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 St. Taiils. 
 
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 aaaari 
 
1 
 
 MX MONTHS IN- AMKIUCA. 
 
 Ill: ADiif, 
 
 : % 
 
 ' '""• ""^ '"^'«'' "i»"" you tl,,. ,K.„alry ol 
 l"<'facv or (lr<lic-aiio,., Uvhu^ f„||y prrsuaclrd that 
 }on ^vuu\d care for nc-ithcr; an.l tluMrforo if 
 yon a,v dispose.! to f,>IIou- nu- to Anu-rica, I M-ill 
 '"^^•n" yo„ at once., tl.at uh.r luivln^ schm, tin. 
 ^•ivater part of K„n>p., I ^vcM.t on l.oanl tlu. 
 I>acla.t, Cu.orov Cannino-, on tin- '2itU of Marcl., 
 l-^-JI, and sailnl from I.ivorpool for N\.w V<,rk 
 
 witl 
 
 1 luy notc'-Ijoolv, .sk(>tcli-l)ool 
 lion 
 
 i, i^un, and Hsh- 
 
 i^M- rod alone, nnl,..uif,,l and nnln-vdiick-d 
 
 a.s 
 
 V<M.. I. 
 
 B 
 
u 
 
 M\ MnMlls 
 
 a iiiaii (Minlit to tiavi'I, and wlfli flu' tlt'ti'rniina- 
 
 tioii of l>('ill^^ iiN tar a> an Kn^li^innau eaii I 
 
 )V 
 
 nnprcjndii'tMl ; an<l of *ioi'in«^ all I could of tlic 
 I'nitt'd States in tlu' space of ainrnt six montlis. 
 llavini»- said this, I hi'o- of you to rcnu'inlu'r 
 that I do not profess to tell you \\ hat may Ik» 
 seen in a year. I nuiy he allowed to mention, 
 that the (Jeor<;-e C'ainiin«( is one of the hest of 
 the twiMity-six packets that sail from Liverpool 
 to dilVerent parts of North America. Every 
 i)os.sil)lo comfort an<l every rcasouahle luxury is 
 {»t the command of the |)assen«i!^er ; and, whether 
 lie he confined to his state-room from the effects 
 of sea-sickness, or indulgin<^ a most Atlantic 
 appetite, and (piatKnj^ champagne to the memory 
 of Colund)us, he cannot fail at the end of his 
 voyage to he loud in the praises of her excellent 
 commander. Captain Allyn. We saw an ave- 
 rage number of young whales, but contrived to 
 
 I 
 
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'*• AMI |;i, V. 
 
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 '"•'"'" ''■■ '•"'•'•! '• a. this .„,„ ,■ „,„ 
 
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 "" ""■ '■""«■ '^l^""l l-a.l, is s,.,.„ NV„. 
 
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 l)rat('(i as tlio spot whcrL' tlio British troctps, 
 iMulcr the coinnumd of Sir Ilcnrv Clinton, were 
 landed witliont (►j)j)osition, previously to tlieir 
 attack of New York in 177(). Xnnierous vessels 
 of different sizes that had been detained outside 
 hy contrary winds, were workini>- their way 
 throuii'li the Narrows at the same time, and 
 presented a most animating- spectacle. They 
 ^\•ere from all parts of the Morld : the sun shone 
 full upon their white sails; the broad bright 
 pine-streak reddened beneath his declinin^• rays, 
 and added a. characteristic elegance to the ap- 
 pearance of the American shii)s, M'hich taken as 
 a class, are certaiidy handsomer than those of 
 any other nation. That the trim and figure of 
 a British mcrchantm;in are usually inferior to 
 those of America, is owing to the circumstance 
 of there being no tonnage-duty in America; 
 and therefore, their ships aie constructed for 
 
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 for 
 
 'Ih' ..■,v,-,t>.st sp,.o,l : |,„r l,y the Ijntisi, nu'tl,,,,! 
 
 "'' '■"'"- "»•"■ ^I'ips ^1 ni.Mvl,;.mn,an oa,, I,., 
 cnstrncf,.,! .„ ,,s ,„ .any n„„v d,,,,, |,o,- l,.yal 
 tminaov „i,l,„,„ |,,,i„j. ,■„,. ■^. ,,j. ^^.,^.^|^ ^^^^^^^ 
 
 15"ll UTy pr,.,,..rly (alu's a.lvanras.. I,y s»vlli„.- 
 "iif liis s|,i,,s as luuc-l, as i„,ssil,l,., „, l„„ . ,„ |„, 
 '•ail av„i,l ,1.0 Iia!,i|i,y „,■ |„,i„„, ^.,,^„.^.,.,| ^^^ ,^ 
 liiyljcr rafc. 
 
 N\V l.a.l soaivoly ..,m,v,l ,l,o |,ay ul,..,, H,,, 
 "■in,l ,I,.„,,,K.,I : su.a,a-l,„ats „-,.,v ,,Iyi„. i„ all 
 -l»ve.i„ns, a,„l one „f ,1,.,,, e,„„i„„. „,„„.,i,|,. j 
 «as glad ,„ avail n.y.Wf of Ikt assistaneo, an,l 
 '"■'•ivo,l at X<nv V,,,.,; |,,foro sunset. ^\-,•,|„•„ 
 '"•" """"f"S aft..,- I |,ad la,„lo,l I foan.l „,ys,.l,- 
 i» '1''^' lin,a.l„ay, the principal stroet an,l pn,- 
 "■ona,U. in el.e city. At t»-« „VlocK- „„ every 
 fi»o .lay, all tl,.. rashi.m an.l t,..,.g.aily ,|,,„,„| 
 ''«"">■ "'■ N-ow V„rl< ar.. ,„ l,e seen tl,ere. It 
 
10 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 ': I- 
 
 1 f 
 
 ( ' 
 
 h 
 
 contains the finest shops, and altotrothor lias a 
 very lively and eity-like ajjpearance, which, 
 nevertheless, suffers considerably on account of 
 the houses heiu"- mostly built of red brick. Its 
 width, I should !^ay, is about the same as that 
 of Oxford-street ; in length it is, or rather will 
 be when finished, about three miles. The 
 courts of justice hold their sittings in tlie city- 
 hall, a large and handsome building of Massa- 
 chusetts white marble and brown free-stone, 
 M-hich stands in the centre of what is called the 
 Park, a green open space on the side of the 
 Broadway. The prison, a gloomy-looking struc- 
 ture, is too conspicuous, and exceedingly handy, 
 being so near to it that a '"ponte <le 'i sospiri " 
 might be thrown across from one to the 
 other with great effect. But it is not in the 
 contemi)lation of the most refined and mag- 
 nificent works of art, that the 10urope;ni traveller 
 
 1 
 
IN AMKKK \. 
 
 II 
 
 'J» the rnitc-a States mu.t exi)oct to derive Iiis 
 i'ni.cipal gratification. TJ.e public building-.s i„ 
 NVw York for the different pur],oses of charity, 
 ^■.l.icati,,,,, „n,l co,tt„,o,co, un- v»y nunu-rou.,; 
 I'W there are none tl.at can lay elain, .„ I,i,s 
 rarticnlar attention : in a feu- hours, with a 
 little assistance IVon, a eahriolel or an onn,il,„s, 
 I'e niijrht sec all that is worth his notice in the 
 «t.v, considered merely as a collection of hnihl- 
 i»K-s, containinj.- -iOO.ooo inhahitants. It is the 
 extraordinary energy an.l urgency of connnerce 
 that Hill chiefly attract his attention. The wharfs 
 mi the North river are flanked l,y su,,erl. stea.n- 
 hoats, daily and hourly employed in the convey- 
 ance of thousands ; those on the East river, l,y 
 'l<'"l-lo aud triple lines of the most I.eautiful 
 .nereha.itmen; while the three streets which run 
 successively parallel ,„ ,l,cm ,„ij,.,„ ,,,, ,,.|^^,„ ^^,_. 
 one enortnous warehouse. ,|,o paven.cnt hein- 
 
it 
 
 \*2 
 
 SIX MoNI'Ils 
 
 i 
 
 nearly Mocked \\\) with iiurcliimdlse from every 
 eomitrv, and exldhitiiij*- a rattliiiii: and somewhat 
 (hniiL;erous confusion of carts and cranes, tliat is 
 (jiiite l)eyon(l a "private gentleman's belief," till 
 he has seen it. Although the actual numerical 
 tonnage of the trade of New York is four times 
 less than that of Liverpool, yet the {ij)pearance 
 of huiritle and husini'ss is far more strikin*'' at 
 New York : the reason is, that there is so much 
 more retail trade carried on in the latter city 
 than in Liverpool, or any other city in the 
 M'orld. Innumerahle hoats descend the North 
 river, laden with timber, or live and dead stock, 
 and ju'ovisions for the markets of New York, 
 and c.nrry back a petty and varied cargo of 
 wearing apparel and other necessaries that arc 
 wanted in the interior. 
 
 Although Philadelphia is a larger i)lacc, the 
 bahuice of trade between New York and that 
 
 i 
 
 ,? 1^ 
 
IN AMF.int.V. 
 
 l;j 
 
 firy is usually, if not always, in favour of N^v 
 York-. Imported o-^ods sold at Pliiladolpliia, on 
 account of the New York niercliants, are paid 
 ^or in hills made paNahle at Phila(lelj)hia. The 
 iKiidxS at New York discount these hills, whieh 
 as they hecome due are .satisfied on demand hy 
 payment in specie; so that there is a constant 
 flow of hard dollars from Pldladelphia to Now 
 \ ork. 
 
 Ill order to see the city in perfection, the 
 North river must ])e crossed, and a fine view is 
 ohtained from any of the risin.r <rn)unds on the 
 opposite hank. Hut to include a distant view 
 ot* the city and the hay in the same drawin-v, 
 
 I should 
 
 re 
 
 commc 
 osite 
 
 I a st 
 
 atum oji 8taten Island, 
 
 or on the opposite lieiohts ahout C 
 On this head the liritisl 
 
 jrowanus. 
 
 1 puhlic will soon I 
 
 )e 
 
 satisfied. Before I 
 
 (piitted America, 1 
 
 was 
 
 favoured \\ itl 
 
 1 a si^'ht of tl 
 
 io most e.xact and 
 
f 
 
 MIf 
 
 14 
 
 SIX MoNllls 
 
 1. I 
 
 ii 
 
 1.1 
 
 I \ 
 
 i 
 
 a(lmirul)lo drawings to l)e usvd as materials tor 
 tlio iio.xt view at tlie Colosseum in the lie«;ent's 
 I*ark, whieli I aiiderstood was to he that of New 
 York and its environs. It is sini»Milar that, as in 
 London, thev should all have heen taken from 
 the to]) of St. I'aul's church. Unless I were 
 juixious to write either an almanack or a guide- 
 book, I think I need not here say more about 
 New York ; reservin«r for another place imy 
 remarks that ap])ly generally to one city as well 
 as .another. I will merely add, that I should 
 strongly recommend every one to visit the Mu- 
 seum before he conunences a tour ; and that 
 the city contains two excellent theatres, of which 
 that in the Park is the more fashionable : 1 
 heard the English version of the "Cenerentola" 
 performed in very good style : I was delighted 
 with the singing of our countrywoman, Mrs. 
 Austin, and I lauirhed heartih i\\ the drolleries 
 
 t^ 
 
 f 
 
 >' I 
 
IN A.MI.KK K. 
 
 15 
 
 <•/ Mr. Ilaekt'ff, nI,o is an unrivalkMl jnimif of 
 tl.o (HToiitricifics of l,is comitrvnioii. An Italian 
 inborn is c'onHdi'ntly t'Xjx'ctcd hy tlio next season. 
 \t |>iTS(Mit the Hrst society in \ow \-ork, ^vJiieli 
 i>^ very (>(,o(l, is seldom to he seen at the theatre. 
 hi my io-iK.ranee. I was very nnieh astonished 
 the first evening- I uent there, at seeiiii.- a mul- 
 titude of persons, who would have tliouirht it a 
 ^ross mistake not to have heen taken for gvntli'- 
 mcn, sittin- occasionally in the front and almost 
 always in the hack seats of the dress circle, with 
 their hats on, in the presence of ladies, who 
 were scattered in different parts of the same l»ox. 
 Now, New York, if not the most refined, is 
 certainly, strictly speaking, the most fashionable 
 l)lace in the Union, and it is not to he wondered 
 at, that foreigners who have just landed from 
 Knrope and mIio very pr()l)al)ly go to the tlu^'.tr(> 
 ^n the fnst evening of their arrival, should 
 
 ^ 
 
1#' 
 
 fi 
 
 1(1 
 
 SIX MdSllls 
 
 I 
 
 tli(MiC'o imhllx' str,'iHi>;o .'iiul unjust ideas of flit' 
 host Anicricau niauuors. I lia\o lu-anl tliat i-oni- 
 inoii sense is tlie cliaraeteristic of the Ainerieans; 
 and 1 think tliere is <rreat truth in tlu' remark; 
 
 hut I (h> \U)\ like it when it is s^t nrt/ eoinnio 
 
 n. 
 
 Those repuhUean I)e Coureys are very fond of 
 weariui^ their hats : 1 luncr was at clnu'eh in 
 the United States, without ol)ser\ iiio' indivi(hials 
 (I (h) not say many), wlio would evidently have 
 heen very sorry to have heon thought ii'uilty of 
 any im[)ropriety, putting,- their hats on wlien the 
 service was over, in the very hody of the churcli. 
 These are no trifles when considered as part 
 of the national manners. But in the Ignited 
 States there is no standard for manners: their 
 })olitical independence is oftentimes imperccpt- 
 ihly identified with independence of beliaviour 
 that jn-ocures for intlividuals an unfavourahle 
 opinion, of which the men and their minds are 
 alik(> unworthy. 
 
I\ ^ MII.K \. 
 
 17 
 
 it u;is ll... fuvMly-fliinl „r AjM-il, SLdcoiov's 
 •l^'V. mIi.'M I IrCt N\.u- York t„ n.iMi.u.iuv ...y 
 tour; tlu' mnnluTs cf tlir Sr. iworu:r\ Siw'wty 
 u-m'o,,i„o- to ,|i,H. t<»yvtlK'r,ai.(l rlu- In.ov ha.mcr 
 of the saint Mas wavin<r fn)m one of tin. n|,ju.r 
 ^vuu\o^vs of tlu- C'ity-liotcl, as I onuTov,! i'vom 
 tlu' gloomy recTssos, in onornious c'stablisliini'iits 
 yelcpcd sinM]o-l„,M(Ml rooms, and procciodrd to 
 the MJiaif wJiciv tlu> Xru- Hrnusuick sti-anicrs 
 are to he ionnd, and ul.crc it is coolly and most 
 intfllioildy intimated to tlio traveller, in very 
 large letters, that lie can have '^ Transportation 
 to Philadelphia," at a very triflino- expense. 
 These steam-boats are necessarily very lar-e- 
 beino- fVequciitly destined to carry three or even 
 ft>ur hundred passengers: they are constructc-d 
 in the best manner for obtaining the greatest 
 proportionate space and a free circulation of air. 
 They may fairly be said to be three-deckers. 
 
fti- 
 
 18 
 
 SIX >fn\|iis 
 
 :. h 
 
 II 
 
 ■Si 
 
 ll! 
 
 Tlic workini^-ln'jmi is iisiiiilly placed at a i^rcat 
 lu'lj^lit above flic iippiT-dcfk, ami tlic wlioK* o\' 
 tlu» oni»im' is s(> nuifli raised that no incoii- 
 vcnii'iici' arises tVom tUc heat of the hoih'rs. 
 
 Wli 
 
 d'tl 
 
 leii (Uie ot tlu'se steamers js seen a])|)roaelmii»* 
 trom a distjinee, the contusion ot" i»reen and wiiite 
 galleries gives it very much the ap])earance of 
 a moving summer-lionse. The ra[)idity with 
 which we moved across the hay procured mo a 
 constant change of scene : the l)anks were (lotted 
 with small villages, hut I observed hut few goii- 
 tlomcn's seats. At a distance, on the right, 
 stands the town of Newark, a considera])le place, 
 4liscernil)le by its white steeples. We })asse(l 
 Perth Amboy at the mouth of the Uariton river ; 
 the first British settlement in New Jersey. 
 TJie governor's house, tlie picquet and guard- 
 liouse, can be seeji from the y'ivvy. The go- 
 vernor's house resembles a CHoucestershire spin- 
 
IV wn.iiu A. 
 
 1!) 
 
 iiiiiH- mill. I u;iN hiiult'd ;it Nrw nniiiswicK, 
 wlicro I IouikI couvi'vaiu'c^ MWJiiriiii*' tlic aniv.il 
 of tin- .>tt'amt'r in onU-r to carry its |)assoiit»"t'rs 
 across tin* country to liordciitowii. Notwith- 
 standiiii*' that this road is one of tlic prin- 
 cipal tlioronL»ldart»s hctwvi'n New York and 
 Philadelphia, yet I was fairly .and (pncUly jolted 
 into the conviction that althonj^h it was prohaMe 
 I should trav(d over many that were as had, yet 
 that I could not l)V any i)ossil)iIity find one that 
 was worse. Allowances are to he made for the 
 roads I afterwards saw, in the hjick settlements ; 
 hut the condition of this one was really dis<rrace- 
 ful. There was a ^reat deal of wood on every 
 side ; but it can hardly he called forest, l)eini>- 
 wliJit is here termed second-i^^rowth wood. A 
 l>Teat part of these lan<ls had heen cleared hy 
 the earlier settlers, but were allowed to remain 
 uncultivated, and to be overgrown whenever a 
 
II 
 
 I ■ 
 
 ft 
 
 I < 
 
 I l' 
 
 r 
 
 k 
 
 i- 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 \ 
 
 •JO 
 
 SIX .M«>N'IICs 
 
 ^(^il of i^rt'iittT trrfilifv iiiul sunicit'iifly protri'fiMl, 
 was (liscovrrrd in tlir interior ol' flic ('(unitry. 
 
 nonlcntown, is :i sni.'ill, l)iit \\v\\\ niul pretty, 
 villai;*' on the l>aiil\> ol tlic Delaware. On the 
 
 itskirt* 
 
 I ratii 
 
 outsku'ts is a larj^'e and rather n'ri't;ular hrieU 
 l)iiil(lini»' at tlie extreniitv of a eourt-vard, wliieli 
 is flanked l)y staMin^- and otiier oiitliouses, with 
 cxtensivi» gardens and |»leasjn*o grounds lu'ldnd 
 tliein, laid out a I'Anulais. This is the residence 
 of the C'onnt Survilliers, l)etter known, in 
 Kni^'land at least, as Jos(»|)li Huonaparte. I was 
 providi'd with an introduetion to his Kxeelleney, 
 and paid him a morning' visit. His reception of 
 me was exeecdiniilv eonrteous. Tlie instant he 
 appeared, J was most forcibly strnck with the very 
 stronj^* resemblance he bore to tlie hiter portraits 
 of \ai)oleon. His person, I slioidd say, was 
 rather larger: the expression of the eye was the 
 same, though more sululued; the same hair, the 
 
 ^- 
 
IN .\\fr,itn \. 
 
 •J I 
 
 , was 
 js tlie 
 , the 
 
 <<'«'f'i>v «:i.Mi'ralIy, with a .la.kcr nMMi.lr.xi.„N .-nMl 
 .1 i^ood SH of fPHl,. I sl.ouM s.y, tlu. priiK-ipal 
 • litVriviuM. was olHorvahlr in tl„. ni(H.f!,, ul,i,-l, 
 M't'incl moiv incliiiahlr to the jocose than thr- 
 ^.'u.jruinary. After souk, (..nversation, which w... 
 c-an-icl nu in IVciich, and turned chirlly on 
 the suhjcrt of Kuropean travel, his KxeeHeney 
 showed me his pietines, which are nunier(,us and 
 intiM-estiiiii-. He has several fine Min-illos, and 
 a most heautitnl Ma^h.nna l.y X'andyke. II,. 
 lias many portraits of his ou ., faniily ; amon^- 
 those is one of Najmleon in his coronation rohes, 
 and the well-known picture of the I-irst Consul on 
 horsohaek, crossino- the Alps. I felt an emotion 
 which I will not attempt to deserihe, when, as we 
 passed round the room, he paused l)efor(> the latter 
 picture, and drew my attention to it, remarl 
 
 vniii 
 
 that 
 
 it was the original, by David, 'i^he cal 
 
 ai)ni( t 
 
 VOL. F. 
 
 S*^ 
 
J I 
 
 II 
 
 w M 
 
 illi 
 
 
 2*2 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 of statues and mosaics is also very fine, and the 
 collection altoj^etlier hy far the best in America. 
 His Excellency occasionally mixes in society 
 both at New York and Philadelphia, and talks 
 without reserve of his former situation, " Quand 
 j' etais roi d' Espagne." " Dans mes belles 
 affaires," are occasionally introduced in his con- 
 versation. By his advice I subsequently mounted 
 the observatory in his g-rounds. Thence I en- 
 joyed a very fine view of the country on the 
 opposite side of the Delaware, whose broad and 
 rapid stream was flowing beneath me; on the 
 left, the river seemed to lose itself among the 
 distant woods of Pennsylvania; on the right, at 
 a distance of al)out six miles, is Trenton, 
 made notorious by the daring passage of the 
 Delaware, and tlie subsequent defeat and cap- 
 ture, of a body of Hessians, by General Wash- 
 ington, on the night of the 25th of December, 
 
 » 
 
>"■' AMI-HICA. 
 
 2.3 
 
 1776, c\n,-w.^ a vi„lo„t stonn, an,l uIkm, ,|,e 
 Han.^or of tl,o rov<,l„ti„„i*ts wns at its crisis. 
 BonlontowM is al.out twenty-six miles from 
 
 tl'at city i„ a stoam-boat, „l,icl, stopped for 
 passengvrs at every eo„si,leral,le ,illa,^e .,„ the 
 well.,vo.,ae,l, l,„t flat and uninteresti,,., ba,,,,, 
 of the river. At length l>l,ila,l,.lphia makes its 
 appearance, stretching for nearly three miles 
 "long the western si.Ie of „ l,e„,I „ „„^.|,. „f 
 • the river. This vieu- is certainly a fine^ne, 
 bat it «-o„l,l 1,0 mnel, i„,prove,l l.y the appear- 
 ance of a f,.w more steeples or lofty strnetares. 
 From the water two or tln-ee only are visible 
 above this immense assemblage of red hoases; 
 an,l yet the city contains nine episcopal chnrches, 
 a great number of pnblic bnildings, and charit- 
 able institutions without end. 
 
 Oreat attention is ,,ai,l ,o the e.lneation of 
 
 I. -2 
 
24 
 
 SIX MONTirr. 
 
 ft: 
 
 |f 
 
 V, . 
 
 1^ 
 
 '! ^ 
 
 i ;■ 
 
 I ; 
 
 tlic poorer classes : tlie constitution of Pennsyl- 
 vania (leclariii*^, " That the legislature shall, .is 
 soon as convenient, provide by law for the 
 establishment of schools, in such manner that 
 the poor may be educated without ex])ense." 
 
 Philadelphia has been often described. The 
 streets cross each other at right angles : those 
 running parallel with the river arc numbered, 
 second, third, fourth, ike; the others usually 
 bear the name of some fruit or tree. The word 
 street is usually omitted : in describing the way, 
 a person would tell you that the place you 
 were looking for was in Walnut, below fifth ; 
 Sassafras, above second; Mulberry, between 
 seventh and eighth, &c. These streets run over 
 a distance of two miles, from the Delaware to 
 the Schuyllkill river, which enters the Delaware 
 about nine miles to the south of Philadelphia. 
 The Bank of Pennsylvania is a small building, 
 
 I 
 
 :l 
 
 m 
 
 I 
 
IN' A.MtllK A. 
 
 :>:> 
 
 I 
 
 ^ut ek'irantly dosi-nccl from the Temi)le of the 
 INIuyes, on the Ilyssus, near Athens. 
 
 TJie new Mint of the United States was 
 •Mifinished, l,ut promised to be a cJiaste and 
 beautiful building, on a larger scale, from the 
 same model. On the 4th of July, 1776, the 
 Declaration of Independence was signed, and 
 afterwards read from the steps of the State- 
 house, where the state courts of justice are now 
 held. The room in which this took place had 
 been fitted up for La Fayette in 1824, as the 
 iiiost appropriate place for levee tenure; but 
 vv hen I saw it, it was occupied by u orkmen, who 
 iiad instructions to replace every thing as it was 
 when it acquired its present reputation. 
 
 llie Academy of Fine Arts much exceeded 
 my expectations. Although the .iiost conspi- 
 cuous pictures were those of American academL- 
 ^■iaiis, u't Ju're and dieiv ih. eye was attracted 
 
 ■■■n . 
 
 "1 
 
I -f 
 
 i il 
 
 .1 
 
 t'li 
 
 fit 
 
 I; 
 
 I'l 
 
 i 1; 
 
 26 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 by a X'andyko, a Rubens, a Ciuerciuo, and a 
 
 Salvator Rosa, or some good copies from them. 
 
 There were a tew kuidscapes by Ruysdael, and 
 
 a fine Murillo : the subject was tlie Roman 
 
 daughter. The productions from the Englisli 
 
 school, were portraits of Jolm H. Powell, Esq. 
 
 by Sir Thomas Lawrence, of John Kemble by 
 
 Sir M. A. Shee, and another of Dugald Stuart 
 
 by Sir H. Raeburn. Any person conversant 
 
 with the pictures of this latter artist, would have 
 
 recognised this, ]>y the usual green colouring in 
 
 the back-ground. There were fi^ e admiral)le 
 
 portraits by ^Ir. Stewart, tlie American artist, 
 
 of the Presidents Washington, Adams, Jefferson, 
 
 Madison, and ^lonroe. The best full-length 
 
 portrait of \\'ashington is that in the Fauneuil 
 
 Hall at Boston ; but as a half-length this is, I 
 
 believe, considered the original. They were all 
 
 remarkable tor their easy and unsophisticated 
 
 ,:l 
 
 :<^' 
 y 
 
iN AMEKILA. 
 
 127 
 
 attitudes. Mr. Stewart has been dead about 
 five years. Mr. Ilardiii^re has also very great 
 merit as a portrait painter; but Mr. Sully has 
 the reputation of ])ei]io. the first in Anieriea. A 
 portrait of Sir Thomas Lawrence, by that <>en- 
 tleman, is a most successful imitation of tlie 
 ■style of the late i)resident. He exhibited also 
 an excellent full-leno-th j.ortrait of General La 
 Fayette; and Mr. Tuman, a scarcely inferior 
 artist, is at present employed in painting an- 
 other, of Mr. Penn, which will occupy a place 
 beside the (General in the Hall of Independence. 
 I also observed a eomi)osition.landscape, by Mr. 
 Fisher, which had very great merit. It was well 
 remarked in the preface to the catalogue, that 
 so many of the pictures did not need indulgence, 
 in comparison with that which had lieretofore 
 been cheerfully, and with justice, coiiceded to 
 tl«em. This was very true of a large proportion 
 
 it 
 h\ I 
 
1 1) 
 
 iH 
 
 r 
 
 ,1 I 
 
 :Hi 
 
 m 
 
 ' 
 
 '2S 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 ol' them, but sonic lu vcrthcloss, needed if not a 
 little ; and in fact had no business there. It is 
 
 a j)ity that the Americans do not take vvarnin 
 
 (r 
 
 by the constant outcry that for so many years 
 has been justly raised against the swarm of 
 
 ])ortraits that 
 
 dly cluster 
 
 til 
 
 alls of 
 
 liat annually cluster on tlio walls 
 Somerset-house. They might well devote more 
 of their time and talent to historical paiiiting. 
 With the exception of the " Sortie from Gib- 
 raltar," by Colonel Tnnnbull, and another very 
 indirtereiit })icture, there were, 1 think, no his- 
 torical pieces in the room appropriated to 
 modern events. The Americans cannot plead 
 a want of subjects : the revolution is not half 
 illustrated ; besides, they may depend upon it, 
 portrait painting- is a very aristocratical thing- 
 after «all, and shouhl not be trenerally encou- 
 raged, on that account. In riuming over the 
 walls of a modern e\hibiti(>n-n;«>in, the v\c is 
 
 ^ 
 
 f 
 
 
IN AMEUUA. 
 
 •>*J 
 
 tati^iK'd l)y its oiulcavoiiis to avoid an t'lieountoi' 
 u ith the foaturos of iiulividiuils in a new clia- 
 ractcr, to which many of tlieni never had the 
 hlii^htest pretensions, except npon canvass. 
 
 'J1je water-works on the Schuyllkill are pro- 
 bably the finest in the worhl : they can scarcely 
 be praised too iiighly for beauty of design, 
 simplicity of construction, and real usefulness. 
 A dam, sixteen hundred feet in leniith, is 
 thrown across the river, by which the stream is 
 backed up for several miles, and an enormous 
 water-i)ower thus created, l^he solid rock has 
 been excavated, in order to obtain what is 
 termed a race; and by means of huge double- 
 forcing pumps, worked by four immense wheels, 
 the water is thrown up into an ample reservoir, 
 fifty-six feet above the highest ground in the 
 city. It is calculated that each wheel and pum{) 
 could raise one miilion two inindred and fifty 
 
 f 
 
 r 
 
 I 
 

 if 
 
 ji! 
 
 
 30 
 
 fclX MUNTHS 
 
 thousand yallons in hventv-foiir hours, if allowed 
 to phiy without intermission. Tlie rising ground 
 in tlie neighl)ourlioo{l of the water-works affords 
 the best and neju'est general view of the city. 
 Thence I visited the botanical gardens of ]\Ir. 
 Pratt, containing a very fine orangery and a 
 choice collection of exotics, and delightfully 
 situated on the east side of the Sehuyllkill, which 
 spreads out to a great extent immediately be- 
 neath them, with banks wooded to the water's 
 edge. In a very few years this fine scene is 
 destined to be ' iiiiatin*ed. By this time a rail- 
 road is commenced, which will run from Phila- 
 delphia to Columbia, a distance of eighty-two 
 miles : it will there join the great Pennsyl- 
 vanian canal, which has been finished nearl)' all 
 the way from the eastern side of the Alleghany 
 mountains. In order to pass these, a rail-road 
 on inclined planes, will be constructed ; by 
 
 I 
 
■^ 
 
 IN A.MLKICA. 
 
 81 
 
 I 
 
 which the rich iiiiiieia. productions on the 
 western slope of the niouniains, consistino- 
 cliiefly of iron and l)itnniinous c(>ai of the finest 
 quality, will he (piiekly forwarded to Philadel- 
 phia in any cpiantity. The greatest height of 
 the Alleghany nioinitains in IVnnsvlvania, is 
 thirteen hundred feet. The rail-road I have 
 mentioned, will pa.^s at a short distance from the 
 water-works; and therefore, in all prohability, 
 no very long- period will elai)se before the 
 vicinity will become a coal-\ard. 
 
 The porcelain manufactory is not far off. 
 I was told that the material was little inferior 
 to that of Sevres, but I found the painting 
 indifferent. French China is still preferred, 
 and superiority cannot yet be expected in this 
 department. 
 
 In my way l»ack to the city, I visited the 
 IVnitendary of Pennsylvania. This is the most 
 
Il- 
 
 'fll 
 
 1 
 
 W: 
 
 lii; 
 
 
 ill. 
 
 i1. 
 
 II 
 
 11 Ri' 
 
 a-i 
 
 SIX MONIUS 
 
 exteiisivi' Imildinir in the United IStates. The 
 front is 070 feet in ien<^th — very haiKlsoine, ami 
 heariii*^ a Uaronial and gloomy jippearance, in 
 tlie style of our ohl English castles. Its area 
 is a square, with a tower at each angle of tin; 
 prison wall. It is intended that eiji^ht corridors 
 •should radiate from an observatory in the centre 
 of the area, but oidy three are in use at pre- 
 sent. These contain the ceils, a!id command a 
 free circulation of air, and a plentiful supply 
 of water. The only punishment adopted, is 
 solitary confinement, lliis Penitentiary is too 
 youni»- an establishment to afford a perfect con- 
 lidence in the opinions of those who are favour- 
 able to its system. The reports of the inspectors 
 are, however, extremely encouraging. The first 
 and present warder (Mr. Samuel II. Wood) 
 was only aj)pointed in Jiine 18'29. This gentle- 
 man, who is well known as u kind of second 
 
 f 
 
 ^« 
 
 I 
 
 
 ,r 
 
!N' v*it nn\. 
 
 til) 
 
 I 
 
 llouanl ill his \v;iy, li;is visited iiimii^ nt v f |,riii 
 cijmi |.ris«.n,s in Kuropc; and now Hiids i-inj.h)). 
 mciit tor liis talents and his liiiniaiiity in, I 
 Ix'licvc, his native eity. Kveiy crime e<»niinifted 
 in the state of Pennsylvania, on this side of the 
 Allejrliany nionniains. that is punishahie hy ini- 
 l)risoninent at all for the snacv of one year or 
 more, is to he evpiated hy solitary confinement 
 within this IVnitentiary. That at Pittslmr^r, o,, the 
 Ohio, receives those whose crimes are committed 
 on the western side of the Alieirhany. Every 
 prisoner is allowed to work at his trade ; or if he 
 have none, or one that he cannot follow in his 
 cell, he is allowed to choose (me, and is instructed 
 hy one of the overseers, who are all masters of 
 diFrrent trades. Mr. Wood, in his last report, 
 gives it as his opinion, that a prisoner who has 
 two years or u]nvards to remain in prison, can. 
 in his solitary cell, earn sufficient to clear all his 
 
 urn 
 
 
 m 
 
!'l 
 
 i 
 
 l>! 
 
 '. i!i 
 
 ii.i 
 
 04 
 
 MX Mosriis 
 
 rxpi'iisos from his admission till his discharj^c. 
 The IMiiljMh'Iphia svsti'in (lifTiTs from tliat at 
 Sinj^-siiijr, in thf state (»f New \'orI\. At Sin«r- 
 sinjTj tiic prisoners are l)rou<^ht ont to vvoric 
 toi^ether, hut are not allowed to speak to each 
 
 >th 
 
 \'k to 
 
 otiier. At rhiladelpliia tliev never work toji^'e- 
 ther; and from the time of his admission, one 
 jirisoner never sees, or speaks witli, another. My 
 Kng-lish ideas were not a little startled at first, 
 when I found that high treason is oxpiahle hy 
 solitary confinement for not less than three, nor 
 more than six years ; and that the punishment 
 for the second offence was solitary confinement 
 for ten years. Treason ao;ainst the state of Penn- 
 sylvania is here alluded to. By the articles of the 
 constitution, treason against the United States 
 shall consist only in levying- war against them ; 
 or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid 
 and comfort. Xo person shall be convicted of 
 
 '»9 
 
 r 
 
IV A^r!.FM( A. 
 
