From Little Sandusky, I passed through Marion, in Marion county. This
town, like most others in Ohio, is advancing rapidly, and has at present
several good brick buildings. The clap-boarded frame houses, which compose
the great mass of habitations in the towns throughout the western country,
in general have a neat appearance. I here saw gazetted three divorces, all
of which had been granted on the applications of the wives. One, on the
ground of the husband's absenting himself for one year: another, on
account of a blow having been given: and the third for general neglect.
There are few instances of a woman's being refused a divorce in the
western country, as dislike is very generally--and very
rationally--supposed to constitute a sufficient reason for granting the
ladies their freedom.
I crossed Delaware county into Franklin county, where Columbus, the
capital of the state, is situated. The roads from the lake to this city,
with few exceptions, passed through woodlands, and the country is but
thinly settled. Beech, oak, elm, hickory, walnut, white-oak, ash, &c.
compose the bulk of the forest trees; and in the bottom lands, enormous
sycamores are to be seen stretching their white arms almost to the very
clouds. The land is of various denominations, but in general may be termed
fertile.
Columbus, the capital of Ohio, is seated on the Scioto river, which is
navigable for keel and flat boats, and small craft, almost to its source;
and by means of a portage of about four miles, to Sandusky river, which
flows into lake Erie, a convenient communication is established between
the lakes, and the great western waters. The town is well laid out. The
streets are wide; and the court-house, town-hall, and public offices, are
built of brick. There are some good taverns here, and the tables d'hôtes
are well and abundantly supplied.
There are land offices in every county seat, in which maps and plans of
the county are kept. On these, the disposable tracts of country are
distinguished from those which have been disposed of. The purchaser pays
one fourth of the purchase money, for which he gets a receipt,--this
constitutes his title, until, on paying the residue, he receives a regular
title deed. He may however pay the full amount at once, and receive a
discount of, I believe, eight per cent. A township comprises thirty-six
square miles (twenty three thousand and forty acres) in sections of six
hundred and forty acres each, which are subdivided, to accommodate
purchasers, into quarter sections, or lots of a hundred and sixty acres.
The sixteenth section is not sold, but reserved for the support of the
poor, for education, and other public uses. There is no provision made in
this, or any other state, for the ministers of religion, which is found to
be highly beneficial to the interests of practical Christianity. The
congress price of land has lately been reduced from a dollar and a quarter
per acre, to seventy-five cents.
Ohio averages 184 miles in extent, from north to south, and 220 miles from
east to west. Area, 40,000 square miles, or 25,600,000 acres. The
population in 1790, was 3000; in 1800, 45,365; in 1810, 230,760; and in
1820, 581,434. White males, 300,609; white females, 275,955; free people
of colour, 4723; militia in 1821, 83,247. The last census, taken in 1830,
makes the population 937,679.
Having no more Indian reserves to visit, I took the stage, and rumbled
over corduroys, republicans, stumps, and ruts, until my ribs were
literally sore, through London, Xenia, and Lebanon, to Cincinnati.
At Lebanon there is a large community of the shaking Quakers. They have
establishments also in Mason county, and at Covington, in Kentucky: their
tenets are strictly Scriptural. They contend, that confessing their sins
to one another, is necessary to a state of perfection; that the church of
Christ ought to have all things in common; that none of the members of
this church ought to cohabit, but be literally virgins; and that to dance
and be merry is their duty, which part of their doctrines they take from
the thirty-first chapter of Jeremiah.
Their ceremonies are as follows:--The men sit on the left hand, squatting
on the floor, with their knees up, and their hands clasped round them.
