The national whig., 1847-07-07
NATIONAL WHIG.
For the National Wing.
HARPER'S FERRY.


The scenery at Harper's Ferry, Virginia,
is perhaps the most picturesque IN the Uni
ted States. The view of this delightful spot
from the summit OF the Blue Ridge, is en-
chanting. Lofty and difficult Of access as
the ton of the Ridge proves TO the uninitia-
ted, tile grandeur of the scene below fully
compensates the adventurer for his trouble.
Immediately beneath your feet rolls the Po-
,omac and Shenandoah, encircling in their
folds the beautiful village Of Harper's Ferry;
then forming junction, their waters now
on in silent beauty until lost amid the gorges
of the distant mountains. Far in the dis
tance are seen succession Of woody plains,
diversified with farm houses and villages,
gradually growing more and more indistinct,
until they fade away into the SUBMITS Of
the Alleghanies. Mr.. Jefferson, in his bril-
liant description OF this scene, says:
"The passage of the Potomac through
the Blue Ridge is, perhaps, one Of the most
stupendous scenes in nature. You stand on
very high point of land on your right
comes up the Shenandoah, having ranged
along the foot of the mountains hundred
miles, to seek vent on your left approach
rs the Potomac, in quest Of passage also;
IN the moment OF their junction they rush
together against the mountain, Iend it asun-
der, and pass off to the sea. The first glance
of this scene hurries our senses into the
opinion that the mountains were formed
first; that the rivers began to flow after
wards; that, in this place particularly, they
have been damned up by the Blue Ridge of
mountains, and have formed an ocean which
filled the whole valley that, continuing to
Use, they have at length broken over at This
spot, and have torn the mountain down from
its summit to its base. The piles of rock
on each hand, but particularly on the She
nandoah-the evident marks Of their dis
rupiion and evulsion from their beds by the
most powerful agents OF nature, corrobora-
ting the impression. But The distant finish
ing which nature has given 10 the picture is
OF very different character; it is a true
contrast to the foreground; il is as placid
and delightful as that is wild and tremen-
dous; for the mountain being cloven asun-
der, she presents to your eye, through the
cleft, a small closet Of smooth blue horizon,
at an infinite distance in the plain country,
invitins you as it were from the riot and
tumult roaring around, 10 pass through the
breach, and participate in the calm below
Here the eye ultimately composes itself, and
that way too the road happens actually TO
lead. You cross the Potomac just above lis
junction, pass along its side through the
base of the mountain for three miles, its
terrible precipices hanging over you, and
within about twenty miles reach Frederick
town, and the fine country round that. This
scene is worth voyage across the Atlantic"
Enthusiastic as Jefferson is in this descrip-
ton, he does moi exceed the truth. Foreign
ers have borne ample testimony to the splen-
dor of the prospect from the top of the ridge
at Harper's Ferry, admitting that there are
few scenes in Europe which surpass it. 1t
is time to do justice to American scenery.
Hundreds OF our citizens annually cross the
Atlantic, for the purpose of visiting the see
merry OF Europe, under the mistaken suppo-
sition that their own countr, nj nJs nothing
10 compensate them for the uouble of visit.
This ignorance is less general than formerly,
but it still prevails to considerable extent;
yet no country affords finer or more mag
nifcent scenery than America. go up the
Hudson, travel along the banks Of the Sus-
quehanna, cross the Alleghanies, or ascend
The Catskill; loiter over the fairy-like wa
tiers of Lake Huron, and you will cease 10
believe that America affords no scenery to
reward the traveller. We say nothing Of
Niagara, or Trenton falls, or OF the noun
tain scenery scattered all over the south.
We say nothing Of the vast prairies of the
west, Of the boundless melancholy expanse
Of the Mississippi, Of the magnificent see
merry on the route TO St. Anthony's falls.
Let ourpeople v,sitthese before going abroad
Let them learn to do justice to the country
Of their birth. G. Nj.