- * m I .. K -:,:: LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Receded.-. .-.** A c cessions No. .$-& 3 Shel No. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR A NARRATIVE if OF A TOUR OF OBSERVATION, MADE DURING THE SUMMER OF 1817, BY JAMES MONROE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, THROUGH THE NORTH-EASTERN AND NORTH-WESTERN DEPARTMENTS OF THE UNION: WITH A VIEW TO THE EXAMINATION OF THEIR SEYE DEFENCES. PHILADELPHIA: JL UBLISHED BY S. A. MITCHELL 6? H. AMES. Clark & Raser, Printers. 1818. District of Pennsylvania, to wit: / BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-ninth day of Decem ber, in the forty-second year of the independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1817, Mitchell & Ames, of the said district, have deposited in this office the title of a book, the rig ht whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following-, to wit: A Narrative of a Tour of Observation, made during the sum mer of 1817, by James Monroe, President of the United States, through the north-eastern and north-western depart ments of the union: with a view to the examination of their several military defences. With an Appendix." In conformity to the act of the congress of the United States, entitled, " An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and pro prietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned." And also to the act, entitled, " An act supplementary to an act, entitled, An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing 1 the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and pro prietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, en graving 1 , and etching historical and other prints." D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania, JI [7ERSIT7; 4 INTRODUCTION. A CONSIDERABLE degree of public interest having- been excited by the late tour of the President of the United States, undertaken soon after his induction into office, and constituting one of the first important acts of his administration, the editor has thought himself warranted in the publication of the following account of its course, and of the events attending it. In the numerous addresses, delivered to him by the citizens, and in the replies which they received, the sentiments of the people, and the views of the exe cutive, are constantly developed ; and the preserva tion of these could in no way be more properly effected, than by collecting them under one general head, and blending them with intermediate descrip tions of his journey, in the form and character of a Narrative. During the late war with Great Britain, a practi cal opportunity w r as afforded to the government of the United States, to discover the relative import ance of the defences erected along the frontier, dividing the American and British possessions, and the strength and utility of the various fortified places on the marine exterior. The frequent and some times successful, incursions of the late enemy, en forced the necessity of selecting new points for the erection of strong and efficient batteries, to protect vi INTRODUCTION. the country against future invasion ; of demolishing such works, as were thence found to have been con structed in improper situations ; and of concentrating the regular forces, at such positions as should render their co-operation speedy and effective. Impressed with the magnitude of this subject, Mr. Monroe had no sooner passed through the forms of his inauguration, than he directed his attention to the means by which to accomplish so desirable an object. A mere theoretical knowledge would be in sufficient for the consummation of his views ; and, indeed, could not be entirely depended upon. Avail ing himself, therefore, of the experience acquired before the close of the late contest, he determined to engage in a personal examination of the situation, strength, and condition, of all the citadels and mili tary posts in the northern and eastern departments of the union. To the early execution of this inten tion, he was urged, as he has himself intimated, by a desire to look into the economical expenditure of the public monies, which had been liberally appro priated by congress ; to facilitate the completion of these measures; and to ascertain the propriety of adopting plans, suggested by the agents employed in the service of fortification. Not long after the expiration of the congressional term, in the spring of 1817, the President entered upon this laudable undertaking, and prosecuted his route through all the principal towns and cities, which he had marked out for his first tour of obser vation. Departing from the capital, he passed INTRODUCTION. yii through Baltimore to the state of Delaware, to the cities of Philadelphia, New York, and the chief towns in Connecticut and Rhode Island, to Boston, and other parts of Massachusetts, to the capital, and other towns in New Hampshire, and through the province of Maine to the town of Portland. Thence he extended his journey westward through Vermont; inspected the w r orks at Plattsburg: and passing through the forests, to the St. Lawrence, he embarked for lake Ontario ; visited Sacket s Har bour, and Fort Niagara ; and, advancing along the strait to Buffalo, sailed through Lake Erie, and landed at Detroit, the extremity of his tour. He took a direction thence through the woods of the Michigan territory, and through the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, towards the District of Columbia, where he arrived after an absence of more than three months. From this long, laborious, and fatiguing journey, which the President had imposed upon himself as a public duty, many and great advantages will be de rived, as well by the general community of the United States, as the particular districts of the coun try through which it was necessarily made. The "persevering manner in which it was performed, and the entire accomplishment of its ulterior objects, are strong and certain indications of its beneficial re sults. With an alacrity paralleled only by the prompt aid of the citizens to accelerate his movements, the President inspected garrisons ; examined fortifica tions ; reviewed infantry regiments at cantonments : Viii INTRODUCTION. and obtained a knowledge of the condition of the mi litary arsenals and naval depots, along the Atlantic and inland frontiers. To these numerous duties, he added the desire to promote the prosperity of the people; to correct abuses in the public offices; to avert the calamities incident to any future period of hosti lities; to ameliorate the condition of the poorer classes of society; and to unite and harmonize, the sentiments and affections, of the citizens of one section with those of another. These desirable and happy consequences could not be achieved, without infinite labour, ex cessive fatigue, and numberless privations; all which were greatly increased, by Ms determination to re turn to the capital, through a succession of forests, wildernesses, and Indian settlements, intervening between Detroit and the settled parts of the state of Ohio. In traversing this district of the union, the President encountered all the difficulties atten dant upon bad roads, and the impediments of deep mires and unbridged streams. His fare too was not of the most sumptuous kind, and he frequently slept, with his suite, in Indian huts, his great coat and saddle serving the purposes of bed and pillow, and his person guarded only by the chiefs of the different tribes. He sustained, however, all the inconve niences of comfortless lodgings, and unpleasant and fatiguing travelling, without any abatement of that cheerfulness, and sense of public duty, manifested in the commencement of his tour, the advantageous re sults of which will long be remembered and acknow ledged by the nation. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. i he President leaves Washington arrives at Baltimore visits North Point and Fort M Henry is address ed by the Corporation leaves Baltimore and enters the state of Delaware- lands at Fort Mifflin pro ceeds thence to Philadelphia addressed by the Cin cinnati visits the Navy Yard, the Franklin Seventy- four, and the Public Institutions. Page 13 CHAPTER II. The President leaves Philadelphia and arrives at Tren ton reflections on his visit there addressed by the recorder proceeds to New Brunswick to Elizabeth- town Point arrives at the seat of the Vice-President on Staten Island New York -resolutions of the Common Council address of the Corporation of the Cincinnati visits Castle Williams, the fort at Bedlow s Island, and Brooklyn Heights inducted into the New York Institute address of Mr. Clin ton, p. 28 CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Proceedings of the Society for the encouragement oi American Manufactures Introduction of the Pre sident Report of the Corresponding Committee their Address Election of Messrs. Adams, Jefferson, and Madison their Letters the President proceeds to West Point returns to New York inspects the Forts at the Narrows visits Sandy Hook departs lor New Haven. p* 45 CHAPTER IV. The President arrives at New Haven resolutions of the Citizens Middletown address of the Corpora tion there the President proceeds to Hartford ad dress of the Citizens he repairs to Springfield, and visits the United States Armory receives a Com mittee from the Citizens resolutions at New Lon don the President arrives there is addressed by the Common Council visits Fort Trumbull the town of Groton and Fort Griswold makes an excursion up the Thames sails from New London sleeps at Stonington, and arrives at Newport proceeds thence to Providence. p. 66 CHAPTER V. Massachusetts the President is received on its line by the Governor s Aid passes through Attleborough, Wrentham and Walpole, and sleeps at Dedham arrives at Boston address of the Citizens inspec CONTENTS, XI tioii of Forts Independence and Warren celebra tion of the 4th of July address of the Cincinnati of the Minority of the Legislature. p. 89 CHAPTER VI. Inspection of the Navy Yard The President boards the Independence seventy-four Midshipman King s Narrative Charlestown address of the Citizens The President repairs to Bunker Hill Middlesex Canal Oratorio* visit to Cambridge College ad dress of the Faculty the degree of Doctor of Laws conferred on the President review of the Boston troops Quincy. p. 113 CHAPTER VII. The President departs from Boston address of the Citizens of Lynn proceeds to Marblehead, thence to Salem and Ipswich resolutions at these places Newburyport address of the Citizens there inspec tion of the Factories at Amsbury -the President ar rives at Portsmouth address of the Citizens of the Associated Mechanics and Manufacturers. p. 129 CHAPTER VIII, Province of Maine the President lands at Kittery ad dress proceeds to Kennebunk, and is addressed there Wells Arundel Biddeford address of a Com mittee the President repairs through Saco and Scar borough to Portland reply to the invitation from the Citizens of Bath and other towns visit to forts Pre- Xll ble and Scammel address of the Clergy the Presi dent re-enters New Hampshire. p. 144 CHAPTER IX. The President visits the Military Works at Rouse s Point lands at Plattsburg Description of the At tack upon that Town Chateaugay Ogdensburg Address of the Citizens the President proceeds to Watertown, and reaches Sackets Harbour Address ed by the veteran Officers by the Citizens some account of the Defence of that Place the President sails for Fort Niagara arrives at Buffaloe. p. 180 CHAPTER X. The President sails through Lake Erie arrives at Detroit Address of the Trustees of that City he arrives at the town of Delaware, Ohio Columbus and Worthington Reply to an address there proceeds through Centreville to Chillicothe Address of the Corporation the President passes through Tarleton, Lancaster, and other towns, to Zanesville thence to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania pursues his route by Hagers- town and Fredericktown, Maryland returns to the City of Washington -Address of the Mayor and Citizens. p. 200 NARRATIVE OF THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, CHAPTER L The President leaves Washington arrives at Balti more visits North Point and Fort M Henry is addressed by the Corporation leaves Baltimore and enters the state of Delaware lands at Fort Mifflin proceeds thence to Philadelphia addressed by the Cincinnati visits the Navy Yard, the Franklin Seventy-four, and the Public Institutions. AVAILING himself of a season of comparative leisure, the President left Washington City, on Sa turday the 31st of May, with an intention of prose cuting the object of his tour, through the NORTHERN and EASTERN departments of the Union. His de parture from the capital, was made in so unostenta tious and private a manner, that most of the citizens were ignorant of that circumstance, until it was an nounced to them, hy the daily Intelligencer, when he was already many miles on his journey. The ne- 14 A NARRATIVE OF cessity of his return to the seat of government, pre viously to the ensuing fall, made it incumbent on him to travel with as much celerity as the avowed pur poses of his journey would permit; and, to do this, he was desirous to pass through the intermediate towns, with as much privacy as possible. The dis position of the citizens, however, did not, in this particular, coincide with his own, and his approach to Baltimore, being already anticipated by the citi zens of that place, they determined that he should be publicly received, and conducted, by a military escort, to his quarters. A corresponding desire to receive the President in a manner suitable to his elevated rank, and with a respect due to his eminent public services, soon evinced itself in all the principal cities, through which lie would be obliged to pass, and preparations were every where making, to pay him the highest possible honours. Consistently with his own desire to avoid all kind of parade, lie selected a moment for his entrance into the city of Baltimore, when its inhabitants would, in all probability, be engaged in their devo tional exercises, and when he might repair to the apartments which had been provided for him, without being himself molested, and without attracting the attention of any part of the community. It was no sooner known, to a few individuals, that such were the President s contemplations, than intelligence was spread about the town, and a large cavalcade of citizens on horseback, and a troop of the city caval ry, immediately proceeded to the Washington road, THE PRESIDENT S TOUK. 15 where they met the President, and, after an inter change of civilities, attended him to the Fountain Inn. Here lie was welcomed by a number of the most respectable and distinguished citizens, and in the afternoon attended the church of the reverend Dr. Ing] is. Early on the following morning, accompanied hy generals Smith, Winder, Strieker, and Swift, and a number of military officers, he visited the breast works which had been thrown up for the defence of Baltimore, during the war, and thence repaired to the battle ground, at North Point. A personal view of this scene, must have been peculiarly interesting to the President, as well as to the gentlemen present, two of whom, generals Smith and Winder, had been attached to the troops within the line of fortification ; and another, general Strieker, had the good fortune to command, in person, that division of the army, which on this spot, on the 12th of September 1814, sustained the conflict with the British regulars under colonel Brooke, the successor in command to major- general Ross, who fell soon after landing his forces, in a skirmish brought on by the American light party, under major Heath. In this contest, the American militia, with the ex ception of the 51st regiment, and a few companies of the left battalion of the 39th, behaved with uncom mon coolness and intrepidity, and general Strieker must have enjoyed much gratification, in the oppor tunity of verbally detailing, to the President of the United States, upon the same ground, the events ot" 16 A NARRATIVE OF a battle, which, setting aside the flight of the left flank, if it had a single fault, it was the fault of having been fought too long, and which relieved one of the most distinguished and patriotic cities in the union, from the desolating consequences of a visit from an enemy; established the character of the American arms; and saved millions of property from capture and destruction. Having returned from this early excursion to his quarters in the city, the President was waited on by the mayor and corporation of Baltimore, by whom he was addressed in the following words : " Baltimore, June 2, 1817. " To the President of the United States. Sir We, the mayor and city council of Balti more, embrace with great pleasure, this opportunity of personally congratulating the chief magistrate of the union on his arrival at this place. " Your determination, in the commencement of your administration, to visit several of the most im portant places in the union, is auspicious of happy consequences ; not satisfied with previous knowledge, or second hand information, you are anxious that, on your part, nothing shall be wanting to promote the commonwealth. " That a city, which bore so conspicuous a part in the national defence, should first be honoured with the presence of the chief magistrate of the union, is THE PRESIDENT S as flattering as it is national : and that your observation of our position, and means" defence, may enable us before another war to bid defiance to any enemy. " When, sir, we review your long-tried, faithful, and able services; when we consider the increasing harmony and concord of the United States ; when almost universal peace reigns among the nations; we augur great and lasting happiness to the United States, in giving full scope to the developement of her faculties in the arts and sciences, in agriculture, manufactures, and commerce; and in the permanent exhibition of the advantages of a form of civil and political government, superior to any that has hither to existed. " To our fellow citizens, it is a most interesting spectacle, to see the chief magistrate of this great and powerful nation, making an official tour through their country in the style of a private citizen, guard ed only by the respect paid to the high station he occupies, and the affections of a virtuous people. " We,, sir, wish you, in the sincerity of our hearts, a pleasant tour through the states ; a happy return to Washington ; a reputation and satisfaction in your presidency, equal to any of your predecessors ; and finally, the reward of a well spent life in an eternal world. " We are, sir, with sentiments of very great re spect, your obedient servants, " GEORGE STILES, " Mayor of the City of Baltimore." B 2 i8 A NARRATIVE OF To which address this answer was made by the President : " To the Mayor and City Council oj Baltimore: "Fellow citizens The sentiments which you have communicated, have afforded me very great satis faction. They are just, as to the objects adverted to, and to me, they are generous and kind. " It was impossible for me to approach Baltimore, without recollecting, with deep interest, the gallant conduct of her citizens, in the late war, and the happy results attending their exertions. The glori ous victory which was achieved by her, and in which her citizens bore so distinguished a part, at a very important epoch, not only protected this patriotic city, but shed great lustre on the American name. 66 Experience has shown us our dangers, and ad monished us as to the means of averting them. Con gress has appropriated large sums of money, for the fortification of our coast, and inland frontier, and for the establishment of naval dock yards, and for building a navy. It is proper that those works should be executed with judgment, fidelity, and eco nomy ; much depends in the execution, on the execu tive ; to whom extensive power is given, as to the general arrangement, and to whom the superintend- ance exclusively belongs. You do me justice in be lieving, that it is to enable me to discharge these duties with the best advantage to my country, that i have undertaken this tour. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, ly " From the increased harmony of puhlic opinion, founded on the successful career of a government, which has never been equalled, and which promises, hy a further developement of its faculties, to augment in an eminent degree, the blessings of this favoured people, I jinite with you in all the anticipations which you have sj) justly suggested. " In performing services, honestly and zealously intended for the benefit of my fellow citizens, I shall never entertain a doubt of their generous and firm support. Incapable of any feelings distinct from those of a citizen, I can assume no style, in regard to them, different from that character; and it is a source of peculiar delight to me, to know, that while the chief magistrate of the United States, acts fully up to this principle, he will require no other guard than what may be derived from their confidence and affection. " JAMES MONROE. " Baltimore, June 2d, 1817." After this ceremony, in his own name, and in the name of the corporation, the mayor cordially in vited the President to a public dinner, the acceptance of which, in consequence of his previous arrange ments, and from motives of public concern, he felt himself obliged to forego. At eleven o clock of the same day, and attended by the same ofiicers who had conducted him to the Point, he proceeded to the examination of the arma ment and garrison of FORT M HEIVRY, which had 20 A NARRATIVE OF gallantly withstood the bombardment of the enemy, upwards of twenty -four hours. The batteries on that occasion, to be sure, had been opened, but the shot falling very far short of the assailants, the firing, from the fort, ceased, or was maintained, only at intervals, to show that the garrison had, not sunk under the tremendous showers of rockets ^and shells, incessantly thrown into the batteries ; and thus pain fully situated, without the power of retaliating the attack, the brave and determined soldiers endured their mortification, with an unyielding spirit, dur ing the whole bombardment, which continued un til seven o clock of the morning of the fourteenth. One of the late papers of that city observes : " Had colonel Armistead, who was then, and is now the commanding officer of the fort, been told in the year 1814, that in the year 1817, he would have witness ed on that very spot, then shaken by the exploding thunders of the enemy s fleet, the presence of the chief magistrate, congratulating him on the issue of that event, how exhilarating would then have been his sensations." On entering the fort the President was received with a federal salute, and after finishing his exami nation of its condition, he was escorted to Whet stone Point, where the third brigade of Maryland militia, under general Sterrett, formerly of the 5th regiment, had assembled for the purpose of being reviewed. The field was covered with people of every rank, among whom the appearance of the THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 1 chief of the republic, produced general and lively satisfaction. In the course of the afternoon the President visited the Washing-ton Monument, at Howard Park, and the City Monument, at Washington Square, and at five o clock he received, at his quarters, the personal salutations of the officers of general Sterrett s bri- gade. The President, after experiencing these warm and patriotic attentions, departed from Baltimore at se ven o clock on the morning of Tuesday, the 4th of June, in one of the steam hoats which had been chartered, by the corporation, for his exclusive use and accommodation, and to which he was accompa nied by the municipal authorities of the city. In the evening of that day he arrived at Newcas tle, on the Delaware, where he was met by commo dore Murray, and captain Stewart, of the Franklin 74, and a number of other officers and citizens. The following day (Wednesday) he was occupied in visit ing the Pea Patch, and other points of contemplated military and naval defence, and receiving from the citizens of the state of Delaware every demonstra tion of respect. Suitable arrangements had previously been made by the naval, military, and civil authorities at Phi ladelphia, to receive him with all proper marks of distinction; and the barge of the Franklin, properly decorated, and manned by sixteen expert seamen, handsomely arrayed in uniform, was in attendance at Fort Mifflin, to convey him from that garrison to 22 A NAKRATIVE OF the city. Early on the morning of Thursday the 6th, the President landed at Fort Miffiin, where lie Was received by colonel Moses Porter* the military commander of the district, under a national salute, and having finished the inspection of the fort, lie was immediately conducted to the barge, and ac companied by his suite, (General Swift of the United States engineers, and his secretary, Mr. Mason,) and the officers already mentioned, he was rowed up the river Schuylkill, and about three o clock on the af ternoon arrived at Gray s ferry, where he was re ceived by the volunteer cavalry of Philadelphia, and a large assemblage of citizens on horseback. After partaking of some refreshment, he proceeded to wards the city, along the Hamilton road, accompa nied by the escort. On his arrival at High street bridge, a federal salute was fired by the company of flying artillery, under captain Richard Bache, and on crossing he received the honours due to the com mander in chief, from the brigade of infantry under brigadier-general Thomas Cadwallader, who had himself attended the President from Gray s ferry. The brigade, which on this occasion exhibited an unusually brilliant appearance, both as to numbers and equipment, was composed of a battalion of artil lery under lieutenant-colonel A. M. Prevost, captain Bache s company of flying artillery, a battalion of infantry under colonel Clement C. Biddlc, and a de tachment of riflemen. The cavalry escort was com manded by captain William Rawle, the command of whose company (the 2d cavalry,) devolved on lien. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 23 tenant John Hall, assisted by cornet E.S. Fuller- ton. The whole of the troops having been reviewed by his excellency, and the line of march being formed, the procession entered the city through the principal streets. As they approached the more populous neighbourhoods, the crowd of spectators which had been accumulating during his progress, became very great, and the windows of the houses, as he passed, were filled with the beauty and fashion of the city. The President, having alighted at the Mansion House hotel, was conducted by several distinguished citi zens, to the apartments prepared for his reception, where he was immediately waited upon by the offi- rers of tiif first brigade of Pennsylvania militia, as also by the officers of the brigade which had escort ed him. On the following morning, at six o clock, the Pre sident, accompanied by his ^sllite, visited the Aca demy of Fine Arts; and after having breakfasted, he was waited upon by Robert Wharton, esq. mayor, Joseph Reed, esq. recorder, and the presidents of the select and common councils, who, after expressing their warmest congratulations on his arrival in the city, and their regret, that his short stay would preclude their rendering him further civilities, ac companied him through the public prison, with the economy and discipline of which, he expressed much satisfaction. He then visited the Pennsylvania Hos pital, Peak s Museum, and Mr. Sully s Gallery of Pictures. 4 A NARRATIVE OF About ten o clock he was received at the navy yard. On his arrival on hoard the Franklin seventy- four, a federal salute was fired from that vessel, and at his departure the salute was repeated. A large number of citizens were invited on board by cap tain Stewart, who had an elegant collation pre pared for his distinguished guest, and the company. When the President returned to his quarters, the officers of the Cincinnati presented to him the fol lowing address : " To James Monroe, President of the United States. 66 Sir Embracing the occasion which your atten tion, as chief magistrate, to the military defences of the United States has afforded, it is with peculiar pleasure that the members of the Pennsylvania So ciety of Cincinnati, a portion of the surviving few, who were your associates in arms during the war of the revolution, approach to renew their personal intercourse, and to assure you of their cordial sup port of the firm and impartial administration of the government, which by combining in its measures, domestic tranquillity, with the respect of foreign nations, they confidently anticipate, will promote the best interests of the United States, and insure to our citizens, the advantages of social harmony and individual happiness. " That you may participate those blessings, and enjoy the grateful esteem of a happy people, is a THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 3 sincere wish of your faithful friends and respectful fellow citizens. " Signed by order, and by the unanimous vote of the society, " D. LENOX, President. " HORACE BINNEY, Secretary. (t Philadelphia, June 6, 1817," To this address the President answered : To the Members of the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati. " Fellow Citizens In attending to the military and naval defence of the United States, nothing can be more gratifying to me, than to meet the surviving members of my associates in arms, who distinguish ed themselves in our revolutionary contest. I can never forget the dangers of that great epoch, nor be indifferent to the merits of those who partook in them. " To promote tranquillity at home, and respect abroad, by a firm and impartial administration, are among the highest duties of the chief magistrate of the United States. To acquit myself in the dis charge of these duties, with advantage to my felJow citizens, will be the undeviating object of my zealous 26 A NARRATIVE OF exertions. Their approbation will be the highest recompense which I can receive. "JAMES MONROE. "Philadelphia, June 6, 1817." A meeting had been previously called of the civil officers of the general and state governments, at the United States district court room, on the 5th of June, at twelve o clock, noon ; at which John Steele, esq. collector of the port of Philadelphia, was ap pointed chairman, and Peter A. Browne, esq. secre tary. A report was presented by the committee of arrangements appointed at a prev ious meeting, in which they recommended the formation of a com mittee, to consist of seven United States officers, and seven state officers, to wait on the President of the United States, and to tender him the congratu lations of this meeting, on his visit to the city of Philadelphia. A motion was accordingly made and seconded, and it was unanimously resolved, that such a committee should be appointed. The following named gentlemen were selected. John Steele, Ro bert Patterson, David Caldwell, William Duncan, William Jones, and James Glentworth, esquires, and Dr. John White; United States officers. Joseph B. M Kean 9 John Goodman, Thomas Truxtun, Joseph Reed, Timothy Matlack, Jacob Rush, and Peter A. Browne, esquires; state officers. It was also moved, that Thomas M*Kean, esq. late governor of the commonwealth, should be added THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 27 to the committee ; but, it being ascertained that a se vere indisposition would prevent Mr. M Kean from leaving his house, his name was for that reason with drawn, though it was immediately and unanimously resolved that it should appear on the minutes. In conformity with these resolutions, the commit tee waited upon the President, and acquainted him with the proceedings of the meeting. Among other objects of the President s inspection, during his stay in this city, were the Custom House, the Bank of the United States, and the vacant ground at the Drawbridge, proposed as the scite for the erection of a new Custom House. He had taken an opportunity also, to visit the late governor M Kean, Mr. Thomas Willing, and the widow of Robert Morris, esq. whose eminent financial services, du ring the revolutionary war, still live in the memory of his survivors. 8 A NARRATIVE 01 CHAPTER II The President leaves Philadelphia and arrives at Trenton reflections on his insit there addressed by the recorder proceeds to New Brunswick to Elizdbethtown Point arrives at the seat of the Vice-President on Staten Island New York re solutions of the Common Council address of the Corporation of the Cincinnati ^-visits Castle Wil liams, the fort at Bedlow s Island) and Brooklyn Heights inducted into the New Fork Institute address of Mr. Clinton. HAVING first visited the Mint of the United States, on Saturday the 7th inst. the President left Philadel phia, and accompanied by general Swift, Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll, the district attorney for Pennsylvania, and his private secretary, Mr. Mason, proceeded on his route towards Trenton, the capital of New-Jer sey, and the scene of his own individual gallantry, in the memorable attack, made by general Washington, at that place, upon the Hessians under colonel Rahl, on the 25th and 26th of December 1776. He reach ed the bridge, which crosses the Delaware below that city, sometime after sunset, and, his approach having been anticipated, he was received there by tbo THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 29 municipal authorities, attended by a large concourse of citizens, and the volunteer troops of Trenton, un der the command of captain Rossell. Approximating the ground upon which he had bled in the defence of his country, .at a brilliant epoch of the revolution, the feelings wittf which the President must have been inspired, may readily be conceived. To the success ful result of the battle of Trenton, he had greatly contributed, in the capacity of a lieutenant, at a six gun battery; and was severely wounded in the shoul der, in a charge afterwards made upon the enemy s artillerists, -in which they were driven from their post, with the loss of two pieces. With this wound he was confined upwards of two months, at the man sion of Judge Wynkoop, in Bucks county (Penn sylvania), at an inconsiderable distance from the scene of action. Forty years had elapsed since the period of that important and memorable event, and the subaltern officer, who was then distinguished by his active patriotism, now approached the theatre of his youthful enterprise, as the head of the nation, whose independence he had contributed to establish. His arrival was announced by the ringing of bells, and the discharge of a piece of field artillery, under the direction of captain Yard. From the bridge he was conducted by the military escort, to his quarters, in the city, in front of which &fuc-de-joie was fired. The civil authorities having soon after called, to offer their respects, the honourable Mr. M Neely, mayor, and Charles Ewing, esq. recorder of the city, and aldermen Broadhurst, Taylor, and Smith, were c 2 30 A NARRATIVE OF presented to the President, when the recorder de livered the following extemporaneous address. " Sir The mayor and city council, and through us the citizens of Trenton, present to^you their most unfeigned respects ; congratulate ydu on your arri val ; and give you a most cordial welcome to this city, the scene, sir, of some of the services you have ren dered our country. We most sincerely wish you the enjoyment of health, a long life, and a prosperous administration." To which Mr. Monroe immediately replied : " That he felt very sensibly, the kind attention on the part of the authorities of the city of Trenton; the place were the hopes of the country were revived, in the war of the revolution, hy a signal victory ob- tained by the troops under the command of general Washington, after a severe and disastrous campaign. That lie was well acquainted with the patriotism of the citizens of Trenton, and indeed of Jersey, for none suffered more, or displayed greater patriotism, in our revolutionary contest." He concluded, " I beg you to accept my best wishes for your continued prosperity and happiness." The remainder of the evening was occupied, in receiving the congratulatory visits of the most dis tinguished citizens, and several public officers, among whom was captain Charles Stewart of the navy. On the following morning, Sunday, the THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 31 President, accompanied by his suite, attended divine service, at the Presbyterian meeting-house. On Monday, the 9th, he left Trenton, escort ed by the light infantry, and two troops of horse from the neighbourhood, under captains Smith and Ho well, v. r ho proceeded with him several miles on his route. As he approached New Brunswick, he was met by a committee of citizens, at the head of which was chief justice Kirkpatrick, and by seve ral companies of military, by whom he was attended into the town. On his arrival at the inn, where the procession halted, the chief justice presented, in a short address, the congratulations of the citizens of New Brunswick, upon his arrival among them, and assured him of their best wishes, for his per sonal welfare, and the successful execution of the important trust confided to him, as the chief magis trate of the nation. After remaining a short time, the President pur sued his route, still attended by the military, and accompanied by governor Williamson, and some gentlemen from Elizabethtown, who met him at New Brunswick. He arrived the same day at Eli zabethtown Point, whence he passed to Staten Island, in the steam boat Atalanta, and at half past six o clock reached the seat of vice-president Tompkins. The revenue cutter Active, under captain Cahoone, fired a salute on the occasion, which was immediate ly succeeded by two salutes from the batteries at the Narrows. From the rapidity with which his excel lency had hitherto travelled, he was much fatigued 32 A NARRATIVE OP and exhausted, and accordingly he spent the whole of the following day at the vice-president s residence, in a private manner. At an early hour on the morning of the 1 1th, the steam boat Richmond, captain Bartholomew, hav-* ing on board a committee of the corporation, con sisting of aldermen Smith, Barkett, Stevens, Ark- ley and Schieffelin, with majors -general Morton and Mapes, and their suites, proceeded to Staten Island, for the purpose of conveying the President to New York. At ten o clock, accompanied by the vice- president, general Swift, his secretary, and cap tains Evans and Biddle, of the United States navy, he embarked under a salute from the United States brig Saranac. With this vessel, and the re venue cutter before mentioned, in attendance, the Richmond made sail for New York, and upon pass ing Castle Williams, a national salute was fired from that fort. The Richmond anchored off the West Battery about twelve o clock, and a barge, hand somely decorated for the occasion, was despatched to convey the company on shore. When his excel lency landed, a number of official characters offered him their salutations. Horses having been provided, he then passed in review, attended by major-general Scott, and the military and naval officers, along a splendid line of military, composed of major-general Morton s division of artillery, and commanded by brigadier-general Stevens. When the review was ended, the President, escorted by colonel Werner s regiment of cavalry, together with the artillery, the THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. S3 Governor s Guards, and another company of cavalry from Brooklyn, moved through Broadway to the City Hall, where he alighted, and received a march ing salute. The novelty of such an event, as a visit from a President of the United States, drew together an im mense concourse of spectators, to behold his public entry. From the Battery to the Park, the houses along Broadway were crowded, and the entire mul titude of people assembled, was supposed to exceed twenty thousand. The appearance and vivacity of the troops were such as to do them honour, and greatly contributed to the animation of the scene. Some days before the arrival of the President, a meeting had been held of the common council of the city of New York, at which the following resolutions, being presented by alderman SMITH, were unani mously agreed to : " Information being received that the President of the United States will arrive in this city in the course of a few days, and the common council, feel ing themselves called on by a sense of duty, to pay every respect to the exalted station which he fills ; and being also desirous of testifying the high sense which they entertain of his private and public worth ; therefore, " Resolved, That on the President s arrival in this city, the common council will assemble in their cham ber, and, with their proper officers, will wait on his excellency, at such time as he slmil appoint; that his 34 A NARRATIVE OF honour the mayor, be requested then, on behalf of this corporation, and of the citizens in general, to tender him our congratulations on his arrival; to testify to him the high respect, which the citizens of this place entertain for his public and private vir tues; and to express to him as our sincere and ar dent wish, that a gracious Providence may make him its peculiar care, and to its other blessings, may add that of witnessing the increasing happiness and prosperity of our beloved country. Resolved 9 That his excellency be requested to ho nour this corporation, by sitting for his portrait, to be placed in the gallery of portraits belonging to the common council. " Resolred, That his excellency be respectfully in vited to partake of a public dinner, to be provided under the direction of the committee of arrange ment." Agreeably to these resolutions, J. Radcliff, esq. mayor, and the members of the common council, presented their congratulations to tbe President, im mediately after he was shown into the apartment, appropriated to his use, in the upper story of the City Hall, in the following ADDRESS. " Sir The mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city of New York, beg leave to present to you their sincere congratulations on your arrival in this rity. \ THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 35 " It is with pride and pleasure, that they see amongst them the chief magistrate of the nation, in the capacity of a private citizen, reposing himself, with just confidence, in. the affections of a generous people ; and are happy to embrace this opportunity, on behalf of themselves and their fellow citizens, to express to him the high sense they entertain of his private virtues and public services. 6i Called by the voice oft a nation of freemen to the first office in their power to bestow, you can possess no higher evidence of their approbation of your past conduct, and of their confidence in the able and faith ful discharge of the important duties assigned to your present station. Nothing can add to the force of this testimony, founded as it is, with uncommon unanimity, on the sense of a free and enlightened people. " We learn, with great satisfaction, that your present tour is connected with the object of carrying into effect, the measures of general defence, proposed by the congress of the United States, and that you have deemed them of sufficient importance to merit your personal attention. On this subject permit us to say, that our citizens feel a deep and lively inte rest. This state, from its local situation, and exte rior frontier, is peculiarly subject to become the thea tre of war ; and the city of New York, whilst it affords the strongest temptation, is much exposed, from its natural position, to the attempts of a foreign enemy ; although, in the late contest, it has not ac- 36 A NARRATIVE OF tually been assailed, we presume it may, without ar rogance, be said, that the extraordinary and spirited exertions of our citizens, powerfully supported by the patriotic efforts of the people of this, and a neigh bouring state, taught the enemy to believe, that such an attempt could not be made with impunity. The wisdom of our government is displayed by the mea sures now undertaken, to provide, in time of peace, the security required in war ; and we feel the highest confidence, that under your auspices, that security will be afforded for every future emergency. The present happy condition of our country, in general, demands our highest gratitude to the supreme Ruler of events, and opens to our view, great and interest ing prospects. In a state of profound peace, after a conflict in which the rights of the nation have been exalted, we see a great people, united among them selves ; devoted to a government of their choice; pos sessing a country as fertile as it is extensive ; evin cing a spirit of enterprise, in the various employ ments of agriculture, commerce and manufactures; ardent in the pursuit of science, and in cultivating the arts which adorn civilised society ; and advancing in population, power and wealth, with a rapidity hitherto unexampled ; the destinies of such a peo ple, with the blessings of Providence, cannot be an ticipated, and defy calculation. " It is your happiness, sir, to have commenced your administration, at a period thus propitious and interesting ; and we have no doubt it will be your THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 37 great ambition, to bestow on these important objects, all the patronage in your power, and justify the high expectations which have been formed. " That the pleasing prospects we have indulged, may be happily realized, and that your administra tion may, in all respects, effectually promote the best interests of the United States, and that you may long live to witness the prosperity of your country, and enjoy the esteem of *. virtuous people, is the ardent wish of those, on whose behalf I have the honour to address you. " In behalf of the corporation of the city, I have the honour to be, with sentiments of the highest es teem, your obedient servant, " J. RADCLIFF." To this appropriate address, in which the princi pal objects of the tour were brought into view, the President made the subjoined reply. * To the Mayor, Jtidermen, and Commonalty, of the City of New Fork. "Fellow Citizens In performing a duty, enjoined on me by the constitution and laws of the United States, I cannot express the satisfaction, which I de rive from the intercourse to which it leads, with so many of my fellow citizens ; and from the opportu nity it affords to behold, in person, the blessings which an all-gracious providence has bestowed upon them. D 38 A NARRATIVE OF 111 executing the laws which congress have wise ly adopted, for the national defence, the Atlantic and inland frontiers of this state, by their exposed situa tion, are entitled to particular attention. I am aware, too, that this populous and flourishing city, presents, in time of war, a strong temptation to the cupidity of an invading foe. It is in the spirit of the laws which I am called to execute; it is in the spirit of the people, whom I represent, to provide amply for the security of every part, according to the danger to which it is exposed. In performing this duty, I shall endeavour to he their faithful organ. " The present prosperous condition of our coun try is, as you justly observe, the best proof of the excellence of our institutions, and of the wisdom with which they have been administered. "It affords, too, a solid ground, on which to in dulge the most favourable anticipations as to the fu ture. An enlightened people, educated in the prin ciples of liberty, and blessed with a free government, bold, vigorous, and enterprising, in the pursuit of every just and honourable attainment; united by the strong ties of a common origin, of interest and af fection; possessed of a vast and fertile territory; improving in agriculture, in the arts, and manufac tures; extending their commerce to every sea; al ready powerful, and rapidly increasing in population, have every inducement, and every means, whereby to perpetuate these blessings to the latest posterity. " The honourable termination of the late v/ar, whereby the rights of the nation were vindicated, THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 39 should not lull us into repose ; the events attending it, show our vulnerable points, and it is in time of peace that we ought to provide, by strong works,, for their defence. The gallantry and good conduct of our army, navy, and militia, and the patriotism of our citizens generally, so conspicuously display ed in that war, may always be relied on. Aided by such works, our frontiers will be impregnable. " Devoted to the principles of our government, from my earliest youth ; and satisfied that the great blessings which we enjoy, are, under divine provi dence, imputable to that great cause, it will be the object of my constant and zealous efforts, to give to those principles their best effect. Should I, by these efforts, contribute in any degree to the happiness of my fellow citizens, I shall derive from it, the high est gratification of which my mind is susceptible. " JAMES MONROE/* When the ceremony with the municipal officers had been concluded, the Society of the Cincinnati was introduced to the President, and the following address was presented by one of its principal mem bers. " To James Monroe, President of the United States. " Sir The New York Society of Cincinnati, take this opportunity, when your important duties as chief magistrate of the United States, have procured for this city, the honour of a visit," to present to you the 40 A NARRATIVE OF assurances of their respect, and of their cordial dis position to support, with all their power, the mea sures which the wisdom of the government shall adopt, to promote the honour and welfare of our be loved country. " Your presence, sir, recals those patriotic emo tions, in which the Society of Cincinnati originated ; and as a distinguished individual among the officers of the revolutionary war, of which the society was composed, you are associated with the pleasing re collections, which we cherish, of the result of that ardent struggle. 