MAIL STEAMERS TO BREMEN. 441 



without ribands or decorations of any kind, and his 

 apartments corresponded with the simplicity of his per- 

 sonal appearance. He was debilitated from an attack of 

 illness, but the vigour and elasticity of his mind were 

 unimpaired. He spoke English with much fluency, but 

 with an accent, and his manner of speaking and the tone 

 of his conversation reminded me of Mr. Gallatin, who 

 was an old personal friend, and to whom he wished to 

 be remembered. 



" The ruined cities of America, being the means of 

 bringing me to his acquaintance, were of course the first 

 subject referred to, but learning that my connexion with 

 the line of mail steamers to Bremen was the immediate 

 object which had brought me to Germany, he expressed 

 his satisfaction that I was identified with an enterprise at 

 that moment most interesting to Germany. He con- 

 sidered the action of our government in establishing the 

 line, wise and statesmanlike, as, for a commercial people 

 like ours, it must be the means of opening new relations, 

 and a wide field for the enterprise of our citizens. He 

 himself felt a lively interest in its success, believing that 

 the Germans of all classes were desirous of direct inter- 

 course with us ; that they had a great variety of manu- 

 factures which might be exchanged to advantage for the 

 large amount of our staples now consumed in that coun- 

 try, when more frequent intercourse should give a better 

 knowledge of each other's wants and resources; as 

 between the United States and Germany there never 

 could be any feeling of rivalry, or any cause of collision, 

 and the closer we could be drawn together the better it 

 would be for both countries. He spoke of the long lines 

 of railroads now constructing in Germany, to connect 



19* 



