CHAPTER VII

Proceed on journey—Political parties—Laurel hill—Chesnut-hills—Greensburgh—Bad road—Fine prospect—Pittsburgh.

The 1st February at 4 A. M. I left Somerset in a sleigh, a good deal of snow having fallen the day before. One of the gentlemen and the little girl having quitted the stage, my companions now were only a Mr. M’Kinley, of WestLiberty near Wheeling in Virginia, one of the representatives in the state assembly, returning home from Richmond, and a Mr. Archer of Centreville in Ohio, returning home also, from a circuitous voyage and journey to New Orleans {56} and Baltimore; during which he had visited the Havanna, and New Providence in the Bahamas.—As we all possessed some information different from each other, we beguiled our journey by conversation pleasantly enough, except when politicks were introduced, on which, my fellow travellers being of opposite sentiments, I was sometimes under the necessity of starting some new subject, to prevent their being wrought up to an irritation of temper, which not only prevented cool argument, but sometimes in spite of my endeavours to the contrary, arose to such a height as to nearly approach to personalities.

Politicks, throughout the whole of this country, seems to be the most irritable subject which can be discussed. There are two ruling or prevailing parties; one, which styles itselfFederal, founded originally on the federal league or constitution which binds the states to each other; in contradistinction to a party which attempted to prevent the concurrence of the states to the present constitution, and after it was agreed to, made some fruitless attempts to disorganize it, and was calledAntifederal. The opposite party is one which has since sprung up and styles itself the Democratick Republican. Since the federal constitution has been established, the first party exists no longer exceptin name.Thatwhich assumes it, stickles for the offices of government being executed with a high hand, and is therefore accused of aristocratick and even of monarchick sentiments by its opponents, who in their turn are termed factious, and disorganizers, by the federalists. They nickname each otherAristocratsandDemocrats, and it is astonishing to what a height their mutual animosity is carried. Theyare not content with declaiming against each other in congress, or in the state legislatures, but they introduce the subject even at the bars of the judicial courts, and in the pulpits of the places of religious worship. In some places, {57} the males who might otherwise be on terms of friendship with each other, are, merely on account of their diversity of sentiment on politicks, avowed and illiberal enemies; and the females carry the spirit of party into their coteries, so far as to exclude every female whose husband is of a different political opinion, however amiable, and ornamental to society she may be. The most illiberal opinions are adopted by each party, and it is sufficient with a federalist that another man is a republican, to pronounce him capable of every crime; while the republican takes care not to allow the federalist the smallest of the attributes of virtue.—Theirgeneraldifference of opinion, at last becomesparticular, and a mistaken point of honour frequently hurries the one or the other maniack into a premature grave.—The political wheel is kept in constant motion by those two parties, who monopolize it to themselves, to the exclusion of the moderate, well disposed, and best informed part of the community; who quietly pursue their several avocations, lamenting at, yet amused by the bickerings, disputes and quarrels of the turbulent and ambitious leaders of the parties, and their ignorant, prejudiced and obstinate tools—satisfied with the unexampled prosperity they enjoy as a people and a nation—and equally watchful perhaps to guard against tyranny or licentiousness, with the violent and avowed opponents of both.

After travelling seven miles through the glades, a rather barren and thinly settled plain, we crossed a bridge over Laurel hill creek, a mile beyond which we began to ascend Laurel hill, which we continued to do two miles further to Evart’s tavern, where we breakfasted. Six miles more,brought us to the beginning of the descent westerly, there being several settlements on each side the road between the ridges of the mountain in that distance. From this point we had an extensive view as far west as the eye could {58} reach, over and beyond Chesnut hills. After descending two miles, we crossed Indian creek at the foot of the mountain. I now remarked that the woods were much thicker, and the trees larger and taller, than the same species to the eastward. A mile from Indian creek, Mr. M’Kinley pointed out one of the finest farms between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, owned by one M’Mullen, an Irishman.

At 10 A. M. we changed horses and our sleigh for a stage wagon, two miles from M’Mullen’s, at M’Ginnis’s, perhaps the dirtiest tavern on the whole road. We then continued ten miles over a very broken hilly country, with rich valleys, crossing a high ridge called Chesnut hills, from whence the western country is spread out under the view, like an immense forest, appearing flat from the height we were at, though it is in fact, as we found it, very hilly. We crossed the river Sewickly, a fine mill stream, by a bridge, ten miles from M’Ginnis’s, and eight miles further we arrived at Greensburgh, the capital of Westmoreland county, which we had entered at the eastern foot of Laurel hill.

