THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 SKETCHES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES 
 
 OF 
 
 OF 
 
 ^'^'H' y( i >-<- 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
 
 COMPILED BY 
 
 BEN : PERLEY POORE AND F. B. EATON. 
 
 MANCHESTER, X. H. : 
 
 JOHN I! . CLARKE, PRINTER.
 
 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ANCESTRY AND EARLY LIFE. 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH came of that sturdy New Hampshire 
 pioneer stock which was noted for its strength, its vigor, 
 its industry, its intelligence, and its piety. They met 
 the dangers of war and of the wilderness bravely, and 
 they were champions of Liberty, who could grasp an 
 idea, who could govern their lives by a conviction, and 
 who could die for a faith. The invigorating breezes 
 from the White Hills imbrowned their industrious fea- 
 tures, while they imparted health and animation to their 
 stalwart frames. As the stern countenance of the " Old 
 Man of the Mountains" looks forth from the granite 
 mountain-side, immovable among the changing seasons 
 and the sweep of years, so the early settlers of New 
 Hampshire gave a glorious impress to the early New 
 England character, not only educating leaders for their 
 own Commonwealth, but for the country. The names 
 of the New Hampshire delegates stand next to that of 
 John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence. 
 
 The great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, 
 Chanc Smyth, came to Candia, 1ST. H., from Brentwood, 
 N. II., about 1771. He had a son, Joseph Chase, who 
 was born Jan. 17, 1759, and who married, June 5, 1778, 
 Elizabeth Gilman, who was born Sept. 5, 1756, and who 
 was related to John Taylor Gilman, afterwards governor 
 
 550580
 
 4 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 of the State. Establishing a homestead, they had six 
 children, the third of whom, Stephen, was born July 6, 
 1785, and was married, Dec. 26, 1809, to Dolly Rowe. 
 Her father, Isaiah Rowe, was a veteran of the old 
 French and Revolutionary wars, who treasured, among 
 other trophies of the siege of Cape Breton, a camp-chest 
 and a powder-horn. Before the breaking out of the 
 Revolutionary war, he was a signer of the " Association 
 Bill," and in 1775 he was a member of the " Committee 
 of Safety." He was a man of good financial standing, 
 as is shown by his tax for 1778, which was 3 9s. 9d., 
 the fourth tax in amount in the town of Candia. 
 
 Stephen settled on Lot No. 25 in the original division 
 of the town of Candia, a short distance northwest from 
 the homestead, which was on Lot No. 49. Here there 
 were born to him and his wife five children, named 
 successively Gilman Chase, Sarah, Frederick, Sophia, 
 and Abraham Calvin. Frederick was born March 9, 
 1819, in a house now owned by Jonathan Martin, Esq. 
 The farm on which the future governor was reared 
 consisted of about fifty acres of land, not devoted to the 
 cultivation of any one crop, but expected to supply the 
 wants of its owner's family so far as food and clothing 
 were concerned. Around the house, which was a com- 
 fortable one-story edifice with a huge chimney, were 
 cleared fields of a rough but retentive soil, and beyond, 
 extending up the side of Hall's Mountain, were pastures 
 for cattle and sheep. 
 
 The hardy tillers of the rock-bound soil of New Hamp- 
 shire produced, in those days, with the aid of their wives, 
 daughters, and sons, almost every article eaten in or 
 worn by the family, with a surplus of pork, poultry, wool, 
 butter, and cheese, which was bartered for the luxuries 
 of life. There was but little money gold or silver or 
 paper in circulation, and what the farmers could not
 
 K OK Clov. SMYTH, IN ('AMU A. IST.i.
 
 ANCESTRY AND EARLY LIFE. 5 
 
 obtain by labor they went without. While the plow, the 
 hoe, and the rake were kept busy in the fields, the whirl 
 of the spinning-wheel, the clang of the loom, and the 
 splash of the churn-dasher, was heard within doors. The 
 town was generally considered healthy, and a large ma- 
 jority of the people were long-lived. 
 
 Many farmers in Candia and the surrounding towns 
 then eked out the scant returns of their acres by making 
 a few barrels, sold on the seaboard for packing fish. In 
 later years, the shoe business succeeded to this pursuit. 
 In the village near the center of the town there were two 
 or three stores, as many blacksmiths' shops, with wheel- 
 wrights, joiners, shoemakers, and a cabinet-maker. Each 
 one of these mechanics was able, without the aid of 
 journeymen, to accomplish all the work which was given 
 him, and the choice of occupation in which a young man 
 might find employment was limited. The life of a far- 
 mer's son thus bounded was usually one of hard work, 
 enlivened by brief terms of schooling and few amuse- 
 ments, and varied by ingenious expedients for raising 
 pocket-money, for which, fortunately, there was but little 
 use. 
 
 Chestnuts were a prominent source of income to the 
 boys, who were permitted to gather those which grew 
 on the trees in the woods, but who were warned off as 
 trespassers when they attempted to gather nuts beneath 
 trees growing in enclosures. One of these, a splendid 
 specimen, grew in a field belonging to " Uncle Jim," 
 and its laden branches hung over the wall into his rela- 
 tive's pasture. One autumnal morning it so happened 
 that the " folks " were called awav from home, leaving; 
 
 O 
 
 Frederick and an older brother; and the latter proposed 
 that they should go and gather some chestnuts from 
 Uncle Jim's tree. The proposition was accepted, and the 
 brothers soon scaled the Avail, the older one climbing up
 
 6 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 into the tree to thrash down the nuts with a pole, while 
 young Frederick, then ahout six years of age, industri- 
 ously picked up the fallen nuts into a tin pail. 
 
 While thus engaged, Frederick saw Uncle Jim rapidly 
 approaching, and with a warning cry he hurried over the 
 wall and took to his heels, followed by his older brother. 
 They soon reached a place of safety, but just as they 
 were congratulating themselves, they missed their tin pail. 
 Justice among brothers is usually summary at such times, 
 and to escape a " licking," Frederick went back to the 
 chestnut tree for the pail. Alas for the young marauder ! 
 Uncle Jim had confiscated it with its contents ; and when 
 he returned to his brother without it, they held a council 
 of war as to the best way of obtaining it before " the 
 folks " returned, and thus avoiding trouble. 
 
 Frederick was finally ordered by his brother to go and 
 ask for the pail, and to say, if asked how the pail came 
 under the chestnut tree, that he " guessed a missionary 
 left it ! " Away went master Frederick, and he soon said 
 with a beating heart, but with as much composure as he 
 could manifest : " Uncle Jim, have you got our tin pail ? " 
 The urbane relative thus addressed laughed, and replied 
 that lie had found a tin pail under his chestnut tree, and 
 should like to know how it got there. The prompt 
 response, " I guess a missionary left it,'' made in obedi- 
 ence to instructions, was considered as so very original 
 and smart, that the oftense was condoned, and the pail 
 was surrendered. Uncle Jim used to repeat the story, 
 however, every time that he came over to the boys' home, 
 adding as a conclusion : " And I told him that if he ever 
 see a missionary with n tin pail in his hand again, tell him 
 to keep away from my chestnut tree." The story was 
 repeated so often, that young Frederick got dreadfully 
 sick of his exploit.
 
 - 
 
 c 
 
 c.
 
 ANCESTRY AND EARLY LIFE. 7 
 
 Another incident of the lad's early life will illustrate 
 the prevalent thrift and industry of those days. The 
 neighboring farmers used to gather the smaller branches 
 of the trees felled for timber or firewood, and from them 
 make charcoal for the blacksmiths, who paid four cents a 
 bushel for it. Frederick, seeing that he could thus real- 
 ize a little cash, picked up the waste wood about the pas- 
 tures, and with it built a coal pit, which he fired and 
 watched for a week, when he took from it four bushels of 
 charcoal, for which he received the sum of sixteen cents ! 
 This the neighbors regarded as indicating industry and 
 enterprise ; neither is it impossible that some vague idea 
 of a u corner " in cotton entered his mind about this 
 time, as he obtained some seed and raised one cotton 
 plant, which grew well until the frosts spoiled his hope of 
 a crop. 
 
 In 1827, the father of Frederick purchased the farm and 
 house afterwards occupied by the Rev. Abraham Wheeler, 
 a few rods east from the residence of John Lane, Esq., 
 and removed there with his family. Whatever may have 
 been the hardships incident to the life of a XCAV Hamp- 
 shire farmer's boy, young Frederick accepted them with- 
 out a murmur. As an instance of his industry, it is told 
 that when he was a slender lad, he yoked up the cattle 
 during his father's absence from home, and cleared the 
 rock-heaps from a mowing field, working so steadily that 
 he brought on severe headaches, and had to take a week's 
 time to finish the job in. lie had a habit, which has fol- 
 lowed him through life, of carefullv reading the few ao-ri- 
 
 O */ O O 
 
 cultural papers which found their way into Candia, with 
 the agricultural scraps in the political and religious jour- 
 nals of the vicinity. On one occasion, seeing in the 
 columns of the Xew Hampshire Observer directions for 
 raising onions, he planted a bed with great success, while
 
 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 his neighbors were only able to raise scullions ! Another 
 instance of this early observation is remembered in a bit 
 of civil engineering, by which the water from a brook 
 was so conducted around a hillside as to appear almost 
 like running uphill. The experiment resulted in an in- 
 creased crop of grass, and it is questionable if any of his 
 later successes in life afforded him greater satisfaction.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 FIRST STEPS IN A PROSPEROUS CAREER. 
 
 THERE was not wanting about the good old town of 
 Candia a certain intellectual atmosphere, despite the 
 rough soil and hard-working habits of its people. It is 
 true that the common schools did not average above six 
 months in duration each year, but they were often full of 
 eager students, who seized with a healthy and vigorous 
 appetite on the instruction given them, and made the best 
 of small opportunities. There was usually at the center 
 of the town a " private " or "high " school three months 
 each autumn for those who had money to pay the small 
 tuition fee, a sum which varied inversely according to the 
 attendance. The more pupils, the smaller fee. There 
 were also meetings for discussion, and the production of 
 such literary efforts as the more ambitious young people 
 might produce. In the discussions, young and old took 
 part with mutual advantage. The few college students 
 on their vacations home were looked upon with not a 
 little admiration and possibly envy. This condition of 
 affairs had its influence upon Frederick, who was early 
 impressed with a desire for better schooling than his 
 limited time and means could give, and he obtained the 
 consent of his father, with the view of earning money for 
 such a purpose, to go from home, to the then infant city 
 of Lowell, where remunerative employment might be 
 found. Before leaving, he took the precaution to obtain 
 from his pastor, the Rev. C. P. Russell, a certificate of 
 good moral character. It \vas cheerfully given, and with 
 it good advice, which was afterwards remembered and
 
 10 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 followed. Frederick was at that time about sixteen years 
 of age, but his dark eyes sparkled with energy, inter- 
 mixed with an expression of shyness and sagacity, as he 
 went boldly forth into the wide, wide world, with a firm 
 determination to conquer success, and to merit it. 
 
 On his arrival at Lowell, he readily obtained employ- 
 ment in the Middlesex Mills, at eight dollars per month ; 
 but the confinement and the heated atmosphere of the 
 room was unendurable for the lad who had passed the 
 greater portion of his life out-of-doors, in the clear pure 
 air of his favorite State. Leaving the Middlesex Mills, 
 he sought employment at the hotel known as the Merri- 
 mack House, perhaps inspired by the blood of his English 
 ancestor, who was the landlord of the Black Horse 
 Tavern in Brentwood. His certificate of moral character 
 did him good service, for, as it happened, Mr. Murdock, 
 the Lowell landlord, once kept a boarding-house in Cam- 
 bridge, where one of his boarders was Mr. Russell. So 
 our young man took the place of an assistant porter, at 
 four dollars per month and board. The salary of porter 
 number one was derived, like that of Mr. Sam "Weller, 
 from blacking boots ; and by special agreement the new- 
 comer was to have all he could make after the head 
 porter had gone to bed, consequently he sat up nearly all 
 night. He probably found this kind of work not alto- 
 gether to be desired as a steady thing, and having earned 
 enough to pay for a suit of clothes, replacing his home- 
 spun, he returned home and essayed a new undertaking. 
 
 Returning to Candia, Frederick was warmly welcomed 
 at the family homestead and by his numerous friends, but 
 he did not fancy resuming his scantily remunerated farm 
 toil. His only capital and resources were hope, energy, 
 and faith in himself, but he determined to test the qual- 
 ities of his ripening manhood and to endeavor to make 
 his wav in the world.
 
 SCHOOL-TEACHING. 11 
 
 The first avocation that presented itself to the young 
 man was school-teaching, he having heard of a situation 
 in the neighboring town of Auburn. His pastor, who by 
 the way was a gentleman of fine culture and courteous 
 manners, acceded to his request that he might be ex- 
 amined in those rudimentary branches then taught in the 
 common schools of !New Hampshire, and gave him a very 
 complimentary certificate of capability. Armed with 
 this, the young man made his way to Auburn, and called 
 on Mr. Pike Chase, the " prudential " committee-man of 
 the district in which a teacher was needed. Mr. C. was 
 pleased with his appearance, and on the strength of the 
 certificate given by Mr. Russell, engaged him at once, 
 not waiting for the legal document from the superin- 
 tending school committee. When he returned home tri- 
 umphant, he not having told any one what he was doing, 
 his father received the news with characteristic misgiving, 
 and expressed a fear that he would never succeed. He 
 took his seat at the teacher's desk at the age of eighteen, 
 but not without ability and a determination to succeed. 
 After a trial week, he passed a successful examination by 
 the chairman of the town's school committee, Thomas J. 
 Melvin, Esq., and his zeal and perseverance soon estab- 
 lished his reputation as a successful teacher, enabling him 
 to finish his term to the satisfaction of all concerned. 
 
 Learning that there was a vacancy in one of the school 
 districts of Hooksett, caused by the discharge of a college 
 graduate for some reason, he applied for the position. It 
 was given to him, and he conducted the school with such 
 success that the regular term was supplemented with a 
 " private school," which he was invited to teach, and he 
 was engaged in advance for the following winter. His 
 relations with his pupils and their parents were always 
 cordial and friendly, although he was an effective discip- 
 linarian. Prompt and methodical himself, he exacted
 
 12 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 an unremitting exercise of the like qualities in his pupils. 
 Much has been eloquently said and graphically written 
 about the district schoolhouses of rural 2s"ew England ; 
 yet, in admiring distinguished talents or a noble charac- 
 ter, how rarely do we ever think of the teacher, whose 
 wise care fostered the one and formed the other. How 
 rarely, in admiring the golden harvest, do we remember 
 the patient labor that prepared the soil and sowed the 
 seed. 
 
 About the year 1838, Frederick Fitts, who was carry- 
 ing on the business which had been started by his father, 
 " Master " Moses Fitts, at a country store in Candia, died. 
 Master Fitts was then living, but he was a sufferer from 
 rheumatism, and the business went into the hands of 
 Doctor Wheat, a brother-in-law of the deceased merchant. 
 He placed it in charge of his son Thomas and young 
 Smyth, who engaged in trade under the name of Wheat 
 & Smyth. Connected with the store was a manufactory 
 of potash, and a horse-power machine for ironing and 
 pressing palmleaf hats. The machine was rather rough 
 at times on hat brims, unless managed by skillful hands. 
 For a short time the new firm, being popular young men 
 in town, made things lively about the old stand, but the 
 business did not prove so profitable as to warrant its con- 
 tinuance. 
 
 The young traders were consoled by the opportunity 
 afforded them to study for a short time at Phillips Acad- 
 emy in Andover, English department. This ancient seat 
 of learning was founded by members of the wealthy and 
 respectable Phillips family about the time of the Revolu- 
 tion, to instruct youth, " not only in English and Latin 
 grammar, writing, arithmetic, and those sciences wherein 
 they are commonly taught, but more especially to learn 
 them the great end and real business of living.'' The 
 preceptor of the English school at that time was Dr.
 
 PHILLIPS ANDOVER ACADEMY. 13 
 
 Coleman, a gentleman with the courteous manners of 
 the old school, an efficient instructor, and a strict 
 disciplinarian, 
 
 "Supreme lie sits, before the awful frown 
 That bends his brows, the boldest eye goes down." 
 
 While at Andover, the expense of boarding in the 
 commons was but seventy-five cents a week, and Fred- 
 erick earned his tuition fees by working in the garden 
 of Mr. William Pierce, a worthy bookseller of that town, 
 at five cents an hour. An education thus acquired is 
 appreciated, and Frederick made good progress, except 
 in declamation. On his first and also his last appearance 
 on the academical stage, he broke down. The good 
 old preceptor tried to cheer him with augury of future 
 success, telling him that the nervous organization which 
 was the cause of his failure, would prove to be a prime 
 element in good speaking; but he ever after adhered 
 to the conviction that nature had not intended him for 
 an orator. 
 
 At the end of their first term at Andover, our two 
 young friends found their scanty means exhausted, and 
 were reluctantly compelled to return to their homes in 
 Candia. It may be said that the father of Frederick, 
 while believing in good town schools, had no very 
 clear idea of the need of book knowledge, and he did 
 not feel called on to send his children away to receive 
 academical educations. 
 
 Frederick, anxious to obtain employment by which he 
 could return to Andover, started on foot for Manchester, 
 a manufacturing city just springing into existence at the 
 Amoskeag falls of the Mcrrimack river. The present 
 road from Candia through Auburn had not then been 
 made, so he trudged on the Ilooksett road, a good ten- 
 mile tramp. For some miles before reaching Manchester
 
 14 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 on this road, the back-set of the dam at the falls is 
 observable, and the Merrimack is broad and beautiful. 
 Not a ripple ruffles its surface, and its banks are broad, 
 rich intervale lands, or high wooded bluffs, while the 
 swells rolling back from the river are decked with 
 orchards, cultivated fields, and comfortable farmhouses. 
 
 It is related that when a poor English lad, named 
 Whittington, was walking into London in quest of 
 fortune, the church bells began to ring, and he fancied 
 that their welcome peal was, " Welcome, Sir Richard 
 Whittington, Lord Mayor of London." No such ambi- 
 tious thoughts crossed the brain of Frederick, as he 
 wearily entered the sandy way then known as Elm street, 
 and he never dreamed that before many years had passed 
 away, he would be the owner of valuable buildings 
 fronting on this thoroughfare, and mayor of Manchester. 
 Neither would it have entered his mind, as he passed 
 the sandy bluff near the falls, that he should erect there 
 one of the finest residences in the State, on the spot 
 now called " The Willows," with its broad expanse of 
 lawn and park.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 LOCATION IN A NEW HOME, AND MARRIAGE. 
 
 IF the founders of national capitals in the Old "World 
 were entitled to regard as public benefactors, how much 
 greater is the title of distinction to those who not only 
 laid the foundations of the manufacturing cities in the val- 
 ley of the Merrimack, but provided them with industries 
 which not only attracted population, but ensured a gener- 
 ous support to all new-comers. Prominent among these 
 cities, which sprang into existence like the fabled palace 
 of Aladdin, was Manchester, at the great falls of the 
 Amoskeag, which was originally known as Derryneld, as 
 it was an appendage to the town of Londonderry. The 
 location had long been despoiled of its timber, and its 
 gravelly knolls were interspersed with fields of a sterile 
 soil, over which the sand was driven about as the light 
 snow of winter under a northwestern wind. 
 
 The magnificent water-power at the Amoskeag Falls 
 had attracted the attention of capitalists in " the good old 
 colony days, when we lived under the king " ; and, soon 
 after the establishment of the United States Government, 
 Col. Samuel Blodget raised money by a lottery for the 
 construction of a canal around the falls, for navigation, 
 and to furnish hydraulic power. Several factories and 
 mills were built at different times, but it was not until 
 1831 that the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company was 
 incorporated. Controlling the water-power, it leased 
 privileges to other corporations, and it purchased a large 
 tract of land, which was laid out as a city. The lots were 
 sold at public aution to those who were disposed to erect
 
 16 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 houses or stores, and there were reservations for churches, 
 schoolhouses, and the public parks. The name of Derry- 
 iield was changed to Manchester, at the suggestion of 
 Major Stark, a son of the gallant old General Stark, whose 
 homestead overlooked the falls. 
 
 "When Frederick visited Manchester, it had 3,325 
 inhabitants, of which over twenty-five hundred had re- 
 moved there within the preceding two years. The old 
 residents did not fancy the new-comers ; and at a town- 
 meeting, Justice John Stark went into the moderator's 
 desk, when he thus addressed the assembled citizens : 
 
 " Who are ye, that are here to act, and to tread upon 
 us in this manner ? I '11 tell ye who you are ! you 're a 
 set of interlopers come here to get a living upon a sand- 
 bank, and a d d poor living you will get, let me tell 
 ye ! " 
 
 There were at that time but two stores on Elm street, 
 the principal thoroughfare, one occupied by Kidder & 
 Co., and the other by George Porter, Esq. At the latter, 
 a store of general merchandise, groceries, dry goods, 
 hardware, cooking utensils, and all the various knick- 
 knacks of a usual countrv store, men were sitting on the 
 
 v O 
 
 steps. The young stranger approached, asked the pro- 
 prietor if he wanted help, and after some conversation, 
 questions as to education, references for character, etc., 
 which seem to have been satisfactorily answered, he was 
 told to call again the next day. As he had neither ac- 
 quaintances in town nor friends, he walked home that 
 night, ten miles, and walked back again on the morrow. 
 After one week's trial, he was engaged for a year at the 
 salary of one hundred and twenty-live dollars and his 
 board. The place called for plenty of hard work, but was 
 not without its advantages. It laid the foundation for an 
 acquaintance with men, the workingmen, the real bone 
 and sinew of the growing place, which our young man
 
 LOCATION IN A NEW HOME, AND MARRIAGE. 17 
 
 was not slow to profit by, and which was of great use to 
 him in after years. 
 
 At the end of his year's service, the question again 
 arose as to the " ways and means " for attending school. 
 Mr. Porter, his employer, thinking he saw in him the 
 elements of a successful merchant, advised him not to 
 think of a college education, and to give force to his ad- 
 vice, alluded to the case of himself and his brother. His 
 brother, he said, a lawyer with a liberal education and 
 four or five years' practice, had as yet not made any 
 money, while he himself, who had not been to college, 
 had accumulated, for the time, a very handsome property. 
 This argument prevailed, and Frederick was engaged an- 
 other year at a salary of two hundred and fifty dollars. 
 
 At this time there were very few advantages in town 
 for reading or study. A club was formed, of which John 
 A. Biirnham, S. D. Bell, and others were members, the 
 IsTorth American Review, the Southern Literary Messen- 
 ger, and the Knickerbocker Magazine, being among the 
 periodicals taken. These were kept in John Porter's 
 office, over the store, and Frederick was appointed 
 librarian. This club grew after a while into the " Athe- 
 neum," and then after some years, as will presently ap- 
 pear in the official life of Mayor Smyth, into the City 
 Library. 
 
 Mr. Smyth continued three years with George Porter, 
 at which time John Porter bought out his brother's in- 
 terest, and the business was carried on under the firm 
 name of Porter & Smyth. 
 
 After a few years, David Childs bought out Porter, and 
 the firm was Smyth & Childs. Very soon Childs sold to 
 T. "W. Little, and the firm was Smyth & Little, doing 
 business in Patten's block. During an active and pros- 
 perous business career, Mr. Smyth became widely known 
 in Manchester and its vicinity as thoroughly reliable.
 
 18 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Quick in thought and prompt in action, he was always 
 ready to state his lowest prices, and to conclude a bargain 
 without any unnecessary loss of time. The most humble 
 mill operative received the same courteous attention, and 
 was offered goods on as favorable rates, as the well-to-do 
 manager of a large corporation. Every article sold was 
 just what it was represented to be, the weights and 
 measures were standard, and there was no evidence of 
 the petty desire to make a few extra cents here and there, 
 which too often disgraces some of our leading stores. 
 
 On the llth of December, 1844, Mr. Smyth married 
 Emily, daughter of John Lane, Esq., who was born 
 on the 22d of July, 1822. Her mother was Xabby 
 Emerson, and her grandfather was Lieut.-Col. jSTathaiiiel 
 Emerson, who served gallantly at the battle of Benning- 
 ton and in other Kevolutionary conflicts. Mr. Lane was 
 one of the leading men in Candia, a justice of the peace, 
 a land surveyor, and a representative to the General Court, 
 and he gave each of his five daughters a thorough Xew 
 England education. Emily went from the district school 
 of Candia to a then noted seminary for young ladies at 
 Charlestown, Mass. ; and when she had completed her 
 studies there, she taught in the schools of Candia, Ches- 
 ter, and Manchester until her marriage. 
 
 Mr. Smyth's congenial matrimonial alliance was the 
 most felicitous feature of his early career, as his bride 
 was not only domestic in her tastes and a thorough house- 
 wife, but was admirably fitted by natural graces and a 
 thorough education for the distinguished positions she 
 was afterwards called upon to occupy. Possessing a 
 queenly figure, regular features, a forehead replete with 
 indications of intellect, eyes that sparkled with intelli- 
 gence, a winning smile, and manners which were dignified 
 yet graceful, Mrs. Smyth came to Manchester, and soon 
 thoroughly identified herself with her husband's interests
 
 FIRST HKSIDKXCK OF Gov. SMYTH r\ MAXCIIKS- 
 TKR . CENTRAL, WEST or CIIESTXTT ST., 1844.
 
 LOCATION IN A NEW HOME, AND MARRIAGE. 19 
 
 in a manner that illustrated the noblest ideas of matri- 
 mony. Born a leader in society, and the possessor of 
 rare conversational powers, she never neglected the 
 modest, unobstrusive, and earnest duties of domestic life. 
 
 As years rolled on, and Mr. Smyth's usefulness was re- 
 warded by official trusts, his helpmate advanced with him 
 in the affections of the public, displaying the richest 
 female virtues, the most practical common-sense, and a 
 readiness to sacrifice personal comfort whenever it became 
 necessary. When he was elected governor of New Hamp- 
 shire, and she became the associate of the highest mili- 
 tary, civil, and judicial authorities of the Republic, she 
 was never led astray by the high social position in which 
 she found herself, but she continued to display the same 
 Christian principles, the same deliberate choice of duty 
 before pleasure, the same careful cultivation of the true, 
 the good, and the useful, in preference to the showy, the 
 superficial, and the self-indulgent; and the same estimate 
 of the immense superiority of character over fortune, and 
 of principle over position. Fortune never spoiled her. 
 Her dress, like her deportment, was always characterized 
 by propriety and grace, without any exhibitions of gaudi- 
 ness or of bad taste. In the gay world and adorning it, 
 she was not of the gay world. With a hand that scat- 
 tered charity among the deserving, with a tongue that 
 consoled those in trouble and comforted those in grief, 
 and with a trusting heart, lovely and of good report, Mrs. 
 Frederick Smyth proved a devoted wife, a helpmate 
 indeed. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Smyth became identified with social life 
 in Manchester, and the courtesy with which they treated 
 those with whom they came in contact, was not the mere 
 formal discipline of refined manners. There was a sense 
 of benefaction in it, and to approach them was to feel the 
 friendlv charm which radiated from their natures. Prom-
 
 20 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 inent in good works, they were ever anxious to promote 
 objects of elevating and humanizing influences. Their 
 intercourse with those around them was governed by the 
 law of personal merit, rather than by the fictitious and 
 ephemeral rules of fashionable society, and their friend- 
 ships were mainly based upon the same great principle. 
 
 The commercial panic of 1847 overturned every trader 
 of any account in Manchester, with the exception of the 
 house of Kidder & Co. Smyth & Little struggled man- 
 fully. They had a large stock of goods, for which they 
 owed a considerable amount, and also large sums due 
 them from their customers. Mr. Smyth was extremely 
 solicitous of preserving the credit of his house, and 
 making out an exact statement of his affairs, he went to 
 his creditors in Boston and exhibited it. His apparent 
 honesty made so good an impression, that he was freely 
 granted all the time he needed, and was offered such 
 goods as he might desire to purchase. When the crisis 
 was over, every cent was paid, principal and interest. 
 This success was gratifying, but active political life had 
 charms for him, and when, in 1849, he was chosen city 
 clerk of Manchester, he sold his interest to his partner, 
 Mr. Little, and retired from mercantile life.
 
 Q 
 o 
 
 - 
 
 s; 
 W
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A MUNICIPAL CHIEF MAGISTRATE. 
 
 MANCHESTER had meanwhile increased, in fifteen years, 
 to a city with a valuation of seven millions, and was being 
 supplied with all the requisites of modern civilization. 
 Streets were graded, churches and schoolhouses were 
 built, newspapers were established, a fire department was 
 organized. The different grades of Freemasons and Odd 
 Fellows were instituted, temperance and benevolent soci- 
 eties were formed, and the sandy plain became the site 
 of a prosperous city. 
 
 In 1849, Mr. Smyth disposed of his mercantile busi- 
 ness to his partner, and accepted the position of city 
 clerk. He at once investigated the duties of the office 
 which he had been chosen to fill, and at his entrance 
 into public life formed a high ideal standard of his 
 duties. He not only complied with the requirements 
 of the law, but sought out work desirable and proper to 
 be done ; in fact, made the most of his office in all such 
 respects. Anything worth doing was worth doing not 
 only well, but in the very best possible manner. The 
 annual city report for 1849-50, issued under the super- 
 vision of the new clerk, was commended for the system- 
 atic manner of its execution, and we are told in the 
 American and Messenger of that date that 
 
 "In convention, he was re-elected city clerk by a hand- 
 some majority, notwithstanding the fact that two thirds 
 of the council are politically opposed to him. This is a 
 compliment to Mr. S. which has been well merited by 
 his faithfulness and courtesv during the last vear/'
 
 22 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 This efficient discharge of duty was not without its 
 effect. In January of the year 1852, he was chosen sec- 
 retary of the Whig convention of Hillsborough County, 
 and at the March election following was elected mayor of 
 Manchester. 
 
 At the inauguration of Mayor Smyth, the Rev. Cyrus 
 W. Wallace, then in the prime of life, and in the midst 
 of a long and successful ministry, offered the customary 
 prayer, and Mayor Smyth read his first inaugural address. 
 
 GENTLEMEN OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN AND COMMON 
 COUNCIL : 
 
 In pursuance of the requisitions of our city charter, we 
 are now assembled at the commencement of the seventh 
 year of the administration of our municipal affairs. By 
 one of the provisions of the charter, it is the duty of the 
 mayor to " communicate from time to time, to the board 
 of aldermen and common council, such information, and 
 recommend such measures, as the interests of the city 
 shall in his judgment require." 
 
 Having been honored by a call to that office by the 
 suffrages of my fellow-citizens, and taken the required 
 oath to perform faithfully and impartially all the duties 
 incumbent on me, I deem it appropriate on this occasion 
 to submit a few remarks for your consideration. 
 
 It is with much difficulty, gentlemen, that I enter upon 
 the duties of this office, especially when I realize that it 
 has heretofore been filled by men of more mature age 
 and experience than myself. I fear I may fall far short 
 of the expectations of my fellow-citizens who have placed 
 me in this responsible position. 
 
 But I am encouraged, srentlemen, in being associated 
 
 O ' O O 
 
 with so large a number of the members of former boards, 
 and by the assurance I feel that I shall have the hearty 
 co-operation and support of you all, in my efforts to pro-
 
 MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 23 
 
 mote the welfare of our city ; and that all measures ma- 
 terially affecting the interests of our constituents must 
 pass through your respective boards. I earnestly solicit 
 from each of you, gentlemen, counsel and advice or sug- 
 gestions that will enable me more worthily to fulfill the 
 duties of the office which I have now assumed. 
 
 I might on this occasion review the successive steps by 
 which Manchester, in the short space of fifteen years, 
 from the rank of a town of two thousand inhabitants, 
 and a valuation of half a million of dollars, has advanced 
 to the rank of a city of fifteen thousand inhabitants, with 
 a valuation of seven millions of dollars ; but as you will 
 shortly be furnished with a history of Manchester, which 
 will probably contain all such matters of 'interest, I pro- 
 pose rather, in the few remarks I shall make, to speak, 
 in a business manner, of some of the subjects which will 
 very soon engage our attention. 
 
 For information in relation to the financial affairs of 
 the city, I refer you to the report of the committee on 
 finance of last year, which, I have reason to believe, 
 contains an accurate and true statement of the financial 
 condition of the city Feb. 1, 1852, and which, with other 
 reports thereto annexed, will assist you to form a correct 
 judgment of the manner in which the affairs of the 
 city have been managed the past year, and of what may 
 be required for the ensuing year. The city debt, prop- 
 erly so called (not, of course, including several outstand- 
 ing claims), amounted, Feb. 1, 1852, to $98,431. The 
 amount of interest due on the same was 3,668.36, as 
 appears from said report. The purposes for which this 
 debt was created, or the wisdom with which it was ex- 
 pended, are not questions for us here to discuss. It was 
 contracted by councils composed of men of age, expe- 
 rience, and ability. 
 
 The debt is upon us, and we have the power to in- 
 crease or decrease it. I am not aware that there will be
 
 24 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 any necessity of increasing this debt the present year ; 
 indeed, I hope we may be able to meet all necessary ex- 
 penditures and decrease the debt in some measure, with- 
 out augmenting the rate of taxation over that of last 
 year. 
 
 It will be your duty at an early day to decide upon the 
 appropriations to be made to meet the necessary expenses 
 of the city the present year. This will require your pa- 
 tient and careful attention, as it is difficult to determine 
 at the commencement of the year, with any degree of ex- 
 actness, what amount of money will be required for the 
 several departments of expenditure, and yet it is desirable 
 that a sufficient amount be raised to meet all necessary 
 expenses, without submitting our citizens to unnecessary 
 taxation for a surplus. 
 
 I will next call your attention, gentlemen, to the sub- 
 ject of our schools, which will require a larger appro- 
 priation than any other department, a subject which has 
 not passed unnoticed by the messages of any of our cities 
 in New England for many a year; and yet, gentlemen, in 
 common with all others, I again call your attention to the 
 subject as one well worthy of your deliberation and foster- 
 ing care. By the liberality and enlightened policy of our 
 citizens in the various school districts, schoolhouses have 
 been erected which are in a measure commensurate with 
 the wants and welfare of teachers and scholars, as well as 
 in conformity with the spirit of the age. From my own 
 personal observation, and the very able report of our effi- 
 cient school committee of the last year, and from the 
 opinion of others, in whose ability to form correct judg- 
 ment in the premises I have confidence, I am inclined to 
 the opinion that our schools are improving; and although 
 subject to the drawbacks and hinderances consequent 
 upon a somewhat fluctuating population, they will yet 
 favorably compare with the schools of any other town or 
 city of our age in New England.
 
 MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 25 
 
 While a large proportion of the children and youth of 
 our city are the constant and regular recipients of the 
 advantages of our common-school system, it is yet a no- 
 torious fact, that at all hours of the day there may be 
 seen in our public streets and thoroughfares, scores of 
 children who are not connected with any school, and who 
 are growing up adepts in vice and disturbers of the peace 
 and quiet of our city; and although these in many in- 
 stances are the children of foreigners, it is yet to be 
 feared that too many of our native-born citizens are un- 
 mindful of the duty they owe themselves, their children, 
 and the community at large, in this respect. 
 
 To remedy this evil, and bring these children within 
 the influence of such instruction as shall best promote 
 their welfare here and hereafter, I would recommend to 
 your consideration the valuable suggestions of Hon. C. 
 E. Potter, in his report to the mayor and aldermen : 
 " That the police or school committee be clothed with 
 sufficient authority from the proper source to place and 
 keep at school in the different wards, all the vagrant 
 children in the city." 
 
 The amount appropriated for schools last year was 
 8,300. An increased appropriation is recommended by 
 our school committee for the present year. The amount 
 necessary to be raised for the building and repairing of 
 schoolhouses is determined by the districts, and you will 
 have to appropriate what they shall order, which must 
 be assessed upon the polls and estates in the districts 
 where the expenditure is to be made. 
 
 A large amount of expenditure will always be required 
 for the repairs of highways in our city, in order to keep 
 them in a safe and convenient condition, as they are nu- 
 merous, and traverse a large extent of territory. The 
 amount appropriated for highways and bridges last year 
 was $5,000, 32,750 of which was for District Xo. 2,
 
 26 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 which embraces the city proper, including Janesville. 
 The balance, $2,250, was appropriated to the outer dis- 
 tricts. I think as much will be needed for these districts 
 this year. I am of the opinion that the streets in District 
 No. 2 may be kept in good condition the present year for 
 a much less sum than was expended last year. In con- 
 nection with the subject of highways, I wish to say a 
 word in relation to sidewalks. 
 
 The importance of sidewalks for the accommodation of 
 foot-passengers has been much overlooked. While we 
 are careful to furnish good and well-graded streets for 
 teams and carriages, we should not forget that the travel 
 on foot, when compared in distance with that of teams 
 and vehicles, is much the greater ; and that while the 
 latter is furnished with all the accommodations it re- 
 quires, the former should not be left to pursue its way 
 through mud and water and rubbish of the wayside, or, 
 what is worse, over uneven and ill-constructed walks. In 
 many cities a policy prevails that where the abutters will 
 furnish edge-stones the city causes them to be set and the 
 walks constructed at the expense of the city. In other 
 cities the government constructs the sidewalks and assess 
 the cost thereof on the abutting estates. But as we have 
 no law in our State authorizing the latter policy, I would 
 suggest the propriety of adopting the former, or a similar 
 one, and that a part of the money appropriated for high- 
 ways in District Xo. 2 be expended to improve the side- 
 walks. 
 
 Expenditures for new highways for several years past 
 have been very large, and in the opinion of many of our 
 citizens (with whom I concur) have been much larger 
 than the public good required. I have no doubt all these 
 new highways will at some future time be needed ; but 
 our city is not in a financial position at this time to 
 justify large expenditures in anticipation of the future.
 
 MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 27 
 
 Our present wants require all the tax our citizens can 
 afford to pay. I hope it will not be necessary to make 
 an appropriation for this purpose the present year. 
 
 A petition is now before the court, to be referred to the 
 road commissioners, for a new highway near Webster's 
 Mills, which the board of aldermen refused to lay out, 
 and which, if laid out, will require an appropriation. 
 The commissioners have laid out the highway over the 
 Falls bridge, and assessed upon Manchester the sum of 
 $2,135 for that part of the bridge situated in Manchester, 
 for the payment of which it will be necessary to provide. 
 
 A large amount of money has been expended in former 
 years for the construction of common sewers, and most 
 of our principal streets are now well drained. I think 
 that a small appropriation only will be needed the present 
 year. A claim has been presented against the city for 
 damage alleged to have been caused to the buildings of 
 certain persons by acts of the city, relative to the sewer 
 and reservoir upon Hanover street. This subject should 
 receive your early attention, to ascertain if the city is 
 liable in this case. Should it be found that we are liable 
 for this damage, an appropriation should be made for this 
 purpose, and means taken to prevent a similar occurrence 
 hereafter. 
 
 I next call your attention, gentlemen, to the subject of 
 the tire department. It is supposed that the impor- 
 tance of sustaining in our midst an efficient and well reg- 
 ulated fire department is by no one questioned. Our 
 present department lias given indisputable evidence of its 
 efficiency, and has to an unusual extent the confidence of 
 our people. Engine Co. Xo. 2, which has not been rec- 
 ognixed by the city for some two years, owing to the 
 dilapidated condition of their engine, has recently been 
 resuscitated and furnished with a new and costly machine 
 by the Amoskeag Company, and it is probable will apply
 
 28 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 for admission into the department at the commencement 
 of the year, an application which, if made, will no doubt 
 receive your favorable consideration. Whether any alter- 
 ation in our ordinances relating to the department is 
 required, you have facilities for judging in common with 
 myself and others. That said ordinances are not fault- 
 less is, I believe, admitted by all who have given the 
 matter attention ; but in what manner they can be 
 improved, so as to give better satisfaction to all parties 
 concerned, is a question that will require your careful 
 consideration. I am of opinion that the department 
 itself would prefer a fixed compensation ; but whether 
 this is the case or not could only be ascertained by con- 
 sultation with its members ; and whatever may be done 
 by you in relation to this matter, I am decidedly of 
 opinion that you will proceed with better prospects of 
 success when you shall have, through your committees, 
 conferred with the members of the fire department, or 
 their representatives. 
 
 In any case, you will need to make a much larger 
 appropriation than last year, to meet what may become 
 due on the 1st of April by the present ordinances, and 
 the expenses during the present year. 
 
 Some discussion has been had on the part of our fellow- 
 citizens in relation to obtaining a supply of water from 
 the Merrimack river in connection with the Amoskeag 
 Manufacturing Company, which matter was brought to 
 the notice of vour predecessors bv the engineers of the 
 
 / > o 
 
 fire department, but there has been no action in the prem- 
 ises so far as the city is concerned. I am not informed of 
 the precise nature of the plan proposed to be pursued by 
 said company in its detail, and am therefore unable at 
 this time to give an opinion in relation to the matter, but 
 at the same time will venture to remark that, if a favor- 
 able opportunity is offered to obtain a supply of pure
 
 MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 29 
 
 water in connection with said company for the use of the 
 city, at an expense much less than would otherwise be 
 required, I would recommend that a joint special com- 
 mittee be appointed to investigate the matter, and report 
 to the city council as soon as may be. I will here also 
 say that whenever the time arrives to decide the matter 
 of the connection of the city with such an enterprise, I 
 should recommend that the question be referred directly 
 to the people for a decision. 
 
 I beg leave next to call your attention to our city 
 farm, which seems in a measure to have escaped the 
 attention of our city government heretofore. We have 
 all the facilities necessary for making this farm the 
 model farm of our county and the pride of our city, at a 
 small expense. All the enriching substances necessary 
 to be removed from our streets should be secured for the 
 benefit of the farm, and I would recommend that the 
 teams belonging to the same be put in requisition for that 
 purpose. I would also suggest that proper measures be 
 taken to procure the most approved breeds of stock for 
 the farm, and thereby not only benefit our city, but the 
 whole country around. In connection with this subject, 
 I would respectfully refer you to the important sugges- 
 tions of Hon. C. E. Potter, justice of the police court, 
 relating to our House of Correction (in his report before 
 referred to), which I hope will receive the attention they 
 deserve. 
 
 The necessary appropriation for city farm, paupers, 
 and city police, you will determine in a great measure 
 from the expenditures of those departments in previous 
 years. I am happy to say that, so far as I can judge, 
 these departments have been managed with commendable 
 economy and prudence the past year. I am reminded in 
 this connection that the question of boundary between 
 the city farm and that of Robert Wilson, Esq., still
 
 30 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 remains unsettled, and I am informed that during the 
 past year quantities of wood and timber have been taken 
 from the land in dispute by the opposing claimant. I 
 would recommend that measures be immediately taken 
 to establish our claim to this disputed land, and to recover 
 the value of wood and timber taken therefrom ; as from 
 the best information I can gain, the city's claim can be 
 shown to be clear and undoubted. If this line is allowed 
 to remain unsettled much longer, there may be some dif- 
 ficulty in establishing it, from the uncertainty of obtain- 
 ing testimony as to the original lines in consequence of 
 the decease of those persons on whose knowledge depend- 
 ence must chiefly be placed, in case reference cannot be 
 made to any authentic place or record. 
 
 From the reports of the committees on commons and 
 cemetery, it is thought the latter will need no appropria- 
 tion from you this year, as the amount which will be 
 received from the sale of lots will probably meet all ne- 
 cessary expenses. 
 
 The committee on commons recommended that an 
 iron fence be constructed the present year around Con- 
 cord square, agreeably to the conditions of the deed of 
 the same to the city. The fence which now surrounds 
 this square seems to be in very good condition, and as 
 quite a large sum will be necessary to construct an iron 
 fence, would it not be good economy and for the best 
 interest of the city to let the present fence remain a few 
 years, provided the donors consent to such an arrange- 
 ment ? 
 
 It probably will not be necessary to vary much the 
 appropriation for city officers from that of previous years, 
 as the pay of most officers is established by ordinance, 
 and unless altered by you will amount to about the same 
 as in former years. You will bear in mind, however, 
 that the amount paid to this department in any one year
 
 MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 31 
 
 is not invariably the aggregate of the salaries, as was the 
 case last year, when $1,000 was paid for services rendered 
 in 1848 and 1849. 
 
 The interest of the city debt and the State and county 
 taxes are expenditures beyond your power to control. 
 
 The appropriations for printing and stationery and 
 militia I think may be less than last year. 
 
 The amount necessary for incidental expenses of course 
 you cannot very well determine, as this depends upon 
 contingencies which no one can foresee, yet it will be 
 prudent to provide for all probable expenses of this char- 
 acter. 
 
 The expenses of our city hall building always have 
 been large, owing in a measure to the faulty construction 
 of the roof. It will be seen by reference to the reports, 
 that a large proportion of the items charged city hall do 
 not strictly belong to that head, such as light and fuel for 
 the rooms occupied by the city government, ringing the 
 city bell, etc. I would suggest the propriety of making 
 a separate appropriation for expenditures of the latter 
 named character, as many persons who do not examine 
 the reports particularly are misled by noticing so large an 
 expenditure relating to the city hall. 
 
 A change in our system of collecting taxes is in my 
 opinion imperiously demanded. The large amount re- 
 maining uncollected from year to year, and consequent 
 losses to the city, are strong evidences that some improve- 
 ment may be made in this department. I would suggest 
 for your consideration (should you have the power by the 
 State law) the propriety of authorizing a scale of dis- 
 counts, having reference to the promptness with which 
 taxes are paid, with such regulations in regard to the col- 
 lection of poll-taxes as shall prevent the great loss to 
 which we are now subjected in this respect. The collec- 
 tor's list should be placed in his hands at an earlier day
 
 32 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 than has been the case heretofore. For several years the 
 assessment of taxes has not been completed until four 
 months of our financial year have expired. By this delay 
 the treasurer is obliged to resort to temporary loans, and 
 large losses arise from the departure of many of our tran- 
 sient population from the city before their taxes can be 
 collected. The tax list should be in the hands of the col- 
 lector by the 1st of May. 
 
 You are probably aware, gentlemen, that much com- 
 plaint has been made of the imposition practiced in the 
 sale of wood in our city without being surveyed as 
 required by ordinance. I think this evil might be rem- 
 edied by appointing one surveyor of wood, whose duty it 
 shall be to have charge of the measuring of all the wood 
 sold in the city from vehicles, and to complain to the city 
 marshal of all violations of said ordinance. Assistant 
 surveyors might be appointed if desired. 
 
 There are many subjects other than those I have noticed 
 that will claim your attention, to which I may allude 
 hereafter. I will, however, say a word at this time in 
 relation to the planting of trees. Our citizens have done 
 much to beautify and adorn the city in this respect, and 
 already in the summer months it is beginning to present 
 a rural appearance. I hope they will continue this im- 
 provement, until all our streets shall be bounded with 
 trees, not only in the city proper, but on the streets lead- 
 ing by and through her farm. It will enhance the value 
 of the property tenfold the amount expended in this way, 
 and cause expressions of gratitude from those that come 
 after us. 
 
 I also embrace this opportunity as perhaps the most 
 appropriate occasion to say, gentlemen, that I shall be 
 happy to co-operate with you in enforcing such judicious 
 measures, laws, and regulations as we now have, or in 
 creating others for the purpose of restraining vice, and
 
 MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 33 
 
 promoting sobriety, morality, and good order in our city. 
 You will see, gentlemen, that the most important affairs 
 of the city will engage your attention in the early part of 
 the year. After the appropriations shall have been made 
 and the taxes assessed, no expenditures ought to be 
 authorized beyond that amount (unless provision be made 
 for the same by loan), as the expenses of the several 
 departments should be strictly kept within the appropri- 
 ations. 
 
 A strict accountability from all persons entrusted with 
 public moneys should in all cases be required, and none 
 disbursed except by competent authority. We should 
 make it a ruling principle to observe the same economy 
 in our public as in our private affairs. On the other 
 hand, we should not let what will conduce to the good 
 and happiness of the whole, be checked by a penurious 
 spirit. Let it be our endeavor to increase the comfort 
 and happiness of our fellow-citizens quietly and unpre- 
 tendingly with as little of the burden of taxes as possible. 
 
 We have entered upon a solemn duty. Many of the 
 most important and dearest interests of fifteen thousand 
 souls are entrusted to our care. May no selfish or per- 
 sonal consideration influence us to turn from the path of 
 strict duty. By the solemnities of this occasion we are 
 consecrated to act for the public, and not for ourselves. 
 
 Let us, gentlemen, enter upon our respective duties 
 with a deep and just sense of our responsibility to that 
 Being whose blessing has been invoked on this occasion, 
 realizing that His all-seeing eye is continually upon us, 
 and that to Him we must account, not only for our own 
 acts, but for every motive. 
 
 May we be guided by His wisdom and enabled to dis- 
 charge in His fear our several duties in a manner that 
 shall be honorable to ourselves and promote the welfare 
 of our city.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE WORKERS OF MANCHESTER. 
 
 MANCHESTER was proud of her young mayor, whose 
 efficiency was soon manifest. Immediately after his in- 
 auguration, a " Manufacturers and Mechanics Festival " 
 was held, at which Mayor Smyth was called out by the 
 following toast : " Our honored Mayor, the youngest of 
 the train, yet a fair representative of Manchester lahor, 
 and rich in the confidence of the masses." In response, 
 he pleasantly referred to the days of his boyhood, and 
 said that his first job of work was a three-days' engage- 
 ment at piling wood, for which he received the sum total 
 of twelve and a half cents, an amount which afforded 
 him more pride and satisfaction than any he had earned 
 since. 
 
 At the " Stark Mills Festival," held soon after, he re- 
 marked on the- rapid growth of the city, and on the fact 
 that he had been a resident thirteen years, and was per- 
 sonally acquainted with most of those at work on the 
 Stark. Such incidents reveal one secret of Mr. Smyth's 
 success. In the rivalries of that early time there were 
 men of culture, .lawyers, and others against him in the 
 race for popular preferment. But his untiring industry 
 and his genuine sympathy for labor gave him the sup- 
 port of a people who were laborers and were not ashamed 
 of it. 
 
 In May, 1852, against considerable opposition, he ob- 
 tained the authority from the city council to set trees on 
 Elm street and about land owned by the city; the Amos- 
 keag Company were to furnish the trees, and the city
 
 THE WORKERS OF MANCHESTER. 35 
 
 agreed to set them. To this matter the mayor attended 
 in person; not only at that time, but every year since, 
 with a few exceptions, when away from home, he has 
 inspected the trees officially when in office, and as a citi- 
 zen when out, calling the attention of the proper author- 
 ities to any need. Some, but not all, of his successors 
 in the mayoralty helped on the good work. 
 
 In July and in October of Mayor Smyth's first official 
 term, the Whig party lost its great leaders, Henry Clay 
 and Daniel Webster, and it was his sad duty to officially 
 announce their deaths to the city council, by whom ap- 
 propriate resolutions were passed. He also called a 
 citizens' meeting, saying that " the trembling wires had 
 just brought the tidings of the death of New Hampshire's 
 greatest son," and at that meeting gracefuly called the 
 Hon. Richard II. Ayer, the personal friend and acquain- 
 tance of Mr. Webster, to preside. In those days, the 
 great political leaders were reverenced by the young men 
 who supported them, and not belittled by absurd reports 
 of interviews, telegraphed over the country by irrespon- 
 sible caterers for the press. Mayor Smyth had grown up 
 a Whig, wedded to the principles of Washington and 
 Hamilton, Clay and Webster, principles that will live 
 and illustrate the history of our country and of constitu- 
 tional liberty through all coming time. 
 
 The fire department received careful attention from 
 Mayor Smyth, and when its annual gathering was held 
 in the September of 1852, he received their endorsement 
 in this toast : " Young, vigorous, and energetic, he fitly 
 represents our city." 
 
 There had been considerable feeling in regard to our 
 need of increased depot accommodations, and also to 
 what many citizens considered needless obstruction of 
 the highway by the Concord Railroad. In October and 
 December of that year, meetings were held, and a very
 
 36 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 considerable amount of public indignation expressed. 
 The controversy was managed by the mayor in behalf of 
 the city, and resulted in a due observance of the law by 
 the railroad corporation, and ultimately in increased de- 
 pot accommodations for freight and travel. 
 
 In March, 1853, Mayor Smyth was re-elected by a very 
 decisive vote ; and the American and Messenger, speak- 
 ing of his first year's services, said : " He was elected by 
 a flattering vote ; the confidence which was then reposed 
 in him has now been perfected. Whatever fell under 
 his inspection has received his attention regardless of 
 time or labor. We have never had a public ofiicer who 
 labored more zealously or impartially in the performance 
 of duty." 
 
 Here follows Mayor Smyth's second inaugural address, 
 delivered March, 1853. 
 
 GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL : 
 
 Having been called a second time by my fellow-citizens 
 to fill the highest office of our city, I feel called upon to 
 express my sincere thanks for this renewed testimonial of 
 public confidence. I am happy to find myself associated 
 with so large a number who are well known to take a 
 deep and abiding interest in the prosperity of our city, 
 whose generous aid I shall hope to receive in my endeav- 
 ors to promote the public welfare. Our fellow-citizens 
 have committed to us the management of the municipal 
 affairs of this city, for the year on which we are to-day 
 entering. In accepting this trust, arid by the oaths we 
 have just taken, we have pledged ourselves to act for the 
 best interests of the city, regardless of all personal con- 
 siderations. Under our city charter, as under that of 
 other cities, the municipal powers of the people, as de- 
 fined by the constitution and laws of the State, devolve 
 upon the city council, which, like the legislature, is com-
 
 MAYOR'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 37 
 
 posed of two branches. These branches, except in a few 
 specified cases, act by separate boards and by concurrent 
 vote, each board having a negative on the other. It is 
 the duty of the executive officer to devise and recommend 
 such measures as he may deem to be proper and useful, 
 and to preside over the upper branch, and over the city 
 council in convention ; in the event of a division in either 
 assembly, he has a casting vote. The upper branch, also, 
 is a board of council to the executive officer, having a 
 negative on his nominations. It is also clothed with ex- 
 ecutive powers, and has exclusive duties imposed upon it 
 by general and special laws. The advantages and con- 
 veniences of this mode of municipal government, as 
 adapted to a populous community, are conceded by all. 
 
 One of the evils incident to city governments is to 
 legislate too much. The proper course for a government 
 like ours is to keep strictly within the line of law and 
 duty, leaving individuals as free as possible, when they 
 do not interfere with the rights of others. It will be 
 your province, gentlemen, to take a calm survey of what 
 has been done by your predecessors during the six years 
 our city government has existed, and sanction whatever 
 has been rightly done, correct the wrong, and take such 
 new steps as the wants of our community may require. 
 You will perceive the importance of early making your- 
 selves personally acquainted with the wants, requirements, 
 and operations of the several departments of expen- 
 ditures for which appropriations will have to be made. 
 I can only give you at this time a mere outline of the 
 condition and wants of those departments. 
 
 The annual reports and other documents will be on 
 your files, to which your attention is requested. The 
 finances will claim your solicitous attention. Our con- 
 stituents expect of us that economy in all the expenditures 
 over which we have control, consistent with the prospec-
 
 38 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 tive interests of our growing city. It gives me pleasure 
 to state that the finances of our city are now in a very 
 satisfactory condition. The ordinary expenses of the last 
 year were less than the amount appropriated, and the 
 amount of receipts from various sources exceeded the 
 estimates. The city debt has been decreased, and all de- 
 mands against the city promptly paid, when due. A 
 large part of the debt is now funded, falling due as fol- 
 lows: $22,500, July 1, 1857; 17,500, July 1, 1862; 
 $20,000, July 1, 1867; and $20,000, July 1, 1872, the 
 interest being due annually July 1, as per coupons. The 
 balance of the debt is in notes, about $3,000 of which 
 will become due the present year, which may be paid by 
 an appropriation (and thus reduce the debt that amount), 
 or by city stock unsold. The whole debt at the present 
 time is 97,550, and the interest due on the same is $2,- 
 955,39. This debt, considering the permanent improve- 
 ments which have been made in the city during the last 
 ten years, and the property now owned by the city, avail- 
 able and unavailable, cannot be considered large, and I 
 believe is comparatively less than that of many other 
 cities in Xew England. It has been suggested that it 
 would be good policy to sell the Davis farm, and apply 
 the proceeds to the liquidation of the debt. The Stevens 
 farm is amply sufficient for all the purposes for which 
 the city will ever want land in that part of the city. The 
 first-named farm would undoubtedly sell for more than 
 double its original cost ; but whether the time has arrived 
 when it would be good policy to sell it, is a question for 
 you to determine. The city owns a lot of land with a 
 building on Merrimaek street, which it has no use for at 
 present, and I am not aware of any future want of it. I 
 recommend that it be sold ; and that the same disposition 
 be made of the old town house (if we have the right), 
 as it is fast going to decay. The court-house lot still
 
 MAYOR'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 39 
 
 remains in the hands of the city, and cannot exactly be 
 considered available property in its present position. 
 
 In order to sustain the reputation we now have for the 
 excellence of our schools, and maintain them in a condi- 
 tion to compare favorably with our sister cities, similarly 
 situated, throughout New England, as well as to meet the 
 wants consequent upon our increasing population, and, 
 it gives me pleasure to sa}-, increased interest mani- 
 fested by our community in this important subject, a 
 larger appropriation will be required the present year for 
 this department than has ever before been made by our 
 city in any one year. More schools will not only be de- 
 manded by those increasing wants, but a greater compen- 
 sation will also be required by some of our teachers, 
 which must be granted, or we shall from time to time 
 suffer by their transfer to other localities, where their 
 services are better appreciated. I would by no means 
 have it understood that I suppose it will be for our inter- 
 est to establish a scale of prices equal to the older and 
 more wealthy cities, but so to compensate our teachers 
 that it shall no longer be said that our best teachers leave 
 us, for want of adequate support at home, and locate 
 themselves more happily in other communities, which in 
 a pecuniary point of view have much less ability than 
 ourselves. It should be our object to encourage the art 
 of teaching as a profession, and not lend our influence to 
 any system that shall give our schools an unstable charac- 
 ter, by the employment of those who have no love for the 
 occupation, and resort to it only as a temporary necessity, 
 abandoning it whenever more congenial pursuits present 
 themselves. 
 
 During the last year, I ought not to omit to make men- 
 tion of the pleasing fact which has met my observation, 
 that the number of vagrant children in our streets and 
 thoroughfares during the term time of our schools has
 
 40 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 very essentially decreased ; and in this connection, I may 
 very properly call your attention to the fact, that our State 
 legislature, at its last session, passed, as it appears to me, 
 a wise and salutary law in relation to this matter, and 
 that your predecessors have taken action on the same 
 subject, calculated to make it effectual in our city. 
 
 Your attention is commended to the annual report of 
 the school committee of last year, and in an especial 
 manner to that portion of it relating to the duties of the 
 school committee, and the propriety of abolishing that 
 board as now constituted, and establishing in its place a 
 school commissioner, with such compensation as shall give 
 him adequate support, and enable him to give his entire 
 time and attention to the interests of our schools. The 
 duties devolving upon a school-committeeman necessarily 
 involve the expenditure of more time than most of our 
 citizens are willing or find it convenient to appropriate to 
 the office, as we have in our city very few who are not 
 engaged in active business, requiring in its prosecution 
 their entire time and talent. The above considerations, 
 and others that might be named, if the limits of this ad- 
 dress would permit of it, induce me to urge upon your 
 attention the propriety of petitioning the next legislature 
 for this desirable change in our charter. 
 
 A less sum was expended for the repairs of highways 
 the last year (not including the amount expended in build- 
 ing bridges destroyed by freshets) than there has been for 
 several preceding years ; notwithstanding which, I be- 
 lieve it will be conceded that most of our highways and 
 streets were never in better condition than during the 
 past season. The proper construction and repairing of 
 highways to the best advantage, and with the least cost, 
 requires more than ordinary experience, skill, and en- 
 ergy, with a practical knowlege of the elementary prin- 
 ciples of engineering. I have noticed, as I have no doubt
 
 MAYOR'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 41 
 
 many of you have, that some surveyors of highways seem 
 to accomplish double the real improvement that others do 
 with the same expense. We should endeavor to place at 
 the head of this department the most skillful, experi- 
 enced, and energetic men. I believe that most of our 
 highway surveyors the past season have been faithful, 
 and rendered a good account of the money entrusted 
 with them to expend. What perhaps speaks more in 
 their favor, is the fact that the city had no claims (except 
 of a trifling character) presented for damages caused by 
 defects in streets and highways, during the last year. 
 
 Much expense has been saved in District No. 2 (em- 
 bracing the city proper) by employing the teams and men 
 at the city farm, in removing the manure, rubbish, and 
 filth accumulating in the streets, to the farm, which has 
 been a source of great benefit to that department. The 
 same course ought to be continued hereafter. 
 
 Elm street is, and, for aught we can now see, must 
 continue to be, our principal street of business. Upon it 
 our public buildings, hotels, stores, warehouses, and places 
 of public resort are for the most part located, and it may 
 be presumed that in its appearance and condition our citi- 
 zens are more interested than in any other. It has been 
 the aim to keep it in as good condition as possible ; but 
 owing to the very great amount of passage by vehicles 
 through this thoroughfare, it is ut times quite unpleasant 
 for pedestrians in crossing the same. I see no way in 
 which it can be much improved, from its present condi- 
 tion, except by paving ; and in order to try the experi- 
 ment, I would recommend that a part of the appropria- 
 tions for highways in this district, the present year, be 
 expended in paving a porl of it; and if it proves satisfac- 
 tory, the system be continued from year to year, as the 
 city can afford, until the whole is completed. I am of 
 opinion that the appropriations for the repairs of high-
 
 42 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 ways the present year need not be much larger than that 
 of last year, provided the money be entrusted in the 
 hands of proper men to expend. I ought not to forget to 
 mention that several stone crossings are now very much 
 needed on many of our streets. Last year there were 
 constructed, by special appropriation, an arch bridge at 
 the lower end of Elm street, two bridges in District No. 
 4, and two in District No. 9, in place of those destroyed 
 by the spring freshet, which are all of a substantial char- 
 acter, and will not probably require rebuilding for many 
 years. 
 
 In our city the construction of sidewalks has been con- 
 sidered as much a matter of individual undertaking as 
 the building of their private dwellings, and if all would 
 do what many have done in this respect, no action would 
 be necessary on the part of the city. During the last 
 year individuals have done much to supply walks on 
 their abutting estates, and the city has endeavored to en- 
 courage this improvement by furnishing gravel, when the 
 former have been willing to furnish edge-stones and set 
 them. Some further action on the part of the city will 
 be necessary to supply this great convenience. The pro- 
 prietor who is not willing to construct comfortable walks 
 bordering his premises, equally opposes his own interest 
 and that of the public. 
 
 One of the most difficult subjects which will claim your 
 attention, \vill be the numerous applications for new 
 highways. The law docs not allow the constituted au- 
 thorities to lay out a highway, unless the public good re- 
 quires it enough to justify them in taxing every individ- 
 ual in the city, liable to be taxed, with his proportion of 
 building and maintaining the same. Every new high- 
 way asked for is generally supposed by the petitioners to 
 be required by the public, while in many instances they 
 are the only part of the public of that opinion. It will be
 
 MAYOR'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 43 
 
 for you, gentlemen, to decide upon the merits of these 
 applications, and to act upon your views of the wants and 
 necessities of the whole public, however much we may 
 wish to accommodate a part of our fellow-citizens. Al- 
 though the authority of laying our highways devolves 
 upon the maj'or and aldermen, it has been the practice to 
 refer all petitions of that kind, first, to a joint committee 
 of the two boards, to make examination and report their 
 joint opinions, before the board of mayor and aldermen 
 proceed to act in their separate capacity. The road com- 
 missioners have laid out a highway the past year in the 
 vicinity of Webster's Mills, and ordered the same to be 
 built the present year ; for the building of which, and 
 the damages assessed for land taken for the same, an ap- 
 propriation will be required of several thousand dollars. 
 You are aware that the part of the Amoskeag Falls 
 Bridge belonging to Goffstown has been destroyed, ren- 
 dering of course the part belonging to Manchester im- 
 passable until theirs shall be rebuilt. The bridge was 
 examined last summer by competent judges, who, on ac- 
 count of its decayed condition, pronounced it unsafe to 
 remain over three years from that date, provided no acci- 
 dent should befall it. I would recommend that an exam- 
 ination lie immediately made of the part belonging to 
 this city, with a view to ascertain whether it will be good 
 policy to rebuild the same in connection with Gotfttown 
 the present year, rather than risk it longer in its present 
 condition. Should it be thought best to rebuild the pres- 
 ent season, an appropriation must be made for that pur- 
 pose, unless you should decide to build it by loan. 
 
 The subject of lighting our streets has of late, since the 
 introduction of gas into our city, engaged the attention of 
 our citizens somewhat. The object is a very desirable 
 one, and if some plan can be devised by which the city 
 can give its aid in effecting it, without incurring too
 
 44 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 great expense, or causing disaffection in certain local- 
 ities, I recommend that an appropriation be made for 
 that purpose, and the proper arrangements made at an 
 early date for carrying it into effect. 
 
 In 1846 and 1847 a system of sewerage was commenced, 
 by constructing a brick sewer through a part of Elm 
 street. This system has been continued, until we now 
 have a brick sewer from the Cemetery brook, through 
 Elm to Bridge street ; with branches constructed of brick 
 through Merrimack, from Elm to Pine street; through 
 Pine to Central ; through Manchester, from Elm to Pine 
 street ; through Amherst and Concord streets, from Elm 
 to Chestnut ; through Bridge, from Elm to Pine. These 
 branches have been extended by chestnut plank sewers 
 as follows : through Laurel, from Pine to Union; through 
 Amherst to Pine ; through Pine, from Amherst to the 
 back street between Concord and Lowell streets ; through 
 said back street from Pine to Union ; through Union, 
 from said back street to High street ; through Bridge, 
 from Pine to Union street; through Union, from Bridge 
 to Orange street; and through Pearl, from Union to Pine. 
 There is also a plank sewer extending from Hanover 
 square through Walnut to Lowell street. We have also 
 a brick sewer conveying the water from Hanover square 
 through Hanover and Chestnut streets, to Merrimack and 
 Concord squares. The sudden flow of water a few weeks 
 since, completely tilling the Elm-street sewer for a short 
 time, demonstrated the fact that it is not of sufficient 
 capacity to carry all the water that will of necessity be 
 sent into it in a few years, as its branches are extended, 
 unless other means of conveyance for a part of the water 
 accumulating on the streets leading from Elm street, is 
 provided. Our system of sewerage is now so well ex- 
 tended, that small annual appropriations will serve to 
 keep our city well drained. A small sewer is now needed
 
 MAYOR'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 45 
 
 through the back street, on the east side of Elm street, 
 and short sewers in some other localities. 
 
 The proper support of the fire department of our city 
 must of necessity involve no inconsiderable expense, 
 but it is so very essential, that no reasonable amount 
 ought to be withheld for its maintenance, especially when 
 so efficient and complete as ours is at present. The ser- 
 vices of the members are often arduous, and subject them 
 to serious exposures, from the nature of their services, 
 the amount of them cannot be foreseen, or even estimated, 
 with any degree of accuracy. I believe the department 
 has been conducted by the intelligent board of engineers, 
 the last year, as economically as possible, without impair- 
 ing its efficiency, and with praiseworthy discretion. The 
 department has been increased the past year, by adding 
 Niagara Engine No. 2, with a company of fifty men, and 
 also a hose company attached, of twenty-five men. It 
 now consists of six first-class engines with companies of 
 fifty men each, one hook and ladder company and one 
 hose company of fort} 7 men each, and one hose company 
 attached to Niagara engine, above named, all with a good 
 supply of hose and necessary appendages. This force it 
 is believed will be sufficient for many years to come. 
 The companies have good accommodations as to houses, 
 those on the west of Elm street being furnished by the 
 manufacturing companies. 
 
 The excellent condition in which the companies keep 
 their machines and all of their attachments, their admira- 
 ble discipline, as well as their prompt and efficient ser- 
 vices, deserve recognition. The appropriation for this 
 department the present year may be made without any 
 particular expenditures in view, except the pay of firemen 
 and the construction of some additional reservoirs, which 
 are immediately demanded in certain localities. 
 
 The city council is often reminded of things wanted in
 
 46 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 the city, and it is proper and well that it should so be, 
 by suggestions from citizens, those to whom the power to 
 act is delegated, may often be led to adopt measures con- 
 ducive to the prosperity of the city. 
 
 The subject of supplying our city with water has been 
 before the city council the last year, and discussed with- 
 out arriving at any definite plan. The introduction of 
 an abundance of pure water into our city would be ex- 
 ceedingly desirable, not only for domestic uses, but as 
 security from lire. Its supply has ever been deemed of 
 paramount importance to the health, cleanliness, security, 
 and comfort of populous communities. The time will 
 come when such a work will be accomplished in our city, 
 but projects of this kind generally reach maturity by slow 
 advances. It will be wise foresight for you to give this 
 subject attention, to ascertain and determine whether the 
 time has now arrived when our city should undertake 
 such an enterprise. It may be thought best to leave it to 
 be accomplished by individual or corporate enterprise. 
 A difference of opinion in relation to this important sub- 
 ject will probably exist. 
 
 In raising money for the ordinary expenses of our city, 
 it is the duty of the city council to take into considera- 
 tion its wants, and what the public good requires, and act 
 accordingly. But when projects of extensive public pol- 
 icy, involving heavy expense to the city and an increase 
 of the debt, are proposed, it will be your duty to move 
 with great caution. 
 
 The city marshal and his assistant, and officers under 
 them, "have, I believe, been faithful in their respective 
 offices the past year, and the peace and good order of our 
 city has been signally maintained. An ordinance has 
 lately been passed by your predecessors requiring all fees 
 received by any members of the police department to be 
 paid over to the city, relieving them from any pecuniary
 
 MAYOR'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 47 
 
 inducement to make improper arrests, and also from the 
 liability of being unjustly accused of so doing. 
 
 It has become apparent, after six years' experience, that 
 more ample accommodations are required for the city 
 government. The mayor and city clerk are obliged to 
 occupy the aldermen's room in common with that board, 
 and have no other place for the daily transaction of pub- 
 lic business, which is inconvenient as it is inappropriate ; 
 and what is still worse, there is no safe connected with 
 this room in which to deposit the records of the city. I 
 would therefore recommend that a committee be ap- 
 pointed to make examination, to ascertain if apartments 
 for all these purposes, as well as an office for the city 
 marshal and police court, cannot be provided in the city 
 hall, without injury to the public hall, and at a small 
 expense. It has been suggested by men competent of 
 judging in such matters, that such an arrangement could 
 be made at an expense, the interest of which would not 
 exceed the amount now annually paid for rent of city 
 marshal and police court offices. I have said this much, 
 more for the purpose of calling your attention to the sub- 
 ject, than because I have a decided opinion what will be 
 the best arrangement that can be made. It is important 
 that no permanent change should hastily be made. Far 
 better to suffer temporary inconvenience, than to enter 
 into any expenditure of money that would not answer a 
 satisfactory purpose. I will here add, that the provision 
 of our charter, giving our citizens access to the meetings 
 of our city council, is defeated by its limited accommoda- 
 tions. The city hall will soon require, at all events, 
 some outlay. 
 
 The attention of the city council was last year called 
 to the subject of rents of the stores under the city hall ; 
 and after patient examination, they became satisfied that 
 they were much lower than their real value ; they
 
 48 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 therefore passed a resolution the 1st of October, advan- 
 cing the rent somewhat from Jan. 1, 1853, and gave notice 
 of the same to all the present occupants, giving them the 
 privilege of retaining them at the advanced rent. They 
 all accepted, and paid the rents accordingly, with three 
 exceptions. These three, when presented with their bills 
 of rent, Jan. 1, refused to pay the same. It will be for 
 you to direct what course shall be pursued with those 
 who have refused to pay rent, thus established. 
 
 It would appear from the report of the committee on 
 the cemetery, that the income arising from the sale of 
 lots will be amply sufficient to liquidate all the necessary 
 expenses in maintaining it in its present beauty, order, and 
 convenience, as the resting-place of our departed relatives 
 and friends, and to make such changes and improvements 
 as in time shall be demanded. At the time this by nature 
 beautiful, and now by association doubly interesting, val- 
 ley was given to the city by the Amoskeag Company, it 
 was considered so far removed from our city proper, as to 
 render it quite improbable that its silence would ever be 
 disturbed by the din and noise arising from the usual 
 avocations of life in our places of business ; but a quarter 
 of a century has not passed, and we find our city already 
 so far extended south, as to bring the abodes of the living 
 and the dead in close proximity ; and it requires no pro- 
 phetic vision to see that before another quarter of a cen- 
 tury shall be numbered with years past, that instead of 
 its location being upon the southern verge of the city, it 
 will in all probability become near its center, and in time 
 there will no doubt arise the question of the sanitary in- 
 fluence of such a state of things. Medical science and 
 enlightened discrimination have caused an increased in- 
 terest to be thrown around the abode of the dead. Your 
 attention is not called to this matter, gentlemen, in order 
 to elicit action so much, at this time, as to leave it re- 
 corded that we were not unmindful of the future.
 
 MAYOR'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 49 
 
 Our commons and squares, so liberally granted us by 
 the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, should annually 
 receive our care and attention, and the improvements 
 which have been commenced, continued. An appropria- 
 tion will be needed the present year to complete the 
 fencing and grading of Hanover square, and for some 
 additional improvements of the other commons. I am 
 informed by the agent of the Amoskeag Manufacturing 
 Company, that said company are willing to extend the 
 time allowed the city to build iron fences around Concord 
 and Merrimack squares, to such time as shall be for the 
 interest of the city to build the same, provided the present 
 fences are kept in good condition, and such improvements 
 made as the city can from time to time afford. 
 
 The overseers of the poor and city physician, of the 
 past year, deserve much credit for the fidelity and pru- 
 dence with which they have discharged their trusts. The 
 poor have been well and kindly cared for, and yet with 
 small expense to the city. Our whole duty to the poor is 
 not in relieving their immediate and pressing necessities, 
 but often more in teaching them habits of temperance, 
 industry, and economy, and encouraging self-reliance. A 
 system of improvements on the city farm has been com- 
 menced, which ought to be carried forward from year to 
 year. Measures have been taken to secure the right of 
 the city to that part of the Davis farm claimed by other 
 parties. 
 
 In the address which I had the honor to deliver to the 
 city council at the commencement of the last year, our 
 system of collecting taxes was adverted to as needing im- 
 provement. I am happy to be able to state that a decided 
 improvement in this important department has taken 
 place, and that during no year since the first organization 
 of our city government, have the taxes been so promptly 
 and closely collected as during this last year, as you will
 
 50 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 see by referring to our annual reports. There is at the 
 present time one thousand dollars more due from the col- 
 lector of 1850, than from the collector of last year. It is 
 hoped that there may be a still greater improvement in 
 this respect the year to come. 
 
 You will observe, in making the appropriations, that 
 the expenses of our city are not always necessarily the 
 result of the action of the city council, but are sometimes 
 beyond their control : as, for instance, the State and 
 county tax, which amounts this year to about $12,000 ; 
 the interest on the city debt, amounting to $6,000 ; the 
 expenses of building new highways laid out by the road 
 commissioners, and schoolhouse taxes authorized by school 
 districts. 
 
 I cannot feel at liberty to conclude this communication 
 without invoking your attention, and through you, that 
 of our citizens generally, to the subject of a public li- 
 brary. The advantages of such an institution will not be 
 denied, nor need they be enumerated. As a place of 
 resort for young men, its influence cannot be overesti- 
 mated. As the laws of the State now authorize towns to 
 raise money to be expended for public libraries, I hope 
 you will consider whether the public good will justify or 
 require an appropriation by you for so commendable an 
 object. 
 
 I confidently presume, gentlemen, upon the same cour- 
 tesy and harmony in our proceedings that characterized 
 the two branches of the city government the year past ; 
 and shall hope that our influence and acts will serve to 
 promote the moral and general welfare of our city, to 
 which end I bespeak those providential aids which will 
 not lead us amiss.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A VIGILANT MAYOR. 
 
 MAYOR SMYTH was prominent, during his second term 
 of office, in securing the annexation of the villages of Pis- 
 cataquog and Amoskeag, part of the towns of Bedford 
 and Goifstown respectively, to Manchester. The inhabi- 
 tants of these villages were anxious to be incorporated 
 within the city limits, but the old townsmen strenuously 
 opposed letting them go, and would have prevented the 
 passage of the act of annexation had it not been for the 
 mayor's personal exertions with the legislature, which 
 were crowned with success. 
 
 It has been seen that Mayor Smyth calls attention to 
 the subject of a public library. While all now recognize 
 its importance, the recommendation was very considera- 
 bly in advance of public sentiment, and was advocated by 
 only a few citizens, among whom the late Judge Samuel 
 D. Bell was conspicuous. It proved, however, the crown- 
 ing act of the third year of his mayoralty, and will ever 
 remain as an honorable token of the wise policy he ad- 
 vised. The " Manchester Atheneurn," a private corpora- 
 tion for the purpose of maintaining a library, reading- 
 room, and museum, was in a nourishing condition, having 
 about four thousand volumes on its shelves, and many 
 valuable documents and aboriginal relics in its possession. 
 The members of this corporation entered into a contract 
 with the city, by virtue of which all its property was sur- 
 rendered, on condition that the city should appropriate 
 $1,000 annually for the purchase of books and periodi- 
 cals, and pay the running expenses. Members of the
 
 52 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Atheneum, however, retained their right to take books 
 on loan wherever they might live. 
 
 It must not be forgotten that at this time Manchester 
 was a city of working people, mostly gathered in from the 
 towns around, and more concerned to keep taxes down 
 than to cultivate literature. The affair, however, was so 
 well managed that from the time Mayor Smyth affixed 
 his signature with the broad seal of the city to the con- 
 tract, until the present time, there has been no serious 
 fault found, but increasing satisfaction. A few years 
 since a $30,000 building was erected to accommodate the 
 library, to which a spacious wing has recently been added. 
 
 In March, 1854, Mayor Smyth was for the third time 
 re-elected, and by an increased majority. Following will 
 be found the mayor's third annual address. 
 
 GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL : 
 
 I again assume the important trusts committed to me 
 with so much unanimity by my fellow-citizens, fully 
 appreciating the responsibilities which they involve. 
 
 The experience of the two past years has plainly taught 
 me that the duties devolving upon the office of mayor of 
 this city are arduous, and require his entire personal atten- 
 tion in their proper discharge. When I consider that 
 upon their faithful performance the present and future 
 welfare of our growing city may in a measure depend, as 
 well as the comfort and happiness of every citizen, when 
 I reflect that every official act may be fraught with good 
 or evil to our whole community, I confess a distrust in 
 my ability to meet all the requirements resting upon me. 
 
 During the past year our city has encountered no un- 
 usual calamity, but has been highly prospered in its busi- 
 ness relations, and in the enjoyment of general health, 
 peace, and security, as well as in the benefits of moral 
 and local institutions creditable to any community. For 
 all these blessings we have cause for profound gratitude.
 
 MAYOR'S THIRD INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 53 
 
 I do not, gentlemen, propose to discuss, at this time, 
 subjects which have occupied portions of former ad- 
 dresses, as they now constitute a part of the city docu- 
 ments, and can be referred to, if desired. 
 
 "We have been appointed to the stations by us now as- 
 sumed, at an exceedingly interesting period in the history 
 of this city ; and I may be permitted to say that there has 
 been no time since we received our charter when those 
 having in charge its municipal affairs should act with 
 more prudence and care, or with more energy and 
 efficiency. 
 
 Business of every kind is promising and productive; 
 our population and trade are rapidly increasing. Manu- 
 factories are multiplying ; our mechanical enterprises are 
 receiving fresh impulses, new branches being continually 
 added to our industry. The most active preparations are 
 in progress for the erection of buildings, exceeding in 
 value and number the improvement of any past year, and 
 real estate is rapidly increasing in value. What may be 
 the position which Manchester is destined to assume, and 
 what may be the extent of her population, I will not 
 undertake to anticipate. But may we not with confidence 
 rely upon a continued increase of our trade, manufactures, 
 and business, to such an extent as to warrant us in in- 
 dulging the most cheering hopes of the future ? 
 
 One feature in our business prosperity has been noticed 
 with no little pleasure, and that is, the numerous indi- 
 vidual enterprises commenced during the last year. Our 
 large manufacturing companies are, and will ever be, the 
 mainspring of the general business of our city ; but whilst 
 this is the case, and although many of our oldest and best 
 citizens are now connected with them, it is nevertheless 
 true that the nature of this business has a tendency to 
 give us a somewhat fluctuating population, which is not 
 the case with smaller and individual enterprises ; and this
 
 54 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 consideration alone should cause us to second, as citizens, 
 every movement calculated to give us permanency. For 
 this direction imparted to our industrial affairs, we are 
 indebted, in no small degree, to the liberal policy pursued 
 by the Amoskeag Company. 
 
 It is a part of wisdom and duty to so far extend our 
 views as to make some provision for the future wants of a 
 place which must become one of the largest inland cities 
 in ISTew England, as far as it is possible so to do, without 
 imposing impolitic and unjust burdens upon the present. 
 
 I congratulate you, gentlemen, on finding improved 
 accommodations in the apartments for the transaction of 
 public business. Much inconvenience has heretofore been 
 experienced in this respect. Your predecessors have pre- 
 pared the present rooms with the opinion that they will 
 answer the present purposes of the city, although not so 
 commodious as will be required at some future day. The 
 boards of mayor and aldermen, common council, over- 
 seers of the poor, school committee, assessors, engineers, 
 the city clerk, and city marshal, can now be accommo- 
 dated in convenient proximity. The cost of this arrange- 
 ment has been trifling compared to the benefits to be 
 derived, and will relieve the city from the expense here- 
 tofore incurred for rent of office for the city marshal and 
 police. 
 
 It becomes my duty, as the chief executive officer of 
 the city, to direct your attention to such measures as may 
 seem necessary for its welfare ; but our city charter must 
 be your text-book, to which you will need continually to 
 refer. 
 
 During the past year the ordinances which have been 
 passed from time to time since our city was organized, 
 have been, with much care and labor, revised and consol- 
 idated in chapters, properly indexed, and printed with 
 the charter and its amendments. These vou will have
 
 MAYOR'S THIRD INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 55 
 
 before you in a convenient form, and it will be your 
 duty to examine the same and make such improvements 
 or additions as experience may require. 
 
 By an act of the last legislature, the territory of our 
 city has been increased by the annexation of what now 
 constitutes wards seven and eight. These wards have 
 been organized, and are now represented in this council. 
 It will be necessary for you to give your earliest attention 
 to some of their immediate wants. The division of the 
 same into proper school and highway districts should be 
 made without delay, and also their boundaries perma- 
 nently marked. By the act of annexation, the city is to 
 assume " such proportion of the existing debts of said 
 towns deducting therefrom the amount of money then 
 raised, or directed to be raised, by either of said towns, 
 to be applied towards the liquidation of the same as 
 the inventory of the inhabitants of said towns, in the ter- 
 ritory so severed and annexed, last made, bears to the 
 whole amount of inventory last made, in each of said 
 towns." Measures should be immediately taken to as- 
 certain the exact amount of our indebtedness to these 
 towns, in this relation, by appointing a committee to 
 make examination and effect a just settlement. 
 
 Directly after this territory became a part of Manches- 
 ter (Sept. 15, 1853), steps were taken to rebuild that part 
 of the Amoskeag Falls Bridge, formerly within the town 
 of Goffstown, which that town had neglected to do, at the 
 proper season. Upon examination it was decided that 
 the entire bridge should be rebuilt, as that part not de- 
 stroyed had so far decayed as to be unsafe for travel. 
 The season had so far advanced as to render the con- 
 struction of the same entirely impracticable that year ; 
 but the stone was prepared for the necessary piers, in 
 contemplation of building them in the autumn, to be in 
 readiness to receive the bridge the present season. The
 
 56 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 state of the river has, as yet, prevented that from being 
 accomplished. The committee having in charge this 
 work, have completed contracts for the materials and 
 construction of a substantial bridge, with all possible de- 
 spatch. It is hoped that this important thoroughfare, of 
 which our citizens have been so long deprived, will be 
 opened to the public again by the the 1st of September, 
 at least. 
 
 The annual order of appropriations for the current fis- 
 cal year, the second month of which has commenced, will 
 claim your earliest attention. A full and detailed ac- 
 count of the receipts and expenditures of the last year, 
 with such statistical information in relation to the city 
 debt, and the general affairs of the city, as you may re- 
 quire, will be found in the annual report of the commit- 
 tee on finance. During the last year, it will be seen that 
 all the expenditures were kept within the appropriations, 
 which rule should never be departed from. 
 
 A considerate view of our present condition and pros- 
 pects will prompt you to grant cheerfully such appropria- 
 tions for the current year as our present wants may 
 require, and to make such provision for the future as a 
 liberal policy and a prudent forecast may determine. 
 
 Many improvements have been effected in our city 
 since its organization, such as the building and repairing 
 of highways, the construction of sewers and sidewalks, 
 improvement of the public squares, planting of shade 
 trees, lighting of the streets, and providing means for the 
 extinguishing of fires. Many other things, which will 
 present themselves to you in the discharge of your duties, 
 are continually required to keep pace with the increasing 
 wants of our community. 
 
 The present debt, which has been decreased somewhat 
 for several years past, ought never to be increased, except 
 for permanent improvements that will be of correspond-
 
 MAYOR'S THIRD INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 57 
 
 ing value to those who may have the debt to pay. It is 
 no more than justice that the burden of such improve- 
 ments should be shared between ourselves and those who 
 enjoy their benefit hereafter. 
 
 It will be necessary at an early day to make provision 
 for the payment of the expense of the contemplated new 
 bridge, and the city's proportion of the Bedford and 
 Goftstown debt. I think it will not be good policy to 
 raise all of the amount the present year by taxation, and 
 would, therefore, recommend that six per cent coupon 
 stock be issued, on such time as may be thought advis- 
 able, for a part of it at least. The credit of the city now 
 stands high, and money can easily be obtained on long 
 time on better terms than for short periods, and proposi- 
 tions are now made to take all the stock the city may 
 wish to issue as above, at a premium. 
 
 I am not aware of the necessity of any appropriation 
 but for the ordinary purposes of the city. Some of the 
 departments will need increased provision for their suit- 
 able support. 
 
 In former communications to the city council, it has 
 been my aim to give prominence to the subject of our 
 schools, believing it to be the most important interest, as 
 well as the one requiring the largest and most liberal 
 provision for its maintenance. And the fact that they 
 have been improved is one calculated to reflect credit 
 upon those having them in charge, and the fostering care 
 of the council. I have endeavored, during the last year 
 in particular, to make myself better acquainted than 
 before with their condition and wants ; and although 
 inclined to the opinion that each successive year leaves 
 them in a better condition than before, I am yet confi- 
 dent that, as a whole, our schools do not come up to that 
 point of excellence which it is desirable they should 
 reach. Our citizens have ever manifested a liberal 
 spirit in willingly taxing themselves a reasonable amount
 
 58 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 for their support. Professional teachers, so far as they 
 could be obtained, I am glad to know, have been em- 
 ployed in the more advanced and no less important juve- 
 nile and primary schools, and I am pleased to have the 
 opportunity to say in so public a manner, that I be- 
 lieve that our schools, as a whole, were never presided 
 over by a superior class of teachers ; and I see no good 
 reason why they should not stand as high as those of any 
 similarly situated place. I am confident that one draw- 
 back upon their advancement may be attributed to the 
 want of a more systematic mode of intercourse between 
 our school committee and board of teachers, and the 
 schools under their care. Without such regularity and 
 system, liberal appropriations, intelligent and efficient 
 teachers, improved and commodious houses, will not give 
 the desired result. I hope, gentlemen, that this subject 
 will receive your earliest and constant attention, and so 
 far as anything can be accomplished to promote their in- 
 terest and welfare, it will cheerfully be done. You are 
 aware that it was recommended to your predecessors to 
 petition the State legislature for the passage of an act 
 granting the liberty to consolidate our school districts 
 into one ; also, to appoint a city school commissioner, to 
 have the general charge of all the schools ; and notwith- 
 standing the passage of such an act granting all that was 
 asked, I regret to say that those propositions were 
 coupled in a bill with other and entirely foreign subjects. 
 This act, on being submitted to the people, failed, as a 
 whole, to meet with favor, and was therefore very prop- 
 erly rejected. I would again suggest, for the reasons lie- 
 fore assigned, that efforts be made to procure the passage 
 of such ah act disconnected with its former and all other 
 objectionable features. 
 
 A small appropriation was made the past year for the 
 support of a free evening school, which was deemed by 
 many, at the time, injudicious ; but the school has more
 
 MAYOR'S THIRD INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 59 
 
 than realized the expectations of its most sanguine 
 friends, and should, I think, be continued through such 
 seasons of the year as may be found desirable. The 
 school committee have manifested a commendable zeal in 
 the prosperity of this school, and it is believed that 
 money thus expended is as useful in its results as any 
 part of the public funds devoted to educational purposes. 
 At the commencement of the last year, in my opening 
 address, the attention of the council was called to the 
 subject of a public library, which subject w r as not acted 
 upon until near the close of the year, and not in time to 
 mature any definite plan. In view of its importance, and 
 the favorable report of the committee, giving encourage- 
 ment that arrangements might be made with the " Man- 
 chester Atheneum " to combine that with the city library, 
 I feel now encouraged to bring the subject again to your 
 notice. The fact that not only our young men, but the 
 people at large, will have a certain amount of recreation 
 and amusement, is so evident as to require no proof; and 
 what that recreation and amusement shall be, to a certain 
 extent, we have it in our power to determine without dic- 
 tation. I can hardly conceive of a more judicious outlay 
 of money, than that which you may come to the conclu- 
 sion to expend in sustaining a free public library and 
 reading-room, which shall be open to all, subject to good 
 and wholesome restraints. I confess myself at a loss to 
 give you a precise plan of such an institution, but have 
 no doubt that we have those among us who will cheer- 
 fully co-operate in its detailed arrangements, if suitable 
 countenance shall be given the scheme by our city gov- 
 ernment. In general terms, I would recommend the 
 appropriation of a sufficient amount of money to secure 
 suitable rooms for a library, newspaper reading-room, 
 and conversational room attached, and for the purchase 
 of such number of books, periodicals, and newspapers as
 
 60 LIFE OF FBEDEKICK SMYTH. 
 
 it may be thought advisable to commence the institution 
 with ; to have a board of directors chosen from the citi- 
 zens at large, with some of the city officers ex-qffido mem- 
 bers. An institution of this kind, established on a proper 
 basis, would undoubtedly secure liberal donations from 
 public-spirited individuals. 
 
 The city is often solicited to sell lots of land for build- 
 ing and gardening purposes from the city farms. I 
 would submit to the council whether it may not be good 
 policy to lay out part of the Davis farm (which is now of 
 but little income) for the purposes desired, and put alter- 
 nate lots into the market at such prices as may be 
 thought best. The improvement of these sections would 
 much enhance the value of the remainder. I will ven- 
 ture the suggestion that with judicious management, the 
 two hundred acres of land now owned by the city will be 
 of sufficient value, by the time that a large part of our 
 city debt shall mature, to nearly or quite pay the same. 
 Population is rapidly tending in that direction, and the 
 beautiful and desirable location of a large part of this 
 land will ensure its demand for building purposes at 
 prices far beyond its value for agricultural uses ; al- 
 though, under the present improved system of hus- 
 bandry, by the removal of the large quantities of fertiliz- 
 ing materials accumulating in the streets, to the Stevens 
 farm, its productiveness is fast improving. 
 
 Gratitude to the liberal donors, as well as regard for 
 the city's interest, should prompt us to beautify and 
 adorn our public squares, so indispensable to the health 
 and comfort of the citizens. And in this connection, 
 permit me to call your attention to the fact that a more 
 ample and extended public ground than any of our pres- 
 ent ones, is beginning to be required, suitable for parades 
 and large public gatherings. Being sensible that the 
 time has arrived when this desirable object should be se-
 
 MAYOR'S THIRD INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 61 
 
 cured, I would suggest that measures be taken to obtain 
 from the Amoskeag Company such proposition as they 
 will be willing to make, touching this subject. From the 
 well-known liberality of this company towards our city, 
 and from conversations with their public-spirited agents, 
 I have no doubt they will be willing and desirous to aid 
 any efforts to still improve the city so much indebted to 
 them for its present beauty. 
 
