I add but a few remarks more. Mr. Owen considers it as an absurdity to promise never-ending love on marriage. For this reason he has introduced the civil contract of marriage, after the manner of the Quakers, and the French laws into his community, and declares that the bond of matrimony is in no way indissoluble. The children indeed, cause no impediment in case of a separation, for they belong to the community from their second year, and are all brought up together.
Mr. M‘Clure has shown himself a great adherent of the Pestalozzian system of education. He had cultivated Pestalozzi’s acquaintance while upon his travels, and upon this recommendation brought Mr. Neef with him to Philadelphia, to carry this system into operation. At first it appeared to succeed perfectly, soon however, Mr. Neef found so many opposers, apparently on account of his anti-religious principles, that he gave up the business, and settled himself on a farm in the woods of Kentucky. He had just abandoned the farm to take the head of a boarding-school, which Mr. M‘Clure intended to establish in New Harmony. Mr. Jennings, formerly mentioned, was likewise to co-operate in this school; his reserved and haughty character was ill suited for such a situation, and Messrs. Owen and M‘Clure willingly consented to his withdrawing, as he would have done the boarding-school more injury, from the bad reputation in which he stood, than he could have assisted it by his acquirements. An Englishman by birth, he was brought up for a military life; this he had forsaken to devote himself to clerical pursuits, had arrived in the United States as a Universalist preacher, and had been received with much attention in that capacity in Cincinnati, till he abandoned himself with enthusiasm to the new social system, and made himself openly and publicly known as an Atheist.[II.21]
I passed the evening with the amiable Mr. M‘Clure, and Madam Fretageot, and became acquainted through them, with a French artist, Mons. Lesueur, calling himself uncle of Miss Virginia, as also a Dutch physician from Herzogenbusch, Dr. Troost, an eminent naturalist. Both are members of the community, and have just arrived from a scientific pedestrian tour to Illinois and the southern part of Missouri, where they have examined the iron, and particularly the lead-mine works, as well as the peculiarities of the different mountains. Mr. Lesueur has besides discovered several species of fish, as yet undescribed. He was there too early in the season to catch many snakes. Both gentlemen had together collected thirteen chests of natural curiosities, which are expected here immediately. Mr. Lesueur accompanied the naturalist Perron, as draftsman in his tour to New South Wales, under Captain Baudin, and possessed all the illuminated designs of the animals which were discovered for the first time on this voyage, upon vellum. This collection is unique of its kind, either as regards the interest of the objects represented, or in respect to their execution; and I account myself fortunate to have seen them through Mr. Lesueur’s politeness. He showed me also the sketches he made while on his last pedestrian tour, as well as those during the voyage of several members of the society to Mount Vernon, down the Ohio from Pittsburgh. On this voyage, the society had many difficulties to contend with, and were obliged often to cut a path for the boat through the ice. The sketches exhibit the originality of talent of the artist. He had come with Mr. M‘Clure in 1815, from France to Philadelphia, where he devoted himself to the arts and sciences. Whether he will remain long in this society or not, I cannot venture to decide.[II.22]
[CHAPTER XXII.]
Travels to Louisville, and Stay in that City.
On the 21st of April, we left New Harmony, after taking a cordial leave of Mr. Owen, and availed ourselves of the mail stage, which leaves here once a week for Mount Vernon, to make this passage. Besides our company, there was only a single traveller in the stage, a Mr. Riley, from Cincinnati, and a native of Ireland. One mile from New Harmony, we were forced to alight from the carriage, as the horses would not draw us up a steep hill. One-half mile farther, we got out again on account of a similar dilemma, and we had hardly done so, when it was overturned by the unskilfulness of the driver. We unloaded our baggage, left it under the care of Böttner, my servant, permitted the driver to his chagrin and mortification to go on alone, and returned back on foot to New Harmony, to look about for another method of conveyance. I paid a visit to Messrs. M‘Clure, Lesueur, &c. They told me that about ten o’clock a cart under the direction of a Mr. Johnson would leave this place for Mount Vernon, in which our baggage would find a place. As to our own conveyance, I saw plainly that it would be the wiser plan to confide mine to my own trustworthy legs. I assumed therefore the pilgrim’s staff, left my slower moving travelling companions something behind, and accomplished the sixteen miles to Mount Vernon, over a very hilly road, in five hours.
I did not pass through Springfield, saw only two solitary log-houses, and encountered but few people. The herbage had advanced very much during a week; many trees were in blossom, and the young green leaves, particularly those of the tulip trees, produced a very pleasing effect. I passed by many sugar-maples, which were perforated, to draw the sugar juice from them. When the trees are completely in leaf, the natural scenery of these forests, of which the ground is very hilly, must be extremely beautiful, especially to the eyes of a northern European, who is not accustomed to the grandeur of the colossal sycamores, tulip trees and maples. In noticing these trees, I may add the remark that Mr. Rapp had planted the Lombardy poplar in the streets of New Harmony; that these poplars had succeeded very well at first, but when their roots struck a stratum of reddish sand lying under the good fertile soil, they died. Mr. Rapp then substituted mulberry trees, which have thriven well, and Mr. Owen has it in design, to make an experiment in raising silk-worms.
I reached Mount Vernon, tolerably fatigued, about three o’clock, P. M. I met Dr. Clark again. Mr. Huygens and Mr. Riley made their appearance after some time. Towards evening the expected cart arrived, but without Böttner and my baggage. The carter said in his own excuse, that they had given him so much freight in New Harmony, that his horses could hardly draw it, and that there was no room left for my effects. After having made a survey of the localities in person, I was obliged to admit the cogency of his reasons, in spite of my vexation; and of course to find a remedy in patience.
In this state of affairs, I solaced myself with Major Dunn’s society. He and his countryman Riley, belonged to the better class of Irish, and possessed a good deal of shrewdness, so that the time passed very pleasantly. In the evening we went to the court-house, to hear a Presbyterian preacher, travelling from the eastern states. He was quite a young man, of the name of Stewart, whom I had met in New Harmony; he had, however, only looked about, without announcing himself as a clergyman, probably from his knowing the anti-religious opinions prevailing there. In the little new settled places of the western states, they do not build churches before houses, as is the practice in the north-eastern section, but a dwelling and clearing of land is their first object. Nevertheless, divine service is not lacking; for many clergymen, who are not located, seek after a situation; in so doing are accustomed to preach, where they can be heard. In most of the public houses, and ferry-boats, no pay is required from these clergymen, and thus they can take pretty long journies, the descriptions of which are often published, at a very cheap rate. From the want of a church in Mount Vernon, the meeting was held in the court-house. It was a temporary log-house, which formed but one room. The chimney fire, and two tallow candles formed the whole illumination of it, and the seats were constructed of some blocks and boards, upon which upwards of twenty people sat. The singing was conducted by a couple of old folks, with rather discordant voices. The preacher then rose, and delivered us a sermon. I could not follow his discourse well, and was very much fatigued by my day’s walk. In his prayer, however, the minister alluded to those who despise the word of the Lord, and prayed for their conviction and conversion. This hint was evidently aimed at the community in New Harmony and the new social system. In the sermon there was no such allusion. Probably the discourse was one of those, which he knew by heart; which he delivered in various places, and admitted of no interpolations. The service lasted till ten o’clock at night.