Greensburgh is a compact, well built, snug little town, of about a hundred houses, with a handsome court-house, a Presbyterian meeting-house, and a market-house.[24]

On entering Habach’s tavern, I was no little surprised to see a fine coal fire, and I was informed that coal is the principal fuel of the country fifty or sixty miles round Pittsburgh. It is laid down at the doors here for six cents a bushel.

After supper we were joined by a Mr. Holly, a doctor, and another gentleman, residents of the town, accordingto the custom of the country, where the inhabitants are in habits of collecting what information they can from travellers. We had a long political discussion, originating on the subject of Col. Burr’s projects; and amongst the six present, there {59} were no two who agreed in sentiment. Indeed, in this country every man thinks for himself, or at least he imagines he does, and would suppose himself insulted, was another to attemptopenlyto bias his opinion; but notwithstanding this supposed liberty of sentiment, superior talents when united to ambition, seldom fail of drawing the mass after them. The conversation of this evening was both amusing and instructive; some of the party, particularly Mr. Holly, a New England man, being possessed of very good information, and the arguments were conducted with cool, dispassionate reasoning.

About 8 o’clock, the landlord, who was a German, came into the room and offered to light us to bed: My fellow travellers complied, but I told him I should sit up two hours longer. The old man repeated my words, “two hours,” shrugged up his shoulders and went off, while I literally kept my word, amused by a series of three or four of the last Baltimore Federal Gazettes. On going to bed, and finding the bed clothes very light, I added the covering of another bed in the room to mine, which I left so in the morning as a hint to the house.

At five o’clock next morning, we resumed our journey, and found very little snow on the road, though there was so much on the mountains behind us.

The aspect of the country is similar to what it is between the Laurel hills and Greensburgh. Hills running in ridges from north to south, heavily wooded with white oak, walnut, sugar tree and other timber natural to the climate; and the valleys narrow, but rich and all settled.

At eight miles from Greensburgh, we passed on our rightan excellent house and fine farm of a Col. Irwin, one of the assistant judges; and three miles further we stopped to change horses and breakfast at {60} Stewart’s, where we were charged only a quarter of a dollar each.

We soon after entered Allegheny county. The weather was cold and clear, and very pleasant for the season, but the country afforded no variety, being still, hill, dale, woods, and scattering farms. At nine miles from Stewart’s, we descended a very long and steep hill, by a shocking road, crossed Turtle creek at the bottom, which runs to the southward to join the river Monongahela, 12 miles above its confluence with the Allegheny; we then ascended another hill by an equally bad and dangerous road. It is astonishing that in so fine and so improving a country more attention is not paid to the roads. A turnpike is projected from Pittsburgh to Harrisburgh, which I am clearly of opinion, might be kept in repair by a reasonable toll;—and then wagons with goods may travel between the two places in a third less time than they do now, and without the present great risks of breaking down, and the mails may be delivered at the post-offices one half sooner.

When about seven miles from Pittsburgh, we had a picturesque view of the Monongahela on the left, which was soon hid again by the intervening hills; and when within three miles of that town, the view was beautiful over the fine low cultivated level, or bottom, as it is called, which skirts the river Allegheny from thence to Pittsburgh, which is seen at the confluence of that river with the Monongahela; beyond which, the high and steep coal hill crowned by a farm house most romantically situated, seems to impend directly over the glass manufactury, on the bank of the river opposite the town.

The last two miles was along the fine level above mentioned, passing on the right, between the road and theAllegheny, the handsome seat of Mr. John Woods, a respectable lawyer;[25]and immediately after, {61} we passed Fort Fayette, a stockaded post on the right[26]—entered Pittsburgh, and put up at Wm. M’Cullough’s excellent inn.

FOOTNOTES:[24]For an account of Greensburgh, see Michaux’sTravels, vol. iii of this series, p. 153, note 16.—Ed.[25]John Woods was one of the two first lawyers in Pittsburg, being admitted to the bar from Allegheny County in 1786. He represented the city in Congress from 1815-17.—Ed.[26]For Fort Fayette, see Michaux’sTravels, vol. iii of this series, p. 32, note 12.—Ed.

[24]For an account of Greensburgh, see Michaux’sTravels, vol. iii of this series, p. 153, note 16.—Ed.

[25]John Woods was one of the two first lawyers in Pittsburg, being admitted to the bar from Allegheny County in 1786. He represented the city in Congress from 1815-17.—Ed.

[26]For Fort Fayette, see Michaux’sTravels, vol. iii of this series, p. 32, note 12.—Ed.

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