 35 
 
 at 
 
 treason unless on the ttsflinony of rw„ ^vhuvss^>H 
 to tlu' .same ovcrr art, or on coiifi'ssioM in ojumi 
 court. CouMivss sliall have po^vr to drt-laiv tho 
 imuisliuKMit of trojisiui, l)ut ii(» attaiudrr of tivaso,.. 
 shall work con'U])tioM of I.I.mmI (.r forfcituns 
 c-xcvpt (luriuo- tho iifr of tlu. luMsou attainted. 
 Treason ao-ainst tlio Tnitcd States Is a capital 
 offcncv. Murder, in the scmnd deoivis that is, 
 murder committed in a sudden quarrel, hut with- 
 <M.t malice prepense, is punlsJuMl l,y solitary 
 conHnement at lahour for three, and not more 
 than six years; for the second offence, for a 
 I>criod not exceedii.jr ten years, l^u. punishment 
 for buro-lary is solitary cmifinement for not less 
 than tu-o, nor more than ten years; for the second 
 offence, for a i)erio(l not exceedino- fifteen years. 
 For rohbery, or being accessory thereto before the 
 fact, the period is for not less than one, nor more 
 than .oveu years; for the second offence, for a 
 
 I i 
 
 ( 
 
 is J 
 
 K 
 
ii! 
 
 V!i 
 
 > ii 
 
 11 ; 
 
 n 
 
 \i 
 
 m 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 ])(Mi<»(! not oxcoodinir tAvolvo years. Maylioni, 
 ki(lii;j|i})iiig, liorsesU'aliiig-, perjury, ike. are all 
 punished l)y solitary confinement for different 
 periods. Almost every species of forgery, or 
 aidin*^, abetting, or commanding tlie perpetration 
 of a forgery, wlietlier it he of the coin of the state, 
 or have reference to the sale, utterance, or deli- 
 very, or liaving in possession the metallic i)late 
 used in the forging of any note of any bank incor- 
 porated in the state of Pennsylvania; or forging, 
 defacing, corrupting, or embezzling any charters, 
 gifts, grants, bonds, bills, wills, conveyances, or 
 contracts; or defacing, or falsifying any enrol- 
 ment, registry, or record; or forging any entry 
 of the acknowledgment, certificate, or endorse- 
 ment, whereby the freehold or inheritance of 
 any person or persons may be charged; or of 
 counterfeiting the hand or seal of anotlier with 
 intent to defraud; or the privy or great seal of 
 
 I 
 

 IN AM E UK A. 
 
 ■M 
 
 tlic State of Pennsylvania, is punished with 
 solitary confinement for a period of not less than 
 one, nor more than seven years ; and for the 
 second offence, for a period not exceeding ten 
 years. It is expected that hw offenders will 
 run the risk of solitary confinement for a second 
 time. 
 
 Wlien first received, the prisoner is left 
 alone, and it seldom happens that he does not 
 ash for a Bible, and work, after the lapse of a 
 kw hours. A Bible and a few other religious 
 books are allowed him. In a few days the with- 
 drawal of his employment is felt, and adopted 
 as a punishment, with the most obstinate and 
 hardened. The chaplain occasionally visits the 
 prisoners, and on Sundays he takes a station 
 whence the words of prayer and exhortation can 
 be heard by every prisoner in his cell, as they 
 echo along- the vaulted roof of the corridor. 
 
 VOL. 1. 
 
 U 
 
 i- if 
 
 1" rj 
 
 I ■«! 
 
 ■I- 
 
 *^ \ 
 lit ) 
 
 I' 
 
 
il ,1^ 
 
 \ 
 
 I'I'i 
 
 
 38 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 If any punishment can he said to be dig- 
 nified, that of solitary confinement has a chum 
 to that epithet. Justice to society is nobly 
 done, not only in the removal of the prisoner 
 in the first instance, but, secondly, by enabliuj^ 
 him to return, as it were, to the world, a 
 wiser and a better man. The end of solitary 
 confinement is the reformation of the criminal, 
 by obliging him to think who never thought 
 before. If reflection can be awakened, and 
 conscience can obtain a hearing, its advantages 
 will be readily acknowledged. The prisoner is 
 forced to commune with his own soul : the all- 
 powerful voice of ridicule is absent and unheard; 
 remorse is not stifled, and penitence is not put 
 to flight, by the sneers of a dissolute companion : 
 with no one to admire, and applaud his resolu- 
 tion to be "game" — ^to submit, is the only 
 alternative. 
 
 I 
 
 I! 
 
IN' AMF,1?KA. 
 
 .')f) 
 
 111 EiiirlaiKl tlio system could not, ^oin'rully, I 
 think, succeed. The effect of solitary confine- 
 ment nn'jrht he the same on the moral character 
 of the prisoner, hut unless somethin<r like a per- 
 manent means of getting- a livelihood he secured 
 to him, after his removal from the prison, the 
 principal and hest ohject of the punishment 
 would not be obtained. This would be ex- 
 tremely difficult in a country of small extent, 
 with a superabundant population, and a supply 
 of labour far exceeding- the demand. The 
 regenerated ofl'ender might, perhaps, contrive 
 to avoid observation ; but if necessity compelled 
 him to labour for Ids subsistence, it is probable 
 that he would not find employment; and the 
 necessary consequence would be, that all his 
 good resolutions would vanish at the {ii)proacli 
 of want. 
 
 No country is so u^ell adapted for the expe- 
 
 I' ! 
 
 m 
 
r:!i 
 
 1' '1'' 
 
 «ii'i I 
 
 rti. 
 
 I ;i 
 
 
 i ■ •' 
 
 
 i i 
 
 40 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 riinont as tlio United States of America. Kn- 
 ter])rise is abroad in every direction, cind labour 
 is well paid. When the period of confinement 
 is at an end, the criminal may wander to any 
 corner of that vast continent, — and go where 
 he will, the wages of industry are always at his 
 command. He is in little fear of being recog- 
 nised by his fellow-prisoners, because no pri- 
 soner is allowed to see another. His former 
 associates in crime are dispersed, or in prison, or 
 in the grave ; and the liope that attended him in 
 his cell is realised, by the facility of gaining a 
 new character, and friends who are ignorant of 
 his crime. It should be added to this notice of 
 the Penitentiary, that every <;ell opens into a 
 small paved court-yard, in which the prisoner 
 can take exercise; and that the system has not 
 been found prejudicial to healtli of mind or 
 body, as had been anticipated. 
 
 4 
 
^w 
 
 IN AMERICA. 
 
 41 
 
 I visited the Museum at Philadelphia, whieh 
 is said to be the best in the United States. It 
 contains a skeleton of the mammoth ; a fine 
 collection of Indian curiosities and American 
 animals: the most extraordinary of these is, 
 perhaps, a specimen of the gigantic raya or ray, 
 or devil-fish, measuring twelve feet in length, 
 by fifteen in breadth; and weighing more than 
 '2000 lbs. In the gallery are arranged a number 
 of portraits, chiefly of distinguished Americans, 
 which are said to be admirable likenesses ; but 
 certainly not valuable as paintings. I was 
 much better pleased altogether with the museum 
 belonging to the Academy of Natural Sciences. 
 It is much smaller than the other, but fUr more 
 scientifically arranged. 
 
 The Dock-yard at Philadelphia contained, 
 wlien I visited it, a sixty-gun frigate, nearly 
 finished; and the Pennsylvania, a four decker, 
 
 
 m 
 
i ::\ 
 
 I: 
 
 ll! 
 
 !• 
 
 N 
 
 il'i 
 
 i ! 
 
 i ': 
 
 ;iii 
 
 11 
 
 4-J 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 with a round stern, also in an nntinished state, 
 and destined to carry one hundred and forty-four 
 jruns. This enormous vessel is two liundred 
 and twenty feet in lengtli, and fifty-eight across 
 the main-l)eam. Her timbers seemed light, in 
 proportion to her immense size ; they certainly 
 do not appear to be thicker than those of an 
 ordinary British seventy-four. The great 
 strength of the knees, however, are said to 
 compensate for the apparent weakness of her 
 other timbers. There were no workmen em- 
 ployed upon her, and saltpetre was strewed 
 over her wherever it woidd lie. She is larger 
 than the old Saiitissima Trinidad, destroyed at 
 Trafalgar ; but not so large as a Turkish ship 
 of the line, launched, I believe, since the battle 
 of Navarino. All the guns of the Pennsylvania 
 will ho thirty-two -pound carronades on the 
 spar-deck, and long guns on the others. Her 
 
 f 
 
JN' AMi:i{I(A. 
 
 l.'3 
 
 anchor wei^r|,s more than n,()()() Ihs. With 
 snch a trt'nu'n(h)us weioht of metal, it is prohahio 
 that she woiihl not he ahle to stand the wear 
 and tear of tlie lomj; hh)eka(h\s in wlncli many 
 of our ships were empk)ye(l durinir the war. 
 
 TJie timber of the live-oak, so called from 
 its being an evergreen, is supposed to ])e impe- 
 rishable. This tree grows almost e.vclusively 
 in the Southern States; but is ajniually be- 
 coming more scarce and valuable, as thi3 extreme 
 slowness: of its growth cannot keep pace with 
 the demand: the Americans will probably find 
 themselves obliged to plant it, before another 
 quarter of a century has elapsed. 
 
 The following treatment of the diifereiit 
 kinds of timber used in the American navy is 
 recommended in the report of the Secretary 
 of the Navy for 18-29. Live-oak should be 
 immersed for twelve months in water, then 
 
 
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 ■V , 
 
 
 ,^1 
 

 i 
 
 
 ill 
 
 111 ..- 
 
 SI' 
 ill 
 
 
 
 44 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 taken up and placjcl under cover to protect it 
 against sun, rain, and liigli winds. Its im- 
 mersion is recommended by the fact tluit it 
 renders it less liable to split. White-oak which 
 is inferior to the British white, or navy-oak, 
 should be docked about eighteen months in 
 fresh, or two years in salt water ; then taken up 
 and sawed into such sizes as may be required, 
 then placed under cover for about two or three 
 years. Yellow pine should be docked about 
 twelve months ; then taken up, sawed, and 
 covered for two years. Mast timber should be 
 immersed and covered in mud till wanted for 
 use. All timber ought to be cut when the 
 greatest portion of sap is in circulation, at some 
 time from the first of November to the end 
 of February ; it should then be immersed in 
 water, and never taken out but early in the 
 spring: and it was given as an opinion, that 
 
IN A.Mi:i{|(.\. 
 
 45 
 
 if all tiiuhcr uiKli'rwont tins process, the ships 
 mio-ht last double the time they otherwise would. 
 I went to hoth the |)rinci])al theatres, hut 
 did not think that either they or the perform- 
 ances were as good as at New York. I saw 
 Mr. Cooper, the famed American actor, in some 
 old play, of which I forget the name. His voice 
 is extremely good : I remember that Ithouifht 
 liim dignified, but rather stiff, without however 
 being the least awkward in his actino-. J also 
 saw }oung Hurke, as Doctor Pangloss. His 
 acting I thouglit achnirable, and most humour- 
 ous ; and his violin playing is quite extraor- 
 dinary for his age. His tragedy is very little 
 inferior to his comedy. 
 
 rhe United States' bank at Philadelphia is a 
 beautiful Iniilding, being a copy from the Parthe- 
 
 'K' ,' 
 
 
 
 
46 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 \V: 
 
 noil, with such ahoratioiis as vvoro al)s<>liit(.'ly 
 iiulisj)t'iisal)lc' in ohUt to ivndcr it fit for j)ur- 
 
 ])OSCS 
 
 ►fl 
 
 or Diisiiioss. 
 
 Itl 
 
 las no sK 
 
 lo col 
 
 umns 
 
 hnttl 
 
 ic 
 
 1 
 
 )ortico is asi)k'ndi(l 
 
 II of the Doric. The 
 
 I 
 
 ^ ecimen 
 onic j)ilhirs in tlic interior, wore hron<^ht from 
 
 Italy. The j)rescnt United States' hank, was 
 incorporated hy Act of Conj^rcss on the 1 0th of 
 Ai)ril, 1810, and is chartered till the M of 
 March, 18*36. It i)aid a bonus to Government 
 of l,r)()0,()0() dollars. Its capital is 35,000,000 
 dollars, divided into 350,000 shares of 100 dol- 
 hu's each; 70,000 shares were subscribed by 
 government, which therefore became a proprietor 
 of one fifth. After a thorough investigation of 
 the right of Congress to pass an act of incorpo- 
 ration, this bank was first called into existence 
 in the year 1791, when General Washington 
 was president; and its charter expired in the year 
 1811. The two opposing parties of Federalist 
 
 -— — «» •^^:i.mr*aBma^mar^' 
 
IN AMKIJKA. 
 
 and Democrat had in crtect ln'u'aii to show tlicni- 
 M'lvc'S, thoimh not cxactlv l>v those names, in 
 1787. In 17J)(), Mr. Hamilton, the secretarv of 
 tlie trejisury, ma(k' his ceh'hrated report on the 
 state of tlie j)nl)lie dehts contracted (hiring- the 
 revolutionary war. He proposed that the (U'hts 
 of tlie continentjd Conu^ress and those incurred hy 
 the St;iles individually, should he fundod by the 
 general o-ovenunent, and that the interest shouhl 
 l)e paid hy taxes on articles of luxury and (ui 
 ardent spirits. This, it was thought, wouhl give 
 too much i)o\ver to the Federal government, in 
 opposition to the rights of the States se])arately 
 considered ; and it was on account of their con- 
 flicting opinions respecting this federal measure, 
 that the two parties who supported or opposed 
 the new constitution, first acquired the names of 
 1 'ederalist and Democrat. Their first differences 
 under tliese appellations, were on the hank ques- 
 
 :y^ 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 
11 
 
 ■ 
 
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 ,('• 
 
 w 
 
 111' 
 
 15 
 
 48 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 tioM, w'liicli affcrwards hecaino, and is now to a 
 cortain I'xtont, a tost oF political principle. Its 
 cstablislnncnt had hocn oppostMl on constitutional 
 grounds by Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Madison ; by 
 the former in the executive cabinet, and by the 
 latter in conj^ress, and both distinguished Demo- 
 crats. It wjis asserted that congress had no 
 |)ower to create corporations. The Federalist 
 was in favour of a liberal construction of the 
 articles of the constitution, and an extension 
 of the powers thereby vested in the federal 
 assembly or congress of the United States, in 
 opposition to what are termed state rights, 
 or powers claimed separately by the states 
 in their individual capacity. The federalist 
 was said to be friendly to Great Britain, and 
 to be indifferent to the principles of the French 
 revolution. He was in favour of the Alien law, 
 by which the president was enabled to compel 
 
 
IN A^rrint A. 
 
 4}» 
 
 suspocfod fon'lirnor<* to loavo tlip coimtry : and 
 «)f tilt' StHlition law, wliicli j)r()vi(l(Ml tor tin* 
 prosecution and puiiislimcnt of false and ma- 
 licious accusations au^Jiiiist tlic president and 
 inend)ers of congress. In fact, these measures 
 were ))assed bv compress durint»- the adminis- 
 tration of John Adams, who succeeded (leneral 
 Washington, and was the second and last 
 of the federal party elected to the office of 
 president. The democrat regarded the princi- 
 ples of the federalist as far too aristocratical 
 for the atmosphere of America. He was a 
 strict interpreter of the articles of the constitu- 
 tion, and kept a careful watch, lest the federal 
 government, in its united cajxicity, should 
 usurp any powers which he considered as the 
 rights and i)rivileges of individual states. Uiuler 
 the overwhelming influence of the democrat 
 principles, which have been on the increase 
 
 ':> ■' 
 
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 I 
 
^ 
 
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 'i\'' 
 
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 50 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 more and more from the first }ear of Mr. 
 Jefferson's presidency, tlie federalist p'Uty liave 
 exjierienced a great decrease in nnml)er, and 
 their principles have lost mnch of their rigidity. 
 In fact, the two parties may be said to be nearly 
 extinct, even in name ; the terms Federalist and 
 Democrat being rarely mentioned now. 
 
 The federalist was always the enemy of 
 nniversal snffrage. He was for im})osing a 
 sid)stantial qualification on every voter; on the 
 principle that property, and not persons, should 
 be represented. In Pennsylvania for instance, 
 the right of suffrage is possessed by every free- 
 man of the age of "'venty-one years, who has 
 resided in the state for two years next preced- 
 ing, and M^ho within that time, has paid a state 
 or county tax, assessed at least six months before 
 the election: and a poll tax of fifty cents. i)er 
 annum, confers this right upon individuals who 
 
I\ AMF.KKA. 
 
 rii 
 
 aro not in circumstanees to i)av any other. 
 Tliat corruption to a ^reat extent is generated 
 by this system, is admitted on all hands ; it is 
 obviously a matter of course that it should he 
 so. Even in democratic Americji there are to 
 he found thousands who readily acknowledge 
 the real causes of their prosperity to he iden- 
 tified with those that have prevented this sjston 
 from fignring in its real colours ; and who freely 
 admit that it proceeds from a comj)arative 
 exemption from taxes; an unbonnded extent 
 of country; an admirable spirit of enterprise; 
 a population not too hirge, aiul a consequent 
 al)un(lance of employment — not from the exist- 
 ence of a peculiar political system. 
 
 Hut to return to the subject of the United 
 States' bank. When Mr. Jefferson and the 
 democrats came into power, the renewal of the 
 bank charter was discussed as a party question. 
 
 
 '«>'. 
 
 
 f. ( 
 
 ■Jf 
 
 
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I 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 !''■ 
 
 .11. liir 
 
 I'll I 
 
 'I'l 
 
 ?:li 
 
 52 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 At this period excitement was at its heii^lit ; 
 and the federalists made tliemselves so con- 
 spicuous by their indiscriminating opposition 
 to those measures of commercial restriction 
 adopted by the democrats in power, against 
 Great Britain, in compliance with the policy 
 of the new French government, that they were 
 considered by a large proportion of the Ameri- 
 can nation, as the apologists for the conduct 
 of a country already regarded in the light of 
 a public enemy. Yet such was the general 
 opinion of the good that had been diffused 
 throughout the Union by the l)ank, that the 
 question of the renewal of its charter, was 
 only lost by the casting vote of the president 
 of the senate, and by one vote in the house 
 of representatives. In less than three years 
 after the expiration of the charter in 1811, 
 the war with Great Britain having taken place 
 
i^' AMIillrcA. 
 
 .).! 
 
 i" tl'o moan time, ,l,o finnneos woro i„ ,, stat.. of 
 inemlil,|cM.,„l,arrass>no,U; a,„l tl.o r.M.stal.li.sl,- 
 n-ont of tl,o l-„ito,l SmtcV l.ank roco.nn.oM.I..,! 
 by Mr. Dallas, who u-as then secretary to the 
 treasury, received the sanction of Mr. Ma.lison ; 
 and the ineasuro passed hoth branches of con- 
 gress during the ascendency of that ,ery party 
 which was jireviously opposed to it. 
 
 I" consequence of ,l,e non-renewal of the hank 
 charter, hank credit to the amount of I5,()00,00() 
 of dollars was ,rithdrawn from the public ser- 
 vice, and a number of local banks innnediately 
 sprang u|). 
 
 I'rocl fron, the salutary control of the 
 United States' bank, they co.nnu.nce.l a system 
 of imprudent tra,ling, an.l excessive issues, 
 which speclily ,lisor<lered the currency of the 
 eotmtry: an.l notwithstanding all her resources, 
 an.l all her ,,atriotism, in th,. last year of the 
 
 VOL. r. r- 
 
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 i 
 
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 54 
 
 SIX >r()N"rns 
 
 last wjir, the Uiiitccl States were on tlie eve 
 of bankruptcy, solely for the want of some 
 national institution that would have assisted the 
 exij^ences of government, and supported a cir- 
 culating medium of general credit throughout 
 the Union. The loss of the United States 
 during the three years when there was no bank, 
 was estimated at not less than 46,000,000 of 
 dollars, sustained exclusively by want of a sound 
 currency and an efficient system of finance. 
 
 The United States' bank has established 
 branch banks at twenty-two of the principal 
 commercial cities of the Union. When it was 
 first opened there were, as we have seen, but 
 two parties in the country, both acting from 
 motives purely patriotic. The number is now 
 increased, and interest is not now, as it was 
 then, left out of the question. The bank 
 charter does not expire till 18^36; but tiie sen- 
 
'N' A.MEinc.V. 
 
 it;) 
 
 'imonts of fl.o prosidont „„ ,1,. s„l,joct .,f i,s 
 ■enewal, which so ,loe,,ly involves the co.nmor- 
 ''i»l .'m|,pi„ess of the Union, cannot hut ho 
 speculated upon with peculiar interest, even at 
 this distance of time. 
 
 It is said that General Jackson is unfavour- 
 able to its renewal. In his message of 1830 he 
 expressed an opinion, that the bank had failed in 
 tl'e great end of establishing an uniform and 
 sound currency. This is supposed to have re- 
 ference merely to the circumstance of the bank, 
 "ot in all cases redeeming the bills issued by 
 any one of its branches indiscriminately at all 
 tl.e others. But it would be an obvious injus- 
 tice to oblige the bank to any such measure : 
 tl.e attempt would be quite incompatible with 
 its existence ; as it is evident, that if the ex- 
 change were unfavourable in one State, and 
 favourable in another, the flow of „„tes from 
 
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 5({ 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 tlio Stato vvlioro it is uiifavoiimblo, would somi 
 siisp(Mi(l or contract all tlic operations of tlic 
 bank ; and the very evil of an inequality of the 
 currency, which the establishment was desi<^ued 
 to remedy, would be increased by a vain attempt 
 to perform impossibilities. 1 need not, how- 
 ever, pursue this subject further; but will only 
 add, that all reasonini>- and experience seem to 
 favour a belief in the advantaaes which the 
 bankinji" establisliment has conferred on the 
 country. It is, besides, in ]iossession of a consi- 
 derable surj)his fund, after deducting- seven per 
 cent., which will enable it to meet any contin- 
 g;ences that may arise. In lieu of the United 
 States' bank, an establishment to be termed a 
 national bank, founded on the credit of the 
 government and its revenues, has been proposed 
 by General Jackson and others. Five hundred 
 agents are cm})loyed at the present moment in 
 
IN A.MI:HI(.\. 
 
 ■)/ 
 
 lnt.is,-ictin«- tlio affairs „f tl,,. ( -.liu.,! Stafos' l,anl< ; 
 '"" 'l'^' ->">nm>us incroa^c. „f ,,a„„„aj.o „l,icl, 
 ^>•m.l,l aecrao t<, tlu. g,.von,nu.nf l,y the ostal.lisl- 
 '"cnt „f tl,. |„.„,,„sc.,| \a,i,„„| I,,,,,,,, „.„„|,, 1,^. 
 
 I'othiMg- i„a„n,,ans.,,Mntl, ,1,0 |».„-,.,. ,l,at „„„l,l 
 
 ^"•sto,li,,it r, ,,it.l,avi,,g.,,,,,k.,.i,.eo,,tn,l 
 Hh- (lispe„.ati„„ of l.a„l< aco„n„„,„lati,.„s t,. tho 
 •"""""tofat least .5(M)(»n,000 „f dollars. . W),,,,, 
 tl'c'* co„.,o.,„o,.e« aro eoiisidcro,!, it is .liifiealt 
 '" """"•"■'• '""^' ^"^■'' " l>lai. eo,.M «„,! sapj^.n 
 a..Kmg tl,o sul.jcc-t, of a 8■o^-e^.„K.„t M.-ofos,i„u. 
 to 1,0 tlioroiiglily (Ionic •■■atical. 
 
 'l'l.e .society of I'hila.Iolphia is, ,ako„ all 
 togothor, tl,o bost in tl,e Lnitocl Statos. Tho 
 gay season is ,l,n'i„g the ^^nto.■ n.ontl.s. IJalls 
 and concerts are then frcjaont an.l «-oll attoncle.l: 
 in this respect I was unfort.n.ate, as I was in 
 tlmt city in May-but I was partly recomponse.l 
 for my loss, l,y the promona.le in Washington 
 
 :ii 
 
 
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 'hi 
 
 

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 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 
 
 I- 
 
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 1 
 
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 4 !i 
 
 I ;i3 
 
 58 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 Square, wliicli, jiltliough sliady oiioufrli, an<i 
 prettily laid out, is not what the most fashiou- 
 l)lo promenade in Philadelphia ought to bo ; — 
 and 1 could not but remark, that the display of 
 l)eauty and elegance to be seen there about 
 six o'clock on the afternoon of a fine day, was 
 most richly deserving of a better place of parade. 
 I cannot in conscience assert that, as far as it 
 went, I thought it equal, and yet 1 am scarcely 
 willing to pronounce it inferior, to the splendid 
 cortege of Kensi '"ton gardens. 
 
 I had come to the conclusion that I should 
 not be able to descend the Mississippi to New 
 Orleans. By the time that 1 should arrive 
 there, the extreme heats of an American summer 
 would have been prevailing in that very un- 
 liealthy climate, and a stranger is almost certain 
 
IN A.MKIIIH. 
 
 :>'j 
 
 to 1)0 atmcke,! by tW,-v a»,l „«■,.... TIk- v„y,M!,a. 
 .l.."-n tlu. rivor oeeupios li>e or six .lays ; tlie 
 v..ya,ire „,, the ri,er is not performe,! in loss 
 than ten or twolve; a>ul I „•„, consoled l,y 
 learninj. that the voyage is excee.lingly te,lio«s, 
 >» the 1„„- banks offer no variety of scenery 
 tor many days-so mucl, s„, that upon vhhi^ 
 ill the niorninu., a person mi^^ht ahnost be 
 l)orsua(le(l lie had not moved from that part 
 of the river where lie had been the previous 
 evening. I therefore determined to make a 
 tour through part of Pennsylvania: I had heard 
 much of the beauty of the scenery, of the trout 
 fisliing, and *' all that," and accordingly having 
 engaged a place in the coach to Harrisburg, 
 the capital of the State, I started by it, at the 
 nondescript hour of two in the morning, and 
 arrived at Harrisburg the same evening. The 
 road lay through a well-cultivated, but not i)ar- 
 
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 Ir 
 
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 ^Pl 
 
. 
 
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 41 
 
 
 
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 '' I nil'/ 
 
 '11 5' 
 
 )(;i i. 
 
 I' ii 
 
 N 
 
 i| 
 
 00 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 tifiilarly intorcstiiijL;" country ; at least I did nor 
 think so, for it rained in torrcMits tlio whole 
 morninj^ ; and althouji^h I was inside the coach, 
 one arm wtis completely wet through, in conse- 
 quence of the oilskin panels ])einir but loosely 
 fastened. The ij;Teat heat of summer renders 
 it necessary that the conveyances should be as 
 airy as possible ; the panels, which are made 
 either of leather or oilskin, are rolled up in dry 
 weather; but the "•gentleman in the corner" 
 sometimes comes off very badly on a cold or 
 rainy day. In addition to this, it must be 
 remembered that the American coaches usually 
 carry nine inside, and do not afford too much 
 liberty to the legs. The three passengers who 
 sit in the middle, lean their shouklers against 
 a broad leather strap, whicli passes across the 
 coach ; and as this occasionally gets unhooked 
 in passhig over a forest road, their heads are 
 
IN AMI UK A. 
 
 (il 
 
 in^rantly ffin.wii in f(mt;K'f with tlio stomadis 
 oFflioso who ar(> Ixhiiid them. 
 
 'J'hi' Diost c'oiisi(K'ral)h' phicr \vv passed was 
 Ivt*a(Hii«r, which has mudi tlic aj)j)raraiicv of a 
 socond-rato country town in Knoland. Viewed 
 from the Snnhiiry road, l)y which I returned to 
 it in my way hack to Phihidelpliia, its situation, 
 in a Hue surroundino- country, appears to much 
 o-reater advantage. \\\> passed no other phice 
 of iu)te hut Lel)anon: in the vicinity of which is 
 to he foinid some of tlie finest arahie land in 
 I Vnnsylvania. Ilarrishurg is <lelightfully situated 
 on the Susquehanna. It was liere for the first 
 time 1 saw that heautiful river; in l>readth ahout 
 tliree quarters of a mile. Its clear and shallow 
 stream is not really sh)w, hut at a little distance 
 it ai)pears as tranquil and um-uffled as the sur- 
 face of a lake. Immediately op])osite to Harris- 
 burg is an island, from either sitle of which a 
 
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I, 
 
 :«'« 
 
 I 
 
 '11 
 
 If 
 
 'Hi 
 
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 il 
 
 03 
 
 SIX NfoNlilS 
 
 Kni«^' \v'(mk1('ii l)ri(l^t' is thrown to tlu' opposite 
 Imiik of tlio rivor. Ilarrishurjif is tlu* cajtital of 
 Pi'iinsylvania, and is a thriving-, noat and protty- 
 htoking- town, containing about four tiiousand 
 inliahitants. Tho Houso of AssoniMy, or Capi- 
 tol, as it is always called in America, is huilt on 
 an cminoncc. The sittings of the senate and 
 liouse of representatives of Pennsylvania wore 
 lield first at Plilladelphia, then at Lancaster, and 
 subsequently for nearly the hist twenty years at 
 Harrishurg, which, from its central situation, has 
 been found much more convenient. The cham- 
 ber where the representatives hold their sittings 
 is very large, with separate desks for every tw^o 
 or three members, disposed in a semicircle, in 
 the same manner as in the French chamber of 
 deputies. The chair in which the Speaker sits 
 was filled by the celebrated patriot John Han- 
 cock, when he presided in the assembly, by the 
 
 vi 
 
 j 
 
IN AMKinCA. 
 
 (i.) 
 
 iiuiiiIkt.s ui which tho (hvlararioji nt' iii(l.'|KMi- 
 (loiR'o was signed in tho statt'-hoiisc at PhihuU'l- 
 i>liia. Tlir sonalo and rc^prcscntativt's had just 
 Hnishi'd thi'ir sittings, aftor having- passed only 
 two hunched and si.xty-sevon Acts. I saw a list 
 i)t' thcni. They cldcfly rohitcd to internal ini- 
 l)rovenunt.s; ujul many of thjm made honourahh^ 
 provision for old sohliers, or the wi(h)ws and 
 hunilies of old soklier,, who iaid served in the 
 revolutionary war. An exi)eriinent, -vhich would 
 have l)een deemed sc/ioas in an older country, 
 was (.n the eve of trial : an Act had been |)asse(l 
 for levying a tax on personal j)roperty through- 
 out the state. The bulk of the tuxes had 
 hitherto been paid by the land owners, and a 
 new assessn^oct made once every three years. 
 The ammal tax is at the rate of one, two, or 
 tliree hdlars the acre, according to the value of 
 the land. I'he owner of personal property only, 
 
 'H 
 1^ 
 
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 11 
 
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 ,1. > 
 
 I 
 
 I ! ' ' ' 
 
 I'ii' 
 
 
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 M'i 
 
 I' l 
 
 64 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 liowcver, oiijovrd an immiiiiitv, of wliicli the; 
 })rescnt measure was intended to di^■est him, by 
 making' him pay a tax of one (h)llar in a thousand. 
 Every individual will he obliged to swear to 
 the amount of his personal property; ;ind should 
 he be supposed to swear falsely, an offieer will 
 be empowered to eom])el the i)ro(luetion of any 
 deed, bond, note, or bill, or of any writing- 
 being evidence of a debt owing to him. How- 
 ever, the general opinion seemed to be, that the 
 graceless impost would be acquiesced in as one 
 of fairness and necessity. On account of the 
 enterprise of canals, railroads, and other im- 
 provements, the state debt of Pennsylvania is 
 larger than that of any other of the Union, 
 amounting to 14,403,101 dollars, — the debt of 
 New York amounting to nearly 9,000,000 dol- 
 lars. The individual State debts are very likely 
 to be increased rather than diminished, in the 
 
IN A. MI. 11 1 (A. 
 
 65 
 
 ond , l)nt ns no State debt lias in any instance 
 been increased except for the purposes of in- 
 ternal improvements the auomontation of the 
 debt will but add eventually to the prosperity 
 and wealth of the State. Suppose any state, 
 New York for instance, were to borrow 4,000,()()() 
 dollars for some j)ublic work, as a canal or rail- 
 road, at a fixed rate of interest, aiul that the 
 capital borrowed were to be reindjursable in the 
 year 1850. Such a rate of tonnage would be 
 levied on the canal or railroad as would, after 
 payment of the interest, leave a sinkino- fund 
 available for the redemption of the caj)ital bor- 
 rowed, and tlie State would bo left in possession 
 of a hu-ge tract of country rendered productive 
 and valuable on account of the achlitional facility 
 afforded for the carriage of produce to market. 
 Once only since the formation of the consti- 
 tution, and durin 
 
 the presidencv of Jol 
 
 ni 
 
IJI. 
 
 k 
 
 i' 
 
 I 
 
 
 I'* 
 
 
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 i.f 
 
 ()() 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 Adams, luis a direct and general propert}'-tax 
 l)een imposed by the federal government in time 
 of peace. 
 
 The view from the dome of the capitol at 
 Harrisburg is very fine ; but a much better is 
 obtained from the summit of a hill abou* a mile 
 behind the town, although, perhaps, the town 
 itself is not seen to such advantage. A great 
 part of the surrounding country is very well 
 cultivated; corn-fiields, pasture, and woodlands, 
 are distributed over hill and hollow ; and occa- 
 sionally here and there is perceived a small 
 farm-house, of a neater and more English ap- 
 pearance than any I had yet seen. On every 
 side the landscape is terminated as usual by a 
 boundless forest. The Susquehanna seems to 
 lose itself through a gap in the Blue Mountains ; 
 and ^throughout the whole of its course, which 
 is visible for a great distance, its banks and 
 
\ 
 
 I.V AMKHICA. 
 
 67 
 
 beautiful islands are clotJied with tlie ricliest 
 foliage to the water's edge. I proceeded along 
 ti.e nortJi bank of the river towards Duncan's 
 Island, and after a ride of eight or nine miles, 
 I arrived at the gap I have jnst mentioned. 
 Its scenery forcibly reminded me of the Rhmo 
 at Drachenfells. The abrupt and lofty hill on 
 the left is not surmomited by a '« castled .crag," 
 but it overhangs, perhaps, a nobler river, whose 
 banks are covered with the forest trees of Ame- 
 rica, instead of being formally scarped for the 
 culture of vines, trimmed like gooseberry bushes. 
 At a short distance from the gap, the river is 
 crossed by an enormous wooden bridge of eight 
 arches, which is very nearly half a mile in 
 length. The bridges in America are usually 
 of wood, of admirable construction, neatly 
 painted, and covered over like many of the 
 bridges in Switzerhnul. The piers are of stone 
 
 if 
 -"■■■fi 
 
1 
 
 'I' 
 
 1 1 
 
 I 4:^ 
 
 " t' s 
 
 *: in 
 
 I? 
 
 I '9! 1 
 
 ifir 
 
 
 it ^ 
 
 I • 
 
 68 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 of i^roat size, and hnttrossod towards tlic stream. 
 This bridiiC is the larocst of the kind I have 
 seen any wliere. 
 
