Proceed on journey--Political parties--Laurel
hill--Chesnut-hills--Greensburgh--Bad road--Fine prospect--
Pittsburgh.
The 1st February at 4 A. M. I left Somerset in a sleigh, a good deal
of snow having fallen the day before. One of the gentlemen and the
little girl having quitted the stage, my companions now were only a
Mr. M’Kinley, of West Liberty near Wheeling in Virginia, one of the
representatives in the state assembly, returning home from Richmond,
and a Mr. Archer of Centreville in Ohio, returning home also, from
a circuitous voyage and journey to New Orleans {56} and Baltimore;
during which he had visited the Havanna, and New Providence in the
Bahamas.--As we all possessed some information different from each
other, we beguiled our journey by conversation pleasantly enough,
except when politicks were introduced, on which, my fellow travellers
being of opposite sentiments, I was sometimes under the necessity of
starting some new subject, to prevent their being wrought up to an
irritation of temper, which not only prevented cool argument, but
sometimes in spite of my endeavours to the contrary, arose to such a
height as to nearly approach to personalities.
Politicks, throughout the whole of this country, seems to be the
most irritable subject which can be discussed. There are two ruling
or prevailing parties; one, which styles itself _Federal_, founded
originally on the federal league or constitution which binds the states
to each other; in contradistinction to a party which attempted to
prevent the concurrence of the states to the present constitution, and
after it was agreed to, made some fruitless attempts to disorganize
it, and was called _Antifederal_. The opposite party is one which has
since sprung up and styles itself the Democratick Republican. Since
the federal constitution has been established, the first party exists
no longer except _in name_. _That_ which assumes it, stickles for the
offices of government being executed with a high hand, and is therefore
accused of aristocratick and even of monarchick sentiments by its
opponents, who in their turn are termed factious, and disorganizers,
by the federalists. They nickname each other _Aristocrats_ and
_Democrats_, and it is astonishing to what a height their mutual
animosity is carried. They are not content with declaiming against
each other in congress, or in the state legislatures, but they
introduce the subject even at the bars of the judicial courts, and
in the pulpits of the places of religious worship. In some places,
{57} the males who might otherwise be on terms of friendship with
each other, are, merely on account of their diversity of sentiment on
politicks, avowed and illiberal enemies; and the females carry the
spirit of party into their coteries, so far as to exclude every female
whose husband is of a different political opinion, however amiable,
and ornamental to society she may be. The most illiberal opinions
are adopted by each party, and it is sufficient with a federalist
that another man is a republican, to pronounce him capable of every
crime; while the republican takes care not to allow the federalist the
smallest of the attributes of virtue.--Their _general_ difference of
opinion, at last becomes _particular_, and a mistaken point of honour
frequently hurries the one or the other maniack into a premature
grave.--The political wheel is kept in constant motion by those two
parties, who monopolize it to themselves, to the exclusion of the
moderate, well disposed, and best informed part of the community; who
quietly pursue their several avocations, lamenting at, yet amused by
the bickerings, disputes and quarrels of the turbulent and ambitious
leaders of the parties, and their ignorant, prejudiced and obstinate
tools--satisfied with the unexampled prosperity they enjoy as a people
and a nation--and equally watchful perhaps to guard against tyranny or
licentiousness, with the violent and avowed opponents of both.
After travelling seven miles through the glades, a rather barren and
thinly settled plain, we crossed a bridge over Laurel hill creek, a
mile beyond which we began to ascend Laurel hill, which we continued
to do two miles further to Evart’s tavern, where we breakfasted. Six
miles more, brought us to the beginning of the descent westerly, there
being several settlements on each side the road between the ridges of
the mountain in that distance. From this point we had an extensive view
as far west as the eye could {58} reach, over and beyond Chesnut hills.
After descending two miles, we crossed Indian creek at the foot of the
mountain. I now remarked that the woods were much thicker, and the
trees larger and taller, than the same species to the eastward. A mile
from Indian creek, Mr. M’Kinley pointed out one of the finest farms
between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, owned by one M’Mullen, an Irishman.
At 10 A. M. we changed horses and our sleigh for a stage wagon, two
miles from M’Mullen’s, at M’Ginnis’s, perhaps the dirtiest tavern on
the whole road. We then continued ten miles over a very broken hilly
country, with rich valleys, crossing a high ridge called Chesnut hills,
from whence the western country is spread out under the view, like an
immense forest, appearing flat from the height we were at, though it
is in fact, as we found it, very hilly. We crossed the river Sewickly,
a fine mill stream, by a bridge, ten miles from M’Ginnis’s, and eight
miles further we arrived at Greensburgh, the capital of Westmoreland
county, which we had entered at the eastern foot of Laurel hill.
