in the same predicament; for should it ever become necessary for me to declare for either party, up goes my hat, with three cheers, for federalism. Some people have the knack of shaping their politics to times and circumstances, but this formed no part of my political education. LETTER IV. In a former letter I forgot to tell you that I attended a review at New York, where the reviewing general was a taylor! and : yet the troops appeared orderly and respectable! This would not do on your side of the Atlantic, nor will it do here fifty years hence. Another general who was present, and who "covered himself with glory" in the last war, was originally a quaker schoolmaster. But the army is no favourite, and few men of the first respectability enter into this service. It is the navy that is the darling of the American people, and it really is a promising child. The names of Truxtun, Decatur, Perry, Mac Donough, Lawrence, Hull, Jones, Biddle are as dearly beloved as are our Nelson's, our Howe's, and our Vincent's, and this is as it ought to be, for although accustomed to act on a smaller scale: "Each gemm'd his little orb with glory bright." Decatur fell, not long since, in a duel with another naval officer. These republicans are very tenacious of their honour, and have more gentlemanly meetings than any other people I ever heard of. -The city of Philadelphia swarms with doctors and lawyers. The route from New York to Philadelphia, through the state of New Jersey, presents the traveller with little that is interesting.* The soil in this state is but little of it good, which, perhaps, accounts for the wild uncultivated tracts through which the roads pass. The southern part towards the sea board, is dry and sandy, whereas the northern division is hilly and barren, and in some places even mountainous. Near the sea shore there are extensive flats of salt marsh, to reclaim which attempts have lately been * The traveller passed over this road too rapidly to enjoy the pleasures of a ride through New Jersey. There are a number of beautiful villages on the road, well cultivated farms, an agreeable succession of hill and dale, and every where, smiling faces and warın hearts. How could he pass the learned institutions at Princeton without remark? Ed. P. F. made; and should the results prove favourable, so that they may be brought into a state of cultivation, the whole district will be materially benefited. At present they diffuse intermittent fevers through their vicinities, and generate millions of musquitoes to the annoyance of both man and beast. In the immediate vicinity of Philadelphia, the land is by no means of the first quality; but from its proximity to a good market it rents high, though not equal to some of our English lands, situate in the neighbourhood of towns very inferior in magnitude to this city. Within the last two or three years farms, and farm produce, in all parts of the United States, have suffered a considerable reduction in value; in consequence persons in all situations are grumbling at the hard times. As yet I have seen few places in this country which I think equal to many situations to be found among our northern hills and vallies. The main objection I find, however, is, a want of diversity of scenery. Here are few, or none, of our beautiful hedge rows; no avenues of aged oaks or spreading elms-no ruinous castle walls and mouldering towers; and the woods are irregular reserves of the native forests, equally destitute of beauty and taste. Buildings in the country are commonly of wood, and their roofs are of the same materials. This renders them very liable to accidents by fire, and the newspapers detail many a melancholy catastrophe which could not have occurred had the buildings been of stone, and covered with tiles or slates. Agriculture, I mean systematic agriculture, has been much neglected till of late years, but at present it is becoming a very fashionable study and amusement; perhaps the stagnation of commerce tends to direct the attention of commercial individuals towards the cultivation of land, and the breeding of cattle. There was a merino mania among the farmers of this country some years ago, when a ram would sell for ten or twelve hundred dollars; and an ewe would fetch nearly as much; but the infection has pretty generally subsided. The common cattle of America are inferior to ours, although valuable oxen and cows are occasionally to be met with; and it is not uncommon to hear of the importation of bulls and cows, of the finest breeds, for the purpose of breeding farm stock. The horses of Pennsylvania are superior to those of New York; but here again I must give the palm to Old England, for speed, strength and beauty. I will not drag you with me through indifferent roads, and over inhospitable mountains, nor introduce you to the accommodation of every country tavern, (the name for all inns and public houses) but I will tell you what company I sometimes keep. Fifteen miles from the most polished city in the Union, the stage driver (coachman) sat down with me to breakfast, sans ceremonie. This class of individuals is very unlike our London and Brighton coachees, "bloods of the first water," members of the "bang up" and "four in hand" clubs; but on the contrary tawdry-looking, lank fellows, acting in the triple capacity of coachman, guard, and hostler. However, the circumstance I allude to I take to be a rare occurrence; and the accommodation of the taverns, generally, is tolerably good, if a traveller bears along with him a disposition to be pleased. To be sure in the wild and more remote parts of the country, you have not all the delicacies and officious attention to be met with at an English inn; but then you are not presented with bills of extreme longitude, nor annoyed with insolent waiters, and pert chambermaids. LETTER V. You desire to have my opinion of the inducements held out by this country to British emigrants, generally. I would refer you to Mr. R. with whom I communicated on this subject; but from my own personal observation and from information I have acquired from unquestionable sources, since my correspondence with him, I think it my duty to address you immediately on this subject.