_Journey to Philadelphia.-- Stay in that place.-- Bethlehem and
Nazareth._
On the 10th of October we left the city of New York in the steam-boat
Thistle, which conveyed us to New Brunswick, through a thick fog which
lasted all day. For several days past we had smoky, warm weather, which
was ascribed to the burning of a forest in the state of Maine.
The shores of New Jersey seemed flat and swampy, resembling very much
the Dutch banks. As we approached New Brunswick, the banks of the
Raritan become higher. On our arrival, eight stages were already waiting
for us, having each four horses, and the passengers were so numerous
that each stage carried from eight to nine persons; we had hardly time
to have our baggage packed, and consequently could see nothing of the
neighbourhood. We continued our journey through New Brunswick,
apparently a busy and well built place, thirty miles by land to Trenton,
on the Delaware. The road led through a hilly country, but carefully
turnpiked, several pits being filled up to make the road even. This road
is formed somewhat according to the manner of German turnpikes, of small
beaten stones, with side-roads and ditches. The neighbourhood is mostly
woody, consisting of chesnuts and oaks. The forest has been regularly
cleared of undergrowth, and has a cleanly appearance. In places where
wood has been felled, the land is well cultivated with corn and fruit
trees. Most of the good-looking houses we passed were provided with
cider-presses. About four o’clock, P. M. we arrived at Trenton, and
immediately embarked in the steam-boat Philadelphia.
I was very sorry for this great hurry, because I should have liked to
have examined Trenton; it is a very handsome place, and was to me
particularly interesting, on account of General Washington’s crossing
the Delaware above Trenton, in the winter of 1776-77, and attacking a
troop of Hessians, of whom he took one thousand four hundred prisoners.
The Hessian Colonel Rall fell in this engagement. This was one of the
best fought battles of the American war. There is, moreover, at Trenton,
a remarkable bridge crossing the Delaware. It consists of five great
suspended wooden arches which rest upon two stone abutments, and three
stone piers. The difference between this bridge and others consists in
this, that in common bridges the road runs over the tangent, but in this
bridge, the roads form the segment of the arch. The bridge is divided in
two roads in order that wagons may pass without meeting, and has also
side-walks for foot-passengers.
The banks of the Delaware are hilly, well cultivated, and covered with
elegant country-seats and villages. The neighbourhood, and the breadth
of the river reminded me of the river Main, near Frankfort;
unfortunately we could not enjoy this handsome landscape, because as
soon as we arrived on board, we set down to dinner, and afterwards it
became dark. Amongst other little towns, we passed Bordentown, where
Count Survilliers, Joseph Buonaparte, ex-king of Spain, has a very
handsome country-seat, and Burlington. About eight o’clock, P. M. we
reached Philadelphia. Mr. Tromp, who left New York a few days before,
came immediately on board, and conducted us to the Mansion House, where,
though we were not so elegantly lodged as at New York, we found every
thing neat and comfortable. Next morning we drove out early, in order to
get acquainted with the city, which contains more than one hundred and
twenty thousand inhabitants, and to observe some curiosities. We went up
Market street over the Schuylkill. In the middle of this broad Market
street or High street, the first objects we perceived were the
market-houses; the long, straight, uniform streets, which appeared to be
endless, seemed singular to us: they are mostly planted with poplars,
and all provided with paved side-walks. In point of showiness of stores
and bustle, the streets of Philadelphia are far behind New York.
The two bridges over the Schuylkill are of wood; Market street bridge,
consists of three covered arches of very strong wood-work, which rest
upon two stone piers, and two stone abutments. These piers and abutments
are built upon a rock; the pier on the west side must have cost a great
deal of labour, because the rock on which it stands, is dug out
forty-one feet below low-water mark. It is said, that this pier required
seventy-five thousand tons of stone. The length of this bridge including
the piers, is one thousand three hundred feet, whereof the wood-work
takes up five hundred and fifty feet; the extent of the middle arch
amounts to one hundred and ninety feet, and the two others, each one
hundred and fifty feet. A company, in the year 1798, began this bridge,
and finished it in six years. At the east end of the bridge is an
obelisk, which contains the following inscription: that besides the cost
of the ground on which this bridge and its appendages stand, and which
amount to forty thousand dollars, there were two hundred and thirty-five
thousand dollars expended in building it; about a mile above this bridge
there is another over the Schuylkill, which was finished in 1813, and
cost one hundred and fifty thousand dollars; it is also of wood, and
consists of a single arch, whose segment amounts to three hundred and
forty feet, four inches; a toll is paid for crossing both bridges.
Somewhat north of the last bridge, and on the left bank of the
Schuylkill are the water-works, by means of which the whole city of
Philadelphia is supplied with water, even to the tops of the houses if
wanting. The water of the Schuylkill is raised by aid of a dam; the
water runs into a basin behind the dam as in a mill-pond; hence it
drives by its fall three wheels, each of them sixteen feet in diameter,
which are in an appropriate building. These wheels work three horizontal
pumps, which force the water through iron pipes into the reservoir,
ninety-two feet above the surface of the river. Within twenty-four
hours, four million gallons of water can be pumped into the reservoirs.
From these basins the water is conveyed by iron pipes into every part of
the city. At certain distances there are hydrants, where hoses can be
screwed on in case of fire. Generally, one wheel and one pump are
worked, the others are kept in reserve, and are only used in case an
extra quantity of water is needed, or in case of fire. This work has now
been in operation for two years; it was designed by Mr. Graff, an
hydraulic engineer; the whole establishment cost four hundred and
thirty-two thousand five hundred and twelve dollars; the daily expenses,
including two overseers, are five dollars. The dam has also rendered the
upper part of the Schuylkill navigable, and in order to unite the upper
with the lower part of the river, a canal with a lock to it, has been
opened along the western side of the dam.
A high square pyramidal tower attracted our attention; it is a
shot-tower, one hundred and sixty-six feet high. The melted lead, which
is thrown through a tin box, whose apertures are suited to the size of
shot wanting, falls from the whole height into water; while falling it
forms itself into shot and becomes cold as it falls in the water. The
different numbers of shot are intermixed; in order to separate the
perfect from the imperfect shot, they put them in a flat basin, and by a
certain motion in an oblique direction, the perfectly round ones roll
down into a receiver, whilst the imperfect remain in the basin. After
this they throw the good shot into a box of the shape of a bureau, with
rockers like a cradle; the drawers have perforated tin bottoms, the
upper drawer has the largest holes, and the lower the smallest; when the
upper drawer is filled with shot, it is locked, and then the whole box
is rocked for some minutes. Through this the shot is separated according
to the size, and I believe there are fourteen different numbers. In
order to give the shot a perfectly smooth surface, they throw it into a
box which is attached to a wheel turned by water, and in this manner
they are rolled for some time. They are then packed according to their
number, in bags, and carried into the warehouse.
In front of the state house, whose lower floor is used as a court room,
we saw a great assemblage of people; we heard it was the election of the
common council. This state house is remarkable in an historical point of
view, as being the place where the Declaration of Independence was
signed, on the 4th of July, 1776, and in which the first Congress
assembled, until its removal to Washington City. From the public houses
in the vicinity, flags were displayed, to give notice what political
party assembled there; hand-bills were sent all over town into the
houses, to invite votes. From the tenor of these bills one might have
concluded that the city was in great danger. The election, however,
to our exceeding astonishment, passed over very peaceably.[I-18]
[Footnote I-18: Here is one of the bills.