 The lighting of the streets is considered in other cities 
 not only a convenience, but a conservator of the public 
 order, and I think may be viewed in the same light by 
 us. Several lamps were erected last year upon Elm 
 street, and lighted at the expense of the city. A proposi- 
 tion was also made to pay for the lighting of one lamp at 
 the intersection of any other streets whenever the same 
 should be furnished by individuals in the vicinity. A 
 number of lamps have been furnished on these condi- 
 tions, and others are prepared to accept similar proposi- 
 tions the present season. It is hoped that all persons who 
 may be particularly benefited by this offer on the part of 
 the city, will avail themselves of it, as the expense of the 
 lamp and post is small compared with the permanent cost 
 of lighting. This plan has been pursued with success in 
 other cities, until some of the larger have become able to 
 purchase the lamps of the individuals, and light the 
 whole city at the public expense, which it is presumed 
 Manchester will be able to do at no distant day. 
 
 The general moral tone of our city it is not my pur- 
 pose at this time and place to dwell upon. That we have 
 in our midst those who are prone to disregard and set at 
 naught good and wholesome regulations, and intrude 
 upon the rights of the whole, is a stubborn fact, that has 
 ever been, and will ever be, apparent. It is consequent 
 upon all populous places ; the same motives that lead the 
 virtuous and law-loving to take up their abode in our
 
 62 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 busy city, also bring to us those who are restive under 
 restraints and municipal regulations which aim at the 
 public good. 
 
 An efficient police force will, therefore, ever be re- 
 quired, and the appropriation for its support must proba- 
 bly increase with the increase of our population. The 
 decrease of crime and maintenance of good order can 
 only be achieved by co-operation of the city council and 
 the various departments of police. For one department 
 to destroy the moral force of another in not imposing 
 judicious restraints, and not awarding punishment com- 
 mensurate with the crime committed, has a tendency to 
 produce unfounded prejudices against the faithful and 
 fearless officer. An officer should never captiously inter- 
 fere with any citizen ; but where lawless acts are commit- 
 ted, calling for his interposition, he should feel that he is 
 upheld and supported by every honorable citizen, and in 
 particular by the city government and the tribunals of 
 justice. 
 
 The city marshal and his assistant, who have the con- 
 trol of the police and watchmen, have discharged their 
 duties, as I believe, judiciously and faithfully, although 
 laboring under many embarrassments. I would suggest 
 to the council the propriety of an investigation into the 
 laws establishing and regulating our police court, and if 
 they should be found not commensurate with the wants 
 of the city, recommend that measures be taken to pro- 
 cure their revision or repeal. 
 
 Our excellent and well-appointed fire department, un- 
 der the direction of popular and efficient engineers, still 
 continues to merit the fullest confidence. The officers 
 and members deserve the united approbation of our citi- 
 zens. But for their promptness and vigilance, our city 
 might ere this have been the prey of the destroying ele- 
 ment. Those who at all times stand ready to come to
 
 MAYOR'S THIRD INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 63 
 
 the rescue, deserve more consideration than they some- 
 times receive. I recommend the department to your re- 
 spectful attention, believing the best interests of the city 
 promoted by furnishing the companies with comfortable 
 houses, and means for keeping their machines and appa- 
 ratus in good repair. Our present system works so admir- 
 ably as to preclude the necessity of any change. I am 
 aware there are many complaints of its expensiveness, 
 but see no way to curtail this, without crippling its effi- 
 ciency, a result which I think no one would desire. 
 
 An important addition to the means for extinguishing 
 fires was made the last year in the construction of sub- 
 stantial reservoirs on Pine street, between Merrimack 
 and Manchester streets, also on Elm, near Lowell street, 
 and providing them, as also that at the city hall, with a 
 continuous supply of water from Hanover square. Res- 
 ervoirs will also be required in other parts of the city the 
 present year. 
 
 It is becoming more and more apparent, as building is 
 extended, that the main sewer through Elm street, from 
 Bridge to Central, is not of sufficient capacity to convey 
 all the water brought into it by branches, and the surface 
 drainage, at times of sudden and heavy rains. That part 
 of the sewer below Central street is of ample dimensions, 
 being several times the capacity of the part above. A 
 sewer through Pine or Union streets, connecting with the 
 
 o o 
 
 main sewer below Central, would relieve this difficulty in 
 a great measure, and will soon be absolutely required. 
 The subject of sewerage is exceedingly important to any 
 city in a sanitary point of view, and should receive such 
 systematic calculation as will ensure permanent benefit 
 from whatever expenditure may be made. It will be for 
 you to consider how much ought to be done in this de- 
 partment the present year. A sewer was laid the last 
 year in the back street east of Elm, from near Concord to
 
 64 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Manchester street, and through the street between Man- 
 chester and Hanover from Union, connecting with the 
 first-named sewer, and also through the hack street, be- 
 tween Park and Central, from Union to Chestnut street. 
 
 Our streets are generally in good repair, but the grow- 
 ing business upon them from year to year will make in- 
 creased appropriations necessary for their safety and con- 
 venience. It has been a question of much solicitude 
 whether it would be policy to pave some of our principal 
 streets. I am of the opinion that the most frequented 
 part of Elm street can never be kept in good condition 
 in any other way than by paving, and that a commence- 
 ment of the work should be made the present season. 
 The stone block pavement is undoubtedly the best, and 
 eventually the most economical for us to adopt. 
 
 That part of the road laid out by the road commission- 
 ers in the autumn of 1852, which is east of Webster's 
 Mills, was built the past year at an expense of about 
 twelve hundred dollars, including land awards. It 
 is estimated that the cost of building the remaining 
 portion of this road will not be less than twenty-five hun- 
 dred dollars, without benefiting the public in the least, 
 when constructed, so far as I can discover. The interests 
 of the city and the public will justify us in using all hon- 
 orable means to avoid the building of the remainder of 
 this road. 
 
 Concord street was extended east to the city's land last 
 autumn, and Elm street was laid out north some distance, 
 both of which should be built the present year. 
 
 The subject of laying out new highways will claim 
 much of your attention. In connection with this topic, I 
 would suggest, for your consideration, the propriety of 
 adopting some measures to ensure the building of con- 
 venient sidewalks of a uniform construction in all the 
 compact parts of the city, and also for preventing en- 
 croachments upon our streets.
 
 MAYOR'S THIRD INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 65 
 
 It is the opinion of many of our citizens, that the time 
 has arrived when means should be adopted for procuring 
 an abundant supply of pure and wholesome water from 
 some feasible source, for the present and future wants of 
 the city. The demand for the realization of this all-im- 
 portant object will soon be irresistibly made. It will be 
 within your province, gentlemen, to carefully consider this 
 subject, and decide whether it is expedient for the city 
 council to engage in this project the present year. An 
 act of the legislature will be required to give us authority. 
 
 No appropriation will be demanded for the cemetery, 
 as the proceeds from the sale of lots are sufficient. It is 
 thought that appointing a part of the committee to take 
 charge of this cherished repository of the dead, from 
 without the city council, would ensure less frequent 
 change, which is certainly a very desirable object. Allow 
 me to suggest the propriety of preserving this spot in its 
 original beauty, rather than attempting too many artifi- 
 cial changes. 
 
 After a careful estimate of the ordinary expenses for 
 the coming year, and considering the increase of property 
 in the city, it is believed that the rate of taxation may be 
 somewhat less than that of last year. 
 
 There is sufficient money in the treasury to meet all 
 claims against the city, until the taxes shall be assessed. 
 The favorable condition of the treasury is attributable, in 
 no small degree, to the promptness of our excellent col- 
 lector, $4,048.82 only now remaining due upon his list. 
 
 I have thus laid before you, gentlemen, the various 
 matters supposed to interest you, on being inducted into 
 office, and so far as I have been able to anticipate, such 
 objects as may affect our city's welfare. 
 
 I have a consciousness of having done this, irrespective 
 of personal considerations, only so far as my acts may 
 give me reasons for regret or satisfaction, as I look back
 
 66 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 upon this, the year that will positively terminate the rela- 
 tion I now sustain to you and my fellow-citizens. I make 
 this last intimation in order to remove any and all mis- 
 apprehension that may arise during the year, upon this 
 point. I shall not relax my efforts, however, in behalf of 
 this city of my adoption and home, where center all my 
 strong affections, and shall hope to receive your aid and 
 co-operation in every measure calculated to elevate its 
 character and promote its prosperity. 
 
 I take this opportunity to express my acknowledgments 
 to those who have heretofore been associated with me, for 
 the manner in which my duties have been lightened by 
 their kind assistance. 
 
 Permit me also r through you, to own my obligations to 
 my fellow-citizens, for their renewed expressions of con- 
 fidence, and continued sympathy and aid, in all my en- 
 deavors to serve them. 
 
 May that Being whose counsels are Infinite Wisdom, 
 so counsel our hearts and guide our hands, that we may 
 be enabled to perform all our duties faithfully, and in 
 His fear.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 HOUSE OF REFORMATION FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS. 
 
 AT the close of his term of service as mayor, Mr. 
 Smyth was appointed chairman of a commission to 
 locate and build the " House of Reformation for Juve- 
 nile Offenders." The late Judge Matthew Harvey and 
 the Hon. Hosea Eaton were his associates. 
 
 The act of the legislature by which this was done was 
 passed in a time of great political excitement. It w r as the 
 transition period when the old Whig party dissolved into 
 the Republican. Every act was criticised, every motive 
 questioned. It will not therefore be surprising to know 
 that the party which dared undertake to build a reform 
 school was violently attacked, and that at the election fol- 
 lowing the inception of the undertaking, broadsides were 
 scattered over the State, headed, "A $40,000 Palace for 
 Prostitutes." It was not, however, a fortunate rallying 
 cry for the Democratic party. Mr. Smyth took up the 
 defense of the humane policy of the State with vigor, and 
 made a plain statement of all that had been, and was 
 sought to be, done in the first annual report of 1856, 
 which follows. 
 
 To His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR AND THE HONORABLE 
 
 COUNCIL : 
 
 The undersigned, commissioners under the resolves of 
 July 13, 1855, entitled, " Resolves for the purchase of a 
 site, and the erection of buildings for a House of Refor- 
 mation for Juvenile and Female Offenders against the 
 Laws," respectfully present the following report.
 
 68 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 The design of the proposed institution is the reforma- 
 tion of juvenile and female offenders who have committed 
 offenses against the laws of the State. It is to rescue 
 those from a felon's doom, who, from whatever cause, 
 have commenced a life which is leading them to disgrace 
 and infamy. It is to take those who would otherwise fill 
 our jails and state-prison, and place them in an institution 
 where they will be both morally and physically trained ; 
 away from the vicious influences of the hardened convict, 
 where they will receive the advantages of a common- 
 school education, and where all reasonable efforts will be 
 made to prepare them to earn an honest livelihood, by 
 honorable industry, in some trade or other respectable 
 employment. 
 
 It is truly a great and good work, worthy the co-opera- 
 tion of all who desire the good of the community. In 
 every town there are some, and in cities many, who exer- 
 cise no salutary control over their children, permitting 
 them to grow up in ignorance and vice, to fill our prisons 
 and alms-houses, unless the State provide means for their 
 rescue. 
 
 Fortunately for us we are not left to grope our way in 
 doubt upon this subject; as many other States have long 
 since established their reform schools and houses of refuge 
 for juvenile delinquents, the fruits of which have made 
 glad the hearts of many philanthropists, and encouraged 
 them in their efforts for the best good of their children. 
 Could the noble army of young men and women now in 
 active respectable business, who have been saved through 
 the instrumentality of these institutions, be presented to 
 our view, the sight would lead us to determined action, 
 that New Hampshire may speedily unite with her sister 
 States in the important enterprise of saving her misguided 
 sons and daughters from infamy and the unhappy fruits 
 of a vicious life.
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 69 
 
 At present no provision is made in this State for juve- 
 nile offenders but the common jail arid state-prison. 
 "Within a few weeks, two boys of twelve and thirteen 
 years of age have been committed to the state-prison in 
 this State, where they are now more or less associated 
 with adepts in crime ; and many now at large are a 
 curse to themselves and the community in which they 
 reside. 
 
 When a boy is detected in crime, he is either permitted 
 to continue his practice of wrong-doing, and not prose- 
 cuted, from motives of pity (because there is no suitable 
 place for him), or he is arraigned, convicted, and sentenced 
 to prison, where he finds no associates but those who, like 
 himself, have been committed for crime. His education 
 in criminal life, already commenced, now progresses with 
 fearful rapidity, until at length, the term of his sentence 
 having expired, he leaves the place of his confinement, 
 punished it is true, but ripe for vice wherever he finds an 
 opportunity. He now feels disgraced, his conscience is 
 more seared, and what little self-respect he possessed has 
 vanished. For a short time he continues to disturb the 
 peace of the neighborhood in which he lives, corrupting 
 the minds of his associates, and preparing many for a 
 similar course of life, and then again withdraws for a 
 short time, only to return more hardened. All this con- 
 tinues at the expense of individuals who suffer from his 
 depredations, and the State that convicts and supports 
 him in prison. 
 
 This is strikingly shown in the following statement con- 
 tained in a letter addressed by the Rev. J. Carter, chap- 
 lain of the Liverpool jail, to the mayor and town council, 
 dated April 25, 1850 : - 
 
 " The number of boys now in custody is 115 ; of girls, 
 39 ; of these a very large majority (I am afraid to say 
 how large) have been brought into their present circum-
 
 70 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 stances through parental neglect, or failure of parental 
 influence ; and it must be evident that neither effort of 
 mine, nor any penal appliances, can ever counteract the 
 consequences of these defects, aggravated as they now 
 are by the contamination of evil association. Hence, the 
 expense of each succeeding imprisonment, be it greater or less, 
 which fails of its object, is so much thrown away. In support 
 of this statement, suffer me to invite your attention to 
 this fact, that of the thirty boys and of thirty girls, not 
 selected, but taken in order from the respective registers 
 of those in jail, in the month corresponding with the 
 present one, in 1847, eleven only do not appear to have 
 been recommitted, twelve have been transported since, 
 twelve are now in jail on recommitments, and twenty-five 
 have been recommitted (several frequently), and with few 
 exceptions are known to be still living in criminal habits. 
 Now, leaving out of account the cost of apprehension, 
 and that of carrying out the sentence of transportations 
 when awarded, the expense of prosecution and mainte- 
 nance of these in jail, on the nearest and fairest compu- 
 tation I can arrive at, may be stated to be 1,123 16s. 9d. 
 " But it will not escape remark, that the expense of 
 juvenile crime is not to be estimated solely by that in- 
 curred while they remain in that category. There are, at 
 the moment I write, forty-three male and thirty-seven 
 female adults in the jail, who commenced their career of 
 crime as juveniles, and only four of whom have exceeded 
 the age of twenty-one years. The aggregate number of 
 times which these have been in custody of the police is 
 678 ; of their commitments to jail, 539 ; and the cost of 
 their several prosecutions and maintenance whilst herein 
 has been, on the lowest computation, 1,877 13s. 6d. 
 Some are for trial, and possibly may be transported, thus 
 entailing further heavy expense ; but the rest, be it 
 remembered, will, in the course of a few weeks, be let
 
 REPOKT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 71 
 
 loose upon society again, to be maintained by the public, 
 partly by plunder and (if detected) partly out of the ' cor- 
 poration purse.' ' 
 
 The hearts of judges and jurors have been moved with 
 pity, when they have been obliged, in the discharge of 
 their duties, to condemn and sentence to ignominious 
 punishment some bright, intelligent boy, who was reared 
 under the most debasing circumstances. Says an eminent 
 judge, in referring to juvenile delinquents: 
 
 " These unhappy little victims of neglect or shameful 
 abuse of authority, are hardly proper subjects of punish- 
 ment. Their offenses are not their own ; they have never 
 been taught the laws of God or man ; or, if they have, it 
 has been only that they may despise them." 
 
 Miss Carpenter remarks, in her work on Juvenile De- 
 linquents: "Magistrates on the bench are continually 
 heard to express their perplexity how to act towards 
 these young offenders, the law directing them to one 
 course, their own sense of right and their own natural 
 feelings suggesting another." 
 
 A case is related by the superintendent of the Maine 
 State Reform School, of a boy (the son of a former con- 
 vict of the state-prison in this State) who was imprisoned 
 for crime at the early age of nine or ten years. The 
 result was that he had been convicted more times than he 
 could remember ; and the sheriff who brought him to 
 the institution stated that he had been convicted on so 
 many offenses that he had spent two of the last four 
 years in jail, wafting for trial, and was but fourteen years 
 of age when committed to the reform school. The boy 
 acknowledges he continued to steal every opportunity, 
 increasing in amount, well knowing that he would receive 
 merely nominal punishment, on account of his youth. 
 
 How different is the condition of the delinquent youth 
 in a reformatory institution. It is true, he is under re-
 
 72 LIFE OP FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 straint, but not the restraint of a prison. As he enters, 
 he is cleansed in person and clothing ; he is treated by 
 his teachers firmly but kindly; the regulations of the 
 institution are made known to him ; the government, 
 though strict, is persuasive. His self-respect is re-estab- 
 lished, and he soon feels that he is cared for, and though 
 he has transgressed, yet here is provision made to pre- 
 pare him for usefulness and respectability. He is no 
 longer subjected to the degrading influence of a convict's 
 garb, but all around seems to invite him to effort for his 
 own advancement. Here he spends a part of each day in 
 the schoolroom, where his mind is stored with useful 
 knowledge ; a part is spent at some useful labor on the 
 farm or in the shop ; and a part is occupied in play and 
 sport among his companions, under the constant super- 
 vision of faithful instructors, both night and day. He is 
 carefully trained, both morally and physically ; every in- 
 ducement is placed before him to lead him to act from 
 principle. He is taught his duty to himself, his play- 
 mates, and his God. Can it be doubted that under such 
 faithful training, his stubborn spirit yields to kindness, 
 his dishonest acts to the principles of right, and at last he 
 takes his position in society, a reformed youth? The 
 above is no fancy sketch, as the records of institutions of 
 this class will prove. 
 
 Institutions for the reformation of juvenile offenders, 
 though new with us, have in many of the States become 
 the established governmental policy. There are two in 
 oSTew York, one in the city of New York, upon Ran- 
 dall's Island, and one in the western section of the State. 
 The house of refuge was opened in the city in 1825, was 
 rebuilt in 1853 on Randall's Island, and will accommo- 
 date 1,000 boys and girls. The whole number it had re- 
 ceived to Jan. 1, 1856, was 6,637; the number remaining 
 in the house at the last-named date was 549. It has been
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 73 
 
 in operation thirty years. The western house of refuge 
 is at Rochester, and has recently been enlarged. It was 
 opened in 1849, has admitted 617, its present number 
 being 289, and will accommodate, when fully completed, 
 500 inmates. There is also a juvenile asylum in New 
 York City, arranged for 500 children. 
 
 There are two houses of refuge in Pennsylvania, one 
 in Philadelphia, and one in the western part of the State. 
 The first named was opened in 1828, and was rebuilt 
 with much larger accommodations in 1853-4. It will 
 now accommodate about 500 children of both sexes. 
 That in western Pennsylvania is located at or near Pitts- 
 burg, and is intended for 226 of both sexes, was opened 
 Dec. 13, 1854, and contained in January, 1856, 143 chil- 
 dren. 
 
 There are three establishments of the kind in Massa- 
 chusetts for boys, and one nearly completed for girls. 
 
 The State Reform School at Westboro' has now about 
 550 inmates (boys); it was founded in 1848, and had re- 
 ceived, to Dec. 1, 1855, 1,617 inmates. The House of 
 Reformation, at South Boston, will accommodate about 
 150 boys. The Farm School on Thompson's Island, 
 though not strictly a penal institution, is devoted to the 
 reformation of juvenile delinquents; it will accommodate 
 about 100 boys. The State Industrial School for girls is 
 located in Lancaster, and is designed for about 100. It 
 will commence operations in June or July of the present 
 year. 
 
 In Connecticut, a State Reform School for boys was 
 opened in 1854 ; its present number is about 140, but will 
 be capable, when completed, of admitting 300. 
 
 In Rhode Island, the Providence Reform School was 
 opened in 1850 ; its present number 120. 
 
 In Ohio, the Cincinnati House of Refuge was opened 
 in 1850 ; the present number is about 250.
 
 74 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 In Maryland, a house of refuge, capable of receiving 
 252, was opened Dec. 1, 1855 ; it is designed for both 
 sexes, and is located at Baltimore. 
 
 In New Orleans, one has been in operation for some 
 years. 
 
 The State of Indiana is about erecting three houses of 
 refuge. 
 
 One has also been established at St. Louis, and one at 
 Chicago in Illinois. 
 
 There is one in Maine, which will accommodate 240, 
 which is now full. 
 
 It is an encouraging fact that all reformatory schools 
 have received the cordial support of the community, 
 where they have been in operation a sufficient time to 
 test their usefulness. 
 
 The good results arising from these institutions is hap- 
 pily stated by James "W. Girard, a member of the New 
 York bar, on the occasion of opening the new House of 
 Refuge on Randall's Island. Mr. Girard has been con- 
 nected with the institution from its commencement, a 
 period of thirty years. He said, " Within a month he 
 had seen the face of one, now a man, and an active man 
 of business in this city, who had been checked in his 
 career by his reception into the Refuge, and by the prin- 
 ciples which were there instilled into his mind ; that as a 
 manager of the present Refuge for several years after its 
 formation, had given this boy and others many a short 
 address upon their duties, and he believed that he 
 preached as well then as he can now. That boy's name 
 he had forgotten, but his face never, and if he remem- 
 bered, of course he would not tell it. He is now a thriv- 
 ing man in this community, a much better dressed gen- 
 tleman than he (Mr. G.) himself. One such case (and 
 the records of society are full of them) compensated for 
 all the labor he had bestowed in aiding to form this most
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 75 
 
 valuable institution, and doubtless, if that person sees the 
 report of this day's proceedings, he will pour out, in the 
 gratitude of his heart, a silent blessing upon those who 
 snatched him from ruin." 
 
 The following extract from Governor Wells's address 
 to the last legislature will show how the reform school in 
 Maine is regarded, after an experience of two years : 
 
 " It is gratifying to learn that the Reform School is in a 
 flourishing condition, and that it meets the just expecta- 
 tions of the public. The old system and mode of treat- 
 ment of boys of tender age, who had violated the laws, 
 when their minds are immature and judgments unformed, 
 by confining them in jails and prisons, at a time when 
 they most needed kindness and the peculiar care incident 
 to children, has at length yielded to a more enlightened 
 and rational treatment. 
 
 " In this school, the boys are instructed in the usual 
 branches of knowledge commonly taught in other schools. 
 They learn some useful trade and work upon the farm, 
 while their religious and moral culture is not neglected. 
 They also acquire habits of industry, so necessary to be 
 possessed by every person who desires to obtain the means 
 of subsistence, and to live happily. A love of labor, with- 
 out which no one can accomplish much, must be implanted 
 in early life, by diligent training. 
 
 " The object of this school is to reform those who have 
 gone astray, and prepare them for the active duties of so- 
 ciety. It is much less expensive to teach the young and 
 erring to walk in the path of virtue, and fit them for use- 
 fulness, than to allow them to grow up in vice and crime, 
 and then punish them for their misconduct. The differ- 
 ence in value to the State between a good and a bad citizen 
 cannot be estimated by money. This institution is really 
 deserving the care of the legislature, and there can be no 
 doubt will receive it. It is now nearlv full, and some
 
 76 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 means must be taken to furnish further accommodations, 
 unless a part of the least vicious are allowed to be re- 
 turned to their parents before the expiration of their sen- 
 tence. The trustees should be permitted to use their dis- 
 cretion as to the time those sent to the school should 
 remain. If some such reduction does not take place, it 
 will be necessary to enlarge the accommodations at the 
 present location, or establish another school in some other 
 location in some other part of the State. The present 
 number, which is about two hundred in the school, may 
 seem large, but when we estimate the whole number of 
 male minors in the State that are old enough to commit 
 offenses, the per cent will be found very small. The care, 
 protection, and instruction of the young and inexperienced 
 is not only a duty dictated by the highest benevolence, but 
 the safety and security of the community demand its exer- 
 cise on the part of the government." 
 
 LOCATION. 
 
 That we might gain all the information possible in rela- 
 tion to the object of our commission, we visited the Mas- 
 sachusetts State Reform School at AVestboro', the Maine 
 State Reform School at Cape Elizabeth, and other similar 
 institutions, and examined their several locations, the ar- 
 rangement of the buildings, and all needful appliances for 
 the establishment of such an institution. Among other 
 matters, the attention of the commissioners was called to 
 the important point of a bountiful supply of water, as they 
 find that much expense has been incurred to procure it in 
 many public institutions in other States. 
 
 At Westboro' Reform School the managers have found 
 it necessary to expend a large amount in erecting a steam 
 engine to force the water, by means of a pump, from a 
 neighboring pond to the building, which must necessarily 
 be a constant expense. They meet with the same difficulty
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 77 
 
 at the Reform School in Maine. Hence the commission- 
 ers made this an indispensable point, that they would ac- 
 cept no location where a suitable spring could not be found 
 sufficiently elevated to enable the water to flow over the 
 highest part of the building. Ry the resolve they are di- 
 rected to procure a farm in the central part of the State, 
 regard being had to the center of population, etc. 
 
 Before proceeding to examine farms, we caused the fol- 
 lowing notice to be inserted in the newspapers at Man- 
 chester and Concord : 
 
 HOUSE OF REFORMATION. By virtue of a resolution of the Legis- 
 lature of this State, the subscribers have been appointed Commis- 
 sioners " to select a tract of land or farm, containing not less than 
 one hundred acres, in some central part of the State, the same having 
 an eligible site for a House of Reformation for juvenile and female 
 offenders against the laws, regard being had, in the selection, to the 
 center of population, the cheapness of living, and facility of access." 
 Any person desirous of disposing of a farm, having the foregoing 
 requisites, by gift or otherwise, for the purpose above named, is re- 
 quested to give notice thereof to either of the subscribers. 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 MATTHEW HARVEY. 
 HOSE A EATON. 
 AUG. 31, 1855. 
 
 After inspecting about twenty farms, they selected one 
 known as the " Stark Farm," being a part of that formerly 
 owned by Gen. John Stark, containing one hundred acres 
 of excellent land, all of which maybe cultivated. It. is 
 situated in Manchester, about two miles north of the city 
 hall, and the road from thence is level, or of gradual as- 
 cent. It lies on the Merrimack river, Concord Railroad, 
 and on the public road leading from Manchester to Con- 
 cord. 
 
 The railroad corporation have consented to construct a 
 side track, with a switch, at such place as the commis- 
 sioners may designate, for the convenience of the institu-
 
 78 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 tion, which will make it easy of access, and will be of 
 great advantage in conveying heavy articles to the build- 
 ing. The spot upon which the buildings are being erected 
 is about nine hundred feet from the river and railroad, 
 and is elevated above the river about fifty feet. The farm 
 has a variety of soil, all of which is susceptible of high 
 cultivation, being generally free from rocks, and rises in 
 a gentle and undulating ascent from the river to the ex- 
 treme back part of the farm, so that from the building 
 nearly all of it can be seen at a glance. This is an im- 
 portant feature where boys are employed in its cultivation. 
 
 The building is pleasantly located upon a dry, airy ele- 
 vation, with the river and railroad in front, a beautiful 
 grove a few rods to the right, and the city of Manchester 
 is plainly seen in the distance at the left. The building is 
 far enough from the highway to give it quietness and se- 
 clusion, so desirable in an institution of this kind. There 
 are two sources of never-failing water upon the premises : 
 one is a spring within a few feet of the proposed building, 
 flowing from the hill at all seasons, which could be raised 
 to the top of the building by means of a hydraulic ram ; 
 the other is at the distance of about two hundred rods, 
 and sufficiently elevated to flow freely over the ridgepole 
 of the building. 
 
 The following desirable considerations have influenced 
 the commissioners in selecting the present location : 
 
 . 1st. A suitable quantity of good fertile land, which may 
 be easily tilled, while it is in a good degree certain to yield 
 its increase, and which has a pleasant variety of woodland, 
 tillage, meadow, pasture, and pleasant, variegated surface. 
 
 2d. An unbounded supply of unfailing pure water, with 
 head and fall to raise the same to any desirable elevation 
 in the building, to wash, bathe, and drink, or for fountains 
 to ornament the grounds, is found on the premises with 
 entire control and undisputed title.
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 79 
 
 3d. Facilities of communication by railroad, and car- 
 riages on a pleasant road, for persons having business, and 
 for carrying heavy articles for the use of the house. 
 
 4th. Proximity to an intelligent, industrious, and reli- 
 gious population, where the institution can enjoy the 
 valuable labors of intelligent Christians of different de- 
 nominations in a Sabbath-school. 
 
 5th. Pleasant prospect of land, water, and wood, and 
 scenery which is pleasing and attractive to the eye. 
 
 6th. While it is at a convenient distance from a large 
 town, with all the advantages of a good market for sup- 
 plying the institution and for disposing of such articles as 
 shall be raised on the farm or manufactured in the shop, 
 yet it is situated in a quiet and retired place. 
 
 The commissioners, desiring to act with caution in so 
 important a matter, procured a bond for a deed of the 
 farm, and invited the governor and council to examine 
 the same before purchasing, and they were unanimous 
 in their approval of the location. The commissioners 
 have purchased one hundred acres, for which they paid 
 $10,000. The house occupied by General Stark will 
 answer the purpose of a farmhouse, and there are suf- 
 ficient barns for the present. 
 
 The commissioners wish to call the attention of the 
 legislature to the importance of the purchase of a lot of 
 land containing ten acres, lying near and immediately con- 
 tiguous to the location of the building. The commission- 
 ers have obtained a bond for this land, which can be had 
 any time previous to November, 1856, at one hundred 
 dollars per acre. Its connection with the premises, and 
 the low price, make it very desirable that the State should 
 make the purchase. They desire to urge its importance 
 upon the attention of the legislature at this time, as it 
 cannot probably be purchased for double the price above 
 named after the bond expires.
 
 80 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 PLAN OF BUILDING. 
 
 Having purchased the farm, the commissioners imme- 
 diately gave their attention to the preparation of the 
 necessary plans for the buildings. They were desirous of 
 profiting by the experience of others, and invited indi- 
 viduals to submit plans for inspection, all of which were 
 carefully examined. Particular attention was given to 
 this subject, as they deemed it highly important, both 
 because it presents a considerable item of expense in the 
 commencement, and because the convenient, suitable, 
 and comfortable arrangement of the building contributes 
 in a high degree to the success of a house of reformation. 
 
 The plans which the commissioners have unanimously 
 decided upon, and procured, accompany this report. 
 They have been designed by W. K. Lincoln, Esq., superin- 
 tendent of the State Reform School in Maine since its 
 commencement, who has had long experience in reform 
 schools in Westboro' and Boston. 
 
 The plans and working drawings were made by Grid- 
 ley J. F. Bryant, of Boston, who has had large experi- 
 ence in planning many public buildings, and whose terms 
 are very reasonable. 
 
 The plan adopted embraces what may be termed the 
 " family system." Its principal feature consists in so ar- 
 ranging the building as to give accommodation for several 
 families of children, each family in separate buildings, all 
 of which are connected by a narrow corridor so as to 
 form, in external appearance, one building. As these 
 plans are adapted to, and their leading peculiarities grow 
 out of, a system for the organization and government of 
 the institution, it is proper to consider that, before further 
 describing the particular arrangement of the plan. 
 
 The commissioners hope they will not be considered as 
 encroaching upon the duties of the trustees, upon whom 
 the successful government of the institution will depend ;
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 81 
 
 but as the building has been arranged with a view to an 
 improvement in conducting such an establishment, it 
 seems appropriate that they should state the principles 
 upon which such an arrangement has been made. The 
 great object to be constantly kept in view is the reforma- 
 tion and restoration of youth who have already entered 
 upon a criminal course of life, and thus become a con- 
 stant charge upon the State. 
 
 The plan contemplates a complete classification, so that 
 no more than sixty-three children shall ever associate to- 
 gether. So complete is this arrangement that no boy in 
 one family can ever see those in another, except in the 
 chapel. It is designed that no child shall be transferred 
 from one to another except in some few cases of emer- 
 gency. By this arrangement they can be so classified as to 
 separate the larger from the smaller, the more vicious 
 from those less advanced in criminal life, etc. 
 
 The State of Massachusetts is now completing the 
 necessary buildings for a State Industrial School for girls, 
 which the commissioners have wisely arranged upon this 
 family plan. In their able report to the governor and 
 council, dated Jan. 19, 1855, they speak as follows upon 
 this system as contemplated in their new institution : 
 
 " The State proposes to reform girls. It intends to take 
 into the proposed institution the ignorant, the wayward, 
 the vagrant, and even the criminal, and so change them 
 as to return them to society intelligent, docile, industri- 
 ous, and inoffensive members. How can this best be 
 done ? There is an external reformation and an internal 
 reformation, a reformation of habits merely, and a 
 reformation of essential character. 
 
 " The State aims to do both ; or rather, by effecting an 
 essential change of character, to effect at the same time a 
 change of habits. ^STow what is, or what should be, the 
 elementary character of that government and organiza-
 
 82 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 tion which, humanely speaking, can best accomplish this 
 end ? The commissioners can entertain no doubt that 
 the organization should be that of the family, and the 
 government as nearly as practicable that of a parent. 
 They believe that great moral and religious power abides 
 in the idea of parental government and family organiza- 
 tion, which has not been developed in any public reform- 
 atory institution in this country; and that, if this legiti- 
 mate power were wrought out into ultimate action, it 
 would effect more in the way of reforming juvenile de- 
 linquents than measures based upon any other idea. 
 This relation of parent and family is primitive, continu- 
 ous, and perpetual. It always has and always will operate 
 in the social system with a force as sure and in a direc- 
 tion as unerring as that of gravity in the material world. 
 By and through it the wisdom of the mature is brought 
 into a just and proper relation to the incipient yearnings 
 and nascent aspirations of the young, and there is ever a 
 tendency to cluster around it the innocence, sympathy, 
 delight, and happiness which are embraced in the one 
 word, home." 
 
 This is not theory; though the commissioners are not 
 aware that any reformatory institution has been estab- 
 lished in this country (except that in Massachusetts, above 
 named) precisely upon this system, although it is now 
 universally approved by those who have given attention 
 to the subject, and had experience in institutions of the 
 kind, yet it has been practiced for many years in institu- 
 tions on the continent of Europe. The " Rauhe Hans," 
 near Hamburg, and the institutions for juvenile delin- 
 quents at Mettray in France, are among the most success- 
 ful in Europe ; both of which are organized upon the 
 family system. 
 
 The "Rauhe Haus " was opened Xov. 1, 1833, under 
 the management of that truly noble man, M. Mitchem,
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 83 
 
 who has so long and with so much success labored to 
 promote the cause of reformation of criminal youth in 
 Europe. 
 
 The Agricultural Colony at Mettray, in France, for the 
 reformation of criminal boys, was founded in 1839, and 
 now contains about 625 boys, separated into twelve differ- 
 ent families in as many buildings. It has been found de- 
 sirable there, not to transfer boys of one family into an- 
 other, in order that the family may be less likely to be 
 broken into. So great has been the success in this insti- 
 tution, that forty-one similar ones have been established 
 in France alone, and many others in other countries on 
 the continent. Its success may be judged of from the 
 fact that of 856 who had left the institution, 708 con- 
 ducted themselves perfectly well, 47 tolerably, 16 not 
 known, and 85 relapsed, being but nine and a half per 
 cent, a much less per cent than is generally realized at 
 like institutions established on a different plan. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF BUILDING. 
 
 Its architectural plan is simple and plain, nothing 
 being done for mere ornament except the dome on the 
 central building, which may be left off if the legislature 
 so direct. Its removal, however, would mar the beauty 
 of the building. It has a cheerful appearance, there be- 
 ing nothing about it gloomy or prison-like. It is to be 
 built of brick, upon a stone foundation. The main or 
 central building in front of the corridor is 87 by 21 feet; 
 that portion back of the corridor is 61 by 49 feet. This 
 building is four stories in height above the basement; at 
 the right and left of the central building are two others, 
 each three stories above the basement, measuring 85 by 
 57 feet. These two buildings are placed fifty feet from 
 the center building, being connected with it by a narrow 
 corridor, so that the three buildings have the external 
 appearance of one. The central building is sufficiently
 
 84 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 large for any probable future increase. The bouse can 
 be easily enlarged by extending the buildings to the right 
 and left of the center. 
 
 The central building contains accommodations for the 
 superintendent's family and assistant's office, kitchen, 
 hospital, chapel, etc. Each of the end buildings contains 
 bath-room, dining-room, schoolroom, and library, and a 
 dormitory for each boy, 5 by 8 feet. It is designed to 
 have all the cooking done for the whole establishment in 
 the back part of the central building, the food to be con- 
 veyed along the connecting corridor by means of a small 
 railway to each dining-room. The central building be- 
 ing constructed of sufficient size for double the number 
 now provided for, in view of future enlargement, the 
 commissioners decided to occupy the extra room by using 
 it for the accommodation of twenty-five females. To do 
 so, they propose using one of the basement rooms for a 
 bath-room, one of the store-rooms on the principal floor 
 for a drying-room, and the great kitchen for washing, 
 ironing, cooking, and baking, which will be sufficiently 
 large for the number proposed. They propose using the 
 hospital, divided into four rooms, for dining-room, school- 
 room, shop, and store-room, and to provide for sleeping- 
 rooms, they propose putting a temporary partition across 
 the chapel for this purpose. By this arrangement, when 
 the whole shall be needed for the purposes for which it is 
 planned, it will require nothing torn down but the parti- 
 tions in the chapel. 
 
 In the rear of the main building are to be erected cheap 
 buildings, the first story of which will be for a playroom, 
 and the second a workshop, the playground being be- 
 tween them and the main building. 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE WORK. 
 
 The commissioners have made the following contracts 
 for work on the buildings : for excavation, at 12 cents
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 85 
 
 per cubic yard ; for stone foundation, at $3.50 per perch ; 
 for all the cut granite delivered ready to set, at the round 
 sum of $5,275 ; for the best quality of bricks, to be de- 
 livered on the spot, at $6.20 per thousand. They have 
 also advertised for proposals for laying the bricks, which 
 will soon be closed. For all the contracts they have ad- 
 vertised in Concord and Manchester papers, have taken 
 the lowest bids, and contracted with responsible parties. 
 The commissioners propose to do the work in a plain, 
 substantial manner, but nothing will be designedly omitted 
 which will affect the practical value or permanence of the 
 building. 
 
 It may not be generally known that the State is in- 
 debted to the late Hon. James McKeen "Wilkins, of Man- 
 chester, for a large donation for the future benefit of this 
 institution. An extract from his will, in relation to this 
 subject, is herewith presented. 
 
 " I give, devise, and bequeath to my esteemed friends, 
 Moses Norris, of said Manchester, Peter P. Woodbury, of 
 Bedford, and Moody Currier, of said Manchester, all the 
 rest, residue, and remainder of my estate, both real and 
 personal, in trust for the following purposes, that is to say, 
 in trust to pay over, assign, and convey the said residue of 
 my estate to the Board of Trustees of a House of Refor- 
 mation for juvenile and female, offenders against the laws, 
 in case such an institution shall be established and suit- 
 able buildings erected, and the said House of Reformation 
 put in operation by the legislature of the State of Xew 
 Hampshire within five years after my decease ; and in case 
 no such institution shall be so established within said term, 
 then in trust to pay over, assign, and convey the said resi- 
 due of my estate, in equal shares, to the before-named 
 American Bible Society and American Board of Com- 
 missioners for Foreign Missions, to be applied to the dis-
 
 86 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 tribution of the Holy Scriptures, and the diffusion of the 
 Christian Religion among the Heathen. 
 
 " I desire my said Trustees to present to the Legisla- 
 ture of this State a respectful memorial, setting forth the 
 great importance and necessity of the establishment of 
 such a House of Reformation, with a view to separate the 
 classes of juvenile and female offenders from the evil in- 
 fluences of the public prisons, and to promote their moral 
 improvement and reformation ; and my anxious desire 
 for the establishment of such an institution, and my be- 
 quest and desire aforesaid for that object, and praying 
 that such a House of Reformation may be established, to 
 be under the control of a Board of Trustees to be elected 
 by the Legislature." 
 
 The commissioners would here commit the subject in 
 its design and arrangement to the candid and deliberate 
 consideration of the legislature ; and as means have been 
 provided for the commencement of this enterprise, they 
 trust that such appropriations as will be necessary to prose- 
 cute the same to its completion, will be promptly made. 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 MATTHEW HARVEY. 
 HOSEA EATON. 
 JUNE 9, 1856. 
 
 On the 12th of May, 1858, the formal dedication of the 
 House of Reformation took place, on which occasion the 
 programme consisted of prayer by Rev. C. W. Wallace, 
 a dedication anthem, delivery of the keys, and surrender 
 of the building to the governor of the State by Mr. Smyth 
 as chairman of the Board of Commissioners. His re- 
 marks at that time were as follows : 
 
 YOUR EXCELLENCY, AND GENTLEMEN : 
 
 Permit me to congratulate you that, assembled for the 
 first time within these walls, we inaugurate a new and
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 87 
 
 important enterprise in the State, an enterprise bearing 
 on its front the approval of humanity, benevolence, and 
 of true religion. To reclaim the wanderer, to recall to 
 virtue's path the erring, to bring back young feet into 
 the course of rectitude, this house of safety, this ark of 
 refuge, commended and urged on public consideration by 
 your predecessors, Governors Martin, Baker, and Metcalf, 
 commenced under the administration of the latter, it is 
 reserved for your good fortune, after your successful 
 efforts in its behalf, to launch, with the tide of public 
 approval unmistakably expressed. 
 
 The importance of this occasion, in its connection with 
 the future interests of multitudes in our State, can hardly 
 be overestimated. If we look at the sad proportion of 
 young persons on the list of criminals in our own and 
 other States, if we investigate with care the results of like 
 means with those we now propose to use to save society 
 from the curse of their vicious lives, and themselves from 
 the greater curse of mental destruction, we shall find that, 
 in comparison, the account of dollars and cents it will 
 cost dwindles into utter insignificance. 
 
 A certain responsibility rests upon the State towards its 
 citizens, not only that you and I shall be protected in our 
 business, and made confident in the safety of our homes, 
 but that those who have outraged common sentiment, 
 and who need restraints that can be seen and felt, should 
 be turned from their downward road, that all their influ- 
 ence so potent for evil should be reversed. This institu- 
 tion we to-day dedicate is to supply a want, a need of the 
 State, that incipient crime may not become confirmed 
 wickedness, that the jail and the prison may not harden 
 and forever fix what they were designed to prevent. We 
 can claim no exemption from the common lot of society, 
 and although the moral character of our youthful popu- 
 lation compares favorably with that of other States, we
 
 88 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 cannot conceal the fact, if we would, that juvenile delin- 
 quency is sadly on the increase among us, from causes 
 constantly accumulating. To-day we see testimony here 
 that the State has met and dealt with this fact ; how she 
 has neither permitted it to be gainsaid, ignored, or ridi- 
 culed out of sight. 
 
 Although as commissioners our duties have at times 
 been arduous and perplexing, we have felt the assurance 
 that the enterprise would command the respect of all good 
 citizens, and that it was not unworthy the blessing of God . 
 
 Entire unanimity has characterized our deliberations, 
 and in the most important, as in the most trivial matters, 
 our intercourse has been agreeable and pleasant, and I 
 may with propriety take this occasion especially to ex- 
 press our grateful acknowledgments for attentions paid 
 and information received from gentlemen connected with 
 reformatory institutions in the States of Massachusetts, 
 Maine, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, 
 Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri, information received both 
 by letter and by personal inspection. 
 
 We have not in any instance departed from that strict 
 economy, which we believe to be the true policy and fixed 
 habit of the people of New Hampshire, in their public 
 undertakings. Everything about the building is of a per- 
 manent kind. The interior walls of brick render the 
 building nearly lire-proof, an important consideration 
 when we take into account the character of those we hope 
 to reclaim. That the structure will prove faultless, or 
 that ingenious grumblers may not find this too dear or 
 that too cheap, is hardly to be expected. Time and expe- 
 rience only can fully demonstrate the utility and adapta- 
 tion of the work. 
 
 The general plan is such that future expansions, en- 
 largement, or alteration can be made without extra expense 
 or injury, or without marring the good appearance of the
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 89 
 
 whole. Some of the interior apartments are left unplas- 
 tered, dampness being prevented by a sufficient air space 
 in the center of all the brick walls. 
 
 But this is no time for minute specification : the build- 
 ing is around you ; it speaks for itself. With a little 
 additional furniture it is capable of accommodating one 
 hundred and twenty-five boys and twenty-five girls, with 
 the family of the superintendent. 
 
 The building has cost the sum of $34,000, added to 
 which the cost of the land, $11,000, makes $45,000, being 
 the amount authorized by the legislature for that purpose. 
 Beyond this, the furniture, ordered to be of the most 
 economical kind, including the furnishing of water to all 
 parts of the building required, by a constant running 
 stream, will cost about forty-five hundred dollars. 
 
 The commissioners entered upon their labors in Sep- 
 tember, 1855; purchased the farm, by approval of the 
 governor and council, in November of the same year. 
 The foundation was laid in the spring, and the building 
 commenced in the summer of 1856; was finished in the 
 autumn of 1857, and furnished in the spring of 1858. 
 
 To-day this structure is surrendered into the hands of 
 your excellency, to be hereafter, with those who shall be 
 its inmates, under the control of the board of trustees, 
 gentlemen every way worthy the confidence of the people 
 of the State, fully comprehending the high nature of their 
 trust, and who will carry out the excellent design of this 
 institution, unmoved by party prejudice or turned from 
 their honorable course by any selfish motive. In such 
 hands, the late Hon. J. McKeen Wilkins might well risk 
 the execution of the noble plan, prompted and hastened 
 by his enlightened bequest. 
 
 It may be, sir, no more than the exemption that Provi- 
 dence most commonly grants to good enterprises, pru- 
 dently conducted, but still it is worthy of notice, that no
 
 90 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 accident has befallen any person in its construction, no 
 failure occurred on the part of any of its contractors, 
 neither has a single cent of the appropriation been ex- 
 pended except through legitimate channels and for duly 
 authorized purposes. 
 
 Our work is now nearly at an end, and when such bills 
 as will shortly become due shall have been paid, and our 
 accounts audited and approved by the governor and coun- 
 cil, our participation in this enterprise, except as citizens, 
 who will ever hope for its prosperity with all the interests 
 of our State, and as well-wishers to the great family of 
 mankind, will cease. 
 
 It now only remains for me to present your excellency 
 with the keys to these various apartments, and with them 
 the building itself, which I now do, with the hope that 
 our trust has been discharged agreeably to the instruc- 
 tions of the legislature, to the satisfaction of the people 
 of the State we have endeavored to the best of our 
 ability to serve, and with the approval of that Higher 
 Power, on whose blessing depends the true success of all 
 human enterprises. 
 
 In the course of his reply, Governor Haile, of Kins- 
 dale, said : 
 
 " In accepting the keys, Mr. Chairman, which you have 
 placed in my hand, I congratulate you that the labors re- 
 quired by your commission have been brought to a suc- 
 cessful termination. 
 
 " This excellent tract of land, well adapted to the pur- 
 poses for which it has been selected, fertile, and easy of 
 access, is associated with the memory of one of the bravest 
 sons of Xew Hampshire, whose exploits have given him 
 a place in the history of the country. 
 
 " It is well that this farm birthplace, the home and the 
 burial-place of John Stark, should be dedicated to the 
 public use.
 
 REPORT ON HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 91 
 
 " I need not add that your work has been completed in 
 a manner most creditable to yourselves and to the people 
 who committed the work to your hands. Your reward, 
 gentlemen, shall be in the reflection that you have per- 
 formed your duties faithfully, while you were engaged in 
 a public enterprise, which, Mr. Chairman, as you justly 
 observe, is worthy the respect of all good men and the 
 blessing of God." 
 
 The further exercises of this occasion consisted of a 
 speech from the late Hon. Horton D. Walker, chairman 
 of the trustees, on reception of the keys from the governor, 
 the singing of an original ode written by "William Stark, 
 Esq., with music composed by George W. Stratton, and 
 an address by Hon. T. M. Edwards, of Keene, author of 
 the bill establishing the institution.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 
 
 IN 1851 Mr. Smyth had accepted the office of treasurer 
 of the ISTew Hampshire State Agricultural Society, which 
 held its exhibitions on grounds fitted up in a suburb of 
 Manchester. That year the attendance was unusually 
 large, and among the invited guests was Daniel AVebster, 
 the greatest of the sons of the Granite State, who was 
 ever gratified when he could turn away from public du- 
 ties to the enjoyments of rural pursuits. In his remarks 
 on this occasion, the great expounder of the constitution 
 said : 
 
 "I will say to you, ladies and gentlemen, that if there 
 be any one thing in my heart stronger than any other 
 wish, it is that all the various pursuits of life, protected 
 by law, prosecuted by scientific discovery, and guaran- 
 teed by free government, may continue to prosper in this 
 our land. 
 
 " Ladies and gentlemen, your fathers and my fathers 
 generations that have gone before us united the char- 
 acter of the soldier and farmer. They fought the enemy, 
 and they fought the inclemency of the weather, and they 
 struggled with the soil. The mechanic arts they pursued 
 and enjoyed no further than was necessary to carry on 
 those great elementary operations of a farming country. 
 They lived in a cold region, a region of six months of 
 winter, and a short summer, during which they were to 
 provide for this great length of inclement weather. 
 They went, therefore, zealously at work to defend them- 
 selves against a savage foe, and cultivate the fields for
 
 AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 93 
 
 their own subsistence, 
 seen, and seen since I was a member and practiced at the 
 bar, those who have been shot and wounded in their 
 own corn-fields, by Indian muskets, on this river, just 
 above us. 
 
 " Now, gentlemen, all is changed. "Wars of that kind 
 have ceased and come to an end. He who was half-sol- 
 dier and half-farmer has now become altogether farmer, 
 or else he has gone to the mechanic arts, to those vari- 
 ous improvements which enrich and adorn society, and 
 our State of New Hampshire is as great a participator in 
 these improvements as any part of the country. And I 
 need not say to you, gentlemen, I need not say to you 
 that this new face of things, this great change that has 
 come over us, while it is partly owing to peace on the 
 frontiers, which has released in former times so many of 
 the people of New Hampshire from border wars, that 
 peace itself has been promoted, and all the arts that we 
 see flourishing around us, and the increase of wealth 
 which we behold, are the fruits, first of all, of the enter- 
 prising character of the people, and next, of the good 
 government under which it has pleased Almighty Provi- 
 dence to allow us to live." 
 
 Mr. Webster's old friend, Col. Marshall P. Wilder, de- 
 livered the regular oration that day, and an acquaintance 
 was formed between him and Mr. Smyth, which ripened 
 into friendship. Both are true sons of New Hampshire, 
 who have by integrity and industry been successful in 
 their business affairs, and who have generously contrib- 
 uted their time and their money to promote the improve- 
 ment and the enjoyment of their fellow-citizens. 
 
 The United States Agricultural Society was established 
 by the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder and a few kindred 
 spirits in different sections of the Union, to awaken and 
 sustain a more general interest in all the departments of
 
 94 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 husbandry, and to unite by a bond of common fellowship 
 and friendship the yeomanry of all sections of the coun- 
 try. The department of agriculture had not then been 
 created, and the national society issued monthly bulletins 
 and performed other work which the department after- 
 wards assumed. The establishment of the department 
 was urged upon congress by the national society, and 
 under its auspices the comparatively insignificant agri- 
 cultural bureau of the patent office became an independ- 
 ent executive department, which will at no distant day 
 be represented in the cabinet. 
 
 At the annual meetings of the society at Washington, 
 and at its national exhibitions in different sections of the 
 country, Mr. Smyth met gentlemen from nearly all of 
 the States and Territories, all anxious to create additional 
 facilities for the acquisition and diffusion of agricultural 
 knowledge. He Avas elected, and subsequently annually 
 re-elected for many years, a member of the executive 
 committee, and as such he was a director of several of 
 the society's great exhibitions. 
 
 In 1857, one of these national displays was held at 
 Louisville, and Mr. Smyth mingled for the first time with 
 the sons and daughters of the South, so famed for their 
 hospitality. The finest horses and cattle were success- 
 fully exhibited in a huge amphitheater, crowded with gen- 
 tlemen and ladies. Magnificent animals received the 
 awards, designated by blue, red, and white ribbons ; and 
 as the judges affixed them, they were cheered by the 
 waving of ladies' handkerchiefs and by the continued 
 shouts of the gentlemen. 
 
 That evening there was a grand banquet at the Gait 
 House, the guests comprising gentlemen who had 
 adorned the councils of the nation, with others distin- 
 guished in agriculture and literature, and the representa- 
 tives of great commercial and manufacturing interests.
 
 AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 95 
 
 Eloquence, wit, and sentiment were generously contrib- 
 uted by the successive speakers. Mr. Smyth was called 
 upon to respond to the eleventh regular toast : " New 
 Hampshire : may the Union of the States be as lasting as 
 her granite hills." He spoke briefly yet forcibly, claim- 
 ing that his home, sterile and rocky though it might be, 
 was the peer of every other State, and was only ready to 
 recognize them as her equals in the Union, to establish 
 which her sons fought in the Revolution. 
 
 In the winter of 1857-58, Mr. Smyth was chosen as 
 one of the representatives to the State legislature from 
 Ward Three of the city of Manchester. The house of rep- 
 resentatives was at that time a large body, in which every 
 section of the State and every shade of political opinion 
 was fully represented. 
 
 In 1858, the United States Agricultural Society held 
 its sixth annual exhibition on the grounds of the Virginia 
 State Agricultural Society, at Richmond. Mr. Smyth, 
 who was a member of the executive committee, was en- 
 trusted with the financial arrangements, and he instituted 
 a perfect system, which, by stopping all leaks, added 
 greatl}' to the net receipts. The exhibition was a tine one. 
 Eighteen thoroughbred horses were the theme of general 
 admiration, and there were tine specimens of agricultural 
 and horticultural skill, brought from the gardens of the 
 shores of Lake Superior, from the rice-fields of South 
 Carolina, from the vineyards of the Western States, from 
 the orchards of Xew England, and from the productive 
 fields of Maryland and Virginia. 
 
 At the banquet witli which the exhibition was closed, 
 at the Exchange Hotel, the various States of the Union 
 were well represented. Eloquent remarks were made by 
 Gen. Tench Tilghman, who had succeeded Mr. Wilder as 
 president of the society ; by Lord Napier, then the Brit- 
 ish minister at Washington ; by Hon. Caleb Gushing, of
 
 96 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Massachusetts ; by Hon. "W. C. Rives, of Virginia, and 
 by other gentlemen. Col. Benjamin Alston, of South 
 Carolina, after responding to a toast complimentary to 
 his native State, gave as a sentiment : " The small yet 
 great State of Kew Hampshire, which has produced 
 "Webster, "Woodbury, Pierce, and other prominent states- 
 men." Mr. Frederick Smyth, of New Hampshire, was 
 loudly called on to respond, which he did in an off-hand, 
 pleasant, five-minute speech, expressing his interest in the 
 prosperity of the United States Agricultural Society, and 
 the gratification which it aiforded him to attend its exhi- 
 bitions in different States. These reunions of those in- 
 terested in agriculture enable them to compare personally 
 the different productions of their respective States, and 
 their varied modes of husbandry. These very diversities 
 serve to unite them by rendering them tributaries to each 
 others' wants, to whom seedtime and harvest, the rain 
 and the frost, the canker-worm and the potato-rot, bring 
 the same joys or troubles, children of one country, not 
 jealous and encroaching rivals. He gave in conclusion a 
 toast complimentary to the State of Maryland. 
 
 Mr. Smyth is also a member and a vice-president of 
 the American Pomological Society, which, under the 
 lead of the venerable Marshall P. "Wilder, " still lives," 
 and continues its good work of improving our fruits. 
 
 These varied employments and activities served to bring 
 Mr. Smyth to the attention of the State, and he received 
 twenty votes in the convention of 1859 which nominated 
 Hon. Ichabod Goodwin for governor. The next A'ear he 
 was made president of the nominating convention, and 
 on taking the chair, spoke briefly as follows : 
 
 GENTLEMEN* OF THE CONVENTION : 
 
 "When I see so many men around me of longer experi- 
 ence and greater ability, I wonder at your selection of so
 
 AGKICULTUKAL SOCIETIES. 97 
 
 humble a person as myself to preside over your delibera- 
 tions. But by your friendly action, gentlemen, I am en- 
 couraged in assuming my duties. I know that I am not 
 expected to make a speech, after the very eloquent one to 
 which you have just listened. But I desire to congratu- 
 late you on the very favorable circumstances under which 
 we are assembled, and the encouraging auspices under 
 which we commence the campaign. The Republican 
 party was never so strong in New Hampshire and in the 
 nation [cheers], never so well organized or so thoroughly 
 united in the justice of their cause, as at present [cheers]. 
 The Republican party in Congress, standing shoulder to 
 shoulder, are challenging the admiration of the world 
 [cheers], and we believe that their firm adherence to the 
 noble policy they are pursuing will continue till a success 
 will be achieved which the nation can be justly proud of. 
 And this while the Democratic party are preaching noth- 
 ing but disunion and slavery extension. The people will 
 examine the noble principles of the Republican party, 
 and seeing the issue clearly defined, will put into power 
 the only true Union party. We have been very fortunate 
 at all times in having had officers who have been success- 
 ful ; and we have faith in the fidelity of our leaders, and 
 in their ability to render in that service which is accom- 
 plished only by integrity and by devotion to the true in- 
 terests of the country [applause]. But let us remember 
 that it is for the principles of the Republican party, and 
 not for men, that we are contending. Let us be united in 
 support of those whom we nominate as exponents of those 
 principles, and they will be sure to triumph [applause]. 
 
 The seventh annual exhibition of the United States 
 Agricultural Society, which was held at Chicago in Sep- 
 tember, 1859, had all the great elements of a national 
 convocation. Fifty-seven agricultural and horticultural 
 
 7
 
 98 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 societies were represented by delegations hailing from 
 seventeen States, one Territory, the District of Columbia, 
 arid the Canadas. The vastness of the crowds that 
 thronged the grounds ; the perfect good order and free- 
 dom from accident to life and limb ; the splendid and 
 unequaled display of fine cattle, horses, sheep, and swine ; 
 the endless array of agricultural implements and inven- 
 tions ; the steam plows, the machinery, and the agricul- 
 tural products, all combined to render the fair one of 
 the greatest occasions of the day arid age. Mr. Smyth's 
 executive and financial ability was well tested on this oc- 
 casion, and it was by his vigilance that the receipts at the 
 gates were upwards of $20,000. Every night, before he 
 slept, the receipts of the day were counted and deposited 
 in bank. 
 
 During the State political campaign, early in 1860, Mr. 
 Smyth, then president of the Republican City Club, in- 
 vited Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, who had acquired a 
 national reputation by his contest with Stephen A. Doug- 
 las for the United States senatorship, to speak at Man- 
 chester. He was to address the public there at Smyth's 
 Hall in the evening, and to speak at Concord the previous 
 afternoon. He came in the early train from Exeter, 
 where his son Robert (since secretary of war), was a 
 student at Phillips Academy. Mr. Smyth joined them 
 in the cars at Manchester, and lie has thus narrated his 
 recollections of the day. 
 
 Mr. Lincoln, when Mr. Smyth entered the car, was 
 reading the Boston Journal, and after the usual inter- 
 change of salutations, he remarked : " I was just reading 
 Seward's speech at Auburn." 
 
 To Mr. Smyth's question : " What do you think of it ? " 
 he replied : " I am delighted with it. That speech will 
 make Mr. Seward the next President of the United 
 States."
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 99 
 
 Mr. Smyth said that he had not read the speech, but 
 he did not believe that Mr. Seward would be the next 
 President. Arriving at Concord, he accompanied Mr. 
 Lincoln and his son to the Court House, where the Mer- 
 rimack County Court was in session. The court, on 
 learning that Mr. Lincoln was in the anteroom, took a 
 recess, and Mr. Smyth introduced the distinguished 
 stranger to the judge and the lawyers, all of whom were 
 delighted with the interview. 
 
 Mr. Lincoln spoke in the afternoon at Phoenix Hall, 
 Concord, to a crowded and enthusiastic audience. After 
 the meeting, he returned with Mr. Smyth to Manchester, 
 and on the way asked him what he should say there in the 
 evening? Mr. Smyth replied : "Say the same thing you 
 said at Concord, as near as possible." "That," replied 
 Mr. Lincoln, " I cannot do, as I never wrote out a politi- 
 cal speech, or made two alike." 
 
 At Smyth's Hall at Manchester that evening every 
 seat was filled, and all standing room was occupied. Mr. 
 Smyth, who presided, introduced Mr. Lincoln as the 
 man who had vanquished the Little Giant in Illinois, and 
 who was to be the next President of the L'nited States. 
 
 Mr. Lincoln was somewhat embarrassed by this unex- 
 pected introduction, but made no allusion to it in his 
 speech. He was frequently interrupted by Elder Foss, a 
 sturdy old Abolitionist, until the audience became pro- 
 voked, and some cried, " Put him out ! " Thereupon 
 Mr. Lincoln said, "No ! I mini you to jaw back. This 
 is the man I wanted to meet here." Then addressing his 
 questioner, he asked, " AVhat did you say, sir? " Elder 
 Foss then stated the ground of his opposition to the Re- 
 publican party, and Mr. Lincoln replied so satisfactorily 
 that the old man began cheering with the boys. At the 
 close of the meeting, he was the first man among the 
 audience to hasten up on the platform, and congratulate 
 the speaker.
 
 100 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 After the meeting, Mr. Smyth accompanied Mr. Lin- 
 coln to his room at the City Hotel. Master Robert, be- 
 ing very drowsy, was put to bed, and Mr. Smyth then sat 
 for an hour or more conversing with Mr. Lincoln on the 
 political prospects of the country and his recent contest in 
 Illinois with Mr. Douglas. Mr. Lincoln remarked that 
 the introduction at the meeting that evening had taken 
 him by surprise, he never having been so introduced be- 
 fore ; " but, of course," said he, " you did n't mean any- 
 thing?" Mr. Smyth remarked that he did believe what 
 he had said, and that if he had made the same impres- 
 sion in the other States where he had spoken that he had 
 made that day on the people of New Hampshire, he 
 would certainly receive the presidential nomination. 
 Mr. Lincoln replied, with earnestness : " 'No I No I 
 That is impossible. Mr. Seward should and will receive 
 the nomination. I do not believe that three States will 
 vote for me in the convention." 
 
 Mr. Lincoln having expressed a desire to see some of 
 the manufactories of Manchester before leaving, the next 
 morning, at ten o'clock, Mr. Smyth called at the hotel 
 immediately after breakfast, and escorted him to the 
 Manchester Print Works. After witnessing the different 
 descriptions of work, Mr. Lincoln was about to leave for 
 the cars, when the agent, "Waterman Smith, Esq., pre- 
 sented him with a dozen pair of hose. Accepting them 
 with thanks, he put them under his arm, remarking that 
 he did n't want any paper wrapped around them, but 
 preferred carrying them as they were. The agent said to 
 Mr. Lincoln that he gave him the stockings for the pur- 
 pose of influencing him in favor of an increase of the 
 duty on imported goods of this character when he should 
 become President, that our home industry might be pro- 
 tected. Mr. Lincoln replied that he would certainly do 
 so, and off they trudged to the railroad station.
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 101 
 
 When Mr. Smyth next met Mr. Lincoln, it was at the 
 "White House, and he pleasantly alluded to his visit to 
 Manchester. Mr. Smyth asked him what he had done 
 with the stockings, and he replied : " I have worn out 
 one pair, and have a second pair on now." Pulling up 
 his pantaloons to show them, he added, " I guess they are 
 rather dirty." 
 
 The interviews of Mr. Smyth and Mr. Lincoln after 
 this were many, and they were all pleasant, seasoned as 
 they were with the anecdotes for which the first martyr 
 President was so noted, and which he used as parables 
 for the expression of his thoughts.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. FIRST VISIT TO EUROPE. 
 
 IN October, 1860, the United States Agricultural So- 
 ciety held its eighth annual exhibition at Cincinnati, O. 
 The atmosphere was disturbed by the coming political 
 storm, but the cultivators of the country and their co- 
 workers were not to be dissuaded from assembling at 
 their national rallying point. Although the exhibition 
 was not announced until within a few weeks of its open- 
 ing, and its managers had to contend with many unfore- 
 seen obstacles, besides trying the experiment of protract- 
 ing the term, there was nevertheless a highly creditable 
 display in almost every department. The pecuniary 
 profits did not realize the expectations entertained, but 
 the list of awards show the varied character of the entries, 
 with the liberal manner in which the society was enabled 
 to reward exhibitors, and that from the receipts. All ad- 
 mitted that the voluntary assemblage of thousands of cit- 
 izens of different States could but have exercised a ben- 
 eficial influence, for a wide field, was opened for the 
 friendly interchange of thought upon every branch of 
 that agricultural industry which has conquered, and now 
 cultivates, the greatest area of territory ever peopled by 
 one race. 
 
 When the United States Agricultural Society held its 
 ninth annual meeting at Washington on the second 
 Wednesday in January, 1861, Mr. Smyth detected a plot 
 for transferring the government of the society into 
 Southern hands. A number of Baltimoreans, who had 
 joined as annual members, were to attend the second
 
 THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 103 
 
 day's session, and it was expected by their votes to elect 
 a ticket composed entirely of Southerners, who would 
 thus have been enabled to make the society an append- 
 age to the " Confederacy " about to be inaugurated. Mr. 
 Smyth accidentally hearing of this scheme by the prema- 
 ture boasting of one of its leaders, passed the evening in 
 recruiting for members among the numerous Northern 
 men in Washington, who paid their initiation fees and 
 signed the constitution. The next day, when the society 
 met, the Northerners had a good working majority, and 
 they triumphantly re-elected the old board of officers. 
 
 The assault upon Fort Sumter, in 1861, aroused a feel- 
 ing of indignation throughout the loyal North, and every 
 city, town, and hamlet resounded with the drum-beat " to 
 arms." Party lines were obliterated, and stalwart citizens, 
 inspired by a sublime energy, hastened to the support of 
 the Stars and Stripes. Citizens who were too old to go 
 to the front, or who were otherwise incapacitated for mili- 
 tary service, became recruiting officers, while the ladies 
 saw that the brave boys in blue were provided with flan- 
 nel underclothing and other articles not supplied by the 
 General Government. Regiment after regiment went to 
 the front, with unbronzed faces, constrained garments, 
 and national ensigns, whose silken folds were fresh from 
 the hands of those who had presented them. While they 
 were the saviours of the Republic, they were also the 
 agents of Divine Providence for the solution of a great 
 moral problem, the overthrow of slavery. Though leav- 
 ing a trackless waste behind them, they opened up a way 
 for the advance of civilization, and with their shafts and 
 thunderbolts cooled, cleared, and purified the political 
 atmosphere, which was becoming overheated, foul, and 
 corrupt. Their thinking bayonets dispelled the mental 
 darkness of the North, and breaking through the moral 
 penumbra enshrouding the South, fitted the States for a 
 reunion upon higher, nobler, and broader grounds.
 
 104 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Mr. Smyth took an active part in sending forward the 
 first regiments of New Hampshire troops, which many 
 believed would be all that would be required, as it had 
 been predicted by one high in authority that hostilities 
 would be ended in thirty days. He was, however, called 
 away, having previously accepted an appointment as one 
 of the commissioners on the part of the General Govern- 
 ment from New Hampshire to the International Exhibi- 
 tion of 1862, at London. It was found by him on his 
 arrival that only three of the commissioners from the 
 United States were in attendance, and that nothing had 
 been done towards arranging the exhibits in the space 
 allotted to America. Mr. Smyth at once went to work 
 with his accustomed energy, and, aided by his associates, 
 S3, 000 was raised by subscription from patriotic citizens 
 of the United States then in London. Platforms were 
 constructed, painters and decorators set at work, and an 
 arrangement of American flags were so placed that no 
 person " secesh " or otherwise could enter the Amer- 
 ican Department without passing under the " Stars and 
 Stripes." 
 
 "While Mr. Smyth was abroad, he wrote a series of let- 
 ters to a friend at home, who furnished extracts from them 
 for publication in the New Hampshire Journal of Agri- 
 culture, from whence they are now copied. The editor, 
 in publishing the first installment, said : " Mr. Smyth's 
 acquaintances, and they are very numerous, know that 
 he makes no pretension to be called a man of letters. 
 Nevertheless, his impressions, fresh and oft-hand in man- 
 ner, give a very interesting idea of England as seen from 
 his standpoint. \Ye may remark that the official position 
 held by him gives uncommon facilities for observation, 
 and although, as usual, he is doing the work of five men 
 in the discharge of the duties assigned him, nothing 
 seems to escape his notice."
 
 FIRST VISIT TO EUROPE. 105 
 
 Of the people at the opening of the exhibition, Mr. 
 Smyth wrote : " Such dresses as the ladies wore I never 
 imagined. I stepped on the trail of many a dress that 
 day which cost at least ten thousand dollars. You may 
 think this rather steep, but it is true. Some of the first 
 and richest men and women of all nations of the world 
 were there. . . . The picture gallery alone is half a 
 mile in length, reckoning its various sections forty-five 
 feet wide and twenty-five feet high, the walls covered with 
 works of the best artists in the world. The department 
 of sculpture is about as extensive, and so on through the 
 whole. It would take one three months to look at all the 
 articles in the building. As the common people are not 
 admitted until June, the visitors are very select, rich, and 
 dressy. . . . Everything about the whole style of 
 apparel seems to consist of one easy, flowing drapery, 
 thrown carelessly yet gracefully on, and looking as though 
 it might drop off as easily as put on. Seemingly nothing 
 needs to be untied or unhooked, and yet I have not seen 
 any dresses fall off, and indeed the ladies don't seem to 
 trouble themselves at all with the idea that they may do 
 so. ... Women do not receive so much attention 
 here as at home, a gentleman rarely giving up his seat to 
 one, consequently when such is the case, the acknowledg- 
 ment of the courtesy is very marked. 
 
 " I have not heard so much profanity since I have been 
 in London as may be sometimes heard in Manchester in 
 one day, though I daily pass a crowd three miles long. 
 Perfect order and quiet prevails. The Sabbath is respected 
 about the same as with us, until 5 P. M., when the liquor 
 shops are opened. Carriages passing any church during 
 service must walk their horses. The streets are kept in 
 fine order, on some of them the crowd continues all 
 night without apparent diminution. The chiming of bells 
 on the Sabbath is delightful, many of them being high-
 
 106 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 toned and soft as a piano. The parks are finely kept. 
 In Hyde Park may be seen hundreds of ladies on horse- 
 back elegantly mounted. The weather has been delight- 
 ful since I have been here, in that respect differing from 
 what I had been led to expect. Indeed, in most things, I 
 must conclude that I am seeing London from a most 
 favorable standpoint, and am indebted to my position for 
 extraordinary facilities, which I shall not fail to improve. 
 
 " I have been through Westminster Abbey, seen all 
 the tombs, and read the inscriptions over the kings, 
 queens, and great men and women of the earth, buried 
 here, some of them eight hundred years ago. On most 
 of the tombs are sculptured likenesses of the tenants in 
 stone, bronze, and marble. Have visited Parliament, 
 which sits nights, the members with hats on ; also 
 have seen the Tower, laid my hand and neck on the 
 block where Anne Boleyn was beheaded, saw the axe 
 and felt its edge, also the block and axe by which the 
 Lady Jane Grey suffered death in 1553. 
 
 " In the interior of this Tower, where so many polit- 
 ical prisoners were executed in the early history of 
 England, I saw the $15,000,000 worth of crown jewels. 
 The Tower is a good study for a week. Have visited 
 many of the celebrated gardens and parks, Greenwich 
 Observatory, Bank of England, Royal Exchange, British 
 and Kensington Museum, and ascended the dome of St. 
 Paul's. Fifteen miles out, I visited Hampton Court, the 
 birthplace and residence of kings and queens innumer- 
 able. The rooms of the palace are all preserved in the 
 same condition as when occupied by royalty, furni- 
 ture, painting, beds, and bed-clothes ; all the walls of the 
 halls and rooms covered with paintings of the noble fam- 
 ilies of Europe for centuries. 
 
 " At Richmond, near by, I visited the house where 
 Pope* lived, and the Orleans place, where the French ex-
 
 FIRST VISIT TO EUROPE. 107 
 
 Queen Amelie resides with her son the Duke cle 
 Nemours and Princess Maria Clementine. The ex- 
 queen, accompanied by her son and daughter, visited the 
 exhibition the other day. I was interested to see how the 
 French would treat her when she went through that de- 
 partment. It was with the most marked respect, many of 
 them shedding tears, yet she or any of her family would 
 not be allowed to enter France on any conditions. There 
 is evidently great affection and pity for her among the 
 French, but they cannot express it in France. It is said 
 that the Emperor's detectives secretly watched her, to 
 report her movements."
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 JENGLISH TRAITS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 MR. SMYTH was a close observer of the attitude of 
 Englishmen on our home troubles. " In regard to 
 American affairs," he wrote, " I do not think there is a 
 particle of danger of any interference from England, or 
 has ever been ; most people sympathize with Americans 
 and the Xorth, when they fairly understand the issue. 
 I listened to a discussion in Parliament upon the distress 
 in some parts of England, among the working classes, for 
 want of cotton ; and although the American question 
 came directly in debate, nothing was said to which any 
 Northern man could take exception. There is not so 
 much tobacco used as in America, neither is the organ of 
 destructiveness so largely developed as in ours. Xo cut 
 and hacked seats or fences are seen in the park or any- 
 where else. Every variety of flowers are scattered over 
 the parks, but nobody thinks of touching one, or tree or 
 shrub, though all classes have access to them. Xo notices 
 ' Xot to touch,' but such as this I noticed in one of the 
 public gardens : ' The public are expected to preserve 
 what is intended for public enjoyment.' What do you 
 suppose Manchester boys and girls, who steal fruit and 
 flowers, would care for such a notice ? Yet it is sufficient 
 here. 
 
 " Old buildings are rarely torn down or painted; the 
 people have a veneration for everything old. Hair dye 
 is not used, but gray hair is preferred, and thousands of 
 youngish men powder their hair to make it appear gray. 
 Ladies with gray and white hair take especial pains to dis-
 
 ENGLISH TRAITS AND CUSTOMS. 109 
 
 play it. I see hundreds of ladies wear white or gray hair 
 curled and elaborately dressed, and it looks finely. I see 
 no portrait of "Washington or any American statesman, 
 except some of the old Tories of the Revolution, but 
 splendid ones of all English statesmen and officers of 
 every kind and grade. 
 
 " In Paris, while at the imperial circus, the American 
 flag was brought in on some occasion between the acts, 
 and was received with most enthusiastic cheers. You 
 may be sure that my voice was raised to its utmost 
 capacity. 
 
 " Among other cities, I have visited Manchester, 
 Chester, Birmingham, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwick and 
 Warwick Castle, Leamington, Kenilworth, Oxford, Read- 
 ing, Brighton, etc., and have been to the Epsom races, a 
 great institution here. Spent a day at Chester, the oldest 
 city in England ; its cathedral is a thousand years old. 
 It is a walled city ; one part of the wall was built by the 
 Romans about the time of the Christian era. Under- 
 ground may still be seen a stone bath and crypt, both of 
 Roman origin. I examined these relics with great inter- 
 est, and secured pieces to bring home. Many of the 
 houses are supposed to be from five hundred to one 
 thousand years old ; one oak frame house has the date 
 1003 on its gable and on one other timber, which is, by 
 unquestionable authority, the true date. Brighton is on 
 the sea-shore fifty miles from London, and really ' Lon- 
 don out of town.' Here the rich Londoners spend the 
 hot season. It is delightfully- situated, having five miles 
 of beach. L T nlike Newport, the fine houses are built 
 close together, on the beach. ' The city has 80,000 inhab- 
 itants, and is entirely supported by the people who visit 
 there. 
 
 " A reception by Mr. Baring, M. P., the English banker, 
 and one of her majesty's commissioners for the exhi-
 
 110 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 bition, was given at the Crystal Palace at Sydenham last 
 Friday. The hours of our invitation were from 3 to 7 
 o'clock, P. M. ; the palace and its splendid gardens were 
 appropriated to his guests. Blondin performed in the 
 garden, where were stationed two of the best bands in 
 England, sixty pieces each. The Handel and Haydn 
 Society held forth in the great music hall, the hundred 
 fountains were playing, and numerous attractions of other 
 kinds were seen everywhere. Guests began to eat as 
 soon as they arrived ; a table was set in the entrance hall, 
 more than 200 feet long, laden with varieties of choice 
 fruit, every conceivable kind of pastry, cold meats, ices, 
 wines, etc., everything selected of the very best kind. 
 For instance, every strawberry was of perfect form and 
 immense size, every bunch of grapes was like the sample 
 bunches you sometimes see in windows in Boston and 
 ISTew York. As soon as anything was taken, it was im- 
 mediately replaced, so when the guests left, the tables 
 were just as handsomely loaded and arranged as when 
 they arrived. This, however, was but the whetting of 
 the appetite, before we were introduced. After passing 
 through the reception rooms, we went where we pleased 
 about the buildings or gardens. Xear by the reception 
 rooms dinner was served with seats for every guest, where 
 one could go where he liked, and have any kind of fish, 
 flesh, or fowl I ever saw, heard, or read of. There were 
 one thousand people in all, and ladies composed about one 
 half of the company. 
 
 " I attended a banquet given by the lady mayoress at 
 the Mansion House residence of the lord mayor. This 
 entertainment in many respects surpassed that of Mr. 
 Baring. There were 1,400 present, and yet no crowd, 
 the mansion is so large. The dancing and supper halls 
 were each of them more elegant than the senate chamber 
 at Washington, and the whole mansion is furnished su-
 
 ENGLISH TRAITS AND CUSTOMS. Ill 
 
 perbly. There were at least 800 ladies present. The 
 daughter of the lord mayor, a pretty young lady, received 
 and shook hands with every guest, which took her till 
 twelve o'clock, and then she danced continuously till half- 
 past four, one hour after daylight, when I left. 
 
 " The Americans in London will celebrate the Fourth 
 of July by a great dinner ; consequently I shall remain, 
 and intend to leave for Germany, Switzerland, Italy, etc., 
 the day following. 
 
 " Towards night we rode four miles from the palace to 
 the churchyard, which is the scene of Gray's immortal 
 elegy, and where he now sleeps in a humble grave beside 
 that of his mother, as he desired. A monument has been 
 erected to his memory a little out of the churchyard, for 
 there is not room within. The same old church without 
 alteration, the same yew trees which were there when he 
 wrote and which helped inspire the elegy, still remain ; 
 and while we were there gathering flowers from his grave 
 at sundown, breathing in the inspiration of the beautiful 
 scene, the ' curfew ' tolled its evening vesper as of old. 
 Nothing was wanting to increase the interest of the time. 
 Xot far from here is the old family seat of "William 
 Penn ; also Eton College, founded by Henry VI in 1441. 
 
 " AVindsor Castle has been for many years the abode of 
 the sovereigns of England. The Round Tower is 800 
 years old. The household consists of 350 persons. The 
 park consists of 9,600 acres, almost entirely covered with 
 immense old trees except the walks and drives. JSTothing 
 can be imagined more beautiful than the view from the 
 
 O 
 
 top of the castle, views into the counties of Berks, 
 Bedford, Brooks, Oxford, and Middlesex, in which last 
 named is London, twenty-two miles distant. The Thames 
 winds its course close by the foot of the palace. Volumes 
 might be tilled in describing the interesting objects in this 
 neighborhood. The Ascot race-grounds are about eight
 
 112 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 miles from here. The annual races came off a week ago. 
 Of course I was there to see, as also at Epsom to see the 
 Derby and Oaks the week before. 
 
 " One of the most pleasant fetes I have attended was at 
 Hatfield House, seat of the Marquis of Salisbury, at Hat- 
 field, nearly twenty miles out of London. This is said to 
 be one of the finest houses, and surrounded by the most 
 beautiful grounds, of any in England. They are many 
 hundred acres in extent and admirably laid out. "Walks 
 miles in length, shaded by immense rows of old trees and 
 lined with every variety of flowers. Lawns kept smooth 
 as a house floor, acres of them, every variety of hill and 
 dale ; brooks, waterfalls, and fountains interspersed ; 
 bands of music were stationed at various points in the 
 forests and grounds, and in the palace. 
 
 " The guests strolled about where they pleased in 
 palace, forest, avenues, among the acres of flowers, and 
 through the stables, kept neat as a parlor, every horse 
 and pony with silver-mounted harness waiting to be in- 
 spected. Everywhere seats and chairs were found, that 
 one might rest as often as desirable. Refreshments of 
 every name and nature were provided in various places. 
 Lord and Lady S. received their guests on the lawn in 
 front of the palace, from two to eight o'clock, p. M. Many 
 celebrities were present, and people claiming to have the 
 best blood of England (whatever that may be) in their 
 veins. The Marquis of Lansdowne ; the ex-Queen of 
 France, and members of the Orleans family; the great 
 parliamentary orator, Mr. Gladstone, and his lady ; Mr. 
 Disraeli and lady ; the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, 
 etc. The American minister, Mr. Adams, and his wife 
 were present, and in fact no small fry except myself. 
 Lady Salisbury was dressed in simple white, and wore a 
 black hat. She received her guests in an easy, unaffected 
 manner. All ages were present, from sixteen to ninety,
 
 ENGLISH TKAITS AND CUSTOMS. 113 
 
 and I never saw such handsome old women. Carriages 
 and people here turn to the left instead of to the right, as 
 with us. I discovered this the day I arrived, after run- 
 ning into a fat woman, from whose flowing drapery it 
 took me some time to disentangle myself; since then I 
 have turned to the left and passed safely. 
 
 " By courtesy of the governor of the Bank of England, 
 I was allowed to see the private apartments of that great 
 institution, and to inspect every operation in detail. The 
 banking rooms cover four and a half acres. It employs 
 1,000 clerks and others all the time, manufactures its own 
 paper, books, and ink, does its own printing all within the 
 bank. I had the privilege of examining their books, 
 manner of doing business, etc."
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND. 
 
 MR, SMYTH had also been commissioned by the United 
 States Agricultural Society to represent it in England 
 and on the continent of Europe. In this capacity, he 
 attended the annual exhibition of the Royal Agricultural 
 Society, which was held in Battersea Park in 1862. " It 
 is said," he wrote, " to be the greatest show of horses, 
 cattle, sheep, and swine, and farming implements, ever 
 held in the world. The pens containing the animals upon 
 exhibition measure five and a half miles in length, and 
 such animals I never saw before. Specimens from all 
 parts of Europe were here. Some of the work-horses 
 weighed 2,400 pounds. Carriage horses are about as 
 large as ours, but the work-horses are nearly twice as 
 heavy. They are kept entirely distinct, and never bred 
 together. The Swiss cows wore bells on their necks, of 
 sweet tone, often quite large, and held by an ornamental 
 strap. French stock is not equal to the English ; it is 
 nearly all black or speckled. Most of the Scotch cattle 
 have no horns, but are very fine animals. 
 
 " I attended a trial of steam plowing and digging, but 
 did not think the machines worked as well as some I saw 
 at Chicago, at the exhibition of the United States Agri- 
 cultural Society. In agricultural implements we are 
 ahead of England, certainly in quality if not in quantity. 
 Our forks, plows, and mowing-machines are far better 
 than theirs. In stock-sheep and work-horses they beat 
 us, but not in carriage or family horses. The short- 
 horned Durham cattle predominate here over all other
 
 AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND. 115 
 
 blood. I saw one bull of this breed sold for $4,000, and 
 one stock-horse for $25,000." 
 
 Again he writes : " In company with C. L. Flint, Esq., 
 secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture, and 
 Dr. J. "W. Hoyt, editor of the Wisconsin Farmer, I vis- 
 ited Windsor Castle, where the queen now resides. We 
 visited the state apartments, and the queen's model farm, 
 dairy, stock, etc. The dairy house is of white marble, 
 floor, ceiling, and walls of china, with water constantly 
 running around the room, the evaporation of which keeps 
 the rooms sweet and cool. The milk-pans are of white 
 china, and everything is as neat as it can possibly be 
 made. I drank some of the milk. The stables, poultry 
 houses, and all their surroundings, are much nicer than 
 the houses of many of her subjects." 
 
 Mr. Smyth also visited the model experimental farm of 
 Great Britain, of which he wrote : " Tiptree farm, owned 
 by Alderman Mechi, is situated on Tiptree Heath, an ex- 
 tensive tract of barren land about forty miles from Lon- 
 don, at the Calverton station. Mr. Mechi's desire seems 
 to have been to employ his capital in some business that 
 would pay ; and being a man of enterprise and ingenuity, 
 he purchased about one hundred and fifty acres of this 
 poor heath for the purpose of trying an experiment on 
 liquid manure. That it might pay, his buildings were all 
 of the plainest and most substantial kind, nothing being 
 spent for ornament. His stables were floored with nar- 
 row slats, through the spaces between which all the ma- 
 nure was washed. He has a small, cheap steam-engine 
 by which water is forced upon the floors, and the manure 
 carried into a vast reservoir. He uses no litter, believ- 
 ing that cattle fatten faster and live more healthily with- 
 out it. All his straw is cut up and mixed with roots, oil 
 cake, and grass for fodder. He considers straw worth at 
 least $10 a ton for this purpose, or half the value of hay. 
 The power derived from the steam-engine cuts the fod-
 
 116 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 der, grinds the corn, pumps the liquid manure upon the 
 land, and is applied to every possible purpose, saving the 
 labor of many hands. Mr. Mechi employs but four men ; 
 his crops are wheat and grass. The grass is cut three 
 times a year, and much of it fed green to stock. From 
 fifty to sixty bushels of wheat per acre is considered a 
 good crop. He sows to the acre, one bushel of wheat, 
 two of oats, or one and a half of barley. The stock is 
 kept up all the time, and Mr. Mechi estimates that the 
 amount of fodder required by one animal running at 
 large will be sufficient for three when kept up. In this 
 his experience agrees with that of Mr. Quincy, in his 
 treatise on the soiling of cattle. Being asked if he did 
 not think it hard for cattle to lay and stand on slats, he 
 said that actual experiment had convinced him to the 
 contrary ; that the cattle on the slats fatted better and 
 lodged more comfortably than those on straw. It should 
 be borne in mind that everything is washed scrupulously 
 clean several times a day, and that the climate is not so 
 severe as our own. The land is thoroughly under- 
 drained with tile from one and a half to two inches in 
 diameter. At intervals over the farm there are open res- 
 ervoirs into which the water flows, being like cool spring 
 water. In the middle of each plot of twelve acres is a 
 hydrant which receives the liquid manure, from whence 
 it is distributed by hose like that of a fire-engine, over 
 the soil. The manure is applied once a week. Before 
 being pumped out, a large hose is let down into the great 
 vat, and air forced through so as to mix it thoroughly. 
 Mr. Mechi thinks he has established two or three truths 
 by his experiments ; and first, that farming will pay. It 
 must be remembered that the land was absolutely worth- 
 less to begin with, and that the application of manure 
 alone produces the crops. On his entire capital invested, 
 he makes seven and a half per cent, a large rate of in- 
 terest in a country where three per cent is considered a
 
 AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND. 117 
 
 fair return. Secondly, he has proved the value of straw 
 used as fodder when mixed with roots to be quite one 
 half that of hay ; and thirdly, that straw can he econom- 
 ically used in farm lahor. 
 
 " In his reception-room a large book is kept, in which 
 visitors are requested to write their names and opinion of 
 his system. He was especially desirous that the real 
 opinion should be expressed, and being a shrewd man, 
 doubtless profited by the suggestions and criticisms 
 made." 
 
 While observing agricultural matters, Mr. Smyth con- 
 tinued to pay the strictest attention to his duties as a 
 United States commissioner to the World's Exhibition. 
 He saw that every article entered for premium was 
 brought to the notice of the proper board of judges, by 
 whom it might have been otherwise overlooked, and the 
 United States thus received an unusually large propor- 
 tion of medals. He also took occasion, whenever an op- 
 portunity presented itself, to say a word in defense of the 
 Union, and against the sympathy with secession then 
 manifesting itself. Among the letters received by him, 1 
 was the following, from Mr. George Wallis. Mr. Wallis 
 
 O ' O 
 
 had made, in 1853, a report to the British government 
 on the manufactures of the United States, which was 
 considered as so important that its reprint was ordered 
 in 1862. Mr. Smyth, before leaving for the United 
 States, made application for a copy of this report, that he 
 might communicate it to the authorities at Washington, 
 and in due time he received this letter : 
 
 16 VICTORIA Row, TULIIAM ROAD, 
 
 LONDON, Xov. 6, 1862. 
 MY DEAR SIR : 
 
 To-morrow I hope to deliver into the hands of persons 
 acting for the United States at the International Exhibi- 
 tion, a parcel containing the government copy of my 
 report on the manufactures of the United States in 1853 >
 
 118 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 as presented to Parliament, and which I obtained after I 
 last had the pleasure of seeing you, as also a certificate 
 respecting Messrs. Gardner Brewer & Co. 's goods, which 
 I promised to either give or obtain for you. I regret I 
 did not see you as you passed through London, but I was 
 at Paris with Mrs. Wallis at the time you returned from 
 the Continent. May I ask you to favor me with a line on 
 receipt of the packet, as I shall be anxious to know you 
 have got it. Did space and time permit, I would say a 
 good deal to you, of the present attitude of affairs and the 
 relations of England to the United States. At times I 
 feel terribly humiliated at seeing the very, very outrageous 
 conduct of a certain section of my countrymen, in the 
 matter of the struggle between the Xorth and South. 
 Happily I can believe still that the national heart is sound, 
 but the class of people who are the real enemies of free 
 government everywhere have been more than usually 
 active among us of late. These are the sympathizers 
 with the South. It is the class which opposes the educa- 
 tion of the people except in a stereotype form, opposes 
 'reform, parliamentary and administrative. 
 
 These were the obstructers to free trade, religious 
 equality, sympathizers with despotism everywhere, espe- 
 cially the despotism of a class. In fact, they constitute 
 what we consider the worn-out political party of this 
 country, and they have influence so far as loud talking 
 and unscrupulous writing will give them, and no more. 
 They may annoy, but can do no harm. Trusting you are 
 well, 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 GEORGE AVALLIS. 
 
 Hox. FREDERICK SMYTH, Comm., etc. 
 
 Meanwhile Mr. Smyth, in company with Mr. Flint, 
 visited France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. While 
 on the Mediterranean in a sailing vessel, he met with
 
 AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND. 119 
 
 an accident which would have discouraged any ordinary 
 traveler, receiving a wound from a fall into the hold, 
 which made it almost impossible for him to walk. By 
 means, however, of an attendant with a chair, he bravely 
 continued his sight-seeing. It may be remarked here that 
 this tour was not that of one who enjoys a vacation, or 
 who lazily and listlessly wanders through foreign lands to 
 kill time, but was the result of an eager desire to see and 
 know about men arid things. In fact, he made it his 
 school, and few men have managed to absorb so much in 
 such a brief space of time. 
 
 He was at Rome during the darkest period of our 
 nation's fortunes, and advices from home filled him with 
 solicitude. He had left America under the ninety-days' 
 hallucination of Secretary Seward ; but as this delusion 
 was dispelled, he felt that his services might be needed 
 more than he had thought, and while at Rome he deter- 
 mined to return. When he reached London, " home- 
 ward bound," the news was more encouraging, and the 
 prospects of the Xorth began to brighten, but notwith- 
 standing he continued on, and landed at ]S"ew York in 
 September. 
 
 When he reached home in that month, the Tenth Regi- 
 ment, under Colonel Donahoe, was just departing for the 
 war. Citizens purchased and presented horses to the 
 officers. Ex-Mayor Smyth made the presentation to 
 Major Jesse Angell, referring to his patriotism and self- 
 sacrifice in fitting terms. " A large showy horse, pur- 
 chased from Mr. Charles Rowell," was the comment of 
 the press on the animal presented. Major Angell was a 
 fine-looking officer, and left a good place in the mills for 
 the war in behalf of his country. 
 
 Returning to his Manchester home, Mr. Smyth gave his 
 time to the care of the moneyed institutions under his 
 charge. He at all times encouraged people to subscribe 
 to the Government loan, and he took an active part in
 
 120 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 every measure calculated to increase popular faith in the 
 war measures of the administration. At that time, few 
 moneyed men or banks in town cared to follow his example, 
 but the event justified his sagacity. Mr. Smyth's course 
 in finance has been strictly conservative ; he has never 
 dabbled in fancy stocks or in merely speculative matters 
 for himself or for his bank, and the reputation thus ac- 
 quired enabled him, as will be seen, to lift the State from 
 a condition in which it was compelled to pay exorbitant 
 interest to one not inferior to that of any in the Union. 
 
