Towards the conclusion of the entertainment a young officer requested permission to sing some verses of his own composition. They were filled with those generous sentiments which among Americans naturally arise at the magic names of liberty, Washington, and Lafayette. He sung them with an engaging expression, but as he drew near the conclusion, and was to pronounce the name of him he celebrated, his emotion overcame his voice, he could not complete his song, and falling upon the hand of Lafayette, he bathed it with tears, and rushed out to escape the praises merited by his feelings and intelligence.
The approach of the sun to the horizon warned us that no time was to be lost, if we wished to profit by his light in commencing our journey; we therefore quickly left the table to join our carriages, which waited for us at some distance; but, so great was the crowd surrounding them, that, notwithstanding the care of those who accompanied us, we were soon separated; the general and his son were literally carried in triumph by the citizens, and it was a long time before I could rejoin them.
Night closed in upon us while on our journey, and rendered the march very painful to our escort, which had been constantly mounted since morning. On this account, added to the general’s wish to enter Washington by daylight, the committee of arrangement determined to propose that he should sleep on the way. To this the general assented, and soon after we arrived in front of an hotel, at which we were to halt, but as we were about to alight, we heard a great tumult of confused voices pronouncing angrily the name of Waterloo: at the same moment an officer of the escort came to the door and informed the general that the name of the house was Waterloo, inquiring if it was agreeable to him to lodge there. The general replied that he would willingly go on, but that he feared to fatigue his escort. They however declared they had rather founder their horses than that he should remain in a house whose name might awaken unpleasant reflections; we therefore continued our journey. Our escort, enraged at the innkeeper, wished before we left the place to pull down his sign, and would have done it, if their officers had not prevented it by reminding them of the sacred right of property. We stopped for the night at an excellent inn two or three miles distant, where we learned that an old tory of this country, still besotted by his love for the English, had rented the other house to a poor innkeeper, on condition that he named it “Waterloo.” Our informant added that every one despised him, and as no one goes to his tavern, he is obliged to indemnify the tenant; however he is rich and obstinate.
On the morning of the 12th of October, captain Sprigg was at the head of his beautiful volunteer cavalry, ready to escort general Lafayette to Washington. Captain Sprigg was not long since governor of Maryland, which office he discharged for several years in a manner that conciliated universal esteem and regard. In relinquishing his public office to return to private life, he did not think he had discharged all his duties towards his country. He organized, almost entirely at his own expense, a company of volunteer cavalry, gave them for instructor a brave Polish officer, colonel Leymanowski, who served for twenty years in the French army, and forgetting his previous elevation, did not think it beneath his dignity as ex-governor, to assume the modest uniform of a captain. One cannot avoid feeling a sentiment of profound respect on beholding this patriotic soldier surrounded by his cavalry, nearly all of whom are farmers residing in the county he lives in, continually employing himself with their military improvement and the perfection of their organization, and especially with the development of their patriotic sentiments, which his conversation and example daily augments. Captain Sprigg is also a tender parent, and an active and enlightened agriculturist.
We soon after met the corporation of Washington, the troops and people who came to meet general Lafayette. We then left our carriages for open barouches, and in a short time entered the capital of the United States. We were already half an hour within the limits of the city, without finding a single habitation; the plan of Washington is so gigantic that it will require a century for its completion. It is only built up in the interval which separates the president’s house from the capitol, and this space at present forms a moderate town. Our march from the entrance of the city to the capitol, was marked by the firing of cannon, and frequently impeded by the crowd which pressed upon the procession. After passing under an arch of triumph Lafayette entered the capital, where all the municipal authorities awaited him: he was conducted to an outer gallery where the mayor addressed him on behalf of the city, in presence of the people. Leaving the capital the procession moved slowly through the city to the president’s house. The way was thronged with the youth of the schools, and by numerous corps of militia. In this part of our progress we passed under the windows of several ambassadors of the holy alliance, to whom doubtless a triumph so excellent, so pure, and simple, must have been an incomprehensible phenomenon.
