
than from any discomfort in the lodging, I rose more than '
once to listen to a sound which the dullest ears could not
catch for the first time without emotion. Opening the
window, the low, hoarse thunder distinctly broke the si-
lence of the night ; when, at intervals, it swelled more
full and deep, you will beheve, that I held my breath to
listen ; they were solemn moments.
This mighty cataract is no longer one of nature's secret
mysteries ; thousands now make their pilgrimage to it, not
through
" Lakes, fens, hogs, dens, and caves of death/*
but over a broad highway ; none of the smoothest, it is
true, but quite bereft of all difliculty or danger. This in
time may somewhat lessen tlie awe with which this scene
of gi*^ndeur is approached ; and even now we were not
sorry to have opened upon it by a road rather more sa-
vage abd less frequented than that usually chosen.
Next morning we set off in a little wagon, under a glo-
rious sun, and a refireshing breeze. Seven miles of a
pleasant road which ran up the ridge we had observed
the preceding night, brought us to the cataract* In the
way we alighted to look down fix)m a broad platform of
rock, on the edge of the precipice, at a fine bend of the
river. From hence the blue expanse of Ontario bounded a
third of the horizon ; fort Niagara on the American shore ;
fort George on the Canadian, guarding the mouth of the
river, where it opens into the lake ; the banks, rising as they
approached us, finely wooded, and winding, now hiding
Digitized by
Google
174 CATARACT OP NIAGARA.
and now revealing the majestic waters of the channel.
Never shall I forget the moment when, throwing down
my eyes, I first beheld the deep, slow, solemn tide, clear
^ as crystal, and green as the ocean, sweeping through its
1. ; channel of rocks with a sullen dignity of motion and
sound, far beyond all that I had heard, or could ever have
conceived. You saw and felt immediately that it was
\ no river you beheld, but an imprisoned sea ; for such in-
deed are the lakes of these regions. The velocity of the
waters, after the leap, until they issue from the chasm at
Queenston, flowing over a rough and shelving bed, must
actually be great ; but, from their vast depth they move
with an apparent majesty, that seems to temper their ve-
hemence, rolling onwards in heavy volumes, and with a
hollow sound, as if labouring and groaning with their own
weight. I can convey to you no idea of the solemnity of
this moving ocean. Our eyes followed its waves until
they ached with gazing ; and had not our little guide and
wagoner startled us, by hurUng a fragment of rock front
the precipice, I know not when we should have awaken-
; ed from our dream.
A mile farther, we caught a first and partial glimpse of
^ ^ the cataract, on which the opposing sun flashed for a mo-
^< lii " ment, as on a silvery screen that hung suspended in the dky.
n It disappeared again behind the forest, all save the white
^ cloud that rose far up into the air, and marked the spot
^>r \ from whence the thunder came. We now pressed for-
\'J ward with increasing impatience, and after a few miles
reaching a small inn, we left our rude equipage, and has-
tened in the direction that was pointed to us.
Two foot-bridges have latterly been thrown, by daring
and dexterous hands, from island to island, across the
American side of the channel, some hundred feet above
the brink of the fall ; gaining in this maner the great island
v# which divides the cataract into two unequal parts, we
made its circuit at our leisiu*e« From its lower point, we
I.
(•
\
Digitized by
Google
CATARACT OP NIAGARA. 175
obtained partial and imperfect views of the falling river;
Srom the higher, we commanded a fine prospect of the up-
per channel. Nothing here denotes the dreadful commo-
tion so soon about to take place ; the thunder, indeed, is
behind you, and the rapids are rolling and dashing on
either hand ; but before, the vast river comes sweeping
down its broad and smooth waters between banks low
and gentle as those of the Thames. Returning, we again
stood long on the bridges, gazing on the rapids that rolled
above and beneath us ; the waters of the deepest sea-
green, crested with silver, shooting under our feet with the
velocity of lightning, till, reaching the brink, the vast waves
seemed to pause, as if gathering their strength for the tre-
mendous plunge. Formerly it was not unusual for the \^\,
more adventurous traveller to drop down to the island in -^
a well manned and well guided boat." This was done by
keeping between the currents, as they rush on either side
of the island, thus leaving a narrow stream, which flows
gentiy to its point, and has to the eye, contrasted with the
rapidity of the tide, where to right and left the water is
sucked to the Falls, the appearance of a strong back cur-
rent.
It is but an inconsiderable portion of this imprisoned
sea which flows on the American side; but even this
were sufficient to fix the eye in admiration. Descending
the ladder (now easy steps,) and approaching to the foot
of this lesser Fall, we were driven away bhnded, breath-
less, and smarting, the wind being high and blowing right
against us. A young gentleman, who incautiously ven-
tured a few steps farther, was thrown upon his back, and
I bad some apprehension, from the nature of the ground
upon which he fell, was seriously hurt ; he escaped, how-
ever, from the blast, upon hands and knees, with a few
slight bruises. Turning a comer of the rock (where, de-
scending less precipitously, it is wooded to the bottom)
to recover our breath, and wring the water from our hair
1
Digitized by
M
Google
176 CATARACT OF NIAGARA.
and clothes, we saw, on lifting our eyes, a comet of tliC
summit of this graceful division of the cataract hanging
above the projecting mass of trees, as it were in mid air,
like the snowy top of a mountain. Above, the dazzling
white of the shivered water was thrown into contrast with
the deep blue of the unspotted heavens ; below, with the
living green of the summer foliage, fresh and sparkling in
the eternal shower of the rising and falling spray. The
wind, which, for the space of an hour, blew with some fu-
ry, rushing down with the river, flung showers of spray
from the crest of the fall. The sun's rays glancing on
these big drops, and sometimes on feathery streams
thrown fantastically from the main body of the water,
transformed them into silvery stars, or beams of light;
while the graceful rainbow, now arching over our heads,
and now circling in the vapour at our feet, still flew before
us as we moved. The greater division of the cataract
was here concealed from our sight by the dense volumes
of vapour which the wind drove with fury across the im-
mense basin directly towards us; sometimes indeed a
veering gust parted for a moment the thick clouds, and
partially revealed the heavy columns, that seemed more
like flxed pillars of moving emerald than living sheets of
water. Here, seating ourselves at the brink of this trou-
bled ocean, beneath the gaze of the sun, we had the full
advantage of a vapour bath ; the fervid rays drying our
gaiments one moment, and a blast from the basin drench-
ing them the next. The wind at length having somewhat
abated, and the ferryman being willing to attempt the pas-
sage, we here crossed in a little boat to the Canada side.
The nervous arm of a single rower stemmed this heavy
current, just below tlie basin of the Falls, and yet in the
whirl occasioned by them ; the stormy northwest at this
moment chafing the waters yet more. Blinded as we
were by the columns of vapour which were driven upon
us, we lost the panoramic view of the cataract, which, in
Digitized by
Google
CATARACT OF NIAGARA. 177
calmer hours, or with other winds, may be seen in this
passage. The angry waters, and the angry winds toge-
ther, drove us farther down the channel than was quite
agreeable, seeing that a few roods more, and our shallop
must have been whirled into breakers, from which ten
such arms as those of its skilful ccmductor could not have
redeemed it*
' Being landed two-thirds of a mile below the cataract, a
scramble, at first very intricate^ through, and over, and
under huge masses of rock, which occasionally seemed to
deny all passage, and among which our guide often disap-
peared from our wandering eyes, placed us at the foot of
' the ladder by which the traveller descends on the Canada
side. From hence a rough walk along a shelving ledge of
loose stones brought us to the cavern formed by the pro-
jection of the ledge over which the water rolls, and which
is known by the name of the Table Rock.
The gloom of this vast cavern, the whirlwind that ever
plays in it, the deafening roar, the vast abyss of convulsed
waters beneath you, the falUng columns that hang over your
head, all strike, not upon the ears and eyes only, but upon
the heart. For the first few moments, the sublime is
wrought to the terrible. This position, indisputably the
finest, is no longer one of safety. A part of the Table
Rock fell last year, and in that still remaining, the eye
traces an alarming fissure, from the very summit of Uie
projecting ledge over which the water rolls ; so that the
ceiUng of this dark cavern seems rent from the precipice,
and whatever be its hold, it is evidently fast yielding to
*the pressure of the water. You cannot look up to this
crevice, and down upon the enormous masses which late-
ly fell, with a shock mistaken by the neighbouring inhabit-
ants for that of an earthquake, without shrinking at thi$
dreadful possibility which might crush you beneath ruins,
yet more enormous than those which lie at your feet.
The cavern formed by the projection of this rock, ex-
25
Digitized by
Google
178 CATARACT OF NIAGARA.
tends some feet behind the water, and, could you breatlie.
to stand behind the edge of the sheet were perfectly easy.
I have seen those who have told me they have done so :
for myself, when I descended within a few paces of this
dark recess, I was obliged to hurry back some yards to
draw breath. Mine to be sure are not the best of lungs,
but theirs must be little short of miraculous, that can play
in the wind and foam that gush from the hidden depths of
this watery cave. It is probable, hqwever, that the late
fracture of the rock has considerably narrowed this recess;
and thus increased the force of the blast that meets the
intruder.
From this spot, (beneath the Table Rock,) you/eel^
more than from any other, the height of the catai*act, and
the weight of its waters. It seems a tumbling ocean ;
and you yourself what a helpless atom amid these vast
and eternal workings of gigantic nature ! The wind had
now abated, and what was better, we were now under
the lee, and could admire its sport with the vapour, in-
stead of being blinded by it. From the enormous basin
into which the waters precipitate tliemselves in a clear
leap of 140 feet, the clouds of smoke rose in white, vo-
lumes, like the round-headed clouds you have sometimes
seen in the evening horizon of a summer Ay, and then
shot up in pointed pinnacles, like the ice of mountain gla-
^ikres. Caught by the wind, it was now borne down the
channel, then,, je-collecting its strength, the tremulous
vapour again sought the upper air, till, broken and dis-
persed in the blue serene, it spread against it the only sil-
very veil which spotted the pure azure. In the centt« of*
the Fall, where the water is the heaviest, it tak^ the
leap in an unbroken mass of the deepest green, and in
many places reaches the bottom in crystal columns of the
same hue, till they meet the snow-white ibam that heaves
and rolls convubedly in the enormous basin. But for the
deafening roar, the darkness and the stormy whirlwind in
Digitized by
Google
CATARACT OF NIAGARA. 179
which we stood, I could have fimcied these massy vo-
Ivmes the walls of some fairy palace-** living emeralds
chased in silver. Never surely did nature throw toge-
ther so fantastically so much beauty with such terrific
grandeur. Nor let me pass without notice the lovely
rainbow that, at this moment, hung over the opposing di-
vision of the cataract as parted by the island, embracing
the whole breadth in its span. Midway of this silvery
screen of shivered water, stretched a broad bell of bla-
zing gold and crimson, into which the rainbow dropped
its hues, and seemed to have based its arch. Different
from all other scenes of nature that have come under my
observation, the cataract of Niagara is seen to most ad-
vantage under a powerful and opposing sun : the hues
assumed by the vapour are then by far the most varied
and brilliant ; and of the beauty of these hues, I can give
you no idea. The gloom of the cavern (for I speak always
as if under the Table Rock) needs no assistance from
.the shade of evening; and the terrible grandeur of the
whole is not felt the less for bemg distinctly seen. We
now ascended the precipice on the Canada side, and
having taken a long gaze from the Table Rock, sought
dry clothes and refreshment at a neighbouring inn.
We have again visited this wonder of nature in our re-
turn ftom lake Erie ; and have now gazed upon it in all
lights, and at all hours, — under the rising, meridian, and
settmg sun, and under the pale moon when
" Riding in hei; highest noon."
The edge of the Table Rock is not approached without
terror at the latter hour. The fairy hues are now all
gone ; excepting indeed, tlie rainbow, which, the ghost of
what it was, now spans a dark impervious abyss. The
rays of the sweet planet but feebly pierce tlie chill dense
vapour that clogs the atmosphere ; they only kiss, and
roldly kiss, the waters at the brink, and faintly show the
Digitized by
Google
180 CATARACT OF MA6aRA.
Upper Imlf of the columns, now black as ebony, pluDg^lg
into a storm-tossed sea of murky clouds, whose defAh
and boundaries are alike unseen. It is the storm of the
elements in chaos* The shivering mortal stands on the
brink, like the startled fiend
<< On the bare outside of this world,
• « Uncertain which, in ocean or in air.**
<* La buja campagna
** Trem6 si forte, che dello spavento
'< La mente di sodore ancor mi bagna."
Digitized by
Google
181
LETTER XIV.
LAKE ERIE. WATER SCENERT OF AMERICA. — MASSACRE ON
— THE RITER RAISIN. NAYAL ENGAGEMENT ON LAKE
ERIE. MR. BIRKBECK.
Erie, September, 1819.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
It is a pleasant drive from Ontario to Lake Erie along
the banks of the magnificent Niagara. There is some-
thing truly sublime in the water scenery of America ; her
lakes, spreading into inland seas, their vast, deep, and
pcure waters, reflecting back the azure of heavens, un-*
tainted with a cloud ; her rivers, collecting the waters of
hills and plains interminable, rolling their massy volumes
for thousands of miles, now broken into cataracts to which
the noblest cascades of the old hemisphere are (Jiose of
rivulets, and then sweeping down their broad channels to
the far-off ocean the treasures of a world. The lakes and
rivers of this continent seem to despise all foreign auxi-
liaries of nature or art, and trust to their own unassisted
majesty to produce effect upon the eye and the mind ;
without alpine mountains or moss-grown ruins, they strike
the q[)ectator with awe. Extent, weight, depth — it is
by tl^se intrinsic qualities that they affect him; their
character is one of simple grandeur; you stand upon their
brink, or traverse their bosom, or gaze upon their roIUng
rapids and tumbling cataracts, and acknowledge at once
their power and immensity, and your own insignificancf*
Digitized by
Google
] 82 WATER SCENERY OF ABIERICA.
and imbecility. Occasionally you meet with excq)tions
to this rule. I recall at this moment the beautiful shores
of the Passaic; its graceful cascades, its walls of rock,
shelving into a glassy peaceful flood, its wooded hills, and
rich and varied landscapes, all spread beneath a sky of
glowing sapphires; a scene for Claude to gaze upon.
These northwestern waters, however, have nothing of
this character ; you find them bedded in vast level plains,
bordered only by sable forests, from which the stroke of
the axe has but just startled the panther and the savage*
The Niagara and northwestern frontier still exhibit
some faint traces of the war; the villages and towns have
indeed sprung up Uke the Phenix from her ashes ; yet it
is to be wished, for the sake of humanity, that their vigour
and elasticity had not been so proved.
The burning of Newark, on the part of the Americans,
was the act of an individual, disclaimed instantly on the
part of the government, and r^robated by the American
public. The governor of Canada expressed himself sa-
tisfied with the explanation given, and it had been well
if the system of warfare had been then changed.
It might have, been conjectured that, in the burning of
Newark, some blind vengeance was intended for the
massacre at Frenchtown,.had it not appeared that it ori-
r^nsied in a mistake of orders, and had it not been so
lionourably disclaimed by the government. General
M*Clure was dismissed instantly from the service, and
t)overed with opprobrium by his fellow citizens, who re-
fused to admit a mistake of orders as an apology for an
act of inhumanity.
The honour of a government may often be committed
by officers acting under its name, yet contrary to its wishes
and instructions. Inquiry and condemnation may then
avert disgrace ; but if, in lieu of these, favour and reward
be accorded to the offenders, their employers are justly
chargeable with all their crimes. These observations natu-
Digitized by
Google
THE RIV£a RAISIN. 183
rally occur to the traveller as he approaches the north-
western frontier.
We must turn our eyes from the river Raisin. Would
to Heaven that we could find, not an excuse, for that
were impossible, but some palliation of the horrors perpe-
trated on this spot ! It were well to commit the tale to
oblivion, were it not for the warning that breathes from
it, and which must never be forgotten by the British peo-
ple. Many of their most generous state^noen had repro-
bated the practice of associating the Indian tribes with
the British soldiers. If there be yet in England an apolo-
gist for a military league between savage hordes and
civilised nations, let him visit the shores of this river ; the
blood that here cries up from the earth, not of soldiers
slain in battle, but of wounded prisoners surrendered upon,
terms, and trusting in 'British faith, will convince him,
though he should have heard unmoved the thimders of a-
Chatham.
A small detachment, composed of the choicest sons of
Kentucky, many of them allied to the most distinguished
families in the state, had advanced to the little village of
Frenchtown, situated between the rapids and Detroit, on
the strait which pours the waters of the great northwest-
ern lakes into Erie. The object to be eflfected was to
guard the inhabitants from an advanced party of the
enemy, peculiarly dreaded because half composed of
Indians •, the attempt was one of difficulty and hazard*
This little band of volunteers however, with infinite brave-
ry, had dislodged and driven back the enemy ; and be-
ing joined by General Winchester, fi*om whose main body
they had been detached, threw up a rude breastwoi^
and entrenched, seven hundred and fifty strong, against
fifteen hundred or upwards, headed by Colonel Proctor
and two Indian warriors. After some fiirious sallies, in
which General Winchester was made prisoner, the Ame-
ricans were exhorted to surrender. They had lost nearly
Digitized by
Google
184 MASS ACHE ON
a third <rf their little number, when the flag of truce, which
had been twice returned, was received with a message
from Colonel Proctor, that, unless they immediately sur-
rendered, they and the village must be delivered to the
fiiry of the savages. They at length capitulated upon
honourable terms, securing the safety of the village, the
care of the wounded, the burying of the dead, and the pro-
tection of the prisoners. How were these engagements
iulfilled ? — The British commander marched off his
troops, -gave his prisoners in charge to the savages, and
left them, with the wounded and tlie dying, to be toma-
hawked and roasted at the stake.* Did not the thunders of
the English government strike this English officer? Was he
thanked at home as he was in Montreal for his bravery and
lumamty ? I trust that the English government was not
* I do not repeat all the atrocities of the sceoe to which I have alluded in
'the tezt| as they would be too sbockiDg^ to the feelings both of the reader
and the writer ; but there is one circumstance which I will not omit. The
American General Winchester, who Jiiad been taken prisoner in the sally,
was made the betrayer of his own men. Being told by Colonel, now I be-
lieve General Proctor, that instant surrender could alone secure them from
being given up to the savages, and the village to the flames, he was induced
t« send himself a flag of truce, urging them to accede to the terms proposed.
Who shaU paint the feelings of that officer when he found himself rendered
an accomplice iu the complicated treachery and cruehy ! There were some
British officers who, on this occasion, felt and acted as they ought in the cause
of humanity and the honour of th^ir country ; Major M uir, Captains Curtis
and Aikens, the Rev. Mr. Parrow, and Dr. Bowen, though they may not have
received any mark of public approbation from their government, are se<pure
of the esteem of the English as they possess that of the American people.
The virtuous Mcintosh will ever live in the remembrance of the latter \ this
gentleman spared no exertions to redeem the lives of the unfortunate and de-
serted captives ; he tracked the Indians for miles through the forests ; and
purchased, at a high price, such of the naked and fainting Americans as the ,
savages, weary of slaughter, had spared, to inflict on them more lingering
When this gentleman some time afterwards visited the United States, his
benevolence was amply repaid ; his entrance into Baltimore and New-Or-
leans had the appearance of a triumph : the whole population crowded to
game upon him, send every honour was rendered to him that enthusiasm could
devise.
Digitized by
Google
THE RIVER RAISIN. ^ I8d
fidund SO caDous to the honour of a nation that has evei*
laid claim to the character of generosity, as to let pasd
without investigation the horrors of that day, still less to
reward with promotion the officer under whose eye they
were perpetrated !* However this may be, they did not
altogether pass without punishment. The fate of war, at
the opening of the next campaign, threw into the bands
of the friends and relatives of these unfortunate men, the
very enemies who had betrayed them. With a rdine-
ment of cruelty that must have tortured the inmost soub
of their prisoners, they forbore even to upbraid them by a
look, and lodged them in their towns and private dwell->
ings with the minutest and most fastidious^ attention to
their convenience.t Lord Castlereagh, you may remem-
ber, in answer to some remarks made in the House .of
Commons upon the humanity of the Americans to their
prisoners, ascribed it io fear. It would be little surpri-^
sing, if that Irish nobleman felt himself interested in con-
founding the words courage and cruelty. The English
people, however, are not accustomed to account them
synpn3naQous ; and should it be decreed that they and the
Anglo-Americans, 90 formed by nature to be friends and
brothers, are ever again to meet as enemies, may their
voice be loudly heard, and may it prevent the Indian toma-
hawk from being farther associated with the British swords
In Europe, Uttle is known of the horrors of Indian war-
* A large portion of the Canadmo community retrieved the honour of the
colonial character, and expressed their amazement and indignation at the
thanks bestowed by their governor, and the rewards conferred by the home
authoritiesi upon the o£Bcer who had thus dared to disgrace his profession
and his nation.
t Among those who expired at Frenchtown, were gentlemen and senators
of Kentucky) inembers of congress, &c, for of such citizens were the volun-
teers of the western army composed. One individual was a near relative of
the celebrated orator and statesman Mr. Clay, and almost all were allied to
the most distmguisbed families in his state, or in that of Ohio. The whole po-
pulation of Kentucky went into mourning, and their weeds were scarcely
thrown asi^^^, when they received their captive enemies into their faoMes.
26
Digitized by
Google
186 NAVAL ENGAGEMENT
five. To hunt down a pec^le with blood-hounds would
be nothing to it. His war-whoop is the yell of fiends ; age,
sex, infirmity— the savage knows no distinction ; nor is
it death alone, but death, aggravated by tortures and in-
fenial horrors, that madden the wretched victim before
despatching him. The only excuse ever forged for Ck)L
Proctor, was that he had it not in his power to interfere }
that to have checked the ferocity of his savage allies, had
been to risk the loss of their friendship and future co-ope-
ration^ Such an argument, without screening hiffh well
exposes the atrocity of employing, in civilized warfere,
such coacyutors. Were it possible to enumerate the
number of helpless individuals, of women and infants, who
have expired in tortures under the hands of savages in
league with Eur(^)ean governments, it is not impossible but
that their empt(>yers might shudder* Let us hope that
the last of these outrages has been committed, and that
America, henceforward, is to find in her EngUsh brethren
warm-hearted friends, or high-minded foes.
I turn with pleasure from the dreadful recollections
awakened by the name of Frenchtown. The brosul in-
land sea, now spread before me, recalls an action of a
very deferent character. The naval battle fought upon
these fine waters, was equally honourable to the combat-
ants of either nation. It was the generous fighting the
generous. The praise accorded by the En^sh officer to
the heroism of his adversary, had as much of greatness
ink, as had his adversary's victory. War, when thus
c(»iducted, is stripped of half its horrors ; nay, it has in it
something noble when we find it calling forth the greatest
energies with the best feelings of our nature.
Those who estimate the import^mce of a naval combat
by the size of the ships. engaged, may pass over with lit-
tle interest that of lake Erie. And yet the fleet that here
met in deq)erate rencounter, must be accounted of con-
siderable force and size, when we remember that it floated
Digitized by
Google
' ON LAKE BRIE. 187
upon afresh watersea. The slups on lake Ontario were
equal, and latterly superior, in sise to the proodest frigates
that ever floated on the Atlantic. The bed of those
magnificent waters, deepening gradually to thS centre,
like the crater of some exhausted volcano, admits of the
freest navigation ; that of lake Erie, on tfie contrary, is
broken by shallows, presenting an inlncate chart, even
to the fine steamboat which now navigates these wa-
ters.
Nine vessels, mounting together fifty^^four guns, were
here opposed by the Americans to six larger vessels,
mounting in all sixty-three guns. You are possibly not
acquainted with the circumstance which decided the en*
gagement.
Commodore Perry (then Captain) having contended
for two hours with two vessels of equaf forc6, and the
wind preventing any of his squadron from making lo his
assistance, he determined to abandcm the vessel which he .
could no longer manage. Rolling her flag round his arm,
he sprang into her boat, and thus, standing upright, and
waving his sword triumphantly, while the balls rattled in
showers round his head, passed through the midst of the
enemy. The English commander is said to have uttered
* a shout of admiration as his young and proud adversary
passed unhurt through his fire. Having gained the
largest vessel of his Httle fleet, he bore down again npcm
the enemy, and cutting through their Une, for some mi*
nutes engaged four of their flotilla alone and simultane-
ously. The wind gradually enabling the rest of the squad-
ron to support their commander, the struggle was decided ;
when, to this desperate contest, succeeded those kind and
generous greetings which the brave know how to ex-
change with the brave. The noble-minded Captain
Barclay, a veteran sailor, who had lost an arm in the bat-
tle of Trafalgar, took pride in declaring publicly, '' that
the conduct of Commodore Perry towards himself, the
/Google
Digitized by '
1
188 THE BORDER WAR.
other cscpdve ofiicers and men, had been alone sufficient
to have nnmortalized him.'' I dwell on this spleiidid en^
gagement with pleasure. It tended not to widen, but to
heal the breach between two nations who should never
be at war, or if at war, should contend -for mastery, not
by the mere exertion of brute force, but by the display of
all those more generous virtues which, as they can alone
immortalize conquest, so ccm they also impart honour to
defeat.*
In recalling the events of the border war between Ca-
nada and the United States, there is one singular fsict
which forces itself on the mind, and which is fraught with
an important lesson. When on the offensive, the Ame-
ricans were usually defeated ; when on the defensive, as
usually successful. Herein lies the virtue of militia as
opposed to regular troops ; and it is this too which gives
80 peculiar an interest to both the wars in which the young
America has been engaged. I know that in England,
generally speaking, little attention was paid to the events
of a contest which, to her, was a sort of by-play, while
occupied in a deeper game, upon which she had staked
her all. It is probable indeed, that one half of Uie nation
scarce remembered that they were at war with their'
young rivals in the new world, until they found their ships,*
one by one, swept from the seas by a people they had
scarce deigned to consider as holding the place of an in-
dependent nation. They then looked round and grew
angry. This, if not very wise, was perhaps very natural ;
* Commodore Perrj, who fippears to have united every quality that goes
to the forming of a hero — bravery, magnanimity) ardent patriotisroi disin-
terested generosity, unassuming modesty and gentleness, died at Angostura
of the yellow fever about the period of the date of this letter. He had sailed
on a mission from his government to that of the Patriots. When the tidmgs
of his premature death reached Washington, the members of the two houses
of Congress went into mourning ; an honour that is tiever paid, but to the
iriost respected and distinguished sons of the republic. A provision also was
voted to bm wido^ and Uis children taken under the national guardianship.
Digitized by
Google
INLAND NAVIGATION. 189
and those who mortified the pride of the most powerfbl
of the then existing European empires, may well excuse
if they excited her indignation, .f ut it is time that this
jealousy should subside. The more thinking and the
more generous will now consider, with much interest, the
little history of that struggle which established Americans
independence, fixed and elevated her national character,
and gave her an opportunity of displaying those energies
and virtues which liberty had secretly nourished in the
breasts of her people. She m^y justly be proud of the
late contest ; it did honour to her head and her heart ;
she fought a second time for independence and existence,
and, as all must do who fight for these, she conquered.
Settlements are fast springing up on the forested shores
of lake Erie. The situation is wonderfully advantageous
to. the farmer. I have already spoken of the canal, so
far in progress, which is about to open a free water-car-
riage from these waters, to the Eastern Atlantic. Ano-
ther, of only a few miles extent, is in contemplation,
which, by connecting them with the Alleghany, one of the
main sources of the Ohio, will perfect the line of communi-
cation with the gulf of Mexico, an extent of 3,400 miles.
Jt is impossible to consider without admiration the inland
navigation of this magnificent country. From this fine
basin, north and west, you open into lakes and rivers
which, not many years hence, will pour into it the pro-
duce of human labour fix>m states now in embryo ; to
the northeast, these accumulated waters seek their way
to the Atlantic, through the broad channel of the St%
Lawrence ; to the southeast, they are about to commu-
nicate with the same ocean by the magnificent Hudson ;
to the south and west, stretch the vast waters of the Mis-
sissippi with his million of tributaries. There is some-
thing unspeakably sublime in 4he vast extent of earthly
domain that here opens to the mind's eye ; and truly sid)-
lime is its contemplation, when we consider the life and
4
*
Digitized by CjOOQIC
190 THE INDIAN.
enei^ with which it is iast teeming. 'An industrioiK and
enlightened people, laying in the wilderness the founda-
tions of commonwealtl; after commonwealth, based on
justice and the immutable rights of man ! What heart so
cold as to contemplate this unmoved !
The other morning, wandering from the little village
which afforded us lodging, I had gained, by a swampy
thicket, the beach of the lake. Admiring the first blaze
of the sun, which flashed over the waters, and tinged the
crest of the waves that rippled its azure surface, and broke
on the pebbled beach, fresh and sounding as those of the
ocean, I came suddenly upon a solitary figure, seated on
a little rock that lay at the edge of the water; — it was
an Indian : his tomahawk rested upon his shoulder ; his
moccasins ornamented with the stained quills of tlie por-
cupine, and his hat grotesquely and tawdrily decked with
feathers and strips of tin : the countenance had much in
it of dignity and savage grandeur : the cheek-bones were
not so high, nor the face so flat as is usual with the Indian
phy^ognomy ; not that it was handsome ; wind and wea-
ther-beaten, its copper hue, deepened by the gaze of some
forty suns, a scar under the left eye, its character might
rather have been denominated hideous. He suffered my
gaze, as is usual vnth his race, without turning his head.
I know not whether he was musing upon the fallen
strength of his tribe, and on the days when his fathers
pursued their game through imbroken forests and desert
prairies, where now are smiling hamlets and waving flelds
of grain ; I could at the moment have mused on these for
liim ; and sighed that even this conquest of the peaceful
over the savage arts, should have been made at the ex-
pense of his wild race. But, in fact, how singular, and,
for the well-being of man, how glorious the change, which
has turned these vast haunts of panthers, wolves, and sa-
vages, into the abode of industry, and the sure asylum of
the oppressed. What aiioble edifice has here been raised
♦
, Google i
^
Digitized by ^
^itR. BIRKBECK. / 191
for hunted Liberty to dwell in securely ! It is impossible •
to tread the soil of America, and not bless it ; impossible
to consider her growing wealth and strength without re-
joicing.
We felt no small desire to strike south from Erie to
Pittsburgh, and view with our own eyes the growing
wonders of the western territory ; bat our plans having
been previously arranged for the descent of the St. Law-
reace, we retrace our course to Ontario.
You have expressed, in your late letters, some curiosity
regarding the condition of Mr. Birkbeck^s settlement in
the Illinois; adding that .the report has prevailed, that
those spirited emigrants had bedh ^at first too sanguine,
and had too Uttle foreseen the difficulties which the most
fortunate settler must encounter*. This report, I believe,
to have originated with Mr.£!obbet, who thought proper
to pronounce upon the condition of the farmer in the Illi-
nois in his own dwelhng upon Long-Island. Feeling an
interest in the success of our countrymen in the west, I
have been at some pains to inform myself as to their ac-
tual condition. The following statement is chiefly taken
&oak the letters of two American gentlemen of our ac-
quaintance who have just visited the settlement : they
inform me, that its situation possesses all those positive
advantages stated by Mr. Birkbeck ; that the worst diffi-
culties have been surmounted, and that these liave always
been fewer than what are frequently encountered in a
new country.
The village of Albion, the centre of the settlement, con-
tains at present thirty habitations, in which are found a
bricklayer, a carpenter, a wheelright, a cooper, and a
blacksmith ; a well supplied shop, a little library, an inn,
a chapel, and a post office,, where the mail jegularly ar- ^
rives twice a week. Being situated on a ridge, between
the greater and little Wabash, it is, from its elevated po-
sition, and from its being some miles removed from the
Digitized by
Google
192 REMARKS ON THE
rivers, peculiarly dry and healthy. The prairie in which
it stands, is described* as exquisitely beautiful ; lawns of
unchanging verdure, spreading over hills and dales, scat-
tered with islands of luxuriant trees, dropped by the hand
of nature with a taste that art could not rival — all this
spread beneath a sky of glowing and unspotted sapphires.
" The naost beautiful parks of England," my friend ob-
serves, "would afford a most imperfect comparison."
The soil is abundantly fruitful, and, of course, has an
advantage over the heavy-timbered l^jsds, which can
scarcely be cleared for less than from twelve to fifteen
dollars per acre ; while the IlUnois farmer may in general
clear his for less than .five, and then enter upon a much
more convenient mode of tillage. The objection that is
too frequently found to the beautiful prairies of the Illinois,
is the deficiency of springy and streams for mill-seats.
This is attended with inconvenience to the settler, though
his health will find in it advantage. The nearest naviga-
ble river to Albion is the Wabash, eight miles distant ;
tlie nearest running stream, that is not liable to fail at
midsummer, the Bonpaw, four miles distant. The stock
water in ponds for cattle, our correspondent judged, was
liable to run dry in a few weeks ; and the settlement ap-
prehended some temporary inconvenience from the cfar-
cumstance. The finest water is every where to be raised
from twenty to twenty-five or thirty feet from the suiface ;
these wells never fail, but are of course troublesome to
work in a new settlement.*
The settlement of Albion must undoubtedly possess
some peculiar attractions for an English emigrant, pro-
* The same objection^ " the want of fountains and running streams," is
stated by Mr. Brackenridge as existing in the prairies of the Missouri ; and|
I have been informed, is generaUy applicable to all the prairie lands of the
western territory, when removed from the immediate neighbourhood of the
great water. Mr. Brackenrtdge states the depth of the wells in the Missouri
at the same ii^te as that stated above for those of the Illinois.
Digitized by
Google
EUROPEAN EMIGRANTS. 193
Hnsing him, as it does, the society of his own countrymen;
an actual or ideal advantage to which he is seldom insen-
sible. Generally speaking, however, it may ultimately
be as well for him as for the community to which he at*
taches himself, that he should become speedily incorpo-
rated with the people of the soiL It is not every man
who is pfted with the vigorous intellect and liberal senti-
ments of Mr. Birkbeck ; many emigrants bring with
them prejudices and predilections which can only be rub-
bed away by a free interpourse with the natives of the
country. By sitting down at once among them, they will
more readily acquire an accurate knowledge of their po-
litical institutions, and learn to estimate the high privileges
which these impart to them ; and thus, attaching them-
selves to their adopted country, not from mere sordid mo-
tives of interest, but also from feeling and principle, be-
come, not only naturalized^ but nationalized. I have met
with but tcx) many in this country who have not advanced
beyond the former. I must observe also, that the Euro-
pean farmer and mechanic are usually far behind the
American in general and practical knowledge, as well as
enterprise. You find in the working farmer of these
states, a store of information, a dexterity in all the ma-
nual arts, and often a high tone of national feeling, to
which you will hardly find a parallel among the same
class elsewhere. His advice and (assistance, always free-
ly ^ven to those who seek it, will be found of infinite ser-
vice to a stranger ; it will often save him from many rash
speculations, at the same time that it will dispose him to
see things in their true. light, and to open his eyes and
heart to a)l the substantial advantages that surround him.
It is amusing to observe the self-importance with which
the European emigrant often arrives in these states. The
Frenchman imagines, that he is to new-model the civic
miUtia, or, at the least, the whole war department in die
city of Washington *, the Englishman, that he is to effect
^7
Digitized by
Google
194 REMARKS ON THE
a revolution in agriculture by introducing the cultivation
of the turnip and the planting of hedge rows ; tiie Scotch-
man, that he is to double the national produce by turning
out the women to work in the fields ; and even the poor
German conceives, that he is to give new sinews to the
slate, heighten the flavour of the Kentucky tobacco, and
expand the souls of the citizens who smoke it,*
France and Ireland, the former frpm her political revo-
lutions, and tlie latter from her misfortunes, have sent,
among the crowd of poorer emigrants, many accomplish-
ed and liberal-minded gentlemen, who have assumed a
high place in this community ; but, till very lately. Fede-
ral America has seen few of our countrymen except the
vulgar and tlie illitemte. The exceptions to this rule,
however, are now multiplying yearly; this will conse-
quently make this nation better known, and therefore
more esteemed in our island. A friend to tlie lattet can
perhaps hardly rejoice in this ; to see England drained of
lier best citizens may justly excite the grief of her patriots,
and the jealousy of her rulers ; and yet what would the
latter have ; should these Hampdens stay, it might be to
*' push" them " from their stools," as their fathers did their
* llie German selT-iniportancc has lately been most amusingly set forth in •
the work of a M. Von Forstenw&rther, entitled, The German in JSmeriea.
His obserrations, written after three months* residence in the Unit^ Stales^
with scarcely a smattering of the English language^ are truly entertaining. 1
cannot forbear quoting a sentence. " If the Americans'are JustVir proud of
their civil freedom, and of their fre^om in thinking, printing and speakingt
and in the social life, they still know not that higher freedom of the soul
which is to be found only in Europe ', — -and, I say it boldly, motl abundanily
in Gtrmany." I am indebted for all the acquaintance that I possess with
this curious production to a paper in the North American Review. This
work, conducted by Professor Everett, of the University of Cambridge, Bos-
ton, may be read with almost equal interest in either hemisphere. I pretend
not to be able to appreciate all its merits ; but those who are not qualified to
do justice to its profound learning, must still admire its just and candid criti-
cism, delivered with gentlemanly forbeannce ; its elegant diction, liberal
views, and sound philosophy.
Digitized by
Google
EUROPEAN EMIGRANTS. 195
predecessors : they depart, and the mighty are left to sit
in state until their ''stools^' shall break down beneath
them* It is idje for travellers to deface this Hesperia ;
they oMiy deceive the many ignorant, and a few wise, but
what then ? Are the poor made richer, and the dissatis-
fied more content. The former complains that he sows
and reaps for others ; that the clergy, the state, and the
parish, carry off the produce, and leave him the gleanings.
" It is not thus," he observes, " in America." He is an-
swered that, in America, " he will not meet with even an
approach to simplicity and honesty of mind p^ that " a non-
intercourse act seems to ham parsed against the sciencesy
moralsj and literature f^ that " in Philadelphia the colour
of the young females is produced by art ;" and that " every
man in the United States thinks himself arrived at perfec-
tion.^^^ Now were all this nonsense true, what answer
were it to the observation of the farmer ? He objects to
tithes, taxes, and poor rates ; and he is told of sciences and
morals, and paint upon ladies' faces. I laugh, but truly
there is more cause to sigh. Are the Elnglish yeomen
kept to their sacred hearths only by such gossiping as
this ? Must they be frightened to stay at home with
scarecrows that a child might laugh at ? Truly the peo-
^ple who are thus cozened, are more insulted than the peo-
^ple who are thus Ubelled. Could the graves yield up their
dead, bow would the sturdy patriots of England's better
days look upon these things ?
* See Fearon's Sketches of America.
* Digitized by
Google
196
LETTER XV.
UPPER CANADA. MK. GOXJRLAY. POOR EMIGRAKTS. —
DESCENT OF THE ST. LAWRENCE* MONTREAL AND
LOWER CANADA.
' Montreal, September, 1819.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
I SHALL send you a few details vespectiDg our route along
the Canada frontier; both because I find little leisure
for making notes, and because I can impart little that is
new.
was surprised to find much discontent prevailing
among the poorer settlers in Upper Canada : I could not
always understand the grounds of their complaint, but
they seemed to consider Mr. Gourlay as having well ex-
plained them. Mr. Grourlay, you would see, was prose-
cuted, and his pamphlets declared libels : not having read^
them, I cannot pronounce upon either their merits or de-
merits ; but they certainly appear to have spoken the sen-
tim^its of the poorer settlers, whose cause he had abetted
against the more powerful land-holders, land-surveyors,
and government «agents. One ground of complaint, if
just, should certainly be attended to, and mi^t, one would
think, without much difficulty, — that the emigrants are
often sent so far into the interior, and at so great a dis-
tance one fipom another, as to be exposed to insurmounta-
1l>le difficulties and labour. The case of one poor but
intelligent settler, as stated to me by himself, moved in no
«mall degree my compassion^
Digitized by
Google
UPPER CANADA. 197
The suflferii^ fiom which these poor creatures fly — \
I will take for instimce the starving paupers of Iretand)
who throng here without a fiirthing in their hands, and
scarce a rag upon their backs, — the sufferings of these
poor creatures, humanity might hope were ended when
thrown upon these shores; but too often they are in-
creased tenfold : First come the horrors of the voyage ;
ill*fed, ill-clothed, and not unfrequently crowded together
as if on board a prison-ship, it is not uncommon for a
fourth, and even a third of the live cargo to be swept oflF
by disease during this mid-passage. I have sometimes
thought, if theso(i||j|S' for the suppression of vice would
employ some part^Vneir funds in fitting out these poor
creatures in clean and well regulated ships, under the
charge of honest and humane captains, and in furnishing
them with the means of subsistence in these distant co-
lonies, until they can be settled upon the lands, — I have
thoQ^t that they would render more substantial service
to their fellow creatures, than the best they may have
rendered at present. You vnii conceive the sufferings of
a troop of half^cbd paupers, turned adrift in this Siberia,
as it often happens, at the dose of autumn ; the delays,
perhaps unavoidable, which occur after their landing, be-
fore they are sent to their station in the howling wilder-
ness, kill some, and break the spirit of others. Many
are humanely sheltered by Canadian proprietors, not a
few find their way to the United States, and are thrown
upon the charity of the city of New- York. After fear-
ful hardships, some rear at last their cabin of logs in the
savage forest ; polar winds and snows, dreary solitudes,
agues, and all the train of evils and privations which
must be found in a Canadian desert, — surely it needs
not the art of man to increase the settler's troubles.
It is curious to see how patient men are of physical
sufferings when endured voluntarily, and when they have
it not in their power to charge them upon their rulers.
Qjgitized by
Google
19S UPFER CANADA.
On the southed shores of lake Ontario, heaven knows,
we found sicknesRs sufficient to have broken down the
stoutest spirits ; and yet there we nev^ heard a com-
plaint. On its northern shores, we found 4i8content every
where \ perhaps it was often unjust ; but it is in human
nature to clmrge our calamities upon others whenev^ a
pretext is afforded us* The only sure way to keep the
peace, therefore, is to remove all pretext. 'Hiis b^ng
done in the United States, a man shivers in the ague,
swallows his remedies, recovers or dies, without havmg
quarrelled with any one, save perhaps with his apothe-
jc^. '^^ ^
How strangely do statesm^i enl|Ry money ! Hun-
dreds of thousands lodged in frigates larger than ever
fought at Trafelgar, — in naval and mihtaiy stores, bat-
teries, martello towers. — Where ? Upon the shores of
the Canadian Siberia. To do what ? To protect wolves
and bears from a more speedy dislodgement from frozen
deserts, which would little repay the trouble of invading ;
and some few thousands of a people, scattered along an
endless line of forest, from the infecticm of republican prin-
ciples. What a magnificent idea does this convey o( the
wealth of that country which could thus ship treasures
across the Atlantic to be flung into the wilderness ! How
flourishing must be her condition ! how full, to overflowing,
her confers ! Surely her peq>le must be princes ; h^ mer-
chants, kings ; and her kings, the Incas of Peru !* But
whereto tends all this ? Will it answer the purpose, with-
out asking whether the purpose be worth answering?
" An army of opinions can pierce whei-e an army rf sol-
* LieuteoBDi Hall states the disbunementi At Kingston during the war at
•< £1000 per diem ;" the expense of the frigate St. Lawrence at £800,000.
I was iofbrmed by a gentleman long retidem in Canada, that the ships of
war sent from England in frame to be employed on Lake Ontario, were al
supplied with tlUU, " Do the people of London take this lake for a strip of
the ocean," exclaimed the Canadianp, " that they «)cnd ns a marhine t<>
fkedien its waiars ?*'
Digitized by
Google
UPP£R CANADA. 199
lUers cannot.^' A people learn to grumUe, and then
what becomes of troops, frigates, batteries, and martello
towers ? The petty squabbles which agitate a colony,
are like those which split the ears in a country town.