 In May, 1863, a fair was held at Manchester iri aid of 
 the National Sanitary Commission. Mr. Smyth was the 
 chairman of the managing committee, and gave the use 
 of his hall, in addition to his own zealous personal efforts, 
 to promote the success of the undertaking. It was a suc- 
 cess, and the sum raised was about four thousand dollars. 
 He felt that every possible exertion should be made to 
 sustain the soldiers in the field for upholding and main- 
 taining the principles of free government, and was ever 
 ready to advance any measure calculated to promote the 
 comfort of these brave Boys in Blue. 
 
 After the battle of Gettysburg, he hastened with others 
 to that bloody field, where he witnessed the sufferings of 
 the wounded who had rallied round their battle-flags as 
 they had pressed forward through seas of blood and over 
 hecatombs of the dead until the once proud host of the 
 secessionists was flying in defeat. Mr. Smyth labored 
 among the wounded soldiers until he was himself pros- 
 trated by exposure and over-exertion, and he was forced 
 to seek medical advice. A surgeon who was present, in 
 a letter wrote : " The prompt, efficient, and able manner 
 in which he aided both officers and men with counsel and 
 means to procure needed articles for the relief of distress, 
 was remarked by all. Through drenching rain, through 
 mud, wading swollen creeks, he seemed everywhere 
 present/' In this case, however, his zeal was too great
 
 AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND. 121 
 
 for his strength. The sickening effluvia of the battle- 
 field, the sounds and sights of distress beyond all human 
 aid, added to neglect of proper food, brought him to a 
 sick bed, where he was confined during most of the fall 
 of 1863. 
 
 The next May, however, news came of the horrors of 
 war as displayed on the battle-fields of the Wilderness, 
 and Mr. Smyth again hastened to the front. Under the 
 broiling sun of a Virginia May, with arms bare to the 
 work, he helped carry the wounded from the field to 
 Fredericksburg, where such care was given them as could 
 be had. While tenderly caring for the wounded, he en- 
 couraged the survivors to " fight it out on that line," 
 assuring them that they would eventually be led to vic- 
 tory, glory, and final triumph. With fresh hopes and 
 renewed courage they would rally around the starry ban- 
 ner with renewed ardor and enthusiasm, while those cared 
 for in the hospitals were anxious to join their regiments 
 and to participate in the final victory. Mr. Smyth has 
 since received many testimonials from those whom he had 
 encouraged or succored, some of them declaring that they 
 owed, under God, their lives to his tender care.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 HOME AFFAIRS. 
 
 IN this year, 1863, Mr. Smyth was for the fourth 'time 
 elected mayor of Manchester, under peculiar circum- 
 stances. The then existing situation, and the result, was 
 thus graphically described in an editorial article in the 
 Manchester Mirror and American, of Xov. 8, 1864 : 
 
 " A year ago this month the governor and council of 
 Xew Hampshire wisely recommended the towns and cities 
 of this State to cash the Government bounty of $302.00, 
 payable in installments, and fill up their quotas. The 
 advice was taken. It took between three and four mil- 
 lions of dollars of ready money to carry out the idea. It 
 drained every bank, and made, for the time being, the 
 best securities seem of no account in raising money. 
 Manchester was in trouble ; she needed more funds than 
 could be had, and with all her wealth, seemed like a beg- 
 gar. ... In this critical condition of financial affairs, 
 the question of mayor of this city came up. The field was 
 canvassed again and again, and each time the report would 
 be, ' Hon. Frederick Smyth is the man, but he won't take 
 it.' It was a necessity that the chief executive of the city 
 should have the confidence of business men and be familiar 
 with financial matters. Finally the pressure was so great 
 that some of our leading citizens went to him and con- 
 vinced him that it was his duty to accept of the onerous 
 position one year. He reluctantly assented, with a dis- 
 tinct understanding that he should not again be called 
 upon for that place. Some ten years ago he was three 
 times elected to fill the office of mayor, each year with
 
 MAYOR'S FOURTH INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 128 
 
 increased majorities, and time had shown that his munici- 
 pal record grew higher and brighter as new opportunities 
 to judge of its merits presented themselves. And a year 
 ago he was elected for a fourth term without show of 
 opposition, an event unprecedented in our municipal his- 
 tory, or in that of any city in the State. It was a wise 
 choice. From the moment he took the mayor's chair, 
 harmony prevailed in every department of the city govern- 
 ment. He is a peace-maker. He believes that ' a house 
 divided against itself cannot stand,' and has the power of 
 discerning almost intuitively the average sense of man- 
 kind, what is generally called common-sense, and hence is 
 a natural leader of the people." 
 
 Jan. 5, 1864, Mayor Smyth delivered before both 
 branches of the city council in convention assembled his 
 fourth inaugural address. 
 
 GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL : 
 
 Selected by our fellow-citizens to conduct the municipal 
 affairs of this city for the year this day commencing, and 
 having taken a solemn obligation to devote to that pur- 
 pose our best endeavors, we cannot now escape the respon- 
 sibility we have assumed. 
 
 I congratulate myself that, on again assuming the 
 duties involved in my position, I am to be associated with 
 so large a number, in each branch of the city council, 
 who have had experience in the legislation of our city ; 
 who not only know what has been done, but what is re- 
 quired, and the most feasible mode to obtain the desired 
 results. 
 
 In accordance with the requirements of the city charter 
 and with custom, I shall ask your attention to some of the 
 more important matters that will become subjects of city 
 legislation. 
 
 The annual report of the receipts and expenditures of 
 the past year not being completed, I cannot now refer in
 
 124 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 detail to financial aftairs. It is hoped that the report will 
 soon be before you. 
 
 I shall not be thought to overstate the case, when I say 
 that no city council, in the history of our municipal 
 government, now commencing its eighteenth year, has 
 been required to consider and act on questions so momen- 
 tous as those which will immediately occupy our atten- 
 tion. We are to assume the management of a debt 
 nearly or quite twice as large as that of any previous year, 
 while the State tax is to be doubled. 
 
 What shall be done with so great a debt, what necessity 
 there may be for its increase or what probability of its 
 reduction, what means shall be provided for payment of 
 interest, and whether the burden of taxation can be 
 lightened without public detriment, are questions to be 
 carefully considered. With these large liabilities of city, 
 county, and State, come increased taxes in like propor- 
 tion. However unwelcome such facts maybe, it is better 
 to look them squarely in the face, that we may be the bet- 
 ter prepared to meet them. Of the creation of such in- 
 debtedness, or whether it was or not in part or in whole 
 properly incurred, we are not called upon now to decide, 
 we must take matters as we find them. 
 
 The limited investigation I have been able to give the 
 subject of the city finances since my election, does not 
 enable me to express at this time any decided opinion in 
 relation to what should be our course of action in this 
 regard. I therefore will only briefly state that, from in- 
 formation obtained from our worthy city treasurer, I find 
 the indebtedness of the city, on the first day of the present 
 month, to be as follows : 
 
 Bonds due, 1S9:$ 8711,000 
 
 18SN 85,000 
 
 July 1, 1W2 .... 22,500 
 
 Jan. 1, 1SU .... 10,000 
 
 Notes due, July 1, 1878 .... 3,500
 
 MAYOR'S FOURTH INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 125 
 
 Bonds due, July 1, 1877 .... $22,500 
 
 July 1, 1874 .... 20,000 
 
 July 1, 1872 .... 20,000 
 
 Notes due, Feb. 1, 1872 .... 3,600 
 
 Bonds due, Jan. 1, 1871 .... 6,000 
 
 July 1, 1867 .... 20,000 
 
 Jan. 1, 1866 .... 6,000 
 
 Notes due, June 1, 1864 .... 6,000 
 
 May 2, 1864 .... 2,300 
 
 April 13, 1864 .... 2,100 
 
 Feb. 16, 1864 .... 2,500 
 
 Feb. 9, 1864 .... 10,000 
 
 Notes due, on demand ..... 69,400 
 
 Interest due, Jan. 1, 1864 .... 8,025 
 
 Due State of New Hampshire and County of 
 
 Hillsborough, for taxes of 1863 . . 27,754 
 
 Due on bills appi'oved in treasurer's hands, 
 
 not paid 12,928 
 
 $380,107 
 
 The amount of outstanding bills due I have no means 
 of knowing at the present time, neither can I inform you 
 how much we may receive from the State and General 
 Government, or from other sources, or how much the ex- 
 penses of the city will be from this time until the taxes 
 of the present year can be realized in June. The treasurer 
 informs me that, in his opinion, we shall be under the 
 necessity of obtaining by loan about forty thousand dol- 
 lars, to pay the demands on the treasury by the families 
 of soldiers, before any money can be received from the 
 State for that purpose. He is also of the opinion that at 
 least ten thousand dollars in addition must be raised, to 
 pay demands now due, and which may become due, over 
 and above the money he now has on hand, and the receipts 
 from all sources from the present time till the new taxes 
 are assessed in June. 
 
 From the foregoing it will be seen that we are liable to 
 be called upon to pay $69,400, the amount of notes due
 
 126 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 on demand, at any time. Other notes, amounting to $22,- 
 900, will mature in the course of five months. It will be 
 noticed also that, by the treasurer's estimate, $50,000 more 
 must be raised soon, to meet demands before named, over 
 and above all estimated receipts. I name the subject here, 
 in order that it may be known, as nearly as possible, how 
 we stand at the time we assume office, and also for the 
 purpose of urging your immediate attention to the mat- 
 ter. I have no doubt of our ability to maintain the credit 
 of the city unimpaired. 
 
 To confine our debt within manageable limits, and so 
 to control taxation that our men of business and capitalists 
 may not be driven from among us, will require rigid 
 economy in expenditures and discriminating firmness on 
 the part of each member of the city council, in resisting 
 applications for improvements, which, though desirable, 
 cannot all be effected at once. I do not advocate a parsi- 
 monious policy, even in our present financial condition ; 
 but a close scrutiny into the wisdom and necessity of every 
 proposed outlay is indispensable to the public welfare. 
 
 The power to make appropriations and to expend them 
 rests exclusively with the city council, except in cases 
 otherwise provided for by State and city laws. I do not 
 understand that any standing or special committee of the 
 city council, or of either board, has authority to expend 
 or control any appropriation, unless specially authorized 
 by a vote of the city council. 
 
 Although the mayor is by the charter made the chief 
 executive officer of the city, and is required to exercise 
 supervision over the conduct of all subordinate officers, 
 he has no authority to expend money unless authorized 
 by the city council. 
 
 A thorough system of accounts and a rigid account- 
 ability should be required of persons having the expendi- 
 ture of public money. The appropriations should be
 
 MAYOR'S FOURTH INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 127 
 
 made large enough for the purpose for which they are 
 assigned, and should in no instance be overdrawn without 
 a vote by the proper authority. Every officer and agent 
 disbursing the public money should be held personally ac- 
 countable for every cent expended in excess of the appro- 
 priation. If this system be not well enforced, we shall 
 be under the necessity at the commencement of every 
 year to resort to temporary loans to supply deficiencies of 
 the previous year. These loans will soon become a part 
 of the permanent debt of the city, and thus our debt go 
 on increasing imperceptibly to the authority that permits 
 it to be contracted. 
 
 That " the world is governed too much," is a maxim as 
 true as it is old, and which no one conversant with history 
 or experience in human nature will deny. The city 
 records will show that our own law-makers have not 
 escaped the universal temptation. It has been found 
 necessary from time to time to prune and condense the 
 ordinances. In many instances the State laws would have 
 been sufficient for our needs, and in other cases the city 
 law-makers have not made themselves familiar with the 
 enactments of the State, with which their work has con- 
 flicted. A new revision of our ordinances is necessary at 
 this time, as few persons have ever perused all the laws 
 that encumber our records, or ever will. We should 
 avoid the passage of any law not absolutely required. 
 
 Xot questioning the ability or judgment of the asses- 
 sors of previous years, I desire to call the attention of the 
 present board to the subject of our public taxes, with a 
 view to their more equitable distribution. It is an ad- 
 mitted fact, that property in this city has always been 
 valued at a much higher rate than it has in the aggregate 
 throughout the State. This difference in the valuation 
 would be of no consequence if we were taxed for city 
 purposes only, but inasmuch as on this valuation our
 
 128 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 share of the State and county tax is based, it is of vast 
 importance to us, the more especially at this time, when 
 this public tax is to be about doubled, or nearly as much 
 as all our tax for municipal purposes, and also as upon the 
 appraisal of this and the last year the apportionment of 
 the public tax of this and the three next years is to be 
 made. The effect of this difference in appraisal may be 
 seen in the last apportionment of the State tax. Man- 
 chester's proportion of this tax under that apportionment 
 was $76.84 on every thousand dollars raised by the State, 
 or nearly one thirteenth of all the State tax. Does any 
 one believe that Manchester does, or ever did, contain 
 one thirteenth part of all the property in the State ? I 
 am aware that the city council cannot control this matter, 
 but if our present able board of assessors can feel it to be 
 their duty to remedy this evil, even in part, my object in 
 alluding to it in this connection will be accomplished. 
 
 One of the largest appropriations we are annually called 
 upon to make, is for the support and maintenance of our 
 public schools ; and I am free to say, gentlemen, that it is 
 not here that we should first commence to lessen our ap- 
 propriations. The expense of our schools is indeed great, 
 but the expense of a lack of education would be incalcu- 
 lably greater. Every good and true man, patriot, and 
 Christian will desire that our schools be thorough and 
 efficient in their work. Xever before was the impression 
 stronger than now upon the minds of the good and 
 thoughtful, that, if this country is to be, as it has been, a 
 government of the people, the masses must become 
 educated ; and to this end that schooling for our children 
 must be as free as possible, so free that all can share it, 
 and the schools so good that none can despise them. To 
 me it is a pleasant thought, that the loyal condition of our 
 Xew England States is largely attributed to the general 
 intelligence of the citizen, an intelligence, as we all
 
 MAYOR'S FOURTH INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 129 
 
 know, that comes from our free schools. Considering 
 their immediate pecuniary cost, we have a right to ex- 
 pect much in return. The influence of the competent 
 teacher ought to be felt upon pupils, not only within the 
 walls of the schoolroom, but in society, and wherever a 
 scholar goes. 
 
 One thing is greatly to be desired in our schools : the 
 cultivation of a spirit of taste and careful usage of the 
 public property, which shall prevent the destruction and 
 defacing of school buildings, fences, trees, etc. On this 
 subject too much cannot be said by parents and teachers. 
 
 In an inaugural address to the city council, March 15, 
 1853, and again March 24, 1854, I took occasion to rec- 
 ommend the establishment of a free public library, the 
 " Manchester Atheneum " having liberally tendered the 
 gift of their valuable library to the city for that pur- 
 pose, providing the city should maintain and annu- 
 ally enlarge it. It has now been in operation about ten 
 years, and, it seems to me, fully justifies the anticipations 
 of its founders, and has proved a powerful auxiliary in 
 the cause of education and morals. I have also had 
 reason to know that it has added to the reputation and 
 character of the city abroad, as a token of wise and lib- 
 eral legislation. 
 
 A more extensive reading-room, as a place of quiet 
 resort for all who chose to avail themselves of it, was I 
 think one of the original features contemplated by its 
 friends, and I have never looked with pleasure upon a 
 curtailment of this branch of the enterprise. It is not my 
 wish here to suggest an immediate additional outlay of 
 money, the times will not admit of it, but I look for- 
 ward to a time when our public library will assume much 
 more importance than now. It is not extravagant for us 
 to imagine that at some future time we may see not only 
 a free library of books and an extensive reading-room, but,
 
 130 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 in connection with the same, paintings and works of art. 
 It is to be hoped that the institution will take so deep a 
 hold upon the hearts of our citizens, that individuals of 
 wealth will consider it an object worthy of endowment, 
 and will desire to have their names associated with it as 
 benefactors. 
 
 All populous communities have found it necessary to 
 protect, by organized force, the property and persons of 
 the well-disposed from the vicious. We are to expect no 
 reprieve from this necessity until the Divine law is more 
 fully recognized and obeyed. The expenditure of large 
 sums of money does not always accomplish the desired 
 object. One officer, with a character for strict integrity, 
 courage, and perseverance, united with a discriminating 
 judgment and good temper, who is determined in the dis- 
 charge of duty, is better than any number of men with- 
 out such qualities. The best evidence of a good officer 
 in this department is the amount of crime he prevents, 
 rather than the number of cases he brings before the 
 police court. 
 
 An impression prevails that the number of officers in 
 the police department of our small city is unnecessarily 
 large, and that the expense of the same might be lessened 
 without public detriment. 
 
 Good roads and sidewalks enhance the value of prop- 
 erty, as well as add to the comfort and convenience of 
 citizens. Notwithstanding the large amount annually 
 appropriated for the purpose, our roads are not always in 
 a desirable condition, as is proved by daily experience 
 and occasional vexatious suits, against the city, for 
 damages. The most eminent civil engineers have made 
 road-building a study, and we should do no less than ex- 
 ercise the utmost care in the appointment of men who 
 have the supervision of the highways. AVe shall not 
 reach the perfection of those famous old roads, which
 
 MAYOR'S FOURTH INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 131 
 
 have borne the peaceful and warlike trains of two thou- 
 sand years without material repair or amendment; hut 
 we ought by skill and care to place our highways in bet- 
 ter condition, with less annual expenditure of money. 
 
 The paving of Elm street, which for several years has 
 been continued, was not extended last year, although, I 
 am informed, an appropriation was made for that pur- 
 pose. This improvement of our principal business thor- 
 oughfare is, in my opinion, an economical expenditure, 
 and I recommend its continuance the present year, to 
 such an extent as you may think advisable. Should you 
 coincide in this view, an early contract for the stone will 
 be necessary, in order to insure the completion of the 
 work in the proper season. A somewhat extended obser- 
 vation has led me to the opinion that smaller blocks ot 
 granite than those heretofore used for paving will answer 
 a better purpose. Much care should be exercised in the 
 proper preparation of the streets for paving, in order that 
 the work may be permanent. 
 
 Improvements are absolutely demanded in our side- 
 walks, and the various considerations arising from this 
 subject will require much thought. Whether the city 
 shall compel the abutters to build and keep the sidewalk 
 in repair, or, in case the work is undertaken by the city, 
 what compensation shall be made to those who have al- 
 ready done their part, we ought speedily to determine. 
 Citizens who notice defects in road or sidewalk should 
 make it a duty to report the same at once to the proper 
 officer, as much expense and suffering may thus be 
 avoided. Some State law may be required to enable us 
 to exercise the needed control over the subject of side- 
 walks. 
 
 An annual appropriation has been made for several 
 years and paid, for watering Kim street. This outlay, if 
 judiciously expended, is conducive to the comfort of our
 
 132 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 own citizens and visitors, who mostly congregate on this 
 our business thoroughfare, and the safety of property lia- 
 ble to injury by dust; but for some reason it seems to 
 have had but little efficiency except on rainy clays. I 
 would suggest that the object may be better attained by 
 taking the water, necessary for the northerly portion of 
 the street, from the reservoir on Concord square, which 
 might easily be conducted to a cistern in the rear of the 
 city stable, and that the teams kept in readiness for the 
 steam fire engines be used to distribute the water, always 
 being readily available in case of fire. 
 
 The expense of lighting our streets has become quite 
 an item. Some are of the opinion that, for the money 
 we pay, the streets should be better lighted. The light- 
 ing and extinguishing the lamps is done by an employee 
 of the gas company. Would it not be sounder economy 
 for some officer of the city, whose time may not be fully 
 occupied otherwise, to perform this duty, or provide some 
 means to ascertain that the city has all the light it pays 
 for, especially as complaint is made that the lights are 
 often extinguished before the stipulated time ? 
 
 A careful survey of the location, capacity, and grade of 
 our sewers should be made, and a map of the same pre- 
 served. There is reason to believe that this knowledge 
 w r ould have saved considerable needless expense hereto- 
 fore incurred. 
 
 Our public grounds, so indispensable to health and 
 comfort, should receive yearly careful attention, and the 
 improvements, commenced years ago, be continued. 
 Every tree should be protected and preserved, their losses 
 replaced, the fences, grass plots, and ponds kept in good 
 and tasteful condition, and free from every unsightly ob- 
 ject. The neatness of the commons has much to do with 
 the health of the city. Means should be taken to secure 
 the purity of the water in our public grounds, by protect-
 
 MAYOR'S FOURTH INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 133 
 
 ing the water-courses leading thereto from corrupting de- 
 posits. I have reason to helieve that the munificent spirit 
 on the part of the Amoskeag Company, which granted 
 so much land for public benefit, is not yet exhausted, and 
 that by consultation with the agent, who has taken so 
 much interest in beautifying and improving our city, a 
 still larger open space may be secured at some eligible 
 situation for parades and public gatherings. 
 
 The only successful weapons to be used against pauper- 
 ism are industry, temperance, and economy. To induce 
 those who are disposed to rely on the public for support 
 to practice these virtues, is the duty of every good citizen. 
 The number who claim support or aid from the city is 
 said to be increasing, not so much from any general 
 increase of pauperism, as from the fact that more such 
 persons, by lapse of time and by taxation, have gained a 
 residence here. 
 
 The city farm is a valuable aid in support of the poor, 
 and should receive every care and attention to increase its 
 productiveness and render it profitable. The street clean- 
 ings, which formerly added so much to its fertility, have 
 not, I am sorry to learn, been at all times used for so good 
 a purpose. The value of these accumulations is very 
 much underrated; with the annual application of these 
 fertilizing substances so easily obtained from the city, our 
 farm may soon be made the most productive in the county. 
 The expense of this cleansing would be much lessened by 
 employing inmates of the house of correction and the 
 farm teams. 
 
 That beautiful and sacred spot, Valley Cemetery, has 
 been nearly all disposed of, in individual and family lots. 
 With wise forethought, the authorities some years since 
 purchased Pine Grove Cemetery, a place in many respects 
 suited to the purpose to which it is devoted. It is to be 
 regretted that greater varietv in hill and valley does not
 
 134 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 combine with the other qualifications of the new location, 
 but it is doubtless the best that could be procured. The 
 delightful grove upon it may be much improved by judi- 
 cious and tasteful pruning. Affection, sentiment, duty, 
 and Christian piety, all demand of us appropriate care for 
 the place of sepulture. 
 
 I am not aware that any particular change is called for 
 in the fire department at present. It appears to possess 
 the features desirable cheapness and efficiency to a 
 very praiseworthy degree. We now have three steamers. 
 These, when in order (as they generally are), afford a bet- 
 ter protection than we have ever had before. It is hoped 
 that the fortunate exemption from losses by fire, which we 
 have enjoyed during the past year, will lull neither citizens 
 nor firemen into careless security. Without vigilance, we 
 are liable at any moment to disastrous conflagrations. 
 
 The times in which we live teach us the lesson that 
 every community, situated as we are, will be much more 
 likely to remain quiet, orderly, and peaceable, if within 
 its own borders, and composed of its own citizens, it 
 should have a disciplined volunteer force that can, at very 
 short notice, be made available in case of disturbance of 
 the public peace. The general good order of our city I 
 am pleased to note : and it is not anything in the past 
 that has occurred in our midst, that occasions this allu- 
 sion, but a conviction, which I think you, gentlemen, and 
 our citizens share with me, that in the event of any popu- 
 lar commotion, any attempt by designing men to set at 
 defiance the authority of our city or state, we should 
 feel, all of us, more secure if provided with this force. I 
 refer to the subject in order to suggest that to those 
 volunteer military organizations which now exist, or which 
 may hereafter be formed in our city, you extend such 
 support and encouragement, moral and otherwise, as their 
 importance demands.
 
 MAYOR'S FOURTH INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 135 
 
 "We now contribute to the support of two military com- 
 panies, the Amoskeag Veterans and the Xational Guard. 
 The first-named, composed of some of our best citizens, 
 is an organization too well known to need comment here. 
 The second is formed of young men, many of whom have 
 seen service and received honorable wounds in the national 
 cause. Although recently organized, it has attained to a 
 state of discipline highly creditable to the corps. These 
 companies serve to keep alive the military spirit of our 
 citizens, and ought to be particularly encouraged and 
 fostered. 
 
 I learn that the amount now paid by the city each 
 month, as aid to families of volunteers, is about five 
 thousand dollars. There is reason to believe that many 
 have been, and still are, receiving this money, who are 
 not properly entitled to it. The committee of the coun- 
 cil, who have had this matter in charge, have labored 
 under many embarrassing difficulties, as must their suc- 
 cessors. A searching investigation should often be made, 
 to ascertain those promoted, discharged, deceased, and 
 deserted, whose families are receiving this aid. Tt will 
 require constant vigilance to gain this needed information, 
 and most careful discrimination in receiving new appli- 
 cations. 
 
 In ordinary times and under ordinary circumstances, 
 I should lay myself liable to the charge of ambitions mo- 
 tives did I allude to the affairs of our nation ; but such 
 are the times and such the crisis that not to allude to our 
 country would be unpardonable. In whatever manner 
 we may be called, during the present year, to aid our 
 country, let us all vie with each other in cheerfully doing 
 our duty, ever mindful of the blessings that under God 
 rested upon our fathers, have tlowed to us all our lives 
 long, and will descend to posterity if we shall but prove 
 true. I congratulate you, gentlemen, that the present
 
 136 LIFE OF FKEDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 signs are full of hope and encouragement. Each day 
 confirms us in the opinion that the nation is to live, that 
 human bondage in this land is to cease, and that justice 
 and liberty shall here abide. 
 
 The faithful performance of duty as a member of the 
 city council is no pastime. Each, in his appropriate 
 sphere of action, should strive to become acquainted with 
 the duties of his position, and, having learned them, 
 should be resolute in their performance. Ours is a gov- 
 ernment for all, and all alike are entitled to its benefits. 
 Let it be our aim to be prudent in legislation, cautious in 
 measures adopted for an efficient administration of the 
 law, but firm in maintaining its supremacy. 
 
 As I become more fully acquainted with the circum- 
 stances and condition of the city, these and other subjects 
 may be more thoroughly treated in some future commu- 
 nication. 
 
 Having thus endeavored, in as comprehensive a man- 
 ner as possible, to bring to your notice matters which will 
 demand early attention, I am aware that I cannot, with- 
 out charge of indifference or ingratitude, pass in silence 
 the extraordinary unanimity of the vote which has laid 
 on me the responsibilities of this office. Xeither have I 
 forgotten the kindness and forbearance of the citizens 
 during the three successive years, when formerly honored 
 with their suffrages. I shall endeavor to express my 
 thanks by such an administration of affairs as shall prove 
 their confidence not misplaced. As we have entered upon 
 our duties with an invocation of the blessing of Divine 
 Providence, let us hope to continue and close them with 
 His approbation.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 NOMINATED FOR GOVERNOR. 
 
 have seen what was the opinion and the feeling 
 concerning Mayor Smyth at home, where he was best 
 known. But this feeling had also obtained to a consider- 
 able extent throughout the State, and his friends had for 
 some time determined to present his name as a candidate 
 for governor. 
 
 His chief competitor in the convention of Jan. 4, 1865, 
 was the Hon. Onslow Stearns; and the first ballot, which 
 was declared informal, was for Walter Harriman 8, Milan 
 W. Harris 5, Onslow Stearns 221, Frederick Smyth 455. 
 This result was very gratifying to the personal friends 
 of the nominee, and especially to his fellow-townsmen. 
 They called on him in the evening, accompanied by the 
 Cornet Band, and as the music called him out, the mayor 
 (Hon. I). J. Daniels) said : - 
 
 " Mr. Smyth : Your friends and fellow-citizens have 
 called this evening to congratulate you on the distin- 
 guished honor conferred upon you, and through you on 
 our city, in your selection by the people of Xew Hamp- 
 shire, in convention assembled, as their candidate for the 
 highest office in their gift. This honor is the more valu- 
 able, coming, as it does, from the largest and most intelli- 
 gent convention ever assembled in our State for a like 
 purpose, and with a unanimity quite unusual in such 
 cases. We believe this a nomination eminently fit to be 
 made, and we have the strongest assurance that it will be 
 ratified by the people on the second Tuesday of March 
 next, by your triumphant election."
 
 138 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Mr. Smyth replied, that having received no intimation 
 that he should be expected to reply to any speech, he was 
 accordingly unprepared, hut said in substance: " I thank 
 you, Mr. Mayor, for this friendly expression of regard, 
 and I assure you that, although this day's action has given 
 me pleasure, yet I value far above it the sincere expression 
 of the good will of those among whom I have lived for 
 twenty-five years. To you, my friends and neighbors, in 
 the kind manner you have spoken at home and abroad of 
 me, I owe very much of the impression which seems to 
 have prevailed to some extent in the State ; and much as 
 I may have reason to be gratified with the nomination of 
 to-day, that gratification would have lost all its pleasure 
 had it been purchased at the price of your friendly regard, 
 or been unaccompanied by your warm support. It would 
 be ungrateful to deny, and I will not attempt to conceal, 
 the pleasure which the unanimous and hearty efforts of 
 the Manchester delegation, without a single exception, in 
 my favor, has afforded me ; and in closing (for I had sup- 
 posed this to be a social rather than a speech-making 
 occasion), Mr. Mayor and citizens, I sincerely hope that 
 nothing in my conduct hereafter may ever make me 
 unworthy of your support ; and even should I fail of an 
 election, this attitude of yours in the matter will remain 
 to my latest hour a source of genuine and unalloyed 
 satisfaction." 
 
 After an hour or two spent in a pleasant way, the guests 
 retired, mutually gratified with the occasion. Afterwards 
 occasional gentlemen and their wives dropped in, and it 
 was quite late before the neighborly chat of the evening 
 was finished. 
 
 Soon after Mr. Smyth's nomination, the twenty-fifth 
 anniversary of the Hanover-street Congregational church 
 was observed in Smyth's Hall. Among many other 
 tokens presented to the pastor, Rev. Dr. Cyrus "W. AVal-
 
 NOMINATED FOR GOVERNOR. 139 
 
 lace, on that occasion, was a gold-headed cane, to the pur- 
 chase of which friends outside of the society contributed, 
 and Mayor Smyth made the presentation. 
 
 He said: "Rev. Mr. Wallace, in behalf of some of our 
 citizens outside of your society, but who have neverthe- 
 less not been . unmindful of your course during these 
 twenty-five years, I am desired to present you this staff, 
 not so much for its intrinsic worth, as a token that we 
 recognize the fact that it is to the Christian civilization of 
 this age we owe individual prosperity and national great- 
 ness. We have selected this staff; and although it is ap- 
 propriate for the support of infirmity or of age, far distant 
 be the time when you may be obliged to use it. And 
 when that inevitable time shall come, not far distant for 
 any of us, may it be but a foreshadow of the realization 
 of that Scripture so familiar to you : ' Thou God hast 
 been with me ; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.' ' 
 
 The Mirror of January 14 contained a column sketch 
 of the life of the Republican candidate, bringing out the 
 principal points in his business career, and also setting 
 forth his services in the mayoralty, alluding to his Euro- 
 pean trip, and experience at the International Exhibition 
 at London in 1862. One of the strong points made in 
 his favor was his uniform habit of temperance. 
 
 The event justified the wisdom of the nomination, and 
 also fulfilled the kindly auguries of his neighbors, as 
 expressed in the words of Mayor Daniels. After a very 
 active canvass, Mr. Smyth was elected by a majority of 
 over six thousand, the largest majority given to any gov- 
 ernor for twenty-four years. 
 
 In Manchester, of course, there was a very enthusiastic 
 meeting to hear the election returns as they came in. 
 After music and much gratulatory talk, for all felt the 
 victory in the air, Hon. Daniel Clark appeared, and read 
 some dispatches. He announced that Frederick Smyth
 
 140 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 had been elected governor, and moved that a committee 
 be appointed to wait on him and conduct him into the 
 hall. Mr. G. C. Gilmore and S. D. Lord were appointed. 
 
 Mr. Smyth then appeared, and was received with the 
 most enthusiastic applause. As he stepped upon the 
 platform, the band struck up " Hail to the Chief." Mr. 
 Clark facetiously introduced him to the audience as a 
 stranger entirely unknown to them, who had been elected 
 governor of Xew Hampshire. Mr. Smyth spoke substan- 
 tially as follows : 
 
 " Fellow-citizens : I hardly know what to say on this 
 occasion. I was never before in such an extraordinary 
 position. I have just returned from the telegraph office, 
 where I have been engaged with my friend, Captain Har- 
 rington, in listening to the election returns. Fellow-citi- 
 zens, this is not the first time you have honored me. 
 Once, twice, thrice, yea, four times you have elevated 
 me to the highest office in this city, and now through 
 your kindness and confidence I am elected to a still more 
 elevated and responsible position. I say it is to your 
 partiality and efforts that I am indebted for this great 
 honor. 
 
 " I sometimes think you overestimate my abilities, but 
 I have lived among you for twenty-five years, and it is 
 not wholly my fault if you regard me with too much 
 favor. 
 
 " At the convention which nominated me, a distin- 
 guished and honorable gentleman received the cordial 
 support of many of the delegates from various parts of 
 the State. If he had been selected as the candidate, you 
 and I would have given him our hearty indorsement. 
 The canvass which now closes has been peculiarly free 
 from bitterness and personal abuse. I expected that all 
 the foolish things I ever did would have been rehearsed, 
 and I supposed that many things would have been charged
 
 NOMINATED FOR GOVERNOR. 141 
 
 upon me of which I was never guilty. For this forbear- 
 ance and fairness on the part of my friends of the oppo- 
 sition, I wish to extend to them my thanks. As to the 
 Democratic candidate, Mr. Harrington, I wish to say that 
 our private relations have always been the most pleasant, 
 and I esteem him a high-minded and honorable man, 
 though I have not the least sympathy with his political 
 sentiments. 
 
 " My friends, while I am grateful for the distinguished 
 honor which the people of this State have to-day con- 
 ferred upon me, I rejoice at the continued success of the 
 great principles of the Union Republican party. The 
 result of our election to-day will carry joy to our brave 
 soldiers in the field, and encourage the hearts of the pa- 
 triots of this country who are laboring to uphold the 
 Government. I^ow, my friends, you have stood by me 
 thus far ; do not desert me now. I shall be liable to com- 
 mit errors in discharging the duties of the high position 
 intrusted to me. In all emergencies I shall look to you 
 for sympathy and encouragement. But I promise you 
 that whatever abilities I may possess shall be devoted to 
 the interests and welfare of our State." 
 
 Other stirring speeches were made by Hon. Samuel 
 Upton and Hon. ])avid Cross. 
 
 The governor-elect, as he reviewed the situation, found 
 that he was entering upon no easy task. The State was 
 beginning to feel severely the stress of the time. Gradu- 
 allv a great debt had accumulated, regiment after regi- 
 ment had been promptly equipped and sent into the field, 
 the banks had advanced money quite to the extent of 
 their courage, and nearly to that of their ability. In the 
 open market we met the gold bonds of the Government, 
 free from taxes ; the same trouble pulsed through all the 
 arteries of the body politic ; and the people of a State 
 always careful and conservative in all its expenditures,
 
 142 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 beheld with something like dismay this mountain of ob- 
 ligations swollen into millions. It was almost impossible 
 to get money for current expenses. A previous legisla- 
 ture had authorized the issue of three and a half millions 
 of six per cent State bonds, payable in currency; only 
 $424,000 had been taken.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 INAUGURATION AS GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
 
 GOVERNOR SMYTH was inaugurated on the 8th of June, 
 1865, with an unusual attendance of citizen-soldiers, and 
 of citizens in different walks of civil life, who congregated 
 to show their appreciation of the unblemished public and 
 private character of their new chief magistrate. An im- 
 portant feature in the procession was the Eleventh New 
 Hampshire Volunteers, Colonel Farr, which had seen the 
 Rebellion snuffed out, and had come " marching home " 
 to participate in the inaugural honors showered upon the 
 soldier's friend. 
 
 The message of the new governor had been anxiously 
 looked for by the people of JSTew Hampshire, with hopes 
 that it would offer some panacea for the financial ills of 
 the State. Nor were they doomed to disappointment. 
 Language was not used to conceal thought, but the new 
 chief magistrate stated the financial condition of the State, 
 and showed how these obligations could be met. The 
 message was as follows : 
 
 GENTLEMEN OF THE SENATE AND OF THE HOUSE OF REPRE- 
 SENTATIVES : 
 
 As we assemble for the discharge of the public duties 
 imposed upon us, we should be false to our obligations as 
 members of a Christian community did we fail to recog- 
 nize the goodness of that Providence which has blessed 
 country and State during the past year. How crowded, 
 how varied, how wonderful has been its historic record ! 
 Triumph treading on the heels of triumph, in quick sue-
 
 144 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 cession, until the rebel capital falls and rebellious armies 
 surrender ; the cup of joy, embittered by the brutal as- 
 sassination of our great and good President ; the capture 
 of the arch traitor and conspirator, now waiting his trial 
 at the hands of justice ; all these are events to which we 
 are yet too near to rightly estimate their magnitude and 
 influence. We cannot fail, however, to see that the same 
 beneficent Power which gave us Abraham Lincoln, has 
 raised up out of the crucible of fiery trial a successor 
 fitted for the period and its requirements. 
 
 Thus confident and thus grateful, we shall come to the 
 performance of our duties with a courage justified by the 
 past, and a zeal not unworthy of the objects we have in 
 view for the future. The soldier has done his work, the 
 statesman has now his to do. The fighting has ceased 
 and the time for paying has come. Let us apply our- 
 selves at once earnestly to the work before us. In the 
 effort of the loyal States to sustain the power of the Xa- 
 tional Government, Xew Hampshire has been obliged to 
 pledge the public honor and use the credit of the State to 
 a very large extent. 
 
 FINANCE. 
 
 I am unable to state from personal knowledge the 
 financial condition of the State, but from information 
 received from the auditor and treasurer it appears to be 
 nearly as follows : 
 
 Funded debts and trust funds . . 81.623,87344 
 Xotes due the current vear 2,355,000 00 
 
 Total debt, represented by loans . 3,978,873 44 
 
 Interest due the current vear . 258,000 00 
 
 Total debt, as represented by loans, 
 
 with current interest . . . 4,236,873 44 
 
 Outstanding obligations < stimated by 
 
 the auditor . . 706,000 00
 
 FINANCE. 145 
 
 lie estimates the demands upon the 
 treasury the current year, includ- 
 ing floating debt, interest, out- 
 standing claims, and expendi- 
 tures S3,o75,OoO 00 
 
 Deduct estimated receipts . . 932,100 00 
 
 Leaves to be provided for the current 
 
 year $2,642,950 00 
 
 This amount may be increased to the extent of what- 
 ever claims may be allowed by the legislature, not in- 
 cluded in the estimate of the auditor. It may also be 
 diminished by what evermay be received from the Gen- 
 eral Government upon the balance of our claim against 
 it, with reference to which the auditor says : " How the 
 Government will look upon this balance, and whether it 
 will be approved and allowed, remain as yet open ques- 
 tions, and I have therefore deemed it unadvisable to take 
 this claim into consideration in making my estimates." 
 
 I would respectfully call your particular attention to 
 the details of the able report of the auditor, and the 
 important suggestions therein. 
 
 Ho\v to provide for this large current indebtedness is a 
 question requiring your immediate and careful considera- 
 tion. I learn that the executive department has only been 
 able to dispose of $424,000 of the 3,500,000 of the six 
 per cent bonds authorized by the last legislature; hence 
 the larger part of our State debt remains unfunded. The 
 difficulty of negotiating these securities is not likely to be 
 diminished at present; I therefore recommend that au- 
 thority be given to issue six per cent semiannual interest 
 bonds, principal and interest payable in gold, in denomi- 
 nations of fifty, one hundred, five hundred, and one thou- 
 sand dollars, on from five to twenty years' time, as may 
 be thought expedient. While these bonds will command 
 a more ready sale than those payable in currency, there 
 10
 
 146 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 is every reason to expect that the currency of the coun- 
 try will be equivalent to gold long before they mature. 
 Should the present price of gold continue for some time 
 to come, the premium will not increase the rate of inter- 
 est in currency above what the State is now paying on 
 most of its floating debt ; but the probabilities are all in 
 favor of a lower and constantly receding rate. 
 
 I would also recommend that authority be granted to 
 issue 7 -j^j- per cent semiannual interest currency bonds, 
 on from three to live years, of similar denominations. 
 The advantages to be derived from a variety of securities, 
 at the discretionary disposal of the proper authorities, 
 will suggest themselves to you. 
 
 In entering the money market, it must be borne in mind 
 that we do so not alone in competition with the General 
 Government, but with other States, cities, and towns ; and 
 that however good our credit, the exigencies of others, 
 and the large amount of similar securities offered, will 
 affect the marketable value of our obligations. It is 
 impossible to fix for them an arbitrary value under the 
 present peculiar circumstances of the money market. In 
 order to retain the credit to which our State is justly en- 
 titled, and which should be fully equal to that of any of 
 the Xew England States, I respectfully submit that our 
 aim should be to so legislate as to prevent any increase of 
 our indebtedness beyond present obligations, which the 
 happy termination of the war renders feasible; and to 
 raise by taxation an amount sufficient to defray current 
 expenses, including interest on the indebtedness. "We 
 must now observe the most rigid economy in expenditure, 
 and bring the expenses to a peace basis as soon as possi- 
 ble. Our people are naturally economical, not prone to 
 indebtedness, and instinctively hold sacred all pecuniary 
 obligations. Aside from our war debt we owe no other. 
 It lias never been the habit of our State to lend its credit,
 
 WAR DEBTS BY THE GOVERNMENT. 147 
 
 and we have no obligations of this character, either pres- 
 ent or remote, to provide for. The recent financial 
 transactions of the State having been of such unusual 
 magnitude, the most scrupulous care and greatest dis- 
 crimination will be required in properly adjusting the 
 various and large outstanding claims. You will see the 
 propriety on this occasion of my repeating the request of 
 my predecessor at the commencement of his administra- 
 tion : " I wish to urge upon the legislature the importance 
 of knowing exactly the condition of our State in a finan- 
 cial point of view, at the commencement of the political 
 year, that the administration which comes into power to- 
 day may be held responsible for its own acts, and nothing 
 more. " 
 
 ASSUMPTION OF WAR DEBTS BY THE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 The great debt growing out of the war presses with 
 severity on all the loyal States, cities, and towns. I look 
 for the assumption of this indebtedness by the General 
 Government at the earliest practicable day. These obli- 
 gations now rest on a portion of the Union only, while 
 the Confederate debt is blotted out by the triumph of our 
 arms. Strict justice would require that the rebellious 
 States, the cause of all this expenditure, should be made 
 to pay it. But as this is impracticable, we should insist 
 upon their paying at least a portion of it. There is no 
 apparent reason why I^ew Hampshire should come out of 
 this war impoverished by her loyalty, and Georgia escape 
 payment for her treason. The war debt of the loyal States 
 was incurred, equally with that of the nation, for national 
 purposes ; and they have cheerfully assumed and volun- 
 tarily borne its burdens, under many disadvantages. The 
 General Government, to preserve its own life, has been 
 obliged to take virtual possession of the money market, 
 by exempting its securities from State and municipal taxa-
 
 148 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 tion, and by increasing the ordinary rates of interest. This 
 has borne heavily upon the visible property, and depressed 
 the securities of the States. Whatever means shall be 
 devised by which a share at least of this burden shall be 
 discharged by those parties to the Rebellion to whom it 
 rightfully belongs, will meet with the cordial approval of 
 the people. When Congress manifests a disposition to 
 move in this matter, the claims of our cities and towns 
 should be adjusted and considered. Any State action 
 prior to this can afford no relief to them. Should the 
 State now assume the town debts, it must levy a tax 
 directly upon the towns to pay them, as its present debt 
 is already quite as large as we shall be able to fund or 
 manage, so as to preserve its credit. It would seem, 
 therefore, to be the part of sound financial wisdom to wait 
 the action of Congress, and in the meantime to take such 
 legislative action as may be deemed advisable in order 
 to bring the subject properly before that body. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES. 
 
 Our unusual manufacturing facilities have long been 
 known to some of the wisest capitalists of the country. 
 The occupation of the great water powers of Manchester, 
 Nashua, and Dover is but an example of what may be 
 done at some future day in many places within our bor- 
 ders. I consider it the part of wisdom to encourage the 
 occupation and improvement of these natural resources 
 of !New Hampshire by a liberal legislative policy, and by 
 offering every fair inducement for the investment of cap- 
 ital in manufacturing industry. This will add to the 
 wealth of the State, to the value of all our present insti- 
 tutions and enterprises ; and it will stimulate that occu- 
 pation in which New Hampshire, small and rugged as she 
 is, holds a fair rank among the other States. 
 
 In some branches of agriculture we have already reached
 
 INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES. 149 
 
 a comparative degree of excellence. In wheat growing 
 our average yield per acre is 12^ bushels, and is larger 
 than that of Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, 
 Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, "Wisconsin, Iowa, or "West 
 Virginia. In corn crops our average yield per acre is 29^ 
 bushels, and is larger than that of Maine, New York, 
 Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Mis- 
 souri, Kansas, or Nebraska. In potatoes our average yield 
 is 164 bushels per acre, and is larger than that of any 
 other State this side the Rocky Mountains. In rye crops 
 our average yield per acre is 14|- bushels, and is larger 
 than that of Maine, New Jersey, Kentucky, Ohio, Mich- 
 igan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or West Virginia. 
 In the hay crop the average yield is one ton to the acre, 
 being larger than that of Maine and equal to each of the 
 other New England States. Of beef and mutton we pro- 
 duce all that is required for home consumption, with a 
 surplus for other markets. 
 
 These facts, derived from recent statistical returns of the 
 national agricultural department, indicate the relative 
 progress we have already made in this branch of industry. 
 The importance of local markets must be apparent, and 
 they can best be increased by encouraging the growth of 
 manufacturing towns and villages. 
 
 The heavy growth of timber in the northern part of the 
 State must be a source of revenue to the owners for many 
 3'ears to come. Our minerals are also attracting more and 
 more attention. The variety of ores existing in our soil 
 is not surpassed by that of any Atlantic State, embracing 
 iron, zinc, copper, lead, silver, and tin. It is quite prob- 
 able that the most if not all these ores may at no distant 
 day be mined at a large profit. The slate (marries of Lit- 
 tleton, apparently inexhaustible, and the rich lime beds 
 in that vicinitv, suitable for mechanical and agricultural 
 
 v ' O 
 
 purposes, only call for enterprise to develop sources of
 
 150 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 wealth and employment. I cannot refrain from expressing 
 the hope that the latent wealth of the State will receive 
 all that attention which a due regard to our prosperity 
 demands. 
 
 RIVER FISHERIES. 
 
 A copy of the resolves of the legislature of Massachu- 
 setts, concerning the obstructions to the passage of fish in 
 the Connecticut and Merrimack rivers, will be submitted 
 to you. These resolves provide for the appointment of 
 commissioners, a part of whose duty shall be to ascertain 
 whether the States of New Hampshire and Vermont " pos- 
 sess the right to maintain, or cause to be maintained, suita- 
 ble tishways for the passage of fish up said rivers to their 
 sources, or to any and what extent." The value of the 
 fisheries on our rivers I do not purpose here to discuss. 
 But I regret to say that the action of the Massachusetts 
 legislature falls far short of what we had a right to expect. 
 The importance of fishways, to give a free passage to fish 
 through artificial dams to the waters of this State, and the 
 obligation of Massachusetts to construct them, have been 
 acknowledged and recognized by that State in her acts 
 incorporating the Essex and Lowell manufacturing com- 
 panies. The dams of these companies have been so con- 
 structed, however, as to render the passage of fish an 
 impossibility. The rights and interests of New Hamp- 
 shire in this once important resource were ably and fully 
 represented before a committee of the Massachusetts leg- 
 islature the present year by Judge Bellows. This com- 
 mittee in their report say: " The resolutions of the State 
 of New Hampshire invoked the action of Massachusetts 
 upon the ground of State comity and the obligations of 
 international law. The legislation of Massachusetts creat- 
 ing the water power at Lowell and Lawrence made care- 
 ful provision for the maintenance and protection of the 
 fishing rights of the citizens of New Hampshire in Mer-
 
 RIVER FISHERIES. 151 
 
 rimack river. But while the State has been mindful of 
 its duty in this regard, it must be conceded that an injury, 
 to some extent, has been inflicted upon the rights of New 
 Hampshire by the mistaken determination of the Essex 
 commissioners in prescribing for the fish way at Lawrence ; 
 and the obligations of international law,* as well as a 
 proper regard for the rights of others, call upon this State 
 to rectify the error committed by its agents, if it can be 
 done without sacrificing the greater interests which are 
 depending upon the use of the water for manufacturing 
 purposes." In regard to injurious substances thrown into 
 the water, they say that they " do not regard it as having 
 much weight against the proposed measure." They also 
 say that " the restoration of fish to the Merrimack and 
 Connecticut rivers, notwithstanding the existing obstruc- 
 tions, is practicable at a comparatively small expense." 
 Notwithstanding the candid admissions of this committee 
 of the rights of Xew Hampshire, and the practicability 
 of fishways, it will be seen by the aforesaid resolves that 
 commissioners have been appointed, not to cause the 
 proper fishways to be constructed, but to ascertain certain 
 rights and facts before conceded, and meanwhile actually 
 " suspending the obligations of the Essex Company to 
 rebuild a fish way in their dam until 1866." 
 
 I would recommend that such action be taken in the 
 premises as may seem expedient and just, by appointment 
 of commissioners or otherwise. It is well known that in 
 many parts of Europe, where fish had been prevented 
 from ascending rivers, they have been entirely restored 
 by constructing proper ladders, and are now as numerous 
 as they were hundreds of years ago, before any obstruc- 
 tions existed. Professor Agassiz and other scientific men 
 express the decided opinion that the fish can be entirely 
 restored to our waters at a very small expense. I trust 
 that those interested will avail themselves of the knowl-
 
 152 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 edge which science and experience afford, and give our 
 people the full benefit of the restored fisheries. 
 
 I would also invite your attention to the expediency of 
 making some provision for the preservation of the fish in 
 our lakes and other waters during the spawning season ; 
 and also to the subject of stocking those waters with other 
 varieties. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 
 
 The condition of agriculture in our State demands care- 
 ful consideration. According to the census of 1860, there 
 were 35,392 farmers and 10,152 farm laborers, in an ag- 
 gregate population of 326,023, which is by far the largest 
 number of persons engaged in any one occupation among 
 us. Including families in this estimate, it will readily be 
 seen that every step taken to improve this branch of in- 
 dustry affects nearly our entire population. 
 
 The agriculture of Xew Hampshire has not reached any- 
 thing like perfection. Discussion is still going on as to 
 the best breeds of cattle, sheep, and horses. The general 
 principles of feeding with econom}- and profit are not yet 
 laid down ; the crops best adapted to various soils, loca- 
 tions, and purposes are not fixed beyond doubt. A large 
 proportion of the soil of our State is yet unappropriated 
 to any profitable purposes, and many farms now yielding 
 no profit might by proper methods of cultivation be made 
 to return a rich reward. Immense reservoirs of fertiliz- 
 ing material remain hidden and undisturbed in bogs and 
 ravines scattered over the State, while many of our farm- 
 ers are purchasing at great cost, from South America, a 
 material no better. The saving and preparing of fertil- 
 izers in the most economical manner is most sadly neg- 
 lected. Although we have many prosperous farmers, the 
 secret of their success has not yet been imparted to the 
 general community. 
 
 Whatever system of agricultural education be adopted,
 
 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 153 
 
 it should be with special reference to the collection and 
 diffusion of practical agricultural information. I would 
 by no means ignore the benefit derived from profound in- 
 vestigation into the depths of all knowledge. For such 
 purposes we are not unprovided with excellent schools, 
 many of them having more than a local or State reputa- 
 tion, while the distinguished sons of our college, from 
 every State and land, prove by the tenor of their lives and 
 the luster of their deeds the sterling virtues of the hon- 
 ored mother that nurtured them. In addition to these, it 
 is now proposed to found an agricultural college, to meet 
 and supply the needs of the agricultural classes. A bill 
 reported in June, 1864, providing for the organization of 
 such a college, was referred to this session of the legisla- 
 ture, and a call issued, in which an invitation was extended 
 to " all such persons, institutions of learning, towns, and 
 cities, as feel an interest in the establishment of a college 
 for the purpose of promoting the cause of education, es- 
 pecially in the department of agriculture and the mechanic 
 arts, in our State, and are desirous of aiding therein by 
 donation, to make and forward their offers and proposi- 
 tions to B. Gerrish, Jr., clerk of the House, that the same 
 may be laid before the next legislature for their action 
 thereon." 
 
 Whether the college shall be established on an inde- 
 pendent foundation, or attached to some already existing 
 institution, it is to be hoped that its especial object will 
 not be lost sight of. 
 
 As a receptacle of the practical knowledge already pos- 
 sessed by us, it may be made very useful. We have nu- 
 merous agricultural societies, exerting great influence in 
 advancing the material interests of the State, encouraging 
 the best modes of farming, and constantly collecting val- 
 uable facts drawn from experience, the best foundation ot 
 all agricultural knowledge. If the trustees of the pro-
 
 154 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 posed college should be constituted a board of agriculture, 
 exercising some supervision over these societies, collecting 
 from their records whatever may be valuable, and distri- 
 buting it among the people, the institution would perform 
 at once a most useful service. In no way is the general 
 agricultural mind aroused so thoroughly to action as by 
 oral instruction. I trust, therefore, that the delivery of 
 lectures throughout the State upon topics relating directly 
 to the business of agriculture, will be made a part ot the 
 duty of the teachers and students of the college. Such 
 lectures might be made to awaken attention to horticul- 
 ture and kindred pursuits, which lend such grace and 
 beauty alike to city and rural life. Thus the sons and 
 daughters of the farmer may find at home those attractions 
 which they are too often and unfortunately obliged to seek 
 abroad, and they will grow up with love, instead of dis- 
 taste, for the farm. The remembrance of the cottage 
 vines, the garden fruits and flowers, the trees that adorn 
 the wayside, give freshness to the mind, and form the 
 strongest ties that bind us to the influence of home. 
 
 An experimental farm with manual labor should un- 
 doubtedly form a part of the organization and discipline 
 of the institution. To succeed at all it must command the 
 confidence of the farmers ; its modes and requirements 
 must be adapted to their needs and circumstances ; and it 
 must be prepared to deal with things as they are, before 
 expecting great success in making them as they ought to 
 be. Many farmers who cannot spare their sons two or 
 three years, should not be deprived of the benefit of a 
 single term if they desire it ; while the objection to a class 
 of professional farmers, one or two of whom in a town 
 might waste all their strength in combating the prejudices 
 of their less fortunate neighbors, would be obviated by 
 the more general diffusion of agricultural knowledge. 
 Give a full course to those who desire, or can afford it, but
 
 BANKS. 155 
 
 welcome at all proper times those whose term must be 
 brief. Guided by such general principles, I am confident 
 that good wishes and constant patronage would gather 
 around the institution. There are indications already of 
 the generosity of those who understand the value of a 
 well educated and enlightened agricultural community. 
 I understand that the generous and munificent proposition 
 of Hon. David Culver, to aid in the establishment of the 
 proposed institution, is still continued subject to your 
 action. 
 
 BANKS. 
 
 From the report of the bank commissioners it will ap- 
 pear that the amount of deposits in savings banks in this 
 State is $7,831,335.72, being an increase of $167,577.26 
 over the previous year. When it is remembered how lib- 
 erally our people have invested their surplus funds in gov- 
 ernment securities, this increase of deposits affords very 
 gratifying evidence of the prosperity, as well as the fru- 
 gality of our people, under the relaxing influences of an 
 exhaustive war. The banks of discount are fast surren- 
 dering their State charters, and passing into national 
 associations. 
 
 At the last June session of the legislature the laws appli- 
 cable to State banks were applied to national banking 
 associations. I understand that the national banks have 
 declined to make the required returns on the ground that 
 this enactment is in conflict with the national currency 
 act. Should this be found to be the case, I trust you will 
 so modify it as to conform to the law of Congress. Some 
 difficulty seems also to exist in relation to the taxation of 
 the stock of national banks, as the national act provides 
 that the stock shall be taxed where the bank is located, 
 and not elsewhere. Common justice would seem to re- 
 quire that this tax should be distributed among the towns 
 and cities where the stock is owned, and not all appro-
 
 156 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 priated by the particular locality where the bank happens 
 to have its place of business. Besides, it may not be con- 
 sistent with our laws, as they now stand, to tax a stock- 
 holder for his bank stock in any place other than that of 
 his residence. I invite your attention to this subject, and 
 recommend such legislation as shall remove this difficulty, 
 in order that this species of property may not escape its 
 just share of local taxation, as Congress evidently did not 
 intend it should. 
 
 SCHOOLS. 
 
 The rapid conversion of our State banks into national 
 banking institutions will soon withdraw from the schools 
 the literaiy fund, which has heretofore contributed so 
 largelv to their support. I trust that this deficiency will 
 not be allowed to diminish the usefulness of that system 
 so justly the pride of our people. However desirable it 
 may be to bring our expenditures within the limits of a 
 wise economy, we cannot afford to retrench here. The 
 fullness of time can only measure what we owe to our 
 liberal system of education. The free school is the only 
 safe basis for a free, enlightened, and prosperous State. 
 I doubt not this subject will receive due attention at your 
 hands, and if any legislation shall be deemed necessary, 
 to maintain or increase the excellence of the common 
 schools, the cordial co-operation of the executive will not 
 be found wanting. 
 
 THE ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE 
 
 Is quietly performing a great work of beneficence, in its 
 extensive ministrations to the relief of an unfortunate class 
 of our citizens. The generous appropriations of the State 
 for its erection and enlargements have been productive of 
 vast good, and it stands to-day one of the most satisfactory 
 evidences of the general beneficence of the people, and a 
 blessing and honor to the State.
 
 HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 157 
 
 From a recent inspection of its various departments, I 
 feel confident that its patients, of all classes, are skillfully 
 and tenderly cared for, and its financial interest wisely 
 administered. It is highly creditable to the able superin- 
 tendent, that notwithstanding the greatly enhanced prices 
 of provisions and labor during the last four years, he has 
 furnished the patients all the attention and comforts 
 they have enjoyed in more favored times, without any 
 serious increase of the price of board, or the incurring of 
 any indebtedness. It is gratifying to know that the per- 
 manent funds of the asylum, bequeathed to it from time 
 to time, are regarded by its judicious managers as a sacred 
 trust, and are carefully invested, the income only being 
 expended. The farm has now become to the institution 
 an important source of revenue, and I was pleased to notice 
 similar care in the production and application of fertilizing 
 material, observed upon the best cultivated estates of 
 England and the continent of Europe. The same prac- 
 tice upon our farms would in a few years double the crops 
 of the State. In 1855 a wing was erected upon the north 
 side of the asylum for the special accommodation of the 
 violent insane. The present crowded condition of the 
 female apartments, as well as a more perfect classification 
 of patients, forcibly suggests the erection, as soon as the 
 financial condition of the State will justify it, of another 
 of similar character for females. 
 
 HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 
 
 This institution is still in its infancy, yet it has not 
 only met the sanguine expectations of its friends, but has 
 silenced the clamor and the criticism of its enemies, as has 
 uniformly been the experience of similar institutions in 
 all parts of the world. The object designed to be accom- 
 plished by its establishment, the reformation of our unfor- 
 tunate and wayward youth, commends itself to a humane
 
 158 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 and Christian people ; and so well is it doing its allotted 
 work, that no institution of our State is more firmly es- 
 tablished in popular favor, or takes a deeper hold upon 
 the sympathies and regards of the people. 
 
 The annual increase of the products of the farm, under 
 the judicious management of the superintendent, is large, 
 and the land is rapidly improving in productiveness and 
 value. I am sure you will readily grant the small appro- 
 priation asked for by the trustees. 
 
 STATE PRISON. 
 
 The condition of the State prison appears to be all that 
 could be expected. During the past year the institution 
 has not proved self-supporting, as in former years. This 
 is explained by the reduction of the numbers of inmates, 
 which lessens its productive capacity, and the augmented 
 expense of living ; while a very large portion of the con- 
 victs are still employed under a contract executed prior 
 to the advance in the prices of labor. 
 
 The general appearance of the convicts, and the condi- 
 tion of the institution, reflect credit on its managers. 
 Improvements have recently been made in the buildings 
 and yard, which add much to the comfort and convenience 
 of the prisoners, and greatly facilitate the business opera- 
 tions of the prison. 
 
 MILITIA. 
 
 The report of the adjutant-general will give you the 
 proper information regarding the military department of 
 the State. However much we may all rejoice at the re- 
 turn of peace, the lessons of the past have been too costly 
 not to warn us that to be prepared for war may save us 
 from it. It will therefore be wise to make a good use of 
 the military spirit which our returning soldiers may carry 
 to their respective towns. It is not at present desirable 
 to increase the State expenditures in this direction, nor
 
 OUR SOLDIERS. 159 
 
 am I prepared to recommend any amendment to our pres- 
 ent military system ; but discretionary power given to the 
 towns to provide uniforms for volunteer military compa- 
 nies that are now, or may be, organized in their midst, 
 would have a beneficial effect. The world affords no bet- 
 ter material than we shall soon have for the formation of 
 a volunteer militia. Let us see to it that this valuable ex- 
 perience be not lost to the State and country by the neg- 
 lect to give efficiency and moral force to the militia laws. 
 
 OUR SOLDIERS. 
 
 The condition of our national affairs, so full of heroic 
 accomplishment and of hope, must remind us of the ob- 
 ligations we are under to pay all honor to those sons 
 of Xew Hampshire who have won for her on the battle- 
 field a share of the renown of the American people. 
 Since the war commenced, we have furnished 33,427 
 troops for the national cause. Of these, 11,039 have been 
 disabled, and 5,518 have fallen in the conflict, and have 
 left names for our perpetual remembrance, and their ex- 
 ample for our most faithful imitation. 
 
 Our State will never be unmindful of the heroic deeds 
 of her sons in the great struggle for national life. They 
 sprang to arms at the first call, and no considerable bat- 
 tle has been fought in which the}' have not participated. 
 During the earlv days of the Rebellion, they were at 
 
 o *- */ *J 
 
 times cast down by temporary defeat, but in every in- 
 stance only to rally with renewed vigor. Our record 
 shows that in nearly all the now historic engagements of 
 the war, and finally at the last grand charge which broke 
 the embattled line of rebellion, New Hampshire, through 
 her heroic sons, bore honorably her part. It will not be 
 easy for us to pay our debt of gratitude to these brave 
 men. We arc indebted to their fearless devotion for the 
 elevation of our National Government to its position of
 
 160 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 power and moral dignity. Has our land been purified 
 and redeemed? It was by their blood. Are the hopes of 
 humanity raised to a long-wished-for point of consumma- 
 tion ? It is by their self-sacrifice. Is there now a glori- 
 ous opportunity for America to advance in all those 
 things which make a people great? This opportunity 
 has been gained by the undying determination of our 
 soldiers to defend the flag against every foe, and their 
 readiness to recognize the force of every high principle 
 advanced during the conflict. Let it not be said of us 
 who enter into the fruits of their labors, that we have 
 neglected to record the memory of our fallen heroes on 
 monuments worthy of their deeds and fame. I desire to 
 call your attention to the case of those soldiers perma- 
 nently disabled in the service of their country. The 
 scanty provisions of the General Government will in 
 many cases prove entirely inadequate for their support or 
 that of their families, and the assistance of the towns and 
 cities in which they reside will necessarily be invoked. 
 
 I recommend that in all cases where soldiers or their 
 families are assisted in this manner, the laws be so 
 amended that none of the disabilities that attach to pau- 
 pers shall apply to them. I wish also to earnestly recom- 
 mend that all persons in places of influence, all who have 
 honorable employment to oft'er, should discriminate, when 
 possible, in favor of the returned soldier. 
 
 Encourage those who are disabled, in any industry of 
 which they may be capable. Let the soldier see that 
 while we revere the name and fume of the dead, we do 
 not forget the best and highest welfare of the living. So 
 
 O O 
 
 shall we, and those who come after us, be worthy of the 
 blessings which have been poured out upon us by Him 
 who has guided our counsels and our armies in this great 
 war. 
 
 The ample accommodations of the United States Hos-
 
 GETTYSBURG CEMETERY. 161 
 
 pital in our State being now but partially occupied, there 
 seems to be no necessity for any considerable expense in 
 providing for our sick and wounded soldiers at distant 
 localities ; and the preferences of the soldiers would un- 
 doubtedly be gratified by an early removal to the vicinity 
 of their friends. The happy close of the war, and the 
 discharge of so many of the disabled, has greatly reduced 
 the number to be thus cared for. 
 
 REGIMENTAL FLAGS. 
 
 A number of regiments have returned their original 
 battle-flags to the State, and others will soon do so. I 
 would suggest that these proud but sad memorials of our 
 recent terrible conflict be conspicuously displayed in the 
 halls of your deliberations, that by them we may be con- 
 stantly reminded, not only of the fortitude and devotion 
 of those who bore them upon the march and in the hour 
 of battle, but also of our own obligation to sacredly pre- 
 serve the fruits of their sacrifices. 
 
 GETTYSBURG CEMETERY. 
 
 The report of Hon. Ira Perley, commissioner from this 
 State upon the national soldiers' cemetery at Gettysburg, 
 will inform you of the progress of this patriotic enter- 
 prise, which commends itself to the favor and the warm- 
 est sympathy of all loyal people. It Avill be seen that as 
 yet the bodies of only forty-nine Xew Hampshire soldiers 
 have been recognized, and of these the names of only 
 twenty-seven are known. This can be but a small part 
 of our heroes who sleep upon that consecrated field. 
 You will judge when the subject comes before you 
 whether any further effort is feasible to rescue from obliv- 
 ion the names of those as yet unrecognized, whose mem- 
 ory is a part of our common glory, and will be cherished 
 as long as our race endures.
 
 162 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. 
 
 Among the most important questions to be submitted 
 to your action is that of the constitutional amendment, 
 forever forbidding: slavery. Controlling or influencing: 
 
 O v C3 O 
 
 much of the general legislation of the country, for the 
 greater part of our national existence, its arrogance 
 finally plunged us into the war which proved its own ruin. 
 It remains for us to declare by this amendment that it 
 shall not be re-established when State governments here- 
 tofore in rebellion again resume their action. To do this 
 in a peaceful and legitimate manner requires the votes of 
 three fourths of the States, Twenty-two States have al- 
 ready so declared. May we not hope that Xew Hamp- 
 shire will be so far true to the needs of the country, the 
 voice of the times, and the sentiment of the civilized 
 world, as to give the unanimous vote of her legislature in 
 favor of this measure ? 
 
 NATIONAL AFFAIRS. 
 
 Called to a position allied to the Federal authority by 
 u common interest, I should hardly discharge my full 
 duty, did I fail on this occasion to allude to the condition 
 of the Union, now again, thanks be to Almighty God, one 
 and indivisible. From the outbreak of the Rebellion, 
 Kew Hampshire has stood firmly by the flag; and know- 
 ing what we do to-day of the scope and aim of the great 
 conspiracy, and of the infamous means which accom- 
 plished its inception and urged on its progress, can any 
 one regret that the State was so far true to her honored 
 name and her noble memories as to offer without stint of 
 her men and means, for the re-establishment of the na- 
 tional authority? As the great contest progressed, we 
 were naturally drawn closer and closer to the support of 
 the central power; and as we suffered with every shock 
 tluit threatened its existence, so we rejoiced and took
 
 NATIONAL AFFAIRS. 163 
 
 courage as victory after victory perched upon our banners, 
 and felt renewed strength as the rightful authority of the 
 Government was resumed over its usurped territory. The 
 country, and the whole country, will henceforth be worth 
 to New Hampshire a sum measured only by the blood she 
 has ottered in the common cause, and we shall all prize 
 with greater value, and watch with more untiring care, 
 rights purchased at so great a sacrifice. 
 
 I congratulate you, gentlemen, on the success which 
 has attended the efforts to restore the Union, and to estab- 
 lish it on foundations of truth and justice. Our armies 
 have not only carried with them a restored authority, but 
 they have opened the way for a higher and nobler civiliza- 
 tion, without which there can be no free government, and 
 with which rebellion is impossible. For myself I shall 
 feel that the great purpose of this war is not attained, the 
 great lesson of this punishment not learned, until free 
 schools, free churches, and a free ballot are established 
 wherever the Federal authority extends. This we owe 
 to the good order and permanent security of all the States ; 
 this alone will be a commensurate reward for the unpar- 
 alleled heroism of the brave soldiers who have borne us 
 through the contest. On such a consummation only can 
 we expect the continued favor of heaven, and the blessing 
 of the God of our fathers. Let the awful scenes through 
 which we have passed teach us our duty. The blood of 
 the sons of Xew Hampshire, mingled with that of others 
 from every loyal State, calls to us from a hundred battle- 
 fields to stand true to the great cause, through all the ex- 
 ultations of victory and amidst the signs of accomplished 
 peace. 
 
 The spirit of the last great martyr for universal eman- 
 cipation, lifted above the cares and weaknesses of this life, 
 bids us be true to the cause. In our sorrow even let us 
 take courage, and make the brutal assassination of our
 
 164 LIFE OF FKEDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 noble President that most wicked fruit of a barbarous 
 system confirm us in the resolution to make universal 
 freedom a synonym for universal suffrage, under such safe- 
 guards as wise legislation may provide. All must agree 
 that the States which have been in rebellion should not 
 hereafter lie controlled by rebels and traitors ; and as we 
 do not propose to admit again into the Union the cause of 
 all this evil, so let us extend to the loyal citizen, of what- 
 ever color, those rights justly earned by patience, devotion, 
 and firm, unwavering faithfulness to the common cause. 
 
 The weakness, dependence, and ignorance of the race 
 whose broken shackles have paved our way to victory, are 
 so many potent reasons why its condition should no longer 
 be left uncertain or insecure. This question of negro 
 suffrage is one of 'those defenses behind which the spirit 
 of slavery will yet intrench itself, and by which it will 
 seek to regain some fragment of the power it has justly 
 lost. If we would have an enduring and prosperous peace, 
 we shall level every obstruction, concede nothing to the 
 prejudices of slavery, and give the freedman the right to 
 assert that manhood peacefully at the ballot-box, which he 
 has so nobly proved on the battle-field. Let no fears or 
 apparent difficulties in the way deter us. There is no 
 danger so great to a nation as the existence of a flagrant 
 injustice in its midst, sanctioned and protected by its au- 
 thority. Let us, therefore, be just, and hope for contin- 
 ued favor from the Source of all prosperity.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 PEACE AND PROSPERITY. 
 
 AFTER the inauguration ceremonies, the governor and 
 other distinguished citizens dined with the governor's 
 Horse Guards, and in response to the second regular toast, 
 Governor Smyth briefly responded, saying that he felt that 
 he had done his share of talking for the day, hut he could 
 not help returning his sincere thanks to the soldiers for 
 the splendid manner in which they had performed escort 
 duty. The honor of the State could not be better pre- 
 served than by the volunteer militia of the State. While 
 he had not the power of his predecessor, he certainly had 
 the inclination to foster it. This occasion was also one of 
 peculiar gratification, as he saw Concord and Manchester 
 united. There had been reports of jealousy between the 
 cities, but after the gratifying reception given to Manches- 
 ter to-day, he did not believe that it existed in Concord, 
 and felt that it ought not to exist in Manchester. In con- 
 clusion lie would say that there was a verse in Scripture 
 which declared that " Let not him that putteth his armor 
 on, boast, but rather him that layeth it aside/' In accord- 
 ance with that sentiment, he hoped to hear from Governor 
 Gilmore, who briefly responded. 
 
 This first year was a very busy one. and among the most 
 onerous of its tasks was that of establishing the credit of 
 the State. Within three months from the delivery of the 
 message over one million of dollars were raised on favora- 
 ble terms, a large amount of which was furnished by 
 Manchester banks on personal solicitation. 
 
 From that time forward the financial affairs of the State 
 received the most scrupulous attention. In the haste and
 
 166 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 waste of war, unavoidable confusion at times arose in ac- 
 counts between the several States and the General Gov- 
 ernment, and it was not only then impossible to pay our 
 debts, but equally so to get our dues. Governor Smyth's 
 large acquaintance with men gave him influence at head- 
 quarters, and he suffered no opportunity to pass to advo- 
 cate the claim of his State. 
 
 In the first months of the administration the !N"ew Hamp- 
 shire regiments were returning from the war. They were 
 to be cared for, paid, and properly discharged by the 
 authorities of the State they had honored. 
 
 Governor Smyth was especially desirous that every 
 honor should be paid to these brave men, and he took 
 care to address them in terms of warmest appreciation. 
 The several regiments arrived home and were discharged 
 at Concord in order of time as follows : 
 
 June 7, Eleventh Regiment. 
 
 June 14, Xinth Regiment. 
 
 June 19, Xew Hampshire Battery. 
 
 June 25, Tenth Regiment. 
 
 July 1, Thirteenth Regiment. 
 
 July 3, Twelfth Regiment. 
 
 July 8, Fifth Regiment. 
 
 July 21, Cavalry. 
 
 July 22, Sixth Regiment. 
 
 July 23, Seventh Regiment. 
 
 July 2s, Third Regiment. 
 
 Aug. 8, Eighteenth Regiment. 
 
 Aug. 13, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Regiments. 
 
 Aug. 2n, Sixteenth Regiment. 
 
 Aug. 27, Fourth Regiment. 
 
 Nov. fi, Eighth Regiment. 
 
 And finally, on December 25, Christmas day, General 
 Marston's regiment, the Second, fittingly closed up the 
 long roll, under command of Colonel Joab Patterson. 
 
 Probably the Fourth of July immediately following 
 the close of the war was observed with a better idea of
 
 A PROCLAMATION. 167 
 
 its significance than had characterized any similar day 
 since its institution, and Governor Smyth issued the pro- 
 clamation which follows. 
 
 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
 
 BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, A PROCLAMATION. 
 
 Peace smiles once more upon our whole land. The 
 devastation of war has ceased, and the fearful waste of life 
 is ended. The armies of the Great Rebellion, which for 
 four long years have desolated our country and defied its 
 authorities, are broken and dispersed, and organized 
 armed resistance to the Government is everywhere sup- 
 pressed. Traitors who have so haughtily defied our flag 
 are now bowed in submission before it, and suing for par- 
 don and mercy at the hands of the Government they 
 sought to destroy. 
 
 Our war-worn veterans who left their peaceful pursuits 
 for the hardships, the privations, the sufferings, and the 
 perils of the camp, the march, and the battle-field, are re- 
 tracing their footsteps to the waiting homes they have so 
 bravely and successfully defended. To them we owe no 
 ordinary, no common welcome. The masterly achieve- 
 ments of our armies, which so recently secured to us 
 these wonderful results, owing to the tragic event by 
 which they were succeeded have not as yet received that 
 formal and public recognition which their momentous 
 importance should secure, and which they will ever 
 hereafter receive. 
 
 I, therefore, with the advice of the honorable council, 
 recommend to all the people of the State to embrace the 
 approaching anniversary of our national independence as 
 a fitting day and opportunity to extend a cordial public 
 welcome to our returning soldiers, and also, in addition 
 to the customary observance of that day, to appropriately 
 commemorate the heroic and brilliant achievements of 
 our armies and navy in preserving the life and enhancing
 
 168 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 the glory of the Republic which our fathers on that day, 
 eighty-nine years ago, gave to the great cause of liberty 
 and justice, upon the shores of the New World. 
 
 Never before had we such occasion for thanksgiving 
 and praise to that merciful Providence which has held us 
 in its guardian care and keeping ; and I trust that through- 
 out the State, in every town and city, the people will 
 unite in such demonstrations as will suitably express the 
 gratitude and joy w r hich all feel at this great deliverance 
 from war and national peril. 
 
 Given at the council chamber, this twenty-first day of 
 June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred 
 and sixty-five, and of the Independence of the United 
 States the eighty-ninth. 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 By His Excellency the Governor. 
 
 WALTEK HAKUIMAX, Secretary of State. 
 
 Under a resolve of the legislature passed June 30, 
 the governor and council appointed Samuel D. Bell, Asa 
 Fowler, and George Y. Sawyer commissioners to codify 
 and amend the statute laws of the State. 
 
 The correspondence alone arising out of the anoma- 
 lous condition of affairs in the country was enough to tax 
 the governor's time to a very great extent. Few of these 
 letters, of course, have anything more than the temporary 
 interest which passed away with the exigency which called 
 them forth. 
 
 June 1-j, 1865, Governor Smyth wrote to the secre- 
 tary of war, lion. E. M. Stanton, as follows: 
 
 ''My DEAR SIR: I am in daily receipt of communica- 
 tions from sick and wounded Xew Hampshire soldiers in 
 different parts of our country, earnestly imploring aid in 
 obtaining their transfer to the Government Hospital at 
 Manchester in this State. The friends of such soldiers 
 are also anxious that they should be brought within
 
 LETTERS BY THE GOVERNOR. 169 
 
 reach of their friendly ministrations at the earliest practi- 
 cal day. I am informed by the surgeon in charge of the 
 hospital at Manchester that it has an improved capacity 
 of from three to four hundred beds. I wish to inquire if 
 any objection exists on the part of the Government to the 
 immediate transfer of our sick and wounded soldiers to 
 this hospital ; and if no such objection exists, I desire 
 most respectfully to urge that such a transfer be made. " 
 
 June 26, the governor's private secretary, C. II. Bart- 
 lett, Esq., writes to "Win. "Wyman, Portsmouth Grove, 
 R. I. : - 
 
 " DEAR SIR : Your letter to Governor Smyth, dated 
 June 23, is received, and I am directed to say in reply 
 that he sincerely sympathizes with you, and from the 
 many letters he is receiving from your hospital, of a 
 character similar to yours, he cannot doubt that your 
 complaints are well founded. 
 
 " He will renew his application to the surgeon-general 
 for your transfer, and that of all other Xew Hampshire 
 soldiers there, to the hospital at Manchester. The appli- 
 cation will be made immediately, and I trust your wishes 
 will soon be gratified. '' 
 
 And on the 27th of the same month, he wrote to Sur- 
 geon-General Barnes, savins;: "Constant and iust com- 
 
 O < O v 
 
 plaints are daily received by me of the treatment of Xew 
 Hampshire soldiers in the Lovell Hospital at Portsmouth 
 Grove, R. I. Cannot they be transferred to Manchester, 
 iS". II. ? I earnestly request that this be done immedi- 
 ately." 
 
 These letters seemed for a time to have their effect, 
 and the soldiers were transferred as desired. Soon, how- 
 ever, there appeared to be a change in the councils of the 
 War Department, and the hospital at Manchester was or- 
 dered to be closed. 
 
 Whereupon Governor Smyth wrote the following:
 
 170 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 MANCHESTER, N. H., July 20, 1865. 
 SURGEON-GENERAL BARNES, WASHINGTON, D. C. : 
 
 Dear Sir : I sent you yesterday a telegram request- 
 ing a suspension of the order to Surgeon Watson to close 
 the Webster Hospital at Manchester, this State, until I 
 could communicate to you the reasons why the order 
 should be countermanded, which I now hasten to do. 
 The reasons are, 
 
 1st. There are now scattered throughout the country 
 many Xew Hampshire soldiers in hospitals, who were 
 long since ordered to be transferred to the Webster Hos- 
 pital in Manchester, but the surgeons of the hospitals in 
 which they are confined neglect or refuse to execute the 
 order. A special order some two weeks ago was obtained 
 with reference to our soldiers in the hospital at Ports- 
 mouth Grove, R. I., ordering their transfer, and, although 
 I have repeatedly telegraphed the Department upon the 
 subject, the order remains unexecuted. 
 
 2d. The Webster Hospital has now sixty-eight sick 
 and wounded soldiers in its charge, some ten or twelve of 
 whom cannot be moved without danger of serious, and 
 in some cases of fatal results to the suffering soldiers. 
 The addition to these of those who are entitled to be 
 transferred would more than duplicate this number. 
 
 3d. This hospital is owned by the Government, and 
 is no expense to the Government except what is required 
 to operate it, and it is now and ever has been conducted 
 with the utmost economy and efficiency. It was built, 
 fitted, and furnished by the Government at an expense of 
 about 85,000, and has every convenience and facility for 
 all the purposes of a hospital. 
 
 4th. Ft has now on hand a large amount of supplies 
 of all kinds, sufficient in many particulars for its opera- 
 tion as long as a hospital will probably be needed in our 
 State. 
 
 5th. The hospital at Concord is merely a depot hos-
 
 WEBSTER HOSPITAL. 171 
 
 pital, and has none of the conveniences, facilities, and 
 accommodations for the sick and suffering soldiers which 
 are possessed by the Webster Hospital ; neither has it the 
 capacity for the demands that must be made upon it if 
 the order is carried into execution. 
 
 Therefore economy on the part of the Government, 
 justice and humanity to the unfortunate and suffering 
 defenders of the country, alike unite in protestation 
 against the execution of this order, which I am sure could 
 never have been issued if all the facts and considerations 
 of the case had been weighed and considered. 
 
 An increased expense to the Government will unavoid- 
 ably be incurred by the proposed change, to say nothing 
 of the abandonment of the property of the Government 
 at Manchester, which is adapted to no other use or pur- 
 pose. It will also involve a sacrifice of all the comforts 
 and conveniences of the Webster Hospital, which are not 
 possessed at the barracks at Concord. Increased suffer- 
 ing and death, in my judgment, must inevitably follow 
 the proposed change. 
 
 In behalf of our sick and suffering heroes, who look to 
 me, as the Executive of the State, to watch over and care 
 for them in their misfortune, to alleviate their sufferings 
 as far as lies in human power, and to secure to them all the 
 comforts and consolations of which their unhappy cir- 
 cumstances admit, I most earnestly protest against the 
 contemplated change, so long as hospital facilities are 
 required in this State. 
 
 I beg leave to renew my previous application for the 
 transfer of Xew Hampshire soldiers in hospitals in other 
 States to our own. Please answer by telegraph. 
 
 I have the honor to remain, 
 
 Very respectfully yours, etc., 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH, 
 
 Governor of Xetc Hampxld.rc. 
 
 This request was granted.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 COLLEGE AND FIELD. 
 
 GOVERNOR SMYTH not only made himself acquainted 
 with the financial and other affairs of the State, but with 
 the interests and wants of different sections, which he 
 visited, increasing his already extensive acquaintance 
 among leading men. He had appointed on his personal 
 staff Colonel II. B. Titus, of Chesterfield, as chief ; Daniel 
 A. Ward, of Concord, John E. Bickford, of Dover, Ken- 
 dall F. Worcester, of Xashua, Charles G. Pickering, of 
 Portsmouth, and Albert G. Stevens, of Wentworth, 
 aids-de-camp, all with the rank of colonel. 
 
 At the Commencement of Dartmouth College this year 
 Governor Smyth was called on to speak in the presence 
 of Chief Justice Chase, Dr. Massie, of London, and other 
 distinguished gentlemen. He was very kindly received, 
 and spoke in substance as follows : 
 
 MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN: 
 
 It is with great diffidence that I rise to address you 
 upon this occasion. As you are aware, I have never 
 enjoyed the advantages of a collegiate education, and in 
 the presence of so many learned gentlemen I feel that I 
 ought to be silent; but you have welcomed me so cor- 
 dially that I cannot refrain from addressing to you a few 
 brief remarks. In calling upon me, your chairman re- 
 marked that I am Commander-in-Chief of the Army and 
 Xavy of Xe\v Hampshire. This is true, but, after all, 
 I find myself, like a "Washington general, "without a 
 command." Since mv inauguration I have been looking 
 
 ~ O 
 
 far and near for my army and navy, but I have not yet 
 found them. I can assure you, however, that I have
 
 DARTMOUTH COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT. 173 
 
 strong hopes of finding the former before the close of the 
 coming autumn. 
 
 From childhood I have entertained the greatest ven- 
 eration for Dartmouth College. I was told that you 
 made great men here, such as Webster, Choate, Wood- 
 bury, and others of that class. So, in the exercise of that 
 curiosity which is so characteristic of Yankee boys, I 
 once traveled on foot from a distant town to Hanover. 
 After looking over the college edifices, some one gave 
 me permission to sleep over night on the floor of one of 
 your public buildings. [Applause.] I considered that 
 privilege one of the greatest honors of my life. [ Great 
 applause.] I am well aware of the high standing which 
 Dartmouth College occupies among the educational insti- 
 tutions of this country, but I wish in kindness to make 
 one suggestion, which is that you establish a horticultural 
 garden for the use of the students of this college. You 
 have plenty of land for the purpose, and the expense 
 would be very trifling. The young men who come hither 
 need physical exercise, and let them have an opportunity 
 in such a garden as I propose. The great advantages of 
 limited labor in that direction, combined with the refin- 
 ing influences of floral vegetation, would, I am confident, 
 well repay the slight outlay that would be required for the 
 object proposed. 
 
 In conclusion, gentlemen, I congratulate you most 
 sincerely upon the bright prospects now opening before 
 this college, and in any lawful enterprise that you may 
 attempt to carry forward, tending to its prosperity, you 
 may rest assured of my cordial sympathy and co-opera- 
 tion. [ Applause.] I thank you for the very kind atten- 
 tion you have given to my imperfect remarks. 
 
 As Governor Smyth resumed his seat, he was again 
 greeted with the most gratifying applause. 
 
 The governor had Ions: been treasurer of the Xew
 
 174 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Hampshire Agricultural Society, and he was also one 
 of the vice-presidents of the New England Agricultural 
 Society, the annual fair of which, in 1865, was holden at 
 Concord, from the 5th to the 8th of September inclusive. 
 Governor Smyth delivered the address. Governor An- 
 drew, of Massachusetts, Governor Cony, of Maine, 
 Governor Buckingham, of Connecticut, with some mem- 
 bers of their respective staffs, Sergeant-at-arms Morrisey, 
 Messrs. Boynton, Poor, Flint, and Hitchcock, of Gover- 
 nor Andrew's Council, Secretary of State Warren, and 
 other invited guests, were present. A large concourse of 
 people assembled to witness the proceedings and hear the 
 addresses. The following letter of invitation was one of 
 those sent to the different New England governors : 
 
 CONCORD, August 21, 1865. 
 
 His EXCELLENCY JOHN A. ANDREW, GOVERNOR OF MAS- 
 SACHUSETTS : 
 
 My Dear Sir : The second annual fair of the New 
 England Agricultural Society will be held in this city, 
 commencing on the 5th and closing on the 8th of Sep- 
 tember next. 
 
 I shall be most happy to number yourself and suite 
 among my guests upon that occasion, when I hope to 
 meet all the governors of the New England States. The 
 return of peace to our land brings with it a more active 
 resumption of those industrial arts and pursuits which 
 must ever be the great source of our prosperity, and it 
 seems peculiarly appropriate that this auspicious occasion 
 should receive all possible encouragement from all who 
 are especially charged with the promotion of the public 
 welfare. I trust this opportunity to stimulate the public 
 interest in this direction will not pass unimproved. 
 
 Should you not be able to attend during the entire 
 exhibition, I would suggest that it is highly desirable 
 that some one day may be designated when all may be
 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 175 
 
 present, and I presume that Friday, the last day, will be 
 as convenient and agreeable for this purpose as any. 
 
 Hoping that you will find it both agreeable and con- 
 venient to favor us with your presence, I have the honor 
 to remain, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH, 
 
 Governor. 
 
 Dr. George B. Loring, president of the Societ}', said : 
 " Ladies and Gentlemen : It is one part of the duty 
 of the New England Agricultural Society to create a fra- 
 ternal feeling among the different New England States, 
 and in order to create that feeling it is our part to briny; 
 
 ~ I O 
 
 together not only the people but their civil officers. I am 
 happy to announce to you that Governor Buckingham, of 
 Connecticut, Governor Cony, of Maine, Governor An- 
 drew, of Massachusetts, Governor Smyth of New Hamp- 
 shire, are with us to-day, and to announce also that in 
 conformity with the custom of the Society his excellency 
 Governor Smyth of New Hampshire will deliver the ad- 
 dress on this occasion. I have the honor to introduce to 
 you his excellency Governor Smyth. " 
 Governor Smyth said : 
 
 GENTLEMEN OF THE SOCIETY : 
 
 It becomes my pleasing duty as chief magistrate of the 
 State in which your annual exhibition is held, to address 
 you upon the important occasion which has called you to- 
 gether. I do this in obedience to your appropriate regu- 
 lations, feeling that it is one of the highest practical du- 
 ties of civil life to encourage and develop every effort 
 made for the improvement of agriculture. I cannot 
 claim to teach you as a practical farmer ; but I can claim 
 to have made a constant endeavor, in my humble way, to
 
 176 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 keep alive agricultural enterprise and to stimulate agri- 
 cultural investigation. 
 
 It has always been my firm conviction that the safety 
 of the State and the prosperity of the people require as a 
 foundation an intelligent knowledge of agriculture ; and 
 while I have been obliged to admire the practical opera- 
 tions of others and to search in fields not my own for the 
 results of well managed experiments, I have learned to 
 respect the great art which feeds and clothes us and 
 secures for us all the comfort and beauty of adorned 
 and civilized life upon a subdued and cultivated earth. 
 
 It is with great pleasure and satisfaction, therefore, 
 that I contemplate the existence of this Association, 
 theobject of which is to compare ideas, to acquire and 
 impart knowledge, to learn, if possible, some shorter 
 and easier way to success than by experience alone. We 
 wish to get an average of the common progress made 
 throughout the Xew England States since agricultural 
 science began to be thought a subject worthy of serious 
 attention, and this we shall receive, each from his neigh- 
 bor. There are many men who do not have faith in this 
 manner of getting knowledge, men scattered about in 
 the odd nooks and on the mountain farms of these States, 
 who resist, or are indifferent to the progress of the age, 
 who deem any acquisition of the kind purchased at too 
 dear a rate, and so never look out upon the world to see 
 what is going on. There are mechanics and artisans 
 who do not yet use, as they might, the most improved im- 
 plements. Very likely they would laugh at the soldier 
 who should be content with an old smooth-bore, when 
 he might as well have that which would make him equal 
 to a do/en soldiers armed in the old way; but they dis- 
 play a short-sightedness of the same nature. 
 
 A judicious investment in improved implements would 
 always pay good interest to the farmer; but want of in-
 
 AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS. 177 
 
 formation, the reluctance to take time, and often indiffer- 
 ence, prevent him from investigating the matter. We 
 wish here to overcome this indifference, and to waken pub- 
 lic attention to the true course. Every man should do 
 what he has to do in the best possible manner. It is his 
 duty as well as his interest to use the very best means, 
 and so secure to himself a deserved reward for his labor. 
 
 But when I see an old man, honest, high-minded, and 
 patriotic though he may be ; when I observe his hard hand, 
 his bowed form, his features wrinkled and rough with 
 summer's suns and winter's cold ; when I remember that 
 he has spent the best years of his life in a hand-to-hand 
 contest with the soil, the stumps, and the rocks, out of 
 which he has wrung a bare living for himself and family, 
 I think if that man had procured the knowledge which 
 the best and foremost of you possess, if he had known 
 what to use out of the numerous inventions offered to his 
 hand, if he had used not only his own wit and invention but 
 had known clearly how to appropriate that of others, he 
 might have achieved better results and had more time re- 
 maining for reading, or study, or needed relaxation. But 
 such knowledge ought to be accessible to him and to every 
 one. It is what we seek to gain here, and what we shall 
 gain if the objects of this Society are well understood 
 and rightly carried out. It was, therefore, a happy 
 thought which first led the president of your Society to 
 call upon the intelligent agriculturists of Xew England to 
 join in a common enterprise for mutual benefit. 
 