 In the <^arden of tlie inn, or tavern, as it 
 is usually called, is an Indian tumulus, ahcmt 
 fifteen feet in hei<^ht, hemispherical in shape, 
 mul evidently once much higher. These tu- 
 muli are to be seen in vtirious parts of Penn- 
 sylvania, and in fact, in all parts of America; 
 often two are found at no great distance from 
 one another. At Liverpool, in that state, are 
 two of them, about three quarters of a mile 
 apart ; but one had been ploughed over by 
 the Gothic proprietor of the soih At first it 
 is not difficult to infer from this, that a great 
 battle had taken place in the vicinity, and that 
 each party had adopted this place for the burial 
 of the dead, — that universally, and eternally 
 distinguishing characteristic between mankind 
 
IN' AMEHHA. 
 
 09 
 
 and those of the brute creation tliat make tlie 
 nearest approaclies to humanity. Wliere, how- 
 ever, tliey are found singly, the researclies of 
 Mr. Jefferson and of others, induce us to believe 
 that they were lieaped together upon other 
 occasions. In one which he opened, Mr. Jef- 
 ferson conjectures that there might be as many 
 as a thousand skeletons ; and appearances indi- 
 eated that it had derived its origin and enlarge- 
 ment from a custom of collecting the bones of 
 the dead on the spot at different times. They 
 were deposited in layers, but in the utmost 
 confusion of relative position ; the bones of the 
 most distant parts of the body being crowded 
 together. Those of infants and half-grown 
 persons were found among them. These tumuli 
 are sometimes composed of earth, and sometimes 
 of loose stones, like the cairn and carnedd of 
 Scotland and Wales. 
 
 VOL. J. p 
 
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 n 
 
 
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m 
 
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 ■!l 
 
 70 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 Tlic coiiioc'tiiro, that tlioy were either raised 
 over the dead in l)attle, or in accordance 
 with the custom supposed by Mr. Jefferson, 
 is the more probable, on account of the bones 
 being always found in quantities. The Eu- 
 ropean tumuli, of whatever age or nation, 
 have either been heaped uj) over the ashes of 
 some distinguished person, or are found to 
 contain but a few coffins, of rough-hewn and 
 loose stone. In America, I believe, none are 
 supposed to cover the remains of one person 
 only, deeply buried as in Europe, under the 
 superincumbent mass; but in the tumuli of 
 America the external coating of earth will easily 
 crumble away when disturbed, and will fre- 
 quently discover the bones at a trifling depth 
 beneath the surface. Arrows and other imple- 
 ments of war are frequently found amongst 
 them. The formation of these tumuli is no 
 
IN AMETirCA. 
 
 71 
 
 vN'licre understood to he a modern custom. The 
 Indians liave a feeling of reverence for them, 
 and use them as land marks; hut the most aged 
 are unahle to furnish any clue to the discovery 
 of their antiquity. The knowledge of their 
 own ancestors is confined to three or four gene- 
 rations, and nothing certain is known of the 
 aborigines who formed these tumuli. Humboldt 
 himself, in his " New Spain, " after a learned 
 dissertation on the subject, is obliged to admit 
 that " the general question of the first origin of 
 the inhabitants of the continent, is beyond the 
 limits prescribed to history, and is not perhaps 
 even a philosophical question." There can be 
 no doubt that they were a distinct race, and more 
 civilised than the wild Indians of the present 
 day, whose Asiatic origin is also a subject of 
 dispute. Humboldt believes that the analogy 
 between the languages of Tartary and those of 
 
 F 2 
 
 2 
 
 II 
 
 I 
 
 ^.-A 
 
7-2 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 tlio IK'W C'onlliKMit cxtiMids to a very small 
 mimhor of words. He adds, tliat the want of 
 wJieat, oats, Imrlt'}-, rye, and of all those nutri- 
 tive gramina which ^o under the name of cereal, 
 seems to j)rove that if Asiatic tribes passed into 
 America, they must have descended from i)as- 
 toral people. We see in the old continent, 
 tliat till' cultivation of cereal gramina, and the 
 use of milk were introduced as far back as we 
 have any historical records. The inhabitants of 
 the new continent, cultivated no other gramina 
 than maize. They fed on no species of milk, 
 though the lamas alpacas, and in the north 
 of Mexico and Canada, two kinds of iiud- 
 genous oxen, would have afforded them milk 
 in abundance. These are striking contrasts 
 between the Mongol and American race. How- 
 ever, in the Transactions of the Literary and 
 Historical Society of Quebec, there has lately 
 
 \ 
 
 ii 
 
 vn 
 
■■ m 
 
 IN' A:Mr.i{r(.\. 
 
 7;) 
 
 'A 
 
 Ihvm puMisliod a " Catalogui' cfa few (iiinoty- 
 six) romarkaMo instances, whidi iiiduee a heliet' 
 of tlie Asiatic orin-i,, of the Xortli American 
 Indians. Hy Major Mercer, i.. A." These I re- 
 commend, as they are very interestin^r. Uohert- 
 son says that ^' the Esquimaux Indians, are the 
 oidy i)eoi)le in America who, in tiieir aspect and 
 diaracter, bear any resemMance to the Nortiiern 
 Europeans." Tliey differ from all the other 
 Indian tribes in their hiuo;n'd^c, disposition, and 
 habits of life. He thence infers the probability 
 of their liaving originally passed over from tlie 
 North-west of Europe, and adds, " that among all 
 tlie other inhabitants of America, there is such 
 a striking similitude in the form of their l)odies, 
 and the cpialities of their minds, that notwith- 
 standing the diversities occasioned by the 
 influence of climate, or unecpial progress of 
 improvement, W(> must pronounce them to bo 
 
 ,■ i 
 
 •♦.' *J 
 
 li 
 
 ■■I ' 
 
 uf !| 
 
 !|* 
 
 l3i 
 
74 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 k,: 
 
 i ; 
 
 tk'sceii(l(.'(l from one source — the north east of 
 Asia." It may be here adtled, that Cuvier, wlien 
 speaking of tlie mouflon of the Blue Mountains, 
 informs us, that it is the on)y quath'uped of any 
 size, the discovery of which is entirely modern, 
 and gives it as his opinion, that perhaps it is only 
 a Siberian goat that has crossed the ice. 
 
 The junction of the Susquehanna and Juni- 
 ata rivers, takes place at Dinican's Island. The 
 latter is a much smaller river, varying from one 
 to two hundred yards in breadth. In some 
 places its thickly forested banks rise to a great 
 height above the gloomy-looking stream, whose 
 dark placidity is occasionally disturbed by small 
 rapids, or falls, as they are termed, though they 
 hardly deserve the name. I observed a sunken 
 raft, and one solitary fish-hawk (osprey). The 
 
 m 
 
'p 
 
 IN A.MKWMA. 
 
 /.) 
 
 < 1 
 
 .V 
 
 ft 
 
 road coiitimics iil<»ii^" tlii' sidi- ot ilic Juniata tor 
 several miles; it then leaves it, andeonduets the 
 traveller to Lewistown. I observed nothiiii»- 
 remarkable in this phiee. Its situtitioii, howevi'r, 
 is })ietiires(jiie, as it is surrounded with abrupt 
 hills and ri>infj^ grounds ot' dit^'erent elevation, 
 with plenty of forest, as usual. The distanei' 
 from Lewistown to a phiei' ealled Hrown's Mills, 
 is not more than five miles. Here I found an 
 excellent country iini, kept by an Irishman, and 
 a most delicious trouting stream, running- raj)idly 
 through the woods, and emerjii^inir close to the 
 inn. It is wadeable in every part, and swarms 
 with trout, some of them weighing more than 
 three pounds. Those killed with a fly, do iu)t 
 average more than \m\f a pound in weight ; but 
 it is no uncommon occurrence to kill Ave or six 
 dozen in two or three hours. When I was tlu're, 
 and in lact during the whole time I passed in 
 
 '1. 
 
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 m 
 
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1*1 
 
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 1 
 
 70 
 
 six .MONTHS 
 
 Pennsylvania, the season n.*-, early, and tin- 
 wt'athtT cold anil unt'avourabivj so tliat I killed 
 Init very tew fish. A severe walk of twenty-five 
 miles throu<^li the forest, and across a ranj^e of 
 hills known hy the name of the Seven Mountains, 
 brought me to Belfont ; a large and thriving 
 town, conspicuous from heing placed on a hill 
 in the midst of a >'ery pretty country. Close to 
 Belfont are three full mountain streams, or 
 creeks, as they are called in America. Spring 
 creek in particular, contains an enormous quan- 
 tity of trout, of about the same size as those at 
 Brown's Mills; hut the weather was still 
 ulifavourahle, and it was all in vain that I waded 
 down the stream for nearly four miles. I took 
 but seven or eight moderate -sized fish. The red 
 hackle is considered the best general fly. The 
 other streams are known by the names of the 
 Bald Eagle, and Logan's creek. The former 
 
 r 
 
I\ AMI 151 ( A. 
 
 77 
 
 takos its namo from a l»al(l *'au,l('"s nost, tliat was 
 ammally Imilf in flic vicinity, or, w liiiii is more 
 |H(>l>ai>iis troiu a triUc of Indians set called, who 
 resided there. At the head waters of tiie other 
 creek, is still seen the place (»f residence of the 
 ceiehrated Mini;o chief, Loi»inj, — whose ehxjneiit 
 inessau;e to T.ord Dnnniore. is too well known 
 to need insertion heri'. Many of the aued 
 inhai)itants of Helfont still reinend)er hini. Ills 
 fate resenihled that of Demosthenes and Cicero: 
 he perished i'or his elo([uence. An old otlicer 
 of the United kStates army, who, soon after the 
 close of the revolntionary war, was ordered 
 to make surveys of the country watered hy 
 the Alleghany river, informed me that Logjui's 
 ne})licw, a remarkably fine youno^ Indian, dined 
 with him one day in his tent, and that he 
 asked him wluit became of Logan. J killed 
 him, was the replv. Why did you kill him?-- 
 
P ii 
 
 i! 
 
 i«i. 
 
 J 
 
 
 I 
 
 ^ll 
 
 It i 
 
 I; ill 
 
 78 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 The nation ordered it. For what reason ? — 
 He was too great a man to live : he talked so 
 well, that although the whole nation had in- 
 tended to put any plan in exeeution, yet, if 
 Logan did not approve of it, he would soon 
 gain a majority in favour of his opinions. Was 
 he not then generally in the right ? — Often ; 
 hut his influence divided the nation too much. 
 Why did they choose you to put him to death 'i 
 If any one else had done it, I would certainly 
 have killed him : 1, who am his nephew, shall 
 inherit his greatness. Will they not then kill 
 yon also? — Yes: and when I become as great a 
 man as Logan (laying his hand on his breast 
 wdth dignity), 1 shall be content to die ! He 
 added, that he shot him near the Alleghany 
 river. When informed of the resolution of the 
 council of his nation, Logan stopped his horse, 
 drew himself up in an attitude of great dignity, 
 and received the fatal l>all without a murmur. 
 
 
 '/ 
 
 % 
 
K 
 
 IN AMKRKA. 
 
 7i) 
 
 From Belfont I procoeiled on foot over tlio 
 niomitaiiis to PJiilij)sbur^, on the western slope 
 of tlie Alleghany ridge. The distance was ahout 
 twenty-eight miles. After M'alking for several 
 hours along the side of the Bald Eagle creek, I 
 arrived at the foot of the AUeghanies. The>' 
 are composed of sandstone, and are more ex- 
 tensive than any lii the Stales on this side of the 
 Rocky Mountains, though their height is incon^ 
 siderable. The most elevated part of the ridge 
 in Pennsylvania does not, as I have said l)efore, 
 exceed P300 feet; hut at the other peak, in Vir- 
 ginia, it rises to :3950 feet above the level of the 
 great western rivers, being two or three hundred 
 feet higher than Ben Lomond. The High Peak 
 Oil the Rocky Mountains is the highest moun- 
 tain in the United States, and attains an eleva- 
 tion of 12,500 feet. Mouni Washiiigton, the 
 highest of the White MounUiins, is G234 feet 
 
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 m 
 
j, I- 
 
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 ma 
 
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 80 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 ill liciglit; Mansfield, in Vermont, tlie most 
 lofty of tlie Green Mountains, is somewhat 
 liijrlier tlian Ben Nevis in Scotland, as it 
 rises to 4*279 feet. I ascended the Alle<»hanv^ 
 by a good road, that wound gradually up the 
 side of the mountain, and after a walk of about 
 three hours and a half, I was in full contem- 
 plation of the most extensive forest view I had 
 ever yet beheld. I have seen many of tlie dark 
 and impenetrable pine forests in the north of 
 Europe, where the mountains are far higher, 
 and the scenery proportionably grander, but I 
 never remember a forest so interminable as that 
 1 am speaking of. One small j)atch of cultiva- 
 tion was perceivable in a very distant valle\', 
 called, I believe, Penn's Valley. The vast 
 thickets of Norway, Sweden, and Russia, are 
 chiefly of pine trees, and are grand and gloomy 
 enough, but s»tnietimes tiresouK^ from their 
 
 
IX AMKHICA. 
 
 81 
 
 inoiMitoiiy. Nature lias painriMl tlu'Di witli her 
 usual ability; l)ut tlie colouring she has em- 
 ployed fflay be compared to that of a dra\vin<»; 
 ill Indian ink, ecpially creditable to the artist, 
 but not so pleasing to the eye as a many-tinted 
 picture. There are plenty of pines on tlie 
 Alleghany, but there is also an immense assem- 
 blage of other trees. A lady informed me, that 
 being desirous of sending to Er.gland specimens 
 of the different woods of this })art of the country, 
 she collected fifty-two without any difficulty; but 
 there are many more than these. The princi[)al 
 material of the American navy is, as I have 
 before noticed, afiV-iled by the live-oak, so called 
 from its being i»n e\ergrcen, and from its elas- 
 ticity, extrcmr durability, and other generous 
 properties. The leaf of this tree resembles the 
 ilex of Spain and England, l)ut is rather larger, 
 and nunc pointed. It is not found in Pennsyl- 
 
 i ' •'■ 
 
 jil 
 
1 
 
 (j 
 
 Id 
 
 m 
 
 i 
 
 I: 
 
 
 if 
 
 8*2 
 
 SIX MON'rilS 
 
 viinia — orowino' in the soiitliern States chiefly, 
 ill Georgia and the Caroliiias, wlieiice it is con- 
 veyed to the different dock-yards of the Union. 
 There are liere, nevertheless, more than 
 tliirty varieties of the oak, each hearing a dis- 
 tinct fruit : of these, the white-oak, which is 
 inferior in quality but comes the nearest to the 
 navy-oak of Great Britain ; tlie red-oak, the 
 Mack, and the rock, or scrub-oak, are the most 
 common. The other trees of the forest, are 
 usually the Spanish-chestnut (two varieties) — 
 the horse-cliestnut is not indigenous in America, 
 l)ut thrives well; I saw one at the Manor near 
 Baltimore — the hickory (two varieties); the 
 black- walnu t ; the American-poplar, or tulip- 
 tree, the pride of the American forest, and 
 growing frequently to an enormons size ; yellow, 
 white, spruce, and hemlock pines — the larch is 
 not found, or is rarely to l)e met with, in the 
 
 j 
 
I.» 
 
 IN' AMKUKA. 
 
 s:j 
 
 
 United States: I luive not seen tlieni in tlie 
 Canadas — bass-wood, or common English-lime ; 
 su^ar-maple, white maple, red and white elm, 
 willow, sassafras, black and yellow birch, asli, 
 g-um-tree, beech, iron-wood, mulberry, dog- 
 wood, rhododendron in great quantities, k.'ilmea, 
 latifolia, hazel, red and wliite cedar, clematis, 
 virg'iniana, indigo, and a great variety i)f ferns 
 and wild vines. 
 
 In the autumn, or fall, as it is universally 
 and prettily termed in vVmerica, the forest view 
 is excessively beautiful, in consequence of the 
 brilliant assemblage of colours exhibited l)y the 
 diversity of foliage collected together. My eye 
 roved over a constant succession of mountjiin 
 and valley, and hill and hollow, all alike clothed 
 in the glorious forest garb, whilst the more 
 distant tints became bluer and bluer, till they 
 faded away at the farthest verge of the horizon. 
 
 I-:' 
 
84 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 n *' 
 
 The Indian liad long been driven or bonglit out 
 from tliis part of the country ; hut the rocks and 
 tliickets of the forest beneath me had doul)tless 
 concealed many an ambush, and witnessed many 
 a carnage. They liad responded to the sharp 
 twang of the rifle, and re-echoed tlie more ter- 
 rific war-wlioop ; but (hu-ing the time tliat I 
 remained on the top of the moinitain, all around 
 me was as silent as tlie place was solitary, with 
 the exception of the occasional stroke from the 
 peaceful axi* of the back-woodsman, that re- 
 sounded from a glade about a mile from the 
 spot where I had sat down to rest myself. 
 
 I soon afterwards passed the Moshanan 
 Creek, in which an expert fisherman on a fa- 
 vourable day can kill any quantity of trout he 
 pleases. Beside the bridge, is a small and soli- 
 tary tavrsii, kept by an Englishman from Glou- 
 eester?jliire. With him resides an old man 
 
IN' AMKHH \. 
 
 85 
 
 nanu'd Jofiojili Earl, a (.'Minplcrc spiu'imiMi of tlio 
 rt'al hackwoodsinan ; just such a character as 
 Lcathorstockiuo-, iu Mr. Cooper's novel. He 
 will take his rifle and his knapsack, and fre- 
 (piently absent himselt' for weeks at i\ time in 
 search of ^ame. If he kill a deer, he will carry 
 off the skin, and hanp; up the venison in a secure 
 ])hK'e, and from his intimate acquaintance with 
 the mountains, and every settler who lives in 
 them, no long time elapses before he can c(mi- 
 mand any assistance he may require. The prin- 
 cipal tenants of the forest are the congar or 
 ]iainter (panther), as it is \'ery improperly 
 termed; the bear, the wolf, the lynx (called the 
 cat-a-mount), the wild cat, the marmot, the ra- 
 coon, the opossum, and red and gri'v foxes. Tiie 
 deer, which in some places is very abuiulant, is 
 he cerous viri^inianus, a species unknown in 
 Europe, of a size between tlie red and c(mimon 
 
 vol. I. (i 
 
 
^1 
 
 f 
 
 ' '1' 
 
 I 
 
 mm 
 
 m 
 
 •i' 
 
 
 i- 
 
 1^ fi 
 
 ;;■'*■ 
 
 80 
 
 SIX MON'IMS 
 
 tallow door, with a small palmated horn, no- 
 side this thoro aro but two species of deer found 
 ill the eastern States, the moose deer, or groat 
 Siberian elk, and the American elk, four of 
 which were exhibited in London some years 
 ago under the coined name of wapiti, and which 
 have bred very well in England. Other kinds 
 of deer, and goats and sheep, and an antelope 
 from the Rocky Mountains, are exhibited in the 
 Zoological museum. The reindeer is found in 
 the colder latitudes of Lower Canada, where it 
 exists in large herds. A species of stag of 
 gigantic size, with enormous horns, which Hum- 
 boldt considers as a distinct species, is very 
 common in the forests and plains of New Cali- 
 fornia. He thinks it probable that the horns 
 which were displayed by Montezuma to the 
 companions of Cortez, as objects of curiosity on 
 account of their immense size, beloniJ^od to this 
 
 h 
 
IN VMi:iir( \, 
 
 (*7 
 
 ■-"mnnl. A spoeios of ,1,,. ,,m.. ifo„,„ ,„ ,1,,. 
 
 r..,ro,,oa„ chovrcil, or rochnok, is also to»„,| i,. 
 
 ('an«,la a,„l somo of tl,o Sfatos. It is larsvr. a„,l 
 
 l-'"SH- oaro.1 than tl.o Knropoa,, animal. Of tl,o 
 
 '•"'■vus virffi„ian„s or common ,loor of America. 
 
 a single lun.tor will sometimes kill t„-o or tl.roe 
 
 ■■->■•'% :'mt will more often go „-iflK,nt a sin,,, 
 '" *'"y ■■"•<■ >■">' «•'■'''. and their sense of smell- 
 inS exceedingly acute. A still day is nnti.vonr- 
 
 "'''^'••" windy day is the best, as the sportsman 
 """ """ """' '-"'y '«'■'»• tl'om on the windward 
 si<le. The congar is their greatest enemj., I,„t 
 is luckily not very common. A tew years ago 
 ••". American gentleman who ha,l taken up In's 
 sl.ooting-,,uarters at the tavern I have just men- 
 tione.l, wounded a ,leer, and tracked it by the 
 I'lood. On coming up with it, he observed a 
 ecgar on the animal ; he fired, and ha,l the 
 satisfaction to see it drop dead. When he 
 
 G 2 
 
 I 
 
 
 yi ) 
 
H8 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 ii|HUM>iU*lu'(l, lu' saw another, tliaf lia<l vToucIumI 
 hehiiid the body of the deer. He disal)led him, 
 aiul killed him with the third «hot. As he was 
 returning, he Uillod anottier deer, and hroiij^ht 
 all the tour skins with him to the tavern. The 
 old Englishman shewed m the scalp ot* a deer 
 that had been killed during the last season : a 
 Gougar was in full pursuit of him ; and the deer 
 took to the water close by the tavern. The 
 cougar sprang on him in the water, but made 
 off when he saw one of the old man's sons aj)- 
 proaching with a rifle, from which the poor deer 
 received his death-wound immediately after- 
 wards. I found that there wa'' a penalty of five 
 dollars for killing a deer at this season of the year. 
 The winged game of these forests are — the 
 wild turkey, which being pursued with avidity 
 by the sportsman, is becoming more scarce every 
 day : it is larger than the tame turkey, and its 
 
 ti f 
 

 IN A.Ml.KllA. 
 
 89 
 
 |)liiin!iu;t' closclv rt'S(MTil)l«"«! that ot" the dark- 
 coliuirrd (loinc'sticati'd Idnl, hiit is latlior iiuni' 
 hrilliaiit : tlic pheasant, uhirh is a spocico of 
 wood-trroiiso ; tlif j)artridi>;'<\ which shoidd ratiior 
 ho termed a quail, i)ut whieli is, in I'aet, as I 
 liave iiereafter noticed, neither one nor rhe 
 other : tl woodcock, snipe, pii»;eons, and wild 
 fowl, in w,ic'ut ahundance. 
 
 The largest snakes found in these forests, are 
 tl«e ratth'-snake, the copper-liead, or moccasin- 
 snake, so called from its yellow colour, resem- 
 hling that of tlie moccasin, or Indian sandal; and 
 the hlack -snake. The latter ^rows to the length 
 of seven or eight feet, and vH'en longer. It 
 moves with great rapidity, is a species of the 
 boa-constrictor, and its liabits and manner of 
 taking its prey are similar to those of that tre- 
 mendous reptile. The ])ite is not poisonous. 
 The copper-head is a very ihuigerous snake, as 
 
IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT.3) 
 
 .V^ 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 ■£■21 125 
 
 150 ■^~ H^H 
 
 11-25 i 1.4 
 
 1.6 
 
 4. 
 
 71 
 
 ^>. 
 
 '> '> 
 
 
 A 
 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 
 Corporation 
 
 23 WEST .'•(AiN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y, 14580 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
 fV 
 
 •s? 
 
 \\ 
 
 
 
 ci^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 <^^^. 
 
 V 
 
 
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 SIX MONTHS 
 
 it givos MO waniiii*^' like the rattlo-snul<(.'. Its 
 name is its (lescriptioii, as far as it goes. Its 
 iengtii is al)out three feet. Tlie rattle-snake is 
 too well known to need nuieli description : it 
 invariably raises its tail and rattles before it 
 Strikers, so that, in general, it can be easily 
 avoided. The Indimis consider this as proof of 
 its noble nature, and accordingly they never 
 destroy it, believing that it has something divine 
 in it. A large rattle-snake would measure four 
 feet in length, perhaps, or a little more, but is 
 very thick in proportion. When about to attack, 
 it suddenly coils itself, with the tail raised, and 
 rattling in the middle of the coil, and can strike 
 from nearly its whole length. It is a very 
 s})irited animal ; and from its moving but slowly 
 out of the way, is destroyed with little difficulty. 
 Much has been said of the extreme danger of 
 its bite, and of the nunib<'r of persons bitten ; 
 
"X 
 
 • N \"Mi:i{i(.\. 
 
 J>l 
 
 '"it likr the accidents iVoni canine madness in 
 i*:i'i,Hand, tl.cv are far mcM-e often Jieard of than 
 "H^t uith. It is most ,.rol,al>ie that a person 
 would die, unless immediately assisted,-or have 
 at all events a very narrow escape, if hitten (mi 
 any ,,art of the body that happened to l>e naked : 
 '»"t if strnck thron,i.h liis clothes, so. great a 
 Proportion of poison is l,y them ahsorhed, or 
 prevented from comi..«- in n.ntact with the 
 Mood, that the Lite, if taken in time, is not 
 
 dangerous. 
 
 tl 
 
 le 
 
 cJii 
 
 It is a well known and singular fact, that 
 '>ody of a person hitten, will sometimes 
 vhilst under the influence of the poison 
 
 mg 
 
 to the colour of the snake that bit I 
 plant called the rattle-snake weed (I 
 
 lim. The 
 
 (bidens fron- 
 
 dosa) 
 
 is a re 
 
 medy used by the Indians, and 
 
 sometimes, I was credibly informed, with 
 
 effect. The 1( 
 
 great 
 
 aves and root are boiled in milk 
 
 n 
 
 
t)--> 
 
 SIX MuNins 
 
 Hi 
 
 and usoil as a |»«mllici' : rlu- milk is also takoii 
 iiitcriially. In Mr. Pratt's botanical gartlen at 
 lMiilailel[)iiia, 1 saw a specimen of another plant 
 wiiicli is also considered efficacious (poly«^ela 
 senaga) called l>y the French ''I'lierhe a serpente 
 (I sonnettes." It grows in damj) and shady 
 parts of the woods, to a height of about two 
 feet ; has a small pointed leaf, and a single 
 fusiform root, resembling a piece of stick- 
 liquorice. I was, however, assured by a phy- 
 sician of eminence at Philadelphia, that the 
 only remedy he had never known to fail, was 
 the speedy application of a cupping glass to the 
 wound, and a large tea s[)oonful of ammonia 
 in a wine gliuss tilled with water, administered 
 every hour till the symptoms took a favourable 
 turn. It is well known that hogs soon destroy 
 every snake in the woods around a settlement. 
 'Thev eat them, and are seldom known to sulier 
 
IN A.MKUK A. 
 
 93 
 
 ( 
 
 li(»rn tlie l»iff, (.uinir, it \^ ^aid, to tlu- (iiiaiirif\ of 
 Kil ill thoir s\>U'in. Almost I'vcry wild animal 
 is tl'cir I'lii'my; small hirds will oltoii |)(>clv at 
 tlu-m, althoiio-l, at the same time cmleiicc is 
 certainly to l>e ^iveii to the stories of laseiiiatioii 
 or terror hy whieh small animals, sueh as squirrels 
 and birds, are sometimes rendered unable to 
 escape from them. Deer will erush them t(» 
 death, by juni])ing on them with all their tour 
 feet brought close together. I was frequently 
 told that ratth'-snakes were common here and 
 
 tl 
 
 lere: but still I ji 
 
 ever saw one: the fact i> 
 
 that they generally lie concealed. A 
 tra\elling in the woods, will 
 
 |)erson 
 
 sometimes eome 
 
 suddeidy ui)on Hfty or a huncU-ed of th*>m bunk- 
 iiig- on the rocks. They all retire as the col.l 
 
 weather approaches, and lie torpid durino- tl 
 
 le 
 
 •hoi 
 
 whole wmter; so that a sportsm 
 daiiuer from the 
 
 an IS ni no 
 
 in. A French i^-entleman, wl 
 
 
 lO 
 
 
!)| 
 
 SIX MON'I'IIS 
 
 wM 
 
 IJ' 
 
 ^H' 
 
 a year or two ago was shooting grouso xt'ry 
 early in the season, oi» the mountains in New 
 Jersey, was suchlenly struck near liis hip hy a 
 rattle-snake of the hirgest size; thanks to his 
 loose fustain trowsers, the fangs did not touch 
 him; the brute coukl not extricate itself, and 
 hrnig ui)on him till stunned Uy repeated blows 
 from his gun. 
 
 Philipsburg is rapidly increasing, under the 
 advantages of English superintendence : it con- 
 tains about eight hundred inhabitants in the 
 town and environs. It is almost exclusively the 
 j)roperty of one English gentleman, who is 
 master of nearly 70,000 acres in that part of the 
 country. While I partook of his hospitality, I 
 was agreeably surprised by the circle of English 
 society, which 1 fouiul collected under his roof. 
 
 «. 
 
IN A. mi; MICA. 
 
 J)5 
 
 St'voial Kiio-lisl, l.avo niado Piiilipslmrg rln-ir 
 platv of resideiKv. Its advanta^ros consist in a 
 iTiiiarkaMy healthy situation «)n tlie ucstcin 
 >sl()l.c of the Alleohanies, whore the cUvscent is so 
 gradual as to he hardly pereeptihle; an easy 
 and constant cornmunieation with Philadelphia, 
 and Pittsburgh on the Ohio; excellent trout- 
 fishing, and shooting in the forest: a very cheap 
 market (a sheep or deer can he I)ou<rht for a 
 •lollar), and excellent medical advice, l/ncleared 
 land may he purchased at one, two, or three 
 dollars an acre. 
 
 The hirge beaver dams in this neighbourhood 
 afford the finest pasture 
 
 agni 
 
 *}' 
 
 for several miles along the side of the Mosl 
 
 lanan 
 
 Creek. W\ 
 
 lat is now called a beaver d 
 
 am, IS 
 
 not merely the fence or dam which that indus- 
 trious animal had thrown across the stream, but 
 
 the whole meadow 
 
 over which the wate 
 
 X4 
 
 ^i, 
 
 
 r was 
 
m 
 
 ^ 
 
 hi 
 
 9G 
 
 SIX MONIIIS 
 
 <j)ro€i(l ill conscqiKMK'c of its IxMiiir arrested in it- 
 
 four.si' 
 
 The 1 
 
 x'uvcr was 
 
 hold 
 
 sacrci 
 
 I i>v tl 
 
 10 
 
 Indians, and tlioir habitations wore j)r<)l)ai)ly 
 undistnrhod for conturios. Tlic stream, when 
 checked in its career hv the dam which those 
 extraordinary animals had constructed, found its 
 level, of course, in every nook to which it could 
 gain access; and tree and shrub rotted away 
 with so much moisture. As the beaver was 
 destroyed, or driven out by the projy^ress of 
 civilization, the dams gave way, and the stream 
 soon returned to its former channel, and the 
 bottom of the pond or dam is converted into a 
 fine meadow, exceedingly valuable for the pur- 
 poses of the grazier. A person may travel 
 through the forest for many miles, and will 
 su(Ulenly emerge upon a green open space, with 
 scarcely a tree or shrub upon it, although at the 
 same time it be surrounded l>v a leafv wall of 
 
 )i 
 
IN IMKlin A. 
 
 97 
 
 ""■ '"'■'''•^' ''"■-■^' "•— ■ \" l':n«li.l, ,n.n,l..,„a„ 
 '""' ■'"■" """""•"'•••(I ;: (an,. „„ ,„„. „,■ „,,,, .|,„„,^ 
 ""■I I r.Ml.. al,.,„t si.x ,nil« ,l„.„„„.l, u,,. „-.,„,l, t.. 
 >i»it Imn. Tl„. ,,1,..,, |„„| ,„„,„ t,,,, a,,,,.,.,,.,,,.. 
 "f an ICnglisl, ,,arl<, uhicl, door a,„l o,U„ „i|,| 
 ""i-nals ,voul,l frocjuontly cross, a.ul sonu.ti.n., 
 "■itl,in riflo-slmt from l,is „.i„,|„„.. u was ,„.,r.. 
 "•"" a n,ilo i„ |,„j,„,, „.„, ^,^^, ^,^^^^^^ ^^_^_| 
 
 appoaranco of a billiard tal)li.. 
 
 At I'l.ili,,sl,urg, and i„ tl.o .K.V|,lm„rl,oo,|, 
 aro several iron works. I visite.l a curious 
 screw manufactory tl.ero: ,1,,. maelnno for head- 
 ing tl.e screws was invented on tl,o s,,ot, and 
 proLably the. is not such another to be foun.l 
 any vvliere. It turned out about sixty screws 
 i" a minute, and finished them off with a neat- 
 ness that would excite the surprise even of a 
 meclianist. 
 
 1 Lave l,efore mentioned tliat Philadelphia 
 
 •if 
 
 ■k, 
 
 4 
 
1)H 
 
 SIX AroNTIlS 
 
 ll'.» Jl 
 
 will shortly ho ooiinoctcd with the Ohio rivor, 
 hy mc^nns of thf C'olumhia rail-road, from whifh 
 the lifroat Pciiiisyhania canal will soon he finisht'd 
 to tho foot of the AIlot>^hany mountains, whoro 
 it will 1)0 joined hy another rail-road, which will 
 pass the mountains, and communicate with 
 Pittshur^. Another rail-road will, most ]>ro- 
 hahlv, he constructed, so as to intersect the 
 same canal a little above Huntingdon. It will 
 come from the bituminous coal district, which 
 lies about Philipsburg and Clearfield county, 
 and is spread over a great extent of ground 
 on the western slope of the Alleghany. Plenty 
 of stone or anthracite coal is to be found in many 
 parts of Pennsylvania, and in vast quantities; 
 but the bituminous coal used in the transatlantic 
 cities is supplied either from Liverpool, from 
 Nova Scotia, or from Virginia. The particles 
 of the Virginia coal, however, are too much 
 
 I 
 
IN \Mr.ni( \. 
 
 \)\) 
 
 ■ f 
 
 (livitlt'd, iiiid if iiKMC r('"><i'inl)U's tlir i'(»al iist'd 
 hy a Itlacksmitli, tli.ui tlio Newcastle coal. I 
 liavt' understood that hitumiiious coal lias Ikumi 
 lattdy discovcrod, altlioiigh in very small (jiiaii- 
 titios, ill PtMiiisylvania, on the oastoni side of 
 the mountain. Tho anthracite coal throws out 
 a very powtM'ful heat, hut is very trouhlesonie 
 and unmanau^eahle, requirini*; a lonjj^ time hefcne 
 it will kindle proj)erly; hurnini^- without flame 
 or smoke, and creatinir an un])leasant and rather 
 uidiealthy dryness in the atmosphere of a room. 
 An exj)eriment had been successfully tried in 
 New York, i)y which the antliracite coal had 
 been rendered subservient to tlie purposes of 
 the steam-engine. It was contrived that a 
 stream of hydrogen-gas, generated by part of 
 tlie engine, should flow constantly over the 
 burning coal, so that a powerful flame was thus 
 fed under the boiler. But in all cjises where a 
 
 n^ 
 
 \ 
 
 W. 
 
