The twenty-four hours passed by general Lafayette among the citizens of Petersburg, were signalized by great variety of pleasures; in passing through the streets the inhabitants with much glee made him remark how much the town had gained by being burnt by him in 1781. “At that time,” said they, “we had none but miserable wooden houses to receive you in, and now there are large well built brick dwellings, in which we can offer you all the comforts of life.”
Petersburg has in fact an agreeable aspect, which declares the prosperity of its inhabitants. It is a pretty small town, containing about 7000 inhabitants, built on the southeast bank of the Appomatox river, which is navigable from this place to its confluence with James river, for vessels of sixty tons. All the products of the south of Virginia, and most of those of North Carolina, have no other outlet but Petersburg. The commerce of this place is, consequently, considerable in tobacco and flour, which is in great part, manufactured at the numerous mills situated near the town, below the falls of Appomatox.
After returning to Richmond, we rested for forty-eight hours, and then set out for Monticello, distant eighty miles, accompanied by the volunteer cavalry of Richmond, and a deputation of the committee of arrangement. The first night we slept at Milton, a small town, half way to our place of destination; there a great many planters of the vicinity had assembled to offer a patriotic entertainment to Lafayette. The next morning at the time of starting, I was so severely indisposed, that I could not leave my room; it was thought I was threatened with a bilious fever, a disease very common in Virginia at this time of the year, and frequently fatal.—However, a cup of tea and two hour’s sleep restored me so far, that I was able to continue my journey in the carriage. Notwithstanding all my entreaties, Mr. George Lafayette had left the company, and remained with me; an evidence of his kindness, I shall never forget. We arrived at Monticello, a short time after general Lafayette. We found Mr. Jefferson still deeply affected by the pleasure of having embraced his ancient friend. He received us amidst his numerous family, with an amenity which instantly dissipated the timidity, which I could not help feeling on my first approach to a man who had performed so much for the human race.
When one recollects how much the life of Jefferson was occupied, and useful to his fellow creatures, one feels penetrated with a deep veneration for him, but to this sentiment is soon added that of confidence and friendship, when we have lived a few days near him. It is difficult to find a man of more agreeable and instructive conversation: endowed with a memory which readily reconveyed him amidst all the events of his life; familiar with most of the arts and sciences, his conversation could easily satisfy all the demands of a mind desirous of instruction.
Thomas Jefferson was born at Chadwell, in Albemarle county, Virginia, on the 2d of April, 1743; he was educated at Williamsburg college, and devoted his early years to the study of the law. The advantageous situation in which he was placed by the considerable fortune left him by his father, Peter Jefferson, one of the oldest settlers, and still more the elevation of his mind and character, soon caused him to be sent to the legislature of Virginia, by which he was sent in 1775, as its representative to the continental congress. He was not long in obtaining a great reputation amidst that august assembly, which in 1776, adopted his draft of the Declaration of Independence, a composition not less remarkable for the depth of its thought, than for the clearness, dignity, and energy of its style, of itself sufficient to immortalize the author. But Jefferson could not stop at so glorious an opening of his political career; he must traverse the whole course with the same step, and on his way, still find means of paying tribute to the sciences and arts, which he never neglected. Successively legislator, governor of Virginia, representative, minister plenipotentiary, secretary of state, vice president of the United States, he passed during twenty-five years through all the high public offices, to arrive at the first magistracy of the republic. His election, which occurred in 1801, in opposition to John Adams, was regarded as the triumph of the democratic over the federal party; then, as at all times, the vanquished party exhaled its rage in outcries, murmurs, and incendiary pamphlets. The newspapers, which were its organs, declaimed incessantly against the new president, and against all the persons who aided him to suppress unnecessary offices; reduce the army to what was strictly necessary, and to give to the constitution that steady movement which agrees so well with the simplicity of its conception. But Jefferson contemned these idle clamours, and did not remit the work of reform and amelioration he had undertaken. In vain the mistaken zeal of his friends urged him to recur to a law repressive of the abuses of the press: he repelled their dangerous suggestions. “I am happy,” he replied, “in this continual censure which the papers exercise against my administration, because among all the violence dictated by passion, some truth may be found and I shall profit by it. Moreover, a government whose acts are all done in public, whose members live amidst their fellow citizens, to whom all their words are addressed, and under the eyes of whom all their measures are executed, has nothing but bad conduct to fear.” Sublime and severe lesson by which European governments might well profit!