Let those who listen, understand ; there are those, how-
ever^ whose business it is to listen ; and such might pos-
sibly find the prevention of abuses a surer, as well as a
cheaper, way of securing their authority, than the erec-
tion and maintenance of garrisons and all the et ceteras
attached to them* If the Canadas are not the most ex-
pensive of the British colonies, are they not the most un-
less ? One would tkirik so to look at them. ^^
Two immense steamboats, firom four to five hundred
tons' burden, now navigate Ontario, in lieu of the mighty
ships of war, that sleep peacefully in their harbours on
either shore. The American has every possible con-
venience, as is common with all these floating hotels,
found on the waters dT the United States ; the Canadian
(probably from having been established for the transporta-
tion of soldiejTS, stores and goods of various kinds, rather
than for the service of passej^ers) is dirty and ill attend-
ed. There is now also a fine steamboat, of a smaller size,
plying between Kingston and Prescott, a flomidmig vil-
lage in the neighbourhood of the rapids ; and another will
soon be launched upon the Lake St. Francis, when the
navigation of the river will be yet fieurther &cilitated« ^
We preferred to take our way with more leisure and
less convenience tlian would have been afforded by a
steamboat passage ; a curiosity, perhaps, ill repaid at the
expense of much fatigue, and, for myself, with a slight fe-
ver, that, however, did pot prove the maladi^ du pays.
We found the mtermitting or lake fever, as it is styled in
the country, prevailing very generally, especially along
the shores of the St. Lawrence. I cannot advise a travel-
ler to choose the autumn for the descent of this river.
The wintry chills and heavy fogs of the night, succeeding
Digitized by
Google
200 CANADA.
to the scorching heats of the day, and this in an open bat-
teau, are what few constitutions can undergo with impu-
nity. The varieties of climate endured in the space of
twenty-four hours on these northern waters, and in the un-
cleared districts in their neighbourhood, during this sea*-
s6n, surpass all you can have an idea of, and are what]^
certainly should not choose to experience a second time,
^^tt Kingston we took to the water in a well manned
^batteau, which brought us in four days and the better
part of three nights, {(or we were seldom tempted by the
nature of our accommodations to rest more than a few
hours,) to La Chine, seyen miles above Montreal.
There is something impressive in the savage monotony
of the Canadian frontier. The vast river, the black ce-
dars which line its shores, and crown its rocky islands ;
the settler's cabin peering out of the shades, and here and
there a little village, and a line of cultivation breaking
upon the desert ; add to this the profound silence, broken
only by the discordant voices of your Canadian boatmen,
as they hail some distant solitary canoe, or rise and fall in
harsh cadence to the paddle and the oar. There is little
in such scenery to talk or write about ; yet it has its effect
on the mind. Salvator might sometimes find a subject,
when the night closes upon these black solitudes, and the
Canadian boatman kindles his fire on the bare granite,
while, below, the waters sleep in sullen calm, and above,
the dark boughs of a scathed cedar flicker with the flame.
The rapids present a singular scene, especially vdieii
you are in the midst of them. The breakers dashing
to right and left, the big green billows crested with foam
tossing your bark at their mercy, and driving it onwards
with the speed of light. You here find tlie Niagara in at!
tns grandeur.
It is a beautiful little drive from La Chine to Montreal,
though you make it not in the most elegant, but that wercr
a small matter, were it a more secure vehicle : the tack-
Digitized by
Google
CANADA. 201
ling (for it could not be called harness) of our steed gave
way once, and a fellow traveller absolutely came to the
giDund twice, ^^ mads ce n^est pas toigours ainsi,^'^ as our
charioteer assured us. But though it should be always
the same, the traveller's neck is but little endangered ; for
though the tottering caleche is mounted sufficiently high^
the Canadian steed moves sufficiently slow, so that if you
fall far, you will fall gently.
It is a pleasant relief to the eye, tired with the cohtem^
plation of dreary forests, and wide watery wastes, when
the fair seigniory of Montreal suddenly opens before you4
Rich and undulating lands sprinkled with villas, and
bounded on one hand by wooded heights, and on the other
by the grey city ; its tin roofs and spires then blazing in
the setting sun : the vast river, chafed by hidden rocks
into sounding and foaming rapids, and anon spreading his
waters into a broad sheet of molten gold, speckled with
islands, batteaux and shipping : the distant shore, with its
dark line of forest, broken by Uttle villages, penciled on
the gloi?iing sky, and far off, two solitary mountains, rai-
sing their blue lieads in the vermil glories of the horizon,
like sapphires chased in rubies. Along the road, French
foces, with all the harshness of feature and good humour
of expression, peculiar to the national physiognomy, look'
ed and gossiped irom door and window, orchard and
meadow ; a passing salutation easily winning a smile and
coiurteous obeisance. We were for some miles escorted
on our way by the good-humoured and loquacious pilot,
whose songs had for so many days measured time to the
stroke of his paddle. I yet hear his reiterated parting
benedictions, and see the wikl grimaces with which they
were accompanied.
The population of Lower is strangely contrasted with
that of Upper Canada ; nor do they appear to know much
ccmceming each other. In one thing oply are they said
to be agreed, — in a thorough detestation of their repub-
28
Digitized by
Google
202 CANADA.
Kcan neighbours. In Upper Canada, however, so Ceut as
my observations went, I did not find that this hostile fee\*
ing was much shared by the poorer settlers. In ^tber
colony where the hostility exists, it is very easily account-
ed for : in one, by the jealousy of the pow^ and wealth
of the republic ; and in tlie other by the influence of the
priests.
In ignorance and infatuated superstition, the Canadian
remains in statu quo^ as when lie first migrated fix>m his
native France. Guarded from the earthquake by British
protection, the shock of the revolution was in no degree,
however small, felt here ^ the priest continues to hood*
wink and fleece the people, and the people to pamper and
worship the priest, just as in the good old times. You
may learn some curious particulars here concerning the
policy of the London cabinet, as connected with that of
Rome. Among other things, a request has lately be^i
preferred to the Pope, that he will raise the bishopric of
Quebec into an arch-bishopric ; and the prelate of this
Canadian diocess is now about to embark for Italy, to re-
ceive from the hands of his Holiness this addition to liis
honours. The people, mean while, are e^diorted to re-
member, in their prayers, the pious prince who, though
ruling in a land of heretics, bears thus in remembrance
the servants c^ the most High. The Priests have in their
hands some of the best lands in the country, and claim,
of course, some firuit-oflerings fit)m their spiritual children.
Conceiving the security of the tenure to lie in the igno-
rance of the people, they enforce every prohibition calcu-
lated to preserve it entire ; such as marrying with here-
tics, reading any book without the permisnon of the con-
fessor, and learning the English language. The proxi-
mity of the States and their growing power, and, worse than
all, their institutions civil and religious, are naturaUy
looked upon by these shepherds of the flock wkh suqi-
cion and teiTor. As the union of Canada to the rq)ub-
Digitized by
Google
CANADA. 203
lie woidd of necessity pave the way to their downfiad),
interest Unds fast their Icqralty to the ruling powers ; these
again, equally jealous of t^e states, and aware of the pre-
caiiouHiess of the tenure by which they hcJd these colo-
nies, pay much deference to the men who hold the keys
of the people'b minds. Thus goes the world ! and yet
with the Canadian peasant it would seem to go very hap-
pily : he eats his crust, or shares it with the passenger
right cheerily ; his loyalty, transferred from king Louis
to king George, sits equally li^t on his light spirits. As
to the government, if he shares- it not, as little does he feel
it. Too poor to be oppressed, too ignorant to be discon-
tented, he invokes his saint, obeys his priest, smokes his
pipe, and sings an old ballad ; while shrewder heads and
duller spirits enact laws which he never hears (^, and tdl
after gains which he contrives to do without.
There is said generally to be no very friendly under-
standing between the old French and the new English
populatimi ; the latter being given to laugh at the super-
stition of the former, and resenting the supremacy of
Catholic over Lutheran episcopacy. The government,
however, leaves '^ protestant ascendency^' to make its
way here as it can, which, unbadced by law, makes its
way very slowly. These national and religious jealousies
have occasionally produced bickerings, and even poUtical
disturbances.
Before the breaking out of the late war, an attack was
made in an English Quebec journal upon the poUtical
and religious tenets, habits, and manners of the Canadian
population, which provoked hostility, not merely in a
French oppositbn paper, under the name of Le Canadien^
but a party under the name (A Democrat : this last name
was probably bestowed without being merited, as it has of-
ten been elsewhere. The parties, however^ warmed in the
dispute, until the Governor and House of Assembly made '
war on each other, as well as on the newspaper editors ;
Digitized by
Google
204 CANADA.
vexatious measures were had recourse to ; the opposkioii
press was forcibly put down, arbitrary acts passed, and
imprisonments, without reason assigned, or trial follow-
ing, inflicted by the executive on the more contumacious
members of the Assembly, and others of the disaffected.
The wealthier and more educated Canadians, who con-
ducted this opposition, were guided, apparently, by poli-
tical views and patriotic motives ; but it never appeared
tliat they were otherwise hostile to the English interest
than as they conceived it to be unjustly opposed to that of
their own people. This ferment was at its height under
the administration of Sir James Craig, between the years
1 808 and 1 8 U . Upon the arrival of Sir George Prevost,
a bill extraordinary For the better preservation of his Ma-
jesty^s Government being defeated by the obstinate resist-
ance of the House of Assembly, a milder course of ad-
ministration was adopted. The public mind being thus
somewhat soothed, w^oa the opening of hostilities, in the
year following, between the United States and Great Bri-
tain, no unwillingness appeared on the part of the legisla-
ture to meet the wishes of the executive ; and as for the
peasantry, the nation represented by their spiritual fa-
thers as the enemies of God, were the enemies of the
Canadians. Perhaps the Governor was more cautious
of putting to the proof the fidelity of the colonists than
was necessary. The peasants had never understood the
quarrel of their representatives ; and the latter, even sup-
posing their views to have gone farther than appeared,
were too conscious of their weakness to venture upon a
disclosure of them. The war evidently soon became na-
tional, and the militia would willingly have done more
than was demanded. Antipathy towards the heretical
Americans was as jxjwerful an incentive to loyalty as
could have been a love to the British : this last it will ne-
ver be easy to excite. Independent of national and reli-
Digitized by
Google
CANADA. 205
gious prejudices, the presence of a haughty soldieiy is not
calculated to luU jealousies to sleep.
As respects the ignorance of the Canadians, with tiie
peasantry it is probably with justice called absolute ; but
that the House of Assembly should, as is generally asserted
by the Anti-Canadian English, be composed of men who
know neither to read nor write, can hardly be received
as a fair statement. Some such instances may occur ; but
a body of men who have frequently made a stand for im-
portant rights, and in the persons of some of its members,
endured arbitrary imprisonments, for conscientious and
constitutional opposition to the dictum of the Governor,
and Legislative Council, — that such men should invaria-
bly be a crowd of illiterate peasants, is not easy of belief.
The government of the Canadas consists of a Governor
appointed by the crown ; a Legislative Council, composed
in Upper Canada of seven members, and in the Lower
or French Canada of fifteen ; these are appointed by the
Governor, and nominated for life : a Lower House of As*
sembly whose members are chosen by the Freeholders in.
either province, the elections occurring every four yewrs*
In Lower Canada the French forming the majority of the
population, are able to combat, in the House of Assem-
bly, the power of the English Executive and Legislative
Council, which virtually forms a part of the former. It is
easy to see with what candour this House will be judged
of by the party it opposes. It is doubtful whether it would
be more praised were it more enlightened.
You will ask, perhaps, whether some pains is not taken
to amalgamate the old with the new population, or to
break down the strongest national distinction by the
establishment of English schools. I have stated that the
priests are no ways desirous of enlightening their commu-
nicants. To resist the authority of these spiritual pastcM^
were not very politic on the part of the temporal powers,
and perhaps it is considered as equally the interest of both
Digitized by
Google
206 OAVADA.
to leave the Canaduui to sing his soi^, and teU his Ave
Mary in the language of his &ther8. It is curious to com-
pare the stationary position of the French Canada with
the progress of the French Louisiana* Not sixteen yeaFs
since this va^t territory was ceded to the United States,
attd ahready its peqple are nationalized. Not held as a
military possession, but taken into the confederate repub-
lics as an independent state, it feels its existence, and has
learned to pris^e the importance that it enjoys. A popu-
lation as simple and ignorant as that of French Canada,
has b^en transformed, in the course of one generation, into
a people comparatively enlightened. Superstition is fast
losing its hold (m their minds ; the rising youth are edu-
cated in village schools established throughout the country,
even in the least populous districts ; distinctions of man-
ners, feelings, and language between the old and new
population, are gradually di8a{q[)earing ; and in the course
of a few generations they will be mingled into one. In-
stead of expensive colonies, the acquisitions of America
are thus turned into wealthy states, additions to her power
and her riches. She quarters no soldiers to awe them into
obedience, but imparts to them the right of self-government,
and admits them to her alliance. How strangely con-
trasted to this is the position of these provinces ; expensive
appendages to a distant empire ; miUtary dep6ts, in short,
into which England throws her armed legions, to awe the
peaceful population of the ndghbouring repubUc.
Is there not some erroneous calculation here ? By op-
posing an armed frontier to America, is she not con-
strained to nourish more or less of a military spirit ?
Rem<we it, and were she not deprived of all incentives
to martial ardour ? Would not her institutions, essentially
peaceful, then operate more perfectly than at present,
to i^event the exertion of her strength to the injury of
other nations ? Leave her alone, and she mi^t go to
sleep ; as it is, she is forced to keep her eyes open, and
Digitized by
Google
CANADA. 20T
thou^ liar swoid be sheathed, to wear it alwayi at her
side. Some say she is ambitious of conquest ; smd that
ber invasion of Canada, both during the revolutiODary and
^late war, prov^ it. She was certainly ambitious of
dklodging an armed enemy, and of turning hostile Ibvt^
cations into inoffensive villages* Had she obtained pos^
session of the Canadas, — what then ? She would have
said to th^oi as she said to Louisiana, — Govern your-
selves. Her own fortifications had then been removed,
instead of being strengthened as they now are, to keep
pace with those of her neighbours. For her, it may pro-
bably be as well that she has an enemy skirmishing at her
doors. Peaceful as she is, it serves to keep alive her ^irit,
wliich might otherwise relax too much. It makes ber
weigh her strength and feel it : this may be useful, seeing
that her institutions, and the policy necessarily resulting
from them, prevent her exerting it without provocation.
But this effect, it may be presumed, is not that intend-
ed by her enemies. They surely do not expend their
treasures with an eye to her advantage. If their object
were to increase her energy, and keep alive her national
feeling, could they take surer means than by pointing can-
non at her gates. '' Deknda est Carthago*'* should not be
the motto of the Republic. The rivalship of hers with
European power, on this Siberian frontier, is a wholesome
and spiritualizing stimulus, corrective of the sc^rific other-
wise administered by her security and prosperity. To
interrupt these were now probably impossible, though the
whole of Europe should league against them ; but it is as
well perhsq>s, that America should not feel this, for, were
she to feel it, might not her security and prosperity be
then once more endangered ? ^
I fear that I have written a dull letter ; but periiaps I
do this always. Should you, however, find me yet more
dull than usual, consider the hard travelling that I have
undergone, and the drowsiness of convalescence, which
/
Digitized by
Google
200 CAMADA.
still hangs about me ; consider this, and be merciful in
your judgment. A few excursions into the surrounding
country have finished our Canadian travels* The icy
winds of the equinox, and some remaining weakness,
scolding me into prudence, we sacrifice our visit to Gtue-
bec, and strike south for the States.
Digitized by
Google
209
LETTER XVL
LAKE CHAMPLAIN. — BATTLE OP PLATTSBURGH. — BURNING
OF THE PHENIX STEAMBOAT.
Plattsbiirsrh, Lake Champlain, Sept. 1819.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
The shores of this beautiful lake are classic ground to
the American, and perhaps to all those who love Uberty,
and triumph in the struggles for it* For myself, I have
listened with much interest to the various stories attached
to the different villages and ruined forts that line these
waters.
The Americans, rich and poor, gentlemen and mecha-
nics, have all the particulars of their short, but eventful
"history treasured in their minds, with an accuracy which,
at first, cannot fail to surprise a foreigner. A citizen,
chosen at random, may generally serve you for a Cicerone
any where and every where throughout these states ; nor
is he ever better pleased than when satisfying the curiosity
of a stranger upon the subject of his country. He.does
this, too, with so much intelligence and good nature, and
knows so well to discriminate between what is mteresting,
and what is tiresome, that you usually come from the
conference more awake than when you engaged in it.
The little town and pleasant bay of Plattsburgh is point-
ed out with peculiar satisfaction to those who show a
willingness to sympathize in the Inrave defence of an in-
vaded people, fighting for all that Kfe has of best and
29
nigitized by
Google
210 . BATTI^ OF PLATTSBURGH.
dearest — honoiir and liberty, propertjr, and the domestic
hearth.
At the eoimnencement of hostiUtie^, in the year 1812,
tlie American poHcy had been to seek the enemy in his
own gan^isons. It was believed that the Canadas would
have been willing to raise the flag of independence, and
join the federal Union, and rashly judged, that raw militia
or volunteer troops might be sufficient to drive veteran regu-
lars from their posts. The attempt was daring, and, if suc-
cessfijl, would doubtless have best secured the country from
invasion ; and, by cutting off the enemy from communica-
tion with the Indians, have screened the scattered settle-
ments on the western frontier from the cruel war with
which they were thi-eatened. That success, however,
should have been/ calculated upon, proves only that igno-
rance is always rash ; and most profoundly ignorant of the
scienee of war /oust the republic have been, after thirty
years of profound peace, without owning either an army
or a navy, or knowing more of military discipline than
could be found in the organization and harmless exercise
of a peaceful militia. The unsuccessful campaign in the
Canadas, was not altogether unproductive of advantage
to the republic. It served to make apparent her weak-
ness, while the subsequent campaigns equally made ap-
parent her strength. In offensive land-operations sl)e first
saw her citizens repulsed ; when facing, on their own soil,
the best-trained soldiers in the w(M'ld, she afterwards saw
them sQccessfu). There is a useful tesson here to her and
to all other nations.
The stand made at Plattsburgh was as spirited as it was
imp(Mrtant» An army of veterans, firom the school Of the
Duke of Wellington, having entered the St. Lawrence^
was suddenly marched by Sir George Frevost into the
state %A New- York. Had this army succeeded in obtain-
ing command of Lake Champktin, and the line of forts
nmnmg souCbward, a simultaneous attack was to be
Digitized by
Google
JM-*.
BATTLfe OF PLATTSBURGH. 211
made from the sea on the city of New- York, when, the
command of the Hudson being secured, the eastern states
would have been cut off from the rest of the Union. You
\vill perceive the plan to be the same as that traced for
General Biirgoyne ; but, perhaps, then with more chance
of suceess than in the present instance : much, however,
seemed to favour the undertaking. In the first place, an
attack from this quarter was at the time unexpected: for
many miles beyond the frontier, the population was thin-
ly scattered through forests and hills ; the army was busi-
ly engaged in remote parts of the Union ; and an attack
upon the city of New- York bemg apprehended, the mili-
tia of the state had been chiefly drawn towards the coast.
Fifteen hundred regulars, principally composed of raw
recruits and invalids, was the only force in reacfiness,
when the British troops took possession of the little town
of Charaidain within the American frontier.
The scattered nulitia of the vicinity was instantly suin-
moned, and all hands set to work to throw up fortifica-
tions, and to prepare a fleet to engage that of the enemy.
The exertions made during these anxious days are al-
most incredible : night and day the axe and the hammer
were at work.
Let me remark here the peculiar fitness, of the Ameri-
can population for such exertions. Eveiy man, or neariy
every man, in these states, knows to handle the axe,
the hammer, the plane, all the mechanic's tools, in short ;
beffldes the musket, to the use of which he is not only re-
gularly trained as a man, but practised as a boy.
The enemy soon advanced up the chores of the lake to
the river Saranac, at the mouth of which stands the vil-
lage of Plattsburgh, backed and flanked by the forest,
whose dark interminable line it sweetly breaks with its
neat and cheerful dwellings, overlooking the silver bosom
of a circular bay, which receives the waters of the river.
Continual skirmishes now took place between the enemy
Digitized by
Goc^Ie
212 BATTLE OF PLATT.SBURGU.
aiid flying parties of militia, seven hundred of which soon
collected from the surrounding forests. The state of Ver-
mont, which lines the opposite shores of the lake, then
poured forth her mountaineers. Scattered through a
mountainous country, it miglit have been thought difficult
to collect the scanty population ; but the cry of invasion
echoed from hill to hill, from village to village; some
caught their horses from the plough, others ran off on foot,
leaving their herds in the pastures, and scarce exchanging
a parting biasing with their wives and mothers as they
handed to them their muskets*
** From the grey sire, whose trembliug hand
Could hardly buckle on bis brand,
To the raw boy, whose shaft and bow
Were yel scarce terror Co the croW|
Each valley, each sequestcr'd glen,
IVluster*d his little horde of men,
That met, as torrents from the height,
In highland dale their streams unite ;
Still gathering as they pour along,
A voice more loud, a tide more strong/'
Their guns on their shoulders, a powder-flask at their
sides, sometimes a ration in their pockets, crowd after
crowd poured into Burlington, and all, as a friend who had
witnessed the* scene, described it to me, " came at a run,
whether on their own legs or their horses.'^
The beautiful little town of Burlington covers the breast
of a hill on the opposite shoi-e, and somewhat higher up
the lake than Plattsburgh* Here every boat and canoe
was in requisition ; troop after troop hurried to the shore,
and as the scattered crowds poured into Plattsburgh, they
collected in lines on the.Saranac to resist the passage of
the enemy, or struck into the woods, with orders to harass
their rear.
The fleet was now equipped ; and, when that of tlic
enemy appeared in sight, moored in line across the en-
tiunce of the bay. With such breathless alacritv had the
Digitized by
Google
BATTUS OP PLATTSBURGH. 213
Amerieans {Nrepared to sieet tins encouater, that one of
tbe vesseb which th^i entered into acticHi, had been built
and equipped in the space of a fortnight ; eighteen days
previous to the engagement, the timber of which it was
constructed, had been actually growing in the forest upon
the shores of the lake.
The British flotilla, under the command of Captain
Downie, mounted ninety-five guns, and upwards of a
thousand men ; the American^ under Commodore M'Do-
n(High, eighty-six guns, and nearly eight hundred men.
The first exchange of cannon between the fleets was the
signal of the armies on land. A desperate contest ensued.
The British, with daring bravery, twice attempted to
force the bridges, and twice were driven back ; tbeo^ fiUng
up the river, a detachment attempted to ford ; but here a
volley of musketry suddenly assailed them from the woods,
and forced them to retreat, with loss.
The issue of the day was felt by both parties to depend
upon the naval engagement then raging in the sight of
both armies. Many an anxious glance was cast upon
the waters by those stationed near the shore. For two
hours the conflict remained doubtful; the vesseb on
either side were stript of their sails and rigging; stag-
gering and reeling hulks, they still gave and received the
shocks which threatened to submerge them. The vessel
of the American Commodore was twice on fire ; her can-
non dismounted, and her sides leaking ; the enemy was
in the same condition. Tbe battle for a moment seemed ]
a drawn one, when both attempted a manoeuvre which was
to decide the day. With infinite difficulty, the American
ship veered about; the enemy attempted^ the same in
vain ; a firesh fire poured upon her, and she struck. A
shout then awoke upon the shore ; and ringing along tbe
American lines, swelled for a moment above the roar of \
the battle. For a short space the British efforts relaxed ; \
but then, as if nerved rather than dismayed by misfortune. y f|
Digitized by
Google
214 BATTLE OF PLATT^BI^ROa.
the experienoed veterans stood Uieir ground, and continued
the fight until darkness constrained its suspension*
The little town of Burlington, during these busy hours,
displayed a far different, but not less intofesting scene ;
all occupation was interrupted ; the anxious inhabitants,
Kning the heights, and straining their eyes and ears to
catch some rignal that might speak the fieite of a combat
upon which so much depended. The distant firing and
smoke told when the fleets were engaged. The minutes
and the hours dragged on heavily ; hopes and fears alter-
nately prevailing ; when, at length, the cannonading sud-
denly ceased ; but still, with the help of the telescc^, no-
thing coukl be distinguished across the vast waters, save
that the last wreath of smoke had died away, and that
Kfe, honour, and property, were lost or saved.
Not a sound was heard, the citizens lods:ed at each
other without speaking ; women and children wandered
along the beach, with many of the men of Vermont, who
had continued to drop in during the day, but found no
means of crossing the lake. Every boat was on the other
shore, and all were still too busy there to ferry over tidings
of the naval combat. The evening fell, and still no mo-
ving speck appeared upon the waters. A dark night, hea-
vy with fogs, closed in, and some ynih saddened hearty
slowly sought their homes; while others still lingered^
hearkening to every breath, pacing to and fro distractedly,
and wildly ima^ning all the probable and possible causes
which might occasion this suspense. Were they defeat-
ed — some would have tak^i to the boats; were they
successful -^ some would have burned to bring the tidings.
— At eleven at night, a shout broke in the dariaiess from
the waters. It was one of triumph. — Was it from friends
or enemies ? Again it hrcke louder; it was recognized
and re-echoed by the luteners on the beach, swelled up
the hill, and " Victory ! victory P' rang through the vil-
lage. I could not describe the scene as it was described
Digitized by
Google
BATTLE OF PLATTSBURGH. 215
to me; but you will 8U|]{)ose bow the blood eddied from
the heart ; how young and cid ran about frantic ; how
they laughed, wept, and sang, and wqpt again. — In half
aa hour, the Uttle town was in a blaze of light.
The brunt of the battle was now over ; but it still re*
mamed doubtful, whether the invaders would attempt to
push forward, in despite of the loss of their fleet, and of
the (^posing ranks of miUtia, now doubly inspirited by
patriotism and good fortune. At daybreak the next
morning, were found only the sick, the wounded, and the
dead, with the military stores and munitions of war. The
siege had been raised during the night ; and the baggage
and artillery having been sent back, the army were alrea-
dy some miles on their way towards the finontier. The
^rmishing that harassed their retreat, thinned their num-
bers less tlian the sudden desertion of five hundred men,
who threw down their muskets, and sprang into the
woods. A few of these sons of Mars are now thriving
farmers in the state of Vermont; others fared, with more
or less sucoess, according to their industry and morals.
Sir Geoi^e Prevost was much blamed, both in Canada
and at home, for this precipitate retreat. That he might
have forced the American works is admitted by the Ame-
ricans themselves ; indeed, from their hasty aiKl imperfect
oHistruction, it is wonderful how they were made to stand
the siege as they did. But what advantage would hava
been gained by strewing the earth with dead to break
down a breastwork of planks, to retire or surrender after-
wards? Without the co-operation of a fleet, with ex-
hausted and dispirited troops, to have forced a passage
through woods, and over roads of logs, contending for eve-
ry step with thickening crowds — not of sokliers^ but of
fathers, husbands, citizens, standing on their own soil, aoi
inspired with every feeling that can raise men above them-
selves, — surely the commander judged wisely and hu-
manely who preferred retreat to certain destruction. ^' It
Digitized by
Google
216 BURNING OF THE
i
might have been a day later,'' was the observation (^an
American officer; " but the enemy must have retreated,
or surrendered, or been cut to pieces by degrees."
# There is in mihtia a moral force, wliich, in moments of
great exigency, is more than a match for trained skill and
hardy experience. Defeat, which dispuits the best vete-
ran regulars fighting in a foreign land for the point of ho-
nour, or the prospect of booty, invigorates national miUtia
contending on their own soil for all that is dearest to the
human heart. Ccmtrast for a moment the exterior of the
hostile bands who here engaged. A Une of plain citizens,
their dusky garments breathing of home, opposed to flaring
uniforms speaking only of the trade of war ; — the heart
acknowledges the difference-between such armies.
It is customary in the more wealthy cities, and occasion-
ally even elsewhere, for some of the mihtia companies to
provide themselves with uniforms ; and though this proves
a generous spirit cm the part of the citizens, I have never
looked upon these well-clad regiments in exercise witli .
the same interest with which I invariably regard those
clad in the every-day garments of domestic life. You need
to be told that the other are militia ; nothing remains to
be said here. I remember well observing, for the first
time, a troop of citizens, going through military exercise ;
the blacksmith from his forge ; the mechanic, his coat
marked with saw-dust ; the farmer with the soil yet upon
his hands. " What think you of our soldiers ?" said a
4 friend smiting. Think ! — I know not what I thought ;
but I know, that I secretly brushed a tear frcMn ray eye.
I feel tempted to pass another idle half hour in detaiUng
to you a story of a different character, and which, though
it will never be placed on record, is not less worthy of be-
ing so than the victory of M'Donough.
I One of the finest steamboats ever built in the United
* States lately ran upon this inland sea, and was destroyed,
4| ten days since, by fire, in a manner truly terrible. The
Digitized by
Google
PHENIX STEAMBOAT. 217
captain of the vessel had fallen sick, and entrusted its ma-
nagement to his son, a young man just turned of one-and-
twenty* Making for St* Jdin^s with upwards of forty
passengers, they encountered the equinoctial gale which
blew with violence right ahead. The fine vessel, how-
ever, encountered it bravely, and dashed onwards through
the storm, until an hour after midnight, she had gained the
broadest part of the lake. Some careless mortal, who had
been to seek his supper in the pantry, left a candle burn-
ing on a shelf, which, after some time, caught another
which was ranged above.
The passengers were asleep, or at least quiet in their
births, when a man at the engine perceived, in some dark
recess of the vessel, an unusual Ught. Approaching the
spot, he heard the crackling of fire, and found the door of
the pantry a glowing and tremulous wall of embers. He
had scarcely time to turn himself, ere he was enveloped in
flames ; rushing past them, he attempted to burst into the
ladies' apartment by a small door which opened into the
interior of the vessel : it was locked on the inside, and the
ndse of the storm seemed to drown all his cries and blows.
Hurrying upon the deck, he gave the alarm to the cap-
tain, and flew to the women's cabin. Ere he leaped down
the staii*s, the flames had burst through the inner door, and
had already seized upon the curtains of the bed next to it.
You may conceive the scene which followed.
In the mean time the young captain roused his crew
and his male passengers, warning the pilot to make for the
nearest island. Summoning his men around him, and
stating to them that all the lives on board could not be
saved in the boats, he asked their consent to save the pas-
sengers, and to take death with him. All acquiesced
unanimously; and hastened to let down the boats. While
thus engaged, the flames burst through the decks, and
shrouded the pilot, the mast, and the chimney, in a co-
lumn of flames. The helmsman, however, held to the
30
Digitized by
Google
218 BURNING OF THE
wheel, until his limbs were scorched and his clothes half
consumed upon his back. The unusual heat round the
boiler gave a redoubled impetus to the engine. The ves-
sel dashed madly through the waters, until she was within
a few roods of land. The boats were down, and the
captain and his men held the shrieking women and chil-
dren in their arms, when the helm gave way, and the ves-
sel, turning from the wmd, flew backwards, whirling
round and round from the shore. None could approach
to stop the engine ; its furjs however, soon spent itself,
and left the flaming wreck to the mercy only of the winds
and waves. With dreadful struggles, the naked passen-
gers got into the boats, and received the women and
children from the hands of the captain and the crew, who,
while the flames whirled over their heads, refused the
solicitations to enter the overburdened barks, and pushed
them ofTfrom the fire which had nearly caught their sides.
It was now discovered that one woman and a youth of
sixteen had been forgotten. Hurrying them to the wind-
ward of the flames, tiie youth was bound to a plank, and
a skilful swimmer of the crew leapt with him into the
lake. The captain, holding the fiantic woman in his
arms, stood upon the edge of the scorching and crackling
wreck, until he saw the last of his companions provided
with a spar, and committed to the wajlers ; then, throw-
ing from him with one arm a table which he had before
secured for the purpose, and with the other grasping his
charge, he sprang into the waves. The poor woman,
mad with terror, seized his throat as he placed and held
her upon the table ; forced to disengage himself, she was
borne away by the waves ; he trjed to follow, and saw
her for the last time, clinging to a burning mass of the
vessel. One last shriek, and the poor creature was
whelmed in flood and fire. Swimming round the blazing
hulk, and calling aloud to such of his companions as might
be within hearing, to keep near it, he watched for the fall-
Digitized by
Google
PHENIX STEAMBOAT. 219
iDg of a spar. He seized one while yet on fire, and,
quenching it, continued to float round the wreck, deem-
ing that the light might be a signal, should the boats be
able to return ; but these had to row, heavily laden, six
miles through a mountainous sea« It was long before
they could make the land, and that, leaving their helpless
freight naked on the shore of a desert island, in the dark
and tempestuous night, they turned to seek the drowning
heroes. ^
The day broke while they were labouring against the I
roaring elements, seeking in vain the extinguished beacon I
that was to guide their search; at length a blackened
atom appeared upon the top of a wave ; stretched upon
it was a human figure* It was, I rejoice to say, the young
captain — senseless, but the generous soul not quite de-
parted. He is alive and doing well. One other of these ^^
devoted men was picked up late in the morning, and won- 'I
drously restored to life, after having been eight hours \^
fiwimming and floating on the water. Seven perished.
The citizens of Burlington hastened with clothing and
proviisions to the suflerers on the island ; took them to their
homes ; and nursed them with affectionate solicitude.
The blackened wreck of tfie Phenix is now lying, in the
midst of the lake, upon a reef of rocks, to which it was ,
drifted by the storm. |
1
I , • DigitizedbxJwpOQlC
1
220
LETTER XVII.
TOWN OF BUBLIN©TON. — CHARACTER AND HISTORY OF THK
STATE OF VERMONT.
Burlington, State of VermoDl».
October, 1819.
HY DEAR FRIEND,
Ascending the waters of Lake Champlain, the shores
assume a wilder and more mountainous character. The
site of the flourishing town of BurHngton is one of singu-
lar beauty ; the neatness and elegance of the white houses
ascending rapidly from the shore, interspersed with trees,
and arranged with that symmetry which characterizes the
young villages of these states, the sweet bay, and, beyond,
the open waters of the lake, bounded by a range of moun-
tains, behind which, when our eyes first rested on them,
the sun was sinking in golden splendour ; — it was a fairy
scene, when his flaming disk, which might have dazzled
eagles, dropt behind the purple screen, blazing on the still
broad lake, on the windows and the white walb of the
lovely village, and on the silver sails of the sloops and
shipping, gliding noiselessly through the gleaming waters.
Not forty years since, and the ground now occupied by
this beautiful town and a population of two thousand
souls, was a desert, frequented only by bears and pan-
tlrcrs. The American verb to progress (though some of
my friends in this country deny that it is an Americanism)
is certainly not without its apology; even a foreigner
must acknowledge, that the new kind of advancement
Digitized by
Google
TOWN OF BURLINGTON. 221
which greets bis eye in this country, seems to demand a
new word to portray it.
The young town of Burlington, is graced with a c6l-
lege, which was founded in the year 1791, and has lately
received considerable additions. The state of Vermont,
in which it stands, whose population may be somewhat
less than 300,000, contrives to support two establishments
of this description ; and, perhaps, in no part of the Union is
greater attention paid to the education of youth.
The territory passing under the name of Vermont is in-
tersected, from north to south, by a range of mountains,
covered with ever-green forests, from which the name of
the country. This Alpine ridge, rising occasionally to
three and four thousand feet, nearly fills up the breadth
of the state ; but is every where scooped into glens and
valleys, plentifully intersected with streams and rivers^
flowing, to the eastward, into the beautiiiil Connecttout^
and, to the west, into the magnificent Champlain. The
gigantic forests of white pine, spruce, cedar, and other
evergreens, which clothe to the top the billowy sides of
the mountains, mingle occasionally their deep verdure
with the oak, elm, beech, maple, &c. that shadow the val-
leys. This world of forest is intersected by tracts of open
pasture, while the luxuriant lands that border the water
courses are fast exchanging their primeval woods for the
treasures of agriculture. The most populous town in the
state contains less than three thousand souls ; the inhabit-
ants, agricultural or grazing farmers, being scattered
through the valleys and hills, or collected in small villages
on the banks of the lakes and rivers.
In scrupulous regard to the education of her citizens, in
the thorough democracy of her institutions, in her simple
morals and hardy industry, Vermont is a characteristic
daughter of New-EIngland. She stands conspicuous,
however, among her sister states for her patriotic spirit ;
her services have always beea rendered to the nation un-
Digitized by
Google
w
222 STATE OF VERMONT.
sparingly, nor could she ever be charged vsdth separating
her interests from those of the confederacy.
During the revolutionary struggle, her scanty popula-
lation, thinly scattered along the borders of rivers and
streams, in noountaitis and forests, were signally generous
and disinterested. The short history of this spirited re-
public is not without a peculiar interest, and is very highly
honourable to the character of her people.
During her colonial existence, she was engaged in a
dispute wdth the neighbouring provinces, involving all
those great principles which afterwards formed the basis of
the quarrel between the colonies and the mother country.
Under the administration of Great Britain, in conse-
quence of various contradictory acts, passed at different
periods, and under different reigns, the Vermont lands
were claimed by the two adjoining provinces of New-
Hampshii*e and New- York- Most of the early settlers
held their possessions under the patent granted to the
former, when the latter asserted a prior claim, and essay-
ed to constrain the ejection of the proprietors. The pro-
clamation of the royal Governor of New- York was an-
swered by a proclamation of the royal (jovemor of New-
Hampshire; the matter being referred to the home au-
thority, a verdict was pronounced in favour of New- York
against the wishes and claims of the Vermontese ; but
this imperial verdict was as little respected by the hardy
mountaineers as had been the proclamation of the go-
vernor. " The gods of the valleys,^' cried the spirited
Ethan Allen, " are not gods of the hills." An opposition
was instantly organized, and the New- York claims and
jurisdiction so set at defiance, that a civil war had veiy
nearly ensued. The ground assumed by this infant colo-
ny was the right of a people to self-government, and ac-
cordingly she established her own in defiance of the
threats of New- York and her governor. But a greater
cause soon fixed the attention of this high-minded pec^e.
Digitized by
Google-
STATE OF VERMONT. ' 223
In the very heat of their contention with the New- York
claimants and legislature, the quarrel broke out between
the British government and the American people. From
this quarrel the mountaineers of Vermont might easily
have excused themselves. Far removed from the sea,
without commerce, untaxed and ungovemed, the arbitra-
ry measures of the EngUsh ministry clashed with no im-
mediate interests of theirs, and, heated as they were in
other disputes, might have been supposed little calculated
to excite their opposition by wounding their pride ; but,
superior to all selfish considerations, their own quarrel
was lost in that of the community. The news of the bat-
tle of Lexington had no sooner reached them, than we
find Ethan Allen, at the head of a troop of Vermont
mountaineers, surprising the important post of Ticonde-
roga. Summoning the surrender of the fort in the dead
of night, " In whose name ?" said the astonished and irri-
tated commander. " In the name of the^great Jehovah
and the continental congress^'^'* repUed the patriot. This
continental congress contained no representatives of the
people of Vermont; it had not pronounced upon the jus-
tice or injustice of the claims preferred again.^t them, nor
acknowledged the independent jurisdiction which they
had established ; but it was an assembly gathered under
the wings of freedom ; it asserted for othel^ those rights
which the Vermontese had asserted for themselves; —
without hesitation therefore, without waiting to be solicit-
ed, or essaying to make stipulations, voluntarily and un-
conditionally these champions of the rights of man forsook
their ploughshares and their pruninghooks, recommended
their women and children to the prbtection of heaven, and
went forth to fight the battles of their brethren.
After the declaration of independence, the Vermontese
appealed to the congress as to the supreme government, de-
manding to be admitted into the confederacy as an inde-
pendent state. They grounded their plea upon the same
Digitized by
Google
224 STATE OF VERMONT.
great principles by which the other states had justified
their resistance to Great Britadn ; — the right of a people
to institute their own government, and the invalidity of all
contracts uncemented by a mutual agreement between
the parties. New- York, on the other hand, could appeal
only to royal grants and deeds legally rather than justly
executed. The feelings of the congress were well dis-
posed towards the Vermont cause ; but New- York was
too important an ally to be decided against rashly;
judgment therefore was deferred until the two states
should come te agreement between themselves, or until
more peaceful days should bring leisure to the congress to
examine into all the bearings of the question. Thus
thrown out of the pale of the Union, it was imagined by
the enemy, that Vermont might easily be won from the
common cause. She was now promised high privileges,
and an individual existence as a royal province ; but this
generous republic was not to be so bought from honour :
firm in her resistance to New- York, she was as true to
the cause of America ; her handful of freemen asserted
their own rights, and sustained those of their brethren
throughout that trying contest. At its close, and when
the national independence was finally iestablished, the dis-
pute with her sister state was amicably adjusted ; and she
then voluntarily joined herself as a fourteenth state to the
thirteen original confederated repubUcs whose cause she
had so zealously and magnanimously made her own.
In consequence of her resistance to the jurisdiction- of
New- York, Vermont had asserted and enjoyed an inde-
pendent existence several years before the dismemberment
of the colonial provinces from Great Britain ; but the con-
stitution, as it now stands, was not finally arranged until
the year 1793.
The plan of government is among the most simple of
any to be found in the Union. The legislative depart-
ment is composed of one house, whose members are
Digitized by
Google
STATE OP VERMONT. 225
ciioseD by the whole male population of the state. In this
mountainous district, peopled by a race of simple agricul-
turists, the science of legislation may be supposed to pre-
sent few questions of difficulty ; nor has it been found
necessary to impede the process of law-making by forcing
a projected statute to pass through two ordeals. You find
in the constitution of Vermont another peculiarity which
marks a people Argus-eyed to their liberties. In the other
republics, the people have thought it sufficient to preserve
to themselves the power of summoning a convention, to
alter or amend tlieir plan of government whenever they
may judge it expedient -, but the Vermontese, as if unwill-
ing to trust to their own vigilance, have decreed the stated
election of a Council of Censors, to be convened for one
year at the end of every seven years, whose business it is
to examine whether the constitution has been preserved
inviolate ; " whether the kgislative or executive branches of
government have performed their duty as guardians of the
people, or assumed to themselves, or exercised other or
greater powers than they are entitled to by the constitution}^^
to take in review, in short, every public act, with the
whole course of administration pursued since^ the last
meeting of the censors. If any acts appear to them to
have been unconstitutional, their business is to refer them
to the legidative assembly then sitting, stating the grdunds
of their objection, and recommending a revisal of the same.
They are farther empowered to judg^ of the propriety of
revising the existing constitution ; and s^iould any article
appear defective, or not clearly defined, to promulgate the
articles objected to, and the amendments proposed, which,
being considered and approved by the people, other dele-
gates are appointed to decree the same in convention*
according to the instructions received from their consti-
tuents.
The assembly now meets in the little town of Montpe-
lier, situated in a secluded valley in the centre of the state.
nigitized by
Google
226 StATB OP VERMONT.
Having gained the centre, the seat of government is now
probably fixed. It is a strange novelty in the eyes of a
European to find legislators assembled in a humble and
lonely village to discuss affairs of state. How strangely
has liberty bfeen libelled ! Behold her in the mountains of
Vermont, animating a people, who, at the first sound of
oppression, would rise like lions from their lair, but who,
in the free exercise of undisputed rights, and, walking erect
among their hills with a sp'uit untamed, and thought un-
shackled, live on a life of peace and industry, unharming
and unharmed, proud as the noble in feudal seigniory, and
peaceful as the flocks which gi*aze upon their mountains !
The men of Vermont are familiarly known by the name
o( Green-mountain boys^ a name which they themselves
are proud of, and which, I have remarii:ed, is spoken with
much complacency, and not unfrequently with a tone of
admiration or affection, by the citizens of the neighbour-
ing states.
Before leaving Vermont, I would observe, that the
Scotch emigrant would probably find it peculiarly suited
to his habits and ccmstitution. A healthy climate, a hilly
country, affording either pasture or arable land, — the fru-
gal, hardy, and industrious Scotch fiirmer might here drti
himself at home, or rather in a home somewhat improved.
There are many valuable tracts unreclaimed in the lower
valleys, and much land of moderate value on the sides of
the mountains. Our sons of the mist might here see their
GramfHans and Cheviots swelling out of a better soil, and
smiling under a purer heaven. They would find too a
race, of industry and intelligence equal or superior to their
own, and animated with a q)irit of independence that they
might imbibe with advantage. *
European emigrants are, perhaps, given to roam too far
into the interior of this continent. The older states have
* There b one Scotch seiUenent in Vennont in a Teiy flonrisbiDg condi*
fioB, and, I belieyei stxmggleri contuiue occasionaOjr to join it
Digitized by
Google
STATE OP TERMONT. 227
Still sufficient of vacant lands to settle down multitudes,
and, as I have before remarked, men have usually many
things to learn when they arrive in this country* The
American enters the western wilderness skilled to van-,
quish all difficulties ; and understanding to train his chil-
dren in the love of their country, founded upon a know-
ledge of its history, and an appreciatbn of its institutions,
he is fitted to form the advanced guard of civiiivation ;
the foreigner, in general, will be better placec) in the main
body, where he may himself receive instructions, andim-
Uhe feelings suited to his newly assumed character as a
citizen of a republic.