Greensburgh is a compact, well built, snug little town, of about
a hundred houses, with a handsome court-house, a Presbyterian
meeting-house, and a market-house.[24]
On entering Habach’s tavern, I was no little surprised to see a fine
coal fire, and I was informed that coal is the principal fuel of the
country fifty or sixty miles round Pittsburgh. It is laid down at the
doors here for six cents a bushel.
After supper we were joined by a Mr. Holly, a doctor, and another
gentleman, residents of the town, according to the custom of the
country, where the inhabitants are in habits of collecting what
information they can from travellers. We had a long political
discussion, originating on the subject of Col. Burr’s projects;
and amongst the six present, there {59} were no two who agreed in
sentiment. Indeed, in this country every man thinks for himself, or
at least he imagines he does, and would suppose himself insulted, was
another to attempt _openly_ to bias his opinion; but notwithstanding
this supposed liberty of sentiment, superior talents when united to
ambition, seldom fail of drawing the mass after them. The conversation
of this evening was both amusing and instructive; some of the party,
particularly Mr. Holly, a New England man, being possessed of very good
information, and the arguments were conducted with cool, dispassionate
reasoning.
About 8 o’clock, the landlord, who was a German, came into the room and
offered to light us to bed: My fellow travellers complied, but I told
him I should sit up two hours longer. The old man repeated my words,
“two hours,” shrugged up his shoulders and went off, while I literally
kept my word, amused by a series of three or four of the last Baltimore
Federal Gazettes. On going to bed, and finding the bed clothes very
light, I added the covering of another bed in the room to mine, which I
left so in the morning as a hint to the house.
At five o’clock next morning, we resumed our journey, and found very
little snow on the road, though there was so much on the mountains
behind us.
The aspect of the country is similar to what it is between the Laurel
hills and Greensburgh. Hills running in ridges from north to south,
heavily wooded with white oak, walnut, sugar tree and other timber
natural to the climate; and the valleys narrow, but rich and all
settled.
At eight miles from Greensburgh, we passed on our right an excellent
house and fine farm of a Col. Irwin, one of the assistant judges; and
three miles further we stopped to change horses and breakfast at {60}
Stewart’s, where we were charged only a quarter of a dollar each.
We soon after entered Allegheny county. The weather was cold and
clear, and very pleasant for the season, but the country afforded no
variety, being still, hill, dale, woods, and scattering farms. At nine
miles from Stewart’s, we descended a very long and steep hill, by a
shocking road, crossed Turtle creek at the bottom, which runs to the
southward to join the river Monongahela, 12 miles above its confluence
with the Allegheny; we then ascended another hill by an equally bad
and dangerous road. It is astonishing that in so fine and so improving
a country more attention is not paid to the roads. A turnpike is
projected from Pittsburgh to Harrisburgh, which I am clearly of
opinion, might be kept in repair by a reasonable toll;--and then wagons
with goods may travel between the two places in a third less time than
they do now, and without the present great risks of breaking down, and
the mails may be delivered at the post-offices one half sooner.
When about seven miles from Pittsburgh, we had a picturesque view
of the Monongahela on the left, which was soon hid again by the
intervening hills; and when within three miles of that town, the view
was beautiful over the fine low cultivated level, or bottom, as it is
called, which skirts the river Allegheny from thence to Pittsburgh,
which is seen at the confluence of that river with the Monongahela;
beyond which, the high and steep coal hill crowned by a farm house
most romantically situated, seems to impend directly over the glass
manufactury, on the bank of the river opposite the town.
The last two miles was along the fine level above mentioned, passing
on the right, between the road and the Allegheny, the handsome seat
of Mr. John Woods, a respectable lawyer;[25] and immediately after,
{61} we passed Fort Fayette, a stockaded post on the right[26]--entered
Pittsburgh, and put up at Wm. M’Cullough’s excellent inn.
FOOTNOTES:
[24] For an account of Greensburgh, see Michaux’s _Travels_, vol. iii
of this series, p. 153, note 16.--ED.
[25] John Woods was one of the two first lawyers in Pittsburg, being
admitted to the bar from Allegheny County in 1786. He represented the
city in Congress from 1815-17.--ED.
[26] For Fort Fayette, see Michaux’s _Travels_, vol. iii of this
series, p. 32, note 12.--ED.