Architecture in the United States. 101 



panying licentiousness, into which they are unavoidably drawn, and 

 as I have said, in this, do them injustice. 



Our own country, I believe, is destined to shew that the usual 

 course of nations does not arise from any fixed law of nature. Its 

 commencement certainly was at variance with this la^v. Like the 

 famed goddess of old, it came into existence in full panoply, in full 

 size and proportion, and with at least a sufficiency of mental as well 

 as bodily power. Our progress too, has been like that of no other 

 nation — and this brings me to the main object of my remarks — the 

 advantages of our country in regard to architecture. 



By architecture, I mean not only the principles of science and taste, 

 as applied to public and private edifices, but also to the ornamenting 

 of towns or cities with columns, arches, porticoes, bridges and fountains, 

 and generally, in the way of building, to whatever can be of utility or 

 ornament to them or their precincts. My remarks will also take a 

 wider range, and embrace a science, for which I cannot find a name, 

 for the good reason, that among the nations from which we draw our 

 language, no such science could be known. I mean the choice of 

 position, and the planning of towns, with the grounds and appurte- 

 nances connected with them. 



We are a calculating people, sufficiently attentive to present inter- 

 ests ; too much so, perhaps ; but to these interests I wish first to ad- 

 dress myself. He who observes the common language of men around 

 him, will be struck, in our country, with tlie strong susceptibility to 

 objects of mental pleasure. It is natural that it should be so. We 

 are a reading community : and though our reading is generally loose 

 and of a light character, still it tarings with it a good degree of infor- 

 mation, and more or less of mental culture ; it leads to a desire for 

 more, and our enjoyments consequently flow more from the mind than 

 is usual among nations. We are also a travelling people, and from 

 this, pick up a considerable degree of intelligence. Thus prepared 

 for mental pleasure, and ever on the wing, with abundant opportunity 

 for comparing places and scenes one with another, we are gradually 

 forming a pretty correct judgment, as to the beauties of a landscape 

 or a town ; and our taste is beginning to set strongly towards them. — 

 This is shown in the crowds that gather to the deck of a steam or 

 canal boat, as a fine point of view, or a handsome village, is approach- 

 ed and is heard in the murmur of approbation among little groups of 

 such travellers, on more ordinary occasions. One of the first ques- 

 tions too, about a town, usually respects its beauty of situation, and of 