Digitized by
Google
228
LETTER XVUI.
DIRECTION OF AMERICAN GENIUS. FOUNDERS OF THE
AMERICAN REPUBLICS. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDE-
RAL GOVERNMENT.
Whitehouse, New-Jersey, Dec. 1819.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
I REGRET that the circumstances which constrained us
to cut short our journey through the eastern states, have
also prevented me, for some time past, from writing with
my usual punctuahty. ******
With this short summary, you must allow me to pass
over the remainder of our tour, and come at once to the
subject of your letter, now before me. I will do my best
to reply to * * *'s inquiries, not pretending, however,,
to give a better solution of them than I apprehend others
may have given before.
It has been common of late years to summon the lite-
rature of America to the European bar, and to pass a
verdict against American wit and American science.
More liberal foreigners, in alluding to the paucity of
standing American works in prose or rhyme, are wont to
ascribe it to the infant state of society in this country ;
others read this explanation, I incUne to think at least,
without affixing a just meaning to the words. Is it not
commonly received in England, that the American nation
is in a sort of middle state between barbarism and refine-
ment ? I remember, that, on coming to this country, I had
* Digitized by
Google
BIRBCTION OF AMERICAN GENIUS. 229
myself but a very confused notion of the people that I
was to find in it ; sometimes they had been depicted to
me as a tribe of wild colts, chewing the bit just put into
their mouths, and fretting under the curb of law, care-
lessly administered, and yet too strict withal for their un-
tamed spirits ; at other times I understood them to be a
race of shrewd artificers, speculating merchants, and
plodding farmers, with just enough of manners to growl
an answer when questioned, and enough of learning to
read a newspaper, drive a hard bargain, keep accounts,
and reason phlegmatically upon the advantages of fi^e
trade and popular government. These portraits appeared
to me to have few features of resemblance; the one
seemed nearly to image out a Dutchman, and the other
a wild Arab. To conceive the two characters combined
were not very possible ; I looked at both, and could make
nothing of either.
The history of this people seemed to declare that they
were brave, high-minded, and animated with the soul of
liberty; their institutions, that they were enlightened;'
their laws, that they were humane ; and their policy, that
they were peaceful, and kept good faith ; but I was told
that they were none of these. Jvdge a man by his woiks,
it is said ; but to judge a nation by its works was no adage,
and, I was taught, was quite ridiculous. To judge a na-
tion by the reports of its enemies, however, seemed equally
ridiculous ; so I determined not to j udge at all, but to land in
the country without knowing any thing about it, and wait
until it should speak for itself. The impressions that I have
received, I have occasionally attempted to impart to you ;
they were such at first as greatly to surprise me, for it is
scarcely possible to keep the mind unbiassed by current
reports, however contradictory their nature, and however
intent we may be to let them pass unheeded.
There is little here that bespeaks the infancy of socie-
ty in the sense that foreigners usually .suppose it aiq>lica-
Digitized by
Google
230 DIRECTION OF AMERICAN GENIUS.
ble; the simple moralsy more equalized fortunes, and
more domestic habits and attachments, generally found in
thb country, as compared with Europe, doubtless bespeak
a nation young in luxury, but do they bespeak a nation
young in knowledge ? It would say Uttle for knowledge
were this the case.
It is true that authorship is not yet a trade in this coun-
try ; perhaps for the poor it is a poor trade every where ;
and could men do better, they might seldom take to it as
a profession; but, however this may be, many causes
have operated hitherto, and some perhaps may always
continue to operate, to prevent American genius from
slK>wing itself in works of imagination, or of arduous lite-
rary labour. As yet, we must remember, that the coun-
try itself is not half a century old. The generation is
barely passed away whose energies were engrossed by a
struggle for existence. To the harassing war of the re-
volution, succeeded the labours of establishing the national
government, and of reorganizing that of the several
states ; and it must be remembered that, in America, nei-
ther war nor legislation is tlie occupation of a body of
men, but of the whole community ; it occupies every head
and every {heart, rouses the whole energy, and absorbs
the whole genius of the nation.
The establishment of the Federal Government was not
the work of a day ; even after its conception and adoption,
a thousand clashing opinions were to be combated. The
war of the pen succeeded to that of the sword, and the
shook of poUtical parties to that of hostile armies ; the
struggle continued through the whole of that admmistra-
tion denominated Federal. After the election of Mr.
Jefferson, it revived for a moment with redoubled vio-
lence ; and though this was but the flickering of the flame
in the socket, it engaged the attention of the whole peo-
ple, and continued to do 90 until the breaking out of the
second war ; which, in its progress, cemented all parties,
Digitized by
Google
DIRECTIPN OF AMERICAN GENIUS. 231
and, in its issue, established the national independence,
and perfected the civil union. It is but four years, there-
fore, that the public mind has been at rest ; nay, it is only
so long that the United States can be said to have enjoy-
ed an acknow^ledged national existence.
It was the last war, so little regarded in Europe, but so
all-important to America, that fixed the character of this
country, and raised it to the place which it now holds
among the nations of the world. Am I mistaken in the
belief that Europeans, (and I speak here of the best in-
formed,) have hitherto paid but little attention to the in-
ternal history of the United States ? When engaged in
the revolutionary struggle, they were regarded with a mo-
mentary S3nfnpatby ; the fate of mankind hung upon the
contest ; it was tyranny's armed legions opposed to liber-
ty's untrained, but consecrated band ; and the enlightened
patrk>t of every clime felt, that the issue was to decide the
future destinies of the world. The battle being fought,
this young and distant nation again seemed to shrink into
insignificance ; the whirlwind had now turned upon Eu-
rope, and all her thinking heads were employed in poiang
state against state, empire against empire, or one tyrant
against another tyrant ; while America, removed from the
uproai*, was binding iq;) her wounds, and arranging her
disturbed househokl. The peofJe of Europe had soon
well nigh forgotten her existence; and thdr govenxirs
only occasionally remembered her, to tell her that she
was not worth regarding. Her ships were robbed upon
the seas, and msulted in the ports, and from these at
length shut out. She remonstrated to be laughed at ; she
resented the insults, and a^ last challenged the aggressors,
and was stared at. The ministry which had dared her
to the quarrel, drew carelessly a milUon from their trea-
sury, diq)atched some detachments from their fleets and
armies, and sat down in quiet expectation, that the Ame-
rican republics were once again to be transfgnned intio
Digitized by
Google
232 DIRECTION OF AMERICAN GENIUS.
British colonies. A few more generous politicians occa*
sionally.threwa glance across the ocean, curious to see
how the Herculean infant would once again cope with
the matured strength 'of a full-grown empire, and were
perhaps scarcely less surprised than the cabinet of St.
Jameses by the issue of the rencontre.
If * * * * will study the history of this country," he
will find it teeming with business. America was not asleep
during the thirty years that Europe had forgotten her ; she
was actively employed in her education; — in framing
and trying systems of government ; in eradicating pr^u-
dices; in vanquishing internal enemies; in replenishing
her treasury ; in liquidating her debts ; in amending her
laws ; in correcting her policy ; in fitting herself to enjoy
that liberty which she had purchased with her blood ; —
in founding seminaries of learning; in faciUtating the
spread of knowledge ; — to say nothing of the revival of
commerce ; the reclaiming of wilderness after wilderness ;
the facilitating of internal navigation ; the doubling and
tripling of a population trained to exercise the rights of
fi*eemcn, and to respect institutions adopted by the voice
of their country. Such have been the occupations of
America. She bears the works of her genius about her ;
we must not seek them in volumes piled on the shelves of
a library. All her knowledge is put forth in action ; lives
in her institutions, m Her laws ; speaks in her senate; acts
in her cabinet ; breathes even from the waOs of her cities,
and the sides of her ships. Look on all she has done, on
that which she is ; count the sum of her years ; and then
pronounce sentence on her genius. Her politicians are not
ingenious theorists, but practical statesmen ; her soldiers
have not been conqaeix)rs, but patriots ; her philosopliers
not wise reasoners, but wise legislators. Their country
has been and is their field of action ; every able head and
nervous arm is pressed into its service. The foreign
world hears xiothing of their exploits, and reads none of
nigitized by
Google
DIRECTION OP AMERICAN GENIUS. 233
their lucubrations ; but thdr country reaps the fruits of
their wisdom, and feels the aid of their service ; and it is
in the wealth, the strength, the peace, the prosperity, the
good government, and the well administer^ laws of that
country that we must discover and admire their energy
and genius.
In Europe we are apt to estimate the general cultiva-
tion of a people by the greater or less number of their
literary characters. Even in that hemisphere, it is, perr
haps, an unfair way of judging. No one would disputlB
that France is greatly advanced in knowledge since the
era of the revolution, and yet her literary fame from that
period has been at a stand. The reason is obvious —
that her genius was called from the closet into the.senate
and the field; her historians and poets were suddenly
changed into soldiers and poHticians ; her peaceful men
of letters became active citizens, known in th^ genera-
tion by their virtues or their crimes. Instead of tragedies,
sonnets, and tomes of philosophy, they manu&ctured laws,
or marshalled armies ; opposed tyrants, or fell their vie*
tims, or played the tyrant themselves. EIngaged in the
war of politics, a nation is little likely to be visited by the
muses ; they are loungers, who love quiet, and sing in the
shade ; they come not upon the field until the battle is long
over;^ and, before they celebrate the actions of the dead,
the moss has grown upon their graves. The battle is
now over in America, but it is no more than over ; and it
is doubtful, perhaps, whether her popular government
must not always have something too bustling in it for the
" gentle nine.'' A youth, conscious of talents, here, sees
the broad way to distinction open before him ; the highest
honours o( the republic seem to tempt his ambition, and
the first wish of his heart is to be a statesman. This se-
cures able servants to the commonwealth, and quickens
the eneigy and intelligence of the whole people; but it
causes all their talent to be put forth in the business of
32
Digitized by
Google
234 DIRECTION OP AMERICAN GENIUS.
the day, and thus rather teiids to impart dignity to the
country, than to prociupe immortality to individuals.
Those Americans who have been known in Europe as
authors, have been better known in their own country as
active citizens of the repubhc ; nor does my memory at
this moment furnish me with more than two exceptions to
this rule.* The able pohtical writers of the revolution,
and of the busy years succeeding it, y^ere all soldierfi or
statesmen, who with difficulty snatched a moment from
the active duties which their country devolved upon them,
to enlighten their fellow citizens upon points of vital na-
tional importance. Barlow, known only in England as
the author of the Columbiad, was a diplomatist, and an
able political writer- The venerable Dwight was here
held in honour, not as the author of " The Conqiiest of
Canaan," but as the patron of learning ; the assiduous
instructor of youth, and a popular and energetic writer of
the day^ I could in the same way designate many living
characters whose masterly abilities have been felt in the
cabinets of Europe, and which here are felt in every de-
partment of the civil government, artd in all the civic pro-
fessions. These men, who, in other countries, would
liave enlarged the field of the national Kterature, here
quicken the pulse of the national prosperity ; eloquent in
tlie senate, able in the cabinet, they fill the highest offices
of the republic, and are repaid for their arduous and un-
ceasing labours, by the esteem of their fellow citizens,
and the growing strength of their country.
No nation has, perhaps, ever produced, in the same
term of years, more high-minded patriots and able states-
men than tlie American. Who laid the foundation of
these republics ? Not robbers and bandits, as some of our
* Brown, the author of the welt-known novels, Arthur Mervyn, the Ventri-
loquist, &c. and Mr. Washington Irrrog*. When the latter led his countiy to
visit Europe, he was too young to hare been known in any other character
than that of an author. The elegant work of this gentleman, entitled « The
Sketch-Boole," is equally admured on both sides of the Atlantic.
Digitized by
Google
FOUNDERS OF THE REPUBLICS. 235
Hunisteiial journals would persuade their readers, but the
wisest citizens of the wisest country then existing on the
globe. The father of Viiiginia was an English hero, who
HUght adorn a tale of chivalry ; a knight errant, who hunt-
ed honour through the world, and came at last, in the pure
love of liberty and daring adventure, to found a> colony in
the American wilderness** The fathers of Maryland
were sages and philanthropists, who placed freedom of
conscience before the privileges of birth, or the enjoyments
of luxury, — English noblemen, whose birth was their
poorest distinction, who taught religious and poUtical
equality in an age when both were unknown, and raised
an asylum in this distant worid for the persecuted of every
sect and every clime«t The fathers of New-England
were the Hampdens of Britain, who came to enjoy liber-
ty, and serve their austere God, among savage beasts, and
yet more savage men, bearing all things rather than the
frowns of tyranny, and the jurisdiction of hierarchs.
Among them were men of erucUtion and of opinions be-
fore their age. The venerable Roger Williams, (an ad-
vocate of religious as well as civil tiberty,) promulgated
principles which were afterwards abetted by Milton and
I>)cke.J Oglethorpe, the father of Georgia, united the
* Captain John Smith.
t George and Cecilius Calvert, the Lords Baltimore, and Leonard Calvert,
Mother of CecUius. This distinguished family was attached to the church
of Rome. While all the European nations, and, more or less, the other Anc-
rican colonists, were harassing each other for their differing opiaionsy a Ro-
man Catholic promulgated the doctrine, not of religious toleration, bnt reli-
gions equality. The Puritans, under the reign of Cromwell, first disturbed
the peace of the infant Maryland ; bofit was not till after the English revo-
intion,.^iat her wise and philanthropic institutions were broken down by a
royal decree. William the Third finally anniliilated Catholic ascendancy m
En^and, and established Protestant ascendancy in Ireland and Maryland :
1688 }k%g a happy year for only one portion of the British empire.
t A comparison between the Rhode-lshind Charter and the Constitution
presented to Carolina by Locke, would lead us to pronounce Roger Williams
A more sapient legislator than his men* distinguished disriplo.
L_
Digitized by
Google
236 POUNDEHS QP IHB
Qharactera of a aoldier, a kgidatoi:, a statesman, and a
{^anthropist* In his youth, he learned the art of war
bam Prince Eugene ; in his malurer years he supported^
in the British pariiament, the interests of his oouotry, and
the claims of humanity. He was the leader of
* ^ tlie gcneroui tettd.
Who, toudwd witb human wo, redreime tearched
Into ihfi horron of the gloomy jaiL*
Thomsok's Winter j line 350.
Pennsylvania wears the name of her sage. In fact
there is not one of the colonies whose foundations were
not laid by the hands of freemen, and men wise in their
generations. The political revolutions of Ejiigland con-
tinued to throw into them many of her best and bravest
citizens ; many too of gentle birth and refined manners^
Tlie edict of Nantz sent to them some of the most en-
lightened and virtuous sons of France; similar edicts,
many of the noblest sons of Ireland. From the loins of
such exiles proceeded the heroes of the revolution.- Un-
til the very period of the quarrel which raised America to
the rank of an independent nation, many of England's
most distiujguished families came to establish their penates
in the New World, either from a spirit of adventure, oi:
attracted by the superior beauty of the climate and the
frank and hospitable character of the people. We find,
* In the forty-fifth year of hb age, General Oglethorpe placed himielf at
the head of a crowd of poor sofferen, and embarked for the American wil-
derness. Having by hb wipdom and Taloar, «ecared the first settlers from
intestine commotiona and finreign enemies, he letnned to England. At the
livreakingoatof the rerohitionary war, the command of the British army was
tenderedtohim, as to the eldest officer in the senrice. « 1 wpl undertake the
boshiess without a man or ship of war,** was the reply of the veteran to the
minister, '< provided you will aothorize me to assure the colonists on my mrti-
rtlunoogihem^ that you wiU da them juMtiee" The infant Georgia was ani-
mated with the soul of her founder ; her handful of patriots (the whole popu-
lation was within fifty thousand) joined the league, and unfniled tiie standard
of independence. The Tenerable Ogletborpe saw the cokmy that he had
planted, raised into a free republic, heard the independence of America ac-
knowledged, and died at the advanced age of ninty-siz.
Digitized by
Google
AMERICAN REPUBLICS. 237
among others; the representative bf the noble house of
Fskbx foregoing the baronial honours of his native land
far die liberty and simpUcity of America ; laying down his
tkie, and est€U>lishing himsdf in patriarchal magnificence
in Vir^nia ; abetting, in his old age, the cause of liberty ;
and wearing the simple and freely bestowed dignities of a'
republic, in lieu of the proud tides of an aristocracy.*
But while America was thus sought by enlightened in-
dividuals, the parliamentary speeches and pamphlets of
the time show how little was known by the English com-
munity of the character and condition of the colonists.
Because the government had chosen at one time to make
Viilginia a Botany Bay, an insult which tended not d lit-
tle to prepare her for the revolution, the country of Frank-
lin, Washington, Patrick Henry, Jefferson, Schuyler, Gates,
Greene, Allen, Dickenson, Laurens, Livingston, Hamil-
ton, Jay, Rush, Adams, Rittenhouse, Madison, Monroe,
and a ftousand other high-minded gentlemen, soldiers^
or&tors, sages, and statesmen, was accoimted a hive of
pickpockets and illiterate hinds! Never was a national
revolution conducted by greater men ; by men more mag-
nanimous, more seU-devoted, and more maturely wise :
and these men, too, were not self*elected, nor raised by
chance to pilot the vessel of the state ; thev were called by
the free voices of their fellow citizens to fill the various
posts most suited to their genius. The people were as
discriminating as their servants were able ; not an illiterate
multitude, hurried by a few popular orators or generous
heroes into actions above themselves ; they were a well-
informed and a well-organized community," animated with
* See Wood** Scotch Peerage for a short but interesting account of Thoma$
the nxth Lord Fairfax. The present representatiire of this noble bouse also
prefers the character of am American citisen to that of an Englisb nobleman.
There might be as much calculation in this as philosophy, for after all, it is pre-
ferring a sceptre to a coronet The American citizen has no superior, and is
one of a race of 8oyereigii»; the European Baron has many superiors, and'
is one of a race of subjects.
Digitized by
Google
238 FOUNDERS OF THE
the feeling of liberty, but understanding die duties of citi-
zens, and the nature and end of civil government.
As colonies, the American states had, for the most
part, lived under constitutions as essentially democratte
as those of the present day; the chief difference was, that
they were engaged in continual struggles to support them.
In their first infancy, their future destiny was Uttle fore^.
seen : the patents, carelessly granted to the early settlers
of New-England, involved rights which the arbitrary
monarchs who signed them had never dreamed of; but of
this remissness they very speedily repented.
The colonial history of America would be alone suffi-
cient to stamp the character of the Stuart kings : not
content with torturing the consciences and outraging the
rights of the English people in their own island, we find
them hunting the patriots whom their tyranny had made
exiles, even in the howling, wilderness of the new world ;
as if determined that a freeman should not live on the
whole surface of the globe. One might pause to smile ^i
the contradictory acts of Charles IL, at once a thought-
less voluptuary and a rapacious tyrant, had they sport-
ed with matters of less value than the rights and happi-
ness of mankind. This spoiled child of power careless-
ly set his hand to the noblest charters ever accorded by a
king to a peopl^ and then waged an eternal war with the
peaceful and far distant handful of freemen who deter-
mined to abide by them.* The hard contest in which the
young colonies wei-e unceasingly engaged with the succes-
sive monarchs and varying administrations of the nK)ther
country, sharpehed the wits of their people. Occasional-
ly their charters were broken down by force ; but never
was a fraction of their liberties yielded up by themselves,
or stolen from them without their knowledge : they strug-
* The present of a curious ring from Winthrop, the enlightened father of
MaBsachtt8etts> is f aid to haye won the roya] signature to the democratic char-
ter of Connecticut.
Digitized by
Google
}
AMERICAN REPUBLICS. 239
^ed and bled for every right which fell ; to die by the hands
of others rather than by their own was the early motto of
this people; nor, perhaps, could one have been imagined
more calculated to render them invincible.
What is most worthy of admiration in the history of
America, is not merely the spirit of liberty which has ever
animated her people, but their perfect acquaintance with
the science of government, which has ever saved that
spirit from preying on itself. The sages who laid the
foundation of her greatness, possessed at once the pride
of freemen, and /Ae knowledge of English freemen ; in
building the edifice, th^ knew how to lay the foundation ;
in preserving untouched the rights of each individual,
they knew ^ w to preventiris attacking those of his neigh-
bour : they brought with them the experience of the best
governed nation then existing *, and, having felt in their
own persons the errors inherent in that constitution, which
had enlightened, but only partly protected them, they
knew what to shun as well as what to imitate in the new
models which they here cast, leisurely and sagely, in a
new and remote world. Thus possessed from the begin-
ning of free institutions, or else continually occupied in
procuring or defending them, the colonies were well pre-
pared to assume the character of independent states.
There was less of an experiment in this than their ene-
. mies supposed.* Nothing, indeed, can explain the obsti-
nacy of the English ministry at the commencement of
the revolutionary stru^le, but the supposition, that they
* Mr. Burke, who teems to have possessed a more thoroagii acquamtance
with the institcitions and character of the colonists than any other British
statesman, insisted much on '< the form of their provincial leg^slatire assem*
blies," wbeh tracinj^ the consequences Hfcely to result from the oppressive
acu of the parliament. «* Their governments," observed this orator, ** are
popular in a high degree ; some are merely popular ; in all, the popular re-
presentative is the most weighty \ and this share of the people) b their ordi-
nary government, never fails to inspire them with lofty sentUneuts, and with
a strong aversion from whatever tends to deprive them of their chief im-
portance."
Digitized by
GaogI(
240 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
were wholly ignorant of the history of the peoj^e id whom
they were opposed. May I be forgiven the observatiant
that the inquiries of * * * * have led me into the be*
lief, that some candid and well-informed English gentle-
men of the present day, have almost as little acquaint-
ance with it as had Lord North.
Respecting the revolution itself, the interest of its mili-
tary history is such as to fix the attention of the most
thoughtless readers ; but in this, foreigners sometimes ap-
pear to imagine, was expended the whole virtue <rf Ame-
rica. That a country which could put forth so niuch en^-
gy, magnanimity, and wisdom, as appeared in that strug-
gle, should suddenly lose a claim to all these qualities,
would be no less surprising tfian humiliatii;^. If we
glance at the civil liistory of these republics yince the era
of their independence, do we find no traces of the same
character ? Were we to consider only the national in-
stitutions, the mild and impartial laws, the full establish-
ment of the rights of conscience, the multiplication of
schools and colleges to an extent unknown in any other
country of the world, and all those improvements in every
branch of internal policy which have placed this people
in their present state of peace and unrivalled prosperity,
we must allow them to be not only wise to their inte-
rests, but alive to the pleas of humanity ; but there are
not wanting instances of a yet more liberal policy.
How seldom is it that history affords us the example of
a voluntary sacrifice on the part of separate communities
to further the common good! It appears to me that the
short history of America furnishes us with more exam-
ples of this kind, than that of any other nation, ancient
or modern. Throughout the war of the revolution, and
for some years jMreceding it, the public feelmg may be said
to have been unusually excited. At such times, men,
and societies of men, are equal to actions beyond the
stiength of their virtue at cooler moments. Passing on,
Digi
Ijzed by Google
FEDERAL GOVJIRNMENT. 21 1 ^
Ibeiefore, to the peace of 1783 ; we find a number of in-
dependent republics gradually reconciling theii* separate
aajd clashing interests ; each yielding someUiing to pro-
mote the advantage of all^ and sinking the pride of indi-
vidual sovereignty in that of the united whole. The re-
marks made by Ramsay on the adoption of the federal
constitution are so appositevthat I cannot resist quoting
them.
'' The adopticm of this constitution was a triumph of
^^ virtue and good sense over the vices igid follies of hu-
^' man nature ; in some respects, the merit of it is greater
^'^than that of the declaration of independence. The
" worst of men can be urged on to make a spirited resist-
** ance to invasion of their rights ; but higher grades of
'^ virtue are requisite to induce freemen, in the possession
" of a limited sovereignty, voluntarily to surrender a por-
" tion of their natural liberties ; to impose on themselves
" those restraints of good government which bridle the
'^ ferocity of man, compel him to respect the claims of
'^ others, and to submit his rights atid his wrongs to be
" decided upon by the voices of his fellow citizens. The
" instances of nations which have vindicated then: liberty
" by the sword, are many ; of those which have made a
" good use of their Uberty when acquired, are compara-
" tively few."
Nor did the liberality of these repubUcs evince itself
only in the adoption of the general government ; we find
some making voluntary concessions of vast territories,
that they might be devoted to national purposes ; others
releasmg part of their own people from existing engage-
ments, and leaving them to consult their wishes and con-
venience by forming themselves into new communities.
Should we contrast this poUcy with that employed by
other nations, we might hastily pronounce this people to
be singularly free from the ordinary passions of humanity ;
but, no; they are only singularly enlightened in the art of
33
Digitized by
Google
\ 242 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I government : they have learned that there is no strength
without union; no union without good fellowship; and
no good fellowship without fair dealing : and havmg
learned this, they are only singularly fortunate in being
able to reduce their knowledge to practice.
With these loose observations, I must conclude this let-
V ten When leisure permits me, I will endeavour to reply
to your inquiries upon the present state of parties and
1 tone of the pubUc feeling. To make this intelligible, it
> may be necessary to take a hasty review of the national
administration since the establidiment of the federal go-
vernment.
Digitized by
Google
243
LETTER XIX.
ON THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIONS. MR. JEFFERSON. —
CAUSES OF THE LAST WAR. — REGULATIONS OF THE
NAVY AND MERCHANTMEN. — EFFECTS OF THESE ON
THE sailor's character. — ANECDOTE. DEFENCE OF
THE COUNTRY. HOW CONDUCTED BY THE PEOPLE. —
ARMY OF THE WEST. POLICY OF THE NEW-ENGLAND
STATES. — EFFECT OF THE WAR ON THE NATIONAL
CHARACTER
I^ew-York* Janaary, 1820.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
The history of the Federal party, which, after a short
reign and a struggle of some years, drew its last breath ta
the Hartford Cooventioo, is now chiefly worth recalling as
an evidence of the ease with which the machinery of this
government is moved. A complete revolution of parties,
effected by the quiet exertion of a free elective franchise,
is a novelty in the history of nations. That extreme of
liberty from which so much mischief has been foretold by
those who, in argument, were wont to confound the Ame-
rican with the Greek democracies, (two forms of govern-
ment, having as much in common as those of China and
England,) was here proved to be the safeguard of the
public peace. What temptation have men to employ tht
Bword who can effect what they want by a word 2 There
must be a power to resist ere violence can be attempted ;
this power is wanting in America.
Digitized by
Google
244 FOLITICAI^ PARTIES.
Party names are seldom significant of party principles^
but, perhaps, no names were ever less so than those of
Federal and Anti-federaly as once known in this comitry ;
the absurdity of the latter was soon tacitly acknowledged
even by their opponents ; and with this tacit acknowledg-
ment ended their own power. When the Federal stood
opposed to the Democrat^ it was the government opposed
lo the people — the shadow against the substance.
It is not my intention to enter into a dull exposition of
parties now extinct; I would only remark that, in the
gradual decay of the Federal opposition, we may trace
the gradual formation of a national character. I remem-
ber an observation you once repeated to me as having
been made by one of the enlightened veterans of the re-
volution. " I want our people to be neither French nor
English, Federals nor Democrats; — I want them to be
Americans.^^ And Americans they now are. The pre-
sent generation have grown up under their own national
institutions ; these ai'e now sacred in their eyes, not firom
the mere beauty of those principles of abstract justice
upon which they are founded, but from the tried experi-
ence of their wisdom ; they now understand all the move-
ments of the subUme but simple machinery of their go-
vernment ; they have learned not to fear either its strength
or its weakness ; both have been proved. If danger
threatens the state, it can rouse the whole energy of the
nation ; if it encroaches on the liberties of that nation, it
is stopped with a touch.
The establishment of the Federal Constitution was an
era in the history of man. It was an esperiment never
before made ; and one upon which the liberties of a nation,
perhaps of a world, depended. It was natural, therefore,
that all should regard it with anxiety, and some be doubt-
ful of its results. While the people were yet apprehen*
sive lest they might have delegated too much power to the
new government, it was most singularly fortunate that the
Digitized by
Google
WASHINGTON AND HABULTON. 245
«
man existed whose integrity was no less tried than his
name was popular. How various soever the clashing in.
terests and opinions of the day, the name of the first pre-
sident was always a rallying point of union ; even those
most inimical to the administration, bore testimony to the
virtues of Washington ; and perhaps nothing speaks bet-
ter for the hearts and heads of the American, people,
than the unanimous re-election of that venerable patriot,
at the same time that the ranks of the opposition to the
measures of the government were daily thickening.
This opposition, as you may remember, was mainly
pointed at the system of finance introduced by the secre-
tary Hamilton. The measures of that able statesman
restored the credit of the nation, revived commerce, invi-
gorated agriculture, and created a revenue. Some thought,
however, that they did too much ; tending so to strengthen
the government, as to make it approximate in some mea-
sure to that of England. However idle these fears may
now seem, they were natural at the time ; having just set
the engine of government at work, the people were startled
at its power, and could scarcely believe that their breath,
which had set it in motion, could check it as instanta-
neously.
It is possible that some desire existed on the part of the
earlier administrations to strain to the utmost the powers
delegated to them ; there seemed even to be a necessity
for this -, the political machine had been so shaken during
the protracted war of the revolution, that it demanded
nerr ous as well as skiUul hands to arrange all its parts,
and s^ all its wheels in play. The vigour of Hamilton
and the prudence erf Washington seemed well to balance
each other; they established an effideirt government at
borne, and commanded respect from abroad. Whatever
Hfighl; be the political opinions of the former, whether
purely republican, or leaning, as was suspected, towards
srisfocraey, it was soon universaUy ackoowledged^that
Digitized by
Google
246 FEDERAL STATESMEN*
his measures imd promoted the prosperity and lasting inte-
rests of his country. We may observe, indeed, that there
is one peculiar excellence in the American constitution —
that while an able statesman has it in his power to pro-
mote the pubUc good, he must ever find it difficult to work
public mischief; he cannot work for himself, or for a part
of the community, he must wori^ for the whole, or give up
working at alL This was made apparent at the ejection
of the federal party under the administration of Mr.
Adams.
The federal, or, to speak more properiy, the high go*
vernment party, comprised many pure^ patriots and able
statesmen. Their errors were those of judgment, we may
say of education. They were bom under a different sys-
tem of things from that which arose out of the revolution
which they had assisted to guide. Some lingering preju-
dices might naturally cling to the minds, and influence the
feelings of men who, in their youth, had looked with ad-
miration to the political experience, as well as the science,
of Europe. It needed to be a philosopher as well as a
statesman, to foresee how, out of the simple elements of a
feir representative government, order might grow out of
chaos, and a people guide themselves, evenly and calmly,
without the check of any controlling power, other than
that administered by the collision of their own interests
balanced against each other.
To these leading statesmen, whose public services had
been such as to insure the respect, and consequently the
voices of their fellow citizens, even while their opinions
were understood to be in some things at variance with
those of the majority, a party gradually attached them-
selves, by no means inconsiderable in numbers, and pos-
sessing the influence of superior wealth. This influence,
however, was more apparent than real, and probaUy e^
fected the ruin of the party which admitted its support.
The American revolution, though conducted with an
Digitized by
Google
ABfERICAN TORKS. 247
unanimity unexampled in the history of na^ons, was not
ivfaoUy without enemies, declared as well as secret. The
state of New- York, particularly, was encombered wiUi a
powerful band of Tories ; who, enjoying under the British
government high patronage, and places of trust and emo-
lument, and, in many cases, possessing hereditary pro-
perty, were little disposed to transfer their loyalty bom
George IIL to their fellow citizens, until circumstances
should render it necessaiy. These circumstances occur-
red ; and to make the best of a bad case, they forthwith
attached themselves to the existing powers, and ranging
themselves on the side of the new admimsiration, declai'ed
themselves sworn friends of the new constitution. This
reminds me of the game played in England, and indeed
of the game played by the Tories every where ; they are
at all times, and in all places, the exclusively loyal, and
their opposers, enemies, not to the measures of govern-
ment, but to government itself. The game here, however,
was innocent enough ; it was the rattling of the dice while
DO stake could be betted on the throw. In the ()uiet exer-
cise of their powers, the sovereign people set all things
to rights. The majority toiihout doors is here alwa}rs the
majority within. The democratic party gained the as-
cendant, and Mr. Jefferson, the framer of the declaration
of independence, the friend and disciple of Franklin, the
able statesman and warm patriot, the enlightened philo^
sopher, and generous friend of the human race, stood the
chief magistrate of the repubUc.
Mr. Jefferson affords a splendid elucidation of a remaiic
contained in my last letter, — that the hterary strength of
America is absorbed in the business of the state. In early
Mfe,^ we find this distinguished philosopher and elegant
scholar called from his library into the senate, and from
that moment engaged in the service, and finally charged
with the highest offices of the commonwealth. Had he
been bom in Europe, he would have added new treasures
I
Digitized by VjOOQIC
\
i
249 MR. JEFFBRSON AlTB MR. MADISON.
f to the store of scieaoei and bequeathed to posterity the
researches and ^norous conceptions of his well-stored
and original mind, not in hasty ^' notes," but in tomes eom*
piled at ease^ and framed with that nerve and classic sim-
plicity which mark the ^^ Declaration" of his country's
'' independence." Born in America,
" The post of honour is a public station ;"
to this tlierefore was he called *, and from it he retires,
covered with years and honours, to reflect upon a life well
spent, and on the happmess of a people whose prosperity
he did so much to pnxnote* The fruits of his wisdom are
jn the laws of his country, and that country itself will be
Us monument.
The elections which raised Mr. Jefferson to the chief
magistracy, brought with them a change both of men and
measures. The most rigA econcnny was carried into eve^
ly department of government ; some useless dfices wece
done away ; the slender army was farther reduced, obr
noxious acts, passed by tlie former congress, repealed,
and the American constitution administered in all its sim-
plicity and purity.
Of course so complete a revolution of parties could not
take jJace without some commotion ; the anger of the
fallen nnnority vented itself in a paper war -, some sound-
ed the tocsin to the religious, declaring the president a
deist 'y others, to the friends o( good government, declaring
him an anarchist. This truly wise statesman turned a
deaf ear to the clamour ; aware that a government, whose
every act is done in the light of day, whose members
dwell among their fellow citizens, in whose ears all their
words are spoken, and in whose sight all their measures
are conducted, has nothing to fear, save from its own mis-
conduct.
It is curious to see tlie governments of Europe encir-
cled with armed legions, and yet trembling at every squib
Digitized by
Google
MR. JEFFBBaOK AUD AfH* BfADlSON. 249
castiqpGOi tbem by ao unarmed mohihide, Mfhih that cf
Ameiica^ staadiag naked in the andstofaa armed natiic«%
coimts the broatfa of stander hke the whiqder of the wmdi
and seeks norther way of veAiting it thaaby steadity pur-
suing the path of duty, and consulting, in all its measure
the vital interests of the eommumty.
The policy of Mr. Jefiferson, and that of bis venerable
successor, Mr. Madison, was so truly enlightened and
magnanimous, as to ibrm an era in the hislory of thear
country. The violence of the felkn party vented itself in
the most scurrilous abuse that ever disgraced the free
press ot a free country 5 it did more, — it essayed even to
raise the standard of open rebellion to that government of
which it had professed itself the peculiar friend and stay*^
The former administration had had recourse to libel laws
and legal prosecution^ to repress the vehemence of poUti-
cal hostility ; but these chief magistrates, vnih a dignity
becoming their character and station, passed unheeded
every opprobrium cast upon them ; leaving it to the good
sense of the nation, whose unbought voices had {idiaced
Ibem at its head, to blunt the steel of calumny, and defeat
the madunations of disappointed politicians and ambitious
incendiaries. This policy was in the true spirit of the
American constitutic^i, and the result proved that it was
in the true spirit of philosophy and good sense.
The unrestrained clamours of the slender minority,
which waxed louder in pn^x>rtion as it waxed weaker,
betrayed the foreign enemy into a belief that the pillars of
the Union were shaken. If they were so, it undoubtedly
* Can any thing expose better the absurdity of party names than the hos-
tility of the Federalists to Mr. Madison, and the nation who declared him
its president ? Mr. Madison, who had beeo the chief asfiistant in the establish*
ipent of tjjc Federal constitution, who first moved for the convention which
digested it, and was himself one of the sages who laboured in its formation!
'lliiis is it in England ; the whigs, who procured the constitution of their
country, and whose whole efforts hare been put forth for Its protection, are
hrinided m its enemies.
31
^ f
Digitized by VjOOQIC
250 POLICY OF EUROPE.
took the best method of refiidng them in thair places,
when it oflfei'ed' assistance in the work of puliiog them
asunder* The foreign enemies of America have often done
more than her internal friends to school her into reason.
The obstinacy of one English ministry fcKrced her into in-
dependence ; the intrigues of another forced her into union ;
one taught her to look to her rights ; another to her in-
terests, and her wounded honour; both together have
made h^ a nation.
This republic has also been fortunate in having excited
the hostility of all the European governments generally.
Had France continued to favour her as steadily as Eng-
land to maltreat her, she might have admitted idle pre(&
lections into her councils, and perhaps have taken part
in the mad warfare that has so lately ceased to devastate
Europe from one end to the other.
The neutrality, so wisely maintained by Washington,
with the contending powers of Europe, had at first met
with a vehement opposition in every part of the Union.
France, Fayette, and Liberty, were names that spoke to
the heart of every American ; and had not the Gallican re-
public been so soon disgraced by crimes and follies, even the
influence of Washii>gton might have proved insufficient to
prevent his country from taking part with a people who
had so lately bled in their cause. The subsequent policy
of France rendered her nearly as obnoxious as her adver-
sary. Between the British orders in council and the
French imperial decrees, there was little to choose ; Ame-
rica was bandied to and fro, like a shuttlecock, between
the contending empires ; and if one struck less hard thaa
the other, it was not that her intentions were less hostile,
but that her hand was less vigorous.
There was, however, 8^n insult offered by one of the
parties which turned the balance against her yet more de-
cidedly than the forcible interruption of American trade.
It was the impressment of American seamen. In con*
Digitized by
Google
CAU8BS OF THB WAR. 251
stdering the Icmg fcMrbearance of this ^vermnent, we
searcely know whether to admire or to smile at it ; to adr
mire, if we look at its good &ith, its good cause, and its
just and firm arguments ; and to smile, if we consider these
as pleaded in European cabinets. May this rq)ubUc
never barter her simplicity for the cunning policy of older
states!
It were painful to review the circumstance which prty
voked the young America to throw down the gauntlet a
second time to the most powerful empire in the world.
When she did so, the 6dds seemed scarcely less against
her than when she first ranged herself under the standard
of Liberty ; if she had increased in strength, so had her
enemy: her progress, too, had been all-in the arts of
peace, while that of her enemy had been all in the
science of war. The veterans of the revolution slept with
their fathers, or were disabled by years ; an immense ter-
ritory, its former extent more than doubled, its coasts and
lines unfortified, and harbouring in its population some
secret enemies, and many lukewarm friends,* was sud-
denly laid open to the incursions of veteran troops, and
tribes of savage Indians, and the descent of fleets which
had hitherto ruled the ocean without a rival ; all that she
could oppose to these was an infent navy, whose bravery
and skill had been proved in a short but desperate conflict
with the pirates of the Mediterranean, a good cause, and
a good spirit ; "^ree trade and sailors^ rigkts.^^ It was a
war of defence, not of aggi-ession ; a war entered into by
a nation whose citizens had been torn fmm under their
flag, and that flag insulted on every sea and in every port.
The aggressions which roused the republic were such
as singularly to fire the spirit of her seamen. I have
the authority of many of her distinguished citizens for
* Daring the war, the liberality of the republic seemed to recoil upon her-
self; strangers, and, in some cases, naturalized citizens, received the ene
my's gold, and spied out the weakness of the land that sheltered them.
nigitized by
-v^.» y* t gaL« 4* u .
Google
258 ReG(7LATIONS OF THE
stetiog, that there was* scaroely a vessel m her navy
which did not contain one or nKH-e men who had escaped
to their coontry with infinite perils, after constrained ser-
vice of two, four, and even seven years' duration on board
British ships of war* To this union of personal, or profes-
sional, with national wrongs, I have commonly heard as-
cribed the superhuman bravery which animated their
crews.*
There are, however, other causes to be found in the re-
gulations of American vessels, alone sufficient to account
for the spirit of the navy. Not a nmn walks the decks
but with a free v«dll. The sailor's here is a voluntary en-
gagement, which binds him only for three years; and
which, in removing him firom the shores of his coun-
try^ does not remove him from the shield of its laws. On
board a United States' ship, no offender can be punished
at the mere option of a superior officer ; for small offences,
the sailor may be subjected to a slight punishment by the
watch present at the time of the offence ; for greater mis-
demeanors, he cannot be so much as tried on board the
vessel in which they are committed ; his trial must stand
over until an impartial court can be found, either in the
United States' territories, or a United States' ship. His
commander can then only put him upon trial, and his
companions become witnesses for or against Mm. It re-
quires little acquaintance with our nature to see how the
exemption from arbitrary law and corporal punishments,
which, in this country, are in no case allowed, whethei' in
the army, navy, or elsewhere, must tend to elevate the
character. Assertion, which so often usurps the place of
* A friend of the author's saw, not louj^ since, the American Scsvola in
his own country, who, after Ihe declaration of w^r on the part of the republic^
struck off his bond with a hatchet, and presented it to the British commaBder,
into whose Tetsel he had been pressed some months before, told htm, that,
if that was detmed insufficient to disable him from the service of his country's
enemies, and to purchase his liberty, he had n hand ttill to efrikB off afbcl.
Digitized by
Google
AiVllSHtCAN KAVy. 253
argument) tells us in Europe, that brutal coercion is n^
cessaiy to produce naval discipline. Thft navy of Ame-
rica affords to this a simple confutation. A case of mo-
tiny in it is unknown, desertion as little. The ships evince
the perfection of cleanliness, discipline, actirity, and
valour. Their crews, it is true, are formed of a higher class
than are found in the vessels of any other nation ; men df
decent parentage and education, free and proud citizens
of a country, at who^ expense, if poor, they have been
taught to read her history and understand her laws, with
all the rights that these impart to them. These crews,
also, are furnished by volunteers from merchantmen placed
under regulations unknown, I believe, to the merchant-
men of any other nation, and which afford an easy ex-
planation of that intelligence,* dexterity, and good order,
which astonish all foreigners who tread, for the first time,
the deck of an American trader.
Before a vessel can clear out of port, a list is taken by
certain officers, salaried for the purpose, of every living
creature on board of her, passengers and men. The name,
age, &c. of the latter are preserved, and the captahi is
held responsible for every life thus registered. However
long the vessel may be absent, at whatever country or
countries she may touch, her captain is bound for the sup-
port of his men on sea and land, and, on his return, must
either produce them, or bring with him vouchers, attested
by the American consul, stationed in the foreign port to
which he has traded, that those not produced are dead or
absent by their own will. Should the captain break his
engagements, or treat any man with capricious severity,
he can be placed on trial by the aggrieved party, in the
first American port the vessel enters ; all those on board
of the vessel, being summoned as witnesses.* These re-
* AmoDg the minor regidations are those which provide the quantity aod
fnality of the ship stores, and agiportioo the rations of the men. The captain
Digitized by
Google
254 REGULATIONS OP THE
gulations, enforced with the utmost strictness, place the
men, as it were, under the tutelage of the captain, obli-
ging him, at the same time, to be a fair and gentle guar-
dian. While in foreign ports, an American captain
hedges in his crew like a schoolmaster entmsted with the
charge of other men's children ; well knowing, that if any
secret mischief should befall them, the republic will not
rest satisfied, unless it be made apparent how and when
it occurred.* In this manner, an unusual security is given
U farther required to have on botrd a box of approved medicines > aod to tm-
derstand, in ordinary casesj to administer them.
