Travels In The United States Of America; Commencing In The Year 1793, And Ending In 1797. With The Author's Journals Of His Two Voyages Across The Atlantic By William Priest
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Ships Outward Bound
Here Receive Their Passengers, &C. &C.
At four the same day, arrived in this city, distant from Annapolis one
hundred and forty one miles, and from Baltimore one hundred and eleven.
Farewell.
Yours, &c.
* * * * *
_Philadelphia, March 1st, 1794._
DEAR SIR,
I perfectly agree with you, that the form of government in a great measure
_affects_, or rather _forms_ the manners, and way of thinking of
the people; but must decline answering the queries in your last, at least
for the present. I have not been long enough in these states to draw any
fair conclusions on these subjects; but that you may not be wholly
disappointed, I send you two anecdotes, on which you may depend.
Peter Brown, a blacksmith of this city, having made his fortune, set up
his coach; but so far from being ashamed of the means by which he acquired
his riches, he caused a large _anvil_ to be painted on each pannel of
his carriage, with two naked arms in the act of striking. The motto,
"_By this I got ye_."
Benjamin Whitall, high sheriff for the county of Gloster, West Jersey,
being obliged soon after his appointment to attend an execution, not
approving of Jack Ketch's clumsy method of _finishing the law_,
fairly tucked up the next criminal _himself_. Such behaviour in
Germany would have branded him with eternal infamy, but is in this country
(I think justly) thought a spirited action of a man, who was above
receiving the emoluments of an office, without performing the most
essential duty annexed to it himself.
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