€^m ||lgOO;||l Oass F 12 : Book AN ENGLISHMAN'S sketch-book; LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. For oft we learn, in a familiar way, That which the deeper scholar hath o'erlooked. ~" ~r NEW-YORK : PUBLISHED BY 6. AND C. CARV1LL. ELLIOTT AND PALMER, PRINTERS. 1828. (4 a Southern District of New-York, ss. BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the 26th day of April, A. D. 1828, in the 52d year of the Independence of the United States of America O. <$• C Carvill, of the said District, have deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to wit : " An Englishman's Sketch-Book ; or. Letters from JVeze-York. ' For oft we learn, in a familiar way, That which the deeper scholar hath overlooked.' " In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, entitled, " An \ A train of recollections immediately followed this remark, and the mind overpowered by memory, was for a moment in a state of inaction. We were soon, however, put in possession of the traditionary history of the fort, and connected it with the authentic narrative in our 92 AN englishman's sketch-book ; possession. He pointed out the site of the barracks, the quarters of the commander, and parade, and in- formed us that he had a lease of the ground, and amused himself with daily visits to the ruins, in which he was of opinion something valuable would some day or other be found. He picked up a musket ball while we were conversing with him, and we saw quantities of broken shells, and bits of cannon strew- ed over the field. We then went with him to his house, where he has quite a museum of these remains, and which he sells to strangers as mementos of " auld lang syne." Fort William-Henry was built during the year of the defeat of Dieskau, and was a regular fortifi- cation, affording quarters for more than 3000 men. In the year 1757 the French commander, Montcalm, taking advantage of Lord Loudon's absence, and burning with anxiety to revenge his former repulses before this very place, came up the lake in great force. Monsieur de Levi came by land with six com- panies of grenadiers, seven pickets of fifty men each, ten Canadian brigades, three hundred other Canadians, and eight hundred Indians. Montcalm brought with him by water three divi- sions of troops. In the first came the artillery with a numerous train, the regiments of La Reine, and OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 93 Languedoc, and a marine battalion. In the second came the regiment of {juienne and La Sarre, and the boats with the mortars, ammunition, and stores, guarded by the royal regiment of Rousillon. The rear guard consisted of Canadians commanded by Regaud, who had been defeated in a similar at- tempt. The English general Webb, according to the best accounts I could find, left the fort and went off with a quantity of artillery, and 4000 men, leaving be- hind him Colonel Munro, with 2000 men, to make the best defence he could. As the French approached, the Indians accompa- nying them, captured two English fishing boats, and massacred some of the boatmen Having learned from the survivors the departure of General Webb, they immediately left the bay a few miles N. E. from the head of the lake, and stood out in plain view from the fort with 120 canoes. Having extended them in a line across the lake, they set up, at a sig- nal, the most horrible battle cry that ever broke on an English ear. How dreadful must have been the sounds to the garrison cooped up in the fort. It was indeed a precursor to the horrible massacre that awaited their captivity. Montcalm invested the fort with 10,000 men. He erected his batteries on the site of the present 94 AN englishman's sketch-book; ';» villages, his bomb battery played from the spot on which the county hall now stands, while his lines ex- tended to the foot of Rattle-snake Hill. General Webb lay at no great distance, while Montcalm made regular approaches, and kept up a tremendous fire on the garrison. They returned the fire with admirable spirit, until nearly all their cannon burst, and all their ammunition was ex- pended. This is the reason why there are so many pieces of cannon and mortars still found among the ruins. The French commander summoned them to sur- render on the very day of the investment, by his aid the Sieur Fontbrune, and insinuated (as did Bur- goyne at a subsequent period) that the Indians could not be controlled. Secured in the tops of trees, they picked off the inmates of the garrison if they were for an instant exposed. Colonel Munro sustained himself to the last moment with undaunted courage, nay, beyond the verge of prudence, until despairing of General Webb's assistance, and being unable to make further resistance, he struck his flag, and gave up Fort William-Henry to the French. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 95 LETTER XI. u I do bespeak your patience." My DEAR I , I am too much interested in these interesting ru- ins, not to continue my researches. It appears that M. de Bourgainville carried the second summons to Col. Munro, and an intercepted letter from Gen. Webb, which gave no other ad- vice than that he must make the best terms he could. The surrender, and the violation of the articles of capitulation, are well known ; but it appears from the authority of major Mante of the engineers, to whose work I am indebted for the foregoing information,* that the Indians having made slaves of all the captured negroes and friendly savages, broke in upon the prisoners while waiting for an escort to 96 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; Fort Edward, and commenced the massacre so ce- lebrated in our colonial annals. In vain did Montcalm rush among them, begging them to forbear the inhuman butchery ; in vain he bade the captives take refuge in his camp ; in vain he bared his own bosom to the knife, and implor- ed them to turn their fury upon him. Equally vain was his order to the prisoners to defend them- selves with the arms which they had been allowed to retain ; his entreaties, his orders were of no avail — the Indians could not be restrained, and the captives were panic struck. Many of the French officers were dangerously wounded in their attempts to se- cond their commander, and the captives only es- caped from complete destruction by flight to Fort Edward, or by escaping within the French lines. Such are the facts with regard to a transaction not yet forgotten. The graves of the sufferers are still to be seen on the fatal spot ; but Montcalm must be exculpated from the charge of shedding their blood. He deserves the charity which his own epi- taph at Quebec claims from the generosity of his enemies, and though written in France by a lite- rary society who loved and deplored him, yet it bears the mark of truth, and the massacre at Fort William-Henry must not be remembered against him. OR LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 97 Colonel Munro was presented with a six-pounder, as a mark of the French commander's admiration for his gallant defence. Montcalm, after destroying- the fort, carried on the artillery, stores, and captured vessels to Ticonde- roga. It was never afterwards occupied. Such was the fate of Fort William-Henry, a post that attracted from time to time the attention of the whole ^military world. No longer on the frontier, a population has extended itself beyond its verge, and rendered it improbable that it can ever again become impor- tant. It witnessed the respective campaigns of Shirley, Abercrombie, and Amherst, against the French, and now stands the silent monitor of the plain. Far removed from the dangers of invasion, its site attracts the lovers of nature, and the artist who preserves her outlines may sit down among the ruins unharmed and undisturbed, to catch at the happy moments the light and shade which flash from the hills across its azure waters. All the romance of my disposition has been ex- cited by the scenery of the lake, and all the vivid- ness of my feelings by the memorable events I have recorded. You will find, I fear, the historic pre- vailing too much in this and the last letter, but the subject has attracted me, and I have made every effort in my power to trace the incidents which 9 9S AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; must one day or other adorn the pages of the Ame- rican novelist. What contrasts of character, what varieties of scenery, what wonders of incident, what examples of heroism, are yet to be illustrated ! With what keenness of enjoyment will those of us who have visited the United States seize on the produc- tions of the writer who shall signalize himself as the chronicler of events, emulating the Crusades in their remoteness of action, and surpassing the romance of border history by scenery as pic- turesque, and events as peculiar — events consecrat- ed by the heroism of the knights of France, and the gentlemen of England ! Yours. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 99 LETTER XII. It is an engine of a mighty power, Can batter down an adamantine wall. Or with new form, when factions cease to move, Tower like a hawk, or murmur like the dove ! Faust's Monument. My dear I , The Americans, like the Athenians, are always inquiring for news. If one friend meets another, his first question is, What news ? Such being the characteristic of this country, the liberty of the press follows as a matter of course ; and it is a remarka- ble trait which has always followed despotism, that the reverse of this attends its iron sway. Under a government which degrades men to the rank of slaves, it would be a dangerous, as well as unpro- 100 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK ; fitable inquiry, where they had nothing worse to dread, and nothing better to hope. The United States are filled with newspaper establishments, and there is scarcely a single village without its rival ga- zettes. The opinion of Mr. Jefferson I find is a favourite one, that " error is never dangerous where reason is left free to combat it." In the state of New-York there are at present ninety-nine weekly newspapers — one published thrice a week, and nine daily ones — in all one hundred and ten. This num- ber is rapidly increasing. One hundred and sixty- four thousand papers are distributed weekly, and eight millions and a half in a year — in value about two hundred and seventy thousand dollars. There are one hundred and fifty printing establishments, and from these are published annually a vast num- ber of literary and periodical works, books and pamphlets, whose number it is impossible to ascer- tain. The state of New- York is in this, as well as in many others respects, decidedly in advance of her sister states, and the world expects more from her on this very account. She bears indeed a to- lerable comparison with the three united kingdoms ; for the whole annual value of the profits of our books, papers and pamphlets, including the worth of the raw materials, and the labour bestowed upon them through all the various process of publication , OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 101 only amount, according to Colquhoun, to two mil- lions sterling. This estimate gives a high value to our labour, and includes the high prices of English publications ; while the estimates made here are founded upon the very cheap price of materials and labour peculiar to the country. If the newspapers be annually of the value of two hundred and seventy thousand dollars in this state, the amount of books republished and originated, from elementary and common school books, up to beautiful editions of new and standard works, is much greater than you would suppose. As no of- ficial statement has ever been made on this subject, I am unable to give you a definite account of their value. The press is not restrained in America by any stamp duty on newspapers, or tax upon ad- vertisements. It is protected by its cheapness and freedom ; in short, it is supported, protected, and restrained by itself. Isaiah Thomas, of Wor- cester, Massachusetts, is here considered the father of printing, and he has published a very valuable work in two volumes, in which the history of the art, in relation to this country, is ably given in all its interesting details. Among the miscellaneous facts of which 1 have been informed, having refer- ence to this subject, are these, that types are no 9* 102 AN ExNGLISHMAN T S SKETCH-BOOK ; longer imported from abroad, but are beautifully cut both in New-York, Philadelphia, and in all the principal cities of this country. I am also informed that the apparent anomaly has once or twice been witnessed of English manuscripts having been sent to this country to be printed, and that distinguished writers have deserted Albemarle- street, for their typographical rivals in the new world. The Americans are a reading people, and an edu- cating people. In this state a demand for books will be for ever increasing in a direct ratio with the population ; for the single and obvious reason that a large fund is provided by the constitution for the purposes of education, and every child in the state is within its benign influence. The more scholars the more books. This fund in 1820 amounted to one million, two hundred and fifteen thousand, five hundred and twenty-six dollars, producing a revenue of more than seventy-seven thousand dollars per an- num. The proceeds of all the lands belonging to the state, hereafter to be sold, are to be added to the cash fund in perpetuity. These lands are now valued at one million and a half of dollars, and are every day increasing in value. Every town and village in the state is divided into districts, and re- ceives its share of the annual interest of this fund, OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 103 for the support of common schools. In 1820, as it appears from the official returns, three hundred and four thousand, five hundred and fifty-nine children were instructed in the useful branches of education, solely through its means. Such a munificent pro- vision has not its equal in the world. The found- ling hospital of Catharine of Russia, the polytech- nique school of Paris, and the scholarships of the English universities, in comparison with this are only pioneers in the cause of liberty, religion and humanity. There is a vast quantity of agricultural, mercan- tile and political information diffused throughout the community, by means of the press, and it is the common medium of all addresses to the people. It is therefore an engine of tremendous power, and is able to produce the best or worst effects upon so- ciety. When once excited to opposition, by the corruption and profligacy of an administration, not all the influence of place or power can prevent its ultimate success. Individual editors may be affected by official patronage or personal attachments ; but a vast majority of them, particularly in the country, will be out of the reach of temptation to political dishonour. The printers and editors in the country acquire property readily, and are generally respectable men, 104 AN englishman's sketch-book; from the peculiar habits which follow, and are inci- dent to the profession. The bust of Franklin, who commenced his career as a printer's boy, is a fa- vourite sign with them, and his memory is dear to every lover of a free press. At his onset in life a roll of bread saved him from death by hunger. He passed through all the perils and sorrows of youth, to the sufferer so hapless and hopeless, without sink- ing under " The rich man's scorn, the proud man's contumely;" until his talents, probity and honour surmounted even the hatred of Sir William Keith. The spark of liberty once excited in his breast, he appeared before a British house of commons to electrify them with the boldness and energy of his appeals to the justice of the crown. At Paris, as the accredited minister of his country, his sagacity, knowledge of men, and philosophical spirit, succeeded against all the secret management and artifices of legitimate diplomacy. By loans, recognitions of independence, and the actual fitting out of a large and respectable military force, at a moment when " hope deferred" had made every " heart sick," the philosopher of Passy gave a character to the destinies of his country, which even its allies, at the most disheartening moments, were proud to recognise and share with her. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 105 In philosophy, as in politics, he was unrivalled ; and by a discovery surpassing all the daring of an- cient or modern times, drew from the clouds, and received, in the pride of splendid fearlessness, upon a smgle point, all the fury and lightnings of the storm ! His sayings have become proverbs, his writings are authority, his philosophy is every where received : his whole life was a moral ; his very epitaph is a lesson full of beauty and truth. " The body of Benjamin Franklin, Printer, Like the cover of an old book, Its contents torn out, And stript of its lettering and gilding, Lies here food for worms ; Yet the work itself shall not be lost, For it will (as he believed) appear once more, In a new And more beautiful edition, Corrected and amended by The AUTHOR." Yours. 106 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; LETTER XIII. " Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis. MY DEAR I , While the proceedings of the late convention de- tained me in Albany, I was not entirely prevented from making other excursions for the gratification of my English predilections. A late visit to the old village of Johnstown, about forty miles from Albany, and the former residence of an English baronet, has afforded me some interesting facts, which I shall proceed to communicate to you. You have often traced on the old maps in the course of our reading together, the campaign of General Shir- ley ; and the name of Sir William Johnson, was also from other causes familiar to us ; but there are some incidents connected with both, which as yet, OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 107 have never reached you in England. All our official despatches and our coloniargazettes, had much to say of the latter gentleman, and our government, from a sense of his great influence with the Indian tribes, bestowed upon him as soon as it could, the usual rewards of place and pension. It appears, from an authentic bi- ography, that he was the nephew of Sir Peter Warren, the hero of Louisburg, and was born in Ireland, in 1714. Sir Peter having marri- ed a lady of New-York, purchased a large tract of land upon the Mohawk river ; but perceiving, from his constant employment in actual service, the necessity of having an agent, invited his nephew to come over to America in that character. Mr Johnson accepted the invitation in 1734, settled upon his uncle's lands, and studiously endeavoured, on all occasions, to acquire the confidence of the In- dians. He married an Indian woman, and soon af- ter obtained the almost exclusive monopoly of their trade. He bought their furs, and paid for them in goods, at an enormous profit. His wealth and in- fluence procured for him, in 1755, the command of the New-York provincial troops, and he moved for- ward to invest Crown Point, while General Shir- ley, in co-operation, took up his line of march for Ontario. Johnson was, however* attacked in his 108 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; camp at Lake George, but, by the aid of his artil- lery, succeeded in putting to flight the French, and their Indian allies, with the loss of their commander, the Baron Dieskau. Either flushed with his victory, or jealous of the designs of Shirley, he turned about when Crown Point must inevitably have fallen, and returned to the city of Albany without striking an- other blow. The government seized on this trifling success, which was magnified into a victory, to at- tach him more closely to their interest. The House of Commons voted him £5000 sterling, and the king made him a baronet. He was then appointed superintendent of Indian affairs, and large sums of money were annually entrusted to him for the pur- pose of being given away in presents. In 1759, he was again in actual service, at the siege of Fort Niagara, and after his commanding officer, General Prideaux, was killed by the bursting of a cohorn, succeeded to the command, and gained great credit for the ability displayed upon that occasion. The fort surrendered on the 25th July, and six hundred men were taken prisoners. This broke up for ever the communication between the Canadas and Loui- siana, which had been the favourite project of the French, and partly carried into effect by the perse- vering efforts of their priests, and the individual xeal of father Hennepin, and the famous La Salle. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 109 When General Amherst embarked at Oswego, in 1760, for the conquest of Canada, Sir William Johnson appeared in force, with a thousand warriors of the Iroquois nation, the largest number that ever took the field in the cause of England. He died very suddenly, after coming out of the county court, of which he was judge, in 1774, at the age of sixty years. He was succeeded in his title and rank of major general by his son Sir John, who withdrew at the commencement of the revolution to Lower Cana- da, and was followed by the Mohawk nation. With these, and a motley troop of refugees, he carried on a predatory war, and made an incursion into the very settlement and destroyed the very village where his father and himself had lived. I have been told that he is still Irving in Montreal, and although very rich, is in comparative obscurity. The villa of Sir William still remains, and presents a fine appear- ance from the road, as you approach the village of Johnstown. It is quite in ruins, but must have once been a good building. There are some old people still living, who were servants in his family, and relate with the garrulity of age, strange anec- dotes of his benevolence and eccentricity. The English church and the gaol were both built by him, in a manner more adapted to feudal than mo- 10 110 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; dern times. Contributions were laid on his tenants, and every man of them was obliged to bring his proportion of materials, and contribute his propor- tion of work. He was fond of giving fetes and observing holidays, and the whole population were frequently assembled to practise sports, and engage in athletic contests, which are now only to be found in the records of the antiquary. Old women were persuaded to run races in sacks for the then irre- sistible temptation of a pound of tea. A soaped pig rewarded the tenacious gripe of the successful adventurer, and all the varieties of old English games were preserved and flourished at Johnson Hall. His house was often crowded with English visi- ters of distinction, who overlooked in his official importance the immoralities of his domestic life. The celebrated Duchess of Gordon, who visited New-York about this period, was attracted to his house by the novelty of an Indian treaty. The love of adventure was her ruling passion, and to gratify it she made a long journey through pathless woods, with no other attendants than a party of savages. It is also said, that they were delighted with her mascu- line character, and that they made her a present of a tract of land near the sources of the Susquehannah, which is still called by her name. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. Ill The first inquiry I made, was for the place of his burial. The sexton of the church acted as my guide, and he took me into the venerable building, under the pulpit of which the remains of the baronet re- pose. The vault was formerly so wet, that the cof- fin floated about in it below. The lid is still to be seen in the gallery, and a new one has supplied its place. It is of large size, made of mahogany, and bears a rude inscription, formed with brass nails — " Sir Wm. Johnson Bt. Obiit 1774." The sexton knew the privilege of his place as well as the old woman who shows the regalia in the tower. A douceur made him quite affable, and I brought away with me a small piece of the coffin, which I shall send you by the first opportunity. A few weeks previous to my visit, some of Sir William's descendants paid a visit to Johnstown, and carried away many interesting relics connected with their family history. The church is ancient in its appearance, and the pews of the Johnson family remain with their cano- pies entire. I was very much pleased with the old organ, which he presented to it, and which I am told has rarely been tuned, since it came out from 112 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK ; England. It still has compass, power, and sweet- ness, and as it pealed its notes through the vacant aisles, and its full chords broke on the ear, I was carried back in imagination to days " lang syne," when the prayers, the chants, and the offices of the church, overawed the savages with their solemn grandeur. Sir William's son resided at a fortified residence, called Fort Johnson, and his son-in-law, Guy John- son, lived at Guy Park — now the country seat of an American lawyer. Traces have even lately been discovered of the warlike character of the former possessors. Swords have been turned up by the ploughshare, and gold and silver coins have been discovered in the walls of the houses at Guy Park. Some very old trees have still their re- spective traditions, and many a spot in the ad- jacent meadows has been consecrated to never-dy- ing interest. But how altered must every thing be, when an eminent civilian now seeks repose from the cares of business, where formerly every step was accompa- nied by the din of arms ! I have lately met, howe- ver, with a well written pamphlet, from the pen of a Governor Livingston, of New-Jersey, and Messrs. Smith and Scott, formerly two respectable lawyers of the city of New-York, which calls in question OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 113 the talents and the influence of Sir William. In a live- ly caricature, they represent him ever posting to Al- bany, with minutes of his Indian treaties, followed by half a dozen painted savages, and then posting back again — they say that the "descensus averni" was to him not easier on any occasion, than the " revocare gradum." That he would without any reasonable cause or notice, call out the militia of the adjacent counties, and tire them out with ineffectual service, and false alarms, by which means his in- fluence with the Mohawk tribe, when the militia were worn out with fatigue, became important in time of actual danger. They also charge him with a deep intrigue with Mr. Delancey, lieu- tenant governor of the province, which terminated, as they designed, in the ruin of General Shirley, and the loss of Fort Oswego. This may, or may not be true, but it gives a strong and powerful elu- cidation of colonial politics — it shows, as in his case, how talent may be hunted down by the untiring pursuit of artful and unprincipled men — how often retirement is the fate of merit, and loss of popularity follows even the most splendid career. General history is instructive, but the memoirs of individuals leave their moral on the heart. Local history catches half its interest from the characters that occupied its scenes, and the spot which oftenest 10* 114 AN englishman's sketch-book; excites our emotions has been the theatre of indi- vidual glory. However peaceful the halls of the Johnsons now are, and however tranquil their present condition, yet there have been times when the river side has been alive with the bustle of embarkation, and every echo was awakened by the shouts of contend- ing warriors. How must the poor neighbouring palatines have been harassed by this incessant war- fare ! To them the rich flats and fertile valleys of the Mohawk were a dear-bought and scarce main- tainable possession, and many a flight through the snows of winter bore witness to their peril and alarm. I have heard that some of them, worn out with suffering, quite broken-hearted, and with a despe- rate philosophy, returned to Germany to die ; count- ing it better to suffer the evils from which their fa- thers fled, than to remain and encounter others which " they knew not of." Should there be any mistakes in this statement, make due allowance with your habitual charity — the fault will lie with my materials. In private history, with all its advantages, the passions are too often annotators, and prejudice, I am sorry to con- fess, gives colour to every transaction. Yours. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 115 LETTER XIV. At last with easy roads he came to Leicester. Henry VIII. My DEAR I , Curiosity has again induced me to visit Albany. With my note book in my hand, I wandered about in its interesting vicinity, and have, I believe, put down every particular which is worthy of being re- lated. Albany, or as it was first called, Oranien- burgh, is in north latitude 42° 45', and 73° 30' west longitude from the royal observatory at Green- wich, and is distant from New- York about 145 miles. At Albany all the great western turnpike roads terminate — the grand canal unites with the Hudson, and an unparalleled river affords the greatest facilities to trade. From the opposite 116 side of the river, in some respects, it resembles Richmond, in Virginia ; but although the two ca- pitals or government houses are both built on emi- nences, and overlook the water, yet Richmond is smaller, and there are rapids opposite the town which destroy any further resemblance. Albany is very unlike what it was. It is de- scribed by Kalm and Mrs. Grant of Laggan, as being quite small, situated under a steep hill, hav- ing two principal streets, which crossed each other and that in the middle of the largest all the public buildings were placed — the English church, guard house, town hall and market. The town had a rural appearance. Every door was shaded with trees, and every house had its garden. Those who were so fortunate as to have lots bordering on the ritfer had delightful gardens, from whence the water prospect was admirable. A fort rather slight, but yet a regular stockade, crowned the hill, and pointed a few pieces of cannon from its peace- ful embrasures. The first commander was a Cap- tain Massey, the father of Mrs. Lenox, Dr. John- son's favourite friend. It was afterwards com- manded by Captain Winepress, and garrisoned by regular troops of the 55th regiment. The English church, which was in the diocese of the bishop of London, was immediately under its walls, and the OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 117 canons of the spiritual were protected by those of the temporal kingdom. From this, Albany is quite changed. It is ex- tended over a much larger surface, and has a popu- lation of nearly eighteen thousand inhabitants, which in six years will be increased to twenty thou- sand. The steep hill already mentioned has been cut away, and State-street has no longer a line of public buildings in its centre. A large massy build- ing of free stone, called the capitol, is the place of