126 
the churches, to prevent their passage during service. The land 
of liberty has also its chains !* 
In this manner eight days soon elapsed, and amusement was 
not wanting, as my mind was occupied with interesting and use¬ 
ful novelties. I passed nay time in cheerful and pleasant company. 
At dinner and evening parties I continued to make interesting 
acquaintances with men of different occupations and professions. 
I observed that the families I visited were richly furnished with 
silver, china, and glass; the fine arts also contributed to the orna¬ 
ment of their apartments. At the evening parties we commonly 
had music and dancing The dinner parties consisted generally 
of from twenty to thirty persons, whose conversation was gene¬ 
rally refined. In New York, as well as at all other places, where 
English customs prevail, the ladies leave the table during the 
dessert, and the gentlemen keep their seats; however, nobody is 
obliged to drink, unless he feels inclined. Every one rises and 
leaves the house without ceremony. The servants are generally 
negroes and mulattos; most of the white servants are Irish; the 
Americans have a great abhorrence of servitude. Liveries are not 
to be seen; the male servants wear frock coats. All the families 
complain of bad servants and their impudence, because the latter 
consider themselves on an equality with their employers. Of 
this insolence" of servants I saw daily examples. Negroes and 
mulattos are abundant here, but they generally rank low, and are 
labourers. There are but a few slaves in the state of New York, 
and even these are to be freed in the year 1827 , according to a 
law passed by senate of the state. There are public schools esta¬ 
blished for the instruction of coloured children, and I was told 
that these little ape-like creatures do sometimes learn very well. 
In the city there are several churches belonging to the coloured 
population; most of them are Methodists, some Episcopalians. A 
black minister, who was educated in an Episcopalian seminary, 
is said to be a good preacher. But there is in this country a great 
abhorrence of this class of people, who are obliged to live almost 
like the Indian Parias. In the army they are only employed as 
musicians, but are never admitted to be soldiers. Soldiers are not 
even allowed to be of mixed blood!! 
Colonel Bankhead, of the second artillery regiment, who was 
* [This unwarrantable and exasperating 1 usurpation of extending chains 
across the public highways is not attempted by all religious sects. Through 
the good sense of congregations it has been entirely relinquished in some of 
our cities. That it is productive of more dislike to churches and churchmen than 
of any other result, is a truth which will one day be profoundly felt.]— Trans. 
f [Blacks are shipped as seamen in the navy of the United States, where 
they stand on the same level with white seamen.]— Trans. 