* An American captain, well known to the author as a man of sing;ular
intelligence, integrity, and humanity, once lost, off the shores of Lima, his
black cook, who suddenly fell down dead while handing to his master a cup
of coffee when alone writing in the cabin. A young sailor-boy, who had en-
tered with the cook, and then passed into an adjoining cabin, heard the fall,
and ran to the spot, at the call of his master. The latter summoning his men,
after trying, in vain, all the remedies that occurred to him, noted the death
on the log-book^ with a dear statement of the manner in which it bad occur-
red, giving the same statement to his men, corroborated, so far as was possi-
ble, by the testimony of the boy. There was, at the time, no trade between
the republic and Lima, and the vessel in question had only put in to naler
There being, therefore, no consul to appeal to, the captain, vi-ith some trou-
ble and expense, procured and brought on board a Spanish doctor. Showing
him the dead, the American requested him, in the best Spanish he coidd com-
mand, (a language he had learned in his youth, during a short residence in
South America,) to open the body, and note down in the log-book, in the pre-
sence of the ship's crew, of what the negro had died. Sangrado stared,
shook his head, and gravely pronounced, that the body before him was dead.
No explanations or entreaties could draw forth any other answer. Had the
Spaniard possessed more surgfery and penmanship, it is doubtful whether he
could have been made to understand the case before him, or brought to com-
ply with the requisitions. As it was, he ran away. The captain then had
recourse to a convent of priests, and, by a bribe of fifty dollars, got them
to bury his cook, after the Romish fashion, in his presence, and to attest, in
writing, that they had done so. Returning to New-York, he stated the mat-
ter, and produced his log-book, and attestations of the Spanish priests. But,
though a known and respected citixen, with good connections in the city, his
word was not taken as sufficient. All the ship's crew were examined sepa-
rately, And the depositions compared with each other, before the captain was
absolved. The captain, in conversation with the author, gave her part of
Ibit ttopy to elucidate the ignorance of tl^e old Spaniards in South America ;
Digitized by
Google
MIIERICAN MERCHANTMEN. 255
for the lives and morals of the sailor, and a dignity im-
parted to the profession which often allures the sons of the
most respectable citizens to serve before the mast. It is
not uncommon even for naval officers to make their first
apprenticeship as sailor-boys in merchantmen ; and, from
what I have stated, you will perceive, that this may here
be done without degradation.
This discipline, practised on board the merchantmen,
and not, as was supposed in England, the desertion of
British sailors, was the magic spell which called into be-
ing the spirited navy of the repubUc. A British deserter
was never (knowingly at least) employed throughout the
war. It was absolutely forbidden by law, as well from
motives of humanity, as to avoid disputes with the enemy.
An anecdote occurs to me which well evinces the strict,
and even fastidious regard that was had to this rule.
The frigate President (Commodore Decatur) bad re-
received damage in clearing out of port, and was in a
leaking state, when she captured one of the enemy's
squadron. The capture was left a wreck, and the pri-
soners taken on board the President not in a much better
condition. The enemy's squadron in pursuit, and the
ship foundering, one of two evils was in the option of the
Americans ; of coui*se they preferred the drowning, and
determined to make what sail they could for thtiir coun*
try ; it seemed hard, however, to condemn those whose
honour was not engaged in the affair to drown with them;
delay was dangerous, but British ground not being far off,
the commodore determined first to make for it, and put
out the prisoners.
There chanced among the strangers to be an Irishman,
a thorough Paddy in every thing. Captain Rodgers, the
sailing-master, hearing a noise before the mast, went to
inquire into the cause, and found the Irishman drunk, and
but| as it struck ber as curiom on other accounts, she drew from him the par*
tknlars here given.
nigitized by
Google
256 ANECVOTK.
quanrelling with his companioos. The captain took him
by the shoulders, and locked him up below. An hour or
two afterwards, he went to seek his prisoner, and, finding
him sobered, restored him to hberty, warning him, in fu-
tiu^, to abstain from whiskey and swearing. The good
promises of Paddy were not put to a long trial. The
ship neared the shore of Nova Scotia, and the prisoners
were put off in the boats, with provisions, and directions
to make their way along the beach to a neighbouring
town. Captain Rodgers, perambulating the deck while
the boats were making for the land, descried a figure
shunning his eye, and dodging him behind the masts*^
" Why, Paddy!" cried the captain, " is that you ?" " Jy,
if it plase your honour, just to let me droum vnth you*^^
The captain explained, that this termination was more
inevitable tlian he was, perhaps, aware of, and ordered
him kindly into the return-boat. The Irishman was ob-
stinate -, if the ship was leaky, he argued, more need of
hands to work the pumps ; and if the enemy should overr
take them, still the more hands the better ; and, as for
himself, he pledged his word to fight Uke the devil. " Yes,
and then be hanged to the yard-arm, Paddy, when you're
taken prisoner ; no, my good fellow, you must e'en to the
»hore." He was forced by the men into the boat; afew
minutes afterwards, a shout from the water attracted the
attention of the captain. Paddy was in the sea, swim-
ming back to the ship, and the boat rowing after him. —
" My heart never so smote me in my life," said Captain
Rodgers, when he told me the story, " as it did when I
refused him admittance, and saw him forcibly carried to
the shore ; I, for one, wouW have let him drown with us ;
but the enemy was in our rear, his tongue would have
declared him a deserter, and at any rate we should have
broken through our laws."*
* The President wag oTertaken by the squadrcui and captured. It is pro-
bable that this must have happened at all events ; but the |;enerosity of the
chivalrous Decatur, in landing: his prisoners} ensured the catastroph«>.
Digitized by
Google
DEFENCE OP THE REPUBLIC. 257
To return from these digressions. A vii^orous navy
was soon formed ; an army was not so easy. The first
difficulty was the sudden defalcation of the revenue,
which^ for many years past, had been wholly dependent
upoQ a prosperous commerce. Internal taxation is sel-
dom popular any where, but least of all in a democracy ;
and here its rulers appear to have been unwilling to have
bad recourse to measures which might have checl^ed the
enthusiasm of the nation. They have been blamed for
this, but, perhaps, unwisely. In considering the consti-
tuent elements of this singular republic, one is led to
think, that there was more foredght than rashness in
leaving her to rouse herself pretty much after her own
manner.
When hostilities commenced, the American navy com-
prised ten fingates and a hundred and odd gunboats, and
the army thirty-tive thousand men, hastily organized, and
officered, with few exceptions, by men knowing about as
much of military science as those they were appointed to
command. It was natural, that careless observers should
smile or tremble, according to their humour, at such an
outset. But those acquainted with the character and
faidd^i resources of the republic, could well foresee bow
one would draw forth the other. A few months, and the
trees of her forests floated on the ocean, manned with
hearts of flame worthy of their cause and their English
ancestry. The exertion3 of the great maritime cities, as
well as of individuals, greatly assisted those of the go-
vernment. As the war advanced, privateers, matchless
as sailers, and manned with spirited citizens, who forsook
their usual occupations and civic professions, swarmed
in every sea. These privateers, though private property,
were ranked in the national navy, and placed under the
same regulations.
In the land service, the people had to serve a longer
apprenticeship. - To fill the ran^s of a regular array wa^;
35
nigitized by
Google
258 BOW COxNDUCTED BY THE PEOPLE.
found impracticable. .Altliough the citizen was asked
only to enlist for two years, and this with high pay, it was
scarcely possible to fill up a regiment. Volunteers were
to be had in multitudes, and militia was ready every
where ; but to fight for hire is here held in a contempt and
abhorrence, which no inducements can vanquish. The
government doubled the pay — still with no better suc-
cess. It was necessary, therefore, to trust the defence of
the country pretty much to the citizens themselves. They
conducted it, as might be expected, with a great deal of
folly, a great deal of rashness, and a great deal of he-
roism.
A raw militia makes a curious army ; — sometimes
brave to desperation, sometimes cowardly as a flock of
geese, and in both cases wilful as a troop of schoolboys-
It is impossible to help smiling at some of the occurren
ces in the fii*st campaign. An unpleasing order from the
general, a popular officer superseded in the command, a
march of unusual fatigue, and — every man to his tents.
Ok Israel! At one time we find the general going one
way, and the troops, or more properly the multitude, ab- '
solutely going the other. Orders, entreaties -^ all alike
in vain ; the horsemen wheeling right-about in the wilder-
ness, and trotting away home, with their angry officer, no
longer at their head, but their heels, bringing up the rear.*
At another time, we find troops and general at a sudden
stand for want of the common munitions of war ; their
swords and pistols being still in Philadelphia, while they
themselves were at the northern frontier.
But with all this deficiency of discipline, conduct and
skill, even the first opening of the war, aflfords instances
of spirited and successful bravery. Indeed the fault
usually lay more in want of skill, than want of valour ;
* During a harauiog warfare with the ludians, in the Indiana and Illinois
wilderness, General Harrison could presume no farther than to make jwopo-
ntiont to his Kentucky rolunteers ; and closed the ezpeditkm with a polite
request, that he might be permitted to dictate their course to them jvMt for
muday.
Digitized by
Google
SPIRIT OF THE WEST. 259
and it is truly wonderfiil to consider, how rapicHy the
high-spirited and wilful multitude were tamed, or rather
tamed themselves into subordination.
Throughout the contest, the young states of the west
furnished the most generous as»stance to the confedera-
cy. Nursed under the wings of republican Uberty, re-
moved from the luxuries of cities, and exposed to conti-
nual harass from their savage neighbours, the aborigines,
their character is very peculiarly marked for ardour, dis-
interested patriotism, determined courage, and a certain ^
chivalrous spirit of enterprise and generosity, which per-
haps has not its equal on the globe. The indignities of-
fered to the nation had roused the pride of this people for
some years previous to the declaration of war. Kentucky
particularly had organized ten regiments of volunteers,
comprising upwards of five thousand men, and at the first
opening of hostilities, the enthusiasm of this common*
wealth was wrought so high, that the authority of the exe-
cutive seemed necessary to prevent the whole male po-
pulation of the state from turning out as soldiers. The
women shared the patriotism of the men, vying with each
other in repressing their tears, and actually buckling on
the swords and cartridges, and arming the hands of their
sons and husbands. The neighbouring state of Ohio, the
in&nt territory (now state) of Indiana, and indeed the
whole western region, was animated with the same spirit.
To the more organized regiments, furnished by these
states, the wanderers of the frontier joined themselves al-
most to a man. Trained from thehr infancy to the use of
the rifle, and all the perils of a hunter's life ; — marksmen
who, in hitting a bird on the wing, can say with the ad-
venturous bowman to Philip of Macedon, To the right
tye ; horsemen who can ride imtired through swamp and
forest, swimming rivers and leaping bogs, like the old^
moss-troopers of the Scotch borders ; the inhabitants of
the western frontier were peculiarly fitted to carry tbrou^
Digitized by
Google
260 ARMY OF THE WEST.
with spirit the harassing war with which their country was
tlireatened.
To the west of the Alleghanies, to draft the militia
had been a work of supererogation; all the demands
of the republic were answered, and more than answer-
ed by volunteers. In fearlessness and enterprise this
army of patriots was unrivalled, but discipline was only
to be learned in the school of adversity. It is doubt-
ful indeed, whether they ever completely acquired it, in
the sense imderstood by military men. It was rather a
sympathy of feeling than submission to authority, that pro-
duced concert of action ; it was enthusiasm supplying the
place of skill ; or intuitive genius that of experience. We
find a handful of youths, whose leader had numbered but
twenty years, putting to flight a band of veteran troops
and practised Indian warriors, flushed with victory, and
tenfold the number of their stripling adversaries. But
they had pledged their lives to redeem the honour of the
republic, tarnished in the preceding campaign ; and more-
over to avenge the death of their fiiends and relatives,
slaughtered by the savage alUes of their opponents.* It
is worthy of notice^ that the employment of Indians in the
* This youDg hero, tio less dbtingoished for his tender huroaDity than hig
nunantic valour, had been entrusted ^ith the defence of a fort, conunaoding^
one of the rivers that fall into lake Erie. Hk general, receiving intimation
that a strong party of the enemy was about to invest it, despatched orders to
the little garrison to destroy the works, and make good a retreat. Young
Croghan, knowing the importance of the post he occupied, and, recalling
with his companions their sacred engagement, determined to disobey ordax,
and wait the enemy. A more desperate stand was, perhaps, never made.
The solemn obligation which bound these devoted youths, and the steady
composure with which they took thehr measures, preserves them from the
charge of rashness. Provided as they were with no other weapons than
their muskets and one piece of ordnance, and surroondad on all sides by
gunboats, veteran soldiers, and yelling savages, their victory seems little less
than miraculous ; it was, however, complete ; and led the way in that train
of successes which followed on the western and northern fVontier endbg In
the battle of Plattsburgh.
Digitized by
Google
SPIRIT OF THE SOUTH, CENTRE, AND EAST. 261
•
Britisb service has always had a different effect from that
intended. It does not strike terror, hot rather wbe^ the
valour of those opposed to such relentless adversaries.
After the massacre at the river Raisin, noticed in a fir-
mer letter, the tide of victory turned in ftivour of the Ame-
ricans.
The sfini of the' southern and middle states was little
less ardent than that of the ivest ; but had it been other-
wise, the descents made on their shores by the enemies^
ships, the sack of villages, which, scattered alcmg a coast
of two thousand miles extent, it was often impossible to
guard, and finally the burning of the infant capital,- had
been sufficient to rouse the energy displayed at Baltimore
and New-Orleans. ^
However mortifying at the moment, the coaflagration
of the seat of government was, perhaps, productive erf"
more' lasting benefit to the republic than any one of its
most splendid victories. There was one quarter of this
great confederacy which had hitherto exhibited a lamenta-
ble deficiency of patriotism.
The conduct of some of the New-England states at the
opening of the contest, is not very easy to explain. That
Massachusetts, who thirty years before had led the van
in the army of patriots, whose cause too it was that her
sister states so generously advocated, that she should
suddenly so forget her former self, as to stand by, a sullen
spectator of a conflict which involved the honour and na-
tional existence of the great republic, of which till now
she had formed so distinguished a member, seems at once
the most extraordinary and lamentable dereliction (^prin-
ciple to be found in the annals of nations ! She appears to
have been made the dupe of a party whose name, until
this time, had been respected even by the nation from
whom it stood aloof, and then to have been angiy because
others saw tUs, and laughed at her cullil»lity.
Among the first Federals, there were men no less i^
L^.
Digitized by
Google
262 EFFECTS OE THE WAR.
m
spectable for their virtues than tbefar talents ; but these
had graduall}^ fallen off Horn the minority, to mingle
themselves with the bulk of the nation, leaving only the
old tories and some disappointed politicians, to disgrace a
title which patriots had worn, and under its specious mask
to attempt the ruin of their country. In this, fortimately,
they failed ; but may the lesson prove a warning not to
Massachusetts only, but to each and all of these confede-
rated states !
I have already had occasion to observe upon the change
wrought by the last war in the condition of the republic ;
it not only settled its place among the nations, but ce-
mented its internal union ; even those who from party ill
humour, had refiised their concurrence with the measures
of government, and their sympathy in the feelings of their
fellow citizens, were gradually warmed by the enthusiasm
that surrounded them, or by the pressure of common dan-
ger forced to make common cause. At the close of the
contest, one general feeling pervaded the whole great
Union. The name of a party once respectable, but now
disgraced by itself, became universally odious ; and its
members, to rise from the contempt into which they had
fallen, found it advisable to declare their own conversion
to the principles of popular government and federal union.
It may now be said, that the party once misnamed Fe-
deral has ceased to exist. There is indeed a difierence
of political character, or, what will express it better, a va-
rying intensity of republican feeling discernible in the dif-
ferent component parts of this great Union ; but all are
now equally devoted to the national institutions, and in
all difference of opinion, admit the necessity of the mi-
nority yielding to the majcmty. And, what is yet more
important, these differences of opinion do not hinge upon
the merits or demerits of foreign nations, French or Eng-
lish, Dutch or Portuguese. The wish of your venerable
friend is now realized ; — his countrymen are Americans.
DiSi'hzed by Google
EXTINCTION OF PARTY. 263
Genet may now make the tour of the states, and Hemy
of New-England, with infinite safety to the peace of their
<Htizens ; and even Massachusetts herself would now blush
at the name of the Hartford Conven^on.*
* Genet is, or was at least when the Author was last in Albany, a peace-
able and obscure citizen of the state of New-Tork. It is curioos in a demo-
cracy, to see how soon the fhctious sink into insignificance. Aaron Burr was
pointed out to me in the Mayor's court at New-Tork, an old man whom none
east an eye upon except an idle stranger. In Europe, the bustling dema-
gogue is sent to prison, or to the scaffold, and nietamorphosed into a martyr ;
in America, he is leA to walk at large, and soon no one thinks about him.
Digitized by
Google
264
LETTER XX.
UNANIMITY OF SENTIMENT THROUGHOUT THE NATION.
NATIONAL CIOVEBNMENT. FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.
New-York, January, 1820.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
There is at present no appearance of anjr regular and
standing minority in the nation, or consequently in the
house of congress ; it is no longer a dispute how the na-
tion is to be governed ; the sovereignty is avovv^edly and
practically with the people, who have agreed to exercise
that sovereignty in no other way than by representatives,
bound to obey the instructions of their electors. If they
do not obey their instructions, they are thrown aside and
others put in tlieir place. An opposition on the part of
the governors to the governed, would here only be ab-
surd 5 they are the servants of the people, not their mas-
ters ; vested with just as much power as their employers
see good to charge them with, and constrained to exer-
cise that power, not after their own fancy, but after that
of the nation.*
* The representative will, of course; sometimes find a struggle within him
between his own conviction and the expressed wishes of his electors, and
sometimes conscientiously abide bj the former. I remember the case of a
distinguished member from the west of FenntylTania, (Mr. Baldwin,) who-
onoe TOted in decided opposition to his received instructions. At his return
liome, he was summoned to give an explanation or apology, under risk of
bemg thrown out. The member replied, that, at the time of his vote, be had
expressed his regret that his opinion differed from that of his electors ; but
Digitized
btQoogle
l^he governmrat erf" the United States ba^ bfeto deno^
ttuoated weak ; but that only by those who are accuse
t<Mned to consider a government as arrayed against a
people. It is quite aqpther thing here ; the government
acts with the people ; is part of the people ; is in short
the people themselves. It is easy to see, that such a gp^
vemment must be the strongest in the world for all the
purposes for which governments are ostensibly organized^
The advocates of arbitrary power tell us that men are
bad, and therefore unfit to govern themselves ; but if they
are bad, it is clear that they are still wore unfit to govern
each other. When rulers are gifted with the perfecticm
of goodness and infallibiUty of judgment, it may be ra-
tional to leave the interests of men at their merby. H&e
it is su(qx)sed that rulers are swayed by all the vulgar pas^
sions of humanity ; care is therefore taken to bridle them,
or rather it is contrived, that they shall be made to woric
for the advantage instead of the mischief of the commu-
nity. If a man be ambitious, he can only rise to import-
ance by advocating the interests of others ; the moment
that he ostensibly opposes his own td those of his k\lqW
citizens, he must throw up the game.
It is not very apparent that public virtue is peculiarly
requisite for the preservation of political equality ; envy
might suffice for this ; You shall not be greater than L
Political equality is, perhaps,- yet more indispensable to
preserve public virtue, than public virtue to preserve it ;
that he should be unwoitby of thcf dtstfaiguiiM oil^ he held, aad of th«
public confidence which he had for to many jears enjoyed* if he could afKH
logise for haTing voted according to the decision of his judgment; that his
fellow citizens were perfectly right to transfer their voices to the man who
might more thoroughly agree with them m ^tatiment than in this case he-had
done ', that tor himself, he could only promise to consider erery question
attentively and candidly, to weigh duly the wishes of his constituents, but
never to vote in decided q>position to his own opinion. Uk fellow citizens
received his declaration with itpplause, and, as his whole political life had beeri
in unison v^ith their setftiments, they took this one instance of diisent sfi m
additional proof of his iategrity, and nnanlmoiisly re-elected bin.
36
Digitized by
Google
266 NATIONAL GOVERNAAENT.
wherever an exclusive principle is admitted, baleAil pas-
sions are excited ; divide a community into classes, and
insolence is entailed upon the higher, servility or envy,
and often both united, upon Uie lower.
In all other republics, ancient or modem, there has
been a leaven of aristocracy. America fortunately had,
in her first youth, virtue sidficient to repel the introduc-
tion of hereditary honours. This was virtue as well
as knowledge, when she had to resist not only the exam*
pie of all the nations of the earth, but the persuasions,
and even the authority of her acknowledged sovereigns.
Had she received this taint in her infancy, it is probable
that no subsequent exertions could have, wiped it away ;
her republics would at this moment have been provinces
of the British eoipire, or if not this, her citizens would
have been cab^Ung among themselves like the patricians
and plebeians of ancient Rome, or those of more modern
Florence.*
^^Le gravi e naturali inimizie che sono tra gU^ uomini
popolari e nobiU, causate dal voler questi comandare, e
quelli non ubbidire, sono cagioni di tutti i mali che nasco-
no nelle citta." If the disturbances of the Florentine re-
public warranted this assertion of its philosophic historian,
the peace of the American repubUc tends to confirm it.
Liberty is here secure, because it is equally the portion of
all. The state is Uable to no convulsions, because there
is nowhere any usurpations to maintain, while every in-
dividual has an equal sovereignty to lose.f No king will
* The Stuart kings were peculiarly anxious to break down the democratic
spirit of New'Englandy hy the creation of a nobility ', temptations were held
out to the wealthier proprietors by the royal govemors, to assume to them-
selves the style of Barons. The grants of land in tail mo/e, frequent in the
southern colonies, and in New-York, had probably the same end in view.
These hereditary proprietors were the .Tories of the revolution ', amon^
them, of course, there were signal and magnanimous exceptions.
i A grievous exception to this rule b found m the black slavery of the com-
monwealths of the south. May the wisdom of the masters preserve ihem
Digitized by
Google
, NATIONAL GOVERNMENT* 26t
voluntarily lay down his sceptre, and in a democracy aH
men are kings.
It is singular to look round upon a country where the
dreams of sages, smiled at as Utopian, seem distbctly
realized ; a people voluntarily submitting to I&ws of their
own imposing, with arms in their hands respecting the
voice of a government which their breath created, and
which their breath could in a moment destroy! There is
something truly grand in this moral restraint, freely im-
posed by a community on itself.
I do not wonder that Europeans refuse credence to those
who report truly of the condition of these commonwealths*
That a najtion of independent sovereigns should be a na-
tion of all others the most orderly, and the most united,
may well pass the understandings of men accustomed to
the rule of the sword. It may he questioned, whether
the institutions of America could with propriety be trans-
planted to Europe. The attempt failed in France, and
the same causes may produce the same failure elsewhere ;
but surely it is propc^ed to force the same attempt else-
where. I laid down my pen to look through a file of Lon-
don papers. I need not say with what feelmg? I threw
them aside, when I state that their columns record the
history of the sixteenth of August. The English peo-
ple trampled and cut down by a soUiery! SaviUe, Whit-
iM-ead, and Romilly, are well in their graves.
Back a government with an army, and the liberties left
with a people are no longer held of right, but held as a
matter of grace and favour. Here this is not only under-
stood in theory, but in practice. The people keep the
sword in their own hands, and leave their rulers without
from fh9X " rerolution of the wheel of fortone" coDtemplated by their rene-
rable philanthropist Mr. Jefferson, as <* among^ pos8fi>le events/' or " proba-
ble by supematnral interference !" The heart of the by-stander will ac-
knowledgt with him, that ** the Almighty has no attribute that can take side
with them in such a contest."
Digitized
brGoogle
268 ARTICLES OF CQNnSDERATION. .
apy i they are thus the guardians of tb^ own rigbtSi and
the enforcers of ti^m owp laws.*
I suppose you tolerably familiar with the constitution
of the United States, and * * * * also, though he seems
somewhat to miscalculate the strength of the bond it im-
poses upon the ynion. TTie JifticUs of Ccnfederation,
hastily adopted at the revolution, did in truth only act
upon ti^e States^ not upon individuals. Under those, the
general congress (which then consisted pf only one house)
could neither raise men nor levy taxes bqt through the
medium of the legislatures of the different republics. The
people of eaph st^te regulated their trade by their own
government instea4 of that of the united confederacy ; coir
lected their quota of the army or the revenue in what^
ever manner they thought proper, and pronounced even
upon the pippriety of the quota demanded. This was
productive of much confusion in time of war, and yet more
m time of peace. When the Federal Constitution super*}
seded tliese articles, the peq[>le parted with no new
powers, biut transferred some of those, before delegated to
their representatives in their own houses of a^sembly, to
their representatives m the general congress.
The general government was now without appeal, and
was exercised, not upon the legislatures of the different
states, but upon the people themselves, who were then
first gathered into one great family, legislating in congress
without regard to their sectional posiUon, at the same time
|liat the lan4n)arks of their different republics remained
* There was once (I do not recollect the time) an attempt of the felons in
the FhUadelpbia gaol to break prison. They had succeeded in gaininf^ the
outer coprt befqre the al^m was giv^^ The cituiens of the neighbourhood
seised their muskets, and ran to the spot ; some dezteroosly gained the top
of the wall, sOnroundiqg the oofirt in which the conspirator^ w^fe at yn^ Fith
th^ gaolers ai^d their prison gates. The muskets poinded at their lives, of
course the first sumn^ons produd^ prder, and sent back the obstreperous con-
Ticts to their cells. Are not such chisens as ^^ood kf^^fn of th^ peace as ^
troop of horse ?
Digitized by
Google
ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION. 269
luimo^. The central or naticmal government regulates
commerce, imposes and levies taxes, coins money, esta^^
blishes post-offices, and post-roads, declares war, may
raise armies, maintain a navy, call forth the militia, direct
its disciphne, and exercise authority over it when called
into the service of the United States. Its powers in short
extend to all matfers connected with the common de-
fence and general welfare of the confederacy ; and these
powers being clearly defined, it may make laws necessary
and proper for rendering them effective. For the just ad-
ministration of these powers, it is directly responsible to
the people, so that while it is incalculably stronger than it
was formerly, it may be said in some ways also to be
weaken The articles of confederation seemed to leave a
possibility to the govaimient assembled under them, of
exerting undue •influence over the nation through the le-
gislatures of the different states. It b now possessed
singly oi direct power ; to exert influence is impracti-
cable.
The two houses of legislature in which these great
powers are vested, represent, in one, the population of the
whole Union ; in the other, the different republics into
which the Union is divided. Perhaps the hall of the re-
presentatives may be said to speak the feelings of the na-
tion, and the senate to balance the local interests of the
different sections of its vast territory ; a member in the
f(Hrmer house represents forty thousand souls, two members
in the latter represent a state, whatever be its aze or
population ; it follows therefore, that no law can be enact-
ed without a majority of the states, as well as of the peo^
pie, which must always secure a very large majority of
the nation to every measure. In a country where the
people govern themselves, this is highly important.
But this representation of the people by their local po-
sition'as well as their number, has yet other salutary effects.
It balances duly the different interests into which all civi-
Digitized by
Google
270 MODE OF REPRESENTATION.
lized communities must more or less be divided ; but wlncfa,
in a territory so vast as that of America, may perhaps be
arranged more geographically, if I may use the expression,
than can be the case in less extensive countries. The
western states, fast growing in wealth and strength, will
soon have an exclusive and powerful interest to support
in agriculture and manufactures. Should the sum of
theu- population outweigh that of the Atlantic ^ates, the
commercial interest might be overlooked in^ the national
assembly ; and at present the population of these states,
exceeding that of the younger section of the Union, its in-
terests might be forgotten, so as to generate ill will in those
rising repubUcs. The mode of representation adopted
in the senate, seems to obviate this danger ; and the ad«
vantage resulting from it will probably be more and nuwre
apparent, according as the inland states become more
and more vigorous.
Perhaps the English and the Anglo-Americans are the
only nations who know how to draw an accurate line be-
tween the legislative, executive, and judicial departments
of government. In the former, the distfaietions are tho-
roughly understood; in the latter, perfectly reduced to
practice. In England, the legislative and executive
are nominally separate, but actually conjoined, when a
majority of the house of le^ature b within purchase of
the crown, and the calwet ministers have a direct voice
upon every question in debate. Here, not only is the
president himself positively excluded from both houses of
congress, but every person holding an office, or in any
manner employed under the authority of the government*^
* The president of the United States b oeTer seen within the waOs of the
capitol, except on the day of his inaugoratioo. Should he erer be present at any
debate, it could only be at a cttieen among the audience ; but even this would
be considered an impropriety, and of course nerer occurs. I do not remem-
ber to have been questioned by any individual, since my return to Eng^Iand,
upon the subject of the American constitution^ and officers of gpvemment}
who has not confounded tht prtsideat of the United States with the president
Digiij^ed by
Google
ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT. 271
I had 4)Ccaaion to d)serve in a former letter, that this disk
tiDctioD between the different departments of government
is equally preserved by the constitutions of the state, as
by that of the United States ; '^ to the end^'^^ ^ it is ex-
{oessed in the Massachusetts^ declaration of rights, '^ that
it may be a government oflamsy and not ofmen^'^
The election of president is managed with some inge-
nuity, so as to unite the two modes of representation found
IB the senate and the representatives. It was necessary
to guard, first against the too fpreat influence of a state
more populous tlian her ndghbours, who might have com-
manded the choice of the chief magistrate, had his nomi*
nation been left solely to the mass of the population with-
out regard to its position ; and secondly, against a junction
of states more peculiarly united by interests, or near neigh-
bourhood \ which might have enabled one portion of the
Union to command an equally unfair advantage, were the
point decided by the vote of the states. How iar the union
of these two modes of representation is effected, or how
far it is possible to e£kctit, I am not adequate to| judge.^
The powers of the President are great, but are always
under the check of the legislature* He appoints ambas-
sadors, consuls, judges of the supreme court, and other of-
ficers of the United States ; but this cmly with the aj^ro-
df the Mnate. This has sometimes recalled to me the mistake of a well
kDontn poHtieal economist in London^ who (as I was told in Washington^)
•Doe addressed a letter, apparently intended for Mr. Madison, To the Prui'
iifU of Cimgntt. I understand that a similar error is to be found in a
published work of Mr. Jeremy Bentham.
* Some amendments in the presidential elections hare been made by sub-
se<|uent coBTentfoas since the first estidblishment of the Federal Con8titu|^n,
but directed (I believe aolefy) to enforce the necessity of roting distbictly for
a vice-president as well as a president. The inferior office fell originally to
the second candidate on the list. Upon one occasion the votes being equal,
it was thought proper to avoid all confusion in future, by specifying the per-
son voted lor as vice-president from the person voted for as president.
Some more important amendments have lately been proposed, and I be-
lieve submitted to the people.
Digitized by
Google
372 POWERS OF THE PBESlBfilfT.
bation of the senate, unless both houses of congress dntt
see good, in tunes which may demand peculiar deq^atch
and decision, to vest him with discreticmary power. He
can make treaties, but only with the advice smd concur-
rence of two-thirds of the senate. His signature renders
valid an act of the legislature ; but, if refused, a major^
of two-thirds of both Houses gives to it the effect of a law
without his concurrence. He piay convene the congress
dunng its adjournment, upon extraordinary emergencies,
but cannot disperse it any time : only, should the two
houses dispute as to the time of adjoumijdent, he is the
arbiter between them. He is commander in chief of the
army and navy, and of the militia, when called into the
service of the nation by law of congress ; in which case
the authority of the President supersedes that of the go-
vernors of the different states, who are commanders in
chief of their militia.
The powers lodged with the President have been by
some judged too great, and by some too little ; but at pre-
sent, I believe, few think them either one or the other. A
chief magistrate, whose reign is only for four years, and
who stands liable to impeachment for malversation, might,
perhaps, be trusted with the gift of pubUc ofiices held oiily
upon ^)od behaviour, without mudi risk of the preroga-
tive being abused. By making his will, however, subser-
vient to a branch of the legislature, a double security is
given for the impartiality of appointments, much petty
wrangling for public offices prevented, and the President
relieved from painful responsibility.
The judicial power of the United States is vested in
a supreme court held at Washington. This court of law
is, perhaps, not the least beautiful contrivance in the sin-
gular frame of this government. It holds together the links
of the federal union, keeps the peace between republic
and republic, and again between all these different com-
ponent parts, and the great centre to which they are all
Digitized by
Google
nAnemkh o&nMxumi*p. 273
hoilttd. It setdes dll oontroverstes betwera tbe difiiaretit
states, or between the -citizeiis of one state and the go-
Yernn^nt or citizens of aooth^ ; also all controversies
betwe<m mdividtmlB and the general government, and be-
tweea the citizens of the United States, and ^^ foreign
states, citizens, or subjects.'' In fine, its powers ^ex-
tend to all cases in law and equity" ^arising under the
federal constitution, or the laws passed by the govern-
ment acting under that cpnstitution ; to all treaties made
by the national government ; ^' to all cases of admiralty
and maritime jurisdiction ;'' and ^' to all cases afifecting
ambassadors, other public ministers and consuk."
We find, in the j^ritings and speeches of some of the
early federal statesmen, fi^uent parallel drawn between
the American and the English govemmient. The paral-
lels are necessarily very loose. What the one is in prac-
tice, the other is partly in theory, and here ends the com-
parison. The Constitution of the United States, is formed
upon the model of those of the different states of whidi
the United Stat^ is composed, but furnishes its adminis-
trators with other and more extended powers ; not clashr
ing with or superseding those exerci^ by the state go-
vernments, but directed to different ends/ Like the mo-
tions of the planetary system, each republic revolves upon
her ov^ axis, but moves in unkon with the oth^s ; exert-
ing her own centrkhgal force, and yielding to the power
which holds her in the magic circle of the confederacy .^
The singular positbn of this government as the centre
of a mass of republic!^ strengthening and multiplying every
lustre that rolls by, gives to it a character of its own, and
one as wonderful as it is grand. I cannot speak the effect
that its minute consideration produces on the mind : it is
such as the q;)ectator feels when be contemplates for the
first time a steam-engine of the great Watt ; its powers,
as simple as they are suUime, playing evenly, and noise-
lessly, and irresistibly i and then^ when the rojbid is startled
37
Digitized by
Google
274 NATiOVAL 00?ERZVMENT«
at the Cdmtiden^n of its enei^, aiKl the vast wcHrld w
4t regulates and pervades, comes the r^ectioo, that the
band (rf'tbe workman ban dieck it in a moment of time !
I must again direct your att^ntkni t6 that feature in
American government, which distinguishes it so peculiar-
ly from that of all other countries : it can neither add to
nor take away from its own powers, and yet it can always
be so moulded as to reflect ^ image of the public mind.
In Europe, a constitution is often a vague word : one says
it is this ; another says it is that ; and a third searches for
it, and declares it is nowhere. A constitution means some-
times ancient customs; sometimes ancient charters; scxne-
times the acts of government themselves, framed in ac-
cordance, or in open contradiction to those charters; some-
times it means things as they are, at another time things
as they were : every man talks of it, understands it in his
own manner, and perhaps can explain it in no manner at
all. Here the constitution is in the hands of all the peo-
ple : they give it to their representatives, and say. There
is your guide : we judge of its fitness to direct your proceed-
ings^ asujedo of your fitness to legislate by it : if upon trkU
you conceive it to be defective^ state your obfedums, and we
shall decide upon their reasonableness. The representative
here can neither alter the manner of his elation nor
enlarge his powers when elected. Tlie people do not
petition' for rights, but bestow authority upon their rulers:
experience shows how much authority will suffice; if
more than sufficient has been imparted, the overplus is
retracted ; if less than sufficient, what Uie exig^scy de-
tnands is bestowed. Proposals for alterations or additions
to the constitution originate in congress ; a vote of two-
thirds of both houses being requi^te fin* the same. The
amendments thus proposed are submitted to the peoi^e,
who, if they ai^rove, summon conventions in their differ-
ent states ; the assent of three-foarths of these conventions
Digitized by
Google
NATIONAL OO^BBNIBHT. 275
then eaxne^ the ptopoatioD, and affisoss it as a new aftidia
to the ooDsUtiitioD.
I have, at your request, touched iqwn a sulyect much
beyond my powers to do justice to* The moat oidkmry
mksd is attracted to the consideration of the political ma«*
chioe that is here in pl^y : the sinqiUcity and sublimity c^
its movements impress it solemnly ; it rev^s with admi-
ration to the genius that conceived it ; and considers with
delight the peace ths^ it secures, and Uie happiness that
it distributes.
[_ Digitized byVjOOQlC
27i
LETTER XXI.
eHARACTER ANt) INTERESTS OF THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS
^ OF THE CONFEDERACY, AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE
FLOOR OF CONGRESS. — NEW-ENGLAND. FINAL EXTWTC-
TION OF THE FEDERAL PARTY, CENTRAL STATES,
POLICY AND INFLUENCE OF VIRGINIA. WESTERN STATES.
— POWERS OF CONGRESS RESPECTING BLACK SLAVERY.—
FORMATION AND GOVERNMENT OF TERRITORIES. GENE-
ROUS POLICY OF THE WESTERN STATES. CHARACTER
OF THE FIRST SETTLERS. SHEPHERDS AND HUNTERS
OF THE BORDER. ANECDOTE OF LAFlTtE. VARIOUS
TIES WHICH CEMENT tHE UNION OF THE STATES.
Ncw-YoriE| Fefamary, 1820.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
LiooKiNo to the general plan of tlie central govemnietit^
it will be seen with what extreme nicety the difl^c^^at in-
terests of the multitudinous parts of this great confede-
racy are balanced, or eiiq>loyed as checks one upon
the other. In tlie course of years these interests may be
somewhat more distinctly mu'ked than they are at pre-
sent; some have even thought that they may be more
strongly opposed. This appears more than doubtful : but
even admiuing the supposition, we cannot cfdculale the
probable eflfects ofHhis without counting for sometMng the
gradual strengthening of the national union by the mix-
ture of the people, the marriages and friendships con-
tracted between the inhabitants of the different ^i^ the
Digitized by
Google 1
CHARACTER OF HOE CONFEDERACY. 277
tide i^emigration) which shifts the popalati<m of one to
the other, the course of prosperity enjoyed under a go-
vemiDent more and more endeared as Ume more and more
tiies its wisdom, and imparts sanctity to its name. The
titne was, when none, or but few of these sacred bonds
existed, and still a friendly sympathy was not wanting
among the different and uncemented communities scat-
tered along the shores of the Atlantic. ^
During their colonial existence, the inhabitants of these
states had but little intercourse with each other. Vast
forests separated often the scanty population of the infant
provinces. Varying climate and religion influenced also
their customs and character ; but still, however, parted by
trackless wastes, how little. connected soever by the ties
of private friendship, they had always two things in com-
mon, — language, and a fierce spirit of liberty; which
sufficed to bind with a sure though invisible chain all the
members of the scattered American family. The strength
of this chain has seldom been fully appreciated by the
enemies of America : they expected to break it even du-
ring the war of the Revolution; and were certain that it
would of itself give way when the hi^-toned sentiment kept
aUve by a stru^le for independence should subside, or
when the pressure of common dang^ being removed, the
nec^stiy of cordial co-operation riiould not be equally ap-
parent : experience has hitherto happily disproved these
calculations* The advantages of a vigorous, and the
UessiDgs o[b, beneficent government, directing the ener-
gies and presiding over the vt^ellare of the great whole,
has been more and more felt and understood, while the
influence of just laws, and still more the imjapoved inter-
eourse of the states one wkb another, have broken down
prejudices, and, in a great measure, obbterated Astinc-
tions of character among the different qpiarters of the re-
public.
The portioD of the Union tlmt hnsmost generally pre-
nigitized by
Google
278 NfiW'^NCLANU.
served her ancieat moral distinction is New-£nt^Md*
The reason may be ibund in the rigidity of her early re^
ligious creed, and in the greater separation of her people
from the rest of the nation. Strictly moral, well educated,
industrious, and intelli^nt, but shrewd, cautious, and, as
their neighbours say, at least, peculiarly long-sighted to
their interests, the citizens of New-England are the Scotch
f of America. Like them they ai*e inhabitants of a com*
paratively poor country, and send forth legions of hardy
adventurers to push their fortunes in richer dimes : tb^e
is this difference, however, that the Scotchman traverses
the world, and gathers stores to spend them afterwards
in his own barren hills, while the New-B^lander carries
his penates with him, and plants a colcHiy on the shores
of the Ohio, with no less satisfaction than he would have
done on those of the Connecticut.
The nursery of back- woodsmen, New-England, sends
forth thousands, and of course takes in few, so that her
citizens are less exposed to the visitation of foreigners,
and ev^d to mixture with the people of other states^ than
is usual with their more southern neighbours. This has,
perhaps, its advantages and disadvantages : it preserves
to them all the virtues of a simple state of society, but
virith these also some of its prgudices : it serves to en-
trench them against luxury, but imparts to them some-
thing of a provincial character. Zealously attached to
their own institutions, they have sometimes coldly es-
poused those of the nation. The federal oppointioii chief-
ly proceeded from this quarter of the Union.
The political conduct of New*E^gland sidbsequent to
the establishment (A the federal government sunk her a
little for some years in the esteem of the nation. The
narrowness <^ her policy was charged to some peculiar
selfishness of character in her people ; but their conduct
during the revolutionary struggle redeems them fitnoa diis
charge, and leads us to ascribe their errors to defect of
Digitized by
Google
NEW*YORK ASm VUlirSTLYAiriA. 279
judgRsenf rather than to obKquily of piincipfe* Since tfie
war the liberal party, ever numerous, has gained the as-
cendant; and consequently the eastern stales are re*
smning that i^ace in the national councils which they
originally held. It is difficult now to find^a Federalist,
absolutely so called. A certain soreness upon some po-
litical topics, a coldness of manner in pronoancing the
name of Jefiferson, and, I have observed, of Franklin^ is
what may sometimes enable you to detect a ci-devant
member of the fallen party**
New- York and Pennsylvania may perhaps be consi-
dered as the most influential states of the Union. The
elegant expression lately employed by Mr. Clay, in ren-
dering his tribute to the important services of the latter,
may with propriety be applied to both. They are " the
key-stones of the federal archJ^^ Their rich and extensive
territories seem to comprise all the interests into which
the Union is divided. Commerce, agriculture and manu-
factures, are all powerfully represented by them on the
floor of congress. Their western division has much in
coQunon with the Mississippi states, and their eastern
with those of the Atlantic. Their population stands con-
spicii^ fcHT national enterprise and enlightened policy,
whether as regards the internal arrangement of their own
republics, or their share in the federal councils. These
powerful states return no less than fifty members to con-
gress, being more than a fourth of the whole body.f In
* The secret hosttli^ borae by •ome of the federal party towards the de>
parted Franklin is rather amusing. This benign sage, whose last efforts
were spent in fix^g the wheels of the federal govcrnmenti and who sunk be-
neath the weight of years and honours before the struggle of the two parties
commenced, might be supposed to have had it little in his power to give um-
brage to either. The reverence in which his name was ever held by the de-
mocratic party, who were the children of his school, explains the enigma.
t There are at present in the hall of representatives 195 members, mid
three or fbur delegates. The delegates are sent hy territories, and have no
vote.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
280 !rEW-raRK AKD rfiNNSYLVANU.
pioportion as the west^ti states increase, this piepcHider-^
ance will be taken from them ; in the mean time, how«
cver, it is in no case exerted to the prejudice of the gene*
ral interests of the Union* '
Whether it be from their wealth, or their more central
position, affording them the advantage of a free inter*
course with the citizens of all the states of the Union, as
well as foreigners from all parts of the world, the peq)le
of Pennsylvania and New York, but more particularly of
the latter, have acquired a liberality of sentiment which
imparts dignity to their public measures. They raise ex«
tensive funds, not only ibr the general education of their
citizens, (which is equally the case elsewhere,) the foiuid-
ing of libraries, and seminaries of learning, but in the
clearing of rivers, making roads and canals, and promo-
ting other works of extensive utility, which might do ho-
nour to the richest empires of Europe. The progress of
the New* York state during the last thirty years is tndy
astonishing. Within this period, her populatioB has mom
than quadrupled, and the value of property more than
doubled : ^e has subdued the forest from Hudson to EIrie
and the Canadian frontier, and is now perfecting the na-
vigation of all her great waters, and connecting tl^t%with
each other.
The national revenue b^ng chiefly drawn from the
customs, is greatly dependent upon the commercial spirit
of New- York. Her great seapcwrt has sometimes fur-
nislied one-fourth of the revenue of the United States.
The late war of necessity fell very heavily upon her ma-
ritime capital. But while her commerce was ruined, she
showed no disposition to injure the common cause by se-
paraiing her interests from those of the confederacy.
