35 155 MARTINEAU'S RETROSPECT OF WESTERN TRAVEL.

Tom volumes are a continuation of Miss Mann MIMI'S Society in America; and are intended to communicate more of the wri- tes's "personal narrative, and of the lighter characteristics of men, and incidents of travel, than it suited her purpose to give in the other work." In plain English, the success of the former publication induced the present ; which has been undertaken without sufficient weight or novelty of matter, to give it much of interest or importance. Society in America contained the results of many observations, proved, enforced, or illustrated by the most striking Instances from each class. The Retrospect of Western Travel uses up many things that were omitted from its pre- decessor, and puts in much that was never intended to be used at all, or scarcely worth the using. The framework of the book consists of nearly forty chapters, each devoted to some single subject descriptive of scenery, so- ciety, and personal adventure, or to sketches of eminent men. Their arbitrary, isolated character, is not a merit; but the minute and private nature of their subjects and treatment is a defect. The comforts or privations of hoarding-houses and hotels— the attentions paid by private friends—the volunteered small services of strangers to the distinguished traveller—commonplace occurrences in steam-boats and stage-coaches—accounts of pic- nic parties and excursions—are all too trite and trivial in them- selves to impart attraction to three volumes. Nor do they derive such additional interest from the manner of telling : we seem to be reading the private letters of some deep blue about her dear friends,to some dear friend, who, when description falls short, will patiently take a page of commentary to a sentence of fact. Even the sketches of eminent men are for the most part useless, be- cause we already know more about them than the notices tell us ; or they are indifferent, because the persons are too remote from our habitual thoughts to excite much interest in the mind. The notices of AARON BURR and WASHINGTON, for example, are the mere repetition of an often-told tale.

But though the wine has been drawn from the cask, and the lees mixed up with the water, there is still some of the generous juice remaining; sufficient, indeed, to furnish several nutritive draughts, though not enough to recompense one for the accom- paniments. The anecdotes of Miss MARTINEAU'S interviews with the prisoners, in the chapter on prisons, have a deep human in- terest; and some of them, though melodramatic, are ennobling, as tending to raise the character of man. The chapters on Slaves and Slavery, and those on Society in the South—as well as the descriptions of New Orleans and the ascent of the Mississippi— though they leave no new general impressions, and tell little per- haps that possesses much individual novelty, have in their sub- jects a certain degree of interest. There are also many single passages, furnishing some useful information, or agreeable de- scription: but we say again, that the work, like all continuations, is a falling-off; and its principal topics, on so well-travelled a sountry as America, are worn out.

In her picture of slavery, the restless uneasiness and sus- picion in which she represents the Whites as passing the present, as well as their vague fears of the future, is worth noting, for the deep and almost tragic moral of retributive justice it conveys. One of her modes of exciting a morbid indignation against slavery, is equally deserving of comment, for its taking truth, but its real unsoundness. She paints a little Coloured child playing with her- self at bo-peep; or an innocent serving-girl affectionately attend- ing on her mistress; or a group of happy sportive Negro children in their huts; and then, contrasting in her mind their probable future with their actual present, carries the whole difference to the account of slavery, though much of it, so far as experience extends, be- longs to human nature. Take the healthy child of an English peasant or mechanic, if it happen to be clean, and contrast it with they hard manhood or worn age of its parents, and rhetoricians may, as indeed they do, get up an argument against civilization. It may be said this is only a proof that our social system is bad too; but it extends to all systems we ever saw or heard of. The guilelessness and beauty of children in contrast with the reverse in their parents, even attracted the Saviour ; as indeed the remembrance of the cares, struggles, and heavy-heartedness of after life, come upon most persons when they behold a group of playful children, "So that the philosophical beholder, Sigh'd for their sakes—that they should ere grow older."

_This contrast, hitherto universal,'may, however, be less melan- choly in America than elsewhere as regards the Whites, from the Must diffusion of carnal comforts. Miss MARTINEAU con- steady speaks of the external appearance of sufficiency. The following account of the military college at West Point,. near New York, is new, we believe; and the weeding system might be extensively adopted with advantage nearer home.