 In his report upon the subject to the Massachusetts 
 State Board of Agriculture, he said with truth : " In no 
 section of our country is there such an opportunity pre- 
 sented for investigation of this art as in Xew England, 
 with its various soils, and climates, and markets. There 
 is in Xew York a similarity of agricultural enterprise, 
 guided and shaped no doubt by the leading agricultural
 
 178 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 minds of that State. In Ohio there is a prevailing pur- 
 pose throughout the length and breadth of her fertile val- 
 leys and plains. In Pennsylvania, and Illinois, and Ken- 
 tucky, there is for each a certain identity of agricultural 
 interest confined within the boundaries of these States; 
 and each one of them presents an area so large as to re- 
 quire a separate agricultural society for itself. New Eng- 
 land, with an extent of territory not much larger than 
 any one of these States referred to, has a great variety of 
 agricultural operations, governed by the wants and skill 
 of the various States and sections, Maine has her fami- 
 lies of cattle and horses, naturalized by many generations 
 upon her pastures and under her skies. New Hampshire 
 presents her breed also with their characteristics. Ver- 
 mont stands unrivaled with her horses and sheep. Mas- 
 sachusetts, with her diversity of soils, has her varieties in 
 equal proportion. Rhode Island and Connecticut have 
 their types of valuable animals introduced with skill and 
 breed until they are, as it were, indigenous. So, too, of 
 the crops of these States. From the remotest parts of 
 Maine, and New Hampshire, and Vermont, to the south- 
 ern borders of Rhode Island and Connecticut, may be 
 found almost every variety of vegetable growth which 
 is profitably raised in northern latitudes : oats in the cold 
 regions, corn on the warm plains, grass on the heavy bot- 
 toms, tobacco in the warm valleys, fruits of every de- 
 scription, grapes upon the ledges, cranberries in the 
 swamps, apples upon the hills, and pears in the warm, 
 rich, and sheltered gardens, all find within the limits 
 of Xew England appropriate and congenial spots. " 
 
 Those who have witnessed the two exhibitions of this 
 Society must have been impressed with the truth of these 
 statements. Not only has the great variety of New Eng- 
 land population been brought together, but the manifold 
 objects of agriculture to which our people devote them-
 
 AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS. 179 
 
 selves have been well represented. No one branch of 
 farming stood foremost; no one kind of crop seemed 
 to outweigh all other crops ; no man could say, after 
 witnessing these exhibitions, that New England excelled 
 in corn alone, or in wheat alone, or in horses alone, or in 
 sheep and cattle and in nothing else. But he will rather 
 be surprised that when all her fruits and flocks and 
 herds are brought together, she is found to excel in all. 
 So that, in a somewhat adverse climate, New England 
 has a right to be proud of her corn crop, averaging thirty- 
 one and a half bushels to the acre; she has a right to be 
 proud of her grass crop, that sheet anchor of every 
 farmer; she can point with satisfaction to her tobacco 
 crop, growing in high northern latitudes with the luxuri- 
 ance of southern slopes ; she can show the greatest vari- 
 ety and the finest quality of fruits produced in any part 
 of the world; she can draw around her herds of cattle 
 those who seek for the best blood with which to develop 
 and improve this branch of husbandry in remote parts of 
 our Union ; she pours a stream of her improved Merino 
 blood into the flocks of the West, and the profits of sheep 
 husbandry are enhanced at once; she defies the world 
 with her horses; she attracts all men by her agricultural 
 machinery ; she takes the lead in experiments in every 
 branch of agriculture ; and when the products of New 
 England agricultural labor are gathered together, it is 
 found that not on one point alone has New England 
 energy spent itself, but that a long array of enterprises 
 presents itself, in which each individual has marks of 
 striking excellence. It is indeed late in the day for any 
 one to object to societies like this. On every side their 
 influence is manifested. In general and in particular we 
 have better horses and cattle, more productive fields and 
 farms, more effective tools to work with, and we under- 
 stand better the relations of products to soils and of
 
 180 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 labor to returns. These things have been accomplished 
 for us. It is also to associations of this and similar 
 kinds, as well as to the agricultural press, that we owe so 
 much of the united spirit and purpose of the six New 
 England States. Few in numbers, limited in territory, 
 it is by unanimity of effort and persistency of purpose 
 that we have maintained our influence on the industry, 
 arts, civilization, and progress of the country. Xew Eng- 
 land bone and muscle is potent in the forest and on the 
 prairie. Xew England mind works in the inventions that 
 enable the Western emigrant to attack and subdue the 
 roughness of unreclaimed wilds. We do, indeed, see this 
 influence as it crops out, singly here and there, all over 
 the country ; but how much more powerful and effect- 
 ive is the union for the attainment of the common good, 
 which is, in fact, the very principle of our national exist- 
 ence. 
 
 It is mainly in those countries where agriculture is diffi- 
 cult and needs care to make it successful that the most 
 improved methods are in use. The very effort required 
 to gain a living is an incentive to thought and invention. 
 The rocks that oppose our communication with the soil, 
 stumps that our fathers left because they could not get 
 time to do everything, the marshes and swamps that must 
 be drained, the hills that will some time be terraced, the 
 barren pastures that need new life infused into them, are 
 all so many incentives to effort and thought. They can 
 be overcome much better and easier with brains than by 
 hard labor alone ; in fact, a man cannot truly be said to 
 labor who does not work with head and hand both. !Xow, 
 whatever advantages those favored portions of the land 
 possess where it is said the'land needs only to be " tickled 
 with a hoe to laugh with a harvest " (and I would by no 
 means deny them), they are very apt to become inhabited 
 at last by a class of men who have not the patient, plod-
 
 AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS. 181 
 
 ding industry, the unconquerable Yankee grit, which 
 grapples with the hard fields of New England. There 
 is much in having a world to conquer ; no true greatness, 
 no splendid achievement, no great deed of the world's 
 history has been accomplished without work. The men 
 of New England are built up out of their soil, strong, 
 compact, solid, like the granite hills they have their 
 basis in the earth, but point towards heaven. 
 
 I know it is customary to represent the farming of New 
 England as far inferior to that of many other sections of 
 our country. I have no doubt this is in many respects true. 
 We may not vie with the broad, fertile lands of the West 
 in the production of grain, or beef, or wool. We have 
 no such opportunity afforded us in our narrow valleys 
 or along our abrupt hillsides as falls to the lot of the 
 dweller on the inexhaustible soils of the South and West. 
 We are obliged to abandon many a rough and rugged spot 
 to its natural wildness where all the arts of husbandry fail. 
 There are many spots among us which have been saved 
 from depopulation by the development of mechanical in- 
 dustry. And yet it Avill be found that wherever the avail- 
 able soil of New England has been subjected to the band 
 of man, it has not failed to make a kind response. New 
 England may be said to be the Paradise of small farmers. 
 It is to-day rewarding the application of industry to small 
 tracts of land as well as any section of higher preten- 
 sions in the business of agriculture. If we will examine 
 the statistics of New England agriculture, we shall be 
 surprised to find how high the average of hor produc- 
 tions per acre ranges when compared with that of other 
 regions. 
 
 The following statistics, showing the average yield per 
 acre, and the average prices of some of the leading crops 
 of 1864, for the New England States, compared with 
 those of the other seventeen loyal States, embracing New
 
 182 
 
 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, 
 Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, 
 Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, West Virginia, and 
 Nebraska Territory, are taken from the monthly report 
 of the National Agricultural Department for January, 
 1865. 
 
 Product. 
 
 Location. 
 
 Av. per acre. 
 
 Price. 
 
 Wheat . . 
 
 New England .... 
 
 "A 
 
 *2 52* 
 
 
 Seventeen other States 
 
 
 L9111 
 
 Rye . . 
 
 New England .... 
 
 ui? 
 
 1.971* 
 
 
 Seventeen other States 
 
 14f 
 
 1-33* 
 
 Barley . 
 
 New England .... 
 
 2li 
 
 1.66* 
 
 
 Seventeen other States 
 
 21* 
 
 1.52H 
 
 Oats . . . 
 
 New England .... 
 
 
 97* 
 
 
 Seventeen other States 
 
 27 s 
 
 .-> i 
 
 .77* 
 
 Corn 
 
 New England .... 
 
 311 
 
 2.01| 
 
 
 Seventeen other States . j 28-Li 
 
 1.17* 
 
 Buckwheat 
 
 New England . 
 
 ~ 
 
 18JL- 
 
 1.244 
 
 
 Sixteen other States . 
 
 17-1 
 
 1.201 
 
 Potatoes 
 
 New England .... 
 
 14U 
 
 .721 
 
 
 Seventeen other States . 831* 1.1 9f 
 
 Hay . . . 
 
 New England .... 1JU 24.59 
 
 Seventeen other States . 1 T 7 T 18.48* 
 
 Beans . . New England .... 
 
 14 
 
 70111 
 
 _J . <~ . ' J_ ~T~~?)~ 
 
 Seventeen other States 
 
 17*4 2.31* 
 
 This result is owing to the care bestowed here by each 
 landholder on his small strip of land. As a general rule, 
 small farms are more profitable among us in proportion 
 to the capital invested, and the proprietor of such a farm, 
 if it is properly treated, need never despair of having an 
 ample reward for his toil. The mode of farming neces- 
 sarily adopted here is not attended with large returns, 
 and admits of little of the spirit of speculation. But it 
 tends to develop habits of industry, frugality, and pru- 
 dence, which may never be despised. New England may
 
 AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS. 183 
 
 not supply herself with all the necessaries of life from her 
 own soil ; she may import her luxuries from every cli- 
 mate ; but she sends the work of her mechanical indus- 
 try there in exchange. 
 
 We may justly claim to have contributed something to 
 the agriculture of the country, and that, too, at a com- 
 paratively early day, in the improvement of agricultural 
 mechanics, the simple implements in common use upon 
 the farm, in the early history of our material develop- 
 ment. The traveler in many parts of Europe will, even 
 now, find the rude implements of agriculture essentially 
 the same as those used many centuries ago by the tillers 
 of the soil held subject to imperial Rome. It was my 
 fortune, some three years ago, to pass through the classic 
 land of Italy ; and, though not on an agricultural mis- 
 sion, it was not possible to overlook the rude processes 
 everywhere applied to the tillage of the soil. An old 
 wooden plow stood in a vineyard, just under the magnifi- 
 cent remains of a wall, known to be more than four thou- 
 sand years old, near the summit of that beautiful Fiesole 
 which overlooks the vale of the Arno. We handled 
 and examined it carefully, nor could we help making a 
 comparison of its rudeness with our own old wooden 
 plows of less than half a century ago. Xor was this all ; 
 evidences of equal rudeness struck the eye on every hand. 
 Stone threshing-floors, directly in the yard of the home- 
 stead, scooped out in an oval shape, served to catch the 
 grain that fell under the slow and stately tread of oxen; 
 hand labor applied where we always use machinery, and 
 other striking indications of a rude, plodding, uninven- 
 tive peasantry, met the astonished gaze. There was a 
 time when the processes of farm labor, not only in New 
 England but all over the country, were almost analogous 
 in rtoint of rudeness with those now existing in many 
 
 1 * v 
 
 parts of Europe. Why has so important a revolution
 
 184 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 taken place in this country, while farming in Italy has 
 remained stationary ? Is it not that we earlier brought 
 mind and thought and mechanical ingenuity to bear up- 
 
 ~ O v Jt 
 
 on the labors of the hand, and thereby shortened labor 
 and economized time ? 
 
 The best ha}* and manure forks exhibited at the Royal 
 Agricultural Society of England, in 1862, we found were 
 manufactured in Vermont. This the exhibitor admitted, 
 and a British manufacturer acknowledged that England 
 had never been able to produce their equal in lightness 
 and elasticity. It is a source of pride to a Xew England 
 traveler in Europe to find, not only on the continent, but 
 in England, improved agricultural implements manufac- 
 tured in our own Xew England. "\Ve have sent forth a 
 hardy and enterprising race of men, who have developed 
 the resources ot their new homes, and have applied those 
 virtues which they cultivated while they studied the art 
 of agriculture on their own hard soil. 
 
 Grant, for the sake of argument, that the people of 
 Xew England tail in their farming at home. they do 
 not fail in their farming abroad. They have opened the 
 pathway to the West, and carried the energy and charac- 
 ter of their native hills into the work of peopling those 
 new lands. Thev have planted institutions of learning 
 
 * 1 O 
 
 and religion all along our western rivers, and carried their 
 own names and the names of their birthplace into every 
 county and town. They Lave learned what it is to apply 
 all surrounding powers to the best purpose, and are at- 
 tended with that good fortune which is the legitimate in- 
 heritance of frugality and honesty. Xew England farm- 
 ing has succeeded, at home, in applying the best princi- 
 ples of agriculture, and in supporting a well-educated, 
 intelligent, and moral population. It has also succeeded 
 abroad in bringing beneath the control of well-directed 
 industry lands whose bounties are bestowed upon the cul- 
 tivator an hundred-fold.
 
 AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 The New England farmer who goes forth to a larger 
 field of labor carries with him much of which he has reason 
 to he proud. He has received the tone of his life from a 
 New England home. He has been taught in New Eng- 
 land schools; he has drunk at the fountain of a New 
 England church ; and whatever faults he may have, he 
 has been taught that the mind should always be open to 
 the best instruction and the heart to the largest human- 
 ity ; and when he has commenced his new career, he has 
 but to turn back to his old home to find the best doctrine 
 as a guide to his life, and the best implement with which 
 to subdue the land which has fallen to his lot. 
 
 While we consider what the efforts of New England 
 have accomplished for herself and for those sections into 
 which she has breathed the breath of life, we should not 
 forget her dependence, and the importance of her close 
 and ultimate connection with the great producing States 
 of our Union. The vital force of every nation is chiefly 
 derived from its agricultural wealth, and from its rela- 
 tions to large agricultural districts. It is the great pro- 
 ductive lands of Russia which bind her with hempen 
 cords to the commercial and manufacturing powers of the 
 world, and make her strong and influential. It is the lux- 
 uriant growth of eastern mountains and valleys which 
 pours wealth and strength into the lap of England, and 
 makes her, confined as she is to the narrow limits of a 
 small island, the great exchange of the world, and the 
 controlling and guiding power among nations. It is the 
 agricultural wealth of France which enables her to endure 
 the most devastating wars, which gave her strength to 
 struggle through the grinding oppression and impover- 
 ishing taxation of the closing vears of the Bourbon dy- 
 
 O t-T* *' / 
 
 nasty, and has given her perennial youth through all her 
 trials. It is the " boundless continent '' which makes the 
 cluster of our States vigorous and able to increase in 
 prosperity, in peace, and in war.
 
 186 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 This small tract of territory, called New England, 
 fringed with an endless variety of bays and harbors, 
 would seem to be the home of a people devoted to com- 
 merce. Intersected as she is by rapid streams bursting 
 from her hillsides and rushing through her valleys, her 
 career would appear to be by nature almost wholly man- 
 ufacturing. The genius of her people fits her more es- 
 pecially for these two great pursuits. Whatever there is 
 of useful invention may be found within her borders. 
 Every power, every angle and curve, the wheel, the pul- 
 ley, and the lever, all eccentric motions, are secured by her 
 people, for the purpose of increasing with great rapidity 
 her mechanical and manufacturing operations. Her pop- 
 ulation gather up and build into manufacturing villages, 
 and the accumulation of wealth in her inland towns is 
 astonishing all drawn from the ingenious contrivances 
 of her mechanics and artisans. Manufactures and com- 
 merce are her business ; and while she applies herself 
 to the best methods of farming, and develops the art of 
 agriculture in the extraordinary manner to which I have 
 already referred, it is evident that her civil power grows 
 out of that bond which binds her to the great producing 
 sections of the South and West. Even were there no 
 great civil and social and national tie uniting Massachu- 
 setts and Illinois into one community, their mutual busi- 
 ness relations as producers and consumers should make 
 their union complete. 
 
 The mills of Xew England roach forth their millions 
 of fingers to the textile fibers which the cheap pastures 
 of the West and the savannahs of the South produce 
 for them. The merchants of Xew England have long 
 since learned the value of those great markets which are 
 founded upon the production of food and fiber for our 
 manufacturing and trading people. The restless and 
 busy sons of Xew England know where the broad lands 
 lie from which they can draw their wealth, when their
 
 AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS. 187 
 
 native hills and valleys fail to reward their toil. And all 
 the active and cultivated thought of Xew England, 
 developed hy her elaborate system of education, finds 
 service enough in these newly-peopled regions, where 
 the schoolhouse and the church are yet but recent 
 institutions. The mutual relations, therefore, which 
 exist between New England and the large producing 
 sections of our country, should never be forgotten. With 
 them we are indeed one people, strong, prosperous, and 
 able to sustain our national renown. Let us estimate 
 our position aright, and, while we are conscious of our 
 ability to bear ourselves well through all trial and disas- 
 ter, while we know our own independence, and under- 
 stand the precise character of our service in the great 
 American States, let us never forget that our prosperous 
 enterprise has received its great strength from the extent 
 and diversity of that great producing territory, over 
 which floats the same flag which protects us, and where 
 extend the obligations of the Constitution which we call 
 our own. 
 
 But so far as the agricultural greatness and progress of 
 this country is concerned, we are just upon its threshold. 
 Behind us is the track of our historic record, of a land 
 half subdued by man's industry, of institutions estab- 
 lished, schools, churches, homes, and all the incipient 
 steps to greatness taken, while in the future stretches out 
 a vast promise beyond the calculation of the- keenest 
 vision. The number of acres in this broad land, admira- 
 ble for cultivation, is almost beyond computation. We 
 count them by millions. We otter them in farms and 
 homesteads to all the world. Xowhere else is there such 
 a beneficent boon to men as in this vast country. 
 
 Xow it is because this expanse must some day be cov- 
 ered with such an immense population, and will afford 
 sustenance to so manv families, that we in Xew England,
 
 188 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 the cradle of the continent in great ideas, must raise up 
 among ourselves, and maintain, an influence that will 
 guide and control the agricultural industry of the country. 
 This can be done justly in only one way, and that is by 
 learning and practicing the very best possible methods for 
 ourselves. When your sons leave the old fireside for the 
 West or South, when they leave the farm which grows 
 too small for their rising ambition, be sure that they add 
 to Xew England loyalty and integrity a thorough knowl- 
 edge of their calling ; let it be seen that wherever a man 
 from any of the States embraced within the circle of this 
 Association shall settle, there the curse is banished from 
 the land, and obedience to the primal order changes it to 
 a blessing. These are no fanciful dreams of a theorist. 
 They are practical, attainable objects worthy of any man's 
 ambition, worthy, especially, of the young men of our 
 country. 
 
 We are about entering upon a new system of effort, 
 under the stimulus of the Xational Government, and it 
 is our duty to do all in our power to make the experi- 
 ment of agricultural colleges successful, alike honorable 
 to ourselves and useful to the country at large. I say 
 to you, gentlemen, representatives of the agricultural 
 thought, and skill, and science of Xew England, it is our 
 duty to make this experiment successful ; a duty we owe 
 to ourselves, to our children, and to the Government that 
 comes forward so generously to aid and foster these insti- 
 tutions. We must do the best we can with all the means 
 placed in our power, and if we fail to exert ourselves to 
 this end, we shall be unfaithful to the trust which we 
 have taken upon ourselves to execute. I hope yet to see 
 the day when every advantage we possess is improved to 
 the utmost, when the agricultural colleges shall be truly 
 worthy of their name, and turn out men who can become 
 masters in their pursuit. In order to accomplish all or 
 any of these objects, a great deal must be done.
 
 AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS. 189 
 
 If there is any one thing lacking in American fairs, as 
 hitherto sustained, it is the want of a persistent, vital 
 energy which takes hold of the object to be accomplished 
 as a real and attainable good. The fair is admirable as a 
 holiday, but it must not be that alone. These exhibitions 
 of horses and cattle, this display of the products of our 
 soil, have a purpose which is dear to the hearts of those 
 who believe in the future prosperity of the country. Let 
 me urge upon you, farmers of Xew England, the duty of 
 seeing that this purpose does not fail of its accomplish- 
 ment. The machinery of a fair is thorough!}" democratic. 
 The man who can exercise an influence or has any good 
 to communicate, can here do it in such a way and under 
 such auspices as to have some effect. A mair s individual 
 efforts in his own town or neighborhood may do much, 
 but associated with others, all intent on the same end, he 
 can do vastly more. Xow, if the Xew England Fair or 
 any local or State fair is not such as it ought to be, it is 
 your duty to take hold and straighten the furrow which 
 it cuts, infuse into it the life of a high and real object, 
 give it the support of your presence and sympathy, attend 
 its preliminary meetings with an ear open to learn, or a 
 mind to impart knowledge. The change from the usual 
 routine of farm labor will make this a welcome holiday, 
 but not that alone ; it will introduce a variety into 
 thought, as essential for your welfare as a rotation of crops 
 is to the land. Xo man can plod right along in one beaten 
 path all his lifetime, without contracting a certain nar- 
 rowness of habit and thought. 
 
 I am happy, farmers of Xew England, to welcome you 
 to New Hampshire, and to strengthen, if possible, by your 
 reception here, your regard for that member of the sister- 
 hood of States over whose councils I have the honor to 
 preside. I would do all in my power, through this Asso- 
 ciation and all others, to make Xew England one in
 
 190 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 thought and feeling, as she really is one in interest. 
 Thrice welcome with returning peace ! Your presence 
 here to-day indicates a renewed devotion to the substan- 
 tial interests of the country, and to those pursuits which 
 have gained for New England so deserved a pre-eminence 
 in the history of the country. From these prosperous 
 homes and these thriving centers of labor, her soldiers 
 went out, feeling that they had the solid support of wealth 
 and plenty to back them up ; to these homes they have 
 returned, more ready than ever before to acknowledge the 
 truth and vital importance of the principle of free labor. 
 I know no New England State which is willing to resign 
 her share of the renown which has fallen on any one of 
 her sisters. Has Maine, or Vermont, or Massachusetts, or 
 Connecticut, or Rhode Island, achieved any glory, or 
 developed any industry, or revealed any light, Hew 
 Hampshire claims her share of the glory, and New Hamp- 
 shire men feel that their brethren have done the work. 
 They rejoice in and defend their Union and the flag; 
 they are ready to die for their country, but they love New 
 England, this little group of States, this Switzerland of 
 America, as the home of their fathers; and well they 
 may. For now, in this day of national triumph, as we 
 beat the victorious sword into the plowshare, and gather 
 beneath our triumphant flag, how radiant does the spirit 
 of New England appear ! God be thanked for our 
 national victory, for the reward which He has bestowed 
 upon our people for their self-sacrifice and devotion. 
 Not a victory of arms alone has He given us, but a tri- 
 umph of the highest and best social and civil principles 
 known to man, and brought by our fathers to our own 
 rocky shores, a victory for freedom, and religion, and 
 education. May its glories never fade, and may its 
 influence never cease, until all men in our own land 
 and throughout the world shall know and enjoy these 
 blessings !
 
 AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS. 191 
 
 The governors each followed in brief remarks. Gov- 
 ernor Andrew twice referred to Governor Smyth, and 
 said his address had filled him " with admiration for the 
 zeal and earnestness with which he has entered into the 
 discussion of such important principles." In conclusion, 
 he thanked Governor Smyth for his eloquent address, 
 and called for cheers, first for his excellency Governor 
 Smyth, next for Governor Smyth's address, and finally 
 for the State of New Hampshire.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE GRANITE STATE. 
 
 VISITING Lowell soon afterwards, Governor Smyth at- 
 tended the Fair of the Mechanics' Association, and was 
 called up at the table by the following toast : " The State 
 of New Hampshire : From her valleys she sends us the 
 Merrimack, and from her hills the pure air of freedom. 
 To-day, through her chief magistrate, she reassures us of 
 her good will and fraternal Concord. " 
 
 Governor Smyth, as reported in a Lowell paper, eulo- 
 gized Massachusetts in reponse. The people of Xew 
 Hampshire came to Lowell for many articles of our produc- 
 tion and manufacture, and that State rejoices in our suc- 
 cess. A number of years ago he came to Lowell and 
 worked in the mills of the Middlesex Company for ten 
 dollars per month, getting him enough money to purchase 
 articles of clothing he was in need of, and if he had 
 received larger wages he might be a resident of Lowell 
 
 o o o 
 
 now, although he had prospered well in his adopted State. 
 The climate and soil of Xew England produced men and 
 women possessed of vigor of mind and body to labor as 
 no other people on this continent could labor. He was 
 pleased to see so many ladies present at this exhibition, 
 regarding their presence as a good omen of success. 
 They should feel interested in such exhibitions. They 
 should be properly educated in the affairs of business life, 
 and he did n't believe any man should marry a woman 
 who would not be a helpmeet to him. He was much 
 pleased with our excellent fair, and the pleasant grounds 
 and substantial buildings owned bv our agricultural soci-
 
 THE GRANITE STATE. 193 
 
 eties. New Hampshire could not compete successfully 
 with us in this matter at present. 
 
 The same season Governor Smyth attended the county 
 fair at Milford, and addressed his friends the farmer* in 
 the following words : 
 
 MR. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN : 
 
 I am happy to meet you to-day under the cheering aus- 
 pices that now surround us. The hlack clouds of war which 
 for four long years hung over our land, are broken and 
 dispelled, and the sun of peace once more sheds its sweet 
 and cheering rays over our whole country. From the 
 rough pursuits of war to the mild and genial arts of 
 peaceful industry, our people turn with cheerful alacrity 
 and ready adaptation, as is everywhere seen by the ab- 
 sorption in our varied branches of industry of the thou- 
 sands of our noble soldiers, who during the past few 
 months have returned to us from the scenes of the camp 
 and the battle-field. Evidences of this fact I see before 
 me to-day. Your exhibition is far in advance of the one 
 held here two years ago. Many articles here upon exhi- 
 bition are of superior excellence, and would do credit to 
 any State fair or other exhibition of larger pretension. 
 
 Among these 1 will mention your specimens of bread, 
 which are of a very superior quality, and which I have 
 seldom seen excelled. The article of butter, too, does 
 great credit to the ladies of this section of the country. 
 Both these articles, as well as many others, show that the 
 wives and daughters of your agriculturists are trained to. 
 and skilled in, the household arts, which are as essential to 
 the success and happiness of our farmers as their own in- 
 dustry and intelligence in the out-door management of 
 their farms. Yet notwithstanding these excellences, and 
 others I might mention, your fair is not fully what it 
 ought to be, and what you would be glad to have it. nor 
 
 13
 
 194 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 what it would be if the people but felt the interest in the 
 fair which it is entitled to receive and which its importance 
 deserves. Your excellent facilities for manufacturing-, the 
 fertile soil of this productive portion of the State, and 
 the general thrift and industry of your people, are all 
 iibnndantly ample to insure an exhibition of this charac- 
 ter of marked excellence in all its departments, if pub- 
 lic attention were only sufficiently awakened to its impor- 
 tance and utility. 
 
 Yet I regret to say that in Xew Hampshire our people 
 are in this regard behind many of our sister States, and 
 even slow Old England. This should not and even need 
 not lie, and let us hope that it may not long continue. 1 
 know it is often said that Xew Hampshire " is a good 
 State to emigrate from, " and perhaps it is generally be- 
 lieved that our young men can better their fortunes by 
 turning their backs upon their mother State and seeking 
 elsewhere for larger returns and richer rewards for their 
 labors and enterprise. For one I do not share in this feel- 
 ing. I believe that ours is not only a good State to In- 
 born in, but a good State to live in and to die in, and that 
 the one great care and concern of the fathers and mothers 
 should be to awaken in the hearts of their sons and 
 daughters a feeling of attachment and affection for and, 
 of pride and interest in the homes of their childhood and 
 the State of their fathers. Statistics bear me out in say- 
 ing that Xew Hampshire is a good agricultural State, 
 that agricultural labor and enterprise bring here as sure 
 and ample rewards as in the average of the States of the 
 I'nion : and yet how vastly can this be improved! The 
 srreat necessity of our soil is fertilization, and yet ferti- 
 lizers in abundance are hidden in our bogs and ravines. 
 untouched and undisturbed for generations. There is 
 scarcely a limit to the progress which lies in our reach it' 
 *>ur active and enterprising young men will remain with u>
 
 THE (1RANITE STATE. 195 
 
 and give their energies to this pursuit. As I was just say- 
 ing, it is one of the highest duties of parents to cultivate in 
 the hearts of their sons attachments for home, and most 
 effectually can this he done. The home should he made 
 cheerful and happy, and it should be beautified and 
 adorned with those little embellishments which, though 
 cheap and within the reach of all, are yet most powerful 
 in their attractions for the tender years of childhood and 
 of youth. Flowers should blossom by the walks and 
 shed their fragrance in the beaten playground: the vine 
 should climb the lattice by the door, and cover the ample 
 trellis with its delicious fruitage; the pear and the plum 
 tree should have their place in the garden, surrounded by 
 the hundred delicacies which are seldom found, save in 
 the gardens of the rich. All these, with little care and 
 little expense, can be made to beautify every habitation in 
 the State, and not only to beautify but add substantially 
 to its value, and the enjoyment of the occupants. The 
 chcerlessncss and nakedness of thousands of homes, now 
 dreary and unattractive, might, by means thus simple, 
 cheap and accessible to all, be forever dispelled, and 
 beauty and loveliness smile in their stead. To this sub- 
 ject let me invite your especial attention. 
 
 In conclusion, let me urge upon you all to unite in ear- 
 nest efforts to advance the prosperity of our State and to 
 secure for her the eminence in her varied industrial pur- 
 suits which she is capable of attaining. We have all the 
 elements of prosperity at our hands it' we will but use 
 them. That we shall avail ourselves of them I have the 
 greatest confidence. 
 
 In October, Governor Smyth, having been named one 
 
 of the corporators of the Xational Asylum for Disabled 
 Soldiers, visited Washington, where he was appointed one 
 of a committee to prepare regulations for the government 
 of the institution, and for other preliminary duties.
 
 196 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 General Grant, Admiral Farragut, General Butler, Sur- 
 geon-General Barnes, H. J. Raymond, ex-Governor Tod, 
 and Admiral Davis, were his associates on this committee. 
 
 At this time he took occasion to see the secretary of 
 war and Generals Grant and Meade, and to urge the imme- 
 diate discharge of Xew Hampshire men in service. The 
 following letter is an acknowledgment of one of numer- 
 ous testimonials to Governor Smyth of the appreciation 
 by the returned veterans of what he had done to promote 
 their comfort, and to secure for them what they were 
 justly entitled to : 
 
 CONCORD, Xovember 21, 1865. 
 CAPT. DAXA W. KING, XASHUA, X. H. : 
 
 Dear Sir : Your note of the 17th instant to Governor 
 Smyth, accompanied by a pistol which you kindly present 
 to him, is received, and I am requested to extend to you 
 his sincere acknowledgment for the present, and to ex- 
 press his lively appreciation of the friendly sentiments 
 which prompted it, and which are so freely and flatter- 
 ingly expressed in your note. 
 
 Although your term of service was mostly passed in a 
 distant part of the country, yet the gallantry of your bat- 
 talion in the hour of conflict, its hardships and sufferings 
 in an uncongenial climate, are nevertheless well known to 
 and appreciated by the people of Xew Hampshire, whose 
 banner was never more proudly borne than by the " gal- 
 lant Eighth." 
 
 His excellency trusts that your sword may never again 
 be drawn in the terrible conflict of war ; but, should 
 occasion come when the honor of our flag shall require 
 that stern vindication, he doubts not that yours will be 
 among the first to be drawn in its defense, and, as now. 
 the last to be sheathed. 
 
 CHAS. H. BARTLETT, 
 
 Pricate Secretary.
 
 THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION. 197 
 
 That year the governor issued the following 
 
 THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION. 
 
 In accordance with the custom of our fathers, the 
 desire of all wise and Christian hearts, and the spirit of 
 the Divine revelation, I do, with advice of the council, 
 hereby appoint Thursday, the thirtieth day of November 
 next, to be observed by the people of New Hampshire as 
 a day of public thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God. 
 
 That He has brought us safely and victoriously to the 
 conclusion of a long and desolating war, and that peace 
 once more returns to bless the nation ; 
 
 That He has given it to us, in this generation, to firmly 
 establish, maintain, and defend the great principles of 
 civil liberty and equal rights: and that human slavery is 
 virtually abolished throughout our land : 
 
 That, while we mourn our fallen heroes, He has yet 
 returned to us so many, illustrious for bravery and devo- 
 tion to their country ; 
 
 That, while enduring the scourge of war, He has yet 
 preserved us from pestilence and famine : and has re- 
 strained the nations of the earth, and given us external 
 peace : 
 
 That the social and moral welfare of the State, the 
 learning of the schools, and the prosperity of the churches 
 have not diminished : 
 
 That abundant harvests have crowned the- labors of 
 the husbandman : that industry has received its due 
 reward, and that prosperity has blessed the marts of 
 commerce and trade ; 
 
 That the present is manifold in blessings, and the 
 future rich in hope, - 
 
 For these special causes, and the innumerable mercies 
 that surround and gladden our daily paths, let us abandon 
 for a dav our usual avocations, assemble ourselves in
 
 198 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 houses of worship, and render devout and heartfelt thanks 
 to the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and Redeemer 
 of men. 
 
 Given at the council chamber, in Concord, this twenty- 
 first day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand 
 eight hundred and sixty-five, and the ninetieth of the 
 Independence of the United States of America. 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 By His Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the Council. 
 WALTER HAURIMAX, Secretary of State.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 WORK FUll NEW H.AMPSJIIRK. 
 
 IN December, 18H5, the governor visited Washington, 
 and endeavored to get a clear understanding of the State 
 accounts with the treasury department. lie found mat- 
 ters in a very complicated condition, mainly from the lack 
 of such vouchers as the department considered necessary., 
 from the inexperience of the accounting officers of the 
 State troops, and also from the strain of such enormous 
 transactions as came upon the inadequate clerical force of 
 the General Government. 
 
 Working up the matter with accustomed energy, he 
 evolved from the mass of tangled accounts the sum of 
 47,104, due to Xe\v Hampshire. 
 
 The sons of Xew Hampshire resident in Washington, 
 took this occasion to give the governor a serenade. Col. 
 X. G. ( )rd\vay, Sergeant-at-arms of the House, with a 
 large party, accompanied by the Treasury Band, pro- 
 reeded to the Xational Hotel. After the music had 
 ceased, Governor Smyth appeared, when Colonel Ord- 
 \vay addressed him, saying that at a late hour in the 
 afternoon the Xew Hampshire boys had learned that he 
 was to remain in the city another night, and had. in 
 accordance with an earnest desire on their part, called 
 to pay their respects to his excellency, although the 
 weather was cold, and for this region excessively in- 
 clement; the sons of the Granite State had been reared 
 in a climate which had prepared them for any emer- 
 gency. In behalf of the sons of Xew Hampshire, he 
 desired to welcome Governor Smyth to the capital of
 
 200 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 the nation, and to say that after hearing from him, 
 they had come prepared to take him a captive to an 
 entertainment which awaited them all. To which the 
 governor replied, 
 
 " Colonel Ordway and Sons of Xew Hampshire : It 
 gives me great pleasure to meet so many of yon to-night, 
 and I am not surprised at your determination and energy 
 in appearing here, or anywhere else, even on such a night 
 as this. New Hampshire men always make their mark 
 wherever they go, and I hope that yon will not only 
 make good the old saying that ' Xew Hampshire is a good 
 place to emigrate from,' but that after von have succeeded 
 
 A. O v 
 
 In securino; a fair share of this world's ^oods, you will 
 
 O < ' t. 
 
 ^return to the hills and valleys that I know you love so 
 well, there to live and die with your kindred. 
 
 ' The Senate and House, at the other end of the avenue, 
 have horrowed largely from intellect which first dawned 
 among the snow-clad mountains of your native State, and 
 I am proud to know that other departments of the Gov- 
 ernment have learned to appreciate the services of the 
 young and rising men of Xew Hampshire. Your untir- 
 ing devotion to the wants of our wounded soldiers in the 
 hospitals and on the battle-fields, entitles you to the lasting 
 gratitude of the whole people of your native State. 
 Your devotion to the Union cause and universal liberty 
 are too well known to require comment from me at this 
 time, and I will, therefore, only say that the sentiments 
 of the people of Xew Hampshire are fixed, and she will 
 take no steps backward. 
 
 I am told by the Sergeant-at-arms of the House of 
 Representatives that I am under arrest and must go with 
 yon. and as his authority is unquestioned by members of 
 Congress, either by day or by niu'ht. T shall willingly 
 submit. Again thanking you for this friendly call. I am 
 now ready to accompany yon."
 
 VISIT TO WASHINGTON. 201 
 
 The band then struck up "Yankee Doodle," and es- 
 corted the governor, with about forty Xew Hampshire 
 men, back to the starting point on Four-and-a-Half street, 
 where Colonel Ordway gave them an entertainment, 
 during which speeches were made by Hon. Win. E. 
 C 'handler, Governor Smyth, Francis JI. Morgan, Esq., 
 Hon. E. Ashton Kollins. Hon. Edward H. Rollins, M. C., 
 Colonel Ordway, Walcott Hamlin, Esq., and Judge Pear- 
 son, of the Pension Bureau. The bund then played " Sweet 
 Home,"' after which the whole company escorted the 
 governor back to his quarters, and separated with three 
 cheers for Governor Smyth, and three for the Granite 
 State. 
 
 On the 22d of December, Forefathers Day, he was 
 present at the banquet of the Xew England Society, at 
 Delmonico's, in Xew York, and responded to a senti- 
 ment complimentary to the- sons of Xew Hampshire, as 
 follows : 
 
 MR. PRESIDENT : 
 
 The seal of the city which is my adopted resi- 
 dence has for its motto the words " Labor omnia 
 vincit," which not only aptly expresses the motive 
 purpose of a manufacturing place, where the cotton of 
 the South is woven into cloth, and the iron of Pennsyl- 
 vania moulded and forged into mighty engines, but it is 
 significant of that pervading energy and that unconquer- 
 able will which has ever animated the sons of Xew Eng- 
 land. Xew Hampshire, sir. is small in extent, but her 
 rocky ribs throb with that vital current which has given 
 life and strength to so many communities on this conti- 
 nent. The sources of the rivers are in the mountains, and 
 there will be found the sources of virtue also. The people 
 accustomed to a contest with the hard soil, cheered by the 
 health of the pure air. will not soon become enervated.
 
 202 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 It is not for me to call the roll of the illustrious names of 
 her victorious soldiers, living or dead. She claims to 
 have done no more than her duty in the great contest for 
 the supremacy of Xew England ideas, and history may 
 he safely trusted to tell how well. 
 
 This is an occasion which calls for no exaltation of one 
 State above another. AVe have learned on the battle-field 
 To bury all invidious distinctions, and it is to be hoped 
 that no resurrection of rebellion ever awaits them. Yet 
 in that generous rivalry which exults in individual success 
 only that it may add to the glory of a common country, we 
 shall not be found wanting. As each separate State of the 
 six whose great day we here commemorate, has contrib- 
 uted freely of all that she holds most dear to enhance the 
 peculiar fame of Xew England, so, sir, I trust, will Xew 
 England ever prove true to the highest good of the Union. 
 It was the true nobility of labor that threw down the 
 gage in the Rebellion, and I rejoice to see it elevated 
 where it belongs of right, even though it had to be raised 
 on a million bayonet points. Labor of the brain and of 
 the hand have made us all we are. United for a praise- 
 worthy common purpose, they are invincible. Let us go 
 forth from this occasion prepared to assert and defend 
 that Union everywhere and on all occasions, as indispen- 
 sable to the true glory and prosperity of the Union of 
 States which we all bold dear. [ Applause.] 
 
 Among the regiments returning from the war, it will 
 have been noticed that the Second was the last to finish 
 its term of service. It went to the war at the first call, 
 with 1,04*J men, rank and tile, received recruits during 
 the war, raising its total to 2,200. and returned on this 
 last month of the year, after twenty-four engagements, 
 numbering 700 men. Its original commander. Col. dol- 
 man Marston, having been made general of a division, it 
 returned under command of Col. J. X. Patterson.
 
 VISIT TO WASHINGTON. 203 
 
 Of all the speeches made to the returning soldiers by 
 Governor Smyth, none have been reported, except this, 
 which is quoted from a Concord paper. 
 
 Governor Smyth said he was proud to welcome to the 
 State and to their homes the officers and soldiers of the 
 Second Regiment, a regiment dear in the recollections 
 of us all. The sight of them brought to his mind many 
 incidents which he had witnessed on the battle-field. 
 They had fought long and well. The prophecy had been 
 fulfilled in their case that " the first shall be last." They 
 had served through the Rebellion faithfully and well, and 
 were the last to return to the State. The sight of this 
 regiment inspired us with emotions never to be for- 
 gotten. There were those who could not be welcomed 
 home, having yielded up their lives on the bloody fields 
 of war. He was reminded of the scenes of Gettys- 
 burg, where it was his fortune to assist in caring 
 for the wounded, and performing the last sad duties for 
 the dead. Me remembered passing a building which he 
 was told contained none but rebels, and on hearing his 
 name called, he entered, there to find members of this 
 regiment, whom he removed to the spot where the 
 wounded of the regiment were lying: and he was happy 
 to see one of those men before him to-day. There was 
 one person he did not see who ought to be here to-day, 
 and that was Miss Harriet Dame. She had labored and 
 slept on the battle-field, caring for the wounded and the 
 sick, the dying and the dead. They all knew her deeds 
 of kindness. She was a noble woman, to be held in kind 
 remembrance by the people of this State. 
 
 The people of Xew Hampshire," lie said. " understand 
 your history ; they remember your illustrious deeds, and 
 cherish their memories. You have performed your duties 
 as soldiers well : now you have duties as citizens to dis- 
 charge. The soldiers of the regiments which have re-
 
 204 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 turned have quietly resumed the duties of citizens, not- 
 withstanding disorder was prophesied. They have been 
 absorbed in industrial classes." 
 
 The apparent increase of crime was not chargeable to 
 the account of the returned soldier, but, he believed, to 
 returned rebels from the South, and that statistics now 
 being prepared in Massachusetts would prove this. The 
 soldiers feel the dignity and importance of their position 
 as part of the community. The people had a duty to 
 perform to the families of needy soldiers. State aid now 
 ceased. The people should see to it that no soldier, nor 
 wife of a soldier, nor child of a soldier, should suffer 
 through the inclement season. There would be much 
 quiet suffering, and it should be sought out and relieved. 
 'No less than this is due to the families of the soldiers 
 who have offered their lives that the country might live. 
 
 "And now, soldiers," said the governor, in conclusion, 
 " I wish you a happy and merry Christmas, a safe return 
 to your homes, and that you may live in such a manner as 
 to be beloved by all around you. Having been soldiers, 
 brave soldiers, may you now be citizens, brave citizens/'
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 RAILROAD AFFAIRS AT NEWPORT AND CLARKMONT. THE 
 
 GOVERNOR RE-NOMINATED. 
 
 IN March, 1866, at a meeting held in Newport by 
 persons interested in the extension of the Concord 
 & Claremont Railroad to the Connecticut river, Governor 
 Smyth, on being introduced by Hon. Edmund Burke, was 
 greeted (according to correspondence of the Boston Jour- 
 nal) " with repeated rounds of enthusiastic applause." 
 
 He said that although it was his first visit to Xewport, 
 he saw many friendly faces. He paid an eloquent tribute of 
 praise and respect to the enterprise, thrift, and intelligence 
 of the people of northwestern Xew Hampshire, and 
 agreed with other speakers that they deserved a railroad. 
 Xature had ordained it, the country awaited development, 
 money was offered, and (turning to the venerable Judge 
 Xesmith, who presided) he added, " I believe the case is 
 ready for the jury; and now, gentlemen, go ahead and 
 build your road." 
 
 In June following a meeting was held at Claremont, in 
 furtherance of the same object. According to a report in 
 the Boston Journal, the governor spoke about half an 
 hour. Among other things, he said it gave him great 
 pleasure to visit this beautiful town and lovely valley. " I 
 have long wished to pay my respects to the citizens of 
 this section of the State, but could not spend the time, it 
 takes so long to get here. Your pleasant streets and 
 charming hills and mountains invite delicious repose, and 1 
 wish I could spend a month in this delightful valley of 
 Xew England. Years ago the people of Manchester and
 
 200 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 vicinity started out with a railroad in this direction, and 
 we expected you to meet us, but you did n't come. We 
 got as far as Henniker, and then held out our arms to 
 embrace you : but you were not there ! [ Applause. ] 
 Then Governor Gilmore tore up part of the track, and 
 bewail another route. [A voice: "And he did it Sunday, 
 too." Laughter and applause.] Xow the people of 
 central and southern Xew Hampshire want to meet 
 you by one route if they can't by another. As 
 I look at your smiling faces to-day, I am led to 
 believe that if you should will it you might raise the 
 money for this railroad in one hour, and commence the 
 work to-morrow morning;. [Applause.] I sincerely 
 believe the line will be built, and that it will be a 
 profitable investment. It will not be any branch road, 
 but a grand passenger and freight thoroughfare to the 
 West. Permit me to wish you the greatest success in the 
 contemplated scheme, and to hope that ere long the 
 whistle of the iron horse may be heard in your valleys 
 and along your streams, and may reverberate far away 
 among the mountains." 
 
 Xothins; of moment occurred to disturb the harmonv 
 
 O t 
 
 of affairs, and the close of the official year found no voice 
 raised against the re-nomination of Governor Smvth. 
 lie was re-elected by a majority of about five thousand, 
 a victory quite as significant as that of his first year, in 
 1SJ5, when the Hush of returning peace and of national 
 victory had so far subdued Democratic party zeal that a 
 very small vote was polled. But, with all their efforts, 
 they were able to gain only about seven hundred on 
 their vote of the previous vear. 
 
 On the loth of March following, there was a meeting 
 of congratulation in Smyth's Hall, addressed by General 
 Kdward \Y . Kinks, of Massachusetts, and others, at 
 which the governor said, whatever doubts he miifht have
 
 KK-NOMIXATFON FOR (JOVERNOK. 207 
 
 entertained of his own abilities or merits in the discharge 
 of the duties to which he had been called, he never for 
 one moment distrusted the patriotism and fidelity of the 
 Republican party of New Hampshire, nor the verdict they 
 would render on this occasion. They had a clear percep- 
 tion of the situation, and comprehended their duties as 
 citizens too well to be distracted by any side issue, or by 
 any apparent differences among men professing to desire 
 the same ends. In this city, without effort and almost 
 without organization, the Republican party had gained 
 on their vote of last year. For this compliment, so far 
 as it was personal, he heartily thanked them, and briefly 
 but appropriately alluded to his personal obligations 
 to his fellow citizens of Manchester, and the uniform 
 support which they had rendered him. But lie con- 
 sidered that men and personal ends or gratifications were 
 of little moment compared with the great interests that 
 concern the nation and humanity. The enemies of free- 
 dom and equal rights were awake, alert, and dangerous. 
 He said it was a fact that no man could truly deny, that 
 Xcw Hampshire lost to the Republican party would have 
 carried joy to the heart of every rebel and every rebel 
 sympathizer, from the deserters who have come in from 
 Canada to deposit their votes, to the most bitter son of 
 the South who no\v silently chews the cud of defeat and 
 meditates new treason against the (lovernment. It would 
 have rejoiced those who just now love Andrew Johnson 
 only because they hope he will help them destrov the 
 [arty which has saved the Union: and this hope has gal- 
 vanized so much life into the old Democratic partv of 
 Xew Hampshire that she would have surprised and pos- 
 sibly beaten men whose patriotism was less warm, or 
 whose courage had not been tried on so many battle-fields. 
 Xot long after the election, the following correspond- 
 ence took place :
 
 208 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 STATE OF XEAV HAMPSHIRE, 
 EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, 
 CONCORD, X. II., March 20, 1866. 
 
 HON. AV.M. H. SEWARD, SECRETARY OF STATE, WASHING- 
 TON, D. C. : 
 
 Dear 8ir : I am informed that Captain Cornelius 
 Healey, a citizen of this State, and officer of its militia, is 
 now incarcerated in Ireland, by order of the British Gov- 
 ernment, upon the suspicion of being engaged in the 
 Fenian movement. 
 
 Captain Healey served for three years in our war 
 against the Rebellion, as captain of the Eighth Xew 
 Hampshire Volunteers, and won the reputation of a brave 
 and faithful officer. 
 
 On returning from the war, broken in health, and still 
 suffering from a disease contracted in the service, he was 
 advised by his physician to take a sea voyage to Ireland, 
 in the hope that it would favorably influence the disease 
 under which he was suffering : acting upon the sug- 
 gestion, he started for that country a few months since, 
 and, as I understand, was seized and imprisoned soon 
 after his arrival. 
 
 It is quite impossible for Captain Healey, in his present 
 condition, to endure even a brief period of imprisonment, 
 without most imminent danger of serious and even fatal 
 consequences, and I feel it my duty to urge upon you the 
 utmost importance of immediate steps being taken by 
 our (Jovernment, through the proper officials, to I) ring 
 this matter to the notice of the British authorities, with 
 a view to his early discharge and liberation. 
 
 Trusting that the subject will receive your immediate 
 attention and appropriate action. I have the honor to be 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH, 
 
 (Vc/''< I'/ioi' of A*.//' Hdnisliire.
 
 CAPTAIN HEALEY. 209 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 
 WASHINGTON, March 27, 1866. 
 
 To His EXCELLENCY FREDERICK SMYTH, GOVERNOR OF THE 
 STATE OF XEW HAMPSHIRE, CONCORD, N. H. : 
 
 Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 
 your letter of the 20th instant, and its accompaniments 
 relative to the arrest and detention of Captain Ilealey 
 in Ireland, upon a charge of being connected with the 
 Fenian movement, and to inform yon that the matter will 
 be brought to the attention of the British Government 
 at the earliest practicable moment, by Mr. Adams, the 
 United States minister in London. 
 
 I have the honor to be your excellency's very obedient 
 servant, 
 
 WILLIAM H. Sl 
 
 Perhaps no member of the Republican party over en- 
 joyed greater popularity among our fellow-citizens of 
 Irish descent in Manchester. His prompt action in behalf 
 of Captain Ilealey is an indication of the quality that 
 produces this popularity. 
 
 The Republican nominating convention for State offi- 
 cers met in Phenix Hall, at Concord. .January 3, 1866. 
 The following resolution from the party platform for the 
 year will show the estimate put upon the standing of the 
 candidate : 
 
 k - 7iVso//Y(/, That the State and national faith, pledged 
 for the redemption of the public debt incurred in defense 
 of the Union, must be kept inviolate: and that we insist 
 upon an economy in the public expenditures, and pledge 
 the Republican party of Xew Hampshire to retrenchment 
 and reform, wherever practicable; and of the sincerity 
 of this pledge we give the highest guaranty in our 
 power, by presenting again for re-election our present
 
 210 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 popular chief magistrate, Hon. Frederick Smyth, against 
 wliose official or personal integrity not even political 
 rancor has dared utter a word. The people know his 
 devotion to their interests, honor his integrity, and will 
 triumphantly re-elect him." 
 
 After the announcement of the action of the conven- 
 tion had been made known to Governor Smyth with the 
 usual form, he came forward, was received with hearty 
 applause, and said : 
 
 GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION : 
 
 I will not pretend an indifference to the manner in 
 which you have received me here to day, nor to the very 
 flattering unanimity which has characterized your action. 
 Having conscientiously labored for what I believed to be 
 the best interests of Xew Hampshire, if in so doing I have 
 met your approbation and that of the people whom you 
 represent, it is the highest reward possible to any public 
 servant. I thank you, therefore, sincerely and heartily, 
 for the nomination; and it is also not improper on this 
 occasion that I should notice the consideration with which 
 the measures of my administration have been received, 
 both by parties and people, many of whom would 
 undoubtedly have preferred some other man to represent 
 their interests and their principles; and this is done the 
 more readily because I am not conscious that I have 
 varied a hair from principle, or wavered a particle in the 
 discharge of duty, to seek approbation of friend or foe. 
 But I will say, gentlemen, that in my efforts to advance 
 and promote the interests of the State I have found only 
 kind words and good wishes everywhere and on all sides. 
 So far as this could alleviate the anxieties always insep- 
 arable from the discharge of the duties of responsible 
 office, nothing remains to be wished for. The manner of 
 its bestowal will encourage and strengthen me through
 
 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION. 211 
 
 the remaining months of my term, and, if ratified by the 
 people, I shall for another year sacrifice any personal 
 consideration which may stand in the way of a full dis- 
 charge of duty to the State. All my strength and powers 
 shall be devoted to developing the ample resources, and 
 encouraging the industries, of our beloved State. With 
 the restoration of peace, blessed peace, ISTew Hampshire 
 must assume the rank to which she is nobly entitled 
 among the progressive States of the Union. Others may 
 excel her in many of the conditions which go to make up 
 national wealth, but an intelligent people, well-managed 
 finances, indomitable industry, and thorough patriotism, 
 with reverence for the laws of God, and respect for the 
 laws and rights of man, make her rich in the essential 
 elements of true greatness. Allow me to thank you 
 again, gentlemen of the convention, for the manner of 
 this reception and nomination, and to wish you a safe 
 return to happy homes and families, and prosperity 
 durino- life.
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 THE second inauguration of Governor Smyth, on the 
 7th of June, 1866, was attended by a large concourse of 
 citizens, and by several distinguished officials from other 
 States, including Governors Bullock, of Massachusetts, 
 and Dillingham, of Vermont. The escort was unusually 
 large, and was composed in good degree of those who 
 had served in the war, and who gave evidence of martial 
 training. Following is the message : 
 
 GENTLEMEN OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTA- 
 TIVES : 
 
 Appearing before you to assume the responsible duties 
 which have again been confided to my charge, allow me 
 iirst to congratulate you upon the extensive and impor- 
 tant improvements which we witness in this now commo- 
 dious and attractive public edifice. Xeither should it be 
 forgotten that for these improved facilities and ample 
 accommodations we are indebted to the public spirit and 
 judicious enterprise of the city of Concord. The popular 
 expectation created by its pledges has been fully and 
 fairly met, and the Capitol of the State will no longer be 
 regarded as an impeachment upon the character of the 
 people for progressive enterprise. The several apartments 
 assigned for the use of the various public officers seem to 
 be adequate and convenient for the transaction of public 
 business, while increased security is afforded to the 
 records, so long exposed to destruction by fire and other- 
 wise. The condition of the public grounds immediately 
 surrounding the Capitol will doubtless receive your atten-
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 213 
 
 tion. They should he protected from encroachments, 
 and made as attractive as their limits will allow. Having 
 thus secured to ourselves the essential requisites for the 
 transaction of the public business, we shall, I trust, in all 
 things keep pace with this improvement, so long needed, 
 and so admirably accomplished. 
 
 FINANCE. 
 
 The receipts into the treasury of the State for the year 
 ending June 1, 18GG, were $4,116,078.54, and were de- 
 rived from the following sources, namely : 
 
 State tax $748,436 12 
 
 Railroad tax 184,967 92 
 
 Savings bank tax ...... 06, 077 17 
 
 United States war claims .... 91,352 98 
 
 Civil commissions ...... 714 00 
 
 Public property ...... 18 57 
 
 Copyright of N. II. reports .... 533 00 
 
 State-prison ....... 1,034 77 
 
 Interest on deposits 1,295 92 
 
 State bonds 610,228 24 
 
 State notes 2,397,675 74 
 
 In treasury June 1, 1865 . 23,744 11 
 
 $4, IK!, 078 54 
 
 The disbursements of the year amounted to -So, 958, 
 198.H9, and were for the following purposes: 
 
 Towns for State aid .*5(>9,2o4 92 
 
 Bounty to volunteers .... 50,200 00 
 
 Military expenses . . 24.013 84 
 
 Recruiting fees ...... 3,250 00 
 
 Cattle commission cvs ..... 856 53 
 
 Salaries 29.84* 2! 
 
 Legislature .... . 28.916 4i> 
 
 Council ... . . . 3.221 40 
 
 Legislative resolutions ..... 15,645 .si 
 
 Towns. Railroad tax dividends . . . 85,614 91 
 
 Towns. Savings bank tax dividends . . 43,906 74
 
 214 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 State printing, including Adj. -General's report 14,645 53 
 
 Volunteer militia 1,753 60 
 
 Adj. -General and Quartermaster's Departments 8,026 14 
 
 Extra edition of Adj. -General's report . . 2,75707 
 
 State-prison 211 73 
 
 Asylum for the Insane 6,647 09 
 
 House of Reformation. (5,250 00 
 
 Deaf and Dumb Asylum 1 .067 92 
 
 Trust funds 655 21 
 
 Governor's contingent fund .... 10 87 
 
 Abatement of taxes ..... 730 13 
 
 School commissioners ..... 725 91 
 
 National cemetery 1,260 00 
 
 Fish commissioners 100 00 
 
 Bounty on wild animals 218 50 
 
 Notes paid 2,831,14957 
 
 Interest 286,411 55 
 
 8:5,958,199 69 
 Cash in Treasury, June 1, 1866 . . . 157,87885 
 
 $4,116,078 54 
 STATE DEBT. 
 
 Funded debts and trust funds . . . 82,238,152 15 
 Xotrs . 1,922.546 74 
 
 Total debt, June 1, 1866 . . 84,160.698 89 
 
 The cash in the treasury is sufficient to pay all present 
 outstanding obligations, as estimated by the auditor. 
 
 The details <>t' the foregoing receipts and expenditures 
 are given in the report of the auditor, in which is clearly 
 indicated the source of all receipts into the treasury, and 
 to whom and for what all expenditures have been made. 
 It will be observed that the transactions of the treasury 
 the past year greatly exceed in amount those of any pre- 
 vious year. It has, in fact, been the paying year of the 
 war, and it is a matter of congratulation that we have 
 been able to pass through it not only unscathed in our
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 215 
 
 credit, but have strengthened the confidence of our cred- 
 itors in our ability and determination to meet and dis- 
 charge our obligations promptly at maturity. 
 
 To provide for the heavy and pressing demands upon 
 the treasury at the lowest possible rates, and at the same 
 time to strengthen and improve our securities in the 
 money market, has been the anxious and laborious task 
 of the executive the past year. It has been necessary to 
 raise upwards of three millions of dollars to meet the 
 outstanding and maturing obligations of the State. In no 
 instance has more than the market rate of interest been 
 paid, or more than could have been realized from invest- 
 ments in Government securities at current prices, although 
 exempt from taxation, while ours were not. The highest 
 rate that has been paid is eight per cent, while consider- 
 able sums have been obtained at six and seven. 
 
 The revenue the pivsent year, as esti- 
 mated by the auditor, will be . :$8.j(>,80n 
 
 He estimates the ordinary expenses at . .$91,02.> 
 
 Extraordinary expenses, embracing State 
 aid due towns, interest on notes and 
 bonds, appropriations to charitable 
 institutions, and legislative resolves .")!:>, .V)0 (5<>4, .">:.'."> 
 
 Leaving to be applied to llie reduction of 
 
 the Slate debt S'2-'>-2 .'27 '> 
 
 If this session of the legislature should not be pro- 
 tracted bevond that of last year, and if all claims upon 
 the treasury which will be pressed upon your attention 
 shall be most carefully scrutinized, and the most rigid 
 economv and rigorous retrenchment of expenses are 
 insisted upon in all the departments, I have great confi- 
 dence that this gratifying result may he realized. 
 
 The ordinarv expenses of the State should be brought 
 back to a peace basis as rapidly as the condition of public 
 affairs will admit. Satisfactory progress has been made
 
 216 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 in this direction the past year, and the present will, I 
 anticipate, witness a substantial return to it. This duty 
 we owe to the present and prospective tax-payers of our 
 State. 
 
 The discontinuance of State aid, and other items of 
 extraordinary expenditure growing out of the war, will 
 admit of a reduction of the State tax of $250,000 next 
 year, and still leave a probable balance of 1200,000 to be 
 applied in reduction of the State debt. 
 
 In view of the heavy town and national taxation, I 
 would favor the policy of reducing our State tax annually 
 to a sum sufficient only to meet all current expenditures, 
 and to pay $ 200,000 of the principal of our debt, which 
 will wholly discharge it in twenty years. 
 
 The treasurer has now on hand about three and one 
 quarter million dollars in six per cent un-negotiated bonds, 
 authorized by the laws of 1861, 1862, and 1864, which it 
 has not been deemed advisable to place upon the market. 
 I recommend that these bonds be destroyed, with the 
 exception of half a million, which, with what have been 
 negotiated, will be as largo an amount as we shall need, 
 or can well protect, in that form. The very existence of 
 so large an amount of bonds now on hand, and liable to 
 bo put upon tin' market, has a damaging effect upon all 
 our securities. 
 
 The floating debt of the State is now in a condition, if 
 wisely managed, to be carried without great inconve- 
 nience, and. when reduced, as it may be by the sale of 
 the balance of these bonds, there can be but little danger 
 of serious embarrassments resulting therefrom, while it 
 will be subject to an annual reduction from an application 
 of the State revenues to its extinguishment. 
 
 Xo legislation in regard to our finances is asked at the 
 present session, except authority to provide means to 
 meet maturing obligations, amounting to about $1,800,000.
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 217 
 
 I particularly invite your attention to the full and care- 
 ful statements relating 1 to our financial transactions, con- 
 tained in the able report of the auditor. 
 
 CLAIMS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 Ill the report of the State treasurer, last June, a charge 
 against the United States of .$494,451.37 was reckoned as 
 available assets, and deducted from the State indebtedness 
 of that date. On examination into this claim, soon after 
 the adjournment of the legislature, it was found that the 
 State owed the United States 113,600.45, by the account 
 at Washington, which was as follows : 
 
 AMOUNT CHARGED THE STATE. 
 
 1826 Nov. 1. Balance on .settlement, this 
 
 date .... 8K>,s;;9 94 
 
 1861 Oftset of direct tax . . 185,645 67 
 
 1861 Oct. 7. Cash 200,000 00 
 
 1 860 Sept. 19. Cash ... . 224,000 00 
 
 1864 Jan. l.>. Cash 47,134 19 
 
 1864 Dec. 16. Cash 200,000 00 
 
 8867,619 80 
 Deducting amount credited to the State on 
 
 claims allowed in 1'nll to June. 1865 . 754.019 ;55 
 
 Left due United States . . . .811:5, 600 45 
 
 The whole amount of claims charged l>v the 
 
 State to the Inited States, prior to .June. 
 
 1S65, was 81,;U9,504 18 
 
 From whieh should lie deducted a claim for 
 
 horses, for which pay had been received. 
 
 for llhode Island Cavalry, of . . .>X.490 00 
 
 Leaving actual amount .... $1,.">1 1."14 is 
 Deducting from this the whole amount allowed 
 
 to June 1, 1x65 . . . 754.nl!) :15 
 
 Left suspended and disallowed . . . $556,994 x:> 
 
 Claims added since -lime. 1x65 ;>4,017 46
 
 218 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Making the amount rejected and unadjusted 
 
 at that time 591,012 29 
 
 There has been allowed of these claims during 
 
 the past year 157,81924 
 
 Leaving a balance still rejected . . . 8-433,19305 
 
 From the foregoing sum, thus allowed . . 157,819 24 
 Deducting the balance due from the United 
 
 States, as before shown .... 113,600 45 
 
 Leaves a balance of ..... 
 
 Received into the State Treasury, which with 
 847,134.19, found charged tiie State in 
 1804, which was not received until Decem- 
 ber last . 47,134 19 
 
 Shows paid into the. Treasury, the past year, 
 from these claims, after paying all the 
 balance which was due the (General Gov- 
 ernment 891,352 98 
 
 All the foregoing claims wore for raising, subsisting, 
 arming, and equipping the earlier regiments sent into the 
 field before the (-General Government had got its war 
 machinery in motion. 
 
 By act of Congress, passed July 17, 1861, the secre- 
 tary of the treasury was authorized to pay to the States 
 claims of this character, on the presentation of " proper 
 vouchers." Great difficulty has been experienced in 
 obtaining the " vouchers " required by the rules of the 
 department, for claims which had been once rejected, 
 and it was only by urgent and persistent effort that these 
 last allowances have been obtained, in some cases by 
 procuring a modification of the rules of the treasury 
 department. Most of the balance of the 8433,194.60, 
 still rejected, being for bounties paid by the State to 
 induce men to volunteer, is entirely inadmissible, and 
 never should have been presented, as no such claim is 
 authorized by tin- act, or has ever been paid to any
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 219 
 
 State by the United States. The remainder consists of 
 expenditures on account of commissioned officers, ex- 
 penses of agents sent from the State to take care of sick 
 and wounded soldiers, (considered as " patriotic contribu- 
 tions!") payments made to officers and men who were 
 paid a second time by the United States paymaster, excess 
 in price paid for military property, and a variety of mis- 
 cellaneous expenditures for which no vouchers have yet 
 been found. 
 
 Efforts will not be relaxed by the executive to obtain 
 still more of these suspended claims, if possible ; but 
 there is no probability that more than some twenty or 
 thirty thousand dollars of the same can be allowed, 
 without further action of Congress, which is confidently 
 hoped for. 
 
 CLAIMS OF THE CITIES AND TOWNS FOR NATIONAL BOUNTIES 
 
 ADVANCE!). 
 
 Under the call of the President for 300,000 men, to be 
 raised prior to January 5, 1864, the cities and towns in 
 this State were authorized by the provost-marshal gen- 
 eral to advance the national bounties to volunteers, to fill 
 their quotas under this call, with the understanding that 
 the bounties thus advanced would be refunded in install- 
 ments, as they became due. through the agency of the 
 State authorities. 
 
 The sum thus advanced amounted, in the aggregate, to 
 8065,512. The first installment, of 8107, 304. was received 
 before the troops left for the field, and 82<i,920 only of 
 the second installment, shortly after, which was dis- 
 tributed TO the towns by the State treasurer. Xo further 
 payments having been made, upon an investigation at 
 Washington for the cause of the suspension of these 
 reimbursements, I learned that the allotment rolls, con- 
 taining 1 an account of these advance bounties, which had
 
 220 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 been furnished the paymaster-general by the State, had 
 been lost, and that in some cases these bounties had 
 again been paid to the men in the field by the paymasters. 
 I also ascertained of the second auditor of the treasury 
 that the ///> of some of these men who died in the 
 service were receiving the bounties to which they would 
 have been entitled had no assignment been made, the 
 auditor having no knowledge of them. After furnishing 
 the proper papers, and after many and repeated importu- 
 nities, the payment to the soldier, or his heirs, was sus- 
 pended, and an examination instituted to ascertain what 
 portion of these claims was still due, and orders obtained 
 for the balance, to be paid agreeably to the assignments. 
 There is great difficulty and delay in correctly adjusting 
 this matter, caused by the large number of desertions 
 found to have taken place from these volunteers, and also 
 in ascertaining whether those reported missing are de- 
 serters, or deceased. In some of the regiments to which 
 these men were assigned, more than half deserted. 
 The bounties of these will not. of course, be repaid, and 
 will be a total loss to the towns, while those who received 
 them disgraced the town, the State, and the regiments to 
 which they were assigned. 
 
 I now have reliable assurances that the bounties not 
 paid prior to this examination, of those who served 
 during the time of enlistment, and of those who died in 
 the service, will be refunded as soon as the number can 
 be ascertained. About -SOO.OOO of this has been paid to 
 the State treasurer within a few days. This amount, 
 with all that shall hereafter be received, will be distri- 
 buted to the towns to which it belongs. The payments 
 which have been wrongfully made to the soldier, or hi> 
 heirs, by the I'nited States, cannot be repaid to the towns 
 except by an act of Congress, which there is a favor- 
 able prospect of procuring. Efforts will be continued to
 
 SECOND INAUGUKAL ADDRESS. 221 
 
 secure all the rights of towns in this matter, with as little 
 delay as possible. 
 
 WAR EXPENSES OF TOWNS. 
 
 Iii accordance with a law passed at the last session of 
 the legislature, a commission has been appointed to 
 audit the war expenses of towns, and their report will be 
 submitted to you at the present session. These expenses 
 will appear of extraordinary magnitude, amounting to 
 between six and seven millions of dollars ; but the cir- 
 cumstances under which they were contracted were such 
 as rendered the exercise of a strict or judicious economy 
 very difficult. 
 
 A year's experience in the management of the State 
 finances has but strengthened and confirmed the convic- 
 tion expressed in my former message, that the assumption 
 of this debt, or any portion of it, by the State, will be 
 absolutely impracticable, prior to the action of the Gen- 
 eral Government in that direction. The close of the war 
 found the credit of the State threatened with disaster, 
 and clamorous creditors knocking in vain at the door of 
 an empty treasury. If public confidence has been since 
 restored, it is because we have declared that the State 
 debt has reached its limit of expansion, and is now placed 
 upon a basis of gradual diminution and final extinction. 
 Any increase, under these circumstances, would shake 
 the re-established confidence, and send us again into the 
 money market, as before, begging for loans at exorbitant 
 interest; whereas money is now easily obtained at the 
 legal and customary rates. The only condition upon 
 which any portion of this debt can be properly assumed 
 by the State, prior to the assumption of the same by the 
 General Government, is upon a corresponding increase of 
 the State tax, and an immediate payment of the same, 
 a course that you will very readily appreciate could afford
 
 222 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 no relief. The towns can provide for this debt, when 
 subdivided among them as it now is; but its management 
 through the State Government, in the unwieldy aggregate 
 shown by the report of the committee, is practically im- 
 possible. It would be unwise and impolitic in the ex- 
 treme to further burden the credit of the State, as well 
 as unjust to those who hold her bonds, and have a right 
 to demand a prudent care for her financial interests. 
 Under present and impending obligations which must be 
 met, there is every reason to believe that the burden will 
 be easily sustained; but were such obligations to be 
 greatlv increased now, none would suft'er more than those 
 
 O *- 
 
 who are asking for this very aid. 
 
 I would, however, recommend that whatever portion of 
 the State and town bounties the General Government 
 may hereafter refund, be apportioned among the several 
 towns in proportion to the number of men furnished by 
 each. Should Congress ultimately take such action in 
 this matter as is now generally anticipated, great and 
 substantial relief will thus be furnished. 
 
 TAXATION. 
 
 The heavy burdens which the recent Rebellion has cast 
 upon the country, and which still press upon the people 
 in the form of national, State, and local indebtedness, 
 necessitates a system of taxation which will be borne 
 without complaint, only when fairly and equitably imposed 
 upon every class, and upon all kinds of property. The 
 ordinary routine of taxation in former years was so little 
 felt that it hardly occasioned complaint in any quarter, 
 and it was for the most part fairly distributed upon all 
 visible or corporeal property. Upon that kind of prop- 
 erty represented by promises to pay, and other evidences 
 of indebtedness, it has fallen very lightly, and the cunning 
 and craftv have learned, in one wav or another, to evade
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 223 
 
 the tax-gatherer, and to secure exemption in the very 
 quarter where there was the most undoubted ahility to 
 pay. Yet in the general prosperity and ease of individual 
 affairs, this scarcely elicited a passing comment. 
 
 Now all branches of industry are burdened with taxa- 
 tion, and the demands of the collector have increased four- 
 fold. While every tangible article in a man's possession 
 is made to contribute to the general treasury, it becomes 
 a matter of vital interest to a very great majority of the 
 people, that every one should bear a just share of the 
 burdens. And even were there a small minority only 
 who feel the unequal weight of this loud, the universal 
 sense of justice requires that it shall be made as equal as 
 the imperfection of human legislation will allow. 
 
 In this connection I cannot forbear allusion to a kin- 
 dred subject, which, although not within the direct sphere 
 of your action, is yet too important in its effects upon the 
 welfare of the people not to receive attention. 
 
 It has been proposed to fund our national debt, esti- 
 mated, in round numbers, at three thousand millions of 
 dollars, in bonds exempt from taxation. Whatever may 
 have been the wisdom which prompted the resort by 
 which these loans were obtained, all are ready to admit 
 the great national exigency which called for extraordinary 
 measures. In the midst of a eonffict, the duration of 
 which no man could predict, (Government was forced to 
 enter the market armed with every advantage which wis- 
 dom could devise, and every attraction which should 
 forestall all competitors. It therefore practically said to 
 the desired creditor. Take my bonds, and your neighbor, 
 who has less faith or means, shall pay all the taxes. If 
 there was at that time any thought or complaint of injus- 
 tice, it was drowned by the din of arms, or banished by 
 more immediate and pressing danger. The pledges were 
 given, the loans effected, and the nation saved in its hour
 
 224 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 of trial and danger. Of course the faith and pledge of 
 the nation, in this, as in other things, must be sacredly 
 kept. 
 
 But circumstances are now changed ; the national credit 
 is all the better for the terrific storm which it has passed 
 through and successfully withstood. Whoever doubts it, 
 with an adequate knowledge of the great resources at 
 command, would hardly be assured by any security which 
 it is possible to imagine. Since necessity is no longer an 
 element in the calculation, and the Government does not 
 need to compete with its feebler rivals in the money 
 markets of the country, it would seem to be but a simple 
 question of justice, whether it will still adhere to a posi- 
 tion assumed under great pressure. The debt of the 
 Government is within its grasp, and can be managed 
 without difficulty. Is there any good and valid reason for 
 funding it in securities exempt from local and State taxa- 
 tion ? Clearly, I think not ; and that great inequality, 
 hardship, and injustice, will result from so doing. A 
 large portion of the surplus wealth of the country is now 
 invested in national securities, and will long remain so. 
 There is no sound reason existing why all the wealth of 
 the country should not be equally taxed. If it were 
 possible, to-day, to make every dollar of property of 
 every kind contribute its just share toward the burden of 
 the Government, from the sehool district upward, the load 
 would be borne much more easily. The conflict Avhich 
 may be provoked between the holders of this fortunate 
 property and those whose business necessities require 
 them to invest elsewhere, will at length endanger the 
 bonds themselves, for they lose their value unless based 
 on the credit of a well-governed and contented country. 
 
 Of the dangers and evils of class legislation, we have 
 already seen too much ; and while the faith of the nation 
 should be kept inviolate, it would seem to be most unwise
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 225 
 
 to perpetuate a class of property-holders exempted from 
 taxation. The national treasury is able to take up the 
 load, and impose it again in a fair and equitable manner, 
 and thus encourage the great middle class, and the people 
 in the farming towns, remote from the vicinity of great 
 markets, who find their taxes difficult to pay, especially 
 under an instinctive sense of injustice. 
 
 I hope you will, at an early day, make some decided 
 expression of opinion, such as may indicate to the repre- 
 sentatives of Xew Hampshire, in Congress, the feeling 
 which exists upon this subject. 
 
 INDUSTRIES OF THE STATE. 
 
 Tn my last message I alluded to the resources of the 
 State, of all descriptions, as offering inducements to in- 
 dustry and prudence on the part of our people. The 
 efforts which were then going on for their development 
 have been crowned with abundant success. 
 
 In agricultural enterprise Xew Hampshire keeps pace 
 with her sister States by the adoption of new methods of 
 improvement, and by constant devotion to every means 
 of rendering the cultivation of her soil remunerative to 
 the farmer. There is, even to the most careless observer, 
 universal evidence of growing prosperity, manifested in 
 well-ordered and comfortable buildings, cultivated fields, 
 and domestic animals, well bred and wisely cared for. 
 
 At the Xew Kngland Fair last year we had every reason 
 TO be proud of the contributions from our own farmers; 
 and it was truly gratifying to observe that, in many classes 
 of cattle, sheep, and horses, Xew Hampshire presented 
 specimens almost if not quite unequal ed. 
 
 The ] tress of the State has shown increased interest in 
 agricultural matters during the last year, and I cannot too 
 highly commend that enterprise and intelligence which lias 
 supplied our agricultural readers with well-considered and
 
 220 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 practical essays u]>on those branches of agriculture in 
 which we are most interested. I trust these efforts will he 
 duly appreciated. 
 
 Of our manufactures, although still in their infancy, 
 we have every reason to he proud. The growth of towns 
 and villages along our streams still continues with increas- 
 ing activity, and there can he no doubt that the large 
 amount of water power now lying idle will one day be as 
 well occupied as that which is now a source of so much 
 wealth and prosperity. We have an abundant water 
 power still remaining, to the occupancy of which T would 
 invoke the attention of enterprise and capital. 
 
 The mineral resources of the State are, at this time, at- 
 tracting an unusual degree of attention, and the increasing 
 interest manifested in them by capitalists and practical 
 miners, with the very flattering results of their investiga- 
 tions, give fair promise that they may become a source of 
 profit and revenue. It is gratifying to know that while 
 the resources and attractions of our State arc more intelli- 
 gently regarded abroad, they arc' becoming better appre- 
 ciated at home. If the labor and enterprise of those who 
 emigrate were applied to developing home resources, the 
 average reward would be as rich as that obtained abroad, 
 and the State would be much improved in all its relations. 
 
 AtiKRTI/lTllAI- CULLEUE. 
 
 Our attention has been repeatedly called to the 1 organ- 
 i/ation of an agricultural college, the means for which 
 have been provided through the wise munificence of Con- 
 gress, tor education in this most important branch of 
 knowledge. After due reflection, and having taken time 
 f<r inijuiry and consultation with eminent gentlemen of 
 our o\vn and other States, I am prepared to commend to 
 your consideration a definite plan of action. 
 
 The act of Congress granting public lands for the- pur-
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 227 
 
 po.sc will expire, by limitation, on the second day of July, 
 18t>7. Immediate legislation will therefore be required to 
 avail ourselves of its pro visions. The State has received 
 the script for 150,000 acres, valued now at a little less 
 than sixty cents an acre, and not likely to increase in 
 worth for a considerable time, nor is it probable that the 
 aggregate receipts can in any event exceed $100,000. 
 "With this sum it would be obviously impossible to found 
 an independent college, with its professors and libraries, 
 with its buildings and requisite apparatus, such as would 
 do honor to the State, and be of real benefit to the sons 
 of its citizens. 
 
 It would have to be supported by continual appropria- 
 tions, and would most certainly be an onerous burden 
 upon the tax-payers. From this and other considerations 
 I am led to the opinion that it should be connected with 
 some other institution. It has been suggested that if or- 
 ganized in union with some of our more vigorous acade- 
 mies, it would be brought nearer to the people, and would 
 thereby the better command public confidence. But 
 even if there were no danger that contending interests of 
 the many schools of this grade might prejudice such de- 
 sign, however well executed, the terms of the act itself 
 would seem to settle this point. Its purpose, as defined in 
 so many words, is to establish "a college where the lead- 
 ing object shall be, without excluding other scientific and 
 classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach 
 such branches of learning as are related to agriculture, 
 the mechanical arts/' etc., etc. 
 
 The offer of Congress having been accepted by the 
 legislature, its intention must be carried out in spirit and 
 letter. As a <-<Jl<'</e, then, either on an independent foun- 
 dation or in connection with another, we must accept the 
 offer. 
 
 As to ir/iH-li college, there can fortunately be no qucs-
 
 228 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 tion, since we have but one, deservedly the pride of New 
 Hampshire, both in its past renown and its present excel- 
 lent and energetic management. Last year an offer of 
 additional funds was before us, that made by the late 
 lamented Hon. David Culver. But the will by which the 
 irenerous donor desired to have his intentions carried out 
 
 o 
 
 is in litigation : and in any event the sum realized from 
 it will be less than was at first supposed. If, however, the 
 State, disregarding the provisions of that will, should not 
 see iit to found a college at Lyme, whatever benefit is de- 
 rived from the bequest will revert to Dartmouth College 
 for the purpose of establishing an agricultural department 
 there. Uniting this possible advantage with others which 
 are obvious, we have a strong argument in favor of estab- 
 
 O O 
 
 lishing the institution at Dartmouth. Distinguished pro- 
 fessors, extensive cabinets of mineralogy and geology, 
 chemical and philosophical laboratories and apparatus, 
 such as could not be acquired without much time and 
 more than double the amount at our disposal, are already 
 there. 
 
 It has been said that farmers will not send their sons to 
 the college, where they may be subjected to unfavorable 
 comparisons with the students in the classical departments ; 
 but the experience of the medical and scientific schools 
 is a sufficient reply to this : and I am persuaded that it 
 would have the happiest effect in endearing that whole 
 institution to the hearts of the people, infusing the vigor 
 and life-blood of the sons of the hills into its ancient 
 veins, while from it in return something of the learning 
 and grace of the schools will be carried into the homes of 
 the farmers and mechanics of the State. 
 
 I regard it as very important that we should have a 
 board of agriculture organized for the purpose of direct- 
 ing and encouraging agricultural enterprise in the State, 
 and to gather up and preserve the recorded experience
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 229 
 
 of our fanners. The trustees of the agricultural college 
 might constitute such a board, with a secretary elected by 
 themselves, to whose hands might be assigned the actual 
 work of gathering such experience, in suitable form, for 
 publication. The appointment of t\vo professors in this 
 department with those connected with the present college, 
 would be sufficient. These should be practical as well as 
 theoretical agriculturists ; and it should be their duty not 
 only to direct the mode of instruction in school, but they 
 should also be required to examine the condition of agri- 
 culture in the State during the recess, and record the re- 
 
 o 
 
 suit of their observations, and to deliver lectures upon 
 agriculture and mechanic arts in various sections of the 
 State. In this way the agricultural resources and modes 
 of farming of every county may be laid, from time to time, 
 before our people for their instruction and guidance. 
 
 The agricultural term could well commence in October 
 and end in May, so that the students, during the summer, 
 could carry into practical effect upon farms at home the 
 theories they had acquired at school. 
 
 A model or experimental farm, large enough to carry 
 out in full the process of scientific theory, would embrace 
 of necessity such a wide range of subjects, and involve so 
 large an annual expenditure, that I do not now deem its 
 purchase advisable. Several acres, however, for trial and 
 purposes of illustration, for the propagation of the vari- 
 ous grasses, and for proper instruction in the botanical 
 branches, would be desirable, and might be rendered self- 
 supporting. The trustees of Dartmouth College have no 
 desire that such disposition be made of the national 
 grant, unless it shall seem to the legislature to be condu- 
 cive to the highest interests of all concerned : but if suel; 
 a conclusion can be reached, it is believed that arrange- 
 ments can be perfected which will not only prove en- 
 tirelv satisfactory, but will relieve the State of all expense 
 on account of an agricultural department.
 
 230 LIFE OF FREDERICK .SMYTH. 
 
 An outline of a probable arrangement, prepared at my 
 su^irestion, will be submitted to vour consideration in due 
 
 CO 
 
 season, as a basis for legislative deliberation and action; 
 and I can but believe that some such plan will commend 
 itself to your wisdom. I am satisfied that in this way 
 srientific agriculture can be instilled into the minds of our 
 vouth and spread abroad among the people; and that at 
 the same time those admirable rules of farming which 
 have been derived from long experience may be definitely 
 laid down, and connected with the results of scientific re- 
 search, for the mutual benefit of the practical workman 
 and scientific explorer. 
 
 EDUCATION. 
 
 There is no subject which more deeply concerns the 
 \velfare of the State than that of the means by which the 
 children of the people are to be educated. With that wis- 
 dom which distinguished them in other matters, the 
 founders of the commonwealth gave deserved prominence 
 to this topic. Xot content to leave it to the exigencies of 
 future legislation, they took care to insert the idea in the 
 fundamental law. After recognizing the fact that " knowl- 
 edge and learning are essential to the preservation of a 
 free government,'' they say, "It shall be the duty of legis- 
 lators and magistrates in all future periods of this (-irovern- 
 meiit. to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences 
 and all seminaries and public schools: to encourage pub- 
 lic and private institutions, by rewards and immunities, 
 for the promotion of agriculture', arts, sciences," etc. 
 While I trust that we need no prompting as to the 
 nature and extent of our obligations in this respect, it is 
 well 1o recur to this very decided opinion of the fathers, 
 thus placed on record in the most solemn and formal 
 manner. 
 
 The withdrawal <>f the literary fund, heretofore derived 
 from the taxation of the State banks, and now lost in con-
 
 SECOND IXAUtiTKAL ADDRESS. 231 
 
 sequence of their conversion into national banking insti- 
 tutions, renders some legislation necessary to supply the 
 deficiency thus created. 
 
 The great advance in prices has likewise had its detri- 
 mental effect upon our schools, and I submit to your con- 
 sideration whether the tax provided for in chapter ~(\ of 
 the Compiled Statutes should not be increased. 
 
 The system of county school commissioners, whatever 
 may have been its former efficiency, seems to have out- 
 lived its usefulness, and ought to be superseded by some- 
 thing more vital and efficient. The board of education 
 occupies a position of great importance, but recent legis- 
 lation seems to have been based upon the idea that the 
 work of the county commissioners is of little practical 
 value, and would not justify great expenditure. Hither 
 this tic-Id should be occupied by some more- active and 
 energetic agency, sustained by wise laws, or more life and 
 usefulness should be infused into the old system. 
 
 HANKS. 
 
 The conversion of our banks of discount into national 
 banking associations removes ihem beyond the control of 
 State legislation. Some provision is required, however, 
 in regard to the taxation of the stock, to carry out the 
 provision of the act of Congress upon that subject. 
 
 \Vehavc >[\\\ remaining within the State twenty-nine 
 >a\in<i*s banks, whose aggregate deposits amount to nearly 
 eight millions of dollars, and over these the supervision 
 of the bank commissioners should be continued. Tliev 
 are all believed to be in a sound and healthy condition, 
 and to enjoy a high degree of public confidence. I 
 am not aware that anv depositor in the savings h;mks 
 of this State has ever experienced a loss through the mis- 
 management or dishonesty of any officer of these institu- 
 tions. It is difficult to conceive of a higher compliment
 
 232 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 that could be paid them. Xo new legislation in regard 
 to them is required. 
 
 STATE LIBRARY. 
 
 There is necessity for the adoption of some further 
 measures for the care and preservation of the State 
 library. Its value has been very much impaired by un- 
 guarded and indiscriminate access to its contents, and the 
 loaning of books without proper security for their return. 
 In consequence, many volumes have not been returned, 
 and probably never will be. The adoption of some suit- 
 able system would remedy this evil, and preserve, in the 
 commodious rooms now provided for it, this valuable 
 property to the State. The librarian should be made 
 personally responsible for every book under his care, and 
 no volume should be allowed to be removed from the 
 Capitol. 
 
 PROVINCIAL RECORDS. 
 
 I deem it my duty to direct your attention to the present 
 condition of our provincial records for the period between 
 1680, when Xew Hampshire became a separate royal 
 Province, to the year 177-"), when her people adopted a 
 State government. 
 
 These records are of great importance. Among other 
 things they contain a large portion of the town grants, 
 the provincial laws, and all measures taken by the people 
 of New Hampshire in the prosecution of the French and 
 Indian wars. Yet, valuable as they are. they have never 
 been put in a condition to render them useful, or insure 
 their preservation. A part of them are in bound volume- 
 and a part upon loose sheets, and they are all in manu- 
 script, much of which it is difficult to decipher. Thev 
 are greatly scattered, also, sonic portions lcinu - found 
 in the otHce of the secretary of the state, some in tin- 
 archives of the Historical Society, and other parts amonir
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 233 
 
 the court papers in ditto rent counties and elsewhere. The 
 work of arranging and indexing these, commenced some 
 years ago by the late John Farmer, Ksq.. at the instance 
 of the legislature, should be continued: and when prop- 
 erly prepared, they should be printed, and thus rendered 
 of easy access. 
 
 An examination of the last two volumes of the New 
 Hampshire Historical Society's collections, the expense of 
 which was borne in part by appropriation made by former 
 legislatures, will show the desirableness and importance 
 of the work proposed, containing as they do the rec- 
 ords of the Committee of Safety, during the whole 
 period of the Revolution, and provincial records, court 
 papers, and the Province Laws from 1680 to 1602. 
 
 Much credit is due to the officers of the society, and 
 especially to its corresponding secretary, the Kev. Dr. 
 Nathaniel Bouton, for the patient labor gratuitously be- 
 stowed on this valuable work. In prosecuting to com- 
 pletion the enterprise thus auspiciously commenced, Xew 
 Hampshire would but be following the example already 
 set her by other States. 
 
 REVISION OF THE STATUTES. 
 
 In compliance with a resolution of the last session of' 
 the legislature, a commission, consisting of ex-Judges 
 Bell, Fowler, and Sawyer, has been appointed to codify 
 and revise the statutes, and is now engaged in its arduous 
 and responsible work. It will be necessary for the legis- 
 lature to authorize the commission to print their report, 
 when completed, in order that it may be considered ami 
 acted upon at the next session. 
 
 DKiEST uK NEW HAMPSHIRE LAW KEIMKTS. 
 
 r>y a resolution of the last legislature, the governor 
 was authorized to contract with Hon. C. K. Morrison for 
 three hundred copies of his" Digest of the Xew Hampshire
 
 234 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Law Reports " for the use of the State. I have received 
 from Mr. Morrison a proposition to furnish the requisite 
 number for 7.50 a volume, which, at the present cost of 
 paper and printing, I have no doubt is a reasonable price; 
 but, as it seemed to exceed the expectation, and as no 
 specific appropriation was made for that purpose, I have 
 thought proper to delay the purchase, for your further 
 consideration. 
 
 XAVIOABLE WATERS. 
 
 Complaint is made, from sources worthy of attention^ 
 that the navigable waters of Lake \Viunipiseogee are 
 unwarrantably interfered with by persons or corporations 
 of another jurisdiction, to the serious detriment of Xew 
 Hampshire interests and industry. 
 
 It cannot be supposed that it was ever the intention of 
 the legislature to place any portion of the navigable 
 waters of the State under the control of foreign corpora- 
 tions, for the sole benefit of interests within another State : 
 and if, by any inadvertence, or under cover of other osten- 
 sible purpose, such powers have been sought and granted, 
 it becomes at once the duty of the legislature to resume 
 and exercise its full power over the whole subject. Many 
 of our most valuable industries are dependent upon the 
 waters of the lake for successl ill prosecution. I need not 
 argue to you the important nature of this subject, nor the 
 elements of wealth and power involved in its considera- 
 tion : but you will readily see that whatever privileges of 
 this kind belong to us should be fostered and watched 
 with jealous care. \Vhatever right.- may be granted to 
 foreign parties to build artificial structures at the outlet 
 of the lake, they should not be allowed to interfere with 
 the development of our internal resources. I trust, there- 
 tore, that you will give an early hearing, through the 
 appropriate committee, upon thi> subject, and, if it shall 
 appear that these complaints are well founded, that you
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 235 
 
 will apply at once such effectual remedy as may be in 
 your power. 
 
 The growing importance of the waters of the lake for 
 navigable purposes is rendered more and more manifest 
 each succeeding year, while the constantly swelling tide 
 of summer travel which annually Hoods the wild and ro- 
 mantic regions of northern Xew Hampshire, augmenting 
 its wealth and stimulating its industries, should induce us 
 to carefully guard and retain under our absolute control 
 this not only important link in the thoroughfare by which 
 that section may lie reached, but also most attractive fea- 
 ture in that incomparable scenery which has given to our 
 State the appellation of the Switzerland of America. 
 
 At the same time that your action guards the valuable, 
 privileges along the rivers which drain this lake, privi- 
 leges unsurpassed on any similar length of river, it will 
 preserve the best features of our landscape in their primi- 
 tive beauty. I am not indifferent to the importance of 
 proper encouragement to the investment of foreign capi- 
 tal within our borders, when it is to be employed in the 
 development of our own industry, and would favor and 
 invite such enterprises by the most liberal legislation : but 
 when the natural powers we have are turned against us, 
 and the rights granted by a Xew Hampshire legislature 
 are used to take power out of the State, and absolutely 
 to prevent the use and improvement of our streams by 
 our own citizens, it is time to examine the subject with 
 car*. 1 , and to act with wisdom. 
 
 RAILROADS. 
 
 It has become the settled policy of the State to encour- 
 age the construction of railroads by all reasonable grants, 
 with the belief that the franchise thus bestowed is a direct 
 public benefit. That frequent and easy intercourse facil- 
 itates business and develops natural resources, is a fact too
 
 236 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 evident to need argument. It is true that many of the 
 lines of road huilt in Xew Hampshire were constructed 
 at a serious loss to the original stockholders, the prin- 
 ciples on which such roads could be safely built not hav- 
 ing been fully developed. But individual loss has been 
 public gain, and facilities for travel and attainable mar- 
 kets more than compensated for these losses. The 
 result has, therefore, justified the wisdom of past legisla- 
 tures; and they have not only granted extensive privi- 
 leges to parties desiring to build, but have gone much 
 farther, in allowing the lease or purchase of such lines as 
 could be run with greater economy under one manage- 
 ment. AYliile the theory upon which this has been done 
 is unquestionably correct, it should be ascertained whether 
 the argument bv which such concessions were urged has 
 
 O j O 
 
 been carried to its logical conclusion. 
 
 ruder consolidated management the stockholders ought 
 to receive better returns, and the public be accommo- 
 dated at a lower rate. Competition, which is a natural 
 safeguard of the public interest and convenience, has been 
 destroyed, and the people have no remedy except in the 
 honor of the parties to whom you have granted rights of 
 corporation, with the express understanding that they 
 were never to be exercised adversely to the public wel- 
 fare, or in that power which remains to you, as represent- 
 atives of tin- people. I am sure it will be your pleasure, 
 as it is manifestly your duty, to carefully consider all 
 alleged infractions of public rights by these, or other cor- 
 porate powers, and apply such judicious remedies as jus- 
 tice may require. 
 
 STATE CHARITIES. 
 
