Part 7 (2/2)

If a man wants to remove his family and to sell, he can find purchasers more readily than in the western wilds Sickness almost always occurs on the first exposure of new land to the sun State taxes and county levies fall heavily on settlers in a new country, requiring public buildings, roads, bridges, &c; labour is dear, and not always attainable

A New England man succeeds in a new country, because he is a jack-of-all-trades; he can -house, e, that ”fools build, and wise hbourhood, at twenty dollars an acre, , would cost at least that suether, they ought to keep it a secret, and to eh life, who can be confided in, to sound persons wanting to sell; for if a stranger offers to buy, it is ihbourhood, and prices are raised, and it exaggerates the value Aeneral, are credulous and sanguine All bargains ought to be legally forreat Britain capable of sustaining its national debt for any length of tiainst the possibility of this,

_1st_--The rivalshi+p ofan exclusive advantage

_2nd_--The encrease of poor-rates, by a superabundant population, and reduction of wages

_3rd_--The augmentation of payments abroad to British residents, who avoid taxation by ren countries

_4th_--The transfer of su embarrassments at home, make purchases abroad of stock and lands The British funds yield less than five per cent; the French and Aainst British prosperity, al the immense load of taxes The army cannot, with safety, be much diminished, for as discontent increases with the addition of burthens, the power of the governht little island” prospers as it does; there cannot be a stronger proof of a good internal ement

”The industrious classes cannot support, in {467} any community, more than a certain proportion of drones The important question is whether the army, navy, state creditors, hierarchy, servants, residents abroad, tax-gatherers, &c can be supported by the industrious The rapid increase of poor rates, evinces that a nation has arrived at its acme

”The arrival of monied men in this country, to purchase lands and to avoid an apprehended convulsion, is o crisis

It is painful to forebode misfortune, and an unwelcome task to predict evil Could I anticipate iht, &c

to be long exclusively enjoyed, and were there lands still to be cultivated, to support aug the debt At present I behold an inverted pyra way Your own journey, your own inquiries, must make a forcible impression, that present profits are precarious, and that happiness is alloyed with apprehensions for the future”

_13th_--During a conversation this day with Dr Thornton, of the post-office,[156] he observed that this city, like that of ancient Rome, was first peopled with thieves and assassins, and that, during his residence in it, he had found more villains than he had seen in any other part of the world When he was avillainy and want of principle ast the people {468} had come to his view, as he could not suppose existed any where ”There are, however,” said the doctor, ”enerally ast the citizens to live above their incoentlemen, often run into debt with their butchers, &c, to the amount of several hundred dollars, and delay a year and a half before they atte the pay punctual in perfor by instalments of five, ten, or fifteen dollars; a land would shrink

_15th_--I received a farewell visit from Mr Thompson, late of Boston, who states that he finds the inducerate much fewer and smaller than he expected Society, as it at present exists, shews great want of organization, great want of religion, honour, and virtue, and the country generally seees Yet he is now about to make a commercial attempt, by way of experiment, which, if not successful, he will return into his forain wandering five miles from it He believes that none of the tables in Alish table He thinks that the governlect of seminaries entails imperfection on the people A bitter sectarian {469} spirit prevails, and is land, and there is aof aristocracy It seems to him that republicanis I took my farewell of the claret club, the focus of liberal principles and of friendly feelings

_Sunday, 16th_--Accoht, I drove to Mount Eagle, the hired seat of Ferdinand Fairfax, Esq, on our way to Mount Vernon This gentleave us an introductory letter, penned on the top of a post, to the supreton, who received us coldly and reluctantly before he read the letter, and said, ”I do not like to see people on this day, but you may walk round” He then turned ahile Mr Elliot muttered, ”We consider it no act of iton, and thus to coe to the shrine of your illustrious ancestor” On reading the letter his severity relaxed, and he sent two of his servants to conduct us to the toardens, and to point out whatever was curious The road, through the estate, leading to thebespeaks the neglect and apathy of the present owner The land is poor; the estate is separated on all sides by a rail fence, that is, rails split and ardens are surrounded {470} with evergreen cedar fences, all of which are the work of the late General, for who curious save the huge old iron key of the French Bastile, kept in a glass case, and the recollection of its being once the abode of General Washi+ngton