SIR,
The enclosed _Federal Republican_ Ticket, is earnestly recommended
to you for your support, _This Day_. Our opponents are active--
Danger threatens-- Every vote is important-- One may be decisive.
Be therefore on the alert-- vote early for your own convenience,
and the public good. Bring your friends to the poll, and all will
be well. The improvement of the city is carefully regarded-- good
order and tranquillity abounds-- general prosperity is every where
apparent. Then secure by your vote _This Day_, a continuance of
the present happy state of things.
Our mayor is independent, faithful, and vigilant:-- _Who will be
mayor if we fail_!!! Think on this and hesitate no longer, but
vote the whole of the enclosed ticket.
(Naturalized citizens will please to take their certificates with
them.)
_Tuesday, October 11th, 1825._]
The Bank of the United States, which is situated in Chesnut street, is
the handsomest building that I have yet beheld in this country; it is
built of white marble, after the model of the Parthenon at Athens; its
entrance is decorated by eight Doric columns, and large broad steps.
White marble is very common here; the steps of most houses are made of
it. The railings are generally of iron with bright brass knobs; even on
the scrapers at the doors I observed these bright brass knobs. The
private houses are generally built of brick, the kitchens, &c. are
commonly in the cellar. I observed here a very good contrivance, which I
also remarked in various cities of the United States, that there are
openings through the foot-pavement, covered by a locked iron grate,
which serves to throw wood, coal, &c. in the cellar, so that they need
not be carried through the houses.
I visited several bookstores; the store of Messrs. Carey, Lea & Carey
appeared to be well assorted; Tanner’s is the best mapstore.
The Philadelphia Museum was commenced by an artist, CHARLES WILLSON
PEALE, and was subsequently incorporated as a joint stock company. The
most remarkable curiosity it contains is undoubtedly the famous skeleton
of the mastodon, which has rendered this museum so celebrated. The
height of the shoulders is eleven feet; the length of the animal,
including the stooping of the back, from the point of the head to the
tail, measures thirty-one feet, but in a straight line seventeen and a
half feet; its two large tusks are ten feet seven inches long; one of
the back teeth,--for there are no front teeth,--measures eighteen and a
half inches in circumference, and weighs four pounds ten ounces. The
whole skeleton weighs about one thousand pounds. I was somewhat
astonished that the knee of the fore-foot bends backwards and not
forwards.[I-19] This skeleton was found in a swamp in the state of New
York, and there is a painting representing the colossal machine and
building, by which the skeleton was removed from the swamp. For the sake
of contrast, they have put the skeleton of an elephant next the
mastodon. Under its foot is the skeleton of a mouse.
[Footnote I-19: [This surprise originated from the almost
universal mistake of considering the _elbow_ of animals as a
_knee_. The anterior extremities of animals are in all respects
analogous to those of the superior extremities of man; hence the
second joint from the shoulder blade uniformly bends backward like
the human elbow. It is not longer ago than the year 1810, that the
present Sir Everard Home, whose pretensions as a comparative
anatomist are well known, almost quarrelled with Mr. Peale, in
presence of Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Heavisides, for insisting
upon the similarity of the anterior limbs of animals to the human
arm!]--TRANS.]
The academy of fine arts is a collection of paintings and statues. The
best works which we saw belong to Count Survilliers. Among these was the
count’s own portrait, robed as king of Spain, the portrait of his lady,
and his two daughters, while yet children, all painted by Gérard of
Paris. There were four busts, one of Madame Mère, the queen of Naples,
Madame Murat, the princess Borghese, and the empress Marie Louise; and
last of all a statue, representing the infant king of Rome, all by
Canova. Amongst other paintings I observed several from the Flemish
school, very few Italian, but some very fine pieces by Granet, which
represented the interior of an Italian cloister. Two large paintings,
one representing the children of Niobe by Rehberg, and the other the
raising from the dead by touching the bones of the prophet Elisha, by
the American painter Allston; both have merit, but I was neither pleased
with the colouring nor execution. The statues are mostly casts, copies
of the most famous antiquities. I observed, however, amongst them, the
Venus of Canova.
In wandering through the streets I was struck with a building having a
dome similar to the Roman pantheon; it was a Baptist chapel.
I accordingly entered; the interior arrangement was very simple, and
offered nothing remarkable. In the midst of the chapel is the baptismal
font for baptising grown persons; it is a marble bath, something in the
manner of the bath in the palace of Weimar. While speaking on this
subject, I will notice the various sects that have churches in this
city. 1st, Catholics; 2d, Protestant Episcopal; 3d, Presbyterian; 4th,
Scotch Presbyterian; 5th, Covenanters, or Reformed Presbyterians; 6th,
Baptist; 7th, the Methodist; most of the coloured people belong to the
latter sect; 8th, the Friends or Quakers; 9th, the Free Quakers; 10th,
German Lutheran; 11th, German Reformed; 12th, Dutch Reformed; 13th,
Universalists; 14th, Swedenborgians; 15th, Moravians, or United
Brethren; 16th, Swedish Lutheran; 17th, Mount Zion; 18th, Menonists;
19th, Bible Christians; 20th, Mariners Church; 21st, Unitarians; and
22d, Israelites; and all these sects live peaceably in the vicinity of
each other.
A merchant, Mr. Halbach, to whom I was introduced, took a walk with me
to two gardens adjoining the city. One of these belongs to a rich
merchant, Mr. Pratt, and is situated upon a rocky peninsula, formed by
the Schuylkill, immediately above the water-works. The soil consists
mostly of quartz and clay. The owner seldom comes there, and this is
easy to be perceived, for instead of handsome grass-plots you see
potatoes and turnips planted in the garden. The trees, however, are very
handsome, mostly chesnut, and some hickory. I also observed particularly
two large and strong tulip trees; the circumference of one was fifteen
feet. In the hot-houses was a fine collection of orange trees, and a
handsome collection of exotic plants, some of the order Euphorbia from
South America; also a few palm trees. The gardener, an Englishman by
birth, seemed to be well acquainted with his plants. Through a hydraulic
machine the water is brought up from the river into several basins, and
thence forced into the hot-houses. There was also in the garden a
mineral spring of a ferruginous quality. From several spots in the
garden there are fine views of the Schuylkill, whose banks, covered with
trees, now in the fall of the year, have a striking and pleasant effect
from the various hues of the foliage. The other garden, called
Woodlands, belonged to the Hamilton family. The road led us through the
village of Mantua, which altogether consists of country-seats, and where
Mr. Halbach also has his country residence. Woodlands has more the
appearance of an English park than Mr. Pratt’s country-seat; the
dwelling house is large, and provided with two balconies, from both of
which there is a very fine view, especially of the Schuylkill and
floating bridge. Inside of the dwelling there is a handsome collection
of pictures; several of them are of the Dutch school. What particularly
struck me was a female figure, in entire dishabelle, laying on her back,
with half-lifted eyes expressive of exquisite pleasure. There were also
orange trees and hot-houses, superintended by a French gardener.