66 We beg you to accept our sincere wishes for your personal happiness, and the assurance of our high esteem and consideration." The pleasure with which the President received this address, is indicated in his reply. " To the Members of the JVew York Society of Cincinnati. " Fellow Citizens The opportunity which my visit to this city, in the discharge of important pub lic duties, has presented, of meeting the New York Society of Cincinnati, with many of whom I was well acquainted in our revolution, affords me heart felt satisfaction. It is impossible to meet any of those patriotic citizens, whose valuable services were so intimately connected with that great event, with out recollections which it is equally just and honour* able to cherish. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 41 " In your support of all proper measures for a national defence, and the advancement of the public welfare, I have the utmost confidence. Those whose zeal and patriotism, were so fully tried in that great struggle, will never fail to rally to the standard of their country in any emergency. " JAMES MOXROE." The President was then escorted, by the cavalry, to the rooms prepared for his reception, in Gibson s Hotel, in Wall street, where he dined in company with several eminent characters. Among the guests were, the Vice-president of the United States, the honourable Dewitt Clinton, the honourable Rufus King, the military officers and their suites, the naval officers, General Ebenezer Stevens, colonels Willett and Platt, and major Fair-lie. When general Ste vens was presented to the President, the latter re marked, "that it gave him at all times peculiar pleasure, to take an officer of the war of indepen dence by the hand." Various transparencies w r ere exhibited in front of the City Hall, the New York Museum, and other public buildings, which were also brilliantly illumi nated on the occasion, and in the midst of the exte rior decorations of the Theatre, was a splendid full length portrait of the President. Castle Williams, on Governor s Island, the fort at Bedlow s Island, and the navy yard, being the most prominent objects of the President s tour* upon this station, his first business on the morning of the D 2 42 A NARRATIVE OF 12th, was to go through the inspection of these se veral public works; in the performance of which, he was accompanied by ms.jor-general Scott, of the United States army. The customary salutes were fired on his arrival at each of these places. At half past one o clock, he attended at the governor s room, in the City Hall, where he received the personal re spects of a great number of citizens, after which, he dined with his relation, Mr. Knox, in Greenwich street. In the afternoon of the same day, the Academy of Arts, the Hospital, the New Alms-house at Bellevue, and other public establishments, underwent his exa mination. In the evening he was attended to the Theatre by the members of the corporation. The Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, having elected Mr. James Monroe, to a fel lowship, on the evening of Wednesday, the llth of June, was especially convened, on the following Fri day morning, for the purpose of receiving and ini tiating him. Accordingly, after having performed his tour around the fortifications on Brooklyn heights, his excellency repaired at the appointed hour to the New York Institute. Tl\e several apartments, con taining the exhibitions of the Academy of the Fine Arts; the Mineralogical and Zoological cabinets; the Historical collections, &c.; were thrown open to him, and his suite, and his excellency Dewitt Clin ton, president of the Institute, in behalf of the so ciety, addressed him in the following manner : " Sir As it has been the usage of this society, THE PRESIDENT S to enrol among its members, such charactc distinguished for their virtues, their intellectual powers, and their literary attainments, it affords me great pleasure to inform you, that you have been unanimously admitted an honorary member ; the highest honour in our power to bestow; and it is peculiarly gratifying to find, that on this occasion, the honour which is conferred is reflected on the in stitution. " Viewing, in the course of your past life, a cer- tain pledge of an able and patriotic administration, we are fully persuaded, that you will always keep steadily in view, the great interests of literature and science, as inseparably identified with the honour, the glory, and the prosperity of our country." Being regularly inducted into the Institute, the President made an extempore reply, to this flatter ing address, which has been collected with as much accuracy as possible, in these words : Sir I cannot express the sensibility I feel on this occasion. " The high honour thus unanimously conferred, by the members of this respectable institution, will ever be cherished by me with grateful recollection; nor can I but be sensible to the flattering manner in which you, sir, have communicated this expression of their kindness. " I beg leave to assure you, and the members of this association, that as far as my influence may ex tend, it shall be exerted in promoting the interests of science and literature, as among the most efficient 44 A NARRATIVE OF means of preserving the integrity of our republican form of government, and the honour of our country." The meeting of the Institute being adjourned, the President visited the Orphan Asylum, the Peniten tiary, and the State Prison, and dined with Mrs. Governeur, sister to Mrs. Monroe. A meeting of the American Society for the En couragement of American Manufactures, was held in the evening of this day, at the assembly room in the City Hotel, the proceedings of which, as they are intimately connected with the President s tour, and form a principal feature in its course, and as the subject itself is one of particular interest to all classes of society, are inserted at length, in the following chapter. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 45 CHAPTER III. Proceedings of the Society for the Encouragement of American Manufactures Introduction of the Pre sident Report of the Corresponding Committee th,ir Address Election of Messrs. Adams, Jeffer son, and Madison their Letters the President proceeds to West Point returns to New York inspects the Forts at the Narrows visits Sandy Hook departs for New Haven. THE American Society for the Encouragement of American Manufactures, met on Friday evening, the 13th, at the assembly room in the City Hotel. Daniel D. Tompkins, president of the society, took the chair, supported by the vice-presidents, colonel Feu, and John Ferguson esq. The society being organized, James Monroe, president of the United States, was proposed as a member; whereon, the presiding offi cer suggested, that the usual form of ballot be dis pensed with, and that James Monroe be received as a member. A motion to this eifect was then made and carried unanimously. Messrs. Morris, Golden, and Pierson, were appointed a committee, to wait on the president of the United States, to inform him of his being elected, and to solicit the honour of his 46 A NARRATIVE OF attendance at the meeting; to which he politely as- Rented, and being inducted by the committee, took his seat on the right of the presiding officer, who immediately rose, and in an extempore and eloquent address, assured his excellency, of the high sense entertained by the society, of the honour he con ferred, by assenting to become one of its members, which created a confidence, that he would do all which he consistently could, to promote the views with which the society was instituted. To which his excellency replied, with much elo quence and force, that he duly appreciated the ob jects of the institution, which were particularly dear to Mm, from their being intimately connected with the real independence of our country, and closed, with an assurance that he would use his efforts, as far as the general interest of the country would permit, to promote the patriotic and laudable objects of the society. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Ma dison, were then separately proposed as members, and admitted unanimously, the usual form of ballot being, on motion, dispensed with. The corresponding committee offered the follow r - ing report, with an address from the pen of C. D. Colden esq. which were severally read. " Report of the Corresponding Committee of the So ciety for the Encouragement of Domestic Manu factures. (S The corresponding committee, elected in pursu- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 4? ance of the third article of the constitution, for the current year, respectfully report: " That immediately after the meeting of the so ciety, held on the 31st December, 1816, they took the speediest measures for carrying into effect the reso lutions, respecting the printing and publishing the address then reported and adopted. They accord ingly caused to be printed five thousand copies ; one of which was transmitted to the President of the United States, and one to each of the members of congress, and heads of departments of the general govern ment, and to the governors and members of the legis latures of the states respectively, as far as the same was practicable. <f Your committee, in further pursuance of the duties delegated to them, caused a memorial to be drawn up on behalf of the society, addressed to the congress of the United States, praying for the per manency of the duties imposed by the tariff: the prohibition of cotton goods, manufactured beyond the cape of Good Hope ; such revision and modifi cation of the revenue laws, as might prevent smug gling, false invoices, and other frauds ; for a duty of ten per cent, on auction sales, with the exceptions therein stated; for a recommendation to the officers of the army and navy, and to all civil officers, to be clothed in American fabrics ; that all public supplies for the army and navy might be of American manu facture; and for such other protection as might place our mercantile and manufacturing interests beyond the reach of foreign influence. 48 A NAERATTVE OF " It is with pleasure and gratitude your committee have learned, that the war department, has given an entire preference to domestic manufacture, and as much, is confidently hoped from the department of the navy. " Your committee elected a delegate to proceed with the same to the seat of government. " Memorials of similar import, were drawn up hy the merchants of this city, and by the citizens at large, respectively; and another member of your committee was deputed by the merchants, who also appointed a citizen of New York, then in the city of Washington, to co-operate with the delegates of this society, and caused the above named memorials to be laid before congress, with instructions to solicit and promote the objects of them, by their best en deavours. The delegates, on their way to the seat of gov ernment, took occasion to explain to certain respect able and influential citizens of Philadelphia and Bal timore, the object, views, and motives of this so ciety, and the nature of their mission : and had the satisfaction, during the short period of one day, in each of these cities, to witness the formation of kin dred associations, whose proceedings have been long since made public ; and which, by their intelligence, patriotism, capital, and character, have proved an inappreciable acquisition to the cause of domestic industry. " During their residence in the city of Washing- ton, the said delegates, with the aid and co-operation THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 49 of their colleague, made a similar, and no less suc cessful appeal, to the citizens of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria; who, at a meeting convened by public notice, instituted and organized an association, entitled the Metropolitan Society, the proceedings of this association have also been made public ; and their zeal, influence, and respec tability, have done much in rousing the spirit of inquiry, and promoting the true interests of their country. " The delegates were heard with much attention by the committee of commerce and manufactures of the house of representatives, to whom the above me morials were referred, and thai committee reported in part by a bill, for the continuance of the existing duties upon importations as prayed; and referred the other matters more immediately connected with the revenue to the secretary of the treasury; whose opinions, we think ourselves authorized to state, were in unison with the prayer of the memorialists. And although the lateness of the session, and the mass of unfinished business, prevented the immedi ate attainment of the objects desired, yet the wisest and most experienced in and out of congress, (the enlightened members of the committee of the house included) were of opinion, that nothing would be lost by the delay, as every day would offer new manifes tations of the public sentiment, and the circum stances of the times be more fully developed, and operate as a law of necessity. It may be important also to state the friendly E 50 A NARRATIVE OF intimation of the committee itself, that nothing would more conduce to future success, than an authentic collection of facts, tending to show the value of the property embarked in domestic manufactures, the great portion of which was jeopardized by the causes set forth, and the loss and irreparable injury the community must suffer from neglect, and indifference to so essential an interest. As that information could be best collected and embodied by the active indus try of this and other societies, we mention as an ad ditional stimulus to exertion and efforts well com bined, and vigorously sustained, and we trust that all citizens, who prize the lasting independence of their country, who rejoice in its general and indivi dual prosperity, will take pride and pleasure in shar ing so generous a task. " The two delegates who proceeded together from this city, were gratified, in returning through the town of Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, to witness the formation of an association of citizens, possessed of every qualification to be useful; talent, influence, and capital. They were there as on the former occa sions, invited to explain the view and tendency of their mission, and had the pleasure to find the prin ciples of this institution, approved, adopted, and promptly acted upon by their respected fellow citi zens. " Numerous societies have cotemporaneously and in rapid succession arisen throughout the union : many have announced themselves by publications fall of energy and marked with intelligence. Regu- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 5i lar communications have been transmitted to us from the societies at Wilmington, in the state of Delaware $ Middletown, Hartford, and Litehfield, in Connecticut; Rome, and other places in the state of New York ; and we have full authority to say that Ohio, Kentucky, New Jersey, Virginia, and Mississippi, will soon add their strength and weight to the common stock. " The most eminent journalists, without regard to political or party relations, have lent their unbought talents ; and essays have appeared in their columns which would do honour to any country, or to any cause. The periodical publications of most acknow ledged merit and extensive circulation, have like wise appropriated their labours to the service of their country; and, as far as their sphere extended, have put prejudice to flight and ignorance to shame. " A pamphlet has been completed by a judicious and masterly hand in the city of Philadelphia, from the report of the celebrated Alexander Hamilton, made by that statesman in the year 1790, when se cretary of the treasury, by order of the house of representatives. This paper has been eminently serviceable, inasmuch as it brings back the judgment of the reader to the natural order of things, before the distorted and disjointed relations of the civilized world had habituated mankind to disturbed and crooked views, and fallacious reliances upon ephe meral hopes and transient speculations. It estab lishes principles, pure and unerring and has the 52 A NARRATIVE OF merit not only of sage predictions, but of prophecies fulfilled. " It is impossible to notice all the valuable tracts that patriotic excitement has given birth to, within the short period since our institution led the way ; the address of the society of Middletown, in Con necticut, and the report of the committee of Pitts burgh, reprinted by order of the house of represen tatives, are documents deserving much attention; and it is to be wished, that a collection of the most of these valuable tracts, should be embodied and preserved ; they are so many pledges to the public, of the faith and loyalty of the citizens. " The address of the society has been reprinted and circulated in such abundance, in so many differ ent forms, and noticed with so mucJi favour, that it is impossible for us to retire from the front of the battle, where we first appeared, without some loss of character. It is our turn now, to take the next step in the field of generous emulation, and we should meet, more than half way, every overture to cor respondence and co-operation. We should acknow ledge our obligations for the confidence reposed i us, and for the light and instruction reflected upon us. ff So far your committee have traced their pro gress in the execution of their trust; so far our bark has adventured with a favouring gale ; for although we lament that some of our fabrics must suffer within this year, irreparable loss ; yet we trust, that the certainty , with which they may count upon the fos- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR> 53 taring 1 care of the government, will in general re store courage, confidence, and credit; and enable the greater part, to ride out the storm. The im mense losses, at which our markets are glutted, can not endure for many years, and little can he see, who does not read the rising prosperity of our manu factures, at no distant day, and with it, the power, happiness, and security of this high favoured land. " Your committee considering the interests of commerce and manufactures as inseparable and identical, cannot close this report without noticing an evil which has grown to an alarming extent. " The present system of auction sales of recent date, in this country, and an anomaly in the history of commerce, has nearly exploded all regular busi ness ; and the auctioneer, whose office was formerly subordinate to that of the merchant, is now nearly the only seller; and if subordinate to any, merely to a foreign principal. If any sales are now made by the regular trader, they are occasional and supple- mentary. < ( Commercial education, orderly habits,* and so ber pursuits, honour and good faith, too fatally yield to gambling speculations and fraudulent con trivances. The benefits, if any, that result from this extraordinary monopoly, dearly paid for by the ruin of a class, whose industry was the life of the community, and through them, in a greater or less degree, of the various and numerous description of persons, who, without being commercial, depend upon commerce for their support: and if once the 54 A NARRATIVE OF merchant disappears from the scene ; if the source is once destroyed, the thousand channels which it fed, become dry and fruitless; the proprietor, the mechanic, the artist, the labourer, follow in the train, and must seek elsewhere for subsistence. "Already has the public feeling remonstrated against this abuse ; but the practice has still prevail ed. The established merchant, it has been shown, must ever be unable to compete with the stranger who is charged with no contribution to the public service, subjected to no rent or household expendi ture, none of the costs or charges of a commercial establishment, nor taxes nor impositions for the sup port of the government. " Your committee, therefore, refer tliis subject to the most serious attention of the society, that the most suitable means of investigation may be adopted to substantiate its truth and to procure relief," ADDRESS. " All who believe that the happiness and independ ence of our country, are connected with the pros perity of our manufactures, must rejoice to see the chief magistrate of the nation, honouring, with his presence, a society instituted for their protection and encouragement. Knowing that the manufactures of the United States cannot, in their infant state, resist the rivalship of foreign nations, without the patron age of the government, it is consoling to find, that he to whom the unanimous voice of a free people has THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 55 committed the highest office, has not only consented to become a member of our institution, hut that lie avails himself of the first opportunity, of giving it the countenance and support of his attendance. " An incident like this may form a new era in the history of society. In other countries the influence of the magistrate is felt only from the operation of his laws, or through the instrumentality of his su bordinate agents, while, on the other hand, he de rives his information through intermediate channels. But our happy constitution places the people and their officers in such relations to each other, that they may have a mutual and direct intercourse $ and we now behold the first magistrate of a great nation, seeking at its source the information, which will en able him to know the wants and wishes of the coun try. A life, devoted to the good of his country, gives us assurance, that it is only necessary to make him acquainted with what will promote its happiness, to insure all the support which may be derived from his high station. It is now too late to question the advantages of manufactures. All history shows us how much they have contributed to the prosperity of every state, where they have been encouraged. In deed we find that in some instances, they have been the sources of all the wealth and power of a people. As they have prospered or declined, nations have risen or sunk. Even wealth, without manufactures, and commerce, has only served to degrade a great community, by the introduction of that luxury, which was purchased with the produce of inexhaustible 56 A NARRATIVE OF mines of gold. But it is not as they are sources oi wealthy that an American must feel the deepest in terest in the fate of our manufactures ; they more nearly concern us, as they are connected with our independence. For how shall we avoid the influence of foreign nations, while we suffer ourselves to be dependent on them, not only for the luxuries, but the necessaries of life ! Can that nation feel independ ent, which has no reliance but upon foreign hands for the fabrics which are to clothe her citizens ? For manufactured materials which are necessary for the construction of their dwellings, and for the tools with which they are to cultivate their soil ? * But such has been our situation, (unknown al most to ourselves) until a jealousy of our prosperity provoked a war, which barred us from the workshops of England; and then we found we were in some measure obliged to rely on a treasonable trade, to clothe the armies, which met her on the field of bat tle. The very powder which generated the thunder of our cannon, was sometimes British manufacture, and the striped bunting may often have been from the same loom with the cross of Si. George, over which it- so frequently waved in triumph. " Such a state of tilings, could not but awaken the spirit and enterprise of Americans. Amidst the agitations of war, while one part of the population was ranging itself under the military banners of our country," another devoted itself to her interest in another form. Manufactures arose, as if by enchant ment on every stream she formed for herself spa- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 57 cious dwellings, and collected in them many thou sands, who in no other way could contribute to the general weal. Those too young, or too old to bear arms, who had not strength for agricultural labours the female, whose domestic services could be dis pensed with in her family found here a means of individual gain, and of adding to the public prospe rity. In a short three years, the produce of our looms rivalled foreign productions, and the nation with which we were contending, felt more alarm from the progress of our manufactures, than she did from the success of our arms. But peace came. While we were at war, the warehouses of England were filled with the produce of the labour which a loss of market had enabled her to purchase at a depreciated price. The moment intercourse between the coun tries was opened, her hoarded stores were thrown upon us, and we were deluged with the manufac tures which had been waiting the event. They could be sold without profit, because the foreign manufac turer thought himself fortunate, if he could realise the capital which he had been obliged to expend, to support his establishment \yhile there was no sale for wares. , " But he was content to bear a loss, because, in the words of an English statesman, * it was well worth while to incur a loss upon the first exporta tion, in order by the glut, to stifle in the cradle, those rising manufactures in the United States, which the war had forced into existence. It would have been surprising, indeed, if our infant manufactures, the 58 A NARRATIVE OF establishment of which, had generally exhausted the capitals of those who embarked in them, could have sustained themselves under such circumstances without any aid or support from the government, without any means of countervailing the effects of the sacrifices which foreigners were willing to make for their destruction. How were they to maintain themselves ? It was impossible many of them sunk but we hope, to rise again. The attention of the government, was too ardently directed during the war, to other objects, to perceive the policy or ne cessity of that protection, which the manufacturing interest did not then appear to want. But now that peace will leave our legislators free to consider and provide for the real independence, and permanent prosperity of our country ; now, when we have at the head of our administration, a citizen, whose pre sence here this evening, assures us of the interest he takes in the objects of our institution, we may hope that American manufactures will receive all the countenance and support, that can be derived from the power of the government. Let that power be ex erted only so far as to counteract the policy of fo reign nations, and every American may be gratified in the pride of wearing the produce of the American soil, manufactured by American hands. Again, shall the surplus population of our great cities, and the feeble powers of women and children, find that means of useful and profitable employment, which manufac tures alone can afford them. Again shall the pa triotic and enterprising capitalist, find advantages in THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 59 devoting his means and mind to objects so calculated to promote the prosperity and happiness of his coun try. And again shall foreign nations dread to see us rising- to that real independence, which we never can in truth enjoy, while we depend on any but our selves for the Jlrst necessaries of life. The society beg leave to testify to the chief magistrate of the na tion, the high sense they entertain of the honour he has conferred upon them by his presence at this time, and sincerely participate in the feelings, which have been so universally manifested on his visit to our city, and most cordially tender him their best wishes for his health and happiness." The report and address being read, the President of the United States withdrew, and the society ad journed : first, however, having instructed the secre tary to inform the new members, by letter, of their election. As the transactions, this evening, of the American Manufacturing Society, appear to have been an immediate result of Mr. Monroe s visit to New York, and the election, at this moment, of these gentlemen, as well as of himself, seeming to be a consequence growing out of his tour, it is deemed not only proper, but necessary, that the correspon dence, which passed between the society and them selves, should be given in detail. The insertion of it will serve, also, to develope to the reader, the dis tinct views entertained, by these distinguished men, of such institutions. 60 A NARRATIVE OF "New York, June 14, 1817. " Sir The American Society for the Encourage ment of Domestic Manufactures, instituted in this city, sensible of the zeal you have uniformly dis played, in the promotion of every object, connected with the welfare and independence of our country, had the honour to elect you a member at their last meeting, convened on the 1 3th inst. for the purpose of initiating into the society, James Monroe, Presi dent of the United States. " It would afford me the highest gratification to announce to the society, your assent to become one of its members. " I have the honour to be, Sir, with respect and consideration, your obedient servant, " D. LYNCH, jun." " Quincy, June 23, 1817- Sir I have received the letter, you did me the honour of writing to me, on the 14th of this month, announcing to me my election, by the American So ciety for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufac tures, instituted in New York, as a member: an honour made more illustrious by the presence of the President of the United States. " Be pleased, Sir, to present my respects to the Society, and my thanks for the honour they have done me ; and to assure them, if the best wishes of a man at eighty-one years of age, can promote the THE PRESIDENT S TOUT?, 61 wise purposes of their institution, I shall be a useful -member. For according to my superficial view of political economy in civilized society, next to agri- culture, which is the first and most splendid, manu factures are second, and navigation the third. With agriculture, manufactures, and navigation, all the commerce which can be necessary or useful to the happiness of a nation will be secured. " Accept my thanks for the civility with which you have communicated the vote of the Society to their and your friend, "JOHN ADAMS. " D. LYNCH, jun. esq. Secretary of the American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Ma nufactures." " Monticello, June 26, 1817, Sir I am thankful for the honour done me by an association with the American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures, insti tuted in New York. The history of the last twenty years has been a sufficient lesson for us all, to depend for necessaries on ourselves alone ; and I hope that twenty years more, will place the American hemis phere under a system of its own, essentially peace able and industrious, and not needing to extract its comforts out of the eternal fires raging in the old world. The efforts of the members of your institu tion being necessarily engaged in their respective vicinages, I consider myself, by their choice, as but a link of union between the promoters there and here of the same patriotic objects. Praying you to pre- F 62 A NARRATIVE OF sent to the Society, my just acknowledgment for this mark of attention, I tender to yourself the assu rance of my great respect and consideration. TH : JEFFERSON. " MR. LYNCH." " Montpellier, June 27, 1817. a Sir I have received your letter of the 18th inst. informing me that the American Society for the En couragement of Domestic Manufactures, has been pleased to elect me one of its members. " Although I approve the policy of leaving to the sagacity of individuals, and to the impulse of private interest, the application of industry and capital, I am equally persuaded that in this, as in other cases, there are exceptions to the general rule, which do not impair the principle of it. Among these excep tions, is the policy of encouraging domestic manu factures, within certain limits, and in reference to certain articles. " Without entering into a detailed view of the subject, it may be remarked, that every prudent na tion will wish to be independent of other nations, for the necessary articles of food, of raiment, and of de fence ; and particular considerations applicable to the United States, seem to strengthen the motives to this independence. " Besides the articles falling under the above de scription, there may be others, for manufacturing which, natural advantages exist, which require tern- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 63 porary interpositions for bringing them into regular and successful activity. 66 Where the fund of industry is acquired from abroad, and not withdrawn, nor withheld from other domestic employments, the case speaks for itself. " I will only add, that among the articles of con sumption and use, the preference, in many cases, is decided merely by fashion or habit. As far as equa lity, and still more, where a real superiority is found in the articles, manufactured at home, all must be sensible, that it is politic and patriotic to encourage a preference of them, as affording a more certain source of supply for every class, and a more cer tain market for the surplus products of the agricul tural class. 66 With these sentiments, I beg you to make my acknowledgments for the marks of distinction con ferred on me, and which I accept from respect for the society, and for its objects, rather than from any hope of being useful as a member. To yourself, I tender my friendly respects. "JAMES MADISON." The steam boat Chancellor Livingston, captain Wiswall, being in readiness to convey the President to West Point, he embarked on board that vessel, at ten o clock on the morning of the 14th, attended by the mayor, and a deputation from the corpora tion. At the moment of her departure, she was honour ed with a salute of nineteen guns from the Saranac, 64 A NARRATIVE OF and Active cutter, which was repeated by the seve ral forts on the Hudson. From the time of his arri val there, until the morning of Tuesday 17th, he was engaged in reviewing the pupils, at the military academy, in all the various branches of their edu cation, and in examining Fort Putnam, and its de pendencies. He returned to New- York, that even ing, in the steam boat Paragon. Proceeding from the head quarters of general Scott, at half past 1 1 o clock, in the morning of the 18th, he embarked in an elegant barge, manned with sixteen oarsmen, for the United States steam frigate, Fulton the First, which had been anchored opposite the Battery several hours before. Upon ascending the deck, the usual salutes were fired, and in a short time, she was under way for the Narrows. Not withstanding the prevalence of an adverse gale, and an unfavourable tide, this immense vessel reached the fortifications at that place in two hours. Upon landing at Fort Diamond, he was again saluted by the batteries of the steam frigate, and those of the garrison. The inspection being over, and the President hav ing expressed his satisfaction at the extreme neat ness, good order, and discipline, prevailing through out the different forts, he repaired to the seat of the vice-president, on Staten Island, and the steam frigate returned, at 7 o clock that evening, to the navy yard. "Whilst on board this frigate, the Pre sident was presented with his diploma from the Lite- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 65 rary and Philosophical Society, by the honourable Dr. Samuel L. Mitchell. On the 19th, accompanied by his excellency Dewitt Clinton, the governor elect, major-general Scott, the honourable Rufus King, colonel Humphreys, his honour judge Van Ness, (of the supreme district court,) general Morton, and others, he made an ex cursion to Sandy Hook, on board the steam boat Connecticut, captain Bunker, and at 7 o clock, on the morning of the 20th, took his departure for New Haven, on board the same vessel, attended by the cutter and the Saranac. 66 A NARRATIVE OF CHAPTER IV. The President arrives at New Haven resolutions of the Citizens Middletown address of the Corpora tion there the President proceeds to Hartford ad dress of the Citizens he repairs to Springfield, and visits the United States Armory receives a Committee from the Citizens resolutions at New London the President arrives there is addressed by the Common Council visits Fort Trumbull the toivn of Groton and Fort Ghiswold makes an excursion up the Thames sails from New London sleeps at Stonington 9 and arrives at Newport proceeds thence to Providence. THE people of New Haven, and others of the en- lerprising and patriotic towns of the state of Con necticut, were anxiously looking for the arrival of the President, upon their shores; and to apprise them of liis approach, in time, arrangements were made between the authorities of New Haven, and the fort below, and the revenue cutter Eagle, cap tain Lee, to announce that event, either by the dis charge of guns, or by some other convenient and proper signal. The disposition manifested by the citizens of New Haven, to evince their respect for THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 67 the chief magistrate, is strongly set forth in the fol lowing copy of proceedings, had at a general meet ing, held on the 9th of June. " At a meeting of the citizens of the town of New Haven, convened at the State House, for the pur pose of concerting for the reception of the President of the United States, on his contemplated visit to this city: the honourable JAMES HILLHOUSB was called to the chair, and R. I. IJVGERSOLI, esq. chosen secretary, after which, the following resolutions were passed. " Besolved 9 That the honourable Elizur Goodrich, ObadiahHotchkiss, JohnH.Lynde, William Bristol, Elias Shipman, John Nicholl, and EH Whitney, esquires, be and they are hereby appointed a commit tee, to make arrangements for the purpose of show ing suitable respect to the President of the United States, on his expected visit to this city. " Resolved, That as soon as the committee shall have agreed, upon the arrangement contemplated, they announce the same to the citizens, in such way as they shall think proper. " Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be published in the Connecticut Herald. 66 A true copy of the minutes. 66 R. I. iNGERSOLLj Sec y." At 4 o clock in the afternoon of the 20th, the steam boat was descried from the fort, the commandant at which caused a signal to be made, which was re peated by the cutter, and in this manner intelligence 68 A NARRATIVE OIF was communicated to the citizens of the approach of the hoat. The cutter immediately got under way, sail ed for the Connecticut, and, upon getting up under her stern, at 5 o clock, dropped her colours and struck her top-sails, in testimony of respect to the President, and immediately fired a national salute. From the fort also a salute was fired by a party of volunteers under lieutenant Dickenson, and this was followed by another, from the battalion of artillery, station ed in the town, under captain Blake. When the Connecticut reached the shore, the committee, ap pointed at the general meeting, went on board, and in the name of all their fellow citizens, congratula ted the President on his arrival at New Haven. Up on landing he was received by his excellency Oli ver Wolcott, the governor of the state, who had rode to New Haven with his aids, majors Babcock and Huntingdon, for that purpose ; between whom and the President, the usual interchange of civilities took place. Attended by Mr. Wolcott, the committee of arrangement, and several civil and United States military officers, he was then escorted to his intend ed quarters, at Butler s Hotel, by the Governor s Horse Guards, followed by along train of citizens in procession. The uniform volunteer companies of New Haven were next day reviewed by the President, after which he visited Yale College, and inspected the gun manufactory of Eli Whitney, esq. The 23d, being Monday, preparations were made, and a suitable escort provided, to attend the chief THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 69 magistrate "upon his route to the eastward. A dep utation from Middletown, and the adjoining villa ges having previously waited on the President, to request the honour of his presence among them, he gave his assent to this arrangement, and, according ly, abandoned his original intention, of pursuing the coast road to New London; and in company with governor \Yolcott, and a number of citizens, set out on the route for Middletown by sunrise. He reached Durham, a distance of nineteen miles, about eight o clock that morning. There he was met by the sheriff of the county, and eight of his deputies, bear ing the insignia of their office, and by a committee of the citizens of Middletown. From this place he proceeded upon his journey without delay, and hav ing attained a point, within two miles of the city, a salute of nineteen guns was fired to announce his ap proach. Having arrived in sight of Middletown, at the request of the committee he descended from his carriage, and with his suite consented to enter the city upon horseback. A line of procession was im mediately formed, and the President approached the city amidst the salutations and rejoicings, of the soldiery, and the people. Passing over the bridge, the troops wheeled to the right and left, and a large collection of citizens, who were present to witness the scene, arranged themselves in regular files, at each side of the rnilitia. When the procession mov ed through Main street, nineteen guns were again discharged, a peal was rung upon the bells, and a number of flags and ensigns were displayed. This 70 A NARRATIVE OF ceremony being concluded by a review of the troops, the President alighted at the Washington Hotel, where the mayor, aldermen, and common council were in readiness to receive him; and presented him with this address. " To James Monroe, President of the United States. " The mayor, aldermen, and common council of Middletown, present you their sincere congratula tions upon your arrival in this place. " It is our delight and distinction, as citizens of the United States, to see among us the chief magis trate of our common country, wanting no other guards than public sentiment and reverence for the laws. " Appreciating the importance of establishments for territorial and maritime defence, we have the happiness of being assured, that your present tour has primary reference to considerations so inter esting to the national rights, and national honour. " With this assurance, we cherish the hope, your progress may increase and confirm the harmony of opinion throughout the United States. 66 A. MILLER. "Middletown, June 23, 1817." To this address the President answered. " To the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of Middletown. " Fellow citizens Your kind and friendly recep tion commands my warmest acknowledgements. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 71 " If I were a spectator only, instead of a party, to this scene, I should be deeply affected by it. There can be no spectacle more interesting to a generous mind, than that of a free and virtuous people, receiv ing with unfeigned confidence, a chief magistrate, deriving his office from their voluntary suffrages. * Aware of the great importance of the establish ment of adequate works, of territorial and maritime defence, it is my object, to give full effect to the provisions made by law, for those purposes. Should my efforts obtain the approbation of my country, and contribute in any degree to promote harmony of opinion among my fellow citizens, so necessa ry to their prosperity and happiness, I shall derive from their success the highest gratification. " JAMES In the course of the morning, the President and suite, attended by general Humphreys, the committee, and the sheriff, with his deputies, visited the seve ral establishments of Messrs. North, Starr, and Johnson, employed in the manufacture of rifles, swords, and other small arms, for the United States service. Returning from this visit, the President partook of an elegant collation, and immediately af ter proceeded onward toward the city of Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. The infantry and artil lery, saluted him again, and the committee of ar rangement, with the mayor at their head, accompa nied him to Prospect Hill. The sheriff and his dep~ uties, however, and the escort of cavalry, continued 72 A NARRATIVE OF their attendance, until he reached the town of Weth- ersfield, where he w r as met by the 1st company of the Governor s Horse Guards, under the command of major Buck, who conducted him to the South Green in the city of Hartford. Immediately on his arrival there, the Hartford Artillery, commanded by captain Ripley, the East Hartford Artillery, under captain Olmsted, and the Simsbury Artillery, under captain Humphry, -the whole commanded by colonel Johnson, honoured him with a national salute. He was then received by the 1st company of the Governor s Foot Guards, commanded by major Goodwin, and five companies of infantry, under cap tains Johnson, Wadsworth, Rockwell, Elsworth and Brown, and commanded by colonel Loomis, and a detachment of cavalry, under colonel Gleason. By this body of troops, and followed by an immense as semblage of citizens, he was escorted over the city bridge, leading directly into Hartford. The bridge was elegantly ornamented for the occasion, and three lofty arches, tastefully decorated with evergreen and laurel, had been thrown over it. From the cen tral arch, was suspended a scroll, on which was em blazoned, the words MARCH 4, 1817." The cavalcade having passed, he alighted at Mor gan s Coffee-house, amidst a throng of citizens and soldiers, more numerous than had ever been seen as sembled in that city before. Upon entering his apartments, at the hotel, he was addressed in behalf of the corporation, by their senior alderman, the mayor being absent, in the manner following: THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 7$ " To the President of the United States. Sir The pleasing duty has devolved on us of presenting you the congratulations of the citizens of Hartford, on your arrival in this city. It is with sentiments of regard for private worth, no less than with respect for official dignity, that the personal presence, of the first magistrate of the nation is as sociated. " The endearing relation which subsists, between the people of a free country, and their political father and guide, is peculiarly fitted to cherish and ennoble these sentiments. " It is no less our happiness, sir, than yours, that your administration has commenced at a period, gild ed by the recent exploits of our army and navy, and at the same time enjoying the tranquillity and secu rity of peace ; when full scope is given to the enter prise, industry and skill of our citizens, in the em ployments of agriculture and manufactures ; when the pursuit of science, and the cultivation of the arts of civilized life, are encouraged by their appropri ate rewards ; and when the spirit of party, with its concomitant jealousies and misrepresentations, no longer " render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by paternal affection." We anti cipate in your administration, commenced under the auspices, and blessed with the smiles of HIM " whose dominion is an everlasting dominion," a period of glory to our country, and of honour to yourself. " The state of Connecticut, as she was among the G 74 A NARRATIVE OF first to adopt the constitution of the United States, 1 so will she always be among its most firm and zeal- | Ous supporters. "The people of this state, while they cherish a high spirit of freedom, are, from the force of our in stitutions and habits, distinguished also for their love of order and submission to the laws. In pur suing a policy, which, as we confidently expect, will give the best effect to the principles of our govern ment ; establish commerce upon a permanent basis ; render us strong and independent ; confer on us a distinct and elevated national character ; and secure to our country those high advantages, which seem destined for her by Providence $ you may be assured of a hearty support. " May heaven grant, sir, that your life may be long and happy ; and that the freedom and indepen dence of our country may be perpetual. " JOHN MORGAN. " In behalf of the mayor, aldermen, common council, and freemen of Hartford." The following answer was returned by the Presi dent. (i To the Mayor, Jlldermen, and Council of the City of Hartford. " Fellow Citizens J beg you to accept my grate ful acknowledgments, for the favourable sentiments which you have expressed towards me, and the kind THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 75 and friendly manner, in wliicli yon have received me. No one can take more interest, than I do, in the present prosperous and happy condition of our coun try. Having witnessed two wars, attended with imminent distress, and which made a severe trial of our institutions, I see, with the most heartfelt sa tisfaction, the happy consequences attending our ex ertions, and which you have so justly described, in the review you have taken of them. Blessed with peace ; agriculture, the arts, and commerce flour ishing ; jealousies subsiding ; and our bond of union gaming strength ; our situation is peculiarly hap py, and the prospect of its long continuance the most flattering. In a state where the arts and sci ences are so happily cultivated, and which has evin ced so strong an attachment to the cause of liberty, full confidence is entertained, that it will always be found among the most zealous supporters of that cause, and of our most excellent constitution." The President soon after, with his suite, general Swift and Mr. Mason, proceeded to the review of the troops, and thence to the benevolent and inter esting institution of the deaf and dumb, with the progress of the pupils in which, after a very long ex amination, he expressed himself to be highly grati fied. On Tuesday, the 24th, at 5 o clock in the morning, the President left Hartford, and arrived at the line on the west side of the Connecticut river, which marks the boundary of Massachusetts, about nine. 76 A NARRATIVE OF An escort from Springfield, and its vicinity, con sisting of sixty gentlemen on horseback, and a num ber of citizens in carriages, were already in wait ing, on the road at that point, and immediately after meeting him, a procession was formed, extending nearly half a mile, by which, and the escort, he was conducted into the town. When the train reached the bridge, at its entrance, the artillery company of captain Warriner commenced firing a federal salute, and the bells of the town struck up a peal, which was continued until the President alighted at his quarters, at Bennett s Inn. The following ad- dress, to which he made a verbal reply, was im mediately after presented to him by a deputation of the citizens. " To the President of the United States. " May it please your Excellency We wait on you, as a committee, in behalf of the people of this, and the neighbouring towns, cordially to welcome your arrival within the commonwealth of Massa chusetts. " Of such extent is the country, over which, by the voice of the people, according to our excellent constitution, you are called to preside ; so various and all important, are the duties of your high sta tion, that but a small portion of our citizens could ever expect the honour, and favour, of personally knowing their chief magistrate. " When your excellency s intention to visit the THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 7f northern states, during this season, and the other states of the union, whenever your cares and ardu ous labours at the seat of government would admit of your leaving it, was announced, we contemplated it with pleasure, as having a tendency, to draw still closer, that bond of union, which ought never to be broken, or even relaxed, by the intrigues of foreign nations, or the faults and follies of our own. " In personally viewing the various establishments, made by the government of the United States, since the adoption of the constitution, for the security and defence of our country, we sincerely hope your excel lency will see much to approve ; and that, in this place, you will find the efforts, made to relieve us from that dependence on other nations, for imple ments of war, (so painful to us during our struggle for independence) not unworthy of your notice and approbation. " We ardently wish your excellency prosperity in your journeying perfect self-complacency in your administration of the government ; and, under the smiles of a kind providence, personal blessings. " And we are, with the highest respect, your obedient servants. " THOMAS DWIGHT, " ROSWELL LEE, "JOHN INGERSOLL, SAMUEL LATHROP, " JOSHUA FROST, " Committee, " Springfield, June 24, 18177 G 9, 78 A NARRATIVE OF The President and suite then proceeded on horse- back to view the United States Armory, and pub lic works, and upon reaching the ground upon the hill, he was again saluted by the artillery. In the afternoon four hundred and ten children, from twelve charity schools, in the neighbourhood, within one mile and an half of each other, were assembled in Springfield with their instructors, and passed before the President at the inn. One of the committee ob served to him, We here present your excellency, the hopes of our country, and we are endeavouring to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and in the true principles of republican government." To which remark the President immediately answered, (t I am much pleased and gratified with their appearance, and I pray God, to bless them and you, and to carry your good design into effect." At 4 o clock he set out for New London, escorted by the same company, to the east side of the Con necticut river, where he entered that state a second time. The citizens of New London, being apprized of his intention to visit that city, for the purpose of inspecting the forts Trumbull and Griswold, the one situated at the entrance to the harbour, and the other erected for the purpose of defending it, at the opposite town of Groton, resolved to show him all the respect due to his high station. The corpora tion, therefore, made the necessary preparations for his reception, and appointed Jedediah Hunting don, Thomas H. Cwshing, Nicholl Fosdick, and ffa THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. \^ * 79 Lyman Law, a committee, and selected a x marshals for the day, to carry their arrangements into effect. On Wednesday, the 25th, at one o clock, the Pre sident s approach being discovered from a neigh bouring height, signal guns were immediately fired, the colours displayed from the shipping in the har bour, and the 1st company of light artillery, under captain Dennis, proceeded to meet and escort him to his lodgings. Attended by the committee of ar rangement also, and most of the citizens, the proces sion moved down State and Bank streets, to the house of Mr. Taber, where accommodations had been previously provided. Under the direction of the marshals, the citizens formed two lines, between which* preceded by the military, the President pass ed to his quarters. Salutes were then fired by the artillery, Fort Trumbull, and by the United States vessels then in the harbour. The court of common pleas, at that time in ses sion, and the principal gentlemen of the bar, waited on the President and offered their congratulations. Immediately after, the corporation made a presenta tion of their address, which follows. To the President oj the United States. " The mayor, aldermen, and common council of the city of New London, in behalf of the corpora tion, with high respect for his exalted station, em- 80 A NARRATIVE OF brace this opportunity to welcome the President of the United States on his safe arrival in this place. " A visit from the chief magistrate of a nation, so respectable and important in the scale of political existence, as the United States, to this portion of the union, is an occurrence interesting to the patriot, and highly gratifying to the feelings of this commu nity : an occurrence which, as individuals, we shall remember, and which the corporation will record. It affords us consolation that your administration has commenced, at a period favourable for improvement for the establishment of a national, of an Ameri can character. A period, when the storms of war have passed, and days of peace commenced; when party spirit is assuaged, and a spirit of mutual cha rity and forbearance nationally prevails. That the President of the United States, in com mon with his fellow citizens, is enjoying that state of peace, which his own agency and energy so es sentially produced, is to us a source of pleasing re flection and consideration. We trust that we may be indulged in the pleasing contemplation, that we possess our habitations in safety; that our shores are free from alarms; and that the waters of our harbour are relieved from the presence of a threat ening and hostile fleet. With great satisfaction we once more behold in the chief magistrate of the Uni ted States, a man who in his youth, had an agency in achieving with his sword, the independence, and establishing the pillars of that government of which he is now the head, and which is the pride of Ame~ THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 81 ricft, and the wonder of the world. From the high stations you have held and honourably sustained; from the eminent services you have rendered our common country, we have a happy assurance, under divine providence, of an honourable and prosperous administration, and, that under the auspices of your government, we shall be a united and happy people, " Nothing can give us more satisfaction, than a consideration of the parental view and extensive sur vey, which the President is taking of the northern section of that country, which is happily united un der a government of energy and freedom, and of which, by the choice of a great and enlightened peo ple, he is now the political head. " Be pleased, sir, to accept our sincere wishes, that your life may be prolonged and happy ; that your administration may be prosperous and blessed ; that your journey may he pleasant; and that you may in health and safety be returned to the bosom of your family, and all your endearing and domestic relations, with happiness and satisfaction. "JEREMIAH BRAINARD, Mayor." To this address the following reply was made : " To the Mayor, Jlldermen, and Common Council of the city of New London. "Fellow Citizens: " In making a tour through the eastern states, with a view to public defence, New London had a strong claim to attention; and in visiting it, I have 82 A NARRATIVE OF been much gratified by the very friendly reception which has been given me. Aware of the favourable circumstances under which I have commenced the duties of the high trust, to which I have been appoint ed by my fellow citizens, it will be my zealous en deavour to derive from them, in the administration of the government, all the advantages which they can afford. " It is only making adequate preparation for war, now that we are blessed with peace, that we can hope to avert that calamity in future. It is only by a vigorous prosecution of the war, when it becomes inevitable, that its evils can be mitigated, and an honourable peace be soon restored. In the pursuit of great national objects, it is equally the interest and the duty, of the whole American people, to unite. " Happy in a government which secures to us the full enjoyment of all our. civil and religious rights, we have every inducement to unite in its support. "With such union we have nothing to dread from fo reign powers. " For the kind interest which you take in my wel fare, I beg you to accept of my warmest thanks, and to be assured of the sincerity with which I recipro cate it, in favour of the citizens of New London and its vicinity. " JAMES MONROE." Barges having been provided, under the direction of commodores Bainbridge and Oliver H. Perry, for THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 83 the President, his suite, and several naval and mili tary gentlemen ; they were conveyed across to Fort Trumbull at 10 o clock, on the morning of Thursday. The Enterprize sloop of war fired a salute, as the barges put off from the wharf, which was repeated at Fort Trumbull, upon the President s landing at that garrison. From Fort Trumbull the party proceeded across the harbour to the town of Groton, where the President was received by a committee of arrange ment, and a large assemblage of the citizens of that place, and the neighbouring towns. From the point of landing, he was escorted to Fort Griswold, by a company of grenadiers under captain Dabell, from the 8th regiment, accompanied by the selectmen, and civil authorities of Groton. Arrived at the jate of the fort, the military wheeled to the right and left, and the President, with his suite, and the offi cers in attendance, entered the garrison, through the two lines. The event by which this fort became distinguished in the course of the revolutionary con test, though not forgotten by the President, was, probably more forcibly impressed upon his mind, and his visit rendered much more interesting, by the presence of some of the brave defenders of the garrison, at the memorable time alluded to. The vo lunteer militia of Groton, had been stationed within the walls of Fort Griswold, during September of the year 1780, and on the 6th day of that month, sustained the vigorous assault arid storming of that garrison, by the British under general BENEDICT ARNOLD ; until overpowered by numbers^ and see- 84 A NARRATIVE OF ing no other mode of escaping the fury of the assail ants, they capitulated upon honourable terms, and provided by treaty, for the protection of the surren dered troops. The fort was entered by the ene my, but their stipulations were violated, and the garrison inhumanly put to the sword. It was the desire of the President to behold some mem ber of the gallant band, who participated in the brave though unsuccessful defence of the fort, and at his own request, two gentlemen, Messrs. Ebenezer Avery, and Park Avery, each of them upwards of seventy years of age, inhabitants of Groton, who had been fortunate enough to sundve the horrors of the scene, after being severely wounded and suppo sed to be dead, by the enemy, were presented to him on the spot. Having congratulated these gentlemen, upon their escape from this perilous situation, of the danger of which their scars bore honourable testimony, and having finished his examination of the fort, he was again received by the military and citizens without, and conducted to the house of captain Elijah Bailey, where refreshments had been previously prepared for him. After partaking of these, and having been saluted by the troops, he went on board the steam boat Fulton, captain Law, which had been politely placed under his requisition by the proprietors. He proceeded six miles up the Thames, upon the east side of which Fort Griswold is situated, with a view of examining that important river, and its nume rous and valuable accommodations for a navy. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 85 Though the avowed oh ject for which the President had undertaken his tour, was to ascertain the mili tary strength and position of the assailable points upon the seaboard, and to provide for their repair and better protection against an enemy, yet the sei- lection of a situation for naval depots, and military arsenals, whence the shipping and the garrisons, might draw their resources, being intimately blend ed with this object, he did not fail to avail himself of an opportunity of viewing a point so important as this has been represented to be. The Thames had been proved to be capable of pro tecting a fleet of heavy ships, and of affording a good harbour against the most boisterous seasons of the year. It had been resorted to by commodore De- catur, at that period of the late war, when New London became particularly distinguished by the long blockade of sir Thomas Hardy. In consequence of the commodore s having proceed ed with the frigates United States and Macedonian, and the sloop of war Hornet, through the sound, to get to sea from the eastward, and of Ids having been driven, with his squadron, into New London, by a superior detachment of the enemy s ships, that port was rigorously blockaded, by the Rainiiics seventy- four, two frigates, and several smaller vessels, un der sir Thomas. Every effort to get to sea, under the auspices of dark nights, and favourable winds, having proved unavailing, in consequence of the ene my s being continually apprised of the designs of the American commodore, he was blockaded for many H 8G A NARRATIVE OF months, \\ilhout a prospect of escaping, either hy the ordinary channel, or by the sound. He was finally obliged to abandon his intention of putting to sea, and, being authorized by the navy department, he dismantled the frigates, and sent them up this line river (the Thames) for protection. The Fulton returned to New London in the course of the afternoon, and the President remained at his quarters there, until the following morning at six o clock, when, under a national salute, he embarked on board the sloop of war Enterprize, which imme diately weighed anchor, and sailed out of the har bour, accompanied by the other vessels of the United States, ordered there for that purpose. In passing Fort Trumbull, the fleet was honoured with another salute. From New London the President was conveyed to the entrance of Gardiner s Bay; after inspecting which, he landed at Stonington Point, and passed the night of the 27th at the town of Stonington, dis tinguished by its intrepid resistance to a powerful attack from three heavy vessels of war, the largest being the Ramilies seventy-four, made on the 9th of August, 1814, and which resulted in the entire re pulse of the enemy, after he had ineffectually thrown into the town upwards of sixty tons of metal. At sunrise, on the morning of Saturday, the Presi dent left Stonington, and re-embarked on board the Enterprize, and in the afternoon of the same day the fleet entered Newport Bay under discharges of artillery from Fort Wolcott, Fort Adams, and THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 87 from the town. A committee of the citizens, major- general Gibbs and suite, colonel Towson, commo dore Perry, and many other civil and military offi cers, received the President when he landed. The line of procession being adjusted in a suitable man ner, and the troops, consisting of an artillery com pany and two companies of militia, having disposed themselves in order of escort, the whole body advan ced to the quarters, made ready for the President. Forts Wolcott and Adams, were the earliest objects of the President s attention in Newport. Immedi ately after he had received the congratulations of the civil and military authorities, of the place, he repaired to these forts and examined their con dition, with much care. The regularity of the garri sons, and the neatness and veteran appearance of the soldiery, drew from him, some very high encomi ums. After having dined, he made a short excursion into the adjacent country on horseback, expressing himself highly pleased with the local situation, and beautiful scenery of the island. Many emblemati cal transparencies were exhibited in the evening ; the two forts were splendidly illuminated; and other testimonies of respect were shown by the citizens to the chief magistrate. The 29th, being Sunday, was employed by the President in devotional services : in the morning he attended public worship at Trini ty Church, in the afternoon, at the Second Congre gational Meeting-house, and in the evening, at the Second Baptist Church. g ; * A" NARRATIVE OF On Monday, the 30th, he quitted Newport,. iit company with his excellency governor Knight, (who arrived, there on Saturday,) major-general Gibbs, and the committee, and reached Fall River. From this place he proceeded to Bristol, where every mark of respect, consistent with his short delay, was shown by the inhabitants. At Bristol he em barked in the steam boat Fire Fly, captain Smith, for Providence and in the evening, about 9 o clock, entered that city. The ceremonies which had been observed upon the entrance of President Monroe, in to the other metropolitan cities, were repeated with great spirit and cordiality by the citizens of Provi dence. Having arrived at the hotel, he remained some time in the piazza, with general Howell on his right, and governor Fenner on his left, for the purpose of gratifying the curiosity of a numerous crow r d of people. A levee was held immediately af ter, when many revolutionary, civil and military of ficers, and a committee deputed by the citizens of the town were received. A general presentation of the inhabitants to the President, took place on the following morning; at 9 o clock, he rode out and viewed the city, examined the defensible points, and inspected the public establishments, and at 1 1 took leave of Providence for Boston. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 8P CHAPTER V. Massachusetts the President is received on its line by the Governor s Aid passes through Jlttleborough, Wrentham and Walpole, and sleeps at Dedham arrives at Boston address of the Citizens inspec tion of Forts Independence and Warren celebra tion of the 4th of July address of the Cincinnati of the Minority of the Legislature. AT the boundary line, between Rhode Island and Massachusetts, colonel Sumner, aid-de-camp to his excellency the governor of the latter state, was in waiting to welcome the President, and to request his acceptance of an escort, composed of a squadron of cavalry, and a battalion of artil lery, which the governor had ordered to attend him. These marks of civility were received with great politeness by the President, and he fur ther accepted an offer from colonel Sumner, to ac company him, as an attendant on his way, to the ca pital. A detachment of militia, commanded by bri gadier-general Lincoln of the 5th division, then un derwent the President s review. This detachment was composed of a troop of cavalry, under captain Hunt, from Seekonk, a company of artillery from 90 A NARRATIVE O* Norton, under captain Walker, a company of light infantry from Easton, commanded by lieutenant Alger, a company of light infantry from Rehoboth, under captain Carpenter, and a rifle company from Attleborough, under captain Daggett. These compa nies formed a battalion and were commanded by co lonel Leach of Easton. When the usual marching and standing salutes were performed, and the offi cers of the different corps had been introduced to the president, he visited the extensive cotton factory, under the agency of Mr. T. Green, and thence pre ceded by the marshal of the district, and captain Hunt s troop of cavalry, he passed through the 5th division to the house of colonel Hatch at Attlebo rough. In anticipation of the expected visit of the Presi dent to Boston, the governor of Massachusetts, no sooner heard of his departure from Washington, than he issued the following order. " Head Quarters, Boston, June 7, 1817. " General orders The commander in chief, having received information that the President of the Uni ted States is on his way to this commonwealth, is de sirous to show him all that attention and respect, that is due to the chief magistrate of the nation. " Major-general Crane will, therefore, inform himself of the President s route, and order a proper detachment of cavalry to meet him on the line of his division, and escort him on his way to the metro polis, until he receives further orders. If any of THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 91 the citizens should be disposed to join the escort, he will make all the necessary arrangements for dis playing a handsome style of parade. " The commander in chief has full confidence, that major-general Crane will conduct in such man ner as to meet his approbation, and be satisfactory to himself and his fellow citizens. (i By his excellency s command. " E. MATTOON, Adjut. Gen. Conforming with* these orders, major-general Crane, immediately issued division orders, directing all the cavalry and artillery corps, of the 1st division of the militia, to be in readiness to execute the or ders of the commander in chief, and requested the field, staff, and platoon officers of his division, to join the intended escort, in uniform and on horse back. Brigadier-general Welles also issued orders to the commanding officers of the squadron of caval ry, and the battalion of artillery, of the 3d brigade, requiring a parade of the troops under their several commands. Major-general Crane, accompanied by brigadier general Guild, of the 2d brigade, of the 1st division, was accordingly in waiting at Attleborough, at the moment of the President s arrival, with a battalion of cavalry, under major Pond, by which he was at tended to the town of Wrentham. At Wrentham, he reviewed the 3d regiment of in fantry, commanded by colonel Gowen, passed on to "Walpole, where he halted a few moments, and pro- 92 A NARRATIVE OF ceeded on his route to Dedham, at which place he arrived about 7 o clock in the evening. His entrance was honoured by a national salute from the battalion of artillery, commanded by ma jor Holbrook, which, with the regiment of infantry, under colonel Fisher, he immediately after reviewed. At the mansion of Mr. Dowse, in the neighbour hood, the President took up his quarters for the night, and received the personal salutations of major- general Dearborn, and a committee from the town of Salem. The cavalry escort, under the command of major Hollis, from general Dearborn s brigade, being in readiness early on the morning of the 2d of July, the President, accompanied by commodore Bainbridge, general Miller, Mr. Mason, his secretary, and co lonel Sumner, his designated staff, and followed by a long train of officers of the army and navy of the United States, by major-general Crane and the of ficers of his division, and the citizens of Norfolk county, on horseback, advanced to Roxbury. Pursuing his route from Roxbury, to the Boston lines, he reviewed a regiment of infantry under co lonel Dudley, and a battalion of artillery under ma jor Gale, and passing through the guard, consisting of captain Turner s company of riflemen from Ran dolph, and a light infantry company from Quincy, he attained the southern barrier of the town. To make suitable provisions for his reception in the metropolis of Massachusetts ; for the purpose of adopting proper measures, to testify their high re- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 93 spect for the character of the President of the Uni ted States; and to make such arrangements as should render his visit agreeable and satisfactory ; the inhabitants of that flourishing city, had assem bled in town meeting, without respect to party. A committee was appointed in conjunction with the se- lectmen, to receive him on the lines, and to present him with a respectful and congratulatory address. They were instructed also, to make such other dis positions, as would comport with the reputation of their city, and be consonant with the illustrious cha racter of its distinguished guest. This committee was composed of the leading, and most respectable men of all political parties, and their arrangements were calculated at once to promote the utmost har mony, and to display the munificence of Boston, and the public spirit of its citizens. The following are the names of the gentlemen ap pointed. The honourable HARRISON GRAY OTIS The honourable WILLIAM. GRAY - General ARNOLD WELLS Colonel JAMES T. AUSTIN WILLIAM SULLIVAN, esq. Col. GEORGE BLAKE Colonel WILLIAM H. SUMNER BENJAMIN RUSSELL, esq. The honourable ISRAEL THORNDIKE General HENRY DEARBORN The honourable T. H. PER KINS JAMES PRINCE, esq. and doctor AARON HILL. In the execution of these instructions, the me.nv bers of the committee, were at the limits of Bos- 94 A NARRATIVE OF ton, at the instant of the President s arrival, when the honourable Mr. Otis thus addressed him. Sir You are now arrived within the limits of Boston, and these gentlemen are a committee, ap pointed to welcome your approach, and escort you to your lodgings. Upon your arrival there, they will avail themselves of your permission, to express to you, in a more formal and respectful mode, than can be done here, the assurance of the unfeigned sa tisfaction which the citizens of Boston realise, in the honour you have been pleased to confer upon them by this visit." A procession was then formed in the following order. Cavalry escort, under the command of major Phelps, composed of the Boston Hussars, and the Boston Dragoons. James Prince, esq. marshal of Massachusetts district, and Samuel Bradford, esq. sheriff of Suffolk county. Part of the Committee of Arrangements, on horseback. Honourable H. G. Otis, acting chairman. Two marshals. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, on an elegant dun courser, accompanied by general Swift and Mr. Mason. Two marshals. Navy and Army officers of the United States. United States officers of the civil department. Colonel Freeman, police officer. Charles Bullfinch, esq. chairman, and residue of the Committee: of Arrangements, in carriages. Two marshals. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 95 Honourable Thomas H. Perkins. Leader of the Boston cavalcade attended by two marshals. Boston cavalcade. Major-general Crane, Brigadier-generals Dearborn and Guild, and suites. Field, regimental, staff, and company officers, of Norfolk militia. Cavalry corps of Norfolk. Squadrons of cavalry from the first and second brigades, first division. Citizens of Norfolk, and other counties, mounted. Line of carriages from Boston. Thus formed, the procession moved through Wash ington street, and Orange street, to Boylston mar ket, and thence through Boylston street, to an open ing in the common, between the Mall and Gunhouse, where the President reviewed the youth of the dif ferent schools in Boston, who, attended by their several instructors, had been arranged in distinct order, in two opposite ranks, and to about the num ber of three thousand, extended along the whole eastern side of the common. From the common, the procession continued its direction towards the State House, to a point oppo site the west end of Winter street, thence across the Mall, through Winter street, Marlborough street, and Cornhill, then along the north side of the Old State House and State street, and by the east side of Bond street, as far as Milk street, and thence by the west side of Bond street to State street. This street was decorated with the flags of the union, and 96 A NARRATIVE OF as the cavalcade proceeded through it, to Congress street, a band of music, placed in the front of the upper story of the Union Bank, saluted the Presi dent with a number of appropriate and patriotic airs. At the head of Congress street, the procession halted, where his excellency and the committee of arrangements, left the line of march, and being re ceived by the Independent Company of Cadets, un der lieutenant-colonel Rodgers, with the customary salutes, was conducted to the rooms provided for his reception, in the Exchange Coffee House. In the mean time salutes had been fired from Dorchester .heights, from the common, from Fort Independence, from the Navy yard, and from the seventy-four gun ship Independence, and flags were displayed, from the numerous merchant vessels then in the harbour. The windows of the houses in the streets through which the procession passed, were thronged with ladies and other spectators, anxious to obtain a view of the distinguished citizen, uppn whom had been bestowed the highest honour in the gift of his country. Upon entering the Exchange, the President was shown into the second gallery of that magnificent building, the first, third and fourth, as well as the area, being crowded by a numerous assemblage of ladies and gentlemen, where the committee, by their chairman, in behalf of the citizens, read to him the following address. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 97 ** To the President of the United States. " Sir The citizens of Boston, by their commit tee appointed for that purpose, beg leave to offer you their cordial and respectful salutations, upon your arrival in this metropolis. " The visit with which you are pleased to honour them, recals to the recollection of many, their inter view with your illustrious predecessor, the father of his country, on a similar occasion. They remember with great satisfaction, the hope, the confidence, and the fond anticipation of national prosperity, which Ids presence inspired; and it is now, sir, a subject of congratulation to you, and to themselves, that, after thirty years of eventful experiment, during conflicts and revolutions in the old world, which have threatened all, and subverted many, of its an cient governments, the constitution which was adopt ed, under the auspices of that great man, has ac quired vigour and maturity ; and that in a season of profound peace, his successor is permitted, by the prosperous state of public affairs, to follow his ex ample in visiting the extensive country over which he has recently been called to preside. " While this journey affords to many of your fel low citizens the opportunity and advantage of com mencing with you a personal acquaintance, which is always desirable between a people and their rulers, they rejoice, at the same time, in the belie." that the local information, relative to the great and various i 98 A NARRATIVE OF interests of the United States, which you will derive from actual observation, will facilitate your arrange ments for their defence and security, and enable you to apply, in practice, with additional confidence and success, those principles of an elevated and impar tial policy, which you have been pleased to promul gate, as the basis of your intended administration. Called to the service of your country at an early pe riod of life, and distinguished in the arduous strug gle which obtained its independence; your subse quent occupations, in successive important offices, and various departments, at home and abroad, have afforded you the means of becoming conversant with the foreign and domestic relations of the nation ; and, with these qualifications, you are now raised to the highest dignity which can be conferred by a free people. These public claims to consideration and attention from all descriptions of your fellow* citi zens, are cheerfully admitted by the citizens of Bos ton, who are also desirous of evincing their respect for the unblemished tenor of your private character, and their sense of the urbanity and hospitality which peculiarly characterised your deportment, towards all those of your countrymen, who, during the pe riod of your foreign embassies, were so fortunate as to come within the sphere of your civilities and pro tection. It is therefore with real satisfaction, that they receive you within the precincts of Boston, and they pray you to be assured of their earnest solici tude, to contribute by all means at their command, to your comfort and enjoyment, during your resi- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 99 dence in this town. They also, confiding in the rec titude of your intentions, and trusting that the pow ers vested in you by the constitution, will be exer cised with a sincere regard to the welfare of the people, whose precious interests are committed to your charge, avail themselves on this occasion, to express their ardent hope, that the favourable cir cumstances which attend the commencement of your administration, may, with the blessing of heaven, under your guidance, concur to promote the advance ment of our beloved country, to the liighest possible condition of prosperity. " With these sentiments, they unite their best wishes, for your health and happiness, and that the course and close of your administration, may entitle you to the gratitude and affections of your consti tuents, and the respect of posterity. * By order of the committee. " CHARLES BULLFINCH, Chairman." The President replied : * Fellow Citizens The kind reception which you have given me, on the part of the citizens of Boston, and which their conduct has so fully confirmed, has made a deep and lasting impression on my mind, which you will have the goodness to communicate to them. 6< As no person is more willing than I am, in the discharge of my duty, according to the fair ex ercise of my judgment, to take example from the conduct of the distinguished men who have preceded lj)0 A NARRATIVE OF me in this high trust, it is particularly gratifying to me, to have recalled, hy this incident, to the memory of many who are now present, a like visit, from the illustrious commander of our revolutionary army, who, by many other important services, had so just a claim to the revered title, of father of his country. " It was natural, that the presence of a citizen so respected and beloved, who had so eminently contri buted to the establishment of his government, and to whom its administration, in the commencement, had been committed, should inspire an enlightened, a virtuous, and a free people, with unlimited confi dence in its success ; and it is a cause of general felicitation and joy to us all, to find, that thirty years successful experiment, have justified that con fidence, and realised our most sanguine hopes in its favour. Yes ! fellow citizens, we instituted a gov ernment for the benefit of all ; a government which should secure to us the full enjoyment of all our rights, religious and civil, and it has been so admin istered. Let us then unite in grateful acknowledg ments, to the supreme Author of all good, for extend ing to us so great a blessing. Let us unite in fervent prayers, that he will be graciously pleased to conti nue that blessing to us and to our latest posterity. (< I accepted the trust to which I have been called by my fellow citizens, with diffidence, because I well knew the frailty of human nature, and had often experienced my own deficiencies. I undertook this tour, with a view, and in the hope, of acquiring knowledge, which might enable me to discharge my THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 101 various and important duties, with greater advantage to my country, to which my whole mind and un wearied efforts shall always be directed. 