The students apply themselves to mathematics during the first and second years; during the third, to mathematics, chemistry, and natural phil oophy ; and during the fourth, to engineering. There is less literary pursuit than they or their friends would like ; but they have not time for every thing. Their work is from seven in the morning till four in the afternoon, with the excep- tion of two hours for meals. Then come drill and recreation, and then the evening puede. During six weeks (I think) of the summer, they camp out, which some of the youths enjoy, while others like it so much less than living under a roof, that they take this time to be absent on furlough. The filen& of others come to see them, while the pretty spectacle of a camp is added to the attractions of the place. Every care is used that the proficiency should be maintained at the highest point that it can be made to reach. The classes consist of not less than 140, of whom only 40 graduate. Some find the work tso hard; some dislike the routine; others are postponed ; and by this careful weeding out, the choicest are kept for the public service. This process may go some way towards accounting for the present unpopularity of the institution, aud the consequent danger of its downtal. The number of disappointed youths whose connexions will naturally bear a grudge against the establish- ment, must be great. There is a belief abroad that its principle and ailminis• tration are both anti-republican ; and in answer to an irresistible popular detnand, a committee of Congress has been engaged in investigating both the philosophy and practice of this national military academy ; for some time pre- vious to which there was difficulty in obtaining the annual appropriation for its support. I have not seen the report of this committee, but I was told that the evidence on which it is founded is very unfavourable to the conduct of the establishment, in a political point of view. The advantages of such an insti- tution in securing a uniformity of military conduct in case of war, from the young soldiers of all the States having received a common' education—in afford. mg one meeting point where sectional prejudice may be dissolved —and in con-

centrating the attention of the whole Union upon maintaining a high degree of proficiency in science, ate so west, that it is'aio wonder that an indignant and honest cry is raised against those who would abolish it on account of its aristo- cratic tendencies. I rather think it is a case in which both parties are more than commonly right ; that it is an institution which can scarcely be dispensed with, but which requires to be watched with the closest jealuiv-v. that there may be no abuse of patronsge, and no such combination as coula lead to the foundation of a military aristocracy.

Here are the most striking anecdotes already alluded to, from the subject of Prison Discipline ; though the conversations with the different convicts in their solitary cells have more of level interest, and convey a greater impression of truth.

The wonderfully successful friend of criminals, Captain Pillsbury, of the Weatherefield prison, has worked on this principle, and owes his success to it. His moral power over the guilty is so remarkable, that prison-breakers who can be confined nowhere else, are sent to him to be charmed into staying their term out. I was told of his treatment of two such. One was a gigantic personage, the terror of the country, who had plunged deeper and deeper in crime for seventeen years. Captain Pillsbury told him when he came, that he hoped he would not repeat the attempts to escape which he bad made elsewhere. " It will be best," said he, " that you and Nhould treat each other as well as we can. I will make you as comfortable as I possibly can, and shall be anxious to be your friend ; and I hope you will not get me into any difficulty on your ac- count. There is a cell intended for solitary confinement, but we never use it ; and I should be very sorry ever to have to win the key upon anybody in it. You may range the place as freely as I do, if you will trust me as I shall trust you." The man was sulky ; and for weeks showed only very gradual symptoms of softening under the operation of Captain Pillsbury'. cheerful confidence. At length information was given to the Captain of this man's intention to break prison. The Captain called him, and taxed him with it : the man preserved a gloomy silence. He was told that it was now necessary for him to be locked up in the solitary cell, and desired to follow the Captain who went first, carry- ing a lamp in one hand and the key in the other. In the nal rowest part of the passage, the Captain (who is a small, slight man,) turned round and looked in the face of the stout criminal. 4' Now," said he, " I aak you whether you have treated me as I deserve ? I have dune every thing I could think of to make you comfortable; I have trusted you, and you have never given me the least confidence in return, and have even planned to get me into difficulty. Is this kind ? And yet I cannot bear to luck you up. If I bad the least sign that you cared for me . . ." The man burst Into tears. "Sir," said he, " I have been a very devil these seventeen years; but you treat me like a man." " Come, let us go back," said the Captain. The convict had the free range of the prison as before. Front this hour he began to open his heart to the Captain, and cheerfully fulfilled his whole term of imprisonment ; confiding to his friend, as they arose, all impulses to violate his tiust, and all