The navy-yard, which I visited with Mr. Tromp, was shown us by a
lieutenant of the navy and major Miller of the marines; at the same time
I became acquainted with the naval architect, Mr. Humphreys, who is
considered one of the most skilful in his department in the United
States. Three years ago he visited England and its dock-yards by order
of the government. This navy-yard is not very large, for although ships
are built here, yet they do not leave the yard perfectly equipped, as
the Delaware is too shallow for completely armed ships of the line. On
the stocks there was a ship of the line and a frigate yet incomplete,
which, however, could be made ready for sea in a short time. The former
is to carry one hundred and forty guns, and is said to be the largest
vessel ever built. The frigate was of sixty-four guns. Each vessel had
an elliptic stern, and was under cover. The house which covered the ship
of the line is so large that I counted on one side one hundred and forty
windows. Between the two houses the keel of a sloop of war is to be
laid.[I-20] There was no man-of-war here in actual service, but a small
steam-brig in ordinary, called the Sea Gull, which had returned a few
months ago from the West Indies, where she had been cruising after the
pirates; she was now condemned as unseaworthy, and used as a receiving
ship. Philadelphia is inhabited by many Germans and descendants of
Germans; some respectable people among them have formed themselves into
a German society, which has rendered great services, particularly to the
unfortunate Germans who arrived here some years ago in great numbers.
When those gentlemen heard of my arrival, they invited me to a dinner,
given in honour of me. It took place on the 15th October, in the Masonic
Hall, a large building, erected by the freemasons of this place, whose
basement story contains a very handsome hall, which serves for public
entertainments. The table was set for seventy persons; every thing was
splendid.
[Footnote I-20: [The Vandalia, recently launched.]--TRANS.]
Before dinner I was introduced to all the guests present; the
descendants of Germans had almost forgotten their mother tongue; some of
them were lawyers, some merchants, and some mechanics. At the dessert,
several toasts were drank in honour of America and Germany, and also in
honour of me; I of course thanked them in a short speech. Our waiters
were blacks; even the music was performed by blacks, because white
musicians will never perform at public entertainments. After every toast
the music struck up; but our virtuosi were only acquainted with two
German pieces. After drinking my health, they played “a dish and a
song,” &c; and after the toast was given of “the German Athens,” they
played “Oh thou dear Augustin,” &c. After the regular toasts by the
president, Mr. Wampole, were finished, volunteer toasts were drank,
ad infinitum. I soon retired to call upon Mr. Walsh, to whom I was
introduced by letter.
At Mr. Walsh’s I found a numerous assembly, mostly of scientific and
literary gentlemen. This assembly is called “WISTAR PARTY;” it is a
small learned circle which owes its existence to a Quaker physician, Dr.
Wistar, who assembled all the literati and public characters of
Philadelphia at his house, every Saturday evening, where all
well-recommended foreigners were introduced. After his death, the
society was continued by his friends, under the above title, with this
difference, that they now assemble alternately at the houses of the
members. The conversation generally relates to literary and scientific
topics. I unexpectedly met Mr. E. Livingston in this assembly; I was
also introduced to the mayor of the city, Mr. Watson, as well as most of
the gentlemen present, whose interesting conversation afforded me much
entertainment.
Mr. Shoemaker accompanied us to a Quaker meeting. The Quakers, as is
well known, have no parsons, but sit quietly assembled until the spirit
moves some one. The individual thus excited, then preaches, ad libitum,
whether male or female. The meeting was very quiet when we entered, and
remained quiet for more than an hour; the spirit moved no one; at last
this fatiguing sitting terminated, and we went home unedified. The
church, or rather the meeting-house, is very simple, without the least
ornament; the whole hall is filled with benches, and on an elevated form
sit the elders of both sexes, with those who are in the habit of
preaching.
A Quaker, Mr. Vaux, is at the head of several public institutions in
Philadelphia. I was introduced to him by Mr. Eddy: he received me
kindly, although using the appellation “_thou_,”[I-21] and promised to
show me these institutions. The first objects we saw in his house, were
paintings and copperplates referring to the first settlement of the
Quakers in this state, and a model of a monument which is intended to be
erected to the memory of William Penn. The model represented an obelisk,
and was made of part of the elm tree under which this great benefactor
of mankind concluded his treaty with the Indians.[I-22] After that we
drove to the new penitentiary, a prison which was built near the
water-works.
[Footnote I-21: [“Thou,” in _German_, is only used in addressing
individuals of the lowest degree.]--TRANS.]
[Footnote I-22: This took place on the banks of the Delaware, in
Kensington, near Philadelphia. The elm tree was struck by
lightning, a few years ago and destroyed.]
Efforts have been made to abolish capital punishment in Pennsylvania,
and to substitute solitary confinement, which hitherto has only been
occasionally resorted to in the prisons, for offences committed there;
it is even intended to inflict this punishment for life. It is also
wished to separate prisoners condemned to hard labour, to give them
their tasks in separate cells. For this purpose, a large square yard has
been walled in, each side of which is six hundred and fifty feet long.
This yard has but one entrance, over which is erected a Gothic building,
to accommodate the officers, offices, watchrooms, and hospital wards.
The portal has very much the appearance and strength of the gate of a
fortification. In the middle of this yard is a round tower, which is
intended for the watchmen, and from this central point, six wings run in
an eccentric direction, containing the cells. Each wing consists of a
vaulted corridor, which runs from one end of the wing to the other;
on both sides of each of the six corridors are nineteen cells, whose
entrance is from the outside. There is an opening in every cell, leading
into the vaulted corridor, merely large enough to admit provisions; this
aperture has a small iron door attached to it, only to be opened from
the corridor. To every cell there is a yard, sixteen feet long and seven
feet broad, surrounded by a wall twenty feet high: in this yard leading
to the cell, the prisoner has the liberty of walking, provided the
prisoners in the next cells are locked up. The cell itself is eight feet
long and five feet broad, its entrance is low and small, and secured by
a door and grate. The floor of the cell is of boards, the roof an arch
which inclines outwardly, that the rain may run from it: a patent glass
gives light to the prisoner. There are small apertures in the walls, in
order to admit a current of air, and others to admit heated air during
winter. Every cell has a water-closet, which is connected with the
principal pipe, under the corridor, throughout all the length of the
wings. They are not yet quite decided in what manner the prisoner is to
sleep, whether in a bedstead or on a hammock.
I do not now wish to enter upon the question whether it is advisable to
abolish capital punishment altogether or not, but I maintain that this
solitary confinement, in which the prisoner is prohibited from all human
converse, without work, exercise, and almost without fresh air, is even
worse than punishment by death. From want of exercise they will
certainly become sickly; from the want of work they will become
unaccustomed to labour, and perhaps lose what skill they may have
possessed heretofore in their trades, so that when restored to the
world, they will be useless for any kind of business, and merely drag
out a miserable existence. No book is allowed them but the bible. It
appears therefore to me perfectly possible, that this insulation of the
prisoner will be injurious to his mind, and drive him to fanaticism,
enthusiasm, and even derangement. When Mr. Vaux asked my opinion of this
prison, I could not refrain from answering him that it reminded me of
the Spanish inquisition, as described by Llorente. Mr. Vaux answered
that it is only an experiment to ascertain whether capital punishment
can be abolished; but notwithstanding this philanthropic view, the
experiment appears to me to be an expensive one, because the building
has already cost three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and the state
of Pennsylvania will have to expend annually for its support, an immense
sum. The first great object of a government ought to be to provide for
the welfare of its good citizens, and not to oppress them with taxes; on
the contrary, to relieve them as much as possible, as it is hard for the
good citizens to have to maintain vagabonds, for the sake of deterring
others by example, or to render convicts harmless. In this view it
should be the object of the government to arrange the prisons so that
convicts can maintain themselves. When once this is realized, then it is
likewise easier to improve their moral principles. Continued employment
would answer both purposes. If it be possible that the prisoner can earn
a little surplus money, in order that when he returns to society he may
be in possession of a small sum for his pressing necessities, I believe
it would be much better than any philanthropic experiment.[I-23]
[Footnote I-23: [Both sides of this question are warmly and ably
defended by philanthropists of high character and unquestionable
benevolence. The reader will find in the late correspondence
between ROSCOE and Mr. Roberts Vaux, of Philadelphia, the
arguments urged for and against the system.]--TRANS.]
