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 princ.i.p.al 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 p.r.o.nounced 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 ent.i.tle 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 inst.i.tution, 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 inst.i.tutions. 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 sh.e.l.ls, &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 cla.s.ses: 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 pa.s.sed 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 pa.s.sed 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 a.s.sists 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 inc.u.mbered with difficulties, the company owning the mines, made a dam in the river, through which ca.n.a.ls pa.s.s 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 pa.s.sed 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 pa.s.sed 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 const.i.tutes a princ.i.p.al 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 pa.s.ses partly through a well kept wood, and partly through a well cultivated country. A great many single farms, which we pa.s.sed, showed the wealth of their owners. One of the places we pa.s.sed, 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 cla.s.ses, 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 cla.s.s 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 Na.s.sau, 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 cla.s.ses; in every cla.s.s-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 cla.s.ses 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 princ.i.p.al 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 a.s.sembled, 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, G.o.d 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 inst.i.tutions. 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 cla.s.ses. We did not see the girls; it was Sat.u.r.day, which is a holiday.
The boys are of various ages, and are divided into eight cla.s.ses, 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 pa.s.sages, 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 a.s.sembled 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 inst.i.tution 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 s.e.xes. 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. G.o.d 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 cla.s.ses. 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. Gthe"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 pa.s.sages.
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.