Opposite, in the same posture, sit the women, whose appearance is most
cadaverous and sepulchral, dressed in the Quaker costume. After sitting
for some time in this hatching position, they all rise and sing a canting
sort of hymn, during which the women keep time by elevating themselves on
their toes. After the singing has ceased, a discourse is delivered by one
of the elders; which being ended, the men pull off their coats and
waistcoats. All being prepared, one of the brethren steps forward to the
centre of the room, and in a loud voice, gives out a tune, beating time
with his foot, and singing _lal lal la, lal lal la_, &c., being joined by
the whole group, all jumping as high as possible, clapping their hands,
and at intervals twirling round,--but making rather ungraceful
_pirouettes_: this exercise they continue until they are completely
exhausted. In their ceremonials they much resemble the howling Dervishes
of the Moslems, whom they far surpass in fanaticism.
Within about ten miles of Cincinnati we took up an old doctor, who was
going to that city for the purpose of procuring a warrant against one of
his neighbours, who, he had reason to believe, was concerned in the
kidnapping of a free negro the night before. This is by no means an
uncommon occurrence in the free states bordering the great rivers. The
unfortunate black man, when captured, is hurried down to the river, thrust
into a flat boat, and carried to the plantations. Such negros are not
exposed for sale in the public bazaars, as that would be attended with
risk; but a false bill of sale is made out, and the sale is effected to
some planter before they reach Orleans. There is, of course, always
collusion between the buyer and seller, and the man is disposed of,
generally, for half his value.
These are certainly atrocious acts; yet when a British subject reads such
passages as the following, in the histories of East India government, he
must feel that if they were ten times as infamous and numerous as they are
in reality, it becomes not _him_ to censure them. Bolts, who was a judge
of the mayor's court of Calcutta, says, in his "Considerations on India
Affairs," page 194, "With every species of monopoly, therefore, every kind
of oppression to manufacturers of all denominations throughout the whole
country has daily increased; insomuch that weavers, for daring to sell
their goods, and Dallals and Pykars, for having contributed to, or
connived at, such sales, have by the _Company's agents,_ been frequently
seized and imprisoned, confined in irons, fined considerable sums of
money, flogged, and deprived, in the most ignominious manner, of what they
esteem most valuable, their castes. Weavers also, upon their inability to
perform such agreements as have been _forced from them by the Company's
agents_, universally known in Bengal by the name of _Mutchulcahs_, have
had their goods seized and sold on the spot, to make good the deficiency:
and the winders of raw silk, called _Nagaards_, have been treated also
with such injustice, that instances have been known of their cutting off
their thumbs, to prevent their being forced to wind silk. This last kind
of workmen were pursued with such rigour, during Lord Clive's late
government in Bengal, from a zeal for _increasing the Company's
investment_ of raw silk, that the most sacred laws of society were
atrociously violated; for it was _a common thing for the Company's
scapoys_ to be sent by force of arms to break open the houses of the
Armenian merchants established at Sydabad (who have from time immemorial
been largely concerned in the silk trade), and forcibly take the
_Nagaards_ from their work, and carry them away to the English factory."
As we approached Cincinnati the number of farms, and the extent of
cultivated country, indicated the comparative magnitude of that city.
Fields in this country have nothing like the rich appearance of those in
England and Ireland, being generally filled with half-rotten stumps,
scattered here and there among the growing corn, producing a most
disagreeable effect. Then, instead of the fragrant quickset hedge, there
is a "worm fence"--the rudest description of barrier known in the
country--which consists simply of bars, about eight or nine feet in
length, laid zig-zag on each other alternately: the improvement on this,
and the _ne plus ultra_ in the idea of a west country farmer, is what is
termed a "post and rail fence." This denomination of fence is to be seen
sometimes in the vicinity of the larger towns, and is constructed of posts
six feet in length, sunk in the ground to the depth of about a foot, and
at eight or ten feet distance; the rails are then laid into mortises cut
into the posts, at intervals of about thirteen or fourteen inches, which
completes the work.
Cincinnati is built on a bend of the Ohio river, which takes here a
semicircular form, and runs nearly west; it afterwards flows in a more
southerly direction. A complete chain of hills, sweeping from one point of
the bend round to the other, encloses the city in a sort of amphitheatre.