The county jail contains prisoners who are waiting for trial; they are,
however, seldom confined longer than one month before they receive
sentence. The house consists of a principal building and two wings; the
one for males, the other for females. In the centre building are the
offices, dwellings of the keepers and watch, as well as the infirmary,
where the patients have good bedding, and are carefully nursed. In the
wings are long corridors, with rooms on each side, which are closed
during the night with iron doors. About eight prisoners sleep in one
room, they sleep on the floor, and have only two blankets, to sleep upon
and cover themselves. The floor is of boards, and I was delighted at the
great cleanliness prevailing through the whole house. At the end of each
wing is a yard where the prisoners walk, and in each yard there is a
shed under which they work. The men I found busy pulling horse-hair, and
most of the females at their usual domestic occupations. Even here we
perceived the great distinction between the white and coloured races.
The number of female prisoners of both colours was nearly equal, and the
coloured were not permitted to sit on the same bench with the white; the
coloured were separated to the left! I procured a sight of the register,
and was astonished to see that in this free country a magistrate has the
right to imprison a person for two days, for cursing in the streets, as
I found in the book. There are also in the county jail several cells for
solitary confinement, narrow dark holes, in which it must be
insupportably hot during the summer. Those who are of savage behaviour
are confined in these cells, and kept there till they become civil.
Of the charitable institutions, we visited first, the Orphan Asylum, and
then the hospital for widows, which stand near each other. They owe
their origin to the donation of a lady, which has been increased by
voluntary contributions, and is now under the direction of a board of
ladies, mostly Friends, who are aided by the advice of a few select
gentlemen. In the Orphan Asylum were ninety children of both sexes, who
remain till they are twelve years of age, and are then bound out to
learn a trade. They are educated in the same way as the orphans at New
York. During the hours of recess, the children run about in a garden;
the house is very cleanly, the bed-rooms are spacious, and each contain
twenty beds; nevertheless, two children have to sleep in one bed.
Some years ago, the house caught fire, and the conflagration was so
rapid that more than thirty children perished in the flames. In
rebuilding the house, they had the praiseworthy consideration to banish
wood entirely from the building, and even the stairs are of stone. The
Widow’s Asylum is tenanted by helpless widows, over which the
above-mentioned board also have control. They are boarded, clothed, and
nursed as long as they live. The rooms are occupied by one or two
persons each, and there is a common sitting and eating room. In this
establishment great cleanliness is also observable.
The large and celebrated hospital of Philadelphia was established by the
Quakers, and is under their direction. It owes its origin to voluntary
contributions and posthumous donations. It is surrounded by a garden,
and consists of a main building with two wings, besides other separate
buildings, one of which is used for incurable lunatics, another for
venereal patients, and others for household purposes and stables; for
they here keep carriages, in which the convalescents ride when it is
allowed. Behind the principal building is a kitchen garden, with a
hot-house that contains many exotic plants. A particular building has
been erected for the painting of Sir Benjamin West, who was a native of
Philadelphia, and presented it to the hospital. The subject of the
painting is Christ healing the sick. Neither the composition nor the
execution of this painting appear to me to be successful; and perhaps it
is only here, where they are unaccustomed to see great and well executed
paintings, that this could excite such astonishing admiration as it has
done.[I-24] It is really singular that near this painting, which
certainly has some merit, they should hang a little picture,
accidentally discovered in the city, which was daubed as a first essay
by the same artist, when young.
[Footnote I-24: [Perhaps, had his highness known that this picture
was long exhibited and admired in London by amateurs and artists,
who certainly are _somewhat_ accustomed to seeing good pictures,
he would not have pronounced so decidedly from a very cursory
examination. There is nothing, however, which the Duke of
Saxe-Weimar says concerning the fine arts, in these travels, to
entitle his opinion on paintings to any authority.]--TRANS.]
The hospital is three stories high; in the lower story are the offices,
the apothecary, the rooms of two physicians, one of whom must always be
in the house, and the library, which contains a very handsome collection
of books on medicine and natural history. As a sort of antiquity, they
show here William Penn’s arm-chair; a leaden statue, made in England, of
this eminent man, of full size and in the Quaker dress, stands in the
square in front of the house. Corridors run through both wings, and
thence you enter the rooms, each containing twelve patients; they are
under the care of female nurses, and lay on wooden bedsteads; only the
maniacs have them of iron. Throughout this house extraordinary
cleanliness is observed. To the melancholy, every species of employment
is permitted, provided it does not interfere with their own safety or
that of other patients. Some worked in the garden, two were occupied as
cabinet-makers, and a lock-maker from Darmstadt was engaged two years in
making a musket, for which he has prepared a colossal lock of wire and
tin.
When I returned from this remarkable institution, I received a visit
from a literary gentleman from Leipzic, Mr. Rivinus. This young man had
already been two years in this city, collecting observations on America,
to make known in Germany. I was much interested by him. He appeared to
me well suited to gather information concerning the new world and to
present it to the old; perhaps he may contribute to make German
literature known to the Americans.
Mr. Vaux had the politeness to accompany me to some literary
institutions. We went first to the Franklin Library; this collection,
which amounts to thirty thousand volumes, was established by voluntary
subscriptions, and is supported by the same means. The subscribers have
the right to take books home with them; the library contains likewise a
large collection of copperplates, and amongst others a handsome edition
of Hogarth’s prints. The library is arranged in two great halls, and as
a curiosity they show Dr. Franklin’s library chair. The statue of this
famous man stands in a niche over the entrance of the house, and was
presented, as the inscription says, by Mr. Bingham, the meritorious
father of Mr. Bingham of Montreal. After that we went to the
Philosophical Society, which also owns a building, and possesses a rich
library and cabinet.[I-25] The librarian, Mr. John Vaughan, a venerable
gentleman, equally esteemed for his benevolence and urbanity, performed
the honours. He showed us the handwriting of several celebrated
individuals of the revolution. The cabinet contains, amongst other
things, a mineralogical cabinet, a collection of shells, &c. Finally, we
went to the State House, and saw the plain and not very large hall in
which the Declaration of Independence was signed on the 4th of July,
1776. This hall is decorated with a wooden statue, the size of life of
President WASHINGTON; on the pedestal is the following inscription:
“First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.”
[Footnote I-25: [The library of the American Philosophical Society
is one of the most valuable collections in the United States, and
is richer in the Transactions of other learned societies than any
in our country. The Duke states in the original that books are not
lent from this library, which is so erroneous that we have not
repeated it in the translation. Members of the society enjoy a
free use of the books, and literary men properly recommended are
always able to obtain advantageous access to the library.]--TRANS.]
On the 18th of October, I travelled in the stage to Bethlehem, a place
settled in the year 1741, by the evangelical congregation of Moravians.