Her oppositiou in Congress was greatly in the minority to
-her national support; andj war being once declaimed, the
opposition passed over to the side of tlie majority. The
conduct of Mr. Rufus King, the venerable leader of the
Digitized by
Google
viRfiWu. 281
federal party in the seoate, is worthy of being reccHtl^d
io the annals of his a>ontry. He had opposed the de-
daration of war simply from an apf^-ehension that the re-
pubHc was unequal to cape with her adversary ; but find-
ing li^ determined to brave all hazards rather than sub-
mit to degradation, he instantly seceded from his party,
prcHiouncing it to be the duty of every patriot to assist bis
country with heart and hand in weathering the storm, and
volunteered to throw into the treasury a part of his pri-
vate fortune, which he stated to be greater tlian his ne-
cessities.*
No state in the Union can point to a longer line of pub-
lic services than Virginia : she wrung the firs t alarum o f
the Revolution by the mouth of Eer Patrick Henry; she
led the array of patriots in the person of her Washington ;
she issued the declaration of independence from the pen
ef her Jefferson ; she bound the first link of the federal
union by the hand of her Madison; — she has given to
the repubKc four of the purest patriots and wisest states-*
men that ever steered the vessel of a state.
The policy of this mother of the Union has always b^n
peculiarly magnanimous. She sat the example to her
sister states in those cessions of territory which have so
richly endowed the general government, and out of wliich
have arisen such a host of young refwiblics. The cession
made by Virginia comprises the present states of Ohio, In-
diana, and Illinois, with the territory of Michigan. For
the thousandth part of such aa empin^ as was here be-
stowed in free gift, men have deluged the earth with blood.
We find the liberaUty of Virginia yet farther evinced in
her conduct towards K neighbouring state, first peopled by
* I had this anecdote from a senator of confess ; one, too, I must observe,
usually opposed to Mr. King in politics, who is still ranked amoog: the least
democratic party in the senate. Such a patriot is a tnie relic of the veteran
federal band of the Revolution, aud may well command the respect of those
who differ, as well as of those who agree with him in opii^oD.
38
nigitized by
Google
iHi VIRGIKIA.
her citizens, and subject to Iter laws. Tiie manner ki whicb
she released Kentucky from her jurisdiction, pouoting out
Uie inconveniences arising to her people from tbeir re-
moteness from the Virginia capttdl, and encouraging h^
to erect an independent government, afferds a beautiftil
example of national generosity.
The public spirit of Virginia has invariably been felt in
the national councils, and consequently has procured to
her a weight of influence more than proportionate to the
numerical strength of her representation in congress.
There has latterly been a partial hue and cry in the north-
ern division of the Union, on the subject of thej^irgirda
influence. I can only say, in the words of a Vermont
farmer, who accidentally closed in corivei-sation with me
upon affairs of state, " Vl^hatever be the influence of Vir-
ginia, she seems to use it well, for we surely go on very ,
thrivingly ; besides that, I see no way in which she could
exercise it but by coinciding with tlie feelings of the ma-
jority.'' The words Virginia influence, you will perceive
to mean (so far as they mean any thing) the accident
which has drawn from her commonwealth four out of the
five presidents who have guided the councils of federal
America.*
I know nothing which places the national character in
a fairer point of ^^ew than the issue of the presidential
elections. We find local prejudices and even party feel-
ings laid aside, and the people of this multitude of com-
monwealths fixing their eyes on the most distinguished
servant of the state, and rendering the noblest tribute to
his virtues that a patriot can receive, or a country can be-
stow. All the cWef magistrates of flie republic have been
veterans of the Revolution, and distinguished no less for
their private virtues than their public services. It was
thought that, as Virginia had already given three presi-
* The Ute unanimous reflection of Colonel Monroe prores that the good
farmer of Vermont^ quoted in the text, spoke the sentimentfl of hii iiatioa.
nigitized by
Google
viRGuru. 283
dmktB to tbe republic, a strong opposdtion would have
beeo made to Colonel Monroe. So far from this being
the ease, no president (Washington excepted) was ever
more unanimously chosen ; and his name is spoken with
respect, and even affection, frdm Maine to Missouri.
The dignified position taken by Virginia in the national
councils, has placed her at the head of the republics of the
south ; whose policy, it may be remarked, has uniformly
been liberal and patriotic ; and, on all essential points, in
accordance with that of the central and western states.
Whatever be the effect of black slavery upon the moral
cbaraoter of the southern population, and that upon the
mass it must be deadly mischievous there can be no ques-
tion, it has never been felt in the national senate. Per-
haps the arrangement has been pmdent, or at least fortu-
nate, which has somewhat temp>ered the democracy of
American government in the south Atlantic states. By
the existing constitution of Virginia, and the states south
of bCT, .the qualifications required of a representative throw
the legislative power into the hands of the more wealthy
plant^v : a race of men no less distinguished for the polish
0f their manners and education than for liberal sentiments
and general philanthi-opy. They are usually well travel-
led in their own country and in Europe, possess enough
weaHh to be hospitable, and seldom sufficient to be luxu*
rkMis, and are thus, by education and condition, raised
above the degrading influence which the possession of ar-
ttttrary power has on the human mind and the human
heart. To the slight leaven of aristocracy, therefore,
thrown into the institutions of Virginia and th^ Carolinas,
we may, perhaps, attribute, in part, their generous and
amiable bearing m the national councils ; we must not
onoit, however, tlie meliorating effect produced by the
spread of education, and the effect of liberal institutions
on the white population generally. Even before the close
of tbe revolutionary war, Mr. Jefferson thought "a cliangc
Digitized by
Google
284 WESTEKN TEllRiroKV.
already pei-ceptible ^" and we have a substantial prooi'that
the change traced by that philosopher in the character of
his fellow citizens was not imaginary, the first act of the
Virginia legislature being the abolition of the slave-trade.
May she now set an example to her neighbouring states,
as she then did to the world, by combatting steadfastly
the difficulties which her own fears or selfish interests may
throw in the way of emancipation!
But the quarter of the repuWic to which the eye of a
stranger turns witli most curiosity, is tlie vast region to
the west of the AUeghanies. The character of these re-
publics is neil^essarily &s unique as their position, and their
influence is already powerful upon the floor of congress.
. In glancing at their geogmpliical position, the foreigner
might hastily be led to consider them as growing rivak
rather than friendly supporters of the Atlantic states. It
will be found, however, that they are at present powerful
cementers of the union, and that the feelings and interests
are such as to draw together the north and south divisions
of the confederacy.
The new canals will probably draw off the produce of
the western counties of New- York to the Atlantic ; still,
however, a portion will find its way down the western wa-
ters, as their navigation shall be perfected from Erie to
New-Orleans. At all events, this route will continue to
be preferred by tlie western counties of Pennsylvania,
shortly destined to be the seat, if they are not so already,
of flourishing* manufactures. The advance made in thk
branch of industry, during the last war, and for some years
previously, has received some checks since the peace, but
appears likely soon to proceed with redoubled energy.
It may be worth observing, that there is something in
the character of the America j)Opulation, as well as in
the diverse products of the soil, which seems favourable
to the growth of manufactures. I do not allude merely
to their mechanical ingenuity, which has shown itself in
nigitized by
Google I
OHIO. 285
80 many important inventions and improvements in ship-
building, bridges, steamboat navigation, implements of
ilusbandry and machinery of all kinds, but to that proud
feeling of independence, which disinclines them from
many species of labour resorted to by Europeans. There
are some farther peculiarities in the condition and charac-
ter of the scattered population of the west, which render-
ed the birth of manufactures simultaneous with that of
agriculture. In planting himself in the bosom of the wil-
derness, the settler is often entirely dependant upon his
own industry for every article of food and raiment. While
he wields the axe, and turns up the soil, his wife plies the
needle and the spinning-wheel, and his children draw su-
gar from the maple, and work at the loom. The finely
watered state of Ohio aftbrds so easy an egress for its in-
ternal produce, that could a sure market have been found,
it seems little likely that it would have attempted for many
years any great establishments of domestic manufactures.
But the policy of foreign countries threw so many checks
in the way of the agriculturist, and so completely suspend-
ed commerce, that the new stimulus given to human in-
dustry was felt in the most remote comers of tlie Union.
The instantaneous effect produced by the commercial
regulations of Europe, it seems almost impossible to cre-
dit ; cotton-mills and fulling-mills, distilleries, and manu-
factories of every description, sprung, as it were, out of the
earth ; in city, town, village, and even on the forested
shoi-es of the vv^estem waters. The young Ohio, for in-
stance, which had existed but eight yeai-s, in 1811 poured
down the western waters woollen, flaxen, and cotton
goods, of admirable but coarse texture, spiritous liquors,
sugars, &c., to the value of two millions of dollars.
The wonderful aptitude of the Americans for labour of
every species, however removed, seemingly, from their
accustomed habits, is easily explained, if we consider,
first, the mental energy inspired by their free institutions,
Digitized by
Google
286 .OHIO.
and, secondly, their general and practical education. An
American youth is usually trained to hit a mark with the
certainty of an old EngKsh cross-bowman ; to swim with
that dexterity which procured for the young Fraidclin in
London the name of the American aquatic ; to handle a
musket like a soldier, the mechanic's tools like a carp^i-
ter, the husbandman'd like a farmer, and, not very unfre-
quently, the needle and scissors like a village taylor. 1
have taken Ohio as an instance ; but the pec^te of tiie
v/estem region univer^ly were in the habit of making in
their own families the cotton and woollen garm^its in
which they were clad. This prepared them for that new
direction of national industry which the policy of foreign
countries rendered indispensable.
The ports being again thrown c^n by the peace, many
of the young manufactures began to decline *, many, how-
ever, have kept then: place from then: intrinsic excdience,
(more especially the coarse cotton and woollen febrios,)
in spite of the imprudent trade which has glutted the mar-
. ket with foreign goods, and ended by ruining half the Ibr-
..lunes of the great commercial cities. Things seem now
to be finding their level ; and the citizens are discovering
that mercantile speculation is a ruinous game, when the
raw produce of the coimtry is not taken in kind for the
wrought fabrics of Europe : perhaps Europe may find tUs
H losing game, too ; but of this I am not learned enough
To speak.
The inhabitants of the west have seen with peculiar
dissatisfaction the decay of their manufacturing establish-
ments. It is not only that they have been driven back
upon agricultui-e, without finding a sufficient market for
their produce j but (what you may perhaps smile at) those
simple but proud republicans are by no means pleased to
see their good homespun forsaken by their daughters for
tlie muslin and silks of France and the Indies. Many
make positive resistance lo so unbecoming a dereliction
Digitized by
Google
PITTSBURG. 287
of principle and good taste, and hold stanclily to the
practice of clothing every member of their family in arti-
cles of domestic manufacture. Many gentlemen of pro-
perty are in the habit of making, on their own estates,
every single article of clothing and household furniture :
young women of cultivated education, and ele^nt accom-
plishments, are found (Pressed in plain cotton gaiments ;
and men presiding in the senate-house of their countiy in
woollen clothes, woven and fashioned by the hands* of
their own domestics, or even by those of their children.
The reviving ascendency of the manufacturing over the
commercial interest creates a strong community of feeling
between the northern and western sections of the Union.*
Pittsburg, the young Manchester of the United States,
must always have the chamcter of a western city, and
its inaritime port be New-Orleans. Corinth was not
more truly the eye of Greece than is Pittsburg of Ameri-
T^a. Pennsylvania, in which it stands, uniting perfectly
the characters of an Atlantic and a western state, is truly
4be ketf stone of the federal arch. But if the new states
are thus linked with the north, they have also some feel-
ings in common with the south, and thus, drawing two
ways, seem to consolidate that confederacy which Eluro-
peans have sometimes prophesied they would break. In the
first place, Kentucky and Tennessee, the oldest members
of this young family, have not only been peopled from ,
Virginia and the Carolinas, but originally made part of
those states. Generously released from their jurisdiction,
they still retain a marked affection for tlieir parents ; and
have, too, a coimnunity of evil with them, as well as of
origin, in the form of black davery. It is not unlikely,
that the mixture of slaveholding and non-slaveholding
* The author gome weeks subsequent to the date of this letter beard the
whole of the representation of Neir-York, tfi well as of Pennsyhrania and
Jersey, advocate opon the floor of congress the manufacturing as opposed
to the tradhig interest. ,
Digitized by
Google
288 POWERS OF CONGRESS
states to the west of the Alleghanies, helps to balance the
interests between the northern and southern sections of
the Union on the floor of congress.
I must here refute a strange assertion, which I have
seen in I know not how many foreign journals, namely,
that the United States' government is chargeable with tlxc
diffusion of black slavery.* Every aft that this govern-
ment has ever passed regarding it has tended to its sup-
pression; but the extent and nature of its jurisdiction are
probably misunderstood by those who charge upon it tlie
black slavery of Kentucky or Louisiana; and they must
be ignorant of its acts who omit to ascribe to it the merit
of having saved from this curse every repubUc which lias
grown up under its jurisdiction.
When first torn from the British empire, we have seen
that every comer of the then peopled America was smit-
ten with this plague. Now not one half is, altliough by
the acquisition of Louisiana an immense foreign addition
has been made to the evil. It was not until the adoption
of the federal cojistitution, that the congress possessed any
power to legislate upon ^the subject of the slave-trade.
* One of the most extravagant blonders of this kind I lately found in M^cn-
lie's History of America ; a work comprising much valuable topogra|>bical and
statistical information upon the subject of the United States ; but containing
a compilation of the most contradictory and positively ludicrous portraits
of their moral character (to those at least who have any personal acquaint-
' ance with it) that has yet come under my eye. The passage I allude to b
the following : ** Negro slavery has spread its baleful effects over a great
part of the Union^ Some writersi particularly Englishmen, who would wish
to represent the states as a second Arcadia, have offered an apology for this
detestable practice, by contending, that it formed a parf of the poliqf of the
colonial tyslem; but this excuse does not apply to the new states ; for the
congress has resigned the inhabitants of these vast regions to its demoralising
effects." Now were this all that stood between the United States and a
second Arcadia, they would be much nearer a terrestrial paradise than I had
imagined. Not a single one of the new states that has gp*bwn up under the
jurisdiction of the congress but has been positively and absolutely saved by
its laws from slavery in any shape or form whatsoever. It would save some
mistakes if authors would read the laws of foreign countries before they write
about them.
Digitized by
Google
ttiitATIVE TO ^LAVfi^V. 289
The abolition laws passed before that period were passed
by the states in thfeir individual capacity, and could not
be enforced beyond their own respective territories. The
powers vested by the new constitution in the general
government enabled it to enforce the cessation of the
•trade throughout the Union, but gave it no control over the
domestic slavery wherever existing. The emancipation
already effected in eight of the thirteen original states has
been effected in each by the acts of its own legislature.
There are at present tiventy-two republics in the con-
federacy ; of these, twelve have been rendered free to black
and white 5 the renmining ten continue to be more or less
defaced by negro slavery. Of these five are old states,
and the other five either parted from these or formed out
of the acquired territory of French Louisiana^ Thus, —
Kentucky was raised into an independent state by mutual
agreement between herself and Virginia, of which she
originally f(mned a part. Tennessee, by mutual agree-
ment between herself and Carolina, to which she was
originaUy attached. Mississippi was surrendered to the
general government by Georgia, to be raised when old
enough into an independent state ; but with a stipulation
that to the citizens of Georgia should be continued the
privilege of migrating into it with their slaves. Louisianat
proper, formed out of a small portion of the vast territory
ceded under that name^ came into the possession of the
United States with the united evils of black slavery in itjj
most hideous form, and the slave-trade prosecuted With
relentless barbarity. The latter crime was instantly ar-
rested ; and, under the improving influence of mild laws
and mental instruction, the horrors of slavery have been
greatly alleviated.*
* Trarellers afflicted with the onti-Americftn ntania tfre toad of drawiog
their portrait of the national character in New-Orleans. This is much the same
as if we should draw that of the English in Guadaloupe or St. Lucie. Such
' tourists may now ha?e an opportunity of sketching the Amerioaa charmoteV
iamong the Spaniard* of Fbrida.
39
Digitized by
Google
29(r LAWS OF CGNGRESI:!
In all these cases the federal government has been
powerless to effect the eradication of slavery. It has^
however, been all powerfiil to prevent its introduction in
mich territories as have been placed under its control.
Ohio was the first state formed from the commence-
ment upon American principles. It was planted by the *
hand of congress, in the vast region ceded by Virginia to
the northwest of the river Cttiio. In the formation of a
new state out of the national waste lands, its government is
entrusted to the congress of the United States, who mark
its boundaries, nominate its public officers and defray the
expenses of its government, until its population amounts
to sixty thousand souls; when it is entitled to summon a
convention, establish its own constitution, enter upon the
administration and expenses of its own government, and
take its place in the confederacy as an independent re-
public* .
In 1787, the congress passed an act, establishing a
temporary government for the infant population settled on
the lands of Ohio ; and the government then established
The Missouri question, which so gp*eatly agitated the nation and the senate
last printer, turned solely upon what were the powers of congress to legislate
for the territory in question. Missouri was colonised by slaVe-bolding French
when the territoiy was ceded to the United States by a treaty sccnring to the
inhabitants their property, including slaves. Emancipation, therefore, was
not within the power of cong^ress. The question was, whether it possessed the
right of preventing the citizens of other states from migrating into Missouri
Vfith tfieir tlavu. The error seems to have been ,the haring omitted to jtett
this prohibitory law before the period when Missouri assupied the place of a
state. Congress, afler months of anxious deliberation, came to a compro-
mise which seemed the only one iu their power. A law was passed pre-
Tenting the possibility of the formation of any other slave-holding state ia
the French Louisianian territory, and the slavery of Missouri was placed
under every restriction, which the previous treaty and the constitution would
permit.
* Several territories have passed to the condition of states before they com-
prised the population demanded by law. Ulinob^ for instance, having pre»-
ferred a request to congress that she might be permitted to auume the reins
of her own government, was allowed to join the confederacy with a popular
tioA of less than 40,000.
nigitized by
Google
RCXATIVE TO SLAVERY. 291
has served as the model of that of all the territories that
have sbce been formed in the vacant wilderness. The
act then passed contained a clause which q[)erated upon
the whole national territbry to the northwest of the Ohio.
By this, " slavery and involuntary servitude" was posi*
tively excluded from this region, by a law of the general
government. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, have
already sprung up in the bosom of this desert ; the three
first independent states, and the latter about to pass from
her days of tutelage to assume the same characta*%
It is deserving of observation, that for the passing of this
law a unanimous vote of the states was necessary, ac-
cording to the old articles of confederation then in force.
By a unanimous vote it toas passedj not a dissentient
voice being raised by Virginia, who had ceded tlie territo-
ry ixx question, nor by the other^ states of the south, who
thus voluntarily deprived their slave-holding citizens erf* the
right of migrating into it.*
Thus saved from the disgraceful and ruinous contagion
of African servitude, this young family of republics have
started in their career with a vigour and a purity of cha-
racter that has not an equal in the history of the world.
Ohio, which twenty-five years since was a vacant wilder-
ness, now contains half a million of inhabitants, and returns
six representatives to the national congress. In the other
and younger members of the western family, the ratio of
increase is similar. It is curious to consider, that the ad-
* Id obierving upon the policy of the southern states generally, it would be
ungreueroas to pats without notice, that their representatives hi congress have
been among the most strenuous enforcers of the last penalties of the law,
against those convicted of the surreptitious introduction of slaves into the
southern ports. The close neighbourhood of Cuba and the Spanish Floridas
affords great facilities for thts atrocious smuggling. The navy of the United
States is actively employed in intercepting this stolen traffic, not only on the
American but the African coasts : and agents are stationed in Africa to re-
ceive the stolen negroes, returned m the safe keeping of the republic to their
native country. In all these measures, the members from the south have not
only invariably concurred, but some <tf the most important have originated
with them.
Digitized by
Google
^1
292 GENEROUS POLICY OF THE
veatuTous settler is yet alive, who felled the' first tree to
' the west of the Alle^hanies. The log hut of Daniel Boon
is now on the wild shores of the Misspuri, a host of firmly
established republics stretching betwixt him and the ha-
bitation of his boyhood.
It is plain that in thQ course of a few generations, the
most popubus and powerful division of the American fa-
mily will W watered by the Mississippi, not the Atlantic.
From tb^ character of their infancy we may prophesy,
that the growing preponderance of the western republics
wilt redound to the national honour, and will draw more
closely the social league, which binds together tlie great
American family.
Bred up under the eye, and fostered by the care of the
federal government, they have attached themselves to the
national institutions with a devotion of feeling unknown
in the older parts of the republic. Their patriotism has
all the ardour, and their poUcy all the ingenuousness of
youth. I have already had occasion to observe upon the
enthusiasm with which they asserted the liberties and
honour of their country during the last war. Their spirit
throughout that contest was truly chivalrous. The anec-
dotes recorded not only of the valour, but of the romantic
generosity of the western army of volunteers, might grace
the poblest page of the revolutionary history. Nor have
the people of the west shown themselves less generous in
the senate than th6 field. In the hall of the representa-
tives, they are invariably on the side of what is most ho-
nourable and high minded. Even should they err, you
feel that you would rather err with them than be wise with
more long-headed or more cold-hearted politicians.
In considering America generally, one finds a charac-
ter in her foreign to Europe, — something which there
would be accounted visionary ; a liberality of sentiment,
and a nationality of feeling, not founded upon the mere ac-
cident of birtli, but upon the appreciation of that civil liber-
Digitized by
Google
WESTERN STATES. 293
ty to which she owes all her greatness and happiness. It
is to be expected, however, that in the democracies of the
west, these distinctions will be yet raore peculiarly marked.
It seems to be a vulgar belief in Europe, that the A^e^
rican wilderness is usuaUy settled by the worst members
of the community. The friend I write to is wfell aware
that it is generally by the best. The love of liberty, which
the emigrant bears with him from the shores of the Con-
necticut, the Hudson, or Potomac, is exalted and refined
in the calm and seclusion of nature's primeval woods, and
boimdless prairies. Some reckless spirits, spuming all
law and social order, must doubtless mingle witli the
more virtuous crowd; but these rarely settle down as
farmers. They start ahead of the advanced guard of
civilization, and form a wandering troop of hunters, ap-
proximating in Ufe and, sometimes, in character to the
Indians, their associates. At other times they assiune the
occupation of shepherds, driving on theif cattle from pas-
ture to pasture, according as fancy leads them on from
one fair prairie to another still fairer, or according as the
approaching tide of population threatens to encroach upon
theii; solitude and their wild dominion.
You may, however, find among these borderers many
rare characters, who, like their veteran leader Daniel
Boon, depose none of the social virtues in their Arab life.
" The frontier,'^ observes Mr. Brackenridge, a gentleman .
who has an intimate acquaintance with the people of
whom he writes ; " the frontier is certainly the refuge of
many worthies? and abandoned characters, but it is also
the choice of many of the noblest souls. It seems wisely
ordered, that in the part which is weakest, where the
force of laws is scarcely felt, there should be found the
greatest sum of real courage, and of disinterested virtue.
Few young men who have migrated to the frontier are
without merit. From the firm conviction of its future
importance, generous and enterprising youth, the virtuous^
Digitized by
Google
294 CHARACTER OF THE
unfortunate, and those of moderate patrimcHiy, rq[)air to it,
that they may grow up with the country, and form estabUsh;
ments for themselves and families* Hence in this tenito^
fy there are many sterling characters. Among others I
mention, with pleasure, that brave and adventurous North*
Carolinian, who makes so distinguished a figure in the
history of Kentucky, the venerable Colonel Boon. . This
respectable old man, in the eighty-fifth year of his age, re-
sides on Salt river, up the Missouri. He is surrounded
by about forty families, who respect him as a father, and
who live under a kind of patriarchal government, ruled
by his advice and example. They are not necessitous
persons, who have fled for their crimes or misfortunes,
Hke those that gathered unto David in the cave of Adul-
lum : they all live well, and possess the necessaries and
comforts of life as they could wish. They retired through
choice. Perhaps they acted wisely in pladng themselves
at a distance froAi the deceit and turbulence of the world.
They enjoy an uninterrupted quiet, and a real comfort in
their little society, beyond the sphere of that larger society
where government is necessary. Here they are truly
free ; exempt firom the vexing duties and impositions even
of the best governments, they are neither assailed by
the madness of ambition, nor tortured by the poison of
party spirit. Is not this one of the most powerful incen-
tives which impels the Anglo-American to bury himself
in the midst of the wilderness ?"*
The borderers universally took an active part in the
war, and were eminently useful in repelling the incur-
* The lord of the wilderness, Daniel Boon, though his eye is now somewhat
dimmed, and his limbs enfeebled by a long life of adventure, can still hit the
wild fowl on the wing with that dexterity which in his earlier years excited
the envy of Indian hunters ; and he now looks upon the << famons river" Mis-
soon with feelings scarce less ardent than when he surveyed with clearer
visbn *'* the famous river Ohio." The grave of this worshipper of nature,
wild adventure, and unrestnuned liberty, win be visited by the feebler chil-
dren of future generations with such awe as the Greeks might regard Uiose of
Digitized by
Google
FIRST SETTLERS. ANECDOTE OP LAFITTE. 295
sions of the Indians. Not even the most lawle^ but was
found ready to pour his life blood for the republic.
A curious instance of the strange mixture of magnanimi-
ty and ferocity often found even among the demi-savages of
the borders was afforded, during that contest^ by the Loui-
sianian Lafitte. Some years previous to the war, this des-
perado had placed himself at the head of a band of out-
laws from. all nations under heaven, and fixed his abode
upon the top of an impregnable rock, to ihe southwest of
the mouth of the Mississippi. Under the colours of the
South American patriots, they pirated at pleasure every
vessel that came in their way, and smuggled their booty
up the secret creeks of the Mississippi with a dexterity
that baffled all the limbs of the law. The depredations
of these outlaws, or, as they styled themselves, Barrita'
riansj (fi-ora Barrita, their island,) becoming at length in-
tolerable, the United States' government deq?atched an
armed force against their Uttle Tripoli. The establish-
ment was broken up, and the pirates dispersed. No
sooner, however, had the fleet fairly disappeared, than
Lafitte again collected his outlaws, and took possession of
his rock. The attention of the congress being now diverted
by the war, he scoured the gulf at his pleasure, and so
tormented the coasting traders, that Governor Clairbome
of Louisiana set a price on his head.
This daring outlaw, thus confronted with the Americaa
government, appeared Ukely to promote the designs of its
enemies. He was known to possess the clue to all the
secret windings and entrances of the many-mouthed Mis-
sissippi ; and in the projected attack upon New-Orleans
it was deemed expedient to secure his ^^^stance.
The British officer then heading the forces landed at
their earlier demi-gods. The mind of thii sin^lar nuan seems best portray-
ed by his own simple words. '* fio populous city, with all the varieties of
commerce and stately structure, could afford so much pleasure to my miad ftl
the beauties of nature that I find here."
Digitized by
Google
296 Various TIES Which cEMENf
Pensacola for the invasion of Louisiana, opened a treaty
with the Barritarian, to whom he offered such rewards as
were best calculated to tempt his cupidity and flatter his
ambition. The outlaw affected to relish the proposal ;
but, having artfully drawn from Colonel N the-
plan of his intended attack, he spurned his offers with the
most contemptuous disdain, and instantly despatched ono
of his most trusty corsairs to the governor who had pro*
scribed his life, advising him of the intentions of the ene-
my, and volunteering the aid of his little band, on the
single condition that an amnesty should be granted for
their past offences. Governor Clairborne, though touch-
ed by this proof of magnanimity, hesitated to close with
the offer. The corsair kept himself in readiness for the
(expected summons, and continued to spy and report the
motions of the enemy. As danger became more urgent,
and the steady generosity of the outlaw more assured.
Governor Clairborne granted to him and his followers
life and pardon, and called them to the defence of the
city. They obeyed with alacrity, and served with a va-
lour, fidelity, and good conduct, not surpassed by the best
volunteers of the republic*
I have given but a rude sketch of the great divisions of
this republic : a subject of tliis kind admits not of much
precision ; or, at any rate, my pencil is not skilled enough
to handle it ably. I wish you to observe, however, that
the birth of the new states has tended to consolidate the
Union ; and that their growing importance is likely to be
felt in the same nmnner ; contrary to the calculations of
k)ng-sighted politicians, who foretold that as the integral
parts of this great political structure should strengthen
and multiply, the cement which held tliem together would
* The restless Lafitte again hoisted the flag of Carthagena ', to follow<
howeveri a more regular mode of warfare than that with which he commcn'
«ed his career. I believe he has rendered some signal services to the patriot
can«et
Digitized by
Google
THE UNION OP TH^ STATES. 297
c/umble away ; and that as the interests of the extended
community should beccxne more various, it would be c^s-
tracted with more party animosities.
The fact is, that every sapient prophecy with regard to
America has been disproved, ^e were forewarned that
she was too free, and her liberty has proved her security \
too peaceable, and she has been found sufficient for her
defence ; too large, and her size has insured her union.
These numerous repubhcs, scattered through so wide a
range of territory, embracing all the climates, and con-
taining all the various products of the earth, seem des-
tined, in the course of years, to form a world within
themselves, independent alike of the treasures and the
industry of all the other sections of the globe. Each year
they are learning, more and more, to look to each other
for all the various articles of food and raiment ; while the
third great human necessity— defence, they have been
from infancy practised to furnish in common. The bonds
of union, indeed, are more numerous and intimate than
can be easily conceived by foreigners. A people who
have bled together for liberty, who equally aiq[>reciate
and equally enjoy that Uberty which their own blood or
that of their fathers has purchased ; who feel, too, that the
liberty which they love has found her last asylum on their
shores ; such a people are bound together by ties of amity
and citizenship far beyond what is usual ip national copi-
munities.
40
Digitized by
Google
?9«
LETTER XXIL
UNRESTRAINED LIBERTY OF THE PRESS. — ELECTIONS** —
EFFECT OF POLITICAL WRITINGS. NEWSPAPERS.-—
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATES.
New-York, February, 1820.
MT DEAR FRIEND,
Xhe Americans are certainly a calm, rational, civil, and
well behaved people ; not given to quarrel or to call each
other .names ; and yet if you were to look at their news-
papers you would think tli^m a parcel of Hessian soldiers.
An unrestricted press appears to be the safety-valve of
their free constitution ; and they seem to understand this ;
for they no more regard all the noise and sputter that it
occasions, than the roaring of the vapour on board their
steamboats*
Were a foreigner, immediately upon landing, to take
up a newspaper, (especially if he should chance to land
just before an election,) he might suppose that the whole
political machine was about to fall to pieces, and that he
had just come in time to be crushed in its ruins. But if
he should not look at a newspaper, he might walk through
the streets on the very day of election, and never find out
that it was going on, unless, indeed, it should happen to
him as it happened to me, to see a crowd collected round
a pole surmounted by a cap of liberty, and men walkmg
in at one door of a house, and walking out at another.
Should he then ask a friend hurrying past him, ^^ What is
Digitized by
Google
LIBERTY OF THE PRESS. 299
going on tbere V^ he may receive for answer, '^ The elec-
tion (^ r^resentatives : walk on : I am just going. to give
in my vote, and I will overtake you."
It might seem strange, that the sovereign people should
judge proper to exercise the right of abusing the rulers of
their choice ; a right which they certainly do exercise
without mercy ; but when we consider, diat in this de-
mocracy there is generally a yielding of a minority to a
majmity, the case seems quite easy of explanation* Be-
sides, after a man has assisted in the choice of his repre-
sentative, he may take offence at him. It of course then
follows, that he will tell him so; and that he will tell his fel-
low citizens the same, and that he will endeavour to eke
out his philippic with the aid of all the epithets in the die*
ti<Hiary. Now, though this practice of vilifying the freely
cbosen officers of the republic is not very reputable to the
community, it evidently brings its own cure with it. Pub-
lic opinion, after all, is the best, and, indeed, the only ef-
ficient censcw of the press : in this country it is found a]I-
st^fknent; while in c^er countries, fines, imprisonments,
and executions, are had recourse to in vain.
The public prints were never more outrageous than af-
ter the discomfiture of the federal party in 18Q5; and
never did the shafts of slander faU more harmless than on
those wise rulers to whom the people had transferred their
confidence. The speech of Mr. Jefferson, after his se-
cond inauguration, contains some observations of so gene-
ral an api^cation, that I am tempted to direct your atten-
tion to them.
^^ During this course of administration, and in order to
" disturb it, the artillery of the press has been levelled
^^ against us, charged with whatever its licentiousness
'' could devise or dare. These abuses of an institution, so
" important to fireedom and science, are deeply to be re-
'^ gretted, inasmuch as they tend to lessen its usefulness,
" and to sap its safety. They might, perilous, Iiave been
Digitized by
Google
300 LIBERTY OP THE PRES5.
" corrected by the wholesome punishments reserved to
*^ and provided by the laws of the several states against
'^ falsehood and d^mation ; but public duties more ur-
" gent press on the time of the servants of the public, and
" the offenders have therefore been left to find their pu-
" nishment in the public indignation.
" Nor was it uninteresting to the world, that an expe-
" iiment should be fairly and fully made whether freedom
" of discussion, unaided by power, is not sufficient for the
" propagation and protection of truth ; whether a gpvem-
" ment, conducting itself in the true spirit of its constitu-
" tion, witli zeal and purity, and doing no act which it
'^ would be unwilling the whole world should witness, can
*•' be written down by falsehood and de&mation« The
" experiment has been made : you have witnessed the re-
'' suit. Our fellow citizens have looked on cool and col-
" lected. They saw the latent source from which these
" outrages proceeded. They gathered around their pub-
'' lie functionaries ; and when the constitution called them
" to the decision by suffrage, they pronounced their ver-
^^ diet, honourable to those who had served them, and ccm-
^' solatory to the friends of man, who believe that he may
^^ and ought to be trusted with the control of his own af-
^' fairs. No inference is here intended that the laws pro-
^' vided by the states, against false and defamatory publi-
^' cations, should not be enforced. He who has leisure
^' renders service to the public morals, and public tran-
^' quillity, in reforming these abuses by the salutary coer-
" cions of the law. But the experiment is noted to prove,
^' that, since truth and reason have maintained their
^^ ground, against false opinions m league with false facts,
'^ the press calls for few legal restraints. The public
'^ judgment will correct false reasoning and opinion, upon
'' a full hearing of all parties, and no other definite line
*^ can be drawn between the inestimable hberty of the
'^ press, and its demoralizing licentiousness."
Digitized by
Google
INFLUENCE OP THE PRESS. 3<>1
Never ws^s there a country in which a demagogue had
less in his power than in this. The citizen here learns to
think for himself. His very pride as a sovereign revolts
from a blind surrender of his judgment to those who may
be willing to set up as his teachers. He looks to facts ; con-
siders the conduct of his public functionaries, and pro-
nounces accordingly. Sedition here may safely ring her
larum ; no man regards it The eyes of the people are
fixed upon the wheel of government; and so long as it
moves fairly and steadily, the servants that guide it are
supported by the natbnal suffrage.
But if the declamation of the press passes unregarded,
its sound reasoning, supported by facts, exerts a sway be-
yond all that is known in Europe. Here there is no mob.
An orator or a writer must make his way to the feelings
of the American people through their reason. They
must think with him before they will feel with him ; but,
when once they do both, there is nothing to prevent their
'acting with him^ It was thus that the eflect of " Common
Sense" on the public mind produced an effect upon the
public councils. It unfurled the standard of independ-
ence. Prior to this the eloquent Patrick Henry had
roused the soul of Virginia, and put arms in her hand ;
Dickenson, by the most admirable train of reasoning, had
led the people to calculate the inevitable results of the
acts of the British parliament, and strengthened them in
that spirit of resistance which redeemed the liberties of
mankind. Throughout the revolutionary struggle not a
pamphlet, not a fable, not a ballad, but had its influence
on the feeUngs, and thus on the afiairs of the nation.
The writings of the great and good Franklin, the Socra-
tes of modem times, the father of independent America, and
the oracle of those philosophic statesmen whom the public
voice has fixed at the helm, since the first election of Mr.
Jefferson, exert to this day their holy influence on the na-
tional character, and, consequently, on the national coun-
Digitized by
Google
302 1M>LIT1GAL WRITINGS.
tils. You cannotenter the house of a fanner^ or the log hut
of a settler? that you will not find the writings of this sage
upon the shelf. His apophthegms and parables are gra*
ven upon the memory of childhood ; " his life written by
himself" is the pocket manual of the youth when he en-
ters into the world ; his divine precepts (for such they
truly are) of justice, humanity, forbearance, industry,
economy, simplicity, philanthropy, and liberty, regulate
the administration of many a patriotic statesman, and the
Ufe of many a virtuous citizen.
The nervous and classical papers of " The Federalist"
greatly furthered the adoption and peaceable establish-
ment of the federal constitution ; many other writings
had a similar tendency. The resolutions passed by the
legislature of Virginia, in 1799, framed by Mr. Jefferson
and Mr. Madison, declaring the congress to have ex-
ceeded the powers delegated to it, fixed the attention of
the whole nation ; and fortius reason, that the declaration
was supported by facts which had already occupied the
public mind, and which proved the truth of the chaiige.
" The Olive Branch ; or Faults on both Sides," the work
of Mr. Carey, a respectable bookseller, and patriotic citi-
zen in Philadelphia, is said to have produced the greatest
sensation of any political treatise since the appearance of
" Common Sense." Its ostensible object was to cement
the two old parties, democratic and federal ; but its enu-
meration of their mutual faults made out so much heavier
a catalogue against the latter, as was little calculated to
subdue it by kindness. The woik rather assisted the de-
struction of the malcontents by covering them with con-
fusion ^ perhaps, too, by provoking them to acts d* greater
intemperance, and thus forcing them to work out their
own ruin. However this may be, the abihty and utility
of " The Olive Branch" were acknowledged and felt by
the nation : it ran through thirteen large editions with the
Digitized by
Google
NEWSPAPERS. 303
Speed of light, and was tn the hands of every citizen of
the republic.
It would be impossyble for a countiy to be more com-
pletely deluged with newspapers thaa is this ; they are
to be had not only in the English but in the French and
Dutch languages, eu^d some will probably soon appear in
the Spanish. It is here not the amusement but the duty
of every man to know what lus public functionaries are
doing : he has first to look after the conduct of the gene-
ral government, and, secondly, after that of his own state
legislature. But besides this, he must also know what ia
passuig in all the different states of the Union : as the
number of these states has now multiplied to twenty-two,
besides others in embryo, there is abundance of iKNne
politics to swell the pages of a newspaper ; then come
the politics of Europe, which, by-the-bye, are, I think,
often better understood here than on your ade of the At-
lantic. Another, and a more interesting subject to Ame-
ricans, IS found in the ai&irs of their brethren of the
south. Many generous citizens of this republic have
embarked their lives and fortunes in a cause which bears
60 strong a parallel to that for whidh tf>ey or their fathers
bled on their own soil. Several friendly missions have
been despatched from this government to those of the
southern republics, the account of which you vnll, I think,
read with much interest.*
But, independent of politics, these multitudinous ga-
zettes and journals are made to contain a wpndrous mis-
cellany of information ; there b not a conceivable tofnc
* The English reader will And a moft able and interesting accoont of the
Buenos Ayres republic in a work entitled Voyage to Soiith Jhnerieat performtd
by Order of the American Oovemmentf tn the ¥ean 1817 and 1818, in the
FfigiUe Congrets. By H, M. Braekenridgef E$q,, Secretary to the MissMtu
A highly faiteresting account of the affairs of Mexico, will be found in the
work of William Dayis Robinson of Philadelplua, entitled Memoin of the
Mexican Revotution, including a ^arroHve of the Expeditian of Otnertl
XaeierMintL
Digitized by
Google
304 CONGRESSIONAL DEBATES.
in the whole range of human knowledges that tliey do not
treat of in some way or other ; not unfrequently, I must
observe, with considerable ability, while the facts that
they contain, and the general principles that they advocate^
are often highly serviceable to the community. The par-
ty rancour which occasionally defaces their columns, ap*
pears, as I have said, to be more ludicrous than mischie-
vous ; at any rate, it is clearly an evil which comes in tlie
train of liberty, and which, for the sake of the good com-
pany it keeps, the republic may well be content to bear
with.
As you will have remarked in the congressional de-
bates, this scurrility never finds its way into the senate.
The language of the representatives of the nation, how-
ever warm be the argument, is invariably decorous and
gentlemanly. Even during the hottest period of that po-
litical strife which agitated the nation and the senate du*
ring the struggles of the democratic and federal parties,
there is but one instance on record where the decorum of
the house was openly violated. It was, to be siwe, an
outrageous exception : one member gave another the lie ^
upon which he was felled by his adversary to the ground,
and both were expelled.
The tone assumed in the debates of congress has for
many years been worthy of the Roman senate in its best
days ; nor is the oratory and sound reasoning displayed in
them less remarkable than the temper which is invariably
preserved. I believe this moderation, so different from
what is found in the En^ish bouse of commons, may be
explained by considering that here there are no regular
majorities and minorities. It is a fair combat of opinions ;
not principle standing opposed to power. As those who
differ from each other to-day may be foimd in the same
majority to-morrow, it is seldom that personal animosity
is mingled with political opposition ; the broad principles,
too, of justice, and the ri^ts of man, which are so pter-
Digitized by
Google
CONdlCESSIONAL DEBATES. 305
nally appealed to in the hall of the representatives, are
calculated to impart dignity to the national politics. The
vessel of the state has to be navigated through the broad
ocean of Uberty, not through the tortuous canal of politi-
cal expediency. The soul of the statesman expands over
the vast prospect before him ; the generous principles
which form his weapons of attack and defence dispose
Mhi to wage an honourable and chivalrous combat with
his adversary ; he presses him home, indeed attacks him
on all sides, and occasionally thunders down his blows
with all the fever of impatient enthusiasm ; but he does
not permit himself to seek any unfair advantage, by at-
tempting to vilify his adversary, which could only injure
his own caiBe, or mar the honour of his triumph.
We may further observe, that personal invective is not
Ukely to be tolerated in an assembly composed of men all
equally proud and equally free. The poUtical institutions
doubtless give the key to this peculiarity, which so often
excites the surprise of foreigners, accustomed in Europe
to loc^ for noise and confusion in the courts of liberty.
M
Digitized by
Google
306
LETTER XXUI.
EDUCATION. — PUBLIC SEMINARIES. — DISCIPLINE OF
SCHOOLS. — CONDITION OF WOMEN.
New-York, March, 1820.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
Tnii education of youth, which may be sai4 to form the
basis of American government, is in every state of the
Union made a national concern. Upon this subject,
therefore, the observations that apply to one may be con-
sidered as, more or less, applying to all. The portion of
this wide spread community, that paid the earliest and
most anxious attention to the instiruction of its citizraSi was
New-England. This probably originated in the greater
democracy of her colonial institutions. Liberty and know*
ledge ever go hand in hand.
If the national policy of some of the New-England
states has been occasionally censurable, the internal ar-
rangement of all amply redeems her character. There is
not a more truly virtuous community in the world than
that to be found in the democracies of the east. The
beauty of their villages, tlie neatness and cleanliness of
their houses, the simplicity of their manners, the sinceri-
ty of their religion, despoiled in a great measure of its for-
mer Calvinistic austerity, their domestic habits, pure
morals and well administered laws, must command the
admiration and respect of every stranger. I was forcibly
struck in Connecticut with the appearance c^ the childreni
neatly dressed, with their sachels on their arms, and their
iaces blooming with health and cheerfulness, dropping
their courtesy to the passenger as they trooped to school.
Digitized by
Google
EDUCATION^ 307
Tbe obeisaiice tbos made is not rendered to statidn but to
age« Like the young Spartans, the youth are taught to
salute respectfully their superiors in years ; and the artless-
nless dnd nxxlesty \frith which the intelligent young crea-
tures reply to the stranger^s queries, might give pleasure
to Lycurgus himself.
The state of Connecticut has appropriated a ftind of a
million and a half of doUars to the support of public
dchocds* In Vermont, a certain portion of land has been
laid off in every township, whose proceeds are devote to
the same purpose. In the other states, every township
taxes itself to such amount as is necessary to defray
the expense of schools, which teach reading, writing, and
arithmetic, to the whole population. In larger towns,
these schools teach geography and the rudiments of Latin.