 
'« ■ i 
 
 \ m 
 
 "sfN NroNTIIs 
 
 \,.> 
 
 R ' 
 
 injiiiiinriiMr Hit" is rr(|iiir«'(l, flu- l>itiiminMii»i cojil 
 is t'iir |»r('t\M'al)K'. Hy incaiis of tin- IMiili|>Nluir|^ 
 rail-road, the whole eoimtry will In- su)t|»lit'(l 
 with this valiialih' mineral, at a very moderate 
 expense, from tlie iiK'xhaustiMe stores on the 
 western sloj)e of the Allei^hany. The neeessity 
 of makinir eheaper ir(Hi is heeominjr daily more 
 imperative in the United States. I'or this end, 
 to say nothini;' oi' the earriaii^i' of timher, thi' 
 l*hilij)sl)ur^ rail-road will l)e very advantageous, 
 as it will brinji^ down the coal to he converted 
 into coke, to he used in the smelting furnaces; 
 and it will pass through the midst of the .luniata 
 iron district, where more than twenty forces and 
 furnaces already exist in full activity ; and whose 
 increasing im])ortance calls for a more adequate 
 and expeditious mode of conveyance than it at 
 present commands. The whole country will he 
 much benefited : and independently of the real 
 
i> l)iriiiiiinoii«« comI 
 \' rill' I*liili|islnir}r 
 will lit> supplied 
 ;i very modcrntc 
 lit' stores on tlie 
 The neeessity 
 miitiyf daily more 
 s. I*'or tins end, 
 e of timber, the 
 M'y advantageous, 
 to he converted 
 Tieitin^ furnaees ; 
 1st of the .luniata 
 wenty forces and 
 tivitv ; and whose 
 a more adequate 
 pyance than it at 
 e country will be 
 lently of the real 
 

 W^ 
 
 
 f • 
 
 ■II 
 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 \. 
 
 ^ 
 
 ~ 1 
 
 Y: 
 
 V ■ 
 
 J" • 
 /— . 
 
 on 
 
 
 ^. 
 
 
 i^ 
 
t 
 
 IN \ML;in».\. 
 
 IDI 
 
 ^ 
 
 '^ 
 
 r ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 Jind lastin*;- a(l\;nitai;i's t»> 1)0 gained l)y flic 
 coiistnic'tioii <»t" the Pliili|»'^l)Mr<»- rail-road, an 
 oarly attention to the plan, from the proper 
 (piarter, will he hut justiee to the exertions ot" a 
 jjeiitlemaii, who, with his brothers hetore him, 
 has devoted time and ca})ital to the enterprise, 
 and h;is ealled into existenee a hiii'idy respect- 
 al)le eommunitv, and the most thriviiiir and 
 nseful settlement in the haek woods of Penn- 
 svlvania. 
 
 ■ n 
 
 T. 
 
 
 - \ 
 
 
 r< 
 
 1 left Philipsl>nrg, and returned to Belfont, 
 whenee I took the road to Xortlnnuherland. Jn 
 about six hours I ajo^ain eame In sight of the 
 Sus(pieliainia, flowinjr thronoh an extensive 
 valley, with its lofty southern bank robed to tlie 
 very sununii by a covert so tliieklv interwoven 
 as to be al)solutely impassable. I proceeded 
 
 vol.. I. J! 
 
 ;■( 
 
 3 
 
ii 
 
 J 
 
 it' 
 
 
 ki 
 
 lO'J 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 (lovvH the side of the river till I arrived nt the 
 Ferry at Dimnsl)iirg. Here I met with a piece of 
 
 lU 
 
 Th 
 
 )leii 
 
 incivility and impudence, llieinsoi 
 young Cliaron allowed me to place my luggage 
 in his leaky hark ; hut as I was proceeding to 
 take my seat, he " calkilated," with the most dis- 
 agreeable twang (at least, I thought so) tliat I 
 had yet heard, '* that I must pay him a fip (five- 
 penny bit) before I put my foot into his boat." 
 It was all ill vain that 1 pointed to my portman- 
 teau, intimating that it would be "assets" for 
 the payment of my passage to the other side. 
 Nothing would satisfy him but mj' fip before- 
 hand ; and I was obliged to pay it. It appeared 
 that some stage-passengers had gone oft' without 
 paying, and he did not wish to be cheated a 
 second time. The guard who arrived with the 
 mail, was so enraged at is conduct, that he 
 actually took out one of the horses, crammed 
 
ly AMKKK A. 
 
 10.*} 
 
 m 
 
 tin 
 
 liiin tlirougli the river, and arrived safely on the 
 ()tlier side with tlie letter-ba^^s. 
 
 Within a mile or two of Dunnshurg, are 
 some Indian tumuli ; but I did not stop to see 
 them. I travelled onward through a most de- 
 lightful countr)', abounding in black-oak; the 
 bark of which is sent down the river, and shipped 
 off in great quantities for England, where it is 
 used in dying. I enjoyed a very fine view 
 from the hill over which the road passes near 
 Moncey ; but 1 afterwards saw the same pros- 
 pect to much greater advantage, from North- 
 umberland. This place contains about two 
 thousand inhabitants, and is most delightfully 
 situated on the neck of land that separates the 
 northern and western In'anches of the Susque- 
 lianna. The celebrated Dr. Priestley spent the 
 latter years of his life in this place. He died 
 about twenty-five years ago. I was assured by 
 
 H 2 
 
 
 4V 
 
 M 
 

 L 
 
 It 
 
 104 
 
 SIX MON'I'HS 
 
 an old and intimato friend of Ids, wlio was witli 
 liim l)ut a few minutes before lie died, that there 
 was ^reat foundation for a prevalent belief, that 
 for some months previously to his death, he 
 changed his opinions in favour of the divinity of 
 Christ. 
 
 Good land, in a state of cultivation, is worth 
 twenty, thirty, forty, or even a hundred dollars 
 the acre, in this part of the country. The ave- 
 rage profits of land amount to twelve and a half 
 per cent. Thirty bushels of wheat is a good 
 crop. The wages of the married labourer are 
 fifteen dollars a month (the United States dollar 
 is equal to 4*. 6d.). Single men, who board at 
 the house of their employer, receive but ten. 
 Wherever I made inquiry, I found the rate of 
 labourers* wages to be much the same through- 
 out the States. 
 
 I crossed the western branch of the Susque- 
 
»% 
 
 IN AM Kin (A. 
 
 lo:) 
 
 I 
 
 liaiiiKi l)y a now and liandsome wooden bridge, 
 built as usual on stone piers. Its length was 
 l.'31() feet, and it cost 70,000 dollars. I then 
 immediately ascended the heights on the other 
 side. From them I had a full ^•iew of both 
 branches of this ''shining river," an appellation 
 which none deserves better than tin? Susque- 
 lianna. I preferred the scenery around Moncey 
 to that in tlie direction of Wyoming. The sun 
 was declining behind the precipice on which I 
 stood, which was thrown more and more into 
 shade, as the red rays glanced through the 
 pines on its summit, and swept downward into 
 the broad and beautiful valley beneath me. 
 The windings of the river were visible to a 
 great distance. Although considerably larger, 
 it strongly reminded me of the Thames seen 
 from Richmond-hill. Its tranquil lake-like 
 stream meandered through the country, encir- 
 
 i-\ 
 
 
 m 
 
 s\ 
 
^ 
 
 i 
 
 ! 
 
 H 
 
 lOG 
 
 MX MON'I'llS 
 
 clingf sovenil islands : at one time gliding- in 
 silence throngli the forest, or emerging to roll 
 its waters over a rich and extensive meadow, it 
 freshened every thing in its course; and when it 
 had fully })erformed the task of ornament and 
 usefulness allotted to it by nature, it seemed to 
 lose itself through a gap in the Blue Mountains, 
 from which in reality it issued. 
 
 Beautiful as it is, yet, were this England, I 
 could not help thinking, how different would be 
 the appearance of the country ! I am gazing on 
 a view, as splendid as any one of tlu- same 
 character I ever beheld in any land, — I see be- 
 fore me a noble river, winding its way through 
 an exquisite landscape, of hill and dale, and 
 wood and verdure, abounding in every resource 
 that could make a country life agreeable; but 
 it is in vain that my disappointed eye roves over 
 the scene, and rests on the most magnificent 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
IN A.MF.UKA. 
 
 H)7 
 
 situations for park and palace : where, tlioiight 
 I, are the "stately liomes of Euii^land?" — where 
 is the niarhle-frouted hall, and the village 
 church beside it, with its spire j)ointing to the 
 lieavens ? The powerless genius of embellish- 
 ment wanders disconsolate along the beautiful 
 l)anks of the Susquehanna, and bitterly com- 
 })lains that he is fettered by the spirit of de- 
 mocracy. 
 
 I am far from meaning to infer in the a])ove 
 passage, that there is any lack of churches in 
 the United States. On the contrary, they are 
 numerous. As an Englishman, I am here speak- 
 ing merely with reference to situation, and the 
 association of ideas excited in my mind. 
 
 The Americans, in general, are not fond of 
 comparisons between England and their own 
 country, exce})t in cases where the balance is in 
 their favour ; but still, I have often observed 
 
 
 !#! 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
 i 
 
108 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 i i^ 
 
 that there is no suhject of eoiu'ersatioii more 
 ghidly discussed by an American ^entk?man, and 
 more particularly by those who have country 
 houses of their own, than the splendour of the 
 seats of our nobility and gentry, and the per- 
 fection of society which is enjoyed at them. 
 There is nothing in England so apt to elicit 
 from them a remark of honest regret, as their 
 knowledge of the very remote probability, I may 
 almost add, the utter hopelessness, of their ever 
 being able to boast of seats and villas at all equal 
 to those on this side of the Atlantic, so long as 
 the present form of government exists in full 
 force. Who would build a really splendid 
 mansion, which, after his death, will probably 
 either become a ruin, or be sold, and converted 
 into an hospital ? or who would clear and beau- 
 tify a park of any extent, to be divided and 
 ploughed up by his needy successors? I have 
 
' <»r 
 
 IN AM LRU A. 
 
 KM) 
 
 scon country houses in America, whose (U'li^ht- 
 ful situation, and i>entlemanly appearance, 
 (although it must l)e aUovved, they often U)ok 
 
 tl 
 
 len* best at a distance), only serve to reiuler 
 the prospect of division the more melancholy. I 
 have been kindly received at many of them : I 
 have nsuallv noticed a due attention to comfort 
 and elegance, and invariably, to kindness and 
 liospitality ; but I have iu)t been able to avoid a 
 remark, that there did not ajipear to be much 
 difference in the size of the houses, or the extent 
 of the grounds, as if there existed a general and 
 mournful acknowledgment, that a just medium 
 was to be observed between the expense incurred 
 with reference to present enjoyment, and the 
 probability of an idtimate loss of capital, when 
 the future was regarded. I could name a few, 
 but very few, exceptions. 
 
 Whatever the Americans mav think of their 
 
 
 I f 
 
^1 
 
 I 1 
 
 !■ 
 
 1 1 
 
 tl'^ 
 
 \i 
 
 I 
 
 110 
 
 SIX MoNllls 
 
 instiriiti«nis in otlier rosprcts, \\\vro are many sen- 
 si I >lo Americans — and I have met with them — 
 who will acknowledge the inefficacy of these 
 to counteract the disadvantages, not to say 
 miseries, sometimes arising from the non-exist- 
 ence of the law of ])rimogeniture. The object 
 •is, to exclude the preponderance of wealth, 
 hccause it tends to generate an aristocracy of 
 political power. The non-existence of the law 
 of juimogeniture is, 1 think, with great defer- 
 ence, hut lamely defended by Chancellor Kent, 
 in his admirable Commentaries on American 
 Law, and which, by the way, {u*e most richly 
 deserving of a place in every library, if it be 
 merely on account of the learned dissertations 
 on the history of every republic of note that 
 has ever existed. He quotes Adam Smith in 
 su})port of his opinions ; the Marquess Garnier, 
 his French translator: and the IJaron de Stael 
 
 
 L 
 
IN' AMKUK A. 
 
 II I 
 
 -J 
 
 Ilolstoiu, — and altliou^li \\v atknow U'd^i's tlu« 
 attoudant evils, yet ho says it woidd l)i' an error 
 to suppose that tliey have heen already felt. 
 IJut surely there are some which he does n(»t 
 conteni])late in his work : hut which must he 
 acknowledged to have a niiserahle effect uj)on 
 the state of society. A sale, not unattended 
 with sacritice, takes place at the decease of nearly 
 every person who dies in possession of landed 
 property. This is followed hy a minute division 
 of the proceeds amongst the next of kin. As 
 to the law of dower, it is much the same as 
 that of England generally ; hut where the sale 
 has been made, the produce is considered as 
 real estate so far, and the widow receives an 
 annuity from one third in lieu of her dower. 
 This does not effect the distribution of the 
 remainder, which is divided as in England. It 
 often ha})pens, that the share oi each person. 
 
 1'^ 
 
 i!: 
 
^ 
 
 ! 
 I 
 
 Ih2 
 
 !>IX MONllls 
 
 U 
 
 P 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 ri\ i 
 
 
 II 
 
 1} 
 
 if yoim^, is just cnou^li to piircliaso liis de- 
 struction. 
 
 \'i'ry froqucntlvj Imt in some States uKU'e 
 than others, its most prominent application is 
 detected l)y the eft'ects of a vicious indulgence 
 in ardent spirits, principally among the second 
 and h)wer classes. Drunkemiess still prevails 
 to an alarming extent, notwithstanding the 
 benign presence of the temperate societies. I 
 have heard the most mehincholy and appalling 
 accounts of its ravages in private life; and in 
 one ])lace I was informed of its disgusting in- 
 fluence over judicial morality. The root of the 
 evil is in the expectations which are formed : 
 it is the certainty of actual possession of pro- 
 perty at a future time, accompanied by igno- 
 rance as to its amount, that so often cherishes 
 in the children the most dissolute habits of idle- 
 ness, with all their attendant evils. Supposing 
 
IN SMKHh A. 
 
 MM 
 
 liotli of tlicm ill flu' sjiinc «'.'i»iv ciicinnstjiiu'*'** ji*. 
 country ^(MitUincn, uikI t'atluMs of fiiinilii's, liow 
 (lirt't'ifiit must of lU'i't'sslfv lu' tlic sriitiiiu'iif** of 
 :iii Aincricaii aixl an Mii^lisliinaii, wluii flu'V sm- 
 voy tln'ir rt's|)<»ctivt' tire sidrs! Hoth m'c aromwl 
 tlu'in tlicir wives aii<l cliildrcii, in tlu' posses- 
 sion of attineniH' and eoinfort, and liappy in tiie 
 enojovinont of eaeli other's soeii'tv. Hut in the 
 event of his (h»ath, how irjooiny may I)e the 
 pieture (hawn hy the one, in oppositicni to that 
 contemplated hy the other ! A divided estate 
 and ii dispersed family, present tliemselves to 
 the ndnd of tlie Amerie{in ; or perhaps a small 
 pjut of them living together, hut unahle to com- 
 mand anv share of the luxuries, and not many 
 of the comforts they enjoy durin*^- his lifetime, 
 ill consequence of a secession of property hy 
 marri.aji^e, or decrease of it from di?^sipation. 
 The Eni2^1ishman feels a deht of gratitude to the 
 
 
 "1 
 
 1 
 
!f 
 
 I 
 
 m 
 
 ! ; 
 
 •f li" 
 
 ii 
 
 ^- 1 
 
 m 
 
 I {At I 
 
 11 t S 
 
 I 
 
 ['lit 
 
 
 114 
 
 SIX >roN'ms 
 
 constitution of his country : in the event of 
 Jiis death, liis house, in the possession of his 
 ehlest son, will be a home for his widow and a 
 place of meetiujof for his children. His younger 
 sons have been brought up under the idea that 
 they are to be the architects of their own fortunes, 
 and such a doctrine has not rendered them 
 unhappy, because it Jias enforced tl^e virtue of 
 contentment. The law of primogeniture per- 
 petuates, through the eldest son, a species of 
 parental affection and authority ; and where there 
 is a title to descend, there is a further induce- 
 ment to the eldest son to emulate the virtues 
 or the actions of an illustrious father ; or, if that 
 father has brought disgrace upon a distinguished 
 name or sullied tlie escutcheon of a distinguished 
 family (which, be it added, is sometimes the 
 case), the son may be naturally desirous of 
 wiping away the stain, and of giving tlie benefit 
 
 hi^ 
 
 m 
 
 ls& 
 
 m 
 
IN' .\Mi;i{[( A. 
 
 ll.J 
 
 oFhis example to society, l,y his imitation of the 
 character of a nobler ancestor. There is yet a 
 further deficiency of inducement to exertion 
 existing in the American, and in every otheP 
 democracy. In England, a young man in the 
 enjoyment of a sufficient income, and who 
 is consequently not obliged to labour at any 
 profession with a view to its increase, yet with 
 the possibility of obtaining a title, will exert his 
 abilities to the utmost; but in America, the 
 stimuhis of titled distinction being unknown, it 
 must often happen that the finest talents are 
 doomed to remain unemployed. 
 
 1 crossed the north branch of the Susque- 
 lianna, and passed on to the town of Sunbury, 
 on the bank of the main river, and about t;vo 
 miles distant from Northumberland. Sunbury 
 is a very pretty country town, with a delightful 
 promenade along the side of the river. In all 
 
 1^- 
 
11G 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 I I '''I 
 
 II il 
 
 iii I 
 
 parts of the vicinity tliere are some beautiful 
 prospects : near it, a very hirge clam has been 
 thrown across the stream, where, by the junction 
 of its two branches, it spreads out, and forms 
 a basin tliree quarters of a mile across. I ob- 
 served some fishermen hauling their nets, and 
 went up to them. They had taken some cat- 
 fish, and several salmon. The cat-fish has ob- 
 tained its name from its appearance : its head, 
 which is out of all proportion to its body, is 
 large and round, with the addition of two woi m- 
 like appendages projecting beneath the eyes, 
 like the whiskers of a cat. It is altogether a 
 dark, ugly-looking fish ; but is eatable, with a 
 flavour something like that of an eel, but infe- 
 rior. In the larger western rivers it sometimes 
 attains a weight of eighty or one hundred 
 pounds. The fish improperly called the salmon, 
 
 in no respects resembles the real salmon of 
 
!^' f 
 
 IX A.MKUICA. 
 
 117 
 
 Great Britain. It lias none of the peculiaritios 
 of tlie salnio genus ; and does not rise at a fly. 
 In figure it is not remarkable ; in eolour it is 
 more similar to the pike than to aiiy fish I am 
 acquainted with. The weight of those usually 
 taken, is about a pound ; but some of them are 
 larger. A fly-fisher wouhl have but moderate 
 sport on the Susquehanna ; but he might kill a 
 great variety of fish, if he condescended to use ;; 
 bait, and might occasionally take a large trout 
 with a minnow. The river contains pike and 
 eels, of immense size; trout, not numerous; 
 rock-fish, cat-fish, suckers, common and silver 
 perch — a beautiful fish ; and a very small species 
 of lamprey, that is only used as a bait. The 
 shad is also found in great quantities in this and 
 almost all the rivers of the Eastern States. It is 
 excellent eating, and usually weighs about four 
 pounds; but I thoughl the flavour of th(^ Sus- 
 voi,. ]. I 
 
 f I 
 
 U 
 
 %■■! 
 
 W:: 
 
 I.-' 
 
IV. t 
 
 118 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 qiiehaniui salmon equal, il not siH)erior, to any 
 fish I tasted in the United States. I sliould 
 almost presnme that it was peculiar to that river, 
 as I have frequently met with natives of other 
 States who had never heard of it. 
 
 At Sunbury, I chanced to be told that three 
 Yorkshiremen had just been taken up. I would 
 bet three to one, said I to myself, that their 
 crime is horse-stealing ! and so it proved when 
 I made inquiry. 
 
 I here turned my steps away from the Sus- 
 quehanna, which for placid beauty surpassed in 
 my opinion any other river in the States, and 
 proceeded towards Philadelphia, by way of 
 Potts ville and Reading. Scarcely more than a 
 year ago there were but a few houses at the 
 former place ; but in consequence of the imme- 
 diate vicinity of enormous beds of anthracite 
 coal, and the improved means of conveyance 
 
1\ A.MKHHA. 
 
 IIJ) 
 
 to Pliiladelphia, its size and iin})oi'tanc'o liad in- 
 creased in a most extraordinary manner. 
 
 The country around Philadelphia is very 
 flat; so that I coukl not find a rising ground to 
 talve a sketch from, at what I considered the 
 best distance. But, I tliink, in passing down 
 the river, in my way to Baltimore, I perceived a 
 small cliff on the left bank, that would have 
 answered the purpose, jjeing distant al^out two 
 miles and a half. A view in a flat country 
 requires great minuteness, if it l)e taken cor- 
 rectly, and would have occupietl too much time ; 
 besides, before commencing a drawing of either 
 of the larger cities in the Union, it really 
 l)ecame a matter of consideration, that I had 
 but one cake of '' Newman's light red" in my 
 colour-box. 
 
 A fine steamer carried me dowu the Dela- 
 ware. About thirty-five miles from Philadelphia, 
 
 I 2 
 
 ^ 
 
 n 
 
 ■.; *i 
 
 
 ♦ 
 
 i 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 ''■ill 
 
 
1-20 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 wo })asse(l Wilmington antl nrandyvvinr. We 
 were then landed at tlio moutli of the Cliesapeake 
 and Delaware canal, and were towed onwfird, at 
 a l)risk trot, in one of the canal boats, and 
 soon entered the Elk river, near the head waters 
 of Chesapeake bay. The coinitry was flat ; and 
 a <^reat proportion of it was covered with forest. 
 Here we went on board another steam-boat, 
 that rattled us along at a tremendous pace down 
 the Chesapeake, passing the mouth of the Sus- 
 quehanna. The captain assured me that upon 
 one occasion, during a camp-meeting, he had 
 carried no less than fifteen liundred persons at a 
 time; he landed them during the night, and 
 about two hundred got away without paying 
 their passage. 
 
 In an hour or two, the North Point, at the 
 entrance of the Patapsco river, became visible. 
 General Ross land d iiere, with the British 
 
I ' 
 
 IN AMKUH \. 
 
 IJI 
 
 tort't' (if r*000 moil, on tUv I'Jrli of Si'|)tomlK'r, 
 1814, and mot liis doiitli in tlio skirniisli that 
 onsued sliortly jiftorwcirds. I rodo from Haiti- 
 more to the spot Mdioro ho foil, marked hy a 
 small i)lain stone-monument, by the side of the 
 road. The last four miles out of fourteen 
 lay through a very pretty wood, affording a 
 most grateful shade. When we were within 
 two miles from the city, we passed Fort Mae 
 Henry, which was bombarded upon the same 
 occasion, almost from the extremity of the 
 range of a shell. Some of them, where they 
 fell, penetrated the ground to a depth of five 
 or six feet. 
 
 Baltimore, when viewed from the Chesa- 
 peake, appears to be built over several low hills, 
 or slopes, and surrounded by others that are 
 considerably higher. Its situation is much finer 
 than that of Philadelphia. It is not so fine as 
 
 i^ 
 
 3X 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 
 ■! 
 
 '-m:^ 
 
 1-2-2 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 lljat of New York ; l)ut in some rospocts, is, 
 I think, superior to Boston. Wlien apj)roache(l 
 by water, tlic most conspicuous olyects are — 
 Washington's monument, the shot-towers, the 
 Roman Catholic cathedral, and the Unitarian 
 church, all scattered in different parts of the 
 city. Washington's monument is a plain co- 
 lumn of marble, raised on a square base, 175 
 feet in height, and surmounted by a colossal 
 statue of Washington. It is seen from a great 
 distance on every side, and commands the finest 
 and inost extensive prospect; but I am very 
 much inclined to doubt the taste that placed any 
 other than an allegorical oliject on the top of a 
 lofty pillar. The size of the column, and its 
 simplicity, are calculated to excite admiration; 
 but in my humble judgment, it would have been 
 much better to have had a really fine statue 
 placed inside the base of the column, than to 
 
IN AMKUICA. 
 
 I-2.J 
 
 |)(»rc'li tlio (fiMic ' ii|)(>ii a luMjrlit that would 
 make a liviiiu- Admiral feed liiddv. Lord Hill's 
 
 moniimo 
 mcmor 
 
 lit, noar Shrowshury, and diat to tlio 
 
 y of (renoral Brock, at Qiioonstown, are, 
 I think, ohjectionablo, for the same reasons. 
 The battle monument is mueli prettier, although 
 it is somewhat florid in its ornaments : it is 
 fifty-four feet in height. The column is a cir- 
 cular fasces, symbolical of the Union, twined 
 round with fillets, bearing the names of those 
 who fell on the 12th and 13th of September, 
 1814; and supporting an allegorical statue of a 
 female, personifying the city of Baltimore, with 
 a bald eagle, the United States' emblem, at her 
 side. The Archbishop of Maryland is the me- 
 tropolitan of the States. The Catholic cathedral 
 is a handsome building, with a dome in imitation 
 of the Pantheon. The inside, which is divided 
 into pews, contains two very good pictures from 
 
 
 '*). 
 
 i 
 
124 
 
 SIX MON'IIIS 
 
 the Fivncli school : a tU»«ceiit from the cross, 
 by Paul Guerin, presented hy Louis X\'I.; 
 and St. Louis hurvinyr his dead officers and 
 sohliers before Tunis, by Steaben, presented by 
 Charles X. The descent from the cross is much 
 and deservedly admired. It has the merit of 
 being- free from that tedious detail that is usually 
 to be observed in tlic works of French artists, 
 who paint every thing as it is, and not as it 
 appears. It occurred to me, that the body of 
 Christ did not sufficiently rest on the ground, 
 as intended. The latter picture displays more 
 of the French taste. I did not like it so well, 
 but many prefer it to the other. At Baltimore, 
 is the University of Maryland, which ranks very 
 high as a medical school. The average expenses 
 of a student are one hundred and twenty dollars 
 j)er annum. It has also professors in law and 
 divinity. St. Mary's College and Baltimore 
 
 I 
 
 '1 
 
IN A>i KK A. 
 
 i'r» 
 
 ('(>ll('i;o iiri' i\Uo justly irl ' if*Ml Tiuout^liout 
 llic Uni(m; tlu' lattor will acroinnKulatf «mo 
 Imiulrocl and fifty studciits, \\'li(» are iiistrut'trd, 
 by twelve professors, in the ancient and modern 
 languages, mathematics, natural philosophy, ike. 
 The city also contains a good museum, which 
 I did, and many more public buildings, which I 
 did not visit, as I could not learn that there was 
 any tiling in them particularly deserving of 
 attention. The theatre was not o})en. 
 
 The waters of the Chesapeake and the 
 l*atapsco are the favourite resort of the canvas- 
 back duck, which I had always been told was 
 the greatest delicacy imaginable ; and, " like 
 nothing else, sir ! I assure ye ! " The sporting 
 commences early in November, and affords most 
 excellent sport. An experienced shot will some- 
 
 m 
 
 i :| 
 
 ti 
 
 ■ si 
 
Il>(i 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 M 
 
 times kill tlircc do/en in a nioniiii^' wifli ;i 
 siiii»lt' i»UM ; and (Krasidiially tlu'V an* shot on the 
 win<r with a siiiolo rifle. I'Ik' canvas-hack duck 
 very much rcscnihlcs the rtMl-headed ui«^*e(>n, or 
 common dnn-hird. Lucien Bonaparte, who has 
 so well continued Wilson's work on American 
 Ornithology, has successfully shown that it is 
 quite u diflercnt bird. It is about halt" as large 
 again, with a black and different formed bill and 
 black legs. Those of the red-headed wigeon are 
 of a dark lead colour. They breed on the bor- 
 ders of the great lakes, or about Hudson's Bay ; 
 but ill the winter months, they are found in 
 prodigious quantities on the Chesapeake, the 
 Patapsco, and the Potamac. Its flavour is owing 
 to the root of the Vallissneria Americana, or 
 wild celery, on which it feeds, and for which it 
 will dive to a depth of eight or ten feet. The 
 red-headed wigeon, when in company with the 
 
I I 
 
 IN AMKHUA. 
 
 i-j: 
 
 (•jinvas-l);u'l\, will often wiiit till it li;is y\sou fvom 
 the bottom, and tlicn siiatt'li tVom it tlu' liaid- 
 oariied inorsi'l. Tin' ^xms rim/ifs of Anu-rica, talk 
 of the canvas-hacU with an iiitoront that holders 
 on artVction, and is sonu'tinios viTv amusinu'. 
 " JSir," said an old follow to nu», '' I wished 
 to g-ivc a diiek feast, and accordingly Ihoni'ht, 
 nine eonple of them, all fresh killed, and all of 
 the right weight. 1 stuffed them into every 
 corner of my gig; and would not suffer the cook 
 to touch them, e\cej)t in my presi-nce. I drcss(>d 
 them all myself, in different ways, in my parlour, 
 so as to have tliem all done according to figure, 
 sir! Well, sir! all my company had arrived, 
 except an old Clerman ; we could not wait, and 
 sat down witliout him. Wlien he came, he 
 exclaimed, * Wliat ! noshing l)ut duckhs ! ' I 
 started up in a rage, sir ! a violent rage, sir ! 
 * Noshhig but duckhs ! ' I repeated after him : 
 
 i^' 
 
 : U 
 
 
 i } 
 
 II 
 
l!>8 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 \'M 
 
 W iV 
 
 Wliy, you (i (1 old scoundrel, said I, your 
 
 own Emperor of Austria never had such a 
 diinier : he could not, sir, though he gave the 
 l)est jewel in his crown for it." I tasted these 
 birds several times before I quitted America, 
 and they certainly are extremely good. The 
 meat is dark, and should be sent to table under- 
 done, or what in America is called "rare." I 
 think the flavour might be imitated by a piece of 
 common wild duck, and a piece of fine juicy 
 \'enison, tasted at the same time. The word 
 " rare" used in that sense, and which is given 
 by Johnson, on the authority of Dryden, is no 
 doubt one of many which have retained in 
 America, a meaning in which they are not now 
 used in England, but which was doubtless car- 
 ried over the Atlantic by the settlers of a 
 hundred years ago. I confess that I was for 
 some time in error. I hearil every one around 
 
I\ AMl'liKA. 
 
 I-Ji) 
 
 mo i^iviiig orders that his moat should ho " raro,' 
 and I thought it a mispronunciation of tho word 
 
 raw. 
 
 The environs of Baltimore are excoedini^ly 
 pretty: ahnost every eminence is crowned with 
 a country liouse, surrounded by gardens and 
 pleasure grounds richly wooded, and laid out to 
 the best advantage, so as generally to afford a 
 j)eep through the trees at some part of tho 
 Patapsco, or the Chesapeake. They are admir- 
 ably ada})ted for a fete champe tre, or a strawberry 
 party, as it is called at Baltimore. I had tho 
 honour of an invitation to the only one that was 
 given during my stay in that city. The com- 
 pany assembled about six o'clock. Quadrilles 
 and waltzes were kept up with great spirit, first 
 on the lawn, and then in the house till abo :t 
 eleven. In tho moan time strawberries and 
 cream, ices, pine apples, and champagne, were 
 
 
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 ■5 
 
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 .41 .. 
 
 ,11 
 
 lao 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 served up in the j^reatest profusion. 1 had 
 understood, and am cpiite ready to admit, that 
 Baltimore deservedly enjoys a higli r(»})utation 
 for female beauty. I am speaking of the 
 American ladies in general, when I remark that 
 it is no injustice to them to maintain, that where 
 you will see twenty pretty girls, you will not see 
 one really handsome woman. I have frequently 
 observed the prettiest features, — such as more 
 reminded me of England, than of any other 
 country ; but I think that most Europeans who 
 have formed a correct taste from the "stone ideal'* 
 of Greece, would agree with me that ladies with 
 pretensions to that higher degree of beauty, are 
 not so often to be met with in America as in 
 England. There is one particular in which they 
 would do well to imitate my fair countrywomen. 
 They have great charms for the breakfast table ; 
 but yet, elegant and lady-like as many of them 
 
 1 
 
IS; 
 
 IN A.MKUU'A. 
 
 |:U 
 
 iiudoiihrcdly are, liow often liavo T boon coin- 
 ])ollo(l to wisli, that the l)reaktast table had not 
 quite so many charms for them. Tliey must 
 know that to eat is unfeminine; and that ladies 
 should in the presence of gentlemen, appear veri/ 
 hungry, is a decided proof of a deficiency in 
 national manners, — jnst as much, or eveu more 
 so, than that men, be they who or what they 
 may, should sit with their hats on in the dress 
 circle at New York. The influence of a court 
 would extend to, and would remedy all this. I 
 should here again remark, that the first society 
 is seldom seen at the theatre, and would not 
 be guilty of such beliaviour. 
 
 It is a matter of great surprise to a stranger, 
 that there is not one single promenade at Balti- 
 more. There are some very eligible situations 
 immediately adjoining the city, and which to all 
 appearane«:> are so easily convertible into a ])ublic 
 
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 SIX MONTHS 
 
 walk, tluit it is difficult to understancl why the 
 ladies do not insist upon its commencement. 
 I would most humbly advise them to do so. 
 
 I was honoured with an invitation to " the 
 Manor," the country residence of Mr. Carroll, 
 of Carrollton. The house was built long before 
 the revolution, and is a curious specimen of 
 Anglo-American architecture, somewhat resem- 
 bling one of those large old parsonage houses 
 which are to be seen in some parts of England. 
 It stands in the midst of an extensive domain, 
 in a high state of cultivation, and extremely 
 well and neatly kept, considering that it is 
 worked by slaves. I could have fancied myself 
 in England, but for the loose zigzag fences of 
 split logs, which offer to the eye but a poor 
 apology for the English hedge row. Hedges 
 of any kind would not, generally speaking, thrive 
 well hi the United States. It would be neces- 
 
IN .\.ML:I{[( A. 
 
 \iy-) 
 
 sarv, I was told, tlmf thov sliould \)v hjuikcd up, 
 in order to koop tlioin from l)oiiiij;' waslied away 
 l)y tlic lit'avy rains ; and it is proUablc that 
 during tlio oxtromo heat of the summer months, 
 they could not obtain moisture sufficient to 
 preserve them from being dried up entirely. 
 They are, however, often to be seen close to a 
 gentleman's liouse, where they can be constantly 
 attended to. I should conceive that the aloe 
 hedges of Spain and Portugal, might succeed in 
 the United States. It is neitlier a fault, nor a 
 misfortune, that there is no water scenery at 
 " the Manor." The rivers and lakes of America 
 are usually on a vast and magnificent scale, fitted 
 either to bound or to deluge a contii^ent ; small 
 streams are also common ; but a lake for instance 
 of a mile or two in length, is seldom to be seen, 
 excepting in New England, where they are 
 plentiful. Before I arrived there, I do not think 
 
 
 M] 
 
 m 
 
 I 
 
 *''! 
 
 VOL. T. 
 
 K 
 
 ft! 
 
 ^? 
 
'li 
 
 m !i 
 
 '. Illlh;! 
 
