Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-15

.ioa retention excited, and which be-
WI VIZ i that Of the Americans generaliy VINO VI,
new sre. though I think ours was not lessened
ST ,e,,ers of Madame De P, who had
WV j ,hs way for our reception. My intro
passo was as you know from Judge P, a.
d'sa whom the General amused mi with a
O0u. ,..d running anecdotes which l had not
hunu' 20 wit: on entering Philadelphia in the
asna nebe. General Lafayette apologized to him
Ds'o sa ;nconyenience he sustained on his &C
Pr and said that he feared that he CHE
eo," . wonld be almost blinded with the dust.
lauSs Forget" he replied, shat am a Judge
LAWYERS are continually throwing dust in my
NE Whilst receiving the citizens in the
Tn &c independence, a corps OF military inter
na sresen,ed themselves, and after the GUS
Msr greetings, the captain of the company
ieu~, 10 General Lafayette: "Although we
Ss w. not had the honor to share with you the
hangers Of the revolution, we VIII endeavor TO
aa 10 = N Your Shoes "Impossible," replied
,sdce p, who was standing by,"we had no
.Soss.n could relate many anecdotes OF the
Ind. but they would be too numerous.
81 had a great deal of interesting converse
i'm on American topics with the General. He
..emed TO be particularly interested in the sub
~, Of the Pennsylvania Penitentiary, and is
smd very hostile to the system. "Ihe people
,fpepnsylvania think" said he, "that the sys-
-, &C solitary confinement is a new idea, a new
Iscoyery; not so--it is only the revival OF the
.ssem Of the Bastile. The state of PennsyE
,1snia. which has given to the world an exam
Ne Of humanity, and whose code OF philanthro-
~ has been quoted and canvassed by all Ea'
yone. is now about to proclaim to the world the
efficacy of the system, and 10 revive and re-
.,ore the cruel code Of the most barbarous and
onepliehtened age. There is another feature,
.,id he. which chilled me to look on; ! saw the
,,rrets. which flank the corners of the wall,
from which the ~sentries are 10 overlook the es-
enlistment. / have been subject TO all this;
and of all the suHerings Of my life none have
sxceeded--none have equalled--that single OPP
nre,sion of being for three whole years, asleep
and awake, sitting or standing, exposed TO the
view Of two eyes, watching my every motion,
taking from MY very thoughts every idea OF
plivacy. l can truly say that Imprisonment oil
itself was mercy compared TO this. | am told
,ha, they are TO be without the least employ
men,. and are not 10 be allowed the use OF
books. Now ] was not put into confinement
as a thief, and / cannot with certainty speak
as 10 the effect this system will have on
them. Iwascon6ned for my tendency to revo!u-
,ionary principles; and during the whole time
Of nv imprisonment, all my thoughts were d.
rcted 70 one single object, and my head fuilsoi
plans for revoluiionizing Europe. SO think
il will be with the thief; and when he shall be
restored to society, it will be with his head .ull
Of plans, concocted and devised during this sim
gularly favorable opportunily.I hope my friends
OF Pennsylvania will consider the effect this
system had on the poor prisoners OF The bas-
,ile.' 81 repaired to the %scene," said he, "on
The second day Of the demolition, and found
that all 1.-The prisoners had been deranged by their
solitary confinement, except one. HssAal been
prisoner twenty-five years, and wasted forth
during the height Of the tumultuous riot OF
the people, whilst engaged in tearing down the
building. He looked around with amazement;
for he had seen nobody for that space OF time,
and before night he was so affected that he be-
came a confirmed maniac, from which situation
he never was recovered
"Around the General is a crowd OF Amerl-
cans generally, and fear that many OF our
countrymen impose on his good nature, and
tia, too in a manner which is distressing 10
every one having the leas, feeling OF honor.
have been told, that within the last week he has
had nine applications for The loan OF money;
and such is the peculiarly of his situation, that
he cannot refuse ] mentioned this TO Mr..
Brown, and he said that he did not doubt the
auth Of the story; and told me several instan-
cs Of the same kind, which came under his
own personal knowledge. The old gentleman
is obliged to keep many of his own country
men, SO that he has his hands full. Around
him is TO be found a delightful society, and the
Liberals assemble there as to a common centre.
Amongst the company ! me, Mr.. Benjamin
Constant, the celebrated member OF the Cham
Der Of Deputies, and ! think | have not seen In
France a more interesting man."
LAKE ERIE,
This valuable body Of water, which bounds
the northern part Of Ohio, is rapidly becoming
The vehicle Of an extensive commerce. a few
years ago only one steamboat navigated this
lake, anc that one with little encouragement;
now six regularly ply between the border VII
ages on its shore and points on the western
lakes. Nearly one hundred coasting vessels