634 Mrs. Wright's Travels in the United States,, 
large and magnificent hall without any 
apparent effort on the part of the orator. 
In conversation, he is no less eloquent 
than in debate; and no sooner does he 
kindle with his subject, than his voice 
and action betray the orator of the hall; 
yet so unpremeditated is his language, 
that even in a drawing-room, the orator 
never appears misplaced. 
Leaving the city to make a little ex¬ 
cursion in Virginia, we missed the 
speeches of several distinguished mem¬ 
bers. We returned, however, to attend 
the close of the debate, which afforded 
us the opportunity of hearing Mr. 
Lowndes of Carolina. The close aud 
deductive reasoning of this gentleman 
forms a striking contrast to the fervid 
oratory of Mr. Clay. They were op¬ 
posed in the debate, and each possessed 
a manner most appropriate to his argu¬ 
ment. Mr. Lowndes is singularly cor¬ 
rect in his selection of language and 
turn of the phrase; yet the syllables 
flow from his lips in an uninterrupted 
stream; the best word always falling 
into the right place, not merely without 
effort but seemingly without the can- 
sciousness of the speaker. 
The senate being occupied in ordinary 
business, we had no opportunity of judg¬ 
ing of its oratory; but being politely 
admitted on the floor, we admired the 
elegance of the chamber, and made our¬ 
selves acquainted with the persons of 
the senators, and the proceedings of the 
house. The debates of the chamber, as 
I am informed by some of its members, 
are conducted with less popular vehe¬ 
mence thou those of the hall. I know 
not if it be the more advanced age of 
the senators, or the smaller size of the 
assembly, which imparts to the delibe¬ 
rations their character of senatorial gra¬ 
vity. The age fixed by law for a mem¬ 
ber of the senate is thirty-five years , 
and though one or two gentlemen in the 
chamber seem to have numbered little 
more than the lustres demanded, the 
majority of the assembly have the air 
of veteran statesmen, some of whom 
have occupied a seat in the house from 
its first organization. 
This skeleton city affords few of the 
amusements of a metropolis. It seems, 
however, to possess the advantage of 
very choice society ; the resident fami¬ 
lies are of course few, but the unceasing 
influx and reflux of strangers from all 
parts of the country, affords an ample 
supply of new faces to the evening 
drawing-rooms. To this continual in¬ 
termixture with strangers and foreign¬ 
ers, is, perhaps, to be ascribed the pecu¬ 
liar courtesy and easy politeness which 
characterize the manners of the citv. 
THE PRESIDENT. 
Colonel Monroe enjoys the felicity of 
having witnessed at his election the 
union of all parties, and of conciliating 
during his administration, the esteem 
and confidence of the whole American 
nation. His illustrious predecessors 
having been placed in active political 
opposition to a strong, and once, a ruling 
party, of which they effected the over¬ 
throw and destruction, were exposed 
throughout their public career to the 
enmity of a discomfited minority ; an 
enmity which, though their candour 
knew how to forgive, their virtues and 
high-minded forbearance were unable 
wholly to appease. The existing pre¬ 
sident came into office at a moment of 
all others the most fortunate; when the 
republic had just shaken hands with 
her foreign and internal enemies ; and 
it had been difficult to find a statesman 
more fitted, by the benevolence of his 
character and mild urbanity of his man¬ 
ners, to cement the civil concord, than 
he who was elected. 
VIRGINIAN SLAVERY. 
The sight of slavery is revolting 
every where, but to inhale the impure 
breath of its pestilence in the free 
winds of America is odious beyond all 
that the imagination can conceive. The 
Virginians are said to pride themselves 
upon the peculiar tenderness with 
which they visit the sceptre of authority 
upon their African vassals. As all 
those acquainted with the character of 
the Virginia planters, whether Ameri¬ 
cans or foreigners, appear to concur 
in bearing testimony to their humanity, 
it is probable that they are entitled to 
the praise which they claim. But in 
their position, justice should he held 
superior to humanity; to break the 
chains would be more generous than to 
gild them; and whether we consider 
the interests of the master or the slave, 
decidedly more useful. 
64 Look into the cabins of our free 
negroes,'” said an eminent individual, 
a native of Virginia, in conversing with 
me lately upon this subject; 4i you will 
find there little to encourage the idea, 
that to impart the rights of freemen to 
our black population is to ameliorate 
their condition, or to elevate their cha¬ 
racter.” It is undoubtedly true, that 
the free negroes of Maryland and Vir¬ 
ginia 
