The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-19
LETTER FROM A TRAVELLER.
To the Editor of the National Era:

LETTER FROM A TRAVELLER.
To the Editor of the National Era.
One pleasant morning a short time since,
left home and friends, in Toledo, Ohio and
rode on the back of steam "Swan down the
broad Maumee, and across its bay, to the Lake
pier of the Southern Michigan Railroad, at
Monroe, Michigan. This road has recently
been finished, with T rail. entirely through
from Monroe to Chicago. The road has two
examinations on Lake Erie-Toledo and Mon
roe; but as small portion of the road near
the former is not yet laid with the T rail- the
express train at present runs to Monroe only;
while the way train, and nearly all the freight
trains, in consequence of the very superior har-
Dor facilities of Toledo, make ii their terminus
and starting point. The Company this spring
established line of three swift and elegant
new steamers to Dunkirk and Buffalo, starting
at Toledo and stopping at Monroe to take the
passengers OF the express train from the West
Travellers between the Northwestern and the
Eastern States have now the choice of two ex-
press routes-the Central Michigan Railroad,
with their fine steamers Ocean, May
flower" and Atlantic" connecting at Detroit
and the Southern Michigan and Northern In
diana Railroad with their still nObler new
steamers, "Northern Indiana" Southern
Michigan" and Empire State connecting
at Toledo and Monroe. The latter Company
found 1T necessary, in order to obtain good
landing for their large steamers to carry the
road three miles beyond Monroe, towards the
Lake, and across the marshes of La Plasance
Bay. The Government has expended consid-
cradle sums in making ship canal from the
Lake, through this marsh, up to the town but
it has not been much used.
We joined the passengers from the Western
express train, in the new and spacious depot
and eating house; and had dinner of very good
beef and beans washed down by the pure lake
water, and sent on its way rejoicing by
bracing breeze from the Lake. We were soon
aftcrward booked on the Southern Mich.
gan" and the noble steamer started, apparent
ly agitated at first by the suddenness of the
parting, and trembling all over The relations
of the long-drawn-out marshes behind to the
noble boat seemed to be of the most Affection
ate nature; for, when half mile out upon the
Lake and apparently in deep water the vel
low mud suddenly boiling up behind, betrayed
parting kiss from shore. The boat made the
Dunkrk landing in the night and got to Buff
falO after breakfast just in the nick of time to
mass the o'clock express train to Albany
with which it is bound to connect, and for
which most of the passengers were destined
But accidents will happen" Sc, and the pas
sengers deemed it wise to swear not at all
neither by the captain above, nor the boat be-
Death nor the waters under the boat but
smothered anger was strong within, and the
pent vessels of wrath have probably ere this
elected their cargoes here and there throughout
the country, in doses of homeopathic power
However, we found the accommodation train.
which started two hours later, very pleasant
The track WAS free from dust, and the green
country, fresh with the fragrance of recent
showers, and spotted with the golden fruition
of bOuntiful wheat harvest, soon put us in
excellent spirits again. The CHEEKY ring of the
mowers scythe-stone groups of Graders gazing
at our rushing train, and occasionally "whoo
haw from alongside great load of hay,
crowding with elephantne swaggcr through
the gateway of some old barn yard, were among
the rural sights and sounds that exhilarate the
spirits and restore the tone of cheerful humor
We arrived at Syracuse about sund0wn on
Saturday evening, and remained over Sun
day. 1t would be hard to decide whether SYRIA
cuse best deserves the title of the Salt city, or
the Hotel city. Certainly there is not another
town of its size, with so many noble hotels
The business buildings of the city are also re-
markable for their uniformly fine appearance
caused in good degree by ornamental forms
the brick is made to assume, especially in cor
nice designs Several of the new churches are
very fine. The new Presbyterian church on
the main street, near the centre Of the town,
is very fine specimen of Gothic architecture,
looking as permanent as good red sandstone
masonry, from foundation to spire-tOp, can
make it, Another church. on one of the prin.
cpal residence streets leading out of town, Il
forget the name,) has one of the most beautiful
spire designs have seen, but, unfortunately is
built of wood. The second Baptist is very
fine brick edfce, with a most elegant spre, OF
wood, in the Roman-classical style. Like many
of our wooden spires it has undertaken to ape
the leaning tower of Pisa-whether from being
weaker in one leg than the other or whether
it bends to the East to catch the first glimpse
of the second rising of that star that led the
wise men of old to Bethlehem, it would be diff.
fcut to determine.
There are many gems of private residences
in Syracuse, but noticed none with very ex-
tenslvely beautiful grounds. The hills cncom-
passing the city command views of country
richly varied in surface, and bright with grain
fields and white villages On one of the near
est hills is a new Penitentiary, of brick, in the
S"Secii1tcd niyic-a styic, Wy VIC way, auihh-
rably adapted to uses which correspond 80 well
with the bloody villanage system of the feudal
times in which it originated And yet this
castellated STYLE in spite of its very unchrs
tan associations and inherently ugly outlines,
has within q few years been largely used in
fashionable church architecture!
Syracuse and its environs bear such marks
of high intelligence and prosperity, that | do
not wonder it has been the scene of one of the
most exciting popular protests against that
odlous act for the encouragement of national
kidnapping How thankful We ought to be
that our Government does its part toward the
suppression of the slave trade on the coast of
Africa. What a blessing we confer on that
benighted region. But here, in free. enlght-
ened, happy America what a waste of ma.
tional benefcence it would be 10 do the same
thing. Waste! No. Crime! punishable with
fines and imprisonment
otis darkest just before the day. Beware
of the undercurent!P Aye politicians, be.
rare Of the undeT-cUrent, for, while your
heads are buoyed high upon some wave that |
bears you hopefully toward the prize held out |
by your Southern enticers, the smaller currents |
of individual conscience that you buffeted and |
contemptuously passed, have joined in one
broad and deep current under all the Tranquil |
surface, and Nil soon suddenly suck you down, |
and bury you deep among the bones of the for
gotten and the despised
do not remember whether Syracuse or |
Auburn is the home of Senator Seward |
l..t ~ l. r.