 Tlie appropriations for the support of beneficiaries 
 from this State at the Perkins Institution for the Blind 
 at South Boston, the Massachusetts School for Idiotic
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 237 
 
 and Feeble Minded Persons, and the Asylum tor the 
 Deaf and Dumb, at Hartford, have been exhausted. I 
 regret to say that I have been compelled to deny applica- 
 tions which had good claim to a favorable answer, on ac- 
 count of the insufficiency of the sum appropriated. The 
 State will not fail to recognize the claim of these unfor- 
 tunate classes upon her care and sympathy, and you will, 
 f am persuaded, readily provide whatever may be re- 
 quired. The institutions named are among the best in the 
 world, and it is fortunate that their charitable doors are 
 so readily thrown open at our call. 
 
 ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE. 
 
 From personal visits to this institution, and from infor- 
 mation obtained of the excellent superintendent and faith- 
 ful trustees, I am confident that it continues in a most 
 satisfactory condition. The generous appropriations here- 
 tofore made in its behalf have proved judicious and pro- 
 ductive of great good. Xo unfortunate class of the 
 community appeal more strongly to our sympathy and 
 generosity than the insane. The action of the State, in 
 establishing and sustaining the asylum, has not only met 
 the general approbation of the people, but lias been nobly 
 seconded, from time to time, by benevolent individuals. 
 During the year the late Moody Kent, Esq., lias left to 
 the asylum a most munificent legacy, estimated at about 
 140,000. The income of this large sum will afford the 
 trustees ample means for supplying the institution with 
 many improvements and specific curative appliances long 
 needed. The asylum has now accommodations for 218 
 patients, while on the first of May last it contained 23M. 
 and is constantly receiving additional applications for ad- 
 mission. An early enlargement of the institution will be 
 required to meet the growing demand for its benefits.
 
 238 LIFE OF FKEDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 HOUSE OF REFORMATION. 
 
 I regret to inform you that the career of prosperity 
 attending this institution from its establishment, has been 
 interrupted during the past winter by the partial destruc- 
 tion by tire of the substantial building erected for it, and 
 the total destruction of the " Stark House," upon the 
 same premises, also the property of the State. The trus- 
 tees, however, had wisely effected liberal insurance upon 
 the property, and the State has been saved from any con- 
 siderable loss. The building was fortunately as nearly 
 fire-proof as possible with the sum expended in its con- 
 struction, and was consequently not a total loss, the dam- 
 age being something less than the amount of insurance, 
 as would seem from the fact that the companies by whom 
 it was insured have contracted tor rebuilding, free from 
 expense to the State, rather than pay the 20,000 in- 
 surance claimed by the trustees. The work is now in 
 progress and nearly completed, under the superintendence 
 of the insuranee companies. The pecuniary loss to the 
 State will, therefore, be limited to the damage to personal 
 property, and the increased expense in maintaining and 
 providing for the comfort and security of the inmates, who 
 were thus in mid-winter driven from their comfortable 
 home to such quarters as the trustees were able to extem- 
 porize for them. The report of the trustees, which will 
 be before you, will fully acquaint you with its wants and 
 necessities, tor which I trust prompt provision will be 
 made. 
 
 This institution lias already been of inestimable service 
 to the State, gathering with a kindly hand, tempered with 
 just rotraint, those who knew no parental care, and the 
 still more unfortunate who follow parental footsteps in an 
 infamous career of crime. The recent troubles of our 
 country have increased the number of these children of 
 neirlcct and misfortune, so that the dutv at first under-
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 23!) 
 
 taken by the State has rather increased than diminished. 
 It is therefore to he hoped that the torch of the incendi- 
 ary will not be allowed to long cripple or retard our 
 efforts in this direction. 
 
 STATE-PRISON. 
 
 The report of the warden of the state-prison, soon to 
 be laid before you, gives a statement of the financial 
 standing and general condition of that institution, which 
 is mainly satisfactory, although there are some serious 
 embarrassments connected with it, for which the warden 
 cannot he held responsible, and over which he has no 
 control. 
 
 The increased cost of maintaining the prison during the 
 past few years has not been met by corresponding remu- 
 neration from the labor of the convicts, owing to the fact 
 that most of them are employed under a contract made 
 four years since, and which has one year more to run. 
 The profit derived by the State from the labor of that por- 
 tion of the convicts employed by the warden the past 
 year on prison work, is from fifty to seventy per cent 
 above that of the labor hired out under the contract. 
 Notwithstanding these disadvantages, it will be seen from 
 the report that the prison has been self-sustaining, and 
 the State is not called upon for any appropriation in its 
 behalf. 
 
 Your attention is called to the fact that the prison vard 
 is unnecessarily incumbered by lumber and other mate- 
 rials stored within the walls, adding to the danger of tin- 
 am! giving facilities for escape of convicts. Although the 1 
 contractor has a right, under his agreement, to thus 
 occupy a space within the prison indosure, it ought not 
 to be so construed as to defeat the obvious purposes of the 
 prison. As, under the circumstances, the executive has 
 no power to interfere, I call your attention to the subject 
 as requiring investigation.
 
 240 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Aii act of the last legislature authorized the appoint- 
 ment of an agent, who should have the care of discharged 
 convicts, so far as any assistance or advice might be re- 
 quired in their destitute condition. That duty, however, 
 has been satisfactorily performed by the warden and other 
 officers of the prison, and I have not found it necessary 
 to make the appointment contemplated. Indeed, the offi- 
 cers of the prison, when seconded in their efforts by the 
 executive, can, I am persuaded, exercise a better influence 
 over the discharged convicts than a special agent, and 
 with no additional expense to the State. The increase of 
 paid agents in any of the State departments should be 
 avoided, unless required from urgent necessity. 
 
 It is a proper subject of inquiry for you to consider, as 
 to whether there may not be improved modes of discipline 
 and measures of a reformatory nature, which can be adopted 
 in our prison. It should also be a duty to impress upon 
 every good citizen that the most liberal encouragement 
 should be given to those discharged convicts who mani- 
 fest any disposition to pursue an honest calling. Disgrace, 
 real or fancied, has driven many a man to desperate crime, 
 and the utter impossibility of getting honest employment 
 would of course keep our prisons filled. The number of 
 prisoners in the institution May 1 was 101. 
 
 The present warden seems to have labored zealously 
 and successfully in his position for the best interests of 
 the State and the welfare of those under his responsible 
 charge. 
 
 RIVER FISHERIES. 
 
 F am happy to inform you that in response to repeated 
 and urgent appeals, the legislature of Massachusetts, at its 
 recent session, enacted a law providing for the construc- 
 tion of suitable fish-ways at Lowell and Lawrence, by 
 which means it is believed that the former supply of shad 
 and salmon in Mcrrimack river mav ultimately be restored.
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 241 
 
 The provisions of the act sire liberal and ample, and, if the 
 matter is placed in the hands of commissioners of that 
 State who are competent for the duty, and desirous of the 
 accomplishment of the object of the law, I cannot doubt 
 that complete success will result from the experiment. 
 It will be important, however, to continue the matter in 
 the hands of competent commissioners upon our part, to 
 counteract the adverse influences that may be expected to 
 operate against the enterprise. 
 
 PUBLIC LANDS. 
 
 1 deem it important that some action should be taken 
 with reference to an exploration and survey of the public 
 lands in the northern part of the State, said to consist ot 
 about eighty thousand acres. The records of the State, 
 however, furnish little information concerning the precise 
 nature or extent of the property, and it is said to be sub- 
 ject to frequent depredations and trespass, which constantly 
 impair its value. 
 
 It would seem to be the true policy in regard to this 
 unproductive property to open it at once for settlement, 
 by the construction of highways or other feasible modes, 
 and to bring it under the healthful influences of private 
 enterprise. Its extent, character, and value 1 should at 
 least be ascertained, so that the interests of the State in 
 the matter shall clearly be made to appear. Some of these 
 lands are said to be valuable for agricultural purposes, and 
 others are known to have extensive tracts of timber. 
 
 KKTURNKD VOLUNTKKRS. 
 
 Since your last adjournment the Xew Hampshire troops 
 in the service of the Tnited States have all been mustered 
 out, and our fellow-citizens, our friends and associates, 
 who sprang to arms at the call of the country, and who 
 survived the dread ordeal of battle, and the more fatal 
 
 16
 
 242 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 dangers of the camp, have returned quietly to their ac- 
 customed pursuits, and have been joyfully welcomed in a 
 thousand happy homes. It is a matter of congratulation 
 and surprise that soldierly qualities, unsurpassed in his- 
 tory, were so readily assumed and so easily laid aside. 
 In other countries the disbanding of great armies has been 
 followed often by scenes of violence and disorder; here, 
 on the contrary, all is peace and harmony in all the towns 
 and villages of our industrious commonwealth. The sol- 
 dier is only too glad to resume those habits of steady 
 application and attention to business which have enabled 
 New Hampshire to maintain a credit unimpaired, and a 
 prosperity second to none among the States of the Union. 
 Such facts are more eloquent and convincing arguments 
 in favor of our institutions than can be conveyed by any 
 power of speech, and they sho\v that the true safely of a 
 nation lies in the virtue and intelligence of its people. 
 
 The debt we owe the brave men who have borne our 
 flag and vindicated our cause before the world can never 
 be repaid, but at least we should ever honor those who 
 remain, and sacredly cherish the memory of the heroic 
 dead. 
 
 1 cannot refrain from renewing the suggestion made 
 on a former occasion, that some provision should be made 
 by the State for the support of those who were entirelv 
 disabled in the service, or have since become so bv reason 
 of wounds or exposure, beyond the amount paid by the 
 General Government. That such men. faithful through 
 wounds and sickness, to the very door of death, should be 
 now allowed tn drag out the (Jays that remain to them in 
 beggary or pauperism, or that they should be made to feel 
 that their sacrifices are counted of' no worth, is a flagrant 
 injustice, and a disgrace which I am sure Xew Hampshire 
 <-an never permit . The < ieneral Government has provided 
 for the establishment of a national asvlnm for the benefit of
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 243 
 
 the totally disabled of these most worthy but unfortunate 
 heroes ; but until this institution shall be organized and 
 ready to impart its benefits, some temporary provision 
 must be made by the State for their comfort and support. 
 There is reason to hope that some part of the generous 
 munificence of the Government may be so dispensed as to 
 reach a portion of this class in their own homes, and by 
 their o\vn firesides. 
 
 Provision for the preservation of the discharge papers 
 and other documents issued to the soldiers by the Govern- 
 ment, is a duty which ought no longer to be disregarded. 
 These papers may become of great value to soldiers and 
 their heirs. This may be done by the establishment of a 
 registry for the record of all such documents, certified 
 copies of which should be made legal evidence in all cases 
 of the loss of the original ; or it may be made the duty 
 of some State officer to receive, record, and preserve in 
 his office, all documents of this character which may be 
 presented to him for that purpose. 
 
 I commend this subject to your consideration, and trust 
 some method may be devised without delay, which will 
 answer this important purpose. 
 
 BATTLE-FLAGS. 
 
 On the return of peace, with its new responsibilities, 
 those emblems of American nationality under which our 
 soldiers fought their way to victory, and beneath whose 
 folds they died, that our country might live, have come 
 back to us. The regimental flags of Xe\v Hampshire 
 have all been gathered together the memorials of the 
 valor and devotion of her sons. What a tale they could 
 tell of heroic patriotism, of patience and courage, of agony 
 and distress. Silent witnesses of that strife which ended 
 in glory for the Republic, they come now to remind us of 
 our dutv as citixx'ns of that countrv for which our dearest
 
 244 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 blood has been shed. They call upon us to be true to 
 those great principles of humanity which made all men 
 equal on the battle-fields of freedom. They call upon us 
 to be devoted to those great doctrines of free government 
 which can alone elevate mankind to the standard of a 
 Christian commonwealth. They call upon us to remember 
 the great free rallying cry of the war, now that the tempt- 
 ing and enervating hours of peace are upon us. The les- 
 sons which they teach may never be forgotten, and, as 
 they are assigned each its honorable place in our Capitol, 
 may their presence warm our hearts to their highest en- 
 deavors, and stimulate us to the unflinching performance 
 of the high duty which yet lies before us. 
 
 DESERTERS. 
 
 By an act of Congress, approved March 3, 1865, all 
 deserters from the military and naval service, and all per- 
 sons who voluntarily leave the jurisdiction of the United 
 States to avoid a draft into such service, are punished by 
 forfeiture of the rights of citizenship. As questions have 
 arisen in regard to the effect of this act upon the exercise 
 of the right of suffrage by deserters, I deem it important 
 that you should remove such doubt by appropriate legis- 
 lation. 
 
 The duties of the citizen and of the Government are 
 reciprocal equal rights, protection in the legitimate pur- 
 suits of lite, a just and reasonable freedom at home, and 
 immunity from injury or insult abroad, are among the 
 benefits which a citizen of the United States expects to 
 receive from his Government; but he owes, in return, a 
 sacred duty in its defense, alike against internal traitors 
 or foreign toes: and if, in the hour when his services are 
 most needed, lie takes shelter under a foreign flag, and 
 basely flees from the call of duty, who can say that he has 
 not violated the contract, and has no longer a claim to
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 245 
 
 exercise the rights of citizenship or of suffrage ? Whether 
 such desertion took place before or after enrollment, it 
 matters little; the intent was the same, and the crime to 
 be equally condemned. 
 
 Hitherto the course of our governing machinery has 
 been so even and free from apparent dangers, that we had 
 almost forgotten that " eternal vigilance is the price of 
 liberty." Believing that we cannot too carefully guard 
 our institutions from the influence of those who have 
 once conspired against them, and that the purity of the 
 ballot cannot be too jealously preserved, I commend to 
 your consideration the question whether those deserters 
 who have returned to their homes since the war closed, 
 and those who came back under the conditions of the 
 President's proclamation, issued in pursuance of the act of 
 March 3, 1865, and so avoided the penalty of the law, 
 should not still be treated as aliens of the State to which 
 they proved false in the time of trial. The great majority 
 of the people of IS T ew Hampshire have not sought to 
 escape the responsibilities of citizenship, but have borne 
 arms and taxation with cheerfulness in defense of the 
 rights which they hold dear. With what shadow of jus- 
 tice, then, can those who fled, both from taxation and 
 danger, come back to an equal share in those blessings 
 which the self-denial and endurance of others have pre- 
 served ? 
 
 MILITIA. 
 
 The military organization provided for by the act of 
 1862, as modified by the act of 1865, has been nearly com- 
 pleted during the year, and will soon be tilled to the 
 standard required, namely, thirty companies, comprising 
 fifteen hundred men. 
 
 Most of the companies have been uniformed, armed, 
 and equipped. The arms have been borrowed of the 
 General Government, and the uniforms (except the caps)
 
 246 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 obtained from the same source, to be settled for by an 
 offset of suspended claims against the Government, when 
 allowed. In some sections of the State volunteering has 
 not been as active as was desirable, and several counties 
 are now unrepresented in the organization. I felt a great 
 reluctance, however, to resorting to a draft, as authorized 
 by the act, which was not only repugnant to the general 
 sentiment and feelings of the community in time of peace, 
 but hardly calculated, if resorted to, to promote the effi- 
 ciency of a system enforced by compulsion. I therefore 
 accepted of companies volunteering in some counties in 
 excess of their quota, to supply the deficiency existing in 
 others, as was authorized by the law. 
 
 The companies which have been organized are mainly 
 composed of returned soldiers, and principally officered by 
 them ; and though but recently called into existence, they 
 possess but few, if any, of the characteristics of " raw 
 militia ; " but if unforeseen events should call them into 
 service, they will prove themselves the brave and trained 
 veterans they really are. 
 
 Some additional legislation will be required to simplify 
 the present militia laws, and for the protection and preser- 
 vation of the uniforms and other property of the State in 
 possession of the companies. 
 
 The report of the adjutant-general will be found to be 
 a document of much interest, giving the minute details of 
 all the affairs of this department. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 I cannot dose without congratulating you that the great 
 question of our country's unity and territorial integrity is 
 finally and irreversibly decreed in behalf of the continued 
 supremacy of our flag, and that the great law of universal 
 liberty, which was never without a place in the American 
 heart, though hitherto an exile from the statutes of the
 
 SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 247 
 
 country, has been incorporated into our national consti- 
 tution, and interwoven with the laws of the land. An 
 achievement so great, so grand, so glorious, so vital to 
 ourselves, to posterity and mankind, wrung from the face 
 of doubt and death by the invincible will, courage, and 
 power of our countrymen, cannot fail to till our hearts 
 with devout thankfulness to Him who holds the destinies 
 of nations in His hand and has given us the victory. That 
 the progress toward a restored and harmonious country 
 should be unattended by grave difficulties, was not ex- 
 pected ; that loyal men should ditter upon the details by 
 which desired results were to be obtained, was unavoid- 
 able; and the earnestness with which conflicting views have 
 been asserted could not well have been less forcible, when 
 all the circumstances of our great contest are considered. 
 If our principles are true, they will bear discussion and 
 opposition ; if not, they deserve to fall. I am sure vou 
 will agree with me that there can be no lasting settlement 
 of the questions now pending before tin 1 national councils, 
 except upon the broad platform of impartial and universal 
 justice. Let us hope that whatever remains to be done to 
 give solidity and harmony to national unity, will be wisely 
 and speedily accomplished. 
 
 Senators and representatives, let us now earnestly apply 
 ourselves to the task imposed on .us by the people of our 
 noble State, whose future is so full of hope, relying for 
 wisdom and strength on the Supreme Ruler of all, to 
 whom we have just appealed.
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 THE PRESENT, THE FUTURE, AND THE PAST. 
 
 AFTER the inauguration ceremonies at the State House, 
 a banquet was given at the Eagle Hotel by the governor 
 to officers of the State government and invited guests. 
 At the close, he addressed a few words of welcome to 
 gentlemen from abroad, alluding to the ties of interest 
 and tradition which bind this State to the good old com- 
 monwealth of the Puritans, as well as to the land of Allen 
 and Warner, of Collamer and Foot. He said that while 
 this once ma} r have been a good State to emigrate from, 
 he was sure it was now " a goodly land to return to, to live 
 in, and to die in.'' He was followed by Governor Bul- 
 lock, of Massachusetts, and Governor Dillingham, of 
 Vermont. 
 
 The military escort was remarkably soldier-like and 
 imposing. In the ranks were many war veterans, who 
 were pleased to aid in honoring one who hud been their 
 friend when they were enduring the hardships of the 
 field and the hospital. After the performance of their 
 escort duty, they were reviewed by Governor Smyth and 
 his suite from the balcony of the Eagle Hotel. The 
 troops were then massed before the balcony, and, by re- 
 quest of the governor, were briefly but eloquently ad- 
 dressed by President Smith, of Dartmouth College. 
 
 The message which Governor Smyth had delivered was 
 generally commended by the press of Xew Hampshire 
 and the adjacent States, and it received the approval of 
 many distinguished persons. Chief Justice Chase, who 
 had, when secretary of the treasury, paid great attention 
 to taxation and national indebtedness, wrote the following
 
 PRESENT, FUTURE, AND PAST. 249 
 
 note, which was a source of peculiar gratification, not less 
 from the high position of the writer than from its very 
 cordial tone. 
 
 SUPREME COURT OK THE U. S., 
 
 WASHINGTON, June 20, 1866. 
 To His EXCELLENCY FREDERICK SMYTH: 
 
 My Dear Governor : I thank you for sending me a copy 
 of your message. It gave me great pleasure, as a son of 
 jSTew Hampshire, to read your clear and interesting ac- 
 count of her condition, resources, and generous patri- 
 otism. 
 
 I was particularly pleased by your protest against the 
 new scheme of perpetual and untaxed debt. You may 
 readily imagine that after all my labors, and with so 
 great success, to establish the principle of controllability 
 of the public debt by making it payable, the six per 
 cent at any time after five and within twenty years, and 
 the five per cent at any time after ten and within forty 
 years, it was very painful to me to see a proposition for a 
 loan not refundable at all till after /A/V/y years. I can 
 understand an argument for not taxing a debt which the 
 creditor may take up after five or ten years, for I can 
 see that the country may save more in interest than it will 
 lose in taxes; but f cannot imagine an honest argument 
 for a debt for thirty years, and exempted from bearing 
 burdens to which other property may be subjected. 1 got 
 money, and all that was needed, in the worst times, on 
 short, controllable loans, subject to national taxation. 
 Surely, there is no reason now to depart from the plan of 
 5-20 six per rents or 10-40 five per cents, when there is 
 now no money to be borrowed, but only floating debt to 
 be funded. 
 
 Very faithfully yours, 
 
 SALMI >X P. CHASE.
 
 250 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 One of the earliest acts of the legislature this year was 
 in connection with the fourteenth amendment to the con- 
 stitution, concerning which Governor Smyth, in his mes- 
 sage of June 21. transmitting it, said : " As Xew Hamp- 
 shire early and nohly responded to the call of war, I trust 
 she will promptly and unanimously ratify this great re- 
 quirement of peace." 
 
 Governor Smyth having in his message called attention 
 to the scattered condition of the provincial records, and 
 recommended that some provision he made for their pre- 
 servation, arrangement, and indexing, the legislature au- 
 thorized him to have it done. He appointed the Rev. 
 Dr. Nathaniel Bouton, secretary of the Xew Hampshire 
 Historical Society, as State historian. That gentleman, 
 though venerable in years, yet with most commendable 
 diligence and zeal, entered upon his work, and was enabled 
 to complete it in a manner in every way creditable to 
 himself and to the State : and soon after this crowning 
 labor of his life he died, full of years and of honors. The 
 following note from him expresses his appreciation of the 
 interest of Governor Smyth in the work. 
 
 COXCOKD, August 01, 1877. 
 1 1 o x . FRED E R i c K S M Y T u , K x - ( '> o v E R x o R : 
 
 L>ir Sir: My labors as compiler and editor of the pro- 
 vincial and State [tapers of Xew Hampshire are now at a 
 close. I have been employed in the work assigned me 
 eleven years to this date, tpon vour otKcial recommen- 
 dation and under a commission bearing your signature, 
 the work was commenced. Your intelligent appreciation 
 of the proposal to publish the ancient records of the 
 Province and State, your earnest recommendation of the 
 same to the honorable legislature, and the personal en- 
 couragement and approval of the work which I had the 
 honor to receive from you, lav me under lasting obliga-
 
 PRESENT, FUTURE, AND PAST. 251 
 
 tions of gratitude. The whole work, comprising ten vol- 
 umes octavo, contains a complete documentary history of 
 New Hampshire from its earliest settlement, 1623, to the 
 adoption of the State constitution, 1784. These ancient 
 documents and records are now secure against the 
 ravages of time. It will give you pleasure to know that 
 they have already become a standard authority for histor- 
 ical reference. Their value will he enhanced by age, and 
 as they go down to posterity, your official agency in their 
 publication will receive honorable acknowledgment. 
 
 You may be gratified, sir, to learn that during the en- 
 tire eleven years of service, I have not lost a single day 
 by ill health ; and I flatter myself that I may still be 
 spared to perform other services that will be useful to the 
 State and to generations to come. 
 
 I am, sir, very respectfully and gratefully, 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 NATHAXIEL BOUTOX. 
 
 Before the national asylums were organized and in 
 working order, the governor received numerous applica- 
 tions for aid from disabled veterans, many of whom were 
 destitute of means, incapacitated for labor, and without 
 relatives or friends who could relieve their wants. The 
 following letter refers to one of these meritorious cases. 
 
 CONCORD, X. II., August :>, ls(j(>. 
 
 MAJOR-GENERAL B. F. BUTLER, LOWELL, MASS.: 
 
 M;f l)ir S''V ; Private Thomas O'Brien, a soldier in 
 one of our Xew Hampshire regiments, is now in this city, 
 totally disabled and destitute, lie has for several months 
 been supported by some benevolent ladies of this city at 
 an expense of five dollars a week, and they begin to 
 weary of the burden. His is the most meritorious and 
 deserving 1 ease that has fallen under mv observation.
 
 252 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 It is said on good authority that Mr. O'Brien raised the 
 first flag over captured Richmond, being in the advance 
 line, and having been a sailor he was the only man pres- 
 ent who could climb the pole. He is a proper subject for 
 the Xational Asylum, and I feel anxious that he should 
 receive the benefits of the institution at as early a day as 
 possible. Can he be sent to the Massachusetts Hospital 
 till our asylum is in operation, or shall I assist him 
 here? It is a case that appeals strongly to my sympathy 
 and requires attention, and I would like your suggestions 
 in regard to it. I am 
 
 Yours very faithfully, 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Governor Smyth paid personal attention to the col- 
 lection of bounties which had been promised to the sol- 
 diers by the General Government, but which had for some 
 unaccountable reason often been withheld. The follow- 
 ing letter to the second auditor of the treasury is a 
 specimen of his correspondence on that subject. 
 
 COXCOHD, X. II., December 19, 1866. 
 Hox. E. B. FRENCH, WASHINGTON, 1>. C. : 
 
 Sir : On examining the payments that have been made 
 by the United States on account of bounty assigned to 
 the towns of this State, I rind that, with the exception of 
 the first installment, no bounty has been paid for the fol- 
 lowing classes of men : 1st. Men transferred to the navy; 
 2d. Men who Lave been promoted ; 3d. Men who have 
 been Transferred to the veteran reserve corps : 4th. Men 
 who have been discharged for disability or disease, al- 
 though contracted in the service ; ~>th. Men who were 
 absent sick, in the hospital, at the time their regiments 
 were mustered out. 
 
 Almost without exception no bounty was paid for the 
 above classes. In addition to those, I find many reported
 
 PRESENT, FUTURE, AND PAST. 253 
 
 as " killed,'' " died in prison," etc., for whom no bounty 
 has been paid. You will remember that I left with you 
 on the 6th inst. the rolls of assigned bounties, on which I 
 have noted remarks against the names of those men for 
 whom I can account. A\ r ill you please to have filled out 
 against the names of the remainder the reason why the 
 bounty was not refunded to the towns ? 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH.
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE CELEBRATIONS. 
 
 Ox the Fourth of July, 1866, the inhabitants of Bakers- 
 ville united iu a local celebration of the anniversary of 
 ^National Independence. An invitation to be present was 
 extended to Governor Smyth, who replied as follows: 
 
 WILLIAM AV. BAKER, ESQ., AND OTHERS, COMMITTEE, 
 MANCHESTER, X. II. : 
 
 I am in receipt of your communication of the 30th ult., 
 inviting me to attend your proposed celebration on the 
 fourth instant. It would give me very great pleasure to 
 mingle with the good people of Bakersville in the demon- 
 strations and social festivities by which they propose to 
 commemorate the natal day of our cherished Republic, 
 which, though tried of late as by tire, still stands without 
 a peer in either hemisphere ; but engagements previously 
 made- will compel me to deny myself the great enjoyment 
 the occasion would undoubtedly afford. Allow me, how- 
 ever, to offer a sentiment at your festive board. 
 
 "Our Union: .Dedicated anew to liberty and justice, 
 may her future career be as brilliant and glorious as her 
 unexampled record of the past." 
 
 I am very sincerely your friend and fellow-citizen, 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 On the same day. the Twelfth Xcvr Hampshire Volun- 
 teers had a reunion. Governor Smyth was invited, and 
 thus acknowledged the invitation :
 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE CELEBRATIONS. 255 
 
 KXKCl TIVE 1 )K1'AUTMKXT, 
 
 CONWKO, July -5, 18G6. 
 COL. GEORGE I). SAVAGE, ALTON. X. II. : 
 
 My Dear Sir : I acknowledge the receipt of an invita- 
 tion to attend the demonstrations and festivities by which 
 the old veteran Twelfth New Hampshire Volunteers pro- 
 pose to celebrate the anniversary of our National Inde- 
 pendence, and at the same -time to strengthen the bonds 
 of brotherhood and good fellowship in the ranks of that 
 noble and patriotic organization by a grand encampment 
 and reunion. 
 
 The history of your regiment is by no means unfamiliar 
 to me. In defeat at Fredericksburg or in victory at 
 Gettysburg, it proved itself on either occasion, as on its 
 many other battle-fields, worthy of the noble State that 
 sent them forth to battle, worthy of the proud old flag 
 they bore, and worthy of the great and good cause which 
 they so nobly vindicated and upheld. In all the rough- 
 ness and suffering of war the Twelfth Regiment has had 
 its liberal share, and few. if any. can point to a prouder or 
 more eventful record, and 1 can but admire the sentiment 
 of pride in and respect for the organization which is thus 
 manifested by its members: and I trust you will long pre- 
 serve the soldierly brotherhood which seems to be cher- 
 ished and fostered among you. and link together with 
 hooks of steel the noble circle of brave and patriotic 
 hearts whom the fortunes of war have spared, out of vonr 
 once full ranks, from the carnage of the battle-field, and 
 the maladies of camp and hospital. 
 
 I have sincerely to regret that other engagements will 
 deprive me of the great pleasure it would afford me to meet 
 with you upon the occasion referred to. and would pro- 
 pose as a sentiment: "The veterans of the Twelfth New 
 Hampshire Volunteers." In war or peace they have alike 
 illustrated the nobles! Dualities and the highest attributes.
 
 256 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 A patriotic people will ever hold their noble sacrifices in 
 grateful remembrance. I have the honor to be 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Governor Smyth attended the celebration of the anni- 
 versary of our National Independence in 1866 at Ports- 
 mouth, where unusual demonstrations were made. There 
 was a military escort, a parade of the fire department, a 
 procession of trades, representing commerce, manufac- 
 tures, and the mechanic arts, a balloon ascension, and a 
 regatta. In the course of the exercises in the Temple, 
 Governor Smyth, being introduced to the audience by 
 the mayor, said : 
 
 " It has always been my belief, Mr. President, that the 
 common prosperity of the whole country could be attained 
 in its truest manner by the greatest prosperity of indi- 
 viduals, communities, towns, and States. Whatever is for 
 the interest of one, rightly considered, should be for the 
 advancement of all. It is for this reason that, whenever 
 it has been possible, I have urged upon the people of 
 New Hampshire the steady development of their resources. 
 However jealous we may be for the national honor, and 
 however quickly our soldiers sprang to arms to resist un- 
 just encroachments, we rejoice at the national prosperity 
 and welfare of every southern State. To leave this gen- 
 eral view and make the subject personal to every citizen, 
 each man labors most truly for the common good when he 
 improves to the utmost the stewardship under his care. 
 Such labors should excite no inconsiderate rivalry, no 
 local jealousy. Nothing would rejoice me, a citizen of 
 Manchester, more, than to see this beautiful seaport of 
 New Hampshire .animated in her honorable age with some 
 of the enterprise and the energy of her youth. I am glad 
 to know that in many respects this is now the case. 
 And so I should rejoice to know that Dover and Concord
 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE CELEBRATIONS. 257 
 
 and Keene and Claremont that every city and town of 
 the good old Granite State, the noble mother of states- 
 men and the home of soldiers who never surrender, was 
 making 1 steady and rapid progress in material prosperity 
 and in educated and Christian freedom. But while this is 
 my prayer for the towns of my native State, I have no 
 sympathy with that narrow vision which is confined to 
 the circle of the horizon which immediately surrounds 
 us. The true American hails everywhere in all this broad 
 land the token of progress, and that is the best govern- 
 ment which, when the eternal principles of justice are 
 settled, maintains the balance of conflicting interests with 
 even hand." 
 
 The legislature of New Hampshire had passed an act 
 requiring the erection of fish-ways over or through any 
 dam on certain rivers, when suitable fish-ways had been 
 erected on those rivers belcav the boundary of the State, 
 which fact was to be determined by the proclamation of 
 the governor. When Governor Smyth learned that suit- 
 able ways for the passage of sea fish had been constructed 
 at Lowell and at Lawrence, he accordingly issued his 
 proclamation that fish-ways must be constructed on all 
 darns on the Merrimack, the Pemigewasset, the Winni- 
 piseogee, and Baker's rivers. It was ascertained, how- 
 ever, that the shad were caught while attempting to ascend 
 the lower fish-ways in Massachusetts, whereupon Governor 
 Smyth addressed the following letter to Governor A. II. 
 Bullock, of the Bay State. 
 
 K.\ i-: r TIVK I >I:I'A KTMKNT, 
 
 CoN(Oiu>, XKW HAMPSIIIIIK. 
 
 To His EXCELLENCY A. H. BULLOCK, GOVERNOR OF MAS- 
 SACHUSETTS : 
 
 Sir .- Permit me to call your attention to the fact that 
 '.arsre numbers of shad are now beinif caught at various
 
 258 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 points upon the Merrimack river below Lawrence, and by 
 such means as practically to defeat the eftbrts now being 
 made by the erection offish-ways at Lawrence and Lowell 
 to restore this species of fish to the waters of that river 
 in this State. It is perfectly apparent that if by means of 
 fish-nets and otherwise the shad ascending the river are 
 to be intercepted and destroyed en masse before their 
 arrival at the fish-ways, as from personal knowledge I am 
 satisfied is now being done, any eftbrts to restore them to 
 the waters of this State must prove futile. 
 
 You will pardon me for calling your attention to this 
 subject, as it is one of much public interest to our people, 
 and the State has already made a liberal expenditure to 
 secure the restoration of this valuable fish to her waters. 
 I indulge the hope that you will be pleased to direct the 
 attention of the legislature of your commonwealth now 
 in session to this subject, and that suitable laws will at 
 once be enacted to prevent the present destruction of the 
 shad in ascending the river, until the practicability of the 
 recently constructed fish-ways can be tested, and the 
 restoration of this tish to the upper waters of the river can 
 be accomplished. I cannot doubt that a provision so 
 reasonable, and at the same time absolutely essential to 
 the success of the enterprise in which several States are 
 now engaged, will commend itself at once to your favor 
 and the friendly action of a Massachusetts legislature. 
 
 1 have the honor to remain 
 
 Your excellency's obedient servant, 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 This letter had immediate effect, and the following 
 spring the Massachusetts laws regulating the fish-ways 
 were fully carried out.
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 RECEPTION OF GENERAL SHERMAN. TEMPERANCE. 
 
 MAJOR-GENERAL SHERMAN, who was traveling in Xe\v 
 England, arrived at Concord on the 17th of July, 1866. 
 On the following morning he visited the Capitol, where 
 he was shown the different executive and legislative de- 
 partments, and inspected with interest the battle-flags. 
 A large concourse of ladies and gentlemen had mean- 
 while gathered, to whom Governor Smyth thus introduced 
 the hero of the " March to the Sea " : 
 
 " General Sherman, I may well esteem this a fortunate 
 day in which I can extend to you the hearty and the cor- 
 dial welcome of New Hampshire. She sent her sons to 
 the tented field, ready, by every sacrifice save that of 
 honor, to uphold the nation's cause. While she points 
 with pride to the sacred standards that cheered her troops 
 to victory and consoled them in defeat, while she regards 
 with more than Roman matron's pride the valor of her 
 sons, she has ample room to cherish for you, general, an 
 admiration and regard whose depth and strength is only 
 measured by her love of country. 
 
 " In that long and weary day when neither telegraph nor 
 army messengers brought us tidings from your con<[iierinu' 
 legions, when we saw you after that continuous campaign 
 which at last held Atlanta only as a starting-point for 
 other and more surpassing victories, believe me, sir, then- 
 were daily and hourly prayers that the great march might 
 end in victory. There were hearts here among the fast- 
 nesses of the granite hills, inspired to believe and to have 
 faith in the triumph of our cause, that heard the music of 
 your drums long, long before it mingled with the swell of
 
 260 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 the Southern sea ; that saw the gleam of your bayonets ; 
 that were neither alarmed nor misled by the old game of 
 brag that consigned you and your men to the dismal 
 swamps which are a fit emblem of the rank depth of 
 secession. 
 
 ' But whether we feared or believed, all rejoice to wel- 
 come you here to-day, to welcome you with voice, and 
 music, and cannon, as the man who first laid open to the 
 world that bald and monstrous bubble, the Southern Con- 
 federacy, and let all men see how wretched, how empty, 
 how bare and beggarly a tiling it is. 
 
 " Fellow-citizens, other generals have done much, but 
 General Sherman let the first glimpse of truth and broad 
 daylight into the region of darkness, and from that day 
 the victory was virtually ours. In behalf of all the men 
 and women and children of the Granite State, I bid the 
 hero of so many victorious battle-fields welcome, thrice 
 welcome to this capital.'' 
 
 When the cheering had subsided, General Sherman 
 bowed his compliments and said in reply : 
 
 " Your Excellency, and Ladies and Gentlemen : Al- 
 though I have never been here before, I do not feel a 
 stranger. I see many faces that look like Americans, 
 and I see flags familiar to me, and therefore I do not feel 
 strange among you. It is one of the proudest things of our 
 life that we can again go anywhere we please, in any direc- 
 tion, and see the assemblies of good Union people. I left 
 St. Louis on the 4th of July. You used to call St. Louis 
 a rebellious town, and say it sympathized with the South. 
 But I assure, you that it is loyal at all events. I see 
 nothing there but the true Union spirit. During my jour- 
 Tiev to the East I have seen nothing but true Union feel- 
 
 i/ O 
 
 ing wherever ] have received ovations. At every point I 
 have seen manifestations which gave me great pleasure 
 simply because they assured me that the union of these
 
 RECEPTION OF GENERAL SHERMAN. 
 
 States, the union of our country, is now so strong and so 
 firm that no human power or class of people will again 
 dream of disturbing it. These flags I see before me tell 
 a story which I could not, if I would, repeat. They all 
 bear ample testimony that their noble followers found with 
 them a great many Union men, in the country south, 
 through which the Union armies passed : your governor 
 has well said that no speaking here can do justice to the 
 noble deeds of our soldiers, and therefore I will close by 
 again saying that it gives me great pleasure to see you, 
 and you will ] (lease accept my sincere thanks for your 
 kindness." 
 
 On the next day, Wednesday, July 18, General Sher- 
 man witnessed the Commencement exercises at Dartmouth, 
 and received the degree of LL. D. After the alumni 
 dinner, Judge Chase, who presided, called upon Governor 
 Smyth, who, he said, although not a graduate, was yet a 
 firm friend of the College, and to his efforts were due 
 the association with Dartmouth of the proposed agricul- 
 tural college of the State. 
 
 Governor Smyth said that it was probably only his offi- 
 cial position which called for any speech from him. In 
 the presence of men distinguished for military glory and 
 judicial ability, he thought it almost a sacrilege for an 
 outsider like himself to attempt to speak. It might, 
 however, be a benefit sometimes to hear from outsiders. 
 He would therefore say a word or two. 
 
 Educated men were needed everywhere and always, and 
 institutions of learning must, like everything else, keep 
 up with the times, and he thought that Dartmouth College 
 ought to secure all the assistance the State could afford. 
 He had been talking with an old farmer about connecting 
 the agricultural college with Dartmouth. The farmer 
 said it was all nonsense : they spoiled all the l>oys who 
 were sent there now. Thev wouldn't do anything after
 
 262 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 they went to college. He thought, though he did not 
 presume his judgment was good against that of learned 
 men, that our institutions might be made of a more prac- 
 tical character. He had thought of this as he listened to 
 the exercises. There ought to be themes enough in 
 American literature without going back to the ancients 
 whom nobody knew. What did he care for old Charles 
 VIII, was it (turning to President Smith)? [Laughter 
 and applause.] "Well, Henry VIII, if that is better. All 
 he knew about him was, that he was an old rascal. He 
 preferred to hear of modern things which he could un- 
 derstand. 
 
 His excellency closed with hearty wishes for the pros- 
 perity of the college faculty and alumni. 
 
 By education and tradition Governor Smyth has always 
 been a temperance man, and it has been a matter of much 
 favorable comment in the public press that he discounte- 
 nanced the use of alcoholic drinks in his official life. At 
 the State temperance convention, in 1866, at the conclu- 
 sion of remarks by President Smith, of Dartmouth Col- 
 lege, the governor, being present, was called out, and said 
 in substance, after thanking the audience for their hearty 
 welcome, and expressing his regrets that official duties 
 had deprived him of the pleasure of being with them 
 much of the day, that there could be no doubt of the im- 
 portance of the subject the convention had met to con- 
 sider, neither could there be any question in the minds of 
 wise and thoughtful men that a reform is now greatly 
 needed in our State and country in the prevalent habit 
 of drinking alcoholic liquors. The governor said, 
 
 " One of the greatest obstacles in the way of this reform 
 at the present time is. in my opinion, the habitual use of 
 these drinks in fashionable society, and by men high in 
 influence arid position. Perhaps it may not be improper 
 for me to state on this occasion (not in a boastful spirit,
 
 TEMPERANCE. 263 
 
 but that my position on this question may not be misunder- 
 stood) that from the day in which I first assumed the 
 responsible position conferred upon me by the people of 
 Xew Hampshire, I resolved not to furnish intoxicating 
 liquors to my guests or friends on any occasion, public or 
 private, or partake myself; and when called upon, as has 
 often been the case, to drink at public dinners or other 
 occasions, in response to patriotic or friendly sentiments, 
 I have invariably used cold water, the best drink for a 
 cool head, a clear mind, and a good conscience, ever given 
 to man. 
 
 "Now I have many near and dear friends, men whom 
 I love and respect, of noble hearts and sentiments, who 
 see no harm in offering liquor to their guests, or in using 
 it themselves, as they say, moderately ; and while I do 
 not desire to counsel or advise any particular steps which 
 you should take in this convention, you will permit me 
 to say that nothing is to be gained by abuse of this class 
 of men. 
 
 " I rejoice at the restraining influences now being 
 brought to bear upon the young in our churches, Sabbath 
 schools, and public schools, by the organization of ' Cold 
 Water Armies,' ' Bands of Hope,' and the like. These 
 efforts are in the right direction, will tell most powerfully 
 on the future of our rising generation, and should by all 
 means be persisted in. I well remember and shall never 
 forget the teachings of my youth on the subject of tem- 
 perance. I was then a member of a boys' temperance 
 society in my native town. Although I must confess I 
 have not always been as consistent and as conscientious 
 as 1 was then, I trust and believe the influence of those 
 early days has not been entirely lost upon me : and I know 
 among my boy associates in that society not one of them 
 ever became a drunkard. I say, then. Take care of the 
 children.''
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE CITIZEN SOLDIERY. 
 
 THE reorganization of the volunteer militia of New 
 Hampshire was one of the most important events of the 
 governor's second year. General Joab X. Patterson, of 
 Hopkinton, was appointed colonel of the First Regiment, 
 and he was ordered to parade his regiment at Manchester 
 for a three days' encampment, beginning October 1. At 
 the conclusion of the review on that occasion, Governor 
 Smyth said: 
 
 OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS : 
 
 It is with heartfelt gratification and pride that I have 
 witnessed your conduct, and the splendid manner in 
 which you have performed your duties this day. I shall 
 not attempt to conceal the deep anxiety which I have 
 felt, that this organization, so recently called into exist- 
 ence, under my administration, should assume a shape 
 and efficiency not unworthy of the past renown and pres- 
 ent needs of the State. 
 
 The lessons we have all learned will, I trust, never be 
 forgotten, and while the supremacy of moral influence 
 must ever take precedence of mere brute force in the 
 affairs of this nation, yet events have taught us that we 
 can only be safe when just principles are sustained and 
 pushed on by organized, intelligent strength. 
 
 On this tented field (once possessed and cultivated by 
 the hero of Bennington, who now sleeps in yonder inclo- 
 sure ) our regiments drilled ere they went forth to their 
 first bloody baptism of war. Here, I doubt not, many of 
 you acquired a knowledge of those principles which after-
 
 THE CITIZEN SOLDIERY. 26-") 
 
 ward were found of great value, and it is to be hoped that 
 the spirit which animated you then and increased with all 
 the perils and hardships you encountered, yet remains, and 
 is ready to he ottered, if need be, in defense of our com- 
 mon liberties. 
 
 Although this is a new organization, I am happy to 
 know it is yet largely composed of veterans, of men who 
 know that to be a soldier is no light thing, and that he 
 lias duties in time of peace no less than in time of war. 
 It is indeed difficult, and possibly distasteful, for the vet- 
 eran soldier, tried upon a hundred battle-tields, to assume 
 the patient duties of the drill, when the great motive 
 which urged him on has been removed and peace re- 
 stored to bless the land. But the good citizen well 
 knows that our liberties are worth some sacrifice, and 
 that every one is called on in proportion to his ability to 
 contribute something to the common cause. While we all 
 hope never to see our country engaged in war again, and 
 while it is most devoutly to be desired that peaceful coun- 
 sels shall prevail in our internal relations and in our deal- 
 ings with other nations, yet we must be always ready, so 
 that, let danger come from whatever source it may, the 
 sentinel may never be found sleeping upon his post. 
 
 I have said, soldiers, that after the excitements of war, 
 this militia system, this war in peace, may seem dull and 
 irksome. It otters you no high bounties, it opens no 
 great chances for dazzling promotion, but it gives you 
 what every man who loves his country will rejoice in, a 
 chance to do your duty. It is a common burden for the 
 common good, and, while it should be shared as equally 
 as possible by all, we should all unite to make it honored 
 and honorable. I would appeal to every citizen of the 
 State to give his moral influence and his entire co-opera- 
 tion to the work. What evils might have been avoided, 
 what useless sacrifice of precious lives spared, what
 
 266 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 amounts of treasure saved, had we possessed a simple, 
 uniform, working militia system at the outbreak of the 
 war ! But because our experience has been dearly bought, 
 our knowledge acquired at a great price, we are, there- 
 fore, bound to make good use of it so much the more. 
 
 Veteran soldiers in arms, your conduct and appear- 
 ance at this encampment are such as to reflect new credit 
 upon your State, and to give us the hope that we shall 
 have and perpetually maintain a reliable system of de- 
 fense. You are the sword of the magistrate, which is to 
 give support and dignity to law, confidence and security 
 to government, and which is to be a terror to evil-doers 
 everywhere. Tins will back up and support the sturdy 
 moral sense of the country, give conscious safety to every 
 fireside, and forever prevent all further attempts for the 
 overthrow of our cherished institutions. Since the war, 
 the world has been compelled to respect our power, and 
 those who would gladly have been enemies are silenced. 
 We need only to retain our weapons, and show that we 
 are prepared to maintain everywhere and on all occasions 
 the just rights of the nation, to secure that regard which 
 is our due. Our enemies will yield it because they dare 
 not refuse, and our friends will all rejoice at that strength 
 which, I trust, will never be exercised save in a just 
 cause. 
 
 On the 3d of October, the Amoskeag Veterans, of 
 Mam-hester, then commanded by the veteran Colonel 
 Chandler E. Potter, visited Xewburyport, at the mouth 
 of the Merrimack. (-Jovernor Smyth, and staff, by invi- 
 tation, accompanied them, and Governor Bullock was 
 prevented by illness from accompanying the Ancient and 
 Honorable Artillery Company, of Boston. The two 
 corps were received and entertained by the Xewburyport 
 Veteran Artillery Company, Captain AV. E. Currier. At 
 a dinner Driven in the citv hall, (Governor Snivth made an
 
 THE CITIZEN SOLDIERY. 267 
 
 interesting and impressive speech, in which lie recalled his 
 first visit to Xewburyport when a boy, accompanying a 
 relative who had brought a load of charcoal to sell. This 
 account of his early life, from which he had risen by his 
 own exertions to be the chief magistrate of the Granite 
 State, was received with rounds of applause. 
 
 Governor Smyth and suite passed that night at Indian 
 Hill Farm, and the next day, escorted by the two veteran 
 organizations, with their tine bands, he visited Ames- 
 bury, where a committee of citizens received their guests. 
 Marching through the principal streets, the column 
 halted before the residence of John G. Whittier, the 
 poet, and when he appeared with Governor Smyth at the 
 door of his cottage, he was greeted by the music and then 
 by the loud cheers of the soldiers and people. It was re- 
 freshing to see honor done to a man because in all his life 
 he had been manly, and not because of position, wealth, 
 or any of the accidents that surround men. Xoble men 
 were they, the poet and the governor of New Hampshire, 
 standing side by side, before the soldiery and citizens; 
 both sprung from the lowly and working class of society ; 
 both rising in different spheres by mental gifts and prac- 
 tical virtues ; both honored much for their patriotism, 
 love of country, and love of humanity, and both loved 
 and respected for social and moral qualities. From the 
 poet's door the procession moved to the hotel, where 
 [revision was made for them, and where, at the call of 
 the people, Governor Smyth, General Head, and Colonel 
 Cross made speeches. The governor, as usual, was mo^t 
 happy in his remarks, and on account of some allusion 
 to the children, after he was again in the street some 
 lady sent a baby to him, whose sweet face and smiling 
 lips he kissed, while the little fellow reciprocated the 
 tokens of affection. 
 
 The Second Regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers, 
 commanded by Colonel A. W. RoHins, went into camp
 
 268 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 at Dover on the 4th, oth, and 6th of October. The 
 camp-ground was on Dover Point road, where the last old- 
 fashioned militia muster had been held twenty-one years 
 before. Governor Smyth was present on the last day of 
 the encampment, and at the close of the review he ad- 
 dressed the troops. 
 
 " Officers and soldiers," said Governor Smyth, " there 
 are associations connected with this place of your en- 
 campment which are well calculated to excite emotions 
 of pride and gratification in the breast of every son of 
 Xew Hampshire, and stimulate him to new purposes of 
 duty and new devotion to liberty. I cannot forget that 
 within sight and within cannon range of this spot was 
 founded the first settlement in New Hampshire, that 
 only a year or two subsequent to the memorable settle- 
 ment at Plymouth, the Hiltons and their little body of 
 comrades, under a charter from the Earl of Warwick, 
 planted at Dover Point the germs of that infant State 
 which has become our own proud and civilized and pros- 
 perous commonwealth. Among the institutions founded 
 in those earliest days of our colonial history was an or- 
 ganized militia, which was early intertwined with the 
 affections and pride and hopes of our fathers, and has ex- 
 erted a powerful influence upon the development of our 
 State, as well as of all others planted by the Puritan colo- 
 nists of Xew England. Perhaps it was not the greatest 
 of the institutions shaped by the wise founders of the Re- 
 public, but it has ever been and must always be regarded 
 as one of the great bulwarks of civil liberty/' 
 
 While at I>over, a social reception was given by Gov- 
 ernor and Mrs. Smyth at the Xew Hampshire Hotel, the 
 proprietor kindly putting at their disposal his own par- 
 lors, which were thronged during the evening by the citi- 
 zens of Dover, with their ladies, who were said by the 
 Dover Enquirer to have been " charmed with the agree- 
 able manners of his excellency and ladv."
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 NATIONAL SOLDIERS' HOMES. 
 
 REFERENCE has been made in these pages to the initial 
 steps of Congress in establishing homes for our disabled 
 soldiers. Governor Smyth, one of the most active and 
 interested of the incorporators, was appointed by Congress 
 in 1866 one of the managers for six years. His associates 
 at that time were the President of the United States, the 
 secretary of war, and the chief justice ex. ofiicio, Hon. R. 
 J. Oglesby, of Springfield, Illinois, General B. F. Butler, 
 of Massachusetts, Hon. Lewis B. Gunckel, of Dayton, 
 Ohio, Jay Cook, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Gen- 
 eral Martindale, of Rochester, Xew York, either of whom 
 had authority to grant admission to the homes on applica- 
 tion made in due form. On the expiration of Governor 
 Smyth's first term, he was reappointed in 1872. In 1878, 
 the House being Democratic and the Senate nearly bal- 
 anced, General Shields was proposed as the governor's 
 successor, but failed of an election. In 1880, however, 
 the Democracy were able to unite, and Governor Smyth, 
 after fourteen years of service, was superseded. IT may 
 be said with truth that few public' officers have brought 
 more zeal to the discharge of a duty which was at times 
 very exacting;, or attended more faithfully meetings of the 
 
 / o ' v o 
 
 board, the only compensation for which was a conscious- 
 ness of duty done. In all these years there appears to 
 have been no reason for fault-finding, either on the part 
 of inmates of the homes or of the public, except such as 
 is incident to all such affairs, and which was always 
 promptly rectified. A sharp-eyed opposition has at all 
 events found nothing to profit by.
 
 270 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 When the foundation of a chapel was laid at the Cen- 
 tral Home in Dayton, the Hon. L. B. Gunckel, local 
 manager, made a brief address, in concluding which he 
 briefly alluded to the establishment of the Xational Sol- 
 diers' Home at this point, and remarked that the location 
 here was mainly due to an eminent gentleman who was 
 present on the occasion, Governor Frederick Smyth, of 
 Xew Hampshire, whom he had the honor of introducing 
 to the assembly, and who would then address them. The 
 governor came forward to the platform, and spoke as 
 follows: 
 
 " Ladies and Gentlemen of Dayton, and Soldiers of the 
 Army of the Country : I congratulate you that by the 
 side of this military asylum we are to raise a building for 
 the worship of God. The Government of this nation, 
 representing the people, has provided for its disabled and 
 impoverished heroes the most ample and comfortable 
 homes. The loyal people of these United States thereby 
 show to the world that they will never forget their de- 
 fenders ; and while they care tenderly for their bodily 
 wants, they have not forgotten other and higher necessi- 
 ties of men. This little church which we quarry from 
 this beautiful stone and begin to build here to-day, is a 
 token of allegiance, a signet, as it were, of loyalty both to 
 the rightful authorities of the land and to the Supreme 
 Ruler over all. The best and truest citizen the world over, 
 is he who first discharges his duty to his God, and under 
 him to the laws of the land. Therefore I think this build- 
 ing we are about to raise is one of the best possible 
 memorials of the war which had for its object the main- 
 tenance of the laws and the assertion of that principle in 
 the charters of our civil^ liberty, that all men are created 
 equal. equal in the matter of right, equal in the duties 
 thev owe to (iod and their country. 
 
 " A memorial like this holds out no threat and conveys 
 no taunt to a vanquished foe ; it says as it means peace
 
 NATIONAL SOLDIERS' HOMES. 271 
 
 to all who will have peace. But as the symbol of the 
 highest authority, it also proclaims a law to be obeyed. 
 Liberty without law is worse than worthless, for it means 
 the liberty of the mob and of riot, and by it the weak are 
 oppressed and the poor mnde poorer yet. Against the 
 liberty to do wrong and to take a man's labor without pay 
 our war was waged, and when at last we are victorious, 
 we send our missionaries and teachers to prove that this 
 was not a war for conquest or power simply, but for the 
 triumph of a great truth. Of this truth the church is the 
 best and most fitting memorial, because its teachings pro- 
 vide for and urge an exact justice from man to man, 
 tempered by mercy, forgiveness, conciliation, and peace. 
 
 "If the enmities and animosities that brought on the 
 contest and that have sprung from its prosecution can be 
 buried anywhere in this world, it ought to be at the altar, 
 and in the house of the Lord. I do not believe that you, 
 brave soldiers, have brought beneath those old scars any 
 feelings of enmity or of revenge toward those you have 
 met and fairly beaten. Such a harbored grudge might 
 have been expected of men in a darker age of the world, 
 but it is not a characteristic of the soldiers of the American 
 Republic. 
 
 " This house of worship may also be regarded as a 
 pledge that the great ideas for which the battle was fought 
 and the victory won, will never be given up. You. citi- 
 zens of Dayton, whose dear ones gave all for the cause. 
 and who believe in the righteousness of that cause, have 
 a right to demand that those sacrifices be not in vain : 
 that we have peace on the only possible sure basis, 
 that of a wise Christian equality, that of a just and tem- 
 perate' but N///V administration of the law of the land. 
 wherever the sun shines on an inch of American soil. I 
 know that yon, brave soldiers, will insist that the fruit> 
 of vour devotion and sufferings shall not be lost.
 
 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 " But I hope that this building also will convey to you 
 the idea that the four cold bare walls of an asylum is not 
 all that the country owes or will give to its defenders. 
 She recognizes, let us all hope and believe, the hand of 
 an All-Wise God in ever}* act of this great drama ; while 
 compelled to take the sword to preserve a liberty unsullied 
 by violence, and law made with regard to the rights of 
 every man, she offers to all her citizens every where a fire- 
 side safe from the intruding hand of violence, and a wor- 
 ship and a Bible free to the humblest conscience. 
 
 " Citizens of Dayton, let me bespeak your sympathy 
 and assistance in the objects of this little chapel. The 
 general feeling of the country has indeed taken the work 
 of the Good Samaritan from your hands in this instance, 
 but the worthy chaplain and \ve all will look to you for 
 moral aid and sympathy." 
 
 When this biographical sketch was being prepared, a 
 friend of Governor Smyth wrote to General Butler, of 
 Massachusetts, and to General Gunckel, of Ohio, who had 
 been associated with him on the board of directors for sol- 
 diers" homes, asking their opinion of his services. They 
 promptly replied. General B. F. Butler, in a letter dated 
 at Boston, said : 
 
 "_ DEAR SIR: Ex-Governor Smyth served on the board 
 of managers of the National Homes for Disabled Soldiers 
 with me for twelve years. I know T shall echo the opinion 
 of all his associates when I say Governor Smyth was one 
 of the most valuable members of the board. His accu- 
 rate business knowledge, and the skill and ability displayed 
 iy him in adjusting complicated accounts, caused the board 
 to put upon him more by far than his share of such work. 
 ITis zeal in the cause of the disabled volunteers never 
 flagged fora moment, and he never shirked or neglected 
 :; duty. 
 
 He '.va> ahvavs in favor of the strictest econoinv as
 
 NATIONAL SOLDIERS' HOMES. 273 
 
 regards the expenditure of money, but equally an advo- 
 cate of everything being done fur the soldiers that would 
 I'onduee to their happiness and comfort. His economy 
 was in the method of expenditure, and not as to what 
 should be done for the soldiers. Xo man held a higher 
 place in the esteem of every member of the board than 
 did (-Governor Smyth, and when for political reasons he 
 was removed from the board, the United States and the 
 soldiers both met a great loss. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 B. F. BUTLKk. 
 
 General Le\vis B. Gunckel, of Ohio, in inclosing the 
 following note, said : 
 
 I am glad to hear that the biography of Governor 
 Smyth is to be written, for besides the gratification it will 
 afford his many friends and acquaintances, it can hardly 
 fail to interest and help grown people generally, arid to 
 encourage young men especially, by presenting so worthy 
 an example of what we Americans are proud to call a 
 self-made man." General Gunckel said, writing from 
 Dayton, Ohio : 
 
 "I first met Governor Smyth at a meeting of the board 
 of managers of the National Home for Disabled Volun- 
 teer Soldiers, at its first meeting, in May, 18(it>, and I 
 was then attracted by his pleasant face and frank manner, 
 and impressed by his quick perceptions, practical knowl- 
 edge, and sound judgment. And in after years I often 
 noticed how such members of the board as Chief Justice 
 Chase, Secretary Stanton. Chief Justice \Yaite, General 
 Butler, and General Martindale. deferred to his opinions, 
 and how largely they were governed by his judgment in 
 all matters of a practical or financial character. 
 
 1 was associated with him on committees appointed to 
 selei-t the site for several of the home> and purchase the
 
 274 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 necessary grounds therefor ; and I recall with grateful 
 pleasure his invaluable services in that behalf. Every 
 one who has visited these homes recognizes the peculiar 
 fitness of the selections made, especially for the central 
 and northwestern branches ; but few people, even in Ohio 
 and Wisconsin, know how largely this result, as well as 
 
 O V 
 
 the saving of thousands of dollars in the purchases, was 
 due to the taste and judgment, the Yankee tact and 
 shrewdness, of Xew Hampshire's ex-governor. 
 
 "And so in the years succeeding, in the management 
 ;and control of an institution caring for 8,000 disabled 
 ^soldiers and expending a million and a quarter dollars 
 .annually, there was especial 'need of just s>.ich man ".s 
 Gortr/ior Xn>>/fli [the italics are Mr. Gunckel's], and I do 
 not exaggerate when I say that through the watchfulness 
 :and care, the courage and determination of Governor 
 iSinyth, thousands, yes, tens of thousands of dollars were 
 saved to the Government and people. 
 
 " But it must not be supposed from this that the gov- 
 ernor permitted his idea of economy to stand in the way 
 of liberal appropriations for the support, comfort, and 
 happiness of the disabled soldiers. Xo member of the 
 board had livelier sympathies or a more liberal hand : 
 but when the appropriations were made, he wanted the 
 money economically and honestly expended and was 
 indignant when lie discovered the slightest extravagance 
 or irregularity. 
 
 " He bad little patience with some of the governors 
 who attempted to make the asylums military garrisons, 
 governed under the articles of war and the severe dis- 
 cipline of the regular army. He insisted upon a kindlier 
 rule, and in making the several institutions homes in the 
 best sense of that word: and it was upon his suggestion 
 thsit Congress was asked to amend the original act and 
 did amend it. so as to change the name' asylum' into that
 
 NATIONAL SOLDIERS' HOMES. 275 
 
 of ' home.' And because the soldiers knew him to be one 
 of their stanchest and best friends, he was always the 
 most welcome of visitors, and his appearance on the pub- 
 lic platform never failed to call out the loudest applause. 
 While he made no pretensions to oratory, he was invaria- 
 bly called out and compelled to speak, and, strangely 
 enough, his speeches were enjoyed quite as much as those 
 of the trained speakers from the pulpit and the bar. 
 
 " I was intimately connected with Governor Smyth in 
 this national board for twelve years, and learned to know 
 him as well as one man can know another; and although 
 I have, in the course of my life, chanced to know many 
 other public men, some of them among the most dis- 
 tinguished during the war period, I never knew one 
 purer in mind, simpler in habits, or cleaner in conscience, 
 than Frederick Smyth, of New Hampshire."
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 A THIRD TERM DECLINED. PROCLAMATION FOR FAST. 
 
 CLEMENCY. 
 
 IT had grown to be a custom in Xew Hampshire that a 
 <rovernor should hold his office two rears and no more, 
 
 O - 
 
 but so successful was the administration of Governor 
 Smyth, that, contrary to precedent, many of the most 
 influential and respectable journals of the State, among 
 which were the Xational Eagle, the Concord Statesman, 
 the Dover Enquirer, the Portsmouth Journal, and the 
 Keene Sentinel, advocated his nomination for a third 
 term. The governor, however, declined to be considered 
 a candidate, and publicly announced his determination in 
 the following letter, which was published in the Concord 
 Statesman : 
 
 CONCORD, January 1, 18G7. 
 To THE EDITORS OF THE STATESMAN: 
 
 Jjcar Sir? : I have noticed an article in the last issue 
 of your paper, favoring my election for a third term to the 
 office now held by me. and I have also observed that sev- 
 eral other Republican journals in different parts of the 
 State have kindly expressed the same preference. I had 
 supposed that my decision, early and often declared, not 
 again to be a candidate, was well understood by my 
 friends and the Republican party ; but the friendly ex- 
 pressions- of the same tenor from so many public journals, 
 with other indications, lead me to doubt whether an 
 expectation does not still exist in the minds of some that 
 I may yet reconsider my determination. In order, there- 
 tore, to seasonably remove any and all misapprehensions
 
 A THIRD TERM DECLINED. 277 
 
 upon this point, I beg leave to say through your columns 
 that, while fully appreciating the confidence implied in the 
 presenting of my name for a third term, my resolution 
 not again to be a candidate was early and deliberately 
 taken, and I have since seen no reason for changing it. 
 Profoundly grateful to the people of New Hampshire for 
 the partiality which selected me, and the confidence 
 which has sustained me thus far in the office of chief 
 magistrate, I shall retire at the end of my present term 
 with only regret that I was not able to bring to the public 
 service a degree of experience and ability commensurate 
 with a just estimate of the importance and dignity of the 
 office. Trusting that upon whomsoever the choice of the 
 convention may fall, the nominee will receive the same 
 united and hearty support which has been so generously 
 accorded tome, I have the honor to remain, gentlemen, 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant. 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 The anniversary of Washington's birthday, on the 22d 
 of February, 1867, was celebrated at Manchester by the 
 Amoskeag Veterans, Colonel David Cross, with a parade, 
 an oration by Rev. "W. II. Thomas, and a dinner. Gov- 
 ernor Smyth was present at the dinner, and was called 
 upon to respond to the following toast : 
 
 "The governor of New Hampshire: Though only a 
 private in the ranks of the Veterans, he has proved him- 
 self worthy to be the commander-in-chief of our State." 
 Rising amidst applause, Governor Smyth said: 
 
 MR. COMMANDER AND VETERANS : 
 
 A certain great military commander said, that as long 
 as his soldiers could get a crust of black bread and a 
 drink of water he could hold his own against the com- 
 bined armies of Europe. If this is a test of a soldier's 
 endurance, or of a country's safety, then, judging from
 
 278 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 these tokens, your corps is a long way from exhaustion, 
 and the great State of New Hampshire is safe for a long 
 time to come. Allow me to congratulate you on the ex- 
 cellence of your commissariat. Xo army was ever good 
 for anything without the sinews of war, and I believe 
 that in time of peace those sinews consist more of bread 
 and beef than of gunpowder. For service, give me the 
 men who have good stomachs. The well-fed soldier 
 never runs, especially just after dinner. 
 
 Mr. Commander and gentlemen of the Amoskeag Vet- 
 erans, these time-honored uniforms vou wear bring to 
 
 \j O 
 
 mind many glorious associations, but you will pardon me 
 if I refer to one somewhat personal in its nature. These 
 shad-bellied coats ( long may they breast the battle and 
 the breeze ! ) bring to mind the times when the salmon 
 and the shad had the right of free navigation in the 
 waters of Xew Hampshire, and especially at Amoskeag. 
 Xow we have had a little friendly contest with a sister 
 State to regain those rights. I congratulate you, soldiers, 
 on the peaceful issue of those negotiations, so that you 
 were not obliged to take up arms and march with colors 
 flying and drums beating to vindicate State rights. When 
 the shad and salmon get back again into our waters, as 
 there is a fair prospect that they will, it will be enough to 
 make every veteran young again. 
 
 Pardon me, Mr. Commander, if I seem to unbend a 
 little from the dignity of a chief magistrate, or to relax in 
 that strict discipline which should characterize a com- 
 mander-in-chief. AVhile so many of your previous anni- 
 versaries have been darkened by the clouds of war, we 
 can surely indulge in a little friendly and hopeful merri- 
 ment to-day. \Ve have learned, I think, to appreciate and 
 respect that spirit which in time of peace recognizes the 
 principle of force in a government, and seeks to keep it 
 alive and active. But while we rejoice that you have
 
 PROCLAMATION FOR FAST. 279 
 
 revived and seek by appropriate means to preserve that 
 happy union of military and civil strength bequeathed us 
 by Washington, let us hope that each returning anni- 
 versary will find peace established on a more just and a 
 firmer basis, and the States in a more equal and fraternal 
 union. 
 
 There are those who sometimes sneer at holiday sol- 
 diers. I cannot join in that feeling, and I sincerely hope 
 that in our day there may not be occasion for any other. 
 Should it unfortunately be otherwise, then you will 
 demonstrate, as you have done before by many a gallant 
 soldier from your ranks, that on the old altar burns still 
 the sacred fires kindled by the hand of Washington. 
 
 The official proclamation by Governor Smyth, appoint- 
 ing a Fast Day, was issued in accordance with time- 
 honored custom. It was a subject of comment that it 
 was signed by the governor and the governor-elect, Gen- 
 eral Ilarriman, the secretary of state, having been elected 
 as Governor Smyth's successor. 
 
 A PROCLAMATION 
 
 FOR A DAY OF FASTINK, HUMILIATION, AND PRAYER. 
 
 I do, with advice and consent of the council, hereby 
 appoint Thursday, the fourth day of April next, to be ob- 
 served throughout this State as a day of fasting, humil- 
 iation, and prayer. 
 
 I earnestly recommend that upon that day all the 
 people, not prevented by duties of paramount necessity, 
 lay aside the usual avocations of the time, assemble in 
 their respective houses of worship, and humbly acknowl- 
 edge before Almighty God their manifold sins and trans- 
 gressions. And let us all, in whatever place we may be, 
 endeavor to make our thoughts and feelings conform to 
 the outward observance, that we may keep an acceptable 
 fast unto the Sovereign Kuler of people and nations.
 
 280 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Especially ought we to call to mind, and seek forgive- 
 ness for, those transgressions which pertain to our duties 
 as a State and an integral part of the nation. Let us 
 remember that those nations which forget Uod are de- 
 stroyed without remedy, and that we can look for favor 
 at His hands only when coining to Him in the way of 
 His appointment. 
 
 Let us confess, each according to his conscience, that 
 we have been slow to perceive, and reluctant to execute, 
 the Divine will, in letting the oppressed go free: and 
 that we have not remembered, as we ought, the hand that 
 brought us victorious out of our great national trial and 
 contest. 
 
 Let us deplore and lament the prevalence of crime in 
 our midst, and that intemperance, licentiousness, profanity, 
 and Sabbath breaking, are yet, in so great a degree, a 
 snare to the feet of the young and a reproach to the old. 
 
 Let us confess, with full purpose of amendment, that 
 we have not occupied before the world that high position 
 which the (iiver of all our blessings has a right to 
 demand, and that we are not yet guided in our public 
 policy, or our private conduct, sufficiently by His word. 
 
 For these and numberless other reasons let us be admon- 
 ished to humble ourselves, remembering that "' Though 
 the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly : but 
 the proud he knoweth afar off.'' 
 
 Let us pray our Heavenly Father to continue the fruit- 
 ful seasons and the reward of honest industry: that lie 
 will protect the widow and the orphan, and bless the 
 defenders of the nation who braved the dreadful perils of 
 war to preserve it from destruction : that He will help us 
 to remember them with gratitude, and cherish the families 
 of the fallen with warm sympathy and generosity. 
 
 Let us supplicate His favor upon our rulers, that they 
 mav be animated solely by one unalterable punose to do 
 
 / 1 L
 
 CLEMENCY. 281 
 
 right in the fear of God, and reconstruct our liepublic 
 upon the eternal principles of righteousness, truth, human- 
 ity, justice, and liberty. 
 
 And finally, may we all on this day, with sincere peni- 
 tence and true faith in the mediation and atonement of 
 our Saviour, find pardon and reconciliation with God. 
 
 Given at the council chamber in Concord, this fifteenth 
 day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand 
 eight hundred and sixty-seven, and of the United States 
 of America the ninetieth. 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 ByIIi.s Excellency the Governor, with advice and consent of Council. 
 WALTER HARHIMAN, Secretary of State. 
 
 On the afternoon of Fast Day, Governor Smyth, with 
 a party of ladies and gentlemen, visited the state-prison, 
 where the convicts were assembled in the chapel. After 
 recitations by Mrs. Miller, of Concord, and some kind 
 words from the governor and others, the impromptu exer- 
 cises were closed with singing " .Kind words never die," 
 several of the prisoners joining. The officials and spec- 
 tators then went through the prison into the guard-room, 
 where the governor, unobserved by those present, re- 
 quested Warden Mayo to bring in a certain prisoner. 
 When the astonished convict found himself in the center 
 of the concourse of ladies, Governor Smyth took him 
 by the hand and said: 
 
 '' My friend, about twelve months ago you were com- 
 mitted to this prison for five years for the alleged crime 
 of passing counterfeit money. Soon after your incar- 
 ceration circumstances came to light tending to prove 
 that, although a counterfeit bill passed through your 
 
 C 1 1 O f 
 
 hands, it was used by you in an entirely innocent manner, 
 and that you were unwittingly the dupe of a scoundrel 
 who fled the State and has never been arrested. I mime-
 
 282 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 diately ordered a full investigation of your case, and I 
 am thoroughly convinced that you are an innocent man 
 and serving out an unjust sentence. The constitution of 
 the State gives me the power to open the doors of this 
 prison, and in the lawful exercise of that power I now 
 grant you a full and free pardon. This very hour the 
 warden will relieve you of a convict's uniform and give 
 you a citizen's dress. You have been a good man within 
 these walls, and while I and my friends here live, we will 
 everywhere hear testimony that your imprisonment leaves 
 no stain upon your character. A dear wife and loving 
 sister have prayed for your release, and I now restore you 
 to their hands, to be once more their comfort and support." 
 As the governor closed his remarks the poor man, 
 overjoyed with happiness, trembled in every limb, and his 
 face was wet with tears. Not a person in the audience 
 looked unmoved upon the scene.
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 VISIT OF THE MANCHESTER SCHOOLS TO CONCORD. 
 
 ONE of the most pleasing incidents which occurred 
 during Governor Smyth's administration, was the visit of 
 the school-children of Manchester to the Capitol and pub- 
 lic institutions at Concord, as may be seen by the fol- 
 lowing : 
 
 EXECUTIVE DEPAHTMEXT, 
 C'oxcOKU, X. H., April 29, 1867. 
 
 JAMES O. ADAMS, ESQ., SUP'T OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, 
 
 MANCHESTER : 
 
 Mi/ Dear Sir: I have the honor to tender to yourself, 
 and through you to the school committee, the teachers of 
 the public schools, the pupils of the high school and of 
 the Xorth and South grammar schools, an invitation to 
 visit the Capitol and public institutions located here, on 
 some day in the early part of next month. Should the 
 invitation be accepted, be pleased to advise me at an early 
 day of the exact number accepting, and I will provide for 
 their transportation at my own expense, by special train 
 leaving Manchester at about nine A. M. and returning at 
 four P. M. I am, sir, 
 
 Respectfully your obedient servant, 
 
 J v v 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 The railroad train, bringing from forty to fifty teachers 
 and nearly six hundred scholars, reached the station in 
 Concord about half-past nine in the morning, where the 
 teachers and pupils were received by the Concord board 
 ot education. Samuel C. Eastman, Esq., secretary of
 
 284 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 the board, made a welcoming address, which was re- 
 sponded to l>y .James O. Adams. Esq., the superintendent 
 of the schools in Manchester. A procession was then 
 formed, consisting of the schools of the two cities, teach- 
 ers, members of the board of education, several clergy- 
 men, and others, and with a band of music proceeded to 
 the State House. Here the children were received by 
 Governor Smyth, Mr. Superintendent Adams making the 
 presentation speech, to which the governor replied nearly 
 as follows : 
 
 " Mr. Superintendent, Teachers and Pupils of Manches- 
 ter Schools: I am exceedingly happy to greet you at the 
 Capitol of our noble State, which during the last two years 
 by the votes of the peoplehas been my official home. Most 
 heartily do i welcome you to its halls, which many of you, 
 I doubt not, will worthily occupy in future years. As 
 your eyes shall gaze upon the blood-stained battle-tiags 
 here displayed, all tattered and torn in the struggles of the 
 battle-field, and so nobly borne by Xew Hampshire's 
 brave sons during the terrible contest through which we 
 have recently passed, you will prize more than ever before 
 our glorious institutions they have by their blood [ire- 
 served, and which you and I and all the people are now 
 enjoying. May these significant and eloquent emblems 
 of the suffering and patient endurance of our gallant sol- 
 diers remind you of the debt we all owe these noble men, 
 and tin- obligations we are under to cherish the memories 
 of the fallen. See to it. my young friends, that the pa- 
 triotic sentiments awakened in your hearts to-day by these 
 sad emblems, grow with your growth and strengthen with 
 your strength. You cannot but be favorably impressed 
 with the beautiful city of Concord and its good people, 
 who have so cordially and handsomely welcomed you 
 here to-day. 
 
 This exchange of civilities will do much to foster and 
 cultivate that courtesy and good feeling between the sister
 
 .MANCHESTER SCHOOLS VISIT CONCORD. 285 
 
 cities so much to be desired by us all. I hope and trust, 
 my friends, that your visit to the Capitol and other insti- 
 tutions will prove agreeable and pleasant to you all, and 
 that you will return home with a truer knowledge and 
 better appreciation of our good old State and its govern- 
 ment, and with an increased desire and determination to be 
 better prepared to faithfully perform all your duties in the 
 various spheres to which you are or may be hereafter 
 called. 
 
 " It will now give me great pleasure to receive each of 
 you at the council chamber in a less formal manner than 
 I can do here, and then introduce you to the various apart- 
 ments of this splendid edifice which the liberality of the 
 citizens of Concord has made an ornament to the State; 
 after which I shall be happy to accompany you to the 
 state-prison and insane asylum, of neither of which insti- 
 tutions I pray any of you may ever become inmates.'' 
 
 The Manchester scholars then passed through the coun- 
 cil chamber, where they were individually introduced to 
 the governor, who shook hands with them all. As the 
 Xorth Grammar School pupils were passing through the 
 room, Miss Clara Glidden, in behalf of her associates, 
 presented his excellency with a beautiful bouquet of rare 
 greenhouse flowers. After the introduction, the scholars 
 
 o 
 
 had time to examine the battle-flags, and to visit the vari- 
 ous apartments of the State House. They then repaired 
 to the representatives' hall, where they enjoyed a colla- 
 tion which they had brought with them. Meantime the 
 Concord board of education gave the Manchester school 
 officials and some invited guests a bountiful collation at 
 the Eagle Hotel. Mr. Eastman presided. Brief after- 
 dinner speeches were made by Governor Smyth, General 
 Harrimau (governor-elect), ex-Senator Fogg, Rev. Dr. 
 Bouton, Kev. Mr. Clatiin, and William Little, of Man- 
 chester.
 
 286 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Among others at the table were Mayor Abbott, Adju- 
 tant-General Head, and Colonel I). A. "Warde, of the 
 governor's start' After the collation Colonel Parker's 
 pupils gathered in front of the Capitol and went through 
 some very creditable military gymnastic exercises. 
 
 The visitors next marched to the prison, where they ex- 
 amined the cells and workshops. Within that establish- 
 ment the scene was one creating emotions in which 
 pleasure and sorrow were mingled in somewhat equal 
 parts. After the teachers, schools, and others in the pro- 
 cession had been arranged in the order for seeing and 
 hearing to the best advantage, the prisoners (some over 
 100) were marched from their cells and arranged in Hies 
 on a side of the inclosure opposite the schools. Here an 
 address was made by Governor Smyth to the prisoners, 
 as follows : 
 
 "Inmates of the Prison : During my official connection 
 with this institution, it has been my desire and practice to 
 have all things done for your comfort and happiness con- 
 sistent with proper security and discipline, and now, as 
 my official relations with you arc about to be severed, it 
 gives me satisfaction to bear testimony, before you all, 
 how invariably my efforts in this direction have been ap- 
 preciated and met with corresponding good conduct on 
 the part of every one of you. This proves to my mind 
 that I have made no mistake in this regard. 
 
 " To-day I have invited the teachers and children of the 
 schools of Manchester to visit you, not to indulge their 
 idle curiosity, but that you and they may be made better 
 thereby. As yon look upon the bright and innocent 
 faces of childhood, a privilege T know you rarely enjov, 
 your minds will be called back to your innocent days, 
 and those of your brothers and sisters and early play- 
 mates, and you will be reminded of the early and pure 
 mother's love, and your own dear children, shut away
 
 MANCHESTER SCHOOLS VISIT CONCORD. 287 
 
 from you now. And as you think of those happy and 
 innocent days now past, I know you will bitterly regret 
 that you ever departed from the path of rectitude, and 
 you will here resolve hereafter to live a life of honesty 
 and integrity; and may (iod give you the strength and 
 determination to keep these good resolutions when you 
 are again called to meet the temptations of the world. 
 We came not here to censure or discourage you, but to 
 pity and encourage and comfort you in your good resolves 
 and hopes. It is not too late for most of 3-011 yet to 
 become useful members of society, and receive pardon 
 and forgiveness from God and men. I doubt not you 
 will be remembered to-night and hereafter in the evening 
 prayers of many of these friends and children ; and may 
 your prayers and theirs and those of your dear friends 
 everywhere be heard by Him whose pardon we all con- 
 stantly need. 
 
 " Children of the schools, you are soon to meet the 
 temptations by which these men have fallen. Oh, how 
 little you now know of the snares that will be thrown in 
 your pathway in after life. If you have not the moral 
 and religious strength to successfully resist them, their 
 experience will be yours. If these men could speak to 
 you, they would say, ' Take warning from us, and persist- 
 ently strive against every thought, and the first and small- 
 est attempt at wrong doing.' May this interview be 
 profitable to us all." 
 
 The liev. Mr. Holman, chaplain of the prison, replied 
 in very fitting terms. Some of the prisoners were deeply 
 aft'eeted, while to all the spectacle was of an impressive and 
 suggestive character. At the conclusion of the addresses 
 the pupils sang several pieces, after which the com icts 
 proceeded to their several places in the workshops. After 
 the schools had gone into the various apartments of the 
 institution, the procession was reformed, and passed out
 
 288 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 of the prison by the gate through a hole in which the 
 notorious Shinborn made his escape in the preceding 
 December. 
 
 Reaching the high school edifice, the company was 
 received by Mr. \Voolson. In the spacious hall the 
 schools assembled, where they rested a while, preparatory 
 to visiting the asylum for the insane. Vocal and instru- 
 mental music occupied the brief time the company was 
 in the hall. 
 
 At the asylum, the great company was received in 
 an address of welcome by Joseph B. Walker, Esq., a 
 member of the board of trustees, Mr. Superintendent 
 Adams, of Manchester, replying. After passing through 
 the apartments and over a portion of the grounds of the 
 asylum, the long procession marched to the railroad 
 station, and the Manchester visitors were soon on their 
 homeward way. The occasion was one of great interest, 
 no circumstance occurring to mar the pleasure thereof, 
 and will exert a salutary influence upon the people of the 
 two cities. 
 
 The young ladies of the Manchester North Grammar 
 School, through one of their number, presented the 
 governor with a beautiful bouquet, as an evidence of their 
 gratitude for his kind attentions, and he thus acknowl- 
 edged its reception : 
 
 CONCORD, May 1, 18G7. 
 
 Miss CLARA GLIDDKX : The elegant bouquet I had the 
 honor to receive from your hands, in behalf of the young 
 ladies of the Manchester North Grammar School, on the 
 pleasant occasion of their recent visit to this chamber, 
 deserves from me a more fitting acknowledgment than 
 I was in the hurry of the moment able to make. 
 
 Be pleased to accept, then, at this late hour, my warmest 
 thanks tor your beautiful present and the most agreeable 
 compliment conveyed in its presentation. Be assured,
 
 MANCHESTER SCHOOLS VISIT CONCORD. 289 
 
 my fair friends, that this kind manifestation of your 
 remembrance is highly appreciated by me, and that 
 though the fragrant flowers comprising the bouquet will 
 fade and lose their sweetness, yet the one more beautiful 
 formed by the young ladies then surrounding me will 
 never fade from my memory, and my prayer is that their 
 virtues, unlike the fading flowers, may shine brighter and 
 brighter until transplanted to the garden of eternal bloom. 
 I have the honor to remain, 
 
 Very respectfully your obedient servant, 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 19 .
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 VALEDICTORY GUBERNATORIAL MESSAGE. 
 
 WHEN the legislature assembled in June, 1867, Gov- 
 ernor Smyth delivered a valedictory address, which is 
 as follows : 
 SENATOR? AND REPRESENTATIVES: 
 
 In ordinary times the expediency of pronouncing a 
 valedictory address might be doubted: but while I could 
 waive all personal considerations and let this occasion 
 pass with merely words of courtesy and of parting, I am 
 reminded that you, gentlemen of the legislature, and the 
 people whose representatives you are, should receive some 
 official acknowledgment at my hands, not only for the 
 gratifying unanimity of your support, but for the intel- 
 ligence and foresight with which your predecessors have 
 provided for the general welfare of the State in times 
 of peculiar difficulty and danger. Xo matter how great 
 the ability or resources of an executive officer, his best 
 efforts will be thwarted if called to preside over a divided 
 or irresolute people, or a jealous and hesitating legisla- 
 ture ; and desire to [dace here upon record my belief 
 that to the courage and constancy of the people, and the 
 wise and judicious enactments of the law-making power, 
 Xe\v Hampshire owes much of her present high posi- 
 tion and freedom from financial embarrassment. Her 
 bond> are now at par in the markets, and so good is her 
 word esteemed that no rate above six percent per annum 
 has been paid in funding the large floating debt of the 
 State during the past year. I am bound, also, in honor 
 and fair dealing to say that whatever mav have been the
 
 VALEDICTORY MESSAGE. 291 
 
 differences of opinion among us, there lias been no fac- 
 tious opposition from any source to measures necessary 
 for the public credit, but I have uniformly received the 
 hearty co-operatiou of men of all parties in this difficult 
 work. 
 
 There are certain tacts which may add to the estima- 
 tion in which the financial condition of the State is held, 
 which can only properly be uttered at the completion of 
 a term of public service. 
 
 Two years ago I assumed the duties of the office which 
 I am about to leave, under extraordinary and trying cir- 
 cumstances. A long and bloody war had just terminated, 
 and in the faint flush of the light of returning day, the 
 American people had but just begun to realize the trials 
 through which they had passed. As the clouds rolled 
 away and new duties and new obligations were revealed 
 to us, it became necessary to re-arrange our affairs and to 
 prepare our State for a new career, that she might bear 
 herself as creditably in peace as she had done in war. 
 Here at the threshold I was met with a heavy floating 
 debt, which appealed in vain to an exhausted treasury for 
 payment, while the banks and money-lenders of the State 
 were burdened with her obligations. I therefore addressed 
 my attention at once to the condition of the finances, with 
 the determined purpose to provide for the wants of the 
 treasury, so that its obligations should be promptly met. 
 It was necessary to raise the credit of the State, and the 
 price of her securities, and to procure money at the least 
 expense for funding the floating debt, and also to ascer- 
 tain and properly present all our just claims upon the 
 General Government, and to reduce our expenses so far as 
 possible to their accustomed basis in times of peace : all 
 of which has been accomplished. And here-, gentlemen, 
 allow me once for all to acknowledge, with profound sen- 
 sibilitv, the cordial and unwavering support of my conn-
 
 292 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 cil and the co-ordinate branches of the Government. If 
 one seemed to lead, it was by virtue of his position, while 
 a common and noble purpose animated all. The people, 
 indeed, felt their burdens, for they were heavy, but they 
 did not falter, and are now about to reap the reward of 
 their constancy. A large portion of the expenses of the 
 war have been paid, and the remainder so adjusted that, 
 should strict economy be observed in our State expendi- 
 tures, the taxes may be rapidly reduced and still the 
 reduction of the debt be annually continued. 
 
 In the difficult adjustment of our military affairs, you 
 will agree with me in warm approval of the energy and 
 efficiency of the adjutant-genera], whose work has in all 
 cases been well performed. When it has been my grate- 
 ful duty to extend a welcoming hand, in behalf of the peo- 
 ple of the ^tate, to our brave returning soldiers, he has 
 forwarded my purpose with unflagging interest and zeal. 
 You will not forget that around his department all the 
 memories of the contest now cluster. The long roll of 
 honor is there. There are gathered the blood-stained 
 battle-flags, and there will always be found those associa- 
 tions which should inspire us with a love of country, and 
 an appreciation of the services of those who gave their 
 lives and shed their blood for those blessings which God 
 bestowed when he gave us the victory. 
 
 Departing from this general style of remark, I hasten 
 to present, in the briefest manner, a review of the most 
 important measures of my administration : 
 
 FINANCES. 
 
 State tax $752,016 44 
 
 Railroad tax 192,159 26 
 
 Savings bank tax 08, 384 37 
 
 United States war claims . . . 15,821 88 
 
 Civil commissions ...... 542 00 
 
 Public property *22 16
 
 VALEDICTORY MESSAGE. 293 
 
 State bonds $1,556,780 00 
 
 State notes 351,." 19 50 
 
 Interest 8,099 38 
 
 Cash in treasury June 1, 18GG . . . 157,878 85 
 
 $3,093,823 84 
 
 The disbursements for the year amounted to $3,038,- 
 399.36, and were for the following purposes : 
 
 Salaries $34,246 09 
 
 Legislature and council ..... 40,5:5-" 90 
 
 Military expenses 19, 258 71 
 
 Towns. Railroad tax dividends . . . 89, 880 74 
 
 Savings bank tax dividends . . 49,4(52 88 
 
 State aid 95,547 74 
 
 Literary fund . ... 9.8:5:5 31 
 
 Commissions ..... G,(5(54 39 
 
 Legislative resolves 1(1,8.05 19 
 
 Printing . .... . 20,819 88 
 
 Charitable and penal institutions . . . 44,941 12 
 Adjutant and quartermaster-general's depart- 
 ment Il,0(i7 ?S7 
 
 Volunteer militia 11,. si 6 (54 
 
 State bonds paid . ... 100.00000 
 
 State notes paid 2.K54.228 74 
 
 Interest . 3 is, 1*3 71 
 
 State House yard . . . 4,098 82 
 
 Abatement of tax ...... s72 0:5 
 
 Bounty on wild animals . 191 On 
 
 83,038,399 36 
 Cash in treasury June 1, 1867 . . 55,124 48 
 
 83,093, ,S23 84 
 
 Funded debt . . . . 3.701.15906 
 
 Not funded li>9.637 50 
 
 83. s 10.79C, 56 
 Less eash in treasury and asset- . . . 63,ul9 61 
 
 Total debt .June 1, 1*67 .... 83, 747. 776 95 
 The debt June 1. 1866, less a--ct.>, wa- . 4,0o2.n7o ].-; 
 
 Reduction of debt past year .... 251.31:! 1*
 
 294 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 The governor and council were authorized by act of 
 the legislature of last year, to issue bonds amounting to 
 $1,800,000, bearing such rate of interest as might be 
 deemed most expedient, for the purpose of funding the 
 floating debt. Six per cent was fixed upon as being the 
 lowest rate of currency interest with which any hope of 
 selling the securities at par could reasonably be enter- 
 tained, in the face of the abundance of undoubted obliga- 
 tions bearing a higher rate of interest, which flooded the 
 money market. The bonds have been issued and sold to 
 the amount of about fourteen hundred thousand dollars 
 at par, with which and other funds of the treasury all the 
 eight per cent notes have been paid, and all others except 
 the small balance of $109,000, which we have not been 
 able to procure, although the treasurer lias used every 
 effort to have them presented. Many of these outstand- 
 ing notes were given to soldiers during the war, some of 
 which will probably never be found. So much of the 
 balance of those bonds as may be required to pay these 
 notes, or any bonds falling due the present year, will 
 soon be absorbed by the ordinary demand for them at 
 the treasurer's office. The unsold bonds, amounting to 
 3,190.300 of a prior issue, and the plates from which the 
 same were printed, have been destroyed, agreeably to the 
 provisions of that act. 
 
 The negotiation of this large amount the past year at six 
 per cent, subject to taxation, while undoubted securities 
 have commanded seven per cent and above, and Govern- 
 ment bonds, exempted from taxation, at a higher rate of 
 interest, have abounded, has been no easy task, but shows 
 the high opinion of money-lenders abroad of the credit 
 of New Hampshire. Xo legislation regarding the finan- 
 ces will be needed for the present year, as all required 
 payments are now provided for : and I congratulate my 
 successor that lie will be relieved from any labor or anxi- 
 ety relating to financial matters.
 
 VALEDICTORY .MESSAGE. 295 
 
 Hon. I). D. Ranlett, State auditor, whose services have 
 been so valuable, having accepted a more lucrative posi- 
 tion abroad, a few weeks since tendered his resignation. 
 Believing that the necessity which created the office no 
 longer existed, and that its usefulness had consequently 
 ceased, I did not deem it advisable to embarrass your 
 action by inducting a new and inexperienced person into 
 the office. His resignation, therefore, was not accepted, 
 and, though absent from the State a part of the time, he 
 has continued to discharge such duties as were required, 
 and you will have in his able report the advantage of his 
 experience and familiar knowledge of the affairs in his 
 department. I see no reason why the governor and coun- 
 cil may not now, as in times past, properly perform the 
 duties required of this officer, since the great amount of 
 business growing out of the war has been substantially 
 completed. Unnecessary offices increase expense, create 
 confusion, and often render accounts difficult to be under- 
 stood. 
 
 The total expenditures of Xew Hampshire for war pur- 
 poses amount to $6,852, 678. Of this amount, there has been 
 paid for bounties $2,389,025. For the reimbursement 
 to towns of aid furnished families of soldiers, $1, 835, 085. 
 There has been reimbursed to the State by the General 
 Government, for war expenses, $897,122, much of which 
 has been obtained after repeated rejections. I Jut little more 
 may be expected from this source- without action of Con- 
 gress. The expenses incurred by cities and town.- on ac- 
 count of the war, including $965, 512, I'nited States boun- 
 ties advanced, amount to 7,250,541. The amount which 
 has been reimbursed by the Tnited States for bounties ad- 
 vanced is $475, 159: 410,107 has been paid to the towns 
 to which it belonged, and $(15.052 is now in the bands of 
 the State treasurer, having recently been received. This, 
 with some $10,000 more, promised in a lew days, will be 
 paid to the towns entitled to it. as soon as adjusted. More
 
 296 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 of this claim can probably be obtained, if the efforts 
 which have been made to procure what has already been 
 received are persisted in. 
 
