The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-04-17
FOR THE INDEPENDENT PREss.1
Philadelphia Correspondence,
PHILADELPHIA ADr

| PHILADELPHIA. April 10, 1857
ar. Editor Since vacated the chair of
"hich You arc now the occupant my cxerci.
seS ~ writing have been infrcquent that l
'ee' III again making an attempt of that kind.
even more awkward than ever before-wben
was younger more Inspiring, and probably
'e'> ''"Se'ouS OF the clumsness Of the perfor.
'""nces 'hen exhibited to the public. Never
'"e'eSS' rs am under promise to contribute
'n,.e' . now and then, during my sojourn in this
o'.y VI hro'heriy Love- to your weekly re-
ro'''ory oi facts fancy and philosophy, it be-
comes mc to do the best that may be under the
! circumstances.
oh my way thither, being detained, on Sat.
~ III Washington City, by the non. RUNNING
oi the usual morning train to Baltimore, I tool,
occasion to visit the Presidents house md
grounds surrounding it. or course 1 Ind ro
opportunity of seeing "Old Buck" much NJ
Such sight would have pleased myself
and an enthusiastic Democrat of .Tbe
Green lsle' who was with me. pre.
sumo the Old fellow had gone to church. as
everything about the mansion seemed o,ot
though that is generally the case, is it not Mr.
Editor, at all times, about all bachelor hall, ?
After walking round and about the Presidential
mansion I'LL the curiosity Of my Irish friend
was apPeased somewhat, sought out the fa.
nous equestrian statue of jackson, which,
strange to say, had failed to visit during a
| former stay of some weeks in the Federal Citv
| 1t is certainly of the grandest works of
art nave ever seen. The representati Oh is of
the old hero, in more than life.size, dressed in
his military costume, with sword by his side
holsters at his saddle bow, and cap in hand
mounted ON his war.charger, apparently in the
act of addressing his troops, statues of whom
are of course to be imagined to fill out the
picture. The Whole Is in piece of cast
iron, or compound Of iron, even to the bride.
re'ns and stirrup.straps, and accurately has
it been adjusted that the the charger stands
perfectly poised on his hinder feet with no
support whatever from any other source-iust
as though he were actually the living animal
The pedestal on which the statue stands is
some eight or ten feet high. con attempt to
convey no idea of the beauty and grandeur of
this noble work of art, but would advise every
one who may chance to spend an hour or two
IN the city not to :nil to paying it visit 1t
! stands in Lafayette square, directly opnosite
to and in front of the Presidential Mansion
The new wings Of the capitol appear to be
progressing slowly, though it is hard to sav
with what speed such enormous structures
should progress. When completed they will
make the National Capitol giant edifec in.
deed.
l was sorry to see that the Washington
Monument still stood as saw it Just two Years
before. IT, is certainly an unfortunate circum.
stance I'm my jndgncnt) that it is located 90
near the bnnks of the river, and consequently in
so depressed SITE nevertheless rs it has reach.
cd such height it seems to me the American
people, whether they are to remain one o. not.
should see that it is reared to lie heipht ot
hrst proposed, which was to he. if I remember
rightly, seven hundred feet above the level of
the water. One reason of this neglect it seems
t" me is to he found in the fact Of the too early
agitation OF the subject of purchasing Mt Yer.
non. That ight we'll have been DELAYED until
after the monument had been completed. It
is melancholy illustration Of the general
truth thut too many attempts at once make
failures of nll. o.
Leaving Washington at half: past four in the
afternoon, passed. through Baltimore Just ns
the sun was giving way to the gas lights. I
had heard of the fame of Baltimore for beau.
tiful women. and was of course OIL the look out
for some specimens. The circumstances wer.
uniavorabie for critical inspection. passing
through at such an hour, and at good omnibus
| rate, but / confess either saw or imagined
thVS eH", iuOTe naUuSOUle lQul3S than |
had before seen ut one time. OF course ben.
edict can pass through Baltimore without re-
celVing more than mere superficial wounds,
but IT one of your tribe can tarry day there
without having his cardiac region very seri
ously disturbed, should not fear to insure him
against all heart break maladies afterwards.
But MS did not stop in Baltimore in travel.
ling hithcr, 30 had better not stop too long
there in writing this oiia.podrida Philadei.
Ph'a Is The next point Though here now for
near three weeks, have seen as yet compare
lively nothing of the city. The principal. and
almost the only. object Of special interest which
l have visited is old Independence Hall-the
place where was framed and read the Declara.
ton of Independence in l776 anl it is indeed
place of interest. There you will see lining
tho walls on all sides large sized portraits Of
many Of the noble sagcs and heroes of those
glorious times-Wash ashington Adams, Jefferson.
Franklin, Hancock, Lafayette, DeKalb, and
many others equally good and patriotic. Then
| there are numerous and interesting relics here
and there arranged in nice order, such ms a
piece OF the stone-step on which the Secretary
OF the Continental Congress stood on the fn-
NOUS fourth of july to read to the world the
declaration of Independence; a church pew
in which Washington and some of his compa.
triots used to sit n small iron mortar once the
property of Washngtons great. grand mother,
and now one hundred and ninety years old
and various other things of which I propose
to tell you in another letter. But to crown
the whole, is the veritablc old bell that tolled
7 the birth of American Independence on that
memorable day already alluded to. It is pla-
ccd upon pedestal of some six Or seven feet in
height and surrounded bv iron ratings. in or
(I'was Informed from fire) it has been cracked,
and Is therefore incapacitated Tor use now.
But as l design repeating my visit to Inde-
pendence Hall, and iehgshenag il. sball have