The houses are mostly brick, and the streets all paved. There are several
spacious and handsome market houses, which on market days are stocked with
all kinds of provisions--indeed I think the market of Cincinnati is very
nearly the best supplied in the United States. There are many respectable
public buildings here, such as a court-house, theatre, bazaar, (built by
Mrs. Trollope, but the speculation failed), and divers churches, in which
you may see well-dressed women, and hear orthodox, heterodox, and every
other species of doctrine, promulgated and enforced by strength of lungs,
and length of argument, with pulpit-drum accompaniment, and all other
requisites _ad captandum vulgus_.
The city stands on two plains: one called the bottom, extends about 260
yards back from the river, and is three miles in length, from Deer Creek
to Mill Creek; the other is fifty feet higher than the first, and is
called the Hill; this extends back about a mile. The bottom is sixty-five
feet above low water mark. In 1815 the population was estimated at 6000,
and at present it is supposed to be upwards of 25,000 souls. By means of
the Dayton canal, which runs from that town nearly parallel with the "Big
Miami" river, a very extensive trade, for all kinds of produce, is
established with the back country. Steamers are constantly arriving at,
and departing from the wharf, on their passage up and down the river. This
is one of the many examples to be met with in the western country, of
towns springing into importance within the memory of comparatively young
men--a log-house is still standing, which is shewn as the first habitation
built by the backwoodsman, who squatted in the forest where now stands a
handsome and flourishing city.
On arriving at Cincinnati, I learned that my friend T---- had taken up his
abode at a farm-house a few miles from town, where I accordingly repaired,
and found him in good health, and initiated into all the manners, habits,
customs, and diversions of the natives. Farming people in Ohio work hard.
The women have no sinecures, being occupied the greater part of the day in
cooking; as they breakfast at eight, dine at half-past twelve, and sup at
six, and at each of these meals, meat, and other cooked dishes are served
up. In farming they co-operate with each other. When a farmer wishes to
have his corn husked, he rides round to his neighbours and informs them of
his intention. An invitation of this kind was once given in my presence.
The farmer entered the house, sat down, and after the customary
compliments were passed, in the usual laconic style, the following
dialogue took place. "I guess I'll husk my corn to-morrow
afternoon."--"You've a mighty heap this year."--"Considerable of corn."
The host at length said, "Well, I guess we'll be along"--and the matter
was arranged. All these gatherings are under the denomination of
"frolics"--such as "corn-husking frolic," "apple-cutting frolic,"
"quilting frolic," &c.
Being somewhat curious in respect to national amusements, I attended a
"corn-husking frolic" in the neighbourhood of Cincinnati. The corn was
heaped up into a sort of hillock close by the granary, on which the young
"Ohiohians" and "buck-eyes"--the lasses of Ohio are called
"buck-eyes"--seated themselves in pairs; while the old wives, and old
farmers were posted around, doing little, but talking much. Now the laws
of "corn-husking frolics" ordain, that for each red ear that a youth
finds, he is entitled to exact a kiss from his partner. There were two or
three young Irishmen in the group, and I could observe the rogues kissing
half-a-dozen times on the same red ears. Each of them laid a red-ear close
by him, and after every two or three he'd husk, up he'd hold the
redoubtable red-ear to the astonished eyes of the giggling lass who sate
beside him, and most unrelentingly inflict the penalty. The "gude wives"
marvelled much at the unprecedented number of red-ears which that lot of
corn contained: by-and-by, they thought it "a kind of curious" that the
Irishmen should find so many of them--at length, the cheat was discovered,
amidst roars of laughter. The old farmers said the lads were "wide
awake," and the "buck-eyes" declared that there was no being up to the
plaguy Irishmen "no how," for they were always sure to have every thing
their own way. But the mischief of it was, the young Americans took the
hint, and the poor "buck-eyes" got nothing like fair play for the
remainder of that evening. All agreed that there was more laughing, and
more kissing done at that, than had been known at any corn-husking frolic
since "the Declaration."