These establishments, supported at the common expense,
are open to the whole youth, male and female, of the
country. Other seminaries of a higher order are also
maintained in the more populous districts ; half the ex-
pense being discharged by appropriated funds, and the
remainder by a small charge laid oh the scholar. The
instruction here given fits the youth for the state colleges }
of which there is one or more in every state. The uni-
versity of Cambridge, in Massachusetts, is the oldest, and,
I believe, the most distinguished estabUshment of the kind
existing in the Union.
Perhaps the number of colleges, founded in this wide-
spread family of republics, may not, in general, be fa-
vourable to the growth of distinguished universities. It
best answers, liowever, the object intended, which is not
to raise a few very learned citizens, but a well-informed
and Uberal-minded community.
The number of universities in the United States now
amounts to forty-eight. The most remarkable of these
are. Harvard University, at Cambridge, near Boston^
founded in the year 1698 ; Yale College, at New-Haven.
Digitized by
Google
308 EDUCATION.
Connecticut, founded in 1701. Nassau Hall, at Prince*
ton, New- Jersey, founded in 1738; Columbia College,
in the city of New- York, founded in 1754; Dartmouth
College, in New-Hampshire, founded in 1769 ; and Wil-
liam and Mary College, in Virginia, founded in 1791.
Many of the colleges of the Union are amply endowed
by the legislatures of the states to which they belong.
Those of the new states are munificently provided for by
the laws of Congress, which devote extensive tracts of
the national lands for their support. In Ohio, for instance,
about the one thirty-sixth part of the whole territory of
that rich state is granted for this purpose ; and so distri-
buted as to produce the greatest effect. In some of the
states more lately formed, as in that of Illinois, the dona-
tions are still more liberal. Numerous and well-endowed
as are the establishments for the education of youth in the
Atlantic states, they will, in less than a century Grom
this time, appear diminutive when compared with those
of the west. I had occasion in a former letter to advert
to the academy at West-Point, instituted for the purpose
of diffusing correct military information throughout the
country.
It is unnecessary that I should enter into a particular
detail of the internal regulations of all the different states
relative to the national instruction. The child of every
citizen, male or female, white or black, is entitled, by
right, to a plain education ; and funds sufficient to defray
the expense of his instruction are raised either from pubUc
lands appropriated to the purpose, or by taxes sometimes
imposed by the legislature, and sometimes by the different
townships. But, notwithstanding the universality of these
regulations, it must sometimes happen, from the more
scattered population in some districts, and in others from
the occasional patches of a foreign population, that know-
ledge is more unequally spread. The Germans of Penn-
sylvania and the Dutch of New- York are, here and
Digitized by
Google
EDUCATION. 309
there, in full possession pf the temple of ignoraiice ; and
three or four generations have, in some cases, proved in-
sufficient to root out their predilection for the leaden deity
so long worshipped within its walls. German schools
have, however, done much towards the overthrow of the
idol ; and it may be anticipated, that even German obsti-
nacy will at last be brought to exchange the Dutch al-
phabet for that o( the country. There is something inex-
plicable in national character, every where so distinctly
marked. A dozen years, and the French of Louisiapfi
are cementing themselves with their new fellow citizens,
and I'earing up their children, more or less, in the lan-
guage of the nation ; while the Dutch of Commimie-paw,
on the shores of the New- Yprk Bay, have taken a cen-
tury to learn half a dozen English words, and to acquire
the fifth part of a new idea.
If we must seek the explanation of national manners
in national institutions and early education, all the cha-
racteristics of the American admit of an easy explana-
tion. The foreigner is at first surprised to find in the or-
dinary citizen that intelligence and those sentiments which
he had been accustomed to seek in the writings of philo-
sophers, and the conversation of the most enlightened*
The better half of our education in the old worid consists
of unlearning: we have to unlearn when we come fix)m
the nursery, to unlearn again when we come from the
school, and often to continue unlearning through life, and
to quit the scene at last without having rid ourselves of
half the false notions which had been implanted in our
young minds. All this trouble is saved here* The im-
pressions received in childhood are few and simple, as are
all the elements of just knowledge. Whatever ideas may
be acquired are learned from the page of truth, and em-
brace principles often unknown to the most finished scho-
lar of Europe. Nor is the manner in which education is
here conducted without its influence in forming the c^ian
Digitized by
Google
310 FtmUC SEMINARIES.
meter* I feel cKspoeed at least to ciscribe td it ibsd mild
friendliness <^ demeanour which distingcHsbes the Ame-
rican. It is vidence that begets violence, and gentle-
ness^ gentleaess. I have frecjuendy heard it stated by
West-Indianst that a slave invariably makes the hardiest
slave-driven Li Ekighsh schools it is well known that iM
worst vaedfag becomes, in his tnm^ the most Cruel ty-
rant ; add in a Briti^ ship of war it wUl often be found
that the merc^essdisciplinariaa has learned his harshness
in the school of suilering. The American, in his ii[ifancy,
manhood, or age, never feels the hand of oppiesiuon.
Violence is positively forbidden in the schools, in the pn*
sons, on ^pboard, in the army ;-*- every where, in short,
where authorUy is exercised, it most be exercised with-
out iq)pefld to the argument of a blow*
Not long since a master was cKsmissed from a public
school, in a neighbouring state, for having struck a boy.
The little fellow was tran^rmed in a moment from a
culprit to an accuser. " Do you dkare to strike me ? you
are my teacher^ but not my tyrant." The school-room
mcUle common cause in a moment : the fact was inquired
into, and the master dismissed. No apology for die pu-
nishment was sought in the nature of the offence which
might have provoked it. As my informer observed, ^^ it
was thought, that the man who could not master his own
passions was unfit to control the passions of others ; be-
sides, that he bad infringed the rules of the school, and
forfeited the respect of his schcfers.'' By this early ex-
emption from arbitrary power, the boy acquires feelings
and habits which abide with Imn through life. He feels
his own importance as a human and a dunking being ;
and learns to regard violence as equally degrading to him
who exercises it, and to him who submits to it. You will
perceive how the seeds of pride and gentleness are thus
likely to spring up together in the same mind. In the
proper union and tempering of these two qualities were.
Digitized by
Google .
CONDITION OF WOMEN. 311
perhaps, found the perfection of national as well as of
individual cimracter.
In the education of women, New-England seems hi-
therto to have been peculiarly liberal. The ladies of the
eastern states are frequently possessed of the most solid
acquirements, the modem and even the dead languages,
and a wide scope of reading ; the consequence is, that
their manners have the character of being more compo-
sed than those of my gay young friends in this quarter. I
have already stated, in one of my earlier letters, that the
pubUc attention is now every where turned to the im-
provaoient of female education. In some states, colleges
for girls are established under the eye of the legislature,
in wluch are taught all those important branches of
knowledge that your friend Dr. Rush conceived to be so
requisite.
In other countries it may seem of Uttle consequence to
inculcate upon the female mind ^' the principles of go-
vernment, and the oUigations of patriotism ;^^ but it was
wisely foreseen by that venerable apostle of liberty, that
in a country where a mother is charged with the forma-
tion of an infant tnind that is to be called in future to
judge of the laws and support the liberties of a repuUio,
the mother herself should well understand those laws, and
estimate those liberties. Personal accomplishments and
the more ornamental branches of knowledge should cer-
tainly in America be made subordinate to solid hiforma-
tbn. This is perfectly the case with respect to the men ;
as yet the women have been educated too much after the
European manner. French, Italian, dancing, drawing,
engage the hours of the one sex, (and this but too com-
monly in a lax and careless way,) while the more appro-
priate studies of the other are philosophy, history, politic
eal economy, and the exact sciences ; it follows, conse-
quently, that after the spmts of youth have somewhat
subsided, the two sexes have les5< in common in their
Digitized by
Google
312 CdNDITION OF VVOMEN^
pursuits and turn of thinking than is desirable ; a woman of
a powerful intellect will of course seize upon the new topics
presented to her by the conversation of her husband. The
less vigorous, or the more thoughtless mind, is not easily
brought to forego trifling pursuits for those which occupy
the stronger reason of its companion.
I must remark, that in no particular is the liberal phi-
losophy of the Americans more honourably evinced than
in the place which is awarded to women. The prejudices
still to be found in Europe, though now indeed somewhat
antiquated, which would confine the female library to
romances, poetry, and belles lettres, and female conver-
sation to the last new publication, new bonnet, and pas
seulj are entirely unknown here. The women are as-
suming their place as thinking beings, not in despite of
the men, but chiefly in consequence of their enlarged
views and exertions as fathers and legislators.
. I may seem to be swerving a little from my subject;
but as I have adverted to the place accorded to women
in one particular, I may as well now reply to your ques-
tion regarding their general condition. It strikes me that
it would be impossible for women to stand in higher esti*
mation than they do here. The deference that is paid to
them at all times and in all places has often occasioned
me as much surprise as pleasure.
In domestic life there is a tenderness on the part of the
husband to his weaker helpmate, and this in all situations
of life that I believe in no country is surpassed, and in
few equalled. No cavaliere servente of a lady of fashion,
no sighing lover, who has just penned a sonnet to his
"mistress's eyebrow," ever rendered more delicate at*
tentions to the idol of his fancy than I have seen rendered
by an American farmer or mechanic^ not to say gentle*
man, to the companion of his life. The wife and daugh-^
ters of the labouring citizen are always found neatly
dressed and occupied at home in household concerns : no
Digitized by
Google
GONPITION OF WOM£N. 313
field labour is ever imposed upon a woman ; and I believe
tbat it would outrage the feelings of an American, what-
ever be bis station, should he see her engaged in any toil
seemingly unsuited to her strength. In travelling, I have
myself often met with a refinement of civility f)X)m men,
whose exterior promised only the roughness of the me-
chanic, or working farmer, that I should only have looked
for from the polished gentleman*
Perhaps the condition of women affords, in all countries,
the best criterion by which to judge of the character of
men. Where we find the weaker sex burdened with
hard labour, we may ascribe to the stronger something of
the savage ; and where we see the former deprived of free
agency, we shall find in the latter much of the sensualist.
I know not a circumstance which more clearly marks in
England the retrograde movement of the national nK)rals
than the shackles now forged for the rising generation of
women* Perhaps these are as yet more exclusively laid
upon, what are termed, the highest class ; but I apprehend
that thousands of our countrywomen in the middle ranks,
whose mothers, or certainly whose grandmothers, could
ride unattended fronpt the Land's End to the border, and
walk abroad alone, or with an unmarried friend of the
other sex, armed with all the unsuspecting virtue of Eve
before her fall; — I apprehend that the children and
grandchildren of these nations are now condemned to
walk in leading-strings from the cradle to the altar, if not
to the grave, — taught to see in the other sex a race of
seducers rather than protectors, and of masters rather than
companions. Alas for the morals of a country when fe-
male dignity is confounded with helplessness, and the
guardianship of a woman^s virtue transferred from herself
to others ! If any should doubt the effect produced by the in-
fringement of femstle Uberty upon the female mind, let them
consider the dress of the present generation of English
wom^n. This will sufficiently ietUe the question without
42
Digitized by
Qoogle
K%
314 CONDITION OF WOMEN.
a reference to the pages of the daily journals. Of the two
extremes it is better to tsee a woman, as in Scotland, bent
over the glebe, mingling the sweat of her brow with that
of her churlish husband or more churlish son, than to see
her gradually sinking into the childish dependence of a
Spanish donna.
The liberty here enjoyed by the young women often
occasions some surprise to foreigners ; who, contrasting
it with the constraint imposed on the female youth of Pa-
ris or London, are at a loss to reconcile the fi«edom of the
.^ national manners with the purity of the national morals :
but confidence and innocence are twin asters ; and should
the American women ever resign the guardianship of
their own virtue, the lawyers of these democracies vnW
probably find as good occupation in prosecuting suits for
divorce as those of any of the monarchies of Elurope.*
I dlen lament, that in the rearing of women, so little
attention should be commonly paid, to the exercise of the
bodily organs ; to invigorate the body is to invigorate the
mind, and Heaven knows that the weaker sex have much
cause to be rendered strong in both* In the happiest
country their condition is sufficiently hard. Have they
talents? It is difficult to turn them to account. Ambi-
tion ? The road to honourable distinction is shut against
them. A vigorous intellect ? It is broken down by suf*
* The law of divorce u one so little referred to in America that it never
occurred to me to hear or inquire how it stood. In the state of Rhode*
Island, however, there is a very singular regulation. As it was explained to
me : — if a married couple shall give in to the civil magistrate a mutual dew
claratioui that they are desirous of separating, from (as the French would
express it) incompatibiliti, and shall then live entirely apart, but within the
precincts of the state, for two full yeart, conducting themseltes with proprie-
ty during that period, they may obtain, upon appIicatioD, a disannulment of
the marriage contract. I was surprised to hear that few had ever sought the
hen^ Qfthe act ; and that of those who bad applied for it, some had broken
the exacted stipulations before the expiration of the two years. Might it not
tend to cement rather than weaken the marriage tie throughout the worid, if
•vary coonlqr had a Rhode-Island f
. Digitized by
Google
CONDITION OF WOMEN. 315
ieringsy bodily and mental. ^ The lords of creation rec^vs
innumerable, incalculable advantage from the hand of
nature ; and it must be admitted, that they every where
take sufficient care to foster the advantages with which
they are endowed. There is sometlung so flattering to
human vanity in die ccHisciousness of superiority, that it is
little surprising if men liusband with jealousy that which
nature has enabled them to usuip dver the daughters of
Eve. Love of power more frequently originates in vanity
than pride, (two quaUties, by the way, which are oflen
confounded,) and is, consequently, yet more peculiariy
the sin of little than of gi*eat minds. Now, an overwhelm-
ing proportion of human minds appertain to the former
class, and must be content to sooth their self-love by
considering the weakness of others rather than their own
strength. You will say, this is severe ; is it not true ?
In what consists the greatness of a despot ? In his own
intrinsic merits 1 No *, in the degradation of the multi-
tude who surround him. What feeds the vanity of a pa-
trician ? The consciousness of any virtue that he inherits
with his blood ? The list of his senseless progenitors would
probably soon cease to command his respect if it did nol;
enable him to command that of his fellow creatures.
" But what,'' I hear you ask, " has this to do with the
condition of women ? Do you mean to. compare men col-
lectively to the despot and the patrician ?'' Why not ?
The vanity of the despot and the patrician is fed by the
folly of their fellow men, and so is that of their sex col-
lectively soothed by the dependence of women : it pleases
them better to find in their companion a fragile vine, cling-
ing to their firm trunk for support ; than a vigorous tree
with whose branches they may mingle theirs. I believe
they sometimes repent of their choice when the vine has
weighed the oak to the ground. It is difficult, in walking
through the world, not to laugh at the consequences
Which, sooner or later, overtake men's follies 5 but when
Digitized by
Google
J}16 CONPITION OF WOMBR.
these are visited upon women I feel mdre disposed to sigh.
Bom to eDdure the worst afflictions of fortune, tbey are
enervated in soul and body lest the storm should not visit
them sufficiently rudely. Instead of essaying to coimter-
act the unequal law of nature, it seems the obgect of roan
to visit it upon his weaker hdpmate more harshly ; it is
well, however, that his folly recoils upon bis own head ;
and that the fate of the sexes is so entwined, that the di^
nity of the one must rise or fall with that of the other.
In America much certainly is done to meliorate the
condition of women ; and as their education shall become,
more and more, the concern of the state, their character
may aspire in each succeeding generation to a higher
standard. The republic, I am persuaded, will be amply
repaid for any trouble or expense that may be thus bo-
stowed. In her struggles for liberty, much of her virtue
emanated from the vsives and daughters of her senators
and soldiers, and to preserve to her sons the enei^ i£
freemen and patriots, she must strengthen that en^gy in
her daughters.*
To invigorate the character, however, it is not sufficient
to cultivate the mind. The body also must be trained to
wholesome exercise, and the nerves braced to bear those
extremes of climate which here threaten to <uiervate the
more weakly frame. It is the union of bodily and men-
tal vigour in the male population of America which im-
parts to it that peculiar energy of character which in its
first infancy drew forth so splendid a panegyric from the
Britisb orator : " What in the world is equal to it ?" ex-
<rlaimed Mr. Burke, ^^ whilst we follow them (the colonists)
among the tumbling mountains of ice, and behold them
penetrating into the deepest frozen recess^ of Hudson's
* In the revolutionary war the enthusiasm of the women is acknowledged
to have greatly assisted that of the men. In all successful struggles for li-
berty I beliere the same co-operatbn of the tpxes will be found to have
fitted.
Digitized by
Googk
CONDITIOir OF WOMEN. 317
Bay and Davis' Streights, whilst we are looking for them
beneath the arctic circle, we hear that they have pierced
into the opposite region of polar cold, that they are at the
antipodes, and engaged under the frozen serpent of the
south. Falkland Idand, wUch seemed too remote and
romantic ab object for the grasp of national ambition, is
but a stage and resting place in the progress of their vie-
tcnrious industry; nor is the equinoctial heat more dis-
couraging to them than the accumulated winter of both
the poles. We know that while some of them draw the
line and strike the harpoon on the coast of Africa, others
run the longitude, and pursue their gigantic game along
the coast of Brazil. No sea but what is vexed by their
fisheries ; no climate that is not witness to their toils.'^
Now, though it is by no means requisite that the Ame-
rican women should emulate the men in the pursuit of the
whale, the felling of the forest, or the shooting of wild
turkeys, they might, with advantage, be taught in early
youth to excel in the race, to hit a mark, to swim, and, in
short, to use every exercise which could impart vigour to
their frames and independence to their minds. But I
have dwelt enough upon this subject, and you will, per-
haps, apprehend that I am about* to subjoin a Utopian
plsui of national education : no ; I leave this to the re-
public herself; and, wishing all success to her endeavours,
I bid you farewell.
* Speech on concilhiti^Ai with America.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
js
318
LETTER XXIV-
BKLI0I6N. — >TEMPBR OP THE DIFFERKMT SECTS. — ANEC*
DQTES.
New-Tork, Marth, 182^.
MY DEAR FBIENDi
"Fes, it is somewhat curious how travellers contradict
each other. One says things are white, and another that
they are black ; some write that the Americans have no
religion, and others that they are a race of fanatics. One
traveller tells us, that they are so immersed in the affeirs
of the republic as not to have a word to throw at a stran-
ger, and another, that they never think about politics at
all, and talk nonsense* eternally. * ♦ * * may well
* Compare Mr. Fearon and Lieutenant Hall iqx>n this gubject. It appears
to me, however, that both are equally far from the truth. That the Ameri-
can nerer trouble themselvea about <be afflUrt of the nation, which is the
assertion of the former, seems scarcely to merit refutation. That diey are
so immersed in them as to be '< habituaUy serious and silent,'* surely found
Its way into the pa|^ of the latter after an evening passed with some citizen,
of whom nature had made on original. But if this observation, as applied to
the men, appears strange, when applied to the women, it appears absohitely
incomprehensible. I think this intelligent oiBcer was looking at the Marquis
4e Chastelluz, instead of the young women of New-Tork and Fhiladelphii^
when be drew hit portrait of them : — or, perhaps, it was that they miHook
kimfir the Marquis, The licentious pen of the French nobleman knew bo«^
to traduce those who gave way to the innocent gayety of their hearts in his
presence, as well as to ridicule those who had awed him by their reserve.*
Perhaps the young women of America are now somewhat too suspicious of
European cavaliers. I have often perceived that the entrance of a foreign
traveller into a party has damped the hilarity of the evening.
*^©e the travels of Brissot de Warvflle.
Digitized by
Google
RELIOION. 319
ask what he is to believe ; but he flatters me too much if
he be willing to refer the matter to my decision. He may
ai^e thus, however, for himself: if the Americans had
no religion, it is to be {Hesumed they would have no
churches ; and if they were a race of fanatics, it is equally
to be presumed that they would force people to go into
them. We know that they heme churches, and do not
force people to go into them, nor force people to pay for
them., and yet they are paid for, and filled.
It is impossible to apply any general rule to so wide
spread a community as this. Perhaps Selden^s were the
best : ^^ Religion is like the fashion. One man wears his
doublet slashed, another laced, another plain, but every
maii has a doublet. So every man has his religion.
They differ about trimming.'' But we cannot subjoin
another axiom of the same philosopher ; " Every religion
is a getting reli^n.'' It gets nothing ; and so, whatever
it be, it is sincere and hannless.
Some contend that liberality is only indifference ; per-
haps, as a general rule, it may be so. Persecutimi un-
doubtedly fans zeal, but such zeal as it is usually better
to be without. I do not perceive any want of religion in
America. There are sections of the country where some
might think there is too much, at least that its temper
is too stem and dogmatical. This has Jong been said of
New-England, and, undoubtedly, the Puritan ancestry of
her citizens is still discernible as well in the coldness of
their manners, as in the rigidity of their creed. But it
is wonderful how fast these distinctions are disappearing.
An officer of the American Navy, a native of New-Eng-
land, told me, that when a boy he had sooner dared to
pick a neighbour's pocket on a Saturday, than to have
smiled on a Sunday. '< I have smce travelled through
all parts of the Union, and over a great part of the world,
and have learned, consequently, that there are all ways
Digitized by
Google
320 REUGIOK.
of thinking ; and I fiod now that my fellow countrymen
are learning the same*"
You will conceive how great is the change wrought in
the religious temper of the Eastern States, when J men-
tion, that the Unitarian faith has been latterly introduced,
and, in some parts, has made such rai»d progress as pro-
mises, ere long, to supersede the doctrines of Calvin.
There were, of course, some vehement pulpit fulmina-
tions in Massachusetts when these mild teachers of mo-
rals and simple Chrbtianity first made their appearance.
But, fortunately, Calvin could no longer bum Servetus,
however much he might scold at him ; and, having scold-
ed till he was tired, he laid down the '' drum ecclesiastic,"
and left his gentle adversary to lead bis flock to heaven
after his own way. This affords, I believe, the only in-
stance of war waged by American theologians since the
days of the revolution. Polemics, indeed, is not a science
at all in fashion ; nor ever likely to be so. Where no law
says what is orthodoxy, «io man is entitled to say what is
heresy ; or, if he should assume to himself the right, it is
clear that be will only be laughed at. It required, how-
ever, some years to satisfy the whole American communi-
ty of this fiict. Although few cared to ccmtend for the
doctrine of the Trinity with the vehemence of the Cal-
vinists of Massachusetts, the Unitarians had still some
prgudices to encounter in other patls of the Union. Phi-
ladelphia, and even New- York, had their zealots as well
as Boston. In the latter city, there were few, but per-
haps more noisy on that very account* It is some years
since, a Calvinistic preacher here exclaimed to the non-
etect of his congregation, ^'Ha! ha! you think to get
through the gates of heaven, by laying hold of my coat ;
but I'll take care to hoki up the skirts.^' Such an inti-
matioQ, we may suppose, not much calculated to con-
abate the vacillating heretics. The teacher who points
the way to heaven through paths of peace, and by the
Digitized by
Google
ftELiGioir. 321
candour dod gentleness of his judgments, leads us to wor-
ship with him a (Jod of love and mercy, may easily draw
into his fold the children of such a merciless fanatic.
American religion, of whatever sect, (and it includes all
the sects under heaven,) is of a quiet and unassuming cha-
racter; no way disputatious, even when more doctrinal
than the majority may think wise. I do not include the
strolling methodists and shaking quakers, and sects with
unutterable names and deranged imaginations, who are
found in some odd comers of this wide world, beating
time to the hymns of Mother Ann, and working out the
millennium by abstaining from marriage.*
The perfect c<Hrdiality of all the various religious fra->
temities might sometimes lead a stranger to consider their
members as more indifferent to the faith they so quietly
profess than they really are. There is undoubtedly a con-*
siderable body scattered through the community, who are
attached to no establishment ; but as they never trouble
their neighbours with their opinions, neither do their neigh-'
hours trouble them with theirs. The extent to which this
liberality is carried, even by the most dogmatical of the
churches, is now well evinced in New-England. In onei
or two of her theological colleges, the practice continued^
till within some years, of inculcating one creed exclusive'
ly under the protection of the legislature ; but the legisla^
ture have now left teachers and students to themselves^
and even Connecticut has finally done away the last
shadow of the privileges of her congregationalists. Ic
really does seem possible for fanaticism, or something very
like it, and liberality to go together. It is not kmg since^
in some of the New-England states, there was an edict in
* The Shakers, as they are caUedi emigrated to America some forty years
ago. Ami Lee, or Mother Aon, their tpiritual leader, was a neice of th«
celebrated General Leet who took so actire a part m the war of the revola^
Uoo. She became deranged, as it is said, from faosilj misfortunes 3 fancied
herself a second Virgin Mary, and found followers* as Jo«mM| Southcote and
Jemima Wilkinson did after h«r. •
43
Digitized by
Google
322 RELIGIOI?.
force, that no man should travel on a Sunday ; and tfai^y
while all men were eligible to the highest honours of the
state, let them believe or disbelieve as little or as much as
they might.*
Alluding to this edict recalls to me the adventure of a
Pennsylvania farmer, which, as it may elucidate the good
humour with which this people yield to the whims of
each other, I will repeat to you.
The good farmer was bound on his way to Boston,
and found himself within the precincts of Connecticut on
a Sunday morning. Aware of the law of Calvin, but
still being in haste to proceed, our traveller thought of
shifting himself from the back of his steed into the mail
which chanced to overtake him, and which, appertaining
to the United States, was not under the law of Connecti-
cut. The driver advised him to attach his steed to the
back of the vehicle, thinking that when they should have
passed through a certain town which lay before them, the
honest farmer might remount in safety ; but, as ill luck
would have it, the citizens were just stepping forth from
their doors, on their way to chiurch, when the graceless
horse, with a saddle on bis back, passed b^re them.
Stopping at the inn, a citizen made up to the side of the
vehicle, and civilly demanded if the horse was his ; and if
he was aware that the sabbath was a day of rest, not on-
ly by the law of God, but by the law of Connecticut.
The Pennsylvanian as civilly replied, that the horse wa«
his ; begged to return thanks in his name for the care
shown to his ease and his morals ; and offered to surren-
der the keeping of both until his return, to the individual
who addressed him. " I will most willingly lodge the
* The ooDStitotions of two or three of the states require, that the chief ofii-
cers shall be Christians, or, at least, believe itf a God ; but, as no religious
test is enforced^ the law is, in fact, a dead letter. By the constitution of everj
state in the Union^ an affirmation is equal to an oath ; it is at the option of
the asseverator either to invoke the name of God, or to affirm, under the
pains and penalties of the low, ia cases of breach of faith.
- Digitized bi^.'
.Gaoale
RELIGIOf^. 323
horse in my stable, and his master in my house," return-
ed the other ; ^^ but the people will not see with pleasure
the beast keeping the commandments, and the man
breakisg them.'' ^^Well, friend; then beast and man
shall keep them together. I will eat your dinner, and
he. shall eat your hay; and, to begin things properly,
you shall show him to the stable, and his master to the
church." The compact was fufilled to the satisfaction of
all parties; the Pennsylvanian only allowing himself,
through the day, gently to animadvert upon this abridg-
ment of the liberties of the citizens of the United States,
by the decree of the citizens of Connecticut, which might
not always be as agreeable to them a^, in this case, it was to
him ; s^nd departed the next morning, assuring his host that
he should be happy to repay his hospitality to him or his
friends, whenever either might choose to travel his way
on a Sunday, or a Saturday, or any day of the s^ven•
Some years afterwards, standing one Sunday morning
at the gate of his own farm, in Pennsylvania, he percei-
ved a man riding along the road, and driving before him
a small flock of sheep. As he approached, our farmer
recognized him ^or a neighbour of his ci-devant host in
Connecticut. " Ah, friend ! that's an odd occupation you
are following on a Sunday!" " True," replied the man
of New-England, " and s6 I have chosen a by-road, that
I may not offend the scrupulous." " Yes, friend ; but sup-
posing you offend me ? and supposing, too, that the Penn-
sylvania legislature should have passed a law which
comes in force this day, that neither man nor beast shall
travel on a Sunday ?" " Oh !" replied the other, " I have
no intention to di^bey your laws ; if that be the case, I
will put up at the next town." " No, no ; you may just
put up here. I will show your sheep to the stable, and,
if you be willing, yourself to the church." This was
done accordingly ; and the next morning the Pennsylva-
nian, shaking hands with his Connecticut friend, begged
Digitized by
Google
834 REuoioii.
|iim to infomi his old acquaintaace, when be should re-
turn home, that the traveller and his horse had not for-
gotten their sabbath-day's rest in his dwelling, and that,
unbacked by a law of the legislature, they had equally
enforced the law of God upon his neighbour and his neigh-
\nwT^B sheep.
There is a curious spirit of oppontion in the human
mmd. I see your papers full of anathemas against blas-
phempus pamphlets. We have np such things here ; and
why ? Because every man is free to write them ; and be-
cause every man enjoys his own opimw, without any ar-
guing aboqt the inattert Where reUgion never arms the
hand of power, ^he is neyer obnoxious ; "where she is
seated modestly at the domestic hearth, whispering peace
and immortal hope to in^cy and age, she is always re-
spected, even by those who may not themselves feel the
force of her arguments. This is truly the case here ; and
the world has my wish, and, I am sure, yours also, diat it
maybe the case every y^here.
Digitized by
Google
325
LETTER XXV.
ICCOtTNT or OOLONSL HUGER. -^ OBSERYATIONS ON THfi
CUMATE, &C.
New-Jer8€j, AprB, 1820.
MT DEAR FRIEND^
I AM happy to have it in my power to reply to the ques-
tion contained in the letter now before me, and this with-
out any trouble, as I am so fortunate as to be intimately
acquainted with some near relatives of the individual
about whom you inquire.
Colonel Huger is a native of South-Carolina, and the
member of a family remarkable (so far at least as my
acquaintance with it extends) for ardour of character and
distinguished talents. He passed to London in his youth
to complete his medical studies, and was thus engaged
when the news reached him of the seizure and imprison-
ment of General La Fayette, whom he had learned from
his infiemcy to respect as the companion in arms of his fa-
ther, and the champion of his country's hberties. He in-
stantly conceived the project of devoting his time, and, if
it should be necessary, his Ufe, to effect the rescue of the
illustrious captive. Having digested his scheme, and
finding that a coadjutor would be necessary, he took into
his confidence a young German, a companion of his stu-
dies, and embarked with him for Holland. The story of
the attempted rescue, as commonly told, is pretty accu-
rate ; the best that I remember to have sera, was in a num-
Digitized by
Google
326 COLONEL HUGER.
' ber of the Annual Register. I suppose you are acquainted
with the ulcidents which defeat^ the scheme, aiid gave
back the rescued La Fayette to his [nison, and made his
generous deliverer also an inhabitant of the gloomy dun*
geons of Olmutz. The sufferings of the young American,
after the failure of the attempt, were cruelly severe;
alone, in a dank and stony cell, apprehensive for the safety,
even for the life of La Fayette, uncertain as to the fate of
his friend ; now cursing his own rashness, which had per*
haps doubled the sufferings of him he came to rescue, and
now the untoward chances which had defeated his attempt
when so near success; — this fever of the spirit soon fell
on the blood, and, for three weeks, delirium rendered him
insensible to the horrors of his dungeon. Widiout assist-
ance of any kind that he can recollect, how the fever left
him, he knows not ; the damps and confinement ill for-
warded th^ recovery of his strength ; stretched on the
stones, he sought to divert his mind by laying plans for his
future life, if his prison-doors should ever be opened, but
for his corpse. What is singular, he has followed out the
mode of life he then amused himself with scheming.
The first human sound that reached him was the cry of
a child (for the keeper who supplied him with bread and
water, made neither query nor reply.) " A child ! then
there must be a woman, and where there is a woman,
there may be compassion." So saying, he crawled to-
wards the wall, at the top of which was the grate that
admitted light, air, and all the inclemencies of the seasons;
often he listened, watched, and called, till at last a wo-
jnan's face was stooped towards the grate; he tried
French, which fortunately she could reply to. " You are
a mother ;" such was the manner of lus address, to re-
move her scruples ; ^^ I have a mother, for her sake have
pity on her son !" After a good deal of pathetic entreaty,
she promised to bring him back an answer to his inquiries,
and to procure for him a German grammar. He learned
Digitized by
Google
COLONEL HVOEIU 327
Umt his friend was in a dungeon in the same fcxtress, and
tibat La Fayette was in tolerable health, but in stricter
confinement than ever. The grammar was squeezed
through the bars, another book was afterwards procured,
and thus he acquired a tolerable knowledge of German.
After some time, he told his visiter, that his grammar had
afforded him so much amusement, that if she could disco-
rer the grate of his friend's prison, he wished she would
covey it to him. Having in vain tried to make intelUgible
marks upon the paper, he made some with a piece of
mortar, scraped from the wall, upon a black silk handker-
chief that he took fipom his neck, and in which he folded
the grammar; this, with a good deal of trouble, was
squeezed again through the bars, and in a few days was
returned, some words of English in reply having been
scraped by his fiiend upon the cover, satisfying Huger as
to his health. The grammar was his only amusement
through the remaining months of his imprisonment, which
were in all eight. The representations of Washington
procured his release, after a trial where he pleaded his
own cause in French : it was short, and simply, but elo-
quently stated, that he and his friend had no accomplices,
and no motives but those supplied by their own enthusi-
asm ; that he had not sought to rescue a state-prisoner,
but the friend of his father, of his countiy, and of mankind;
to procure whose release, he would then willingly return
to his dungeon, and to save whose life, he would joyfully
give his own. Having concluded, the judge (whose
German title I forget,) ordered him to leave the place
within so many hours, and to be out of Germany within
so many days; and, then, leaving his seat, and approach-
ing him, he said, ^^ Young man, you are chargeable with
singular rashness, but I tell you, that, had I to search the
world for a friend, from what I have heard this day, I
would seek him in America.''
I may mention that the young prisoner came from his
Digitized by
Google
328 COLONEL HUQBIt,
dungecm almost entirely bakly and that thougb the strength
of his constitution socm removed all the other eflfects of his
unwholesome confinement, he never recovered hm hair ;
this, contrasted with the youth and animation of his coun-
tenance, gave him for many years a very singular appear*-
ance. Returning, to his country, misfortune seemed to
foUow him ; entering the house of his brother, a bow-v\in-*
dow from the u^ier story fell on his head ; for thirteen
days he lay insensible, attended by his brother with ago-
nized afiection. What struck me as a fine instance/ of.
greatness of mind, when the suigeon, perceiving the skull
lo be injured, proposed trepanning, which he thoi^t
mi^t save life, thou^ without the hope (^{ureserving the
reasom " No," said his brotho:, ^* never shall he live to
be so different from what be was. I know Us soul, and
choose for him in preferring death*" He repaid his cares,
however, by a perfect recovery, whaa his brother, who
Vf^as possesed of a large prq^erty, entreated him to share
his fortune; this, however, he strenuously refiised, and
settled in Charleston as a physician* Some time after-
wards, he became attached to a young woman of a re-
cpectabje family in that city. Though rising into emi-
nence in his profession, his income was as yet small, and
she had nothing. In this state of things, he determined
not to venture on marriage, until his increasing practice
should enable him to support a family. These circum-
stances coming to the knowledge of his brother, he in-
stantly bestowed a fortune on the young woman ^ and an
obligation, thus delicately conferred, could not be elated
to by her lover. They married, and Colonel Huger then
determined to carry into effect thc^dreams which bad
amused his prison. He took his wife to a farm beyond
the mountains, where he settled, and wasi soon the fatl^
of a fine boy. The child, when two years old, sickened,
and his knowledge of physic satisfied him that he could
not recover; he reasoned Uke a philosopher with the
Digitized by
Google
COLONEL HUGER. 329
daating mother/ prepared her by degrees for her loss, re-
inresented the duty she owed to him, which should
strengthen her to stru^le with her grief, and submit to an
irremediable evil. She Ustened, and had sufficient strength
of mind to feel the weight of his words. She herself wrote
the news of her loss to her father. ^^ My husband has
exhorted me to bear it as became y6ur daughter and his
wife, and he has imparted, strength to me to do so ; but,
oh ! what calamity is there for which his affection ought not
to console me !" They were afterwards more fortunate pa-
rents. Colonel Huger has been the tutor of his children,
who obey his words as the young Spartans those of Ly-
curgus. Trained to hardiness and independence, inspired
by their father with sentiments of patriotism, and clad in
garments woven by their own domestics, they exhibit, in
their manners and character, that simpUcity and ardour
which form the true characteristics of the sons and daugh-
ters of a repubUc. Nor is it only when excited by feel-
ings of peculiar enthusiasm, or when called* upon to per-
form the duties of a husband, a father, and a citizen, that
this distinguished individual has evinced the beauty of his
character. He Jiad an only sister, who, some years after
his marriage, fell into a pitiable state of health ; change
of air and travelling were recommended as the last reme-
dies : his brother found it impossible to move at the time,
and there was no other friend or relative on whom could
be devolved the care of- the invalid. Cc^onel Huger left
his farm, came to Charleston, deposited his wife and in-
fant children with his &ther-in-law, became the travelling
companion and physician of his sister, apd neai'Iy a year
after brou^t her back in a state of recovery, joined his
family, and returned to his estate.
^ During the war, when a descent of the enemy was ex-
pected on some of the great cities of the south, and then
on Savannah rather than New-Orleans, Colonel Huger
repaired to the f(^er. Assembling his children around
44
Digitized by
Google
330 OBSERVATIONS ON
bimin the presence of their mother, he explained the duty
which called him from them. " My comitry and your
country calls me to its defence. I go with a willing heart,
commending you and your mother to it and to heaven.
Let me see that you, on your side, yield your father with
willing hearts. Now embrace me, all of you, without a
tear.^' He mounted his horse, and not a murmur was
heard ; even the youngest tried to smile as their beloved
parent rode away ; another proudly brushed the tear from
his eye, aqd wished that he was old enough to defend his
country. Are you not with the old Romans ? * *
The winter has now finally disappeared, tliough indeed
we had pronounced the same in March ; and the grass
and I were lifting up om* heads together, for we seem to
be pretty equally dependant on the warm sun, when the
demon of frost threw his iron sleets into the lap of ^ring,
or I should mther write summer j for nature here steps at
once from the " formless wild" to
*< Brighterting fields of etheri fair dbcIot*d/*
This is a climate of extremes ; you are here always in
heat or frost. The former you know I never object to,
and as I equally dislike the latter, I should perhaps be
an unfair reporter of both. The summer is glorious ; the re-
splendent sun ^'shining on," for days and weeks successive-
ly ; an air so pure, so light, and to me so genial, that I wake
as it were to a new existence. I have seen those around
me, however, often drooping beneath fervours which have
given me life. By the month of August, the pale cheeks
and slow movements of the American women, and even
occasionally of thef men, seem to demand the invigorating
breezes of the Siberian winter to brace the nerves and
quicken the current of the blood. The severe cold which
succeeds to this extreme of heat, apoears to have this
Digitized by
Google
THE CLIBIATE. 33^1
effect, and seldom to produce, excepting upon such as
may be affected with constituticHial weakness of the lungs,
any eiiect that is not decidedly beneficial. Most people
will pronounce the autumn to be the pride of the Ameri-
can year. It is indeed fraught with beauty to all the
senses ; the brilliant hues then assumed by nature, from
the dwarf sumac with his berries and leaves of vivid crim-
son, up to the towering trees of the forest, twisting their
branches in extreme and whimsical contrasts of gold, red,
green, orange, russet, through all their varieties of shade ;
the orchards too, then laden with treasures, and the fields
heavy with the ripened ms^ze ; the skies bright with all
the summer^s splendour, yet tempered with refreshing
breezes ; the sun sinking to rest in crimsons whose depth
and warmth of hue the painter would not dare to imitate.
This glorious season is, however, not the most wholesome,
especially in the uncleared districts, as you know from my
last year's letters.
The winter ; — those whom it likes, may like it. The
season has its beauty and its pleasures. Sparkling skies
shining down upon sparkling snows, over which the light .
sleighs^ peopled with the young and the gay, bound along
to the chime of bells which the horses seem to bear well
pleased. In country and city, this is the time of amuse-
ment ; the young people will run twenty miles, through
the biting air, to the house of a fiiend ; where all in a mo-
ment is set astir ; carpets up, music playing, and youths
and maidens, laughing and mingling in the mazy dance,
the happiest creatures beneath the moon. Is it the bright
climate, or the liberty that reigns every where, or is it the,
absence of poverty and the equal absence of extreme
wealth,' or is it all these things together that make this
people so cheerful and gay hearted 7 Whatever be the
cause, ill befall the callous heart that could see their hap-
pmess without sympathy, though it should be unable to
share it !
Digitized by
Google
332 0BS£RVATI01fS OJK
The spring; — 4here 16 properly no spring; there is a
short struggle between winter and summer ; who scHne-
times fight for the mastery with a good deal of obstinacy ^
We have lately seen a fierce combat between these two
great sovereigns of the year. In the latter days of March,
summer suddenly alighted on the snows in the full flush
of July heat ; every window and door were flung open to
welcome the stranger, and the trees were just bursting
into leaf, when angry winter returned to the field, and
poured down one of the most singular showers of sleet I
ever witnessed. The water, fi-eezing as it fell, cased
every branch and twig in chrystal of ail inch thick, so
transparent that each bud appeared distinctly through it ;
in some places, large trees gave way beneath the unusual
burden, their heads absolutely touching the ground, until
theii* trunks snapped in twain. Fortunately, there was
no wind, or the devastation would have been dreadful ;
it has been .cruel enough as it is, boughs and branches
every where strewing the ground, and stems shattered as
if by lightning*
I am not sure if, even in our island, the spring does not
appear to more advantage in description than in reality.
There are, indeed, some lovely days in England, when
the lark carols, unseen, at the gates of heaven, and prim-
foses and cowslips are just bursting out of the green-
sward; the April sun peeping sweetly forth from a flying
cloud; the earth and heaven all breathing freshness, and
fragrance, and miW vernal airs. The beautiful valleys of
Devonshire see many such days ; but the island generally
«ees but few, or at least there are so many ft)g8 and biting
winds which intervene betwixt them, that I for one, have
always been well pleased when
" the turning tprmg
Averti her blushful l«ce.*'
Digitized by
Google
THB CLIMATE. 333
The close d* the winter, for one may not term it the spring,
is here decidedly the least agreeable season d* the year.
Siberian winds to-day, and Indian heats to-morrow, and
then driving sleet the next day, and so on, from heat to
cold, and cold to heat, until the last finally prevails, and
all nature bursts into sudden life, as by the spell of a ma*
gician. The first flueji of the summer is truly delightful ^
the instantaneous spring of vegetation, the multitude of
blossoms, clothing orchard and forest, and the chirp and
song of birds, all breaking forth at once, have an unspeak-
ably cheering effect The birds here are less numerous
than in our island, but will, of course, multiply as cultiva-
tion encroaches more and more on the forest. I do not
think there is any songster that may compare with our
lark, whose note breathes more of the upper spheres than
any of earth's creatures. With this exception, the note
of the American songsters may, I think, vie with ours.
The Virginia nightingale, his feathers all crimson with fine
black marks on his head, has a singularly melodious song ;
the robin is more like our thrush, both as to size and note,
and even colour, except that he has a red breast, from
which, and perhaps also from his familiar habits, it is pro*
bable that he obtained his name ; the mocking bird, who,
besides imitating all others, bad, good, and incBfferent, has
a powerful and exquisite note of his own; the blue bird,
the red-headed woodpecker, a small yellow bird resem*
bling the canaiy, are the others that occur to me as the
most frequent. The huibming bird, that fairy creature,
half butterfly, half bird, does not make his appearance
until midsummer.
The observations that I can make upon the climate ap-
ply of course but to a small portion of this vast world,
which comprises all the climates of the earth ; with the
exception perhaps of one — the gloomy. The Atlantic
border of New-England is indeed liable, in the spring
months, to fogs blown fit>m off the Newfoundland hwk ;'
Digitized by
Google
334 OBSERVATIONS ON
but these temporary visiters do not despoil the atmosphere
of the general character of brilHancy which, summer and
winter, it may be said more or less to possess from Maine
to Missouri. The vividness of the light, which is at first
painful to English, and even European eyes of whatever
country, I could imagine had wrought an effect on the na-
tional physiognomy. The Americans in general are re-
markable for even brows, much projected over the eyes,
which, small and piercing, usually glance from beneath
them with singular intelligence and quickness of observa-
tion. The cUmate of this continent, except where in-
fluenced by local causes, seems to be peculiarly healthy,
and highly favourable to the growth of the human figure ;
other circumstances doubtless asast its effect ; a popula-
tion free fit)m poverty, and in consequence comparatively
of vice, might perhaps attain to nature's full standard in
an atmosphere less pure. The diseases of the country
appear to be few and violent ; fevers, and other inflam-
matory disorders, common during the first autumnal
months ; th^ temperate habits of the peq)le, however, pre-
serve them in a great measure from these attacks, or mo-
derate their violence. I imagine there are more instsuices
of extraordinary longevity in these states, than you could
find in any part of Europe.