It was impossible to me to leave the state of Pennsylvania without first
visiting this society, which is highly esteemed here on account of their
usefulness, morals, &c. Mr. Vaux gave me a recommendatory letter.
Bethlehem is fifty-two miles from Philadelphia; as the intercourse
between both places is not very great, the stage goes but twice a week
from each place. Day had not dawned when I left Philadelphia; the stage
was very full, and the weather was uncommonly cold. As stage companions,
I became acquainted with two Messrs. Rice, members of the Moravian
Society, and inhabitants of Bethlehem, and found them very amiable,
sensible, and well-informed men. One of them had travelled in Germany,
and both spoke very good German. We changed horses twice, and also the
stage, which unfortunately was worse at each change, the first time at
Whitemarsh, and the second at Quakertown; the road was mostly turnpike,
and somewhat resembled our German roads, except that the stones thrown
on the road were rather too large, and the path was not well filled up.
After having changed horses the second time, we went on a lately made
turnpike, the stones not having been travelled on. The latter part of
the road was not yet turnpiked, and resembled a rocky bye-road, but, on
account of the dry season, was the most comfortable. The agriculture of
this region shows that the country has already been long under
cultivation. The houses are mostly strong, built of blue limestone, and
covered with shingles. There has been considerable expense bestowed on
the barns, most of them have the appearance of churches. The fields and
meadows were fenced, mostly with zigzag, commonly called worm-fences.
Corn was still standing on the fields, but they had begun to gather it.
The winter grain had already sprouted, and had a pleasing appearance.
The trade in wheat flour is carried on very largely in Pennsylvania;
this flour has very justly obtained a good reputation, and is much
sought for in the West Indies; no where, not even excepting Europe, have
I eaten as good bread as in this state. The original forests have been
eradicated, and you see very few old and handsome trees as in the state
of New York; the wood, however, has grown again, and consists mostly of
large-leafed oaks, chesnut, walnut, and hickory trees; the soil is
partly limestone, and partly clay. In the neighbourhood of Bethlehem,
the soil is mostly limestone; there are a great many rocks, and you
observe here the earth often crumbled, as is the case in calcarious
mountains. The inhabitants are mostly descendants of Germans, emigrants
from Wirtemberg, who still retain their language, although in an
imperfect state. They print here for the country people, newspapers and
sheet almanacs, in American German. The difference is already
perceptible in the state of Pennsylvania which exists between the
southern and northern states in the education of the lower classes:
it is said to be still more striking in the southern states. They
particularly complain that the former German farmers did not send their
children to school at all; lately, however, they have become more
ambitious, and attend the schools, because the legislature of
Pennsylvania has passed a law, that no citizen shall sit on a jury
unless he can read and write the English language. The German farmers
consider it an honour to be called upon a jury, but find themselves
deprived of that honour on account of their ignorance. They now,
therefore, have their sons instructed in English. I saw in the woods two
small octagonal houses, and was informed that they were schools, which,
however, were never frequented.
In many villages where you see handsome brick buildings, stables, and
barns, the school is a simple log-house, much worse than the
school-houses I have seen among the Indians. There is no want of
churches, mostly Lutheran, some Calvinist, Quaker meeting-houses,
Anabaptists, and Menonists. Between Quakertown and Bethlehem, the former
called so on account of its having been originally settled by that sect,
but now inhabited mostly by Germans, there is a parish of Swiss
Menonists, which they call here Dunkards, because the men let their
beards grow. As we passed through, there happened to be the funeral of a
young girl, and almost the whole congregation followed the coffin.
Between four and five o’clock, P. M. we reached Bethlehem, and staid in
Bishop’s tavern, which was very cleanly, and well managed.
Bethlehem is very handsomely situated, partly in a valley, and partly on
a hill near the river Lehigh, into which empties the Manokesy brook.
Very near the town there is a wooden bridge over the river, which was
built in the year 1791, and rests upon three stone pillars, and over the
brook there is a newly-built stone bridge of two arches. The moment you
behold Bethlehem, you are pleased with it: opposite the town, on the
right bank of the Lehigh, are rather high mountains, overgrown with
wood. The brick houses of the town are situated amphitheatrically; above
all the houses, you see the church with a small steeple, and the whole
is crowned by the burying-place, which lies upon a hill, and is planted
with lombardy poplars. The fields around the town are excellently
cultivated, and the landscape is bounded by the Blue Mountains, eighteen
miles distant, a long range of mountains with no one distinct summit,
but with some openings through. The streets in Bethlehem are not paved,
but planted with poplars, and provided with broad brick side-walks; the
houses are built either of blue limestone or of brick. The greatest
building in this town, which formerly served as the house for the
brethren, is now occupied as a young ladies boarding-school. There is
also here an arched market-place, where butcher’s meat is sold. On the
place where Bishop’s tavern now stands, not long ago stood a little
frame building, which was built at the time Bethlehem was founded by
Count Zinzendorf. The town has about seven hundred inhabitants, mostly
tradesmen and merchants. The clergy consists of Bishop Huffel and the
two preachers, Messrs. Seidel and Von Schweinitz; the latter is the
great grandson of Count Zinzendorf, he was just absent on a voyage to
Germany, where he met the general synod in Herrenhut.
One of the Messrs. Rice introduced me into the tavern, and gave notice
to the clergy of my arrival; shortly after, I received a visit from Mr.
Seidel, a Saxon by birth, who has resided nineteen years in the United
States. I found him a very friendly and pleasant gentleman, and had a
long conversation with him. I also met with an old man from Eisenach,
by the name of Stickel, who came to this country as a surgeon with the
Hessians, and for some years past had taken up his residence in this
tavern, where he acts as cicerone to the strangers.
Next morning I received another visit from parson Seidel, and went with
him to Bishop Huffel; the bishop is a man of about sixty years of age,
also a Saxon, and a very friendly man, who has travelled much and speaks
pleasantly. He had a very handsome collection of minerals, particularly
of American marbles; Mr. Seidel resides with him in the oldest dwelling
of the town, which has quite the appearance of the house of a country
parson in Germany, and has even German locks and bolts to it; in this
house is a large hall, which formerly served the parish as a church
until the church was finished. I visited the church, escorted by the two
divines; the arrangements are quite simple, a white hall with benches,
and a somewhat higher seat for the clergy, with a table before it; the
church has a very fine organ, which was made at New York. The bishop,
who is a good performer on the piano, had the goodness to play for me on
the organ. From the steeple of the church is a handsome prospect of the
surrounding neighbourhood, the Lehigh, the mountains of the same name,
and the Blue Mountains. In the church building, next to the large hall,
are several chambers, where they formerly kept school, before the new
school was built, but now the elders hold their conferences in it, and
the smaller meetings of the parish. By building this new church, the
parish incurred a debt; the building, however, is not very tasty. The
burying place of the congregation is upon a small hill, and resembles a
garden planted with trees. The graves are in rows, a simple stone lying
on each, containing the name, birth, and time of death of the departed.
This morning I observed by a circular notice, the death of a young lad
who died last evening; in order to give notice of his death, they played
with trumpets the tunes of three hymns from the steeple, early in the
morning; certainly a very simple and touching ceremony! The corpse is
put in the corpse-house, and the burying takes place in presence of the
whole parish. Not far from the burying place, upon an elevated spot, is
a cistern, in which by means of a forcing machine, the water is carried
from the brook, and thence all the houses and streets are supplied with
water.
