evied on his pride, his patience, or his purse,--matters which
might be amended in England, greatly to the advancement of our national
character, and in these reforming days not unworthy consideration.

I was a good deal amused looking over the various costly gifts which
have been, from time to time, presented by foreign potentates to the
distinguished public servants of America, all of which are here
collected; the law not permitting those on whom they were bestowed to
retain them, although yielding to the custom which has rendered such
marks of courtly approbation customary amongst the great ones of Europe.

I could not help smiling as I fancied the disgorgement of all the
_cadeaux_ exchanged between ministers and generals, and treaty-makers
and breakers, since 1812, an epoch fruitful of such courtesies. Why, it
would pay off the national debt of the general government of this
country, and leave a surplus for watering the streets of the capital, if
the legislature did not find fault with the appropriation, and continue
to prefer being blinded, as they are at present, rather than purchase a
few water-carts for the corporation, which it seems is too impoverished
to afford any outlay on its own account.

There was nothing that puzzled me more, on a first view of the matter,
than the utter indifference with which the Americans look upon the
exceedingly unworthy condition of their capital, when considered in
relation with the magnitude, the greatness, and prosperous condition of
their common country. During months of every session, the roads leading
through the district of Columbia are all but impassable: independent of
the discomfort and delay consequent upon their condition, hardly a
season passes without some member or other being injured more or less by
overturns, which are things of common occurrence; yet, only let
government insert one extra item in the budget to be applied to the
service of this their common property, and all parties from all quarters
of the Union unite to reject the supply.

I heard of a curious instance of this jealousy of poor Columbia whilst
on my last visit here. The great avenue, or principal street, leading
from the President's house to the Capitol, had recently been redeemed
from mud according to the plans of M'Adam; but the exposure of the
situation, and the nature of the material employed, rendered the
improvement rather questionable: every breeze that now blew filled the
atmosphere wit