66 In pursuing objects so dear to us all, I rely with confidence, on the firm and generous support of my fellow citizens, throughout our happy union. " JAMES MONROE. - Accompanied by his suite, and other officers, the President, on the following morning, walked to the quarters of general Miller, in Winter street, where he breakfasted. At nine o clock, attended by commodores Bain- bridge, Hull, and Perry, generals Dearborn and Miller, H. A. S. Dearborn, esq. collector of the port, James Prince, esq. marshal, and several gen tlemen from the committee of arrangement, general Humphreys, and the honourable Messrs. Jones and Burrill, of Providence, the President embarked in a barge at Long wharf, two other barges being pro vided for his suite, and proceeded to Long Island Head, whence he had a commanding view of the whole harbour of Boston. As the company ap proached the Independence seventy-four, the crew of that vessel performed the high naval honours, of manning the yards, and firing a national salute. The Fort Independence, repeated this salute, as soon as the barges came within range of the battery. From Long Island Head, after viewing the Nar rows, and the outer harbour, the President returned to Fort Independence, where he landed, examined its I 2 10 A NARRATIVE OF condition, and partook of a handsome collation, pro vided by the commanding officer, colonel Eustis. The barges were then rowed to the opposite garri son of Fort Warren, the works of which underwent a strict inspection from the President, who immedi ately returned to the city, and landed at the Long- wharf, under another discharge of cannon. In the afternoon lie visited his excellency governor Brooks, at his seat at Medford ; in the evening he witnessed the early part of the performance at the amphitheatre in Charlcstown, and attended a party at major- general Dearborn s. The forty-first anniversary of the independence of the United States, was celebrated in Boston, with an unusual degree of splendor and festivity. A coin cidence so striking as the presence of a chief magis trate on a day of public rejoicing, had not occurred since the time of the illustrious Washington. The knowledge too, of president Monroe s personal and intimate connexion, with the eventful war of the re volution, and the contiguity of the memorable scene of its commencement at Bunker s Hill, conspired to animate the people with sentiments of pride and gra tification, and contributed to render the occasion peculiarly interesting. The day was ushered in by the discharge of morning guns, from each of the for tified places; and at a very early hour, the streets were thronged with citizens and soldiers, all anxious to participate in the contemplated ceremonies of the day. The taste and talent, of the best artists, had been summoned to the emblematical decorations of THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 103 the extensive public edifices, in and about the city, and the aid of the mechanic was not wanting, to con tribute to the pleasure of the distinguished guest, to honour whom, was the evident object of all these preparations. Before seven o clock, president Monroe had al ready visited several workshops in Boston, and ex amined various specimens of the inventive genius of their owners. At that hour, he rode to the country seat of commodore Bainbridge, at the neighbouring hamlet of Brookline, where he breakfasted with that officer, his family, and some distinguished citizens, who composed the company. From Brookline he repaired, through Brighton, to "Watertown, where he examined the manufactur ing establishments, and the public arsenal, and thence continued his ride to the mansion of the hon ourable Mr. Gore, near Waltham. At noon he re turned to Boston. At his apartments in the ex change, the society of Cincinnati of Massachusetts, then in waiting, were individually presented to him, and an address, which, at a recent meeting, had been unanimously voted, was delivered by the vice-presi dent, colonel Tudor, the president, governor Brooks, by whom it was signed, being on some executive duties elsewhere. ** To James Monroe, President of the United States. " Sir Whilst meeting you as one of our most distinguished brothers, permit us especially to thank M)4 A NARRATIVE OF you for furnishing an opportunity of saluting ano ther chief magistrate of the United States, taken from our ranks, and to offer you all the assurances, of respect and affection, which it becomes a society like ours to present, and which we pray you to ac* ept as flowing from hearts, first united hy the pow- orful sympathies of common toils and dangers. " Although time is fast reducing our original as sociates, we trust that whilst one remains he will ne ver desert the standard of freedom and of his coun try, or our sons forget the sacred duties their sires had sworn to discharge. We fought to ohtain secu rity, self-government and political happiness ; and the man who can approve both the principles and the means, can never be indifferent to the social designs which such warfare contemplated, for among those purposes were included the restoration of good hu mour, good manners, good neighbourhood, politkal integrity, with a spirit of mild and manly patriot ism. * We congratulate you as the highest representa tive of our beloved country, that party animosity has on all sides so far subsided, before the day -star of sound national policy, and we look with confi dence to a wise and liberal administration of the pre sidency tu procure its termination. " And now, sir, in bidding you a long farewel, for, from our lessening numbers, such another occa sion can scarcely again occur, we join our best wish es, that when you shall seek a retreat from the ho nourable fatigues of public energies, in which so THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 105 large a portion of your life has been employed, that your retirement may be accompanied by the ap plause of the wise, and the concurrent blessings of a prosperous and united republican empire. " JOHN BROOKS." The President communicated the following re- ply. * Sir The affectionate address of my brothers of Cincinnati awakens in my mind the most grateful emotions. No approbation can be more dear to me than that of those with whom I have had the honour to share the common toils and perils of the war for our independence. " We were embarked in the same sacred cause of liberty, and we have lived to enjoy the reward of our common labours. Many of our companions in arms fell in the field before our independence was achiev ed, and many, less fortunate than ourselves, lived not to witness the perfect fulfilment of their hopes, in the prosperity and happiness of our country. You do but justice to yourselves in claiming the confidence of your country, that you can never desert the stand ard of freedom. You fought to obtain it, in times when men s hearts and principles were severely tri ed, and your public sacrifices and honourable ac tions are the best pledges of your sincere and devo ted attachment to our excellent constitution. 66 May your children never forget the sacred du ties devolved on them to preserve the inheritance so 106 A NARRATIVE OF gallantly acquired by their fathers. May they rul- ti\ ate the same manly patriotism, the same disinter ested friendship, and the same political integrity, which has distinguished you. and tbus unite in per- pctuathi that social concord and public virtue, on which the t utuiv prosperity of our country must so essentially de])end. I feel most deeply the truth of the melancholy suii;- vstton, that ^e shall probably meet no more. While, ho\ve\er. \\e remain in lite, I shall continue to hope tor your countenance and support, so far as my pub lic conduct may entitle me to your confidence : and, in bidding you tare\vel, I pray a kind providence loiii; to preserve your valuable U\es for the honour and benefit of our country. J VMV.S MOXT?OE. * To his excellency governor Hrooks. president of the Cincinnati of Massachusetts." This ceremony of the Cincinnati beiu^ comple ted, the IVesident accompanied the members of that body to the Old South Church, \\here. after prayer by the Ke\ . Mr. Varkman. an elegant and patriotic oration v\as pronounced by Kd\\ard T. Channini;. e->(|. A procession was then formed, and bein^joiu- ed b> the Tresident and the Ciiuinnati. \\as escort ed by the Independent Cadets, to the ^reat hall in lae Si.ue lltuise. Alter an interchange of the felici tations of the day. a numerous assemblage of gentle men, partook, with the President, of an elegant and sumptuous collation, which had been provided by I UK PRESIDENT S TO< I, \(ff order of 1 lie cxe< utivc of the state. The \\hole ; of the building \vsis decorated vvilli stars, pyramids, and festoons, formed by the combination of mi- Weapon^ entwined with olive and laurel. At tii hie, tin- following toasts were, given. It-tf Ida wr.dl.rw.y ) [lit governor The day, and the ret olh ction of the events and ch;jr;i J<TS which this anniversary m als, uniting all hearts. Ily the President of Mir, i mli-d SI (dm The coni- monwealth of Massachusetts whose sons so emr nently contributed txj tbe independence vc this day celebrate* liy the lieutenant governor The heroes of the re,- volution their services claim, and will rcrciw, th<; grateful acknowledgments of succeeding gene rations. in the afternoon the President, visited the JUMP, ries in FancuiJ Hall, with the tasteful arrangement of the arms and military c-quipments in which, h< pressed much gratification. At five o clock, h< ned with the Cincinnati at Concert Hall, and spent, the evening at the honourable W iJJiain* (iray s in Summer street. In the; course of the, <hir, he re- < ejvwl Uie address of a deputation, from the minority of the legislature of Massachusetts, which, with his answer, is here inserted. * To tkt President oj the United State*. "Sir The recent session of the legislature of Mas sachusetts being closed previously to your arrival in 108 A NARRATIVE OF Boston, the republican members, of both branches, are deprived of the pleasure of personally paying their respects to the President of the United States. Those members therefore who were present at the adjournment, together with a number of their breth ren of Boston, have deputed us to offer you their congratulations on your arrival, and to express their high regards for your official and personal charac ter. " We are happy, sir, in having this opportunity, not only of expressing our sincere congratulations on your election to the chief magistracy of the United States, by so large a majority of the electors, but to bear this public testimony of our estimation of the services rendered your country in the various sta tions in which you have heretofore officiated in Eu rope and America. These are sure pledges that the prosperity of the American republic will be the object of your pur suit; and that, while you are desirous of allaying the asperity of party dissentions, you will be anxious to maintainthe legitimate principles of the constitu tion with unabated ardour. The patriot, who has uniformly supported the ho nour of his country in its various conflicts, is ever entitled to the applause of his fellow citizens. Fully impressed with this sentiment, we grateful ly acknowledge your unremitted exertions in vindi cating our national and commercial claims, when the immediate calls of the country rendered the servi ces of our most enlightened statesmen urgent and THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 109 indispensable. We anticipate, with pleasure, the blessings arising to the United States, from the wis dom and rectitude of your administration, more par ticularly in patronising such institutions as will ex tend the useful branches of science and literature, and promote the agricultural, manufacturing and commercial interests of your constituents. " We wish you every blessing, both national and domestic, and trust that your name will be record ed in the American annals, with the same respectful veneration as distinguishes the characters of your illustrious predecessors, Washington, Adams, Jef ferson and Madison. 66 May you pursue your journey under the care of a benign providence, happy in the reflection that the personal safety of the chief magistrate of a repub lican government, requires no other protection than what arises from the affections of his fellow citizens. (i In behalf of our brethren and fellow citizens, we most cordially bid you welcome to the metropolis of Massachusetts. " HENRY DEARBORN, " RUSSELL STURGIS, * BENJAMIN AUSTIN, " JACOB RHOADES, " THOMAS MELVILLE, " JOHN BRAZIER, " WILLIAM LITTLE, WILLIAM INGALLS* 66 Committee" THE ANSWER. * I have received, with great satisfaction, the very friendly welcome which you have given me, on the K 110 A NARRATIVE OF part of some of the members of the legislature of Massachusetts, and of others, citizens of Boston, who had deputed you to offer me their congratula tions on my arrival in this metropolis. Conscious of having exerted my hest faculties, with unwearied zeal, to support the rights, and advance the prospe rity of my fellow citizens, in the various important trusts with which I have been honoured by my coun try, the approbation which you have expressed of my conduct is very gratifying to me. It has been my undeviating effort, in every situation in which I have been placed, to promote to the utmost of my abi lities, the success of our republican government. I have pursued this policy, from a thorough conviction that the prosperity and happiness of the whole Ame rican people depended on the success of the great experiment which they have been called upon to make. All impartial persons now bear testimony to the extraordinary blessings with which we have been favoured. Well satisfied I am, that these bless ings arc to be imputed to the excellence of our go vernment, and to the wisdom and purity with which it has been administered. " Believing that there is not a section of our union, nor a citizen who is not interested in the success of our government, I indulge a strong hope that they will all unite, in future, in the measures necessary to secure it. For this very important change, I consider the circumstances of the present epoch pe culiarly favourable. The success and unexampled prosperity with which we have hitherto been bless- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. Ill ed, must have dispelled the doubts, of all who had before honestly entertained any, of the practicabi lity of our system, and from these a firm and ho nourable co-operation may fairly be expected. Our union has also of late acquired much strength. The proofs which have been afforded of the great advan tages communicated by it to every foreign part, and of the ruin which would inevitably and promptly overwhelm even the parts most favoured, if it should be broken, seem to have carried conviction home to the bosoms of the most unbelieving. On the means necessary to secure success, and to advance with in creased rapidity, the growth and prosperity of our country, there seems now to be but little, if any, difference of opinion. " It is on these grounds that I indulge a strong hope, and even entertain great confidence, that our principal dangers and difficulties have passed, and that the character of our deliberations, and the course of the government itself, will become more harmo nious and happy than it has heretofore been. " Satisfied as I am, that the union of the whole community, in support of our republican government, by all wise and proper measures, will effectually se cure it from danger, that union is an object to which I look with the utmost solicitude. I consider it my duty to promote it on the principles, and for the pur poses stated, and highly gratified shall I be if it can be obtained. In frankly avowing this motive, I owe it to the integrity of my views to state, that as the 112 A NARRATIVE OF support of our republican government is my sole ob ject, and in which I consider the whole community equally interested, my conduct will be invariably directed to that end. In seeking to accomplish so great an object, I shall be careful to avoid such mea sures as may by any possibility sacrifice it. < ,T \ME s MONROE . * THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. CHAPTER VI. Inspection of the Navy Yard the President boards the Independence seventy -four Midshipman King s Narrative Charlestown address of the Citizens the President repairs to Bunker Hill Middle sex Canal Oratorio visit to Cambridge College address of the Faculty the degree of Doctor of Laws conferred on the President review of the Boston troops Quincy. INDEFATIGABLE as the President had been in the examination of the public works, upon the Boston station, the navy yard on Mystic river, near Charles- town, had not yet been inspected. On the morning of Saturday, the 5th, he therefore performed that duty, and honoured captain Hull, the commanding officer of the station, with his company to breakfast, after which he was received on board the Independ ence seventy-four, by commodore Bainbridge, under a national salute. The ship was handsomely dress ed off, with the flags of all the nations in amity with the United States, and a sumptuous collation was prepared, to which the commodore had invited the general staff, and most of the naval, military, and civil officers. The President, having allotted, this 114 A NARRATIVE OF day for his visit to the monument of the brave and lamented general Warren, at Bunker Hill, did not remain long on board the seventy -four. While there, however, commodore Bainbridge, with that atten tion to the interests of those under his command which so strongly characterises him, on presenting his officers, detained acting midshipman King, while he mentioned his escape, alone, in an open boat from Bermuda. The following is the statement made on that occasion, by midshipman King himself, to the President. I was taken in the United States brig Vixen, on the twenty -third of Novem ber, 1812, by his Britannic majesty s ship South ampton, commanded by sir James Yeo. The Vixen and Southampton were wrecked on the 27th of No vember, on Little Island, one of the Bahamas. We were taken off Little Island by his majesty s brig Rhodian, and taken to Jamaica, where we were kept prisoners until the 3d of April, 1813, when a part of the Vixen s crew were paroled, myself among the number, and sent home in the Rebecca Sims of Phi ladelphia. We entered the Delaware on the 3d of May, and were boarded by the Poictiers of seventy- four guns, commanded by sir John P. Berresford, who ordered us to come to anchor, and took all the officers and men belonging to the Vixen on board the Poictiers, for the purpose of exchanging them for some of his crew, then prisoners at Philadelphia. The officers and men were released on the 10th of May, with the exception of James Stevens, carpen ter of the Vixen, and myself, whom sir John thought THE PRESIDENT S TOUK. 115 proper to detain, on the supposition of our being British subjects. The Poictiers sailed for Bermuda on the 25th of May. Stevens and myself were sent on board the guard ship Ruby, of sixty -four guns, then commanded by commodore Evans. The Ruby had a "fine boat, which sailed remarkably fast. I mentioned to some of my companions in captivity, that we might venture to cross the gulf in her with out much danger, but could get none of them to join me, with the exception of a man by the name of John Black, who gave his assent, and gave his oath that he would aid me in any scheme for our liberty. Thinking that I could put confidence in this man, I next day sold some shirts to some of the crew, and got one of the men belonging to the Ruby, to buy me a pocket compass and four loaves of bread. Being six or eight days without getting any chance to make my escape, and our mess being short of provision, I gave two of my loaves to the mess. " The 24th of July being very stormy, and con tinuing so during the night, I thought it would be the best opportunity I could get of going off with the boat, and accordingly watched for the favourable moment. About eleven o clock, P. M. a heavy squall of rain came on, and the sentry on the gang way went under a shed that was built over the main hatchway, and the officer of the deck, and quarter master, got under the forward part of the poop. Seeing the coast clear, I got my pocket compass and the remaining two loaves of bread, and called my companion. We got down on the lower deck, 116 A NARRATIVE OF and unshipped one of the gratings of the lower deck port; I gave rny bundle to my companion, and told him to remain there, until I could get the boat along side ; I got out on the swinging boom, and cut the painter, and hauled the boat close in to the side ; but what was my astonishment when my companion, after handing me the bundle, said he would not go! In vain did I state, that we should have fair wind one half the way, at least, owing to the trade winds, prevailing in that latitude. He said it would be im possible to cross the gulf in an open boat, and men tioned the scantiness of our provision. Finding that I could not prevail on him to go, I shoved off, and let the boat drift astern of the ship. When I was about an hundred yards astern, they struck a bell, and the sentry cried all was well. I made sail as soon as possible, and at daylight, was thirty miles from the ship. On missing the boat they sent several vessels in chase of me, as I have since been informed by one of the prisoners on board. " I had several squalls between Bermuda and the gulf-stream. I suffered a good deal for want of sleep, and did every thing I could think of to keep myself awake. My lips were parched with the sun ; I used to irritate them with my fingers, to try if the pain would keep me awake ; but all proved ineffec tual. I often got asleep, and sometimes when I awoke, would find the boat with her sails aback, and steering a different course. After being out four days, I tried to steer by tying my hand to the tiller, which proved to be very useful to me, the rest of the THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 117 passage. I suffered a good deal in the gulf, owing ? to the continual motion of the boat. I saw a brig, but thinking that she was an Englishman, I was fearful of approaching her. I made Cape Henry on the 2d of August, about 4 P. M. and on approaching the lighthouse, discovered the British fleet lying in Lynnhaven Bay. I hauled to the southward, and beached the boat about twelve o clock at night, about ten miles to the southward of the cape. I unbent the boat s jib, and carried it about a quarter of a mile from the boat, and went to sleep. I got up about sunrise next morning, and went to Mr. Whitehouse s dwelling, who treated me with every kindness that my situation required. I proceeded to Norfolk, after remaining with Mr. Whitehouse two days, when I reported myself to captain Cassin, who advanced me funds to get to Washington. I sold my boat for thirty dollars : the boat was about twenty -two feet long, seven feet wide, and three deep, with a fore sail, mainsail, and jib. She was ballasted with fresh water in breakers." This narrative was heard by the President with great interest, and he did not refrain from express ing his admiration of the young man s intrepidity, and fearless disposition. Upon leaving the ship, he was again honoured with a salute, and was received at the Navy yard, by a battalion of cavalry of Charlestown, under lieutenant-colonel Sweetser, who escorted him to the square, where the committee of arrangement were in waiting for him. A meeting had been held in Charlestown, (the 118 A NARRATIVE OF honourable Josiah Bartlett, moderator,) at which it was unanimously voted, that the selectmen, toge ther with Josiah Bartlett, John Kettell, Joseph Hurd, Samuel Devens, Timothy Walker, Setli Knowles, Asahel Stearns, Leonard M. Parker, Thomas Miller, and Timothy Thompson, be a com mittee, to make such arrangements for the reception of the President of the United States, as the dignity of his character and station, claim and require. It was also voted, that the committee be authori sed to make such appropriations of money, to carry the same into effect, as they may deem necessary. This committee had already made handsome pre parations for the reception of the President, and caused an arch, composed of evergreen, to be erect ed at the principal entrance of the town. From the centre of this arch, was suspended a chain of twenty links, indicating the union of the states, and hung in two festoons to the sides. On the arch, above, was inscribed, "THE 15th or JUNE, 1775." At this place Mr. Bartlett addressed the President in the follow ing words. " We have the honour, sir, in behalf of the inhabi tants of Charlestown, respectfully to welcome you to tliis ancient settlement, which has once fallen a sacrifice to freedom, and still retains some vestiges of the revolutionary war, in which you were enga ged at an early period of life. " We cheerfully unite with our countrymen in the expressions of esteem and confidence, to which your illustrious character and station entitle vou: and THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 119 we rejoice that, whilst your administration has com menced under such auspicious circumstances, we can anticipate its progress with public approbation, and its termination, with renown to yourself and prospe rity to the nation." To which the President was pleased to reply. " It is highly gratifying to me to meet the com mittee of Charlestown upon a theatre so interesting to the United States. It is impossible to approach Bunker Hill, where the war of the revolution com menced, with so much honour to the nation, with out being deeply affected. The blood spilt here, roused the whole American people, and united them in a common cause, in defence of their rights. That union will never be broken. " Be pleased to accept my thanks for your kind attention on this interesting occasion." Having passed through an avenue, composed of the citizens, with the fathers of tbe town, and the reverend clergy at their head, the escort moved by the principal streets, to a square, formed on Breed s Hill, by twenty-one companies of the brigade of general Austin, in the centre of which stood, the MOXUMENT OF W./LRHE7*. After reviewing the whole body of troops, compo sed of colonel Page s regiment of infantry, colonel Kendall s regiment of artillery, and colonel Sweet- ser s battalion of cavalry, the President partook of some refreshments, which had been provided in a 120 A NARRATIVE OF marque, pitched for the occasion, on the heights of Bunker. Captain Wyman s company of light in fantry, performed the guard honours. Three of the survivors of the memorable battle, by which this spot became distinguished. Mr. Thomas Miller, Mr. T. Thompson, and Mr. John Kettell, were present ed at the marque, and conversed with the Presi dent. The directors of the Middlesex canal, which had been opened to the vast timber lands of New Hamp shire, and which, from its being the only medium of the supply of materials for the navy, had become an object of national importance, invited the President to view the most contiguous parts of that great work. A spacious roofed boat had been prepared, at the margin of the canal, in which he embarked with his suite, attended by the directors and proprietors, and accompanied by governor Brooks, general Miller, commodores Bainbridge and Perry, lieutenant go vernor Phillips, the honourable William Gray, judge Tudor, doctors Osgood and Townsend, marshal Prince, the honourable Mr. Otis, and the venerable ex-president of the United States, John Adams. In the course of the passage, the great object of the ca nal, its extent and utility, were developed to the Pre sident, and a new, and accurate, map of New Hamp shire, exhibiting the courses of the river Merri- mack, was laid open to him. The company passed the aqueduct of Medford River, ascended one of the principal locks, and landed at the seat of the ho nourable Peter C. Brooks, when they partook of THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 121 some refreshments, and proceeded to the house of the governor at Medford, where the whole party had been previously invited to dine. It was expected that the President would have proceeded further up the canal, to Woburn, and thence, through the pleasure grounds, to the pavilion, at each of which places, numbers of citizens, and some volunteer veterans, had collected to receive him. But it became necessary to inform them, that the pressing engagements of the President, compell ed him on many similar occasions, to forego his own inclinations. In the evening of the same day, a sacred oratorio was performed at Boston, by the Handel and Haydn Society, in honour of the President, which he at tended at six o clock, amid a crowded and brilliant audience. The remainder of the evening was spent at the house of the honourable Mr. Otis, in whose garden was exhibited, a very splendid exhibition of rockets and other fire-works. On the morning of Sunday, the 6th, the honoura ble Mr. Lloyd, commodores Bainbridge and Perry, and colonels Sargent and House, accompanied the President to Christ church. His approach was an nounced to the wardens by the honourable Mr. Lloyd, and he was promptly conducted to the pew, belonging to commodore Bainbridge. The service was performed by the reverend Mr. Eaton. When public worship was concluded, he was conducted by the honourable Mr. Lloyd, to his elegant mansion 122 A NARRATIVE OF and gardens, from whence he took a view of the harbour. He then examined the celebrated painting of colo nel Sargent, representing the entry of Christ into Jerusalem, and expressed much admiration of the genius of the painter, as well as at Ms choice of so sublime a subject. In the afternoon he again attended divine service at the Rev. Mr. Chaning s meeting-house, in Fede ral street, in company with commodore Perry, colo nels Perkins and Sargent, and George Blake, esq. and upon his return to the Exchange Coffee House, the president and vice-president, and many members of the Boston Mechanic Association, were severally introduced to him. In the evening, the President made a visit to general Humphreys. On Monday morning, the 7th, he breakfast ed with lieutenant governor Phillips, at his man sion in Trimant street, after which, he visited the extensive literary and scientific establishment, the Athenseum. At 10 o clock he was accompanied to the university in Cambridge, at the entrance to the chapel of which, he was received by the Rev. presi dent Kirkland, and thence conducted into the draw ing room, where all the professors, tutors, lecturers, and instructors were individually presented to him. The galleries of the chapel, were already filled with the beauty and fashion of Boston and its neighbour hood, and the President was introduced to his seat, amid the plaudits of the assembly. The provost THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 123 then read the following address of the Corporation of the University. Sir The president and the fellows of Harvard College are happy in an opportunity of presenting their respectful salutations to the chief magistrate of the nation. It is peculiarly grateful to us that a visit to this university has not been found inconsist ent with those objects of public concern which en gage the attention of the President of the United States in the course of his literary progress. " We take satisfaction in this notice of our semina ry, as evincing your estimation of liberal studies,, and your interest in the education and character of Ame rican youth. Our academic functions cannot fail to derive dignity and effect, from the countenance of the civil authorities, and our pupils to find incitements to excellence in all the demonstrations of sympathy in their pursuits and destination, given by those who fill exalted stations. " We bid you welcome, sir, to an establishment co eval with the foundation of the state, and the object of public and individual favour, through many succes sive generations. While, however, its connexion with the history of past times, and the number of sons which, in the lapse of two centuries, it has an nually dismissed from its care, are circumstances which naturally excite a degree of interest, we are sensible that antiquity alone, though venerable, is an inadequate basis of respect from men of intelli gence and reflection. 124 A NARRATIVE OF " We would hope that this cherished seminary has other, and stronger, claims to complacent regard from every friend to the best interests of man, every patron of intellectual and moral excellence. "With the rudiments of good literature, and the elements of science, it has been the constant and elevated aim in this institution, to inspire the minds of youth with those principles of virtue and piety, with those manly sentiments, and with that pure love of truth and duty, which are best calculated to form the man and citizen. " By pursuing such a course, this ancient school has sought to preserve in close alliance, the inter ests of religion and learning, of faith and charity, of liberty and order. Desiring &> train those who are under our charge for the whole public, and for mankind, we deem it an essential part of our office, to endeavour to temper the prejudices and feelings, incident to particular attachments, and geographical divisions. To exhibit the evidence and authority of our common faith, with a due moderation in respect to peculiarities of opinion and mode, and to encou rage free inquiries into the nature, the value, the dangers and the preservatives, of our republican in stitutions, with a just reserve upon those contro verted questions which tend to inflame the spirit of party. "We present to your view, sir, that portion of the youth of our country, now resident within these walls, ajid are happy to bear testimony to the many THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 125 pledges they give of their regard to the interesting objects of literary pursuit, and to those attainments on which their future usefulness must depend. " May they, and all the sons of this university, ever cherish those generous affections, and aim at those solid acquirements which shall hind and endear them to their country, and render them approved instru ments in advancing the interest and honour of our nation, and strengthening and protecting its precious institutions. " In these indications of the purposes of public edu cation, we are persuaded, sir, that we refer to ob jects which you deem worthy of high regard, We congratulate you on the auspicious circum stances wiiich attend the commencement of your ad ministration. Accept our wishes and prayers for its happy course and issue and indulge the expres sion of our desire, that whilst you, by the favour of heaven, upon the exercise of the appropriate duties of your high station, obtain the happiness of seeing the associated communities, over which you preside, safe and prosperous, it may be our privilege, by fidelity and zeal in our allotted sphere, under the smiles of the same good providence, to co-operate in the work of patriotism, by diffusing the light of know ledge and the saving influence of religion and mo rals. JOHN T. KIRKI.AND. "July 7, 1817." 126 A NARRATIVE OF The Reply of the President. (( Sir I am deeply impressed with the distin guished attention, with which the president and fel lows of Harvard University have been pleased to honour me on my present visit. Nothing is more interesting to my own mind, and nothing can he more important to our common country, than the cultiva tion of science and liberal literature. The principal support of a free government is to be derived from the sound morals and intelligence of the people ; and the mor extensive the means of education, the more confidently may we rely upon the preservation of our public liberties. Whatever doubts may once have been entertained upon the subject of the stabi lity of a republican government, and of its capacity to promote the public interests, the progress of our own must now have satisfied the most sceptical mind, and awaken the strongest conviction of its energy and excellence. " The venerable university, over which you pre side, has long been a great ornament of our country: it seems exceedingly well adapted in its organiza tion, to give the best instruction. It has nurtured in its bosom many of those who, by their patriotism, their piety and their learning, have conferred lasting benefits on mankind. Most sincerely do I wish that it may continue to be a public blessing, and under the smiles of providence, increase in usefulness. An THE PRESIDENT S TOUR* 127 institution which endeavours to rear American youth in the pure love of truth and duty, and while it en lightens their minds by ingenuous and liberal stu dies, endeavours to awaken a love of country, to soften local prejudices, and to inculcate Christian faith and charity, cannot but acquire, as it Reserves, the confidence of the wise and good. You do jus tice, therefore, to my feelings, in believing that such an institution must possess my highest regard, and that I shall always take a lively interest in its pros perity. " JAMES MONROE. To the Rev. President Kirkland." Mr. Caleb Gushing, a member of the senior class, then pronounced a Latin oration, and the degree of Doctor of Laws, the highest honour of the university, was conferred upon James Monroe. The President, and gentlemen invited, accompanied by the govern ment of the university, then proceeded to view the library, the philosophical chamber, the chemical la boratory, and other public rooms; after which, they returned to the colonnade of University Hall, where they witnessed the admirable military manoeuvres of the Harvard Washington corps. From this place they proceeded to the house of the president of the university, and partook of a collation. About one o clock, the President returned to town, and alight ed at the house of general Welles, in Parke street, whence he was escorted by a squadron of cavalry, 128 A NARRATIVE OP under major Plielps, to the common. There he re viewed general Welles s brigade, of the militia of Boston, consisting of a battalion of cavalry, three companies of artillery, six companies of light infan try, six battalions of infantry, and the Independent Cadets, who did guard duty, at the marque, pitched for the head quarters of the commander in chief. After receiving the marching salutes of the brigade, the President, the commander in chief, and their suites, with the brigadier-general, and his officers, alighted at head quarters, and at three o clock, with the governor and his aids, took carriages, and pro ceeded to Quincy, to dine with the venerable ex-pre sident Adams, in company with the honourable Messrs. Quincy, Dearborn, Gray and others. He returned to town about eight o clock, and attended a ball at the honourable Mr, George Blakes. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 129 CHAPTER VII. Tht President departs from Boston address of the Citizens of Lynn proceeds to Marblehead 9 thence to Salem and Ipswich resolutions at these places Newburyport address of the Citizens there in spection of the Factories at Jlmsbury the President arrives at Portsmouth address of the Citizens of the Associated Mechanics and Manufacturers. HAVING completed the examination of all the pub lic works, and the inspection of the several garri sons, upon this station, the President took his final leave of Boston, and proceeded on his way to Salem, on the morning of Tuesday the 8th of July. Con gress street was filled with a multitude of people, who assembled on that occasion, to offer a last tri bute of respect to the chief magistrate. Captain Prentiss, with a company of light dragoons, attend ed him to the boundary line of the county, where a body of military from Salem, w hich had been station ed there to receive him, assumed the duty of an es cort to conduct him to that town. Commodore Bainbridge, and some citizens of distinction, who had also rode with the President to this spot, took 130 A NARRATIVE OF their leave, and returned to Boston at the same time. He travelled to Lynn with his usual speed, and a committee of the citizens, which had been in readi ness, met and conducted him to the hotel, under sa lutes from the artillery and other martial honours. When due preparation had been made, and the customary preliminary ceremonies performed, the chairman of the committee read to him the following address : May it please your Excellency The committee appointed for that purpose, respectfully tender you the congratulations of the citizens of Lynn, upon your arrival in this ancient town. " It is with sentiments of patriotic pride and heart felt pleasure, that the inhabitants of Lynn enjoy this opportunity of beholding among them the chief ma gistrate of the union. " Elevated to your high and honourable office by the suffrages of a free people, in conformity with the principles of our excellent constitution, it is no less the duty, than it is the happy privilege of this peo ple, to pay their voluntary respects to the man of their choice. " Whilst under foreign governments, the people are oftentimes obliged by royal mandates, to pay reluctant honours to their rulers, it is the singular fortune of Americans, that they are free to act for themselves, and that in paying honours to the men of their choice, they have to acknowledge no other mandate than that of freedom. " Impressed by such considerations, the inhabit- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 131 ants of Lynn, known as a manufacturing people, from the early settlement of the town, heartily con gratulate you on the present peaceful and prosperous state of our country, and fondly indulge the hope, that the blessings of liberty will be preserved, and that the arts, commerce, and manufactures of the nation, will be fostered and protected by your ad ministration, recently commenced under circum stances so auspicious. " Wishing your excellency a long continuance of health and happiness, we have the honour to be, with sentiments of the highest respect, your obedi ent servants. R. W. TREVETT, " Chairman of the Committee." The President returned a verbal answer, and having passed on foot, in company with governor Brooks, and preceded by the committee, through two lines formed by the inhabitants, and extending to the outskirts of the town, he resumed his journey. Some distance from Marblehead, captain Story s company of light infantry met the President, and attended him to the suburbs of the town. There he was received by a committee, and by many of the leading citizens, accompanied by whom he entered Marblehead, amid discharges of cannon, and many demonstrations of joy and satisfaction from the peo ple. The President remained several hours in this place, during which he view r ed the town and harbour; inspected Fort Bewail and the garrison; reviewed a 132 A NARRATIVE OF battalion of artillery under major Reed; and re ceived congratulatory visits from a number of citi zens. Preparations had been made in Salem to receive and entertain the President in a becoming manner. A town meeting was held on the 10th of June* for the purpose of considering what measures were necessary to be adopted by the citizens, in regard to his expected visit, and in what manner their gra tification might be demonstrated at so pleasing an event. The honourable Benjamin Pickman, jun. after some appropriate observations, submitted the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted: " Resolved, That a visit from the President of the United States to this town, during his present tour, will be highly acceptable and gratifying to its inha bitants. That we notice with much satisfaction the universal disposition which prevails, to pay him every respectful attention which is due to the chief magistrate of a free country. That the selectmen, with such other gentlemen as the town may atld, be a committee of arrangements, whose duty it shall be to give, in our behalf, a respectful invitation to the President to visit the town, to prepare and deliver to him a suitable address on the occasion, and also that they be authorised and requested to make, in our be half, every arrangement which they may judge ne cessary or proper to carry our wishes into full and complete effect." The following gentlemen were then selected and THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 133 approved of as the committee : Honourable Benja min Pickman, jun. $ honourable Joseph Story ; hon ourable John Pickering ; honourable Nathaniel Sils- bee ; honourable Nathaniel Bowditcli ; Joseph White, Joseph Peabody, David Cummins, William Peel, and Joseph Winn, esquires. About three o clock of the same day, (the 8th) his approach to that town was announced by a salute from colonel Russell s regiment of artillery, and on his entrance he was joined by the selectmen, a com mittee of the citizens, and the marshals, when colo nel Mansfield gave him a welcome in the name of the inhabitants, in the following terms : " We are highly gratified, sir, that we have once more an opportunity to present our respects to the chief magistrate of the nation, and we, the select men, sincerely welcome you to the ancient town of Salem." The President made acknowledgments for the po liteness evinced in the conduct of the citizens, and immediately quitted his carriage, and rode into the town on horseback. A short distance from the Essex Coffee House, in Essex street (where preparations had been made for his reception), he dismounted, and pro ceeded to that hotel on foot, through an avenue form ed by the children of the different schools in the town and neighbourhood. Among many eminent persons who were in waiting at the hotel, to give the Presi dent a welcome, were, his excellency governor Brooks, who had arrived some hours before him, dressed in full uniform and attended by his aids, and M 134 A NARK ATI VE OF the honourable Timothy Pickering, of the supreme executive council. In conformity with the resolu tions previously inserted, the honourable Benjamin Pickimm then tendered a congratulatory address to the President, and received a very flattering reply. The President shortly afterwards repaired to the Town Hall, where he gave audience to the chief ci tizens, and the naval and military commanders re siding in Salem. He then proceeded to Washing ton Square, for the purpose of reviewing the troops, assembled there, consisting of a battalion of cavalry, a regiment of infantry, a regiment of artillery, and the corps of cadets ; the whole detachment under the command of colonel Russell of the artillery. The manoeuvres during this parade were performed with so much correctness, and the appearance of the mi litary was so warlike, that the President expressed lumself very much pleased and gratified. A marque had been provided for his accommodation on the ground, and discharges were fired by the artillery, at his arrival and departure. Returning to his apartments, he was joined at the dinner table by a number of guests, among whom were his excellency governor Brooks, the honour able Mr. Crowninshield, secretary of the navy, the honourable Mr. Pickering, judge Story, several United States naval and military officers, general Hovey and other militia officers, the venerable Dr. Holyoke and the reverend clergy, the committee of. arrangement, marshals of the day, &c. In the even ing, the President and the governor, with their THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 135 suites, attended a concert at the New Town Hall, the public opening of which had been delayed for this occasion. The interior decorations of the build ing were rich and tasteful, and the audience assem bled was estimated at one thousand persons. The early part of Wednesday, the 9th, was de voted by the President to an examination of such objects, as were more intimately connected with his visit to this place. He viewed Fort Pickering on Winter Island, the East India Museum, the Salem Athenseum, the New Workhouse, and some other public establishments. The secretary of the navy was honoured with his presence at dinner, and in the evening he attended a party at judge Story s. Having partaken of an early breakfast, with the honourable Mr. Thorndyke, on the morning of Thursday, he passed the remainder of that day, and the principal part of the following, in privacy and retirement, and on Saturday, 12th, he continued his journey toward New Hampshire. The measures pursued in other towns, relating to a proper and respectful reception of the President, had been adopted by the inhabitants of Ipswich at an early day. On the 12th of June a town-meeting was convened at that place, when " Nathaniel Wade, esq. was placed in the chair, and Josiah C aid well chosen secretary. The ho nourable John Heard called the attention of the meeting to the object for which it was convened, and ardently hoped, that the citizens would cordially unite in offering their respects to the chief magis- 136 A NARRATIVE OF trate of the union, when his arrival should be an nounced. " On motion of Asa Andrews, esq. seconded by major Robert Farley, it was unanimously resolved, that ten gentlemen be appointed, who, with the se lectmen, shall constitute a committee of arrange ments, and that they be requested to attend to the objects of their appointment, and make report of their proceedings, at the adjournment of their meet ing, on Monday evening, the 16th instant. " The following gentlemen were then selected and appointed: Honourable John Heard John Man ning, esq. Nathaniel Wade, esq. major Robert Farley captain Moses Treadwell colonel Joseph Hodgkins Asa Andrews Jona Cogswell George Choate, and Joseph Farley, esquires. (Attest) " JOSIAH CALDWELL, Sec ry." The previous delay of the President at Salem, however, prevented him from