the legislative sessions. It has three fronts of a very common design, and a portico at the east front over the grand entrance, whose wooden roof is support- ed by marble pillars. These are Corinthian, and although very large, rest upon bases of only six inches thickness. The steps to the entrance are made of thin strips of stone, and are much too small to harmonize with the general air of the building. A large area, or rather court, within the entrance, and paved with marble which came out as ballast many years since from Italy, is surrounded by rooms appropriated to the use of public bodies. The senate and assembly meet in two large and handsome rooms below, and the county courts, and the sessions of the judges in banco, are held in a tasteful room in the upper story, surmounted by a dome. Over the legislative halls are committee 118 an englishman's sketch-book; rooms, and others appropriated to a state society for the promotion of the useful arts. A few hun- dred feet to the north of this stands a fine building in free stone, called the academy, and devoted to litera^ pursuits. The cupola of this is in admira- ble taste. I was pleased with a marble banking house in Market-street, the interior of which is lighted by a glass dome. It is chaste and correct in its proportions, and has niches in the wall, which should properly be ornamented with statues. The churches are well constructed, but have so great a resemblance to each other, particu- larly in their steeples, that I should not be surprised to hear that one architect had designed them all. The Indian trade was formerly the principal ob- ject of the Albanians, and a driving business was* carried on. Blankets, beads, and spirits were paid for by the natives in valuable furs, and even the French came from Canada to purchase goods for their own barter with them. To guard, how- ever, against the ferocity of the savages, there were pickets about the town, and gates at the north and south ends of the city, which are not yet for- gotten. Among the peculiarities of the city were some feudal customs, belonging to the manor of Rensselaerwick, and which have not yet ceased to exist. A princely territory was ob- OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 119 tained by one family, and among its descendants it continues still to be preserved. An immense in- fluence followed its possession, and the entailment of the estate would have of course continued it down to the latest posterity. But a statute of allo- dial import has cut it off, and the present owner is the last who enjoys the hereditary honours. This person is an exact model of our wealthy English landholders, but adds to the possession of wealth a liberal mind, and generous munificence. His name is at the head of every public charity; it is first in every humane enterprise ; it is synoni- mous with virtue and philanthropy. In political life he now passes without remark — in private life he is the most amiable of men. It is fortunate for the tenants of this family, that the present Patroon, as by Dutch courtesy he is universally styled, possesses the suavity and excel- lence of heart ascribed to him. For strange to say, the tenure by which his property is held, is of the most abject kind, and retains traits of barbarism at war with the feelings and princi- ples of an enlightened age. Personal service is one of the conditions yet to be found in his leases, a badge of villeinage that does not comport with the spirit of republicanism ; and fines on alien- ation, or quarter sales, as they are here termed, 120 an englishman's sketch-book; still clog the possession of many a valuable inheri- tance. The importance of this family in the early histo- ry of the colony is well known to the antiquaries of Albany. An island called Bear island, a few miles below the city, was actually fortified, and held in the name of one of the early patrons, as an independent sovereignty, and it is a matter of history, that a shallop sailing down the river, was fired into for not lowering her flag in honour of the manorial dig- nity. The unlucky skipper, it is true, remonstra- ted against the indignity shown the flag of their high mightinesses, the States General, but without gaining any redress for the insult. The com- mander of the fort, in a reply to a communication from the attorney general at Fort Orange, justified his conductby the words of his master's patent, and added, that he had fortified his settlement on Bear island, " to keep out the canker of freemen." The river navigation was formerly attended with more difficulty than at present. The spirit of the age was a cautious one. The captains of sloops made as many preparations for a voyage down the river, as if they were about to cross the ocean. Great dependence was placed on the tides, and prayers for wind were perpetually addressed to heaven. At the overslaugh, or bar, a few miles below the city OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 121 of Albany, they experienced great detention, and this too although, according to Kalm, their barks were only of about 40 tons burthen. The present number of sloops owned at Albany, of 80 tons and upwards, is very large, and a great trade with New- York is kept up with them. The manners of the inhabitants were very peculiar. They were colour- ed by, and partook of, in a great degree, the sim- plicity of the times. Now and then the arrival of a new governor, or a meeting of the Five Nations, called forth a new train of incidents, and a red coat had then, as now, its bewildering effect upon the simplicity of female hearts. General Abercrom- bie had his head-quarters in the city of Albany for some time, and a large body of troops lay encamped in what is called the Pasture. Sir Jeffery (after- wards lord) Amherst, also established his head- quarters there in 1759, previous to his brilliant campaign in Canada, and the capitulation of Mons. de Vandreuil. This was the greatest event in its history. A large force lay in its suburbs — in every part of the town was heard " the note of prepara- tion." During the few hours of leisure which the necessary preparation for the campaign afforded, a theatre was fitted up by the officers, and the Beaux Stratagem was performed to a delighted audience. Parties of pleasure were set on foot, and every ad- 11 122 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; jacent island in the river was explored. Fishing tackle became part of the contents of every lady's basket, and old Izaak Walton would have been in ecstasies, at their triumphs over the finny tribe. The military bands vied with each other for distinc- tion, and the music from the boats which floated with the current down towards the encampment, was heard by groups of listeners on the shore. To these, as yet slightly acquainted with the effect of instru- ments, every sound was full of beauty, every note occasioned delight. When the different boats had passed the town, and the moonlight serenade was over, they would turn slowly back to their dwellings, only in dreams of to-morrow's pleasure, forgetting the remembrance of to-day. Among the distinguished persons who have been to Albany, Lady Harriet Ackland, and the Baro- ness Reidesel are well known. Under the hospita- ble roof of the celebrated General Schuyler, every attention was paid them which wealth could afford, or delicacy suggest. The horrors of an eventful campaign, and the pangs which rend the bosom of a wife, had only excited in these two accomplished females the anticipation of new misfortunes. Judge of their surprize on becoming the inmates of a mansion where the virtues of benevolence and hu- manity flourished in all their loveliness — where re- OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 123 pose, quiet, and ease were superadded to the charms of hospitality — where the disgrace of defeat was soothed by the voice of friendship ; and where, in the storms which an ill attempted invasion had raised, they found and enjoyed all the kindness of brothers, lovers, and kinsmen. Yours. 124 AN englishman's sketch-book LETTER XV. " Arma cedant togae. " MY DEAR I , The diplomatic affairs of this country are per- haps the only things in which the characteristic en- terprize of the people has not been successful. The Machiavelian policy of European courts has too often confounded the straight forward principles of American negociation. It never has yet been the good fortune of this people entirely to preserve that neutral character which is so much the desire of the nation, and which they have twice been obliged to maintain by the thunders of their cannon. Theirs has not yet been a career of the success which they had hoped to attain ; the world is too envious, and their rivals are too much interested, to sit the silent spectators of a splendid neutrality. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 125 The first regular negociations of this country were with France. There were colonial disputes between England and her dependencies at a very early period ; but these were the language of au- thority and recrimination, of suffering and of de- nunciation, and not the reciprocities of "even- handed justice." The French treaties to which I allude, styled treaties of amity, commerce, and alliance, were ne- gociated in 177S, at Paris, and were brought about by the indefatigable exertions of Dr. Franklin, as- sisted by Arthur Lee and Silas Deane. These identified France with America, until the war of in- dependence was secured, and recognized the funda- mental principles of liberty, neutrality, and free trade. They also made a reciprocity of advanta- ges the basis of all future commercial arrangements. As an equivalent, however, the Americans were obliged to submit to a momentous responsibility, a guarantee to the French of their possessions in America — but it was not long before the French na- tion took occasion, under numerous pretences arising out of the twenty-seventh article, which permitted search for contraband goods, to capture a large num- ber of American vessels. This difficulty arose, not from any real unfriendliness in his Most Christian Majesty towards the United States, but because he 11* 126 AN ENGLISHHAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; was disposed to distress the commerce of England in every possible shape. A spirited remonstrance was made by the republican ambassadors ; but the distressing situation of the French government, which every day was plunged deeper into trouble, seemed to have prevented any thing like a settlement of these difficulties. In 1793, the unfortunate Louis fell him- self a victim, after having had his best friends driven from his confidence, and among them Sartine and Neckar, who were the principal props of his admin- istration. In the confusion which followed his death the causes of complaint grew more serious, the revolu- tion increased them. The conduct of Mr. Genet excited a warmer disapprobation ; and Washington himself lost all patience with the representative of the great nation. Ministers were from time to time sent out and recalled by the respective governments. Genet and Adet, Munroe and Pinckney, alike had " their exits and their entrances." In 1797 Messrs. Pinckney, Marshall, and Gerry made another effort to negociate ; and these diplomatists, it is said, car- ried on a mysterious correspondence by means of cyphers, and a lady celebrated by Voltaire, which ended in their complete discomfiture, through the management of Tallyrand. In 1798 a solemn renunciation of the French treaties was made by the American congress. In OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 127 two days afterwards acts were passed which were virtually the commencement of hostilities. The merchantmen were authorised to defend themselves, and some of the large vessels of war were sent out for their protection. The capture of the French frigate l'lnsurgente followed close upon this, and a brilliant naval victory was the first dawning of that high career, which has since attended their " march upon the mountain wave." Peace was, however, the wish of the American cabinet : gratitude to their ancient ally forbade the further continuance of hostilities ; and it has been said, but with what truth I cannot learn, that the American commission, sent out for the purpose of pacification, was actually instructed to give up the principle that " free ships make free goods." On the 30th of September, 1800, chief justice Ellsworth, of the supreme court of the United States, in con- junction with governor Davie, of North Carolina, and Mr. Vans Murray, resident minister at the Hague, met a representation of the French repub- lic, consisting of Monsieur Fleurieu, Roederer, and Joseph Bonaparte, the ex-king of Spain. By these persons the treaty of 1778, and the broad princi- ples which were laid down in that instrument, were recognized. An indemnity was promised for losses which arose out of the captures made under citizen 128 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; Genet's letters of marque. Free ships were allow- ed to make free goods, and French privateers were not permitted to be fitted out in American ports against nations in amity with the country. Many other mutual engagements were made by them, and accordingly ratified ; but at the time loud complaints were raised against the treaty, and the spoliations on the commerce of the United States, it was al- leged, were not, and could not be, compensated for under its provisions. Here, however, the parties rested. The next negociation had a better termi- nation, and was one of the chief glories of Mr. Jef- ferson's administration. Its object and result were the acquisition of the valuable territory of Louisi- ana, a province producing the staple articles of su- gar, rice, indigo, cotton, and tobacco — its capital city situated on the river Mississippi, and the na- tural depot of an immense and productive country. This province had ever been the darling of both its French and Spanish step-mothers, and had often turned the scale with them in the otherwise general equality of their claims. By an express article in the celebrated treaty of San Lorenzo el real, in 1795, the American merchants were permitted to deposit their goods at New Orleans, but the Spanish intendente so often disturbed them in this privilege, and so often oppressed them with unreasonable ex- 129 actions, that the yoke became insupportable. He even went so far as to declare of his own authority that the treaty was no longer binding, having expir- ed by its own limitation. The nation was at once in a flame, and the spirit cf the country was invoked to resent the insult. Every forum orator, taking his language from the Roman tragedy, cried, " Gods ! can a Roman senate long debate Which of the two to choose, slavery or death ?" But Mr. Jefferson had a calm, philosophical spi- rit, which has gained him deserved honour. By his influence, an able report of a committee in congress was obtained, which recommended negociation and conciliatory measures. Should these fail, said the report, we have still left us an appeal to arms, made more solemn and justifiable by our previous conduct. The report was read and adopted, and two millions of dollars were intrusted to the president to carry the plan into effect. The country sanctioned the measure. James Munroe and Robert R. Living- ston were appointed the agents of the government, and a purchase of the important territory was made in 1S03, for sixty millions of francs, with the as- sumption of the debts due from France to the Uni- 130 AN englishman's sketch-book ; ted States. Under this arrangement, Spain having bound herself previously to France to permit a re- entry, the Americans added to their territory one of the most valuable provinces in the world. Several commercial regulations, which in legal phraseology were only interlocutory ones, have since at various times been entered into, and the French Berlin and Milan decrees for a time gave occasion for much resentment; but a treaty has just been con- cluded between the two countries, which is intended to be final and decisive. Mr. Adams, American secretary of state, and the Baron Hyde de Neuville, arranged it together in this country; but some highly respectable men have, it is said, reduced it to certainty by their calculation, that by its provi- sions the French have all the advantages of trade, and that a preference is actually given by them to French bottoms ! If true, this is a blunder of some consequence. It is a singular fact, that at present there is no existing treaty of amity and alliance be- tween the two countries ; and if new difficulties arise, there being no basis on which to adjust them, a resort will be found necessary either to arms, or — new negotiations. This is a brief sketch, and I believe it is a correct one, of the diplomatic relations of France and the United States. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 131 Let me finish this letter with a word on Mr. Jef- ferson, that " statesman — patriot — sage !" Although old age has driven him to retirement, and his head is white with years, yet his fame is an immortal fabric, founded upon acknowledged vir- tue and patriotic deeds. He is the author of the celebrated Notes on Vir- ginia, and the Declaration of Independence. He is the statesman who gained Louisiana without a drop of blood, and whose policy will stand the test of time. His maxims, it is true, have been of late out of fashion in this country — a free way of spending the public money, and a total contempt of its agri- cultural and manufacturing interests, followed the change of times. But Mr. Jefferson, in my opin- ion, is about to rise still higher in the estimation of his countrymen. Economy is once more the order of the day, and even the unpopularity of the small craft, which he projected, is about to be done away by their adoption in the suppression of the West India picaroons. In short, his whole course of conduct is now receiving unqualified praise. You know it has never been determined by the critics, for whom the celebrated ode of Horace, " Justum et tenacem propositi virum," 132 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; was intended. It has always seemed to me, that among the moderns, no one has so fully deserved its application as Mr. Jefferson. If an inflexible faith, just principles, tenacity of purpose, a mind superior to fear, a calm tranquilli- ty amidst the uncertainty of events ; if the " stet capitolium fulgens," the splendid stability of go- vernment, the wide spreading and perpetuity of his country's glory, which in this ode are the subjects of deserved praise, were to become the topics of an American Horace, Mr. Jefferson would be the vi- sion of his mind's eye, and the object of his time- honoured eulogy. Yours. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 133 LETTER XVI. With thee conversing, I forget all time — All seasons and their change, all please alike. Milton - . My dear I , My last letter had reference to France and America, and this chiefly relates to our own diffi- culties with the latter country. A long and arduous struggle for independence at length convinced the English ministry that reconciliation was impossi- ble. By the opposition, the truth had long been promulgated, and the eloquent Colonel Barre, had more than once declared, that America would never lay down her arms, until her liberties were trium- phantly achieved. But it would have been a loss of profit, and a loss of place to the ministry, to have immediately given up their plans, though they found them hopeless. Interest prevailed over a 12 134 AN englishman's sketch-book; sense of justice, and the colonies were doomed to suiter for two campaigns longer all the miseries of war, when it was well ascertained by the cabinet that further hostilities were unavailing. The late king, it is said, indulged a personal feeling in the contest, and that when he found he had lost " the brightest jewel in his crown," he gave way to the passion of grief and resentment. On the 30th November, in 1782, provisional articles of peace were signed by John Jay, Benja- min Franklin, and John Adams, on the part of the United States, and Richard Oswald, on the part of England. By these the United States were recog- nized as free, sovereign, and independent; their boundaries were ascertained, the right to fish on the banks of Newfoundland was acknowledged, the debts of both countries were allowed to be col- lected, the navigation of the Mississippi was gua- ranteed to both, and negroes, public property, and conquests were to be restored. The defini- tive treaty of peace followed on the 30th of September, 1783, and was signed at Paris, by the American gentlemen already named, and by Dr. Hartley, for our government. This was confirma- tory of the provisional articles, and its intention in the words of the treaty, was " to forget all past misunderstandings." These negociations, however, OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 135 were not to be conclusive until France should treat with Great Britain. The olive branch had scarcely reached America, before it was followed by memo- rials of alleged violations, and it had scarcely been welcomed, before loud outcries were made against our government. The Americans complained that their negroes were still retained in foreign servitude, and that the western posts were not yet evacuated. The conduct of Sir Guy Carleton, (Lord Dorches- ter) was particularly disapproved. This gentleman retained possession of the city of New-York for a long time after the signing of the treaty, and it was not until the 25th November, 1783, that he slowly withdrew the garrison from the town, and gave up to their legitimate owners the possession and enjoy- ment of their long lost homes. In addition to all this, it was said, that as long as the British frontier posts were retained, the west- ern territories would not be safe, and that the In- dians, confident in the protection of their red allies, would continue to " wake the sleep of the cradle," and " ambush the path that led to the dwellings" of the emigrant. On our side it was contended, that the 4th, 5th, and 6th articles were equally violated by the Ameri- cans ; that the payment of debts so solemnly guar- anteed, was delayed, that property still continued to 136 AN englishman's sketch-book ; be confiscated, and individuals prosecuted for their conduct during the war. While the Americans complained of our encroachments on the St. Croix line, we replied with equal warmth, that they were ac- tually forming settlements, and establishing colonies within the British lines. Difficulty followed diffi- culty, and many a thought " was turned on war," the " last resort of nations." Out of these recrimi- nations, and the danger of war, arose the pre- sent system of American confederation, which has the appearance of strength, convenience, and durability. Mr. Madison, then in the legislature of Virginia, foreseeing the dangers and misfortunes to which a temporary union of the states was inci- dent, had the boldness to propose a convention, and the adoption of a new constitution ! After several preparatory meetings, the plan was adopted by all the states. Just before this, however, in 1785, John Adams was again sent abroad to the court of St. James, but his attempts to give stability to the com- mercial relations of the two countries were entirely frustrated. His demands for redress, though not very loud or vigorous, as it has been said, were met by the Marquis Carnathen with claims of equal magnitude. Said Mr. Adams, you envy our grow- ing trade, and you are endeavouring to prevent our amicable arrangements with the court of Lis- OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 137 bon. We will not, said the Marquis Carnathen, in reply, commit ourselves by any positive agreements with a nation possessing such a contrariety of in- terests, and not yet settled into any definite form of government. Mr. Adams did not gain much credit by this negociation, and the principal event of his embassy, as he has almost himself acknowledged, was his introduction and conversation with the king ! In 1793, a war between England and France was declared, which placed America in a new and awkward predicament, and involved questions of the highest importance to her welfare. President Washington recommended a rigid system of neu- trality to be publicly declared by proclamation, and this coarse was immediately adopted. The French nation, by an appearance of friendship and moderation, and by a lenient construction of the laws of nations, seemed at first anxious to draw America into the controversy ; while England, by an order in council in 1793, authorized her cruizers to stop all vessels carrying corn, flour, or meal, to French ports, or ports in their occupation. This seemed indeed to wield the trident, and every bal- lad singer in England, catching new ardour from the menacing position of his country, cried, " Britannia, Britannia, rules the main."' 12* 133 AN englishman's sketch-book In addition to this, the impressment of American seamen was openly defended, and many an honest American tar, who was so unfortunate as to speak in intelligible English, was torn from his country, in the sight of his native shores, and doomed to servitude more wretched than death itself. Restrictive measures were adopted by the Ameri- can congress, and a resolution passed both houses prohibiting foreign trade for thirty days. At this critical juncture, a letter was received from Mr. Pinckney, then at London, communicating the in- telligence that additional regulations for British commanders, dated 8th January, 1794, had been made, which modified considerably the rigours of the instructions of the preceding November. The substance of this modification was, that the vessels subject to capture were neutral vessels, trading with French islands, and laden with French cargoes. In consequence of this information, Mr. Jay, amidst a great variety of opinions and feelings, was nomi- nated envoy extraordinary to our court. This gentleman concluded a treaty in Novem- ber, 1794, with Lord Grenville, and it reached this country a few months afterwards. Reciprocal com- merce, the evacuation of the western posts, recipro- cal trade with the Indians, a reservation of rivers, the freedom of the Mississippi, compensation for OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 139 losses to British creditors, and illegal captures of the American merchantmen ; sacredness of mutual debts, and moneys in the funds ; the trade of Ame- rican vessels of seventy tons with the West Indies, in the same commodities carried by British cruizers ; their direct trade to the East Indies, with liberty to touch at St. Helena, (each party placed on the most friendly footing in each other's ports,) were all pro- vided for by this treaty. England reserved to herself, however, some im- portant advantages — the equalization of tonnage, the imposition of countervailing duties, and the li- berty of detaining vessels until their contraband goods were taken from them ; after which they might proceed on their voyages. Many other ar- ticles were agreed upon, to place the two nations on a friendly footing. But the reservations were of too important a nature not to excite attention. The general good feeling which appeared through- out the treaty, was overlooked in the tremendous consequences of the right of search and the right of impressment. Mr. Jay declared the treaty was the best he could obtain ; and a most eloquent dis- cussion of its merits took place on the floor of con- gress. It was on this occason that the celebrated Fisher Ames made his greatest effort, and however his political feeling might have been, secured to 140 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; himself a reputation for eloquence of which his country is justly proud. It is said, that under the influence of this particular speech, a motion pre- vailed to postpone taking the sense of the house on the resolution before them, while " under the influence of a sensibility, which their calm judg- ment might condemn." The treaty was ratified, but it did not terminate the differences of the two countries. Mr. Rufus King was sent out in 1796, and returned in 1S03 without having adjusted any of them satisfactorily. Messrs. Monroe and Pinck- ney were, in 1806, authorized tonegociate with the British ministry, and even these gentlemen, not- withstanding the splendid talents of Mr. Pinckney, were unable to procure any better terms. In 1S06 a treaty was based upon the former unavailing ne- gotiations, and sent to this country to be ratified ; but Mr. Jefferson indignantly rejected it on his own responsibility, because it was silent on the subject of impressment, and contained an invidious article, which was almost certain to embroil America with France. The unfortunate affair of the Chesapeake occur- red about this time, to heighten the difficulties be- tween the two countries. To give these two gentlemen an efficient support, and to obtain redress for the capture of the Chesa- OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 141 peake, an embargo was laid in 1807 on the prin- cipal articles of importation into England, having been actually passed, however, on the 18th April, 1806. Our government retaliated by a paper blockade, of S00 miles from the Elbe to Brest, with- out sending a single vessel to support it. Napo- leon replied with a decree from his camp at Berlin, declaring England and her territories in a state of blockade. Our orders in council followed in 1S07, declaring all neutral vessels liable to capture, bound to or coming from France and her dependencies. As a sur-rejoinder, the French Emperor, by his Mi- lan decree, denationalized all vessels submitting to a search from, or paying a tax to, the English. In March, 1808, our famous bill was passed for the payment of transit duties, and the taking out licen- ces to trade by neutrals, and thus did the commer- cial affairs of this country remain, until Mr. Er- skine entered into an arrangement at Washington, on the part of England, which bade fair to bring about a cordial reconciliation. But the ministry rejected his negociation, and basely added, that " he had exceeded his instructions." A repeal of the orders in council, atonement for the insult to the frigate Chesapeake, and a resto- ration of commerce, were by this unexpected con- duct prevented, and rendered as difficult and un- 142 AN englishman's sketch-book; certain as ever. The American non-intercourse act of 1S09, followed as a matter of course, and it was no wonder that the Americans declared war. Had I been an American, I should have held up both hands for its declaration, and engaged actively in its support. I would have defended it to the ut- most of my abilities ; and for those of my fellow citizens, who had the folly or treachery to advocate the cause of the enemy, I should have felt, as I should continue to feel, in spite of their repentance, and subsequent party services, a thorough and un- extinguishable contempt. It seems impossible for human nature to have been silent at such a moment, when every sea breeze wafted to the shore the la- ment of some poor seaman, destined " A homeless Lybian on the stormy deep, To call upon his country's name, and weep j" when, through the agency of our fur traders and voyagers, the savages themselves had become sub- sidiary to our politics ; when " yells of savage ven- geance, and shrieks of torture, were sighing in the western wind, and mingling with every echo from the mountains." Yours. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 143 LETTER XVH. Let my death come from Spain. Spanish Proverb. Stretched on the ground, the fallen hero lies, While savage pleasure fills the victor's eyes. The Arena. My DEAR I , A brief sketch of the Spanish treaties with the United States will close the analysis commenced in my 15th letter. The Spanish character does not now stand as fairly as it did, and the peculiarities of the nation seem to have crept into their public and official transactions. Whilst France has often re- sorted to originality of political invention, and fill- ed the courts of Europe with schemes of Utopian 144 AN englishman's sketch-book; happiness, England has assumed at times the graceful attitude of an Apollo, and then the fierce- ness of the gladiator ; but the tameness and the insipidity of Spanish negociation have only been varied by the ambidextrous blows, and the cloak- ed designs of her political matadors. The two for- mer nations have oftentimes displayed a genuine frankness, and a magnanimous boldness, which al- most redeem the errors of their policy ; but Spain, skilled in all the subtleties of mental reservation and tedious delay, with a procrastinating perfidy in her negociations and threats of vengeance, never known to be put in force, has justified the satire of our motto, " Let my death come from Spain." At one time she was evidently the arbiter of na- tions, when the Netherlands in Europe, and terri- tories in either India, were included in her un- bounded empire — when Charles Vth dictated peace or war to the world, and at last sought, in the pri- vacy of Valladolid, a relief from the tremendous responsibilities of an almost universal dominion. The first minister to Spain, sent from this country, was Benjamin Franklin, who, however, never went to Madrid. In 1779, Mr. Jay was chosen minis- OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 145 ter plenipotentiary, and the boundaries of the Flo- ridas and the free navigation of the Mississippi, were intrusted to his care. On the 27th October, 1795, a treaty was formed between the two countries, by the famous prince of peace, Don Manuel De Godoy, and Thomas Pinck- ney, Esq. which was styled a treaty " of friendship, limits, and navigation." By this the boundary lines of East and West Florida were fixed, and also those of Louisiana. The navigation of the Missis- sippi was permitted to the United States, and the right of deposit at New-Orleans allowed American merchants for three years to come ; and if disallow- ed after that period, then some other equally con- venient depot was to be provided. Amongst other things provision was made for the reimbursement of the sufferers by Spanish captures. Scarce had the instrument gone into effect, be- fore the intendente at New-Orleans took the liberty of refusing permission for any further deposits there, without giving the alternative the designation of some equally convenient place on the Mississippi. This jeopardized all the goods already deposited there, and those already on their way. After a due remonstrance, the Spanish intendente permitted the continuance of the practice, but many persons of note at that time advocated the immediate posses- 13 14G an englishman's sketch-book; sion of Louisiana by force of arms. A committee of the American congress reported that there was ample cause for war. Mr. Jefferson, the Fabius of the times, preferred a different course of policy. Messrs. Pinckney, and Robert R. Livingston, were sent out to make the purchase of the province, and this was effected in Paris, at the time, and for the amount which I have already communicated to you. It was accordingly taken possession of by Gene- ral Wilkinson and Governor Claiborne, American commissioners, on the 20th December, 1803, with the usual formalities. As Spain, however, was un- willing to give up this fine territory, and made great efforts to retain it, she continued to saddle the re- conveyance to France, with many restrictions, and a provision for the Duke of Parma of no small value. Even there her intrigues did not cease ; with a minister always in America to deprecate the anger of the republic, she continued the most unwarranta- ble spoliations on its commerce, confined its citizens to the dungeons of the inquisition, permitted the AI- gerines to rob and plunder them in her waters, and protected a band of renegadoes and assassins in the Floridas, behind the sanctity of an air-line bounda- ry. The Floridas then became important to the United States, and negociations were set on foot to obtain possession of these. Here the punic faijh of OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 147 Spain was again realized ; at one time promising, at another time relenting, she kept up the negocia- tions as long as she could, without agreeing to do any thing. Mr. Adams, the American secretary, at this time suffered in his political reputation. The rhetoric of his arguments, and the ability of his compositions, did not prevent his becoming a dupe. On a further examination, after the concession of the territory had been agreed on by the Spanish minister, it was found, that the Duke D'Alagon had a grant of nearly the whole province, which he had sold, or luas about to sell, for his own apparent individual profit. The figures of speech, and the beauties of metaphorical allusion, had for once a pointed political example. The secretary grasped a shadow for the substance — -a resemblance for the thing itself — a trope where he had expected a cer- tainty. Nothing but the bold stand of the nation against the manifest duplicity of the bargain repaired the injury and disgrace of this philological ambuscade. The treaty was finally made "according to equity and good conscience." Even then, it is said, a mistake in the western boundaries of the provinces was forgotten, and a legal claim, which reached to the Rio Brazo del Norte, was overlooked in the hurry and confusion of the last arrangement. The 148 an englishman's sketch-book ; treaty was scarcely concluded before the Spanish commissioner, Colonel Cavalla, attempted to main- tain the crooked policy of his country, by carrying off the official records of the provinces. Had he succeeded, thousands of dollars, and the titles to an immense landed estate, would have been for ever lost. But the fearless intrepidity of General Jack- son, who overlooked the ill-timed speculations of theorists and cavillers, saved the property of those who were so unfortunate as to have been the sub- jects of Spanish power. This man was born for other times. In the storm of a revolution, his promptness and sense of justice, his talents and his courage, would have made him the leader of patriots, and the confederate of statesmen. At the critical moment of an affair, he seizes hold of events, and with admirable conduct decides their tendency and result. Such a man is General Jackson, and as such he is the deserving favourite of the nation. Having spoken of Mr. Adams, the American se- cretary, yo u may ask my further opinion of a man at present among the prominent candidates for the next presidency. I can only judge of him by his public acts, but these are a safe criterion by which to form an opinion of a public man. He has writ- ten and published a valuable treatise on rhetoric, of which he was a professor at one of the New Eng- OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 149 land colleges. He writes with ease and force, and seems literally possessed, " currente calamo," of the readiness and facility of composition. He is stiff and reserved in manner, and has not the cour- tier-like air of some of his cabinet associates. At the levees at Washington he is seen in a corner of the drawing-room, standing alone and with a thought- ful air, looking at the visiters as they pass before him. No one denies that he has been outwitted once or twice in his diplomatic arrangements. He is a good statesman in the abstract, and a good po- litical theorist. But somehow, when he comes to deal with men, his standards fail, and his calcula- tions prove incorrect. Held up to public notice as candidate for the first office in the gift of the peo- ple, he has already been assailed by the ridicule of his enemies, and addressed by the voice of praise. Peculiarly tenacious 'of his opinions, he has ta- ken up his own defence, with the zeal of apartizcm rather than the coolness of a leader. A prolific pen leads him into the minuteness of explanation, and an irritability of disposition incites him to repel even the suspicion of weakness. He seems to have the same anxiety for his reputation that Caesar had for his wife — he wishes it not only to be pure but un» suspected. He forgets, however, that his eager- ness to defend, and his anxiety to preserve it, havs 13* 150 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; given a sort of individuality to his efforts, and that his unwillingness to rest his cause in any other hands than his own is an indirect, though powerful satire on the sincerity or ability of his friends. To me Mr. Adams appears to have " overstepped the modesty of nature." The love of distinction and the love of glory are common passions of the heart ; but there is a conscious dignity of virtue, which ra- ther shuns than seeks the publicity of controversy. It supports itself under the weight of misfortune — it follows a man into the solitude of retirement. It is a trait peculiar to one whose public life has been in this state, " its glory and its shame." Such a man, overlooking his own injuries, and with mag- nanimous forgiveness of his persecutors, enters the capitol, to save it from the Goths who would spoil the treasury, and already kick the trembling beam. The welcome of friends, and the gratitude of the nation, 5 are the rewards of his efforts, conse- crated to virtue and the good of his native land. His former silence increases the present meed of praise; his triumph is the triumph of principle, and the honours paid him are a tribute to moral and intellectual worth. On the other band, the statesman who constantly anticipates the attacks of his enemies, and com- mences himself the war of extermination, loses the OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 151 dignity of action, in the personal vanity of his dar- ing. If he succeeds, our better feelings do not ac- cord with his success ; and although he drags his fallen victim behind his car, however he may excite our astonishment, he loses all claim upon the finer feelings of our nature. Yours. 152 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK ; LETTER XVIII. Tfieod. What, ho ! Horatio 1 whither art thou bound ? Hora. Where yet but few have anchored, I shall moor my vessel. I've turned Adventurer ■' Old Play. My DEAR I , Canada, or, as it was once called, New France, extends three hundred geographical miles in length, between 64° and 97° west longitude, and its medi- um breadth is about 200 miles. Its southern boun- dary is the United States, its eastern, the ocean ; on the north and west its boundaries are undeter- mined. It is divided into two provinces, the Upper and Lower ; the former being chiefly settled by the English, and the latter by the French. Quebec is the capital of the lower province, and is situated on the northwest side of the St. Lawrence, about 400 OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 153 miles from its mouth, and contains upwards of 15,000 inhabitants. Montreal is at about 180 miles distance above Quebec, and stands on the east side of an island formed by the junction of the Utawas with the St. Lawrence river. It contains a population of 6000 inhabitants. Trois Rivieres is a small village half way between them, and former- ly was greatly resorted to by the Indians. It was the first settlement of the French, and abounds in iron ore. In the seignory of Sorelle, 45 miles be- low Montreal, the American loyalists were located, and their descendants still reside there. The chief towns in the upper province are Kingston and Lit- tle York, and there are some pleasant villages on the Niagara river, called Newark, Queenston and Chippewa. Kingston is situated at the egress of the St. Lawrence from Lake Ontario, and was founded in 1784. It is a garrison town, and the naval depot of the province. The inhabitants have English manners, and hospitality is not the least of their virtues. It is here that the armed vessels are laid up in ordinary, with the advantages of a fine harbour and a dock yard of extraordinary excellence. York is an old fashioned town, on the bay of Tarento, and was almost destroyed by a redoubtable general of the name of Sheaffe, who retired before the Ameri- 154 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; can commander, and disgraced our arms by blow- ing up the town, after resistance was unavailing. Newark, an unfortunate place, nearly opposite Fort Niagara, previous to its destruction by a General M'Clure, of the New- York militia, was a beauti- ful town, but it is not yet recovered from the blow. A fine plain was covered with handsome dwellings, and its delightful gardens abounded with delicious fruit. Now the ruins of the village meet you at every step — you wander among houseless streets and untenanted squares; and the " briar and thorn have come up instead of the rose tree." Its inhabitants have not yet entirely returned to resume their former occupations, and some, with a feeling of despair, have bid adieu for ever to their former homes. The principal military posts in the Cana- das are Quebec, pronounced invulnerable ; King- ston, well fortified ; Fort Massesaga, opposite Fort Niagara, not yet completed ; Fort Amherst, be- tween lakes Huron and Erie ; Fort Maiden, at the upper end of lake Erie, and Fort St. Joseph, on an island at the upper end of lake Huron, a highly important post. The following is a brief analysis of the resourses of Canada, taken from Colquhoun : Population of Upper Canada, .... 100,000 Lower Canada, .... 200,000 OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 155 Uncultivated land, acres, 100,000,000 Cultivated, 3,800,000 Tons of shipping, 144,000 Value of Productions, £7,300,000 Exports, 1,300,000 Imports, 1,180,000 Circulating specie, 300,000 Public property, . . . 