The Western States seem destined to be the paradise
of America. The beauty of their cUmate is probably
unrivalled, unless it be by that of some of the elevated
plains of the southern continent. The influence of the
mild breezes from the Mexican gulf, which blow with
the steadiness of a trade wind up the great valley of the
Mississippi, is felt even to the southern shore of lake Erie ;
and affects the climate of some of the northwestern coun-
ties of New- York. The explanation given by Vobey
of this phenomenon, is, in the highest degree, ingenious,
and more thap (dausible, as it seems to be confirmed by
Digitized by
Google
THE CLIMATE* 335
the subsequent observations of other philosophers, and to
be borne out by every fact that has been adduced**
Have I written enough about wind and weather ? For-
give me for handUng so dull a subject, and this too so su-
perficially. The American climate has so many pecu-
liarities, that to trace them to their causes, would aiford a
curious and interesting subject ; for this, however, I am
totally inadequate.
I send you a ver^ careless reply to your last letter. A
few week's patience, my dear friend, and I will answer
your questions, to the best of my power at least, in per-
son. Receive it as no small proof of anxious affection,
that we lay aside all thoughts of crossing the AUeghanies ;
and that, closing, for the present, our American travels
with a visit to Washington, we ^all embark in May for
England. Does this look like return ; and do you now
bdieve, that we shall keep good faith with you ? Fare-
well.
* The facts adduced by Volney, tend to demonstrate ** that the southwest
wind of the United States is nothing but the trade wind of the tropics turned
out of its direction and modifiedi and that consequently the air of the west-
em country is the same as that of the gulf of Mexico, and previously of the
West Indies, conveyed to Kentudcy. From this datum, flows a simple and
natural solution of the problem, which at first must hare appeared perplex-
^g) why the temperature of the western country is hotter by three degrees
of latitude than that of the Atlantic coast, though only separated from it by
the Alleghany mountains."— Volncy's View of the Climate tmd Soil of ^
United Siatei of America, If the southwest wind tempers, in the western
country, the cold of the winter, it also tempers the heat of the summer.
This does not seem to be clearly admitted by Vc^ney ; but I have never ques-
tioned any individual, familiar with the western territory, who did net con-
cur in the statement.
Digitized by
Google
336
LETTER XXVI.
PHILADELPHIA MARKET. — DEPORT JIENt OF THE CITIZENS.
MODE OF GUIDING AND BREAKING HORSES. — HINTS
TO AN EMIGRANT. CONSEatTENCES OF BRINGING FO-
REIGN SERVANTS TO AMERICA. — ' GERMAN REDEMPTION*
ERS. — MANNER IN WHICH THE IMPORTATION OF THE
PEASANTS OF THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT IS CONDUCTED.
--* REPLY TO THE QUARTERLY REVIEW. — DESCENT OF
THE DELAWARE. — LETTER OF COUNT SURVILLIER (jO*
SEPH BUONAPARTE.) — RENCONTAE WITtt ENGLISH TRA-
VELLERS.
FbiUulelpliia, Apra> 182a
Mr DEAR FRIEND,
JL Hus far on our way to Washingt^^, having just left
the Trenton steamboat for one bound to Baltimore, and
now lying at the wharf at the foot of Market-street^ sur-
rounded by sloops and boats, filled with shad, a fine fish
between our salmon and mackerel, just come into season,
and which are now selUng iot a cent a piece.
How strangely quiet is this Quaker city ! I am wridug
in this cabin scarce disturbed by a sound, except the tread
of two men on the deck ; aiid yet the great market of the
city, and the largest, perhaps, of any city in the states, is
now holding not two hundred yards distant fipom this spot.
We took a turn through it just now, and surely never was
a crowd so orderly and quiet ! I know not if the fisbworaen
be all Quakers, but they certably are few of them Billings-
Digitized by
Google
PHILADELPHIA MARKET. 337
gates. And here I will observe what has struck me, not in
Philadelphia only, over which the peaceable spirit of Penn
may be supposed to hover, but in all the towns and cities
of these republics that I have chanced to visit, — the oi^
derly behaviour of the citizens. You not only see no
riots in the streets, but no brawls ;— none of that wran-
gling, enforced by oath and fist, which some might hold
as proofs of brutish ignorance, though a Windham might
see in them the tongue and soul of valour. The absence
of noise does not argue the absence of activity, any more
than the absence of inhumanity argues that of courage.
If any man doubt either position, let him visit these re-
publics, and consider the character and habits of this peo*
pie, together with their short, but interesting history.
I observed in the carts and wagons standing in and
around the market-place, the same well-fed, well-rubbed^
healthy looking horses, that have so often attracted my
attention throughout this country. Truly, I do not tc-
member to have seen a starved horse since I landed. The
animals seem to share the influence of wholesome laws
with their masters ; their influence reaching them through
that which they exert more immediately upon the charac*
ter, as well as the circumstances, of the proud lords of the
creation. I say character as well as circumstances ; for
though, when a man feeds his horse well, it may only
argue, that he has wherewithal to procure provender;
when he uses him gently, and guides him with the voice
instead of the whip, it shows that he has good sense or hu-
manity ; good sense, if he consider his own ease, and hu-
manity, if he consider that of the animal. It is a pretty
thing to see a horse broke in this country ; it is done en-
tirely by gentleness. A skilful rider, after much previous
coaxing and leading, mounts the vnld creature without
whip or spur, and soothes him with the hand and the
voice, or allows him to spend himself in the race, and
brings him at last to obey the check of the rein, or the
45*
Digitized by
Google
338 HINTS TO AN EMfGRANT.
note of the voice, with the readiness of the steed of a Be-
douin. The lesson, thus learned, is never forgotten ; a
word or a whistle sets the horse to his full speed, whether
in the carriage, the dearborn, or the stage. In travelling,
I remember but once to have seen a driver who ever did
more than crack his whip in the air. This exception too
was a European.
If * * * * 's friends do finally determine upon passing
to this country, let them by all means be advised against
bringing servants with them. Foreign servants are here,
without doubt, the worst; they neither understand the
work which the climate renders necessary, nor are willing
to do the work which they did elsewhere. A few weeks
— nay, not unfrequently, a few days, and they either be-
come a useless charge to their employers, ory by making
inordinate demands, and assuming airs of ridiculous im-
portance, force their employers to dismiss them. You
will easily conceive, how an uneducated mind is likely to
misconstrue the nature of that equality which a democra-
cy imparts to all men. Those bred up under it, can per-
ceive and acknowledge the distinctions which education
and condition place between the gentleman and the la-
bourer ; but those just released from the aristocracies of
Europe, finding themselves in a country where all men
are placed, by the laws, on an exact level, conceive, natu-
rally enough, that they are transformed fixim the servants
of their employer into his companions ; and at one and the
same moment lay aside obsequiousness, and array them-
selves in insolence. I am not, however, prepared to say,
that the complaints which I have heard firom my country-
men and countrywomen have been altogether just. It is
probable, that in these household-quarrels, there are often
faults on both sides ; the master and mistress preserving a
tone which might be tolerated in Europe, but which their
squires and handmaidens have here learned to resent;
and the servants, on the other hand, being too prone to
[
Digitized by
Google
DOMESTIC SERVANTS. 339
exaggerate the offence offered, or too eager to seize the
opportunity of paying off old scores, by returning imperti-
nence in kind. If* * * *'s friends are quite sure of the
dispositions of their domestics, and quite sure of their own,
they may, perhaps, bring over tlieir houshold with them
without much ha^rd. I beheve the plan seldom an-
swers ; but there are exceptions to all rules. One tlyng
they must come prepared for. The day after their arri-
val, they will be styled Mr. and Mrs. * * * *. If they '
take no notice of this, things may go on smoothly, but if
they ask why the epithets master and mistress are dropped,
ten to one but they will receive for answer, that there are
no masters and no servants in America ; that this is a free
country ; that all men are equal, &c. &c. ; the whole
concluding with a toss of the head, and a sudden whisk
out of the room. I have witnessed several amusing scenes
of this description ; and some of my American friends
have witnessed many more.
The ***** 's are perhaps curious to know what
servants they will find here. In the first place, they will
find in the Atlantic cities, where servants must generally
be sought, many Irish, and some British. These are, for
the most part, stragglers from the crowd of emigrants
poured into the St. Lawrence ; with some exceptions, the
former are poor, dirty, and ignorant ; the latter discon-
tented and insolent ; these, however, after a year or two,
will sometimes recover their good humour and good man-
ners, and become civil, though never again servile do-
mestics. There is something al)out the Irishman, that
every where seems to attract sympathy. - Notwithstand-
ing his thoughtless improvidence, his simplicity and warm^
heartedness make him friends, even among this indus-
trious nation. The many distinguished Irish characters
settled in these states, of course interest themselves more
peculiarly in the condition of their poor countrymen.
The Hibernian societies of New- York and Philadol-
Digitized by
Google
340 DOMESTIC SBRYANTfiU
phia provide some with work, and support other? ; these
emigrants some times make tolerable journeymen and
out-door labourorS) but usually very indifferent household
servants.
On the Atlantic borde/, to which, in the Northern
States, the black population is chiefly confined, negroes
are much employed in domestic service. Their faults are
indolence, and an occasional tendency to intemperance
and petty dishonesty. Those who employ negroes gene-
rally find it better to employ them exclusively. The na-
tive American, when he can be obtained, makes a va-
luable domestic Household service, as I have observed
in a former letter, is not an employment that the citizens
are fond of; but the very qualities which disincline them
from it, make them the more trusty when engaged in it.
The foreigner, however, must be careful not to rub th^
pride* No American will receive an insulting word. A
common mode of resenting an imperious order, is to quit
the house without waiting or even asking for a reckoning.
The sensitiveness of the American pride is sometimes not
a little curious and amusing. Some months since, we
were surprised in New- York by a visit from a woman
who had been our domestic the year before. We had
parted with her, having no farther occasion for her service,
and had seen her provided with another place before we
left the city. It was not without pleasure, that I recog-
nized our old acquaintance, as she entered neatly dressed,
with a smiling countenance, which seemed also full of
meaning. After some prefatory salutations, I began to
inquire into her history since we parted. How had she
liked her new situation ? ^^ They were foreignei-s, Madam,
that I went to after leaving you." " Well, Mary.'' —
*' They had some strange ways. Madam." " The short
is, Mary, that you did not like them." ** Why no, Ma-
dam. I left them the next morning." " That was some-
what hasty. — ^They must have used you very ill." " They
Digitized by
Google
DOMESTIC SERVANTS. 34 1
doubted my honesty,^' and she drew her head somewhat
higher as she spoke. " Indeed !" " Yes ; the lady her-
self locked away the plate, and even the silver spoons.^^
I believe I smiled as I asked, " Was that all, Mary P*
" All !" A slight flush crossed her face, as she repeated
die word ; then, hesitating a moment, she added in a
quiet tone, '^ I am afraid you think I behaved oddly ; but
I was not used to the sort of thing. The lady told me
it was her practice. Why then, Madam^^'^ said J, " I think
we are not assorted. I could not stay in a house where a
doubt seemed to be caskiipon my honesty; and so I believe
we had better part now.^'* " And you did part T' " Yes,
Madam, I went away directly." I was glad to learn
that the pride of the honest creature was never likely to
be tried again. After a few circumlocutions and awk-
ward looks, she told me that she was married to a kind
husband and an industrious man.
You will perceive, that a character of this description
requires some management. Indeed the same may be
said of servants in this country generally. A master or
mistress of an imperious temper will be served very ill.
It is a chance, indeed, if they will be served at all, and
certainly by none but the most worthless, either of the
blacks or G^ the poorest foreign emigrants, who may think
it worth while to make a compromise between their pride
and their cu{Mdity, and who will probably revenge affionts
by picking their masters^ pockets. There is one mistake
which foreigners are very apt to fell into ; that the blacks
constitute a second kat ; possessing fewer privileges, and,
consequently, less pride than the white community ; and
who may, therefore, be treated de haut en bas with impu-
nity. It is not occasionally without feefings of high re-
sentment, that Europeans are made sensible of their error;
and that they find the privileges of an American negro
often surpassing theirs in their own country, and his pride
equalling theirs in its most towering mood. This, indeed,
Digitized by
Google
342 GERMAN REDEMPTIONERS.
is not a country for the imperious or the vain ; the man
who can respect the pride of a fellow creature, in what-
ever condition of life fortune may have thrown him, and
who does not feel his consequence to depend upon the
cap-in-hand service of inferiors, but rather finds his own
dignity, as one of the human species, raised by the
dignity assumed by others ; such a man may live here
easily and comfortably, well attended, well esteemed, and
civilly treated.
There is another race of servants who are highly useful
to the farmer and country gentleman ; these are the poor
German and Swiss peasants, thrown into this country
from Holland, chiefly by the port of Philadelphia. Penn-
sylvania has been in great part peopled from Germany ;
perhaps one third of the population are of German de-
scent ; it is natural, therefore, that the stream of emigration
from the banks of the Rhine should continue to pour into
the same quarter. The regulations under which mer-
chant vessels are placed in New-York, seem, indeed, to
shut that port against it. Every captain who there lands
a foreigner, is held responsible that he or she shall not be
thrown as a charge upon the commonwealth. Should he
be found in the character of a vagrant within the date of
three years after his arrival, the captain who has landed
him, becomes chargeable with his ^sustenance, and mifet
pay a high fine to the state, to be appropriated to that
purpose.
The more wealthy Germans, and other philanthropic
citizens of tliis state (Pennsylvania,) in keepmg the port
of Philadelphia open to the suffering poor of the EiUropean
continent, have exerted themselves to place the trade (for
their exportation is absolutely made a subject of trade in
Holland) under such regulations as shall save this com-
munity from an inundation of paupers, and the poor emi-
grants themselves from breach of faith in the traders to
whom they entrust their lives and liberties. The ships
Digitized by
Google
GERMAN REDEMPTIONERS* 343
chiefly employed in this trade are Dutch, but the depress-
ed state of commerce has thrown into it vessels of other
nations, British, American, and others, from the ports of
the Baltic* It was, of course, found somewhat dijfficult
to bring foreign ships under the jurisdiction of the state
laws. The first regulations were, in some cases, so
shamefully evaded, that the national government took the
subject under consideration, and passed a law which ex-
tended to every port in the Union, and has been found
thoroughly effective; at present, therefore, the trade is
placed under the jurisdiction of the American congress,
while the Pennsylvania legislature appoint officers to see
that the contracts between the emigrants and tlie ship
captains are faithfully fulfilled. A ship, of whatever na-
tion, arriving in port peopled beyond a rate prescribed by
law, is forfeited to the national government. The captain
df every ship is bound to support his emigrants, or redemp-
tumersj as they are styled, for one month after the date of
their arrival in port ; after which he may add the charge
of their support, as determined by law, to the debt of their
passage. This debt, which is contracted in Holland, is
paid according to the means of the emigrant. If he has
money to defray his passage, and that of his family, he
devotes it to this purpose ; but this is rarely the case ;
sometimes he pays half or a third of the debt, and becomes
bound to the captain for a term of service equivalent to
the remainder, who is empowered to sell this indenture-
ship to a resident citizen in Pennsylvania ; more frequent-
ly he discharges the whole of the debt by the sun^nder of
bis liberty. Upon his arrival here, however, the laws
effectually screen him from the xesults which might ac-
crue from his own ignorance or rashness ; he, or rather
the captain for him, cannot, under any circumstances, in-
dent his person for a term longer than four years, nor can
he be taken without his consent beyond the limits of
the state of Pennsylvania* An ofixcer is appointed and
Digitized by
Google
344 GERMAN REDEMPTIONERS.
salaried by the Pennsylvania government, who inq^ects
the redemptioners on their arrival, and witnesses €uid re-
ports tlie agreement made between the captain and those
who pm-chase their service. The purchasers must tadte
the whole family, man, wife, and children, unless the re-
demptioners themselves shall agree to the contrary ; the
masters being also bound by the law to provide the chil-
dren with schooling and clothing. There are some mi-
nor regulations with which I am not accurately acquaint-
ed. This service, you will perceive, is liable to be not a
little expensive to the employers. It is attended, how-
ever, witli fewer risks than might be expected; the
Swiss and German peasants being, for the most part, sim-
ple, honest, and industrious, and excellent servants in the
form and tJie dairy. This mode of indenture is so ser-
viceable to these emigrants, that those who may have been
able to defray their passage in money, usually bind them-
selves to some American family for a couple of years,
where they may be initiated in the language and habits
of their new country. I have met with instances of this
kind in Pennsylvania, and even in New-Yoik and Jersey,
into which states the emigrants had consented to pass*
After the expiration of the term, the redemptionjers are
often retained by their masters upon wages; when, if
they are frugal and ambitious, they may, in the course of
time, lay up sufficient to purchase a few acres, and enter
on their own farm.
It certainly cannot be expected that the American na-
tion will submit to have their country turned into a lazar-
house for the suffering poor of Europe, who, with poverty,
but too often bring its accompaniments, indolence and
vice. Those states, probably, act wisely who^ by such
regulations as I have mentioned as adopted by New- York,
shut thfe door against them. That state, by-the-bye, re-
ceives, as it is, more tiian she finds agreeable, by the way
of Canada ; and her community are put to no small in-
Digitized by
Google
GERMAN REDEMPTI0NER8. 345
oonvenience and expense for their provision* It is a com*
mon belief in Europe, that her surplus population will be
as great an advantage for America to gain as for her to
lose. The argument would have some plausibility were
pot the surplus population of all countries generally the
vicious population* There is not, however, the ^ame ob-
' jections to that of the middle parts of the old continent, as
to that which has sometimes flowed from France and the
British islands* The starving emigrants of Switzerland
and Germany are simple agriculturists and ignorant pea-
sants, who here quietly devote themselves to the pursuits
from which they have been driven in Europe, and instant*
ly become harmless and industrious citizens. Their pre-
judices, whatever they may be, are perfectly innocent,
and of absolute vices they usually have none. The pocu:
British bat too often bring with them all the assumption
and all the corruption of manu&cturing towns and crowd**
ed seaports ; too ignorant to be able to appreciate justly
the advantages which this country affords, atid too know-
ing to be willing to learn.* Nor even supposmg them to
have good habits, which is seldom the case, are they fitted
for the work they can obtain here* An Englishman, in
general, can do. but one thing, and an Irishman, but too
frequently, can do nothing* I know many instances of
their being employed firom pure charity ; their vnves and
children supported m out-bouses for weeks and even
months together, a charge upon the benevolence of an
American farmer or gentleman* But benevolenc^^ust
have bounds, and the rulers of Europe can with little rea*
son complain, if the republic lays an embai^ upon the
importation of their obstreperous mob and onerous pau-
pers* The fact is, that those only are an acqiusition to
*The Wdth form an exception to this rale : their Imbitt ftrefoand to bear
mnch resemblance to tbose of the German peaiantiy, and, consequently^,
their serrice is equallj valued in Pennsyhrama. Cargoes of Welsh redemp*
tioners frequently enter the Delaware.
46
Digitized by
Google
346 REPLY TO THE
this continent who are a loss to the other, and melan-
choly is the trutli, that every ship which enters these
ports brings some emigrants of this character* The heart
of the English patriot may well sink within him, when he
reflects upon this. Where will be the strength of his na-
tion when it shall consist only of the over^rich and the
starving poor ? Pharaoh's fat and lean kine, who ate up '
each other, is a true allegory.
Before quitting the subject of the Grerman emigration,
I must, in justice to the benevolent community of Phila-
delphia, advert to a writer who has been raised into con-
sideration by the importance of his commentators. It
was perhaps not possible, that the authors of a much read
EngUsh journal should be able to detect the false state-
ments of the English traveller they reviewed ; but before
they confirmed them by a farther assertion of their own,
it was natural to suppose, that they had accurately inves-
tigated the subject upon which they wrote. There is
somethhig painful in seeing the virtues of a community
perverted into a source of reproach and calumny. That
Philadelphia who has been amiable enough to keep her
ports open to the starving suflferers of Europe, when other
states have closed theirs, should have been fixed upon as
an object of peculiar obloquy, is, perhaps, no less singular
than revolting.*
Mr. Fearon has given an account of a vessel in this
port, calculated, from the seeming minuteness of its de-
tails, to gain imi^cit credit. The ship Bubona^ which he
says he boarded, and describes as being 6verloaded with
wretched Germans, he infcnms the£nglish public, was an
American, commanded by an American, and belonging
to Americans. The Bubona, I regret to say, was a Bri-
tish brig, finom the port of Sunderland, navigated and com-
* The port of Baltimore is alio resorted to hj redemptioners. I beUeve the
reguUtioiis under which the trade is there placed, di0er io little from those of
Philadelphia.
Digitized by
Google
" ilUARTERLf ftEYIEW^ 347
manded by our countrymen, and haying British owners :
she was, moreover, one of the foreign vessels which the
state laws of Pennsylvania being incompetent to control,
occasioned the subject to be brought before the national
congress, and procured the passing of those effective laws
to which I have before alluded. I request you to commu-
nicate these particulars to your friend * * » * *^ vvho
will judge from this specimen how far the " Sketches" of
Mr. Fearon have been drawn by an accurate pencil.
The ships employed in this trade (which, so far from
meriting the term in/anwus, bestowed upon it by the re-
viewer, is in its principle and its results essentially hu-
mane) are, as I have before remarked, principally Dutch ;
not English, as the instance of the Bubona, if it had been
fairly stated by Mr. Fearon, might have led the British
reader to suppose, nor American, as statefl by the re-
viewer. The slighest acquaintance with the strict regu-
lations laid upon American vessels and their captains,
would have prevented many of the misstatements which
have appealed in English journals* and travels. These
regulations, carefully enforced, have raised the character
of the American traders throughout Europe, and rendered
the law, passed by the national congress, less necessary
on account of their own vessels, tlian those of other na-
tions.f ««#«♦#«
t The particulars given in the text were first received by the author froin
an Eng^lish gentleman, long resident in Philadelphia, and were ailenrarda
confirmed to her from many other sources equally authentic. The reader
will find the same detailed more minutely in the eighteenth article of the
twenty-seventh number, and the first article of the twenty-eighth number of
the North American Review. That the English reviewer, to whom the author
has adverted in the text, may he fidly satisfied nf the accuracy of her stater
ment, she extracu from the Boston jc^umal the attestation of a German no-
bleman, despatched by the minister plenipotentiary of the King of the Nether-
lands, In the German tfrnt, to America, foe, th^ pttrpose of procuring farther
Digitized by
Google
348 COUNT D£ SURVILLlfiRS."*
Inquiring concerning Joseph Buonaparte in our way
here, I ieam that he is about to purchase or tease a house
upon the Delaware, about ten miles below the ruins of
his former residence* This neighbourhood has been en-
deared to him by the friendly behaviour of the people upon
the occasion of his late misfortune* You will probably
have seen in the papers, though I should not have written it
to you, that the mansion in which we saw him last sum-
mer, was some months since burned to the ground. His
Canovas were mostly saved, all indeed except three,
but they were among the most valued ; his pictures also
and many of his books ; still, however, the loss was con*
siderable ; and if it be true, that this included some family
papers of importance, perhaps irreparable- He entered
his gates, returning from Philadelphia, just as the roof fell
in : all the neighbourhood was collected, and men and
women striving, at the hazard of their lives, to save his
property from the flames; he liad himself to call them,
and even to force them from the walls* The Count seems
to have been somewhat amazed by the honesty of his re-
publican neighbours ; and they, I am told, were no less
amazed at his amazement* Possibly his letter of thanks
appeared in your papers; if not, I throw it into this
packet*
encouragement for the reception of the poor Germans in Pennsylvania, and
of examining into their condition in that country. In the very year and month
that Mr. Fearon wrote hit account of the ships engagted in this trade, this
German ambassador wrote the following.
" It is usually Dutch, but occasionally also American, Swedish, Russian,
•nd English ressels which transport the emigrants to America. The ships
made use of in thb service are coaamonly of the worst quality, old and unsea-
worthy, and the conmianders sent in them ignorant, inexperienced, and bro-
tal characters. The American ships are the best, and deserve the preference
before the others : they nJl quicker, the treatment is better, and thereqform"
aiiig of the eaptmm i$ gnaier.** This will explain how the law, passed by the
eoiigreas» was directed more against foreign than American vessels.
Digitized by
Google
his" letter to MR. SNOWDEN, 349
Translation of a letter of the Count de SurmUitrs {Joseph
Buonaparte) on the subject of the loss of his house by
Jire, to William Snowden^ Esq., Judge and Justice of
the Peace^ Bordentown.
Point Breese, Jao. dth, 189a
"SlB,
" You have shown so much interest for me since I have
been in this country, and especially since the event of the
4th instant, that I cannot doubt it will afford you plea-
sure to make known to your fellow citizens, how much I
feel all that they have done for me on that occasion* Ab«
sent myself from my house, they collected by a sponta*
neous impulse on the first appearance of the fire, which
they combated with united courage and perseverance,
and, when they found it was impossible to extinguish it,
exerted themselves to save all that the flames had not de-
stroyed before their arrival and mine.
" All the furniture, statues, pidtures, money, plate, gold,
jewels, Unen, books, and in short every thing that was not
consumed, has been most scrupulously delivered into the
hands of the people of my house. In the night of the fire,
and during the next day, there were brought to me, by
labouring men, drawers in which I have found the pro-
per quantity of pieces of money, and medals of gold, and
valuable jewels, which might have been taken with im-
punity. This event has proved to me how much the in-
habitants of Bordentown appreciate the interest I have
always feh for them ; and shovtrs that men in general are
good when they are not perverted in their youth by a bad
education ; when they maintain their dignity as men, and
fisel that true greatness is in the soul, and depends upon
ourselves.
^^ I cannot omit on this occasion to repeat what I have
1^ so often, that the^ Americans are the roost happy peo*
Digitized by
G
^oglc
350 DESCENT OF THE DELAWARE*
pie I have known ; still more happy, if they understand
well their happiness*
'^ I pray you not to doubt of my sincere regard*
" Yours, &C.
^^ Joseph Compte de Surtilliers."
While I have been writing, our vessel has made its
way many miles down the Delaware y pitch and toss,
pitch and toss! The wind has risen very suddenly, and
now blows a hurricane* We are likely to have a
rough passage* I must seek the deck and see who and
what are our fellow passengers* A face peeped into
the cabin just now that looked very English, and a
sentence with the Lancashire accent, now sounding on
the stairs, seems to sanction my reading of the physiog-
nomy* There is a grey duffle cloak, too, that seems not
in the fashion of this country* A propos to this cloak ; I
must express my concern for the too frequent d^cit o(
such an article in the wardrobe of an American lady :
truly my teeth have chattered when I have seen in the
streets of New- York in the month of January, when the
mercury stood but few degrees above zero, troops of young
women in such attire as might have suited Euphrosynes
in the sweet days of May : no furs, no boots, no woollen
hose, no, nor even woollen garb wore the delicate crea-
tures ; but silks, and feathers, and slippers, as gay as the
sparkUng skies that shone above them, or the glistering
snows they trod upon* But here is too serious trifling
with youth and health ; and the prevalence of consump-
tion proves the danger and the folly of this sacrifice of
comfort to appearance* It is, doubtless, a cruel thing to
bury a pretty ankle in a fur-lined boot or a stocking of
worsted, and a weU-tumed throat and delicate waist in a
coat with triple capes *, but I would fain put it to the good
sense of my fair friends in this country, if it is not more
cruel to be cramped with rheumatism, or tortured with
Digitized by
Google
DRESS pF THE LADIES. 351
i
tooUi-acbe, or sent out d* the world in the very q[>ring-
time of youth by a painful and lingering disease. I would
that Franklin were alive to read them a lesson upon the
folly of sacrificing health and life upon the altar of fa-
shion : he would say more to them in a pleasant &ble (^
ten linesy than a wordy moralist or learned physician in a
lecture of a thousand pages. But would they listen to
an old sage any more than they would to me ? Youth
must buy its own experience ; and the wisdom of our fa-
thers usually lies on the shelf till we have split on all the
rocks liom which it would have warned us.
Digitized by
Google
^52
LETTER XXVn.
•▲LTUfOBC -^ TtlLLOW FStER AT FELLS POINT. — APFSAM-
ANC)B or THE CITT. 1CIB6ELLANEOU8.
Bakimore, April, 1890.
HT DEAR FlUENDy
We pushed along-side of the wharf between two and
three in the mommg, and so gently, that, but for the sud-
den pause of the machinery, we slumbering passengers
should have received no intimation of the circumstance*
Ascending to the deck before sunrise, we encountered
the last drops of a spring shower, the loud pattering of
which we had heard for some time over our heads, and
had apprehended in consequence a comfortlesB termina-
tion to our journey ; hat fiercer war j sooner peace^ says a
vul^u* proverb, which, perhaps, you will csH me vulgar
for quoting ; and a cloud which in our misty island takes
a week or a month to dissolve itself, wdll perform the ope--
ration here in a few minutes. I have seen rain in this
country, and taken it on my shoulders, like the breaking
oi a water-spout : great on such occasions is the bustle
and hurry of the forlorn wights exposed to the elements*
You will hear a horseman whistle to his s|eed, who, on
his part, seems scarcely to wait the hint of liis master,
and see a saunterer collect his limbs, and set them to their
full speed as though Death were behind him. I have of-
ten m (ancy contrasted such a scene with that which a
Digitized by
GoQgle
BALTIMORIL 353
street or highway presents m England when the heavens
are weej^ng from sunrise to sunset. The quiesceiit tra-
veller, with slouched hat, cbse-buttoned coat, and drip*
ping umbrella, holding on his way vnth measured steps,
and a face composed to patient endurance, neither ex^
pecting compassion from the elements, nor seeking it from
his fellow creatures^
This dty is singidarly neat and pretty ; I will even say
beautiful* It is possible, that in the first gaze I threw
upon it, it owed something to the hour, the season, and
the just fallen shower of sweet spring raui ; out what is
there in life that owes not to time ana circumstance the
essence of its evil or its good ? We looked forth from
our cabin in the still grey dawn, and paced awhile up and
down the spacious deck of the lordly steamboat, to enjoy
the scene, and the hour, to which the scene owed much*
All yet was silent in the city — silent as the unpierced
forests of the west ) not a foot trod the quays, or was
heard upon the pavements of the streets that branched
(torn them ; not a figure was seen on the decks, or in the
shrouds of (he vessels that lay around us ; the very air
was sleeping, and the shipping reposed on the waters of
the little bay (formed here by an inlet of the Patapsco,)
which lay motionless as the thin wreaths of vapour which
hung above them. There is something strangely impress^*
ive in such a death of sound and motion in the very
heart and centre ^ the haunts of men. A condensed
pq;)ulation of thousands thus hushed to repose, all their
hopes, and fears, and sorrows, and ambitions, steeped in
ibigetfiilness, unconscious and unapprehensive of the
checks and the crosses, and tlie pains and the weariness
which the big eventftil day is to bring forth* If there is
an hour in the twenty-four that disposes one more tlian
another to moralize upon the fate and condition of man,
it is that which follows upon the first peep of dawn. The
silence of the earth and skies is yet more profound than
47
Digitized by
Google
354 ]^ALTIM(>R£.
atinight^s mid-noon, while the mind m<»re forcibly con-
trasts it with the busy hum and stir of life, that is so in^
stantly about to succeed. £ven in the dead solitudes of
the American wilderness, I have felt the impresnve still«-
ness of this hour : the black forests have stood more still,
the vast waters have slept more profoundly, the mists lay
more dense and unbroken, the work of nature seemed in-
terrupted, her maternal eye closed, and her pulse stop-
ped.
The projecting point, whose curve forms one side of the
little harbour in which we were moored, lined with wharfe
and quays, was the seat of the pestilence of which such
fearful and exaggerated accounts were spread last au-
tumn ; but the evil here, if less than report made it, was
sufficiently alarming. The malignant nature of the dis^
ease, the silent enlargement of the seat of its contagion,
the suddenness of its seizure, the rapidity of its progress,
and the loathsomeness of its last stage, which renders the
wretched object sinking beneath its virulence, a sight of
disgust even to the eye of affection, and the uncertainty
which has hitherto existed (excepting hi the unwholesome
districts of the South Atlantic States, where its abode be-
ing more or less continual, its nature is better understood,
the imagination more familiarized with its terrors, and the
constitution more proof against its poison;) the uncertain-
ty which, excepting in these districts, has existed r^;ard-
ing the cause of its appearance, and the manner in which
its progress might be arrested, all this well explains the
terror which its very name excites in those cities, which
have only been subjected to the visitation at long inter-
vals, and where tradition hands down the tale of its for-
mer ravages, and the horrors with which they were
fraught
In this city, though the seat of contagion was of mucli
greater extent than in that of New-work, yet its limits
were equally defined. . A line might have been drawn
Digitized by
Google
BALTIMORE. 355
aeross the streets, ob the verge of which you mi^ stand
with impunity, and beyond which it was death to pass.
Had this line been drawn, and drawn too at the first ap-
pearance of the disease, before time had been afforded it
for the enlargement of its precincts, (for the infected at-
mosf^re slowly eating its way <mwards, where it may be
safe for you to breathe to-day, you may inhale poison to-
iQorrow,) and had the inhabitants, both the sick and the
well, been removed from the seat of contagion, as was
done in New- York, and as I wrote you with perfect suc-
cess, the fever would have died in the birth, instead of
rankling \ind spreading as it did, until it was killed by the
winter's frost. The mistaken notion which here, as in
Boston, prevailed, that the poison had been brought in a
vessel from the south, prevented this precaution, and pre- .
vented also any remedy being applied to the real cause of
the evil. A cause so apparent, that nothing but the ob-
stinacy incident to the adherence to a favourite system,
eould have blinded the people to its existence** The nest
of the fever here, as in New- York, lay in the stagnant
waters of the wharfe ; into which the neighbouring inha-
bitants are in-the habit of throwing vegetables and other
refuse. The intense and unusually prglonged heats of
the summer could not fail to render them so many reser-
voirs of putrefaction. These wharfs too, and many of the
bouses adjoining, have been raised upon forced ground,
into which the water oozing, prepares against the hot
months a rank' bed, fatally propitious to the nurture of dis-
ease, if not sufficient for its conception. It is to be hoped,
diat the possibility of ipbred infection is now sufficiently
established, to leave no doubt upon the minds of the inha-
bitants of the northern cities, of the imperative necessity
of rigid cleanHness, which can alone prevent the appear-
* See No. 27th of the North American Review for some curious particulars
of the malignant fever which appeared in Boston. Npw-York, and Baltimore^
during^ the anttunn of the year 1819.
Digitized by
Google
356 TRAVXLLERS.
ance of yellow fever, in the event of a season of unusual
and prolonged heat. That which, in a temperate cli-
mate, might be accounted as finical nicety, may barely
sui][|ce to keep the atmosphere untainted in the low and
more populous quarters of cities lying under a sun whose
fervours will often raise the mercury to ninety and upwards
for days successively. While the infected air was gradu-
ally spreading along Fells Point, and the low streets in
its immediate vicinity, the higher parts of the town were
perfectly healthy ; and, though the sick were removied Into
it, no infection was there received ; nor, after the first wild
alarm had subsided, was it so much as apprehended.
We have met the summer in this city. In New- York,
though the grass had hastily spread its first carpet, we left
no appearance of leaves, except that, on the earUer trees,
the buds were ready to burst. In Philadelphia I remark-
ed some green specks on the branches ; but here it seem-
ed like stepping into Fairy land, when, leaving the vessel,
we turned into a clean broad street, lined with balsam
poplars, the fragrance of whose young leaves, glistering
with rab drops, perfumed the air. We pro<5eeded with
our new friends-^ but you know not who they are. I
will go through the ceremony of introduction. I wrote
in my last letter of an English face and duffle cloak.
These might not seem to promise much ; and, as to the
first, let alone the one in question, and some others
whom J shall name, and some others of whom you
are aware, though they, indeed, have ta^en so long the
burning gaze of Americans sun, as to have well nigh lost
their native character,^— but let alone these, and I must
confess, however the confes^on might displease my coun-
tiymen, that an English face has seldom been a sight that
has caused me much satisfaction on this side the At-
lantic. Voltaii^ describes ^ travelling Jlft/orei; the pic-
ture might suit here many a travelling Mr., and some
lords too, for a few poble faces have at odd times been
Digitized by
Google
TRAVELLERS. 3^7
seen in this land of plain citizens ; and all were not Hke
the unassuming, gentlemanly, enlightened Selkirk. Were
I disposed to play upon words, I might say that the Eng«
lish people are as ill represented here as they are at home*
The ordinary travellers who honour this republican earth
with the touch of their feet, are stragglers from Canada,
who, besides coming and going from and to Europe by
the way of New- York, as a more convenient port than
Montreal or Quebec, will sometimes condescend so far as
to yawn away a summer month or two, in spying out a
few comers of the great nest of presumptuous democrats
stretching south of them ; and who running through a few
of their towns and cities, sometimes without looking to
the right hand or the left, and sometimes entering the
q)en door, and seizing the c^n hand of America's kind
citizen, that they may afterwards at their leisure, with
better opportunity, jeer at the manners and traduce the
character of the people whose hospitality they have shared.
How is it that men can breathe the winds that have blown
over the land of liberty, whose sacred shcHres even are
within then* sight, without inhaling something of the ^irit
of independence ? And how can they see that land, and
contemplate the joyful scene of its prosperity, — its towns
and cities springing as it were, out of the earth at the
touch of a magician, — its active and industrious popula-
tion, spreading over regions, boundless in extent, and iq-
exhaustible in fertility ; carrying into the desert, before
untrodden, save by the foot of the savage or the beast of
prey, the arts of peace, the lights of knowledge, and
all the wealth and blessings of civilization ; — how can
they contemplate this, a sight as novel as it is beauti-
ful, without feeling their hearts expand with joyful, and
proud, and generous sympathy ? And yet our country-
men will often travel from the Dan to the Beersheba
of this republic, and contrive to shut tlieir hearts from
every generous feeling, and their understandings from
Digitized by
Google
358 TRAVELLERS.
every conviction; finding, and so giving, nothing bat
vexation of spirit, and returning to the land of their fei-
thers to traduce, in the name of the United States of
America, the name of liberty, and in that dT their people^
the names of public virtue and of private hapiMness. But
what a strange exordium this to the English fieu^e and the
duffle cloak ! I know of nought that they have in common
with the travellers to whom I have alluded. TUngs,
however, are as often associated in our heads by contrast
as by resemblance, and so in this case has it been with
the English faoe and cloak, to which you shall now be in*
troduced without farther digression or preamble. The
owner of the face was — Who think you? A dozen
guesses, and you have him not. Remember you, now
some six-and-twenty years ago, to have seen in yoor
house at ***** a young man of the name of Taylor ?
I Uttle expected in the vigorous and fresh locking stran-
ger, who carried his years so lightly that I hesitated to
write him under the head of fifty, an old acquaintance of
my dearest friend. It was not till after much conversa-
tion with him and his companions that I made this disco-
very, which you may suppose did not weaken the bond
that similarity of sentiment upon the subjects on which
we had previously conversed, had made between us. It
will please you to hear, that this your old friend wears on
through his manhood, the honourable feelings of his youth ;
— no small, at least no common merit in old Europe,
whose rulers so rarely fail to prove that the patriot has his
price. His companions are a lady and gentleman from
Lincolnshire, whose acquaintance is a source of so much
pleasure to us, as to make us deeply regret, that fortune
was not kind enough to throw us earlier together. Dur-
ing our descent of the Delaware, we were too much tor-
mented by the wind, which blew a heavy gale in our
faces, to have any disposition for conversation ; but when,
towards sunset, we exchanged water for land carriage.
Digitized by
Google
BALTUAOREU 359
and found ourselves shut into the same vehicle with three
English travellers, we began to examine their faces, and,
liking their language, and they perhaps not disliking that
of ours, dialogue commenced.
There are few accidents in life more agreeable than
those which, in a foreign land, bring together wanderers
from the same native soil ; that is, when they are not of
the class of Matthew Bramble, or Smelfungus, or * * * * *,
&c. Reaching the Eik river, the winds had hushed to
sleep, and the hour and our long journey might have seem^
ed to warn us to follow the example ; but once more on
board of a steamboat, upon whose deck we could now
keep our feet without holding a fight for the privilege with
die enraged household of iEolus; we felt no disposition to
separate until we had compared our sentiments, and ex-
changed much of our information regarding the country in
which we all met as wanderers. In Baltimore we felt
no disposition to part, and they being also bound to Wash-
ington, where they had passed the greater part of the win-
ter, we made our arrangements for the day together, and
first (to go back a few pages) we proceeded in company
to take, a hasty view of the city.
Baltimore is not the least wonderful evidence of the
amazing and almost inconceivable growth of this country.
At the time of the revolution, but fcwrty-five years since,
this city, which now contains a population of sixty-five
thousand, and has all the appearance of an opulent and
beautiful metropolis, comprised some thirty houses o^
painted or unpainted frame, with perhaps as many of logs
scattered in their vicinity. If this does not confound
your understanding, it has well nigh confounded mine.
Dutchmen, or their descendants, were not the surveyors
here as in New- York,, where it is thought proper, when a
street is planned, to shave the earth of every inequality, as
though it were intended to preserve to the city the ap-
pearance of having been transported ready made from
Digitized by
Google
360 BALTIMORE^
Holland, in tile manner of the house at Loretto, from Je-
rusalem* Baltimore, on the contrary, is spread over three
gentle hills ; tlie streets, without sharing the fatiguing re-
gularity and unvarying dmiljarity of those of Philadelphia,
are equally clean, cheerful, and pleasingly ornamented
with trees ; the poplar, which in the country is oiieosive,
not merely to the eye, but to the understanding, being there
destitute alike of beauty and utility, has a singularly pleas-
ing effect in a city where its architectural (ovm is in unison
with the regularity and neatness which should every
where prevail. I mean not, however, to prefer it to nobler
trees, which, independent of superior beauty, have the
feuther advantage of healthy l(»9gevity, and are not afflict-
ed with the troublesome blight that frequently renders the
poplai* alive with caterpillars, which sometimes despoil
the branches in noidsummer, and rain in offensive multi-
tudes on the shoulders of passengers. To remove this in-
convenience, the citizens of New- York have removed
their poplars ; but I own that, notwithstanding my objec-
tion to the caterpillars, I never saw oite c^ the guilty p<^
lars fall without regret ; the nM)re so, because I sow no
{NP^arations made for supplying the vacancies with forest
trees* I could wish that the householders in American
towns would^ on this matter, as on all others, remember
the advice of Franklin, wlK)se wise mind, embracing the
infinitely little, as well as the infinitely great, considered
no trifle below its notice that was connected with the
comfort and well-being of man.