 As the foundation of all true financial prosperity, allow 
 me next a word upon measures for the encouragement of 
 agriculture. The land script which was awarded Xew 
 Hampshire by Congress for the foundation of an agricul- 
 tural college has been sold, and the proceeds, amounting 
 to $80,000, have been invested in State bonds. It is be- 
 lieved that the connection of this branch of education 
 with Dartmouth College will be of great service to those 
 who desire to add to the labor of the farm a knowledge 
 of those scientific principles upon which good farming 
 rests. The fair of the Xew England Society, held within 
 our borders, contributed much to awaken an interest in 
 the general subject, and to promote inquiry in the true di- 
 rection, fit connection with this matter, 1 may remark 
 that individual explorations of our public lands the past 
 year have added much to the knowledge of their value 
 and of their mineral resources. 
 
 Measures are in a satisfactory state of progress for the 
 restoration of the tish in our rivers, which once so plen- 
 teously inhabited them. AVays have been constructed 
 over the dams at Lawrence and Lowell at considerable 
 expense by the State of Massachusetts, which, with some 
 modification, promise to prove successful in accomplish- 
 ing the object sought. I am glad to commend the hearty 
 co-operation nf that commonwealth in this enterprise. 
 
 The condition of the state-prison has been carefully 
 considered during my administration. For many years 
 the rate paid tor labor of convicts has been fortv cents 
 per day. and a five years' contract at this rate expires in 
 August next. The warden was instructed in .lanuarv 
 la>t to advertise tor proposals tor this labor, which 
 resulted in a contract with responsible parties tor two 
 thirds of the nn-n at ninety cents per day for five vcars.
 
 VALEDICTORY MESSAGE. 297 
 
 and seventy-five cents per day for the remaining third for 
 three years, and at the expiration of three years all of the 
 men at the first-named price. By an act of the last legis- 
 lature, the governor and council were requested, if they 
 deemed it advisable, to procure plans and estimates of 
 costs for enlarging the prison. Tpon investigation, while 
 we were unable to approve of the present buildings, we 
 were satisfied that the alterations necessary for any essen- 
 tial improvement must be so radical and expensive that 
 you would be unwilling to increase the burdens of the 
 treasury at present by an enterprise of this character. As 
 the prison seems to have been substantially self-sustain- 
 ing in the past on less than half the receipts for labor to 
 be realized in the future, I am gratified to believe that 
 this arrangement will enable you to act untrammeled by 
 the considerations which have governed us. 
 
 I may also congratulate you on the revision of the 
 statutes, which has been accomplished by the able- and 
 learned commission appointed for that purpose. The im- 
 portance of the work will be recognized by all who know 
 the value of systematic and well-arranged statute books. 
 
 At the close of the war, the State was without any or- 
 ganized militia. With the aid of the adjutant-general, 
 whose services in this direction we shall ever remember, 
 the work of organizing the State militia, in accordance 
 with the present laws, has been successfully accomplished, 
 and Xew Elampshire can now boast of a military organiz- 
 ation believed to be the best she has ever enjoyed. 
 
 A volume of State papers, prepared by the Rev. Dr. 
 Xathaniel 1'outon. under authority of a commission 
 issued by the governor and council, is now nearly ready 
 for publication, and will consist, first, of the very earliest 
 provincial papers and documents that can be found, from 
 1629 to 1050: second, of the ancient papers and records 
 found in the office of the secretary of state of Massachu- 
 setts, from 1!41 to 1'i^O. while Xew Hampshire was sub-
 
 298 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 ject to the jurisdiction of that State ; third, of the records 
 of the " Council " and the " Council and Assembly " of 
 Xew Hampshire, from 1692 to 1700 ; fourth, of miscella- 
 neous papers and letters, official and private, illustrative 
 of the state of the Province, Indian ravages, privations 
 and sufferings of the inhabitants, and the growth of the 
 settlements in the aforesaid periods. It is estimated that 
 the entire work will comprise seven volumes octavo, of 
 600 pages each. 
 
 And now, gentlemen of the legislature, I gladly sur- 
 render these important trusts, confided to my keeping by 
 a generous people, into the hands of my successor, be- 
 speaking for him the same kindness which has cheered 
 me in my labor, and that high regard dive to his services 
 on the battle-field and his public labors in the civil walks 
 of lite. But though glad to be relieved from cares and 
 anxieties which have almost exclusively occupied me dur- 
 ing the past two years, I shall ever esteem dear the honor, 
 prosperity, and glory of my native State, whose interests 
 are only subordinate to the welfare of a restored and 
 peaceful Union. May the Supreme Kuler of nations and 
 States strengthen and uphold you in the discharge of 
 every duty : may harmonious counsels, just laws, wise 
 measures, and undisturbed peace, mark the duration of 
 your official terms, and the consciousness of work well 
 done ever attend you through all your future career. 
 With a heart full of gratitude to God for whatever 
 strength He lias given me in my endeavors faithfully to 
 perform my duty, and for the manner in which he has fa- 
 vorably inclined the minds of the people, I now surrender 
 these trusts, hoping they have not suffered in my keeping. 
 My official record is now completed. I trust it may stand 
 the test of examination, of criticism, and of time, be ap- 
 proved by the people, and by Him to whom we must all 
 render an account at last.
 
 PRESS COMMENTS. 299 
 
 The following press comments upon the valedictory 
 address are quoted : 
 
 The Manchester Mirror .said : " The valedictory is a 
 full and clear review of the prominent events and results 
 of two years of arduous service in the chief magistracy. 
 Governor Smyth has nothing to conceal or evade. He 
 has done his whole duty, and done it well. He knows the 
 exact financial condition of the State, and he states it with 
 the clearness of full and accurate knowledge. One can 
 
 o 
 
 hut feel, as he closes the reading of this message, that an 
 arduous stewardship has been indeed nobly fulfilled.'' 
 
 From the Boston Journal : " Governor Smyth's admin- 
 istration has been highly successful, not only in a financial 
 point of view, which is demonstrated by statistics, but in 
 all other respects. He has been indefatigable in pressing 
 the claims of his State, taking refusal after refusal only 
 as spurs to his final triumph." 
 
 From the Commercial Bulletin : "Yesterday at half-past 
 twelve P. M. the term of service of Hon. Frederick Smyth 
 as governor of jSTew Hampshire came to a close. An ad- 
 dress delivered by him on that occasion is found in this 
 sheet, which contains facts that will afford the highest 
 satisfaction to the people whose executive head he has 
 been the last two years. To say that the public concerns 
 of the State have been well cared for by Governor Smyth, 
 would imperfectly express our opinion of his administra- 
 tion. He has been as vigilant and careful of the interests 
 of the people as if those concerns were personal to him- 
 self, and has so successfully managed the financial affairs of 
 the State that its credit stands as well as that of any other 
 commonwealth. He has not, furthermore, been content 
 with merely discharging the routine duties of the station 
 he occupied, but sought in other ways to promote the 
 prosperity of Xew Hampshire. If Governor Smyth had 
 not. declined further service, the people would have ex-
 
 300 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 tended bis term by a tbird election. He leaves the execu- 
 tive chair with a record to which both himself and his 
 fellow-citizens may turn with satisfaction." 
 
 From the Concord .Daily Monitor : " The (valedictory) 
 message of Governor Smyth is the fitting complement of 
 a well-rounded official life. Few men ever came into the 
 gubernatorial chair surrounded with more perplexities or 
 
 charged with higher responsibilities Two years 
 
 ago the finances of the State were in a condition of chaos. 
 Money was difficult to be obtained and only at exorbitant 
 rates. The public credit was as uncertain as the State's 
 indebtedness. To-day Governor Smyth resigns his charge 
 with the proud consciousness of leaving nothing uncer- 
 tain or unsettled which diligence, business tact, and untir- 
 ing zeal could close up and arrange Xor has 
 
 Governor Smyth's administration been merely a financial 
 success. He has neglected no single public interest. 
 Himself a practical example of all the virtues that consti- 
 tute a good citizen, he has interested himself in every 
 movement which looked to the welfare of the community 
 and the promotion of industry, temperance, and good 
 morals among the people. Sharing the popular gratitude 
 toward the brave " boys in blue," he has spared no effort 
 to serve and benefit them. Faithful to bis principles and 
 to bis political friends, be has never forgotten that lie was 
 the chief magistrate of the whole State. Everywhere 
 and always the plain republican and gentleman, he carries 
 into the retirement he voluntarily sought the conscious- 
 ness of duty faithfully performed, and the confidence and 
 respect of all patriotic and honest men. without distinction 
 of party. Such an end of official life is far better than 
 the beginning."
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 APPROVAL OF POLITICAL FRIENDS AND FOES. 
 
 A DISCUSSION took place in the Xew Hampshire House 
 of Representatives at the close of the last session during 
 the official term of Governor Smyth, which was of a 
 character so especially gratifying to him and to his friends 
 that it is introduced here. It shows the estimation in 
 which the governor's administration was held bv the 
 
 o *> , 
 
 legislators of different political opinions. The debate was 
 on a joint resolution making an appropriation of $1,500 
 for extraordinary expenses incurred by Governor Smyth. 
 
 Mr. Sanborn, of Laconia, moved to lay the resolution 
 on the table, stating that he would like to make some 
 remarks upon it. He thought the passage of the resolu- 
 tion would be setting a bad precedent that in after times 
 they would be sorry for. 
 
 Mr. Roles, of Ossipee, said that Governor Smyth had 
 stated to the Committee on Finance that he had actually 
 spent, in his opinion, SI, 500 for traveling expenses and 
 hotel bills while looking after the interests of the State at 
 Washington, Boston, and other places. There had been 
 $500 appropriated each year for contingent expenses while 
 he was in office, but he had not drawn any of that money, 
 and it remained in the treasury. Governor Smyth had 
 stated to the committee that if the House would allow the 
 amount without material objection he would like to have it, 
 but he would rather not have it than have any contest 
 over it in the House. 
 
 Mr. Walker, of Concord, stated that during the admin- 
 istration of Governor Smyth, he had been to Washington 
 some ten or twelve times, and had paid his expenses out
 
 302 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 of his own pocket. He had also, in taking care of the 
 finances of the State (and they all knew he had a good 
 deal to do with this matter), been obliged to visit different 
 parts of the State to negotiate loans with savings banks, 
 banks, and individuals, and on all such occasions he had 
 paid his bills from his own pocket, and in no case had 
 he been reimbursed for this money which he had paid out. 
 Under previous administrations, he (Mr. Walker) under- 
 stood that the custom had been for the governor to repay 
 himself for such expenses by a draft upon the treasury or 
 upon the contingent fund. Governor Smyth did not feel 
 quite clear that he could take that liberty, and hence he 
 had not been paid for this sum which he had advanced to 
 the State. The Finance Committee thought the only fair 
 and manly course for the State to take was to pay this 
 money. 
 
 Mr. Ilackett, of Portsmouth, said he trusted the vote 
 upon this question would be of such a character as to sat- 
 isfy Governor Smyth that the House took as much pleas- 
 ure in granting this sum as he would feel in receiving it. 
 He thought the House \vould not be inclined to give 
 Governor Smyth's successors a hint that when they got 
 hold of any of the funds of the State, they had better 
 take care of themselves first. The governor had scrupu- 
 lously followed up the interests of the State, and had 
 taken none of the money of the State beyond his salary. 
 His efforts had been attended with great success in press- 
 ing the claims of the State upon the General Government, 
 and in taking care of the interests of the State in every 
 direction. If he had done this at his own expense, he 
 (Mr. Ilackett) thought they should convince him, by their 
 action in this matter, that they appreciated and were 
 grateful lor what he had done. 
 
 Mr. Page, of Warren, said he took special pleasure in 
 advocating the passage of the resolution. It had been the
 
 POLITICAL APPROVAL. 303 
 
 custom to appropriate from $500 to $1,000 a year for a 
 contingent fund. He had found that Governor Smyth 
 had never meddled with this contingent fund, which his 
 predecessors had always drawn. Pie (Mr. Page) helieved 
 that he had been most scrupulously exact, more so than 
 many others would have been under the same circum- 
 stances : and in compliment to that rare integrity, and in 
 further compliment to the rare financial ability manifested 
 by the late executive, he hoped the resolution would pass. 
 He felt that he was honoring himself and complimenting 
 his constituents by giving his support to the bill. 
 
 Mr. Sturoc, of Simapee, said he acquiesced in every 
 word that had been said by the gentleman from Warren 
 and the gentleman from Portsmouth. He thought they 
 would simply be doing themselves honor and justice in 
 passing the resolution. 
 
 Mr. Sanborn, of Laconia, said he was not prepared to 
 say what course was pursued in regard to the extraordi- 
 nary expenses of Governor Berry, and he asked that the 
 resolution might be laid upon the table to give him an 
 opportunity to prepare himself to speak upon it. lie did 
 not suppose that any gentleman on the Hoor would say 
 that ex-Governor Smyth had not done all a man could do: 
 but he (Mr. Sanborn) supposed he was well aware when 
 he accepted the otHce what his salary was to be : and if, 
 at this late day, he could come in and demand $1,~>00 for 
 extraordinary services, he (Mr. Sanborn) wanted the privi- 
 lege of being heard. His constituents would like to know 
 for what their money was spent. 
 
 Mr. Page, of Warren, stated that Governor Berry re- 
 ceived special appropriations, in amount nearfy equal to 
 the amount proposed to be paid Governor Smyth, and 
 received the contingent fund also. Governor Gilmore 
 drew in orders upon the treasury over $1,000, and 
 received a special appropriation from the legislature
 
 304 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 of $1,000, and the contingent fund each year. He be- 
 lieved that this claim was less in amount than was actually 
 received by Governor Berry and Governor Gilmore 
 beyond their salaries, and he believed it was infinitely 
 better deserved. 
 
 Mr. Barnard, of Canaan, said he too was a Democrat, 
 and was willing to refund to Governor Smyth what he had 
 paid out, so that he should lose nothing by having been 
 governor of the State, as he had satisfied, as a general 
 thing, both the Democratic and Republican parties. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 Mr. True, of Plainiield, thought that if the gentleman 
 from Laconia had proper time to investigate the merits of 
 the case, he would be willing, as he (Mr. True) believed 
 every other member of the House was, to favor the resolu- 
 tion. He thought it would be ungentlemanly in the House 
 to refuse the appropriation. 
 
 The question was then taken, and the motion to lay on 
 the table lost. The resolution was subsequently passed 
 net'n. <<>/!. Governor Smyth soon afterwards acknowl- 
 edged the courteous manner in which one of his political 
 opponents had alluded to him, in the following letter : 
 
 MAXCIIKSTKI:. July 11, 1867. 
 SAMUEL B. PA<;K, Ks^. : 
 
 M;l iJtur Sir: I cannot allow the handsome manner 
 in which you were pleased to allude to some matters con- 
 nected with my administration to pass unnoticed. Your 
 remarks in the House of Representatives on the twenty- 
 eighth day of last month, upon the resolution for niy 
 extraordinary expenses while holding the position of 
 governor, were happily conceived, and under the circum- 
 stances an act of very graceful courtesy. While our 
 political convictions lead u> to different conclusions, I 
 shall not soon forget that you have shown that gentlemen 
 are not peculiar to any party.
 
 RECEPTION OF CHIEF JUSTICE CHASE. 305 
 
 Thanking you most sincere!}' for this kind and noble 
 act, I remain most sincerely your friend and obedient 
 servant, 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 On the 27th of August, 1867, Chief Justice Chase was 
 the guest of ex-Governor Smyth, and was the recipient 
 of many attentions from the citizens. He was received 
 at the depot by a large delegation, after which he dined 
 privately with his host and family. At eight r. M. the 
 doors were thrown open to the public, and hundreds filled 
 the grounds and the adjacent streets. At nine o'clock the 
 cornet band arrived and added its music to the animation 
 of the scene. The house and grounds were illuminated, 
 and the crowd very good-naturedly called on the chief 
 justice for a speech. As he came out, he was introduced 
 by the Honorable David Cross, and made a very pleasant 
 and fitting response. Ex-Governor Smyth also being 
 called on, thanked the people for the respect and atten- 
 tion they showed his guest and the nation's benefactor. 
 
 The chief justice received many invitations to visit vari- 
 ous parts of the State, most of which he was compelled 
 to decline. He however made a tour of the mills and 
 other industrial pursuits of Manchester, and also visited 
 the Xew Hampshire General Association of Ministers, 
 then in convention at Xashua, and addressed them briefly 
 on the duties of citizenship. 
 
 General Harriman, in his inaugural message to the 
 legislature, thus indorsed the financial course of Governor 
 Smyth : 
 
 " My predecessor has presented to you a clear and de- 
 tailed statement of the present condition of the finances 
 of the State. It is unnecessary to repeat that exhibit 
 here, or to anticipate the details of the treasurer's report, 
 which will soon be laid before you. The State is not 
 bankrupt. Her credit was never better than now.
 
 306 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Under the skillful financial management of my predeces- 
 sor, more than a quarter of a million was paid on her debt 
 during the past year, and with the same rate of taxation 
 an equal amount, at least, may be paid the present year. 
 The people are not poor. To say nothing of their great 
 multiplicity of resources, they have money enough on 
 deposit in our savings banks to pay the State debt nearly 
 three times over. It is gratifying to know that the extent 
 and character of our indebtedness have been carefully 
 ascertained and promptly presented to the public, thus 
 removing all cause of suspicion regarding it. The larger 
 part of the debt has been advantageously funded, and the 
 remainder placed in such condition as to be easily and 
 safely managed." 
 
 In September, 1867, ex-Governor Smyth presided at 
 the ]STew Hampshire State Fair, held at Dover, and made 
 some brief introductory remarks. The address was deliv- 
 ered by Major Ben: Perley Poore, of Massachusetts, and 
 there were speeches by Governor Harriman, Colonel 
 Xeedham, and others.
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 DEDICATION OF A SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. 
 
 EX-GOVERNOR SMYTH was invited to deliver the address 
 at the dedication of a soldiers' monument at Washington, 
 Xew Hampshire, on the 16th of October, 1867. A clear 
 and beautiful Indian summer day lent an additional 
 charm to all the exercises, which were witnessed by a 
 large concourse of people. The sturdy and intelligent 
 yeomanry left their tields, the artisans closed their shops, 
 and the operatives in the factories joined the throng 
 which congregated to pay their respects to the memory 
 of those who had died that their country might live. 
 The lovely village of Washington was handsomely decor- 
 ated for the occasion, with flags waving across the streets 
 and from the principal buildings. A procession, in which 
 marched about fifty returned soldiers, escorted the orator 
 of the day and other distinguished guests to a platform 
 erected in front of the monument. Hon. Martin Chase, 
 president of the day, made some interesting remarks 
 giving a history of the collection of funds for the erection 
 of the monument, followed by a fervent prayer by Rev. 
 S. L. Gerould, of Stoddard, late a member of the Four- 
 teenth New Hampshire Infantry. The president of the 
 day then introduced as the orator of the occasion ex- 
 Governor Smyth, who was greeted as he rose with three 
 hearty cheers. He then spoke as follows: 
 
 FRIENDS AND FKLI.OW-CITI/EXS : 
 
 On an occasion so sad and yet so joyous, so mingled 
 with the elements of grief and of thanksgiving, it would 
 be a difficult task, even for one accomplished in all the 
 graces of oratory, to rise to a full comprehension of that
 
 308 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 sublime height reached by our sacred dead; still less 
 can I hope to find words to set forth the splendor of their 
 deeds, or pay any fitting tribute to the value of their 
 services. 
 
 Happily, there is little need to tell you what you have 
 lost or what the country has gained. Those soldiers went 
 out from among yo, from their homes and farms and 
 firesides, from the altar and the church, to do battle for 
 their country. You knew them well. They were no 
 mercenary hirelings, but citizens like yourselves, bone of 
 your bone and flesh of your flesh : now, alas ! missed for 
 ever from these loved and peaceful scenes, these happy 
 homes and bright northern skies, these hills that rose 
 to their thoughts on the long, weary marches, and in- 
 spired their dreams with thoughts of home. Lost to 
 sight, but not forgotten, they live in the institutions they 
 defended, in the ;egis of civil liberty they planted, and in 
 the hearts and affections of a great and free people. 
 
 The time is yet too recent, and the tossing of the great 
 struggle too much felt, to Take a just view of the acts of 
 those we meet to honor; but already multitudes, through 
 a mist of tears, have seen the bow of promise span the 
 Graves of their fallen kindred, and have some true con- 
 
 O 
 
 ception of the value of our country and its freedom. 
 
 But while we cannot quite pierce the future, nor judge 
 'of all the omens of the day, I believe that this is to be a 
 land where the principles of civil liberty as set forth in 
 the declaration of our fathers will be lived, as well as 
 read and thought, and where every man and woman, no 
 matter what cold climes have blanched their cheeks, or 
 what tropic suns have darkened their faces, shall have the 
 noblest liberty that God ever gave to any of His people, 
 "the liberty to do right." 
 
 The attention of the traveler in Italy, and in the old 
 countries of the world, is constantly attracted to the
 
 DEDICATION OF SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. 309 
 
 numerous monuments of antiquity on every hand. Many 
 of them, although partially in ruins, are works of rare 
 beauty and grandeur, on which the most sublime artistic 
 skill has been displayed, and immense labor and vast 
 wealth expended. These beautiful columns challenge our 
 admiration for the genius, taste, and skill which con- 
 structed them; yet, on a careful examination of their his- 
 tory and now partially obliterated inscriptions, the Amer- 
 ican will be disgusted with the fact that in almost every 
 instance they were reared in the honor of rulers of great 
 renown, and AVCIV merely the expression of tyrannic 
 power and the servility of the masses, who, from choice 
 or necessity, spent lives of toil to give immortality to a 
 single man. One of the best preserved monuments of 
 this kind now standing in Rome the Column Trajan 
 is dedieated, as the inscription tells us, TO the honor of the 
 Emperor Trajan by the Senate and Roman people, A. i>. 
 114. Although more than 1,700 years old, it is now in 
 almost a perfect state of preservation. I can give you no 
 better appreciation of it than by stating the simple fact 
 that the sculptures upon it contain no less than 2,500 
 human figures. The ashes of the emperor alone are de- 
 posited within : but not the name of a single soldier of 
 the thousands who gave their live:- for his empire is re- 
 corded there. 
 
 American monuments give expression to great events., 
 and, at the same time, individualize the services of the 
 masses active in their production. Such is the monu- 
 ment before us. In accordance with our national appre- 
 ciation of individual life, and tin- service:- of our soldiers 
 in the ranks, von have engraven upon it the name ot 
 everv man in vour town, however humble Ins position. 
 who gave his life righting our hattle>. 
 
 One of the most important truths demonstrated by our 
 late war is this : that the nation which attache;- the most
 
 310 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 value to individual life and gives the most freedom to in- 
 dividual action for the sake of its life, and for the sake of 
 freedom itself and the world, made the most stupendous 
 voluntary sacrifice of life known to history. Standing 
 armies of mercenary troops support despotic power, 
 but we have taught the world the great lesson that 
 gigantic armies of volunteers, fighting for freedom and 
 national existence, have been persistently maintained 
 throughout a great conflict, whose frequently recurring 
 battles and great carnage would have exhausted any other 
 people on earth. 
 
 "We do well, then, to honor those who have fallen in 
 such a contest, and we do honor them. It is safe to say 
 that our armies have commanded, to a greater extent than 
 any other armies which have ever made the venture of 
 war, the sympathy of their countrymen, their active aid 
 and support, their care for the sick and wounded, and for 
 the disabled who have survived. And no nation has ever 
 so tenderly and carefully disposed of its heroic dead, or 
 so generally honored them in their burial, as have the 
 American people. 
 
 Such monuments as this, of material as enduring as the 
 hills from which it is taken, scattered all over our broad 
 land, will, to the remotest ages, in connection with our 
 written history, keep fresh the memory of such as we 
 honor to-day, and multiply the proofs of the patriotism 
 and the sacrifices of our recent struggle. 
 
 "When you and I, my friends, and all these children 
 assembled here on this fitting autumnal day, shall be 
 sice] ling with the fathers, generations yet unborn and 
 their children's children will gather around this shaft, and 
 upon this sacred spot rehearse the storv of the conflict in 
 \vhich these sons of your town gave their lives: while 
 coming nges. t'n>m a standpoint of civilization and appre- 
 ciation of merit beyond our own, shall look back upon
 
 DEDICATION OF SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. 311 
 
 you, and, with hands upraised in benediction, pronounce 
 a blessing upon the work you have to-day brought to a 
 worthy completion. 
 
 Yes, citizens of Washington, these are the martyrs, the 
 seed of our universal church of liberty and of human 
 rights ; and you have done well to build this simple but 
 beautiful and expressive monument of perpetual remem- 
 brance ; and my admiration of the course you have taken 
 is not unmingled with surprise when I observe how many 
 larger towns, and even wealthy cities, are behind you in 
 this matter. Indeed, with one exception, I believe your 
 town is the first to lead in this noble work. And yet this 
 should be no cause of surprise; for do we not know that 
 among the hills and in the quiet haunts of a rural popula- 
 tion, the love of liberty is always pure and strong ? Here, 
 if anywhere, the true worth of our civil and religious in- 
 
 ' O 
 
 stitutions is appreciated and adhered to with a tenacity of 
 purpose that no reverses can discourage and no danger 
 daunt. 
 
 I hope to see the time when this praiseworthy example 
 of yours will be followed throughout the State and all 
 
 t/ O 
 
 over the land ; when every town and city, each according 
 to the measure of its ability, shall build and inscribe some 
 token of a grateful people's love for their brave defenders. 
 I would have the world know that republics are not un- 
 grateful, and that, as we sacredly provide for the comfort 
 and maintenance of the living who came out of the con- 
 test poor in everything save honor, so we shall ever 
 cherish the memory of the dead. 
 
 I said that we should show that republics are not un- 
 grateful: but if it were only in the interest of self-preser- 
 vation, 1 hold that we should set an example to the young, 
 that we should instill into every heart that fervid and 
 U'onuine love of country which hesitates at no honorable 
 sacrifice to preserve its liberties untramineled or its honor 
 untarnished.
 
 312 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Let us make, keep, and sustain such a sentiment of 
 regard for the surviving heroes of the war, that, while 
 having faithfully served in freedom's cause, they shall be 
 made to feel that they are duly honored ; and let us so 
 tenderly cherish the great services of the dead, that the 
 sentiment adopted by the martyr patriot of the first 
 Revolution, " It is sweet to die for one's country," shall 
 be no mere fancy of the poet. 
 
 To us as American citizens, these graves of the loyal 
 dead are perpetual incentives to duty. Every green 
 mound on which the falling leaves of autumn softly drop 
 their gold and scarlet wreaths, every monument of stone, 
 or bronze, or marble that points from earth to heaven , 
 admonishes us of our sacred charge. 
 
 As much as any one I believe in peace and peaceful 
 measures ; as much as any one I desire the lasting and 
 perpetual union of these States on terms of republican 
 justice and equality. But in such a presence as this, and 
 with all the sacrifice of the long years of blood and car- 
 nage so resolutely borne by the people, I, for one, can 
 never consent to any renewal of fraternal union that is 
 not founded on the absolute equality in right of every 
 citizen, irrespective of mere accident of birth. Such I 
 believe to be the trust reposed in us, and especially can 
 no man, not actually and personally engaged in the 
 struggle, persuade himself that he ought to do less than 
 to retain and improve what they have given us by their 
 lives. Let us cherish neither malice nor revenge; but 
 that love \vliich sacrifices principle is never trustworthy, 
 and a union bound by false compromises must fall with 
 every disturbance of conflicting interest, or degenerate 
 into a despotism. 
 
 Such, fellow-citizens, are my sentiments in regard to 
 our duty growing out of the war. Are they not true, 
 and worthy of the time and occasion ? For, in the first 
 pla-e, unless the war was all wrong, and the Northern
 
 DEDICATION OF SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. 313 
 
 people not justified in defending the policy, the freedom, 
 and the religion of our fathers against the aggressive 
 power of slavery, we must learn some lessons of wisdom 
 from the result of the contest. The moral judgment of 
 the world and of posterity will not hold us guiltless if we 
 do not. But pardon me ; I should remember that you 
 do not need to be told your duty, and that you have made 
 up your minds on that point. 
 
 If I speak to any who have lost near friends, it is rather 
 to congratulate than to console. Death meets us all 
 sooner or later, and to him who is armed in a righteous 
 cause, and who falls for that dear flag which is the symbol 
 of his country's greatness, death can never come in a 
 more glorious form. I confess to you that in the presence 
 of these war-worn veterans, and the more thrilling pres- 
 ence of this silent but eloquent shaft, I am subdued and 
 abashed when I think how little I have sacrificed in the 
 common cause ; and I feel that it becomes me to approach 
 this consecrated ground with reverence and uncovered 
 head ; but surely neither I nor any of us can go from this 
 place careless or unconcerned for the honor of our country. 
 
 Let us rather pledge ourselves anew to tireless devotion 
 to its cause, and a determination that whatever traitors 
 may dare or do, our hands shall be clean from the destruc- 
 tion of this fair fabric of civil liberty which the fathers have 
 builded. Let no man call us usurpers or tyrants ove 
 other men's rights; we will accord to them all. to every 
 fellow-citizen beneath the starry flag, the same rights we 
 claim for ourselves, no more, no less. 
 
 But, my friends and fellow-citizens, I think that through 
 all the clouds which skirt the near horizon we can discern 
 the dawn of a brighter and more peaceful day. When 
 the moss begins to grow upon this monument, when time 
 has softened its sharp angles and spread its green covering 
 over the mound where it stands, the passions and asperi-
 
 314 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 ties of men will have cooled down, and the great sea, so 
 lately rough and rolling with a tremendous storm, Avill 
 become as calm and placid as the summer lake. 
 
 The good old ship of State, complete in every minute 
 detail of spar and sail, with her great guns that herald 
 everywhere the advance of freedom, will sit upon the 
 waters instinct with a life and strength and vital force 
 which shall make her known, feared, and loved, till the 
 latest pulse-beat on the shores of Time. If they who laid 
 her keel, and framed her mighty ribs, and planked her 
 solid deck are worthy of all praise, so I am persuaded 
 that history will accord honorable place to those who have 
 taken her nobly through the storm with the flag nailed to 
 the masthead. " Xot a stripe erased or polluted, nor a 
 single star obscured." Xay, fellow-citizens, should the 
 result be otherwise, then were contradicted the experi- 
 ences of all past time, and the hand upon the dial-plate 
 of progress toward more just and equitable government 
 throughout the world would be turned back. 
 
 But I do not believe that this will be done that death- 
 struck slavery will revive, or that Russia will relapse into 
 serfdom, or that Englishmen, having once wielded the 
 right of suffrage, will bow to their masters the lords in 
 Parliament, or that Protestant Christendom, now sitting 
 clothed and in her right mind, will make pilgrimages to 
 the shrine of St. Peter, or renew allegiance to the Pope 
 at Koine. Xo : all these are victories won and dangers 
 passed: we have but to build wisely in the present, and 
 stret'-h forward with hope and confidence to the future, 
 trusting in the hand of that overruling Providence which 
 has accepted the sacrifice of high devotion, and which will 
 never desert us so long as we remain true to the great 
 principles of civil liberty, as developed by a Christian 
 civilization. 
 
 The lai'LT' 1 audience listened with the closest attention
 
 DEDICATION OF SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. 315 
 
 to the address, and many eyes suffused in tears plainly 
 told that the precious memory of the sleeping patriots 
 was embalmed in loving hearts as well as sculptured on 
 monumental stone. 
 
 On motion of E. P. Howard, a vote of thanks was 
 given to ex-Governor Smyth for his eloquent oration, and 
 a copy was solicited for publication. Brief and interest- 
 ing addresses were made by several other gentlemen, and 
 the dedication ceremonies were closed by the returned 
 soldiers, who, headed by ex-Governor Smyth and Colonel 
 King, inarched in procession to the monument, where, 
 with uncovered heads, they deposited sprigs of evergreen 
 as emblematical of their constant affection for their de- 
 parted comrades, the band meanwhile playing a solemn 
 dirsre. This closed the dedication exercises.
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 VISIT TO EUROPE. THE EAST. 
 
 PRESIDENT HAYES appointed ex-Governor Smyth, in 
 1878, an honorary commissioner to the International Ex- 
 position at Paris. He left the port of Xew York, accom- 
 panied by Mrs. Smyth, on the 24th of April, on the 
 steamer Russia, for Liverpool. The voyage across the 
 Atlantic was prosperous and not marked by any incident 
 worthy of special mention. After passing a week in 
 England, chiefly in London, they went to Paris, where 
 the International Exposition was open, and there was 
 nothing to be done by the honorary commissioners ex- 
 cept to attend official banquets and receptions. 
 
 Ex-Governor Smyth and his wife had long cherished a 
 desire to travel in the Old World, especially those portions 
 of it hallowed by scriptural associations, and after having 
 inspected the International Exposition, they turned their 
 backs on the frivolities of Paris and started for the Holy 
 Land. The following extracts from the ex-governor's 
 private correspondence, which were published at the time 
 in the Manchester Mirror and American, will give a good 
 idea of where the travelers went and of what they saw. 
 
 HOTEL MKDITKKKAXKAN, 
 MOUNT ZION. JKKUSALFM, 
 
 June fi, 1878. 
 
 DEAR BROTH KR: I can only briefly outline our jour- 
 ney from Paris. "We left there on the 14th ult. by rail 
 trom Marseilles, fiOO miles through the southern part of 
 France >/'/ Fontainebleau, Dijon, Lyons, and numerous 
 other grim old towns in the richest agricultural portions 
 ot the country, regions famous for the vine, silk, and the
 
 VISIT TO EUROPE. 317 
 
 olive. I passed over this route in 1862, and thought it 
 quite as interesting along the banks of the Khone and the 
 Saone as on the Rhine, and am of the same opinion still. 
 
 From Marseilles we took steamer for Alexandria, 
 Egypt, passing near the islands of Corsica, Elba, and 
 Monte Christo, the scene of Dumas' famous story, and 
 on the third day entered the J>ay of Naples at sunrise. 
 Old Vesuvius was smoking away just as I left it sixteen 
 years ago, although there had been one eruption mean- 
 while, in 1872. The entrance to this beautiful bay is as 
 impressive as ever, and we spent a most enjoyable day in 
 and about the city. I could see little change, but as at 
 sunset we sailed out again among the numerous islands 
 that bestud the harbor, the charm was undiminished. 
 
 In the next two days we passed over nearly the same 
 route as did St. Paul when shipwrecked on the journey 
 to Rome, and touched at Pozzuoli, then Puteoli, passing 
 near Reggio, Melita, etc. As we passed between the 
 island of Sicily and the southern point of Italv, Sevlla 
 
 V -I t ; ' \1 
 
 and Charybdis, Mount Etna was in plain view, and so 
 continued nearly all day, the sight of its snow-clad sum- 
 mit in this southern clime being quite refreshing. The 
 Ionian Islands and Candia next came in sight. May 22, 
 we saw the coast of Africa bordering the great Lybian 
 desert, and before night reached Alexandria, in the land 
 of Egypt. Cleopatra's Xeedle and Pompey's Pillar, signs 
 by which every traveler knows this land, from Peter Par- 
 ley down and up, first catch the eye; and on landing, 
 what a scene, what dire confusion ! Egyptians, Arabs, 
 Nubians. Tunisians, every color, all styles of dress, and 
 no dress at all ! Donkeys, camels, pilgrims, dervishes, 
 all howling, yelling, and in one conglomerate mass rush- 
 ing upon us ! It would have frightened any one who had 
 not encountered that organized banditti known as Xew 
 York hack-drivers. Fortunately we had an Arabian
 
 318 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 friend with us who could speak nearly all their languages, 
 and with his cane he banged them right and left, making 
 a clean path for us to the custom-house, from whence we 
 soon reached our comfortable hotel. 
 
 Soon after the fall of Tyre, the books tell us, more than 
 2,200 years ago, Alexandria became the commercial em- 
 porium of Egypt, and now it is a city in a world of ruins. 
 For miles and miles in every direction there are scattered 
 remains of other ages, beautifully carved columns, frag- 
 ments of statues, heads, arms, and legs in promiscuous 
 confusion, as thick as the stones in the pastures of Can- 
 dia, our native town. 
 
 After several days of rare and \ (leasing experiences, we 
 passed on to Cairo through rich lands made fertile by 
 water brought from the Nile bv canal to Alexandria. 
 
 O v 
 
 They were harvesting enormous crops of wheat, and the 
 land also bears abundantly of rice and cotton. Men, 
 women, boys, and girls all work together in. the fields, 
 and all nearly or quite naked. The canal is tapped at 
 various intervals, and when the Xile water cannot be had, 
 it is drawn from wells, sometimes with the old-fashioned 
 sweep and bucket of our boyhood. The grain is gath- 
 ered in vast heaps near the threshing-floors, and is trodden 
 out by donkeys or cows, and carried on the backs of 
 donkeys or camels. A camel loaded with unthreshed 
 grain looks in shape like a cart loaded, only its four legs, 
 like sticks, are visible as it moves in a stately way under 
 
 its burden From Alexandria to Cairo, 130 
 
 miles, we crossed the Xile several times, visited the Pyra- 
 mids and Sphinx, saw the spots of traditionary interest at 
 Memphis, the home of the Pharoahs, of Potiphar, the 
 granaries of Joseph, the spot where Moses was found, 
 passed over a portion of the desert where the children of 
 Israel journeyed, and through the land of Goshen. At 
 the village of Mataryeh the spot is shown where Joseph,
 
 VISIT TO EUROPE. 319 
 
 with Mary and the infant Jesus, is said to have tarried 
 when they fled from Herod. Of course, as you know, 
 the Pyramids, tombs of the Caliphs, and many of the 
 most interesting ruins are on the border of the great Afri- 
 can desert, ten miles or more from the city, and we went 
 on donkeys, meeting many a passing train of camels laden 
 with merchandise. Our journey out of the land of Egypt 
 was somewhat briefer than that of the Israelites, and pro- 
 ductive of less trouble to ourselves and others. On our 
 way, however, to the Red Sea, we watched with curious 
 interest signs of their route. We took boat at Ismailia, 
 through the Suez Canal, and at Port Said found the same 
 steamer we had left at Alexandria. Arrived at Jaffa, we 
 went to the house of "one Simon, a tanner." We found 
 not Simon, nor Peter, nor Cornelius, but we looked over 
 the house, plucked, as a memento, some of the "hyssop 
 that groweth out of the wall," and departed. At this 
 port, King Hiram landed the cedars which he gave to Sol- 
 omon for the building of the temple; but however they 
 were carried to Jerusalem puzzles one. 
 
 Although it is the only carriage road in the region, it is 
 hardly possible to squeeze more abominable roughness 
 into forty miles. A cart driven at hap-hazard over the 
 rocky pastures of Candia, walls and all, could hardlv pro- 
 duce more startling effects. The view of Joppa from the 
 sea is tine, its terraced streets and flat-roofed houses of 
 stone looking well in the distance': but, when there, one 
 struggles through the narrow, dirty lanes, and looks into 
 the caves they occupy for dwellings, with a disgust which 
 is not relieved by the tilth, squalor, and nakedness which 
 everywhere prevails. On the other hand, as we go toward 
 Jerusalem, luxurious gardens stretch away for a mile or 
 more, with hedges of cactus ten feet high and from five 
 to six feet thick, in full bloom : orange trees, bending 
 with golden fruit; and the pomegranate, with its crimson
 
 320 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 blossom, forming a scene of unsurpassed beauty. And 
 now, on leaving these suburbs, we come into a land of 
 historic and sacred interest. Through the plains of Sharon 
 to Lydda, where Peter healed Eneas, to Ramleh, the re- 
 puted home of Joseph of Arimathea, where we lodge, 
 
 J. A ' O ' 
 
 sleeping on the housetops ; thence on through old Philis- 
 tine battle-fields, the valley of Ajalon, k where Joshua 
 stayed the sun, and Anathoth, the birthplace of Jeremiah; 
 now we cross the little brook (David's armory said to be 
 near the spot) where Goliath was slain, and pass in sight 
 of where the ark of the covenant rested for so many 
 years, Kirjath-jearim ; also the house and tomb of Sam- 
 uel. All this time we have been going up, up toward the 
 mountains that lie round about Jerusalem, through lands 
 where every foot was once a terraced garden, but which 
 are now a most desolate wilderness. Within signal dis- 
 tance along the route are watch-towers, where live armed 
 men with fleet horses, to protect travelers from the sons 
 of Ishmael. whose hand is against every man. And now, 
 weary and shaken with the journey, we reach the last 
 mountain top, and see the Holy City, "beautiful for situa- 
 tion.'' Perhaps so once, when crowned with the verdure 
 of successful cultivation : but now, enthroned on a rock, 
 in the midst of a wild, mountainous country, it is bare 
 and desolate indeed. The walls, towers, minarets, and 
 dwellings are all of a creamy-hued stone, and though 
 pleasant in look, are yet unrelieved by tree or shrub of 
 living green, glaring in the sun. 
 
 JERL' .SALEM, June 12, 1878. 
 
 DEAR BROTHER : From the top of our hotel, looking 
 east over Mount Calvary, Mount Moriah, the ruins of Sol- 
 omon's Temple, and the valley of Jehoshaphat, we see the 
 Mount of ( Mives and the Garden of Gethseniane. A little 
 to the right, three miles away, is Bethany, and on the left,
 
 TRAVELS IN THE EAST. 321 
 
 Mizpah, the tomb of Samuel, and the mountains of Ju- 
 <lea. Further on arise the mountains of Moab, and we 
 catch glimpses of the valley of the Jordan and the Dead 
 Sea. Westward, over the valley of Hinnom, the Hill of 
 Evil Council and Mount Elias are in full view. The 
 Bethlehem road, trodden by the feet of patriarchs, pro- 
 phets, apostles, and by our Saviour, in so many centuries, 
 is lost behind these hills; and in addition to all this is the 
 panorama scene of the city of Zion. 
 
 Xight after night, as we come in from our journeys to 
 these sacred localities, we go out into the moonlight, gaze 
 upon these scenes, try to recall the momentous events 
 these hills have witnessed, and our childhood's dreams 
 concerning the story of the Scriptures, until exhausted 
 nature commands us to our couch, there to dream over 
 a;ain these wonderful events. 
 
 O 
 
 At five o'clock in the morning we are in the saddle, re- 
 tiring and reading up on Bible history in the heat of the 
 day, and then mounting our donkeys again in the after- 
 noon. The order of our going is usually as follows : 
 first, a tremendous dragoman, armed to the teeth, with 
 a drawn sword, who clears the way ; then F. S. on horse- 
 back ; thirdly, E. on a donkey attended by a boy who 
 keeps the donkey up to time and tune, as he brays every 
 few moments with fearful noise. One day we thus visited 
 the Mount of Olives and (iarden of Gethseniane, and fol- 
 lowed what must have been the path of our Saviour, over 
 the top of the mount to Bethany. From this side of the 
 mount are visible the Dead Sea. the River .Jordan, and the 
 mountains of Moab beyond. 
 
 On another day we rode around the outside of the city 
 walls, beginning at the golden gate, passing through the 
 vallev of Jehoshaphat and that of Hinnom or Tophet, by 
 the tombs of Absalom, Zachariah, St. .lames, and the 
 pools of Solomon, well of En-rogel, and over the brook 
 Kedron. 
 
 21
 
 322 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 The day we went to Bethlehem was crowded with stir- 
 ring experiences ; every inch of the soil over which we 
 passed seemed endowed with power to move us with in- 
 describable interest. 
 
 The plain of Rephaim, at the foot of Mt. Elias, is where 
 the scene pictured in the fifth of Second Samuel, of the 
 Philistine defiance to David, took place. It is so graphic 
 and so curious that I will transcribe it here : " And the 
 Philistines came up yet again and spread themselves in 
 the valley of Rephaim, and when David inquired of the 
 Lord, he said : Thou shalt not go up ; but fetch a com- 
 pass behind them, and come upon them over against the 
 mulberry trees ; and let it be, when thou hearest the sound 
 of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then 
 thou shalt bestir thyself; for then shall the Lord go out 
 before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines." 
 
 Very soon we came to the valley of the shepherds 
 where they watched their flocks on that night when the 
 birth of Christ was announced, and then "in the way of 
 Ephrath," where Jews of the more devout sort were sit- 
 ting at the tomb of Rachel reading their Hebrew bibles. 
 Xear here "Rama" was pointed out (Matt. ii. 18), and 
 now Bethlehem is before us. How wonderful it seems ; 
 and how it carries us back to the days when God talked 
 with men ! " And Jacob called the name of the place 
 where God spake with him Beth-el." Gen. xxxv. 15. "And 
 Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which 
 is Bethlehem." Gen. xxxv. 19. And so it cannot have 
 been far from herein any event. Bethlehem, itself on a hill, 
 is surrounded by other hills. Here David tended his 
 father's sheep, and here over these pastures still browse 
 the sheep and goats. Reapers are cutting the ripened 
 grain, women and children are gleaning in the fields; the 
 old story over again of Ruth and Boaz ; and here, too, 
 was the advent of one greater than all, the Saviour of the 
 world. Thev show us the manger in a cave, such a
 
 TRAVELS IN THE EAST. 323 
 
 cave as is now used for a stable in this country, and as 
 caves are comparatively safe from the changes and decay 
 of time, I see no reason why this may not have been the 
 place. We rode back to Jerusalem by moonlight, stop- 
 ping again at the tomb of Rachel, where at sundown come 
 Jews all the way from the city to wail and lament their 
 fallen nation. At bedtime we stood at the " gate of 
 Zion," and what a change from the memories and thoughts 
 of the day, braying of donkeys, the groans of camels, 
 barking of dogs, songs and yells of Arabs, Egyptians, 
 Jews, Turks, Abyssinians, Hivites, Jebusites, and Periz- 
 zites ! As you well know, there are a thousand things 
 of deepest interest here that I cannot even find time to 
 name. The pools of Solomon, source of the water supply 
 of the city ; his garden, still cultivated and rich ; tombs 
 of judges and kings; r the tomb of David; the wailing- 
 place of the Jews by the only remaining fragment of the 
 temple wall ; and the place of the trial and the crucifixion, 
 I must pass now. 
 
 It seems to me that no candid person who has read the 
 Scriptures carefully, can travel in this land without having 
 his faith strengthened, though it had been never so weak ; 
 and, if strong before, as was mine, it will surely be con- 
 firmed if one's eyes and mind be open to evidences 
 spread out on every hand. 
 
 As we passed over the plains of Sharon where the 
 Philistines lived and had possession until David, and then 
 up through the mountains of Judea, where almost every 
 hill and vallev mav be recognized by the Bible descrip- 
 
 V .' O / 
 
 tion alone as places of repeated struggles between the 
 children of Israel and the idolaters, and, as we saw evi- 
 dences of once great fertility in these lands now desolate, 
 barren, scorched by the curse of God, as foretold in Jere- 
 miah, for the sins of the Jews, we feel that no further 
 evidence is needed, and that the Creator of the world has 
 kept his promise to the children of men.
 
 324 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Then, reading the history of Jerusalem and other cities 
 of this land, can anything surpass the entire fulfillment 
 of the words of God and the later declarations of his Son 
 as I see it before my eyes to-day ? Surely nothing more 
 is needed to confirm one's faith in the truth of the Word 
 of God. I suppose that the people among whom Christ 
 was born, lived, and grew to manhood, were just about 
 the same as to habits, manners, and morals then that they 
 are now. They are nearly all miserable, lying, cheating, 
 thieving rascals. To my mind no human being could be 
 born and reared in such a Sodom and be perfect as Christ 
 was. He must have been divine. 
 
 All the great natural features of the country have seen 
 no change, and can, for the most part, be identified from 
 the Bible ; but the works of man are buried in tenfold 
 ruin. In the cities the dust of the streets our Saviour 
 trod is buried beneath other streets to the depth of sixty 
 or seventy feet. The tops of Mts. Zion, Moriah, and Cal- 
 vary may not have changed ; but the strong foundation 
 arches of buildings and temples are overwhelmed and 
 hidden in ruin upon ruin, so that when they tell us of the 
 exact site of this and the other great event in the sacred 
 history, we are compelled to turn away in disgust. 
 
 In a few days we shall start for Smyrna and Constanti- 
 nople, and from thence go to Athens, from which place I 
 will write you again. 
 
 We have received very gratifying attentions from the 
 American consuls at Jaffa and Jerusalem, finding our 
 rooms prepared for us in advance, and our movements 
 facilitated in every way. We have kept in advance of the 
 mails, and have had no word from home since the 27th of 
 April. I need not tell you how anxious we are to get to 
 Athens, where we expect to receive letters and papers.
 
 TRAVELS IN THE EAST. 325 
 
 GRAND HOTEL D'ANGLETEKRE, 
 ATHENS, GREECE, June 27, 1878. 
 
 I can only give you a brief account of our movements 
 since my last letter from Jerusalem. 
 
 Following the fashion of Jonah (Jonah v. 3), \ve went 
 down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid our 
 fare and went down into it ; but, unlike that prophet, we 
 were not swallowed by any great fish. A very small 
 creature, however, which has ruled in these lands since 
 David's day (see 1 Samuel, xxvi. 20), does his best to 
 devour us. 
 
 We sailed, or steamed rather, up the Syrian coast to 
 Beyrout (with but a glance at Cesarea, Mount Tabor, 
 scene of the transfiguration, Carmel, Acre, Tyre, Sidon, 
 Sarepta, and other places of note), where we visited the 
 American Missionary schools and college. After a very 
 pleasant interview with the Rev. Dr. Bliss and his charm- 
 ing family, and with the professors and teachers, we rode 
 some distance up the snow-capped mountains of Lebanon. 
 The great cedars which once covered the sides are no 
 more, but the wonderful view remains, and the inspiring 
 memories that make the story of this land so full of interest. 
 
 From Beyrout we touched at Cyprus, landing at Sala- 
 mis and giving a day to these famous antiquities. Once, 
 they tell us, Cyprus teemed with the active life of four 
 million inhabitants ; now, under miserable Turkish rule, 
 reduced to less than two hundred thousand. Physically 
 the Cypriote is a fine specimen of manhood; the soil is 
 rich and will produce almost any thing raised upon the 
 earth : the wines are particularly famous. AVe were 
 shown some said to be 100 years old; not being wine- 
 drinkers we tried a single teaspoonful only ; but " ' twas 
 enough." I would rather have one good drink of iced 
 Massabesic water than a hogshead of it. 
 
 You will notice that we are on the old track of St. 
 Paul again, and no doubt will say to us, ' l That is a safe
 
 326 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 road to travel." Well, we expect to keep near it for 
 some time, and so our next stopping place was the island 
 of Rhodes, most eastern isle of the vEgean Sea. The old 
 city, now not much larger than Manchester, was esteemed, 
 something more than a couple of thousand years ago, say 
 400 B. c., as one of the most magnificent cities of the 
 world. And now we are sailing among the Turco-Greek 
 islands of the ^Egean, Patmos, Samothrace, Mitylene, 
 Scio, and many other more or less familiar names, inde- 
 scribably beautiful as we touch at or come near their ver- 
 dure-clad shores, ever and anon gaining and losing sight 
 of the mountainous coast range of Asia Minor. It is all 
 like a dream or a scene of enchantment, this blue sky, 
 these sparkling waters, the thousand isles, all celebrated in 
 story and song centuries ago, and I wish I could convey 
 to you just the impression it produces upon the mind. 
 Were they not all cursed by Turkish rule these places 
 would be delightful abodes still, though in their prime 
 when America was unknown and unthought of. 
 
 It is very surprising to find how imperfect and mis- 
 leading are all our American maps of this section of the 
 world. I mentioned these impressions to one of the pro- 
 fessors of Robert College, and found that ho fully appre- 
 ciated the difficulty and was at work upon a map to meet 
 the want. Map-makers in our part of the world must 
 conclude that any thing will do that they are able to sell. 
 
 At Smyrna, the second city in Turkey and the great 
 port of Asia Minor, we spent a very interesting day. It 
 is the central point of the Levant. It claims to have been 
 the birthplace of Homer, and is very rich in ancient re- 
 mains. The tomb of Polycarp is one of the first objects 
 which meet the eye on approaching the city, and this 
 country round about is the region of the seven " churches " 
 addressed in Revelation. To most people, however, 
 Smyrna is associated with figs, raisins, oranges, and
 
 1RAVELS IN THE EAST. 327 
 
 lemons. Oftentimes, so dry and warm is the air, grapes 
 are made into raisins in clusters on the vine. 
 
 Before entering the Dardanelles we pass on the right, or 
 Asiatic shore, the Troad, the scene of the Iliad and sup- 
 posed site of ancient Troy. The changes here are not 
 merely historic hut ph} r sical, and the gradual depression 
 of the coast line has covered with water vast areas of ruin. 
 Then, too, the old cities have served as a quarry these 
 many centuries, from which Constantinople has been 
 built. 
 
 On the European side of the Sea of Marmora we saw 
 the Kussian army encamped on Turkish .soil, 250.000 
 strong, awaiting the action of the Berlin Congress. Be- 
 tween that and Constantinople are the soldiers of the sul- 
 len Turk, said to be 300,000 in number. Both armies are 
 well equipped, ready upon an}' untoward turn in negotia- 
 tions to renew the previous struggle. We heard the 
 sound of their bugles, and saw their muskets glittering* 
 
 O ' O O 
 
 in the sun lor many miles, from the deck of our steamer 
 as we passed up to Constantinople. Constantinople, city 
 of dogs, of untold and untellable carrion, and of rulers 
 worse than dogs, a literal stench in the nostrils of unfor- 
 tunate travelers and of the Christian world, without de- 
 cent streets, decent houses for the common people, or 
 decent any thing else that a good city ought to have, and 
 yet unsurpassed for beauty of situation ! The only com- 
 fortable ] daces are some private residences, the palaces of 
 the rulers and their harems, and the water. Xothing can 
 compare with its water and harbor facilities. We went 
 up the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn into the Black 
 Sea, and one day passed from Kurope into Asia and from 
 Asia to Europe eleven times. 
 
 AVe had a most enjoyable- visit at Robert College, and 
 formed pleasant acquaintances with the acting president, 
 Dr. Long, and the professors with their families. The
 
 328 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 doctor and his two daughters did us the honor to become 
 our guests the next day and night at our hotel in Pera. 
 We heard with pleasure and pride of the very high esteem 
 in which our pastor, Mr. Davis, was held hy hoth faculty 
 and students while a teacher at this noble institution. 
 Another day was spent in a very interesting manner at the 
 American school for girls at Scutari. A reception was 
 given us one evening, at which were present the American 
 minister's family, the president of Robert College and 
 family, officers from the United States gunboat here, the 
 American missionaries, and other distinguished persons. 
 
 The position of Constantinople is, in some respects, -like 
 that of is"ew York ; Galata and Pera on the north side 
 of the Golden Horn, representing Brooklyn, and Scutari 
 on the Asiatic side, Jersey City. Our hotel, a very good 
 one, was in Pera. 
 
 Through the good offices of our minister we were per- 
 mitted to see what few visitors have access to, the private 
 treasures of the government, which are securely guarded 
 within the high walls of the old imperial palace of the 
 " Sublime Porte.'' Here are the spoils of centuries, pre- 
 cious stones, pearls, crown jewels. ornaments valued at 
 many millions of dollars. There were saddles, bridles, 
 swords, pistols, the splendid military equipment of Greek 
 warriors, crusaders, knights, and monarchs who have gone 
 down under the sharp blade of the Turk. Some of these 
 arms are valued singly at over $100,000. I ventured to 
 ask why the government did not sell these treasures and 
 so far pay its debts, but was told that, being considered 
 mementos of great victories, it would be considered a 
 national disgrace to part with them. God grant that the 
 day may come when the rightful owners of those trophies 
 may again take their own. We were constantly watched 
 by twenty-five guards while inspecting the treasure, who 
 never relax their vigilance. Some of the precious stones
 
 TRAVELS IN THE EAST. 329 
 
 were valued at one half a million. Our minister, Mr. 
 Maynard, and his excellent family have been exceedingly 
 kind to us, gaining us free access to palaces, harems, and 
 the luxurious abodes of opulence not easy to be seen by 
 travelers from foreign countries. 
 
 There is an evident tone of depression visible through- 
 out the city. The common soldier fought as he was 
 ordered ; he is terribly beaten and obliged to endure the 
 sight of the hated Russian at his doors. This population 
 seems peaceful and orderly by habit, however erratic or 
 insane its rulers. The sultan has only mind and power 
 to support himself and his wives while the empire goes to 
 ruin and anarchy. The only hope for the people seems 
 to me to be in a vigorous protectorate of the Christian 
 nations. Notwithstanding its bad odors we left the city 
 with many pleasant recollections. A very agreeable party 
 of missionary and other new made friends accompanied 
 us to our steamer and remained to the moment of depart- 
 ure. We shall not soon forget their kindly adieus. 
 
 You will hear from us next at Athens. We have seen 
 the ruin that alike has fallen on religion and on fanaticism 
 so far as external monuments are concerned, and now we 
 go to muse among the dead shrines of philosophy and art 
 and to stand (in the track of Paul still) on Mars Hill. 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH.
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 VISIT TO GREECE. 
 
 EX-GOVERXOR SMYTH gave his reminiscences ot a visit 
 to Athens more at length before the Athens Club, of 
 Manchester, by its invitation. He was felicitously intro- 
 duced by Joseph Kidder, Esq., president of the club, and 
 his remarks were reported as follows : 
 
 He said that if he had supposed any scholarly talk to 
 have been required, such as the classic name of the asso- 
 ciation he had the honor to appear before might suggest, 
 he should have declined the invitation. With no time to 
 write and little to think, he was compelled to trust to 
 memory. 
 
 After the usual experiences of an Atlantic voyage, 
 came a half-hour in Liverpool, a few days in London, a 
 week in Paris, followed by the run to Marseilles and the 
 steamer to Alexandria. As the passengers from many 
 climes met at the dining table, the question u Do you 
 speak English ?" was most gratiiyingly answered in the 
 affirmative by at least one half of those present, and in a 
 very brief space all were on the best of terms. " My 
 wife," said the speaker, u who could talk no French, be- 
 ing especially social with the chief officer, who could 
 speak no English. 
 
 ' In twelve or fifteen hours, we sighted Corsica, Elba, 
 and Sardinia, and on the third day entered the Bay ot 
 Xaples at sunrise. With a brief stay in this beautiful 
 place, we kept on our way a little southeast toward Mes- 
 sina, touching at Poz/uoli and Puteoli, in the track of St. 
 Paul, passing in sight of Stromboli, the fabled mouth of
 
 VISIT TO GREECE. 331 
 
 the infernal regions, and through between Scylla and 
 Charybdis, where on either side a stone's throw would 
 have touched the shore, and then somewhat farther out at 
 sea until the warm breezes and the birds reached us from 
 the shores of Candia. From thence, holding our way 
 toward the African coast, we at length entered the harbor 
 at Alexandria. The waters swarmed with boats. The 
 boats were manned by every kind of people, and we pre- 
 pared to surrender ourselves into their hands, as there are 
 no approachable wharves, and large vessels anchor at a 
 distance from the shore. It was a new and curious ex- 
 perience, the sight of this howling multitude of black, 
 white, red, and yellow boatmen, but we had a friend on 
 board who knew their wants and their ways, and who 
 piloted us safely to the custom-house. It would be inter- 
 esting to speak of Alexandria, but I must get on to 
 Athens, briefly as possible going over our route. We 
 took our way to Cairo, partly by rail and partly by mules. 
 The great pyramids at iiftv miles distance seemed, as we 
 
 c_> -L ' v 
 
 approached them, as large and as near almost as at their 
 base. Of course we paid our respects to the Sphinx, and 
 other wonders, before turning toward Ismailia, where we 
 embarked on the Suez canal for Port Said. We got out 
 of Egypt in a more expeditious and pleasanter manner 
 than did the Israelites, although we saw with great in- 
 terest their route in the neighborhood of the Red Sea. 
 
 "Among the many sights of a wonderful land, the 
 Suez canal is one of the greatest. In general terms, 100 
 miles long, from fort}' to seventy feet wide, varying some- 
 what according to the roll of the desert, and with numer- 
 ous turn-outs like a railroad. It is thirty feet deep, and 
 cost about a million dollars a mile. It shortens the voy- 
 age from England to India 4,000 miles. On our passage 
 we met English war transports having on board a part of 
 the India contingent. We had previously seen, in the
 
 332 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 illustrated papers, these Indian soldiers, and got the idea 
 of splendidly-equipped men, six feet high or thereabouts ; 
 but the real article was far from imposing undersized 
 illolad, or with scanty clothing, they swarmed over the 
 decks. At Port Said, we joined the same vessel which 
 had brought us from Marseilles, and were welcomed by 
 the passengers like old friends. Touching at Beyrout, 
 Cyprus, and at Rhodes, we passed up the Dardanelles, 
 where the long lines -of glittering bayonets of the Russian 
 and Turkish armies were plainly seen. We passed a most 
 delightful day in Constantinople." 
 
 Relating a little incident of the landing at Cyprus, the 
 ex-governor said that, as a crowd of natives had collected 
 about the balcony of the hotel, he addressed them in a 
 volunteer stump speech. Their interest in the speech 
 seemed to be in proportion to their ignorance of the lan- 
 guage. He also, somewhere near this point, told the 
 anecdote of the lady who traveled, like many others, 
 without eyes or ears, and being asked if she saw the Dar- 
 danelles, replied, "Oh, yes; we dined with them/' 
 
 "Turning our faces towards Athens, the first point we 
 touched after leaving Constantinople was Syra, and here, 
 after many days under the crescent, we saw the cross and 
 heard the church-going bell. In about six or seven hours 
 from Syra, we strike Sunium, called the threshold of 
 Greece, where, in the midst of a desolate waste, stand 
 seven Doric columns of the temple of Minerva, and we 
 see presently the bay and field of Marathon beyond. En- 
 tering the Pineus, the harbor of Athens, the first eleva- 
 tion that catches the eye is Mount yEgaleos, where Xerxes 
 sat in his silver chair and witnessed the defeat of his 
 army and fleet in the Bay of Salamis. 
 
 "Athens was in its glory 400 years B. <:. It was in its 
 lowest estate just previous to the War of Independence, 
 about 1824. Twenty years ago, it was a city of 12,000
 
 VISIT TO GREECE. 333 
 
 inhabitants; to-day, it has perhaps 70,000. There are 
 many fine residences, good hotels, and evidences of great 
 commercial activity. It is situated about five miles from 
 the sea, in the midst of a plain surrounded by moun- 
 tains Parnassus, Pentelicus, Hymettus, and yEgaleos 
 among the number arid opening to the Gulf of Sala- 
 mis. In the central portion of this plain arises the 
 Acropolis, -a rock three times the height and size of Rock 
 Rimmon, inaccessible on three sides, and with a surface 
 once walled in, 500 by 2,000 feet. The sky, the sea, the 
 outline of the hills are all unchanged, we see them as 
 Paul looked upon them, but all else is in ruins, many 
 of the grandest description. The first temple that we 
 visited was that of Jupiter Olympus, of which only six- 
 teen columns remain. A few years ago one of them was 
 overthrown, and disclosed the fact that it was constructed 
 in pieces which were so nicely joined as to be impercepti- 
 ble to the eye. The diameter of the columns was six feet, 
 four inches, at the base, and their height fifty-five feet. 
 The temple was 354 feet long and 171 wide. 
 
 " Nearly all the famous ruins about Athens are easy of 
 access, and on the next day we visited the These um, or 
 temple of Theseus. This is the most perfect specimen of 
 antiquity that the world affords. Its columns are all 
 standing, though some of them are thrown out of line by 
 earthquakes." The speaker here named one peculiarity 
 in the construction of the temples with which he supposed 
 his hearers were familiar; all the lines which in ordinary 
 architecture are straight, are here delicate curves, and the 
 lines usually perpendicular have an inclination forward or 
 backward, as the case might be. The steps of the Par- 
 thenon, for instance, were built crowning about four 
 inches. They hace not apparently settled in thousands of 
 years ! Smyth's block was built crowning a little more 
 than four inches. He had the curiositv to examine it on
 
 334 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 his return, and found the rise only about an inch and a 
 half. "We have nothing in our city at all resembling it 
 in architecture, except, perhaps, the front of the Hanover- 
 street church.* The Parthenon next claimed our atten- 
 tion. It was built under the reign of Pericles, 437 B. c. 
 It is built of Pentelic marble, and occupies the highest 
 point of the Acropolis. It was 228 by 101 feet, sur- 
 rounded by 46 Doric, fluted columns, 34 feet high and 
 6 feet in diameter. Thirty-two of these columns are 
 still standing. I wish I could give you an adequate idea 
 of the impression this grand old ruin produced upon us. 
 Xo wonder that Joseph Cook staid there all night ! We 
 could only sit and look and question of time and old Per- 
 icles, how all this wonderful work was done by what 
 skill, what men, and at what cost 2,300 years ago! It 
 is uncertain how the Parthenon was lighted; some think 
 through the Parian marble tiles on the roof. We saw the 
 marks on the floor where the great gates swung open to 
 admit the sacred procession from Eleusis. During me- 
 dieval times, this, as well as the Theseum, was roofed over 
 and used as a church. 
 
 " Xorth of the Parthenon, and close to the wall of the 
 Acropolis, is the Erechtheum. One most remarkable 
 thing about this was the portico of Caryatides, supported 
 by gigantic female figures, and so skillfully are they 
 sculptured that the immense weight they bear seems to do 
 no violence to our idea of the strength of a woman. The 
 flow of the drapery, the curve of the limbs, and the grace 
 of the whole is inimitable. Three only, of the original 
 six, are standing. One is a copy in cement, replacing one 
 which was stolen by the English and is in the British 
 Museum. The copy is very inferior to the original. Xot 
 far from the Acropolis stands Mars' Hill, an elevation of 
 about the size of Rock Rimmon, where Paul addressed 
 the Athenians.'' 
 
 The old church, which had what was called a Grecian portico and columns.
 
 VISIT TO GREECE. 335 
 
 Perhaps one of the most interesting spots ex-Governor 
 Smyth spoke of was the Pnyx, or place of assembly for 
 the Athenian people. Here he saw and stood upon the 
 platform from which Demosthenes and all the great ora- 
 tors addressed the people. The area of the platform 
 alone would contain 8,000 persons, while the entire en- 
 closure (12,000 square yards) would hold the entire 
 Athenian people, 100,000. Of course over this there was 
 no roof, hut the remarkable purity of the atmosphere, or 
 the form of the enclosure with its walls, enabled one to 
 hear with ease from the extreme limits. To test this, Mr. 
 Constantino, a Greek gentleman and scholar well known 
 in this country, ascended the celebrated rock, or pulpit, 
 and Governor Smyth and wife were able to hear his voice 
 from the lower end of the Pnyx, even when he spoke in 
 a whisper. 
 
 The great public assemblies of the Athenians took place 
 in the early morning, at sunrise, and this laudable custom 
 is followed now, the people of the city being everywhere 
 astir at the most unheard-of hours. 
 
 Recently some very interesting excavations are in pro- 
 gress ; one, especially, of the theater where our visitors 
 saw upon the seats the names of Demosthenes, Solon, 
 Pericles, and other famous men. Here was where they sat 
 and listened to Greek tragedy. A large amount of money 
 has been appropriated for a national museum, and many 
 antique remains are gathered and preserved in the The- 
 seum for that purpose. When this project is carried into 
 effect, Greece will have a museum such as the world can- 
 not equal. 
 
 The ex-governor said that, notwithstanding the plun- 
 dering of thousands of years, the soil about the Acropo- 
 lis is full of articles of interest, for any one of which, as 
 relies, he would gladly have paid a hundred dollars 
 to have had sent to his home, but the distance was great
 
 336 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 and the mails do not carry marbles. One day they visited 
 the Academy and the olive groves where Pluto taught, 
 and such was the climate that these schools were out of 
 doors, and astronomy was always taught under the starry 
 sky. He also spoke of the visit to the Stadium, or Am- 
 phitheatre, shaped precisely like a clam-shell. " The seats 
 and walls were of white marble, and it was capable of 
 seating 50,000 people in the day of its glory. Xow only 
 the shape remains ; the marble has been carried away or 
 burned for lime. AVe traced with much interest the 
 course of those famous classic rivers, the Ilissus, on the 
 southeast, and the Kephisus, on the west of the city. 
 They did not look to have been ever larger than the cem- 
 etery brook, and were dry at the time of our visit. It is 
 to be supposed, however, that in the springtime they may 
 be torrents of considerable force. Many curious and in- 
 teresting facts were mentioned which we failed to record. 
 It was said, for instance, that none of the temples were 
 set in line, but each by its independent position and angle 
 compelled attention." 
 
 As most of us know, the ex-governor is a very rapid 
 talker, and while we followed him along the " sacred 
 way" to the beautiful Bay of Eleusis, or to the Acropolis 
 of Corinth, or listened to the account of the heroic de- 
 fense of Mesolonghi, where Lord Byron died, it was diffi- 
 cult to give any adequate report.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 CLOSE OF KUROPEAN TOUR. IIOMKWAKD BOUND. 
 
 RESUMING the publication of the extracts from ex-Gov- 
 ernor Smyth's private correspondence, we have the fol- 
 lowing graphic yet brief descriptions of Greece, and of a 
 flying visit through Europe : 
 
 CITY OK CORFU, ON ISLAND OF COUFU, 
 STRAIT OF OTRANTO, July '2, 1878. 
 
 We are so constantly passing from one scene to another 
 that we find little time to write. My last, concerning Con- 
 stantinople, was sent you from Athens. We left the 
 former city in an Austrian steamer, and had a very pleas- 
 ant voyage, touching at several of the islands in the 
 Grecian Archipelago. One of them, Lyra, was the first 
 place we had been in since our landing in Egypt not 
 cursed by the taint of Turkish rule. Although we are 
 no Romanists, yet I assure yon that the supplanting of 
 the crescent by the cross was an impressive experience, 
 and when we heard the " church-going bells," as on a 
 beautiful Sunday morning we landed on this lovely 
 island, we felt enough of the spirit of devotion to wish to 
 join with these (4 reek Catholics in their worship here. 
 
 From Lyra we sailed directly for I'ineus, the seaport 
 of Athens, which is about five miles inland. Taking a 
 carriage, we started from the streets of I'ineus, eagerly 
 gazing upon the view that unfolded itself. On our right 
 presently appeared the bay of Phalerum ; beyond it the 
 long ridge of Mount Ilymettus, while to the left, in the 
 distance, the white marble of Pentelicus gleamed like 
 snow in the ras of the sun. Directl before us was the
 
 338 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Acropolis, with the columns of the Parthenon barely vis- 
 ible on its summit, concealing behind it most of the city 
 of Athens. The road passed over a part of the wall once 
 connecting city and port, and soon after crossed the bed 
 of the Kephisus, whose banks are lined on either side 
 with olive trees. As we approached the entrance to the 
 city, the Parthenon seemed to tower above it, while the 
 Pnyx, where Demosthenes addressed the people, and 
 Mars Hill, the scene of St. Paul's memorable sermon, ap- 
 peared to the right. The temple of Theseus, said to be 
 the oldest and best preserved of these ancient remains, 
 was very near the entrance. The vast extent of these 
 ruins, everywhere visible, impressed us with a feeling of 
 profound wonder. We were in Athens only one week, 
 and would like to have staid a year. 
 
 Three several evenings we remained on the Acropolis 
 until the sun set, and, in the glow of its purple light, 
 looked on the unrivaled beauty of the scene. Xo words 
 of mine can do it justice, and you won't expect me to try 
 it, but it is something to sit on a broken column and im- 
 agine you see the Academy of Plato, or to look upon the 
 plains of Marathon and the gulf of ^Egina, or a thou- 
 sand and one other things which only one well versed in 
 ancient history could enumerate. Xcxt to the Parthenon, 
 perhaps, in interest, is the ruin called the Erechtheum, 
 where, among other things, the portico of the Caryatides 
 is very impressive, the roof being supported on the heads 
 of six immense female figures in Pentelic marble. One 
 day we took a ride of twenty miles to Eleusis over the 
 "sacred way/' where the processions in the famous mys- 
 teries, or religious rites, took place, passing the temples 
 of Apollo and Venus. We saw here the temple of Ceres, 
 and also the enormous remains of the Pelasgi walls, an- 
 cient beyond ancient, until the imagination is lost in 
 antiquity.
 
 HOMEWARD BOUND. 339 
 
 General Reed, our minister here, and his family enter- 
 tained us at the embassy, and were very attentive, adding 
 not a little to the pleasure of our visit. After one of the 
 most delightful weeks of our journey, we left with regret, 
 and took a Greek steamer for the island of Corfu, through 
 the gulf of yEgina and across the isthmus of Corinth. 
 As we left Pinvus, Mount Hymettus and the mountains of 
 Attica were lost to view, and Salamis, ^Egina, and finally 
 Acrocorinth rose from the sea. At Kalmaki we leave the 
 steamer and cross the isthmus, ahout four miles, where 
 ships were anciently transported from the gulf of yEgina 
 to that of Corinth. Here the young Corinthians got up 
 their muscle, and the Isthmian games were celebrated. 
 Corinth, which, like Napoleon's famous pyramids, dates 
 forty centuries hack, and has experienced the usual vicis- 
 situdes of these old cities, having felt the hand of Roman, 
 Goth, Latin, Crusader, and Turk, is now only a miserable 
 little village under the shadow of its Acropolis. The 
 Acropolis is 1,800 feet high and incloses within its walls 
 a much larger space than that of Athens. As we sail 
 from Corinth, Mount Khelmos on the left, 6,000 feet above 
 the level of the sea and source of the river Styx, with 
 Parnassus, the home of the muses, on the right, appear 
 in sight. In fact, mountains, plains, and river*, on either 
 hand, are all famous in historic interest, and could fill 
 many a letter, which time will not allow me to write. 
 
 We touched at Mesolonghi, celebrated in the Greek war 
 of independence of 1822, and the spot, of Lord Byron's 
 death. Three hundred Greeks here defended themselves 
 against 14,000 Turks for two months, and then by explod- 
 ing the powder magazine involved themselves and their 
 besiegers in one common ruin. It was bravery worthy of 
 Thermopylae 
 
 From this place (Corfu) we shall sail to Brundisi, and 
 from thence to Xaples, visiting Rome, Florence, Venice,
 
 340 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 and Milan, on our way to Switzerland. On our return to 
 Paris, which may be about the first of September, we ex- 
 pect to go by way of Germany to Holland and Brussels. 
 
 Our entire trip so far has been delightful. I do not 
 think we have suffered so much with heat as you have in 
 Manchester, and am sure we have not felt it more than 
 we usually do at home during the summer season. In- 
 deed, our interest in all the lands we have visited has far 
 exceeded our most sanguine expectations, but Greece, 
 especially, with its incomparable islands and seas, its beau- 
 tiful architectural remains, its haunts of famous men and 
 gods, its shrines of poetry and eloquence, called forth all 
 our enthusiasm. But I must hold ; as we approach lands 
 more frequently traveled and strike into the great tide of 
 sight-seers, I shall not attempt to trouble you with my 
 impressions until we meet at the Willows. We shall 
 probably return by the way of England, Scotland, etc., 
 and hope to reach home about the last of October, unless 
 sooner called by some unforeseen emergency. 
 
 PARIS, September 7, 1878. 
 
 I have ordered the chime of bells of Me- 
 neely & Kimberly, of Troy. You will remember that I 
 proposed to give a chime of not less than 5.000 pounds, 
 but finding that the heavier set would be very much bet- 
 ter. I concluded to order one weighing 7,500 pounds. 
 Probably the manufacturer has called on you ere this and 
 examined the bell-tower. ...... 
 
 We celebrated July 4 in Pompeii, where we had the 
 rare good tbrtwie to witness the progress of some very 
 important excavations, and were among the first to see a 
 richly decorated room of a fine house brought to sight 
 for the first time in eighteen hundred years. The colors 
 on the walls were as fresh-looking as those put upon our 
 own house four vears since. We were allowed to take
 
 HOMEWARD BOUND. 841 
 
 some colored fragments of this room. What a fearful 
 hour to the inhabitants of this house and city that over- 
 whelmed them without warning in one common grave! 
 A great space has been uncovered since I was here in 
 1862 : then a portion of the city about equal in extent 
 to Manchester had been brought to light ; now about 
 twice that space is open to view. I was told that the 
 gold, jewels, and ornaments that have lain all these years 
 mingled with the bones of the owners, have nearly paid 
 the expense of the excavation, though this must be quite 
 heavy, as the covering is from ten to thirty feet in depth. 
 From Naples I can do no more than indicate to you our 
 route. We remained in Rome a week and then went by 
 way of Florence, Venice, and Milan into the Italian lake 
 country, thence to Switzerland, crossing the Alps by the 
 Mt. St. Gothard Pass, stopping one night on the summit 
 in midst of snow, which, after the heat we had felt so 
 many days, was a most grateful experience. We ascended 
 Mt. Kighi, not unlike the ascent by rail of Mt. Washing- 
 ton, visited Altorf and the localities celebrated by the ex- 
 ploits of Tell, stopped a while at Lucerne, from thence 
 to Interlaken, visiting the Glendenwald glacier. From 
 thence through Berne, Zurich, and Basle into Germany, 
 making brief stops at Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Baden- 
 Baden, Frankfort, and Weisbaden, and then down the 
 Rhine to Cologne. From Cologne we made a run by 
 way of Hamburg and Lubec to the Baltic Sea ; then to 
 Amsterdam and the Hague, and through Rotterdam, Ant- 
 werp, and .Brussels back to Paris. Since leaving Paris 
 we have traveled by sea and land about KjHOO miles, have 
 looked on twelve seas, sailed on the waters of ten, passed 
 through fourteen different countries speaking as many 
 different languages, all of which we have studied and spoken 
 more or less. We have always found good, clean beds, fail- 
 food (though I suppose we have eaten cats, dogs, rats, and
 
 342 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 mice, but as we did not know it, it was just as well). 
 Sometimes E., with a woman's curiosity, would ask, 
 " What is it ? " but I generally relieved her by quoting 
 the Scripture injunction, " Eat what is set before you, 
 asking no questions." We have not received an unkind 
 word, or one uncivil act, missed a train or boat, or met 
 with any accident worth naming while traveling by rail, 
 steam, carriage, horse, or donkey, nor have seen a person 
 intoxicated since we left home. 
 
 Of course, we have witnessed many interesting inci- 
 dents, not a few of them of an amusing character. From 
 the time we sailed from Marseilles, May 16, until August 
 8, when we met ex-Governor Gregory Smith and family 
 at Baden-Baden, we met no person we had ever seen 
 before, with the exception of Minister Maynard at Con- 
 stantinople and Minister Reed at Athens. As we look 
 over our wanderings, it is difficult to realize that all the 
 delightful people we have seen were utter strangers to us 
 when we left home. Still, I assure vou we don't forget 
 
 *J O 
 
 our old friends, whom we hope soon to meet again. 
 
 The places we have visited in England, Holland, France, 
 and Germany show very little change since T was here in 
 1862, but in Italy great progress is visible. Then Austria 
 held a part and the Pope governed the Roman States ; 
 now it is a united government under one head. The 
 people are pleased with the change, like their govern- 
 ment, and are rapidly improving in agriculture, education, 
 and everything that makes a happy and prosperous nation. 
 We found in Italy much better hotels and more comfort- 
 able arrangements generally for travelers than in Ger- 
 manv, and the people more desirous to make the stranger 
 within their gates feel at home. 
 
 At the time we left Paris for the East, I made arrange- 
 ments with some of my official brethren to do my work, 
 which they have kindly done ; now, in return, I am doing
 
 HOMEWARD BOUND. 343 
 
 their work, and expect to be thus employed through this 
 month. We then hope to make a week's visit to London, 
 a few days in Scotland, and go home toward the last of 
 
 October 
 
 FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 Ex-Governor and Mrs. Smyth were the recipients of 
 many attentions from ministers and consuls resident 
 abroad, particularly at Constantinople and Athens. In 
 Paris they were among the few invited guests at the din- 
 ner of the Stanley club to General Grant, and were also 
 present at the reception given by the American Legation 
 to General and Madam Grant. With a trio of other 
 ex-governors, Hawley, Hoffman, and Fenton, he was 
 made an honorary member of the Stanley club. 
 
 Returning home, ex-Governor Smyth and his estimable 
 wife were warmly greeted by his fellow-citizens, and he . 
 was repeatedly invited to narrate his travels to interested 
 listeners. He at once " fell into harness," and resumed 
 his public and private duties with that unwearied indus- 
 try which is one of his marked characteristics. Among 
 the various public positions which he at that time credit- 
 ably tilled are the following : manager and vice-president 
 of the National Soldiers' Homes, president of the United 
 States Agricultural Society, trustee and treasurer of the 
 New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanic 
 Arts, director of the Concord and Suncook Valley Rail- 
 roads, director and treasurer of the Manchester Horse Rail- 
 road, director of the National Agricultural Society, presi- 
 dent of the Northern Telegraph Company, president of 
 the Franklin-street Congregational Society, trustee and 
 treasurer of the Northern Telegraph Company, cashier 
 and manager of the First National Rank of Manchester, 
 trustee and treasurer of the Merrimack River Savings 
 Bank. Prominent among these voluntary services were 
 those rendered bv him during his twelve years' service as
 
 344 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 a manager of the National Soldiers' Homes. Acting on 
 his often expressed idea that no man ought to take an 
 office of the kind unless he was willing to devote to the 
 discharge of his duties all the time and effort required, he 
 traveled many hundred miles annually on visits of in- 
 spection at Dayton, Milwaukee, Hampton, and Augusta, 
 and to he present at meetings of the hoard in Washing- 
 ton, besides giving his personal attention to the admission 
 of soldiers to the Eastern Branch, all this without other 
 compensation than that which arises from a consciousness 
 of duty done. 
 
 The ex-governor's long and varied experience in public 
 and financial affairs, in acquaintance with men in every 
 walk of life, and in travel abroad and at home, made his 
 conversation very interesting when he could be induced 
 to indulge in reminiscences of what he called his " vaca- 
 tions of a busy life." His house at Manchester was 
 filled with works of art and souvenirs of travel from many 
 lands, each with its story, and he entertained there many 
 distinguished guests besides his "troops of friends." 
 Successful himself, his advice was frequently sought, 
 not only on financial and political matters, but on a 
 great variety of other subjects, some of which he had no 
 knowledge of whatever. He always, however, cheerfully 
 counseled those who solicited his advice, and cordially 
 lent a helping hand to those who were trying to help 
 themselves.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 HOMAGE TO THE UNKNOWN DEAD. 
 
 AT the memorial exercises held in May, 1880, by the 
 Louis Bell Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, at 
 Manchester, New Hampshire, ex-Governor Smyth deliv- 
 ered, by invitation, the following oration to the " Un- 
 known Dead " : 
 
 Mil. CoMiMANDER, VETERANS OF THE GRAND ARMY, AND 
 
 CITIZENS : 
 
 You have invited me to deliver the oration to the " un- 
 known dead," and your secretary, the veteran soldier 
 whose name is appended to your very flattering invita- 
 tion, tells this touching story. No doubt there are thou- 
 sands very much like it, scenes incident to that war so 
 long past that were it not for these observances it would 
 seem but a dream. 
 
 Of his own brother he says : " Although I served in the 
 same company with him, and was wounded in the same 
 battle at Drury's Bluff, yet all we know concerning him 
 is that he was reported ' missing in action.' But we were 
 always consoled by the fact that the last seen of him he 
 was firing his revolver within a few rods of the enemy, 
 when nearly every man was on the retreat," And so the 
 young soldier fell in the line of his duty. I hear the guns 
 and see the smoke and fire of that great battle-field ; and 
 I see this young man fall in the midst, and vanish from 
 human eyes forever. And is that all ? No, Mr. Com- 
 mander and friends, not all ! Far better this than to drop 
 by the way out of the ranks of everyday life, no sacrifice 
 made, and no duty done. And why do we say that of
 
 346 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 such are the unknown dead ? Are they not known and 
 remembered, and honored by the manner of their death? 
 True, they may sleep in unknown graves beyond the 
 reach of our flowers of May or June, and so we strive, 
 with whatever eloquence we may possess, to frame more 
 immortal and imperishable wreaths to crown their memory. 
 Whatever the most impassioned orator or poet may be 
 able to say or sing concerning them, I am sure the half 
 can never be told. In the ranks of the common soldier, 
 true heroism, unselfish love of country, pure devotion to 
 principle, were ruling motives ; and we know that as they 
 were oreat, generous, and devoted in their lives, so now 
 
 ~ 7 o 
 
 the whole country becomes their honored and eternal 
 resting-place. In what little corner or on what old battle- 
 tield, under what stretch of ocean wave or on what 
 storm-racked mountain-side they sleep, it matters little ; 
 because everywhere the monument of their heroic sacri- 
 fices is seen in every noble enterprise and institution of 
 the country, and they are forever made a part of its glory 
 and its greatness. 
 
 I have said that such instances were numerous. After 
 the first day's battle at Gettysburg, and on many other 
 battle-fields during the great struggle, the dead were 
 hastily buried upon the field, and the renewal of the con- 
 test effaced every vestige of the trust committed to that 
 soil. But from such deaths, and out of such hidden 
 graves, come forces which make it possible for the United 
 States to become the foremost nation in all the world. 
 Unknown, indeed, is the spot, but not therefore un re- 
 membered. All the more we may never forget, because 
 the memorial is intrusted to our hearts. Too often we 
 raise the shaft and build the mausoleum, and then go on 
 our wav forgetting; but that which is enshrined in the 
 universal memory of mankind shall be handed down in 
 sonij and storv till time shall be no more. What flower
 
 HOMAGE TO THE UNKNOWN DEAD. 347 
 
 can match the sweetness of their endeavor ? What laurel 
 wreath on any monument of stone or bronze can compare 
 with the beauty of the ideal that enshrines the memory 
 of those we love? And when can we forget those we 
 saw following the roll of the drums down these long 
 streets ? men about whom, as they went, a cloud of 
 anxious solicitude was silver-lined with blessings and 
 hopes and prayers. They did not all return ; but in the 
 households and by the firesides of their kin they have 
 been a living presence ever since. Their dust in some 
 unknown spot mingles with its parent earth, and from 
 thenceforth the soil of the whole country becomes sacred 
 with the blood of martyrs. The land, the sea, the sky, 
 we call our country, becomes doubly dear to every 
 thoughtful lover of his race, after a consecration sealed 
 by such a baptism. To-day let us remember the lesson 
 with peculiar pathos and significance. Voices from these 
 nameless resting-places do charge us to be good and true 
 citizens, to neglect no duty, and to answer every call of 
 our country. 
 
 It is not merely a matter which concerns us alone, 
 whether or not we fill our part in the great civil contest 
 in the land now and ever going on. The influence of our 
 action or the penalty of our misdeeds will be felt in gen- 
 erations yet to come. And how small the requirement, 
 how easy the task, compared with the burdens they were 
 compelled to bear. War, friends, is a terrible thing, even 
 in the best of causes, and no one who has ever seen 
 men fall on the battle-field, or who has witnessed the 
 cruel scene when the contest is over and the action lost or 
 won, will desire to resort to that dread ordeal on any plea 
 save that of the utmost necessity. It was not my lot to 
 engage in the conflict, but I have seen something of the 
 passions which war lets loose upon this fair earth. I have 
 seen men shot down, have helped rescue the wounded and
 
 348 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 bury the dead, and I assure you that the prophetic vision 
 of New Hampshire's greatest son was in nothing too pre- 
 scient when he said: " When my eyes shall be turned for 
 the last time to the sun in heaven, may I not see him 
 shining on the broken and dishonored fragments of a 
 once glorious Union ; on States dissevered, discordant, 
 belligerent ; on a land rent with civil feuds, or drenched, 
 it may be, in fraternal blood.'' 
 
 And so I cannot help but see that the strongest plea 
 from these unknown graves is for peace, and for such wise, 
 statesmanlike conduct as shall make peace possible, nay, 
 as shall make war impossible. What monument so noble 
 can we build as that of a nation devoted to peace ? How 
 can we give so great value to their sacrifice as by making 
 it serve the best and wisest of human ends, that of 
 spreading peace, not only between sections of our own 
 land, but among other nations. May God speed the 
 time when a great international court of arbitration may 
 settle all our serious disputes, and the great armies of the 
 world may disband, and turn their mighty energies to the 
 arts that make for the happiness of mankind! 
 
 We know the gloss that literature has thrown about 
 this deadly thing : but those who go down into this char- 
 nel-house of death know how cruel and horrible is the 
 reality. Peculiarly this lesson of peace comes from those 
 the manner of whose death was so impressive and so soli- 
 tary, so far from friends and home, and destined so to re- 
 main, and of each of whom it may be written, as it was 
 of another : 
 
 " Xot a drum was heard, not a funeral note, 
 As his corse to the rampart we hurried : 
 Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot 
 O'er the grave where our hero we buried. 
 
 \Ve buried him darkly at dead of night. 
 
 The sods with our bayonets turning; 
 By the struggling moonbeams' misty light, 
 
 And the lantern dimly burning.
 
 HOMAGE TO THE UNKNOWN DEAD. 349 
 
 Few and short were the prayers we said. 
 
 And we spoke not a word of sorrow ; 
 But we steadfastly gazed on the face of the dead, 
 
 And we bitterly thought of tin; morrow. 
 
 Slowly and sadly we laid him down, 
 
 From the field of his fame fresh and gory ; 
 
 We carved not a line, we raised not a stone, 
 But we left him alone with his glory." 
 
 These, friends, are but the familiar lines of our school- 
 days, lightly learned and lightly declaimed then, but 
 invested with what tragic intensity and meaning by the 
 events of those sad years! Some of us have heard, as we 
 hastily performed the last sad service for some boy from 
 the Xew Hampshire hills, 
 
 " The distant and random gun 
 That the foe was sullenly liring/'- 
 
 and we have felt that somewhere, in some cottage home, 
 a mother wept for her " unreturning brave"; and we know 
 that the country for which such price is paid cost too 
 much to be carelessly bartered away. 
 
 I think much of this .\remorial Day, with its simple 
 and touching rites, because it does honor to whom 
 honor is due. On other occasions, and in other lands, 
 the leader is the man honored. The private soldier is 
 thought to have no claim for consideration, no car for 
 praise. To-day we crown the multitude of men whose 
 hands actually bore the Hag to victory. A little illustra- 
 tion may explain my meaning. At , a regiment was 
 
 ordered to take a certain redoubt. As the charge took 
 place, half a dozen men were seen a dozen paces in ad- 
 vance of the regiment. They fell, victims to the enemy's 
 sharpshooters and their own impetuous zeal and courage. 
 The armies swept on. Those six heroes occupied un- 
 known graves, at least, no one heard of them after,
 
 350 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 and a brief line in the dispatches announced that Colonel 
 Blank gallantly carried the position. Yet Colonel Blank 
 was in no more danger than I, for we were together 
 in the rear. So, to-day, we call back the remem- 
 brance of the country to the bravery of that advance 
 guard. Unflinching, they went to the ordeal where we 
 sent them, and I suppose that in the exultation of the 
 battle-hour they fell without fear or pain. But ah ! the 
 dreadful to-morrow, when, after the chill of the long, 
 long night, the sun rises on suffering such as one prays 
 to be delivered even from the sight of. 
 
 Do not understand me, friends, as undervaluing those 
 who took up arms in the defense of liberty. I only seek 
 to show, if possible, how great the work, how severe the 
 trial, and how important the lesson we should learn. If 
 one can rise from the thought of all this and go forth no 
 better, no wiser, no truer man, then indeed for him this 
 great work will have been done in vain ; and were there 
 many such, we might despair of the Republic. But this 
 occasion, with its moving thousands, tells me it is not so; 
 these flowers that willing hands have brought, these trib- 
 utes from many homes and hearts, prove that the lesson 
 abides and is bearing fruit. As Israel turned and wept 
 toward the mountain-top where the angels of God had 
 buried her great law-giver in an unknown grave, so, rev- 
 erently, and with uncovered heads, we bring offerings to 
 our vanguard in the struggle through the wilderness. 
 With hearts full of devotion to the country, and eyes 
 clear from the mist of prejudice and bitterness, let us date 
 from such auspicious days a renewed determination to 
 make our heritage worthy of the sacrifice that preserved 
 it to us. Some things need to be guarded against. Let 
 us shun all drift toward any sentiment of violence, all 
 careless and thoughtless talk about resorting to the 
 sword to cut knots that calm discussion could as well
 
 HOMAGE TO THE UNKNOWN DEAD. 351 
 
 unloose. Let us learn, friends and fellow-citizens, how 
 much nobler and better it is to deal justly and walk up- 
 rightly in all that concerns our dealings between man 
 and man, and State and State, than it is to allow wrong 
 to grow by insidious degrees until it hardens into ada- 
 mant. In such ways shall we rear a monument to our 
 dead that sleep in unknown graves, worthy of the great 
 cause of equal rights and of human liberty, and that 
 shall overtop the grandest piles of pyramid and tower 
 the world has ever seen.
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 IN THE AMERICAN TROPICS. 
 