 
 134 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 tliat I liad socii more than halt" a dozen ponds, 
 and those all in Kentuckv. Instead of beino: 
 thon<;ht an advantaL»-e, a piece of water is 
 avoided ; no American, from clioice, vvouhl build 
 on its banks, as the exhalations in the hot 
 weather render such a situation very \ndiealtliy, 
 excepting* in the more northerly states. 
 
 At the manor I "partook of that hospitality 
 which is so kindly and universally extended to 
 every foreigner who visits Baltimore with a 
 proper letter of introduction. Mr. Carroll himself, 
 is the most extraordinary individual in America. 
 This venerable old gentleman is in his ninety- 
 fifth year, is exceedingly cheerful, enjoys most 
 excellent health, and is in good possession of his 
 faculties. He is the only survivor of the patriots 
 who signed the Declaration of Independence on 
 the 4tli of July, 1776. He has always adhered 
 to the federal principles, and his valuable estate 
 
n ^ 
 
 t 
 
 I\ A.MKKICA. 
 
 1 or, 
 
 is one of the very few that have (k^sceiuled u\ 
 a direct line from tlic first possessor. Mr. Carroll 
 is the grandfather of the Ladies Wellesley and 
 Caermartlien. 
 
 No one who visits Baltimore shoidd omit 
 seeing the vessels known by the name of elij)- 
 pers. They are uncommonly neat single-decked 
 schooners usually, hut sometimes are rigged 
 like a brig. Their biu'den is commoidy about 
 200 tons. They are cut remarkably sharp at the 
 bows, with a great breadth of beam. When lying 
 in the water, the head is considerably elevated 
 above the stern, so that, although the masts 
 are nearly at right angles with the hull, they 
 appear to rake much more than thej'^ really do. 
 They will sail on a wind at the rate of seven 
 knots an hour, when other fast sailing vessels 
 can make only five and a half, or six ; but few 
 of them are good sailers before the wind. They 
 
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 1 111 
 
 I' 'II 
 
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 11 
 
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 1.30 
 
 SFX MO Nil IS 
 
 usually uiako a voyau'c to the Ilavaunali, where 
 tliey are sold tor slave ships, or to South 
 America, where they are bought by sniui^i^lers 
 or pirates, for whose oecupatious they are ad- 
 mirably adapted. They are built nowhere so 
 .well as at Baltimore. 
 
 IVo rail-rojuls had been commenced at Balti- 
 more : one called the Baltimore and Ohio rail- 
 road, because it was intended to join that river. 
 The exact line of country through which it 
 would pass, was as yet a secret with a select 
 few, who w^ould thus be able to secure from the 
 owners a refusal of the land through which it 
 passed without being obliged to pay an increased 
 price. The other is called the Susquehanna 
 rail-road, and was mtended to join that river 
 at York-haven, about sixty miles below Harris- 
 burg. Deputations have been sent from Balti- 
 more to Philadelphia, to obtain the necessary 
 
 ..1 
 
 -v^ 
 
r. ;i 
 
 
 I\ A.Mr.MK A. 
 
 in: 
 
 it 
 
 eel 
 
 na 
 
 ;^ev 
 
 is- 
 
 ti- 
 
 ry 
 
 permission to carrv it into i\w stjito of IVnnsvl- 
 vania: Imt tlicir applifjitions have boon, 1 was 
 iiifoniK'd, twice rot'ust'd. Tlio rail-road, liuwever, 
 is still co!itimio<l, from a \\'i'll-<»-roimd«.'d persua- 
 sion that the iuhahitaiits of the western parts of 
 Pennsylvania, convinced of the advjuitages that 
 will accrue to them by its aftordino- tliem an- 
 other means of carriai>e for their bituminous 
 coal, iron, and timber, will ultimately succeed 
 in obtaining" a majority in Congress in favour 
 of its completion. But does not a jealousy of 
 this kind arise, after a contemplation, however 
 distant, of the political horizon? Has it not a 
 prospective reference to the interest of the State 
 separately, when the federal government shall 
 be no more ? 
 
 By the constitution of Maryland the governor 
 docs not possess the right of a veto over the 
 Acts of the general assembly. 
 
 1... ■ .5 
 
 f J 
 
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 108 
 
 SIX .MON'IIIS 
 
 Moro flour is uimiially inspected at Halti- 
 moiv, than at any other port in tlie Tnited 
 States excepting New York. The amount tor 
 the year 1830, was 597,804 barrels ; hut l)y the 
 returns made since the first of January, 18.*31, 
 it is supposed that the quantity in tliis } car will 
 exceed 600,000 ])arrels. The wheat that is 
 shipped, is sent almost exclusively to England ; 
 but it bears a very small proportion to the flour, 
 although it sells better in the English market — 
 about 70,000 bushels of wheat were shipped 
 this year for England. The quality in general 
 is good, excepting that a portion of it is some- 
 times tainted with garlick; a nuisance that is 
 almost unavoidable, because the plant grows 
 spontaneously in the wheat districts. It is said 
 to have been first introduced by the Hessians, 
 during the revolutionary war, and it has since 
 increased so much, that it cainiot he got rid of. 
 
 ''I 
 
IN A.MMUK.V. 
 
 I: J!) 
 
 t *i 
 
 The wlioat oxpoitcd tVoin IJaltimoro is thrown 
 ill the State of Maiyhnid, and in many p.'irts 
 of N'irginia and l\'nnsylvania. Money had 
 ])eon plentiful for the last two years, and invest- 
 ments that would ])roduee five per cent, were 
 not ejisily to he met with. A market over- 
 stocked with imports from Euroj)e and India, 
 was the assiti;*nal)le cause : trade was com})ara~ 
 tively less brisk, and many cjipitalists withdrew 
 their funds from active business, for the purpose 
 of investment in the stock of bank insurance 
 and rail-road companies. A great quantity of 
 money was likewise lying in the market in con- 
 sequence of the national debt being* in a course 
 of reduction by the payment of government 
 loans. However, when 1 was there, money was 
 more scarce, and worth more than six per cent. ; 
 the exchange on England had risen as high as 
 eleven per cent, per annum, and a large quantity 
 of specie had been exported to that country. 
 
 f 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 
Jl- 
 
 tar 
 
 'A 
 
 V 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 140 
 
 MX MOMIIS 
 
 At Ualtimoii', I Hist saw tlio Hiv-fly. They 
 bogiri to aj)j)i'ar about smiscf, after wliicli tlioy 
 are sparkliii<i^ in all dirt'ftioMs. In soino places 
 ladies will wear them in their hair, and the effect 
 is said to he very brilliant. Mischievous boys 
 will sometimes cat-h a bnll-froi^, and fasten 
 them all over him. They show to great advan- 
 tage, while the poor frog, who cannot understand 
 the "new lights" that are breaking upon him, 
 affords amusement to his tormentors by hoi)ping 
 about in a state of desperation. 
 
 About thirty miles from Baltimore, on the 
 western shore as it is termed, stands Annai)olis 
 the capital of Maryland. It is situated at the 
 bottom of a fine bay, and contains several 
 curious old houses, built long before the revo- 
 lution. The most conspicuous object is the 
 capitol, which is surmounted by a fine steeple. 
 The general assembly of Maryland, hold their 
 
IN A.MKUK A. 
 
 Ill 
 
 sittings iIkto, jukI it was thvw tliat (Ioium-jiI 
 \\ asliiiiL»"t(>n ri'siir-iu'd to tlic federal e()iii»Tess 
 the cuininaiul he had so iiohlv used. It sat 
 there for some time after the iiKh-peiideiiee of 
 the United States was estahlislii'd. 
 
 At Hahimore, I visited tlie studies of two 
 very promising' young" artists: Mr. Iluhard, an 
 Englisliman, is certainly the better painter; hut 
 has the advantage of four or five years of expe- 
 rience over Mr. Miller, who is an American, 
 quite {I boy ; and whom, I think, at least an 
 equal genius. He has had little or no instruc- 
 tion. If sent to Kurope, as he certainly ought 
 to bo, I will venture to predict, that at some 
 future period he will be an ornament to his 
 native city ; and which he certairdy never will, 
 or can be, if he does not leave it. Will it be 
 credited, that in America, with all her preten- 
 sions to good sense and general encouragement 
 
 \y. 
 
 r. 
 
 I 
 
 f ' 
 
 1 
 
 r 
 
14-2 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 I 
 
 of emulation and enterprise, the voice of public 
 opinion is a bar to the advantage of drawing 
 from a living model ? Without it, historical 
 painting cannot thrive, and sculpture must be 
 out of the question. 
 
 I left Baltimore with regret: I had been 
 kindly and hospitably treated there, — and in a few 
 hours the mail carried me to Washington. This 
 city of distances — this capital that is to be — is 
 laid out upon an open piece of undulating down, 
 on the north side of the Potomac. The capitol of 
 the United States is built upon the most lofty 
 l)art of it, wh'.ch is ascended by a fine flight of 
 steps, and altogether has a very imposing appear- 
 ance, being visible at a great distance from almost 
 every side. It is of free-stone, which is found on 
 the river about thirty miles below the city. In 
 front is a magnificent portico of Corhithian 
 columns, and behind it there is another: in the 
 
IN A.MEllICA. 
 
 14:i 
 
 same style, (though larger), as that at Wanstead 
 House in Essex, or Wentworth Castle in York- 
 shire, which is a copy of W^anstead. On the top 
 are three domes ; that in the centre would look a 
 great deal better if it were deeply fluted, like the 
 dome of St. Paul's ; at present it would be much 
 better out of the way, as it gives a general 
 appearance of heaviness, to what would other- 
 wise be deservedly thought a very fine building. 
 From the balustrade is obtained a delightful 
 view of the river, and the surrounding country. 
 The centre of the interior of the capitol, is 
 occupied by a large open space under the dome, 
 containhig four pictures, that look very well at 
 a little distance : the subjects are the Signing of 
 the Declaration of Independence, the Surrender 
 of General Burgoyne, the Surrender of Lord 
 Cornwallis ; and General Washington resigning 
 his command at Annapolis. They are pahited 
 
 
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144 
 
 SIX ."vroNTiis 
 
 11 
 
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 by Col. Triimhull. I'he remainder of tlie ca})i- 
 tol is occupied by tlie apartments and offices 
 connected with tlie senate, the house of repre- 
 sentatives, and the supreme com't of the United 
 States. The pillars which support the roof of 
 the chamber of representatives, are of breccia, 
 or pudding-stone; perhaps the most singular 
 formation of the kind that is to be found any- 
 where, not excepting that at Monserrat in Span: 
 which is entirely composed of breccia. Frag- 
 ments of granite, quartz, limestone, and other 
 rocks, have been pressed together in the most 
 extraordinary manner, by some stupendous 
 power, and from a little distance the composition 
 might be mistaken for the verd antique. It is 
 found on the Potomac, about thirty miles above 
 Washington. The president's house is a hand- 
 some building, with an Ionic portico; and the 
 onlv one in the States that reseml '^s the mo- 
 
 ;li ■ 
 
 1 
 

 IX AMERICA. 
 
 145 
 
 dern resitloncc of a British iiohlemaii. It is 
 exactly at the distance of one mile and a half 
 in a straight line from tlie capitol, and the 
 houses are continued beyond it for nearly 
 another. Numerous large streets radiate from 
 the capitol and the president's house, as centres — 
 a method of laying out a city far handsomer 
 than that which has been adopted at Philadel- 
 phia, where the streets cross each other at right 
 angles. Who that lias seen the " Pers})ective " 
 at Petersburg, can ever forget it? where the 
 principal streets are all pointed towards the 
 beautifully gilt steeple of the Admiralty, that is 
 seen glittering at the end of each of them. It 
 must be allowed that this arrangement has its 
 disadvantages in the shfipe of the houses, and 
 apartments, one end of which, if they are 
 regularly divided, must be larger than the 
 other. 
 
 1^ 
 
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 i 
 
 II a 
 
 », 
 
 I ; ': 
 
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14() 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 In tlio clock-yard at Washington, I saw a 
 sixty-gun frigate in a state of forwardness, and 
 a small schooner constructed on a plan that had 
 never been applied to a vessel of war, being of 
 the same shape fore and aft, and having no 
 internal timbers. The blocks made there, are 
 not all of one piece, as they are at our dock-yard 
 at Portsmouth. A double block for instance, is 
 composed of seven pieces of wood, exclusively 
 of the sheave. They are, no doubt, much 
 stronger when made in this manner ; but a man 
 can make but one in half an hour. 
 
 The college at George Town, adjoining the 
 city, is a Catholic establishment; its members 
 are Jesuits, and who, as usual, are increasing 
 their influence, by purchasing lands, &c. At- 
 tached to the college, is the nunnery of the 
 Sisters of Visitation, containing about fifty nuns. 
 They tell there of a Hohenlohe miracle. 
 
 I 
 
 l\ 
 
IN AMERICA. 
 
 147 
 
 
 Wasliinu^ton, like most of the American 
 cities, can boast of several beautiful rides and 
 walks in its vicinity. Arlinoton, the seat of 
 George Washington P. Castis, Esq., occupies a 
 most conspicuous and commanding situation, on 
 the south bank of the Potomac. It is visible 
 for many miles, and in the distance has the 
 appearance of a superior English country resi- 
 dence, beyond any phice I had seen in the 
 States: but as I came close to it, as usual, I 
 was wofully disappointed. It contains a valu- 
 able portrait of Washington, when a Major in 
 the British service, and wearing of course the 
 blue-and-buff uniform. 
 
 Not far from the race ground, and about 
 three miles from George Town, is the residence 
 of a gentleman who has paid greater and more 
 indefatigal)le attention to the culture of the vine 
 than any other person in America. The vine- 
 
 
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 14H 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 yards c'lromul liis lioiise produce several different 
 kinds of graoes; from vviiicli, considering how 
 few years liave elapsed since the attempt was 
 first made, he may be said to have been very 
 successful in producing some very good and 
 palatable wines. Amongst others, the best is 
 dignified by the very aristocratic name of 
 " Tokay." It is made from the " Catawba " 
 grape, which he himself first found in a cot- 
 tager's garden, not far from a tavern bearing the 
 sign of the Catawba Indians, distant about 
 twenty miles from Washington. From this 
 circumstance he called it the Catawba grape. 
 The Catawba is a river of South Carolina, but 
 no grape of the kind is found near it. The 
 cottagers coidd give him no satisfactory account 
 of it, and he never could find out whether it was 
 indigenous, or, which is most likely the fact, im- 
 ^ >rted. It is rather a large gnipe, thick-skinned, 
 
'I .' 
 
 IN AMERFCA. 
 
 149 
 
 but at the same time very transparent, witli a 
 fine purple hlusli, and far more fit for making 
 wine than to form part of a dessert. As yet it 
 appears to thrive lietter than any kind of grape 
 that has be n '^ried in the United States; so 
 much so. that at Pittsburgh, and Lancaster, and 
 other places where there are vineyards, they 
 have cleared away a large proportion of the 
 European plants, in favour of the Catawba vine. 
 He informed me that he had sent cuttings of it 
 to every State in th« Union excepting Florida, 
 Arkansaw, and Kentucky. A long time, how- 
 ever, must elapse before the Americans can 
 compete with the wines of Europe : as yet, com- 
 paratively speaking, little can be known there, 
 either with reference to the best fruit, or to the 
 soil and temperature necessary to bring it to 
 perfection. Upwards of seventy kinds of the 
 wild vine are found in the American forests, but 
 
 VOL. J. 
 
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150 
 
 SIX MONTMS 
 
 not more llian lialf of them bear fruit. At 
 Boston I tasted a ^nipe called the Isabella p^rape, 
 whose flavour was still harsh, but was a ^Teat 
 and deeiiled improvement in every respect, upon 
 the sourness of the fox-grape of the woods, from 
 which, I was informed, it had been orig-inally 
 produced. I am, of course, speakin<^ of the 
 Catawba and other grapes, only in their wine- 
 making capacity ; the grapes raised in the 
 United Stp^es for the table, are exceedingly 
 good and very plentiful. 
 
 As a matter of course, I visited Mount 
 Vernon. A steam-boat conveyed me to Alexan- 
 dria in an hour. Alexandria was t;iken by the 
 Britisli squadron on the 29th of August, 1814, 
 and the stores of flour, tobacco, and cotton, were 
 carried ofi* by them. It contains a population of 
 9000 persons, and carries on a trade in flour, 
 tobacco, fish, and lumber, to the southern States 
 
i ■!ir 
 
 IN AMi:i!Il A. 
 
 151 
 
 I . 
 
 and the West Indies, although Haltimorc lias 
 run away with the greater part of its commerce. 
 A ride of nine miles on a well-shaded road, 
 conducted me to Mount Vernon, now in pos- 
 session of John Augustine \\'a^hington. Esq,, 
 nephew to the General, and to the late Judge, 
 whose worth and learning are recorded by. an 
 inscri{)tion in the court-house of Philadelphia. 
 Of the house itself there is little to be said. I 
 saw there a piece of an old mug, which bears 
 upon it a small head of the General, said to be 
 the best likeness of him that is known anywhere. 
 From the lawn, there is a fine view of the 
 Potomac with Fort Washington nearly oi)posite, 
 which was abandoned at the approach of the 
 British squadron in 1814. In passing Mount 
 Vernon, the ships fired a salute it well deserved. 
 I must confess that I was greatly disappointed 
 at the sight of the tomb that contains the ashes 
 
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 ; •!• 
 
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 ti -M 
 
 !#l 
 
 'M 
 
152 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 of Waslkiiigton. I did not exi)oc't ^randour, but 
 I tlioiiglit to liavo seen sonietliliig' more respect- 
 al)le than either tlie old, or the new toml), to 
 which the coffin was removed two years ago. 
 But for the inscription, I shouhl have tal^en 
 them for a couj)le of ice-houses. An avoidance 
 of every tiling- like ])retension is desirable only 
 so lono; as it is attended with neatness ; — but 
 there is not even what can be fairly called a 
 path to either of them. Instead of feeling as 1 
 wished, whilst in contemplation of the last long- 
 home of this really great, because good man, my 
 mind was only occupied by intrusive reflections 
 on the insignificant and pauper-like appearance 
 of the whole scene before me. The tears of 
 La Fayette, when visiting the tomb in 1825, 
 might have partly flowed from other sources 
 than the mere consciousness that he was standing 
 in the presence of the mortal remains of Iiis 
 
 ■ i 
 
IN A.MEinCA. 
 
 15:3 
 
 old fritMul and companion in arms. Tlicro has 
 been some talk of removini»- the eoffin to the 
 centre of the hall in the eapitol, and of a monn- 
 ment to he raised over it, hnt I have nnderstood 
 that it is not serionsly contemplated. If it were 
 jdaced there, it mij^ht one (hiy he the mejnis of 
 savin<r the Union. How forcihle, how effective, 
 in a moment of danger, might he an ehxjuent 
 appeal to its presence, made hy the Judges 
 of the supreme court, or the orators of the 
 American congress ! 
 
 I was never fortunate enouiih to hear a 
 mocking bird in its wild state ; I had frequently 
 heard them in cages, but nowhere in such })er- 
 fection as at Washington. This bird, oi'e of 
 the noblest in nature, is an inhabitant of tlie 
 southern states only, and is thus described by 
 Wilson, the celebrated Ornithologist. " The 
 plumage of the mocking bird would scarcely 
 
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 154 
 
 SIX MON'lliS 
 
 ontitir liini to noficc, but liis fioiirc is woll 
 proportioned, and t'ven Iwmdsoine. The easo, 
 elegance, aiul rapidity of his movements — the 
 animation of his eye, and the intelli<^ence he 
 displays in listening* and layini;- up lessons from 
 almost every speeies of the feathered race within 
 his hearin<^, are really surprising, and mark 
 the snperiority of his genius, lie has a voice 
 capable of almost every modulation, from the 
 clear mellow notes of the M'ood-thrush, to the 
 savage scream of the bald-eagle. In measure 
 and accent, he faithfully follows his originals; 
 in force and sweetness of expression, he greatly 
 improves upon them : his admirable song rises 
 paramount over every competitor. His own 
 native notes are bold and full, and varied beyond 
 all limits. In the height of his song, his ardour 
 and animation appear unbounded — he sweeps 
 round with enthusiastic ecstasv — he mounts or 
 
IN AMi:illLA. 
 
 155 
 
 (lesceiuls us liis song- swt'lis or dit's away ; and 
 us my tVuMid Mr. IJarrram, (an AnuMR'an 
 naturalist), lias hcaiititully (Wprt'sscd it: "ho 
 l)ounds idott witii tia* ra|)idiry of an arrow, as 
 it* to rt't'ovcr (»r recall Jiis wry soul, rxpircd in 
 the last c'li" itcd strain. While thus exertinjr 
 hiinselt", a hy-staadei destitute of sij^ht would 
 suppose, that the whole ; ithered tiihe had 
 assembled to<;"ether, v. eh strivinj^ io ])roduee his 
 utnujst effort, so perfect are his iuutatioii^, IJe 
 many times deceives the sportsman, and sends 
 him in search of hirds that are not within a mile 
 of him, but whose notes he exactly imitates. 
 Even birds themselves are imposed n}»on by his 
 admiruble it asic, and are decoyed by the fancied 
 calls of tiieir mates, or are driven with precij)ita- 
 tion into the depths of the forest, at the screams 
 of what they suppose to be the sparrow-hawk." 
 He is of a size between the thrush and the 
 
 
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 156 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 nightingale, but shaped like the latter bird. 
 His plumage in general is of a cinerous brown 
 colour, with a broad l)ar of white on the wing, 
 which he is very fond of displaying. I am 
 afraid that I never heard them in perfection ; but 
 to judge from what I did hear, I should suppose 
 that although infinitely more varied, his natural 
 notes were neither so full nor so rich as those of 
 the nightingale. But there are many who think 
 differently." 
 
 One morning I was much amused by the 
 debut of a new volunteer corps, calling them- 
 selves the Highlanders, — Washington being one 
 of the flattest places in the States. The dress 
 would have looked well enough had it been 
 uniform, but I was told there was not plaid 
 enough of the same pattern to be obtained in the 
 city. The bonnet had a . ery theatrical appear- 
 ance, and would not have been half so bad, had 
 
1 1 ■■' 
 
 IN A.MERH \. 
 
 157 
 
 not tlie eye been tittracted by the waistcoat and 
 the broad hicings of the coat, all of which were 
 of a very dark sky-blue. I have a great respect 
 for the tartan ; and 1 thought it might have 
 looked decent, even when converted, as it was, 
 into small-clothes, had they not been made 
 extremely tight. Still, however, the costume of 
 the nether man might have passed unnoticed, 
 had not the enormous bows at the knees been 
 composed of tri-coloured ribbon, and the general 
 effect much heightened by the long nankeen 
 gaiters, which covered the leg from the knee 
 to the shoe. 
 
 In the capitol, as all the world knows, sit 
 the senate, the house of representatives, and the 
 supreme court of the United States. And here 
 I may be permitted to remark, that when writing 
 generally on such a subject as the United 
 States, every ciuidid ])erson will make allow- 
 
 •at 5 J' 
 
 
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 1 t!Hi' ' 
 
 l.jfc< 
 
 SIX Months 
 
 ances for the impossibility of avoiding a repe- 
 tition of things ah-eady well known and well 
 described. Under the a})prehension that I shall 
 frequently be in error on this head, I think the 
 safest mode is to apologise at once, and before- 
 hand. None, however, is necessary for not 
 entering at large upon a subject so tedious and 
 so endless, as that of the courts of the difterent 
 states in their separate capacity as to the federal 
 judiciary. 1 may mention, that the United 
 States are divided into seven judicial cncuits, and 
 thirty- two judicial districts. Each state is one 
 district, with the exceptions of New York, Penn- 
 sylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Louisiana, and 
 Alabama ; which are each of them divided into 
 two districts. There are three courts belonging 
 to the general or federal government : the district 
 court, the circuit court, and the supreme court. 
 The district court possesses a civil and criminal 
 
 i 
 
.m 
 
 IN A.MKKKA. 
 
 159 
 
 
 admiralty ami maritime jurisdiction, and also 
 takes cognizance of all cases affecting the re- 
 venue, and all crimes and offences committed 
 within the district, which are j)unlshal)le by 
 moderate corporal punishment, or fine and im- 
 prisonment. It is held l)y a district judge (there 
 being one in each district), sitting alone,- four 
 times a year: his salary varies from 1000 to 
 3000 dollars a year. An appeal lies from his 
 decision in cases where, exclusive of costs, the 
 matter in dispute exceeds the sum or value of 
 fifty dollars, to the " circuit court," possessing 
 an original jurisdiction, civil and crinunal. The 
 civil jurisdiction extends to all controversies 
 between citizens of different states, and between 
 a citizen and an alien. All offences against the 
 penal laws of the United States, can be tried in 
 this court. It is rdso a court of equity. The 
 circuit court is hehl before the district judge. 
 
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 ^». 
 
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 I, 
 
 U 
 
 III 
 
 ill 
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 Si 
 
IGO 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 sitting twice a year witli the judge of the 
 supreme court. An appeal lies from its decisions 
 to tlie supreme court of the United States, 
 where the matter in dispute exceeds 2000 
 dollars. In criminal cases, a point may be 
 reserved for the opinion of the judges of the 
 supreme court, which is sent down to the circuit 
 court to be proceeded upon afterwards. In six 
 of the states, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, 
 Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, there is no 
 circuit court, because the judges of the supreme 
 court could not find time to sit there twice a 
 year ; but the district courts possess the powers 
 and jurisdiction of a circuit court. 
 
 The supreme court of the United States, is 
 a very high and honourable tribunal, composed 
 of a chief justice, with a salary of 5000 dollars 
 (1125/.), and six associate justices, with a salary 
 of 4500 dollars each, who hold a sitting once a 
 
 : ' 
 
t: t 
 
 IN AMERICA. 
 
 1(>1 
 
 'id II 
 
 year, at Washinirton, commencing on the second 
 Monday in January. The court sits five hours 
 every day for two montlis, deciding in that time 
 usually about eighty causes, which are reportetl 
 as those of the law courts in England used, and 
 ought still to be, by an officer of the court. 
 Its original jurisdiction is confined to all such 
 cases, affecting ambassadors, consuls, and vice- 
 consuls, as a court of law can exercise consist- 
 ently with the hiw of nations ; and it has original, 
 but not exclusive jurisdiction of all suits brought 
 by ambassadors, and other public ministers, in 
 which a consul or vice-consul is a party. But 
 its dignity rests chiefly on its appellate jurisdic- 
 tion, which extends to all cases and appeals, and 
 writs of error from the circuit courts: likewise 
 in all cases where the constitution and law- of 
 the federal government, or the construction of 
 any treaty entered into by the federal govern- 
 
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 I . 
 
 ■I 
 
 
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16-2 
 
 SIX Moxrns 
 
 ment, or its validity, or any right or interest 
 under a treaty, has been a subject of contro- 
 versy in the state tribunals. Its decisions and 
 opinions on the construction of the constitution, 
 are the safeguard of the Union. But its appel- 
 late jurisdiction is defined, and extends to no 
 cases but where the j)ovver is affirmatively given. 
 In order to enable it to issue a mandamus, 
 proof is required that it is an exercise, or 
 necessary to an exercise, of its appellate juris- 
 diction. The supreme court has jurisdiction 
 in all controversies where the United States 
 shall be a party in controversies between two 
 or more states ; between a state and the citizens 
 of another state; between citizens of different 
 states; between citizens of the same state claim- 
 ing lands under grants of different states; and 
 between a state, or the citizens thereof, and 
 foreign states, citizens, or subjects. A strict and 
 
I\ AMKliU A. 
 
 Ki.J 
 
 admirable attention to justice, is ol)serval)le in 
 these arrangements. Every descri})tion of case 
 which might be partially decided l)y the courts 
 of the litigant states, is brought to tl '^ bar of 
 the great national tribunal to be disposed of. 
 
 During the last sittings of the supreme 
 court, a case of great constitutional interest. Avas 
 heard before it. It was entitled " The Cherokee 
 Nation, irr.ms the State of Georgia." The 
 Cherokee nation having been repeatedly har- 
 assed by the incursions and other unneighbourly 
 proceedings of the inhabitants of Georgia, 
 applied to the supreme court for an injunction 
 to restrain the state, its governor, and other 
 officer*:,, from executing and enforcing the laws 
 of Georgia within the Cherokee territory. The 
 counsel for the Cherokees argued, that not being 
 a state of the Union, the Cherokee nation was 
 to be considered as a foreign state, and was ren- 
 
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164 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
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 (lored capable of suing in the supreme court l)y 
 virtue of the clause I have mentioned above, in 
 which the judicial power of the court is extended 
 to controversies between a state and the citizens 
 thereof, and foreign states' citizens or subjects : 
 but Chief Justice Marshall decided, that the 
 relation of the Cherokees to the United States 
 resembled that of guardian aiul ward ; thiit they 
 could not be considered either as a foreign state, 
 or as a state of the Union ; and that there- 
 fore they were rendered incapable of suing 
 in that court. His judgment was strengthened 
 by tlie wording of the articles of the onstitu- 
 tion, in which Congress is empowered to regu- 
 late commerce with foreign nations, and the 
 several states and the " Indian tribes," who 
 being in this manner specifically mentioned, 
 could not have been considered as a foreign 
 state or nation by the original framers of the 
 
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 IN A Ml. RFC A. 
 
 k;: 
 
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 I'oiistitutioM. Iin;i*^iiu' the astoiiislmuMit oi tho 
 poor Cherokces upon l)C'iii<jf told, that the liighest 
 tribunal ut the city of their Ireat Father could 
 afford them no redress. The affair will, of 
 course, come before congress. Chief Justice 
 Marshall decided according to the letter of the 
 constitution ; but the opinion of Chancellor 
 Kent, of New York, is surely deserving of the 
 greatest attention, as containing an exposition 
 apparently more agreeable to justice. He con- 
 siders the Indian tribes " not only as states, but 
 as foreign states, because they do not constitute 
 any ingredient or essential part of our own body 
 politic." He considers the clause just referred 
 to, may have contained the additional grant 
 of power to regulate commerce with the 
 " Indian tribes" out of abundant caution, and 
 to prevent any possible doubt of the application 
 to them of the power to regulate commerce with 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
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 SIX MONTHS 
 
 "foroi^n iintioiis." Tlir last words, he appro- 
 lieiids, would have reached the Indians; but the 
 constitution, in several other instances, has gone 
 into a like specification of powers which were, 
 hy necessary implication, included in the more 
 ^;eneral tyrant. Thus, for instance, j)ower is 
 jriven to congress " to declare war," and it is 
 immediately subjoined " to grant letters of 
 marque and reprisal." They have power to 
 " coin money," and " to regulate the value 
 thereof:" they have power " to raise armies," 
 and " to provide and maintain a navy : " and it 
 is immediately subjoined " to make rules for 
 the government " (and not government only, 
 but it is added) " and regulation of the army 
 and land force." 
 
 All the judges in the American courts enjoy 
 an immunity from wigs, and the judges of the 
 supreme court alone are clothed in " silk attire." 
 
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 IN \Mi:in( \. 
 
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 m 
 
 the 
 
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 'I'licir rolxs nrc l>l{irk, niul t'ashioiiotl acconliii*; 
 to the taste of the wearer. I examined tour or 
 five of them which were lian<(ing up in the 
 court, and found that although perfectly judicial, 
 tliey displayed no small attention to taste in 
 their cut and generjil appearance. A proper 
 degree of dignity is required and observed in 
 the supreme court ; business is there conducted 
 as it ought to be in every court of justice; but 
 some of the state courts are remarkably deficient 
 in this respect : even in the court-house at 
 Philadelphia, during the sitting of the circuit 
 court, I have seen a gentleman, a counsellor of 
 eminence, coolly seat himself on the table whilst 
 a judgment was being given, and in that attitude 
 I have heard him address some interlocutory 
 observations to the court, and press them upon 
 its attention with great earnestness and ability. 
 I cannot understand why more dignity, both 
 
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 Kr; Ai*»MHS 
 
 
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 judicial and forcnsii-, slioiild not he ol)S(>rv(»(i in 
 tlu' tMMirrs oi' the United Sfati's. I liavc ot'fiMi 
 Iku'm ill tlie company of American lawyers, who, 
 as individujils, were men of t^entlemjinly man- 
 ners, and excellent general information, wliicli 
 •they have ever evinced a readiness to impart; 
 hut I do not rememher one wlio ever mentioned 
 the sul)ject at all, without admittinjif that a 
 proper want of the respect due to the time and 
 the place is frequently but too visible in the 
 American courts: and yet there is no improve- 
 ment. 
 
 Silence, being indispensable, is well pre- 
 served; but counsel and attorneys may be oc- 
 casionally seen with their legs dangling over 
 the back of a chair, or possibly resting on the 
 table. A corresponding carelessness of manner 
 is of course exhibited by the spectators. I 
 have even observed persons with their hats on 
 
IN AMKIJK A. 
 
 K!!) 
 
 .F..» 
 
 ^^K^ 
 
 ill c'oiirf, iiii({ ii|>4)u iiKHjiry liavi* hcoii told tin y 
 wcro Quakers: luit onci" or twk'v I rtincmlur 
 liciv'in*^- tiiktMi the liberty of doiibfiiii*- rlic iiitor- 
 mutioii. I hope I shall nut ho su|n>ose(l to 
 mean, that no greater (U'corum is ohserved in 
 the princi])al courts of the larger cities than in 
 those liehl at places of minor importance ; 1 am 
 speaking- of them generally as I fcnind them 
 when in travelling. I happened to arrive at 
 some place where a court was sitting, and "just 
 dropped in" for half an hour c/t passant ; hut 
 still there is always a sometliing even in the 
 best of them which, to an English eye, a})pears 
 undignified and indecorous; although there can 
 be no doul)t that their api)earance is not mended 
 by the total absence of wigs and gowns from all 
 of them. 
 
 The spirit of equality renders it allowable, 
 and the impossibility in distant towns of making 
 
 In 
 
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170 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
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 Mlii 
 
 the profession answer by any other arrangement, 
 renders it necessary, that a barrister and solicitor 
 should frequently commence business as part- 
 ners, and play into each other's hands. A judge 
 will frequently travel from town to town un- 
 attended, in his gig, or on horseback, with his 
 saddle-bags before him, or in the stage-coach, 
 and dine at the village table d'hote with shop- 
 keepers, pseudo majors, and advertising attor- 
 neys. Human nature will out. In the absence 
 of other titles, it is the pleasure of the Ameri- 
 cans that they should be dignified by the rank of 
 General, Colonel, or Aide-de-camp ; but more 
 especially I found by that of Major. An Eng- 
 lish gentleman assured me that, being on board 
 a steamer on the Ohio river, he was first intro- 
 duced by a friend as plain Mr., then as Captain ; 
 soon after he wjib addressed as Major, and before 
 the end of the day he wiis formally introduced 
 
 ^1 
 

 IN ami: in (A. 
 
 171 
 
 MS a General. There is usually a Major, or an 
 Aide, as they call themselves, in every stage- 
 coach company. The captain of a steam-boat, 
 who was presiding at the dinner table, happened 
 to ask rather loudly, " General, a little fish ! " 
 and was immediately answered in the affirmati\ c 
 by twenty-five out of the thirty gentlemen -who 
 were present. 
 