The farmers of Ohio are a class of people about equivalent to our second
and third rate farmer, inasmuch as they work themselves, but possessing
infinitely more independence in their character and deportment. Every
white male, who is a citizen of the United States, and has resided one
year in the state, and paid taxes, has a vote. The members of the
legislature are elected annually, and those of the senate biennially; half
of the members of the latter branch vacating their seats every year. The
representatives, in addition to the qualifications necessary to the
elector, must be twenty-five years of age; and the senators must have
resided in the state two years, and must be thirty years of age. The
governor must be thirty years of age, an inhabitant of the state four
years, and a citizen of the United States twelve years,--he is eligible
only for six years in eight.
Notwithstanding the numerous religious sects that are to be found in this
country, there is nothing like sectarian animosity prevailing. This is to
be attributed to the ministers of religion being paid as they deserve, and
no one class of people being taxed to support the religious tenets of
another.
The farmers of this state are by no means religious, in a doctrinal sense;
on the contrary, they appear indifferent on matters of this nature. The
girls _sometimes_ go to church, which here, as in all Christian countries,
is equivalent to the bazaars of Smyrna and Bagdad; and as the girls go,
their "dads" must pay the parson. The Methodists are very zealous, and
have frequent "revivals" and "camp-meetings." I was at two of the latter
assemblages, one in Kentucky, and the other in Ohio. I shall endeavour to
convey some idea of this extraordinary species of religious festival.
To the right of Cheriot, which lies in a westerly direction, about ten
miles from Cincinnati, under the shade of tall oak and elm trees, the camp
was pitched in a quadrangular form. Three sides were occupied by tents for
the congregation, and the fourth by booths for the preachers. A little in
advance before the booths was erected a platform for the performing
preacher, and at the foot of this, inclosed by forms, was a species of
sanctuary, called "the penitents' pen." People of every denomination might
be seen here, allured by various motives. The girls, dressed in all
colours of the rainbow, congregated to display their persons and
costumes; the young men came to see the girls, and considered it a sort of
"frolic;" and the old women, induced by fanaticism, and other motives,
assembled in large numbers, and waited with patience for the proper season
of repentance. At the intervals between the "preachments," the young
married and unmarried women promenaded round the tents, and their smiling
faces formed a striking contrast to the demure countenances of their more
experienced sisters, who, according to their age or temperament, descanted
on the folly, or condemned the sinfulness of such conduct. Some of those
old dames, I was informed, were decoy birds, who shared the profits with
the preachers, and attended all the "camp-meetings" in the country.
The psalmodies were performed in the true Yankee style of nasal-melody,
and at proper and seasonable intervals the preachings were delivered. The
preachers managed their tones and discourses admirably, and certainly
displayed a good deal of tact in their calling. They use the most
extravagant gestures--astounding bellowings--a canting hypocritical
whine--slow and solemn, although by no means _musical_ intonations, and
the _et ceteras_ that complete the qualifications of a regular
camp-meeting methodist parson. During the exhortations the brothers and
sisters were calling out--Bless God! glory! glory! amen! God grant! Jesus!
&c.
At the adjournment for dinner, a knowing-looking gentleman was appointed
to deliver an admonition. I admired this person much for the ingenuity he
displayed in introducing the subject of collection, and the religious
obligation of each and every individual to contribute largely to the
support of the preacher and his brothers of the vineyard. He set forth the
respectability of the county, as evinced by former contributions, and
thence inferred, most logically, that the continuance of that respectable
character depended on the amount of that day's collection. A conversation
took place behind me, during this part of the preacher's exhortation,
between three young farmers, which, as being characteristic, I shall
repeat.
"The old man is wide awake, I guess."
"I reckon he knows a thing or two."
"I calculate he's been on board a flat afore now."
"Yes, I guess a Yankee 'd find it damned hard to sell him _hickory_
nutmegs."
"It'd take a pretty smart man to poke it on to a parson any how."
"I guess'd it'd come to dollars and cents in the end."