 IN February, 1881, ex-Governor and Mrs. Smyth left 
 home for Xew Orleans, leisurely journeying by way of 
 Louisville, Nashville, and Montgomery, and reaching the 
 queen city of the South on Washington's birthday. 
 They remained at the St. Charles Hotel during the carni- 
 val season, visiting meantime Lake Ponchartrain, the old 
 Spanish fort, the orange groves and rice fields about, and 
 various other points of interest. Early in the month of 
 March they left ria Galveston for Vera Cruz, and arrived 
 in the city of Mexico on the 13th. The approach to 
 Vera Cruz was full of interest. Orizaba, which, though 
 nearly a hundred miles inland, seemed to be but an im- 
 mediate background to the fortified city and its strip of 
 sandy beach, lifted its head almost 18,000 feet into the 
 clear sky, and all things had the charm of a new and 
 tropical land. At Vera Crux, Major-General Ord and 
 son, who were en route for the Mexican capital by the 
 same steamer, renewed an acquaintance of some years' 
 standing with Governor Smyth, and with characteristic 
 courtesy invited him and his wife to a banquet at the 
 house of Senor Landero, the Mexican minister of finance. 
 The occasion was a very pleasant one, in which all seemed 
 to unite in making it agreeable to Mrs. Smyth, the onlv 
 
 o o / 
 
 lady present. At the close of the banquet, they took 
 the cars and with an armed escort proceeded to the city 
 of Mexico. "The road over which we traveled," said 
 Governor Smyth to a friend, " is, perhaps, as wonderful 
 and successful a piece of engineering as is to be found on
 
 IN THE AMERICAN TROPICS. 853 
 
 this continent. It was twenty years in building, cost 
 $30,000,000, and is 263 miles long. The mountain por- 
 tion of the track, about sixty miles, is carried at a gradi- 
 ent of about 183 feet to the mile, until it reaches a height 
 of 8,000 feet above the level of the sea. This ascent 
 across ravines, over torrents, through tunnels, and around 
 curves, doubling upon itself like a coiled snake, discloses 
 a variety and beauty, a grandeur and sublimity of scenery 
 that surpasses any description I can give you. All the 
 while the mighty Orizaba, nearly three times as high as 
 Mount "Washington, is in sight. In the course of this 
 ride the great double engines, each doing twice the work 
 of our heaviest locomotives, take us up the steep grade 
 at the rate of fifteen miles an hour. The climate, as we 
 go up, varies from 100 to 55, and plantations of 
 oranges, pine-apples, bananas, cocoanuts, coffee, rice> 
 sugar-cane, and tobacco, display their luxuriant growth on 
 either hand in bewildering profusion. And then the 
 flowers, growing in perfect tangles each side of the road, 
 orchids in wondrous beauty, oleanders forty feet high, 
 morning-glories climbing and completely covering trees 
 like the largest elms, so that the morning sun lights up a 
 bouquet tifty feet in diameter, whose stem is the tree 
 trunk, and whose colors rival the rainbow : and in all this 
 fragrant scene are flitting birds of gay plumage. .Fairy- 
 land could offer no more delightful combination of 
 charms, nor Paradise itself display more beauties to de- 
 light the eye." 
 
 Our travelers were delighted with Mexico, the situation 
 of which is remarkable among all the cities in the world. 
 Klevated 8,000 feet above the st i a level, on a plain twenty 
 by thirty miles in extent, it is yet surrounded by moun- 
 tains so high that it really constitutes a basin inclosed 
 within a barrier of perpetual sno\v. The highest of these 
 mountains arc Popocatapetl and I/taccihuatl, 17,.~>40 and
 
 354 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 15,705 feet in height. Whichever way one walks through 
 the streets of the city this immense mountain barrier is 
 visible, and seemingly not more than ten miles away, 
 though it is probably more than fifty miles distant. The 
 air there is so highly rarefied that meat exposed to the 
 hot sun dries without putrefaction, and, although the 
 drainage of the city has run into the dead lake for hun- 
 dreds of years, no such harm ensues as one would natur- 
 ally expect. The sewers have to be uncovered and 
 frequently cleansed, as they are only two feet deep, but 
 the city is comparatively healthy. The question of drain- 
 age, however, has excited much attention, and an appro- 
 priation has recently been voted by the Mexican Congress 
 to that end. The great lake has no outlet, and how to 
 pierce the mountain chain for a lower level is a difficult 
 and costly problem. 
 
 The climate was thought by the New Hampshire vis- 
 itors to be delightful the average temperature being 
 about 00, and the air tempered every day by the 
 cool mountain breezes. The air is, owing to its rare- 
 faction, sometimes difficult for dwellers in lower latitudes 
 to breathe (everybody breathes faster there than in Xew 
 England), but it is preferable to that of Cuba. The 
 houses are gayly colored, and many very substantially and 
 handsomely built. Such as are not white, or light yellow, 
 or green, are tinted with various shades of red : many of 
 the churches are pink. Three or four hundred yards of 
 a street in pink has a pretty effect, especially if continued 
 in pale green. A house in gray stone adjoining another 
 faced with blue encaustic tiles is, to say the least, pleasing 
 to eves which have gazed on dwellings of dull red brick. 
 The floating garden-beds that supply the city with vege- 
 tables, fruits, and flowers, are pleasantly spoken of by 
 all tourists: but it appears that these beds do not 
 move; thev are moored to the bottom bv la rife stakes,
 
 IN THE AMERICAN TROPICS. 355 
 
 which themselves throw out roots and contribute to the 
 stability of the plats. 
 
 They visited and were much interested in the Roman 
 Catholic cathedral, which is regarded as the largest, most 
 elegant, most costly, and in every way the finest church 
 building on the American continent. It is 300 years 
 since this immense building was begun, and more than 
 200 since it was finished ; yet it does not bear the appear- 
 ance of great age, although nearly all the materials in it, 
 except the imported metals and precious stones, were cen- 
 turies old when Columbus first sailed across the Atlantic, 
 for it was largely built of the stones of the Aztec temple 
 that stood upon precisely the same site, and that was de- 
 stroyed by Cortez. It stands at one end of the plaza or 
 public square, and one of its corners is diagonally across 
 the street from one of the corners of the National Palace. 
 It is surrounded by a fence of chains large enough and 
 heavy enough to anchor a man-of-war, each of the stone 
 posts being surmounted by a huge stone skull, to remind 
 the passers-by, so it is said, of death. To enter the cathe- 
 dral it, is necessary to make your way through a score or 
 more of beggars, who are always kneeling and lying or 
 standing about the entrance. These people exhibit their 
 pleasant little deformities to you as you go in, such as 
 stumps of arms, and legs tied up in knots, and heads 
 twisted around sideways, and horrible sores, and beg for 
 charity. The presence of this brigade in the vestibule 
 keeps that part of the church smelling like an army hos- 
 pital, where the liniments and medicines and bandages 
 give a peculiar perfume. The vestibule is roughly made 
 of boards, and looks rather as if it might be the entrance 
 to a country saloon. The Mexicans have a remarkable 
 way of keeping everything about a building in gorgeous 
 style but one place, some doorway, or a little room fenced 
 otf, which they are satisfied to have in the roughest style
 
 356 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 possible, sometimes even of unplaned boards. But once 
 through the beggars and the shabby vestibule, the Xew 
 Hampshire visitors found themselves in a church such as 
 they had never seen before in America. It is so divided 
 into comparatively small spaces by the numerous altars, 
 and organs, and other paraphernalia, that its immense size 
 is hardly apparent on the inside. It is a maze of gilt and 
 paintings and statues, and everything beautiful to please 
 the eye. 
 
 When ex-Governor Smyth was asked what character- 
 istics mark Mexico as a foreign city, he replied : " Street 
 customs for one thing, Indian water-carriers with their 
 quaint jars strapped across the forehead ; then all the 
 country produce is brought in on the backs of mules, 
 donkeys, and Indian men and women. Some of these 
 men and women will bring 200 or 300 pounds of wood, 
 coal, ice, or whatever it may be, from the mountains, and 
 you will often see a woman with an infant strapped to her 
 back with arms and legs free and kicking about, and this 
 balanced by a load of produce. These women are dressed 
 in a single cotton garment, certainly scanty at both ends, 
 with no covering for head or feet. The men of this class 
 about ditto." Trade was carried on mostly by foreign- 
 ers English, Americans, French, and Germans. There 
 are no manufactures, and the supplies of machinery, dry 
 goods, shoes, hats, etc., are mostly brought from across 
 the Atlantic, and paid for in silver. The favorite bever- 
 age is u pulque,'' which is the fermented juice of the 
 maguey plant, and by distilling it a fire-water is produced 
 called u mescal,'' which bears about the same relation to 
 it that whiskey does to lager beer. Fine fruits are raised 
 for the markets of Mexico, and there is an abundant sup- 
 ply of bright iiowers, made into immense bouquets, which 
 are sold very cheap. 
 
 The ex-irovernor and his wife made excursions to the
 
 IN THE AMERICAN TROPICS. 357 
 
 notable places in the environs of the city, including 
 Guadalupe, where the treaty of peace was signed after the 
 war between Mexico and the United States, Tacubaya, a 
 favorite summer residence for both Mexicans and foreign- 
 ers, where General Grant, then a lieutenant, had his 
 quartermaster's depot when he was in Mexico with 
 Scott's victorious army. They visited also Puebla de los 
 Angeles, the pyramid Cholula, and the famous Castle of 
 Chapultepec, and, in short, left no point of great interest 
 unseen. 
 
 On the 13th of March they returned over the Vera 
 Cruz railway and took passage on the steamer City of 
 Washington for Cuba. It was a pleasant, summer-like 
 voyage to Havana, and they remained in that city two 
 days, tinding the climate rather enervating and the people 
 not so interesting as those they had left in Mexico. In 
 April they were home again at the Willows ; and for a 
 brief time there is nothing worthy of record, except pos- 
 sibly a little ride one day in June to the old homestead in 
 Candia. The governor, Mrs. Smyth, his only sister, Mrs. 
 York, and his cousin, Mr. J. Bailey Moore, after an early 
 breakfast at the Willows, rode to Allenstown and dined with 
 two venerable relatives, Mrs. Martin, then aged eighty-nine, 
 .and Miss Mehitable Smith, aged eighty-one. While the 
 noontide repast was in preparation, the gentlemen fished 
 in the Suncook with no very great success, and the ladies 
 in the house discussed old times. In the afternoon they 
 drove to Candia Xorth road, visited the old homestead of 
 ex-Governor Smyth, and from the summit of Hall's moun- 
 tain surveyed with a powerful glass the wide familiar view 
 so pleasant to them all. It was at this or some subse- 
 quent period that the ex-governor bought the schoolhouse 
 where he attended school in his youth, which remained 
 in very much the same disreputable condition that it was 
 in fifty years before, and ordered it repaired to serve as a
 
 358 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 chapel for Elder Harvey, who frequently preaches in that 
 district. They drove home by way of the old schoolhouse 
 on the turnpike, where Mrs. Smyth had formerly taught, 
 and by the one at Martin's Ferry where the ex-governor had 
 filled a similar position. 
 
 Somewhat later in the month they accompanied the 
 Xew Hampshire Press Association, by invitation, on an 
 excursion to Saratoga, Niagara Falls, and from thence by 
 the Thousand Islands down the St. Lawrence to Montreal. 
 After the usual round of sight-seeing and a^brief time at 
 the Windsor, the party returned by Lake Memphrema- 
 gog to Manchester. 
 
 In September occurred the death of President Garfield, 
 and on Monday, the 26th, the day of his burial, the 
 Franklin-street church held a memorial service. The 
 pastor, Rev. "W. V. W. Davis, spoke briefly on " Our Dead 
 IIero, ;? Mr. F. B. Eaton on " The Christian Statesman," 
 and Mr. Marshall P. Hall on " The Self-made Man." Ex- 
 Governor Smyth, who presided as president of the society, 
 spoke as follows : 
 
 "My Friends: "What a day is this! Fifty millions in 
 our own country, the people of the civilized world, and 
 some even in Asia and Africa at this hour are mourning the 
 loss of one good man. With us they drop the sympathetic 
 tear as his remains are consigned to the tomb. For the 
 second time in sixteen years this people and society have 
 assembled in this place and united in solemn memorial 
 services over a martyred President. Lincoln and Garfield 
 were in many respects alike, and yet how unlike. Both 
 raised to this high position without their seeking and against 
 their expectations ; both sincerely mourned at their death. 
 You have asked for some personal reminiscences, but 
 time will hardly allow. I may say, however, that it was 
 rny privilege to know them both well. Six[months before 
 Mr. Lincoln was nominated he told nu- here in Manchester
 
 IN THE AMERICAN TROPICS. 359 
 
 that he did not desire the nomination, and had no idea he 
 should receive it. I saw Mr. Gartield during all the days 
 of the Chicago convention, and know that all his efforts 
 were sincerely given to procure the nomination of another 
 up to the very moment when the entire convention, as if 
 moved by a Divine and over-ruling hand, as I believe, 
 changed suddenly, astonishing all the actors, and none 
 more than Mr. Garfield himself. 
 
 "I first knew him in Ohio fourteen years ago, and every 
 year since have met him there and in Washington. He 
 impressed me as one of the best men in every way that I 
 have ever known. His genial and at times even playful 
 nature, his wit, which, like a brook from an ever-living 
 spring, seemed exhaustless, and above all the soul of the 
 man, which seemed to love everybody and to hate nobody, 
 and which yet had a perfect hatred of mean acts, made 
 him the most agreeable and instructive of companions. 
 He was a true and reliable friend, loved by all good men, 
 and especially by the friends and neighbors who knew him 
 best. Always true to his convictions, nothing could 
 swerve him from the course he thought right. He in no 
 sense appeared to lie aware of bis high personal position, 
 never seeming to think that lie was superior to his neigh- 
 bors or friends in general. I remember to have beard 
 him make a motion in Congress of a political nature 
 which I afterward told him I thought was a mistake. 
 
 O 
 
 Most men would have argued the question, but be good- 
 uaturedly said, '"Well, I think so myself.' 
 
 "But I must hasten. How strange that such a noble man, 
 raised to the position be was so well qualified to till, hav- 
 ing the confidence of his countrymen and the favorable 
 regards of the civilized world, should be permitted to be 
 struck down at the very moment when he seemed most 
 needed for the best interests of humanity. We cannot 
 now fullv understand this. You mav sav it is for one
 
 360 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 reason, and I for another; but He who permitted it only 
 knows. 
 
 "I will only speak of one lesson from Mr. Garfield's life. 
 He once said : ' I must be true to James A. Garfield, with 
 whom I have always got to live.' If we are conscien- 
 tiously true to ourselves, we shall not need to make special 
 effort for influence, position, or favor; we shall be true to 
 our neighbors, our country, and our God. The world 
 soon finds out the man or woman of true goodness, and it 
 seems to me that, bad as it is, the world loves and respects 
 righteous men better than wicked men. This man of 
 humble birth and simple life Avas raised to the highest 
 position in the land by being faithful and true in every 
 duty he undertook. Let us learn from it that in God's 
 way true greatness cannot be divorced from goodness, 
 and that 'righteousness exalteth a nation.' '
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 DINNER TO HON. MARSHALL P. WILDER. 
 
 A COMPLIMENTARY banquet was given at the Parker 
 House, in Boston, on the 22d of September, 1883, to the 
 Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, on his completing the ripe age 
 of eighty-five years. It was attended by over one hun- 
 dred gentlemen, including some of the most distinguished 
 i'itizens of Massachusetts and the other Xew England 
 States, many of whom were inspired by the occasion to 
 make eloquent speeches. Ex-Governor Smyth, on being 
 called upon, spoke as follows: 
 
 MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN : 
 
 I count it a high honor and great privilege to sit at this 
 table with so many venerable and distinguished men of 
 Massachusetts and Xew England, and especially so on 
 such an auspicious occasion as the birthday of my hon- 
 ored and venerated friend. Although associated with 
 him officially in the United States Agricultural Society, 
 the American Pom< (logical Society, and other organiza- 
 tions, for more than thirty years, I have been his pupil, 
 sitting at his feet and learning what I could, not only of 
 scientific pursuits akin to agriculture, but of those graces 
 and virtues as well which adorn the civilization of our 
 time ; and, while revering him as a master, loving him 
 as a friend above most other men whom it has been my 
 good fortune to know. 
 
 The president of your Agricultural College has told 
 me how much Colonel Wilder has done for the schools 
 and colleges of Massachusetts. Why, Mr. President, I 
 consider Marshall P. Wilder a college himself, a <>;reat
 
 362 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 university, from which has gone out to the people a 
 knowledge made practical by the tests of his experience. 
 To minister to the delight of the eye, or to the pleasure 
 of a healthy and refined appetite, is an object worthy of 
 any man's attainment ; and so thousands may bless the 
 thoughtful care of that public benefactor whose wealth, 
 acquired in an honorable mercantile career, has been de- 
 voted to such wonderful improvements in the fruits and 
 flowers of our land. 
 
 Mr. President, and gentlemen, I have the honor to rep- 
 resent here the State which claims the pride to be the 
 birthplace of our honored friend. The people of ~New 
 Hampshire to-night greet Marshall P. Wilder on the 
 eighty-fifth anniversary of his birth, and they hope and 
 pray that his life may be spared yet many years to bless 
 those who have so many reasons to bless him. And I 
 know they are proud to have given so good and so groat 
 a man to Massachusetts. Xew Hampshire once had a dis- 
 tinguished son whom she delighted to honor as a great 
 man at home, but it was said that when he was called to 
 spread himself over the whole land he was rather thin; 
 but here is one who, if I may so speak, has spread him- 
 self not only over our States and Territories, but over 
 lands across the sea, a genial and gentle ruler, and yet 
 with no diminution of his substantial presence, or in all 
 that is glorious and lovable. God still continue to bless 
 Marshall P. Wilder, until glorified above ! 
 
 Perhaps no member of the Republican party ever en- 
 joyed greater popularity among our fellow-citizens of 
 Irish descent in Manchester than Governor Smyth. His 
 prompt action in behalf of Captain Ilealey is an indica- 
 tion of the quality that produces this popularity. In the 
 fall of 1888, the Redmond brothers were presenting the 
 cause of Ireland in this country, and one of them, the
 
 CAPT. HEALEY'S RELEASE. 363 
 
 Hon. John E. Redmond, M. P. for Wexford, spoke in 
 Smyth's hall. The reception committee consisted of ex- 
 Governor Smyth, Messrs. John Hayes and Patrick Fa- 
 hey. The daily papers of the city, in their report of the 
 speeches, published the governor's letter to Secretary Sew- 
 ard, printed on page 208 of this sketch, with the reply r 
 and also the following remarks of Capt, P. A. Devine, a 
 prominent Irish-American citizen of Manchester, who 
 said that a gentleman had been selected to act as chair- 
 man of the evening, who, although not of Irish national- 
 ity, had ever manifested his sympathy in every possible 
 way for the cause of Ireland. As an illustration of what 
 the speaker stated, he referred to the incident of Captain 
 Healey's release from arrest w r hile in a British prison, at 
 the instance of Governor Smyth, and read the correspond- 
 ence as given previously. The result was the release of 
 Captain Healey, "which,"' said Mr. Devine, "the governor 
 brought about without having once been asked to inter- 
 fere; and this is the man who has rightly been selected to 
 preside at this meeting. I take pleasure in introducing 
 to you ex-Governor Frederick Smyth." 
 
 As the latter stepped forward, the report goes on to say, 
 he was greeted with a storm of applause that fairly made 
 the building tremble, and after waiting for the demonstra- 
 tions to subside, the war governor spoke as follows : 
 
 " Fellow-citizens : I cheerfully accepted the invitation of 
 your committee to act as chairman of this meeting, for I 
 believe in your purpose to raise up the lowly and op- 
 pressed and to break the bonds of the oppressor. 
 
 " The English Government acts under false pretenses, and 
 I remember not many years ago to have heard that great 
 man and true patriot, Wendell Phillips, speak of the Gov- 
 ernment of England as the most hypocritical on the face 
 of the earth. I thought at the time that he had made an 
 extravagant speech, but I have since learned to think dif-
 
 364 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 ferently. I have seen that heavy hand laid upon Ireland, 
 on Egypt, on Turkey, and on other countries, and I am 
 convinced that England seldom does what she professes. 
 She sinks her claws into her victims, and never with- 
 draws them until forced to do so. More than any other 
 one thing, she fears the public sentiment of America, and 
 with good cause. I have been asked what, as a nation, 
 we have to do with this quarrel ? "Well, I answer that 
 Irish blood has been freely spilled on all our battle-fields, 
 and it sends its warm thrill through the veins of more 
 
 O 
 
 than half our English-speaking population. 
 
 " In the name of the people of Xew Hampshire and the 
 name of the citizens of Manchester, I welcome a repre- 
 sentative Irishman here to-night, and now have the pleas- 
 ure of introducing to you the Hon. John E. Redmond.'' 
 
 May 30, 1884, Mr. Smyth, who had been a director in 
 its management for fourteen years, was chosen president 
 of the Concord Railroad by a veiy unanimous vote. 
 Since that time many important improvements have been 
 carried out, and others are in contemplation which will 
 make the road one of the safest and best equipped in the 
 country. 
 
 RECEPTION OF JAMES U. BLAINE. 
 
 On the fourth and fifth days of September, 1884, Mr. 
 Blaine was in attendance on the Xew England Fair, at 
 Manchester, and was the guest of ex-Governor Smyth. 
 In anticipation of this event, the house at the Willows 
 was put in readiness under the immediate and careful 
 supervision of Mrs. Smyth to receive whoever might 
 accompany the distinguished visitor, and the ex-governor, 
 with unstinted hand, ordered illuminations for the 
 grounds and caterers for the tables, that all honor might 
 be paid the Republican nominee for the Presidency. Mr. 
 Elaine made a brief address at the Fair on Thursday,
 
 RECEPTION OF JAMES G. BLAINE. 365 
 
 September 4, and was afterwards given a banquet at 
 the Willows. There were present Governors Hale, of 
 Xew Hampshire, and Bourne, of Rhode Island, ex-Gov- 
 ernors Cheney and Prescott, Gen. R. X. Batchelder, 
 IT. S. A., ex-Senator Rollins, Senator A. F. Pike, lion. 
 Moody Currier, Hon. George B. Loring, and the Rev. 
 George B. Spalding, I). D. Mrs. Smyth, assisted by 
 Mrs. P. C. Cheney, did the honors. The weather was 
 hot, exhausting to the last degree, but it was observed 
 that Mr. Blaine was in his happiest mood, and that Mr. 
 and Mrs. Smyth never appeared to better advantage nor 
 entertained with more cordial or winning grace. It was 
 almost the last time that the lady of the house presided at 
 that hospitable board. 
 
 At 7 o'clock, P. M., a vast concourse of people turned 
 their footsteps toward the Willows. The moon had 
 arisen in beauty, the house was brilliantly illuminated, 
 and lights flashed from the tower and flagstaff. Electric 
 lights were displayed from the windmill tower on the 
 grounds, and a fine military band sent forth its inspiring 
 notes from under the wide-spreading willows at the south 
 of the house. Within, every room was thrown open and 
 made free to all visitors, many of whom examined with 
 great interest the stately apartments with their pictures 
 and furnishings. Some neighbors and near friends came 
 early, and were scattered in social groups about the 
 rooms. Mr. Blaine took his position at the foot of the 
 staircase facing the front entrance, accompanied for a 
 time by ex-Governor Smyth. Xear them stood Mrs. 
 Smyth and Mrs. P. C. Cheney with Mrs. Dr. Loring. 
 Gen. !{. X. Batchelder, Hon. V. 1>. Lord, Col. A. W. 
 Quint, Gen. Charles Williams, of Manchester, and Aaron 
 Young, of Portsmouth, acted as ushers. When the 
 doors were thrown open, people began to pass in in a 
 solid column, paid their respects to Mr. Hlaine, and went
 
 366 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 out at the eastern and northern entrances. For a time 
 Mr. Elaine responded to the greetings of his friends with 
 his accustomed ease of demeanor, but, as the numbers 
 swelled to thousands, was obliged to withhold his hand 
 and answer with but a nod and smile. The heat and the 
 crowd made it a severe tax on his endurance. From 
 7 to 10 P. M. the tide was unabated, and many went away 
 without introduction. Many of the most prominent men 
 of the State were present, and several distinguished gen- 
 tlemen from other Kew England States. There was noticed 
 in one of the parlors an interesting interview between 
 Gen. X. P. Banks and an old soldier who had served 
 under him in Louisiana. 
 
 During the time of the reception, people sauntered 
 about the grounds in the grateful coolness of an out-door 
 summer night, listening to the music, commenting on the 
 ornamental trees and shrubs and statuary, or lingering at 
 the fountain, a good-natured, orderly multitude. It 
 was thought that at least 10,000 people passed through 
 the hall, and many more contented themselves with a 
 glance, and did not attempt to enter. At 10 o'clock, Mr. 
 Elaine bade the visitors good-night and retired within. 
 
 If one might judge from appearances, this was one of 
 the brightest of all the festal scenes over which the host 
 and hostess had presided, and yet a fatality seemed to at- 
 tend it. In less than six months three prominent gentle- 
 men of the city, all near neighbors, Col. Charles E. 
 Balch. Dr. Charles Wells, and William B. Webster, Esq., 
 were stricken down by the hand of death, the two last 
 named suddenly, and also the accomplished lady of the 
 house. 
 
 On Friday, September 12, Mrs. Smyth had an alarming 
 attack which was thought to indicate paralysis. It 
 yielded, however, to treatment, and she seemed in a fair 
 wav to recover, but through the succeeding 1 weeks was
 
 RECEPTION OF JAMES G. ELAINE. 367 
 
 not in her usual health. In November, Dr. William A. 
 Hammond, of New York, was consulted with some 
 slight, favorable results, but on her return home she 
 seemed to have taken a severe cold, which was followed 
 by an ulcerated sore throat. From this time her health 
 steadily declined. Her husband engaged rooms for her 
 at St. Augustine, Florida, where Dr. Hammond had ad- 
 vised her to spend the winter, but she never gained suffi- 
 cient strength to undertake the journey. With alternate 
 emotions of hope and fear, the weeks passed on. Her 
 attending physicians, Drs. Wheat and Robinson, did all 
 that their experience and skill suggested, apparently in 
 vain. Dr. Hammond was twice summoned from ]S T ew 
 York. Mr. Smyth, while manifesting himself the strong- 
 est hope and in all ways striving to impart to his dearly 
 beloved wife courage, gave up all other cares and was 
 rarely out of the sick-room. On Saturday, January 10, 
 after conversation with her pastor, Rev. George B. 
 Spalding, D. ].)., she was received into the membership 
 of the Franklin-street church, where she had been for 
 many years a constant attendant, and in the Christian 
 work of which she had been a ready and cheerful helper. 
 The next day, as her husband read from the Bible, she 
 retraced with mental clearness their journeys through the 
 Holy Land to places mentioned therein, dwelling on the 
 theme with evident interest, and in a few days more, on 
 the morning of the 1 14th, she was summoned home to the 
 Father's house. Xo words can tell the grief and utter 
 prostration of the husband, or more than indicate the 
 waves of sorrow that spread from the weeping u'roiip of 
 sisters and friends in ever-widening circles to farthest 
 shores. 
 
 Mr. Smyth carefully gathered and caused to he pub- 
 lished in a memorial volume of nearly 150 pages the 
 letters of consolation and regret, prefaced bv a steel
 
 368 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 engraved portrait, sketch of her life, and the eloquent and 
 appreciative sermon preached on the occasion of her 
 funeral by the Rev. George B. Spalding, I). I). These 
 letters came from all parts of the United States, from 
 England, and from the East, written by statesmen, 
 scholars, clergymen, missionaries, and by honest, simple- 
 hearted, everyday friends and acquaintances, all testify- 
 ing to the charm of her life and the value set upon her 
 friendly regard. Mrs. Smyth in her early life was very 
 beautiful in person, a beauty which she retained in a 
 remarkable degree in advancing years. So much of this 
 beauty, however, was due to her manner and expression, 
 that neither the pencil of the painter nor the chisel of the 
 sculptor could catch and convey it. A portrait taken in 
 recent years by Tenney gives her queenly form and car- 
 riage, a bust done in marble at Rome, in 1878, reflects 
 something of the rare grace of her girlhood, but neither 
 these, nor the engraving in the memorial, nor the many 
 photographs taken from time to time, do justice to the 
 image enshrined in the hearts of those who knew and 
 loved her. 
 
 JOURNEYS ABROAD. 
 
 It was the intention of Mr. and Mrs. Smyth to have 
 written out more fully the incidents of their foreign jour- 
 neys and to have had them printed for private circula- 
 tion, as well as to fix in memory a thousand pleasant and 
 interesting matters connected with souvenirs they had 
 brought to the Willows. It was in pursuance of some 
 such idea as this that the following notes were taken, 
 Mrs. Smyth narrating them in her pleasant way from a 
 note-book which had accompanied her through many 
 climes, leaving to the writer the arrangement and the 
 verification of names and places. It was on the evening 
 of the 20th of December, 188-3, by a cheerful open wood- 
 fire in the drawing-room, that this fireside journey began.
 
 . .' 
 
 'r- - ' V 
 
 / /"
 
 JOURNEYS ABROAD. 369 
 
 There might have been more of it to record, but tor the 
 fact that the note-book most prized was lost en route. 
 
 We sailed from Xew York on board the Canard Royal 
 Mail steamship Servia Wednesday, December 13, 1882, 
 in a storm of considerable severity, which lasted however 
 only twenty-four hours. The steamship, which is a very 
 fine one, took a more southerly course than usual to avoid 
 the gales which arc frequently encountered at this season 
 of the year, and made a very quick and pleasant trip, 
 reaching Queenstown on the 20th and Liverpool the 21st. 
 In the way of companions we were not without celebrities 
 of greater or less degree, having alive lord, who had been 
 shooting out West, Madam Labouchere, who gave up the 
 task of chaperoning the Langtry and was going home in 
 disgust, Mr. and Mrs. U. S. Grant, Jr., Mr. Sartoris, and 
 others. We made the acquaintance of Mr. Musson, a 
 Barbadoes planter resident in London, and doing business 
 in Montreal, of whom more hereafter, and also of an in- 
 telligent but somewhat whimsical German with a crick in 
 his back. His helplessness and alarm under this state of 
 things, evidently a new experience, were laughable. Our 
 definition of this malady as a '"crick" did not in the 
 least allay his fears, and what with tugging about after 
 him with wraps and little cushions for his back, and help- 
 ing him on and off with his obdurate shoes, we piled up 
 quite a formidable claim to his gratitude, which however 
 he acknowledged prettily enough in a letter from his old 
 home in Germany, received by us in Paris. The thoughts 
 inspired by this unlucky malady possibly may have sug- 
 gested the lines which he quoted while we were yet miles 
 from the great city. 
 
 O gleaming lights of London town 
 If tears your lights could drown, 
 Your victim's eye could weep them all. 
 () lights of London town.'' 
 24
 
 370 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 London at Christmas is no time for sight-seeing in the 
 ordinary sense of the term. The whole energy of the pop- 
 ulation is spent on one object, and to this end everything 
 converges. Horses, drivers, passengers, houses, markets, 
 streets, stores of every name wear or bear the Christmas 
 green. There is no trade but Christmas trade, no other 
 travel or thought or care, and so we were very glad to 
 accept the kind invitation of onr friend, the planter, and 
 spend Christmas at his home in upper Norwood, a suburb 
 of London near the Kensington palace. An invalid 
 mother, gentle, ladylike, pleasant, nine children, beautiful 
 with the charm of good breeding, a house not large as 
 English houses go, but ample enough, with lawns and 
 shrubbery as fresh and green as in September, revealed to 
 us an atmosphere of home life altogether lovely. 
 
 There were many little things about the place and the 
 ordering of the dinner which seemed like a page out of a 
 story. The family, with old reverent custom, stood while 
 grace was said. The traditional roast beef and plum pud- 
 ding were garnished with holly, and the mistletoe hung 
 from the gas-pendant in the halls. Before dinner, in ac- 
 cordance with immemorial usage, we attended church. 
 There was none of that crisp, cold weather so much to be 
 desired, but instead we walked some distance through a 
 long lane and down a muddy road in a genuine English 
 drizzle. The service was intensely high church, and to 
 tell the truth rather drearier than the weather, but no 
 doubt allowance should be made for our crude American 
 notions. 
 
 At dinner the plum pudding inclosed a ring, a sixpence, 
 and a thimble. Whoever got the ring would be wedded 
 first, the thimble betokened an old maid or bachelor, and 
 the sixpence was for good luck. Afterward came games, 
 bonbons with mottoes, blind man's buff, hunt the slipper, 
 and other pleasant pastimes, toned down a little by the
 
 CHRISTMAS TIME. 371 
 
 sickness of one of the sons at school, who was unable to 
 enjoy his holiday at home. Our genial host is at present 
 engaged in the manufacture of sugar in Canada, from 
 cane shipped from his plantation in Barbadoes, which, 
 strange as it may seem, he is said to do at a profit. The 
 day after Christmas is called " boxing day," and a fine time 
 we had in trying to find out just what that means. At 
 our hotel and in numerous shops we asked " What is box- 
 ing day?" and the answer was very uniformly, with an 
 accent of the greatest surprise at our dense ignorance, 
 " Boxing day ? Why, it 's boxing day ; " and it was not until 
 consulting Webster's unabridged we found that a "box " 
 had come to be used as synonymous with a Christmas 
 present, though why that day should come after rather 
 than before Christmas we are quite unable to determine. 
 The day, however, was quite as useless for any other pur- 
 pose as Christmas itself. But the great sights we had 
 done very thoroughly before. The Royal Hotel on the 
 Thames embankment near Blackfriar's bridge was near 
 many points of interest, and from it we visited the Bank 
 of England, St. Paul's cathedral, Westminster Abbey, 
 and on Sunday heard Spurgeon. It was rather however 
 for the purpose of rest and of taking our start leisurely 
 that we spent these London days. On the 28th we started 
 for Paris ri<i Dover and Calais, a short trip, and having to 
 the full Macbeth's quality of doing, 
 
 " It' it were clone, when 'tis done, then 'twere well 
 It were done quickly : v 
 
 The uneasy and fretful channel welcomed us with its 
 usual love of travelers. Like its neighbors it seems 
 desirous of getting the most out of them possible. At 
 first we were charmed with the alacrity of the attend- 
 ants who shuffled about the slippery decks with wraps, 
 tarpaulins, and bowls in hand, and were not a little pu/-
 
 372 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 zled by the evident delight they manifested when one of 
 the unfortunates paid tribute to the sea ; but it all was 
 plain when we learned that every such attention involved 
 an extra charge. 
 
 Paris fairly swarmed with its gay crowd on Xew Year's 
 day. Every conveyance was full to overflowing. We 
 made a few feeble excursions in the direction of the Arc 
 de Triomphe, and tried to take in a little of the abound- 
 ing vivacity and life of the scene, but soon were glad to 
 get back to our hotel. 2s"ew Year's does not seem to be 
 a day of the elite, but rather of the workmen, artisans, 
 laborers, common people of Paris who throng every ave- 
 nue, monopolize the public conveyances, and take pos- 
 session of things in a good-natured way generally. 
 
 It will be remembered that the year 1882 was marked 
 by some very destructive floods in the valley of the 
 Rhone. One of these it was our fortune to encounter. 
 We left Paris for Geneva on the 8th of January by rail. 
 Xear that city we had our first view of Mont Blanc, and 
 spent three days very pleasantly in the city of Calvin, 
 the time being lengthened by the washing out of a tunnel 
 on our road. We saw the house of Calvin, the church 
 where he preached, and his chair, objects which most 
 Protestant tourists ask to see. Leaving Geneva, we were 
 
 CJ 
 
 carried around the crevasse made by the flood in an omni- 
 bus. Our next night was spent in Chamberry, in the 
 valley of the Arne, about sixty miles from Geneva, a place 
 known to remembrance only as giving name to a certain 
 kind of dress goods in the market twenty-five years ago. 
 Such is fame. From thence by rail, in sight of the fa- 
 mous military road of Napoleon, through the Mont Cenis 
 tunnel to Turin, the capital of Piedmont, whence Victor 
 Emanuel came to give liberty to Italy. There are not so 
 many memorable things in Turin worthy of more than a 
 passing mention, but travelers find its miles of arcades
 
 PARIS TO BARCELONA. 373 
 
 convenient for shopping in rain and in sun, the sidewalks, 
 like many of those in Paris, being covered by the project- 
 ing second stories of the houses. From Turin we went 
 to Genoa, perhaps quite as interesting a place as any 
 among the famous cities of old time, belonging to us, 
 moreover, by all the associations of the geographers of 
 our youth. If ever men could be tempted to venture 
 forth upon unknown sous, naturally it might happen here 
 on the famous gulf on the shores of the blue Mediterra- 
 nean. Most curious and quaint is Genoa clinging to the 
 hills, its streets all up, up, up, and down, down, down, 
 like the way in the nursery tale, and }'et its environs are 
 superb. Residences built of marble from the Sirnplon in 
 grounds gay with flowers and rich with statuary, the spa- 
 cious promenade on the quay, the old palaces and exten- 
 sive fortifications, all testity to the glory which even yet 
 lingers on Genoa the superb. It is only within a few 
 years that the peculiar costume which lent grace to its 
 women has given way to modern fashion, and even now 
 servants retain the white veil and discard the bonnet. A 
 specialty in manufacture is silver filagree work. From 
 Genoa to Nice, along the Riviera by rail, and in sight of 
 Cornice, as the broad, white road commenced by Xapo- 
 leon is called, is a most charming route nearly a hundred 
 miles on the shore of the Gulf of Genoa. Mentone. a 
 famous health resort, and Monaco, the little kingdom of 
 the gamblers, are on this way, where also are traces 
 of the Roman footstep. Xice is a very attractive place as 
 to position and climate, which are everything that can be 
 desired, but it is all a great hospital. Amid the flowers 
 and the ever-blooming roses \ve could but forget our 
 American winter. From Xice, along the Riviera still, 
 and for the most part within sight of the Mediterranean, 
 sometimes so near that we seem to be actually gliding 
 over the water, and the spray of the breakers strikes the
 
 374 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 car windows, we go by rail to Marseilles and from thence 
 on the coast of the Gulf of Lyons, across the eastern 
 Pyrenees into Spain, our destination being Barcelona. 
 This is one of the few Spanish cities which have retained 
 somewhat of their old renown as commercial points of in- 
 fluence. The province of Catalonia, of which it is the 
 capital, is filled with a people of considerable enterprise, 
 active in trade, commerce, and manufactures. Connected 
 by rail with the Atlantic, the riches of the Levant for 
 hundreds of years flowing through its coffers have made 
 Barcelona the rival of Genoa and Venice. While mainly 
 rebuilt in accordance with modern ideas, some quaint 
 customs remain. The night patrol, for instance, every 
 half hour call the time, devoutly commending all good 
 sleepers to the care of some saint or of the Virgin. The 
 wailing monotone in which this is done has an indescrib- 
 ably sad effect. Then the trades and industries have 
 their particular habitat, as of workers in iron and bronze, 
 some of which are very skillful, and the street of the 
 goldsmiths, renowned in the old time for the magnificence 
 and wealth of its artificers, and still worthy of attention. 
 There are also, as in all Spanish towns, great cathedrals, 
 and one novelty, at least, in the way of organ pipes, 
 which are horizontal, and seem, as it were, to bombard 
 the hearer. These cloistered churches were everywhere 
 ' beset by beggars gotten up regardless and with ingenious 
 combinations of misery that defy description. 
 
 After two days in Barcelona, we left for Saragossa, the 
 capital of Aragon. The Spanish railway system is slow, 
 but we did, in course of time, across the barren and des- 
 olate waste of country, here and there diversified by 
 scanty patches of olives, reach the city so famously de- 
 fended against the French. Here the scene changes for 
 the better, for this is one of the most fertile valleys of the 
 Kbro. and olive proves, orange trees, and rich gardens
 
 SPANISH NOTES. 375 
 
 abound. The work in churches and cathedrals is 
 especially magnificent, and the wealth and votive offerings 
 untold. The church of Our Lady of the Pillar lias 
 an image of the Virgin on a pillar of alabaster. The 
 power to work miracles is attributed to her, and the pillar 
 is believed by the faithful to have descended from heaven. 
 Such costly devotion, the evidences of which are every- 
 where displayed, goes far to explain the zeal that 
 prompted their desperate defense in 1808. We saw the 
 leaning tower called " Torre Xueva." It appeared to us 
 to lean nearly as much as that of Pisa, but we were told 
 that its inclination was only half as great. It is built of 
 stone, octagonal in form, and said to be of the mixed 
 architecture of the Moor and Spaniard. From Sara- 
 gossa and Aragon to Castile and Madrid, whither we 
 arrived on the 15th of January, not in the season, that is 
 to say, there were no bull fights and no legislation going 
 on, no riots or revolutions; but there was bedlam let 
 loose at the station, where an army of shrieking, gesticu- 
 lating drivers of street conveyances fought over us and 
 our spoils, and threatened to tear us limb from limb, so 
 far as any rational interpretation of all this tremendous 
 uproar could give their meaning. However, we secured 
 a guide who could speak English, who got us into an om- 
 nibus and took us to the Hotel de la I'aix in the Puesta 
 del Sol, Gate of the Sun. 
 
 The environs of Madrid are desolate enough, not a ves- 
 tige of human habitation, no shrubbery or trees, but a 
 sterile, wind-swept plain, hot in summer and cold in win- 
 ter. The plateau upon which the city stands is not of a 
 nature to improve the climate, but what nature has done 
 so little for. art, wealth, and the- necessities of kings have 
 made up. Our hotel was in the center, from which many 
 fine thoroughfares radiated, and a good place for sight- 
 seers. The fare, like all Spanish cooking, so far as we
 
 376 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 had any experience of it, was detestable, leaving but one 
 impression, garlic. The streets were filled with an infi- 
 nite variety of passengers, among which predominated 
 everywhere the priests, stout, rosy, well-fed, and not over 
 courteous in manner. Hidalgos, gay turnouts, splendid 
 horses, magnificent loafers in cloaks worn like the toga of 
 an emperor, and, as usual, beggars in every sheltered 
 nook or warm corner in the winter sun. One day we 
 caught a glimpse of King Alfonso. We noticed all at 
 once hats raised, people looking, and saw in a close car- 
 riage a young man in citizen's dress and stove-pipe hat, 
 with no guards nor outriders, but with driver and foot- 
 man. The finest turnouts, however, are seen upon the 
 Prado, a magnificent promenade most frequented in the 
 winter from 4 to 6 P. M., and in summer from 8 to 11 
 p. M. The- Madrelenos are very fond of the streets, of 
 the theatres, and the bull ring. They seem to have no 
 domestic life, in the sense that we know of it. 
 
 Among the many things we saw during our four days' 
 sojourn, some will not readily be forgotten: the royal 
 palace, too much like other palaces to be described, the 
 stables, filled with the most beautiful and costly animals 
 known to the world of fashion or wealth, blooded Ara- 
 bians. Andalnsian barbs, exquisite ponies, curly haired 
 Astrakhans, many with names the most appropriate and 
 beautiful, as Maris, the favorite horse of Mercedes: the 
 carriage houses, containing over one hundred convey- 
 ances of all sorts, sixes, and ages, presents from kings and 
 emperors, two from Victoria, one from Napoleon, great 
 lumbering affairs of state, one of which is said to have 
 cost over 00,000. The armory contains some thousands 
 of weapons, suits of mail, costly caparisons, etc. Among 
 them is tbe armor worn by Columbus. The bull 
 ring is an amphitheatre with seats for 12,000 people. 
 It being winter, this sport, or rather torture, was not
 
 SPANISH NOTES. 377 
 
 on. To our American Protestant ideas, the 
 Church of the Atocha is a strange place. Here all 
 the royal apparel is consecrated, or blessed, whatever the 
 ceremony may denote, and here the royal wardrobes are 
 left. The wedding trousseau of Mercedes is here shown: 
 
 o 
 
 and after these royal bodies have worn the sanctity off 
 their garments, they are changed for a fresh lot. The 
 really line thing in Madrid, however, which is not 
 equaled in the world, is the picture gallery. All the 
 most famous masters are here represented, and some of 
 them by great numbers. As for instance, sixty-two Uu- 
 bens, forty-six Murillos, forty-three Titians, etc. Of 
 course from such a place, with time as limited, one could 
 bring away only the most general impressions, but we 
 remember better than others certain pieces of Velasquez 
 and Murillo. 
 
 The vega through which one approaches Toledo was 
 once, we are assured, a most fertile expanse, covered with 
 the palm, the orange, and the olive. It is so no longer, 
 but the absence of beauty here only serves to emphasize 
 the lordly position of the city, perched like an eagle on 
 cliffs inaccessible on every side save that washed by the 
 Tagus. It is one of the most characteristic- and delight- 
 ful places we visited. Komans, Goths, Jews, Moors, and 
 Spaniards all have left their traces here. Synagogue, 
 mosque, and cathedral mark the changing worshipers as 
 they came and went. The cathedral is one of the finest 
 in Spain and was commenced in 12:27, as usual replacing 
 a mosque, was 2(5(3 years in building, and is consid- 
 ered one of the best specimens of Gothic heightened by 
 the Moorish idea. (hi the outside of the church of 
 San Juan de los licys is a very singular draping of rusty 
 chains which, however, resolve themselves into an appro- 
 priate votive offering when we learn that they were taken 
 off Christian prisoners released from the Moors. The in-
 
 378 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 terior is very fine in general effect and in the grace of its 
 lines, and one of the cloisters, now almost in ruins, has 
 some exquisite carving, which even Xature, in its tracery 
 of vines and wild flo\vers over all, hardly excels. The 
 gates and doors in the Alcazar are also marvelous in de- 
 sign and workmanship in iron. Every one notices partic- 
 ularly that called the " Gate of the Lions." The famous 
 steel works, now perhaps equaled by more modern man- 
 ufactures, are yet of a great interest and command a wide 
 market for curios on account of their ancient renown. 
 We did not fail to visit them, and bought several speci- 
 mens in the shape of scissors, carving knives, etc. The 
 work is ornamental and inlaid in gold and bronze. 
 
 It was in the grand church at Cordova, if we may 
 credit the author of Don Quixote, that he bought from a 
 boy what appeared to be waste paper, but which turned 
 out to be the second part of that renowned story. 
 Whether anything more in the line ecclesiastic ever 
 issued from its wonderful marble aisles we do not know. 
 It was once a mosque, built or begun in 784. Its exqui- 
 site Moorish arc-lies stood upon a thousand pillars of all 
 the various marbles known. The roof was Hat, sup- 
 ported by beams of lignum vit;i>, which, after 1,100 years, 
 were found perfectly sound. The domes at present cov- 
 ering the roof were added in the early part of the 18th 
 century. In the course of its change into a church its 
 beauty was much defaced, but it is very wonderful 
 still. In one of the forty-five chapels they show a pillar 
 with a rude representation of the crucifixion, said to have 
 been made by a Christian prisoner with his nail while 
 chained there as a prisoner in the mosque. The Alcazar 
 must have been beautiful with its flowers and orange 
 trees, and the bridge over the Guadalquivir is another of 
 the interesting structures of this kind with which 'Spain 
 abounds. In fact, one knows not at which most to
 
 SPANISH NOTKS. 379 
 
 wonder, the universal laziness and shiftlessness which 
 bear sway in this priest-ridden land, or the immense 
 energy and vigor, the taste and skill, which must have ex- 
 isted to produce such effects. Although there is now but 
 scanty vegetation in Cordova, and the conduits and water- 
 works are neglected, there are in the suburbs, or within 
 three or four miles, most beautiful drives, where the groves, 
 the rose gardens, and the vines, the orange, the pine tree, 
 the scarlet oak, the palm, the myrtle, and the olive, hear 
 witness to the veracity of the early Moorish historians as 
 regards this earthly paradise. 
 
 The route by rail from Cordova to Seville is charming 
 beyond description, all the way on the hanks of the only 
 commercially valuable river in Spain, the Guadalquivir. 
 The scenery, the country, the climate, are all at their best. 
 Xot only in its early importance but in its present condi- 
 tion is Seville interesting. From this port, or city, Co- 
 lumbus and Pizzaro both set sail : here were horn Velas- 
 quez and Murillo, and here are to he seen some of their 
 finest works. It is useless to attempt any description of 
 the magnificent cathedral, which seems absolutely fault- 
 less, and which, on the spot alternately the worshiping 
 place of the votaries of .love, of Mahomet, and of Christ, 
 seems likely to stand for centuries yet. The gardens of 
 the Alcazar are exceptionally tine and in good condition. 
 The Alameda is a most beautiful drive, where we saw the 
 ex-Queen Isabella, a pretty coarse specimen of royalty, 
 driving. She, however, had the courtesy to bow to us as 
 visiting strangers. We visited the palace of the Dnke de 
 Montpensier, whose great wealth has done much in Seville. 
 He lias restored a portion of the Alca/.ar, and allows vis- 
 itors access to his picture gallery and tine gardens. It is 
 said that he sold 10,000 worth of oranges last year from 
 his estate. He married a sister of the ex-<|iieen and was 
 the father of Mercedes, who was so sincerelv loved and
 
 380 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 mourned by the people. In the cathedral is buried the 
 son of Columbus, a man of noble character, who be- 
 queathed his library to the city. Among the many 
 curious things we saw was the house built by a certain Mar- 
 quis of Tariffa, in 1578, who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem 
 and brought home enough of the sacred soil on which to 
 found this, which he claims to be an exact reproduction 
 of the house of Pilate. 
 
 At our hotel we encountered an English artist, who 
 rendered us much assistance, and one day asked us if we 
 would not like to see the gypsies in their haunts. To get up 
 one of their characteristic dances, it was only necessary 
 to expend a couple of dollars for a little of the country 
 wine and to keep out intruders. He had some splendid 
 models, who were at his service for any such affair and 
 who would be only too happy to oblige him. Of course 
 we made haste to avail ourselves of his offer. He there- 
 fore previously went among them and selected some half 
 dozen of the handsomest girls, charging them to put on 
 no finery, but to appear in their characteristic, everyday 
 costume. Their music consisted of something like the 
 guitar and the castanets, and they all played while keep- 
 ing time to their movements. Some of them were really 
 superb in their dark-eyed beauty, which, however, was 
 not altogether of a saintly character. They would dance 
 awhile singly, then sip a little of the wine, smoking 
 meantime a cigarette, then dance again, and so on. It 
 was not to our taste greatly attractive, but as a character- 
 istic act of the genuine Spanish gypsy had an interest of 
 its own. 
 
 Seville, of course, abounds in souvenirs of the great 
 navigator: here is his monument erected by his son, here 
 the identical log-book which he kept on board the Pinta. 
 
 From Seville we turned our faces eastward to the last 
 stronghold of the Moors in Spain, where for more than
 
 SPANISH MOTES. 381 
 
 two centuries they made the place a center of all that 
 was beautiful and luxurious in Eastern civilization, arts, 
 commerce, learning, agriculture, and wonderful architec- 
 ture, all hearing witness to the vigor of their civil policy, 
 the skill of their artisans, and the charm of their poetic 
 fancy. It is idle to attempt any description where count- 
 less pens have tailed to convey the impression which only 
 sight can give, hut we will try to save from our note-hook 
 some of the things that made our four days' stay in Gran- 
 ada the pleasantest of the whole journey. To begin 
 with, the route from Seville was full of interest, through 
 rich vegas, the orange and the palm on either side, de- 
 lightful mountain scenery, the latter part by numerous 
 tunnels and bridges across the Sierra Nevada, whose cool 
 breezes temper the summer heat of Granada. Arriving 
 at the town, we were driven to the Washington Irving 
 Hotel in the grounds of the Alhambra. The town, or 
 city, stands on four hills at the extremity of a beautiful 
 plain, divided by the rivers ])arro and Genii. It rises 
 like an amphitheatre from the river, and the height (2,245 
 feet above the sea) is crowned by the Alhambra, The 
 plain, or vega, one of the most fertile spots in the world, 
 stretches away thirty miles to the foot-hills of the Sierras. 
 The Alhambra is situated on the western spur of a ridge 
 which divides the two rivers above named and is itself cleft 
 from the other terrace of the ridge by a deep ravine. At the 
 hotel we staid four days and as far as possible studied the 
 beauty of the Hall of Ambassadors, Court of the Lions, 
 Hall of the Abencerrages, the Queen's Boudoir, and, in 
 short, all the objects to be seen, only with regret that we 
 had not more time. 
 
 Xever to be forgotten was a view by moonlight, 
 neither the trouble which we were at to get that view. 
 It will be understood that the hotel occupied a level 
 space close under the walls of the inclosure outside. To
 
 382 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 get through the walls after the regulation hour (4 P. M.) 
 required numerous fees, much persuasion, a pass from the 
 governor, and unlimited patience. Armed with our pass, 
 we sallied forth with our guide, hammered away loudly 
 at the gate, and called and shouted for a long time in 
 vain. All was as fast as though we were armed besiegers. 
 At last, in a distant quarter above us, a window was 
 opened, a parley ensued between the keepers and the 
 guide, a woman bare-footed came shuffling along the cool 
 floors, the gateway was made free, and we entered. It 
 appears that the custody of the entire affair is in the 
 hands of a woman and her daughter, who were naturally 
 cautious about letting in strangers at night. The beauty 
 of the scene, however, repaid all our trouble. The white 
 moonlight, the deep shadows, the vast towers, the musical 
 trickle of the fountains, combined to impress it indelibly 
 upon our memories. 
 
 The outer, or fortress walls, are on an average 6 feet 
 thick by 30 high, supported at intervals by buttresses and 
 towers. They inclose an area 2,430 feet long by 674 feet 
 in the widest part, and are all of a deep orange red, that 
 being the color of the flint, red earth, and lime of which 
 they are composed, when baked in the sun. As is the 
 case in many ruins, time has dealt more kindly with them 
 than the hand of man. The French, when they gave up 
 the place, attempted to blow up the walls, and earlier still 
 and worse, Charles V destroyed half of the Palace of the 
 Sultans in order to build one for himself, which he did 
 not complete. Here were apartments for summer and for 
 winter use, the former overhanging the Darro and com- 
 manding a view of the Sierras. Here are preserved the 
 archives of the Alhambra and two exquisitely wrought 
 marble slabs supposed to have been tables. The princi- 
 pal entrance to the Alhambra is called the " Gate of Judg- 
 ment.'' It is in a square tower, and the outer horse-shoe
 
 SPANISH NOTES. 383 
 
 arch is 28 feet high, above which is carved part of an 
 arm and outstretched hand pointing upward. On the sec- 
 ond, or inner arch, is a symbolic key. The legend runs 
 that no invader could ever take the place until the hand 
 should grasp the key and unlock the gate. Here, in 
 accordance with Eastern usage, was held the open air 
 court of the Caliphs. 
 
 The Hall of the Ambassadors, or throne room of 
 the Sultan, occupies the entire area of the tower of Co- 
 mares. A beautiful dado of colored tiles surrounds the 
 walls, above which are a series of oval medallions with 
 inscriptions ; then follow the windows, three on each 
 facade. The ceiling is beautifully inlaid with white, blue, 
 and gold in circles, crowns, and stars. The artists were 
 Persian. Next in importance to this is esteemed the 
 Court of the Lions, so called from the central fountain 
 supported on the backs of twelve lions cut in white mar- 
 ble. The main basin is 10| feet in diameter and 2 feet 
 deep, of alabaster. The court is 126 by 73 feet, surrounded 
 by a gallery supported on 124 marble columns. These 
 pillars are irregularly placed, singly and in pairs. A 
 pavilion, with domed roof and curiously wrought filagree 
 walls through which the blue sky appears like a back- 
 ground, projects into the court on each extremity. 
 
 The Hall of the Abencerrages is so called from the 
 massacre of the chiefs of an entire tribe of that name by 
 Boabdil, a piece of vengeance, however, which did not 
 save him his throne. Its arches and roof are especially 
 beautiful, and the view thence to the Court of Lions very 
 charming. East of the Court of Lions is a long gallery 
 divided into alcoves and called the " Council Room of Jus- 
 tice/' The ornamentation, the arches, and the general 
 finish are surprisingly beautiful and airy, like woven lace 
 petrified in marble. In one of the domes of the recesses 
 in the south wall are some very curious paintings of long-
 
 384 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 bearded Moors. Inasmuch as portrait painters were at a 
 discount among Mohammedans, the critics are sorely 
 divided as to who was the author. An evidence of the lux- 
 urious life led by the Moors is the Queen's Boudoir, 
 so called, a room about nine feet square, in one corner of 
 which is a marble slab perforated with sixteen holes to 
 admit perfumes. But these are among some of many 
 wonderful things which we can only remember as the 
 incidents of a beautiful dream. 
 
 The cultivation of the vega and of the terraced slopes 
 of the ridge is conducted mainly through irrigation. The 
 Moors proved themselves to be skillful engineers. At 
 present, the use of the water which is brought from the 
 Darro is strictly regulated by the bell in the Torre del 
 Vega, which is struck once in live minutes every night 
 from to 4. One farmer can use it just so long and then 
 shuts his sluiceway for the next. We visited the old man 
 who keeps the tower. For a thousand years or so, who- 
 ever struck the bell had either to ascend the stairway 
 every live minutes or remain there all night. Within a 
 year some genius has conceived the idea of cutting holes 
 through the ceiling and attaching a rope to the striker so 
 the old man can do his duty as he lies in bed. Verily, 
 the world moves ! The second of January, which is the 
 day when Granada was taken by the Catholic kings, is a 
 festival, and the young girls in the vicinity repair to the 
 bell tower between the hours of 3 and 4 p. M., and each 
 strikes the bell once. This is believed to insure them a 
 husband. 
 
 There are a thousand things one must leave unsaid, but 
 a word must be given to the palace and gardens of the 
 Generalife. The garden walks are lined with oleanders, 
 cypress trees, and myrtle hedges. On one of these ter- 
 races is what is called the " Court of Cypresses;" one of 
 the trees, called "La Sultana,' 3 is said to have been two
 
 SPANISH NOTES. 385 
 
 centuries old in the time of Boabdil. The grapevines 
 have stems as thiek as a tree, and date hack to the Moors. 
 From the principal hall here we passed through a little 
 gate up to the Silla del Moro, a hill on which are some 
 vestiges of another palace which Moorish writers assert 
 to have been far superior to the Alhambra. From this 
 point is a view down the valley of the Darro, where are 
 the gypsy quarters, a wild and here untamable race, who 
 burrow in the hillsides like rabbits. It ought perhaps to 
 be named that we saw at the Generalife, which is in pos- 
 session of a descendant of the uncle of Boabdil, the 
 sword which failed to secure that unlucky ruler in his 
 seat. 
 
 After the Alhambra the city seems commonplace, al- 
 though in the Church of the Kings are some beautiful 
 tombs with marble effigies, true likenesses of Ferdinand 
 and Isabella and other great notabilities of Spain. It was a 
 curious coincidence that the new world was discovered 
 and Granada surrendered in the same year. We took a 
 drive of some twenty miles through the environs, and 
 were enchanted with the scenery, beauty, and fertility of 
 the country; and everywhere we were impressed with the 
 prodigal bounty of ISTature and the everlasting laziness of 
 man. Such exhilaration in the air, it was a joy to 
 breathe, and we climbed, without effort, cliffs and ter- 
 races which we should not think of attempting at home. 
 The old Moorish mills with picturesque water-wheels, the 
 system of irrigation, the little country inns where simple, 
 cooling drinks could be had, the groves, the 1 hedges, the 
 flower gardens, all things conspired to make us regret 
 leaving Andalusia more than any other place we visited. 
 
 But time, though of so little account to these children 
 of the sun, had yet some value to us, and so we took the 
 train for Malaga, the nearest port on the Mediterranean. 
 All the way it skirted the Sierras, and we reached the
 
 386 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 streets of hot, dirty, dusty Malaga after an interesting 
 ride. The United States consul called on us very soon, 
 and with his amiable wife paid us many attentions. In 
 the evening we were invited to his house near by, and 
 needed no wraps and but the thinnest of our apparel on 
 the 26th of January. Xext day we took them to ride 
 with us, and our entire route lay through the bed of a 
 waterless river, which in the time of rains would be a 
 swollen torrent. There are some fine gardens, and the 
 Alameda on the beach is a much frequented resort. 
 Grapes were drying about on the ground in the raisin 
 -country; and our consul sought to prove to us the excel- 
 lence of the wine here produced, and presented us with a 
 bottle to take along, which he assured us was fifty years 
 old. However that might have been, it was the means of 
 grave complications at the custom house at Gibraltar, 
 where, contrary to some other people, they are " agin the 
 Jaw" but in favor of its enforcement.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 GIBRALTAR AND TANGIER. 
 
 WE took steamer for Gibraltar, where we arrived one 
 morning and waked up to find ourselves facing an im- 
 mense rock which, lion-like, rises out of the water and 
 looks toward the dark continent. It was with immeasur- 
 able content, after the slipshod ways of the people we had 
 left, to come upon order, cleanliness, and a straightforward 
 style of doing. We could even pardon red tape and 
 overmuch military precision. At the custom house, the 
 vigilant officer fell upon our bottle of fifty-year-old Mal- 
 aga, which was carried in a hand basket with other indis- 
 pensable articles. Viewing it with severe aspect, he 
 coolly took possession of it in the name of her Majesty. 
 It was represented to him that it was a present from our 
 consul, that we were American travelers with no feloni- 
 ous purposes of traffic ; but it was of no use, it could 
 not be taken on shore, so we left it and proceeded onward; 
 but, mirabile dictti, when we returned there it was intact, 
 and was formally delivered into our charge. 
 
 Gibraltar recalls to mind the old negro melody, " such 
 a gittin' up stairs." The houses are built into the sides 
 of the cliff by the narrow pass, for it is hardly more, in a 
 most curious way. In that of the American consul, for 
 instance, as we entered from the street, the first floor was 
 devoted to sundry domestic purposes, up another flight to 
 the reception room, and up another to the dining room, 
 all built into the rock. In this nest lie had been perched 
 for twenty-five years or more, and brought up a family of 
 daughters who were sent to France to be educated, all of
 
 388 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 whom thought Gibraltar a good place to be in. One Sun- 
 day morning we were awakened by the sound of military 
 music, and looking out of our windows saw a company of 
 redcoats, as stiff, clean, and orderly as drill could make 
 them, with prayer-books in hand, on the way to church. 
 This they have to do in relays, as the churches are not 
 large enough to hold all the garrison at once. When we 
 turned out ourselves for the same purpose, we Avent up 
 steps cut in the rock; and of course the only mode of 
 riding is upon donkeys. They have some little beasts 
 of that ilk with cradle saddles adapted to the most deli- 
 cate nerves. 
 
 The marvel of Gibraltar is its fortifications, and they 
 were mounting a new and most formidable gun while we 
 were there, to keep abreast with modern progress. Up 
 above all the stairways a colony of monkeys exist which 
 have been there no one knows how long, and their like is 
 found only in Africa ; hence some say the land once ex- 
 tended across the strait. They are obliged to come down 
 to get a drink, and it is lucky that they want nothing but 
 water. It is amusing to see them in their sports, and they 
 are very carefully protected in their rights, an impor- 
 tant matter, as means of entertainment cannot be too 
 plentiful on that stronghold. Some of the chambers cut 
 in the rock are quite large, and in one called King 
 George's they sometimes have balls. The view from the 
 highest point is very extensive, including the shores of 
 two continents. 
 
 We took the steamer which plies between Gibraltar and 
 Tangier on the 29th ; passing in sight of Point Trafalgar, 
 the scene of Xelson's famous fight, we soon reach a new 
 and strange land where the sky and sea and distant moun- 
 tain chain of Gcbel Muza seem fitting environments to 
 the walled city of the pirates, and the swarming boat-loads 
 of bronzed and black yelling and shrieking men of the
 
 AFRICAN DAYS. 389 
 
 East. The landing is a feat not to be lightly regarded, 
 and it only seems a question whether we are to be drowned 
 at once in the boiling, surging waves, or violently rescued 
 at the hands of the villainous looking crowd around. 
 But at last we land. It is a time of unusual stir and tu- 
 mult, in fact the fete, feast, or fast of the circumcision, 
 so the neighboring tribes, and even those as far distant as 
 Fez, had come with children in droves. Everywhere the 
 streets were full, every available open space covered with 
 the wild-looking caravans of the desert, scores of camels, 
 donkeys without number, mounted horsemen in groups, 
 in squads, in companies, Moorish cavaliers superbly 
 mounted charging like the wind in the most unexpected di- 
 rections, firing recklessly into or above the crowd as might 
 happen ; narrow and indescribably dirty streets, bordered 
 by little bazaars, right out of the Arabian nights, where 
 were spices, soaps, oils, sweetmeats, silver work, cobblers 
 leisurely stitching, in the market-place women from the 
 interior wearing coarse straw hats with enormous brims, 
 in short, a confused medley of the strangest and most 
 fantastic things and creatures we had ever imagined; and 
 over all the hot and burning sky of Morocco. 
 
 But even here where a half barbarism was still rife, the 
 advancing wave of civilization was pushing its way on the 
 shore. A comfortable French hotel sheltered us from 
 the hot sun and the hideous din, a good guide was readily 
 engaged to show us the true inwardness of things, and 
 we were prepared to do Tangier. AVe had along with 
 us an amiable young English curate, who was not only 
 astonished but actually afraid of the fierce looking sheiks 
 in their mad sorties, and who involuntarily, no doubt, 
 took shelter on the side of us which promised the greatest 
 immunity from danger. Everywhere about the streets 
 were what would correspond to the side shows of our 
 fairs, slave dances, where the lazy old tyrant who ex-
 
 390 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 hibited them for sale sat on the ground in their midst and 
 forced them to dance till they dropped from sheer exhaus- 
 tion ; then the snake charmers displayed their writhing, 
 horrible pets; and anon comes riding down the midst on a 
 tine donkey, with numerous attendants clad in white, with 
 a denser howling crowd about him, if possible, than we 
 had seen before, El Sherif, or the religious ruler, a man 
 of fine physique and commanding presence, to get a fair 
 sight of whom our curate actually pressed forward into 
 the throng at imminent risk at least of his corns. El 
 Sherif was accompanied by a beautiful boy. He was said 
 to be a much-married man, his harem counting up to 
 thousands. A story is told of an English woman employed 
 as a teacher in Tangier who became infatuated with this 
 descendant of the prophet and consented to become, as 
 she made him promise, his last, but the fickle Moor, after 
 his usual length of time, again and again broke his 
 promise, leaving the foolish woman broken-hearted and 
 yet shut in a prison from which there is no escape. 
 
 We were granted an audience of the pasha or governor 
 of the place. On first arriving his highness had not fin- 
 ished his siesta, but soon admitted us. He was tall, rather 
 thin, but of good appearance, seated on a dais surrounded 
 by papers on which he seemed to have been at work. 
 Xear by on the stone floor was the rug on which he re- 
 posed from the noontide sun and the cares of state. We 
 also visited the court in session. The judge sat cross- 
 legged on the pavement surrounded by the mufti or men 
 learned in the law, engaged in hearing a case. Our guide 
 on this occasion was a Je\v assistant to the consul: appar- 
 ently the court was adjourned that we might be intro- 
 duced to his honor. Xot even Othello himself could have 
 excelled this judge in stately mien or elegant demeanor ; 
 involuntarily I exclaimed, "Oh, what a handsome man ! '' 
 Court was adjourned, and the judge, opening his snuft
 
 AFRICAN DAYS. 391 
 
 box, skillfully deposited a pinch on the back of his dexter 
 thumb and offered it to our consideration. We lightly 
 sniffed, and in view of the villainous odors with which 
 Tangier abounds, could but esteem it a most thoughtful 
 attention. 
 
 From court to prison is a natural step, and to prison 
 we went. Evidently reform associations have not pene- 
 trated here. It was a kind of cave or grotto, without 
 light or ventilation save what entered at the grated door; 
 and the unhappy wretches crowded forward, offering for 
 sale rude baskets which constitutes their chief support, 
 for unless they have friends they may starve there, or if 
 sick, die without care. Not far from this was a place of 
 temporary confinement previous to trial, where they are 
 chained to a post or stone. There are no theatres or 
 operas in Tangier, and the inmates of the harem have 
 plenty of time for gossip if so disposed, though a recent 
 writer has given us a new idea of the employments in the 
 harem, from which it appears that among the lower ranks 
 at least their lives are not altogether idle. They were 
 sifting corn meal, which lay in great golden heaps on 
 sheets, upon the floor. 
 
 Our guide one evening took us to a concert. The good 
 curate, whose immaculate necktie and stovepipe hat bore 
 witness to his devotion to principle, was sorely tried. 
 u What do you think," asked he, " my people would say 
 to see me in such a place ? " " Well,'"'' said F., *' if you 
 wish to know anything of the customs and manners of 
 the people you have to use your eyes."' So he dubiously 
 followed through the winding lanes and alleys indiffer- 
 ently lighted by the lantern of the guide, until we reached 
 an underground saloon of the rudest stone architecture. 
 About one side of the room were seated the performers 
 cross-legged on mats. The orchestral accompaniment 
 was not on the whole Wagnerian, a two-stringed fiddle
 
 392 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 and the tom-tom, a drum shaped like an hour glass with 
 a leather covering stretched across the head. We after- 
 wards bought one of the stringed instruments of an ama- 
 teur performer on the street. If the cremona or the 
 double bass is evolved from this primitive fiddle, it will 
 go far to establish the theory of Darwin. On these the 
 concert performers snapped and strummed and pounded, 
 keeping time to a song of a thousand arid one verses, 
 which was of the most heart-rending description. We 
 were, however, enabled to create a little diversion by beat- 
 ing vigorously in turn a stray tom-tom, and even the 
 curate, with the desperation which the good sometimes 
 exhibit when led into devious ways, pounded the tom-tom 
 as though it had been a dissenter. Our performers, how- 
 ever, were not lacking in consideration for our exhausted 
 nerves, for they served tea and coffee in tiny cups, and so 
 sent us home through the slippery streets in good spirits. 
 Our consul lived out of town on Mount Washington, 
 and, probably not often meeting people from the country 
 he represented, laid himself out, so to speak, that he 
 might do honor to our humble selves: in fact, as be after- 
 ward wrote to his confr<''re in Gibraltar, he provided a 
 " magnificent entertainment '" ; but three clays in Tangier 
 were all we could allow, and so unfortunately, as it hap- 
 pened, we gave up a good dinner for a rough storm at sea. 
 As is not infrequently the case, when we had made up our 
 minds to go, we were not quite ready. Having indulged 
 in many small purchases of the goods and wares of the 
 country, it became necessary to have a full list, of the 
 same made out before we started. Our consul had influ- 
 ence to delay L'Africaine, the little French steamer, 
 but he could not command the violent rain or the coining 
 storm, which delay made more dangerous. At last we 
 hurried on board. The rain came down in torrents, and 
 the waves ran hi^h and furious. Present! v the wind
 
 AFRICAN DAYS. 393 
 
 arose almost to a cyclone, we were blown far out of our 
 course, and with all came a dense, stifling fog. The cap- 
 tain did not know where we were, the sailors seemed inert 
 and sulky. It appeared that for a little time we were in 
 real danger; happily the cloud passed, the sun came out. 
 and though we were at some distance on the Mediterra- 
 nean, yet after six or seven hours we again reached Gib- 
 raltar. It was the roughest bit we had yet encountered. 
 After this we remained several days waiting for the steam- 
 ship which was to take us to Alexandria. It developed 
 nothing new on the rock, except that the consul at Tan- 
 gier wrote to his friend here what prodigious prepara- 
 tion he had made to feast us at Mount Washington ; but 
 could we have swallowed it before starting the sea would 
 surely have gotten it all.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 TO THE LAND OF THE PHARAOHS. 
 
 ON the 5th of February we set out along the Algerian 
 coast en route for Alexandria. The weather was pleasant, 
 agreeably warm, the sea tranquil, the porpoises disported 
 themselves around us, and at night the wonderful phos- 
 phorescent light played on the waves in our trail. We 
 were eight days on the way, stopping one day (Friday) 
 from sunrise to night at Malta. The first impression of 
 the harbor and Valetta, the capital, is like that of Genoa, 
 houses with balconies in Moorish and Italian style, and 
 streets narrow. There is room, however, for swarms of 
 idle natives lying around in the sun. The harbor was full 
 of English ships, transports with troops on board, and 
 other crafts, making it a gay and lively scene. We visited 
 the governor's palace, formerly that of the grand master, 
 where are the armor and tapestry said to be the finest in 
 the world of the knights who reigned here from 1510 
 to 1798; also the church of St. John, in whose chapel are 
 the monuments of the dead crusaders. There are 1,200 
 Roman priests in this little isle, which is indeed densely 
 populated. The women wear a very ugly head-dress and 
 veil of black in which they are doing penance, it is said, 
 for 100 years, although we do not recall the reason for which 
 it was imposed. Whatever may be the historic interest 
 connected with these relics of the mediaeval ages, it is sur- 
 passed immeasurably by St. Paul's bay, scene of the ship- 
 wreck of the Apostle to the Gentiles, where the confor- 
 mation of the shores seem to bear witness to the truth of 
 the story in Acts. There were three days more of voyag-
 
 ALEXANDRIA. 395 
 
 ing for us before reaching Alexandria, and part of the 
 time the weather was rough. We had on board a cat 
 which served well as a barometer. lie was a great pet 
 among the passengers, expecting some tid-bit from each 
 in turn at meals. In calm weather he was a perfect 
 model of gentle manners and high breeding, but when a 
 storm was brewing he seemed to have had direct advices 
 from Old Prob., which transformed him into a perfect 
 spitfire, rushing about the ship, making warlike demon- 
 strations from unexpected quarters, knocking over and 
 smashing such fragile furniture as came in his way. Some 
 English ladies who had encountered violent winds off the 
 Bay of Biscay reported the conduct of the cat as tempestu- 
 ous in the extreme. The sailors had something like a 
 superstitious regard for the prophetic beast. Meantime 
 the eight days' voyage required some effort to make it 
 lively. Some of the ladies were weighed to keep them 
 light-hearted, the method being to catch hold of a big- 
 steelyard hook used for freight and curl up one's feet 
 from deck. My note-book puts me down at 10 stone 10. 
 
 On Sunday, February 11, we reached Alexandria at 
 evening, but, on account of the rough sea and the sunken 
 ships in the channel, did not go in until Monday. 
 
 Since we last saw Alexandria in 1878 there had been 
 great change; buildings in ruins, forts battered down, ex- 
 ploded shells lying about,- in short hardly anything but 
 bore marks of the contest, except the famous light-house 
 at the entrance. The natives were strictly prohibited 
 from entering or lounging about the forts, and an English 
 officer in charge was having no end of trouble to enforce 
 his orders. In addition to the swarming population was 
 a crowd of pilgrims returning from Mecca, dirty, foot- 
 sore, hungry, adding to the woe-begone look of the place. 
 We spent only one day there, visiting the palace and harem 
 of the khedive, the villa occupied by Sir Garnet Woles-
 
 396 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 ley, Pompey's pillar, and a few other points of interest. 
 We missed the obelisk which had taken flight to ]S"ew 
 York, and saw its solitary mate. Our route by rail to 
 Cairo was through a very marvel of fertility. ISTo wonder 
 the Xile has been worshiped, since it brings the means of 
 life to so many. 
 
 We had some dreamy speculations as to what the 
 weather might be at home while riding through these 
 luxuriant fields of wheat and clover two feet high and of 
 the most vivid green imaginable. Along the way were 
 native rnud villages, and each one, no matter how small, 
 with its mosque. We reached Cairo about 4 p. M. and 
 found that the steamer had left the morning before, so 
 after spending a day in Cairo we took the cars for 
 Assyout, where we expected to overtake the steamer, 
 and deferred further explorations until our return. Oc- 
 casionally we had seen on our way the sugar-houses built 
 by the khedive and owned by the government. Egypt is 
 a great cane-growing country and can produce sugar at 
 very little cost. These mills are built of brick and stone, 
 and seem more like progress than anything we had seen. 
 As we passed the bridge on our way out to Boulac, we 
 encountered hundreds of camels and donkeys laden with 
 all manner of produce, every article of which has to pay 
 a tax at the gates ; and then it was some kind of a fete day, 
 which increased the crowd and the confusion. February 
 16 we reached our boat at Assyout, the capital of middle 
 Egypt. The old Xile had a very lively look, covered with 
 boats, some laden with water jars, and all moved by the 
 huge red lateen sail so common and so picturesque here 
 and in Turkey. One morning we saw drawn up by the 
 side of our steamer another hoisting the American flag, 
 a joyous sight to our eyes. It was the missionary steamer 
 belonging to the American Presbyterian Board, which 
 cruises up and down the Xile, teaching or preaching as the 
 need niav be.
 
 UP THE NILE. 397 
 
 At this point we all set oft' on donkeys to visit the rock 
 tombs, as also the caves of the mummied wolves, creatures 
 which once received divine honors in this region. The 
 rock tombs are a series of vast catacombs cut in the hills 
 above the city, whose walls are covered with inscriptions. 
 Xorth and south are two magnificent plains at the foot of 
 the hills, covered with exquisite verdure, palm groves, 
 fields, gardens, and villages. Assyout, with its numerous 
 minarets and its busy population, presents a very lively 
 scene. It is at the terminus of the railway and the mire- 
 pot of vast quantities of merchandise from the Libyan 
 desert and Darfoor. It is said to be one of the prettiest 
 towns on the Xile. These villages, while beautiful in the 
 distance, are most disheartening and sad on a near view 
 having mere apologies for houses done in baked mud. 
 
 As our party went on its way, some slight accident hap- 
 pened to my saddle. As the driver was repairing damages 
 a young man rode up and accosted me in broken English. 
 He was a teacher in the mission school at Assyout. On 
 our return I visited his school. They manufacture here a 
 very creditable style of pottery, and one often meets 
 women balancing huge water jars on their heads, holding 
 I dare not say how many gallons. During most of the 
 day it was very hot, and we were careful to remain in-doors. 
 Our next stopping-place was at Girjeh, in English 
 St. George, the patron saint of the Kopts, who have here a 
 fine church. Near this place arc the ruins of the ancient 
 Abydos. The country around is surpassingly fertile, but 
 full of miserably dirty villages, streets defiled with offal 
 and growing rubbish heaps. One can see how it is that 
 in some thousands of years this process has covered even 
 the vast monuments of Egypt. The fields are intersected 
 with thousands of rivulets, and water-wheels with buckets 
 are in constant use by the larger canals. It is a ride by 
 donkey of about two hours to the desert line and the site
 
 398 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 of " This/' The ancient inscriptions affirm that Menes, 
 the founder of the dynasty, was born here. The interior 
 of the temple is very perfect, but the customary ap- 
 proaches, pylons, sphinxes, etc., are gone. Seven chapels 
 side by side, each devoted to the worship of a single god, 
 precede the entrance to the halls of colonnades. The inscrip- 
 tions are exquisitely perfect and fresh in color. In one of 
 the chapels was found the most important tablet yet dis- 
 covered, containing the names of seventy-six kings, from 
 Menes to Seti. From the modern village here there was 
 a rush of naked boys with slings for sale, and they ex- 
 hibited great dexterity in the use of this primitive weapon, 
 killing birds on the wing and attesting the excellence of 
 their weapons to induce us to purchase. 
 
 Our next port was Keneh, once a town of considerable 
 importance on the east bank of the Jule, being connected 
 with the port of Kosseir on the Red sea by a caravan 
 route. It is famous for its excellent dates and for the 
 superior quality of the pottery manufactured here. It 
 lies about two miles back from the landing. Denderah, 
 on the opposite side, is reached by a ferry and contains a 
 temple which, with one exception, is considered the most 
 perfect specimen yet unearthed. The paintings and in- 
 scriptions on its walls tell the manner of the temple ser- 
 vice, of its plan of building and dedication. Here may 
 be seen the portrait of Cleopatra. The building is com- 
 paratively modern, being about 2,000 years old. It is 
 surrounded by a huge pile of debris, which at a little dis- 
 tance conceals the entrance from view. From Keneh we 
 sped on to Luxor, where upon our arrival the American 
 flag was run up at the consulate and there was a magniti- 
 cent salute of lire-arms (old muskets) which brought us 
 into port with distinguished honors. We stopped here 
 four days, little time to be sure in which to explore this 
 bewildering labyrinth of ruins, but all we could now
 
 UP THE NILE. 399 
 
 spare. And we were busy enough. The consul, who 
 was no American, but a Mohammedan of the strictest sort, 
 was yet not above dealing with heretics' and infidels in 
 such way as to increase his gains. Consequently his son 
 attended the mission school, as the education he got there 
 opened to him places of profit. He also owned the piece 
 of ground on which the mission buildings stood, and the 
 teacher was very anxious to secure additional facilities. 
 While in conversation with us he manifested the utmost 
 willingness to do anything the teacher wished, for he had 
 asked F. to intercede w r ith the consul-general at Cairo 
 and get his son appointed assistant, which would free him 
 from the conscription. While F. was considering this 
 proposition the teacher, Mr. Awada Abot Eshshaheed, 
 speaking aside to me in a low tone in English, said: "Do 
 not believe him : he is our enemy, opposing our work in 
 every way he dares." As soon as I could, this state of 
 the case was communicated to F., who thereupon said, 
 assuming a high tone, " Of course, if I do this, I shall ex- 
 pect you to give all possible aid to the school and let them 
 have what land they need at a fair price." He promised. 
 At Cairo the case was fully stated to the consul-general, 
 but we have not heard if it resulted in any good. At one 
 time when a general uprising of the Mohammedans was 
 threatened, the fiery old bigot who represented the Eng- 
 lish Government took a club and actually beat the teacher, 
 and our own consular agent went so far as to threaten his 
 life if he did not abandon the school. Every thoughtful 
 observer must give great credit to the American Presby- 
 terian Board of Missions for the excellent work they are 
 doing along the Xile. It is absolutely the only light in 
 the darkness of this part of Egypt. 
 
 The Ghawazee, or dancing girls, constitute the chief 
 stock amusement of the rich. At Cairo, at Esneh, at 
 Luxor, at every place, in fact, of importance, they will per-
 
 400 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 form for pay. Our consul at Luxor hearing that there were 
 Americans on the steamer, straightway invited them to an 
 entertainment at his house. The whole party were bid- 
 den, and though our good curate smelt danger from afar, 
 he went with us. The accompaniments were all first-class, 
 pipes, coffee, luxurious divans, Persian carpets, spacious 
 saloon, and all the rest of it. As to the girls, I suppose it 
 was called dancing; it was not devoid of a certain grace 
 and beauty, and consisted mainly of rhythmic movements 
 of the body keeping time to the music, with now and 
 then an extra feat thrown in, as when one rolled across 
 the floor with a bottle containing a lighted candle on her 
 head. "We could have stood this with equanimity, but 
 when, as a matter of etiquette, we were invited to the 
 English and the French consuls', and there saw the very 
 same girls and in the same performance, we began to feel 
 like the boy with a season ticket to the circus ! 
 
 At the gateway of Luxor stand two colossal statues of 
 Barneses II and his queen, cut in red granite. We look 
 down upon them from the pylon and then out upon the 
 Theban plain thirteen miles in extent, and girt by the 
 Libyan hills. Five principal groups of ruins may be seen. 
 "Westward like sentinels stand the twin colossi of Memnon, 
 nearer the portico of the temples of the Memnonium and 
 Medinet Ilaboo, while in the background rise the honey- 
 combed limestone hills containing the tombs of the kings 
 and fringing the vast necropolis. At our feet swarms the 
 miscellaneous collection of cats, dogs, flies, naked children, 
 scantily clothed men, and women in a single cotton gar- 
 ment and a veiled face, that go to make up the modern 
 town. A little beyond, covering an area of one hundred 
 and fifty square feet, rise rows of columns, " palm groves 
 blossoming in stone," carved with lotus buds, sharp in 
 outline as though cut but yesterday, a marvel to those 
 who know how quickly the fitful climate of Xew England
 
 UP THE NILE. 401 
 
 wears marble and granite. Between this and Karnak for 
 two rniK'S and more ran the royal road bordered with 
 sphinxes, of which here and there one remains. Our 
 most memorable and charming; view was that of Karnak 
 by moonlight ; here the propylon in its vast proportions 
 is well preserved; there we see a solitary obelisk, a great 
 screen or wall, and beyond a pillared forest. Going on 
 through the gate by the temple of Rameses VI, one 
 conies upon three avenues, containing no less than 4,000 
 sphinxes. 
 
 From Luxor we crossed the Xile in boats, forded one 
 branch on donkeys, and over another were carried on the 
 backs of men. The ford was crossed by the aid of a fel 
 lah wading on each side to keep the rider in the saddle, 
 and the small animal from sinking over head and ears in 
 the mud. On this side the river is the necropolis, the 
 tombs of the people, which are used in many cases as the 
 abode of the living, and northward in the white limestone 
 hills, barren, lonely, inhabited only by vultures, the jackal, 
 the serpents, and bats, are the wonderful tombs of the 
 kings. We visited the temple of Medinat Haboo, which 
 has in its court the ruins of a Christian church, the Ra- 
 meseum, temple of Kurnah, and that of Queen IFatasu. 
 Like tbe colossi of Memnon, these have all been often 
 spoken of by travelers from Herodotus down, but all de- 
 scription fails to give any true idea of the reality. The 
 Libyan hills are fairly honey-combed with elaborately 
 carved tombs covered with inscriptions. These, like the 
 temples, are the books in which they have written their 
 history. F. went into one of the most famous, known as 
 Bel/oni's, and numbered for convenience 17. It is the 
 tomb of !Seti I. The alabaster sarcophagus is now in 
 Sloane's Museum, London, and the body, which appears to 
 have been removed during some very early invasion, has 
 been found at Davr el Bahree. To enter the tomb one
 
 402 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 approaches through a deep gorge, goes down a wide, steep 
 descent of twenty-four steps through a passage eighteen 
 feet long, down a similar stairway and passage into a 
 chamber. Then comes a deep pit and beyond other rooms, 
 concealed once by close fitting doors and brightly painted 
 stucco, which has the finish and hardness of enamel. 
 Here Belzoni made a breach in the wall, which opened the 
 way to more vaulted and pillared rooms, and at last to the 
 royal tomb. It is a spacious vaulted chamber 200 by 75 or 
 80 feet, with a rough hewn corridor beyond. It is covered 
 with inscriptions telling the story of the nether world as 
 the ancient Egyptians conceived it. Our day's work done 
 and lunch disposed of, we return by ford, carry, and boat 
 to Luxor. Here our steamer, the Ghizeh, was waiting to 
 take Mr. Cook, head of the Xile Transportation Company, 
 and his family down to Cairo, on account of an accident 
 which had happened to him at the first cataract. We 
 therefore spent the night at Hotel Luxor, to be transferred 
 in the morning to the Mahala. 
 
 While at Luxor we all had our pictures taken, being 
 posted for that purpose in the blinding sun on the bank 
 of the river. With a little knowledge and taste on the 
 part of the artist it might have been made a picturesque 
 scene, for often buffaloes and their drivers are sporting in 
 the water, and the outline of the hills and the palm groves 
 may be seen on the opposite side. He, however, was ob- 
 livious of such matters, so that the picture of the group 
 leaves more to the imagination. 
 
 On the morning of the 23d of February we were to 
 start for Assouan and intervening points of interest. 
 Our hotel was pleasant and well kept, its rooms looking 
 out on fine gardens, and was really a place of refreshing 
 rest. After breakfast F. took a last little turn about town, 
 and I was more inclined to walk with the ladies of our 
 party in the garden. To meet a funeral is said to be
 
 A CRISIS. 403 
 
 unlucky, and it came near being so to us. We had 
 often seen them along the banks of the Nile, straggling 
 crowds of the Fellaheen, weeping and wailing after some 
 poor remnant of mortality borne on the shoulders of four 
 or more in a coffin covered with a red shawl, and on this 
 morning F., in the course of his rambles, stumbled upon 
 one in preparation, the man having just died, and straight- 
 way got so interested in the proceedings that he forgot all 
 about the time. Meanwhile the messenger from the 
 Mahala announced that she was ready ; all the passengers 
 save one, alas ! had left the hotel ; moments, hours slipped 
 by; another messenger, ten o'clock, captain storming. 
 English people told him to go on wanted our cabin. 
 Americans (and they were strangers) stood by the gang- 
 plank and said, "No, you shan't go till every American is 
 on board." It was a critical juncture, but just at that 
 time a couple of hot, breathless, panting travelers, " lard- 
 ing the lean earth," with attendant Hassans and Moham- 
 meds clutching their traps, came down the sandy shore, 
 and once more Bunker Hill won the day. The bubbling 
 little steamer put on all her force, and we were on the 
 way to the first cataract. 
 
 Our stopping-place was Esneh, on the left bank of the 
 Nile, twenty miles or more from Luxor. Here is a great 
 hall with columns, which is reached from the harbor by 
 passing through the town. It is part of an immense 
 temple which remains covered, and on which, in fact, the 
 town is built. Descending through a narrow passage-way 
 into the interior, one sees a very perfect and immense 
 hall supported on twenty-four columns, each of which is 
 thirty-eight feet high and raised on a high plinth. The 
 capitals all differ in detail, a flower bell, on which is carved 
 various designs, as of palms, grape leaves, etc., giving the 
 whole a most graceful and picturesque effect. Every 
 available inch of space has the k * handwriting upon the
 
 404 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 wall." The structure was built on the foundation of one 
 by Thothmes I, in the mid era of the Ptolemies, and was 
 finished by the Romans. Esneh is the great resort of the 
 Ghawazee, who on a time were banished to this place 
 from Cairo, and it has remained one of their favorite 
 haunts to this day. The market-place, the viceroy's 
 palace, the Koptie church, and the bazaar, are worth visit- 
 ing, and attest the rather nourishing condition of the 
 place, which is one of the most considerable Nile towns. 
 Moving on up the river we pass El Kab and reach Edfoo, 
 about twenty-five miles from Esneh and on the same side 
 of the river. Hei'e we saw the remains of the most per- 
 fect temple which has yet been imburied in Egypt. So 
 perfect that, says Ebers, if the old priests could return, 
 there would be no difficulty in repeating every part of the 
 temple service. It was not many years since nearly cov- 
 ered with earth, and built upon in every available position. 
 Mariette Bey, the French savant, got permission to dis- 
 lodge the "squatters,' 7 settled them in new quarters, and 
 then carefullv removed the dt(>ris of a;es. We ascended 
 
 / O 
 
 the propylon 250 steps, and were rewarded by a magnifi- 
 cent view. Immediately below us stretches out the 
 temple dedicated to Horns, whose symbol is the sparrow- 
 hawk, which is seen carved in stone and in all parts of 
 the inclosure. Like other temples, this was built on an 
 earlier foundation, and was only finished by that Ptolemy 
 who was the father of Cleopatra, in the year 57 i). c. 
 The hawk is a very common bird here now. In the sanc- 
 tuary or innermost court is a shrine of porphyry, which 
 was brought here from afar in time of the Persian inva- 
 sion. All about on this side the Nile are cultivated fields, 
 hamlets with mosques, and groves of palm. Yearly in 
 the ancient time was a grand festival, when Athor, the 
 goddess of Dendera, visited her husband Ilorus at Edfoo, 
 
 O 7 . 7 
 
 and at another season the visit was returned. The threat
 
 THE TEMPLES. 
 
 procession of barges and luxuriously appointed boats on 
 the Nile was beyond comparison in magnificence. Cere- 
 monies in regard to the rise and fall of the Nile were also 
 observed at these times. It is not a little singular that at 
 Dendera and Edfoo the temples so related in their wor- 
 ship should have been so nearly preserved. 
 