After that we went to the dwelling of the sisterhood; all the old maids,
and some younger ones of the parish, who have no parents, live together.
Heretofore, all the unmarried women were obliged to live in the
sister-house; but this has been changed since, and those who have
parents, live with their families. Those sisters who live together, have
either each a separate room, or several have a sitting room together.
They support themselves by selling female utensils, which they
manufacture. There is no house for the brotherhood, because young
industrious labourers in this happy land, where there are no taxes, can
support themselves very well. The ground on which the houses stand,
belongs to the parish, and every man, who wishes to build here, has to
pay a certain ground rent. There is, however, here no community of
goods; every one has to work for, and to support himself, and the parish
only assists him when he has become poor by misfortune.
After this interesting ramble I visited Mr. Rice, who is a merchant,
owner of a mill, and is particularly engaged in the flour business;
he also keeps a store, where every article is to be found, which the
country people are in need of; from cloth, and fine linen, down to
common wagon-screws. After that, I dined at home in the lively company
of six young ladies from Providence, who also came to finish their
education here in the boarding-school; as in Germany, the brothers have
boarding-schools, where children, whose parents do not belong to the
society, are carefully educated. The female school is at Bethlehem, and
the male school in Nazareth.
After dinner I took a ride with Dr. Stickel, in order to examine a new
lock, lately established on the river Lehigh. Within a few years they
have opened important coal works, about thirty miles from this place,
at Mauch Chunk, on the other side of the Blue Mountains; these mines
furnish Philadelphia and the neighbourhood with the well-known Lehigh
coals, which are much better than the English coals. These coals were
formerly shipped in light boats near the pit, and floated down the
Lehigh into the Delaware to Philadelphia, and the boats were then broke
to pieces and sold, on account of the falls and strong current of the
Lehigh, which prevented their return. As even the navigation down the
river was frequently obstructed on account of low water, and incumbered
with difficulties, the company owning the mines, made a dam in the
river, through which canals pass with locks, by means of which they have
improved the navigation.
In the vicinity of the Lehigh, there are many limestone rocks; these
they explode, partly for the purpose of having heavy stones, which are
thrown on the dams, partly for burning them to lime. The burned lime is
not only used for building, but also as manure for the fields.
We returned from the locks to Bethlehem by another road; on account of
their distance from the coal pits, these locks are called the
thirty-seven mile locks. We passed through a well cultivated valley,
wherein is situated a place called Butstown, settled by Germans, and
consisting of a few neat brick buildings. Thence the road passed through
an oak-wood, which appeared to be in very good order, and belonged to
the brotherhood. In the evening I went with Mr. Seidel to a concert,
which the amateurs of the town gave. In the town-school is a room
appropriated for these concerts, which take place weekly. The orchestra
consisted of eleven musicians, all of whom were mechanics of Bethlehem,
who very successfully practiced this art as amateurs. The greatest part
of the religious service of the brotherhood consists of music; for this
reason music constitutes a principal part of their education. The music
was fine beyond all expectation; I heard very good male and female
singers; amongst others were Mr. Seidel and one of the young female
ushers of the boarding-school, Miss Humphreys. Finally, the good Bishop
Huffel had the politeness to amuse us, to our great gratification, by
performing fancy pieces of his own on the piano. After the concert I
remained a few hours with Mr. Seidel, his wife is a German by birth;
moreover, I made acquaintance with a preacher, Mr. Frueauf, a native of
Dietendorf, near Gotha; he married a sister of Mr. Von Schweinitz, and
lives on his income; I found in him a friendly old gentleman, who was
rejoiced to meet a countryman. Moreover it was no trifling gratification
to me, to have conversed this whole day in German, and to hear that
language spoken in purity, which is hardly ever the case in other parts
of America.
On the third day of my stay at Bethlehem, Mr. Frueauf called for me, for
the purpose of riding with me to the brotherhood of Nazareth, which is
ten miles distant. The road passes partly through a well kept wood, and
partly through a well cultivated country. A great many single farms,
which we passed, showed the wealth of their owners. One of the places we
passed, is called Hecktown; this name originated from a waggery of Mr.
Frueauf, on account of the fruitfulness of the inhabitants, who increase
and multiply very fast. Nazareth is also very well built, and resembles
Bethlehem, only it is, if it be possible, still more quiet. The town was
laid out in the year 1744, and the large brick building, which is now
used as the boys boarding-school, was originally intended for the
mansion of Count Zinzendorf. This district has about five hundred
inhabitants, including the adjoining parish called Schoeneck, they are
mostly mechanics and farmers. There were two clergymen, Mr. Van Vleck,
son of the ex-bishop of Bethlehem, and Mr. Ronthal, a native German, who
was long pastor of the parish of Sarepta in Russia.
We first visited Mr. Van Vleck, and then inspected the society’s garden;
it is situated on the slope of a hill and has some pavilions and
handsome promenades. Then we went in the boarding school, in which sixty
boys receive their education; forty board in the house, and twenty
reside with their parents, in the village. This school is likewise for
children of different denominations, and is generally praised.
Immediately on my entrance, I remarked the great cleanliness of the
house. The scholars are divided into four classes, and are not received
till they are eight years old. The tutors are mostly Germans, or at
least speak that language, which is taught to the boys by particular
desire of their parents. The school possesses a good cabinet of natural
history, which is kept in good order, and has a collection of eggs of
various birds of the neighbourhood, gathered by the scholars. The
scholars sleep in common in two great halls, two superintendents sleep
in each of them. They eat in common and take a long daily walk, under
the guardianship of their tutors. Besides the common school rudiments,
the French, German, and English languages, they are taught drawing,
music, and Italian book-keeping by double entry. For instruction in
music, every class has a piano: a particular room is destined for
religious worship. The boys have all healthy, lively, and open
countenances, and are kept very clean. In the building there is also a
theological seminary for young men who are designed for the pulpit;
there were five pupils studying. These students are obliged to finish
their education in the large theological seminary of Gnadenfeld in Upper
Silesia. On the top of the house there is a gallery, from which you see
the surrounding neighbourhood. Nazareth is situated on rather high
ground, and is only eight miles distant from the Blue Mountains. The
vicinity would be very handsome, if there were more streams in the
neighbourhood, but in these it seems to be deficient.
After this we went to the sisterhood’s house, wherein were lodged
thirty-seven old women, who sleep all in one large hall. In the room
where they perform worship, there is a small organ, as in the sisterhood
at Bethlehem; one of the sisters acts as organist. I observed here, as
well as in Bethlehem, that the old Moravian female costume, particularly
the caps, have gone out of fashion, except some few very old women, and
they now dress in handsome modern style. We visited the parson, Mr.
Ronthal, and the elder of the congregation, Mr. Hoeber. I became
acquainted with a former missionary, Mr. Oppelt, who was many years
amongst the Indians, one hundred miles the other side of Detroit, and
has baptized several of them. He has retired to Nazareth, and was busy
in making preparations of birds.
On our return to Bethlehem, we went rather roundabout, in order to see a
large farm, which is distinguished in the country on account of its good
management; it is occupied by a native of Nassau, Mr. Schlabach. His
fields are indeed in an excellent situation, as well as all his barns
and farm houses. This proprietor, who is now so wealthy, came over a
redemptioner, and owes his present wealth to his industry and frugality.