So much wisdom and firmness was not to pass unrewarded in a correctly thinking nation: Jefferson was re-elected president in 1805. Among the remarkable circumstances which signalized his administration, was the acquisition of Louisiana in 1803, which was very advantageous to the United States.
In 1809 he returned to private life, and sought repose in his retreat of Monticello; there at the summit of a mountain, which towers far above the fertile and smiling valley, under a simple roof, but in good taste, raised under his direction, and we may almost say, by his own hands, amidst his children and grand-children, by whom he is idolized, he still devotes all his time and faculties to the amelioration and happiness of his race.[[20]] Through his efforts, Charlotteville has beheld her university erected, richly endowed, and already containing a great number of pupils. In another year this establishment will be for the southern and western states, what Cambridge is to those of the north, a fruitful source of improvement, whence the youth may obtain the knowledge and principles requisite to the formation of good citizens.
The hospitality of Mr. Jefferson is proverbial, his house is constantly open, not only to numerous visitors from the neighbourhood, but also to all the foreign travellers who were attracted by curiosity or the very natural desire of seeing and conversing with the sage of Monticello. The dwelling is built in the figure of an irregular octagon, with porticoes at the east and west, and peristyles on the north and south. Its extent comprising the peristyles and porticoes is about 110 feet by 90; the exterior is in the Doric order, and surmounted by balustrades. The interior of the house is ornamented in the different orders of architecture, except the composite; the vestibule is Ionic; the dining room Doric, the drawing room Corinthian, and the dome Attic. The chambers are ornamented in the different forms of these orders in true proportion as given by Palladio. Throughout this delightful dwelling are to be found proofs of the good taste of the proprietor, and of his enlightened love for the arts. His parlour is ornamented by a beautiful collection of paintings, among which we remarked with pleasure an ascension by Poussin, a holy family by Raphael; a flagellation of Christ by Rubens, and a crucifixion by Guido. In the dining room were four beautiful busts; of Washington, Franklin, Lafayette and Paul Jones. There are also some other fine pieces of sculpture in different parts of the house. The library without being extensive is well selected; but what especially excites the curiosity of visitors is the rich museum situated at the entrance of the house. This extensive and excellent collection consists of offensive and defensive arms, dresses, ornaments and utensils of different savage tribes of North America. Mr. Trist, son-in-law of Mrs. Randolph, daughter of Mr. Jefferson, an amiable and enlightened gentleman, pointed out to me the arms which had belonged to Tecumseh; they are not especially remarkable, as to form or materials, but one cannot help regarding them with interest when the extraordinary character of their former owner is known.
Tecumseh, born among the Chippewa Indians, on the frontiers of Canada, was the chief of his nation, and his courage and talent acquired for him an immense influence over the neighbouring tribes. This child of nature was born with the impress of grandeur; a body of perfect symmetry, and a most imposing aspect, contained the soul of a hero, and one might affirm that if he had come into existence amidst the lights of civilization, his vast intelligence would soon have assigned him a place among the first men of his age. For a long time he secretly nourished the hope of opposing an insurmountable barrier to the constantly increasing power of the whites; to this end he had during several years visited nearly all the Indian tribes to induce them to enter into the league he wished to form. His persuasive and forceful eloquence had secured him numerous partisans; already he saw at no distant period, the epoch in which by raising the tomahawk against the whites he should regenerate his brethren, when suddenly the war broke out between the United States and England. Tecumseh was rejoiced at this occurrence, because in his opinion it favoured his projects, since it would hasten the destruction of his enemies by their own hands. At first he resolved to remain an inactive spectator, but soon changed his views; it appeared to him a wiser policy first to aid in the destruction of the strongest, in order to have afterwards none but the weakest to attack; and he willingly yielded to the solicitations of the English, who eagerly sought his alliance. He was then 40 years old; from his youth he had taken part in all the engagements against the whites, and still no one could reproach him with one of those cruel actions so common to his compatriots in the intoxication of victory. He abhorred bloodshed after battle, and was often seen defending prisoners from the fury of his own warriors: with so noble a character, he must soon have blushed at the atrocious conduct of his allies who basely excited the Indians they had intoxicated to murder their wounded prisoners; he manifested to them all the contempt they had inspired, when he refused with haughtiness the rank of brigadier-general, and the silk scarf presented in the name of the king of England, as a reward for his bravery at the battles of Brownstown and Mayagua. Being always pre-occupied with his vast plans, he thought it right to persist in his alliance with the British, until the Americans whom he regarded as his most dangerous enemies were destroyed. Called by his formidable voice, new tribes ranged themselves under his orders, and it was at the head of the flower of his warriors, that he marched to the river Thames, to lend for the last time aid to his allies, in the battle fought with the Americans under general Harrison. From the beginning of the action, Tecumseh had thrown himself with fury amid the ranks of the enemy, and had at first shaken them by the audacity of his attack, but the troops soon rallied, and the combat became horrible. The Indians, excited by the example of their valiant chief, repeatedly renewed their attacks, which the Americans repelled with equal intrepidity. In the midst of the struggle, colonel Johnson advanced almost alone towards a dense body of Indians, who were rallying under the voice of Tecumseh. His uniform and white horse rendered him remarkable, and he became a mark for all shots, and in a moment fell under numerous wounds: at this instant Tecumseh approached and raised his tomahawk to give him the death blow; but, struck with his intrepidity, or his unfortunate situation, he hesitated an instant, and this hesitation proved fatal to him. Colonel Johnson collecting his strength, and perceiving the extent of his danger, drew a pistol from his belt and discharged it, almost touching the breast of Tecumseh, who fell dead by his side. Thus perished this extraordinary man, upon whom rested all the hopes of many nations, who daily diminish, and of which civilization will soon destroy every trace of their past existence. The body of Tecumseh was found among the dead after the battle, and recognized by the Americans, who, in respect to the well known valor of the chief, interred it with all the honours of war.
The plantation surrounding Mr. Jefferson’s dwelling, consists of several thousand acres, but not more than twelve or fourteen hundred are cultivated, the rest being still in wood; the principal products are grain and tobacco. Cultivation appeared to me to be well conducted in general, but judging from the observations I made, it must be very expensive, and consequently leave very little profit to the proprietor. Like all the planters of Virginia, Mr. Jefferson employs slaves to do his work; that is to say, if he require the labour of fifty negroes, he must feed, lodge and clothe a hundred, for if from this number of slaves we subtract the old men, children, and weakly or sick women, certainly not more than fifty individuals are in a working condition. After all, it may be added, that these fifty active individuals do not effect more, than would be accomplished by thirty free men hired by the day, as may be easily understood. The free labourer, hired by the day, knows that if he does not exert all his power and all his intelligence, he will cease to be employed, another more laborious will be hired in his place, and be will be reduced to misery; the slave labourer, on the contrary knows, that whatever he may do, his condition will remain unchanged; he is aware that to preserve the capital which he represents, his master will be always forced to feed, lodge, clothe, take care of his health, and defend him; thus without disquiet as without hope for the future, the slave labourer can have but one desire, that of repose. In fact, what is it to him whether his master’s prosperity increases or is diminished? The consequences to him are always the same; is he not always a slave? From these considerations we may boldly conclude, that thirty free labourers paid by the day, would do the work of a hundred slaves, which the owner is obliged to feed and clothe throughout the year, to have fifty labourers. I suppose that the support of each slave costs but one franc a day, and the hire of a labourer would be three, there would then be a difference of ten per cent. a day in the labour, in favour of cultivation by free hands. This difference does not appear at first very considerable, but if we then take into account the enormous capital of 50,000 dollars at least for the purchase of the slaves; the fifty-two Sundays and other holidays, during which nothing is paid to the free labourer, and during which the slaves eat although they do not work, we shall then find that the difference is still greater, and shall scarcely comprehend why a planter (apart from all sentiments of humanity, and consulting his personal interests exclusively,) should not make his best efforts to substitute the labour of free men for that of slaves.