 One would have imagined, that in the 
 United States, where an equal partition of the 
 rights of mankind is the boasted foundation of 
 the government, Justice would have been treated 
 with peculiar courtesy ; but she is not properly 
 honoured there. Justice is not exclusively ;i 
 republican in principle, whatever the Americans 
 may think. She must remain unaltered, what- 
 ever may be the form of government, as the 
 value of the diamond is the same whether its 
 possessor be a prince or a peasant. During my 
 
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 172 
 
 SIX JNlONTIfS 
 
 occasional visits to the courts of justice in the 
 United States, I could not help thinking how^ 
 fortunate it was that Justice was blind, and could 
 not therefore be shocked by the want of decorum 
 I observed there. What was my surprise on 
 entering the supreme court in the capitol at 
 Washington, to perceive her wooden figure with 
 the eyes unfilleted, and grasping the scales like 
 a groceress! With great deference, I would 
 suggest that the whole of this unworthy group 
 should be removed. I'lie day may arrive, as I 
 have said before, when the supreme court may 
 be the means of saving the Union. 
 
 Any suggestions recommendatory of an 
 amendment or additional clause in the consti- 
 tution, emanate from the judges of this exalted 
 tribunal. When it is thought necessary that 
 the constitution of any particular state should 
 be altered or amended, the legislature authorizes 
 
(f 
 
 l\ AMEHHA. 
 
 17.S 
 
 the people to express tlieir opinions as to whe- 
 ther they are or are not in tavonr of calling- a 
 general convention. This is nsualiy arranged 
 at the time of a general election. If there be a 
 majority in favom' of the convention, the legis- 
 lature then calls upon the })eople to elect per- 
 sons to serve as meml)crs or delegates, and it 
 fixes the time of meeting. If any amendments 
 are made by the convention, they are submitted 
 to the people for their approval ; and if a ma- 
 jority decide upon their adoption, they forthwith 
 become part of the constitution. 
 
 When U is considered that the supreme 
 court has a federal jurisdiction extending over a 
 union o»^ tv'enty-:"i)ur states, many of them as 
 large or larger than England, whose humble and 
 individual importance are increasing, and which 
 are divided and subdivided by part}, and by 
 conflicting and annually arising interests, and 
 
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 11 
 
 174 
 
 SIX mon'I'hs 
 
 which are becoming more and more (k^mocratic 
 in every succeeding year, and consequently 
 more and more opposed to the spirit in whicli 
 the constitution was originally framed, some 
 idea may be formed of the importance that is 
 attached to the decisions of this court, whose 
 authorities, from first to last, are intended as a 
 safeguard to the Union. The independence of 
 this court, and, in fact, of all the federal judi- 
 ciary, may be termed the sheet anchor of the 
 United States. Its power constitutes their chief 
 liope ; the abuse of it is the only medium of 
 tyranny, and is therefore the principal source of 
 apprehension. The judges of all the federal 
 courts hold their offices during good behaviour, 
 and are removable only l)y impeachment. It 
 would reasonably be supposed that the individual 
 states would follow the example of the general 
 government in the ai)})ointmeiit of their judges; 
 
IN A. Mi: UK A. 
 
 175 
 
 in- hit 
 
 hut this is not the case. In seven of the states 
 tliey are elected tor a term of years only ; in 
 Rhode Island they are elected annually ; in five 
 of the states they are obliged to go out of office 
 at sixty, sixty- five, or seventy years of age. 
 This law in the enlightened state of New York 
 has deprived it of the valuable services of Chan- 
 cellor Kent, the author of the admirable Com- 
 mentaries on the laws of America. There are 
 many democrats who actually wish that the 
 judges of the supreme court should be elected 
 for a term of years only. This custom is noto- 
 riously productive of sufficient hardships in some 
 of the more remote states, where, on account of 
 the smallness of the salary, amounting to not 
 more than two or three hundred pountls, the 
 bench is sometimes tilled by young and inex- 
 perienced men, who are the children of party, 
 and whose decisions must be occasionally attected 
 by the hope of re-election. 
 
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 SIX MONTHS 
 
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 Eiitaikul estates are but little known in the 
 United States: in South Carolina, Georgia, and 
 Louisiana, not at all. In many of the states 
 they are nothing in effect but an estate in fee ; 
 the limitation in tail being of no value, except it 
 be in special tail. But in all cases estates tail 
 may be barred by a simple deed of bargain and 
 sale, and which is, in fact, the almost universal 
 assurance ; lease ar ' release being but little 
 known. In other respects the doctrine of the 
 statutes of uses is in full operation, excepting in 
 the state of New York, where it has been dis- 
 continued since the new code passed in 1829. 
 
 The proceedings of the courts of equity are 
 for the most part similar to those practised in 
 England. Many of the states have chancellors, 
 whose offices are held like those of the other 
 judges. The state of New York had just been 
 obliged to appoint a vice-chaneellor, on account 
 
 I 
 

 IN AMEHKA. 
 
 17 
 
 IXh 
 
 of the iiicroase of l)usiiiess. The dutios of tin* 
 chancellor, Jis far as they go, are the same as 
 tliose of tlie lord chancellor of Eiio;lan(l: hut 
 in many of the states the jurisdiction in l)aidv- 
 ruptcy or insolvency is separate. The terms 
 bankruptcy and insolvency are used indiscrimi- 
 nately, although the distinction is of course 
 generally known and understood among lawyers. 
 By the articles of the constitution, the general 
 government is enabled to pass uniform laws on 
 the subject of bankruptcy. No general bank- 
 rupt law has, however, been passed, although 
 sueh a measure has been often contemplated. 
 In the United States a proportion of the people, 
 large beyond that of any other country, is en- 
 gaged more or less in traffic of some kind or 
 other in tlie course of the year, and the difficulty 
 of coming to any equitable decision as to who 
 may or may not be considered a bankrupt, has 
 
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17H 
 
 >;1X MONTHS 
 
 ill *i 
 
 i -i 
 
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 boon tlio roason why no i^ononil hiw on tlio 
 suhjoct has boon passod by the fodoral con^^ross. 
 The states likowiso liavo tl)o power of passing 
 bankrupt laws; but thoy would oidy bo pro- 
 ductive of confusion, jis thoy would not be al- 
 lowed to have the oft'oct of rescindino- a contract 
 between citizens of different states ; the supreme 
 court liavinj^ decided that a discharge muU^r the 
 bankrupt or insolvent laws of one state, could 
 not affect contracts made or to be executed in 
 another. As a matter of necessity, the states 
 have insolvent laws of their own, which are 
 generally recognized and respected in all of 
 them as far as they conveniently can be. In 
 some cases the person only, not the debt, is re- 
 leased by them ; in others, the debt is discharged, 
 but future acquisitions by gift, devise, or de- 
 scent, are liable, though not the produce of 
 future industry. The whole law on the subject 
 
IN .\>rFlU(.V. 
 
 17*) 
 
 ot'hail ill tlio United Stafos is imicli tlio samo as 
 that of Enjrland. A debtor to tlie rnitod States 
 can only he rek'jised hy ohtaining a release 
 under the United States' insolvent law. In 
 order to he enahled to apply for a release under 
 the insolvent laws of any ])artic'ular state, a 
 debtor must have resided in that state for a 
 certain period, generally one year; and on the 
 surrender of all property (if ho has any), he ob- 
 tains a discharge from ])rison, which is also a dis- 
 charge from the debt itself, and as a personal 
 discharge, is respected throughout the Union ; 
 but as a discharge from the debt, it often operates 
 as such only in the state that grants the dis- 
 charge. Between citizens of the same state it 
 releases the debt as well as the person ; between 
 citizens of diflferent states, or between a citizen 
 and a foreigner, or between foreigners, the dis- 
 charge depends on circumstances. If the suit be 
 
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 V:i 
 
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180 
 
 SrX NfOM'I'Hs. 
 
 hrouirht ill tlie courts (»f any particul.i'- statt', 
 and the party has '^opn released l)y tlie laws 
 of that state, tlie debt is considered equally 
 cancelled as if the controversy had heen be- 
 tween citizens of the same state. If the 
 debtor to the United States has applied for, 
 and obtained the benefit of the United States' 
 insolvent law, it can only be in cases where 
 a judgment has been obtained against him, 
 and he has been taken in execution. He must, 
 however, remain in prison for thirty days, 
 and surrender all his property, which he must 
 swear does not exceed thirty dollars, over and 
 above his necessary wearing apparel ; for if he 
 has property beyond that amount, he cannot 
 obtain the benefit of this law. By this dis- 
 charge, the person only is released, so that pro- 
 perty subsequently obtained from any source is 
 responsible. In all other cases of discharge. 
 
IN ami: III I A. 
 
 181 
 
 uiuler tlu* iiisolvtMit laws of iiulividiuil sUitfs, 
 l)efore noticed, the person or the debt art dis- 
 charged (as mentioned ahove), hnt still with the 
 reservation, that all projierty acquired hy descent, 
 gitt, or devise, shall be sul)jecte(l to exe^paon, 
 but not ♦^he future acquisitions of thi> debtor by 
 other ii.. ans. 
 
 Fugitive debtors from other countries can 
 be sued and imj)risoned only as if they were 
 citizens of America, that is, by exhibiting against 
 them a baihible cause of action. They must 
 remain in prison, if taken immediately on their 
 arrival, until entitled by a residence in the state 
 (usually for one year) to apply for the benefit 
 of the insolvent laws. State citizenship is re- 
 quired only in a few of the states, the more 
 general law being, that they may be discharged 
 after a year's residence in the state in which 
 they happen to be sued, whether they have 
 
 
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 23 WEST MAiN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 
 
 (716) 873-4503 
 
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 IH»2 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 1.1 ■■' •'■ k 
 
 heconu' citizt'iis or not. I'ori'ii^ners hoconu' 
 citizens of the United States after five years' 
 residence. Tiie acts of naturalization, the hist of 
 wliich was passed in IHIO, require that an oath 
 he taken i)efore a state-court i)y a foreigner of 
 good moral character three years before his admis- 
 sion, of his intention to hecome a citizen, and to 
 renounce his native ;dlegiance : and at the time 
 of admission he must satisfy the court, that he 
 has resided five or six years, at least, within the 
 United States, and likewise take an oath to 
 renounce and abjure his native allegiance, and 
 to support the constitution of the United States. 
 America is in some respects, a laboratory for 
 the rest of the world. It is the fittest region for 
 experiment. From the first of January, 183*2, 
 imprisonment for debt has ceased in the state of 
 New York ; the fact is, there is so much more 
 false capital in the United States than in Eng- 
 
 If 
 
IN \vn.ni( \. 
 
 |s:{ 
 
 limd, tliat a crcdifor is not of'fcii imc dollar flu- 
 richer for liaviiit»' put his dchtor into confincinciif. 
 'V\\v oxainj)l(s if it succeed, will prolmhiv soon 
 he followed in Massachusetts, where there is a 
 stronjr party in favour of a similar i>\])eriment. 
 Whilst I was in that state, a meetinu^ was held 
 at Boston, to consider of its propriety: l>ut the 
 united ariJ'uineuts of many speakers, tended to 
 prove nothing more than what was jnost prohaMv 
 acknovvledL^ed heforehand, hy three-fourths of 
 those who heard them, and into whicli ;dl that 
 can be said on the suhject must ultimately 
 resolve itself, nurtiely, that the surt'erinos of an 
 innocent debtor are highly unjust, and much to 
 be lamented; but that it would be very objection- 
 able to iiave no means of confinini^ one whose 
 conduct had been fraudulent. Hy the consti- 
 tution of the state of Illinois, imprisonment for 
 debt is disallowed, except in cases of fraud, or 
 
 
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 SIX MOMHS 
 
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 the rcfiisiil of the (Uhtor to dolivor up liis pro- 
 perty tor tlic l)iMU'Ht of Iiis creditors. 
 
 The question as to the power of uny court 
 or officer to remove a cliiid from liis parents on 
 account of their misconduct, remains unsettled; 
 but if either of the parents were dead, and tlie 
 survivm* an unsuitable person to take care of the 
 child, application would ho made to the orphan's 
 court, which exists in every state. Its authority 
 resembles that of the lord chancellor in cases 
 of infants being wards of court. Wills, both 
 of real and personal estate, are proved there; 
 and all executors and administrators pass their 
 accounts in this court, from whose decisions 
 an appeal lies to the chancellor. All deeds are 
 by law required to be registered. Wills are 
 proved and witnessed as in England; and a 
 similar law prevents a witness from taking a 
 legacy. A case of fraud used in obtaining a 
 
 I' ' 
 
IN NMKKK A. 
 
 Is; 
 
 a 
 a 
 a 
 
 will, tlio only fraud of which the Kn^lish (.'ourt 
 of chancery docs not take notice, is decided hv 
 the chancellor in some states: in others, it is 
 usual to send it, as in Knu:laiul, to a iuiy. 
 
 Tlie whole law of mortij^age is, ^^enerally 
 speaking, much the same as in England. 
 
 The proceedings in a chancery suit, difl'er 
 only in the pleadings being a little more simple : 
 a hill for instance, contains merely the statino- 
 and interrogating parts, aiul the prayer. Wit- 
 nesses are examined, as in England, upon written 
 interrogatories. The effect of an answer and 
 the mode of using it in court, are also similar. 
 
 There is no such officer as an accountant- 
 general. Masters in chancery are known only 
 in some of the stiites. Their duties are some- 
 what similar; and matters are referred to any 
 one of them whom the parties may agree upon. 
 In New York, I observed that " Mr. A. master 
 
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 SIX MONTHS. 
 
 ill cliuiicrry," was alnutst as tVi'(|uontly to bo 
 seen on the door, as the names of a connseHor 
 and solicitor. In those stiites where tiiere are no 
 masters in chancery, the court lias a " Permanent 
 Auditor," who discharges nearly all the duties 
 assigned to the masters in Enj^land. 
 
 The form of an action, the pleadings, and 
 the method of obtaining evidence, are essentially 
 the same as those used in England, generalh'. 
 In some stiites the action of ejectment is un- 
 known ; in others, it has merely undergone some 
 modification. Real actions, such as writs of 
 right, writs of entry, arc much used ; the period 
 of limitiition has, however, been altered from 
 that of England. The English law of prescrip- 
 tion is acknowledged, with a very few necessarily 
 constitutional exceptions. The period of limita- 
 tion allowed in an action of assumpsit, also 
 varies in different states; in some it is three 
 
 IH 
 
IN A.MllllKA. 
 
 hi7 
 
 years, in others it is six, as in Kiij^laiul. Where 
 the action of ejectment is in use, the period ot 
 limitation is in some states twenty years, as 
 in En^hind; in others, seven years is thouirht 
 sufficient. 
 
 Juries are generally constituted as in Kni;- 
 land, with the exception of sj)ecial juries, 
 which are never formed. 
 
 Throughout the United Stiites a counsellor is 
 allowed to make a speech for the prisoner, and 
 act generally in his behalf, as in a civil cause. 
 
 Every state in the Union has its rules for 
 the admission of counsellors, solicitors, and 
 attorneys. They generally require that a stu- 
 dent shall have studied law with some counsellor 
 for at least three years. On application for an 
 admission as an attorney, the court usually 
 appoints three gentlemen of the bar to examine 
 into the moral and legal qualifications of the 
 
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 m 
 
 'ti 
 
IHS 
 
 *^IN MONIIIs 
 
 .11 
 
 u 
 
 i\\)\)\'H",\n\ . If lie Ih' |Ut'vi(>iisly iiiid tavouraMv 
 known to tlu-ni, the t'xaniination is almost no- 
 minal. If lio i)(> unknown, or ho known, l>nt 
 with nnfavoural)k» imj)r('sslons, tlu* (v\aminati«»n 
 is |)r()|)ortional)ly more strict. WIumi admitted 
 as either counsellor or solicitor, he can jronerally 
 practise in both characters, the distinction being 
 nominal, excepting in the supreme court of the 
 United States, where no person can be counsellor 
 and solicitor at the same time. In the country 
 particularly, it is usual for a lawyer to assume 
 the duties of attorney, conveyancer, proctor, 
 solicitor, and counsellor; but after having prac- 
 tised some time, he usually confines himself to 
 the practice of a counsellor only. A barrister 
 and solicitor are frequently partners : as I have 
 before remarked, it would be impossible for any 
 practitioner to obtain a livelihood, excepting in 
 the larger towns, without exercising his abilities 
 

 IN' A.Mi;i!l(.\. 
 
 I,s«> 
 
 ill iM.rh faj)afiri('s. Vov tlic " inafcrii'l" of a 
 groat part of tlio forciroiiiir n-inarks I am iii- 
 (It'l)tc(l to tin- kind and ahlt" assisfancc of a ^cii- 
 MiMnan (»f the Haltiinoro Nar, and I have ciidea- 
 voiii-cd tliat their accuracy shoidd not siift'iT 
 under my pen, 
 
 It vvouhl he tedious to enter into any detail 
 of tlic different state constitutions. It is suf- 
 ficient to remark, tliat their affairs are usually 
 administered hy a governor, a senate, and a 
 liouse of representatives. The executive au- 
 thority is vested in the governor, who lias in 
 some states the benefit of a council. In some 
 states he is elected - b^ a period of four ycjirs, 
 but more usually for two. The legislature 
 consists of a senate, and house of representa- 
 tives : both, or the hitter, are usually elected an- 
 nually ; but sometimes for a longer period, with 
 modifications. In the state of Rhode Island, 
 
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 SIX .MDNTHs 
 
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 II 
 
 \l 
 
 \vli(»s(' ^ovcrnnu'iif is fiMmdi'd on tlic ])rovisi<>ns 
 of till' chaitor ^raiittMl to the colony l)y Charli's 
 the Second in IGGO, and which is the only sUitc 
 in the Union that has no written constitution; 
 the governor, senate, and judges arc elected 
 aninially ; the mendn'is of the house of rei>re- 
 sentatives are elected every six months, or semi- 
 annually, as they term it. In general, no other 
 (jualifications are re(iuire(l of voters hut those of 
 colour, age, sex, and residence. In nearly all the 
 states the right of suffrage is enjoyed by free 
 white citizens, who have resided for one year 
 in the state, and six mouths in the country. In 
 some of the states, colour is no bar. As to age, 
 that of twenty-one years is the usual requisition. 
 Every voter must of course be a citizen of the 
 United States. 
 
 Without entering at large upon the hack- 
 neyed subject of universal suffrage, it may be 
 
 h¥ 
 
IN AMI.lt MA. 
 
 I«H 
 
 siitKt'ii'iit to remark, that tlir iiitrinsii- evils ot'tlie 
 systt'in are more or less a('kiiowle(lii;e(l hy a very 
 lar^e proimrtioii ot" the hetter elass of Amerieaiis, 
 altiiout!,h they of e«)urse diminish in the same 
 ratio with the increase of virtue and intelligence; 
 the objection is not merely, tluit the uncultivated 
 and the ignorant part of the connnunity should 
 1)0 allowed tiie unqualified ri«*;ht of suffrage ; hut 
 it lies in the corru])t influence to which it is 
 open. Both the rich and the j)oor man have 
 rij^hts to he protected; hut it must be unreason- 
 able, that the wealthy juid enlii^htened should be 
 controlled by the needy. 'I'he object of my 
 charity goes to the poll ; and not only exercises 
 as much political liberty as myself, but a great 
 deal more ; because the poorer classes being the 
 more numerous, the government is, in effect, 
 inider their direction. If in addition to this it 
 be considered, that they must lre(piently vote in 
 
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 1; 
 
 Ja 
 
 "N- 
 
 .?t 
 
1 1>1> 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 t 
 
 II 
 
 1 !*« 
 
 (MHii|iliaii('t' with flu' wislu's ni a siipcrior, it 
 follows, flijit the most comiiit, or the most s\w~ 
 I'fsstiil at iiitrii»;iu', must nijoy tin* ;;n'at('st slian* 
 of political powiT. A person \\\nt (htvs not in 
 sncli a country an America, i^ain some sort of 
 (puiliHcation hy liis industry is, surely, unworthy 
 to l)e trusted with the riiiht of surtVa^•e. I was 
 informed that votes were viM'y rarely bought 
 with money, and helieved it: because wliere 
 the voters an<l the candidates are so numerous, 
 the <lisl)ursements must he very lari^e, and the 
 difTiculty of concealment proportionately in- 
 creased. They are rather conmianded by con- 
 siderations of place ; and it is very evident, tliat 
 a person who could be influenced by interest 
 in one way, could easily be bribed in another, 
 were it not for the fear of detection. The 
 system of treating- is common enougli. "Why, 
 Sir ! " said an old woman te a gentleman of 
 
 I 
 
IN ami: UK A. 
 
 Ii):( 
 
 II 
 
 .Smtli C'aroliiiiu iii\ iiitoniiitiit, •• I i»u«'>^ Mr. A. 
 is tlu' Httost Mian of tlic f\\o, Imt t'otluT 
 wliiskifs the hfsf." Tlu' iiiriiit'iicc «>f ju'ttv 
 <lt'inai^o^m's is very yriat ; flicic Ixiiii'- usually 
 \\vo or tliri'c ill cvi-ry villai^f. Naturali/.i'd 
 forei^iuTs, as a ixxiy ot" votiTs, possess ^rrat 
 power ill sonic places: in \c\v \uvk, wlnrc rlicrc 
 ar<' said to l)c nearly ;jn,(MM) Irish, their iiitlnciicc 
 over tlie elections is much complained of. 
 
 'I'he lioiisc of represeiitjitives of the I'liited 
 States is composed of memhers chosen every 
 second year, i)y the |)eople of the several states. 
 Ill X'irginia ami Kentucky they are voted for, 
 rlrd voce, and not by ballot, as in the other 
 states. At present, one member is returned for 
 every forty thousand persons, five slaves in the 
 slave states counting as three whites. The 
 present number is 216. As the number of re- 
 presentatives mi^ht be too large, in consecpience 
 
 . J 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 ^1 ;. 
 
 1- 
 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
 % ; :.;■ 
 
 
 I 
 
IJ)4 
 
 SIX :S(()N'IMs 
 
 of the increasinj^' ))0))ulati<)M, tlic t'oiistifiitioii 
 provides that the munher shouhl not exceed one 
 for every 0(),()00, but that no state sliall l)e 
 without a representative. As the minimum only 
 is there mentioned, the federal congress has 
 the power of extending the mnnher of electors 
 necessary for the return of a member. 
 
 The senate of the United States is composed 
 of two members from each state. Tliey are 
 chosen by the legishature of tlie several states, 
 for the term of six years ; one-third of them 
 being elected every two years. The only qua- 
 lifications necessary for a senator are — that he 
 be thirty years of age, in conformity with the 
 age of the Roman senator; and that he have 
 been for nine years a citizen of the United 
 States, and an inhabitant of the state for which 
 he is elected. 
 
 The qualifications required of a member of 
 
IN A.MKKK A. 
 
 I J).-) 
 
 rlio houso of roprescMitatiws aro — that lio he 
 twenty-five years of age ; seven yejirs a citizen 
 of the United States, and an iniiabitant of the 
 state where he is chosen. Xo property qualifi- 
 cation is required in either case ; and the conse- 
 quence is, that the liouse of representatives is 
 iialf filled with young lawyers. The oidy privi- 
 lege it enjoys in its legislative character, wliich 
 is not shared by the senate, is, tiiat it has 
 the exclusive right of originating all money 
 bills. 
 
 Chancellor Kent, in his Commentaries, ob- 
 serves, " that the great object of the separation 
 of the legislature into two houses, acting sepa- 
 rately, and with co-ordinate powers, is to destroy 
 the evil effects of sudden and strong excitement ; 
 and of precipitate measures, springing from 
 passion, caprice, prejudice, personal influence, 
 and party intrigue, which have been found, by 
 
 .1 ,( 
 
 .1'. 
 
 •n 
 
 1-. I'l 
 
 I * 
 
 i 
 
 ) 
 
 
 4'*a 
 
 I. ■ I ^ I 
 
 4 
 it 
 
V 
 
 
 't' 
 
 • 
 
 11 
 
 if: 
 
 I9(i 
 
 SIX ]\r<)NIHS 
 
 sjul c'X|)rri('iiC(», to exercise a potent and dan- 
 gerous sway in single asseinl)lies." 
 
 No one can, for a moment, <loul)t tlie force 
 of these remarks. It is the best arrangement 
 tliat can 1)e a(h)|)ted in a republic: still it is hut 
 splitting one pillar into two; the interests and 
 inducements are co-extensive. The senate of 
 the United States and the British house of 
 lords are, or may he, equally influenced by the 
 love of their country, and both are intended for 
 its protection; but the one is little more than 
 another house of representatives, the other a 
 most essentially distinct part of the government : 
 ])oth are bound by the ties of honour, and the 
 duties of both are defined and exacted by the 
 constitution; but those of the house of lords 
 are dictated by the further necessity of consult- 
 ing their own security, by a proj) and con- 
 stant interposition between the throne and the 
 
IV A ME UK A. 
 
 107 
 
 people. The interests of the one are the same 
 as those of the house of representatives, the 
 only additional power they enjoy consisting of 
 an association with the president, for the pur- 
 pose of making treaties, and in the appointment 
 of government officers. The interests of the 
 house of lords are identified with those of 
 the house of commons, not merely with refer- 
 ence to property up to an extent usually far 
 exceeding the amount of the qualifications 
 necessary for obtaining a seat in that house; 
 but they purchase an additional security to the 
 constitution, by obliging the peers of Great 
 Britain to keep a watchful eye on e^Try attempt 
 at encroachment upon the dignity of the crown, 
 their own rank in the country, and their rights 
 as "hereditary lawgivers." In these times, when 
 speculation is afloat, not as to what they will 
 do, but as to what they dare do, how true 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 O 
 
 Vi 
 
 1.1!. 
 
 Hi 
 , >< 
 
 f). 
 
 
 1 ; L 
 
 p- 
 
 If 
 
198 
 
 SIX .MOxN'TllS 
 
 \¥: 
 
 should they ho to themselves. Their ohligutions 
 are fur more weighty than the " legal presump- 
 tion" (to use the words of Chancellor Kent, 
 when speaking of the senate with reference to 
 the houses of representatives), " that the senate 
 will entertain more enlarged views of public 
 policy, will feel a higher and greater sense of 
 national character, and a greater regard for sta- 
 bility in the administration of the government. " 
 The president of the United States must 
 be a citizen of the United States, must have 
 attained the age of twenty-one years, and 
 have been fourteen years a resident in the 
 United States. He holds his office for four 
 years. He is elected at the same time as the 
 vice-president, who is president of the senate, 
 but who has no vote, unless the votes be equally 
 divided. The president, vice-president, and all 
 civil officers of the United States, are removed 
 
IN AMERICA. 
 
 lot) 
 
 from office on impoachmont for, an<l conviction 
 of, treason, bribery, or other Iiigh crimes and 
 misdemeanours. Tlie president is commander- 
 in-chief of the army and navy: lie has the 
 power by, and with tJie advice and consent of 
 the senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds 
 of the senators present concur: he can con- 
 vene both houses of congress, on extraordinary 
 occasions; and adjourn them in case of their 
 disagreement as to the time, to any time he 
 may think proper: he appoints ambassadors, 
 other public ministers and consuls, judges of 
 the supreme court, and all officers of the United 
 States whose appointments are not otherwise 
 provided for by the constitution, and which shall 
 be established by law, &c. &c. The president 
 and vice-president are elected by electors ap- 
 pointed in each state equal to the whole number 
 of senators and representatives to which the 
 
 o2 
 
 r 
 
 J 
 
 :W 
 
 
 I 
 
 Mn 
 
 if • ,t-f 
 
•200 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 Vi* 
 
 state may he ciititlecl to in congress; but no 
 senator, or re})resentative, or person holding an 
 office of trust or profit under the United States, 
 shall be appointed an elector. The method of 
 choosing^ these electors is threefold : by the 
 state-legislatures ; by general-ticket ; and by 
 districts. The two latter are more generally 
 preferred, as the choice emanates more directly 
 from the people. Four only of the states, — 
 Delaware, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Ten- 
 nessee, adopt the former. I think it would be 
 tedious and luniecessary to give an analysis of 
 these three methods ; suffice it to remark, I have 
 heard it regretted that the constitution did not 
 limit the choice to one mode. Chancellor Kent 
 says " there would be less opportunity for dan- 
 gerous coalitions and combinations for party, 
 or ambitious or selfish purposes, if the choice of 
 electors were referred to the people at large; and 
 
'N' A.MF.HKA. 
 
 •20! 
 
 this sooms „ow fo 1)0 the. sonso an.l (vxprossio,, 
 of public opinion." WIkm. tl.o' doctors l.avo 
 made out tl.e requisite lists, they arc sent up to, 
 and opened in the presence of the senate and 
 house of represensatives; and the president an,l 
 vice-president are chosen in the manner pre- 
 scribed by the twelfth article of the amcMulmonts 
 to the constitution. In the year 180], the fede- 
 ralist candidates for the i)residency and vieo- 
 presidency were Mr. Adams and (Joneral Pink- 
 ney; the republican favourites were Mr. .[offor- 
 son and Colonel Barr. The two latter obtaino<l 
 a small, but equal majority over the former: 
 and to decide between them was the allotted 
 office of the house of representatives. Mr. 
 Jefferson was chosen after no less than thirty- 
 five trials. In the mean time the peoi)le were 
 kept in suspense ; the tranquillity of the I jiion 
 
 was endangered : tiio nrw^iMllf,. «*• 
 
 j_,vi^,4, uic ])ossn)iiit\ ot a recurrence 
 
 :1 ,i 
 
 ^'^l 
 
 fii 
 
20-2 
 
 SJX MONTHS 
 
 of simiiur difficulties was forcibly imj>res8ecl upon 
 the minds of Americans; and an alteration of the 
 clause regulating the mode of election of the 
 president and vice-president was resolved upon. 
 The old clause contained these words, " The 
 person having the greatest number of votes to 
 be president, if such number be a majority of 
 the whole number of electors appointed ; and if 
 there be more than one who have such majority, 
 and have an equal number of votes, then 
 the house of representatives shall immediately 
 choose by ballot one of them for a president, 
 &c." The mode of election was altered; but 
 it may still happen that the vote of a single 
 member of the house of representatives may 
 decide it. In President Jackson's Message of 
 December, 1830, he says, that "the necessity 
 for an amendment is made so clear to his mind 
 by the observation of its evils, and by the 
 
IN AaMEKKA. 
 
 •20;) 
 
 many able discussions which tlicy have elicited 
 on the floor of congress, and elsewhere, that he 
 should be wanting in his duty were he to with- 
 hold another expression of his deep solicitude 
 on the subject. A contingency which some- 
 times places it in the power of a single mem- 
 ber of the house of representatives to decide 
 an election of so high and solemn a character, 
 is unjust to the people; and becomes, when 
 it occurs, a source of embarrassment to the indi- 
 viduals thus brought into power, and a cause 
 of distrust of the representative body. Liable 
 as the confederacy is, from its great extent, to 
 parties founded upon sectional interests, and to 
 a corresponding midtiplication of candidates for 
 the presidency, the tendency of the constitu- 
 tional reference to the house of representatives 
 is to devolve the election upon that body, in 
 almost every instance; and whatever choice 
 
 S:^ 
 
 
 u* 
 
 1 , 
 
 •: r 
 
 'A,i 
 
 4' 
 
 1 
 
Iff 
 
 »204 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 '4 
 
 may tlius Uv mjuU' amon^ tho caiulidates thu8 
 presented to them, to swell tl»e influence of 
 particular interests to a degree inconsistent with 
 the general good." The election of the pre- 
 sident, immediately by the people, without the 
 intervention of electors, is here hinted at. There 
 is a levelling spirit abroad in the United States, 
 that sheds its influence over new laws and insti- 
 tutions : if there be a possibility of a tendency 
 towards either the federal or the democratical 
 principles, that tendency is sure to be demo- 
 cratical; and it is by no means improbable, that 
 such a mode of election may, at some future 
 day, be contended for and adopted. Chancellor 
 Kent says, " that the mode of appointment of 
 the president, presented one of the most difficult 
 and momentous questions that could have occu- 
 pied the deliberations of the assembly which 
 framed the constitution : and if ever the tran- 
 
 ( 
 
IN AMKIIUA. 
 
 !>():» 
 
 quilliry of this nation is to he (listurl)CMl, and its 
 |)eaco joopardisod l)y a struggle for power anion«»- 
 themselves, it will he u|)on this very suhjeet of 
 the choise of a president. It is the (piestion 
 that is eventually to attest the goodness and try 
 the strength of the constitution, &c." Should 
 the mode of election he altered, as I have just 
 supposed it may he, we may hid adieu to the 
 Union forthwith. When we consider the in- 
 creasing population of the United States, the 
 immense variety of interests, and that every free 
 inhabitant feels, I may say, personally con- 
 cerned, — whether he be really so or not, — in the 
 success of his favourite candidate, we can, in 
 some measure, foresee even under the present 
 mode of election, how violent, how convulsing, 
 at no very distant period, will be the struggle 
 and party-feeling exliibited at the election of an 
 officer, whose opinions on the construction of 
 
 (,1 
 
 ^ 
 
 ■h : 
 
r*4 
 
 It . 
 
 2(K) 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 !*«*' 
 
 ^ 
 
 l\n* artic'loj^ of tlio constitution, during liis sliort 
 ascendancy of four years, will affect millions with 
 a sentiment of attachment or disjrust. When 
 General Jackson came into office, he imme- 
 diately thought proper to turn out several 
 hundred subordinate officers, whose places were 
 filled up by his own i)arty. Tlie number of 
 those who lost their places at the commence- 
 ment of any preceding presidency was ex- 
 tremely small, bearing no proportion whatever 
 to those dismissed by the General. The in- 
 creasing weight and importance of the affairs 
 of the United States rendered it partly a 
 matter of expediency to do so ; and, in all 
 human probability, future presidents will find 
 themselves obliged to follow the example. I 
 make no remark on the late petticoat confu- 
 sion in the United States* cabinet; like the 
 battle of Navarino, the best that can be said 
 of it is, that it was an '^ untoward event." 
 
IN A mi; UK A. 
 
 '207 
 
 
 The salary of the piTsidoiit is 'jrijiMM) 
 (lollurs (56-25/.) a yi'ar, with the prrsi^lont's 
 houHo at Washington for his rcsicU'iit'o ; hut 
 his expenses do not ecpial his intonio, Mr. 
 Calhoun, the vice-president, receives hut 5000 
 dollars (11*25/.) a year. The secretaries for 
 state, treasury, war, and navy, and the post- 
 master-general, receive a yearly salary of (5000 
 dollars (1350/.) each, and work very hard 
 for it, their time and attention being fully 
 occupied, and often till a late hour of the night. 
 