1,000,000 The history of this country, as far I can obtain it from the comparison of authentic documents, is briefly this. It was discovered by the famous John Cabot, in 1495, under the patronage of Henry the Vllth, of England. In the beginning of the six- teenth century, some French mariners visited it, and in 1534, Cartier, a native of St. Malo, came to anchor in the gulf of St. Lawrence, and took pos- session of the adjacent country in the name of the French king. Pleased with his discoveries he made a second voyage, and carried home the most pompous accounts of the fertility and beauty of 1' Acca- die. Different commanders were from time to time sent out, but misfortunes and disgrace seemed to attend them all. One of these, the Marquis De La Roche, a very gallant and accomplished man, fell a victim to his extreme sensibility. At length, a seaman of a no- ble family in Saintonge in France, Samuel De Champlaine, reached the Canadas in the month of 156 AN englishman's sketch-book; May, 1535. He was brave, romantic and persevering, and being delighted with the country, then bloom- ing in all the splendours of luxuriant vegetation, he ascended the river in a batteau. The chanson de voyageur, which can be regularly traced back to him, now for the first time was echoed from the shore ; but do not, however, imagine that the beau- tiful composition of Moore has any resemblance to the wild and often discordant chorus of the batteau- men now chanted on the St. Lawrence. In his third voyage he founded Quebec, and here he nearly perished by the treachery of his men. But the apothecary of the expedition, " whose poverty and not his will consented," discovered the treason in time to save the life of his patron. Champlaine took great pains to conciliate the native tribes, and joining the Hurons and Algonquin s, in an expedi- tion against the Iroquois, discovered and passed the lake which is now called by his name ; and with two other Frenchmen, armed with fusees, turned the scale of victory in favour of his new allies. The noise and smoke of the firearms awe-struck these simple children of nature, and they fled in the ut- most consternation from the thunders which seemed to pursue them. After making many voyages to France for necessary supplies, as well as to obtain the aid of the government for his new colony, he OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 157 founded Montreal in 1611. He still continued ac- tive in making discoveries, penetrated to lake On- tario, and remained a whole winter with the In. dians on its shore. But in 1623, he was surprised by an English squadron of three ships, commanded by Sir David Kerkt, an officer of Charles I, at that time engaged in a war with France. Cham- plaine could not prevent the consequences. He surrendered at discretion, and was sent a prisoner of war to England, where he was treated with de- served distinction. While there, he paid particular attention to Canadian affairs, and struck with their importance, used all his influence to get his favoured colony restored. He succeeded beyond his expec- tations, and the treaty of St. Germain in 1632, re-, instated the French in Canada. It was then made a chartered government. Champlaine was sent out in the year following as governor, and a host of Je- suits went with him to convert the natives to Chris- tianity. With a zeal which cannot but excite our admiration, they made a perilous voj'age, exposed themselves to the hardships of poverty, and the chan- ces of death, to win by force of argument, as well as by the effect of kindness, the affections of these un- tutored men, who had only " Seen God in clouds, or heard him in the wind." 14 158 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; Many of these priests were learned men, and to them we owe much of the history of these early times. The American antiquarians have recently discovered traces of the Jesuits in the interior of this state, and more than one symbol of their faith has been dug tip from the graves of the Indians. After an arduous life, Champlaine died in 1635, but was not, as it has been said, drowned in the waters of the lake which he discovered. He was a man whose merits have been too long consigned to oblivion. Would that my feeble pen could preserve the remembrance of his virtues. He had constancy and courage, patience and humanity. He was a good scholar, a fine geometrician, a gal- lant soldier, and a true gentleman. Zealous in the service of his country, be exposed his life a thou- sand times in her cause, and preserved his cheerful- ness and good temper on the most trying occasions. He planted the lily, where it has yet not ceased to flourish. Among the anecdotes recorded of him, there is one which shows his knowledge of the heart, and his attachment to innocent festivity. He established an order of Merry Knights, called " De bon temps," the object of which were mirth and good cheer. At the regular meetings of the society, a banquet was given, and as master of the order, Champlaine OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 159 would enter the room with a staff in his hand, the collar of the order about his neck, and a napkin on his arm, while the knights followed in procession, each bearing a dish. Amidst the merriment of the table, and the flow of wit, the hardships of the co- lonial service were forgotten, and though France was remembered " With a glow of the cheek and tear in the eye," yet new vows of attachment, and new zeal in her cause, were, as Champlaine had anticipated, the constant results of their social meetings. He left behind him a valuable history of his voyages, and Charlevoix has made many acknow- ledgments of its excellence, and more than once paid the homage of his praise to the " Knight Er- rant of the woods and lakes." At present a want of time prevents my finishing this sketch of Canada. If I succeed in amusing you, my best and earliest friend, it is more than enough to repay me. Believe me, I shall always regard you with the warmest sentiments, however circumstances may control my destiny. Yours. 160 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; LETTER XX. Dionysius Halicarnassensis says, that " History is philosophy teaching by example." Bolingbroke on History My dear T , On the death of the excellent Champlaine, whose character was briefly sketched in my last letter, the Chevalier De Montagny succeeded to the govern- ment. He scarcely occupies a page on the provin- cial annals, and he was of that class of men, who, if they never say " a foolish thing," they " never do a wise one." The Hotel Dieu and the Ursu- line Convent were founded during his administra- tion. From his time to the year 1662, a Cimme- rian darkness rests upon the history of Canada. The names of D' Aillebout, De Lauzon and D' Ar- genson are mentioned as the successors of Mon- tagny. The administration of D'Avagour, which OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 161 commenced about this period, was marked by some singular events. He was a rash and hasty man ; and contrary to the advice of the clergy, permitted the introduction and unrestrained use of ardent spirits. The French and Indians became at once the victims of intemperance, and the utmost profli- gacy of manners prevailed amongst them. The bishop, a pious and learned prelate, fled to France to protect his office from outrage, and to present his remonstrance to the throne. Immediately on his departure, which was accompanied with all the cir- cumstances of grief and lamentation amongst the priests, as if nature sympathised with them amidst the horrors of the general anarchy, an earthquake of unprecedented violence was felt throughout the whole country — a chain of mountains was over- turned — '• Earth shook — red meteors flash'd along the sky, " And conscious nature shuddered at the cry." A general terror overcame the licentious — the fear of the vengeance of heaven came upon them, and an entire reformation took place amongst all classes of society. The moral and religious feelings of the community again prevailed, and ardent spirits were strictly prohibited by the most rigid enactments, 14* 162 AN englishman's sketch-book; In 1664, the French company, finding their af- fairs confused, and their government unprofitable, resigned their charter into the king's hands. The colonial laws were immediately re-modelled, and the trade was given with the monopoly to the French West India Company. Strong forts were erected in every part of the country, and a chain of posts in the most important positions, connecting Louisiana with Canada, kept the Indian tribes in a state of awe, if not of complete dependence. De Mezyand De Remi followed D'Avagour, of whom nothing very striking is recorded. Count de Frontenac succeeded to the govern- ment in 1672, and his administration was of the highest importance to the colony. He built the fort at Kingston, and gave it his name. He put the whole country in a posture of defence, and by his zeal and good conduct, maintained the affairs of his government in perfect order. During his sub- sequent command, a major Peter Schuyler, who at- tempted to invade Canada, was driven back, and at the same time, Sir William Phillips, a native of Kennebec, who was knighted by king James, at- tempted the conquest of Quebec with thirty-two vessels of war. The knight, in all the flush of an- ticipated victory, overlooked the nicety of official forms, and summoned the old count by a rude mes- OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 163 sage to surrender. De Frontenac, however, with all the pride of rank, for which he was at times much censured, replied to the messenger with a feeling of indignation, and an air of contempt, " No gentle- man is to be summoned in this manner — Til answer your master at the mouth of my guns." The result might have been anticipated. Sir William retired in disgrace, and the " coming, seeing, and conquering," sometimes effected by Ro- man valour, and announced with Spartan wit, was not at this time the official language of his despatch to his own government. There has been some difference of opinion with regard to the merits of the count. Mr. Smith, the historian of New-York, pronounced him one of the best governors that ever came to Canada, but other writers have charged him with consummate pride and unpopular manners. Yet all allow that his ad- ministration was of the first order, and that his in- defatigable exertions produced the happiest conse- quences to the colony. Monsieur de la Barre was the next governor. The Marquis de Non Ville succeeded him in 1685, and it was by him that the old fort of Nia- gara was erected, at first called by his name. It was garrisoned by a Chevalier de la Troye, and 100 men. It has proved the most permanent struc- 164 an englishman's sketch-book; ture in America, and the mess house still remains in a perfect state of preservation. With a keen sense of the importance of the site, and an anticipation of the future contests which would arise for its pos- session, he seized on the position with the avidity of a soldier, and fortified it with the skill of an en- gineer. During the late war, a battery of heavy guns was placed upon the floor of the attic story of the mess house by the Americans, and directed with effect against the works at Fort George. De Non Ville was recalled, and Count Frontenac resumed the government, and retained it till his death, in 1697. His successor was a Monsieur de Callieres, and when his name is mentioned, his brief history is told. The famous Vandreuil was the next gover- nor, and he commenced his official career in Cana- da in 1703. He was a man of fine talents and great address. He always had his eyes fixed upon the advancement of the provincial interest. He conciliated and retained the friendship of all the northern Indian tribes, and even those within the province of New-York. He had served as a cadet under De Frontenac himself, and was thoroughly acquainted with their individual habits, and their national customs. In short, the influence which the French had gained over the natives was consider- ed so dangerous, that by a bold stroke in diploma- OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 165 cy at the treaty of Utrecht, the Five Nations who had always been within the British territory, were declared to be under the protection of the British crown. On the death of Vandreuil, which took place in 1725, a Monsieur Beauharnois, who was a natural son of Lewis XIV, succeeded to the command. Dur- ing his administration it was, that the Ursaline nuns became the objects of public censure from the cir- cumstance of their indulging in the amusements of the times. They received company, dined out, at- tended soirees, and flirted with the cadets. This drew on their heads the reproofs^ of the bishop, and the censures of the church. The poor Ursu- lines were obliged to withdraw from the scenes of their former gaiety. On the recall of Beauharnois, an admiral of the name of La Jonquiere, who was on his way to Ca- nada to succeed to the vacant place, was captured and carried into England. While his exchange was about being effected, the Count La Salissio- niere, a man of great talents, filled the vacant place. La Jonquiere, however, arrived in Canada, and seemed to employ himself in acquiring money ra- ther than fame. When he died, and the priests were round him, and wax candles were burning on the occasion of some ceremony connected with his 166 an englishman's sketch-book momentarily expected demise, he had them changed for tallow in order to save expense. Baron De Longueil succeeded at his death, in 1752. The administrations of these men were dis- tinguished by petty altercations about forts, and fre- quent visits to the Indians, but more particularly by the launching of two vessels of war on lake Ontario, which rendered our post at Oswego almost entirely useless. Let me not forget to notice, while alluding to these vessels, a gallant affair which subsequently grew out of thern, and in which the Clinton family participated. One of these, a French brig, was discovered lying opposite Oswegatchie on the St. Lawrence, by those English troops who, after the conquest of Fort Niagara, were proceeding down the river to co-operate with another division of the army against Quebec. She fired upon them, both to alarm the garrison at Isle Royale, and to interrupt their landing. This was effected, however, without much loss, covered by the fire of two row galleys which followed our troops. The next day these galleys were ordered to at- tack her, and James Clinton with two companies was selected for the command. A warm action of three hours ensued, at the end of which the French struck their flag, and the brig became their prize. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 167 She carried six twelve pounders and four two's, and nearly half her crew were killed or wounded before she struck. The weight of her metal gave her a great superiority. It was considered a very gal- lant affair by our commander, and Captain Clinton received great honour for his cool intrepidity and soldier-like behaviour. The crews were rewarded with ten guineas to drink the health of the English general. Captain Clinton afterwards became a distinguish- ed officer in the revolutionary war, and after serving his country with reputation died, leaving behind him a son, whose name will live to the most distant times. The Marquis Du Quesne was the next governor of New France, and his government was a stormy one. His constant attention was required to keep his territory in a state of defence. It was during his time that the great Washington commenced his career as a colonel, and laid the foundation of his future experience by an attack on the French posts on the Ohio. A campaign, having for its object the conquest of Canada, which general Abercrom- bie directed, was planned and attempted to be car- ried into effect in 1756; but neither the prudence of Shirley, nor the valour of Abercrombie, could secure its ultimate success. 