-Motive for removing Indians.-Insuperable Bar to in- corporation with the Whites.-Despotic Laws of Georgia. Page Slavery and Slave Trade in the District of Columbia.- Free Blacks.- Country impoverished.— Princi- ples of Constitution.-Claim for Impressed Slave.-Wages and Mileage of Members of Congress. Mr. Clay.-Ju- Bank Deposits.-System of Credit.-Mercantile Failures. -Principle of Federal Bank.- Paper Money,- Safety Fund of New York.-Fallacies about Bankers.-Whigs and Tories.-Mr. Van Buren; rejected by the Senate.- Reasons. Senate not aristocratical.-Party feeling.-Post Office. Purity of Bag secured.-Franking.-Assaults upon Members. Duelling.-President Jackson a Soul-driver.— System productive of Idleness.-The Bench.-Eastern and Western Virginia.-Debates in State Convention.— Conversation with Slaves.-Schools.-Beautiful Scenery. -Odious System.-Character of Slaves.-Higher and Lower Classes disunited.-White Labor discouraged.- Schemes to check Emigration.-Funeral.-Charlotteville. Wilmington.-Drunkenness.-Cruelty to Slaves.-Price of Religious Slaves.-Overseers.-Export Trade of Human Beings.-Destruction of Life by Hard Work.-Richmond. -Education in the South.-Penitentiary.—Treatment of National Habits.-Stage-coach Preaching.-Winnsville.— Character of Proprietor.-National Vanity.-Old World and New World.-Last Home and Hope of Liberty.- Natural Scenery.-Staunton,-Cure for Love.-Slaves in the Valley.-Education prohibited.-Purity of Breakfast- table.-Natural Bridge.-Whipping and Gouging.-Cus- Guyandott. Cholera. Orthography and Orthoepy.- School Prejudices. National Fallacies. - Kentucky. Usury Laws.-Lexington.-Inquisitive Traveller.-Luna- tic Asylum.-Colored Preacher.-Stage Regulations. JOURNAL OF A RESIDENCE AND TOUR, ETC. CHAPTER XIII. New York Elections.-Vote by Ballot.-Annual Offices.— Restricted qualification of Blacks.-Its origin.-Fire, Firemen, and Fire-offices.- Fugitive Slaves. City Gaol.- Ex-sheriff Parkins.-Anecdote of Runaway and Master.—Remarkable generosity in a Woman of color.-Spanish and American pride compared.-National Abolition Society.-American Quarterly Review versus the free Blacks. NOVEMBER 5th, being the second of the three days of election for the State and county officers, I went round with one of the voters to the different polling places, to see how the system "worked." We found every where the utmost quiet and order prevailing; and nothing to indicate any exception to the ordinary state of things, unless it were a national flag or two, outside the house where the business of making law-makers was going on, and here and there a group of persons assembled at the entrance. In each room, set apart for the purpose, VOL. II. B were three inspectors, and a secretary or clerk to register the names as they were given in. In addition to the choice of a senator and eleven representatives, as well as that of the county functionaries, the opinion of the electors was to be taken on two constitutional questions, in reference, one to the election of mayor for the city, and the other to the salt duty. There were therefore four boxes appropriated to the State, the county, and the constitution; the last having two. Each voter had supplied himself with small slips of paper; the subject of his vote being printed on one side, and its object on the other:-such, for instance, as the following: "Proposed amendment to the constitution of this State (Mayor)", for the outside: "Against electing the Mayor of the city of New York by the electors thereof," for the inside. These were doubled up and presented to the inspectors, who immediately deposited them in the boxes, corresponding to the labels. If any doubt was entertained of the qualification, an oath, on taking the name, would be administered. This is occasionally done, at the suggestion of some friend of the candidates; for whom, when party feeling runs high, there are generally scrutineers present; though a friend as well as a foe may sometimes be hit by this sharp-shooting*. Two or three Irishmen, * In some of the States, the qualification is previously ascertained by registering the names of the voters. |