 In the Message of 1830, to which I have 
 before referred, General Jackson invites the 
 attention of congress to the propriety of pro- 
 moting such an amendment of the constitution 
 as will render the president ineligible after one 
 term of service; and yet General Jackson is 
 again a candidate, and most probably a success- 
 ful candidate, for the office of president at the 
 
 'J 
 
 ^i 
 
 
*208 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 
 next I'loctioii, on tho first Wednesdav in Do- 
 comber, 1832, ])re})arjitory to his taking offico 
 for tho tvvolfth prosidential term of four years, 
 commencing on tlie ^tl of March, 18^33. 
 
 The election of the next — and lieaven knows 
 how many future presidents! — will depend upon 
 the known oj)ini()ns of either candidate u})on 
 " the Cherokee case ; upon the cpiestion of the 
 renewal of tlie charter of tho United States' 
 Bank, to which I have before adverted; on 
 Mcisonry ; on whether there is or is not a power 
 granted by the constitution to lay out the federal 
 funds upon internal improvements throughout 
 the Union ; and lastly, on the still more im- 
 portant question as to the continuance or modi- 
 fication of the existing tariff. The candidates 
 will most likely be General Jackson, the pre- 
 sident of the (hiy, Mr. Clay, Mr. Wirt, and 
 Mr. Calhoun. 
 
IN' AMEUICA. 
 
 '209 
 
 The opinions of Cioneial Jackson are in 
 favour of the removal of tlie Cherokees : he is 
 averse to the renewal of the charter of the 
 United States' Bank: he is a Freemason, ami 
 l)elieves that thff ai)i)lication of the federal funds 
 to internal improvements would be unconstitu- 
 tional. His oj)inions on the tariff question are 
 oracular and uncertain. 
 
 Mr. Clay is opposed to the removal of the 
 Cherokees; he is in favour of the renewal of the 
 Baidv charter; he is a Mason; is an advocate 
 for internal improvements ; and a staunch friend 
 to the protecting, or, as it is called by its suj)- 
 porters, the American system. 
 
 Mr. Wirt, a gentleman of Maryland, was 
 the counsel for the Cherokees before the 
 supreme court. He has lately been started as 
 a candidate by the Anti-masons. Since the 
 abduction ami supposed murder of William 
 
 'P 
 
 I, ' 
 
 h 
 
 ;ii 
 
 
11 
 
 210 
 
 SIX MOiN'TIIS 
 
 1;^ 
 M 
 
 ii 
 
 m 
 
 J " 
 
 * fl 
 
 Morgjin, who, a few years since, wrote a book 
 revealing the secrets of Freemasonry, the Anti- 
 masons have become gradually more and more 
 numerous. They profess a hatred of all secret 
 societies as dangerous and unconstitutional ; and 
 although tliey will not be able to secure the 
 presidency to themselves, yet it is probable 
 they will be sufficiently strong to defeat the 
 election of either of the more obnoxious can- 
 didates. Mr. Wirt's opinions are supposed to 
 coincide with those of Mr. Clay generally ; but 
 \vith respect to the internal improvement system, 
 and the tariff question, he is at present un- 
 committed. 
 
 Mr. Calhoun, the vice-president of the day, 
 is the great champion of the interests of the 
 southern states, the nullifiers, and the anti- 
 tariff party ; and in that character, if at all, he 
 will be elected to the presidency. His opinions 
 
>!. 
 
 « 
 
 IN AMERICA. 
 
 211 
 
 '^;V0m 
 
 arc in favour of the removal of the Clierokces, 
 and of the existence of the United States' 
 Bank. On the subject of internal improve- 
 ments liis opinions are said to be changed, he 
 having been originally an advocate of the sys- 
 tem when secretary at war in 1819. He is 
 a " Nullifier," altliough his situation as vice- 
 president has prevented him from showing him- 
 self in that character so uniformly as he would 
 have done. Tlie term " nullifier," which, like 
 the word "radical" in England, has now grown 
 into common use, was first adopted by the mem- 
 bers from South Carolina, in congress, about 
 two years ago; the doctrine they profess was 
 broached at the same time. A nullifier is a 
 person who holds that the federal constitution is 
 merely a compact or league between the several 
 states; and that each state has a right to 
 decide for itself concerning the infractions of 
 
 :1> 
 
 ■I 
 
 
 i-'i 
 
 < i- i 
 
 : :-■ 
 
•212 
 
 MX .%rONTHS 
 
 sw. *■ 
 
 n 
 
 I :-M 
 
 tlint league hy tlie federal government, and to 
 nullify or declare void an act of the federal 
 congress within its limits. 
 
 Whatever may be urged by the party who 
 art opposed to the opinions of General Jackson, 
 with refr fence to the advancement of prosperity 
 in . the United States by his internal policy 
 merely, his administrations of the affairs of his 
 country with regard to its relations with foreign 
 powers, has certainly been generally successful. 
 He has obtained for her the command of a 
 profitable trade with the British West Indian 
 and North American colonies, thereby settling a 
 question which had already been the subject 
 of six negociations. The president, in his 
 Message, at the second sitting of congress, 
 on the 7th of December, 1830, says, that this 
 desirable result was promoted by the liberal 
 provision of congress, in allowing the ports of 
 
I ", 
 
 IN AMEUKA. 
 
 '2\:\ 
 
 till' United .States to he open to Hritisli shi]^pi^^• 
 before the arrangement eouhl he earried into 
 effect on the part of Great Britain, therehy 
 reqniting a similar act of liberality on tlie part 
 of the British government in 18*25. 
 
 He has recovered claims upon the Brazils, 
 Columbia, and Denmark, from which kingdom 
 the payment of 650,000 dollars is secured to 
 the citizens of the United States, for spoliations 
 upon their commerce in the years 1808, 9, 10, 
 and 11. Similar claims upon France, for inju- 
 ries during the war, have also been lately ad- 
 justed with that power. 
 
 He has concluded a treaty of commerce with 
 Mexico ; and by another with Columbia, he has 
 freed the American merchants from the discri- 
 minating duties which had been imposed upon 
 them; and by another with Turkey he has 
 secured a free passage for American merchant- 
 
 i'' ^\H 
 
 ■i., 
 ■ .1 
 
 '•1^ 
 
 i-i. 
 
 
 w,. 
 
 \4 
 
 : 
 
 : i!c 
 
 , r ' ■ 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
'214 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 men, without limitation of time, to and from the 
 Black Sea, by which their trade with Turkey 
 is placed on an equal footing with tliat of other 
 nations. 
 
 By a compact made between the United 
 States and the state of Georgia, on the 24th of 
 April, 1802, and long before any gold mines were 
 thought of, the United States engaged to extin- 
 guish for the use of Georgia, "as early as the 
 same could be peaceably obtained on reasonable 
 terms, the Indian title to the county of Talassee, 
 and to all the other lands within the state of 
 Georgia." As gold mines, within two or three 
 years, have been discovered in that state, it has 
 naturally followed, that the inclination of the 
 Indians to remain, and that of the Georgians to 
 get rid of them, has become far more decided 
 than formerly. The Indians (Cherokees) however, 
 claim a voice in the affair of tiic'r removal from 
 
IN A.MEIIKA. 
 
 •21.1 
 
 the land of tlieir tlitliers; and that their assor- 
 tioiis have other fouudations than those of an 
 appeal to common justice and humanity, is 
 proved by tlie fact, that from the 28tli of 
 November, 1785, tlie general government has 
 made witli them no less than fifteen ditferent 
 treaties, thereby plainly acknowledging their in- 
 dependence, and their capacity and power to 
 treat. Within the last two or three years, how- 
 ever, gold, as I have before remarked, has been 
 discovered on the territories of the Indians; 
 and the state of Georgia has applied to the 
 general government to fulfil the contract, and 
 rid them of the Cherokees. The general 
 government would be willing to come to a 
 proper arrangement with the Cherokees, but 
 they are unwilling to go. The number now left 
 is about 15,000; the remainder of the tribe, 
 since the year 1809, havuig acceded to the offer 
 
 ..i: 
 
 ■|,i 
 
 ■'U' 
 
 & 
 
 ■ Lift 
 
 :^ 
 
 I'l 
 
 i-a 
 
216 
 
 SIX .MONTHS 
 
 « .' 
 
 of tlie United States, and removed to tlie 
 lands provided for tliem beyond tlie Mississip})i. 
 When this part of the tribe petitioned to be 
 allowed to remove, the answer of the president 
 (Mr. Madison) contained the words, " those wlio 
 are willing to remove may be assured of our 
 pat^ronage, our aid, and our good neighbour- 
 hood." The Georgians, however, happen to 
 think that this is just tlie time for them to go, 
 and they forcibly prevent them from digging 
 for gold on their own land, saying, that every 
 year will but increase their anxiety to remain ; 
 and that they have no right to dig for gold 
 when the reversion of the land is in the state. 
 These disputes yet remain imsettled. 
 
 The Cherokees are far advanced in civil- 
 ization; and have among them men of very 
 superior abilities. They adopt in part the 
 costume of Europeans; they have schools, and 
 

 IN AMLIIKA. 
 
 1>I7 
 
 churches, and a printing press among them; 
 and were fully compeient to understand the 
 following precious piece of humbug, forming 
 part of President Jackson's message to congress, 
 in 1830. " Humanity has often wept over the 
 fate of the aborigines of this country; and 
 philanthropy has been long busily employed in 
 devising means to avert it; but its progress has 
 never for a moment been arrested, and one by 
 one have many powerful tribes disappeared 
 from the earth. To follow to the tomb the last 
 of this race, and to tread on the graves of 
 extinct nations, excites melancholy reflections. 
 But true philanthropy reconciles the mind to 
 these vicissitudes, as it does to the extinction of 
 one generation to make room for another. In 
 the monuments and fortresses of an unknown 
 people spread over the extensive regions of the 
 >vest, we behold the memorials of a once 
 
 ■t ; 
 
 % 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 \i'! 
 
 U^!^ 
 
 i y 
 
 I 
 
 1. -I I 
 
 1:1* 
 
 t ••■i 
 
 Ml 
 
»2I8 
 
 SIX MON'IIIS 
 
 powerful race, whicli was exterminated, or has 
 tlisappeared, to make room for tlie existiufij 
 savage tribes, &c. &c. The tribes which occu- 
 pied the countries now constituting the eastern 
 states, were annihihited or liave melted away 
 to make room for tlie whites. The waves of 
 popuhition and civilization are rolling to the 
 westward; and we now propose to acquire the 
 countries occupied by the red men of the south 
 and west, by a fair exchange, and at the ex- 
 pense of the United States, to send them to a 
 land where their existence may be prolonged 
 and perhaps made perpetual. Doubtless it will 
 be painful to leave tlie graves of their fathers ; 
 but what do they more than our ancestors did, 
 or than our children are now doing ? To better 
 their condition in unknown lands, our forefathers 
 left all that was dear in earthly objects; our 
 children by thousands yearl}' leave the land of 
 
IN A> IKI» A. *2Ui 
 
 their hirtli to scok new homes in .iiNt .,"' m^tm^ 
 
 Does humanity weep at these painful «r ?iratio«» 
 
 from every thing animate and inanimate vvitli 
 
 which the young heart has become entwined ? 
 
 Far from it! It is rather a source of joy that 
 
 our country affords scope where our young 
 
 population may range unconstrained in body or 
 
 in mind, developing the power and faculties of 
 
 man in their highest perfection. These remove 
 
 hundreds and almost thousands of miles at their 
 
 own expense, purchase the lands they occupy, 
 
 and support themselves at their new home from 
 
 the moment of their arrival. Can it be cruel in 
 
 this government, when, by events which it 
 
 cannot control, the Indian is made discontented 
 
 with his ancient home, to purchase his lands, to 
 
 gl/e him a new and extensive territory, to pay 
 
 the expenses of his removal, and support him a 
 
 year in his new abode? How many thousands 
 
 ■Sr 
 
 ir 
 
 n 
 
h 
 
 k'W'i 
 
 m 
 
 i (... 
 
 ,M 
 
 •2'2() 
 
 SIX .>roNTII.s 
 
 of our own poopli' woul<l gladly embrace tlio 
 opportunity of removing to the west on sueli 
 eonditions. If the offers made to the Indians 
 were extended to tliem, they would be hailed 
 with gratitude and joy. 
 
 "And is it supj>()sed that the wandering savage 
 has a stronger attaeliment to Ids liome than the 
 settled, civilized Christian ? Is it more afflicting 
 to him to leave tlie graves of liis fathers, than it 
 is to our brothers and children ? Rightly con- 
 sidered, the policy of the general government 
 towards the red man, is not oidy liberal but 
 generous. He is unwilling to submit to the 
 laws of the states, and to mingle with their 
 population. To save him from this alternative, 
 or, perhaps, utter annihilation, the general go- 
 vernment kindly offers him a new home; and 
 proposes to pay the whole expense of his re- 
 moval and settlement." 
 
] 
 
 IN \Mi:HI(.\. 
 
 • )•>■ 
 
 I will luTf intHMhur a iv\v ri'inarks on what 
 is i-alkMl tho gold vvgum in the rnitv.l States, 
 with the kind assistance of Mr. Damin, a Svve- 
 <lish ^entK'man resident at \ew York, and con- 
 nected with tlie goU mines. I have seh-eted 
 them, with a very few alterations, from the reports 
 on the snhject lately puhlished hy the govern- 
 ment. It is now about thirty years since gold 
 was discovered in North Carolina; it was found 
 in the sand and gravel of different water-courses, 
 first in Caharras county, soon afterwards in a 
 county of Montgomery in that state. Until 
 within a few years past, the process of vviishing 
 for gold was principally confined to the two 
 counties just named. The greater portion of 
 the gold thus procured was found in small 
 pieces, varying in size from one pennyweight 
 down to particles of extreme minuteness; at most 
 of the mines, however, it is not uncommon to 
 
 f 
 
 i\ 
 
 iii 
 
 I ■: 
 
 : yt 
 
 r 11 
 
 i^fi 
 
2'n 
 
 SIX MON'IHS 
 
 li: 
 
 find pieces of a much larger size ; for example, 
 at Cabarras, a single piece has ])een found 
 weighing twenty-eight pounds avoirdupois, be- 
 sides several other pieces varying from four to 
 sixteen pounds. The proprietor of the same 
 mine affirms, that about a hundred pounds avoir- 
 dupois have been found in pieces, about one 
 pound in weight; these large pieces, however, 
 compose but a small portion of the whole pro- 
 duct of the mines. 
 
 At a mine in Montgomery county, a number 
 of pieces of about one pound weight have been 
 found. One of them weighed four pounds 
 eleven ounces, and another three poimds. In 
 Anson county, during the summer of 1828, a 
 piece of gold weighing ten pounds, another of 
 four pounds weight, together with a number 
 of small pieces, were taken up out of the sands 
 and gravel of Richardson's creek. I'hese dis- 
 

 IN A.Mi:UICA. 
 
 2'2S 
 
 - 'A 
 i ■ f' 
 
 covcries have been eliiefly made in or near beds 
 of streams; but in some instances deposits of 
 considerable extent have been found on the sides 
 and tops of liills. 
 
 It was not, however, until about six years 
 ago, tliat tlie gold mines, properly speaking, were 
 discovered in North Cjirolina, that is, gold in 
 regular, well-defined veins. This discovery, 
 like that of the alluvial deposits, was in some 
 measure accidental. A person, while washing 
 the sand and gravel of a small rivulet for gold 
 in Montgomery county, observed that he coukl 
 never find it beyond a certain spot in ascend- 
 ing the stream ; but at the point where the gold 
 seemed to cease, he discovered a quartz vein 
 running into the hill on one side of the channel, 
 and at right angles with the course of the rivulet. 
 Having frequently taken up out of the bed of 
 the stream, pieces of quartz with bits of gold 
 
 I' 
 
 hi- 
 
 H 
 
 nik 
 
 in 
 
 
 '\% 
 
 
 i S; f 
 
224 
 
 SIX iM(JNTHS 
 
 
 attached to them, he came to the conclusion 
 that the gold found scattered below, must have 
 come out of the vein of quartz ; and he deter- 
 mined to pursue it into the hill. He had done 
 so hut for a few feet, when he struck a beauti- 
 ful deposit of the metal in a matrix of quartz, 
 and subsequently another in carbonate of lime. 
 In following this vein about thirty or forty feet 
 longitudinally, and at a depth of not more than 
 fifteen or eighteen feet, he found a succession of 
 what are technically termed nests, from which 
 he took out more than 15,000 dwt. of virgin 
 gold. Soon afterwards the mine fell into other 
 hands; and the working of the vein has been 
 discontinued in consequence of the quantity of 
 water which made its appearance ; though it is 
 understood that it will be resumed in a short 
 time. This discovery of the metal in regular 
 veins, present* 'd the subject in a new and in- 
 

 IN AMERICA. 
 
 'M-; 
 
 *■*«*# 
 
 
 teresting point of view; and directed a .searcli 
 for gold among tlie hills and high grounds, and 
 particularly for veins traversing the earth. 
 
 In the course of the summer, after the de- 
 velopement of Barringer's mine, some valuable 
 mines were discovered in Mecklenburgh county. 
 The product of these, worked in the rudest 
 manner, without skill or capital, was so great as 
 to excite general notice; and stimulated the 
 land-owners in that section to search for these 
 hidden treasures. Tlie mhies now began to 
 attract the attention of the public; and several 
 persons of enterprise, and some capital, repaired 
 to the spot. Some of them made investments, 
 began to erect machinery, and worked tlie veins 
 with system and regularity. The success of 
 the first adventurers in this new enterprise, and 
 for a time the attention of every body who 
 sought to engage in the mhiing business, was 
 
 
 i 
 ■i: 
 
 1r 
 
 ■ t 
 
 « 
 
 'f't 
 
 
 I 
 
•J'26 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 oxclusivcly turned towards Mocklonl)iirg]i county. 
 The consequence was, a constant search for gold 
 was kept up in that county, and not unattended 
 with success, iis many very promising- veins were 
 discovered. These Mecklenburgh mines were 
 the first that attracted attention ; and the first 
 that were examined and worked with skill and 
 management. They were, of course, greatly in 
 advance of every other part of the region, and 
 the products have been greater in proportion to 
 the labour, and capital, and skill that have been 
 applied to them. 
 
 In the course of the succeeding year, a very 
 extensive and rich vein was discovered in Guil- 
 ford county ; and it was soon operated upon by 
 more than one hundred hands, who flocked in 
 from the country around, and received permis- 
 sion to dig there. The discovery of one vein in 
 a district, furnishes the means of finding others. 
 

 IN VMEHKA. 
 
 '1*17 
 
 Tho people of tlie neighbourhood visit it, ex.imine 
 tlie appearances of the ores, and other signs and 
 indications, and thus in some degree are quali- 
 fied to make a search on their own lands or 
 elsewhere. This was the case in Guilford 
 county; the discovery of the first vein was 
 soon followed by the opening of several others. 
 The same plan will be followed in every district, 
 until the gold region be explored, and the 
 places which exhibit any external signs of gold 
 be thoroughly known. About this time Cabarras 
 county, which had hitherto been only considered 
 as productive in its washings, was ascertained to 
 be a vein-mining district; and discoveries to the 
 same effect were made about the same period 
 at Lincoln. 
 
 It is less than two years and a half ago, snice 
 gold in veins was first discovered in Davidson 
 county; it having previously been found only 
 
 ■ i" 
 
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'2'2S 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 I 
 
 § 
 
 
 in and near tlu» beds of rivulets and creeks. 
 Within the hist few months, veins have been 
 opened in the adjoining county of Randolph. 
 Rowan, situated between Davidson and Cabarras 
 counties, embraces a considerable section of the 
 gold region, and contains many veins whose 
 external appearance is good and promising. 
 The metal is also found in the streams: some 
 few veins have also been opened in Tredell 
 county, and are now in a course of developement. 
 While progress had been thus making in 
 opening veins, and in ascertaining their situa- 
 tions, some valuable discoveries of stream deposits 
 occurred in a section of the state of North 
 Carolina, hitherto not suspected to be within 
 the range of the gold region. In Burke county, 
 one of the most mountainous of the state, and 
 one, two, or more feet under the surface, a layer 
 of sand and gravel is found, varying from a 
 
r -'"^i 
 
 I\ AMEIUCA. 
 
 •2'20 
 
 few inches, sometimes to more tlian a foot, in 
 tliiekness ; in this hiyer tlie virgin gold is found, 
 generally in small particles about the size of a 
 pin's head, and very often as large as a grain of 
 corn; it is separated, and collected from the 
 accompanying matter, by washing. Water is 
 abundant ; and the absence of clay and adhesive 
 matter in the auriferous layer, makes the pro- 
 cess of washing exceedingly easy. A number 
 of these deposits have already been found, and 
 some of them have proved to be very productive. 
 It may be here mentioned, that in the adjoining 
 county of Rutherford, gold in deposit has also 
 been found; but as yet, not much labour lias 
 been expended in that quarter. One vein, 
 which is very encouraging, has been worked 
 regularly; another vein of good expectations 
 has been discovered. 
 
 In short the veins and places of deposit are 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
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 1 ?■■■ 
 
 
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 SIX MONTHS 
 
 i 
 
 ?fv« 
 
 vi'iy miiiK'rous, and scattered over the wliole 
 country, with a few exceptions ; and the gold 
 which is produc'.'d finds a market so readily, that 
 it is difficult to give a very correct estimate of 
 the product of mines of the Carolinas, Virginia, 
 and Georgia; l)ut it was said to amount to 
 500,000 dollars in 1830, from North Carolina 
 alone. During that year, nearly the whole gold 
 coinage of the United States' mint, was from 
 native gold. The coinage was 643,105 dollars 
 in gold coin : of this, 125,000 was derived from 
 Mexico, South America, and the West Indies; 
 19,000 from Africa, 406,000 from the gold region 
 of the United States, and about 33,000 from 
 sources not ascertained. Of the gold of the 
 United States above mentioned, 24,000 may 
 be stated to have come from Virginia, 204,000 
 from North Carolina, 26,000 from South Caro- 
 lina, and 212,000 from Georgia. 
 
IN' AMLIIICA. 
 
 t>3l 
 
 
 I 
 
 If may not hv out of* place Jiorc to remark, 
 that liereafter the quantity of (h)mestic ^-ohi that 
 will l)e received at the mint, will l)ear a less 
 proportion to the whole amount found, than has 
 been the case heretofore; the rejison is this: 
 hitherto, Phihidelphia may be said to have been 
 nearly the oidy market for the article ; goldsmiths 
 and merchants at New York, and other cities in 
 the Union, were unacquainted with it; and there- 
 fore for fear of deception, dealt but little in it ; 
 this occasioned the greater part of the gold to be 
 taken to Philadelphia, where, if not sold to the 
 goldsmiths or merchants, it was deposited in the 
 mint ; so that at all events a portion of it always 
 contrived to reach that establishment. But now 
 the case is different: a market for the gold is 
 opening in most of the cities of the United 
 States ; goldsmiths and jewellers, having ascer- 
 tained its comparative purity, which is said to 
 
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2i]2 
 
 SIX .'NfONTHS 
 
 I i 
 
 1)0 groator than that ot" the «^oltl of Mexico or 
 the Bra/ils, will j^onorally become purchasers 
 for their own use. 
 
 That tliere will be an ijicrease in the pro- 
 ducts of the mines every succeedinir year, 
 admits of very b'ttle doubt, when the i^radual 
 cjnlargement of the gold region, extending 
 througli Virginia, Nortli and South Carolina, 
 and Georgia — the number of persons turning 
 their attention to tlie business — the mills that are 
 now erecting in various places — the improve- 
 ments in the mode of working find general 
 management, are made the subject of consi- 
 deration. 
 
 The improvements in machinery have been 
 considerable within the last two years : it is 
 believed, however, that as yet they are far from 
 being perfect. The defects in the present 
 mode of extracting the gold are well known 
 
IN AMEKKA. 
 
 *2:y,i 
 
 hm 
 
 
 to those most extensively eng^aged in the busi- 
 ness; and some of the miners, even at this 
 time, are turninjr their attention towards the 
 introduction ot" other methods, promising more 
 economy and greater results. Griiuling the 
 ore in water with the vertical stone, which is 
 the method practised in Chili, is now the 
 process most generally used; but the liabilities 
 of the vertical, or Chilian mill, to become disor- 
 dered — the waste of gold and quicksilver — the 
 irregularity of results from the same ores — 
 the want of proper checks on the workmen, 
 together with minor objections, will probably, 
 in a few years more, cause these mills to be in 
 a great measure discontinued, except in small 
 establishments, and for certain classes of ores 
 in the larger ones. 
 
 The auriferous veins of North Carolina and 
 Virginia have not yet been sufficiently deve- 
 
 
 I.:. 
 
 
 »r: 
 
 I 
 
 ^J 
 
 'I 
 
 :i 
 
'234 
 
 SIX MON'lUS 
 
 
 
 m II 
 
 loped. As yet not u single sliiit't in the wlK)le 
 ian<^e of country (except at the Charlotte Mine, 
 near a small town of that name, worked under 
 the direction of the Chevalier de Rivafinoli) has 
 been carried down to the depth of a hundred 
 feet. Seventy to eijj-hty feet is the greatest 
 deptli yet attained ; and thirty feet is more than 
 an average on the main excavation : as far, 
 however, as these experiments have gone, they 
 furnish no reason to doubt the durability of the 
 mines ; for thus far, the well-defined veins not 
 only retain their first size, but, in many cases, 
 become larger, and more often than otherwise, 
 improve in richness. This circumstance has 
 given rise to an idea among the common work- 
 men, that the vein grows richer about the time 
 it reaches water. On the whole, when it is 
 considered, that in Mexico, Saxony, and other 
 great mining districts, veins have been success- 
 
 . 
 
IN A.MKUKA. 
 
 'J05 
 
 tully follout'd (lowiiwanls more tlian 'J.^OO tccf ; 
 thr |)n)l)iil»ility lliiit the vi'iiis in tlif riiitud 
 States will inijirovc, is, at loast, as i»ivat as that 
 tlioy will hifoinc poorer. 
 
 Nor is it in the nature of thiij<rs, that any 
 considerable ])ortion of the whole munher of 
 veins existinjr there, niueh less all of them, havo 
 already been discovered. 
 
 The nsual way that (lisco\'eries are made, is 
 to take some of the earth or gravel lyino- on the 
 top of the rocks, and wash it in an iron pan. 
 If any fine particles of gold are found, the vein 
 is known to be auriferons, and its degree of 
 richness and value is judgecl of by a variety 
 of circumstances. This fine gohl without doubt 
 comes out of the vein, the top of which had 
 been disintegrated, and fallen to pieces. There 
 are many bold veins in every district, the tops 
 of which show no gold, whilst other indicating 
 
 ',* 
 
 
 
 ill 
 
236 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 il 
 
 substances are abundant. The probability is, 
 that some of them at a greater depth may prove 
 higlily auriferous. 
 
 Reviewing all that has been said on the 
 subject, it will be seen that the whole business 
 is yet in its infancy ; and the only cause for 
 wonder is, that so much has been done in so 
 short a time. Ignorance and prejudice were to 
 be overcome, and ridicule was liberally bestowed 
 on the few who engaged in the business. 
 
 If the work proceed as rapidly for some 
 years to come, as it has for the three years past, 
 the changes in the appearance of things will 
 become very striking. There are some persons 
 of intelligence, mostly however at a distance, 
 who seem to apprehend that the mines of the 
 United States will produce consequences similar 
 to those that followed to Spain and her colonies 
 from the discovery of the mines of South 
 
f. 
 
 1 
 
 ■ 
 
 IN AMERICA. 
 
 237 
 
 America and Mexico. Without stopping to 
 inquire how far these consequences were occa- 
 sioned by the mines of the New World, it may 
 be remarked with truth, that no sort of analogy 
 is to be found in the condition and circumstances 
 of t^-e two countries ; and that neither the stiites- 
 man nor the philosopher need anticipate that the 
 results will be similar. 
 
 That great effects will be produced is beyond 
 question : and these will show themselves in the 
 increasing prosperity of the country. Among 
 the advantages that will follow from the develope- 
 ment of the mines, is the encouragement they 
 give to agriculture, in the withdrawal of some 
 of its surplus labour, and giving it new employ- 
 ment. They will create home markets for the 
 surplus products of the farmer; and this will 
 encourage him to improve his farm, and increase 
 the productiveness of his lands. As yet, this 
 
 
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 Si i 
 
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 f 'hi 
 
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'233 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 influence has not been much felt ; but a crlose 
 observer may see that the improvement has 
 commenced, though it will not be generally 
 perceptible until the division of labour more fully 
 takes place between the farmer and the miner. 
 Mining and farming are two very different pur- 
 suits; and farmers will soon see that it is pru- 
 dent for them to stick to the plough, and sell or 
 let the auriferous veins to the miner. 
 
 An important change will also take place 
 (at a very distant period) in the staples of the 
 gold country ; cotton will be less and less culti- 
 vated in the mining districts ; while the bread 
 stuff, farinaceous, succulent vegetables — and 
 stock, will claim the chief attention. This 
 change in the staples of the agriculturist, will 
 in itself produce important results. The opening 
 of the mines, and the prospect of profitable 
 employment, will in some degree check hat 
 
 1 
 

 S' 
 
 J 
 
 IN AMEIIKA. 
 
 239 
 
 spirit of emigration which lias been carrying otf 
 so many enter})risingan(l useful citizens, and will 
 bring into the country men of wealth intelli- 
 gence, business habits, and general enterprise. 
 
 The opening of the mines has been attended 
 with one primary and bad effect ; that of creating 
 a mania for speculation. The usually attendant 
 failures and mishaps will co-operate with' other 
 causes, to throw the mines into the hands of a 
 distinct class of men, who, having a knowledge 
 of the business, and having capital at command, 
 will eventually conduct all the mining operations 
 in the country. 
 
 Whether the effects be good or bad, their 
 influence will not be confined to North Carolina. 
 It will be felt in Virginia, South Carolina, and 
 Georgia, — the people in the upper parts of these 
 states having far more interest in the mines than 
 is generally supposed. 
 
 
 
 ■lif 
 
 ^t 
 
 ^ 
 
 
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 1 I 
 
 
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24(r 
 
 SIX MONTHS^ 
 
 
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 ■1 
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 Wheii the cheapness of obtaining the timber 
 necessary for machinery, the certainty of labour, 
 and the security of property under such a 
 government as that of the United States, are 
 deeply considered ; these mines might be far 
 more worth the attention of an English company 
 than many a scheme in which English capital 
 is already embarked. Applications to govern- 
 ment for charters will most probably be more 
 numerous in every succeeding year. The capital 
 required to form a company would not, I was 
 informed, exceed 40,000/, or 50,000/. 
 
 No one can visit the United States without 
 hearing of President Jackson's celebrated " veto *' 
 on internal improvements, and every disin- 
 terested individual would, I humbly think, be 
 ready to admit that the sentiments it contains 
 
 
 

 IN AMERICA. 
 
 '241 
 
 'fki 
 
 . 
 
 are just and valuable, because they display a 
 solid attachment to the letter of the constitution. 
 By the articles of the constitution, the powers 
 of the federal government, with reference to its 
 expenditure of the national funds upon internal 
 improvements in the Union, are confined to the 
 establishment of post-offices and post-roads. 
 On the 27th May, 1830, in the firm persuasion 
 that the words 'post-roads' could apply only 
 to those which might prove of general benefit 
 to the citizens of the Union, and not to those 
 which conferred an advantage only upon the in- 
 habitants of any particular state, a bill entitled 
 " An Act authorising a subscription of stock in 
 the Maysville, Washington, Paris, and Lexing- 
 ton turnpike road Company," was returned by 
 the President to the house of representatives, 
 without having received his signature. In the 
 veto by which it was accompanied, he shows 
 
 
 'ill'- 
 
 
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 ■r*. 
 
 1?^ 
 
 if' 
 
 ' Is?' 
 
 
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 I'll 
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 i-' 
 
24-2 
 
 SIX MoN'ins 
 
 I 
 
 mm 
 
 
 tliat " j^rants for internal improvemtMits from 
 the national treasury, have l)een made ])rofess- 
 edly under the control of the general i)rinciple, 
 that the works which might be thus aided should 
 be of a general, not local — national, not state 
 character ; and that a disregard of this distinction 
 would of necessity lead to the subversion of the 
 federal system. The road in question had no 
 regard to any general system of improvements, 
 and was exclusively without the limits of the 
 state ; starting at a point on the Ohio river, and 
 running out sixty miles to an interior town, and 
 even as far as that state was concerned, of partial, 
 not general advantage." In another part of the 
 veto he adds, " that if it be the desire of the 
 people, that the agency of the federal govern- 
 ment should be confined to the appropriation 
 of money in aid of such undertakings in virtue 
 of state authority ; then the occasion, the manner, 
 
 i 
 
IN AMtHUA. 
 
 lM:3 
 
 and the extent of tlie appropriations, should he 
 made the sul)jeet of constitutional regulation." 
 In ahout three years, tlie national deht of the 
 United States will he paid off, and the govern- 
 ment will find itself in possession of a surplus 
 revenue of i - or twelve millions of dollars. 
 To divide it amongst the states, will he nnconsti- 
 tutional, hecause it will render the states too de- 
 pendent on the favour of the federal government ; 
 and as it is collected chiefly hy means of the 
 tariff, it cannot cease to exist so long as the tariff 
 remains in force. 
 
 Without a limited and defining authority, 
 arising from a constitutional adjustment of this 
 power of distribution upon equitable principles, 
 it is beyond a doubt that neither Mr. Clay, 
 nor any other person who may be president, 
 could give any thing like universal satisfaction 
 amid the «« scramble for appropriations,"— as the 
 
 
 !';p 
 
 % 
 
 ■ 'if* 
 
 '..(tell 
 
 % 
 
 ,#1 
 
 
 >V-i. 
 
244 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 veto lias it, — which could not but ensue upon the 
 conflicting md uncontrollable variety of interest 
 that is annually increasing in the American 
 community. 
 
 h^ 
 
 The progress of refcrm in England, and in 
 Europe generally, is watched with the most 
 intense interest by the Americans. A deep 
 feeling of regard and sympathy for the mother 
 country, as the term it, is still general, and 
 I think increasing; and though most of the 
 Americans believe their own country is the first 
 in the world, they are still reasonable enough 
 to assign to Great Britain the second place in 
 the scale of nations. Those airs which it must 
 be admitted so frequently render an Englishman 
 ridiculous, when travelling on the old continent, 
 would be entirely thrown away in the United 
 
t;'. 
 
 IN AMERICA. 
 
 '245 
 
 States. All protontiojis to importance are ilis- 
 regarded, even without being canvassed, as 
 they might he in Europe ; hut so long as an 
 Englishman behaves with propriety, the Ame- 
 ricans will entertain more respect for his uame 
 and character, than they care to avow opeidy. 
 They wish us well through our troubles, and 
 watch with sincere pity what they consider to be 
 the approaching downfal of our constitution: 
 but at the same time their national vanity 
 receives something very like gratification from 
 the belief, that we shall be forced to adopt a 
 form of government similar to their own. 
 That the American form of government 
 is admirably adapted to a new country, that 
 that country has astonishing resources, and 
 that the Americans lose no time in making the 
 most of them, (I speak of America as a country, 
 not of the Union, for America must thrive come 
 
 
 
 # 
 
 VOL. /. 
 