168 AN englishman's sketch-book; A subsequent attempt was more successful. Sir Jefiery Amherst made an attack on Montreal, ge- neral Prideaux acted simultaneously at Niagara, and general Wolfe at Quebec. This " threefold operation" had its due effect, and after a brilliant succession of victories over the French, the Cana- das were surrendered in 1760, by the then gover- nor, Mons. Vandreuil. The death of Wolfe, in the arms of victory, is too well known to require any comments from me ; and the conduct of Mont- calm will ever be remembered, while genius and true chivalry have a place in our memories. Amherst was the first English governor, and Sir Guy Carlton the next. During the American re- volution his mild conduct gained him universal esteem ; and if his counsels had prevailed, it is doubtful whether the United States would not have yet continued an appendage to the British crown. From the year 1777 a succession of governors has taken place, and the government of Canada seems to be considered as a restorative to the decayed for- tunes of the English nobility. [Sir George Prevost, who made an unsuccessful attempt at Plattsburgh ; the Duke of Richmond, a very worthy and indefati- gable man, who died from the bite of a favourite dog, and the present Lord Dalhousie, who is very popular at present in Canada, have lately occupied 169 the public attention. Sir Francis Burton, the lieu- tenant governor, is a fine hale old man, a bon vi- vant, and is very much liked ; whilst Sir Peregrine Maitland, lieutenant governor of the upper province, lives in comparative retirement at Queenston, in the enjoyment of literary and domestic ease. My next letter shall have reference to the Canadi- ans. As the time of my return, however, draws near, I shall be obliged to close this correspondence. The cares of business prevent that close attention to the subject, which a series of letters of this nature re- quires. If I have afforded you any amusement, I am satisfied; for, believe me, if you approve them, and can overlook their numerous faults, it is all I ex- pected at their commencement, and all I wish at their close. Yours. 51 170 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; LETTER XXI. Yet found they here a home, and glad relief, And plied the beverage from the bounteous sheaf. Campbell. My dear I , My last letter gave a summary of the Canadian history. Its early periods are by far the most in- teresting, and even if they were not, they are bet- ter known than those of modern times. Whether from their want of importance, or the unpleasant re- sponsibility which ever attaches to cotemporaneous authorship, the recent records of Canada, its memo- rials and despatches, are still uncompiled, and await the arrangement of some fearless and yet methodi- cal hand. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 171 It appears that the first system of government in Canada was military, and continued to be so, until 1664. The governor was almost absolute. His vade mecum was a Parisian code, and you may in- fer from that fact alone the nature of its injunctions, and the despotism of its authority. Even after the conquest by the English, it remained in the same condition for several years, and when at length our common and criminal laws were introduced, they were so irksome to the inhabitants, that in 1774 " the customs of Paris" were re-established. In 1791 the British constitution was extended in its operation to Canada, and the provinces acknow- ledged their beneficial effects. Two legislatures were formed, one for the upper, and the other for the lower province, chosen for four years by the people, and liable to prorogation by authority. British North America is subject to a governor general, and each of the four provinces has its lieu- tenant governor, who presides more immediately over it. There are also four districts, to each of which there are a presiding justice and puisne judges. The militia of the province are estimated at 75,000 in number, but then these can never be used to advantage. The improvements of modern tactics have not yet found their way into the Canadian 172 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; drill. The gauche ! droit ! of the old battalion is still the guide of the provincial soldier as he strides over the parade. The words of command being chiefly given in French, are of course unintelligible to the English veteran, and all concert of action be- tween the regular troops, and the levies in provin- cial service is rendered impossible. The revenues of the country are inadequate to the expenses of the civil list, and the deficiency is supplied from the mili- tary chest. Among the ordinary items of expense is that of Indian affairs. The native tribes cost the go- vernment, at the lowest calculation, about £25,000 sterling annually. Although they have been driven from their inheritance, and are rapidly wasting away before approaching civilization ; although op- pressed by numerous exactions, and fast declining in population and importance, yet the whites throughout North America are actually tributary to them! The United States, and amongst these I notice the state of New-York in particular, dis- tribute annually large sums of money among the remaining descendants of these children of the woods. The geology of the country is but illy under- stood. Its character is granitic, often diversified with soft calcareous rocks in horizontal strata. It is said the great lakes all lie in the middle, between OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 173 the terminate boundaries of two great chains of rocks, granite and limestone. I have myself col- lected some characteristic specimens of granite with a great proportion of mica, several varieties of the foetid limestone, and beautiful rhomboi- dal crystals of lime. Under the bank of Goat Island, between the falls, snowy gypsum is found in considerable quantities. Near Quebec there are lead mines, and iron mines at Trois Rivieres ; na- tive copper is found on the south-west bank of Lake Superior ; coal has been much sought for, but not yet found. The soil of Canada is light but fertile, the cli- mate variable, and the range of the thermometer be- tween 92° in summer, and 2S° below T zero in win- ter. There are 100 seigneuries in Lower Canada, first granted by the French government to merito- rious officers, which still retain the peculiarities of the feudal tenure. These continue in the families of the old noblesse, but the splendours of their possession under the new order of things, which English laws, manners, and influence have brought about in Canada, are almost entirely departed. The agriculture of the country is not very flou- rishing, but some scientific gentlemen have made an estimate of the average yieldings of the crops, and 15* 174 an englishman's sketch-book; give the following result. Their seed time is in April — harvest early in August. The increase of oats is as 20 to 1 ; of barley, 10 to 1 ; of pease, 5 to 1 ; of summer wheat, 10 to 1. The Canadian fisheries are not yet of much value. Cod and shad, are taken at all seasons for the West India trade, and seals and porpoises are caught in considerable numbers in the St. Lawrence. The fur trade of the North West Company is one of the chief resources of Canada, and it is con- nected with man}- interesting peculiarities. You have heard much of the fortifications at Quebec. They are indeed stupendous. By the kindness of a friend, a pass from the adjutant gene- ral's office, signed and countersigned, sealed with red wax, and interlined with red ink, gave me per- mission to see the works, and authority to cross the line of sentinels. Delicacy of course dictates that I should be silent on the subject of what I then saw — the impregnability of the fortress, the numer- ous enfilades that may be swept in all directions, and render death certain at every approach, and the vast subterraneous works going on, where the whole population of the city during a siege may re- main secure in capacious traverses under ground. Indeed, at all points they have made '* Assurance doubly sure.*' OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 175 The winter in Canada is very tedious to foreign- ers, but notwithstanding, is the liveliest season in the year. The fur caps, bonnets rouges, carioles, and balls of the Canadians, are themes of pleasing comment, and would require pages of illustration. But of all the enjoyments to which they devote themselves, the most delightful are the Pic Nic parties in the winter season. A party of friends is made up for some anxiously anticipated day, amongst whom certain portions of the arrangement are divided, and by whom certain parts of the enter- tainment are to be furnished. The day arrives, and a line of equipages is seen dashing along the road to the place of rendezvous. Here and there an adventurous whip urges his four-in-hand at their topmost speed, or a nice reinsman from the box of a tilbury sleigh, managing with the utmost coolness and apparent non chalance, the gay spirit of his tandem leader, and the steadier gait of his "goer" in the shafts. A band of music precedes the whole, and wherever the road is smooth enough to allow them to use their instruments, the woods, the hills, the groves, re-echo with the jocund strains. At length they reach some noted inn, where Boniface has been looking out for them "this half hour," and where he marshals the way to his best rooms, warmed with immense winter fires. If the night be 176 AN englishman's sketch-book; pleasant, an agreeable succession of cotilions and contre-danses, amidst the utmost gaiety of heart, and under the influence of the most delightful mu- sic, fills up the hours which precede Pic Nic. Sup- per is at last announced, and the good cheer is duly honoured by the guests. Wild fowl vies with wild fowl, and the riches of the larder are spread before the eye in due order of precedence, and with due reference to culinary topography. The vigour of old port, and the delicacy of Canary, are equally appreciated on the occasion, and the refinements of London particular are not forgotten amidst the ge- neral joy. The supper finished, the party are on the wing, and their rapidity of motion is somewhat increased by the lateness of the hour. Once more they enter town, and with many expressions of friendship, and many a hearty laugh at the inci- dents of the evening, they suddenly disperse to their homes, where a long gossip over the moulder- ing fire concludes the diversion of the night. These frolics are long remembered, and many of the hap- piest of her life have been traced by the Canadian belle to the gay festivity and eventful incidents of a Pic Nic party. Yours. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 177 LETTER XXII. " Clarum et venerabile nomen.' MY DEAR I , In another week I return to my native shore, and this letter may be the last I shall write you. I pro- mised you some further account of Mr. Clinton in one of my earlier communications, and I will redeem my promise in as brief a manner as possible. He is a man possessing a majestic appearance, with a countenance of manly beauty, a forehead ele- vated and commanding, eyes brilliant and expres- sive. His hair is slightly inclined to curl, and his complexion is of clear red and white. In his move- ments dignified, in his conversation instructive ; he is the idol of domestic affection and the object of public favour. His father was a distinguished offi- 178 AN englishman's sketch-book; cer in the revolution — his grandfather was a na- tive of Ireland, of honourable, if not noble connex- ions, and a person of importance in the state to which he emigrated. From the paper which he left behind him, it is evident that he was high in the es- teem of the government at that time ; and besides being the colonel of a provincial regiment that saw service, he was a scholar — a poet — and a gentle- man. His grandson, of whom I now speak, was born in the year 1769 — distinguished as being the era which gave a Canning to England, and Napoleon to France. Mr. Clinton, prepared by a collegiate education, devoted himself to the study of the law ; and, con- contrary to an opinion which has prevailed at times, practised at the bar, and held numerous briefs at the nisi prius courts of his native county. His debut in public life was attended with uni- versal approbation. There was not a dissenting voice in the city of New-York when he was held up as its constitutional representative in the Assembly of this state. From this he rose to the upper house or Senate of the state, and his legal opinions, given in the solemn character of a judge of the highest le- gal court in New-York, are replete with learning and critical acumen. Mr. Clinton's career was so 179 splendid throughout, that the public scarcely had time to observe him in one capacity before he as- tonished and delighted them in another. I am in- formed that when this part of his career comes duly to be considered, it will stand the test of time. " Recorded honours shall thicken round his monument." After becoming the founder of a party which has adhered to him with a fidelity which shames the ter- giversations of his opponents, he took his seat in the Senate of the United States, and while there distin- guished himself by his learning, his patriotic adhe- rence to his country, and his statesmanlike elucida- tions of constitutional principles. He was next placed at the head of the Corpora- tion of the city of New- York, having resources and a population equal if not superior to those of some of the states and half of the principalities of Europe. Nor was the place a sinecure. His luminous opi- nions on the bench of the city courts — his active di- rection of the police of New-York — his plan of de- fence for the city during the war, which was adopt- ed with approbation — his heroic efforts to sustain the country at that time — his writings, replete with devotion to its cause, and incentives to its support — his personal exertions in the trenches, and his offer to take the field, are only a few of the traits of his 180 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; generous disposition and his sublime patriotism. About this time he was held up as a candidate for the office of president ; and although he came with- in a few votes of being elected against the whole force of the powers that were, it was a fortunate thing for himself and his country that he was not successful ; for his mind had at this time become much engaged in works of internal improvement, and had he been elected, in all human proba- bility they would never have been matured. He lost an honour that has not been enjoyed exclu- sively by men of talent in this country, while by the force of his great popularity, and by his almost in- dividual efforts, he effected the accomplishment of the greatest work of the age, and covered himself with immortal glory. The mushrooms of party " may flourish and may fade," but such men as Clinton never could have acquired additional honour by the possession of an office too often gained by detesta- ble intrigues and disgusting coalitions. Amid all the tempests of the Republic he has stood " Unshaken, unsubdued, unterrified." It is now universally admitted that he carried the canal project, and the laws for its appropriation ; and by his writings disseminated throughout the OR, LETTERS FROM NEW- YORK. 181 the Union, a knowledge of the policy, and a spirit of improvement, that have created an era in the his- tory of the United States. The New-York canals exist as monuments of hi- wisdom, and he has had the felicity of watching their progress, of remarking their entire success, and of being followed by the prayers and benedictions grateful people. He has been elected governor of the state of New- York without opposition, an event that had never before been witnessed in the state, and with a short interval of retirement re-elected to the chief magistracy. The writings of Governor Clinton are numerous and weJl