After sunset the place was lighted up by beacon fires and candles, and the
scene seemed to be changing to one of more deep and awful interest. About
nine o'clock the preachers began to rally their forces--the candles were
snuffed--fuel was added to the fires--clean straw was shook in the
"penitents' pen"--and every movement "gave dreadful note of preparation."
At length the hour was sounded, and the faithful forthwith assembled. A
chosen leader commenced to harangue--he bellowed--he roared--he whined--he
shouted until he became actually hoarse, and the perspiration rolled down
his face. Now, the faithful seemed to take the infection, and as if
overcome by their excited feelings, flung themselves headlong on the straw
into the penitents' pen--the old dames leading the way. The preachers, to
the number of a dozen, gave a loud shout and rushed into the thick of the
penitents. A scene now ensued that beggars all description. About twenty
women, young and old, were lying in every direction and position, with
caps and without caps, screeching, bawling, and kicking in hysterics, and
profaning the name of Jesus. The preachers, on their knees amongst them,
were with Stentorian voices exhorting them to call louder and louder on
the Lord, until he came upon them; whilst their _attachées,_ with
turned-up eyes and smiling countenances, were chanting hymns and shaking
hands with the multitude. Some would now and then give a hearty laugh,
which is an indication of superior grace, and is called "the holy laugh."
The scene altogether was highly entertaining--penitents, parsons, caps,
combs, and straw, jumbled in one heterogeneous mass, lay heaving on the
ground, and formed at this juncture a grouping that might be done justice
to by the pencil of Hogarth, or the pen of the author of Hudibras; but of
which I fear an inferior pen or pencil must fail in conveying an adequate
idea.
The women were at length carried off, fainting, by their friends, and the
preachers began to prepare for another scene. From the time of those
faintings, the "new birth" is dated, which means a spiritual resurrection
or revival.
The scene that followed appeared to be a representation of "the Last
Supper." The preachers assembled round a table, and acted as disciples,
whilst one of them, the leader, presided. The bread was consecrated,
divided and eaten--the wine served much after the same manner. The
faithful, brothers and sisters, were now called upon to partake of the
Sacrament--proper warning, however, being given to the gentlemen, that
when the wine was handed to them, they were not to take a _drink_, as that
was quite unnecessary, as a small sup would answer every purpose. One
gentleman seemed to have forgotten this hint, and attempted to take rather
more than a sup; but he was prevented by the administering preacher
snatching the goblet from him with both hands. Many said they were obliged
to substitute _brandy and water_ for wine; but for this fact I cannot
vouch. Another straw-tumbling scene now began; and, as if by way of
variety, the inmates of five or six tents got up similar scenes among
themselves. The preachers left the field to join the tenters; and, if
possible, surpassed their previous exhibitions. The women were
occasionally making confessions, _pro bono publico_, when sundry
"backslidings" were acknowledged for the edification of the multitude. We
left the camp about two o'clock in the morning, when these poor fanatics
were still in full cry.
At Hell Town, near this place, there was an officer's muster held about
this time. Every citizen exercising the elective franchise is also
eligible to serve in the militia. There are two general musters held every
year in each county, and several company meetings. Previous to the general
muster there is an officer's muster, when the captains and subalterns are
put through their exercise by the field officers. At this muster, which I
attended, the superior officers in command certainly appeared to be
sufficiently conversant with tactics, and explained the rationale of each
movement in a clear and concise manner; but the captains and subalterns
went through their exercise somewhat in the manner of the yeomen of the
Green Island. When the gentlemen were placed in line, and attention was
commanded, the General turned round to converse with his coadjutors--no
sooner had he done this than about twenty heroes squatted _a l'Indien;_
no doubt deeming it more consistent, the day being warm, to sit than
stand. On the commander observing this movement, which he seemed to think
quite unmilitary, he remonstrated--the warriors arose; but, alas! the just
man _falls_ seven times a day, and the militia officers of Hamilton county
seemed to think it not derogatory to their characters to _squat_ five or
six. The offence was repeated several times, and as often censured. They
wheeled into battalions, and out of battalions, in most glorious
disorder--their _straight_ lines were _zig-zag._ In marching abreast, they
came to a fence next the road--the tavern was opposite, and the temptation
too great to be resisted--a number threw down their muskets--tumbled
themselves over the fence, and rushed into the bar-room to refresh! An
American's heart sickens at restraint, and nothing but necessity will
oblige him to observe discipline.