 But our time was up : we returned to the Mahala, and 
 presently a dispute arose among the party of thirty-two 
 as to the day of the week. Certainly, when considering 
 epochs of 4,000 years, more or less, the days of the week 
 could hardly be picked up as they passed. We referred 
 it to the clergymen, who were a little doubtful, but de- 
 cided it to be Saturday afternoon as we reached Kom Om- 
 boo and tied up for the night. On Sunday, Mr. Philips, 
 a Presbyterian clergyman, read the Episcopal service for 
 the benefit of such as inclined to that form, and the Rev. 
 Dr. Wilson, from Edinburgh, gave an excellent sermon. 
 At this place the temple is nearly all in ruins and its situ- 
 ation is such that the undermining Nik- on the one side 
 and the desert on the other will in a few years destroy 
 
 v */ 
 
 every vestige. The columns that remain and the astro- 
 nomical paintings on the ceiling, are no less worthy of 
 notice than others we have seen. Like others, it was 
 rebuilt by the Ptolemies and finished by Tiberius Cavsar. 
 When Greek soldiers were stationed here, it was dedi- 
 cated to Apollo, an inscription on one of the walls stating 
 as much. When such places have been used for Chris- 
 tian worship the inscriptions were simply plastered over 
 with Nile mud, upon which were painted the saints and 
 other insignia of the new faith. From Kom Omboo we 
 proceeded to Assouan, where we remained two days, und 
 made excursions to the various points of interest. Assouan 
 itself is the the ancient Syene, and from the peculiar 
 kind of granite found here the name syenite was derived. 
 In the place of mica, which forms a part of our New
 
 406 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Hampshire granite, is found hornblende. After the 
 desert banks just below, the port of Assouan, with the 
 town half concealed in palm groves, is very attractive. 
 There is an extraordinary variety of inhabitants, all eager 
 for trade in their various wares, and, of course, a Babel in 
 speech. Trinkets in ivory, gold and silver bracelets, pan- 
 ther and leopard skins, baskets, wooden bowls, amulets, 
 the scanty Nubian dresses of fringed leather, are urged 
 upon the traveler with Oriental tongue and gesticulation. 
 We did a little shopping in the bazaars. Invariably the 
 dealer asked about five times the worth of his goods, and 
 concessions were wrung from him by our cmide with a 
 
 o \J o 
 
 row that threatened to disrupt the whole body politic. 
 One curious fact we noticed, of a little Arab who followed 
 us about, and when the wrangling had reached a certain 
 pitch, said to the dealer in regard to our offer, " Take it," 
 which he did without further parle}*. 
 
 From here we mounted donkeys to visit Philre and the 
 cataract; on our way we saw the quarries from which 
 some of the stones were hewn for the temples. There 
 lay, as it was left unfinished, an obelisk, a single stone, 
 eighty feet in length and seven feet square at the base. 
 It had not been freed from the stone on the under 
 sides, and no inscription tells by whom it was begun or 
 why it was left. These vast quarries are about as sur- 
 prising as the buildings that were erected from them. 
 Here and at Silsilis, and some other places within a few 
 miles of Assouan, all the most valuable stone for the pol- 
 ished exterior of pyramids, tombs, and temples through- 
 out Egypt were taken. Xear the town we pass the tem- 
 ple of Isis Sothis, or Lady of the Dogstar, and then 
 emerge into a desert of rock and yellow sand, diversified 
 by views of a picturesque mosque tomb. Occasionally 
 we meet Nubians with asses or camels on their way to 
 market, and, before reaching Phil*, see a high, strong
 
 PHIL/E AND THE CATARACT. 407 
 
 wall which crosses the road several times and seems to 
 have been intended for defense. Huge cliffs now and then 
 rise up on either side, covered with innumerable inscrip- 
 tions from travelers of all the ages. The path grows 
 more and more forbidding, desolation broods over the 
 scorched and scorching rock and sand until, turning at an 
 abrupt point, a little oasis shaded with sycamores and 
 palms reveals in its refreshing depths the house of a mis- 
 sionary society. The Xile, and Phihe with its temples, are 
 before us. Enviable little fellows are swimming about or 
 lounging by the boats, on which they otter to ferry us 
 across, and AVC are fairly enchanted by the scene. Phihe 
 
 J \J 
 
 is doubtless one of the most beautiful places on the Xile. 
 it was dedicated to the goddess Isis (whose sign is the 
 cow), in whose honor a temple was erected. The shores 
 are protected from the encroachments of the water by 
 walls of solid masonry. This was the last stronghold of 
 Egyptian idol worship, some features of which were 
 adopted by Greeks and Romans, so that it was not until 
 the 6th century that the ancient shrines were displaced 
 by the cross, which in its turn gave way to the crescent. 
 The sacred processions which came from all parts of the 
 land to Phihe are supposed to have landed on the south- 
 ern extremity, where a stone stairway leads from the 
 water, and presently by the usual approaches to the great 
 temple. On the top of the temple is a shrine where the 
 god Osiris was expected to rise to life again. Among the 
 most graceful and airy structures on the island is the 
 Kiosk, or Pharaoh's Bed, built by the Komans. 
 
 The cataract was not mueh of a show. The Amoskeag 
 tails at our door are quite as worthy of the name, more 
 dangerous to shoot, and more vigorous in action. And 
 yet there is an interest attaching to the scene independent 
 of its size or noise. The principal channel up which the 
 boatmen uro-e their craft is 200 bv about 70 feet with a fall
 
 408 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 of perhaps 15 feet. The place is so strewn with bowlders 
 polished with the watery attrition of years that navigation 
 is difficult and dangerous. There are other and more 
 tortuous channels, and there were plenty of Nubians ready 
 for the smallest pay to bundle their scanty clothing on 
 their heads and shoot the rapids on a log or a bundle of 
 canes. Xot far from here is the grove of an Englishman 
 who thought he could do the same thing and perished in 
 the attempt. While here on the Nubian side of the line 
 we visited one of the villages, a most miserable collection 
 of mud huts, whose dwellers were as black as the verti- 
 cal sun of the tropics could make them, and who wore 
 their hair braided in ropes about the size of a small whip- 
 cord and drenched with ill-smelling oil. They had no 
 particular occupation except begging, and could afford to 
 give time to the arrangement of the coiffure, especially 
 if, as seemed not unlikely, they did it only once a year. 
 On returning to Assouan we crossed to Elephantine, so 
 named because it was once a great mart for the ivory of 
 the Soudan. From one end of the island the view down 
 the iSTile is very grand and wild, cliffs arising on either 
 side. There are now few remains of interest, except per- 
 haps the Nilometer, which, constructed many years before 
 Christ, has been repaired and measures the rise and fall 
 of the river with its old fidelity. There were several of 
 these instruments at various points on the Xile, and their 
 record was shrouded in mystery by the priests, whose in- 
 terest it was to make the common people believe that they 
 exercised power over the movements of the water. In 
 later times government officials have preserved the same 
 secrecy, and as the river rises well or ill so the taxes are 
 proportioned.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 DOWN THE NILE. CAIRO. 
 
 STARTING toward Cairo, we again reached Luxor and 
 tied up for the night. The next day several English peo- 
 ple called on us, and we visited the mission school, doing 
 also a little shopping in the bazaars. The exercises of the 
 pupils excited so much interest in the visitors that a con- 
 tribution was started on the spot, and a young English 
 lady gave quite a large sum. It was a fortunate day for 
 the school. The next night our boat tied up at Girzeh, 
 and then on Friday, the Mohammedan Sabbath, we 
 reached Assyout. Here we went on shore, and F. visited 
 some of the higher grade of schools. It was excessively 
 hot, buzzards slowly flapped their listless wings, and 
 crows, dove-colored with black wings, might be seen 
 flying about. 
 
 The conjunction of Sabbaths was very curious, Friday 
 the Mohammedan, Saturday the Jewish, and Sunday the 
 Christian; and as there were people enough who had scru- 
 ples about doing any work on their respective days, on 
 the boat and all about us, it consumed quite a share of the 
 week. 
 
 We continued on our way down the river, touching at 
 the Fellah village of Manfaloot, near which is the moun- 
 tain of Aboo Fawdali. greatly dreaded by the navigators 
 in these waters, and the celebrated crocodile cave of 
 Maabdeh, where there are and have been cords of em- 
 balmed saurians, with no\v and then an Egyptian thrown 
 in. We also visited Bcni Hassan, famous for its rock 
 tombs, whose inscriptions chronicle the story of a peace-
 
 410 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 ful race addicted to agriculture and the arts of peace. 
 Flowers, grapes, and garlands are tokens of the life they 
 led before the rising of the great kings. On Sunday, 
 March 4, we reached Cairo, where we proposed to spend 
 a week and to explore as well as we might the famous 
 City of the Caliphs. 
 
 Doubtless the world moves. Five years had made some 
 visible change for the better even in an Oriental city. To 
 be sure, the old quarter was older still and, if possible, 
 more squalid and filthy ; but modern Cairo had felt a little 
 the thrill of the world's progress, had some new buildings, 
 improved streets, and a creditable park in front of the new 
 hotel where we took up our quarters. An Egyptian band 
 discoursed music from brazen throats, distinguished rather 
 by quantity than quality, which served, however, to tone 
 up the various noises of the street. They did, however, 
 among the weird strains of native music, introduce 
 " Sweet Home" and a few such airs. In fact, one may 
 always be sure of a noise in an Eastern town. There is 
 generally a Babel of languages and an aggregated 
 clamor of tongues and voices, where the braying of jack- 
 asses and the grunting of camels make no discord. When, 
 for instance, we rode from the hotel, the driver was 
 accompanied on the box by a man who incessantly vocif- 
 erated with the utmost force of his lungs for foot passen- 
 gers to clear the way, and when high officials rode, a half 
 dozen runners in white tunics run before, each doing his 
 loudest. Pupils in schools all study aloud and apparently 
 do nothing but yell, swinging backward and forward as 
 they sit and shout. 
 
 But let us not anticipate. ~\Ye are working back to 
 modern times. Cairo, built up out of the ruins of Mem- 
 phis and of Heliopolis, is but a mere chick of a city. In 
 the year 638 A. D., or six years after the death of Ma- 
 hornet, a band of Moslem fanatics, numbering only about
 
 CAIRO. 411 
 
 4,000, men came into Egypt from Syria, and such was 
 their fierce bravery that by the aid of the Kopts they 
 conquered and forced to leave the country the Greek 
 army, at that time numbering 1 100,000. The name of this 
 Arab general was Amroo-ibnel-Asee. He pitched his 
 tent on the spot now occupied by old Cairo, and as he 
 was about to set out on his victorious foray, it was dis- 
 covered that a pair of pigeons had built on the canvas 
 shelter, whereupon said he, " God forbid that a Moslem 
 should refuse a shelter to any living being one of God's 
 creatures that has put itself under the protection of his 
 hospitality." So the tent stood, and here began the foun- 
 dation of Cairo. To-day, the Mosque of Amroo, which 
 we visited, is said to be the finest specimen of early Arab 
 architecture in existence, not excelled even by the mosque 
 cathedral at Cordova. Its vast colonnades of marble pil- 
 lars of every order of architecture except the Egyptian, 
 which is rigorously excluded, cast their shadows on the 
 floors covered by prayer mats, where the faithful are at 
 their devotions. It was our good fortune to be in Cairo 
 during the fete of the Xew Year. The bazaars and shops 
 were brilliantly illuminated with tiny lamps of various 
 colors, and the streets swarmed with a gay, good-natured, 
 and civil crowd; we saw no fighting, no drunkenness, no 
 rudeness, and yet under these exteriors beat the fierce 
 blood of the fanatical poj dilation so easily excited to 
 bloodshed. 
 
 Among the marvels of this Xew Year's night was the 
 illumination of the Mosque of Mohammed Ali. It 
 seemed as though there must have been millions of lamps 
 interior and exterior, covering dome and minaret to the 
 very topmost point. We rode out to see the show, and 
 the merchants in their shops, so to speak, kept open 
 doors. "With urgent but courteous entreaties they invited 
 us in and offered refreshments of pipes, coffee, and slier-
 
 412 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 bet, displaying, meanwhile, their richest wares, so that we 
 might know where to come and trade. It was on this 
 occasion that we saw the ladies of the khedive's harem 
 riding, in European costume and in superb carriages, at- 
 tended by no end of out-runners and servants, themselves 
 a part of the show they were out to see. 
 
 I was one day favored with an interview with the 
 princess, wife of a brother of the khedive. She was at- 
 tended by a friend, and both were apparently accomplished 
 and intelligent ladies, speaking English fairly well. She 
 was, however, in great grief on acco.unt of the death of 
 the chief eunuch of her household, who died, as she told 
 us, of a broken heart. Having occasion for the services 
 of a dentist, who was English and employed at the court, 
 he told me that the late lamented gentleman in question, 
 who served as butler, made so free use of the wines at his 
 disposal that he had burst with good living. The den- 
 tist also entertained me with an amusing account of his 
 trials in replacing the pearly teeth of the ladies of the 
 harem, who insisted on his doing the work without re- 
 quiring them to unveil. One woman in particular, who 
 had long ceased to be ornamental, danced about the room 
 in a perfect fury because the impression of her mouth 
 could not be taken with her veil up. At last the dental 
 surgeon got mad and berated her soundly, whereupon 
 she surrendered her scruples: "and," said he, " I did not 
 blame her for wishing to remain covered, for she disclosed 
 the feature's of such a horrible old hag that it was almost 
 incredible." In support of his story lie showed us the 
 cast, which seemed taken more from the mouth of an 
 animal than of a human being. All of which goes to 
 confirm the assertion that Eastern beauty matures early, 
 fades quickly, and at last terminates in supreme ugliness. 
 
 F. was received by the khedive: he also spoke English, 
 but not with arreat fluencv. In allusion to English rule,
 
 WITH THE KHEDIVE. 413 
 
 F. said to him, "I don't know how it is with you here, 
 but at home we say, America for Americans." He evi- 
 dently understood the allusion, hut was of course non- 
 committal. He said that Egyptians were a mixed race 
 and not capable of self-government. Our consul after- 
 ward told us that the khedive was unusually interested in 
 the talk, as visitors mostly had little to say and waited for 
 him to lead off, and it seemed to he a new sensation to 
 hear some one who did not hesitate to advance an idea of 
 his own. F. invited the khedive to come to America and 
 bring his family, to which lie said, " Our ladies are not so 
 fond of traveling as yours are." "That is a fortunate 
 thing for you," says the ex-governor, "for to bring my 
 one wife to the East twice has cost several thousand 
 francs." His highness smiled and F. arose to go, but, on 
 being urged, sat down, and they conversed further on 
 various topics ; and his highness was pleased to say that 
 "our people," meaning the American missionaries, "were 
 doing great good by establishing schools," etc. 
 
 There are various places of great interest near Cairo to 
 be reached by carriage. One day we visited Heliopolis, 
 where stands the oldest obelisk in Egypt, which with 
 many others formerly graced the approach to the Temple 
 of the Sun. It was situated a few miles northeast from 
 Cairo, and was once the seat and center of Egyptian learn- 
 ing. In the Bible it was called On, and here dwelt that 
 priest whose daughter was the wife of Joseph. On our 
 way thither we passed a garden containing a sycamore 
 tree under whose branches the holy family are said to 
 have sojourned while in Egypt, and a spring of sweet 
 water which first lost its brackish taste when the infant 
 Jesus bathed in it. The obelisks are said to have been 
 almost innumerable here, and the solitary remaining one 
 is covered with inscriptions. Our way hither was partly 
 hot and dustv, beiny; on the confines of the desert, and
 
 414 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 partly in the grateful shade of trees and by beautiful 
 gardens, one of the palaces of the khedive being on this 
 route. 
 
 At the extreme southern part of Cairo is the old city, 
 where the improvements of the new quarter have not 
 reached. Taking a boat from this locality we visit the 
 island of Rhoda, on which is a famous nilometer, very 
 ancient but in good working order. It consists of a ver- 
 tical shaft sunk to the level of the bed of the river, with 
 which it communicates by a subterranean tunnel. An 
 octagonal pillar stands in the center of the shaft, on which 
 is inscribed the scale. 
 
 There is no place in any part of the world that we have 
 visited where the view is more impressive than that from 
 the citadel at Cairo. The way to it is well kept, and 
 climbing a steep road one comes upon a small plateau. 
 The flat roofs of the city, the minarets and domes of the 
 mosques, the swarms of people on the Roomeleh square, 
 first attract the e} T e. Then to the west flows the I^ile 
 between its green banks, and farther along on the edge ot 
 the desert the pyramids lift their pointed caps to the glow- 
 ing sky. Then across the hill of Mokattam, on which 
 the citadel is built, east and south is visible the necropolis 
 of Cairo, the tombs of the Mamelukes, and northeast 
 those of the caliphs. Domed mausoleums rise up here 
 and there in the desert sands. Everywhere and in every 
 direction scenes new, strange, and marvelous to our west- 
 
 CD > 
 
 ern ideas present themselves. These things are all beauti- 
 ful, but beyond compare is the sunset glow over the I^ile, 
 the desert, and the Libyan hills. 
 
 As we descend and enter the inner courts of the citadel 
 they show us a well of great antiquity, ascribed by the 
 common people to Joseph, the son of the patriarch. It 
 was excavated, however, in the reign of Saladin, whose 
 name was Yoosuf. It is 289 feet deep, and the water is
 
 JOSEPH'S WELL. 415 
 
 raised in jars by the help of oxen, which go up and down 
 on an inclined plane about half the depth of the shaft. 
 We were expected to taste the water, which has a brackish 
 flavor. It was in the court of this citadel that the mas- 
 sacre of the Mameluke beys took place, and they show 
 us the place where the sole survivor escaped by spurring 
 his horse over the parapet to the rocks below. Some of 
 the mosques have establishments for students .who are 
 preparing for the priesthood, and there will be forty or 
 fifty young men studying the Koran. There are also 
 hospitals for the care of the sick, said to be very excellent 
 in their way, but only for Moslems. 
 
 During our stay at Cairo occurred the annual meeting 
 of the mission workers under the care of the American 
 Presbyterian Board. They were present from every 
 station on the Xile, and made reports, gave suggestions, 
 and took counsel. As a whole, the reports were most 
 encouraging. It was named as a special cause for thank- 
 fulness, that after the recent war, when the missionaries 
 were all removed with their families on English ships of 
 war, that on their return, when they expected to find their 
 scholars scattered and schools destroyed, that all came 
 safely together again, and the work went on with renewed 
 prosperity. One of the most interesting places we visited 
 in the vicinity was the museum at Boulac or Boolak. 
 This is, properly speaking, the harbor of Cairo, as the 
 city does not lie directly on the Xile, probably for the 
 reason that has made it already necessary to rebuild on 
 the other bank of the river the museum, the ever en- 
 croaching waters. In this museum are preserved speci- 
 mens of Egyptian art from the earliest period, say 5,000 
 years old, down to modern or historic times, and they are 
 arranged chronologically so that one can judge of the 
 skill of any age. The articles here preserved relate not 
 only to hiffh art but to every detail of common life: in
 
 416 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 short, a history of that wonderful people in stone, clay, 
 gold, glass, silver, and whatsoever they set their hands to. 
 The smaller and more valuable specimens are under glass 
 cases ; the sphinxes and other large statues in the open 
 court. The excellent arrangement is due to the efforts of 
 the late Mariette Bey. As we are driven back to our 
 hotel, we shall notice certain bazaars where are sold slip- 
 pers and books. The familiar pun, that both relate to 
 the understanding, does not explain it, as the odd associa- 
 tion is due to both being bound in or covered with red 
 leather. Night perhaps tails as we reach the Ezbekiah 
 Square, and it is illuminated with thousands of little glass 
 lamps with colored bell-shaped shades, and its gardens 
 and walks are thronged by a crowd that for variety 
 and interest is not surpassed in any city of the world. 
 The civilization of the East and of the West here meet on 
 common ground ; ladies in all attires, from the fashions 
 of Paris to the veils ot the harem ; sheiks with Euro- 
 pean servants, and Europeans with Xubian attendants. 
 
 I have before named the mosque foundations where 
 students are received. The most famous of these to which 
 students come from the confines of Mohammedan rule is 
 the Mosque and University Elezher. It was founded in 
 the reign of the Fatimites, and is to-day supported, or 
 was before the great collapse in the revenue, by the 
 khedive. There were in 1877, 7,61'5 scholars and 231 
 professors, and in the more prosperous times these num- 
 bers were increased by at least one third. The professors 
 lecture on various texts of the Koran, and their disciples 
 in the spacious courts and halls of the mosques (for more 
 than one is required to accommodate them) take eopious 
 notes. The droning tone of the professor, the monoto- 
 nous repetition of the student, the swinging motion of 
 the whole school, the cross-legged desks on which 
 their Korans, portfolios, and manuscripts are laid, form a
 
 A MOHAMMEDAN UNIVERSITY. 417 
 
 curious .sight. After about t\vo and a half hours' study 
 they rise, kiss the hand of their instructor, and take a 
 recess. When the call of the muezzin is heard, all repair 
 to the fountain in the court, perform their ablutions, and 
 offer their prayers. After the midday siesta study is 
 resumed until night. Like the letter-writers one sees on 
 the streets and in shady niches, they hold their paper on 
 the palm of the left hand and with a reed pen write from 
 right to left. Into this court, as its inmates saunter about, 
 come friends, peddlers, and the water-carriers chinking 
 the tin cups which make known their approach. Here, 
 as in all Eastern lands, the water-carrier is a very impor- 
 tant factor in life. The streets even are sprinkled by a 
 man with a pig-skin or other animal covering tilled with 
 water, from which gushes a feeble stream upon the hot, 
 dusty path. In the fore court of this same mosque, the 
 less advanced scholars, primaries so to speak, sit in groups 
 learning to read and to write on leaden tablets texts from 
 the Koran. On the whole, one can but ask in this strange 
 land, what next? The gigantic remains of the earlier 
 races, the vigor and fierceness of the Arab dominion, are 
 to be succeeded by what? Or are the influences of 
 Christian civilization, as developed through the mission- 
 ary efforts of our day, quietly to leaven this old lump with 
 new life? 
 
 Cairo has borne many names, "The Grand," ''City 
 of the Caliphs." etc., but that which it inherited as the 
 successor of Memphis must always be most significant, 
 ' City of the Pyramids;" and to them, inseparably con- 
 nected with every view of the city, we must pay our 
 respects before pushing on to the Holy Land.
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 TO THE PYRAMIDS. THE SUEZ CANAL. 
 
 WITH our carriage, courier, and driver, we start in the 
 fresh air of the early morning over the iron bridge to the 
 island Ghezeevh, and thence across the western channel 
 of the Nile by a beautiful road shaded by trees which 
 have been planted within a few years past, the khedive's 
 castle and gardens, out into the fertile fields. Half naked 
 laborers are at work in the soil, buffaloes wading in the 
 muddy pools or shallow lakes made by irrigation, herons 
 stand in a meditative mood or flap their long wings in 
 easy flight, and the Pyramids are before us with their out- 
 lines well defined on the morning sky. After about an 
 hour and a half it begins to be very hot, the road which 
 rises toward the plain on which the pyramids stand is 
 "covered with sand, despite a wall built to keep it off, and 
 with a sharp turn we stop in front of the largest, known 
 as that of Cheops. To say that its base covers 13| acres, 
 and that its height when perfect was 482 feet, are facts very 
 difficult to comprehend, and even here on the spot the 
 first impression is one of disappointment. But when at 
 the distance of thirty miles, through the clear atmosphere 
 of this rainless land the view rather increases than dimin- 
 ishes, then we begin to be astonished. On the north side 
 in the shade are donkey boys, orange women, and a 
 ,s\varm of Bedouins hungry for backsheesh. When 
 Frederick was here five years ago he did not attempt the 
 ascent; to-day lie told our dragoman that if he would get 
 the requisite aid, make them promise not to annoy by de- 
 manding backsheesh, and see him safely up and down, that
 
 CLIMBING THE PYRAMIDS. 419 
 
 he would pay them well. It was declared on the part of 
 the Bedouin utterly impossible to get along with less than 
 five, one for each arm to pull, two to push after, arid 
 one to carry a bottle of water. A sixth, who called him- 
 self doctor and acted as leg rubber, insisted on going, and 
 did ; but as F. entirely repudiated his professional services 
 he received no pay. The steps, as they are called, usually 
 were about half way up the breast in height, and the 
 crafty Bedouins, having picked up a little English, now 
 improvised a chant as they pulled and pushed, the burden 
 w T hereof was this : 
 
 " Goo ood man, good man, 
 Pay us well ; pay us well ; 
 Give us sovereign ; give us sovereign ; 
 Hard ivork ! ! hard work I ! " 
 
 And this with the indescribable Arab drawl was repeated 
 over and over again in monotonous unison as they worked 
 their way to the summit and back again. 
 
 With all this aid and with the cheerful song it was a 
 very severe task. The heat was intense, and the guides 
 really had to earn their pay. But the view was wonderful. 
 To the east along the banks of the Nile an emerald strip 
 fringed with trees, tinder which nestled villages and ham- 
 lets, the lateen sails of the numerous boats moving to and 
 fro, the mosques and minarets of Cairo at the foot of 
 Mount Mokattam surrounded by gardens and trees, and 
 the canals conveying the life of all this fertility to the 
 soil, all these contributed to make a scene not easily- 
 forgotten. Westward the tombs, the limestone cliffs, and 
 the sand, and here and there in the yellow desert eighty 
 pyramids. One peculiarity about the tombs and other 
 vast structures is that they were built out of reach of the 
 rise of the Nile, and of course on land worthless for cul- 
 tivation. Arable land to the old Egyptians meant money, 
 taxable property, revenue. F. not only achieved the
 
 420 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 ascent, but resolved to see the whole thing through, pene- 
 trated to the interior, which was, owing to the stifling 
 heat and dust, the more disagreeable feat of the two. He 
 came out as nearly wilted as one cares to be, literally 
 bathed in perspiration, A cup of coffee and a careful 
 wrap of shawls as he took his place in the carriage soon 
 restored his equanimity, and we reached our hotel at Cairo 
 tired but satisfied w r ith our experience of the pyramid. 
 
 It is now known with reasonable certainty that each 
 king, as he began his reign, began also the mausoleum, 
 which would, it was hoped, forever conceal his remains, 
 or at least till after 4,000 years, when the soul was believed 
 to rejoin the body. Each year added to its height and 
 circumference, and at whatever period death occurred the 
 pyramid ceased to grow. The steps which resulted from 
 the manner of construction were then filled in with a 
 polished casing of stone beginning at the top, making one 
 perfectly smooth surface from top to bottom. Until this 
 outer case was broken away, of course no ascent was pos- 
 sible. The Pyramid of Cheops, which F. ascended, is be- 
 lieved to be 5,000 years old. Nothing short of an earth- 
 quake will probably ever disturb it. The sphinx, which 
 is not far from the great pyramid and which in these later 
 years has been excavated about, is found to be cut from 
 living rock, that is from the natural ledge, and is sixty- 
 four feet from the paws to the crown of the head. Orig- 
 inally a flight of steps led; up it, so that its height must 
 have been greater still from the plateau, as it was before 
 the desert encroached upon it. The Arabs call it the 
 " Father of Terrors.'' 
 
 In [laying the guides F. was as good as his word, and 
 we afterwards learned that they trump ted the fame of his 
 munificence to every comer, and told how that " goo ood " 
 man had rewarded their exertions. It is extremely doubt- 
 ful, however, if he found any imitators.
 
 THE SUE/ CANAL. 421 
 
 On the 8th of March F. left Cairo by rail for Suez, 
 wishing to go through the whole length of the canal, 
 while I with others of our Nile party started for Ismaila, 
 where he proposed to rejoin us. In the vicinity of Suez 
 is the place generally considered to he that where the 
 Israelites crossed ; before the construction of the break- 
 water it was possible to cross at low water, but the tide 
 rises quickly and with danger. The cliffs arc now shown 
 where the song of Miriam was heard. Ordinary passen- 
 gers over the canal have to go by night as the great mer- 
 chant ships have the right of way in the day and tie up 
 at night. The canal is 100 miles long, 26 feet deep, and 
 from 75 to 300 feet wide, the greatest width occurring in 
 some of the lakes which it connects, called the .Bitter 
 lakes, Lake Temsah, and Lake Mensaleh. Ismailia is 
 situated about midway on the canal on the shore of Lake 
 Temsah, and is supplied with fresh water from the Xile, 
 and sprang up from the necessities of the De Lesseps 
 Company. De L. has here a farm and residence, and the 
 ex-khedive a palace. Lake Mensaleh near Suez is one of 
 the most prolific hunting grounds or waters the world has 
 ever seen, the abundance of water-fowl and of fish being 
 enormous. From Ismailia we all went to Port Said by boat 
 and stopped there a day. The great feature of Port Said 
 is the breakwater, a mile and a half long, which had to be 
 built for the protection of the harbor. It was fearfully 
 hot, and we were glad to take refuge on the little steamer 
 of the Austrian Lloyds for Joppa.
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 THE HOLY LAND. JAFFA. 
 
 As WE approached this ancient city after a very smooth 
 and pleasant voyage free from the desert heat and dust, 
 its white walls glittering on the hillsides made a very 
 imposing appearance. But alas ! it was too much like 
 the whited sepulchres, outwardly resplendent but within 
 dirty and filthy beyond description. The landing, fre- 
 quently dangerous, was this time achieved in small boats 
 with comparative ease. We were, moreover, rescued from 
 the clutches of the barbarians who clamored for our bag- 
 gage and backsheesh by the kind offices of Mr. Floyd, a 
 gentleman from Maine, who was leader in a colonization 
 scheme in this region. This old port, from whence Jonah 
 sailed, and where Peter dwelt with Simon the tanner, has 
 little to commend it to our interest otherwise. Its ear- 
 
 C5 
 
 dens, however, are famous and its oranges delicious, 
 They are large, oblong, thick skinned, very sweet, and 
 have no seeds. As they do not bear transportation, one 
 must go to Jaffa to get them. The streets are very nar- 
 row and steep, all up and down ; but there is an occasional 
 level space on the roof of a house, and from that said to 
 have been inhabited by Simon the tanner is a fine view of 
 the country and of the Mediterranean. 
 
 From our hotel we started for Jerusalem in wagons. 
 The road is rough, but somewhat improved since our 
 former trip. For a few miles out the way is bordered by 
 orange groves fenced by hedges of cactus, and then we 
 enter an extensive plain so thickly covered with flowers 
 that hardly a leaf was visible. Conspicuous among them
 
 FROM JOPPA TO JERUSALEM. 423 
 
 wae the cyclamen, and a pink flower which may have 
 been the Rose of Sharon. We stop at Rarnlch, fifteen 
 miles or so out, a town distinguished in the times of the 
 crusaders, which has an interesting tower built after 
 the Saracen order of architecture about 1300 A. IX, accord- 
 ing to an inscription over the entrance. It is thought, 
 however, that the tablet with the date was inserted much 
 later than it was built, by invaders who wished the credit 
 of its erection. Here we spent the night and slept on the 
 house-top, a row of little rooms opening on a broad, flat 
 roof of the inn. Like all travelers in this region we 
 brought along our food, the inn furnishing room only. 
 Our next day lunch was taken under a fig tree in the val- 
 ley of Ajalon, where Joshua commanded the moon to stand 
 slill while the battle raged. Here we were surrounded 
 by localities made famous and familiar by Scripture; 
 Ram ah, Gibeah, Kirjath-jearim, and Mi/.peh stood round 
 about us. As the noontide heat began to wear off, we 
 took up our line of march. Rougher grew the roads, 
 more dislocating the motion of our carriage, brown and 
 sere the face of the desolate hills, and at every new turn 
 where the opening defile beckoned us on we looked in 
 vain with weary eyes to see Jerusalem. V\> and yet up 
 we slowly move until at last the Mount of Olives and the 
 city greet our vision. We push on to gain the shelter of 
 a new hotel outside the walls, which has been erected since 
 our former visit. Then we stopped at the Hotel Mt. Zion 
 near the Temple inclosure, but as we made a very ex- 
 haustive exploration of the city then, we now only made 
 a brief visit, seeing again the Mosque of Omar, the Mount 
 of Olives, (Jarden of Gethsemene, and the wailing-place 
 of the Jews outside the walls. "We also saw the results 
 of further explorations, bringing to light what are called 
 Solomon's stables, and pillars remaining from Pilate's 
 Judgment hall.
 
 424 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 On the morning of March 14 we started out quite a 
 caravan of our own on an expedition to the Jordan and 
 the Dead sea. All told we were quite a respectable num- 
 ber. Saddle horses and donkeys there were six, each 
 with a driver or attendant. Mr. Floyd, before mentioned, 
 a soldier ornamented with pistols, knives, and swords 
 wherever one could be hung on to him, as a guard, and 
 our courier. The guard with grim swagger marched in 
 the van. It was a beautiful morning as we went forth 
 from St. Stephen's gate over the brook Kedron, past 
 Gethsemane and up the Mount of Olives, and so on to 
 Bethany. It seems impossible that one .should ever go 
 over this route without feelings of the deepest interest. 
 While time and tradition both seem to have conspired to 
 bury the mere bodily footprints of our Saviour, yet this 
 is the sky under which He walked, the mountains on 
 which He looked, and back there as we turn in our way, 
 on that very spot stood the city that cast Him out. The 
 tombs of the prophets are there still, away to our left. 
 
 Soon we come to Bethany, the home of Mary and 
 Martha, and they point out to us what is called the tomb 
 of Lazarus. We lunched at a place said to be the site of 
 the inn where the good Samaritan brought the wounded 
 Jew on his own beast and paid for his care. However 
 this may be, we are certainly on the road to Jericho, and 
 not unlikely to fall among thieves. Our courier provided 
 us a most excellent lunch of chicken, bread, fruit, Jaffa 
 oranges, and wine. Refreshed and strengthened we 
 pushed on, reaching the brook Cherith, which was swollen 
 to quite a considerable stream. It is said to be in the 
 Wady Kelt, an almost inacessible ravine full of cliffs and 
 caves, near where we crossed, that Elijah was concealed. 
 There is some dispute about the locality of the brook, but 
 there were certainly ravens enough flying about here to 
 have provided him with abundance of bread. Here, in
 
 TO THE JORDAN. 425 
 
 this brook, we heard a very animated chorus of frogs, the 
 only one we heard in our travels, Egypt being apparently 
 free from them. Of course they pointed out to us the 
 locality of the cave where Elijah lay concealed, and no 
 doubt some convent, rich in relics, can show a dry crust, 
 if not a stuffed raven, belonging to the same period. The 
 fact is, that our general impressions connected with Scrip- 
 ture localities are such as to confirm our faith, but when 
 we descend to particulars for which there can be no war- 
 rant the effect is reversed. And then it seems that this 
 belief in externals, which one can see and handle, serves 
 to deaden spiritual impressions. If these things were 
 needful to keep alive our faith, we may be sure the de- 
 struction would not have been so entire. In our further 
 route to Jericho we came to the fountains of Elisha, which 
 the prophet healed and caused to become sweet. The 
 land in the vicinity of Oherith and of the fountains of 
 Elisha is irrigated from them so as to produce crops. 
 
 From here we made a detour through the hot plain 
 which lies at the foot of the barren hills we have been 
 descending, and visited the site of that ancient .Jericho 
 whose walls fell at the blowing of the rams' horns. No 
 vestige of it now remains, the ruins visible evidently be- 
 longing to a later epoch. The modern village of that 
 name consists of not more than fifty or sixty houses built 
 low and thatched with any refuse vegetable matter at 
 hand upon which earth is heaped. The only noteworthy 
 object is a square tower thirty or thirty-five feet high, 
 which is called the house of Zaccheus. Xear this the 
 Russians have built a convent and hospice within a dozen 
 or more years. Here we found the sheik of the Jordan 
 valley who, having been introduced to us and learning 
 that F. had like 1 himself been governor of a province, 
 straightway paid us every attention. lie had, it seems, 
 been a most noted robber, lewin^ tribute on all the region :
 
 426 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 he carried seven bullets which had taken lodgings in his 
 body during his predatory warfare, and was marked with 
 slashes and saber cuts innumerable. The government at 
 last was glad to bribe him bv giving him what it could 
 
 / cr> o 
 
 not take from him. He had laid up money, and was edu- 
 cating a son in Paris. He was a tine specimen physically, 
 and most superbly mounted on the fleetest of Arab steeds 
 on which he went plunging and caracoling about us. He 
 gave us his personal escort to the Jordan and also procured 
 us entrance to the Russian hospice at Jericho. To myself 
 he was very attentive and gallant. Once when my horse 
 came near being stampeded I screamed involuntarily, 
 when he rushed to my aid and fairly caught me in his 
 arms as I came near sliding from the saddle. At the 
 Jordan, also, he naively offered his assistance as I bathed 
 my feet. When our caravan moved he rode in front, his 
 eyes restlessly exploring every shrub and cranny of the 
 path for lurking foe or hostile Bedouin. 
 
 We were rather disappointed at the swiftness and tur- 
 bulence of the muddy current that swept through the 
 steep banks of the, Jordan. Certain it is that only by 
 miracle could the Israelites have crossed at this point. 
 However, having come thus far F. decided to bathe in its 
 waters, a project which he carried out at no small risk 
 and with much resulting inconvenience. Happening to 
 wound his foot on the rough, stony bottom, it became in- 
 tensely painful, and there was not the means of any sur- 
 gical appliance for miles. Xot a reed or twig, or stick of 
 more substance than the cactus to twist into any means of 
 relieving the wounded limb in the saddle, so that the re- 
 turn to Jerusalem was not altogether so agreeable. There 
 was, however, no permanent injury. 
 
 This was the place in Jordan, which tradition assigns 
 as the spot where Jesus was baptized of John. The 
 shores on this side slope gradually down, and on the oppo-
 
 BETHANY AND BETHLEHEM. 427 
 
 site are forbidding bluffs. These characteristics, varying 
 from one side to the other, prevail through its course. 
 From Jericho to the Dead sea it was about four hours' 
 ride. Nothing can be imagined more dreary and desolate 
 than the sight of this bitter lake. Its waters look bright 
 and glittering in the sun, but they are unmoved by the 
 wind and are very bitter to the taste. We spent the night 
 at Jericho, and in the morning started again for Jerusa- 
 lem, and on our way the landscape revealed to us many a 
 familiar site, tamiltar at least by name, as of the 
 mountains of Moab and Edom, Mount Nebo, Pisgah, and 
 the Mount of Temptation, and on the east the mountains 
 of Gilead and Bashan. We lunched at the brook Cherith. 
 Near us were ruins of an immense aqueduct crossing the 
 brook more than sixty feet above the bottom. It once 
 supplied water from a fountain a hundred feet higher still, 
 the canal from which is still to be traced. As we came 
 nearer to Jerusalem the patches of growing grain in fer- 
 tile spots relieved the otherwise barren cliffs, and at the 
 base of the hill ascending to Bethany we dismounted, let 
 our horses drink at the fountain En-shemish, where are 
 remains of a ruined cistern. Tradition has it that our 
 Lord and his disciples often drank at this fountain. 
 
 I walked on up the hill to Bethany. The Arabs, who 
 are its onlv inhabitants, call it El'Azariveh, or the village 
 
 , . O 
 
 of Lazarus. What is called the grave of Lazarus is the 
 only object pointed out to us with claims of identity with 
 that named in Scripture. The house of Mary and Martha 
 once had a convent built on its supposed site, but these 
 buildings have been long destroyed. Bethany, to every 
 believer in the story of Christ, is a beautiful name, but 
 there is nothing in the forlorn cluster of dwellings on this 
 hillside to bring back the old picture, the home that was 
 hallowed by his footsteps. But the scenery is all im- 
 pressive. Over this road to Jerusalem crossing a spur of
 
 428 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Olivet He must have walked. JS T ext in interest outside 
 of the great city are Bethlehem and the field of the 
 shepherds. This is something less than two hours' ride 
 from Jerusalem, and even apart from the great interest 
 conferred by its history is a picturesque place. The 
 hills gradually rising to the summit crowned by the con- 
 vents and Church of the Nativity are beautiful, with vine- 
 yards, fig, olive, and pomegranate trees, while the fields in 
 the vallev below are sreen with spring-ino- wheat. In 
 
 v C3 1. ? ~ 
 
 those fields Ruth gleaned in harvest time, and somewhere 
 in this region the shepherds watched their flocks when 
 the song of the angels was heard and the birth of the 
 Saviour proclaimed. Here, also, David was born and 
 tended his father's sheep when a boy. From here, with 
 boyish patriotism, he went up to the army to see his broth- 
 ers, and slew the giant Philistine. The Church of the 
 Xativity is very ancient, the basilica, erected by the 
 Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, being clearly 
 the oldest Christian church in existence. Its date is 327 
 A. D. As early as the first half of the second century 
 the birthplace of Christ was spoken of as being in a cave 
 near the village of Bethlehem. The tradition was not 
 likely to have erred in so remarkable a matter for three 
 or four hundred years. We descend by a narrow stair- 
 way from the church to a low cave, where upon a marble 
 slab in the floor is fixed a star with the words, " Here 
 Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary." Around it 
 hang sixteen silver lamps which are kept constantly 
 burning. 
 
 About a mile from Bethlehem we pass the tomb of 
 Rachel, a spot about which there is no dispute. It is 
 covered with a small domed tower of Mohammedan con- 
 struction. "And Rachel died, and was buried in the way 
 to Ep. rath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar 
 upon her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto
 
 POOLS OF SOLOMON. 429 
 
 this day." So the pillar was there in the time of Moses, 
 and how much longer no history tells us. 
 
 One day as we rode about Jerusalem on the outside we 
 visited the Pools of Solomon. They are about six miles 
 from the city and are in a good state of repair, though 
 not used as they must have been once. There are three 
 of them capable of holding in all nearly nine and a half 
 million gallons, and having a superficial area of six and 
 one fourth acres. The largest is fifty feet deep, and the 
 other two twenty-five. They are connected by a subter- 
 ranean passage with a fountain, which also, independently 
 of the pools, supplies water once used for the temple 
 service, and for Bethlehem. Whether Solomon's or not, 
 they are quite worth}* of his name. These pools are partly 
 cut in the rock and partly built of stone masonry. They 
 are supposed once to have been surrounded by gardens 
 and vines. Xorth of Jerusalem are the tombs of the 
 kings and of the judges, which we saw. If we concede 
 that the Jewish people to-day are " peeled and scattered " 
 in accordance with prophecy, the ruins which yet exist 
 make it no less certain that they were once a nation full 
 of enterprise and vigor, and those who deny the truth of 
 the Scripture narrative have many more unaccountable 
 facts to run against than those who admit it. 
 
 On the day that we visited the Pools of Solomon we 
 took our way through the Golden Gate, through the val- 
 ley of flehoshaphat and of Ilinnom, passing the tombs of 
 Absalom, Zachariah, and St. James, and the well of Kn- 
 rogel. Many other scenes we call to memory in and 
 about the holy city which \ve took great pleasure and in- 
 terest in visiting, as Gethsemane, the pool of Siloam and 
 of Bethesda, the Sepulchre, the Via Dolorosa, and the 
 extensive excavations in progress about the site of the 
 ancient foundations. Also quite as wonderful in their 
 way as anything to be seen are the quarries under the
 
 430 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 city. Here the stone was hewn and fitted doubtless for 
 the temple, and the excavations are vast enough to have 
 built the entire modern city and have much left. We 
 enter by a hole near the Damascus gate. The height is 
 from ten to thirty feet, and rough, irregular supports were 
 left to the roof. It is in the vicinity of two acres in ex- 
 tent. We could not help thinking that here some of the 
 workmen of Solomon may have plied the hammer and 
 chisel. There is one huge block left here as it was 
 finished. 
 
 On the 2d of April we started on our return to Jaffa, 
 and lunched at Emmaus. Nothing now remains to indi- 
 cate what the place may have been in the time of Christ. 
 There are ruins of a church and fortifications dating from 
 the times of the crusaders, and it is said to have been re- 
 built by the Romans early in the third century. From 
 here to Ramleh and on, the route is through a region of 
 delightful fertility. The next station of interest was 
 Lydda, from which place Peter was called to Joppa on 
 account of the death of Dorcas. It is a village situated 
 amid beautiful gardens, groves of palm, fig, olive, mul- 
 berry, and pomegranate trees. There are some ruins of a 
 fine church, the usual mosque, and a rather busy, thriving 
 population. It is on this route also, somewhere in the 
 vicinity of Emmaus, that tradition assigns the field where 
 David killed Goliath. They even showed us the brook 
 whence came the smooth stone that brought the Philistine 
 low. As we near Joppa, I am reminded of our reception 
 there five years ago by a certain eccentric Russian baron, 
 very old and very wealthy. lie was made known to us 
 by Mr. Shapira, the Jewish dealer in Eastern wares and 
 manuscripts at Jerusalem. He (the baron) was an enthu- 
 siastic naturalist and had a fine show of specimens, bot- 
 tled, dried, and stuffed, with fishes and other aquatic crea- 
 tures in tanks and aquariums; in short, he was a virtuoso
 
 THK RUSSIAN BARON. 431 
 
 of the old school, and had, moreover, a young and fascinat- 
 ing wife of whom he was said to be jealous, and so had 
 taken her to this out of the way place to live, as being free 
 from rivals. They both, however, received us with every 
 appearance of cordiality. Madame, the baroness, was ex- 
 tremely vivacious, well educated, intelligent, and a line 
 musician. They occupied a splendid suite of rooms at 
 the hotel, and gave much money to the poor. He was at 
 that time beginning the erection of a hospital for free use 
 of the poor and sick. On our return this second time to 
 Jaffa, the hospital was finished and they were residing in 
 one wing. The lady appeared delighted to see us, and re- 
 ceived us like old friends. They gave us an entertainment 
 at their house, and she especially delighted us with " Sweet 
 Home " played on a magnificent piano, and many other 
 pieces performed with all the grace of a finished musician. 
 I was amused as she moved about her rooms to hear her 
 constant calls upon Abdallah, her devoted servant, not 
 less in years than his master ; he was indefatigable in 
 meeting her requirements. At the hotel we were some 
 distance from the port and the baron oIFered us his horses, 
 only one of which was gentle enough for a lady's use, so 
 when we left I mounted, and a servant walked by my side 
 through the steep, narrow streets to the water. A fiercer 
 steed, such as becomes a Bedouin pasha, was brought for 
 F., but with wise discretion he concluded that it was safer 
 getting down hill on foot. 
 
 The Sunday before, we attended service at the school ot 
 the American mission, and were much pleased with the 
 appearance of the work, and on a fresh and lovely Mon- 
 day morning took our leave of the ancient Joppa by the 
 Austrian steamer for Ueyrout. 
 
 Our morning voyage northward, on the blue Medi- 
 terranean, along the coast of Samaria and Galilee, was 
 very pleasant. We passed in sight of Oesarea, Moui.t
 
 432 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Carmel, Tyre and Sidon. At the foot of Mount Carmel, 
 whoso bold headland forms the southern shore of the Bay 
 of Acre, we stopped several hours. From Mount Carmel 
 is a most magnificent view of the sea and surrounding 
 country. We did not visit the Carmelite convent on the 
 top, but saw the monks of that ilk. We had previously 
 met them in various places, and found some of them 
 intelligent and agreeable people. We reached Beyrout at 
 7 P. M., and were driven at once to the Oriental hotel. 
 The situation of Beyrout cannot well be more beautiful, 
 and it justifies the wisdom of the American Board in 
 making it their base of operations in Syria. We visited 
 the Bible house, where all the printing for Eastern lands 
 is done, also, on invitation from Dr. Post and Mr. Bliss, 
 the Syrian College and the Female Seminary. The Mis- 
 sion church is a very neat and tasty affair, and the ap- 
 pearance of things was in the highest degree compli- 
 mentary to the efficiency of the business skill and tact 
 of the managers. There is now a iine road across Mount 
 Lebanon to Damascus by diligence, and a small army of 
 men constantly employed in keeping the route in repair. 
 For this journey we took an early start one day, rising 
 at half-past four. We are rapidly whirled along through 
 a fertile region, wheat fields, vineyards, fig and mul- 
 berry trees 1 (ordering the way on either side. We have 
 fresh animals every hour, and so our horses are at their 
 best. As we rise into the mountain region, there are 
 tine villas, where the rich citizens of Beyrout fly from the 
 summer heat. We were a little over thirteen hours in 
 making the sixty miles to Damascus, including stops, and 
 about 6 i'. M. reached the Hotel Demetri, well known to 
 all travelers that way. Damascus is not so fortunate as 
 to have escaped the changes which have befallen other 
 places, but remains much as it was when the Apostle 
 Paul was struck down at its gate, and the valley of the
 
 DAMASCUS. 433 
 
 Abana and Pharpar is charming enough to have war- 
 ranted the reply of Naaman when the prophet bade him 
 wash in the Jordan. It was an ancient city in the days 
 of Abraham, whose servant Eliezer dwelt there. Babylo- 
 nians, Persians, Romans, Saracens, and Turks in turn have 
 possessed it, and it was for three centuries the Syrian capi- 
 tal, and at one time was a Christian bishopric. To-day it 
 is flourishing still. The soil is abundantly fruitful ; apri- 
 cots, dates, almonds, and figs abound. All the character- 
 istic traits of Syrian life are seen here at their best ; there 
 is no modern quarter, but a genuine flavor of Oriental 
 life. The Abana is a clear, rushing, mountain stream, 
 freshening and fertilizing the region through which it 
 flows, and in the hottest days the eternal snows of 
 Mount Hermon seem to waft a cooling benediction to 
 whoever looks upon it. The streets are very narrow and 
 hardly admit of a carriage. We did, however, use one 
 except in that street which is called " Strait," and which 
 is not, as the sound of the name would imply, by any 
 means the shortest distance between two points. It is, 
 moreover, encumbered by bazaars where silver filigree 
 work is offered for sale. Of course we saw the " place in 
 the wall," the window of the house built against the 
 outer city wall, whence St. Paul was let down in a bas- 
 ket, and also, u to make assurance doubly sure,'' the tomb 
 of the servant who let him down, christened "St. 
 George." The place of St. Paul's conversion and the 
 site of Xaaman's house were pointed out to us. Other 
 traditional places, as the house of Ananias and of Judas, 
 we saw, though on what probable claim it is hard to 
 imagine. There are some delightful drives about the 
 
 O C> 
 
 environs, through gardens and groves, and everywhere 
 the snow-white head of Hermon was visible. Outside 
 the city walls, at the distance of a mile, is a place called 
 " God's Gate," where pilgrims assemble in camp before 
 
 28
 
 434 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 departure for Mecca. Thousands of them hold camp- 
 meetings there, and it is probable that they are located 
 there for sanitary reasons. In 1860 occurred the massacre 
 of the Christians by the Druses, those fierce and fanati- 
 cal men of Mount Lebanon. Twenty-six hundred were 
 slain, and are buried in one cemetery outside the city 
 walls. United European opinion forced the Sultan to 
 bring the murderers to justice, and their heads were 
 liberally distributed about the city. 
 
 The diligence for Bey rout is ready. We are to leave our 
 pleasant rooms looking out upon a courtyard with foun- 
 tains and goldfish, with orange and lemon trees, with its 
 balconies and stone stairways, for the ride across the 
 mountains. As before, we started in the early morning 
 along the course of the Abana, which we followed to its 
 source. At our stopping places along the way were 
 fountains and prayer stations where devout travelers 
 could perform their devotions and their ablutions as well. 
 There were priests on board, who hurried through the 
 business, always in season for the start. One young 
 blood, however, evidently a high toned Moslem, took so 
 much time in removing his shoes and stockings (super- 
 fluous articles which the others did not indulge in) that 
 the diligence was just on the point of starting. Although 
 in apparently devout prayer, he cast a side glance at us, 
 and on F. making a motion for him to hurry up, he 
 snatched up his foot gear and started. All the passengers 
 smiled as he clambered on in the very nick of time. 
 
 Our objective point this time was Baalbec. A line 
 running from Damascus to Beyrout, in direction a little 
 north of west, forms the base of a triangle of which 
 Baalbec is the apex. At Esturia, a station on the way, 
 said to have been the home of Agrippa, we changed con- 
 veyances for Baalbec, about thirty miles distant. It was 
 through a rough and mountainous countrv, and we were
 
 BAALBEC. 435 
 
 glad to descend into the plain and reach the recently 
 built establishment dignified by the name of Hotel Pal- 
 myra, which was, however, so near a running brook, or the 
 river of Baalbec, that it proved nearly impossible to sleep. 
 The ruins at Baalbec are very grand, and the size of 
 some of the stones high in the walls excited our profound 
 amazement. Here are remains of temples quite as im- 
 posing as any to be found in Greece, but the workmanship 
 does not appear to be so fine. Baalbec is situated in a 
 valley sometimes called " Hollow Syria," between Leb- 
 anon and Anti-Lebanon, and is near the hills on the eastern 
 side. All around, looking from the great Temple of the 
 Sun, are ruins on ruins, and from this tumultuous sea 
 arises here and there one, two, or a half-dozen columns. 
 At a little distance may be seen the quarries, with one 
 huge monolith sixty-eight feet long and 18 by 16 feet in 
 thickness. We returned the next morning to Esturia, 
 and while there had the rare good fortune to meet six 
 American missionaries. It was a pleasant lunch. They 
 were on their way to and from their various fields of 
 labor, and we were as glad to get the insight they were 
 able to give us into the aftairs of Syria as they could be 
 to see people fresh from their native land. 
 
 Nothing can well be more beautiful than the view of 
 Beyrout and the sea which opens to sight from the dili- 
 gence route as we approach the end of our journey. It 
 has also an added interest arising from the strong position 
 held by the American Missions, a point of advance for 
 the regeneration of Syria. 
 
 From Beyrout we took a French steamer for Smyrna. 
 Mr. Bliss accompanied us as far as Tripoli, after which 
 there were no English-speaking people on board. The 
 voyage, however, was for the most part very pleasant, 
 good weather, quiet seas, and rest from long rides on 
 land. Tripoli has some remains of crusading times and
 
 436 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 is favored b} T the majestic background of Mount Leba- 
 non, which rises to the height of 10,000 feet. "We next 
 touched at Latakia, anciently Laodicea, about seventy 
 miles north of Tripoli. This seat of a church which was 
 " neither cold nor hot," is now chiefly famous for its 
 tobacco. In the hot and fertile spaces between the foot- 
 hills the Turkish farmer cultivates the weed once con- 
 sumed only in the nargilehs of rich lords of the harem 
 but which is now mostly sold for the markets of France 
 and England. Here we met Miss Sears and Mr. Gates, 
 missionaries from Mardin, and two lads, en route from 
 Marash to the United States. As we go about the same 
 distance northward, still passing Antioch, which is mid- 
 way and about twenty miles inland, we reach the Gulf of 
 Iskanderoon on which Alexandretta is situated. Here a 
 land wind, both hot and furious, detained our ship three 
 days, being unable to discharge her freight. We were 
 now in the province of Aleppo, and this pestilential 
 place, built in the marshes, is the seaport of the capital, 
 some sixty -five miles inland. 
 
 We next touched at Mersin. Near here the river Cyd- 
 nus comes down to the sea from Tarsus, the birthplace of 
 Paul, and along the shore may be seen yet standing Co- 
 rinthian columns of some ruined city. From thence we 
 went on to Rhodes. This island is apparently not more 
 than twenty-live miles in length and from eight to nine 
 in its greatest width, so that if in its ancient glory there 
 were 3,000 statues there, and other buildings in propor- 
 tion, it must have been pretty thoroughly covered. Near 
 the harbor is a gateway flanked by towers, and in the 
 wall the foundations of the Colossus. The ruins to be 
 seen on the island now are chiefly those of crusading 
 times. We saw the palace of the Grand Master of the 
 Knights of St. John and remains of the church of that 
 name. The one long street had some ancient buildings
 
 EPHESUS. 437 
 
 with heraldic insignia carved on their fronts. From 
 Rhodes we passed on, by and in sight of Samos, Patmos, 
 and Chios, into the Gulf of Smyrna. It must have been 
 a busy time when the islands of the ./Egean each contrib- 
 uted its share to the arts and commerce of the main 
 land. For the present, malarial suns, bad governments, 
 and earthquakes have moved the star of empire westward. 
 Before saying much about Smyrna it may be as well to 
 note our visit to Ephcsus, a place of not less historic 
 interest in connection with the spread of the religion of 
 Christianity than any other in Asia Minor. Situated 
 about forty-five miles southwest from Smyrna, opposite 
 Samos, and at the mouth of the Cayster, its magnificent 
 port afforded entry for all the commerce of the region, 
 and the fame of its temples, theaters, and race-course 
 was not surpassed anywhere in proconsular Asia. Here 
 St. Paul dwelt two years, and over the church he set his 
 beloved Timothy. The Xew Testament let us into the 
 civil administration of the city, which was more than a 
 thousand years old in the apostle's day. The courts, the 
 town clerk, the silversmith, and the coppersmith are 
 familiar acquaintances. But as we approached by rail 
 and entered the station at Ayasaluk, the towers of several 
 ruined mosques, each with an enormous stork's nest on 
 top, attracted our attention. Going on about a mile, the 
 ruins of an immense city disclosed themselves. Recent 
 excavations have brought to light many buildings, the use 
 of which is undetermined. Between Mount Prion and 
 Mount Coressus we saw the Magnesian gate, and then 
 fallen marble columns for a long way: the theater, an 
 immense building capable of seating 24,000 people, the 
 Stadium, or place of Olympic games, and the Odeum, 
 with beautiful columns of syenite and marble seats and 
 steps, where musical entertainments are supposed to have 
 taken place, and last but not least the remains of the great
 
 438 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Temple of Diana itself. Ninety columns of finest white 
 marble formed the double outer colonnade. Of these, 
 some sections have been unearthed, and more doubtless 
 are yet to come. In our walk through the fields of 
 growing wheat, which was about six inches high, we saw 
 numerous women and children, clad mostly in dresses of 
 gay color, engaged in plucking out the tares; at least, so 
 we were given to understand, although it is said that this 
 weed so nearly resembles wheat or barley that in a cer- 
 tain stage of growth it is almost impossible to distinguish 
 between the two. We saw what they said were ruins of 
 a prison where St. Paul wa's confined. As we could not 
 prove the fact to be otherwise, we did not dispute it. 
 Afterwards we saw in the church of St. Sophia, at Con- 
 stantinople, pillars said to have been taken from the 
 Temple of Diana. 
 
 But we must return to Smyrna and over the region 
 where St. Paul doubtless many a time has walked. The 
 steam horse draws us on. Our cars, to be sure, are second 
 class, shaky, dust-admitting box-cars, with boards laid 
 across supports for seats. As I somewhat disconsolately 
 regarded the situation, F. remarked that I had been 
 putting on airs and traveling as only nobles and crowned 
 heads can do, and now I had to come down. The Eastern 
 nations certainly develop much poetical imagination. 
 London, Paris, and Xew York convey no idea by their 
 names, and while the names of the Oriental cities have 
 usually meanings aside from their common use, each 
 place has its "pet name.'' Thus Smyrna is the '"Pearl of 
 the Orient/' It had its Greek days of greatness and 
 contained a temple, or, as we should say to-day, memorial 
 hall, dedicated to Homer, whose birthplace it claimed to 
 be. But we know that it was the home of Polycarp and 
 of John, the beloved apostle, and the seat of one of the 
 seven churches.
 
 SMYRNA. 439 
 
 We visited the mission schools and church, and were 
 more especially interested in the- work of Mr. Constantine. 
 He has established, by the aid of friends in America and 
 elsewhere, a place which he calls the " Smyrna Rest," 
 pleasant rooms where the usual Oriental refreshments of 
 pipes and coffee are furnished, a reading-room and chapel 
 attached, where Mr. C. preaches to attentive and crowded 
 audiences. We were all the more pleased at this successful 
 enterprise from our former acquaintance with Mr. and 
 Mrs. Constantine in Athens, and from recollections of 
 their visit soon after at our home. Since that time Mr. 
 Constantine has gone to Constantinople, and is doing a 
 very good work there. F. not infrequently expresses in- 
 terest in his progress and sends him now and then a 
 contribution. In this port are seen many Greek sailors, 
 as well as others from all nations, and the means used are 
 well adapted to gain their attention. The American 
 Board have very tine, substantial buildings here for their 
 work. Aside from these features, Smyrna is in many re- 
 spects interesting. Like most seaport towns of the Orient, 
 its variety of population is very picturesque. Greeks, 
 Jews, Turks, Armenians, Russians, Persians, English, 
 French, and Americans, all contribute a share in the vari- 
 ous groups that throng the cafes and public ways. The 
 bridge of caravans across the Meleus and the processions 
 of camels one occasionally sees there, and the customs 
 guard-house where the octroi duties are levied, are 
 curious in their way. The best view of the city, how- 
 ever, is from the fortification of ancient Smyrna, called 
 the Acropolis. The white houses with red-tiled roofs, 
 the groves of cyprus and cedar, the blue waters of the 
 harbor, and the clear sky overhead make a delightful 
 scene. The houses, doubtless taking warning from 
 earthquake experiences, are low, the white fronts painted 
 in blue arabesque or with foliage, and not seldom with
 
 440 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 bird-houses between the windows for the sparrows or 
 bluebirds. 
 
 Having made our adieus to our missionary friends, we 
 went on board the steamer Mendoza and passed out 
 through the fine harbor and gulf. Our course is nearly due 
 north, and after about seventy-five miles we leave 
 Mitylene, the ancient Lesbos and birthplace of Sappho, 
 on the left. Forty miles farther on is Lemnos, where Vul- 
 can struck when he was thrown out of heaven, so the story 
 goes, and nearly opposite, as we sail, the Troad, the site 
 of Troy and scene of Homer's song. A more abject, 
 wretched, and utterly played out population than occupies 
 the plains once made famous by such deeds of demi-gods 
 and heroes can hardly be imagined. We now soon draw 
 near the strait of the Dardanelles and pass between two 
 forts, one on the European and the other on the Asiatic side. 
 Not far hence Xerxes built his bridge of boats and ordered 
 the sea to be flogged for its unseemly behavior and 
 disrespect, and here, too, Leander and Lord Byron swam 
 the Hellespont, which is at this place 875 feet wide. 
 Across the Sea of Marmora and around Seraglio Point, 
 we approach the Golden Horn. At this time there was 
 quite a cold wind blowing down from the Black sea and 
 some feathery particles of snow fell upon deck. A fat 
 and fluffy old Turk, attended assiduously by a couple 
 of his wives, who held an umbrella over his head, 
 was much puzzled by the phenomenon. He had never 
 seen snow before and said that it was cotton. From what 
 part of the Turkish Empire he had come up to visit 
 Istarnboul did not appear, but his early education had 
 been neglected. Happy man ! He knew nothing about 
 the discussion /// re "Beautiful Snow." 
 
 Constantinople, as it opens to view at the Golden Horn, 
 is very striking in its beauty. First, the usually clear 
 .sky and absence of smoke that disfigures so many great
 
 CONSTANTINOPLE. 441 
 
 cities ; then the position, the houses without intervention 
 of wharves dipping into the very water and thence reced- 
 ing up the hills all about; on our right rises the huge 
 barrack at Scutari, and further on, in the waters, a white 
 lighthouse, then the cannon foundry and the Mosque of 
 Sultan Mohammed ; the tower of Galata with a brazen 
 cupola, and Pera crowning its hill with the European res- 
 idences of stone ; then the mosques of Seraglio Point 
 with their minarets rising out of a forest of verdure, and 
 the houses in variety of color rising street after street on 
 this superb amphitheatre, overtopped by the high tower 
 of the Scraskier, where watchmen stand night and day to 
 give the alarm of tire. All this, set off as it is by the 
 multitude of boats darting about everywhere among and 
 around ships and steamers of every nation, forms a scene 
 surpassing one's wildest anticipations. 
 
 There is always something interesting to be seen in the 
 bazaars. The building called the Grand Bazaar has every 
 variety of article that can appeal to fancy or taste in its 
 innumerable stalls. It is overarched and lighted from the 
 cupolas which rise from its flat roof. In these dimly 
 lighted little streets, exquisite perfumes, Persian mirrors, 
 shawls and carpets, antique arms, yataghans, rich silks, 
 cashmeres, tans, scent boxes, slippers, jewelry, and dia- 
 monds of fabulous price may be seen, and if one does 
 not wish to purchase there is entertainment enough in 
 watching those who do trade, with their curious foreign 
 ways. The shops, outside of this, are mostly little boxes 
 with shutters hinged at the top, which, being opened, 
 form awnings, and there the merchant sits among his 
 wares, seemingly indifferent whether you buy or not. 
 The drug bazaar is also a most unique and vaguely 
 mysterious place. The merchant, like a magician out of 
 the "Arabian Xights," sits cross-legged amid his bales, 
 sacks, and heaps of henna, sandal-wood, mastic, ginger,
 
 442 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 opium, hasheesh, and other pungently odorous articles 
 which we think of as coming from nobody knows where, 
 but which seem here to be perfectly at home, and with 
 such superb indifference that one would surely not be 
 so ill-mannered as to ask him to sell. But it is in the 
 Grand Bazaar that the women of the harem do most 
 spend their time and the money of their lords. But for 
 themselves, alas ! they dress in the Paris fashions. 
 
 We went to see the dancing dervishes. Their convent 
 is on Mount Pera, in the midst of a cemetery. The 
 apartments of this so-called convent are light, cheerful, 
 and in gay colors, and surrounding a court. The hall 
 where the ceremony takes place has a polished floor like 
 a ball-room, and is inclosed by a circular fence about 
 three feet high. There is also a balcony supported on 
 slender pillars. This is provided with a box for the 
 Sultan and latticed inclosures for the women. There is a 
 pulpit inscribed with passages from the Koran, and an 
 orchestra opposite. Into this inclosure come the dervishes, 
 two and two, headed by the Iman. He seats himself on 
 a mat in front of the pulpit, and they all render him 
 obeisance. They wear brown felt caps, white jackets, 
 with tunics of the same color, and close, white trousers. 
 After their prayers, they march around the hall, the 
 music of flutes and drums strikes up. one of them opens 
 his arms and begins slowly to turn on his bare feet; his 
 tunics rises with the motion, as we school girls used to 
 make a cheese; swifter and swifter yet he goes, others one 
 by one follow, the flutes and tarboukas send forth shrill 
 and weird notes : the floor is one mass of spinning white 
 clouds so swiftly moving that it makes one dizzy to look 
 at them. After a while there is a pause, and then a 
 renewal fiercer and more tanatical yet. until at last one 
 after another sinks in sheer exhaustion, and they soon 
 after leave the hall.
 
 THE DERVISHES. 443 
 
 As a counterpart to this dizzy, religious waltz, we went 
 to see the howling dervishes at Scutari. They also have 
 what we style a convent, and a hall where the sick are 
 brought and children to be treated. As before, the Iman, 
 or priest, sits in front of his pulpit. On the walls are 
 suspended various horrible looking instruments with 
 wlfich the devotees torture themselves, and the dervishes, 
 ranged facing the priests, swing their heads backward and 
 forward, chanting in unison. This process is continued 
 for some time, apparently for the purpose of getting up 
 the excitement; present!} 7 they rise, wagging their heads 
 with increased violence, and with hands placed on each 
 other's shoulders begin to howl from the lowest gutteral 
 depths the name of Allah. The violence of the scene is 
 indescribable ; throwing themselves backward and forward 
 in a simultaneous plunge, their eyes flashing and mouths 
 foaming like so many inmates of bedlam, until the ter- 
 rible storm subsided into a mere inarticulate chorus of 
 indistinguishable grunts like wild beasts. They then 
 began to pierce their cheeks with poniards and cut 
 themselves with knives. After this process, which it 
 appears is but an invocation to Allah to appear and heal 
 the sick, the patients came in to be stepped on by the 
 priest; first men, then young men and boys, and lastly 
 children, and even mere babies. The priest was by no 
 means a light weight, and he set his feet squarely on the 
 backs, breasts, legs, and arms of his prostrate patients. 
 On the smaller children and babies he seemed to let up a 
 little, resting part of his weight on his attendants: but 
 the poor things looked red in the face and cried out as 
 though about to burst a blood vessel. After this, it was 
 made known to me that women were to be treated by the 
 same process, and I was invited to witness the scene. 
 Taking it for granted that I could have come to such a 
 place only from some need like their own, these women
 
 444 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 urged and besought me to lie down with them and be 
 trodden on, and so eager were they that the Iman, who 
 knew better the state of the case, interfered for my 
 protection. He took water and breathed on it, which 
 they all drank of, and this they also urged me to drink. 
 Talking with some of them through our interpreter, they 
 expressed the utmost faith in the cure. " And what,*' I 
 asked, " if you do not get better?" "Oh. it is all right; 
 it is God's will;" and beyond the Turkish wall of fate 
 you cannot get. There is one custom which reminds one 
 of the scape-goat of the Israelites. A mosque called 
 the "Pigeon Mosque" is the resort of multitudes of pi- 
 geons, which blacken the air in their flight. To this place 
 penitents resort, casting a grain or grains for every sin, 
 which the pigeon forever flies away with. 
 
 The Mosque of St. Sophia is declared by some travelers 
 to have the most impressive interior of any religious edi- 
 fice in the world, St. Peter's at Rome not excepted, and 
 Justinian, when he had finished it, exclaimed that he had 
 beaten Solomon. It was built from the spoils of the 
 ancient world and replaced that built by Constantine, 
 which was burned. The wonderful dome is supported by 
 columns from the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, and from 
 the Temple of the Sun at Baalbec. Two immense urns 
 of porphyry from Pergamos contain water for ablutions. 
 Above the place where the altar used to be hangs one 
 of the four carpets on which Mahomet knelt in prayer. 
 The pulpit is reached by a staircase which has marvel- 
 ously carved balustrades, and immense green plaques 
 fastened to the walls have inscriptions in gold from the 
 Koran. From the dome depend cords to which are 
 attached ostrich's eggs, and wire frames for chande- 
 liers. The effect of the vast expanse, with its sky-light 
 dome, its mosaic floors covered with prayer mats, the four 
 cherubim of the galleries, and the dim figure, only partly
 
 CONSTANTINOPLE. 445 
 
 obscured by Moslem whitewash, looking down from the 
 arch over the place of the altar, goes far to justify the ad- 
 miration of visitors. Entering here, as in all other 
 mosques, we deposit our shoes and are given sandals of 
 straw, so as not to profane the sacred precinct. The ex- 
 terior is not so impressive, as, between the huge bastions 
 erected to steady the walls, intirrn from earthquake shocks, 
 are shops, booths, tombs, and baths, while the dome 
 arising from its minarets appears rather heavy. 
 
 From this last and crowning glory of Constantinople 
 we turn to the college and the missions of an older and 
 yet younger faith before setting our faces homeward, pre- 
 mising that there are a thousand things worthy of men- 
 tion which we saw but made no note of. It will hardly 
 do, however, to say nothing of one feature which is pecu- 
 liar to this port, the thousands of caiques, or Turkish 
 canoes, which are seen darting about everywhere. They 
 comfortably seat four, and the owner, in his picturesque 
 white costume, with the red fez and striped sash, is usually 
 a well-developed specimen of a Greek or Arnaout. Greeks 
 are seen in numbers throughout Constantinople and espe- 
 cially seek employ as boatmen or guides. Arnaout is the 
 Turkish word for Albanian, a tribe or race somewhat 
 similar in their characteristics to the Greeks. It is a mys- 
 tery to most people, I fancy, why these races were so easily 
 subdued, and have been so long under the yoke of the Otto- 
 man empire. The caique is about fifteen or twenty feet 
 long by three in width, and is often fitted with elegantly 
 carved seats and carpets, and sometimes ornamented with 
 gilding. Incoming steamers are beset by scores of these 
 boats, all eager for passengers. Passing from Pera to Scu- 
 tari it is the common conveyance. 
 
 Our personal observation of mission work at Constanti- 
 nople was confined to Robert College and to the Young 
 Women's Home. The former is well known, and seems
 
 446 MRS. SMYTH'S JOURNAL. 
 
 to be doing a most excellent work in offering a higher 
 education to the young men of the races practically 
 emancipated in the Russian war, and as a witness to the 
 superior nature of a Christian over a Mohammedan civili- 
 zation, which must one day be felt. This work is sup- 
 plemented by an effort quite as important when one con- 
 siders the condition of the women of these countries, to 
 show the nature of a true home. Under the very prac- 
 tical instruction, young women and girls are trained in 
 simple household duties as well as in the elements of an 
 education adapted to their needs. It is a very pleasant 
 school to visit. 
 
 Having devoted all the time to the city of Constantine 
 that we could spare, we bade adieu to the shadow of the 
 Sublime Porte and to our dragoman, M. Triantaphilos 
 Papadopaulos, of the Hotel de Byzance, and made our 
 way to the steamer, which was ready to take us through 
 the Bosphorus into the Black sea and on to Varna. 
 
 It was a rough passage of about 150 miles which 
 brought us in darkness and a furious rain storm to our 
 destination, and one of the most unpleasant passages in 
 all our travels. To climb down the side of the pitching, 
 rolling steamer into a boat which every moment seemed 
 about to be swallowed up in the watery darkness was 
 enough to try the steadiest nerves. It was as though one 
 should undertake to go down from the roof of a common 
 two-story house in a furious wind and dark night by a 
 swinging ladder, nay, worse, for it seemed very uncertain 
 whether there was anything to set foot on at the bottom. 
 Those who were less fortunate than myself in respect to 
 waterproofs were wet to the skin, and when we got to shore 
 we had to be lifted bodily out of the boat. Such are some 
 of the obstructions to commerce which exist in this region. 
 Varna is the city where the combined forces of France and 
 England met previous to the descent on the Crimea.
 
 THE DANUBE VALLEY. 447 
 
 Crossing Bulgaria by rail we reached Rustchuk and were 
 taken across the swollen and turbid spring waters of the 
 Danube by boat (not by any means the beautiful blue Dan- 
 ube of the song), and kept on to Bucharest, which is the 
 capital of Roumania. This city on the river Dembovitza, 
 a tributary of the Danube, has about 250,000 inhabitants. 
 Its name signifies the " City of Joy," and there is an air 
 of enterprise and general stir which amply justifies its 
 emancipation from Turkish misrule. On our route 
 hither we were struck with the honest and industrious 
 look of the people, the fine cattle, thatched houses, and 
 tokens of growth. The city boasts a horse railroad, has 
 numerous gardens, cafes, and public squares. There are 
 also marks of Russian customs, such as the use of sledges 
 in winter and the droschke in summer. One sees a mixed 
 population of Russians, Greeks, Jews, French, Swiss, 
 Armenians, and Bulgarians. The Roumanians and 
 Bulgarians are much alike in appearance and habit, 
 and are making wonderful. progress since their emancipa- 
 tion from Turkish rule. Spending the night here at a 
 good hotel, we pushed on for Buda-Pesth, cities situated 
 on either side of the Danube and connected by a fine sus- 
 pension bridge. The route over a spur of the Carpathian 
 Mountains and through the Iron Gate into the Danube val- 
 ley is full of interest. The Iron Gate is a passage com- 
 manded by a strongly fortified island on the Hungarian 
 border. Buda is on the right bank of the river, and the 
 bridge is 1,227 feet long by 39 wide. The situation is 
 very fine, and its importance is enhanced by the palace 
 and parliament house. There are also some mineral baths 
 of considerable repute, and a steam navigation company 
 which controls the travel and commerce of the Danube 
 for some distance. 
 
 From Buda to Vienna, about 160 miles by rail, mostly 
 in the vallev of the Danube, is an interesting ride. We
 
 448 MRS. SMYTH'S JOUKNAL. 
 
 were favored with mild weather. The population is sim- 
 ply immense through all this land ; garden touches gar- 
 den, with frequent thickening into towns and cities. 
 After this we spent two days in Vienna, which seems but 
 a second Paris, and will not need from ordinary travelers 
 like us a detailed description. As we journeyed along 
 via Munich, Bavaria, Saxony, and the valley of the 
 Neckar, we could but wonder at the crowded population 
 and how it could be possible to find bread for so many 
 mouths. After a little stay at Strasbourg and a peep at 
 the famous cathedral, we reached Paris, April 16.
 
 GO 
 
 ~r 
 
 1C
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 THE WILLOAVS. 
 
 THE three houses built and occupied by Governor 
 Smyth were significant of his rising fortunes, as well as 
 of the growth of the city of Manchester. First, near 
 the corner of Central and Chestnut streets, when the 
 original pines were still standing on Merriraack (now 
 Monument) Square, a pleasant and convenient two-story 
 cottage was erected in 1844, and when that was outgrown 
 a more pretentious residence arose on the corner of 
 Bridge and Chestnut streets, then the extreme northern 
 limit of building in the city. In 1866 the Governor 
 bought of the Amoskeag Company the estate comprising 
 about ten acres where he now resides, and which is 
 known as " The Willows," the locality having many speci- 
 mens of that graceful tree. There were also a few elms 
 and an occasional group of white birches. The land was 
 undulating, and consisted of one prominent ridge over- 
 looking river and falls, east of which crept a valley, and 
 still farther east arose to the level of Elm street. With 
 the exceptions named the plot was a barren sand bank, 
 relieved by an unsightly swamp. 
 
 In earlier days it was the site of an Indian encamp- 
 ment, probably a lodge of the great Passeconoway him- 
 self, and so one governor succeeds another on the same 
 historic spot. From time to time spear and arrow-heads, 
 with many implements fashioned by the long-lost race, 
 have been found on the grounds. This also was once a 
 part of the farm of General John Stark. 
 
 The new owner immediately began improvements, 
 meantime perfecting his plans and making arrangements 
 
 29
 
 450 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 for building a house. Gridley J. F. Bryant, Esq., of Bos- 
 ton, was employed as architect, and he also gave the aid 
 of his experience and fine taste in so placing trees, paths, 
 and shrubbery as to tell most effectively on the general 
 design. A hedge of spruce was set about the entire lot, 
 and after several years of labor in ditching, draining, 
 grading, and top-dressing, the land assumed a new aspect. 
 The sandy hill became a field of living green, the waters 
 of the swamp were collected into a pond, the underlying 
 ledge which cropped out here and there was fringed with 
 creeping vines and made to do duty in adding grace to 
 the scenery, and everywhere was seen harmonious growth. 
 
 The lumber was ordered for building, and much of the 
 interior finish the maple, butternut, cherry, and birch 
 was cut on ancestral lands in Candia. The foundation 
 was put in and left to settle for a year before beginning 
 the superstructure. The main house, fronting south, is 
 fifty feet square, with L thirty by twenty-one. A tower 
 rises from the intersection eighty feet in height, sur- 
 mounted by a lofty flag-staff. The view from the lookout 
 on this tower is unsurpassed in many respects by any of 
 the local scenery, and combines in a pleasing degree the 
 natural wildness of mountain, forest, and stream, with 
 the busy charm of human industry. The residence is 
 thoroughly finished from basement to attic, water, hot 
 and cold, is carried to every room in brass pipes tin-lined, 
 and the heating is by means of hot water. The furnace, 
 wood and coal room, milk room, laundry, and vegetable 
 room are located in the basement. There is also a sum- 
 mer kitchen, which communicates by an elevator with 
 that upon the floor above. 
 
 The main entrance to the house is through a spacious 
 and lofty porte cochere, the roof of which is supported by 
 twelve Doric columns, and which leads to a broad hall 
 intersecting the house from south to north. On the left 
 as we go in, parlor and library communicate with each
 
 THE WILLOWS. 451 
 
 other by broad double doors on either side the chimney. 
 The parlor is a large and airy apartment, commanding an 
 extended view of the falls, Rock Rimmon, the Unca- 
 noonucs, the Francestown mountains, the long sweep of 
 the cotton-mills, the railroad, and bridges. Midway the 
 main hall a section extends to the northern entrance, with 
 dining-room, kitchen, and pantries on the left, and the 
 sitting-room on the right. 
 
 The entire first story is finished in black-walnut, with 
 dado three feet high in heavy paneling. The rooms are 
 lofty, and the frescoing light and graceful in design. On 
 the second floor are six sleeping apartments, four with 
 bath-rooms attached, and all provided with hot and cold 
 water. These rooms are known as the cherry, maple, 
 butternut, oak, and birch, according to the finish, and the 
 frescoing is done in fruit or foliage to correspond. In 
 the third story are several sleeping-rooms finished in pine, 
 the natural color of the wood. West of the upper hall is 
 the museum and picture gallery. Here is a fine collec- 
 tion of Indian relics, mostly found about the grounds, 
 and many half-length life-size crayon portraits of early 
 friends of Governor Smyth, done by Mr. J. Bailey Moore. 
 Among other matters of interest one may see an arched 
 window rescued from the burning ruins of the Congrega- 
 tional church in Candia in 1848, and the sign of the 
 Black Horse Inn kept in Brentwood by Mr. Smyth's 
 great-grandfather in 1736. There is also a large collec- 
 tion of papers and pamphlets which have been carefully 
 saved, the accumulation of years. Specimens of Xile 
 pottery, hand-wrought brass lamp-holders from Algiers, 
 and various quaint articles, complete the catalogue. 
 
 The entrance hall below contains four meritorious 
 pieces of marble statuary from Italy, representing the 
 four seasons, an ancient Dutch timepiece one hundred 
 and fifty years old, with Chipendale case, and a musical 
 attachment of bells plavina; a different tune at each half 
 
 i. V O
 
 452 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 hour, showing days of the week, month, and changes of 
 the moon. Here are also a variety of rare things from 
 abroad, a magnificent costume of a sheik, arms, me- 
 mentos and souvenirs of travel. 
 
 In the parlor is a bust of Mrs. Smyth, by Tadolini, 
 an Italian sculptor at Rome in 1878, and in the library 
 that of Governor Smyth, by the same artist. The library 
 is that of an active, stirring man of affairs, who reads 
 men and things rather than books, and so deals largely 
 with politics, state history, agriculture, and the matters 
 of to-day, rather than classic essays or scholarly specula- 
 tions. Photographs, guide-books, prints, maps, and paint- 
 ings illustrative of foreign life abound, and also stones, 
 fragments, pottery, curious bits of glass, of marble, or of 
 cement, from the most famous resorts of the Old World, 
 add to the interest of the rooms, and enable one better to 
 follow the story of their owner's travels, which he relates 
 at times in a most entertaining manner. 
 
 The grounds are laid out with an eye to symmetry and 
 beauty. Deciduous and evergreen trees of most kinds 
 known to this latitude are so set as not to interfere with, 
 but rather to enhance, the view in different directions. 
 Many pieces of classic and modern statuary are placed in 
 favorable situations, fountains play to cool the summer 
 air, and rustic seats invite one to rest under wide-spread- 
 ing willows. 
 
 The fish-pond, on whose surface floats a real Indian 
 canoe, where the water-lilies bloom in their season, is 
 stocked with native fish and German carp. A windmill, 
 the tower of which is eighty feet high, supplies water for 
 irrigating purposes, while the evergreen hedge surround- 
 ing the lot is one of the best in the State. A fine pear 
 orchard, containing most of the approved varieties com- 
 mended by the American Pomological Society, of which 
 the owner is a distinguished and active member, and a 
 productive vegetable garden, are located in convenient
 
 THE WILLOWS. 453 
 
 nearness to the house. The stable, about one hundred 
 feet northeast, has ample accommodations for the Gov- 
 ernor's horses and Jersey cows. At the Salmon-street 
 entrance is a convenient and tasty lodge, designed for 
 the use of the farmer and man of all work who attends 
 to the somewhat numerous matters the Governor is apt 
 to provide for him. 
 
 Salmon street, which bounds the estate on the south, 
 is fitly named, as a reminder of the once famous fishing- 
 place at Amoskeag Falls, from which it leads, and also as 
 a token of the interest Governor Smyth had in restocking 
 these waters with the salmon. It is true that the various 
 fishways built at Lowell, and Lawrence, and Manchester, 
 by the manufacturing companies under the laws of Mas- 
 sachusetts, have not accomplished the purpose for which 
 they were designed, but every year, in the season, salmon 
 of large size are seen at the falls. The grounds are usu- 
 ally open to the public, and people frequently drive or 
 leisurely walk over the concrete paths, observing what- 
 ever is to be seen. Fronting "The Willows" on Elm 
 street are some of the finest residences in the city, whose 
 green lawns and varied styles of architecture add much 
 to the charm of the place. 
 
 With this chapter these sketches are for the present 
 brought to a conclusion. They have been written not 
 for publication, but for private circulation among those 
 friends who are familiar with the times and affairs dis- 
 cussed, and to preserve in the order of their occurrence 
 the memory of events which took place during the most 
 stormy period of our nation's existence, events in which 
 Governor Smyth has borne an honorable and conspicuous 
 part. It is needless to say to any one who knows him 
 that he is still a lover of his native State, proud to ac- 
 knowledge his indebtedness to her citizens for their stead- 
 fast support, and that he believes the facilities she offers 
 to honesty, intelligence, and enterprise are second in
 
 454 LIFE OF FREDERICK SMYTH. 
 
 point of real value to those of no other State in the 
 Union. 
 
 Since this volume was printed, one of its compilers, 
 the Hon. Ben : Perley Poore, has been gathered to his 
 fathers. A life-long and highly valued friend of Gov- 
 ernor Smyth, when he learned that this sketch was in 
 preparation he very kindly offered to add some things 
 within his personal knowledge in respect to state and na- 
 tional agricultural affairs, and also as to the Governor's 
 services to the State during the war, in the government 
 departments at Washington.
 
 N D EX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Address, agricultural 175 
 
 Athens Club 330 
 
 dedication of Soldiers' Monument 307 
 
 Governor's inaugural 143-212 
 
 Mayor's inaugural 22, 36, 52, 123 
 
 valedictory 290 
 
 Agricultural Societies: 
 
 of Great Britain 114 
 
 New Hampshire 92 
 
 United States, Chicago 97 
 
 Cincinnati 102 
 
 Louisville 94 
 
 Richmond 95 
 
 Washington 102 
 
 Amoskeag annexed 51 
 
 Veterans at Newburyport 266 
 
 Ancestry 1 
 
 Ando ver, Mass 12 
 
 Andrew, John A 174-191 
 
 Angell, Maj. Jesse 119 
 
 Atheneum, Manchester 17-51 
 
 Ayer, Richard H 35 
 
 Bakersville 254 
 
 Bank of England 113 
 
 Banks, Gen. N. P 366 
 
 Banquet of New England Society 201 
 
 Eagle Hotel, Concord 248 
 
 honor of M. P. Wilder 361 
 
 Barring (M. P.), reception by 109 
 
 Bouton, Dr. Nathaniel 250 
 
 Butler, Gen. 13. F 251-272 
 
 Elaine, James G., reception of 365 
 
 Candia, characteristics of 9 
 
 Chase. Chief -Justice 249-305 
 
 Pike 11 
 
 City clerk 21 
 
 Club 98 
 
 Clay, Henry 35 
 
 Claremont Railroad extension 205
 
 456 INDEX. 
 
 Commissioner honorary at Paris 316 
 
 of the State at London 104 
 
 to build Reform School 67 
 
 Concord Railroad, controversy with 35 
 
 director of '. 364 
 
 president 364 
 
 Continental tour with C. L. Flint 118 
 
 Corporator of national asylums 195 
 
 Correspondence, foreign 104-316 
 
 Cross, Hon. David 267-305 
 
 Dame, Miss Harriet M 203 
 
 Daniels, D. J 137 
 
 Dartmouth College 172-260-261 
 
 Dayton, Ohio 270 
 
 Delmonico, New England dinner 201 
 
 Dover, militia encampment 268 
 
 Discussion on Governor's expenses 301 
 
 Early life 1-14 
 
 Election as city clerk 21 
 
 Governor 139 
 
 Mayor 22-122 
 
 Elegy, Gray's scene of Ill 
 
 English opinion on the war 108 
 
 Exposition, International, London 104 
 
 Paris 316 
 
 Fairs, County, at Milford 193 
 
 Mechanics', at Lowell, Mass 192 
 
 New Hampshire, at Dover 306 
 
 United States Agricultural Society 93-96-102 
 
 Sanitary 120 
 
 Fete, Marquis of Salisbury, England 112 
 
 Finances, state 144 
 
 Fishery laws 150-257 
 
 Flint, C. L 118 
 
 French, Hon. E. B 252 
 
 Garfield Memorial Address 358 
 
 Gettysburg 120 
 
 Governor's inauguration 143 
 
 messages 143-212 
 
 valedictory 290 
 
 Gunckle, General 273 
 
 Harriman, Walter 137 
 
 Head, General 267 
 
 Healey, Capt. Cornelius 208 
 
 Illness and death of Mrs. Smyth 367 
 
 Indian Hill Farm... ... 267
 
 INDEX. 457 
 
 Journeys abroad 316 
 
 Mrs. Smyth's note-book 368 
 
 King, Capt. D. W 196 
 
 Library, Free Public '. 50-59 
 
 Lincoln, Abraham 98 
 
 Letters, case of Thomas O'Brien 251 
 
 soldiers' bounties 252 
 
 to Colonel Savage, of Alton 255 
 
 case of Captain Healey 208 
 
 to D. W. King 196 
 
 declining third term as Governor 276 
 
 from the East 316-337 
 
 to Miss Clara Glidden 288 
 
 Surgeon-General Barnes 170 
 
 Secretary Seward 208 
 
 Stanton 168 
 
 London International Exhibition of 1862 104 
 
 Loring, Hon. George B 175 
 
 Lowell, Mass., employment at 10 
 
 Mechamics'-Fair 192 
 
 Manager of Soldiers' Homes 269 
 
 Manchester, business in 16 
 
 first visit to 13 
 
 Mayor of 22, 122 
 
 Marriage 18 
 
 Mechi Alderman Tiptree Farm 115 
 
 Melvin, Thomas J 11 
 
 Mexico, tour in 352 
 
 Milford, speech at 193 
 
 Messages, Governor's 143-212 
 
 Mayor's 22, 36, 52, 123 
 
 Militia encampments 264-268 
 
 National Soldiers' Homes 269 
 
 Nomination as Governor 136 
 
 Newburyport, visit to 266 
 
 New Orleans 352 
 
 Newport Railroad extension 205 
 
 O'Brien, Thomas 251 
 
 Oration to the unknown dead 345 
 
 Phillips Antlover Academy 12 
 
 Piscataquog annexed 51 
 
 Pomological Society 96 
 
 Positions of trust ;U3 
 
 Proclamations, Fast 279 
 
 Thanksgiving 167
 
 458 INDEX. 
 
 Provincial Records 250 
 
 Press Association 358 
 
 Portsmouth, July 4 256 
 
 Reception of Chief-Justice Chase 305 
 
 at Dover 26 8 
 
 of General Sherman 259 
 
 of James G. Blaine 365 
 
 Reform School 67 
 
 Representative from Ward 3 95 
 
 Republican Convention 96 
 
 Return of Volunteers 166 
 
 Russell, Rev. C. P 9 
 
 Sanitary Commission 120 
 
 Savage, Col. George 255 
 
 School children visit Concord 283 
 
 Serenade, Washington, D. C 199 
 
 Seward, William H 208 
 
 Sherman, General 259 
 
 Speeches, County Fair at Milford 193 
 
 death of Garfield 358 
 
 Dayton, Ohio 270 
 
 dedication Soldiers' Monument 307 
 
 election as Governor 206 
 
 gubernatorial convention 96 
 
 Mechanics' Fair, Lowell 192 
 
 Festival at Manchester 34 
 
 New England dinner 201 
 
 New Hampshire Militia 268 
 
 Newport Railroad extension 205 
 
 on nominations 138, 140, 210 
 
 pardon of convict 281 
 
 Portsmouth, July 4 256 
 
 presentation to Major Angell 119 
 
 Dr. C. W. Wallace 139 
 
 Redmond (M. P.), at Smyth's Hall 363 
 
 return of Second Regiment 203 
 
 school children 284 
 
 temperance convention 262 
 
 Veterans' dinner 277 
 
 Wilder banquet 361 
 
 Stearns, Onslow 137 
 
 Teaching school 11 
 
 Temperance 262 
 
 Thanksgiving Proclamation 197 
 
 Tiptree Farm, England 115 
 
 Trees set on commons and streets 34 
 
 Treasurer 92
 
 INDEX. 459 
 
 Valedictory address 290 
 
 Visit to the old homestead 357 
 
 Wallace, Dr. C. W 138 
 
 Wallis, George, England 117 
 
 War correspondence 168 
 
 Webster, Daniel 35-93 
 
 Hospital 170 
 
 Wheat, Thomas, M. D 10 
 
 Whittier, John G 267 
 
 Willows, The 449 
 
 Wilderness, Battle of 121 
 
 Wilder, M. P 361 
 
 Windsor Castle... Ill 
 
 Portrait of Governor Smyth Frontispiece. 
 
 Portrait of Mrs. Smyth op, page 368 
 
 Birthplace " 4 
 
 Old schoolhouse " 6 
 
 First residence in Manchester " 18 
 
 Residence on Bridge street " 20 
 
 Residence at " The Willows " " 448 
 
 Residence at "The Willows," view from Elm street " 450 
 
 Residence at " The Willows," view from Salmon street " 454
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 Form L9-42m-8,'49(B5573)444 
 
 
 <$
 
 ?39_ Poore - 
 
 ~S5P? Sketches of the 
 life and public 
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 services of 
 Frederick Sm^th of 
 Few Hampshire