accompanied by John G. Whittier, of Massachusetts, and a friend
from the State of Delaware.

"It was my first visit to the seat of legislation of your great
republic. On our arrival we went to the House of
Representatives, then in session. A member from Maryland was
speaking on our entrance, who was the author of a resolution,
which had been carried in a former Congress, excluding nearly
three millions of your countrymen, on whom every species of
wrong and outrage is committed with impunity, from all right of
petition, either by them selves or their friends. He was
advocating the re-enactment of this very resolution for the
present Congress, and stated that he had a letter from your
President approving the measure. Although I believe I do not
speak too strongly when I say an attempt to enforce such a
resolution by any crowned head in the civilized world, would be
inevitably followed by a revolution, yet it seemed evident that
no small portion of your _present_ members were in favor of it.
It was with no ordinary emotion that I saw the venerable
ex-president Adams at his post, nobly contending against this
violation of the rights of his countrymen, and I could not but
regret that, with one or two exceptions, be appeared to find
little support from his younger colleagues of the free States.

"The same day we visited one of the well-known slave-trading
establishments at Alexandria. On passing to it we were shewn the
costly mansion of its late proprietor, who has lately retired on
a large property acquired by the sale of native born Americans.
In an open enclosure, with high walls which it is impossible to
scale, with a strong iron-barred door, and in which we were told