receiving all those at tentions which were contemplated by the people of Ipswich, and after merely halting to receive the visits of the committee, and some of the principal inhabitants, he passed on towards Newburyport, under an escort which had been despatched from that place to attend him. This escort consisted of a re giment of cavalry, commanded by colonel J. Colman, and the field officers of the brigade, under the direc tion of majors John Scott, and David Wood, jun. At Parker s river he was met by the honourable Bai ley Bartlet, sheriff of Essex, and the committee of THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 137 arrangement, when colonel Mosely, their chairman, addressed him. a Sir A number of the citizens of Newburyport and vicinity, desirous of paying you their respects, have taken the liberty to meet you on your journey, and with your permission, will accompany you to Newburyport, where the citizens of that town will be happy, in a more formal manner, to pay you their salutations." A large party of citizens then joined the caval cade, and accompanied the President into town. Captain Coffin s company of artillery announced his entrance with discharges of ordnance, and the cheers of the people followed him to the hotel. An address, which had been prepared by a com mittee representing the inhabitants, was immediate ly presented by their chairman. " Sir The citizens of Newburyport, by their committee, beg leave to present their sincere re spects to the chief magistrate of the United States. Having been called by a free and intelligent people, to preside over their most important concerns, it must be peculiarly grateful to your feelings, at the commencement of your arduous duties, to be made more particularly acquainted with their local inte rests, and to receive their respectful and affection ate salutations. It is no less pleasing to us, than happy for the nation, that we derive the honour of this interview, from the practical operation of that maxim of your illustrious predecessor, the father of his country, in his last affectionate address to his M 2 1SB A NARRATIVE OF fellow citizens, that " timely disbursements to pre pare for danger, frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it." A numerous and weal thy population, stretching along an extensive sea- coast, presents to a foreign enemy, many alluring objects of attack, and the present period of peace and public tranquillity, appears peculiarly favoura ble for our defence and security. " Enjoying, as we do, the blessings of a free go vernment, our attachment to it cannot be the less ar dent, when administered by one, who took so honour able and active a part in those measures by which it was obtained. We trust that under your adminis tration, by the smiles of a kind providence, a spirit of peace will be generally diffused ; the venerable and pious institutions of our fathers preserved ; and the citizens meet their appropriate rewards, in the labours of agriculture, manufactures and commerce, and in extending the sciences and arts. " Accept, sir, our best wishes, that you may be prospered in the important object of your journey, and at the close of your labours receive a consola tion, the most clear to a patriot, in the happiness and prosperity of the country." The President was pleased to reply in substance, as follows : That he received, with great sensibility, the at tentions of the citizens of Newburyport ; that his principal object in making this tour was, to see the situation of the people in different parts of the coun try, and to acquire such information as would better THE PRESIDENT S TOUtt. enable him to discharge the duties of his office ; thai in his journey he had been highly gratified witli the prosperous condition of the people, and that we could not be sufficiently thankful to that bountiful provi dence, which had conferred upon us such great blessings. The President concluded with desiring, that his grateful sentiments for the kind and respectful man ner in which he had been received by the citizens, might be communicated to them. His excellency then retired to an adjoining apart ment, where, in company with maj. gen. Dearborn, commodore Bainbridge, brigadier-general Miller, general Bricket, Dr. Waterhouse, and the reverend clergy of that and some neighbouring towns, he sat down to a sumptuous dinner. Having signified his desire to dispense with any farther escort, he took leave of the company, and travelled that evening to Portsmouth. During this portion of his journey, he delayed a while at Amsbury, to examine the factories in that town and its vicinity. A committee from Portsmouth, a company of the 35th cavalry, and a collection of citizens on horse back and in carriages, joined the President at Green land, and formed a line of march to enter the city. The procession then moved in that direction, and having passed the lines, a national salute from the artillery under captain Currier, announced that event to the inhabitants, and a repetition of this salute from 140 A NARRATIVE OF the company of Sea Fencibles, under captain Brown, communicated the intelligence of the President s ar rival. When he had ascended the balcony of Frost s Hotel, the honourable Mr. Mason, in presence of the assembled citizens, delivered an address. " To the President of the United States. " Sir The presence of the chief magistrate, se lected for his eminent virtues and public services, to preside over and direct the councils of a great nation, must always excite feelings of the highest interest. The inhabitants of the town of Portsmouth, remote from the seat of the general government, can expect few opportunities of witnessing such a gratifying scene. We therefore eagerly embrace this fortunate occasion to present our ardent and sincere congratu lations. " Engaged chiefly in the business of commerce and navigation, we know our destinies are, in a pe culiar manner, dependent on the measures of that government, to which the protection of those im portant objects, is exclusively confided. These en terprising pursuits, which have always been greatly contributory to the general welfare, are now suffer ing under a temporary depression. But we have entire confidence that the wisdom and justice of gov ernment, will extend to them all the protection and support that shall be in its power. " To superintend and conduct the national con- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 141 cerns has always, in free governments, been the favourite employment of the best and greatest men. By no other means, can an individual of distinguish ed talents so eminently promote the public good. The successful performance of such duties must, at all times, constitute a sure claim to the gratitude of a generous people. This, sir, is the arduous and honourable service, which is entrusted to you by the citizens of the United States. Sensible how greatly the national prosperity depends on the due administration of the govern ment, we recal to our recollection, with much satis faction, the numerous pledges of attachment to the public interest, furnished by the history of your past life. It is our earnest and confident hope, that your administration, by perfecting our valuable institu tions, and by uniting public sentiment, and wisely directing it to proper national objects, may fulfil the present happy anticipations, and thus establish on a firm basis, your own and your country s happiness, honour and glory. " J. MASON, " In behalf of the inhabitants of the town of Ports mouth." In his answer, the President adverted to the flou rishing condition of the town of Portsmouth ; made some suitable remarks on the principal points con tained in the address; and tendered his acknow ledgments for the civilities which had been shown him. 142 A NARRATIVE OF An audience was then given to the principal inha bitants, and he shortly after adjourned to his quar ters, at Mr. Wentworth s, in Jeffrey street, accom panied by the committee, the marshals, and a detach ment of the military. In addition to the religious duties of the day, the President, on Sunday the 13th, paid a visit to gov ernor Langdon, well known for his revolutionary services ; and on Monday, he made his usual circuit of observation through the forts, the harbour, the navy yard, and the public institutions. A committee from the Society of Associated Mechanics of the state, and the president and vice-president of that society, waited upon his excellency in the course of this day, and met a cordial and friendly reception. On this occasion the chairman delivered an address, which is here introduced : " To James Monroe 9 President of the United States. Sir In behalf of the Associated Mechanics and Manufacturers of the state of New Hampshire, we ask leave to present you their respectful salutations, and to express with unfeigned cordiality, the satis faction they derive from the visit with which you are pleased to honour this metropolis. < They are not unmindful that your numerous official avocations require your first attention, and must necessarily render your present tour through the country extremely arduous ; consequently the too frequent recurrence of formal addresses may be come irksome, and even painful : yet they have pre- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 145 sumed it not incompatible with their duty, or with the rules of propriety, to avail themselves of the present opportunity of expressing their public regard, for the man in whom seven millions of free people have reposed the highest degree of public confidence, and to whom they are indebted for the most important services. " We notice with peculiar satisfaction, the atten tion which the arts and manufactures of our country have received from you, and view it as the harbinger of increasing prosperity, and as a mean of perpetu ating our independence. Accept, sir, our sincere wishes for your future health and happiness, and our assurances, that no portion of the community can feel a more lively interest in your personal welfare, than do the Associated Mechanics of New Hamp shire. ABNER GREENLEAF, " WILLIAM SIMES, " NATHANIEL B. MARCH, " JOHN BURLFY HILL, " DAVID C. FOSTER, Committee: 9 An extemporaneous answer was returned by the President \ in which he made some appropriate re flections on the utility of encouraging our native manufactures. 144 A NARRATIVE OF CHAPTER VIII. Province of Maim the President lands at Kittery address proceeds to Kennebunk, and is addressed there Wells Arundel Biddeford address of a Committee the President repairs through Saco and Scarborough to Portland reply to the invitation from the Citizens of Bath and other towns -visit to forts PreUe and Scammel address of the Cler gy the President re-enters JVew Hampshire. THE town of Portsmouth, was the most distant, to the eastward, from the seat of government, which had ever been visited by the executive before, Presi dent Washington s tour not extending beyond that place. The increase of population in the province of Maine, however, and the consequent augmenta tion of its importance in the union, had occasioned, since that period, the construction of many objects, which Mr. Monroe deemed worthy of his inspection. Accordingly, on Tuesday, the 1 5th of July, he cross ed the Piscataqua, from Portsmouth, and entered Maine, at the town of Kittery. The citizens were already paraded on the shore, and the honourable THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 14^ Mr. ifolmes, of Alfred, in their behalf, thus address ed him: ** Sir As citizens of Maine, we take the Hherty to meet the chief magistrate of the nation, on his en tering our district, and to pay him our respects. It being the first time a President of the United States has visited this section of the country, it is a source of peculiar satisfaction to meet and greet one whose private virtues and public administration have been so much, and so justly admired by the people of Maine. " Permit us, sir, for ourselves, and our friends, to congratulate you on your election as President, and bid you a cordial welcome to this part of the union ; to tender you our services, to alleviate the fatigues of your journey ; and our wishes and exer tions that all your labours for the people may be re ceived with gratitude, and crowned with success. Through the wisdom of yourself, and your compa triots, the patriotism of the people, and the favour of heaven, you have the singular felicity to receive the voluntary homage of the nation, and to witness its peace, prosperity, freedom, and happiness. " This journey, like the journey of your life, is commenced and pursued for the public good. Like that, its fatigues have been endured with patience, its obstacles overcome with perseverance, its storms encountered with firmness, and its refreshing sun shines relished with equanimity and gratitude. In each, as you have advanced, you have acquired addi tional honour, reverence and love. In your future 9 146 A NARRATIVE OF progress, in both, may your health be preserved, your country s prosperity and glory secured, and the affections, confidence, and union of the people increased and confirmed. And when these respec tive journies shall be ended, and you shall return home, may you at the close of the one be received in health and happiness to the embraces of an affec tionate family ; and, of the other, to the favour and fruition of HIM who will never fail to reward the great and good." To this address the President made a suitable ex temporaneous reply. Escorted by a large detachment of cavalry, from general Leighton s brigade, he proceeded onward to the ancient town of York, situated on a river of that name, ten miles from the ocean. Here he was greet ed with the customary salutes, and the venerable judge Scwall, of the United States district court, at the head of a committee, made him a congratulatory address. The President having replied to the judge, continued his route to the town of Kennebunk. Five miles in advance of this place, he was intercepted by another cavalry escort, and the militia officers of Maine, by whom he was conducted to apartments in the town, at which, after partaking of a refresh ment, he was addressed by the chairman of the com mittee, as follows: Sir The committee, designated by the inhabi tants of Kennebunk and its vicinity, bid you wel come to Maine, and particularly that part of it in which they reside. The novel spectacle of seeing THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 147 among them the chief magistrate of the United States, excites sensations of no ordinary class ; and equally evincive of their strong attachment to the government of their choice, and of their high re spect for the man who has been called by the volun tary suffrages of the people, to preside over its des tinies. " In this visit, sir, our citizens discern your pa ternal solicitude to make yourself acquainted with the various sections of the country, and the people who inhabit them ; and we are charged to assure you, that they have a deep interest in the progress and happy termination of your journey. " We congratulate you, sir, upon the present peaceful state of our country, and that your admi nistration of the government commences under cir cumstances, so pleasant to yourself, and auspicious to them : and we assure you that our citizens have the fullest confidence, that the best interests of the people will be promoted ; and their prayers to hea ven are, that at some future period, when you shall retire from your present elevated situation, you may receive the acclamations of the whole people, made happy, under an administration marked for its wis dom, its mildness, and spirit of conciliation. " G. G. WALLING SFORD, *< In behalf of the committee." 148 A NARRATIVE OF The President s Rephj to the Address of the Citi zens of Kenncbunk. " Sir I ask you, and the gentlemen associated with you, to communicate to the citizens of Kennc- bunk and its vicinity, my thanks for the friendly re ception they give me ; and for those testimonies of respect which they are pleased to manifest for the chief magistrate of the United States. Be pleased to assure them, that on this, as well as on other si milar occasions, I c\m unable to express my emo tions. To behold a free, an enlightened, and a high minded people, paying a spontaneous tribute of re spect and affection to a man who is elevated to the chief magistracy of a nation, is in itself an imposing spectacle. To that individual, such a scene, you may well believe, must possess a character of pecu liar and appropriate interest. I have never before been so much affected. Such distinguished atten tions, such unexpected effusions of regard, as I ex perience from my fellow citizens, do indeed sink deep into my heart. They have made me feel, if possi ble, a deeper sense of my obligations to devote all my faculties to their service. " It was my wish, in the first instance, while on this tour, to have devoted my attention exclusively, to those public and national objects which I had in view. But finding that this arrangement did not comport with the feelings of my fellow citizens, I relinquished it. Indeed, when I found a disposition, THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 149 so generally manifesting itself, to improve the occa sion for a personal interview of the people with the citizen whom their voluntary suffrages had elevated to the highest office in their gift, and, through him, to exhibit the homage which they feel for the go vernment itself, and the high value which they en tertain for its republican form, I cheerfully yielded to their wishes. Nor can I ever regret that I have thus afforded myself so many opportunities of see ing and feeling how much we are one people ; how strongly the ties by which we are united, do in fact bind us together; how much we possess in reality, a community not only of interest, but of sympathy and affection. I am the more led to make this re mark, because you are pleased to express a confident hope, that a spirit of mutual conciliation may be one of the blessings, which may result from my adminis tration. This indeed would be an eminent blessing, and I pray it may be realised. The United States are certainly the most enlightened people on earth. We are certainly rapidly advancing in the road of national pre-eminence. Nothing but union is want ing to make us a great people. The present time affords the happiest presages that this union is fast consummating. It cannot be otherwise. I daily see greater proofs of it : the further I advance in my progress, in the country, the more I perceive that we are all Americans that we compose but one fa mily that our republican institutions will be sup ported and perpetuated by the united zeal and patri otism of all. Nothing could give me greater satis- 150 A NARRATIVE OP faction than to behold a perfect union among our selves an union, which I before observed, is all we can ever want to make us powerful and respected an union too, which is necessary to restore to social intercourse its former charms, and to render our happiness, as a nation, unmixed and complete. To promote this desirable result requires no compro mise of principle, and I promise to give it my conti nued attention, and my best endeavours. For the good of our common country, I feel that I am bound constantly to act. So far as integrity and zeal are concerned, I can confidently say I shall not be found wanting; and if I shall fail in the discharge of my duty, it shall be from w r ant of judgment. I also hope that I shall be enabled actually to improve all the op portunities, which the station to which I have been called, shall afford me, to advance the interest, the honour, and the felicity of our beloved country. Be pleased, sir, to communicate to the citizens, whom you and your associates represent, my best wishes for their individual prosperity and happiness." The President then resumed his journey, passing, on foot, through an avenue of citizens, over the bridge, which was handsomely ornamented, where he ascended his carriage, and thence proceeded, by way of Wells, and Arundell, to Biddeford. A committee of the citizens of that place, by their chairman, Mr. Thatcher, being first introduced, addressed the President in these words : a Sir The inhabitants of Biddeford, by their committee, beg leave to present their tribute of re- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 151 spect to the chief magistrate of the United States of America, and to express to him their pleasure at his visit a pleasure that their local situation has hither to prevented their enjoying. " Attached to their republican form of govern ment, they are anxious to retain it in its original simplicity ; the frequency of their elections renders it important to the electors to be acquainted with their rulers, and they are pleased to observe your desire to gratify their wishes. " They cordially receive you within the limits of their town, and tender their sendees to render your journey as pleasant and useful as in their power. Having neither natural or artificial objects worthy your particular observation, and your official duties being so numerous, they cannot expect to be gratifi ed by your delay to see all they have to show love of country, and honour to their rulers. They have only to regret, that the moment of their salutation is also the moment of their farewel. They tender most ardent wishes for your happiness in public and domestic life ; assuring you of their approbation and support in all public measures, that may tend to na tional honour and prosperity. " GEORGE THATCHER, " SETH STORER, jun. " SAMUEL MERRILL, " (Selectmen of Biddeford,) Committee of Ar rangement." The President made a verbal reply to the commit tee, and immediately set forward to Saco, and thence 152 A NARRATIVE OF through Scarborough to Portland, the extremity of his eastern tour. Numerous arches were erected, and national flags displayed, at the different inter sections of the road, between these places. The most beautiful and tasteful of these exhibitions, was made upon the bridge at Westbrook, leading directly into Portland ; the decorations of which, were sur mounted with banners and national emblems, and an arch for each state. An escort, under the or ders of major-general Richardson, had been provi ded at the Cumberland line, by which he was con ducted to his quarters in Portland, after having re viewed the Portland regiment of militia. In the evening, the observatory, and other buildings on Mountjoy Hill, were handsomely illuminated, and a brilliant display of fire-works, closed the entertain ments, which had been provided by the citizens, to do honour to their visit er. Deputations from the towns of Bath, Wiscassett, Brunswick and Topham, were introduced to the President, and in behalf of the towns from which they came, invited him to con tinue his route to each of those places. To these several invitations, the President replied in the fol lowing note. " Fellow Citizens I beg you to be assured, that it would afford me great and sincere pleasure, to pro ceed to the towns which you represent, and even to Castine, if imperious circumstances did not prevent it. I undertook this tour to acquire information, by personal inspection of our principal harbours, of the entrances into them, of the state of the public works, THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 153 and of the points at which it might be proper to erect others ; and it was my ohject to embrace in it the Atlantic coast, to the extent mentioned, and the in land frontier as far as Detriot. I now find, not withstanding the exertions which I have made, that if I proceed further to the eastward, I shall be com pelled to abandon all the western part of my con templated tour, or be thrown on the lakes at an un favourable season, and shall likewise be detained from the seat of government, longer than a due re gard for other important national interests will per mit. I regret, therefore, to be compelled by these considerations, to terminate my tour eastward here ; considerations which will, I doubt not, have their due weight with you, and my other fellow citizens of the district of Maine. " I am happy to meet here deputies from so many of the towns to the eastward, because from you I shall receive such information touching your local interests, as will be useful. I shall pay to it the ut most attention in my power. " I am aware, that the prosperity of towns in this district, (and I may extend the remark to the Uni ted States.) depends on the prosperous state of their commerce. Nothing is more just then, that our trade with foreign powers should be placed in every branch, on a footing of reciprocal and equal advan tage. It gives me pleasure to state, that this impor tant interest has already received the consideration of the national councils, and that I have no doubt it 154 A NARRATIVE OF will continue to be duly attended to, until it is placed on a just and satisfactory footing. "On all the great concerns of this highly favour ed and happy nation, there is hut one common inte rest. We are all equally interested in preserving our present republican government and institutions, in their utmost purity. We are all equally interest ed in adopting suitable measures of defence, land and naval, and in the proper protection and encourage ment of our commerce ; and it is highly gratifying to me, to witness in the whole extent of my tour, that great harmony of opinion prevails on all these important points. "JAMES MONROE." On Wednesday morning the President inspected the forts Preble and Scammel, at the mouth of the harbour, and reviewed the troops under major Crane; after which he examined the observatory, and visited the widow of the late gallant commodore Preble. Upon returning to his quarters, he received the reverend clergy of Portland, who waited on him with this address. Sir The ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, of different denominations, in Portland and vicinity, amid the congratulations of their fellow citizens, would now in a body tender their respectful and Christian salutations, opening to you their bosoms, revered sir, and imploring on you the divine pre sence, guidance and support, as the father of a great and happy people. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 155 " That you may have in continuance a prosperous journey, by the will of God, through the northern and western parts of these United States, a safe re turn to the capital, and to the bosom of your family; that the morning of your presidency, being a morn ing without clouds, which has thrown such a lustre upon our public affairs, and occasioned such surprising harmony in the public feelings, may indeed be as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day. " And when, sir, your hands are heavy under the weight of the nation s cares, be assured, the inter cessions of our closets and of our altars, (animated by the grateful remembrance of your presence amongst us) shall be always going up to the Mercy- seat in your behalf, that through your instrumenta lity, the beauty of the Lord our God may be upon us, his glory appear to our children. And having served your generation according to the will of God, in a good old age, and full of days and honours, may you be gathered unto the illustrious fathers who rest from their public labours, and enter with them into heavenly glory." The Answer from the President. " Gentlemen Among the numerous tokens of re spect, which have been shown me by my fellow citi zens, during my present tour, undertaken to ad vance the public interest, I have received none more grateful than the one I now receive from you, the 156 A NARRATIVE 9F ministers of our Lord and Saviour. Be assured, that the kind sentiments of your affectionate ad dress, especially those which regard my person, are warmly reciprocated. A proper reverence for our Maker, and indeed religion in general, leaving all men however free to act agreeably to the dictates of their own consciences, will ever meet my approba tion and support. " I am sensible, gentlemen, that I cannot do jus tice to your address in this summary reply. I must therefore conclude, by repeating to you the assu rance of my great satisfaction in receiving this tes timony of your regard, and by requesting you to ac cept my thanks for your respectful and Christian sa lutation." The public armed ships to be employed in the sur vey of the coast, under commodores Bainbridge and Perry, had been ordered to rendezvous at Portland, and the last of them arrived in that harbour, in the afternoon of this day. Here the President sepa rated from those distinguished officers, and from ge neral Swift, who had been in attendance on him from the moment of his arrival at Baltimore. On the fol lowing morning, the vessels sailed for Castine, at which place the survey was to be commenced, and the President, with his secretary, immediately set out for Dover, in New Hampshire. Returning through Biddeford, he breakfasted with judge Thatcher, thence proceeded through Berwick and Somers, and reached Dover early in the afternoon. The citizens received him with many manifestations THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 157 of joy, and in the evening he attended an assembly at the seat of the honourable William Hale, at whose mansion he also lodged. The situation of general Swift, in the suite of the President, was now occupied by brigadier-general Miller, of the United States army, accompanied by whom, he left Dover on the morning of the 18th, and was escorted by the citizens through N6tting- ham, Northwood, Epsom, and Chichester, to the confines of the town of Concord. The selectmen and a committee of the inhabitants were in readiness to receive him; and being first saluted by a company of artillery at Concord bridge, he was conducted to his quarters, at Barker s Hotel, in Main street. To gra tify the desire of the inhabitants to behold the chief magistrate of the union, a platform had been erected, on which it was proposed to deliver to him, in their presence, a congratulatory address. On three sides of the stage, the escort infantry companies were ar rayed : the centre was occupied by the President, and the committee of the town, by the chairman of which, the honourable Mr. Thompson, this address was then delivered. " Sir Permit us, as the organ of the citizens of Concord, to express the high satisfaction we feel, in beholding the President of the United States in our village, and in having an opportunity to present you our most respectful acknowledgments for the distin guished honour. " Ail hearts, sir, bid you welcome. We deem it a peculiarly happy circumstance, that in discharg- 158 A NARRATIVE O* ing the important duty, of examining the works of defence, on our exterior lines, you witness univer sal eagerness and cordiality, in the salutations you receive in every place you visit. Upon this auspi cious occasion, party feelings are buried, and buried, we would hope, for ever. A new era, we trust, is commencing. The leading measures of the general government, accord remarkably with the views and principles of all parties ; and your private as well as public character, furnish us a pledge that you will endeavour to make your administration a blessing to our country. And we pray God to grant you success, and have you under his holy keeping. " Accept, sir, our best wishes that your present tour may be eminently useful to the nation, both in affording them security against their enemies, and union among themselves. "THOMAS W. THOMPSON, " For the Committee. "July 18, 1817." A verbal answer was returned, and the President then adjourned to an apartment in the hotel, where he joined a large party of citizens at the dinner table. In the course of the entertainment, the fol lowing toast was announced from his excellency. " The town of Concord May its inhabitants con tinue to flourish and prosper." A concert of vocal and instrumental music \va given in the evening at the Meeting-house, to attend which the President accepted an invitation, and the THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 159 best talent of the town was summoned, on this occa sion, to contribute to his gratification. The governor of New Hampshire being prevent ed from paying his personal respects to the Presi dent, by a severe indisposition, addressed him the following explanatory letter, which he transmitted through the agency of the secretary of state, on the day after his arrival. "New Hampshire, Executive Department, Epping-, July 18, 1817. " Dear Sir It is to me a subject of much regret, that in your tour through New Hampshire, I have been unable to pay you that respectful attention, and those personal civilities, which I consider due both to your private character, and official station. You were verbally informed, while at Portsmouth, of my severe indisposition ; and I am now obliged to add, that I am still confined to my chamber and bed, hy an attack of the typhus fever, which has not yet, I fear, reached its crisis. This unfortunate event has deprived me of the satisfaction of a personal inter view with yon ; and prevented me from receiving a visit at this place, with which I had flattered myself you would have honoured me. " A military escort having been called out, by the governors of some of the states, to accompany you through those parts of the country, I was desirous that the same tribute of respect should be paid you, on your passage through New Hampshire. The power to call out such an escort, seemed, at first view, incident to the nature of my office, as com- 160 A NARRATIVE OF mander of the militia ; yet so accurately is this com mand defined, and so cautiously restricted, hy the prudence, or the jealousy, of our state constitution, that I have am-, jrity at no time to order out the mi litia, except for certain known ohjects, particularly designated in the constitution, and by the laws en acted under it. I have thought proper to make this statement, both in justice to myself, and to the state over which I preside ; a state which yields to none in the union, either in attachment to the general go vernment, or in respect to the distinguished individu al who, with its full consent and approbation, has been raised to the first office in the gift of the nation. " This letter will be delivered to you through the secretary of state. Had health permitted, I should have taken a great pleasure in waiting upon you, in person, during the time you remained in this state, and in suggesting some objects of inquiry, which might, perhaps, have merited your attention in this part of our common country. But in my present condition, lean only add my sincere congratulations, and my best wishes for the success of your adminis tration, which has commenced under circumstances peculiarly favourable to yourself, and to our beloved country. " I have the honour to be, with the highest per sonal respect and esteem, dear sir, your most obedi ent, humble servant, " WILLIAM PLUMER. " James Monroe, President of the United States, now at Concord, New Hampshire." THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 1G1 On Saturday be dined with the honourable Mr. Thompson, arid at 5 o clock in the afternoon, was received by a large assemblage of ladies and gentle men on board the pleasure boat " President," which had been fitted up and decorated, especially for the occasion, by John Langdon Sullivan, esq. In this barge, and followed by a train of private boats, the party descended the Merrimack, by Turkey River falls, to Garven s falls, and thence through the five locks, cut round the falls, into the river below. An excellent band of music was provided, to enliven the scene $ the serenity and smoothness of the stream, which, by the perseverance and enterprise of a single individual, had been converted from a rude and use less state, into a source of wealth and commerce ; and the variegated beauty of the landscape, presented from both shores, contributed to the pleasure deriva ble from such an excursion. The company, con sisting of one hundred and fifty persons, returned to Concord by land, and in the evening, the President honoured colonel Kent, with his attendance at his house. On Sunday, he attended the service at the meeting house, and at five on the morning of Monday, the 21st of July, he left Concord, and was escorted to the Oaks, in Boscawen, by the committee of arrangement. At Salisbury he break fasted, and thence proceeded through Andover, Wil- mot, and Springfield, to Willis, in Enfield. Here he dined, and in the afternoon visited the Habitation of the Shaken Community," where he was received with the simplicity by which that sect is distinguish- 16:2 A NARRATIVE OF ed. The elder came forth, and addressed him thus : " / Joseph Goodrich welcome thee, James Monroe, to our habitation." The President was then permit ted to examine the institution and their manufacto ries, and remained there ahont an hour. In the course of the evening he arrived at Hanover. At all the towns through which the President pass ed, he was escorted, alternately by the citizens, and the military. Some distance from Hanover, he was met by a large cavalcade of citizens, on horseback, and in carriages; and was addressed, on his arrival, by the honourable Mr. Olcott, chairman of the com mittee, appointed to receive and congratulate him, in the following manner: " To the President of the United States. }< Sir In behalf of the citizens of Hanover and the adjacent towns, we beg leave respectfully to ten der you our sincere congratulations on your safe arrival in this place. 66 Averse as we are, in our feelings and habits, from any parade inconsistent with the simplicity of our republican institutions, we are happy that the tour of your excellency, undertaken for the promo tion of objects of great national importance, affords us an opportunity of bidding you a cordial welcome to the banks of the Connecticut, and the verge of the Green Mountains the seat of one of those literary institutions by which our country has been highly benefited, and honourably distinguished. A semi nary 5 which a few years since was planted in a wil- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 163 derness, can exhibit no venerable antiquities, no proud monuments of the arts ; yet it cannot fail to be regarded by you with interest, on account of its relation to the principles and permanency of our government. " We are happy to offer, personally, that respect which is due to your elevated station, your eminent public services, and private virtues. It contributes, in no small degree, to the pleasure we enjoy on this occa sion, that we meet the chief magistrate of the United States, in the style of a private citizen, distinguished, from the rest of the community, by none of the ordi nary badges of authority, and depending on no safe guards but the good wishes of his fellow citizens. " We deem it singular, that we sec among us, for the first time, a chief magistrate of the nation, un der circumstances peculiarly calculated to inspire feelings of satisfaction and joy. A new and auspi cious era seems to have commenced in our country. At the close of the war, in which our prowess in arms shed new lustre on the American republic, a spirit of peace and harmony prevails among us. A national feeling is excited, which must be productive of the happiest consequences. The unexampled pro gress of our country, within the last thirty years, in population and refinement; the improvements in agriculture and manufactures ; the happiness enjoy ed by the people of the United States, under the be nign influence of the federal constitution ; all con tribute to strengthen the ties of union, and give sta bility to our excellent political institutions. 164 A NARRATIVE OF " "We sincerely congratulate you, sir, that your election to the first office in the gift of your fellow citizens, has occurred at a period so auspicious and interesting, under circumstances which not only evince the high sense which is entertained of your patriotism, zeal, and fidelity; but furnish a sure- guarantee of the impartiality and wisdom of your administration. " That the blessings of heaven may attend you through life; that you may have the pleasure of see ing our beloved country prosperous and happy, un der your auspices ; and, when you shall retire from the cares of public life, that you may be followed in to retirement, by the esteem and affection of a vir tuous and grateful people, is the ardent wish of those in whose behalf we have the honour of addressing you. " MILLS OLCOTT, " ZIBA HUNTINGDON, WM. H. WOODWARD, " ELIAS LYMAN, " BENJ. J. GILBERT, " GEORGE E. WALES, " AMOS A. BREWSTER, - PIERCE BURTON, " JONA FRANKLIN, "EuEN. BROWN, " SALMON WASHBURN, " JOSEPH CURTIS, and " JACOB TURNER, JOHN DURKEE, " DAVID HOUGH, " Committees of Dartmouth -village. Lime, Le banon, Hartford, Norwich, and Hanover." The following is the President s reply. " To the Citizens of Hanover. " Fellow Citizens Your congratulations are the more acceptable, because they are the heart-felt ex- THE PRESIDENTS TOUR. 165 pressions of your attachment to our inestimable form of government. " I have not the pretension, to arrogate to myself, the emotion of the sentiment my presence awakens. It recals to you your form of government, and the exalted civil and religious principles you so eminent ly enjoy. The contemplation of these, and the se curity you feel in the continuance of such rich posses sions, fills you with gratitude. " The recollections of the trials of our country, and the honourable rank to which these have rais ed her, inspires a laudable pride in your nation s honour, and it is to give utterance to these sentiments and the emotions they excite, that such public de monstrations of respect are rendered to the chief magistrate of the country. I participate in the sen timent 5 I sympathise with you in these emotions ; I cannot, therefore, but take a deep interest in the li terary seminary of this place ; for such institutions will long supply successive generations of wise and virtuous men, who will know how to estimate and preserve the blessings of civil liberty, that their fa thers shall bequeath to them. " It is an epoch like the present, when an honour able peace leaves no question to agitate the public, that through institutions like yours, the expanded benevolence, and high sense of national honour, which are essential to public virtue, should be every where diffused as means of union. These cannot fail to produce that national feeling, from which you anticipate such happy results. 166 A NARRATIVE OF " I cannot but acknowledge your expressions ot personal regard and respect. That the blessings you invoke on me, may abundantly descend on your selves and your children, for many generations, is truly my sincere and ardent wish. " JAMES MONROE." The President, in the evening, made a visit to the rival corporations of the university, and by his presence produced a reconciliation between many members of that institution, who had, for years be fore, been at variance with each other. He also at tended a party at the house of president Brown, where he unexpectedly met the widow of the late president Wheelock, (aunt to major-general Rip- ley, of the United States army) who resided in the neighbourhood of Trenton at the period when the engagement took place there, in 1776, and who ge nerously officiated as his nurse after he received his wound. Deputations met the President at Hanover, with invitations from Windsor, Royalston, Straiford, Montpellier, and other towns. To gratify, as far as possible, the wishes of the inhabitants, he made choice of a route which should lead him through these several places. On Tuesday he left Hanover, and proceeded with general Bradley, of Westmin ster, and colonel George Sullivan, of Boston, to Straf- ford, and visited the extensive manufactory of cop peras in its neighbourhood. In behalf of the propri etors of this establishment, colonel Binney had been THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 107 delegated to invite the President there, and to ex plain its extent and utility. He was conducted by that gentleman throughout the manufactory, of which a written description was delivered to him, setting forth the discovery of the mineral, the commence ment and process of the manufacture, and the bene ficial results necessarily accruing to the country, by rendering it independent of Europe, for the supply of an essential article of general use. From these works he returned to Norwich common, at Straf- ford, where he received the congratulations of a large concourse of people, and dined in company with lieutenant-governor Brigham, judge Brown, captain Riley, the Rev. Mr. Woodward, and other citizens. In the afternoon, he passed down the Ver mont side of the river, crossed at Lyman s bridge into New Hampshire again, entered Plainfield and Cornish, and arrived at Windsor. On the confines of that town, a numerous collection of citizens, some companies of military, and a corps of artillery, were already in waiting, in anticipation of his arrival. Discharges from the latter gave intimation to the people within, of that circumstance, and in a few minutes he alighted at Pitte s Hotel, where a writ ten address (which follows) was read to him, by colonel Durham. " To the President of the United States, at Windsor, Vermont. ft gj r it j s w ft n equal pleasure and pride that the citizens of Windsor, so remote from the seat of go- 168 A NARRATIVE OF vernment, embrace this opportunity of tendering to you in person, the homage of their profound respect ; a homage not the less becoming the occasion, since it is the best tribute which freemen can offer, and which the President of the United States alone> of all the world, from a free people can receive. " The state of Vermont, sir, after having alone, and successively borne a signal share in the heat and burden of our revolutionary labours, was the first to appreciate the importance of our federal compact, and to solicit admission into the national union. Under that compact, sir, in the sanctuary of that union we are free we are protected we are flourishing and happy. Our mountains echo w ith the cheerful voice of industry and security ; our vallies smile with abundance and peace. These blessings are dear to our hearts. We habitually cherish them as inseparable from our existence. In their defence, sir, we have bled; and we are still ready, should our country call, to bleed again. " In this tour, undertaken through a remote sec tion of the union, for the additional security of our growing republic, you have an opportunity to be come acquainted intimately with our local feelings our local interests our republican spirit but above all, with our unshaken attachment to our national government, and our national institutions. " We feel ourselves flattered by this first visit from the chief magistrate of our nation, and in be holding your face, we behold a new pledge for the continuance of our invaluable blessings. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 169 " Placed, sir, as you have fortunately been, in the executive chair, by the almost unanimous voice of our country, at an auspicious moment, when peace is again restored ; when the loud din of party colli sion is dying- away, and when a general tranquillity seems pervading the world, we offer you our felici tations on the pleasing event. And while we rejoice in your opportunity, we rely on your wisdom, to co operate with our enlightened patriots and legisla tors, in strengthening our republican institutions, and, under the guidance of heaven, to fix, on a dura- hie basis, the happy destinies of a great and rising empire. 6i From our unqualified respect of your personal character, as well as from the pledge to be found in a long life devoted to the public good, we have a right to anticipate the most pleasing results. In co pying the illustrious examples of the great founders of our republic, you cannot fail to advance the best interests, and the true glory of our common country, and thus to erect in the hearts of your countrymen, an imperishable monument to your own fame. With such feelings, and with such views, in the name and in behalf of the citizens of Windsor, we bid you a cordial welcome to this village, and to the state of Vermont. " T. LEVERETT, " A. AIKINS, " J. DUNHAM, " E. TORRY, " H. EVERETT. " Committee. 9 170 A NARRATIVE OF Tilt President s Answer. " Fellow Citizens I have approached the state of Vermont, with peculiar sensibility. On a former visit, immediately after the war, I left it a wilder ness, and I now find it blooming with luxuriant promise of wealth and happiness, to a numerous population. A brave and free people will never abandon the defence of their country. The patri otism of Vermont, has been relied on in times of pe ril; and the just expectation of their virtue was ho nourably sustained. I shall ever rely on their wis dom in the councils of the nation, as on their courage in the field. " The confidence now universally felt in the sta bility and efficiency of our government, is the surest pledge, that all judicious measures, adopted for the common good of the nation, will receive the cordial support of all honest and honourable men. " I rejoice with you, that a just sense of the na tional interests, and more generous feelings per vade the country. It is by cherishing these, with a liberal reference to the prosperity and happiness of the whole union, that the high destiny of our nation can be attained. " The true principles of our policy are now well understood. The people have only to maintain them with vigour and economy, and all the great objects of national concern, under a benign providence, will be secured to ourselves and our posterity. "" JAMES MONROE." 1 HE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 171 Before he departed from Windsor he visited the Female Academy, and received from the pupils an ADDRESS. " To the President of the United States. ** Sir Impressed with a high sense of the ho nour, which the inhabitants, of this village receive in being permitted to welcome the chief magistrate of the union, we beg leave, in behalf of the young ladies of the Windsor Female Academy, to present you our humble tribute of respect ; which, although from the juvenile female pen, will not, we trust, be unacceptable, or deemed entirely beneath your no tice. While we regard the president of the nation, as the protector of our country, the preserver of our rights and dearest privileges, and the guardian of our literary institutions, our hearts glow with feel ings of gratitude, and we delight to address him by the endearing appellation of patron and friend. Per mit us, sir, respectfully to congratulate you on your safe arrival in the state of Vermont ; on the present happy and prosperous situation of the country over which you are called to preside ; that the olive of peace is now waving, where lately the clarion of war was heard; and that your entrance upon public du ties, both arduous and important, is at a time, when, from the general peace and tranquillity that reign, you can have leisure to promote the happiness and literary attainments of the rising generation. We 172 A NARRATIVE OF feel happy that the visit by which the northern states have heen so highly honoured, has been undertaken at a time when every thing must have combined to render it pleasant to yourself, as well as to the peo ple 5 and we believe that their reception of you has been, v-nd will continue to be, such as is consonant to their views of respect for your private charac ter, and the elevated station you have the honour with so much dignity to fill, as President of the Uni ted States. That you may long live in the affec tions of a free and enlightened people, and that suc cess may crown all your exertions for the public good, is the ardent wish of many a patriotic, al though youthful female bosom. " MARY B. REED, " ELEUTHERA D. FAY, " ELIZA L. KiMBAix, " NANCY H. CHAMBERLAIN, " CAROLINE R. HALE, 66 ELIZABETH PORTER, " Committee." To this address, which was deemed particularly interesting by the President, he was pleased to make A REPLY. " Young Ladies I beg you to be assured, that no attention which I have received in the course of my route, has afforded me greater satisfaction than that with which I have been honoured by the young THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 175 ladies of the Female Academy of Windsor. I take a deep interest, as a parent and citizen, in the suc cess of female education, and have been delighted wherever I have been, to witness the attention paid to it. That you may be distinguished for your graceful and useful acquirements, and for every amiable virtue, is the object of my sincere desire. Accept my best wishes for your happiness. "JAMES MONROE. " The members of the Windsor Female Academy/ At the early hour of six, on Wednesday morning, the 23d, he resumed his journey, and reached Mont- pellier, the same evening. The citizens of that town were prepared to receive him, and a deputation re presenting tiicm, delivered an address. To the President of the United States. <( Sir The citizens of Montpellier and its vici nity, have directed their committee to present you their respectful salutations, and bid you a cordial welcome. " The infancy of our settlements places our pro gress in the arts and sciences something behind most of our sister states, but we shall not be denied some claim to a share of that ardent love of liberty, and the rights of man ; that attachment to the honour and interests of our country, which now distinguish the American character, while the fields of the Hub- bardston, the heights of Walloonsack, and the plains tf 4 A NARRATIVE OF of Plattsburg, are admitted to witness in our favour. Many of those we now represent, ventured their lives in the revolutionary contest; and permit us, sir, to say, the value of this opportunity is greatly enhanced hy the consideration, that we now tender our respects to one, who shared in all the hardships and dangers of that eventful period, which gave li berty and independence to our country ; nor are we unmindful, that from that period until now, every public act of your life evinces an unalterable attach ment to the principles for which you then con tended. " With such pledges we feel an unlimited confi dence, that should your measures fulfil your inten tions, your administration, under the guidance of divine providence, will be as prosperous and happy as its commencement is tranquil and promising; and that the honour, the rights and interests of the na tion will pass from your hands unimpaired. " JAMES FISK, For the Committee. 9 The President returned an extemporaneous and very satisfactory reply. He rested that night at Montpellier, and advanced with expedition towards Burlington the following day. The chief persons of that town rode as far as Willston, to receive him; and having attended him to his quarters, the chairman of a committee ap pointed to wait on him, expressed the sentiments of the inhabitants in this address : THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 175 " To the President of the United States. " Sir In behalf of the inhabitants of Burlington, and its vicinity, we congratulate you on your safe arrival within this part of the state of Vermont. " Living under a government of our own choice, where birth and hereditary titles create no factitious privileges $ where the avenues of office are open to exalted merit ; and where virtue and worth confer the only distinctions known to our law; the citizen is under a moral obligation to respect the authorities of his country 1 " Permit us, sir, to avail ourselves of the opportu nity afforded us by this interview, to assure you of a cordial respect, and while we testify the high sense we entertain of your private worth, to discharge the pleasing task of tendering, to the chief magistrate of our country, the respect due to his exalted station. " The pleasure of a personal acquaintance is much increased by a knowledge of the objects of your visit. In common with yourself and every virtuous citizen, we indulge an honest pride in contemplating the civil institutions of our country, and rejoice in every mea sure which has for its object the protection and secu rity of the people. In proportion to the value, to the blessings of rational liberty, should be our exertions to render the enjoyment of them secure. Placed upon the frontiers of the United States, in situations assailable by the sudden irruptions of an invading foe, the dangers to which we may be exposed give 176 A NARRATIVE OF additional value to any precautionary measures of defence. " We rejoice that the noise of war, is lost in the busy arts of peace, that the citizen is left to the honest pursuits of industry and enterprize, under a confidence that his interest is identified with that of the public. But you will not believe us alarmed by idle fears, when we assure you that the recent events on this frontier have shown us, that whatever we hold dear may be jeopardized by the chance of war. The citizens of Vermont will not soon forget the memorable eleventh of September, eighteen hun dred and fourteen, or fail to appreciate the worth of those who so valiantly defended their country s flag, and secured to themselves immortal glory. The anxious solicitude of this awful but glorious day, has forcibly impressed upon our minds, the truth of the position, that peace is the time to prepare for war. " We are pleased to know that this subject has already engaged your attention. From a personal inspection of the various parts of our extended re public, you will be enabled the better to ascertain its vulnerable points, and advise to measures of fu ture security. Nor is this subject an uninteresting one. The patriot whose liberal soul is animated by the prospect of ameliorating the condition of his fel low men, here finds an object commensurate to his desires, and while he generously devotes himself to the welfare of his country, he is sustained by a con sciousness that his exertions have promoted its glory. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 177 Nature, also, seems to have designated our beloved country as the scene of no ordinary exertions. She has here scattered her gifts with a munificent hand, and points the way to high and ennobling pursuits. The vast extent of our territory; the grandeur of its scenery ; its mountains ; its rivers, and its inland seas ; the abundance of its means, together with the progress of population and improvement, combine to render it an object of sublime contemplation. " The alacrity and zeal with which you have en gaged in the military and naval defences of our coun try, is an additional pledge of your honourable mo tives and patriotic wishes. " That your labour may be crowned with abun dant success, and that you may long live to reap the rich reward of a life well spent in the service of your country, is our most earnest wish. " DANIEL FARRAND, " For the Committee of Arrangement. " BurEngton, July 24, 1817." The President s Reply to the Citizens of Burlington. " Fellow Citizens. In entering the town of Bur lington, I find myself in view of a scene, associated in every bosom with the dearest interest and highest honour of the country. The eventful action on your lake and its invaded shores, can never be contem plated without the deepest emotion. It bound the union by stronger ties, if possible, than ever. It filled every breast with confidence in our arms, and 17 S A NARRATIVE OF aroused the spirit of the country. The proximity of these scenes shall animate our children, to emu late the honourahle example of their fathers. They, too, shall realise that in the hour of peril, their coun try shall never want defenders, resolute and brave as their ancestors, and firm as the mountains that gave them birth. " Truly no nation has richer treasures of civil or religious liberty to defend. None stronger ties to united and to enlightened, and to extended pa triotism. That a just sense of these truths pervades the community, is evinced in the respect which you tender to the office of chief magistrate of the coun try in my person. " The important objects of my tour become the more interesting, as I find the frontier more exposed. You may feel assured, that the government will not withhold any practicable measures for the security of your town ; nor have I ever doubted that prepa ration for defence in time of peace, would ever prove the best economy in war. " If in pursuing these important objects, and ad ministering the government upon principles conso nant with the benign spirit of our constitution, my sincere and honest efforts should be crowned, as you wish, with abundant success ; it will be a real gra tification to myself, that you and your state will eminently participate in the beneficent providential result. "JAMES MOJTROE/ THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 179 At Burlington, after receiving the visits of many other respectable citizens, he embarked in a steam boat, placed under his orders, and proceeded to wards the town of Vergcnnes, situated upon Great Otter creek, and the harbour where the whole of the fleet, afterwards commanded by commodore Mac- donough, had been built and equipped. The exten sive manufactory of cast and sheet iron, the furnaces, forges, machinery, and implements used in that es tablishment, were examined by him with much at tention. When he had completed his observation of these, and such other objects of importance, as the town presented, he again embarked under civil and military attentions and honours, and sailed down the lake Champlain for Plattsburg. 180 A NARRATIVE OF CHAPTER IX. The President visits the Military Works at Rouse s Point lands at Plattsburg Description of the Attack upon that Town Chateaugay Ogdens- burg Address of the Citizens the President pro ceeds to Watertoivn, and reaches Sackets Harbour Addressed by the veteran Officers by the Citi zens some Account of the Defence of that Place the President sails for Fort Niagara arrives at Buffaloe. IN anticipation of the expected arrival of the chief magistrate at Plattsburg, the corporation of the town, and the state and military officers, had already made such dispositions and arrangements as should mani fest their respect for himself, and their attachment to the government and the laws. Orders had heen promulgated to call out the military ; and the artil lery in the cantonment were directed to observe and communicate the intelligence of his approach by sig nal guns. When the Phoenix steam boat had reached Rouse s Point, the President debarked and examined the military works constructing at that position; and having returned to the vessel, she again made sail, THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 181 and arrived before the town. Colonel Atkinson s barge immediately rowed to the boat, and convey ed the President on shore, under the customary dis charges. At his landing, general Brown, colonel Atkinson, colonel Snelling, (distinguished for his gallantry throughout the war) and the members of the corporation met, and conducted him to his quar ters, while the military joined the procession in the advance and rear. He was there presented with an address from the corporation, by R. H. \Yalworth, esq. to which he returned a suitable extemporary answer. A number of citizens then entered his apartment, and were re ceived in a cordial and friendly manner. These ceremonies being concluded, the President made a visit to colonel Atkinson, and, in company with that officer, proceeded to the cantonment, and reviewed the line of troops, consisting of a company of cavalry, under captain Sperry, a detachment from the line under captain N. S. Clarke, and the Piatts- burg riflemen ; all of whom were kept under arms for the purpose. Colonel Snelling- s regiment per formed a variety of manoeuvres before the Presi dent, with a precision and accuracy reflecting much credit on the corps and its commander. The Pre sident, after the parade, called at colonel Snelling s quarters, and in the evening attended a party at captain Sidney Smith s, of the United States navy. The inspection of the troops stationed at Platts- burg, and the examination of the defences of that place, were made by the President, with the utmost 182 A NARRATIVE OF scrutiny. The assailable situation of the town, at the mouth of the River Saranac, on the west side of Lake Champlain, and the consequent necessity of its being sufficiently fortified to give a successful re sistance to the incursion of an enemy, was apparent to the government. Its great importance, as the key to the entrance of New York, from the lake, called for the attentive investigation of its condition, and means of defence, and of the plans necessary to adopt, to render it, if possible, impregnable. He availed himself of the presence, and of the intelli gence and experience of the gentlemen of the army, to obtain the desired information, and to require from them suggestions for such improvements as might contribute to the completion of the design. The necessity of protecting the harbour of Platts- burg, by strong fortification, and an efficient garri son, was not only indicated by its exposed position, but was evident from its having been the theatre of military operations during the late war. It was here that the governor-general of the Canadas, sir George Provost, meditated the invasion of the Ame rican territory ; the defeat arid destruction of the right division of the United States army, then lying in the neighbourhood of Plattsburg ; and the subju gation of the country, to Crown Point and Ticonde- roga. It Mas here, too, that he was so signally and gallantly repulsed by a very inferior body of troops, under general M Comb. Transports had been continually arriving at Que- ,bec, from England, and such was the secrecy and THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 183 address, with which sir George made preparations for his intended expedition, that by the first of September, 1814, he had organised an army of fourteen thousand men, opposite Montreal, consti tuted of the most experienced generals, and distin guished officers, of the British army. With these troops he occupied the village of Champlain, and made gradual approaches upon Plattsburg, until the sixth of the month. On that day he made a rapid advance, in two columns, upon two distinct points, and an engagement immediately followed, between his advance and the American light parties, which receded before him, taking up the bridges in their rear as they crossed the Saranac. With the planks of these they formed breast- work, behind which they protected themselves in defending the passes. By the destruction of the bridges, and the fire of the gun-boats and gallies, anchored in front of the town, the enemy s approaches were greatly impeded. But not all the gallies, aided by the armament of the whole flotilla, which then lay opposite Plattsburg, under commodore Macdonough, could have prevent ed the capture of M< Comb s army, after its passage of the Saranac, had sir George Prevost pushed his whole force upon the margin of that stream. Like general Drummond, at Erie, however, he made a pause, in full view of the unfinished works of the Americans, and consumed five days in erecting bat teries, and throwing up breast-works, for the pro tection of his approaches. Of this interval, the American general did not fail to avail himself, and (84 A NARRATIVE OF kept his troops constantly employed in finishing his line of redoubts. Whilst hoth parties were thus engaged, in providing for the protection of their forces, the main hody of the British army came up with the advance ; and general M Comb was also reinforced by the militia of New York, and the vo lunteers of Vermont. Skirmishes between light par ties; sallies from the different works; and frequent attempts to restore the bridges ; served to amuse the besiegers and the besieged, while the former were getting up a train of battering cannon, and the lat ter strengthening their lines, and preparing to repel the attack. The British general, feeling assured of his ability, at any time, to destroy the American works, by a single effort, was regardless of the man ner in which they might be strengthened, and await ed the arrival of the British squadron, under captain Downie, from the lake, in co-operation with which he contemplated a general attack, and the easy cap ture of the American fleet and army. His fleet, at length, appeared round Cumberland Head, and im mediately engaged the squadron under commodore Macdonough, then moored in Plattsburg Bay. The first gun, was the signal for a general action, and sir George Prevost instantly opened his batteries upon the works on the opposite bank of the Saranac. A tremendous cannonade ensued ; bomb shells and Congreve rockets were thrown into the American lines during the whole day, and frequent, but inef fectual, attempts made to ford the river. At a good fording place, three miles from the works, the prin- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, cipal slaughter took place. There the enei ceeded in crossing over a portion of his troops, he- fore his advance was at all impeded ; hut a hody of volunteers and militia, stationed in a contiguous wood, opened a heavy fire upon them, and, after a spirited contest, in which one of the enemy s compa nies was entirely destroyed, and all its officers either killed or wounded ; those who had attained the shore fell back in disorder, upon an approaching column, then in the middle of the river. The receding and advancing columns mingled with each other, and be ing closely pressed by the volunteers, the whole bo dy was thrown into a state of confusion, from which the officers could not recover them ; numbers were killed in the stream, and the dead and wounded be ing swept along by the force of the current, sunk into one common grave. But the result of the engagement between the two naval armaments, which continued upwards of two hours, ultimately determined the action upon land. The plans of the British general were completely frustrated by its issue ; the whole of his larger ves sels, having struck to the United States flag, three of the row gallies being destroyed, and the remain der escaping from the bay in a shattered condition. The annihilation of his fleet being announced to sir George, he immediately withdrew his forces from the assault of the American works. From his bat teries, however, he kept up a constant fire, until the dusk of the evening, when being silenced by the temporary forts, Moreau, Brown and Scott, he re- i8G A NARRATIVE OF tired from the contest, and at nine at night, sent off liis artillery, and all the baggage, for which lie could obtain transport. At midnight he made a precipi tate and disgraceful retreat, leaving behind him all his sick and wounded. A pursuit was commenced, in which four hundred prisoners were taken, but a sudden storm prevented its continuance. Immense quantities of provisions, bomb-shells, cannon balls, grape shot, ammunition, flints, intrenching tools, tents and marques, were taken from the invaders, and they are supposed to have lost about fifteen hun dred men in killed and wounded. The consequences which would have resulted from the success of the British arms at Plattsburg, would never have ceased to be felt by the people of the United States generally. The western part of New York, and the whole state of Vermont, would have been entirely overrun, the contiguous province of Maine subjugated, and the territory to this day be probably retained by the conquerors. Had the co operation of the American fleet been withheld, or its equipment not, at that time, completed, the fall of the post must have been inevitable, guarded, as it was, by defences too weak and inadequate to resist effec tually the assault of so powerful an army. The aug mentation of these, therefore, and the establishment of a regular cantonment at that place, were looked upon as measures of absolute necessity, and the pre sence of the chief officer of the government, tended to facilitate the progress of such works as had been already commenced, and enabled him to ascertain THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 187 what additional garrisons were required, and to se lect suitable points upon which to erect them. On Sunday, the 27th, the President attended pub lic worship, entertained the corporation, and some officers of the cantonment, at dinner, at his quarters, and spent the evening at judge Dclord s. The following morning, an escort of cavalry under captain Sperry being provided, the President departed from Plattsburg, followed by a numerous collection of citizens on horseback, and took the route through the Chateaugay wood. Some miles in this wood a rural banquet had been prepared, and was so contrived, that after the President had travelled several hours upon a fatiguing road, he should, upon turning one of its angles, unexpectedly find refreshments in readiness for him. The repast was handsomely adapted to the character of the place, and the seats provided for his excellency and the most distinguished citizens, were shaded by arches of evergreen. Having ex pressed his gratification at this additional mark of attention and respect, the President took leave of the escort, and advanced through that road towards Ogdensburg. He arrived at the town of Hamilton, on the St. Lawrence, on Thursday the 31st of July, and on Friday, the 1st of August, he was met by a party of gentlemen from Ogdensburg, by whom, pre ceded by a band of music, of which Mr. Curphew was the leader, he was escorted under the direction of colonel Arnold, to the residence of Gr. Parish, esq. Upon his arrival at that gentleman s house, where he was to dine, he received the respects of the citi- 188 A NARRATIVE OF zens, and the trustees and inhabitants of the town, delivered him their address, through Louis Has- bauch, esq. " To the President of the United States, by the Citizens of Ogdensburg, New York. i( Sir The trustees and inhabitants of this vil lage welcome, with peculiar satisfaction, your arri val in health among them, after your long and fa tiguing journey, through many of our yet infant settlements. (i In common with the nation, we have viewed, with much interest, your important tour along our seaboard and frontier, particularly confiding in your observation, wisdom, and experience, for the esta blishment of such points of national defence, along our immediate border, as will best promote our in dividual prosperity, and strengthen the national se curity. Born and educated under a government, whose laws we venerate; enjoying a soil rich in the bounties of providence, and grateful for the invalua ble blessings of liberty, bequeathed to us by the he roes of the revolution, no excitement will be want ing, on our part, to maintain, defend, and transmit to posterity, the benefits we so eminently possess. Experience, however, has taught us, that individual or sectional exertions, be they ever so ardent, unless aided by the strong and protecting arm of govern ment, afford but feeble defence against a powerful foe. Placed on a frontier contiguous to a warlike THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 189 and powerful nation ; enjoying the advantages of an extensive and increasing navigation, it is peculiarly important, that our local situation should be well un derstood. At the commencement of the late war the attention of government was, in the first instance, naturally drawn to the defence of that extensive line of sea coast, on which the immense maritime force of the enemy could be more effectually exerted, and consequently, the more remote and interior de fences did not, perhaps, receive the same protection which their importance warranted. But, commen cing your administration in a time of profound peace; enjoying the confidence of the nation; and presiding over a government, proud of its honour, tenacious of its rights, and possessing the requisite resources ; we flatter ourselves, should any collisions hereafter take place (which we pray heaven to avert) your penetration and judgment, aided by your local observation, will have pointed out and perfected such a line of defences, as will insure our personal safety, and redound to the prosperity and honour of the nation. " That you may establish these desirable objects, progress in your important tour with safety, and re turn happily to the bosom of your domestic circle, is, sir, the fervent prayer of your obedient ser vants." His excellency made a verbal reply to the follow ing effect : He thanked the citizens of Ogdensburg for their attention and very polite reception ; he received them 190 A NARRATIVE OF as marks of respect to the first magistrate of the nation, not by any means arrogating them to himself, as an individual. It gave him great pleasure, be cause it evinced an attachment of the people to that form of government, which they themselves had es tablished. He was satisfied they held its value in just estimation, and were sincerely devoted to its preservation, and in administering it, he would sup port its principles, and, to his best ability, promote the interests of the country. As the address cor rectly stated, his journey was connected with objects of national defence, and was undertaken for the pur pose of acquiring such information, as would better enable him to discharge the duties of his office; that large sums of money had been appropriated by the government, the judicious application of which de pended much on the executive. He perfectly agreed that a time of peace was the best time to prepare for defence, but had much pleasure in stating, that the best understanding prevailed between our govern ment, and that of Great Britain, and was persuaded we had every reason to look for a permanent peace. He said that the importance of the situation along the St. Lawrence, had not escaped his observation, and, during his progress in this country, he was much gratified to find it fertile and abundant, and inhabited by an enterprising, industrious, and he believed, a virtuous people. In the evening the President was joined by major- general Brown of the United States army, and his whole suite, accompanied by whom he repaired to THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 191 Morristown, and lodged with the honourable judge Ford. On Saturday the 2d, he viewed Mr. Parish s extensive and very valuable iron works at Rossie, considered to he an establishment of great public importance, and of usefulness to the surrounding country. From Rossie he proceeded to Antwerp, Jefferson county, where he was met by Mr. Le Ray and others, and conducted to Le Rayville. Here he remained all that night. Early on the 3d, he was waited upon by the committee of ar rangement, from Watertown, and was escorted thence by three troops of horse, under captains Loomis, Fairbank, and White, to the house of Mr. Isaac Lee, in Watertown, where he partook of some refreshments, and received a concise though flatter ing address from the citizens. Attended by the same escort, the President then proceeded to Brownsville, where he lodged. On Monday the 4th, the committee from Sacket s Harbour joined the escort at Brownsville, and con ducted the President to the Harbour. Upon his arrival at the bridge, at the bounds, he was saluted with nineteen guns. The bridge was tastefully fitted up with nineteen arches, on which were inscribed the names of the several presidents; the first arch being surmounted by a living American eagle. At its extremity, the chairman of the committee intro duced to the President a number of veteran officers and soldiers of the revolution, by whom he was thus addressed : 192 A NARRATIVE OF t( Sir It is with pleasure that we, a few of the survivors of the revolution, residing in this part of the country, welcome the arrival of the chief magis trate of the- union. It is with increased satisfaction we recognise in him one of the number engaged with us in the arduous struggle of establishing the inde pendence of the country. " We have lived, sir, to see the fruits of our toils and struggles amply realised in the happiness and prosperity of our country; and, sir, we have the fullest confidence, that under your administration, they will be handed down to our posterity unimpair ed. Like your immortal predecessor, the illustrious Washington, may you be honoured by the present and future generations, and finally receive the rich reward with him in realms above." The President received this address with expres sions of cordiality and esteem, highly cheering and satisfactory to the veteran soldiers, in several of whom, he recognised his former associates in arms, in the revolutionary war. Upon the arrival of the procession at the village, a national salute was fired from Fort Pike, and when the President had ascended the piazza of the hotel, to which he was conducted by captain King, chief marshal of the day, the following ad dress was read to him by the chairman of the com mittee. Sir The committee appointed in behalf of their fellow citizens, would congratulate the President of the United States upon his arrival at this place. It THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 193 is with pleasure unfeigned and unalloyed, that all descriptions of men behold among them for the first time the chief magistrate of the union. " They look upon it as a pledge that their interests will not be forgotten, as the situation of this section of the country will be personally known to him on whom the American people have placed their high est confidence, and bestowed their greatest honours. And that, although situated on the frontiers re mote from the centre of the government, they hope to live in the recollection of him whose happi ness it is to preside over its high and exalted des tinies. " It is gratifying to learn, that the object of your arduous tour is to ascertain whatever will contribute to the interest, improvement, or defence of the coun try. It therefore becomes our duty to express the solicitude of our constituents, as it regards their pe culiar situation. Twice have they been placed on the very verge of ruin, by successive attacks in the late war. Had works of defence been erected in commanding situations, such attempts would proba bly never have been made ; at all events would have been repulsed with greater certainty and with less expense of blood. And it will still be observa ble, that additional fortifications would be requi site to render effectual a resistance against supe rior numbers. Yon fields, which have been dyed with the blood of colonels Backus and Mills, can attest how much works of defence have there been needed. fc 194 A NARRATIVE OF " We trust the period is far distant when hostili ties, if ever, shall again occur; but as this may not be the fact, prudential reasons would seem to indi cate the utility of a great military road, in the most proper direction, for uniting the resources of the country with this chief military and naval depot of the northern frontier. " The extensive public, and the increasing amount of private property, together with a personal anxiety, we trust will he accepted as an apology for specify ing that which doubtless has already occurred to your observation. There are objects of minor im portance, yet interesting to our fellow citizens, which we hope will attract the notice, and not be deemed unworthy the consideration, of the executive of this free and enlightened republic. "We cannot conclude, without expressing our con viction, that he who has for nearly half a century de voted his services to his country, w r ill render this tour as eminently useful as it has been gratifying to the American people. We deem it a happiness to embrace this opportunity of personally expressing our highest regard for your private character and public worth. E. CAMP, " I. BUTTERFIELD, F. WHITE, Committee. * THE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 195 The President, amid a large concourse of citizens, made a reply to the following purport : That he could not express the feelings that were excited by the respect and attention paid him on his entrance into this place. That in pursuing the ob jects of his tour, Sacket s Harbour naturally had claims to his attention. That he had been much gratified in passing through a country prosperous and fertile; containing a population numerous, hap py, and brave. That he saw in the people an attach ment to their government, and did not consider the marks of attention exhibited as rendered to him per sonally, but as honouring the institutions of our country; and that he rejoiced to witness such unani mity of his fellow citizens, viewing it as a presage of their future happiness and glory ; and concluded by observing, that he was apprized of the import ance of this place as a military and naval position \ that it had received considerable attention from gov ernment, and would continue so to do, to the full extent, that its security and consequence required. Commodore Woolsey, the commanding officer of the naval station upon Lake Ontario, then presented the officers of the navy attached to his command, to the chief magistrate, who accompanied them to the naval arsenal, and the 120 gun ship, which was left unfinished at the conclusion of the war. The Pre sident afterwards inspected the extensive range of stone barracks, and reviewed the troops stationed at the Harbour ; and spent the evening at his quar- 196 A NARRATIVE OF ters in the village, which was brilliantly and taste fully illuminated. Sacket s Harbour is, perhaps, the most impor tant military position along the lakes, and immense sums of money had been appropriated, during the war, to provide for the erection there of strong works, and extensive block-houses and barracks. The en tire fleet of Ontario was built at this place, and whilst its equipments were preparing, the presence of an efficient force was constantly required to op pose the menaces of the enemy, who adopted va rious schemes to destroy that necessary, important, and valuable depot. The resistance made in the month of May, 1813, by a small force under gene ral Brown, against the most determined and vigo rous attempt of the united fleet and army, under sir George Prevost and sir James Yeo, was forcibly brought to the recollection of the President, at the moment of his examination of the several batteries. The departure of general Dearborn s army for Fort George, left Sacket s Harbour, at that period, in ra ther a defenceless state, and, in the event of an at tack, the militia of the neighbourhood were chiefly relied on to repulse the assailants. Before these were entirely collected, or the hasty levies com pleted, the enemy appeared in force, and, after seve ral unsuccessful attempts, at length landed at the most accessible point, and marched promptly upon the village. A severe and close engagement, in which many officers of high rank were killed, THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 197 resulted in the overthrow of the British arms, and the expulsion of all the troops which sir George had landed. Such, indeed, was the preci pitation of his flight to his barges, made in conse quence of a stratagem, adopted hy general Brown, to deceive him in his estimate of the American force, that he left the dead and wounded bodies of a num ber of his men, and several of his most distinguished officers, upon the field. After being thus compelled to relinquish the fur ther prosecution of an expedition, having for its pri mary object, the capture and destruction of a post, the permanent possession of which, only, could give to the Americans any hope of a superiority on the lake Ontario ; after having succeeded in his enter prise, in a degree which scarcely deserves to be termed partial; and after being obliged, by the pre dominance of his apprehension, over his bravery and foresight, to retire from the assault, and precipi tately to leave his dead and wounded to the mercy of his enemy ; sir G.Prevost issued an official account to the people of Canada, and forwarded despatches to his government, in each of which he laid claim to a "brilliant and unparalleled victory." He alleged, too, that he had reluctantly ordered his troops to leave a beaten enemy, whom he had driven before him upwards of three hours, because the co-operation of the fleet and army could not be effected. Had the result of the expedition against Sacket s Harbour, been of that character, to warrant this extraordi nary claim of its conductor, its effects would have 198 A NARRATIVE OF been long and deplorably felt by the American gov ernment. Immense quantities of naval and military stores, which had been from time to time collected at that depot; the frames and timbers which had been prepared for the construction of vessels of war; and the rigging and armament which had been for warded there for their final equipment ; as well as all the army clothing, camp equipage, provisions, ammunition, and implements of war, which had been previously captured from the enemy; would have fallen into his hands. The destruction of the bat teries, the large ship then on the stocks, the exten sive cantonments, and the public arsenal, would have- retarded the building of another naval force ; and that which was already on the lake in separate de tachments, could have been intercepted in its attempt to return, and might have been captured in detail. The whole energies of the American government, added to their most vigorous and unwearied efforts, might never again have attained any prospect of an ascendency on the lake. As it proved, however, all these impending evils were averted, and the plans of the commanding officer, and the determined re sistance of the majority of his troops, converted that event into a splendid victory, which would, otherwise, have been an irretrievable disaster. These facts, and their consequent results, were sufficiently apparent to the President; and his per sonal examination of the harbour, tended to facilir tate the application of the means necessary to i^s bet ter protection. The aid of a skilful and distinguish- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 199 ed engineer, major Totten, who had been ordered to join his excellency s suite, at Burlington, in Ver mont, enabled him to ascertain with precision at what particular points the defences should be en larged; a circumstance of which, as he was con vinced of the vast importance of the post, it is more than presumable he availed himself. 