The question naturally arises, how would these forces resist the finely
disciplined troops of Europe? The answer is short: If the Americans would
consent to fight _à bataille rangée_ on one of the prairies of Illinois,
undoubtedly the disciplined troops would prevail; but as neither their
experience nor inclination is likely to lead them into such circumstances,
my opinion is, that send the finest army Europe can produce into this
country, in six months, the forests, swamps, and deadly rifle, united,
will annihilate it--and let it be remembered, that at the battle of New
Orleans, there were between two and three thousand British slain, and
there were only twelve Americans killed, and perhaps double that number
wounded. In patriotism and personal courage, the Americans are certainly
not inferior to the people of any nation.
There had been lately throughout the States a good deal of excitement
produced by an attempt, made by the Presbyterians, to stop the mails on
the sabbath. This party is headed by a Doctor Ely, of Philadelphia, a
would-be "lord spiritual," and they made this merely as a trial of
strength, preparatory to some other measures calculated to lead to a
church establishment. Their designs, however, have been detected, and
measures accordingly taken to resist them. At a meeting at which I was
present at Cincinnati, the people were most enthusiastic, and some very
strong resolutions were passed, expressive of their abhorrence of this
attempt to violate the constitution of America.
Good farms within about three or four miles of Cincinnati, one-third
cleared, are sold at from thirty to fifty dollars per acre. Cows sell at
from ten to twenty dollars. Horses, at from twenty-five to seventy-five
and one hundred dollars. Sheep from two to three dollars. There are some
tolerable flocks of sheep throughout this state, but they are of little
value beyond the price of the wool, a most unaccountable antipathy to
mutton existing among the inhabitants.
Whilst on the banks of Lake Erie, having heard a great deal of
conversation about the "lake fever," I made several inquiries from the
inhabitants on that subject, the result of which confirmed me in the
opinion, that the shores of the lakes are quite as healthy as any other
part of the country, and that here, as elsewhere, the disease arises from
stagnant pools, swamps, and masses of decayed animal and vegetable matter,
which are allowed to remain and accumulate in the vicinity of settlements.
When at New York, I met an old and wealthy farmer, who was himself,
although eighty years of age, in the enjoyment of rude health. He informed
me that he had resided in Canada, on the shores of Lake Erie, for the last
fifty years, and that neither he nor any one of his family had ever been
afflicted with fever of any description. The district in which he lived,
was entirely free from local nuisances, and the inhabitants he
represented as being as healthy as any in the United States.
My observations, so far, lead me to conclude, that this climate agrees
fully as well with Europeans as with the natives, indeed that the
susceptibility to fever and ague is greater in the natives than in
Europeans of good habits. The cause I conceive to be this: the early
settlers had to encounter swamps of the most pestilential description, and
dense forests through which the sun's rays had never penetrated, and which
industry and cultivation have since made in a great measure to disappear.
They notoriously suffered much from the ravages of malaria, and such as
survived the baleful effects of this disease, escaped with impaired
constitutions. Now this susceptibility to intermittent fever, appears to
me to have been transmitted to their descendants, and to act as the
predisposing cause. I have seen English and Irish people who have been in
the country upwards of thirty years, who look just as you would expect to
find persons of their age at home.
There are situations evidently unhealthy, such as river bottoms, and the
vicinity of creeks. The soil in those situations is alluvial, and its
extreme fertility often induces unfortunate people to reside in them. The
appearance of those persons in general is truly wretched.
The women here, although they live as long as those in the old country,
yet they fade much sooner, and, with few exceptions, have bad teeth.