Stay in Washington, from the 2d until the 15th of November, 1825.
On the morning of the 2d of November I received another visit from Mr. de Vallenilla. He showed me a golden medal, which had formerly been coined by the town of Williamsburg in Virginia, in honour of President Washington, and a very well made miniature of that great man, painted by Stewart, to which was appended his hair. The medal was in a box made of wood from one of the trees standing near Washington’s tomb. The medal and miniature were intended by Washington’s family as presents for President Bolivar, and Mr. de Vallenilla was to set off within a few days for Caraccas, in order to present them to his patron, the liberator Bolivar.
In the public stage I left the friendly city of Baltimore, with which I was extremely gratified, accompanied by Mr. Huygens, for Washington, the seat of government of the United States, distant thirty-nine miles. The weather was good and tolerably warm. The stage travelled slowly, and we did not arrive before five o’clock in the evening. The road was principally a turnpike, kept in a very good state. The country belonging to the state of Maryland is for the most part hilly, covered with wood of large-leaved oak and pine trees, appearing but very little settled. The ground is sandy; the fields are planted with Indian corn and tobacco. The country is for the most part uniform; we did not pass through a single decent village. The difference between this country and the northern states is very striking. The houses are a great deal smaller, and of an inferior construction than the worst log-houses in the state of New York. The most of these small houses are inhabited by negroes, who generally had a very tattered appearance. We crossed several creeks over good wooden bridges, and six miles from Washington, near Bladensburg, we crossed the east branch of the Potomac, by two wooden bridges. It was here, that in the year 1814, an engagement between the English and the Americans took place, in which the American militia is said to have displayed no very great degree of courage. In consequence of this affair, the English marched into Washington, and burned the capitol and the President’s house.
I had not formed a great idea of Washington city, but what I saw was inferior to my expectation. The capitol stands upon an elevation, and is to be considered as the centre of the future city. Up to this time it is surrounded but by inconsiderable houses and fields, through which small houses are also scattered. From the capitol, several avenues, planted with trees, extend in different directions. We rode into the Pennsylvania avenue, and eventually came to the houses, which are built so far apart that this part of the city has the appearance of a newly-established watering place. The adjacent country is very fine, and there are several fine views upon the broad Potomac. We passed by the President’s house; it is a plain building,[I.29] of white marble, situated in a small garden.
The president resides in the middle building; the four others are occupied as public offices. They are built of brick.
The plan of Washington is colossal, and will hardly ever be executed. According to the plan, it could contain a population of one million of inhabitants, whilst it is said at present to have but thirteen thousand. To be the capitol of such a large country, Washington lies much too near the sea. This inconvenience was particularly felt during the last war. It has been proposed to transfer the seat of government to Wheeling, on the Ohio, in the western part of Virginia.
Quite early next morning I received a friendly visit from the French minister, Baron Durand de Mareuil, whom I knew in Dresden, nineteen years ago, and afterwards as French minister at Naples, and met him in the same quality at Brussels. General Macomb, commander of the engineer corps of the United States, paid me a visit, and I was much delighted with his interesting conversation. Lieutenant Huygens also came, with whom I rode to Georgetown. This small town is amphitheatrically situated on the Potomac, whose right bank, covered with wood and partly cultivated, presents a pleasant view. Georgetown is separated from Washington, or rather from the ground on which it is to stand, by a small river called Rocky Creek, which empties into the Potomac, over which there is a bad wooden bridge. I returned to Washington with the minister, in order to be introduced to several of the highest public officers, and to the diplomatic body. At first we went to the office of Mr. Clay, the secretary of state, one of the most celebrated American orators. He is a tall, thin man; I found him in mourning for one of his daughters, of whom he has had the misfortune to lose three in a short time. Afterwards we went to see the president, who received us very kindly, and treated me as an old acquaintance. The house of the president, as already mentioned, is built of white marble. In the interior there is a large hall with columns. We were received in a handsomely furnished apartment. Beautiful bronzes ornamented the mantels, and a full length portrait of President Washington hung upon the wall.
From the president’s house we went to the office of the war department, to visit Mr. Barbour, the secretary, whom, however, we did not find, and thence to the navy department, to see the secretary, Mr. Southard. This officer is reputed to be one of the most learned men in the United States. The four offices are all built alike, very plain, with wooden staircases; their interior resembles a school-house. There are no sentinels nor porters; in the building for the war department a woman kept a fruit shop. Even the president himself has usually no sentries, and only during the night the marines from the navy-yard keep guard before his house.
We next visited Baron Mareuil, and I was very glad to renew my acquaintance with his amiable lady. His house stands quite insulated, like a country dwelling. The houses stand generally so widely distant in Washington, that the plan of the city exhibits more streets than houses. We made our last visit to the Russian minister, Baron Tuill, and the English minister, Mr. Vaughan, but found neither at home. At five o’clock I dined at Baron Mareuil’s, who gave a diplomatic dinner in honour of the King of France’s name-day. I found the greatest part of the diplomatic body assembled, and observed the French legation, particularly, was very numerous. It was composed of the consul-general Durand de St. André, brother of the Baron Mareuil, the vice-consul Thierry, the secretary of the legation De Bresson, the Count Ganay, and Mr. De Sonntag, a step-son of the Baron Mareuil, who was attached to the legation, and of Mr. Laborie, who, however, did not appear. Of the Russian legation, I found Mr. De Wallenstein, whom I had known in Boston, and who is very much esteemed and beloved here on account of his sensible conduct and good character, but particularly on account of his solid acquirements and correct views. The president, it is said, entertains a high opinion of him. I saw likewise Baron Maltitz, of the same legation, who married an American wife some months ago, also the Chargé d’Affaires of Brazils, Chevalier Rebello. I also became acquainted with the secretary of the treasury, Mr. Rush, who was for many years ambassador to England, and I met too with Mr. Brent, the under secretary of state. The ladies present, were only Mrs. De Mareuil and Mrs. De St. André. The dinner was truly splendid.
The number of our acquaintances soon increased, and pleasant and interesting parties ensued. At the same time we saw what was remarkable in Washington and its vicinity.