known to the world. His Literary Dis- course before the Historical Society of New-York is a splendid and abiding specimen of talent. The Letters of Hibernicus, which were thrown off a^ a morning amusement, and to aid the canal policv. are deservedly admired, though written with haste. and with haste revised for publication. His ad- dresses in aid of benevolent institutions are models of excellence. But his messages to the Legislature are the best of his productions. In these the work- ings of his great mind are more powerfully display- ed ; in these is the splendour of his intellect more de- cidedly shown. The messages of his predecess 16 182 AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; had been mere business documents, confined to temporary expedients and mere local remedies. It was for CLINTON to strike out a nobler path to glory ; and while he charms us with the classical beauty of his style, and the energy of his expressions, he " carries away captive the judg- ment and the heart." In these messages will pos- terity look for instruction and improvement. The speculations of Locke, the theories of Bolin- broke, and the policy of Dewitt of Holland, are here surpassed, and I venture nothing in asserting that the state papers of Clinton will never cease to be the textbook of philosophers and statesmen. Yours. OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. LETTER XXIII. Downward they move, a melancholy band, Pass from the shore and darken al! the strand. Deserted Village. My dear I- The packet is detained by head winds, and I sit down to the pleasing task of writing you once again. As we may not meet immediately on my arrival, the letter will at all events inform you of my having sailed in its company, and of my safe return. On the whole, I am perfectly satisfied that America is a fine country, delightful to visit, and agreeable to inhabit. You will find a vast number of our own people, not only established and flourishing in this asylum 184 an englishman's sketch-book; of the oppressed, but thousands are annually arri- ving on its shores, with expectations of prosperity, and hopes of happiness. It was certainly very natural for me to make some inquiries about their conduct on their arrival, and their subsequent behaviour, so far as they could be ascertained, but it was impossible to arrive at any precision. During my tour, I often met with singular varieties of good and ill which had befallen them. They generally come as steerage passengers, and if they land at New- York, the captain is, I believe, obliged to give bonds to the municipal authorities, that they shall not become chargeable to the city, for two years after, they land. They immediately disperse on their arrival, some to boarding houses in the city, as temporary resting places ; while others pass up the North river by the first conveyances. The constant demand for la- bour, and the cheapness of land, leave to the poorer classes of emigrants, as well as to the more able, the immediate opportunity of profitable employment. It is estimated that no less than a million and a half have emigrated to America since the revolu- tion, and travel where you will, you find English, Irish, and Scotch in every city, village, and hamlet of the United States. OK, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 185 The Irish are very successful when they adhere to habits of self-denial. Some of the richest men in America began as day labourers, when they were thrown pennyless on the American shores. The Scotch are exceedingly thrifty, but perhaps never make the after appearance, (I mean such a dis- play of their success,) as do the Irish under similar circumstances. The Welsh generally become agriculturists, and soon arrive at comfortable independence, and very little more. They do not improve by intercourse with the Anglo-Americans, but maintain their own good opinion of themselves, in spite of their want of education before, and their inattention to it after they arrive. I found many remains of old English fami- lies — adventurers of early date, and ante-revolu- tionary growth, who can look back and quarter arms with some of our bravest and our best. Seve- ral latent titles have recently received their repre- sentatives from America, and an agent has actually come out from London to search for the relics of a noble line. America will yet more become the* residence or English people. The language, manners, and habits of the Americans, accompanied by much 16* ISQ AN ENGLISHMAN'S SKETCH-BOOK; self regard, much enthusiasm about their own po- litical affairs, and much admiration of the " Fast anchored isle," nresent upon the whole an agreeable melange. An Englishman of reputation and science, is feted from one end of the country to the other. The best so- ciety is at his command, and no people in the world are more hospitable than the Americans. With them, a fortune of 25000 pounds sterling is sufficient to ensure all the comforts and elegancies of life ; and when to this class, and to those indeed jive not upon income from investments merely, but upon the daily receipts of professional labour, allow refinement, a keen perception of literary ellence, gentleness, and often a high polish of iner, we do them but common justice, and rd them only deserved praise. Sometimes I have traced the romance of real life j rj the history of these early emigrants. With one English family now branched off into many parts, ;came quite intimate, and the following sketch heir fortunes, though much of the detail must be tted from delicacy, I can without impropri- v relate to 3*011. An eminent merchant in one of * ^rst cities of England was blessed with fortune OR, LETTERS FROM NEW-YORK. 1S7 and prosperity. His vessels spread their canvass to the Atlantic breeze, and his freights realized golden returns at the port of Philadelphia. His sons and daughters were talented, and some of them, particu- larly the younger, to whom his increasing prosperi- ty permitted a wide range of accomplishments, were admired and beloved by a circle of valued friends. Living thus in the happiest manner, the associate of learned and distinguished men, with a taste for music, that drew around him amateurs of no ordinary pretensions, the merchant passed into the autumn of life. His two eldest sons, one of whom was an ela- borate scholar and a classical poet, were taken into the house 'with him, and incautiously em- barked in some unnecessary speculations which eventuated in immense losses, and broke the old merchant's heart ! His two sons were then in America. The daughters and the mother were thunderstruck by this dispensation of providence, which came over them like a summer's cloud. To- tally at a loss how to act, the widow consented as a matter of principle to the sequestration of the Eng- lish property by the creditors, about which no fur- ther inquiry ever was made by her. The family, heart-broken and despairing, bade adieu to Eng- land, and sailed for America, where the remains of 188 AN englishman's sketch-book. some property on that side of the water were expect- ed to be preserved. After various vicissitudes, in which however their confidence in heaven never was forgotten, the bro- thers and mother died, the daughters married, and their children have become heads of families. These still cling to their English predilections, and tracing back their line of ancestors to those whose names even now are the subjects of eulogium to scholars and statesmen, have no thought of returning to their father land,, but have become Americans in every respect but their recollections. This is but one of a thousand instances of the kind which would, with the particulars somewhat more enlarged, figure in the pages of the novelist, or the sketches of the traveller. But there is a noise on deck — the vessel is under way — I must catch one more glimpse of the Ame- rican hills ere I bid them a last Adieu. NOTES. Mr. C— Page 1. Mr. C. is at present the president of the Morris Ca- nal Company ; a work of great importance to the city of New-York. He has been much in public life since the date of the letter. Mr. Fulton. — Page 10. The general use of steam-boats must be attributed to the successful efforts of Mr. Fulton's mind. Lakes and rivers throughout America are now navigated with safe- ty and rapidity by means of his discovery. What must we think of a voyage of 2000 miles, performed in a very few days by a steam-boat on the Mississippi, or what praise shall not be awarded to the country where a steam-boat fitted up in beautiful style, is found running from New-York to Albany in ten or eleven hours, a dis- tance of 145 miles, often against wind and tide 1 Painting. — Page 16. There is a new establishment in New-York, called the National Academy of the Arts of Design, at which the 190 NOTES. original pieces of the American Artists are exhibited. It has met with great encouragement, and is in the hands of able men. The Americans are cultivating a taste for pictures. Several persons have imported valuable specimens at high prices, and their own painters are constantly em- ployed. A good landscape by their favourite artists, is worth £50. Alston's new piece, at which he has worked ten years, is about coming out, and will be worth many thousand dollars. Pictures by Morse and Sar- geant have sold at very high rates. The Neio-York Bar.— Page 20. Mr. Emme't is since dead, and he is sincerely lament- ed 1 . Mr. Kent has published two volumes of commen- taries, since these letters were written, which place him, if possible, higher than before in the rank of profound Jurists. Mr. A".— Page 35. Mr, K. has since been abroad to the court of St. James, and is now no more. Mr. Clinton.— P 'age 39. Mr. Clinton is also departed. No man in America ever died in possession of greater honour, more heart- felt attachment by the people, or more deserved venera- tion by the friends of literature and science. He died 11th February, 1S2S. u Clcivum ct venerabile nomen." NOTES. 191 The Spark.— Page 64. The fact in relation to the Princess Borghese, is men- tioned because she refused to go in vessels that offered previously, and waited for the Spark, in consequence of her superior accommodations. Niagara Falls. — Page 80. A carriage road is constructing down the banks of the river, and a safe ferry will be hereafter established, over which they can pass. At present visiters are taken over in a small boat. Periodicals. — Page 101. Every year adds to the number of newspapers circula- ted in the United States. Albany.— Page 102. Albany has actually arrived to the number of 20,000 inhabitants, if we may believe report. It has the ap- pearance of an English town. River Navigation. — Page 120. A steam dredging machine that will excavate 100 tons an hour, will soon be in operation below Albany, and will materially improve the river. Coasting vessels from distant ports now ply to Albany. It is the place of de- posit for the Western and Northern Canals ; and when we •onsider that sixty boats a day arrive, and as many de- 192 NOTES. part during the season of business in spring and fall, and that these boats carry 20 or 30 tons, one may estimate the importance of the trade of Albany. The revenue to the state is almost a million. Mr. Jefferson. — Page 131. Mr. Jefferson is since dead. Gen. Jackson. — Page 148. At the time General Jackson was alluded to, no one supposed he would be so popular a candidate for the presidency, for he was not in the line of promotion. He received, however, at the last election, the greater num- ber of votes, and is at present a candidate with fair pros- pects of success. Mr. Adams.— -Page 150. Mr. Adams is certainly a man of great acquirements and abilities. The controversies with Mr. Russel and Mr. Clay, led the author to notice his disputatious turn. Canada. — Page 154. Canada is now in some confusion, in consequence or political difficulties. Clinton family. — Page 167. General James Clinton's life, as well as that of his father, Colonel Charles Clinton, has lately been publish- ed in a valuable biographical work of Mr. Rodgers, for- merly member of Congress from Pennsylvania. NOTES. 193 Plattsburg. — Page 168. An unsuccessful attempt was made by our troops at Plattsburgh. This was a very decisive defeat, and shows conclusively that the militia may be considered, in ex- treme cases, a strong defence. Note, by the Editor. The last number of the Quarterly Review contains a critique on two recent publications relating to America, which have found their way to the reading public. - Seve- ral remarks in this critique are quite reprehensible. It accuses the Americans of setting up a claim to a tract of country lying on the Pacific Ocean. If posses- sion be evidence of title, the Americans have not merely set up, but supported the claim. It also asserts that favourable terms of peace were, in 1S14, held out by England from an heroic spirit of for- giveness! that she might have " crushed the whole fabric of the federal government," and that 10,000 Waterloo veterans would have marched through North America ! ! Such remarks are not only impolitic, but untrue. England made peace because her national debt was in- creasing, and her manufacturing interests decreasing, and this is the secret of her heroism. 17 194 NOTES. She never could have crushed the United States with a population often millions, when she failed to do it when they had only three millions. She could not do it now, if she failed to do it then, for other reasons not necessary to mention here ; but such as are connected with their interests, their commerce, their canals, and a thousand other bonds of union. As to 10,000 men marching through North America, it is a monstrous absurdity. Sir George Prevost could not do it with the very description of force alluded to. General Pakenham could not main- tain his position before New Orleans ; and General Ross before Baltimore, found his veterans were repulsed by militia. The writer says there are no such things as farms let out upon money-rents in the United States. Every one knows this to be incorrect. With regard to the American navy, there is as usual the old misrepresentation. The Reviewer forgets that if there were instances where in single combat an American frigate carried heavier metal ihan the captured English, there are others where an inferior American force captured a superior one of the enemy. But the English editors before the war threatened to blow the American navy out of water with their sloops of war. The complaint of ine- quality of metal therefore comes with an ill grace. The Reviewer asserts that the steam-ship Fulton is a receiving vessel for " pressed seamen" ("for kidnapping is very little short of it.") BOTES. 195 If by this it is said or insinuated that the American navy is manned with pressed seamen, it is false, and well known to be so. Some of the disagreeable American habits alluded to by the Reviewer are not to be denied. It is but too common in the United States to put half a dozen people at a time in one room to sleep, and to crowd all descrip- tions of travellers at the table d'hote. These things will soon be rectified. But several other complaints in the article we allude to, are certainly without foundation. NOTE TO THE READER To prevent misapprehension, it may be proper to state, that *ome parts of two of the Letters in this collection appeared under a different signature, and as they may be remembered by the read- ers of the New-York periodicals, that they were written by the same pen. Errata. — Page* 136 and 137, for " Carnathen," read Car- marthen . L. C. Bindery 1904.