i

facilities for doing so which he magined he saw. The other case was of a criminal of the same character, who went so far u to make the actual attempt to (reeve. He fell, and hurt his ankle very much. The Captain had him brought in and laid on his bed, and the ankle attended to; every one being forbidden to speak a word of reproach to the sufferer. The man was sullen, and would not say whether the bandaging of his ankle gave him pain or not. This was in the night ; and every one returned to bed. when all was done. But the Captain could not sleep. He was distressed at the attempt, and thought he could not have fully dune his duty by any man who would make it. He was afraid the man was in great pain. He rose, threw on his gown, and went with a lamp to the cell. The prisoner's face was turned to the wall, and his eyes were closed ; but the traces of suffering were not to be- mistaken. The Captain loosened and replaced the bandage, and went for his own pillow to rest the limb upon ; the man neither speaking our moving all the time. Just when he was shutting the door, the primmer started up and called; The novelties which amused me were the spruce appearance of all tfie people, the pervading neatness and brightness, acid the business-like air of the children. The carmen were all well-dressed, and even two poor boys who were selling matches bad clean shirt.collars and whole coats, though they were bare-

footed. • • •

The road to Canandaigua ascends for a considerable distance, after leaving Geneva, and the last view of the place from above was exquisite, emboeomed as it lay in the autumn woods, and with its blue lake stretched behind it in the sunny atmosphere. One element in the exhilaration of such scenes in Ame- rica is universal presence of the competence. The boys who gather about the stage do not come to beg, or even to sell, but to amuse themselves while eating their bread and meat, or on their way to the field. The young women all well= dressed, the men all at work or amusement, the farms all held in fee-simple, the stores all ivadequate to theircustom,—these things are indescribably cheering to witness, and a never-failing source of it to the traveller from Europe. It may he a questionable comfort, but It is a comfort to think "ii theee people are not happy, it is their own fault." Whether their minds are as easy as their i

fortunes, t may not be safe to affirm ; but at least the sin and sorrow of social injustice in regard to the first necessities of life are absent.

• ■•••■•

lin; Lack. '• St;,ii, sir. Was it all to see afi....r my ankle that you have got up ?"

" Yes, it was. I could not sleep for thinking of you."

.‘ And you have never said a word of the way I have used you."

" I do feel hurt with you ; but I don't want to call you unkind while you are suffering, as I am sure you are now." The man was in an agony of shame and grief. All bemired was to be trusted again, when he should have recovered. Ile was freely trusted, and gave his generous friend no more anxiety on his behalf. Captain Pillsbury is the gentleman who, on being told that a desperate mi.- soner bad sworn to murder him speedily, sent for him to shave him, allowing no one to be present. He eyed the man, pointed to the razor, and desired him to shave him. The prisoner's hand trembled ; but he went through it very well. When he had done, the Captain said, " I have been told you meant to murder me; but I thought I might trust you." " God bless you, Sir, you mays" replied the regenerated man. Such is the power of faith in man !

ESCAPING FROM SLAVERY—UPPER CANADIAN LOYALISTS.

Slavery is nowhere more hopeless and helpless than in Alabama. The rich- ness of the ocil and the paucity of inhabitants make the labourer a most valu- able possession; while his distance from any free state—the extent of country overspread with enemies which the fugitive has to traverse—makes the attempt to escape desperate. All Coloured persons travelling in the slave states with- out a pass, a certificate of freedom or of leave, are liable to be arrested and ad- vertised ; and if unclaimed at the end of a certain time, sold in the market. Yet slaves do continue to escape froin the furthest corners of Alabama or Mis- sissippi. Two slaves in Alabama, who had from their early manhood cherished the idea of freedom, planned their escape in concert, and laboured for many years at their scheme. They were allowed the profits of their labour at over.hours; and, by etrenous toil and self.denial, saved and hid a large sum of money. Last year, they found they luol enough, and that the time was come for the execution of their purpose. They engaged the• services of " a mean Whiter one of the extremely degraded class who are driven by loss of character to labour in the slave states, where, labour by Whites being disgrace- ful, they are looked down upon by the slaves, no less than the slaves are by the superior Whites. These two slaves hired " a mean White man" to per-