* My general sentiments are in favour of emigration, provided I am allowed to select my emigrants. The indolent and profligate who have already brought themselves to want and beggary, had better remain at home, for I fear they would not be able to leave their evil propensities behind them; and nothing is more absurd than the idea of living in this country without capital, or exertion of * On the subject of this letter, see an excellent essay in the Port Folio for September, 1816. Ed. P. F. either body or mind. To be sure a much smaller income is sufficient for the maintenance of a family, as is also a much smaller portion of manual labour, but even in this country, the one or the other is absolutely necessary. I must be understood to speak exclusively of the country, for house-keeping in the cities is quite as expensive as in England. House rents are considerably higher, whereas the wages of mechanics and handicraftsmen have been much reduced. There are two classes of individuals, to whom more particularly, I would venture to recommend this country. Under the first of these must be understood persons possessing some capital; who would prefer a rural life; who are willing to dispense with some of the luxuries of the effeminate and wealthy; and who do not rate present prodigality above the comforts of age, and the welfare and independence of the future representatives of their family and name. The other class comprehends those who have been more familiar with the humbler walks of life, and who have been accustomed to labour, particularly in the culture of land. Although a family of this description should arrive at their destination with but slender means, and small capital, yet a trifling sum of money, accompanied with habits of industry, and propriety of moral conduct, will not fail, in a short period, to ensure respect, plenty, and content. In the immense scope of country presented by the United States to the choice of an emigrant, and containing such a diversity of soil and climate, the great question to be solved, is, which is the most eligible situation for an Englishman? On this subject opinions will doubtless be various, and must depend on the peculiar views of the emigrant. If he come in quest of new lands, he has heard at home only of the western states or country; and the British possessions in Canada. Besides these places, however, when he arrives on this continent he may find a vast tract of country which contains much good land not yet brought into a state of cultivation, and evidently better situated for markets, than either Canada or the western states. As it respects those parts of the United States which have long since been brought into cultivation, we have been accustomed from the accounts of our travellers to believe that the whole of them have, through the ignorance and carelessness of their owners and occupiers, been long since worn out, and the soil reduced to the most heartless and barren state, from the effects of bad farming. This certainly does apply to many of the old settled parts; the general custom of the country being to seek for present profit, to the utter neglect of future advantages. But we need not wonder at the bad farming of the United States, when we consider how short a time it is since agriculture was properly systematized at home; and in how many parts of Great Britain, notwithstanding the exertions of the Board of Agriculture, the antiquated systems are still retained. A person disposed to purchase a farm in an old settlement, can readily do so any where from Maine to Louisiana; but Englishmen, I presume, will not be willing to go to the states south of Pennsylvania, on account of the slavery which is still permitted to exist there; one great evil of which is, to disgrace industry by committing it to the blacks, and giving to idleness the character of superiority. Wherever there are black slaves, a division is drawn between those who work, and those who do not work; and a white man who would depart from the line drawn, and established by custom, by putting his hand to the labours of the field, would be considered as having abandoned his cast, and be shunned by his white neighbours as a renegado from every thing decent, respectable, and proper; and as an encourager of insubordination and sedition. Besides this, the climate of the southern states is too hot for the culture of most kinds of grain. Wheat produces from five to twelve bushels per acre, and oats are of a quality so inferior, that they are seldom raised. Cotton and tobacco are the two great staple commodities of this portion of the country, and Indian corn, (maize) is the kind of grain generally cultivated. From these circumstances the southern states would be out of the question for English farmers. Towards the sea they are generally unhealthy, and the flat and marshy lands extend a considerable distance into the country; but in the interior, and on the heads of most of the rivers, may be found situations that are dry and healthy. I am assured that the lands on the heads of the streams in Georgia are among the most desirable in the southern states, but they are as yet occupied by the Indians. |