After dinner I went with Mr. Seidel, who is the guardian, to the great
female boarding-school. In the office where the small domestic library
is kept, which not only consists of religious books, but also belles
lettres, voyages and travels, I met the venerable Bishop Huffel, who
accompanied me, with Mr. Seidel, during my inspection of the school. In
this school we found about one hundred handsome young ladies, between
the ages of eight and eighteen years, who are carefully educated, and
who, besides the common school education, are instructed in drawing,
music, and all female accomplishments. They make very fine embroidery
and tapestry, and also handsome artificial flowers. They are divided
into four classes; in every class-room was a piano. I was informed that
they performed their morning and evening devotions by chanting. After
dinner they receive no other instructions but music and female
accomplishments; the latter part of the day is employed in walking in
the large garden, which lies in a vale behind the house. They have also
a hall for prayers, in which stands a piano, and which is often made use
of as a concert room. They sleep in large halls, with the
superintendents, and the girls have a very good appearance. The custom
which prevails in European boarding-schools, of dressing all the girls
in uniform, and distinguishing different classes by different ribands,
does not take place here; every girl dresses as she pleases. The
scholars are from all parts of the United States, even some from
Alabama.
After having examined this interesting establishment, I walked with the
bishop and Mr. Seidel on the banks of the brook, in order to examine
some works that are situated on the waterside. The first was the work
which forces the water into the cistern, as above-mentioned. By a
conductor from the brook, a water-wheel is set in motion; this wheel
works two pumps, which force the water into iron pipes leading into the
cistern. Not far from this work lives a currier by the name of Mr.
Leipert, who manufactures leather and morocco: in this establishment the
principal machinery is also moved by water. They have two ways here of
raising water, one is by boxes fastened on a large wheel, these boxes
fill themselves with water, when they are below, and throw it into a
gutter, when they come up; the other is by a common pump.
At last my companions introduced me to a gentleman, who, with trouble
and expense, had established a cabinet of ancient and other coins. This
collection was indeed extensive and valuable, recollecting that it was
in America.
I spent the evening very pleasantly in the young ladies school; all the
girls were assembled, and gave a musical entertainment, mostly songs
composed for several voices. But as the girls have to retire early, the
entertainment, for which I was indebted to the politeness of Mr. Seidel,
was soon ended. I remained a short time with Mr. Seidel, I then took my
leave of this worthy man, of the venerable Bishop Huffel, and the polite
Mr. Frueauf, with the intention of returning next spring, God willing,
to this lovely spot, with which I was so much delighted. In going home,
I heard the young ladies sing their evening hymn, and received a very
pretty serenade from twenty young folks of the place, who, although they
belong to the brotherhood, serve as the musical band of the militia.
I could not leave this peaceable and quiet Bethlehem without being
affected, whose inhabitants all live united like one family, in
brotherly and sisterly love, and seem all to have the same habits,
acquired by the same education and continued sociability. I returned
with the stage on the same bad road to Philadelphia by which I left it,
but better enjoyed the view of this beautiful, well cultivated and
thickly peopled country. The last part of the road was particularly
interesting to me. In the flourishing villages of Germantown and
Nicetown there are handsome gardens and country-seats of Philadelphians.
In the vicinity of Whitemarsh, I observed the remains of General
Washington’s entrenchments. Germantown, originally settled by Germans,
forms only one street, which is above three miles long. During the time
when the English occupied Philadelphia and its vicinity, General
Washington fell upon the English that were in and about Germantown. One
battalion of the British threw themselves into a stone house, and
defended themselves in it until the British army could rally again, and
drive the Americans back. The house is situated in a garden, about one
hundred paces from the road; near the house, in the street, is a well
which supplies the house with water; to keep possession of the well was
of great consequence to the British, and in its vicinity many men are
said to have lost their lives.
On the ensuing morning I went with Mr. Halbach to Mr. Vaux, in order to
visit under his guidance some other public institutions. At Mr. Vaux’s
we met several of the public characters of the city, with whom I had
conversations on various subjects of public utility, such as schools,
punishments, &c. Then we went into a Lancasterian free school, where
five hundred lads are instructed, and several hundred girls of the lower
classes. We did not see the girls; it was Saturday, which is a holiday.
The boys are of various ages, and are divided into eight classes, under
the inspection of one teacher and several monitors. They obey their
instructors by signals, all their motions are made according to these
signals, and they give their answers with the greatest precision. They
exercise their memory by reciting pieces of poetry, and making mental
calculations. They write well and all alike; they also receive
instruction in geography; one of the boys had drawn a good and correct
sketch of Thuringia. They ought to pay more attention to the dress of
the children, for some of them were in rags. The school is supported by
the city, and is under the direction of Quakers.
Of the courts of justice I will say nothing; they are entirely formed
after the English model. The common law of England is so well known, and
so many huge volumes written upon it, that I need say nothing on the
subject.
The state prison, which, about fifty years ago, was built for a county
jail, contained ad interim those prisoners which are intended for the
new penitentiary. For this reason this prison is overfilled with five
hundred prisoners; they were not sufficiently watched, and therefore
often riotous. Through a misdirected philanthropy of the Quakers, who
have also the direction of this prison, there are no guards on the
walls, nor in the passages, and but five overseers go continually
amongst the labouring prisoners, and their lives are often exposed. The
inspector of the house, Mr. Swift, seemed no way to favour this system,
which not only does not improve the morals of the convicts, but also
seems to threaten public security. At this time there was a bad feeling
among the prisoners, and they daily expected a riot. The Quakers
themselves, in spite of their philanthropy, seemed to have no great
confidence in the prisoners. In our walk through the prison with Mr.
Vaux, it was evident from his countenance that he felt uneasy, and as
the prisoners were assembled on the large stairs at twelve o’clock,
to go to their dinner, he ensconced himself behind the iron grate.
The female prisoners occupy one of the wings of the prison, and are
employed in spinning, sewing, knitting and pulling horse-hair, platting
straw, and washing. They sit in long warmed corridors, adjoining to the
doors of their bed-rooms; ten and more sleep in one room, on horse-hair
mattresses with blankets. There are also cells for solitary confinement
established for them; in one of them, four weeks since, a handsome girl
was confined that had been condemned for stealing, and affected to be a
simpleton, deaf and dumb, but during her solitary confinement she began
to speak sensibly, and with good understanding. The male prisoners
inhabit the other wing, and have the whole yard to themselves, where
there are several workshops. Most of the prisoners were busy in the yard
sawing marble, others weave, are tailors, shoemakers, &c. and there are
several good cabinet-makers, who make very fine furniture for the stores
in the city. All hands are busy: the invalids are mostly employed in
pulling horse-hair. In the bake-house of the institution they bake very
good brown bread, and each prisoner receives daily one pound and a half.
The prisoners have a long subterraneous room for an eating hall, which
is lighted with lamps, and receive daily good broth, fresh meat, and
potatoes. They certainly live much better than many an honest man who
has to maintain his family by his industry. A weaver was confined in the
solitary cells, who, in a moment of impatience, had cut through his
thread with a knife, because it was entangled. In each wing there is a
separate nursery for the patients of both sexes. In spite of the great
number of prisoners, great cleanliness is maintained.