sonate a gentleman ; bought I a suit of good clothes, a portmanteau, a carriage and h.t,ss, and proper costume for themselves. One night the three set off in sty le, as master, coachman, awl footman, and travelled rapidly through the whole country, without the slightest hindrance, to Buffalo. There the slaves sold the carriage, horses, and finery, paid off their White man, and escaped into Camela, where they now are in safety. They found ill Canada a society of their own colour prepared to welcome and aid them. In Upper Canaoa there are are upwards of ten thousand people of colour, chiefly fugitive slaves, who pi osper in the country which they have chosen for a refuge. Scarcely an instance is known of them having re- ceived aln s, and they are as respectable fur their intelligence as for their morals. One peculiarity in them is the extragavance of their loyalty. They exert themselves vehemently in defence of all the acts of the executive, what- ever they may be. The reason for this is obvious ;—they exceedingly dread the barest mention of the annexation of Canada to the United States. " •

The finest harvest field of romance perhaps in the world is the from. tier between the United States and Canada. The vowed student of human nature could not do better than take up his abode there, and hear what fugi- tives arid their friends have to tell. There have been no exhibitions of the forces of human character in any political revolution or religious reformation more wonderful and more interesting then may almost daily, be witnessed there. The impression on even careless minds on the spat is very strong. I remember ob- serving to a friend in the ferry-boat, when we were crossing the Niagara from Lwiston to Queenston, that it seemed very absurd, on looking at the opposite banks of the river, to think that while the Ole belonged to the people who lived on it, the other was called the property of nation three thousand miles off, the shores looking so much alike as they do. My friend replied, with a smile, 4, Runaway slaves see a great difference." " That they do!" cried the ferry. man, in a tone of the deepest earnestness. He saidthat the leap ashore of an escaped slave is a sight unlike any other that can be men.

NIGRO PLANTATION MANAGEMENT.

The vigour which negroes show when their destiny is fairly placed in their own hands, is an answer to all arguments about their helplessness drawn from their dulness in a state of bondage. A highly satisfactory experiment upon the will, judgment, and talents of a large body of slaves was made, a few years ago, by a relative of Chief Justice Marshall. This gentleman and big family had *Melted their negroes to them by a long course of judicious kindness. At length an estate at some distance was left to the gentleman, and he saw, with much regret, that it was his duty to leave the plantation on which he was living. He could not bear the idea of turning over his people to the tender mercies or unproved judgment of H stranger overseer. He called his negroes together, told them the case, and asked whether they thought they could ma- nage the estate themselves. If they were willing to undertake the task, they must choose an oveiseer from among themselves, provide comfortably for their own wants, and remit him the surplus of the profits. The negroes were full of grief at losing the family, hut willing to try what they could do. They had an election for overseer, and chose the man their master would have pointed nut; decidedly the strongest head on the estate. All being arranged, the master left them, with a parting charge to keep their festivals and take their appointed bolydays, as if he were present. After some time, he rode over to see how all went on, choosing a festival-day, that he might meet them in their holyilay gayety. lie was sut prised, on approaching, to hear no merriment ; and on en- tering his fields, he found his " force" all hard at work. As they flocked round him, he inquired why they were not making holyday. They told him that the crop would suffer in its present state by the loss of a day ; and that they had therefore put off their holyday, which, however, they meant to take by and by. Not many days after, an express arrived to inform the proprietor that there was an insurrection on his estate. lie would not believe it ; declared it impossible, as there was nobody to rise against; but the messenger, who had been sent by the neighlmining gentlemen, was so confident of the facts, that the master gal-

loped, with the utmost speed, to his plantation, arriving as night was coining on. As he rode in, a cry of joy arose from hh. negroes. who pressed round to shake bands with him. rhey were in their holyilav clothes, and had been sing- ing and dancing ; they were only enjoying the deferred festival. The neigh. hours, hearing the noise on a quiet working-day, had jumped to the conclusion that it was an insurreetion.

There is no catastrophe yet to this story. When the proprietor related it, he said that no trouble had arisen; and that for some seasons, ever since this estate had been wholly in the hands of his negroes, it had been more productive than it ever was while he managed it himself.