900 A NARRATIVE OF CHAPTER X. The President sails through Lake Erie arrives at Detroit Address of the Trustees of that City he arrives at the town of Delaware, Ohio Colum bus and Worthington Reply to an Address there proceeds through CentrevUle to Chillicothe Address of the Corporation the President passes through Tarleton, Lancaster, and other towns, to Zanes- -ville thence to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania pursues his route by Hagerstown and Fredericktown, Ma ryland returns to the City of Washington Ad dress of the Mayor and Citizens. THE United States brig Jones, attended by her consort the Lady of the Lake, was in waiting at the Harbour, and on Wednesday the 6th (August) the President embarked on board that vessel, under a national salute, and sailed thence for Fort Niagara, situated on the lake, at the mouth of Niagara river. Under the orders of major-general Brown, who still accompanied him, he was received at the garrison on Friday, the 8th, with the usual salute, and after inspecting the works there, which he did without loss of time, he proceeded up the Niagara, and ar rived in the evening at the honourable judge For- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 01 ter s, at the Falls, where he lodged that night. The shortness of his stay at the fort, which did not ex ceed an hour, and his extreme desire, as well as the necessity of facilitating his tour, which he observed had already heen long protracted, obliged him to forego the attentions, proffered by the officers of the British garrison of Fort George, situated nearly op posite Fort Niagara. A committee of citizens from the village of Buf- faloe, at the outlet of Lake Erie, repaired to Black Rock, on Saturday, the 9th, received the Presi dent and his suite, at that place, and escorted him through the principal street to Landon s tavern. Here he was addressed by the committee in behalf of the citizens, to whom he returned a short verbal reply. Having dined in company with the principal citizens, at this tavern, he took passage in the after noon, on board the United States schooner Porcu pine, lieut. com. Packet, accompanied by the United States schooner Ghent, lieut. com. Champlin, both under commodore Dexter, for the port of Detroit, upon the river of that name, north of Lake Erie. After three days passage through the lake, his excel lency, and suite, were landed at Spring Wells, at which place he was met by major-general M Comb and the citizens of Detroit, who formed an escort and conducted him to the town. On Thursday the 14th, he inspected the fort, which was surrendered to the British arms, on the 16th of August, 1812, by general Hull, then of the United States army. A grand military review of the troops under general 202 A NARRATIVE OF M Comb, stationed at Detroit, took place on the same day. The President mounted on an Arabian horse, and followed by his suite, by general Cass, governor of the territory of Michigan, and his suite, and by maj. gen. Brown and his suite, passed in re view down the line, which made an unusually brilliant appearance. In the presence of his excellency and all the troops, governor Cass, who had been selected to perform that duty by the legislature of New York, presented general M Comb with a superb sword, which they had voted to him, as a reward for his successful defence of the town of Plattsburg, and which had just been transmitted to Detroit, by go vernor Clinton. Governor Cass accompanied this presentation, with a very handsome and appropriate address. In the evening a splendid ball was given to the President, at Mr. Woodworth s, at which all the principal ladies and gentlemen, and the officers of the several corps, attended. During his stay at Detroit, the trustees of the city, availed themselves of an interval of the President s relaxation from duty, and by their chairman, Mr. Edwards, deli vered him a short address, to which he made the following answer: 66 Fellow Citizens In the tour in which I am engaged, according to its original plan, this section of our inland frontier formed an essential part, and I am happy to have been able, so far to have exe cuted it. This is the utmost western limit to which I propose to extend it. I shall proceed thence along THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 203 the frontier, and through the state of Ohio, without delay, to the seat of the general government. " Aware of your exposed situation, every circum stance material to your defence, in the possible, but I hope remote, contingency, of future wars, has a just claim to, and will receive my attention. For the information which you may be able to give me, on a subject of such high importance, I shall be very thankful. " In all the advantages of your situation, in which you participate so largely ; in those which a kind providence has extended to our happy country; I as your fellow citizen, take a deep interest. Any in conveniences of which you may complain, you must be sensible cannot be of long duration. Your esta blishment was, of necessity, originally colonial, but on a new principle. A parental hand cherishes you in your infancy; your commencement is founded in rights, not of a personal nature only, but of incipient sovereignty, never to be shaken. The national go vernment promotes your growth, and in so doing, from the peculiar felicity of our system, promotes the growth and strength of the nation. At a period, and on conditions just and reasonable, you will become a member of the union, with all the rights of the ori ginal states. In the interim, the legislative body, composed of the representatives of a free people, your brethren, will always be ready to extend a just and proper remedy to any inconvenience to which you may be exposed. " I partake with you, the most heartfelt satisfac- 204 A NARRATIVE OF tion, at the present general prosperity of our coim- try, and concur in sentiment respecting the causes to which it may be justly ascribed. By the termi nation of party divisions, and the union of all our citizens in the support of our republican govern ment and institutions, of which I entertain, as I trust, a well founded hope, I anticipate a long con tinuance of all the blessings which we now enjoy. " For your kind reception, I offer you my grate ful acknowledgments. " JAMES MONROE. " To A. Edwards, esq. Chairman of the Board of Trustees, City of Detroit." With the inspection of the garrison, the harbour, and the public works at Detroit, this tour of obser vation was completed ; the President having visited and examined all the forts and military depots, and reviewed the troops at all the stations from Wash ington to Maine, and thence along the inland fron tier to this post. The fort and stockade upon the island of Michilimackinac being at too great a dis tance (two hundred and forty-nine miles) to allow him sufficient time to repair to that place, and to return thence within the period at which his public duties would imperiously require his presence at the seat of government his journey onward was neces sarily terminated at Detroit. The great objects for which it had been undertaken, however, were suffi ciently accomplished ; and he relied upon the ability of the commanding officer of the north-western dis- i HE PRESIDENT S TOUR, 205 Uict, to report to him the condition of the garrison at that island, and of the measures necessary at any time to he adopted for its increase and enlarge ment. Accordingly, after making a short delay in the Michigan territory, he set out on his return to Washington, accompanied hy governor Cass, and generals Brown and M Comh; and passing through the Indian lands, from the several tribes of which he received great attention, he arrived on the 23d of August, at the town of Delaware, situated on Whet stone river, in the state of Ohio. A committee of arrangement conducted him into the town, where he remained until Monday the 25th. On that day he proceeded to Columbus, the metropolis of Ohio, and was received with great cordiality by the governor of the state. At Worth ington the citizens manifested their pleasure at his appearance among them ; and there, also, (as at Delaware and Columbus) he was pre sented with an address ; in the reply to which, he developed the motives by which he was influenced, in choosing the route through this state, on his way to the capital. He informed them, that he had ex perienced great pleasure and satisfaction in visiting Ohio, in meeting the citizens of Worthington, whom he thanked for their kind expressions and distin guished marks of respect. He said, that they over rated his abilities, and had given him too much praise for his performances. He had indeed acted a part, though but a minor part, with the great and 200 A NAKRATIVB OF distinguished men who led in the glorious conflict which achieved our independence, as also in later events of some national importance. He took not to himself, however, the merit which a generous pub lic had accorded to him, but felt a consciousness of having exerted his best powers in the public service ; and that those exertions would be continued and repeated as the exigencies of the country should re quire. If his devotedness and zeal in the public cause had met the approbation of his fellow citizens, as they had done him the honour to express, he trusted that he should still receive their support and confi dence, and that his future conduct would not disap point their expectations ; that he had a strong desire to ascertain and know by actual view, the situation of the northern border of Ohio ; that through the goodness of divine Providence, he had been enabled to fulfil his purposes thus far; that he came to Ohio with the most favourable impression, respecting its soil, climate, situation and people; he had consider ed the country as being excellent, and the citizens intelligent, brave, and attached to our national in stitutions ; and that he considered this state, which, as such, a few years since, had no existence, as be ing now an important member of the union, yielding a great accession at present, and in prospect more, to the resources, strength and talents of the nation. That as the first and present population had emi grated principally from older states, who with their children now spreading round them are of the same THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 20T habits, manners and interests with them, and being so central and happily situated for intercourse with the various sections of our extensive territory, this state must be viewed with the happiest anticipations as it respects the continuation of the union, and the future destinies of this republic. He closed by re questing the chairman and committee to accept, for themselves and the people of the town and its vici nity, assurances of his best wishes for their happi ness and prosperity. On Tuesday evening, the 26th, he reached the boundary line between the counties of Franklin and Pickaway, and lodged at Holmes s tavern. At eight o clock on the following morning, he was conducted to Circleville, the county town of Pickaway, by a deputation of citizens and a troop of horse, and thence to the boundary of the county of Ross. There he was met by a deputation from the corporation of Chillicothe, and a number of citizens on horseback, who escorted him to the residence of governor \Vor- thington, at Prospect Hill, in whose mansion he lodged. On the 28th, he entered Chillicothe, pre ceded by the same escort, and followed by a train of citizens from the neighbouring counties. At Wat son s hotel, the mayor and corporation presented him the address which follows, and received an ap propriate but verbal reply. " To the President of the United States. " Sir The citizens of Chillicothe have directed me to present you their most cordial welcome. 208 A NARRATIVE OF " The progress of the arts and sciences has not reached the height in our state which they possess in some of our sister states ; but our love of country, and devotedness to her welfare, is not surpassed by any. The plain reception of our chief magistrate is conso nant, we hope, with his republican principles. We are convinced that nothing can add more to the strong cement of the union, than the presence and the re cognition of its moving power. The interchange of citizens, and the exchange of civilities and attach ments between the parts, and the whole connected in the person of the President, form a barrier to civil feuds, and a strong hold in times of adversity and foreign aggression. " In this country, which when a wilderness at tracted your early and persevering attention, you may now trace the footpath of industry and the high way of enterprise ; and in your passage through it, the expressions of public opinion are the guarantees of its ready compliance with any duties that may be required. * \Ve can only reiterate the hope and confidence which we possess, that the splendid commencement of your presidential career will be exceeded only by the mild and beneficial influence it will produce on our political relations after your retirement. Accept our wishes, that when you have com pleted your course, the evening of your life may be as serene and happy, as its morning was eventful. LEVIN BELT, " (Mayor of Chillicothe,)/0r the Corporation ami Citizens." \ THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 209 When the ceremony of congratulating the Presi- dent was over, he sat down, in company with gover nor Cass, generals Brown and M Comb, and about one hundred gentlemen, to a dinner, at which go vernor Worthington presided. In the course of the afternoon, he took a survey of the town, and lodged that night at the hotel. From Chillicothe, he pro ceeded, on the morning of Thursday, the 29th, to wards Lancaster, the seat of justice in Fairfield county. He was attended as far as Tarleton by the committee of arrangement, the escort, the governor, and the mayor and council. The citizens of Zanesville, and Putnam, situated opposite each other, on the east and west sides of Muskingum river, were already apprised of the con templated entrance of the President into these towns, in the evening of Saturday, the 31st inst. and had appointed a committee to make suitable arrange ments for his reception. By this committee, the members of which were introduced to him by gover nor Cass, and about fifty gentlemen on horseback, he was met at twelve miles distance, and thence es corted to Putnam, where he was received with eigh teen guns. Zanesville and Putnam are connected with each other by two bridges, over the lower one of which the President crossed, and was con ducted through crowds of citizens to Dugan s hotel. Mr. Chambers, of the committee, presented him the congratulations of the citizens, after which the com pany were entertained with a sumptuous banquet. On Sunday his excellency breakfasted with Dr. s 2 210 A NARRATIVE OF Horace Read, attended public worship at the New Presbyterian Meeting-house, at which the Reverend Mr. Culbertson officiated, and in the afternoon he dined with general Vanhorn, and closed the day at Dr. Hamm s. W. Silliman, esq. was honoured with his company to breakfast, on the morning of Monday, the 1st of September, and the Presi dent departed from Zanesville, and resuming his journey, proceeded through other small towns in that state, and reached the shore opposite Pittsburg, (Penn.) on Friday morning, the 5th inst. A few miles from the ferry, he was met by a committee of arrangement, appointed for that purpose by the cor poration and the citizens, and was conducted on board an elegant barge, appropriately decorated, and rowed by four sea captains. His appearance on the opposite height, was announced to the inhabi tants by an immediate discharge of nineteen guns. Upon landing at the foot of Market street, he was received with the customary honours by captain Ir- win s volunteer light infantry company, the City Guards. A coach with four horses had been pro vided to conduct him to his quarters, but as the civil authorities as well as the citizens, who intended forming a procession, were on foot, the President declined this attention, and preferred walking also. He was then conducted through Market street, Fourth street, Wood street, and First street, to the house of William Wilkins, esq. who politely offered the use of it to the councils, for the President s ac- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 2H conimodation. The procession moved in the follow ing order. City Guards. The officers of the Pennsylvania militia, in uniform. The deputy-marshal of the district of Pennsylvania, and the high sheriff and coroner, with their staves. The mayor and recorder of the city. The committe of arrangement. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. The suite of the President, and officers of the United States army. Generals Brown and M Comb. The members of the select council, preceded by their clerk, The members of the common council, preceded by their clerk. Officers of the revolution. The clergy. The representative in Congress. The principal and professors in the Academy. Judges of the court and gentlemen of the bar. Aldermen of the city. The high constable and peace officers of the city, with then staves. A cavalcade of citizens, The President having entered the house of Mr. \Vilkins, received the congratulations and respects of the citizens, the officers of the guard, and others. On the following morning, Saturday, the munici pality of the city waited upon him, and James Ross, 12 A NARRATIVE OF esquire, president of the committee of arrangement, delivered Mm the following address : " To James Monroe, President of the United States. (( Mr. President The select and common coun cils, the mayor, aldermen and citizens of Pittsburg, have instructed me to offer you their congratulations and most cordial welcome on your arrival in this city. " We rejoice at seeing a President of the United States for the first time upon the western waters; and the interest we feel in this visit is greatly en hanced by the lively recollection that we see in his person, the early, uniform, active friend of the wes tern country, who was finally successful in securing to us the invaluable right of free communication with the ocean through the Mississippi; an attain ment second in magnitude only to national indepen dence itself, and inseparably connected with it. " We anticipate the happiest results from your personal examination of the frontier, as well as of the interior of this portion of the union ; your con fidence in the resources of the great republic over which you preside, will be strengthened by observ ing our unexampled increase of population, our ha bitual industry, our progress in agriculture, manu factures and the useful arts, and the immense region of fertility which yet remains a public stock. * While the people witness your paternal atten tion to their local advantages and wants, as well as to their external safety, and see the public good THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 213 anxiously sought out and cherished in the west, as well as the east, without distinction of persons or places, we are perfectly assured, that their affec tions as well as their duty, will every where unite them in support of the measures you may find most conducive to the public interest during your admi nistration. " \Ve ardently wish you the continuance of long life and health to pursue the course you have so auspiciously begun, and that at the end of your ca reer you may receive and enjoy the richest reward of a patriot s toils, NATIONAL GRATITUDE for having augmented NATIONAL HAPPINESS. With great pleasure I avail myself of this occa sion to renew to you the assurances of my own very high consideration and respect. * REPLY. *"* To James Ross, esq. Chairman of the Committee deputed by the City of Pittsburg. " Sir Returning from a tour of a large portion of our Atlantic and inland frontiers, which I under took from a sense of duty, I am happy to pass through this town, and have been much gratified by the friendly reception which has been given me by the select and common councils, and by the may or, aldermen and citizens of Pittsburg. " Knowing no difference between the just claims of one portion of our country and another, I consi- 214 A NARRATIVE OF der it my duty to attend equally to the rights and interests of the whole. It is on this principle that I undertook this tour, and that I shall extend it hereafter, should I be blessed with health, to other parts of our union. " Having from very early life, in every station I have held, used my best efforts to obtain for my fellow citizens, the free navigation of the Mississippi, no one could be more gratified than I was at its final accomplishment. The favourable opinion which you kindly express of my services, in support of that great right, is peculiarly gratifying to me ; I owe it, however, to candour to state, that I have no other merit than that of an honest zeal exerted in its support, in obedience to the instructions of the government under which I acted, and in harmony with my venerable associate in the treaty which secured it. " I have seen with great interest in this tour, the most satisfactory proofs of the rapid growth of this portion of our union, of the industry of its inhabi tants, and of their progress in agriculture, manufac tures, and the useful arts. I have derived great sa tisfaction also, from the opportunity it has afforded me, of forming a more just estimate, than I could otherwise have obtained, of the vast amount, great fertility, and value of public lands, yet to be dis posed of. " Devoted to the principles of our free republican constitution; incapable of discriminating between the rights and interests of the eastern and western THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 15 sections of our union ; and having no friendships to serve, or resentments to gratify, at the expense of the public welfare, I shall steadily pursue these ob jects, by such a course of impartial and upright po licy, as shall appear, according to my best judg ment, most likely to secure them. Acting on these principles, I shall always calculate with confidence, on the support of my fellow citizens, in such manner as may be found conducive to the public welfare. " Permit me, sir, to offer through you to the se lect and common councils, the mayor, aldermen and citizens of Pittsburg, my best wishes for their welfare, and to request you to be assured of my great consideration and respect for you personally. "JAMES MONROE. " In the course of the same day the President went through an inspection of the United States arsenal, in the vicinity of the town, attended by a train of mili tary officers. The various departments of that esta blishment, its internal economy, and the condition of the arms and accoutrements, received his attentive and strict investigation. On Sunday he employed himself in religious du ties ; attending the Episcopal church in the forenoon, and the Presbyterian meeting-house in the evening. In the intermediate period, between the services, he made some private visits, and gave audience to seve ral citizens of respectability at his apartments. The city of Pittsburg is, perhaps, one of the most flourishing inland towns in the union. It is very 21(5 A NARRATIVE OF pleasantly situated, on a point of land, at the con fluence of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers, and contains a number of extensive manufacturing establishments, of the first importance. It has a rolling and slitting mill ; a grist mill ; a paper mill, and cotton, woollen, and wire manufactories; all conducted by steam. There are also live glass houses, a cannon foundery, an air furnace, and three lead manufactories. To visit, and examine these several establishments, the President remained in Pittsburg during Monday the 8th, and on Tuesday the 9th, he separated from majors-general Brown and M Comb, who returned to their respective com mands, and continued his route towards Maryland. On no former occasion had this town exhibited a spectacle so lively and interesting, as that which took place on the arrival of the President. The shore of the Monongahela was lined with an im mense concourse, consisting of the population of the city, and a number of strangers, and visitors from the surrounding country. The chief magistrate of a great and prosperous nation, was greeted in the streets of a city, the ground of which had been the scene of savage broils, at the commencement of his public career. From the 8th, until the 15th, the President was facilitating his progress towards the capital, through Brownsville, Greensburg, across the Alleghany mountains, and through a number of towns and hamlets in the south-western portion of Pennsyl vania. THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 217 It should have been previously observed, that at the President s second entrance into this state, dur ing his tour, he made some delay at Canonsbuig, a town lying a short distance west of Pittsbiirg, and containing a flourishing university, denominated Jefferson College. The principal of this institution having introduced the pupils to the chief magistrate on that occasion, tendered an address in the name of the corporation and the college, and received a hand" some and appropriate answer from his excellency. These documents possess so many interesting fea tures, that notwithstanding they do not occupy the place which had been originally assigned for them, yet it would be improper to neglect the opportunity of now presenting them to the public. To the President of the United States. <( Sir The faculty of Jefferson College, together with the citizens of this borough, rejoice in the op portunity of presenting their respectful salutations to the chief magistrate of the nation. We, with our fellow citizens in other sections of the union, view your tour through the different states, as a favour able indication of your devoted attachment to the real interests of the people over whom you preside. Under your auspices, we anticipate the rising splen dour of our literary institutions; and of all those es tablishments which contribute to the independence, wealth, and general prosperity of our country. " We therefore hail you, sir, upon your arrival T 218 A NARRATIVE OF at the original seat of literature in the west, with sentiments of the greatest cordiality and respect. This was the consecrated spot which first gave birth to science in this western region. This institution, as a college, was founded in honour of your illus trious predecessor, Mr. Jefferson, in 1802, and has since been the principal nursery of literature in the western country. " Besides the common elementary course of lite rature, it has been the constant aim in this institu tion to inspire the minds of youth with those prin ciples of piety and virtue, with those ennobling sen timents, and that sincere love of truth and duty, which are the greatest ornaments of human charac ter, and which are best calculated to form the man and the citizen. " It has been the object of this seminary, accord ing to the most enlightened views of human nature, and the interests of society, that we could obtain, to preserve in close alliance, the interests of religion and learning, of piety and virtue, as essential to the energy and effect of our political institutions, and as greatly subservient to public order, harmony, and liberty. We have ever viewed sound morality and intelligence as the great supports of free government, and the principal guarantee of our rights and privi leges, both civil and religious. " In this representation of our views of the gene ral object of public education, and the influence of sound morality and science in supporting our repub lican institutions, we are persuaded, sir, they accord THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 219 with your own sentiments, and refer to objects which you judge worthy of high consideration. " We present to your view, sir, that portion of the youth >f our country, which now attend this in stitution ; and we are happy that we can bear testi mony of their regard to the interesting objects of literary pursuit, and to those attainments on which their future usefulness depends. We, indeed, ex hibit an emblem of the simplicity of republican man ners, which to a man of your discernment and intel ligence, cannot operate as a disparagement, provided we endeavour to cherish those generous affections, and aim at those solid acquirements, which shall bind us to our country, and render us instrumental in promoting its interests, and strengthening and protecting its precious institutions. " Permit us, with our fellow citizens, to congratu late you, sir, upon the auspicious circumstances which attend the commencement of your adminis tration; circumstances which cannot fail to unite you and the people together, and impress the public mind with the belief of your devoted attachment to the best interests of our common country. Accept our earnest wishes and prayers for its prosperous course and happy issue ; and indulge us with ex pressing the desire, that when you are engaged in the appropriate functions of your high station, you may enjoy the favour and blessing of heaven, and that it may be our privilege, by fidelity and perse verance in our respective spheres, under the smiles of the same beneficent Providence, to co-operate in 220 A NARRATIVE OP the work of patriotism, by diffusing the light of knowledge, and the saving influence of religion and morals. * CRAIG RITCHIE, " WM. M<MlLLAN, " WM. GIBSON, " SAMUEL MILLER, " JAMES P. MILLER. " Canonsburg 1 , Sept. 5, 1817." To this the President replied, in substance, and as nearly as can be remembered, in language, as fol lows : " I thank you, sir, and this committee, for the respect and friendship with which I have been re ceived on my arrival here. It is with sincere grati fication that I receive your address. Be assured, sir, that I am deeply affected with it. " When I first meditated this tour, which was some time before I left the seat of government, I thought it would be practicable, and it was my de sire, to perform it nearly in the character of a pri vate citizen. But, finding my fellow citizens wished otherwise, and every where met me with expressions of respect and attachment, I yielded to their wishes, and have met them with the same feelings. In these expressions of public regard, which my humble ser vices coidd not inspire, I see the fixed attachment of the people to the principles of our free govern ment. " I am happy in meeting with this faculty and THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 221 these young men. The views of the nature and ob ject of public education contained in your address, agree with my own. During my tour through an extensive continent,, I have met with many similar institutions, all entertaining nearly the same senti ments respecting the instruction of youth. And I ask you, sir, in what more noble principles could they he instructed, than those of virtue and our holy religion ? These are the most solid basis on which our free government can rest, and that they should be instilled into the rising youth of our country, to whom its destinies are soon to be consigned, is of high importance. The aged pass away in rapid suc cession, and give place to the younger. Those who are now the hope of their country will soon become its pride. Educated in these principles, we can with confidence repose our free government and the interests of our beloved country in their care, assured that they will preserve, protect, and cherish them, and will fill the place of those who have gone before them, with equal honour and advantage. I was led into this subject, on which I have dwelt, be cause it is pleasing to me, by the observations con tained in your address. " With respect to the objects of my tour, you do me justice. You all know how necessary it is, that a person in my station should be acquainted with the circumstances and situation of the country over which he presides. To acquire this knowledge, I have visited our marine coasts and inland frontiers, parts most exposed to invasion. Having accomplish- T 2 A NARRATIVE OF cd the objects of my tour, to the full extent 1 at first contemplated, to me, sir, it is peculiarly gratifying, now on my return to the seat of government, to he hailed with the sentiments of approbation contained in your address. " To me it is a source of high satisfaction, that in all the places which I have visited in this tour, I have found the people so generally united, and so strongly attached to the principles of our excellent constitution. In the union of the people, our govern ment is sufficiently strong, and on this union I con fidently rely. Our government has proved its strength. We have terminated, with honour, a war carried on against a powerful nation, and that na tion peculiarly favoured by fortunate circumstances. Our army gained glory, our navy acquired equal renown, and all classes of citizens, as opportunity offered, and where the pressure was greatest, acquit ted themselves with honour. " This nation is now respectable for numbers, and more respectable as an enlightened people. That its future happiness and glory may answer to its pre sent prosperity, is my sincere desire. " Be assured, sir, that I shall always take a deep interest in the prosperity of this institution. It is known at a distance among scientific men. You have chosen for it a name not unknown abroad to science, and which to me is peculiarly interesting. I avail myself of this opportunity of bearing my testimony to the talents, learning, and great public services of THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 033 that venerable statesman and philosopher, whose name you have prefixed to your institution. " Accept, gentlemen, my grateful acknowledg ments for the kindness with which I have been re ceived, and my sincere wishes for your individual happiness and prosperity. " JAMES MONROE. * On the 15th (September), when his excellency had travelled within a few hours journey of Hagerstown. in Maryland, colonel Williams despatched an ex press to the inhabitants, acquainting them with his approach. This information was disseminated amongst the citizens with rapidity, and a cavalcade, preceded by the committee of arrangement, was in a short time advancing on the road to meet him ; the pro cession reached the suburbs, on its return with the President, under a federal discharge, and he passed on to his quarters amid repeated cheers from the people. After a stay of about two hours, during which he received the visits of many respectable citizens, he again ascended his carriage, and pur sued the direction to Fountain Rock, the scat of ge neral Ringold. He passed the night at the mansion of that gentleman. In the course of the following day he left Foun tain Rock, and proceeding through Fredericktown, was there greeted with the same unabated cordiali ty, and on the afternoon of the 17th of September, lie entered the district of Columbia. 224 A NARRATIVE OF The citizens of the district being apprised of the President s intention to enter the capital on that day, made immediate preparations to welcome his return to his home in a manner which should mani fest the attachment of his immediate friends arid neighbours. About four o clock in the afternoon, he was received, a few miles above Georgetown, by the mayor and a deputation of the citizens. On ar riving at the line of the district, a numerous caval cade of citizens, on horseback and in carriages, formed a procession and attended him to George town; at the boundary of which he was honoured with a national salute, from a detachment of the Georgetown artillery. Captain Thornton s fine troop of cavalry, from Alexandria, arrived at that moment, and took its place at the head of the es cort, and a volunteer band of music, at the same time, joined the procession. The cavalcade then passed through High street and Bridge street, at the intersection of which the national banners were displayed, and, crossing Rock Creek, at the ford near Williams and Carroll s mill, defiled thence in to Pennsylvania Avenue, in the city of Washing ton, and proceeded to the President s house, near which he was received by the United States ma rine corps, under major Miller, with the honours due to his station. Having reached his residence, the President alight ed, amid a number of his most distinguished fellow citizens, who awaited his arrival, and in whose be- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. 225 half general J. P. Van Ness delivered to him a ver bal congratulation, in which he spoke of the attach ment of the citizens of the district to the chief ma gistrate, and referred to the various services ren dered to his country by that officer. The President replied to this address ; and advert ing to the objects and circumstances of his tour, declared the strong sense he felt of the manner in which he had been received by his fellow country men ; spoke of the general prosperity every where manifest, which had combined with the necessary labours of his tour the most pleasing enjoyments \ and expressed his satisfaction at the many evidences given him, during his progress, of national feeling, and attachment to the true principles of the consti tution. The President concluded his brief, but im pressive address, by repeating his sense of the warm reception given him on his return, his ardent wish es for the prosperity of the district, and his sincere satisfaction at the rapidity of the recovery of this city from the misfortunes it had not long since ex perienced. During the whole course of these movements, sa lutes were fired from all the public works in and about the capital; and the scene was altogether cheering, novel, and interesting. The President had no sooner entered his dwelling, than the caval cade dispersed, and the citizens returned to their homes; leaving him to the enjoyment of that repose which his long and fatiguing tour rendered abso lutely necessary. 226 A NARRATIVE OF At twelve o clock, on Thursday the 18th, agree ably to previous arrangements, Benjamin G. Orr, esq. mayor of the city of Washington, and the mem bers of the boards of aldermen and common council waited on Mr. Monroe, and addressed him upon his safe return to the seat of government. 66 Mr. President Your fellow citizens and neigh bours cannot receive you amongst them, after the interesting and useful tour you have taken, without using the occasion to demonstrate their high respect and attachment. " The people, sir, in their undivided and unre strained honours to their chief magistrate, have not only done justice to merit, but have done more: they have strengthened their government by spontaneous manifestations of their happiness and unanimity; they have developed the highly interesting fact, that that system is best which interferes least with the rights inherent in every rational creature, and which secures the blessings of civilization by the moral sense of the nation, more than by the coercive arm of the civil and military power. " In the tour which you have just finished, we have sympathised with you in your fatigues, and exulted with you in the extraordinary demonstrations of the nation s love, which, though sometimes oppressive, are always grateful. Despotic rulers obtain the adulation of slaves, whom, by their vices, they have made miserable; but you, the choice of a free and enlightened people, receive assurances of approba- THE PRESIDENT S TOUR. %$* tion and esteem from those you largely participate in rendering happy. " The pleasure which your return affords us, is augmented by the consideration that we have now the opportunity of addressing you in the dwelling which the nation has once more prepared for the re ception and accommodation of the chief magistrate of the United States. In these sentiments the mayor, board of aldermen and board of common council, cordially unite with the citizens of Wasliington, in tendering you the welcome of friendship in the lan guage of candour, and in the fulness of affection and confidence." The President answered : " I cannot express in sufficiently strong terms, the gratification which I feel in returning to the seat of government, after the long and very interesting tour in which I have been engaged : and I beg you to be assured, that nothing can contribute more to dissi pate the fatigues to which I have been exposed, than the very cordial reception which has been given me by my fellow citizens and neighbours, of the city and district. 66 1 shall always look back to the important inci dents of my late tour, with peculiar satisfaction. I flatter myself, that I have derived from it, informa tion which will be very useful in the discharge of the duties of the high trust confided to me; and in other respects, it has afforded me the highest gratification. 22S A NARRATIVE OF In all that portion of our country through which I have passed, I have seen, with delight, proofs the most conclusive, of the devotion of our fellow citi zens to the principles of our free republican govern ment, and to our happy union. The spontaneous and independent manner in which these sentiments were declared, by the great body of the people, with other marked circumstances attending them, satis fied me, that they came from the heart. United firm ly in the support of these great, these vital interests, we may fairly presume, that all difficulty on minor questions, will disappear. In returning to the city of Washington, I rejoice to find the public building intended for the accommodation of the chief magis trate, in a state to admit within it this friendly in terview with you. "JAMES MONROE." After an absence of three months and sixteen days, in which time he made a circuit of nearly three thousand miles, the President returned to the seat of his official duties, with an increased know ledge of the state of the country, of the character, the interest, and the sentiments of his constituents, and of what measures should be suggested to the councils of the nation to promote their happiness in a still more eminent degree, and to render their invaluable privileges |TJNI7BRSIT7| APPENDIX. A VISIT to Fort Washington, in the vicinity of the metropolis, had been contemplated by the Pre sident, subsequently to his return from the north western frontier. The accumulation of official busi ness during his absence, however, delayed the exe cution of this design, until the 29th of November. On that day he crossed over from the capital to Alexandria, and the inhabitants of that place, being apprised of the circumstance, had a military detach ment in waiting to attend him on his entrance. Cap tain Thornton s troop of cavalry, under the tempo rary command of lieutenant Simms, and the staff officers of the Alexandria brigade of militia per formed that duty. At the moment of his passing the Washington bridge, captain Griffith s company of artillery commenced a salute, which was conti nued until he reached his quarters at the City Hotel. The mayor and corporation were there in attend ance, to tender their respects to the chief magis trate, in the address which follows. To the President of the United States. Sir The further prosecution of the important object of your late tour has brought you to our town. h APPENDIX. It is with pleasure that the mayor and common council of Alexandria, in behalf of themselves and their fellow citizens, offer to you their cordial and respectful salutations upon your arrival among us. fn you, sir, we behold not only the chief of the na tion, but the executive magistrate of this district. Confiding in the purity of your intentions, and be lieving that the powers vested in you by the consti tution, will he used with a due regard to the welfare of the people, whose dearest interests are entrusted to your paternal care, we avail ourselves of this oc casion to express our sincere hope, that the auspi cious circumstances which attended the commence ment of your administration, may, with the blessings of our heavenly Father, under your direction, unite to promote the solid and permanent good of our be loved country. We feel every assurance that the peculiar interest and welfare of the district of Co lumbia will receive your attentive consideration, and that such measures will be recommended by you to congress, as are, in your opinion, best calculated to promote the prosperity of the district. With these sentiments we unite in our ardent wishes for your present and future happiness, and that it may please the supreme Governor of the world so to guide you, that the course of your administration may entitle you to the gratitude and affection of your fellow ci tizens, and the respect of future generations." To which the President was pleased to make the following verbal reply : That he received with pleasure the kind attention APPENDIX. ill of tlie town of Alexandria ; that from the circum stance of having known the town from his early youth, and entertaining a friendship for many of its inhabitants, the marks of kindness he now received could not fail to be agreeable to him : that the gene ral interest and defence of the nation had been the object of his late tour ; and, in the further prosecu tion of that object, his present visit was here, and to the neighbouring fort, on wiiich the safety of the town seemed materially to depend ; that he consider ed the prosperity of the district, from having been made the seat of the general government, as becom ing a subject of national concern, and that he felt every disposition to promote its interests, as far as he was enabled by the important situation to which his country had done him the honour to call him. Generals Swift and Porter, and several other dis tinguished officers, then conducted the President to a handsome barge, in which the company were con veyed to the fort. After a strict examination of the state of the garrison and w r orks, and after having consulted with the military commanders on the modes of improvement which it might be proper to adopt, in regard to that station, at a future time, the President returned to Washington. The following description of the ceremony of Pre sident Monroe s inauguration, the speech which he iv APPENDIX. pronounced on that occasion, and his first message transmitted to the two branches of the national legis lature, are deemed to he papers so interesting in themselves, as developing the principles and the pro bable course of the new administration, and to be. in some measure, connected with the narrative of his tour, that they are inserted at length in this appendix. THE INAUGURATION. Under the auspices of a delightful day, on the 4th uf March, 1817, took place the interesting ceremony, attendant on the entrance of the president elect of 1he United States, upon his official duties. The cere mony and the spectacle were simple but animating and impressive. At half after eleven o clock, the President and Vice-president elect, left the private residence of Mr. Monroe, and, attended by a large ravalcade of citizens, marshalled by the gentlemen appointed for that duty, reached the congress hall a little before twelve. Having entered the senate chamber, the vice-president took the chair, when the oath of office was administered to him, and he de livered an appropriate address to the members. This ceremony having ended, the Senate adjourn ed, and the President and Vice-president, the judges of the Supreme Court, the Senate generally, the marshals, &c. attended the President to the elevated portico temporarily erected for the occasion, where. APPENDIX. v in the presence of an immense concourse of officers of the government, foreign officers, strangers, (la dies as well as gentlemen) and citizens, the Presi dent rose and delivered the following SPEECH. " I should he destitute of feeling, if I was not deeply affected by the strong proof which my fellow citizens have given me of their confidence, in call ing me to the high office, whose functions I am about to assume. As the expression of their good opinion of my conduct in the public service, I derive from it a gratification, which those who are conscious of having done all that they could to merit it, can alone feel. My sensibility is increased by a just estimate of the importance of the trust, and of the nature and extent of its duties ; with the proper discharge of which, the highest interests of a great and free people are intimately connected. Conscious of my own de ficiency, I cannot enter on these duties without great anxiety for the result. From a just responsibility I will never shrink ; calculating with confidence, that in my best efforts to promote the public welfare, my motives will always be duly appreciated, and my conduct be viewed with that candour and indulgence which I have experienced in other stations. " In commencing the duties of the chief executive office, it has been the practice of the distinguished men who have gone before me, to explain the prin ciples which would govern them in their respective vi APPENDIX. administrations. In following their venerated ex- ample, my attention is naturally drawn to the great causes which have contributed, in a principal de gree, to produce the present happy condition of the United States. They will hest explain the nature of our duties, and shed much light on the policy which ought to be pursued in future. " From the commencement of our revolution to the present day, almost forty years have elapsed, and from the establishment of this constitution, twen ty-eight. Through