her strength. The ratio of her increase diminishes greatly, and it may perhaps be doubted, whether, in the fallen state of commerce, she will extend her present limits for many years. By-the-bye, I see it is common on your side of the Atlantic to confound the wealth of America with that of her merchants; perhaps the depressed state of commerce should rather be considered as an evidence of the growing prosperity of this people; the fact being that they now make at home what they before received from abroad.* As the revenue is here drawn from the customs, the treasury affords no standard by which to judge of the internal resources of the country. The wealth of this young republic is not locked up in her seaports, but is spread through a community to whom want and oppression are unknown. The broken fortunes of her merchants may dim the splendour of her cities, but can subtract little from the aggregate of her strength, while the check that is thus given to luxury and extravagance can only * I believe, it is not generally known in this country, how completely some of the home fabrics have superseded the foreign in the American market. It is here supposed by many, that the higher price of labour must prevent competition with the manufactures of Europe; but this drawback is balanced by other advantages; provisions are cheap, the raw material of first rate quality is found in the country; and there are no taxes. The blankets and broadcloths, woven of the Merino wool, are not only in the average of superior quality, but can often undersell in the market those of Europe. The same is the case with coarse cotton goods. I have seen cotton cloth, woven in New-York, at a cent per yard; and in strength of fabric, that of Europe will bear no comparison with it. The object here is to put as little of the raw material into the yard as possible; there is not the same temptation to this in America. It may be observed also, that the employment of machinery now enabling women to perform the work which formerly demanded the agency of men, there is much less difference in the price of labour, employed in some of the manufactories, in Britain and America, than is here supposed. American women universally prefer employment in a cotton mill to domestic service, which they always feel to be a degradation. In accounting for any fact which, in America, strikes the foreigner as singular, he must always seek part of its explanation in the national character, which, influenced by the political institutions, is there probably more peculiarly marked, than in any other country. produce beneficial effects on the national character. It is thought that a new mode of taxation must shortly be adopted; perhaps a well regulated tax upon property may supersede the present system. A very slight one would suffice to defray the expenses of this economical government, and have the advantage of yielding a certain return; whereas, at present, the revenue is continually fluctuating, and always threatens to leave the government aground in the very moment of extreme exigency. The danger and utter insufficiency of the present system was fully proved in the late war; as it was not destroyed then, it will now in all probability find its own euthanasia ; unless indeed Europe should correct her policy, of which I suppose there is little likelihood. It seems, however, that this sovereign people are determined to see their present system of finance die a natural death before they will have recourse to another. The Americans, it must be confessed, have some whims which seem peculiar to themselves; of these, not the least singular is an inherent innate antipathy to tax-gatherers. Our good natured islanders will support legions of these itinerant gentlemen, and consent to surrender at their request the very coat off their backs, and the bread out of their mouths; but our transatlantic brethren will not so much as part with a shred of the one or a crumb of the other. They will pay no taxes at all. What would the chancellor of the British Exchequer say to such obstinacy? How would his collectors of the revenue look around them in a country where their talents were in no request, and where even their right to existence was called in question! AM this evening fairly exhausted with heat and fatigue, and in consequence have been forced to decline an invitation to a party which promised us much pleasure, from the individuals whom I understand to have been assembled. I could not take the liberty with them that I shall with you, of being as dull as inclination or infirmity may dispose me; and here I only assume the privilege which others have assumed before me, namely, of showing to a familiar friend a face that I might be ashamed to show to an indifferent world. The road from Baltimore hither, about forty miles, leads through an uninteresting and, for the most part, barren district. On losing sight of the city, the traveller might think that he had lost sight of all the beauty and all the wealth of the state; there are, however, in Maryland, districts of great fertility, especially in the neighbourhood of the eastern waters. We observed some farms in good order and good cultivation; and here, on the 19th of April, we saw rye full in the ear: we noticed also some hedge rows, which make a far more comfortable appearance than wooden fences; but these more interesting objects were unfrequent, and, tired of considering stunted trees, or wastes of exhausted land, (exhausted by the noxious weed tobacco, and left to be reclaimed by a more needy generation,) we began to contemplate our fellow travellers. Added to our party was an old veteran, who seemed to have passed the written age of man, and a younger native, who appeared to be cheerfully entering upon the world which the other was about to quit. We had proceeded some miles before either of our new companions addressed himself to any of our party; from our conversation, they perceived us to be foreigners, and waited to judge from the same to what class we belonged. I have observed that when the American stumbles upon a foreigner, he is wont, during a few moments, to take a quiet perusal of his physiognomy, and if opportunity permits, to remain the silent auditor of his remarks and comments, and thus to satisfy himself of the temper of the man, before he evinces any disposition to make him his companion. If he likes his temper, he will then enter at once into the most easy and friendly intercourse, readily imparting his own information, and gratefully receiving that of the stranger in return; and then I have frequently admired the deference with which he listens to his opinions, however they may differ from his own, or militate against the institutions of his country; the good temper with which he receives his strictures upon the national character, and the candour with which he points out errors and flaws which may have escaped the observation of the foreigner. If he like not his temper, he will entrench himself in the most careless and quiet indifference, apparently regardless of all that passes around him. It is only for an observing eye to detect, in the unruffled countenance of the mute republican, the suppressed smile which forms his humorous, though unsuspected commentary, upon the conversation of his uncourteous companions. An anecdote here recurs to me, as illustrative of this trait in the American character. In a public conveyance in this country, an English traveller was drawing comparisons between America and his native island. The houses were barns, compared to what they were in England; the public conveyances were wagons, compared to an English coach; and so on, with all the conveniences and necessaries of life, the beef and the mutton, fish, flesh, and fowl. While he was speaking, a sudden storm gathered, and a loud peal of the awful thunder, which, in this fervid clime, so nobly shakes the concave, cracked over the zenith, and split the thread of the traveller's harangue. An American, who had hitherto sat silent and unnoticed in a corner of the vehicle, then leaned forwards, and gravely addressing the foreigner, "Sir, have you any better thunder than that in England?" I do not say that all the citizens can turn aside the wrath of man by such a reply as our venerable friend * * * * * * *, who once, in travelling, finding it necessary to expostulate with the keeper of a turnpike, and being in consequence greeted by the appellation of rascal, pleasantly retorted, "Your hand, friend! there are a pair of us." But the species of humour which framed this reply, is here certainly a national characteristic; and I doubt not, is of considerable service in keeping the peace among this proud community. We did not care to put to the test the philosophy of our fellow travellers, who soon joined in our conversation. The old veteran fought over again the battles of the revolution, and gave us many interesting anecdotes of that period. We learned that he was bound, for the first and last time, on a pilgrimage to the infant capital; being desirous, he said, to see the city that bore the name of his old general, and to look upon the seat of government once before he died. The morning after our arrival, while ascending the steps of the capitol with several members of congress, we perceived the old soldier at an angle of this fine building, leaning on his staff, and looking down upon the young Rome, for whose liberties he had bled. |