His excellency, John Quincy Adams, President of the United States, had
just returned from a visit to his aged and venerable father near Boston,
and took the room next to mine in the Mansion-house. He had been invited
to the Wistar-Party on the 22d of October, at the house of Colonel
Biddle, and accepted the invitation to the gratification of all the
members. I also visited the party. The President is a man about sixty
years old, of rather short stature, with a bald head, and of a very
plain and worthy appearance. He speaks little, but what he does speak is
to the purpose. I must confess that I seldom in my life felt so true and
sincere a reverence as at the moment when this honourable gentleman whom
eleven millions of people have thought worthy to elect as their chief
magistrate, shook hands with me. He made many inquiries after his
friends at Ghent, and particularly after the family of Mr. Meulemeester.
Unfortunately I could not long converse with him, because every member
of the party had greater claims than myself. At the same time I made
several other new and interesting acquaintances, among others with a
Quaker, Mr. Wood, who had undertaken a tour through England, France,
Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia, mostly with the philanthropic view
of examining the prison discipline of those countries. I was much
gratified with his instructive conversation, although I had some
controversy with him on the prison discipline, as he heard that I did
not agree with his views relative to the new penitentiary, of which he
was one of the most active promoters. Mr. Livingston, who has effected
the abolition of capital punishment in the state of Louisiana, was here
lauded to the skies by the philanthropists. God send it success!
On the following day I paid my respects to the President, and gave him
the medals which Mr. Cornelissen at Ghent had confided to my care. One
silver medal was from the Botanic Society of Ghent, with an appropriate
inscription for the President; the other a bronze medal, which had been
struck in the year 1823, in honour of the Haerlem jubilee on the
discovery of the art of printing; both were sunk by the skilful artist
Mr. Braemt, at Brussels. In the evening I saw the President again, who
honoured with his presence a party at Mr. Walsh’s. I had first the
intention of leaving here to-day with the steam-boat for Baltimore, but
the arrival of the President changed my resolution, as I wished to
attend with him the anniversary, which was to be celebrated on the 24th
of October, and then to travel in his company to Baltimore.
In order to celebrate the day on which William Penn landed in the year
1683 in America, which was the origin of the state of Pennsylvania,
those who respect his memory have established a society, which
celebrates the 24th of October as a public festival. At this time the
celebration consisted of a public oration in the University and a public
dinner. Mr. Vaux called for me at twelve o’clock to go to the oration.
The building of the University of Pennsylvania was originally intended
as a dwelling for President Washington, who declined the present, and it
was then used for the University. A great number of people had collected
in one of the lecture rooms; they seated me within the tribune whence
the orator was to speak; the President, who entered soon after me, was
led to the same place, and received with loud and warm acclamations. The
oration was delivered by a lawyer, Mr. Charles Ingersoll; it contained
rather a statistic account of the state of Pennsylvania than of the
landing of William Penn; this the Quakers did not like, although the
oration was well conceived and generally admired. The orator mentioned a
particular fact, which, as far as I know, is unknown in Europe, viz.
William Penn mentions in one of his writings, of which I had already
seen the original in the library of the Philosophical Society, shown to
me by Mr. Vaughan, that by an act of Charles II. this land was given to
William Penn, and his Majesty, in honour of Penn’s father, Admiral Penn,
called it Pennsylvania; he, William Penn, had proposed the name of New
Wales, but the king did not sanction this name; Penn then offered to the
secretary of the king twenty guineas, if he would persuade the king to
call the country merely Sylvania; but even this proposition did not
succeed; the name of Pennsylvania was very unpleasant to him; for they
would think it great vanity in him, although he was very far from being
vain. In his observations concerning the manufactures of Pennsylvania,
the orator went now and then too far. He said, for instance, that
nowhere, not even in Europe, are better carriages made than in
Philadelphia, although the carriages of this place are not the very best
nor the most convenient. The school establishments, however, he pointed
out in a too indifferent light, and confessed complainingly that in the
northern states they were farther advanced than here; he particularly
observed that the University of Pennsylvania was in a poor condition. He
also complained of the dissipation of the lower classes. This oration
was much applauded; the audience likewise exhibited their respect to the
President as he retired.
I sat next to Judge Peters, a venerable gentleman of eighty-two years of
age, who was secretary of war during the revolution; moreover, I was
introduced here to Mr. Washington, nephew of the hero, and Judge in the
Supreme Court of the United States. He is the heir of his uncle, and
possessor of Mount Vernon, where his ashes rest. After the oration I
inspected the anatomical cabinet of the University; it is not a rich
collection, but has some interesting articles, viz. two wax figures of
full size, which can be taken to pieces; also a collection of human
skulls, among which I remarked particularly the flattened skulls of two
Peruvian Indians, and also a skeleton of a Creek Indian; many samples of
fractured and badly cured human bones, and many curious bones; parts of
the human body, injected or preserved in alcohol, &c.
At four o’clock, P. M. I drove with Mr. Vaux to the Masonic Hall, where
the dinner was to be given. About seventy persons, mostly gentlemen of
my acquaintance, were present. The President of the United States sat on
the right of Judge Peters, who was president of the dinner, and sat in
William Penn’s chair; I sat on the left of this worthy old gentleman,
and on my left was the orator of the day, Mr. Ingersoll. Behind Judge
Peters’s chair was William Penn’s portrait, painted in oil, and under
that was a copperplate of his well known treaty with the Indians. The
vice-president of the table was Mr. Duponceau, a Frenchman who has
resided in this country forty-seven years, and during the revolution was
adjutant to Baron Steuben; he is a lawyer, and pleads very well in the
English language. This gentleman possesses a rare talent for languages,
and has a particular fondness for the German. Gœthe’s Faust is his
favourite work, and as I agreed with his taste, we entertained ourselves
for a long time with Faust, alternately reciting our favourite passages.
The first health that was drank, was naturally that of the President of
the United States; his excellency rose, and in a short speech thanked
them heartily; as my health was drank, I also rose, excused my imperfect
knowledge of the English, and begged permission to thank them in the
French language, wherein I could express myself better and more
fluently. I then spoke a few words from the bottom of my heart,
expressing the sincere interest I take in the happiness and welfare of
this country; I congratulated the society on the pious feelings with
which they celebrate the memory of their ancestors, and particularly of
that excellent man who laid the foundation of this great community;
these would be the best security for their future prosperity.
I expressed my gladness at being present on this occasion, to witness
their animated sentiments, thanked them, feeling fully for the kind
reception I had met with, and told them that this festival, which was
still more valuable on account of the presence of the chief magistrate
of this great nation, would never fade from my memory, and that I hoped
to leave behind me friends in the new world when I should have returned
to the old. I concluded with wishes of blessings and happiness. It
appeared to me that my plain address was not unkindly received. The
president retired at eight o’clock, and I remained until ten. Among the
commonly called volunteer toasts, the following were drank: “Weimar, the
native country of letters!” I rose and said, that to this toast I could
only answer by a modest silence, as it was worthy to be answered by a
learned man from Weimar, and unfortunately I could not pretend to be
one. When young, I had left home for a military school, to run my career
in the chances of war, so that the sciences did not enter my door.
I therefore, gave them in reply, the following toast: “Pennsylvania, the
asylum of unfortunate Germans!” This toast was received with great
applause. The venerable Judge Peters[I-26] sung a song, which he
composed the preceding evening, with a great deal of vivacity, and every
one was merry and lively.
[Footnote I-26: [Recently deceased.]--TRANS.]
The society have their laws written on parchment, bound in a very
elegant volume. This book was placed before the president and myself, to
sign; we signed it, and by this means became honorary members of this
respectable society.