this whole term, the government has been, what may emphatically be called self-gov ernment; and what has been the effect? To what ever object we turn our attention, whether it relates to our foreign or domestic concerns, we find abun dant cause to felicitate ourselves in the excellence of our institutions. During a period fraught with diffi culties, and marked by very extraordinary events, the United States have flourished beyond example. Their citizens individually have been happy, and the nation prosperous. " Under this constitution, our commerce has been wisely regulated with foreign nations, and between the states; new states have been admitted into our union ; our territory has been enlarged, by fair and honourable treaty, and with great advantage to the original states ; the states, respectively, protected by the national government, under a mild parental sys tem, against foreign dangers, and enjoying within their separate spheres, by a wise partition of power, a just proportion of the sovereignty, have improved APPENDIX:. vii their police, extended their settlements, and attained a strength and maturity, which are the best proofs of wholesome laws, well administered. And if we look to the condition of individuals, what a proud spectacle does it exhibit! On whom has oppression fallen in any quarter of our union ? Who has been deprived of any right of person or property ? Who restrained from offering his vows, in the mode which he prefers, to the divine Author of his being? It is well known, that all these blessings have been en joyed in their fullest extent; and I add, with peculiar satisfaction, that there has been no example of a capital punishment being inflicted on any one for the crime of high treason. " Some, who might admit the competency of our government to these beneficent duties, might doubt it in trials which put to the test its strength and effi ciency, as a member of the great community of na tions. Here, too, experience has afforded us the most satisfactory proof in its favour. Just as this constitution was put into action, several of the prin cipal states of Europe had become much agitated, and some of them seriously convulsed. Destructive wars ensued, which have, of late only, been termi nated. In the course of these conflicts, the United States received great injury from several of the par ties. It was their interest to stand aloof from the contest; to demand justice from the party commit ting the injury; and to cultivate by a fair and ho nourable conduct, the friendship of all. War be came, at length, inevitable, and the result has sh6wn viii APPENDIX. that our government is equal to that, the greatest of trials, under the most unfavourable circumstances. Of the virtue of the people, and of the heroic ex ploits of the army, the navy, and the militia, I need not speak. " Such, then, is the happy government under which we live ; a government adequate to every pur pose for which the social compact is formed ; a go vernment elective in all its branches, under which every citizen may, by his merit, obtain the highest trust recognised by the constitution ; which contains within it no cause of discord ; none to put at va riance one portion of the community with another ; a government which protects every citizen in the full enjoyment of his rights, and is able to protect the nation against injustice from foreign powers. " OtKer considerations of the highest importance admonish us to cherish our union, and to cling to the government which supports it. Fortunate as we are, in our political institutions, we have not been less so in other circumstances, on which our prospe rity and happiness essentially depend. Situated within the temperate zone, and extending through many degrees of latitude along the Atlantic, the United States enjoy all the varieties of climate, and every production incident to that portion of the globe. Penetrating, internally, to the great lakes, and beyond the sources of the great rivers which communicate through our whole interior, no coun^ try was ever happier with respect to its domain. Blessed too with a fertile soil, our produce has al- APPENDIX. lx ways been very abundant, leaving, even in years the least favourable, a surplus for the wants of our fellow men, in other countries. Such is our peculiar felicity, that there is not a part of our union that is not particularly interested in preserving it. The great agricultural interest of the nation prospers under its protection. Local interests are not less fostered by it. Our fellow citizens of the north, engaged in navigation, find great encouragement in being made the favoured carriers of the vast produc tions of the other portions of the United States, while the inhabitants of these are amply recom pensed, in their turn, by the nursery for seamen and naval force, thus formed and reared up for the sup port of our common rights. Our manufactures find a generous encouragement by the policy which pa tronizes domestic industry, and the surplus of out produce, a steady and profitable market by local wants, in less favoured parts, at home. 66 Such, then, being the highly favoured condition of our country, it is the interest of every citizen to maintain it. What are the dangers which menace us ? If any exist, they ought to be ascertained and guarded against. " In explaining my sentiments on this subject, it may be asked, what raised us to the present happy state? How did we accomplish tbe revolution? How remedy the defects of the first instrument our union, by infusing into the national government sufficient power for national purposes, without impairing the just rights of the states, or affecting those of indivK X APPENDIX. duals? How sustain, and pass with glory through the late war ? The government has been in the hands of the people. To the people, therefore, and to the faithful and able depositories of their trust, is the credit due. Had the people of the United States been educated in different principles $ had they been less intelligent, less independent, or less virtuous, can it be believed, that we should have maintained the same steady and consistent career, or been bless ed with the same success? While, then, the consti tuent body retains its present sound and healthful state, every thing will be safe. They will choose competent and faithful representatives for every de partment. It is only when the people become igno rant and corrupt ; when they degenerate into a po pulace, that they are incapable of exercising the sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attain ment, and an usurper soon found. The people them selves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin. Let us then look to the great cause, and endeavour to preserve it in full force. Let us, by all wise and constitutional measures, pro mote intelligence among the people, as the best means of preserving our liberties. " Dangers from abroad are not less deserving of attention. Experiencing the fortune of other na tions, the United States may be again involved in war, and it may, in that event, be the object of the adverse party to overset our government, to break our union, and demolish us as a nation. Our dis tance from Europe, and the just, moderate, and pa^ APPENDIX. x^ cific policy of eur government, may form some se curity against these dangers, but they ought to be anticipated and guarded against. Many of our ci tizens are engaged in commerce and navigation, and all of them are in a certain degree dependent on their prosperous state. Many are engaged in the fisheries. These interests are exposed to invasion in the wars between other powers, and we should disregard the faithful admonition of experience, if we did not expect it. We must support our rights, or lose our character, and with it perhaps our liber ties. A people who fail to do it, can scarcely be said to hold a place among independent nations. National honour is national property of the highest value. The sentiment in the mind of every citizen, is national strength. It ought therefore to be che rished. " To secure us against these dangers, our coast and inland frontiers should be fortified, our army and navy regulated upon just principles as to the force of each, be kept in perfect order, and our mi litia be placed on the best practicable footing. To put our extensive coast in such a state of defence, as to secure our cities and interior from invasion, will be attended with expense, but the work when finished will be permanent, and it is fair to presume that a single campaign of invasion, by a naval force superior to our own, aided by a lew thousand land troops, would expose us to greater expense, without taking into the estimate the loss of property, and distress of our citizens, than would be sufficient for xii APPENDIX. this great work. Our land and naval forces should be moderate, but adequate to the necessary pur poses. The former to garrison and preserve our fortifications, and to meet the first invasions of a foreign foe ; and while constituting the elements of a greater force, to preserve the science, as well as all the necessary implements of war, in a state to be brought into activity in the event of war. The latter, retained within the limits proper in a state of peace, might aid in maintaining the neutrality of the United States with dignity, in the wars of other powers, and in saving the property of their citizens from spoliation. In time of war, with the enlarge ment of which the great naval resources of the coun try render it susceptible, and which should be duly fostered in time of peace, it would contribute essen tially, both as an auxiliary of defence, and as a pow erful engine of annoyance, to diminish the calami ties of war, and to bring the war to a speedy and honourable termination. But it ought always to be held prominently in view, that the safety of these states, and of every thing dear to a free people, must depend in an emi nent degree on the militia. Invasions may be made too formidable to be resisted by any land and naval force, which it would comport, either with the prin ciples of our government, or the circumstances of the United States, to maintain. In such cases, re course must be had to the great body of the people, and in a manner to produce the best effect. It is of flie. highest importance, therefore, that they be so APPENDIX. x iii organized and trained as to be prepared for any emergency. The arrangement should be such, as to put at the command of the government, the ar dent patriotism and youthful vigour of the country. If formed on equal and just principles, it cannot be oppressive. It is the crisis which makes the pres sure, and not the laws which provide a remedy for it. This arrangement should be formed too in time of peace, to be better prepared for war. With such an organization, of such a people, the United States have nothing to dread from foreign invasion. At its approach, an overwhelming force of gallant men might always be put in motion. " Other interests, of high importance, will claim attention, among which the improvement of our country by roads and canals, proceeding always with a constitutional sanction, holds a distinguished place. By thus facilitating the intercourse between the states, we shall add much to the convenience and comfort of our fellow citizens ; much to the or nament of the country; and, what is of greater im portance, we shall shorten distances, and by making each part more accessible to and dependent on the other, we shall bind the union more closely together. Nature has done so much for us, by intersecting the country with so many great rivers, bays and lakes, approaching from distant points so near to each other, that the inducement to complete the work seems to be peculiarly strong. A more interesting spectacle was perhaps never seen than is exhibited within the limits of the United States $ a territory 6 xiv APPENDIX so vast, and advantageously situated, containing ob jects so grand, so useful, so happily connected in all their parts. " Our manufactures will likewise require the sys tematic and fostering care of the government. Pos sessing, as we do, all the raw materials, the fruit of our own soil and industry, we ought not to depend, in the degree we have done, on supplies from other countries. While we are thus dependent, the sud den event of war, unsought and unexpected, cannot fail to plunge us into the most serious difficulties. It is important too, that the capital which nourishes our manufactures should he domestic, as its influence in that case, instead of exhausting, as it may do in foreign hands, would he felt advantageously on agri culture, and every other branch of industry. Equally important is it to provide at home a market for our raw materials, as, by extending the competition, it will enhance the price, and protect the cultivator against the casualties incident to foreign markets. " With the Indian tribes it is our duty to cultivate friendly relations, and to act with kindness and libe rality in all our transactions. Equally proper is it 1o persevere in our efforts to extend to them the ad vantages of civilization. The great amount of our revenue, and the flou rishing state of the treasury, are a full proof of the competency of the national resources, for any emer gency, as they are, of the willingness of our fellow citizens to bear the burdens which the public neces sities require. The vast amount of vacant lands, APPENDIX. XV the value of which daily augments, forms an addi tional resource of great extent and duration. These resources, besides accomplishing every other neces sary purpose, put it completely in the power of the United States to discharge the national debt, at an early period. Peace is the best time for improve ment and preparation of every kind ; it is in peace that our commerce flourishes most; that taxes are most easily paid, and that the revenue is the most productive. " The executive is charged officially, in the de partments under it, with the disbursements of the public money, and is responsible for the faithful ap plication of it to the purposes for which it is raised. The legislature is the watchful guardian over the public purse. It is its duty to see, that the disburse ment has been honestly made. To meet the requisite responsibility, every facility should be afforded to the executive to enable it to bring the public agents, en trusted with the public money, strictly and promptly to account. Nothing should be presumed against them; but if, with the requisite facilities, the public money is suffered to lie, long and uselessly, in their hands, they will not be the only defaulters, nor will the de moralizing effect be confined to them. It will evince a relaxation, and want of tone in the administration, which will be felt by the whole community. I shall do all that I can, to secure economy and fidelity in this important branch of the administration, and I doubt not, that the legislature N\ ill perform its duty .\\i APPENDIX. with equal zeal. A thorough examination should he regularly made, and I will promote it. " It is particularly gratifying to me, to enter on the discharge of these duties, at a time when the United States are blessed with peace. It is a state most consistent with their prosperity and happiness. It will he my sincere desire to preserve it, so far as depends on the executive, on just principles, with all nations, claiming nothing unreasonable of any, and rendering to each what is due. " Equally gratifying is it to witness the increased harmony of opinion, which pervades our union. Dis cord does not belong to our system. Union is re commended, as well by the free and benign princi ples of our government, extending its blessings to every individual, as by the other eminent advantages attending it. The American people have encoun tered together great dangers, and sustained severe trials with success. They constitute one great fa mily, with a common interest. Experience has enlightened us, on some questions of essential im portance to the country. The progress has been slow, dictated by a just reflection and faithful regard to every interest connected with it. To promote this harmony, in accord with the principles of our republican government, and in a manner to give them the most complete effect, and to advance in all other respects the best interests of our union, will be the object of my constant and zealous exertions. "Never did a government commence under aus pices so favourable, nor ever was success so com- APPENDIX xvii pletc. If we look to the history of other nations, ancient or modern, we find no example of a growth so rapid, so gigantic ; of a people so prosperous and happy. In contemplating what we have still to per form, the heart of every citizen must expand with joy, when he reflects how near our government has approached to perfection; that in respect to it, we have no essential improvement to make ; that the great ohject is, to preserve it in the essential princi ples and features which characterise it, and, that that is to he done, hy preserving the virtue and en lightening the minds of the people; and, as a secu rity against foreign dangers, to adopt such arrange ments as are indispensable to the support of our independence, our rights and liberties. If we per severe in the career in which we have advanced so far, and in the path already traced, w r e cannot fail, under the favour of a gracious Providence, to attain the high destiny which seems to await us. " In the administration of the illustrious men who have preceded me in this high station, with some of whom I have been connected by the closest ties from early life, examples are presented, which will always be found highly instructive and useful to their suc cessors. From these I shall endeavour to derive all the advantages which they may afford. Of my im mediate predecessor, under whom so important a portion of this great and successful experiment has been made, I shall be pardoned for expressing my earnest wishes that he may long enjoy, in his retire ment, the affections of a grateful country, the best xviii APPENDIX. reward of exalted talents, and the most faithful and meritorious services. Relying on the aid to he de rived from the other departments of the government, I enter on the trust to which I have heen called hy the suffrages of my fellow citizens, with my fervent prayers to the Almighty, that he will he graciously pleased to continue to us that protection which he has already so conspicuously displayed in our fa vour." Having concluded his address, the oath of office was administered to him by the Chief Justice of the United States. The oath was announced hy a sin gle gun, and followed by salutes from the Navy Yard, the Battery, from Fort Warburton, and from several pieces of artillery on the ground. The President was received on his arrival, with military honours, by the , marine corps, by the Georgetown riflemen, a company of artillery, and two companies of infantry from Alexandria; and on his return was saluted in like manner. The following message was transmitted from the President of the United States, by his secretary, Mr. Joseph Jones Monroe, on Tuesday, the second day of December, 1817, to the two houses of the fifteenth Congress. MESSAGE. Fellow Citizens of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives. " At no period of our political existence, had we so much cause to felicitate ourselves at the prospc- APPEKDIX- Xix rous and happy condition of our country. The abun dant fruits of the earth have filled it with plenty. An extensive and profitable commerce has greatly augmented our revenue. The public credit has at tained an extraordinary elevation. Our prepara tions for defence, in case of future wars, from which, by the experience of all nations, we ought not to ex pect to be exempted, are advancing, under a well digested system, with all the despatch which so im portant a work will admit. Our free government, founded on the interest and affections of the people, has gained, and is daily gaining strength. Local jealousies are rapidly yielding to more generous, en larged and enlightened views of national policy. For advantages so numerous and highly important, it is our duty to unite in grateful acknowledgments to that omnipotent Being from whom they are derived, and in unceasing prayer, that he will endow us with virtue and strength to maintain and hand them down, in their utmost purity, to our latest posterity. " I have the satisfaction to inform you, that an arrangement, which had been commenced by my predecessor, with the British government, for the reduction of the naval force, by Great Britain and the United States, on the lakes, has been concluded: by which it is provided, that neither party shall keep in service on Lake Champlain, more than one ves sel; on Lake Ontario more than one; and on Lake Erie, and the upper lakes, more than two; to be armed, each, with one cannon only; and that all the other armed vessels, of both parties, of which an XX APPENDIX. exact list is interchanged, shall he dismantled, it is also agreed, that the force retained shall he re stricted, in its duty, to the internal purposes of each party ; and that the arrangement shall remain in force until six months shall have expired, after no tice given hy one of the parties to the other, of its desire that it should terminate. By this arrange ment, useless expense, on both sides, and, wliat is of still greater importance, the danger of collision, between armed vessels, in those inland waters, which was great, is prevented. " I have the satisfaction also to state, that the commissioners, under the fourth article of the treaty of Ghent, to whom it was referred to decide, to which party the several islands in the bay of Passa- maquoddy belonged under the treaty of one thousand seven hundred and eighty -three, have agreed in a report, by which all the islands in the possession of each party before the late war have been decreed to it. The commissioners acting under the other arti cles of the treaty of Ghent, for the settlement of boundaries, have also been engaged in the discharge of their respective duties, but have not yet completed them. The difference which arose between the two governments under that treaty, respecting the right of the United States, to take and cure fish on the coast of the British provinces north of our limits, which had been secured by the treaty of one thou sand seven hundred and eighty-three, is still in ne gotiation. The proposition made by this govern ment, to extend to the colonies of Great Britain tli?, APPENDIX. xxi principle of the convention of London, by which the commerce between the ports of the United States and British ports in Europe, had been placed on a footing of equality, has been declined by the British government. This subject having been thus amica bly discussed between the two governments, and it appearing that the British government is unwilling to depart from its present regulations, it remains for Congress to decide, whether they will make any other regulation, in consequence thereof, for the pro tection and improvement of our navigation. 66 The negotiation with Spain, for spoliations on our commerce, and the settlement of boundaries, re mains, essentially, in the state it held, by the com munications that were made to Congress by my pre- decevssor. It has been evidently the policy of the Spanish government, to keep the negotiation sus pended, and in this the United States have acquies ced from an amicable disposition towards Spain, and in the expectation that her government would, from a sense of justice, finally accede to such an arrange ment as would be equal between the parties. A dis position has been lately shown by the Spanish go vernment to move in the negotiation, which has been met by this government, and should the conciliatory and friendly policy, which has invariably guided our councils, be reciprocated, a just and satisfactory ar rangement may be expected. It is proper, however, to remark, that no proposition has yet been made, from which such a result can be presumed. " It was anticipated, at an early stage, that tlm xxii APPENDIX. contest between Spain and the colonies would be come highly interesting to the United States. It was natural that our own citizens should sympathise in events, which affected their neighbours. It seemed probable, also, that the prosecution of the conflict along our coast, and in contiguous countries, would occasionally interrupt our commerce, and otherwise affect the persons and properties of our citizens. These anticipations have been realised. Such inju ries have been received from the persons acting un der the authority of both the parties, and for which redress has, in most instances, been withheld. Through every stage of the conflict, the United States have maintained an impartial neutrality, giv ing aid to neither of the parties in men, money, ships or munitions of war. They have regarded the con test, not in the light of an ordinary insurrection or rebellion, but as a civil war between parties nearly equal, having as to neutral powers, equal rights. Our ports have been open to both, and every article, the fruit of our soil, or of the industry of our citizens, which either was permitted to take, has been equally free to the other. Should the colonies establish their independence, it is proper now to state, that this go vernment neither seeks, nor would accept, from them any advantage, in commerce or otherwise, which will not be equally open to all other nations. The colonies will, in that ev ent, become independent states, free from any obligation to, or connexion with, us, which it may not then be their interest to form on the basis of a fair reciprocity. APPENDIX, * 111 the summer of the present year an expedition was set on foot against East Florida, by persons claiming to act under the authority of some of the colonies, who took possession of Amelia Island, at the mouth of the St. Mary s river, near the boundary of the state of Georgia. As this province lie:- east ward of the Mississippi, and is bounded by the United States and the ocean on every side, and has been a subject of negotiation with the government of Spain, as an indemnity for losses by spoliation, or in exchange for territory of equal value westward of the Mississippi, a fact well known to the world, it excited surprise, that any countenance should be given to this measure by any of the colonies. As it would be difficult to reconcile it with the friendly relations existing between the United States and the colonies, a doubt was entertained whether it had been authorised by them, or any of them. This doubt has gained strength, by the circumstances which have unfolded themselves in the prosecution of the enterprise, wbich have marked it as a mere private unauthorised adventure. Projected and com menced with an incompetent force, reliance seems to have been placed on what might be drawn, in defiance of our laws, from within our limits ; and ol late, as their resources have failed, it has assumed a more marked character of unfriendliness to us, the island being made a channel for the illicit introduc tion of slaves from Africa into the United States, an asylunil- for 4 fugitive slaves from the neighbouring states, and a port for smuggling of every kind. xx iv APPENDIX. " A similar establishment was made at an earlier period, by persons of the same description in the Gulf of Mexico, at a place called Galvezton, within the limits of the United States, as we contend, un der the cession of Louisiana. This enterprise has been marked, in a most signal manner, by all the objectionable circumstances which characterised the other, and more particularly by the equipment of privateers, which have annoyed our commerce, and by smuggling. These establishments, if ever sanc tioned by any authority whatever, which is not be lieved, have abused their trust, and forfeited all claim to consideration. A just regard for the rights and interests of the United States, required that they should be suppressed, and orders have accordingly issued to that effect. The imperious consideration which produced this measure, will be explained to the parties whom it may, in any degree, concern. " To obtain correct information on every subject in which the United States are interested; to in spire just sentiments, in all persons in authority, on either side, of our friendly disposition, so far as it may comport with an impartial neutrality ; and to secure proper respect to our commerce in every port, and from every flag, it has been thought proper to send a ship of war, with three distinguished citizens, along the southern coast, with instruction to touch at such ports as they may find most expedient for their purposes. With the existing authorities, with those in the possession of, and exercising the sovereignty, must the communication be held ; from them alone APPENDIX. XXV can redress for past injuries, committed by persons acting under them, be obtained ; by them alone can the commission of the like, in future, be prevented. " Our relations with the other powers of Europe have experienced no essential change since the last session. In our intercourse with each, due attention continues to be paid to the protection of our com merce, and to every other object in which the United States are interested. A strong hope is entertained, that, by adhering to the maxims of a just, a candid and friendly policy, we may long preserve amicable relations with all the powers of Europe, on condi tions advantageous and honourable to our country. " With the Barbary states and the Indian tribes, our pacific relations have been preserved. " In calling your attention to the internal con cerns of our country, the view which they exhibit is peculiarly gratifying. The payments which have been made into the treasury, show the very produc tive state of the public revenue. After satisfying the appropriations made by law for the support of the civil government, and of the military and naval establishments, embracing suitable provision for fortifications and for the gradual increase of the navy ; paying the interest of the public debt, and extinguishing more than eighteen millions of the principal within the present year, it is estimated that a balance of more than six millions of dollars will remain in the treasury on the first day of January, applicable to the current service of the ensuing year. "The payments into the treasury, during the XXVi APPENDIX. year one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, on account of imposts and tonnage, resulting principal ly from duties which have accrued the present year, may be fairly estimated at twenty millions of dol lars; internal revenues, at two millions five hun dred thousand ; public lands, at one million five hundred thousand ; bank dividends and incidental receipts, at five hundred thousand ; making, in the whole, twenty-four millions and five hundred thou sand dollars. " The annual permanent expenditure for the sup port of the civil government, and of the army and navy, as now established by law, amounts to eleven millions eight hundred thousand dollars; and for the sinking fund, to ten millions; making in the whole, twenty-one millions eight hundred thousand dollars ; leaving an annual excess of revenue, beyond the ex penditure, of two millions seven hundred thousand dollars, exclusive of the balance estimated to be in the treasury on the first day of January, one thou sand eight hundred and eighteen. " In the present state of the treasury, the whole of the Louisiana debt may be redeemed in the year one thousand eight hundred and nineteen; after which, if the public debt continues as it now is, above par, there will be annually about five mil lions of the sinking fund unexpended, until the year- one thousand eight hundred and twenty -five, when the loan of one thousand eight hundred and twelve, and the stock created by funding treasury notes, will be redeemable. APPENDIX. xxvii It is also estimated that the Mississippi stock will be discharged during the year one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, from the proceeds of the puhlic lands assigned to that object; after which the receipts from those lands will annually add to the public revenue the sum of one million five hun dred thousand dollars, making the permanent an nual revenue amount to twenty-six millions of dol lars, and leaving an annual excess of revenue, after the year one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, beyond the permanent authorised expenditure, of more than four millions of dollars. " By the last returns from the department of war, the militia force of the several states may be esti mated at eight hundred thousand men, infantry, ar tillery and cavalry. Great part of this force is arm ed, and measures are taken to arm the whole. An improvement in the organization and discipline of the militia, is one of the great objects which claims the unremitted attention of congress. " The regular force amounts nearly to the num ber required by law, and is stationed along the At lantic and inland frontiers. ** Of the naval force, it has been necessary to maintain strong squadrons in the Mediterranean, and the Gulf of Mexico. " From several of the Indian tribes, inhabiting the country belonging to Lake Erie, purchases have been made of lands, on conditions very favourable to the United States, and, as it is presumed, not less so to the tribes themselves. By these purcba- xxviii APPENDIX. scs the Indian title, with moderate reservations, has been extinguished to the whole of the land within the limits of the state of Ohio, and to a great part of that in the Michigan territory, and of the state of Indiana. From the Cherokee tribe a tract has been purchased, in the state of Georgia, and an arrange ment made, by which, in exchange for lands beyond the Mississippi, a great part, if not the whole, of the land belonging to that tribe, eastward of that river, in the states of North Carolina, Georgia, and Ten nessee, and in the Alabama Territory, will soon be acquired. By these acquisitions, and others, that may reasonably be expected soon to follow, we shall be enabled to extend our settlements from the in habited parts of the state of Ohio, along Lake Erie, into the Michigan territory, and to connect our set tlements, by degrees, through the state of Indiana and the Illinois territory, to that of Missouri. A similar, and equally advantageous effect will soon be produced to the south, through the whole extent of the states and territory, which border on the waters emptying into the Mississippi and the Mo bile. In this progress, which the rights of nature demand, and nothing can prevent, marking a growth rapid and gigantic, it is our duty to make new efforts for the preservation, improvement, and civi lization of the native inhabitants. The hunter state can exist only in the vast, uncultivated desert. It yields to the more dense and compact form, and greater force, of civilized population, and of right it ought to yield, for the earth was given to man- APPENDIX. sx j s kind to support the greatest number of which it is capable, and no tribe or people have a right to with hold from the wants of others more than is neces sary for their own support and comfort. It is grati fying to know, that the reservations pf land made by the treaties with the tribes on Lake Erie, were made with a view to individual ownership among them, and to the cultivation of the soil by all, and that an annual stipend has been pledged to supply their other wants. It will merit the consideration of Congress, whether other provision, not stipulated by the treaty, ought to be made for these tribes, and for the advancement of the liberal and humane policy of the United States towards all the tribes within our limits, and more particularly for their improve ment in the arts of civilized life. " Among the advantages incident to these pur chases, and to those which have preceded, the secu rity which may thereby be afforded to our inland frontiers, is peculiarly important. With a strong barrier, consisting of our own people, thus planted en the lakes, the Mississippi and the Mobile, with the protection to be derived from the regular force, Indian hostilities, if they do not altogether cease, will henceforth lose thefr terror. Fortifications, in those quarters, to any extent, will not be necessary, and the expense attending them may be saved. A people accustomed to the use of fire arms only, as the Indian tribes arc, will shun even moderate works which are defended by cannon. Great fortifications will, therefore, be requisite only, in future, along the XXX APPENDIX. coast, and at some points in the interior connected with it. On these will the safety of our towns, and the commerce of our great rivers, from the Bay of Fnndy to the Mississippi, depend. On these, there fore, should the utmost attention, skill, and labour, be bestowed. " A considerable and rapid augmentation in the value of all the public lands, proceeding from these and other obvious causes, may henceforward be ex pected. The difficulties attending early emigrations, will be dissipated even in the most remote parts. Se- vcral new states have been admitted into our union, to the west and south, and territorial governments, happily organized, established over every other por tion in which there is vacant land for sale. In ter minating Indian hostilities, as must soon be done, in a formidable shape at least, the emigration which has heretofore been great, will probably increase, and the demand for land, and the augmentation in its value, be in like proportion. The great increase of our population throughout the union, will alone produce an important effect, and in no quarter will it be so sensibly felt as in those in contemplation. The public lands are a public stock, which ought to be disposed of to the best advantage for the nation. The nation should, therefore, derive the profit pro ceeding from the continual rise in their value. Every encouragement should be given to the emigrants, consistent with a fair competition between them, but that competition should operate, in the first sale, to the advantage of the nation rather than of indivi- APPENDIX. duals. Great capitalists will derive all the benefit incident to their superior wealth, under any mode of sale which may he adopted. But if looking forward to the rise in the value of the public lands, they should have the opportunity of amassing, at a low price, vast bodies in their hands, the profit will ac crue to them, and not to the public. They would also have the power, in that degree to controul the emigration and settlement, in such manner as their opinion of their respective interests might dictate. I submit this subject to the consideration of Con gress, that such further provision may be made in the sale of the public lands, with a view to the public interest, should any be deemed expedient, as in their judgment may be best adapted to the object. 66 When we consider the vast extent of territory within the United States, the great amount and va lue of its productions, the connexion of its parts, and Other circumstances, on which their prosperity and happiness depend, we cannot fail to entertain a high sense of the advantage to be derived from the faci lity which may be afforded in the intercourse be tween them, by means of good roads and canals. Never did a country of such vast extent offer equal inducements to improvements of this kind, nor ever were consequences of such magnitude involved in them. As this subject was acted on by Congress at the last session, and there may be a disposition to revive it at the present, I have brought it into view, for the purpose of communicating my sentiments on a very important circumstance connected with it. APPENDIX. with that freedom and candour which a regard for the puhlic interest, and a proper respect for Con gress, require. A difference of opinion has existed, from the first formation of our constitution to the present time, among our most enlightened and vir tuous citizens, respecting the right of Congress to establish such a system of improvement. Taking into view the trust with which I am now honoured, it would he improper, after what has passed, that this discussion should he revived, with an uncertain ty of my opinion respecting the right. Disregard ing early impressions, I have hestowed on the sub ject all the deliberation which its great importance, and a just sense of my duty required, and the result is, a settled conviction in my mind, that Congress do not possess the right. It is not contained in any of the specified powers granted to Congress, nor can I consider it incidental to, or a necessary mean, viewed on the most liberal scale, for carrying into effect any of the powers which are specifically grant ed. In communicating this result, I cannot resist the obligation which I feel to suggest to Congress, the propriety of recommending to the states the adoption of an amendment to the constitution, which shall give to Congress the right in question. In cases of doubtful construction, especially of such vital interest, it comports with the nature and origin of our institutions, and will contribute much to pre serve them, to apply to our constituents for an ex plicit grant of the power. We may confidently rely, that if it appears to their satisfaction, that the power APPENDIX. is necessary, it will always be granted. In this case I am happy to observe, that experience has afforded most ample proof of its utility, and that the benign spirit of conciliation and harmony, which now mani fests itself throughout our union, promises to such a recommendation the most prompt and favourable result. I think proper to suggest, also, in case this measure is adopted, that it be recommended to the states to include, in the amendment sought, a right in Congress to institute, likewise, seminaries of learning, for the all important purpose of diffusing knowledge among our fellow citizens throughout the United States. (i Our manufactures will require the continued attention of Congress. The capital employed in them is considerable, and the knowledge acquired in the machinery and fabric of all the most useful manufactures is of great value. Their preservation, which depends on due encouragement, is connected with the high interests of the nation. "Although the progress of the public buildings has been as favourable as circumstances have permitted, it is to be regretted that the Capitol is not yet in a state to receive you. There is good cause to pre sume that the two wings, the only parts as yet com menced, will be prepared for that purpose at the next session. The time seems now to have arrived, when this subject may be deemed worthy the attention of Congress, on a scale adequate to national purposes. The completion of the middle building will be neces sary to the convenient accommodation of Congress* APPENDIX. of the committees, and various offices belonging to ii It is evident, that the other public buildings are alto gether insufficient for the accommodation of the se veral executive departments, some of whom are much crowded, and even subjected to the necessity of obtaining it in private buildings, at some distance from the head of the department, and with inconve nience to the management of the public business. Most nations have taken an interest and a pride in the improvement and ornament of their metropolis ; and none were more conspicuous in that respect than the ancient republics. The policy which dictated the establishment of a permanent residence for the national government, and the spirit in which it was commenced and has been prosecuted, show that such improvement was thought worthy the attention of this nation. Its central position, between the north ern and southern extremes of our union, and its ap proach to the west, at the head of a great navigable river, which interlocks with the western waters, proves the wisdom of the councils which established it. Nothing appears to be more reasonable and proper, than that convenient accommodations should be provided, on a well digested plan, for the heads of the several departments, and for the attorney- general ; and it is believed that the public ground in the city, applied to those objects, will be fount amply sufficient. I submit this subject to the consi deration of Congress, that such further provisioi may be made in it, as to them may seem proper. " In contemplating the happy situation of tin APPENDIX. xxxv States, our attention is drawn with peculiar interest, to the surviving officers and soldiers of our revolutionary army, who so eminently contributed, by their services, to lay its foundation. Most of those very meritorious citizens have paid the debt of nature, and gone to repose. It is believed that among the survivors there are some not provided for by existing laws, who are reduced to indigence, and even to real distress. These men have a claim on the gratitude of their country, and it will do honour to their country to provide for them. The lapse of a few years more, and the opportunity will be for ever lost : indeed, so long already has been the in terval, that the number to be benefited by any pro vision which may be made, will not be great. " It appearing in a satisfactory manner that the revenue arising from imposts and tonnage, and from the sale of the public lands, will be fully adequate to the support of the civil government, of the pre sent military and naval establishments, including tlie annual augmentation of the latter, to the extent provided for; to the payment of the interest on the public debt, and to the extinguishment of it at the times authorized, without the aid of the internal taxes, I consider it my duty to recommend to Con gress their repeal. To impose taxes, when the pub lic exigencies require them, is an obligation of the most sacred character, especially with a free people. The faithful fulfilment of it is among the highest proofs of their virtue, and capacity for self-govern ment. To dispense with taxes, when it may be APPENDIX. done with perfect safety, is equally the duty of their representatives. In this instance we have the satis faction to know that they were imposed when the demand was imperious, and have been sustained with exemplary fidelity. I have to add, that how ever gratifying it may be to me, regarding the pros perous and happy condition of our country, to re commend the repeal of these taxes at this time, I shall nevertheless be attentive to events, and should any future emergency occur, be not less prompt to suggest such measures and burdens as may then be requisite and proper. "JAMES MONROE. " Washington, December 2, 1817." UBIV-SRSITY THE END. IIBBA " 50m-7, l O mf.