P.S. I send you one of my notes; I can afford to part with it. If you
are accused of receiving money from me, you may pay it over to my
assignees. Robthetill continues to be my factotum; I say no more of him
in this place; he will give you an account of himself.
Dotandcarryonetown, &c.
Dear Miss,--Mr. Touchandgo will have told you of our arrival here, of
our setting up a bank, and so forth. We came here in a tilted wagon,
which served us for parlour, kitchen, and all. We soon got up a
log-house; and, unluckily, we as soon got it down again, for the first
fire we made in it burned down house and all. However, our second
experiment was more fortunate; and we are pretty well lodged in a house
of three rooms on a floor--I should say the floor, for there is but one.
This new state is free to hold slaves; all the new states have not this
privilege. Mr. Touchandgo has bought some, and they are building him a
villa. Mr. Touchandgo is in a thriving way, but he is not happy here: he
longs for parties and concerts, and a seat in Congress. He thinks it
very hard that he cannot buy one with his own coinage, as he used to do
in England. Besides, he is afraid of the Regulators, who, if they do not
like a man's character, wait upon him and flog him, doubling the dose at
stated intervals, till he takes himself off. He does not like this
system of administering justice: though I think he has nothing to fear
from it. He has the character of having money, which is the best of all
characters here, as at home. He lets his old English prejudices
influence his opinions of his new neighbours; but I assure you they have
many virtues. Though they do keep slaves, they are all ready to fight
for their own liberty; and I should not like to be an enemy within reach
of one of their rifles. When I say enemy, I include bailiff in the term.
One was shot not long ago. There was a trial; the jury gave two dollars
damages; the judge said they must find guilty or not guilty, but the
counsel for the defendant (they would not call him prisoner) offered to
fight the judge upon the point; and as this was said literally, not
metaphorically, and the counsel was a stout fellow, the judge gave in.
The two dollars damages were not paid after all; for the defendant
challenged the foreman to box for double or quits, and the foreman was
beaten. The folks in New York made a great outcry about it, but here it
was considered all as it should be. So you see, Miss, justice, liberty,
and every thing else of that kind, are different in different places,
just as suits the convenience of those who have the sword in their own
hands. Hoping to hear of your health and happiness, I remain,
Dear Miss, your dutiful servant,