Ancient companions in arms, placed at his sides, claimed the privilege of serving him, reminding him gaily, that they acquired this right at Yorktown, where he had not refused their services. The dinner ended with a great number of toasts. One was drank to “France, the friend of liberty in America; may she never become the friend of oppression in Europe.” Immediately after, we quitted Salem to pass the night at Newburyport. Although the weather continued to be disagreeable, the general could not dissuade the Salem citizens from escorting him; they galloped along side of his carriage, sword in hand, for nearly nine miles, at the risk of falling twenty times, so very bad were the roads.
Notwithstanding all our diligence, it was late at night when we arrived at Newburyport. The brilliance of the illuminations, and the fires lighted in appropriate places in the street, the uninterrupted sounds of cannon, bells, the shouts of people, and the sight of armed troops advancing rapidly to the sound of the drum, might have led one to suppose we were entering a town taken by storm, and delivered to the flames, if the words Liberty, Country, Washington, Lafayette, which incessantly fell upon our ears, had not reminded us that we were present at a truly national and popular festival. Although the night was so far advanced, the general was obliged to devote a considerable time to the reception of the citizens who pressed forward in crowds to greet him. We stopped at Tracy’s inn, which had been prepared for our reception. General Washington staid there in 1789. The chamber he used was afterwards preserved with the greatest care; the furniture had not been changed, and Lafayette had the pleasure of resting in the same bed, where, thirty-five years ago, his father and his friend had reposed. From the joy which appeared to sparkle in the eyes of our host, it was easy to divine the sentiments that animated him, and how difficult it would be to induce him to part with the furniture which had served Washington and Lafayette.
We left Newburyport early in the morning, and arrived about mid-day at Portsmouth. Numerous corps of infantry, and almost the whole population, headed by their magistrates, came out of the city to meet Lafayette. A thousand children from various schools were ranged in a double row along the road, and though these poor children had no other covering but wreaths of flowers, and the rain was falling abundantly, none would relinquish their posts. The procession formed to accompany the general’s entry into the town, was more than two miles long. After it had passed through the principal streets, we stopped in Congress street, at Franklin Hall. There the president of the town council pronounced on behalf of the assembled citizens, an address.
The general was then presented to the governor of New Hampshire, Mr. Morill, who had purposely come from his residence, to receive him, after his introduction to the governor, he was surrounded by his ancient companions in arms, among whom he recognized general Smith, who had served three years under him as a captain of light infantry. While they were felicitating each other on their meeting, they were interrupted by another old revolutionary soldier, who with tears in his eyes recounted aloud the great number of services rendered to him during the war, by the Marquis; Lafayette with much difficulty interrupted his recital which embarrassed him exceedingly, but which vividly excited the interest of the spectators.
In going to our lodgings, which were prepared in the house of the late governor Langdon, we met some Indians in the street; these were the first I had seen, and excited my curiosity very much; some members of the committee caused a dozen of these savages from the forests of Canada to visit us at our lodgings. I learned that they came from beyond the great lakes to exchange peltries for toys and liquor. I confess that I found nothing in them which corresponded with my ideas of these children of nature.[[9]] Their dresses had no other character than that of misery; crosses and chaplets had taken the place of their beautiful head-dresses of plumes, their furs and their arms; their drunken visages had nothing of that noble expression which is said so particularly to distinguish the savage man: at first their manners appeared affectionate, but it was soon evident that they were only servile or interested. They talked of beads and confession, as their fathers, no doubt did of sorcerers and manitoes. In a word it appeared to me that these poor wretches had only changed superstitions, and that civilization had brought them its vices without any of its benefits. In fact I was assured that the majority of them had become idle, drunken thieves, without being in the least degree improved in knowledge. An old man who spoke a little French, appeared to be their chief, he told us they lived in Canada. When asked if they were happy in the vicinity of the English, he replied that they loved the French very much; and immediately he and his companions shook hands very cordially with us. They had with them several of their wives, some of whom were suckling their children; they also appeared very miserable, and by no means pretty.
During our conversation with the civilized Indians a new procession was formed to conduct Lafayette to the navy yard; he went thither a few moments afterwards, but neither his son nor myself could accompany him, as we were desirous of profiting by a sure and prompt opportunity of writing to our friends in France. We regretted however that we missed the chance of seeing the navy yard which is said to be very fine and of considerable extent. The remainder of the day was occupied by a public dinner at which all the public officers and Mr. Salazar, chargé des affaires for the republic of Columbia were present. After dinner we went to a ball, where more than four hundred ladies were introduced to Lafayette; we left the ball at midnight to take our carriages for Boston, where our travelling companions from New York awaited us. Before resuming the account of our progress, I will devote a few pages to the history, constitution, and present condition of the state of New Hampshire, of which Portsmouth is the most considerable town, both for its population, which exceed seven thousand souls, and its commerce which is very extensive.
The state of New Hampshire is situated between the 42° 42′, and the 45° 14′ N. Lat. and between the 4° 29′ and the 6° 10′ of east longitude, from Washington; its surface contains 9280 square miles; its form is that of a trapezium, having its base to the south. On the north it is bounded by Lower Canada; south by Massachusetts; east by Maine and the ocean; and west by the Connecticut river which separates it from Vermont. The coast of New Hampshire is about eighteen miles in extent, is generally sandy and slightly indented. In the interior we find very high lands, amongst which the white hills or mountains are the highest. The most considerable collection of water are the lakes Umbagog and Winnipiseogee, and the lakes Connecticut, Piscataqua and Merimac. The soil of New Hampshire is of primitive formation and generally fertile; however the most productive are on the borders of the streams, which deposit a rich alluvion by their inundations. On the banks of the sea an abundance of salt hay is cured which is found to be very acceptable to the cattle. The most abundant mines are those of iron in the district of Franconia and at Enfield. A small quantity of native silver in threads is found in the western mountains, but it is not worth the expense of procuring it. Plumbago is found in considerable abundance in Sutton county district, and about Monadnock mountain.
The heats of summer are short but excessive; as to the cold it must be very severe, since lake Winnipiseogee which is twenty-four miles in length, and in some places twelve miles wide, is frozen for three months in the year, so hard as to bear heavy wagons. The climate is, however, very salubrious, and examples of longevity are not uncommon; individuals are frequently known to live over an hundred years.
New Hampshire was discovered in 1614 by captain Smith, and the first settlements were made by fishermen and planters on the river Piscataqua, in 1623. These establishments were placed under the government of Massachusetts in 1692. In 1787 the first constitution of New Hampshire was framed, and the limits determined between it and Massachusetts. In 1765 the people rejected the stamp act with energy, and afterwards engaged in the revolutionary war, which they supported with vigour and perseverance to the end. The state of New Hampshire was the ninth that voted for the adoption of the new federal constitution of the United States; it was carried in the legislature by a majority of eleven, the number of members being 300. This circumstance decided in favour of the establishment of the federal government. The new constitution was adopted in 1792; it was preceded by a declaration of rights and recognised three powers, the legislative, executive, and judiciary.
The legislative power is vested in the senate and a house of representatives, which compose the general assembly, and each branch exercises a negative over the other. Bills relative to monies originate in the house of representatives, but it may be amended in the senate which directs the expenditures.