Mrs. Wright s Travels in the United States. 805 
Napoleon’s side,) and the return of 
Louis, fee resigned his commission, and 
retired to private life with his family. 
The king twice solicited his service, 
but he replied, that having been aide- 
de-camp to the Ex-emperor, and ho¬ 
nored with his intimacy, he could not 
enter into the service of the reigning 
family, without drawing upon himself 
the suspicion that, in conduct as well 
as opinion, he Was guided by interest. 
H is conduct as an officer, and skill as 
an engineer, were so well known and 
acknowledged throughput Europe, that 
he received invitations from two other 
courts, Bavaria and Holland, both of 
which he successively declined, urging 
the same reasons that he had pleaded 
to the French monarch. He remained 
retired in his chateau, and would have 
remained there still, but for the vexa¬ 
tion and inconvenience which the un¬ 
derlings of the court knew how to 
bring to the fire-sides of the suspected 
foes of legitimacy. 
General Bernard could not submit 
to the official visits of the petty magis¬ 
trates and cures of a village, or to those 
of the under gentlemen of the police of 
Paris ; and though, upon application, 
the high authorities disavowed any “ art 
or part” in such vexatious proceedings, 
a disciple of Carnot, and aide-de-camp 
of the ci-devant emperor, was too fail- 
game to receive the shield of their 
protection. lie was teased and teased 
till his patience became exhausted, 
when iie addressed himself to the go¬ 
vernment of the United States, and 
made a tender of his services. They 
were accepted with every expression of 
respect, and satisfaction, and he was 
placed immediately in the corps of en¬ 
gineers, with the same rank that he held 
in the army of France. The United 
States are believed to have received in 
him an inestimable treasure. Since 
the last war, it lias been a great object 
with the Congress to fortify the Ame¬ 
rican coasts and lines, to he prepared, 
in the event of any future hostilities 
with foreign powers, against such sur¬ 
prises as ouce lost the infant capital, 
and threatened the destruction of New- 
Orleans. General Bernard has received 
instructions to take a survey of the 
country, and draw up a report of what 
he shall consider requisite to complete 
the plan of precautionary defence, ei¬ 
ther on the coasts, or on the Canadian, 
Indian, and Spanish frontiers. Hellas 
already examined the southern lines, 
and proceeds this year to the lakes The 
cheerfulness with which this soldier, 
broken down as be is by military ser¬ 
vice, undergoes the fatigues of such 
bard duty,—travelling in all ways and 
in all climates, through all the varie¬ 
ties of forest, swamp, or savanna; and 
the pleasure and pride which he ex¬ 
presses in being permitted to employ 
bis time and talents in the service of 
the republic, is truly gratifying to con¬ 
template. It is not from General Ber¬ 
nard that you will hear complaints of 
the illiberality of this government, or 
the inhospitality of this people; nor is 
it of such foreigners, as this soldier and 
gentleman, that the Americans will 
express themselves with coldness or 
disrespect. I often hear them name 
him with admiration,and acknowledge 
themselves as proud that their country 
should be the chosen abode of such a 
character, as he on his part acknow¬ 
ledges himself in being devoted to its 
service. 
PHILADELPHIA. 
Though we have found some quiet¬ 
ism in the society, we have found less 
absolute quakevism than we expected; 
and I own that I at first felt something 
like disappointment, when, on looking 
round a room, I saw’ not one drab- 
coloured son of Penn in it. It is very 
true that a man is none the better for 
wearing a brown coat, but I have a 
notion that he is sometimes the better 
for being a Friend. 
The society has here very wisely re¬ 
laxed some of its rules. It is no longer 
necessary for its members to forego in¬ 
nocent amusements, or any honest pro¬ 
fession ; nor considered as an important 
form to use the second person singular 
rather than the plural, or to prefer drab 
cloth or pearl coloured silk. The same 
regard to their morals and fair dealings 
is still preserved ; they must be honest 
members of the community, and then 
may wear what garments they please. 
There is, however, much indulgence 
practised towards the follies and even 
the errors of youth. A wild young 
man is privately reprimanded, and 
much time allowed him to gain wisdom 
and reclaim his habits, before he is ex¬ 
pelled the society. Expulsion, there¬ 
fore is regarded as a serious blot upon 
a man’s character, even by those of 
other persuasions, as it is known to be 
resorted to in cases of obstinate vice or 
convicted fraudulency. 
To William Penn humanity is in¬ 
debted 
