0 e seats this! onquer y your found ng the i from beer who iit; he d, but the has re Btage in 1. God thirty The risk d hor. f much -)ch of a stage, ountry before n I ev night, going et, and new to oups of ade of eepest ustom farious novel, as it was unexpected. Some of these were about half white, some almost white, leaving it difficult to distinguish where the one ends, and the other begins. To one unaccustomed to see human nature in this guise, it excites feelings of horror and disgust. It has something in it so contrary to nature, something which seems never to have entered into her scheme, to see a man neither black nor white, with blue eyes, and a woolly head, has something in it at which the mind recoils. It appears that these people, instead of abolishing slavery, arc gradually not only becoming slaves themselves, but changing color. Strange that a nation who extol so much, who praise themselves in such unqualified terms, as possessing in the highest degree, both moral and political virtue, should afford no better proof of it than this before me! Without criticising upon that degree of credit attached to self-praise, or calling into question their moral and political virtues, we would remark, generally, that those who boast most of virtue, have the least of it. But the fact before one speaks for itself, and naturally leads to the conclusion, that the man who can entail slavery upon his offspring, a free-born American, who has tasted the sweets of liberty, who can abandon his flesh and blood to the most ignominious slavery, ought truly to sound his own trumpet. There is a measure even in crime. There is a point, beyond which the most daring will not venture. History affords us many examples, amongst the most barbarous nations, in the most barbarous ages, where the most lawless ruffians became softened at the sight of human distress,* to which they were impelled by no law, but that of common humanity. But for man in this free, and (as they say) enlightened country, to doom his own children, to a state (to say the least of it,) fraught with every species of human misery, we want no better evidence to prove, that such men must not only be void of virtue, but guilty of the most indignant crime. * Every one remembers the humanity of the robbers to Margaret, of Aragon, Queen of Henry the sixth, of England. But we have many more instances. 9* The Market. I turned from this spectacle, to observe the appearance of the citizens, who were passing to and fro, engaged in marketing, which is not, by great odds, so crowded as ours are in the western country, in proportion to the size of the town. The first object that attracted my attention, was a gentlemen of middle age and good size, walking with a slow, but dignified step, his eyes bent on the ground in thoughtful mood, his mind evidently revolving some good intent, while his mein bespeaks the benevolence of his heart. Next steps a man of portly size, declining from the centro each way, arrayed in shining black, contrasted with an elevated face of scarlet red. His hands locked behind his back, keeping his coat in rear, the better to display his graceful front, and a massy seal, which he surveys with great seeming approbation. Turning his back upon the market-house, where, perhaps his royal highness found nothing to his taste, with an important step, he seeks his way whence he came. After him steps out a dignified personage, with evident signs of displeasure, followed by a black boy, with an empty basket on his arm, whilst he can hardly keep pace with the hasty step of his master. I should like to know what has turned up with him; probably some presuming mechanic, has had the assurance to set his fancy upou some delicate mor sel, which he of domineering look, designed for his own breakfast. Approaching slow, with modest step, a graceful matron, with a round-crown bonnet, and a long whitish colored cloak, appears next, and with a basket in her hand, enters the market-house, whilst by her rush. es a port black boy with a basket likewise. And now we have a country man, who has sacrificed his morning nap to pecuniary views, with dusty hat, and friend of thread-bare drab, buttoned round him, unlading his stur dy cart, Sunday morning, notwithstanding. And hence steps, with deepened front and bold independence, a group of negro men, with erect impudence; you might perceive by their forward looks that it was Sunday. Next appears forlorn, with timid step, a female whose wo-worn mien bespeaks her friendless-may God be friend you then, I thought. To these succeeded a troop ol at NU he ot W lik cl a CO ne thi bo ity DI me be go by сго is stru bro aga pric eve pou the DRY dou min A stro the tho wall (he carr adv to ob passing y great atry, in object middle ignified alood, his Chile his Next centre with an behind display surveys ick up Highness step, he ps out a leasure, ! on his sty step Sarned up has had 'e mor his own step, a a long a basket cr rush And now of coloured females, (as they are termed here,) in neat morning riend of his