Architecture in the United States. 109 



So much for the effect on the morals of a people. The reaction 

 on the mind is also of very great consequence. A flourishing state 

 of architecture, it is true, implies a good degree of previous mental 

 culture ; but no cause perhaps, operates with more quickness, cer- 

 tainty and power, in refining the mind, thus prepared, than this. It 

 is placing objects of taste before the public, which they cannot help 

 seeing, about which they must converse, whose beauties they 

 must analyse, on which, in short, all will turn critics, and the sure 

 consequence will be, a refinement of taste, an elevation of mental 

 character, which will carry itself into all the concerns of life. The 

 principle of accommodation is one of the most powerful and useful 

 in our nature. Place a civilized man among savages, and his thoughts, 

 feelings and habits, will, before many years, be strongly assimilated 

 to those of the savage : place a savage in refined society, and his 

 character will in a short time undergo a change. Place a number of 

 tasteful public edifices in a town, and the private buildings of that 

 town will become classic and tasteful : build private edifices on the 

 principles of good taste, and I do not hesitate to say, that their inte- 

 rior will correspond, — that in cleanliness, good order and regularity 

 of the system within, there will be a sure and rapid improvement, 

 reacting strongly on the mind, as well as on the moral character of 

 the occupants. 



The subject is one sufficiently important, to be a matter of gov- 

 ernmental patronage. This we can scarcely expect, but I hope 

 much from honorable rivalship between our cities and towns. The 

 character of a place depends more on this, than would seem proba- 

 ble, at first sight ; and, as I have already said, will depend on it still 

 more in future years. Most of the Italian cities owe their reputa- 

 tion, and some of them, through the crowds of foreigners thus allur- 

 ed, a considerable part of their support, to the attention architect- 

 ure formerly received. Milan would gain but little attention from 

 the multitudes hurrying yearly to Rome, were it not for her cathe- 

 dral. Genoa would draw but slight notice, were it not for her 

 beautiful palaces. The Duomo and Logia of Florence divide with 

 its gallery, the admiration of all travellers : even Rome owes much 

 of her present celebrity to her architectural remains, and Greece 

 without hers, would be but a winter's shadow. I recollect the first 

 time I heard a native of Leghorn speak of his city. He wished to 

 make a favorable impression about it, and spoke, not of its sudden 

 rise, its harbor, or commerce, or canals, but of its burying ground. 



