Chapter 19
In all of the United States of North America everyone that is male between his twenty-first and forty-fifth year has to become a soldier under the banner of the militia, and this does not occur unwillingly and with resistance but rather with pleasure and joy. However, this is also not without some difficulty; for each year a review is held only once, which lasts about two good hours for the older soldiers. The young soldiers gather on the day previous to prepare themselves for two good hours for this occasion and in this consists the entire military duty of the militia. For the American this is a regular joyous celebration; for generally in the cities or wherever else it takes place a fair is held in conjunction where eats and drinks of all kinds are at hand in great abundance, where old and young come together and live splendidly and in joy. After the exercises everyone eats at big tables and after the meal there is music and dancing.
Review or as one commonly calls it there Batallion46 does not actually deserve this name, for it is only a spectacle and no drill, because all discipline is totally lacking and there is no order connected with it. One is dressed in a coat, another in a jacket, a third joins the rank and file dressed only in a vest. One has a rifle without a lock, another a pistol, a third a club as crooked as he could have found along the way. The whole exercise is nothing but a ludicrous, stupid matter. No attention is paid to the order and these people do not learn as much as keeping in orderly step, much less the drill. It is only that the thing has the name. The officers are elected from the communities according to the majority of votes, the high as well as the low, and have no esteem paid to them.
In Philadelphia in the spring of 1825 shortly before the review they elected a farm boy who did not even have his healthy human understanding for the joy as commander of the militia. He rode in his uniform accompanied by two officers, who prompted him as to how he had to act. The poor sap could not even put his dagger in the sheath again by himself. The whole review consisted of a merry-making over this person and nothing further was undertaken that time.
A man who was elected to a position of lieutenant in the militia because of his simplicity felt his pride and ambition not a little tickled through it. Thus he took his musket and went up the steps in order to get practice in his new profession. When he got to the second landing, he stood at attention and gave the order: "Attention! Shoulder your weapons! Back row three steps back-march!" With this last word the brave officer unfortunately stepped too far back and with a terrible rumble fell backwards down the steps. His good wife hurried to him and asked anxiously what happened to him? "Go away!" said the hero as he picked himself up from the ground, "you don't understand anything at all about the things of war!"
The postal set-up in the United States is as follows: Each single sheet of paper regardless of how big, if it only consists of one piece of paper and accordingly has no envelope, is paid as a simple letter. For two pieces of paper the postage is double. Three or more pieces of paper that together are no heavier than an ounce regardless of how large or small are paid triple. Everything that is an ounce, that is 1/16 pound (2 Loth) or heavier is considered a package and as such is paid for every ounce four doubled postage. As simple postage these fees are paid for letters and packages.
| within 36 English miles: 6 Cents |
| within 80 English miles: 10 Cents |
| within 150 English miles: 12 1/2 Cents |
| within 400 English miles: 18 1/2 Cents |
| over 400 English miles: 25 Cents |
Ship's letters pay in the port of entry six cents. Of newspapers (if they are enclosed in an envelope open on one side) each copy goes within the state where it is printed or otherwise within 100 miles for one cent; farther within the United States for one and a half cents. Other printed leaves cost one and a half cents more.
The post wagons (Mail-stages) there consist of long bodies which hang in leather suspension straps with three seats across on each of which four persons with face turned toward the horses can sit. The mail sentry sits under shelter and on his seat there is room for two more persons in addition to him. The mail sentry, according to the law, has to be a white and has to take care of the mail bag.
The current coins in the United States are in gold, silver and copper; calculating and minting is done in dollars. A dollar is divided into ten dimes and a dime into ten cents. Minted and current coins are:
| 1. Gold Coins |
|---|
| Eagle......................................................10 Dollars |
| Half Eagle................................................5 Dollars |
| Quarter Eagle.....................................2 1/2 Dollars |
| 2. Silver Coins |
|---|
| Dollars..................................................100 Cents |
| Half Dollars.............................................50 Cents |
| Quarter Dollars.......................................25 Cents |
| Dimes.....................................................10 Cents |
| Half Dimes............................................... 5 Cents |
| 3. Copper Coins |
|---|
| Cents, of which one makes the hundredth part of a dollar, and half cents. |
In the following states slavery is still in force: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.
Slavery has the bad results for a country that it hinders its welfare, corrupts good morals and encourages and increases vice among people; for wherever it occurs, there the whites do not want to work, but rather rely entirely on the efforts of the Negroes. "Idleness is the root of all evil" and the truth of this proverb is confirmed everywhere; it is especially visible where holding slaves is allowed. People there are ashamed of the least task, they do not even want to pick up a fallen handkerchief again themselves but rather call a male Negro or a female Negro to do it. Wickedness, however, is also nowhere greater than there and "this has an evil end;" this is confirmed there and always will be so. Man was born for work and the build of his body should teach this to everyone. Work is just as necessary to a human being as food and drink and it is supposed to preserve him from evil and keep him healthy. Where humans rely upon God's blessing and their own efforts, they are also healthier in soul and body, and one sees everywhere more well-being and domestic fortune. God helps those who help themselves.
There as well as here I heard at times of an alleged attack from the side of Europe on the liberties of America which could arise and take place; of this my opinion is the following: As long as the United States of North America really remain genuinely patriotically united and do not lose their freedom through perhaps inner discontent and civil war which might happen through corruption and pandering after hereditary regency on the part of one of their presidents: that long will this constitution stand sure and certain. After what I have seen, heard and experienced, it is completely clear to me that the Americans, if they remain united among themselves, can assert their liberties against the entire united world. No nation just as strong alone would be so foolish as to want to make an attack which would undeniably end in failure and disgrace.
The United States could bring into existence more than a million fighters with ease in a short time in case of an attack. This is known in general also in Europe and could not go unregarded by a general who intended an attack on this country Without an equal force he could count on no success and one can boldly assume that one would never send an army off so far away to an undertaking which, even if it should succeed, would not compensate a thousandth part of the cost.
Source: Edited by Bryan Wright