 B 
 
 
 i-: m. 
 
 m 
 
 !" i 
 
246 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 
 (f 
 
 111' :i1 
 
 what will to tilt! governnu'iit) that it has thriven 
 under its institutions, and is at present enjoying 
 an exemption from many evils incidental to 
 older countries, it wouhl be an absurdity to 
 deny. But the natural causes of prosperity 
 which the Americans so pre-eminently enjoy, 
 njust not be mistaken, as they most fondly and 
 frequently are, for the positive effects, and little 
 more than the positive effects, of a good govern- 
 ment, however good and well adapted that 
 government may be. The American constitu- 
 tion has never been tried. That it was nearly 
 a bankrupt at the close of the last war, was a 
 trial of the resources of the country, not of its 
 institutions. Forty years is no time to test the 
 strength of a government like that of the United 
 States, when civilization is extended over so small 
 a proportion of them. The good is perceived 
 at present; the evils are latent, and compara- 
 
m 
 
 IN AMERIlA. 
 
 •247 
 
 "11 
 
 tivoly litfle ft'lf. But tliero are amoiitr tlio 
 institutions of the rnion, the seeds of discord 
 and confusion, whose growth is only stifled by 
 tl»c hustle of commercial pursuits, and that 
 panacea for every political disease, a fine country 
 abounding in resources, and of small ])opulation 
 in comparison to its extent. It is possible that 
 the mischief will not be felt, so long as there 
 is lu) real motive for disaffection; so lon^r in 
 fact as the peo})le are not in want, which may 
 not be the case while groinul yet remains to be 
 cultivated. 
 
 In England and America universal suffrage 
 would be alike only in name. In America it is 
 true, that almost every one can vote ; but then 
 it is equally true, that excepting in the larger 
 cities in which may be always found, even in 
 America, a certain proportion of persons without 
 any ostensible means of getting a livelihood, 
 
 R 2 
 
 m 
 
 'P 
 
 ,:,J 
 
 
:iAS 
 
 MX MONTHS 
 
 0.^ 
 
 H^' 
 
 every onv lias at least a prospectivo certainty 
 of the acquisition of pr()})erty. The poor, com- 
 paratively speaking, are so few, that universal 
 suflfrage is, at present, hut a mere hydra in 
 embryo. Were the present course of improve- 
 ment to proceed without interruption, from what 
 the political economists call the disturbing causes, 
 — were luxury to be kept at a distance, and a 
 forced e(piality and contentment to be preserved 
 by a strong and universal exertion of the demo- 
 cratic principle, — it would be demonstrable, that 
 the American constitution would last for cen- 
 turies ; or in other words, till the country became 
 so thickly peopled as to be subject to the evils 
 resulting to England, and the older dynasties of 
 Europe. If a democracy be essentially the best 
 form of government, it would follow that a sur- 
 plus population, that unhappy proof of its 
 excellence, would but be called the sooner into 
 
IN AMtUlCA. 
 
 24}) 
 
 rxistonco. ThoM will Hunc t\w ,val in.,nu...f 
 of trial, u'hetluM- a democracy can exist mulcr 
 tiic pressure of want— whether those that l.ave 
 any thin^r to h)se, wouhl not he at the 
 mercy of those that have not—whether nri 
 oqnality of condition wonid not he consich'red as 
 conferrinor a title to n community of goods— 
 wliether, when such a state of tldnirs is appre- 
 hended, a standing armed ,.rce, he it caik'd hy 
 what name it may, .v-idd not he necessary, not 
 to repress foreign invasion, hut to put down 
 domestic commotions— whether taxes must not 
 be levied for its support— and whether those 
 taxes would not be found ext'cedingly trouble- 
 some. In an article in the American Quarterly 
 Review, ^July 1801), evidently written in a 
 wantorness of spirit that savours of ambition, or 
 disa})pointment, or of both, and in which we mo 
 kindly tohl the easiest road to ruin, it is re- 
 
 1! «; 
 
 
 m 
 
*250 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 marked that " our forefatliers were habituated to 
 the European system, but they built up the re- 
 publican colonies with infinite ease." But may 
 it not be here remarked, that as it is the boast, 
 and justly the boast, of the Americans, and of 
 the New Englanders in particular, that the 
 tone of liberty which pervades their institutions 
 is derived through the blood of the Puritans, 
 who did build up the colonies with infinite ease, 
 and whose descendants are still living; so it 
 must not be forgotten that the Hampdens, the 
 Hazelrigs, the Cromwells, and others, who were 
 prevented from embarking for America by the 
 order of their obstinate and ill-fated monarch, 
 were men of the same opinions as the " fore- 
 fathers" mentioned above ; that they did remain 
 behind — that they did fight against the monarchy 
 of England — that they did obtain the victory — 
 that tlu'y did enjoy the ascendancy to their 
 
IN A3IEKI(A. 
 
 251 
 
 hearts' content— and that they did establish a 
 commonwealth in England, not to flourish for 
 ever as an example to the world, hut to be over- 
 thrown by a military force, which brought back 
 the son of the last khig amid the acclamations 
 of every rank of society. 
 
 Supposhig the blood to be shed, and the 
 horrors to be passed through, that must be shed 
 and passed through before the experiment of a 
 commonwealth could be again tried in England, 
 is it possible that it could exist, situated as Great 
 Britain is with reference to the other powers of 
 Europe, without an unemployed standing army ? 
 and then again, is it possible that it could exist 
 with one ? Where in the annals of the world can 
 the compatibility of the one and the other be 
 pointed to ? England is but paying the penalty ne- 
 cessarily consequent on her career of prosperity. 
 Her constitution can no more be blamed for the 
 
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 It" ; 
 
 
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'25*2 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 the existence of a staiiding army, than for a 
 superabundant population, or the enormous size 
 of London. 
 
 By what then is it probable that the career 
 of the Union will be disturbed ? Are not wealth 
 and luxury to have their due weight? It is to 
 the credit of the Americans, that individual 
 wealth has never yet been employed for any un- 
 constitutional purpose ; but it is nevertheless 
 true, that an aristocracy is most undeniably 
 springing up in every city of the Union. In 
 the course of time many large fortunes will be 
 amassed, and opulent families will be distributed 
 throughout the country. It will be but in the 
 spirit of human nature, that a person in posses- 
 sion of what in common American would be 
 termed " an elegant location," should wish to 
 have upon it a better house than his neighbours, 
 and that another should wish to have a still 
 
 
IN AMERICA. 
 
 i 
 
 '253 
 
 ■,ii 
 
 
 better; and is it to he believed that the head of 
 a ricJi and ambitious family will be for ever, as 
 now, restrained by the voice of public opinion 
 from doing his utmost to prevent a fine place from 
 going out of his family ? Can the inclination 
 remain in thraldom, and the man be said to enjoy 
 liberty ? Will not one example be followed as a 
 precedent by five hundred others ? and will not an 
 hereditary aristocracy be produced in this manner? 
 The system of entails in England is consi- 
 dered by the Americans as highly pernicious; 
 but their idea of its extent is far beyond the 
 truth. On this head I have heard great ignor- 
 ance displayed by them. Some thhik that an 
 entailed estate cannot be destroyed at all; but 
 that an entailed estate cannot, in any case, be 
 destroyed without the consent of the eldest son, 
 is the more common error; one which is pre- 
 valent with the uninitiated even in England, 
 
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*234 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 
 and is, of course, still more so among the 
 Americans, who are l)iit little aware that an 
 estate cannot, in any case, be rendered un- 
 alienable for more than one generation; or, 
 technically speaking, for more than a life or 
 lives in being, and twenty-one years afterwards. 
 This rule has been a favourite with English 
 lawyers, because, on the one hand, it pre- 
 vents landed property from being unavailable 
 for commercial purposes for a longer period 
 than one generation; and, on the other, it 
 makes reasonable allowance for the English 
 policy of keeping up the families of our nobi- 
 lity and gentry. From whence then does the 
 vulgar error principally arise? From this cir- 
 cumstance : inider the usual form of settlement, 
 the father has the present enjoyment of the 
 estate, and the son has the inheritance in tail 
 in exi)ectancy ; and in this case the father 
 
sr 
 
 IN AM E MIC A. 
 
 '255 
 
 ii* . 
 
 '.('-.U 
 
 and son, as soon as the latter is of age, 
 may do what they please with the estate ; and 
 it is a very common arrangement for them 
 to agree to make a fresh settlement, which 
 ties up the estate for another generation. 
 But this is only an exercise of their absolute 
 power of disposal, which they might, if they 
 pleased, exercise by selling the estate, or other- 
 wise getting rid of it. If no fresh settlement 
 has been made, and the son outlives the father, 
 he alone may do what he pleases with the estate, 
 without asking the consent of his eldest son 
 or of any other person. The Americans are 
 little aware that there is not a nobleman's 
 estate in the country, with the exception of 
 Blenheim, Strathfieldsay, and perhaps half a 
 dozen others, where the reversion is in the 
 crown under some very old grant, which could 
 not be absolutely disposed of, oner, af least, in 
 
 iii 
 
 ,■■■«« 
 
 m 
 
 ■r 
 
 "J. 
 
 'I ^ 
 
 \if 
 
 •* 
 
 m 
 
25(> 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 •■Si 
 i': 
 
 i,,j 
 
 S II 
 
 mm Wq 
 IB' It 
 
 every generation. That there is a power of 
 making unalienable entails in Scotland, (witli 
 irritant and resolutive clauses, as the Scotch 
 lawyers have it), where the person making them 
 is not indebted at the time, is a truth which I 
 do not conceive could have given rise to the 
 error respecting those in England. 
 
 The proceedings at the next session of con- 
 gress will be of the utmost importance, and 
 before this work be out of the press, the tariff 
 quescion will probably have given rise to as 
 much angry discussion as has ever been heard 
 within the walls of the capitol. 
 
 The tariff, that is to say, the principle of 
 effectual protection to domestic industry, is 
 supported by about two- thirds of the American 
 people. Manufactures sprung up during the 
 late war, and millions of dollars have since been 
 
4 
 
 IN A Mill I (A. 
 
 •J;)/ 
 
 ■if ^ 
 
 
 
 invostcd in tliem on tlio faith of tlie tariff. Aftor 
 tlie conclusion of hostilities, the war dnties were 
 repealed generally; hut some of them were 
 continued for the protection of domestic indus- 
 try. This was effected in 1816, and hy the 
 influence of the southern votes; and, strange 
 as it may appear, was especially supported by 
 the members of South Carolina; whilst the 
 northern members were not generally partial 
 to the measure. The southern stiites at that 
 period, were averse to the expense of a naval 
 est£d)lishment : they disliked foreign commerce, 
 because it tended to embroil the country in 
 disputes with the European powers, and they 
 were therefore friendly to a moderate tariff. In 
 18-24, additional protection was given to manu- 
 factures. It was opposed by New England and 
 the south, and supported by the middle and 
 western states. In 18-28, still further protection 
 
 
 
 
 
 :* 
 
 iir 
 
 ,.•*, 
 
 ^|- 
 
 * 
 •I 
 
258 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 was ^iven, notwithstJindiiio- a violent (>])positi«)n 
 from tlie soutliern states, who now felt the error 
 they liad been guilty of. 
 
 The tariff question, tlien, is simply this. 
 The northern states are maniifaeturers ; the 
 southern states are cotton {growers. The 
 southern states have never o])jeetefl to such duties 
 on imported foreign manufactures, as woidd be 
 sufficient for the purposes of a revenue equal 
 to the government expenditure ; but beyond 
 what is necessary for the attainment of that 
 object, they are entirely averse to the tariff, 
 because Great Britain does not buy so mi 1i of 
 their cotton as slie would if her manufactured 
 goods were not excluded from the markets of 
 the United States, by means of the protecting 
 duties. The inhabitants of South Carolina are 
 most violently opposed to the tariff'. One-third 
 of them would, if they could, secede from the 
 Union immediately. 
 
IV AArrUFCA. 
 
 ♦2:)i) 
 
 In the year 18-2.% the crop of cotton amounted 
 to 4-20,000 l)alcs. In tlie year 18:H, the crop 
 has hecn ascertained to he 1.070,000 hales, of 
 which, 105,000 are consumed in the liome manu- 
 factories, and the remainder is exported, chiefly 
 to England. 
 
 Certainly, if ever there was a country upon 
 earth where the principles of free trade could he 
 allowed an existence, that country is the states 
 of North America, so long- as they remain united. 
 When we contemplate their unhounded re- 
 sources, and their endless extent, we must admit 
 tliat they afford scope for a species of energy 
 altogether without })resent parallel in the old 
 continent; and it is difficult to believe, that free 
 trade should not be a part of their system, not 
 only because it would correspond with the 
 boasted freedom of their institutions, but on 
 account of the certainty of benefit they would 
 
 
 ::i 
 
 i(i 
 
 ■I 
 
*2G0 
 
 SIX .Months 
 
 
 
 iiltim;itoly dorivc from if. Mut i'rom tlic cntircl) 
 (lift'eroiit souretvs of vvealtli of the iiortliorii and 
 soutlurn states, there emanates a disparity of 
 interests, wliich,\vith reference to tlie enormonsly 
 increasing influence of the jiew cotton states, 
 {ire, it is phiin, hut partially developed at present. 
 The settlement of disputes arising from the 
 differences of soil and climate, in themselves 
 uncontroHable by legislative interference, must 
 be a subject far more difficult to grapple with, 
 than that which merely relates to internal im- 
 provements, which may be assisted by an alte- 
 ration of the constitution. Many Americans 
 will probably tell you as they have told me, that 
 the Union is becoming stronger and stronger ; 
 they will assure you that there is a growing 
 conviction, that the complaints of the southern 
 states are without foundation, that their suffer- 
 ings are chiefly imaginary, and that their citizens 
 
'A 
 
 IN A.MKKICA. 
 
 Urtl 
 
 will, sooner or later, come to tlie same opinion ; 
 that four-fifths of all the articles tliat are taxed, 
 either heavily or lightly, are consumed in the 
 northern, western, and tlie tariff states, while 
 at the same time a home market exists for from 
 150,000 to -200,000 bales of the best cotton of 
 the southern states, at the best prices : that the 
 party war which rages in newspapers throughout 
 the Union, means nothing at all; and that, to use 
 the quotation so well applied by Mr. Adams in 
 his last 4th of July oration, delivered at Quincev, 
 near Boston, « We angry lovers mean not 
 half we say." It is probable that some part of 
 what is said by an American country newspaper 
 on the subject of party, may be nonsense ; but 
 one cannot help being a little less sceptical, when 
 higher authorities, and the proceedings of public 
 meetings, are consulted, which, if we are to 
 judge by the excitement they occasion, are not 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
♦2G-2 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 quite a farco, vvliatev. comity meetings may 
 be in England. 
 
 The report of the committee read at the 
 anti-tariff convention, which took i)lace at Phi- 
 la(lelj)hia on the 5th of Octol)er, 1831, contains 
 amongst otliers, the following strongly worded 
 passage, speaking of " that feeling of resentment 
 which is goaded into activity by a sense of 
 oppression, and embittered by the recollection, 
 that it is the hand of a brother that inflicts it," 
 it proceeds, " do you doubt its existence, its 
 nature, or degree ; look to the character of this 
 assembly, and the circumstances under which it 
 is convened : give your attention to the history 
 of the past, and be admonished by the novel 
 and extraordinary spectacle which is presented 
 to your view — do not close your eyes altogether 
 to the fact, that this assembly is without pa- 
 rallel in the annals of the government ; that we 
 
IV XMI,FI!< \. 
 
 1?6.0 
 
 are froomon, and tlio rcprosiMitativos of free- 
 men, who speak fo you of our violated rights; 
 tliat we liave come from diirereiit, and distant 
 parts of tlie Union, to join in demandino- their 
 restoration; that a consciousness of stren<»t]i is 
 the ortsprin^r of mi i ted counsel; and that our 
 purpose is not the less firm, because it is an- 
 nounced to you peaceably, and in the spirit of 
 conciliation." 
 
 The reports of the different committees of 
 investi^ration, appointed l,y the opposition or 
 tariff convention, which commenced its sittings 
 at New York on the 26th of October, had not 
 appeared in print when 1 quitted America. 
 
 Mr. Adams, a strong tariff man, and residing 
 
 in the heart of the tariff, states, in his last 4th 
 
 of .July oration, speaking of the doctrine of 
 
 " nullification," which, he says, " contains within 
 
 itself an absurdity, importing a pretended right 
 
 f 
 
 s 1> 
 
'2()4 
 
 SIX .^[()^■nIs 
 
 W' 
 
 of one state in tliis Union, l)y virtue of her 
 sovereignty, to make that null and void which 
 it pre-supposes to be null and void before," 
 proceeds, by saying", "that it is a principle 
 under wliich the pillars of the Union are tot- 
 tering while he is speaking." On the other 
 side, Mr. Ciilhoun, at the head of the anti- 
 tariff party, and one of the cleverest men in 
 America, in his " sentiments upon the sub- 
 ject of state rights and the tariff," says, that 
 " whatever diversity of opinion may exist in 
 relation to the principle, or the effect on the 
 productive industry of the country of the pre- 
 sent, or any other tariff of protection, there 
 are certain political consequences flowing from 
 the present which none can doubt, and all must 
 deplore. It would be in vain to attempt to 
 conceal, that it has divided the country into 
 two great geographical divisions, and arrayed 
 

 IN AMKUItA. 
 
 *265 
 
 them against each other, in opinion at least 
 if not in interest also, on some of the most 
 vital of political subjects— on its finance, its 
 commerce, and its industry— subjects calculated 
 above all others, in time of peace, to produce 
 excitement, and in relation to which the tariff 
 has placed the sections in question in deep 
 and dangerous conflict. If there be any point 
 on which the (I was going to say southern 
 section, but to avoid, as far as i)ossible, the 
 painful feelings such discussions are calculated to 
 excite, I shall say) weaker of the two sections 
 is unanimous, it is that its prosperity depends in 
 a great measure on free trade, light taxes, eco- 
 nomical and, as far as possible, equal disburse- 
 ments of the public revenue, and an unshackled 
 industry; leaving them to pursue whatever may 
 appear most advantageous to their interests. 
 From the Potomac to the Mississippi there are 
 
 f 
 I 
 
 
 ! 
 
2(>G 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 m 
 
 m 
 
 IP 
 
 
 
 I ( 
 
 few, iiideetl, however divided on other points, 
 who would not, if dependent on their volition, 
 and if they regarded the interest of their parti- 
 cular section only, remove from commerce and 
 interest every shackle, reduce the revenue to 
 the lowest point that the Munts of the govern- 
 ment fairly required, and restrict the appropria- 
 tions to the most moderate scale, consistent 
 with the peace, the security, and the engage- 
 ments of the pidjlic; and who do not believe 
 that the opposite system is calculated to throw 
 on them an unequal burthen, to repress their 
 prosperity, and to encroach on their enjoyment. 
 On all these deeply important measures the 
 opposite opinion prevails, if not with equal 
 unanimity, with at least a greatly preponderating 
 majority in the other and stronger section, so 
 much so that no two distinct nations ever enter- 
 tained more opposite views of policy than these 
 
IN AMERICA. 
 
 267 
 
 two sections do on all the important points to 
 which I have referred," &c. &e. " The sys- 
 tem," he adds in a note, " if continued, must 
 end, not only in subjecting the industry and 
 property of the weaker section to the control of 
 the stronger, but in proscription and political 
 disfranchisement. It must finally control elec- 
 tions and appointments to offices, as well as acts 
 of legislation, to the great increase of the feel- 
 ings of animosity, and of the fatal tendency to a 
 complete alienation between the sections." 
 
 The remedy proposed by Mr. Calhoun 
 appears exceedingly reason^il-'e. In three years 
 the nat'oiial debt of the United States will be 
 paid off, aiul the government will find itself in 
 possession of a surplus revenue of 10,000,000 
 or 12,000,000 of dollars, chiefly arising from the 
 tariff duties. The applications from the dif- 
 ferent states for its appropriation under the 
 
268 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 m 
 
 '1.1 > 
 
 internal improvement system will be innumer- 
 able, and it will be impossible to grant them 
 without adding a stimulus to old causes of 
 jealousy, and giving birth to new ones. To 
 adopt the system of dividing the money be- 
 tween the different states is admitted, on all 
 hands, to be unconstitutional, not only because 
 no such power is given by the articles of the 
 constitution, but because the exercise of it 
 would tend to render the individual states 
 too dependent on the favour »f the general 
 government. Mr. Calhoun recommends, that 
 the money should be left in the pockets of 
 the people, and affirms that there is but one 
 " effectual cure — an honest reduction of the du- 
 ties to a fair system of revenue, adapted to the 
 just and constitutional wants of the government, 
 and that nothing short of this will restore the coun- 
 try to peace, harmony, and mutual affection." 
 

 IN AMEKICA. 
 
 •269 
 
 The example of good citizenship disphiyed 
 by Massachusetts during the existence of the 
 embargo in 1807, is now referred to as worthy 
 of imitation by the southern states; a total 
 stagnation of the trade of that state was the 
 consequence of the Berlin decree, and the re- 
 taliatory orders in council of the British govern- 
 ment ; and in the opinion that the embargo was 
 unconstitutional, the questio'i was tried before 
 the supreme court of the United States, who 
 decided in favour of the authority of the general 
 govenmient. Massachusetts behaved with the 
 best grace imaginable, conscious that there was no 
 medium between submission and separation, — 
 no alternative but acquiescence or disunion. 
 Her behaviour might be imitated, but under 
 very different circumstances. In the case of 
 Massachusetts, the cause of the evil was inider- 
 stood: it was external: it could be removed; 
 
 I: 
 
 11 
 
 in; 
 
 
270 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 y.Mi 
 
 or rather would some clay cea^e as a matter of 
 course; but with South Carolina, the disease is 
 internal, existing in the time of peace, increasing, 
 and most likely, beyond the reach of any but a 
 temporary remedy. 
 
 The first intimation I had of the existence of 
 the tariff was likely to ha^e been a disagreeable 
 one. When I landed at y^^'W York, I had with me 
 an excellent double-barreled fowling-piece ; and I 
 was told that I nwist either pay iliirty per cent, 
 on its full value, or I could deposit it in safe- 
 keeping at the custom-house till my return ; and 
 in the mean time 1 could purchase an American 
 gun cheap; 1 was indebted to the liberality of 
 the gentleman presiding at the head of the 
 custom-house, who, upon hearing from a friend 
 that I had not brought it to sell, but merel^'^ for 
 my pleasure, politely and immediately gave me 
 an order for it. 
 
 i b 
 
 [i ^ 
 
IN AMEKICA. 
 
 t>71 
 
 Tlie climate of Wasliingtoii has uiuler^ono a 
 considerable alteration within the memory ot" 
 those who have known it for the last forty years. 
 Its healthiness has by no means increased as 
 the forest has disappeared; on the contrary, 
 the reverse effect has rather been prodneed. 
 The real natnre of a climate cannot be known 
 till it has been rendered lit for the habitation 
 of man ; and no land can l)e said to be in that 
 condition, till it has been })artially cleared and 
 cultivated. The process in some places renders 
 tlie climatvi warmer, and in others it has the 
 effect of producing more cold; so that it does 
 not always follow that clearing is productive of 
 beneficial results. Since the forests of the 
 Pyrenees have been gradually cut down and 
 destroyed, the south of France is not nearly so 
 desirable a residence for invalids as it was 
 formerly. In Ciermany, a good effect has been 
 
 f 
 
 i 
 
 'M 
 
 h 
 
272 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 produced ; but not so at Washiugton. The 
 summer is still excessively hot, (the thermometer 
 ranging above ninety in the shade), and the 
 winter very cold : originally these two seasons 
 almost divided the year between them ; but now, 
 the weather exhibits far more of the variableness 
 of the climate of England. The vicissitudes of 
 temperature are often pahiful, and frequently 
 and rapidly produced by the most violent and 
 piercing gusts of wind from the north-west. 
 The cold of winter, although still very severe, 
 has been much mitigated of late years. In 1780, 
 the bay of the ChesLpeake was solid ice from its 
 head to the mouth of the Potomac ; and in some 
 places, at Aruiapolis for instance, from five to 
 seven inches thick. In 1772, the snow in the 
 district of Washington was nearly three feet 
 deep, and in some places it drifted to the depth 
 of ten or twelve. The length and severity of 
 
'it 
 
 IN A^rERI(•\. 
 
 273 
 
 ' 
 
 the winters have much abated ; but still the 
 climate, as I was informed by a g^entleman per- 
 fectly acquainted with the subject, has not 
 become more healthy. In the year 18-29, the 
 average number of deaths for the last ten years, 
 has been one in every fifty-three. The greatest 
 morttdity prevails in the month of August, and 
 the cases are cliiefly those of fever. It is owing 
 to tlie malignity and greater variety of diseases, 
 accidents, and privations, to w^iich the poorer 
 inhabitants of the more thickly peopled cities are 
 liable, that the annual mortality at New York 
 is calculated as one to fifty ; and at Baltimore 
 as one to forty-nine. In Charleston, South 
 Carolina, it is as one to forty : the situation 
 being more southerly, it is not so healthy as that 
 of Washington. 
 
 Every part of the United States is said to 
 be more or less unhealthy during the summer 
 
 If 
 
 .1 
 
 ,li 
 
274 
 
 SIX MONTH > 
 
 It. 
 
 M 
 
 montlis; but tlio iiih;il)it«ants of tlie nortliorii and 
 middle states, and of tlie \\i^\\ lands and ridgos, 
 excepting in the vicinit) of water, enjoy a much 
 purer air tlian that ])reathed by the inhabitants 
 
 of th 
 
 ith 
 
 liern states, and the lower districts of 
 tlie country. An American writer remarks, 
 tliat " The intermitting fever which is confined 
 to particular spots, seems to originate from the 
 exhalations of marshes, and l)orders of stagnant 
 whalers, though it is a curious fact and worthy 
 the attention of physicians, that families who 
 live in the neighbourhood of these places onjoy 
 good health, while others ^\ilO inhabit the sum- 
 mit of the adjacent hill, are victims to this 
 annually returning malady. When marshy 
 places become dry, fish, insects, and decaying 
 vegetable substances exposed to the action of 
 a burning sun, generate those gaseous miasms 
 which, absorbed by the body, produce w^eak- 
 
 I 
 
IN A.MKUM \. 
 
 •27.5 
 
 noss, sickness, aiid death. Ascoiidin.r by tUo'ir 
 lightness they are probably carried by the u iiids 
 to a neighl)oiirin<>- eminence, where settlino-, 
 they form a sickly and noxious atmosphere." 
 I have more than once heard it remarked, .iuit 
 the Americans of the present (hiy are not such 
 men as fathers, the sol(h'ers of the \\ar of 
 
 Independence. They can take as true an aim 
 with a rifle, but cannot undergo the same 
 fatigue, and are not so long lived, generally. 
 The inhabitants of the more northern states 
 of New England, are perhaps, exceptions ; but 
 in any given number of the inhabitants of 
 Georgia, and the Carolinas for instance, there are 
 not so many persons to be found of ninety years 
 old aid upwards, as among the same number 
 of persons living in the country in England. 
 I heard this from a gentleman on whose infor- 
 mation I believed that I could rely : yet it is 
 
 ■ 
 
IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 
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 I.I 
 
 11.25 
 
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 2.0 
 
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 Hiotographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREE* 
 
 WEBSTER, NY. 14580 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 

 CA 
 
276 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 l|: 
 
 II 
 
 singular, that according to the census of 1830, 
 the number of persons of a liundred years old 
 and upwards, should be larger in the southern 
 than in the northern states. The middle states 
 could boast of a larger number of whites of a 
 hundred years old and upwards, than airy other. 
 New York in a population of 1,913,.508 contain- 
 ing fifty-three, and Pennsylvania fifty-seven in 
 a population of 1,347,672: the total nund>er in 
 the United States was 26.54. The largest 
 number in any one state was in Virginia, 479, 
 but by far the greatest proportion of these are 
 blacks. Mungo Park affirms that the negroes 
 in Africa are not a long-lived race. Speaking 
 of the Mandingoes, the general name for the 
 inhabitants of the country watered by the 
 Gambia, he says, " They seldom attain ex- 
 treme old age. At forty, many of them become 
 grey haired, and covered with v^Tinkles, but few 
 
IN AMEHKA. 
 
 •J77 
 
 of tluMii survive the age of fifty-five or fifty." 
 It is singular that they sliouhl atUiiii a greater 
 age in the United Suites. By tlie Uihle whieh 
 shows the number of persons of one liundred 
 years ohi and upwards, it will he seen that the 
 proportion of blacks of that age greatly exceeds 
 that of the wliites ; but it may be remarked, that 
 the ages of the blacks are not so well known as 
 those of the whites ; and the accuracy therefore 
 of tlie census, as it respects the Jiges of this class, 
 IS less to be relied on. It may be remarked, 
 that Dr. Kainsay, the historian of South Carolina, 
 asserts, that those individuals who have been 
 born and brought u|) in the northern sUites, and 
 who have afterwards migrateil to the south, are 
 usually more robust, more capable of withstand- 
 ing the climate, and are longer lived than the 
 natives of the south. Certain it is, that the 
 Americans in general have not the healthy look 
 
 \ 
 
 i t 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 !r I 
 
•278 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 of tlic Kn^■li8llln{l^. Tlio men are often tall, very 
 powerful, particularly in Kentucky, and well pro- 
 portioned ; but their complexions are not unfre- 
 quently sallow, and climate-worn, with a counte- 
 nance resembling that of a person just recovered 
 from an iUness. This is partly the consequence of 
 the climate, partly of their mode of living and 
 their love of ardent spirits, still fatally prevalent. 
 I am speaking of traveller's fare when I say, 
 that the tavern tables are always well and 
 plentifully supplied ; but no viands are thought 
 so palatable as those that are swimming in 
 melted butter. A beef steak that would be 
 excellent if cooked au naturel, is almost in- 
 variably placed at the head of the table, and 
 in this manner almost invariably spoiled. At 
 breakfast the bread and cakes cannot be too new, 
 or too hot ; and fresh supplies arrive during the 
 meal, which is usually despatched with the most 
 
IN A.MEUICA. 
 
 •J/J) 
 
 l^\tr{lordirlary rapidity. At New ^'ork I ouvo 
 had the rahlech)th whisked from under my phite 
 hy the imj)atient serNT.its. The natural eon- 
 sequence is, an extreme prevalence of dyspej)sia 
 i" all i)arts of the Tnited States, which is not 
 lessened I)y the incredible quantity of soda uiiter, 
 sweetened with different syrups, which is con- 
 sumed l)y the Americans during the hot weather. 
 At Baltimore I have drank, I think, the finest 
 soda water I ever trusted. 
 
 , The inns, or taverns, as they are called, which 
 I met with were generally good, particularly in 
 the towns ; those in the country, however, were 
 sometimes exceedingly dirty and disagreeable. 
 I have almost always found the greatest disposi- 
 tion on the part of the landlord to render them 
 as comfortable as possible, and have very seldom 
 failed in my apj)lication for a room with a single 
 bed, some of them containing as many as four 
 
,! 
 
 > i 
 
 
 '2S{) 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 or five. The Americans think nothinj^ of tliis. 
 Upon one occasion, in Kentucky, where 1 had 
 secured a single-beddetl room, the hmdlord wlio 
 appeared to have been sur|)rised, and thouj^lit 
 I must I)e ill, came up to me shortly afterwards, 
 and most good-naturedly tokl me, that my room 
 was ready: "As you're unwell, sir, I guessed 
 you'd like to retire directly." The expense of 
 living at the best inns in the United States 
 \uries from two to three dollars a day. For this 
 sum a person is provided with a bed, and four 
 meals at stated hours. A coftee-room in the 
 hotel for eating and drinking at one's own time, 
 is a luxury the Americans have not yet attained 
 to; at least I do not remember to have seen one 
 anywhere. 1 did not find the regular hours so 
 troublesome as I expected, as the great heat 
 reiulered it impossible for weeks together to 
 take any thing like severe exercise, excepting 
 
IN AMi:iM(,\. 
 
 IMI 
 
 •'it a very rarly hour of the luoriiiiiir, ,„• afftr 
 Nix o'clock in the evening-. [ wouhl instance 
 Mr. Head's tabh' at Phihi.h.lphia, as the hest in 
 the United States. There was a qniet ^rentle- 
 manlike styK>ahout it, that 1 nover saw surpassed, 
 <»'• I'ardly equalled, l,y a tahle d'hote in anv 
 country. I wish I coidd speak as well of the 
 I.ed-rooms in that resj)ect; 1 nn.ch prefer those 
 at Mr. Barnum'sat Baltimore, and Mr. dadshy's 
 at Washington. Take it altogether, the 'JVeniont 
 at Boston, is by fhr the best hotel in the States. 
 Ice is to he Jiad in tlie greatest plenty in all 
 |)arts of the I 'nited States ; I have even found it 
 as a luxury at my toilette. On the subject of 
 eating- ices, I found that nobody would t<Mich a 
 water ice, and that in general cream ices only 
 were to be met with, even at the best shops. 
 
 The most fearful enemy of liealth is ardent 
 spirits, lA-hich, by those mIio drink them at all, 
 
l''^ 
 
 28-2 
 
 SIX MONTHS 
 
 are takoii at all hours, from four iu tlio morning 
 till twelve .'it niju^lit, aiul swallowed uiuler the 
 various and sulxlued appellations of hitters, 
 ej(g-nojr^, mint-julep, and many others ; all 
 sounding watery enouj^h to have captivated 
 Sangrado himself. The Temperance Societies 
 are an honour to the country. There are ahout 
 1000 of them in the United States, compose<l of 
 1 ,200,000 members, and affecting about 2,000,000 
 of individuals directly or indirectly. They have 
 caused the suppression of 1000 distilleries, and 
 i3000 retail stores. The members solemidv 
 promise that they will not touch a drop of any 
 kind of spirits : of course, the rules of the so- 
 ciety are sometimes broken, particidarly as tliey 
 allow wine and brandy when ordered by the 
 doctor. I have heard it observed by those who 
 are unfriendly to these associations, that an 
 individual who cannot abstain from spirits with- 
 
IX AMEKKA. 
 
 I'NJ 
 
 out belonging to a tcinpenmir sofictv, \s ill iu»i 
 rofraiii wIumi lie hocoincs a momlKM-; hut tlu'ir 
 is a vast diflVrciicc hotween the strength of a 
 resolution made to oneselt*, an<l known only to 
 oneself, and a promise solemidy and puMidy 
 ^iven, where fulfilment is demanded hy lioncun-, 
 the fear of shame, and tlie duty of exam|)le. 
 It is always observed, tliat when a member of 
 the society has once relapsed into his old habits, 
 his course is one of recklessness and desperation. 
 That the societies have done good is inideni- 
 able, by their influence on the wholesale trade 
 in spirits at New York. 
 
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 i:\I) OF VOL. I. 
 
 MftiiitiiigaiKl SiiiithJion, I'linK-i!!, LoiuI.mi-Ik.usc Van), St. Pm.iI's.