sturd hence ence, a ou might Sunday. My attention was now attracted by a party in the street. Two young ladies, in full dress, tripped along the pavement with mincing step and uulocked arms, as though they would make room for a little light fop, who walked neither exactly behind nor yet between them; e whose (he has a faint heart, that is evident.) In his hand he God be. carries a cane of neat device, which his well turned arm Safroop advances at every step, with studied grace, in the van of the ladies, sticking its brazen point into the interstices of the brick, as if to let the fair ones know "I am here." In conscious triumph he often looks to one side, and of ten behind, with design, no doubt, to say to those who see him, "am I not a happy man ?" "Yes, you are a happy man," says the downcast look of a brother dandy, who walks with a slow melancholy air, some distance behind, while the life-cheering smiles and brilliant eyes of the ladies, are often bestowed upon his happy rival. A little dabbling girl, with health in her face and plenty in her hand, goes next, and after her a black woman, with her apron thrown over her shoulder and a string of fish in her hand. The slaves of this place bear every mark of good treatment; they look happy and are comfortably clothed, though not half so fine or richly dressed: indeed the white people of this place lack a great deal of being dressed equal to the blacks of Huntsville, or Lexington. Those of the mixed breed, some have a beautiful bloom in their face, while others again have a sickly squalid hue, very disgusting. Having satisfied my curiosity, at least for that morning, I partook of a fine breakfast alone in my parlour, and spent the day in rest and reading. History. The land where Alexandria now stands was formerly owned by the Alexander family, and the first building erected on the site, was built by one of the Alexanders. frien said that of t Alexandria was erected into a town by act of assembly, in the year 1749, at Hunting Creek ware-house, on the lands of John and Philip Alexander, and Hugh West, in Fairfax county, on the south side of Potomac river, 120 miles from Chesapeake, 70 miles from Win-ance chester, 8 from Washington. Beginning at the mouth The of Hunting Creek up the river, sixty acres of land were youn laid out into half acre lots and streets. The Rt. Hon.sexeThomas Lord Fairfax, the Hon. Wm. Fairfax, Georgepress Fairfax, Lawrence Washington, Wm. Ramsay, John eyes. Carlisle, John Rogers, Richard Osborn, Hugh West, plexi Gerard Alexander, and Philip Alexander, were appoint peop ed trustees of the town, which by act of assembly was se who are a dandy, istance at eyes rival. plenty Woman, erstices called Alexandria. It is a very handsome town, the here." streets cross each other at right angles, running north and of and south, east and west, the former cutting the river at right angles. There are no squares in Alexandria, except the market-square, which is very small, and enclosed or surrounded with buildings, independent of the mark et-house itself, which takes the form of the letter L, and makes two sides of the square. In the opposite corner of the square, stands a fish-market, the upper story of which is destined for the city guards, and called the watch house. Besides these market houses, the other public buildings are, two churches for Episcopalians, two for Presbyterians, one for Methodists, (white) one of good for Methodists, (black) one for Baptists, (black) one for clothBaptists, (white) one for Friends, one for Catholicsced the ten in all-a court-house, a museum, a town-hall, a lif being brary, an insurance office, a theatre, and six banks, a ington. collectors office, and a post office. There are two prinblooming offices in Alexandria. Besides the manufactory of squalid tin and leather, a great quantity of sugar is refined in sity, at Alexandria. Great attention seems to he paid to eduist alone cation: there are academies and several schools. tring of ng. Manners and Appearance.-The people of Alexandria nds was are mild and unassuming. They have not that eclat and splendor, of which many of the towns in Alabama and the western states are so vain. They are rather distant, when compared with the people of the west, tho' the first the Al assem emouth friendly and unreserved upon an acquaintance; they are -house, said to be hospitable; but my opportunity was such, Hugh that I am unable to give an opinion. They have none Potomac of that bold assurance, that distinguishes the appearm Win- ance of the people between it and the Blue Ridge. They are, on the contrary, remarkably diffident. The nd were young people are handsome, and well formed of both Bon. sexes, particularly the young men, they have very exGeorge pressive countenances, and noted for black sparkling John eyes. Both young men and ladies, have beautiful comWest, plexions, but as to size, they are not to compare to the appoint people of the west, nor are they so dressy or fashionable. ably was Labouring men and women, however, are stouter than " |