You see here, as in Philadelphia, the same neat houses
of well made and well painted brick ; the same delicately
white doors, with their shining knockers and handles, and
their steps of clean white marble, and windows with their
green Venetian shutters. Considerable attention and ex-
pense have also been bestowed upon the public edifices,
which, however, are chiefly remaikable for neatness and
convenience, seldom making preten^ns to architectural
Digitized by
Google
BALtlMOlUS. 361
beauty. Some buildings of a different character are now
erecting, in a style which does honour to the taste and
public spirit of the community ; I have heard, indeed, the
citizens of Baltimore charged in this particular with undue
extravagance. However this may be, we felt ourselves
much indebted to them, when, heated with fatigue and
want of rest, we suddenly came upon a spacious fountain^
where the clear, cold water, gushing fresh from the springy
ran gurgling over a channelled floor of marble. In a
neighbouring square, a clustered column of simple and
pure architecture is raising to the memory of those who
fell in the gallant defence of the city at the close of the
late war; on the pedestal of the column is a blank stone^
on which are simply engraved the names of the dead who
are interred beneath. The thoughtless miUtaiy leader^
and the calculating politician, mi^t smile at this enume-
ration of some hundred names. We cannot better con-
trast the feelings of such men^ than with an anecdote
which recurs to me at the moment. During the war,
when a body of American militia had repulsed a party o(
invaders, and were pursuing them to their ships, the comr
manding officer suddenly called them from the pursuit*
A citizen, surprised and irritated at the order, seeing the
possibilty of cutting off the retreat of the enemy, reproach-
fully observed, that ere they could gain their boats, two
thirds might be dead, or prisoners. ^ True^^'* calmly re-
plied the other, having first enforced the order for retreat ;
^' we might possibly^ toith the loss of a dozen men, have de^
prived the enemy of some hundreds, but what would heme
been the dozen ? — sons, husbands, fathers, and useful citi'
zens. And what would have been the hundreds t •— men
fighting for hire. fFMcb loss in the balance had weighed
the heavier V^
When we read of the fall of the ^jpee hundred at
Thermopylae, we feel something nnore than when we read
of that of the legions of Varus in the wilds of Germany ;
48
Digitized by
Google
362 BALTIMORE.
and I own that I looked with deeper interest upon this
memorial to a few private citizens, who fell in the defence
of their domestic hearths, and whose corpses were washed
by the tears of bereaved mothers, widows, and orphans,
than I ever did upon the proudest monimient erected to
the thousands sacrificed to kingly ambition. And I doubt,
if, in this sentiment, I am peculiar ; I doubt, I mean, if
the costly monuments that adorn the empires of Europe,
are regarded with the same deep and lasting interest by
their people, as is this simple record by the citizens of
America's republic. There, too often, the glory is mono-
polized, and the honour awarded to the individual whose
personal ambition, or whose talent, submitted to the am-
bition of a master, leads unnumbered and unknown thou-
sands to the field of daughter ; and there places on his
single brow the laurels steeped in the sweat and blood of
the unheeded myriads, dead and dying, who surrounded
him. And is it to be believed that, when the first mad
frenzy of the multitude has subsided, they will see in the
proud trophies, marked with the name of a NapolecMi or
a WeUington, much to rouse their sympathy or even their
pride ? The hero who lives in the hearts of a people, is
not he who has achieved the most numerous and imposing
conquests, whq has wrought the most daring exploits, and
seen the most costly memorials raised to his name ; it is
he who has struggled for the existence or defence of his
country, whose patience and energy were exerted, not so
much to destroy its foes as to shield its sons ; — he it is,
whose cause being that of his nation, so also is his dignity
and his fame. The chariots of the Csesars were followed
by acclaiming multitudes, and their achievements Uve in
the annals of their/empire, but their names lived not in the
hearts of the Romans, as did those of the Camillus and
the Fabius, whose sword and whose shield were the sa-
viours of the infifnt republic. We have seen the eagles
of Napoleon overthrown, and have heard his name die on
Digitized by
Google
BALTIMORE. ^63
the Mps of his people ; but the memorials of Washington
are beyond the reach of fortune as of time : seated in the
hearts of America's citizens, their number increases with
every child that is bom to the republic, and will be lasting
as the nation whose independence he assisted td estabhsh;
and thus, in like manner, is it that this simple commemo-
ration of a few private individuals excites more interest in
the mind of the spectator than the proudest trophies raised
to unknown thousands, who fell, they knew not where-
fore, in a foreign land.
It would be difficult to imagine a more interesting scene
than was here exhibited during the engagement which
this monument is raised to commemorate. If the burning
of Washington excited the whole continent, it more pe-
culiarly called forth the spirit, as well as the fears of Bal-
timore, from whose heights was distinctly descried the
^ow diffiised through the atmosphere by the flames of the
capitol. An instantaneous attack was apprehended ; but
of the short interval which unexpectedly elapsed before
the enemy ascended the Chesapeake, not a moment was
lost* The whde population of Baltimore laboured on the
entrenchments, and in throwing up fortifications; troo(>s
of volunteers poured in fitmi the neigUbouring states of
Pennsylvania and Virginia ; and the most distinguished
citizens of Maryland were found in the ranks of the bat-
taUons, collected round the city. The city itself, on the
day and night of the engagement, was peopled only by
women and infonts. Every man, from the- decrepid ve-
teran to the boy whose arm could scarcely steady the
musket, was without the walls, in the character of a sol-
dier. The death of General Ross is ascribed to a beard-
less youth, for whose hand the rifle which he pointed with
unerring certainty vv^s almost too heavy. War in thisf
country assumes a character so diflerent from that which
it v^ears in Europe, that it is impossible to regard it with
the same feelings. Who can consider without interest an
Digitized by
Google
364 BALTIMORE.
army of citiaens just summoned firom their domestic
hearths ? the farmer, the lawyer, the merchant, the states-
man, the private gentleman, converted into soldiers at the
threshold of their own habitations for the defence of all
that is most dear to men. Conceive, too, the position of
this deserted dty ; the hearts which here beat with agony
daring the day and night that the pannon roared in the
?ery harbour, each thunder of which seemed to sound the
knell of a father and a husband. It was an affecting
scene, as described by those who witnessed it, when the
enemy withdrew, and the citizens, returned to their
anxious homes, bearing with them the silent few whose
hearts were now cold amid the impatience and joy that
surrounded them. The soldier falls unregarded on a
foreign soil, his remams left, perhaps, to the bleaching
elements, or thrown into a hasty grave by his weary and
reckless comrades, or it may be by the very strangers
whose lands he has invaded, whose laws he has trampled
on, and whose brethren he has slain. Not so the citizen
who falls on his native soil, amid his friends and relatives,
by the hand of the invader raised against his country and
hhnself. Here borne on the shoulders of his brethren, the
father was brought to the house of his children, the son to
that of his parent ; the tears of agony bedewed the corpse,
the hand of affection straitened the limbs, and performed
the last duties to the dead ; and when at length the sacred
dust was consigned to its element, the assembled citizens
formed the long Une of the funeral procession, moving
through silent streets, where the tumult of joy was hushed
into the deep solemnity of mourning.
War is styled a necessary evil. Most truly it is so in
countries burthened with standing armies ; for if not em-
ployed in making war upon each other abroad, some late
occurrences in England show us, that they will attack
their fellow citizens at home ; but could a miracle destroy
Digitized by
Google
MONUMENT TO WASHINGTON. 366
ali the regular ti(t)ops of Europe, where then were ^^ Othel*
lo'd occupation ?"
** Curse OD the crimson'd plumesi the banners fionting,
The stirring clarion, the leader^s shouling, '
The fair caparisons, the war-horse champing,
llie array'd legions pressing, rushing, tramping,
The biasing falchions, crests that toss afiu^^
The bold emprise, the spirit-rousing jar, ^r
The swelling pieans, thundering acclaim
The death of glory, And the Hiring fame,
The sculptor's monument, the people's bays,
The historian's narrative, the poet's lays ;
Oh ! curse on all the splendour and the show,
Which veileth o'er the fiendish hell below !"
T/umg^ of a Eeduic.
Threading the streets until we reached their extremity,
we found ourselves at the foot of a little hill, sprinkled with
trees, upon whose top is a noble column, raised to Wash-
ington, of similar form but of larger dimensions, than that
mentioned above, .^^ending to it, we saw this beauti-
ful little city spread at our feet ; its roofs and intermin-
gling trees shining in the morning sun, the shipping riding
in tlie basin, and crowded round the point ; while, in the
distance, the vast waters of the Chesapeake, and more
near those of its tributary rii^rs, gleamed in broad lines
of silver through the dark extent of foxjested plains, that
stretched beyond the more cultivated precincts of the
young city. We made our return by a church that has
been recently built by an extensive Unitarian congrega-
tion ; and, being now fairly spent with fatigue, we rested
on its steps, while one of our party ran to obtain the key
of the clergyman, who was of his acquaintance. I do
assure you, at that moment I marvelled at his activity ;
what with a long walk, superadded to a long journey,
and two sleepless nights, I felt amazingly disposed to
make a pillow of the marble. And here I recall an anec-
dote, told by himself of our friend ****** i*. At
Digitized by
Google
366 UNITARIAN CHURCH.
the close of a tour through Europe, he adced of his host
in some German town, what was to be seen ? Nothingy
repUed the host. Thank God! exclaimed the traveller.
I was probd>ly tbo dull to have this or any thing else in
my head at the moment ; but I doubt not, that would any
one have obligingly told me, that there was nothing to be
seen in that chapejft should in like manner have returned
thanks. I did, however, open my eyes upon entering it,
and have seldom seen any thing mcNre simply elegant than
the style of its interior. This beautifiil church is close ,
adjoining to that of a congregation of Roman Catbcdics,a
circumstance that well exemplifies the liberality and
Christian charity which is diffused among Christians of
all persuasions throughout these democracies, and which
has been bred and fostered by that perfect liberfy of ac-
tion and opinion, and those just laws, which, imparting
equal rights and protection to the members of every church,
teach the citizens that as they are all equal in the sight of
earthly justice, so are they also in that of heaven.
It is not without a feeling of respect that the eye turns
upon the Roman Catholic church of Maryland ; which
may be truly regarded as the most venerable in the world.
Those who denounce Christians of the Romish persua-
sion as bigotted persecutors, surely forget, that they gave
the first example* to the world of religious liberty. So
true it is, that illiberality or its o(q)08ite must be ascribed
rather to the character of the age or of the individual, than
to the tenets of any particular church.
I regret that we have not more time to bestow on this
city, which is interesting not only from the amazing ra-
pidity of its grow^, its neatness and beauty, but from the
character of its citizens — peculiarly marked for courtesy,
as well as for high spirit and daring enterimse. To these
last qualities, indeed, must be attributed all the wonderful
creations of the place. It is thought, however, that Bal-
timore, like a promising child, has somewhat outgrown
Digitized by
Google
WEALTH OF AMCEICA. 367
her strength. The ratio of her mdllise diminishes great-
ly, and it may perhaps be doubted, whether, in the fallen
state of commerce, she will extend her present Umits for
many years. By-the-bye, I see it is common on your side
of the Atlantic to confound the wealth of America with
that of her merchants ; perhaps the depressed state of com-
merce should rather be considered as an evidence of the
growing prosperity of this people ; the fact being that they
now make at home what they before received from
abroad.* As the revenue is here drawn from the cus-
toms, the treasury affords no standard by which to judge
of the internal resources of the country. The wealth of
this young republic is not locked up in her seaports, but is
^read through a community to whom want and oppres-
sion are unknown. 'Kie broken fortunes of her merchants
may dim the splendour of her cities, but can subtract
Jittle fronjt the aggregate of her strength, while the check
that is thus given to luxury and extravagance can only
* I believe, it is not generally known in thii countrjr, how completely some
of the home fabrics have superseded the foreign in the American market. It
is here supposed by many » that the higher price of labour must prevent com-
petition with the manufactures of Europe ; but this drawback is balanced by
other advantages ; provisions are cheap, the raw material of first rate quality
is found in the country ; and there are no taxes. The blankets and broad-
cloths, woven of the Merino wool, are not only in the average of superior qua-
Utyt but can oflen undersdl in the nuurket those of Europe. The same is the
case with coarse cotton goods. I have seen cotton cloth, woven in New-York, at
a cent per yaid ; and in strength of fabric, that of Europe will bear no com-
parison with it. The object here is to put as little of the raw material into the
yard as possible ; there is not the same temptation to this in America. It
may be observed also, that the employment of machinery now enabling wo-
men to perform the work which formerly demanded the agency of men, ther^
it much less difference in the price of labour, employed in some of the manu-
factories, in Britain and America, than is here supposed. American women
universally prefer employment m a cotton mill to domestic service, which they
always feel to be a degradation. In accounting for any fact which, in Ame-
rica, strike the foreigner as singular, he must alwajrs seek part of its ezpla-
nation in the national character, which, influenced by the political institutions,
is there probably more peculiariy marked, than io any other country.
Digitized by
Google
368 REVENUE. — TAXATION.
produce beneficial eiRits on the national character. It is
thought that a new mode of taxation must shortly be
adopted; perhaps a well regulated tax upon property may
supersede the present system. A very slight one would
suffice to defray the expenses of this economical govern-
ment, and have the advantage of yielding a certain rec-
tum ; whereas, at present, the revenue is continually fluc-
tuating, and always threatens to leave the government
aground in the very moment of extreme exigency. The
danger and utter insufficiency of the present system was
fully proved in the late war ; as it was not destroyed then,
it will now in all probability find its own euthanaaa ; un-
less indeed Europe should correct her policy, of w^ch I
suppose there is httle likelihood. It seems, however, that
this sovereign people are determined to see their present
system of finance die a natural death before they will have
recoui-se to another. The Americans, it must be confessed,
have some whims which seem peculiar to themselves ; of
these, not the least singular is an inherent innate antipathy
to tax-gatherers. Our good natured islanders will support
legions of these itinerant gentlemen, and consent to sur^
render at their request the very coat oflf their backs, and
the bread out of their mouths ; but our transatlantic bre-
thren will not so much as part with a shred of the one or
a crumb of the other.— They will pay no taxes at all.
What would the chancellor of the British Exchequer say
to such obstinacy ? How would his collectors of the re-
venue look around them in a country where their talents
were in no request, and where even their right to existence
was called in question !
Digitized by
Google
369
LETTER XXVni.
WASHINGTON. — THE CAPITOL. — HALL OP THE REPRE-
SENTATIVES. SENATE CHAMBER. — THE PRESIDENT.-^
VIRGINIA SLAVERY. CONCLUSION.
Watbingtoo, April, 1820.
HT DEAR FRIEND,
I AM this evening fairly exhausted with heat and fatigue,
and in consequence have been forced to decline an invi-
tation to a party which promised us much pleasure, from
the individuals whom I understand to have been assem-
bled. I could not take the liberty with them that I shall
with you, of being as dull as inclination or infirmity may
dispose me ; and here I only assume the privilege which
others have assumed before me, namely, of showing to
a familiar friend a face that I might be ashamed to show
to an indifferent world.
The road from Baltimore hither, about forty miles,
leads through an uninteresting and, for the most part, bar-
ren district. On losing sight of the city, the traveller
might think that he had lost sight of all the beauty and
all the weajth of the state ; there are, however, in Maiy-
land, districts of great fertility, especially in the neigh-
bourhood of the eastern waters. We observed some
farms in good order and good cultivation ; and here, on
the 19th of April, we saw rye full in the ear : we noticed
also some hedge rows, which make a far more comfort-
able appearance than wooden fences ; but these mcnre in-
teresting objects were unfrequent, and, tired of considering
stunted trees, or wastes of exhausted land, (exhausted by
thp noxious weed tobacco, and left to be reclaimed by a
49
Digitized by
Google
370 JOURNEY TO WASHINGTON.
more needy generation,) we began to contemplate our fel-
low travellers. Added to our party was an old veteran,
who seemed to have passed the written age of man, and a
younger native, who appeal^ to be cheerfully entering
upon the world which the other wa3 about to quit. We
had proceeded some miles before either of our new com-
panions addressed himself to any of our party i from our
conversation, they perceived us to be foreigners, and wait-
ed to judge from the same to what class we belonged. 1
have observed that when the American stumbles upon a
foreigner, he is wont, during a few moments, to take a
quiet perusal of his physiognomy, and if opportunity per-
mits, to renfiain the silent auditor of his remarks and com-
ments, and thus to satisfy himself of the temper of the man,
before he evinces any disposition to make him his compa-
nion. , If he likcis his temper, he will then enter at once
into the most easy and friendly intercourse, readily impart-
ing his own information, and gratefully receiving that of
the stranger in return ; and then I have frequently admired
the deference with which he listens to his opinions, however
they may differ from hit own, or militate against the in-
stitutions of his country ; the good temper with whiclr he
receives his strictures upon the national cliaracter, and
the candour with which he points out errors and flaws
which may have escaped the observation of the foreigner.
If he like not his temper, he will entrench himself in the
most careless and quiet indifference, apparently regard-
less of all that passes around him. It is only for an ob-
serving eye to detect, in the unruffled countenance of the
mute republican, the suppressed smile which forms his
humorous, though unsuspected commentary, upon the
conversation of his uncourteous companions. An anec-
dote here recurs to me, as iUustrative of this trait in the
American character.
In a public conve3rance in this country, an English
traveller was drawing comparisons between America and
Digitized by
Google
JOURNEY TO WASHINGTON. 371
liis native island. The houses were bams, (Compared to
what they were in England; the public ecmyeyances
w^re wagons, compared to an English coikch ; and so on,
with all tlie conveniences and necessaries of life, the beef
and the mutton, fish, flesh, and fowl. While he Was
speaking, a sudden storm gathered, and a loud peal of
the awful thunder, which, in this fervid clime, so nobly
shakes th^ concave, cracked over the zenith, and dplit the
thread of the traveller's harangue. An AmericaUj who
had hitherto sat silent and unnoticed in a comer of the
vehicle, then leaned forwards, and gravely addressing >the
foreigner^ ^^ Sir, have you any better thunder than that in
England ?" I do not say that all the citizens can turn
aside the wrath of man by such a reply as our Venerable
friend * ^* * * ♦ « *, who once, in travelling, finding it
necessary to expostulate with the keeper of a turnpike,
and being in consequence greeted by the appellation of
rascal, pleasantly retorted, " Your hand, friend I there are
a pair of us^^^ But the species of humour which fiiuned
this reply, is here certainly a national characteristic ; and
I doubt not, is of considerable service in keeping the
peace among this proud community.
We did not care to put to the test the philosophy of our
fellow travellers, who soon joined in our conversation.
The old veteran fought over again the battles of the revo-
lution, and gave us many interesting anecdotes of that
period. We leamed that he was bound, for the first and
last time, on a pilgrimage to the infant capital ; being de-
sirous, he said, to see the city that bore the name of his
old general, and to look upon the seat of government
once before he died. The morning after our arrival,
while ascending the steps of the capitol with several
members of congress, we perceived the old soldier at an
angle of this fine building, leaning on his staff, and kx)k-
ing down upon the young Rome, for whose liberties he
had bled.
Digitized by
Google
372 WASHINGTON.
Those who, in visiting Washington, eiqject to find a
city, will be somewhat surprised when they enter its pre-
cincts, and look around in vain for the appearance of a
house.
The plan maiiced out for this metropolis the of empire,
is gigantic, and the public buildings, whether in progress
or design, bear all the stamp of grandeur. How many
centuries shall pass away ere the clusters of little villages,
now scattered over this plain, shall assume the form and
magnificence of an imperial city ? Were the heart to form
a pra3rer for this republic, would it not be that the term of
her youth might be long protracted ? Which of her pa-
triots can anticipate, willhout anxiety, the period when the
road to the senate-house shall lead throu^ streets adorn-
ed with temfdes and palaces ? and when the rulers of the
republic, who now take their way on foot to the council
chamber, in the fresh hour of morning, shall roll in cha-
riots at midnoon, or perhaps midiiight, through a sump-
tuous metropolis, rich in arts and baU^rupt in virtue ? Is
such to be the destiny of this new-bom emfMre ? Hea-
ven avert it! and I do more than hope that it is to be
averted. At all events, you and I, my dear friend, shall
long have been in our graves, care the flush of youth and
pride of liberty can forsake this favoured democracy.
I envy not the man who can enter without emotion the
noble, though still unfinished structure of the American
Capitol. Never shall I forget the feelings with wMch I
first looked down from the gallery of the haU upon the as-
sembled representatives of a free and sovereign nation.
Is there, in the whole range of this peopled earth, a sight
more sublime ? When the English friends who accompa-
nied us first visited the congress, some mondis since, the
words that struck their ear, as they entered the gallery,
formed part of the prayer with which the business of the
day opens : " May the rod of tyranny be broken in every
nation of the earth /" Mrs. ****** her husband
Digitized by
Google
THE CAPITOL. 373
told me, burst into tears. Were I curious to try the soul
of a European, I should wish to see him enter the house
of the American congress* I defy a native of that con*
tinent who has a soul,'^ot to find it at that moment. Yes,
my dear friend, while this edifice stands, liberty has an
anchorage from which the congress of European autocrats
cannot unmoor her. Truly I am grateful to this nation ;
the study of their history and institutions, and the consi-
deration of the peace and happiness which they enjoy,
has thawed my heart, and filled it with hopes which I
had not thought it could know again. After all, we are
foftutiately constituted : when we cease to feel for our-
selves, we can better feel for others ; and the pleasure of
sympathy, if it be not as intense, is perhaps more pure
than that of enjoyment.
We of course considered with much interest some of
the more distinguished members, . with whom we were
previously only acquainted by report, or the public prints,
and waited with some curiosity until they should take
their turn in the debate. It happened to be one of pecu-
liar animation, and occupied the house for ten successive
days : the subject was supplied by the proposed altera-
tions in the Utriff; and what may seem singular, they
found not a single opposer from the state, or even the city
of New- York ; the opposition to the bill seemed to pro-
ceed entirely from the southern planters, and some mem-
bers from New-England. The representations from the
central and western states were united to a man in flout-
ing poor fallen commerce, whom they seemed to consider
as no better than a professional gambler, who had fleeced
the citizens of their morals as well as their money. In-
deed, it would seem that men can seldom lose the one
without the other ; and perhaps it is little surprising that
the more ardent of this repubUcan race shoidd rejoice in
the fall of a deity who, of late years, has reclined one arm
on Plutus and the other on bankruptcy 5 — her ruin, how-
Digitized by
Google
374 HALL Oir REPHfiSEMTATlVES.
^er^ Stevens sulficiently complete without wayjidmnations
frtrni the cctpUol. It is possible, however, that the proposed
duties may act as a very fair tax upon wealth ; for as the
more homely and essential manufactures can now stand
their ground in the face of those introduced from abroad,
the increase of the customs are chiefly calculated to raise
the price of luxuries. I must say, I for one should not be
sorry to see foreign silks give place to home-spun cottons
in the wardrobes of the young women of the Atlantk
cities; perhaps, when they are sold half a dollar a yard
dearer, this change in the fashions may be effected^
The bill was introduced by Mr. Baldwin, of Pennsyl-
vania, a man of vigorous intellect, with a roug^, but
energetic deliveiy. The number of able speakers ex^
ceeded my expectation, though I had been prepared to
find it considerable : they struck me as generally remarka-
ble for close, and lucid reasoning, and a plain, but gen-
tlemanly and impressive diction. When Mr. Clay rose, I
believe that some ai^rehension was mingled with our cu-
riosity ; for who has not learned from experience, that when
expectation is much raised, it is usually disappointed ?
The first words uttered by the Speaker of the House sa-
tisfied us that no defect of manner was to break the charm
of his eloquence. This distinguished statesman has, for
many successive years, been called to preside in the
House by an almost unanimous vote ; and, it is said, that
^ indivklual ever exercised in it a more powerful influ-
ence^ He seems, indeed, to unite all the qualities essen-
tial to an orator ; animation, enei^, high moral feeling,
ardent patriotism, a sublime love of liberty, a rapid flow
of ideas and of language, a happy vein of irony, an action
at once vehement and dignified, and a voice full, sonorous?
distinct, and flexible ; exquisitely adapted to all the varie-
ties of passion or argument ; -=^ without exception the most
masterly voice that I ever remembered to have heard. It
filled the large and magnificent hall without any apparent
Digitized by
Google
MALL OF REI>RESENTAT1VES. 375
eflbrt on the part of the orator. In conversation, he is no
less eloquent than in debate ; and no sooner does he kin-
dle with his subject, than his voice and action betray the
orator of the hall ; yet so unpremeditated is his language,
that even in a drawing-room, the orator never appears
misplaced. From the penisal of his speeches, you may
have formed some idea of the ardour of feehng and ex-
pression which characterize this statesman ; but you must
have heard one delivered to uiideratand their effect in the
national senate.
The influence df a masterly orator in the American
Congress would somewhat surprise the invulnerable and
immoveable majorities of the British House of Commons*
The check to this influence remains with the nation
whose wishes, upon important questions, must, of course,
more or less affect the decision of their representatives.
But the voice of the sovereign people is not altogether ab-
solute, and by no means undisputed. If the people be
proud, so also are their agents in congress ; and few are
found who will passively surrender their right of judgment
to their employeris. Besides, the probability is, that their
employers will only differ among themselves ; a circum
stance which must leave their agents pretty much to the
direction of their own reason. The power of an orator,
therefore, if checked, is not destroyed by the responsibility
of the members, as the sway exercised by the great west-
em statesman appears sufficiently to demonstrate.
Mr. Clay has been understood to head a powerliil op-
position to some measures of the existing executive ; — an
opposition chiefly, if not exclusively, directed against the
policy pursued towards the rising democracies of the
southern continent. It has been the aim of this ardent
statesman to extort a public acknowledgment of the inde-
pendence and national existence of these infant republics
during their stru^le for liberty. The thunders of his elo-
quence never sounded with more sublimity than on this
Digitized by
Google
37G HALL OP REPRESENTATIVES.
occasion ; and could their influence have extended to the
senate, might have triumphed over the cold neuti-ality so
obstinately preserved by the American government. Per-
haps the policy pursued by the government, has been the
most wise, certainly the most prudent ; but it is difficult
not to feel with the orator, who, spurning all calculations
of interest or state policy, draws his arguments' from the
lips of generosity and liberty. It may be doubted, whether
the neutrahty assumed by the government has not in reality
been impugned, as well by the supplies furnished to the
patriots from some of the wealthy sea ports, as by the
friendly intercourse carried on privately between the first
official characters of Washington and Angostura. But
the idea may well suggest itself to an American, that the
vigorous navy of the republic could never have been more
honourably employed, than in asserting the liberties of the
southern continent ; and the unceasing importunity of the
illustrious speaker of the bouse to extort an open avowal
of friendship for the patriots must command the admira-
tion of every generous mind.*
Leaving the city to make a little excursion in Virginia,
we missed the speeches of several distinguished members.^
We returned, however, to attend the close of the debate,
which afforded us the opportunity of bearing Mr. Lowndes
of Carolina. The close and deductive reasoning of this
gentleman forms a striking contrast to the fervid oratoiy
of Mr. Clay. They were opposed in the debate, and each
possessed a manner most appropriate to his argument*
Mr. Lowndes is singularly correct in his selection of lan-
guage and turn of the phrase ; yet the syllables flow from
his lips in an uninterrupted stream ; the best word al-
ways falling into the right place, not merely without ef-
* At the close of the session, in 1820, Mr. Clay had the satisfaction of see-
ing his faTourite measore carried through both houses ; and accredited mi-
sisttrs appointed to the rfpoblics of Columbia and Buenos Ayres.
Digitized by
Google
HALL OF RGPRESBNTATIYES. 377
fort, but seenuDgly without the consciousiipss of the
speaker.
We were surprised at the readiness with which even
the youngest members took their share in the tliscussion.
The error of these, indeed, seems that of speaking too
much : to which may be added another — that of coining
new words when old ones do not occur to them. The
patience of the house with the more inexperienced or less
gifted speakers is truly admirable ; and, I must observe,
that, in spite of some inelegance and much prolixity, they
appear seldom unworthy of attention ; since sound rea-
soning, liberal philosophy, and generous feeling, may ge-
nerally be discovered Uirough the mass of awkward words
supplied by their vehemence.
I have sometimes amused myself in the hall, by ima-
gining how one of the marshalled troops of the British
minister would look upon an assembly whose members,
until the actual counting of the votes, are often ignorant
of the issue of the most important questions. At one time,
a member told me he expected the bill to be thrown out ;
a few hours afterwards, his hopes were, that it would be
carried ; again he despaired, again he hoped, and at last
Ustened to the ayes and noes with as much incertitude as
myself. During the division, the curiosity of the assembly
seemed wrought to the highest pitch of impatience ; the
seats were abandoned, and a humming and agitated
crowd pressed round the chair, threatening with suffoca-
tion both the clerk and the speaker. The sonorous voice
of the latter, however, quelled the tempest instantaneous-
ly, and produced a silence so profound, that the drop of a
pin might have been heard upon the floor. Mr. Clay
afterwards told me, that since he had presided in the
house, he had never but once seen it equally agitated.
The senate being occupied in ordinary business, we had
no opportunity of judging of its oratory ; but being4)oUtely
admitted on the floor, we admired the elegance of the
50
Digitized by
Google
37B SENATE CHAMBER.
chamber, aad made ourselves acquainted with the persons
<rf the senators, and the proceedings of the house. The
debates of the chamber, as I am informed by some of its
members, are conducted with less popular vehemence
than those of the hall. I know not if it be the more ad-
vanced age of the senators, or the smaller size of the as-
sembly, which imparts to the deliberations their character
of senatorial gravity. The age fixed by law for a member
of the senate is thirty-five years ; and though one or two
gentlemen in the chamber seem to have numbered little
more than the lustres demanded, the majority of the as-
sembly have the air of veteran statesmen, some of whom
have occupied a seat in the house from its .first organi-
zation.*
The congress have met this session in the capitol for the
first time since the conflagration. The two wings of the
building (the one occupied by the hall of the representa-
tives and the other by the senate chamber and judiciary
court) are restored to more than their original grandeur.
The centre of the building is still incomplete, though pro-
ceeding rapidly. Here is to be the inauguration hall,
where the presidents wall be installed, and the congress
assemble, whenever circumstances may require a meeting
of the two houses ; also the national library, which a na-
tive of England now feels awkward at finding bestowed
in a few small apartments ; at present it comprises little
more than the collection supplied by Mr. Jefferson, but
a stated sum being appropriated annually to its enlarge-
ment, the spoliations of the war will soon, I trust, be ef-
faced. These volumes, however, marked with the name
of America's president and philosopher, will always con-
stitute the most interesting portion of the national library*
Beneath the central dome of the building are to be en-
* The hall of the representatives also contains some grej-haired veterans.
One gentleman was pointed oat to me who had sat hi the continental con-
iSjessy and been regularly returned by his fellow citUens uatU the present day.
Digitized by
Google
SIMPLICITY OF MANNERS. 379
tombed the remains of Washington ; the statue of the ve-
nerable patriot now engages the chisel of Canova.
This skeleton city affords few of the amusements of a
metropolis. It seems however to possess the advantage
of veiy choice society ; the resident families are of course
few, but the unceasing influx and reflux of strangers from
iill parts of the country, affords an ample supply of new
faces to the evening drawing-rooms. To this continual
intermixture with strangers and foreigners, is perhaps to
be ascribed the peculiar courtesy and easy politeness
which characterize the manners of the city.
Although now sufficiently familiarized with the simple
habits of this republican community, I still find myself
occasionally wondering at the world which here surrounds
us, and not unfrcquently recall the words of an English
correspondent addressed to me from this city. " I think
it was Buonaparte who observed, that from the sublime to
the ridiculous^ it was but one step. I have fully discovered
the truth of this remark in America. When I first came
here, I really found myself puzzled to decide as to many
things, whether they were subUme or ridiculous. The
simphcity of manners among the truly great people of this
country might at first, by a casual observer, fresh from the
glare and frippery of Europe, be termed ridiculous ; but I
have now outlived this feeling, and can appreciate it as
truly sublime.'^'' I perfectly acknowledged the influence
of that moral sublime, so candidly admitted by my friend,
when first addressed by the President of the United States.
I meant to rise, or, rather, I afterwards felt that I ought
to have risen ; but when suddenly introduced to me by a
senator^ and that with the simple air of a private gentle-
man, and the calmness of a sage, he opened conversation,
my recollection for a moment left me, and I fixed my eyes
upon the venerable character before me with a silent emo-
tion which he, quietly continuing his discourse, seemed
unconscious of having excited, and thus relieved me from
the awkwardness of framing an apology for my absence.
Digitized by
Google
380 THE PRESIDENT.
Colonel Monroe enjoys the felicity of having witnessed
at his election the union of all parties, and of conciliating,
during his administration, the esteem and confidence of
the whole American nation. His illustrious predecessors
having been placed in active political opposition to a
strong, and once, a ruling party, of which they effected the
overthrow and destruction, were exposed throughout their
public career to the enmity of a discomfited miitority; an
enmity which, though their candour knew how to forgive,
their virtues and high-minded forbearance were unable
wholly to appease. The existing president came into of-
fice at a moment of all others the most fortunate ; when
the republic had just shaken hands with her foreign and
internal enemies ; and it had been difHcult to find a states-
man more fitted, by the benevolence of his character and
mild urbanity of his manners, to cement the civil concord,
than he who was elected.*
Would it not mortify some EAnt)pean diplomatists to
find the mighty engine of government exposed to every
eye as it is here ; — to behold the rulers of a nation legis-
lating without mystery, and commanding respect by their
talents and character, and the name of their office ? How
* I feel tempted to quote a passage from the letter of an Americaa friend ',
who, after some observations upon the happy spirit of union pervading the
United States, subjoins, " All unite in approving of Monroe's mild and pni-
deot guidance. When he lately travelled through our vast extent of country,
the marks of respect which he received from all parties and classes, must
have been grateful to his heart. When he piused through our little town
(and the same feeling prevailed every where,) each person was anxious to
speak to the good ffretiderU, The old men, who, like himself, had served in
the revolutionary war, took pains to make themselves known to him as old
soldiers. To them, he showed peculiar attention, and seemed to speak with
pleasure, and even emotion, of the battles they had fought, and the anxieties
they had felt in common. His arrival having been expected, many little pre-
parations had been made ; those who had gardens had carefully preserved
their finest fruit. — But these things will read idly in Europe. It is, perhaps,
only to those who have been trained up in a republic, that such simple sacri-
fices of the heart speak more than wealth can buy, or power command.*'
Digitized by
Google
VIRGINIA BLAVCRY. 3ft 1
would the courtiers of C*rlt*n H**s* look upon the chief
magistrate of a country who stands only as a man among
men ; who walks forth without attendants, lives without
state, greets his fellow citizens with open hand as his com-
panions and equals ; seeks his relaxation from the la-
bours of the cabinet at the domestic hearth ; snatches a
moment from the hurry of public affairs to superintend
the business' of his farm, and defrays all the expenses'
of his high office with a stipend of 6000/. a year I or how
would they regard a secretary of state, who, with an in-
come of little more than 1000/., toils from sunrise to sun-
set, conspicuous only among his fellow citizens for abili-
ties and science, and a modesty of character and simpli-
city of manners and habits which might lead the fancy to
recur to the early sages of Sparta or Rome !
And now, my dear friend, I approach the conclusion
of the voluminous correspondence which I have address-
ed to you from this country. You contrive to persuade
me that the information I have collected has often pos-
sessed for you the merit of novelty. I have, however, to
regret, that my personarobsei-vation has been confined to
a portion of this vast country, the whole of whose surface
merits the study of a more discerning traveller than my-
self. I own that, as regards the southern states, I have
ever felt a secret reluctance to visit their territory. The
sight of slavery is revolting every where, but to inhale the
impure breath of its pestilence in the free winds of Ame-
rica is odious beyond all that the imagination ^h con-
ceive. I do not mean to indulge in idle declamation, ei-
ther against the injustice of the masters, or upon the de-
gradation of the slave. This is a subject upon which it is
difficult to reason, because it is so easy to feel. The dif-
ficulties that stand in the way of emancipation, I can per-
ceive to be numerous; but should the masters content
themselves with idly deploring the evil, instead of " set-
ting their shoulder to the wheel," and actively working
Digitized by
Google
382 VIRGINIA SLAVERY.
out its remedy, neither their courtesy in the drawing-room^
their virtues in domestic life, nor even their public services
in the senate and the field, will preserve the southern
planters from the reprobation of their northern brethren,
and the scorn of mankind* The Virginians are said to
pride themselves upon the peculiar tenderness with which
they visit the sceptre of authority upon their African vassals.
As all those acquainted with the character of the Virginia
planters, whether Americans or foreigners, appear to con-
cur in bearing testimony to their humanity, it is probable
that they are entitled to the praise which they claim. But
in their position, justice should bq held superior to huma-
nity ; to break the chains would be more generous than to
gild them ; and, whether we consider the interests of the
master or the slave, decidedly more useful. It is true that
this neither can nor ought to be done too hastily. To
give liberty to a slave before he understands its value, is,
perhaps, rather to impose a penalty than to bestow a
blessing ; but it is not clear to me that the southern plant-
ers are duly exerting themselves to prepare the way for
that change in the condition of their black population
which they profess to think not only desirable but inevi-
table. From the conversation of some distinguished Vir-
ginians, I cannot but apprehend that they suffer them-
selves to be disheartened by the slender success which
has hitherto attended the exertions of those philanthropists
who have made the character and condition of the negro
their study and care. " Look into the cabins of our free
negroes," said an eminent individual, a native of Vii^inia,
in conversing with me lately upon this subject ; " you will
find there little to encourage the idea, that to impart the
rights of freemen to our black population is to meliorate
their condition, or to elevate their character." It is un-
doubtedly true, that the free negroes of Maryland and
Virginia form the most wretched, and consequently the
most vicious portion of the black population. The most
Digitized by
Google
\ VIRGINIA SLAVERY. 383
casual observation is sufficient to satisfy a stranger of the
truth of tliis statement. I have not seen a miserable
half-clad negro in either state whom I have not found,
upon inquiry, to be in possession of liberty. But what
argument is to be adduced from this ? That to emanci-
pate the African race would be to smite the land with a
worse plague than that which defaces it already ? The
history of the negro in the northern states will save us
from so revolting a conclusion. To argue that he con-
stitutes, even there, the least valuable portion of the
population, will not affect the question. If his cha-
racter be there improving^ a fact which none will deny,
we have sufficient data upon which to ground the be-
lief, that he may, in time, be rendered a useful member
of society, and that the vice and wretchedness which here
dwell in the cabins of the emancipated negroes, may be
traced, in part, to the mixture of freed men and slaves
now observed in the black population. Were the whole
race emancipated, their education would necessarily be-
come a national object, the white population would be
constrained to hire their service, and they themselves be
under the necessity of selling it. At present, when re-
stored, by some generous planter, to their birthright of
liberty, the sons of Africa forfeit the protection of a mas-
ter without securing the guardianship of the law. To
their untutored minds, the gift of freedom is only a release
from labour. Poor, ignorant, and lazy, it is impossible
that they should not soon be vicious. To exonerate her-
self from the increasing weight of black pauperism, Vir-
^nia has imposed a restriction upon the benevolence of her
citizen^, by a law which exacts of the citizen who eman-
cipates his vassals, that he shall remove them without the
precincts of the state ? In obedience to this law, Mr.
Coles, a native of Virginia, and for some years secretary
to Mr. Jefferson, lately removed a black colony into the
state of Illinois. On the death of his father, this gentle-
Digitized by
Google
384 VIRGINIA SLAVERY.
man found himself in possession of seventeen slaves, va-
lued at from eight to nine thousand dollars. His proper-
ty was small, but he hesitated not a moment to relinquish
liis claims upon his negro vassals. He purchased a tract
of land near the settlement of Edwardsville, in Illinois,
where he supplies his former bondsmen with employment,
encouj-aging them to lay up their earnings until they shall
have realized sufficient to enter upon their own farms*
***** spent some time at Edwardsville last summer,
and often visited Mr. Coles' settlement. The liberated
blacks spoke of their former master with tears of gratitude
and aiTection, and two of them, who were hired as ser-
vants by the family with whom * * * * resided, never
omitted to pay a daily visit to Mr. Coles, anxiously in-
quiring, if there was nothing they could do for him. I envy
more the feelings of the man who hears that question than
those of Caesar in the capitol.
But why should this work of benevolence be left to the
philanthropy of individuals ? The virtue of a Coles, how-
ever beautiful in its nature, and wholesome in its effects
upon the little circle within the sphere of its influence, can
do little or nothing for the community. Why does not
Virginia recur to the plan marked out by herself in the
first year of her independence ? Has she not virtue to
execute what she had wisdom to conceive ? She has
made so many noble sacrifices to humanity and patriotism^
her history records so many acts of heroism and disinte-
rested generosity, that I am walling to persuade mysdf
she is equal to this also. Nor can she be so bUnd to the
future as not to perceive the consequences with which she
is threatened, should she not take some active measures
to eradicate the Elgjrptian plague which covers her soil*
A servile war is the least of the evils which could befall
her ; the ruin of her moral character, the decay of her
strength, the loss of her political importance ; vice, indo-
lence, degradation ; these are the evils that will overtake
Digitized by
Google
VIRGINIA SLAV£RT. 385
her ; the Helots will sink into woi^ corruption, and the
Spartans become Helots themselves.
Bat I shall weary you with my commentaries upon an
evil that is so far removed from your sight. Had you
studied with me the history and character of the Amim-
can repubUc ; — did you see in her so many seeds of ex-
cellence, so bright a dawning of national glory, so fair a
promise of a brilliant iperidian day, as your friend ima-
gines that she can discern, you would share all that re-
gret, impatience, and anxiety, with which she regards
every stain that rests upon her morals, every danger that
threatens her peace. An awfiil responsibility has devol-
ved on the American nation; the tiberUes of mankmd are
entrusted to their guardianship ; the honour of freedom is
identified with the honour of their republic ; the agents of
tyranny are active in one hemi^here ; may the children
of Uberty be equally active in the other! May they re-
turn with fresh ardour to the glorious work which they
formerly encountered with so much success; — in one
word, may they realize the conviction lately expressed to
me by their venerable President, that " The day is not
very far distant when a slave will not be found in
America !"
51
Digitized by
Google
386 THE STKANGfiH^S FAREWELL TO AMERICA.
THE STRANGER'S FAREWELL TO AMERICA.
Tes ! I have left ye, regiooi of the sun !
Lund of the free, I're bade thee my farewell !
The reckless gale our proud ship driveth on,
And thou art sunk beneath the billows' swell.
Farewell to thee ! — Heaven's choicest blessings thine,
Freedom, and her twin sister, holy Peace ;
Ever upon thee may their influence shine.
Strengthen thy strength, and hallow iu increase !
Well hast Uioa chosen, in the day of youth,
Spuming the sceptre of a kingly lord,
And seating thee beneath the eye of Truth,
To rule thee by her fair and simple word.
Shame on the heartless, om the seUsh wight,
Can tread thy shore, and cast abroad his eye
On thy vast regions, blest in freedom's light,
In active, peaceful, happy industry ; —
Can walk amid thy race of free4K>m men.
Whose fathers broke the stubborn tyrant's rod.
And taught the truth, none will unlearn again,
That man hath no superior but his God.
Shame on the wretch can tread thy sacred shore,
And feel no generous thoughts expand his mind ;
Can speak thy name, and think thy story o'er,
Nor bless thee in the name of all mankind !
Ay, young America ! earth owes to thee.
If now, through aD her vast and varied climes,
Aught better, nobler, 'mong her tribes she see.
Than suflering slaves, and tyrants working crimes.
Thy cry of freedom first poor Gallia heard.
And shook her chains, and burst them at one bound ;
Then all the tribes of mighty Andes sthrr'd.
Tin e'en the slumbering Spaniard caught the sound.
Digitized by
Google
THE stranger's FAREWELL TO AlOBRICA. 387
And when all earth ghaU hear the ftannkig call,
Aod all her nnjrriadt range 'neatb freedom's wingi ;
When from her peoplei the last chains shall faU,
' With the last iron sceptre of her Idngt— >
Then shall the taations torn their eyes to thee ;
To thee, America ! whose youthful mind
Had strength to brave the laws of ^anny,
And point ttie way of truth to all mankind :
Then shall they bless thy Congress, iSrmly great.
Who made appeal to men and heaven's Lord,
When they in solemn council fearieu sat,
Dedar'd their nation's rights, and drew the sword :
Then shaD they write upon the door of fame
Thy Franklin, the pure patriot and the sage,
And JeSerson, and many a stainless name.
Whose virtues live within thy history's page :
Then shall they read, with sjrmpathising pride,
How thy firm Washington the cause upstaid.
With equal mind, did good or iD betide,
Unaw'd by danger, or by faction sway'd.
But hark! what damonr makes the battling windl /
Ocean and heaven mix in wild uproar; i
The raving deep in mountains roOs behind,
And storm and tempest point our track before. i
' , .. "^
FhreweU! Farewell! KUidly 1*0 think on thee, ^^
Land of the West! and so may'st thou retain.
In some warm hearts, kind memoiy of me,
A cheeriess pilgrim o« life's stormy main.
F. W.
THE END.
Digitized by
Google
Ji" ■ w
^^^if^m
iPrinted by J. Kingdand & Co.
64 Piae-itreet.
Digitized by
Google
vDr^ ■ • ft , 'Vt.<.< ■ . •. -» I " '^'
X- I ...
vr. et. .^ <*, \ ec. ^ Ml <rwii...cHVv .
Digitized by
Google
, ^^'^
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by VjOOQ IC ,'
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11