Instead of carpets, you see Indianon the floors The furniture is ton

The exterior of the house is of wood, sanded over, in imitation of stone It suffers for want of paint, while bricks see replaced Here are no pictures of any value The only likeness of the late General is cut froarden, in front and rear of the house, is rotting and seeding down; it is neverthe General, and his lady, and brother, and others of this renowned fa-kennel, or a land It is situated at the extrearden, and on the brow of a hill No row thick upon it, a branch of which is often stolen as a sacred relique I bore away one for the king of England In like manner did the Russian rim is forbidden {471} thus to pilfer The to it over with bricks; three feet of earth is then cast on to the arch, which coh a door, for away Such a door would disgrace an English pig-stye Were pigs to range here, they would soon enter the tomb, which was built by the brother of the late General, the latter of whorave is made by lottery Graves and cathedrals are raised, in this country, by means of lotteries!

While seated on this lory lead but to the grave” Mr Elliot replied ”Why, Sir, I look on rave, _already made_, with pleasure, and in the same manner as a weary traveller does to a down bed at the end of a long journey I anticipate, with joy, the rest which there awaits ,”

said I, ”is desirable, but ho the nureen-houses, which in winter, are filled with all species of choice exotics, froifts to the late General They now stand out in front of the green-house, with reat abundance There are aloes too of enorathered ripe coffee, which is contained in a kind of rich fruit or berry, of delicious flavor The pine-apple also bears in the green-house, but it see state

The approach to the house is es, ed, particularly the farardens He, the Cincinnatus of his tiilant Now all is ruin, and ruin personified e is cold and reserved in his manners, and more than commonly plain in his dress He seee, of small stature, and lean habit of body His features possess but little expression, and he is, indeed, as unlike the late General, as anyseen all ished, we re-entered the house to thank the Judge, but he appeared no e that ere ”welcome, and he hoped pleased” He is, ere infore We appeared, in his esteem, as sabbath-breakers On this account he excused his inhospitality to us; and, besides, the saying of the late General, ”I would not trust any man an inch beyond ,” ht rise in his recollection e's answer to us as a reproof, because I hold it essential to the good of society that Christian sabbaths should be respected

The scenery in the neighbourhood of the house and estate is very interesting The uh froreat Potowmac, which is here two or three n diploes, visited this spot by water, and with the uide told us that none but _great gentleardens on Sunday I asked if the Judge preached or kept a parson? He hi, and therefore keeps no parson

From an attentive perusal of the American history, and a close exaton, says Mr ----, it appears to ers of precipitancy, and the errors which soination The dictates of that judgment constituted the line of his conduct, which was of course marked with the most consummate prudence This virtue seems never to have deserted him, either as a statesman or a warrior, in a public or private capacity His prudence and caution were particularly observable in his ly caer was considerable, and the success very uncertain; nor did he envy the glory of those Generals, who are admired and applauded, because their rash enterprizes have been attended with success He had many difficulties to encounter, but these difficulties were readily surmounted Patriotism animated him, and prudence conducted hie, he paved his way to greatness, and by his virtues, cast a blaze of glory around his character, which time can only increase, and which posterity must contemplate with enthusiasm and rapture There is no parallel for such a ular a combination of virtues with so few vices Such disinterested patriotisrity, with so many temptations to swerve and so many inducements to betray, were never before united Ier, no difficulties could shake, no terrors appal hilare of prosperity, and in the gloom of adversity Like Fabricius, he could not be moved from the paths of virtue and honor, and like Epa bend to the interests of his country His country was his idol, and patriotisrandizement and individual resent passion, which no difficulty could {475} weaken and no neglect destroy

Washi+ngton was reserved, without being haughty; religious, without being bigotted; great in all stations, and sublime in all his actions, whether he moved in the sphere of do the destinies of his country Antiquity would have made him a God Posterity will make him more Every nation can boast of its heroes, its statesmen, and its bards, but there are few that have produced their Washi+ngtons He stands alone in the history of the world, and will be venerated while virtue and patriotism have an influence on human action