The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-07

vhich spent IL philadelphia, went 70 church.
which wa not wanting in associakions; the COM
muniop plate nd ben givsp ny Qussn Anne,
and ! sst in W pew o. deaerL washington"
temporary. Chisf Jus6ics MarshaiI, said that, in
contradiction to what vas oAen thought, he was
a man Of decided genius; but he was such per-
son6cakion OF wisdom, that he never put anything
forward which the occasion did not absolutely re-
quire. Il seemed to me III there at
ness IN society, more resemblance To what would
be called fashionable clas in European cities,
than had found in America elsewhere.
My nsxf brief pause al Baltimore. At q
halt on the railroad. on my way thilher, heard
the conductor, Or gsard. say 70 Ne gro, g caa-
my first intimation that had crossed the border
which divides freedom from slavery. | quote
from the entry which made upon noting these
words that evening 49," De- Narration Of Independ-
ence, which read yesterday! pillar Of Washing
ton. which ! have looked on to-day what are
yer"
must now give myself some little vent. IL
was subject which | felt during my whole so
journ in America, AZ feel il still TO be paramount
in interest 10 every other. II was one on which
l intended and endeavored to observe sound dis
erection. We have not ourselves long enough
washed of the stain to give the right to rail a.
those whom we had originally inoculatsd with
the pest; and stranger. abandantiy experiencing
could not with any propretv interfere
wantoniy upon the most delicate and difficult point
of another nations policy. l could not, however,
fail often and deeply TO feel, in the progress o.
my. intercourse with many in that country,--,
/" Come not, my soul, into their secrets; to their
council, my heart, be not thou united" At the
same time, wished never TO make an improper
compromise Of my opinion. made it point 10
pay special respsct TO the leading AboIitionists--
those who had laborsd or suffered in the cause
when came within reach Of them.
At Boston committed the more overt act Of at
tending the anti-slavery fair, which then was al
most considered some hing of a measure. was
much struck, in the distinguished aid agreeable
companies which | had the good fortune to fire.
quent, with a few honorable exceptions, at the
tone Of disparagement, contempt, and anger with
which the AbOiitionists were mentioned; just as
any very patrican company in thi. country would
course, now speaking Of the free Northern States;
in the South an AboIitionist could not he known
to exist. MY impression ia, that in the subse-
quent interval the dislike, the anger may remain,
and may probably have been heightened; but that
the feeling Of slight, Of ignoring, TO use current
phrase, their very existence, must have been
sensibly checked. There were some who told me
that they made ut the business Of their lives to su
perintend the passage of runaway slaves through
tho free States; they reckoned, that about one
thousand yearly escaped into Canada doubt
whether the enactment and operation OF the Fusi-
tive slave law will damp the ardor of their exer-
tons. 1t may be easy to speak discreetly and
plausiby about the paramount duty Of not con-
travening the law; but how would you feel, my
countrymen, if the fugitive was at your feet, and
the man-hunter at the door! admit that the ma
esty Of the law is on one side; but the long, deep
mse v, Of whole human life ID on the other.
What you oughtto feel is fsrvent gratitude to the
power which has averted from your shores and
.,he ,h;s 20 mi Of me add
felt symphaty with those who are sustaining it.
At Balti sore, thought there was more pic
turesuue disposition of ground tan in any other
city Of the Union, it is built on swelling emf
nences, commanding views of the widening Ches-
apeake, noble arm Of the sea. There are an
unusal number Of public monuments for an Anne
rican town, and hence it has been christened the
monumental city. found that the type of trees
began to change the Virginia cedar and the tulip
tree abound. found the same hospitality which
had greeted me everywhere, and the good living
seemed to me carried to its greatest height; they
have in perfection kind Of land tortoise, and the
canvass back duck, most unrivalled bird in any
country With reference~to the topic have
lately touched upon, a shareholders convention
was being held al the time Of my visit, for tie State
Of Maryland They had been led TO adopt this
step by the apprehension felt off the increase Of the
free colored population, and what they termed
their demoralizing action on the slaves. Ire Ian
violent, but they very nearly subjected to lynch
law man whom they suspected to be reporter
for an aboIitionist newspaper. trust that we are
not going to copy that system in this country.
dined with the daughter of Charles Carroll, who,
when signing the Declaration Of Independence,
was told by. bystander that ne would incur no.
danger, as there were so many OF the same nan
-" Of Carrollton," he added to his name, and I
think it is the only one upon the docume 1t which
has any appendage. Being thus nobly fathered.
it is rather curious that this venerable lady sho I'D
have been the mother Of three English peereses
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore
was one of the company; he wore his long violet
robes, which have never seen done on similar
occa sions, either in Ireland or this country.
From Baltimore transferred myself to Wash
ngton, the seat Of Government and capitol of the
American Union. never saw 20 strange place;
it affords strong contrast to the regularity, COM
pactness, neatness and animation Of the trans
atlantic cities had hitherto visited; il is spread
very large space in this way, justifying the
expression Of some one who wished 70 pay it a
compliment, but did not know very well what at
tribute to select, so he termed it city Of magn6
cent DISTANCES. 1t extends or rather sprawIs; it
looks as il it had rained houses at random, o. like
half dozen indifferent villages scattered over a
goose common. Here and there, as II to heighten
the contrast with the mennness Of the rest, there
are some very handsome public buildings, and the
American Capitol the meeting place Of the legis-
Iature, and the seat Of empire, though not exempt
from architectural defects, towers proudly on a
steep ascent which commands the subject town,
and the course Of the broad Potomac, which makes
the only redeeming feature Of The natural land
scape. In short, while almost every other place
which saw in America gives the impression OF
life and progress, Washir gton appears not only
stsgnant but retrograde. No busy commerce cir
culates in its streets, no brilliant shops Diversity
its mean ranges of -built houses, but very few
equipages move along it's wide, spIashy, dreary
avenurs. it, TOO, in the prime Of its season.
during the sitting Of Congress; when it is not sit
ting, he members ofthe legislature and officers of
the Government dispense themselves over the
breadth Of the Union, and leave the a,,tol TO the
clerks of the public officers, and does h not seem
profan aion to say ii, the slaves, who still per-
United to inhabit what should rightfulIy be the
metropolis Of freedom. II is at least gratifying to
know, that in the last esson Of Congress, the
slave trade has been abolished in the District of
the small portion Of territory immedi-
aieiy annexed to Washington. When they are
here, the members Of Congress- are mostly packed
t~gether in large and inferior boarding houses, a
great portion Of them not bringing their wives and
miles over the immense distances Of country |
hey have to traverse; hence it also happens that