The place from which the following letter is indited, can be forgotten
by no one that has ever seen it. A fine view of _Northampton_ may be
had from the top of the _Mansion House_, where the visiter commonly
abides; but whoever ascends _Mount Holyoke_, is rewarded for his pains,
with a prospect of surpassing beauty. In _Virginia_, we may have from
our summits, a view of mountains on the one hand, and on the other a
country comparatively level, with occasional spots of cultivation; but
there is seldom any greater variety. Nothing else is afforded by the
_Peaks of Otter_. _Mount Holyoke_, furnishes a combination of beauties.
The spectator beholds mountains and lowland; a country wild and rugged
in one direction and in the highest state of cultivation in another. He
has before him the lovely village of _Northampton_, with others not far
distant. And the _Connecticut_, is seen winding its way, amongst its
fertile meadows, in so circuitous and yet so regular a manner, as to
make the country on its banks resemble a beautiful parterre. The water
prospect gives to the scene its chief source of interest. _Mount
Holyoke_, rises not so high as _Catskill_; nor is the _Connecticut_ so
distant from it, as the _Hudson_ from the latter. And it is owing to
this, that the water view, is finer from its summit, than from the
_Pine Orchard_. The distance is sufficient to "lend enchantment to the
view"--not so great as to prevent a spectator from seeing any beautiful
object that a nearer view would embrace, with all the distinctness that
is desirable. A Virginian, who has high authority for supposing that a
visit to _Harper's Ferry_ is worth a trip across the Atlantic, may ask
if _Mount Holyoke_ surpasses this famous _Virginia_ scene. State pride
must yield to candor, and acknowledge that it does. The prospect from
what is called the _Eagle Rock_, two miles distant from Harper's Ferry
on the Loudoun side, is certainly very fine, and calculated to remove
in some degree that disappointment, which one who has read Mr.
_Jefferson's_ description is apt to feel, when the scene from the
_Jefferson Rock_ is first beheld by him. But the view of the streams at
Harper's Ferry, beheld from any point, cannot compare in beauty with
the Connecticut at Northampton. And, in other respects, Harper's Ferry
must yield to Mount Holyoke. It will not do to put the workshops of the
former against the beautiful villages seen from the latter. Harper's
Ferry cannot in any way obtain pre-eminence, until the spectator
becomes conscious of the justness of _Mr. Jefferson's_ opinion as to
the mode in which the water first passed through the Blue Ridge. And,
to be able to acknowledge the correctness of that opinion, must be a
work of some difficulty after looking at the _Potomac_ and
_Shenandoah_, and seeing how small a power is produced by the two
streams combined.
The author of the letter, in speaking of the ladies of _New England_,
repudiates what he terms a leading argument for slavery. The individual
who is led by a perusal of the letter to make the following remarks, is
certainly not an advocate of slavery; but his own observation, has
brought him to some conclusions, from which he inclines to think, the
intelligent gentleman by whom that letter was written, will scarcely
dissent. Whoever has travelled in a stage or steamboat in Virginia, and
travelled also in stages and steamboats in the non-slave-holding
states, must have perceived that more deference and respect are shown
towards female travellers with us, than in the northern and eastern
states. In a southern steamboat, men will not be seen scrambling for
seats at table, before the ladies are provided with places; and, in a
southern stage, a female traveller will always be offered that seat
which it is supposed she would prefer. If more consideration be shown
for female travellers, in the slave-holding than in the
non-slave-holding states,--the next inquiry is, whether slavery be the
cause of the difference. It may be admitted, that in the southern
states, the men who travel are for the most part gentlemen; while to
the north, a large proportion of those who are perpetually moving
about, are persons who have never been accustomed to any good society,
and have very little idea of good breeding. Again--it may be admitted,
that our steamboats are generally less crowded, and there is
consequently less inducement to be guilty of that indelicacy, which is
so often seen in a northern boat. Do these facts explain the cause of
the difference above alluded to? They do not. For we find to the south,
that a theatre, or a place for the delivery of a public speech, may be
filled by citizens, without any distinction of persons; and yet
respectable females coming to a place thus crowded, would be treated
with more consideration than would be shown towards them at the north
under similar circumstances. There must be some other cause for the
difference; and slavery is in a great degree that cause. To the north,
in consequence of the absence of slavery, many females, even in
respected ranks of life, perform duties which here would devolve upon
our slaves. Nor do the duties which they perform consist merely of
unseen employments within doors. A very large proportion of the sex
engage in the business of buying and selling, and travel about
unattended. Thus embarking in what with us would be regarded as the
proper offices of men, the consequence is that they are treated with
not more respect than is shown towards men. This remark is applicable,
as before stated, to a large proportion--to so large a proportion, that
the general rule of deference towards the sex, which prevails to the
south--can scarcely be said to prevail, in the northern states; but
those by whom, and to whom that deference is there shown, are rather to
be regarded as exceptions. A gentleman to the north, will treat one
whom he _knows_ to be a lady, with courtesy and respect. To the south,
this previous information, is not so indispensable. We act upon a
general presumption in favor of the sex. A female with us, is treated
with courtesy and respect, unless something be known as to her
character, or be apparent in her conduct, which justifies the
conclusion that she is not entitled to be so treated.