We arrived at the president’s mansion, which is a very simple building, but in good taste: it is constructed of very hard white stone, has but one story, and terminates by a platform in the Italian style. The first floor is somewhat raised from the ground, and an elegant peristyle leads to it. The yard in front of the house is surrounded by a handsome iron railing, having three gates, which are neither defended by guards, constables, nor insolent lackies. The crowd which accompanied the procession stopped in front of the railing, and none but the city authorities accompanied us into the house. A single domestic opened the principal door, and we were immediately introduced into the hall of audience, which is of considerable size, elliptical in shape, and decorated and carpeted with a remarkable correctness of taste. The president at the upper end of the room, was seated upon a chair not differing in form or elevation from the rest, and had near him the four secretaries of the cabinet, the officers of the army and navy; some senators and public officers were arranged in a semicircle on his right and left. Like the president, they were all dressed in plain blue, without lace, embroidery or decorations, without any of those puerile ornaments for which so many silly men dance attendance in the antichambers of European palaces. When general Lafayette entered, the whole assembly rose, the president advanced eagerly to meet him, embraced him with fraternal tenderness, then came to us and shook us kindly by the hand, after which he introduced us all three individually to the persons present. After this official introduction, the circle broke up, groups were formed, and particular conversations ensued on various points. During this time the president having drawn us three near him, addressed the general thus:—“you are aware from my last letter how much I desired to have you in my house along with your two companions, during your stay in this city; but I am obliged to renounce this pleasure. The people of Washington claim you; they say that as the Nation’s Guest, none but the nation has a right to lodge you. I must yield to the public will, and the municipalty have prepared a hotel, provided a carriage, and in short, anticipated all your wants. You must accept their invitation, but I hope that this will not hinder you from considering my house as your own; you will always find your places ready at my table, and I wish whenever you have no engagement with the citizens, that you will dine with me. This evening, the municipalty expect you at a public banquet: to-morrow you will be present at a grand dinner which I give to the principal officers of government, but once these ceremonies are concluded, I will do every thing I can, that you may be as frequently as possible, a part of my family. This invitation was so cordial and pressing, that general Lafayette frankly accepted it, and retained our united thanks.”
The next day we went to dine with the president, and found there, all the ministers, the municipal, judiciary and military officers. Before taking our places at table, Mr. Monroe introduced us to his wife, two daughters, and his sons-in-law. We found throughout the family, the same cordiality and simplicity, which distinguished the president. Mrs. Monroe is a fine and very agreeable woman.
In sitting down to dinner I observed that but one place was distinguished from the rest, and this was for general Lafayette, whom the president caused to sit on his right. All the rest took seats without ceremony, but all with remarkable modesty. Every one appeared to try to make his rank forgotten. Accident placed me between the secretary of the navy, Mr. Southard, and major general Macomb. The latter speaks French fluently, and had the kindness to answer my numerous questions, as almost every thing I saw appeared strange to me. “You see here,” said he, “nearly all the principal officers of our government; that is, the upper servants of the people. They are not numerous, and consequently the easier to superintend. The people are so much the better served, and the expense is trifling, for among all these officers there is not one who dreams of enriching himself. Their appointments are generally too small to excite cupidity; it is a fact that most of them are obliged to neglect their personal concerns, in order to attend to those of the public, and quit the administration poorer than when they enter it; but an ample recompense awaits their return to private life, in the esteem and gratitude of their fellow citizens, if they have faithfully performed their duties.”
I wished much to obtain some details concerning most of the persons who are here called public servants, but the conversation became general, and interrupted our particular observations. “On your return from Yorktown,” said general Macomb, “you will probably pass some time here, and you can then study the public characters and domestic habits of our statesmen at your ease. This study may prove very interesting to an European, and if I can aid you, you may command my services.” I accepted of his offer with eagerness, and promised myself much advantage from his good advice.
The three following days of our sojourn at Washington were employed by the general in visiting Georgetown, which is only separated from the capital of the United States by a small stream, where he met with a brilliant reception; in receiving daily a great number of citizens, and in passing a few moments with the family of his paternal friend, general Washington. This time I employed in examining the city and its public buildings, and in collecting some notes relative to the District of Columbia.