After he had concluded his address, they raised the foundationstone to see whether the piece of money was still lying under it.

"Great was the astonishment of all the assembly to find that it was gone, and exactly in the spot where it should have been was found the paring of a thumb-nail. As soon as this was publicly announced, a loud and universal shout arose-' A relic! a holy relic!' I pass over altogether, for it would be grating to the ear of every religious Protestant, the consultations that were held upon the subject, the processions that followed, the masses that were said, the adorations that were paid to this trumpery and filthy object. It is sufficient to know that the site was consecrated, the church was built, and the ground upon which it was erected has ever since been known by the name of God's-hill.

"The franklin was highly pleased to have had all his sins absolved by the bishop himself, without the necessity of any confession; while his cows still ranged over his favourite field; and the two watchers never passed that way without partaking of the best cheer that the franklin could set before them."

UNCLE SAM'S PECULIARITIES.

AMERICAN NIGGERS.-HUDSON RIVER STEAM-BOAT

DIALOGUES.

THERE is not the least exchange of feeling between the white and black population of America. In some of the slave States, to teach a slave to read and write is an offence punishable with death, and a free black sailor arriving in port is consigned to a prison until his ship is again ready for sea. The following observations refer exclusively to the "free States;" in which the blacks and mulattoes are proprietors of their own persons, but have not all the social and political privileges of the republic:

Nature has created a difference in physical formation, colour, and mental capacity between the real negro, with retiring forehead, projecting jaws and large heels, and the European, or Caucasian variety of the genus homo, which nothing can ever set aside. American physiologists declare that there are upwards of fifty different anatomical developements by which the existence of negro blood in any individual can be tested. But, if no difference were perceptible except the rank odour of a nigger, that one difference would be quite sufficient, in my humble opinion, to place an insuperable bar against the "amalgamation"- odious word! which the blacks, and some eccentric white enthusiasts, in the United States, are professing to desire. The zealous "abolutionist" is pleased to think that at a future age of the world, some thousands of years hence, no black man will be in existence; the negro blood being all "amalgamated" with the white, so that mankind will assume a sober whity-brown appearance. There can be no doubt that when this process shall be completed, our descendants of the thousandth generation will commence an amalgamation between the aforesaid Negro-Caucasian, whitybrowns, and the Tartarian inhabitants of the "Celestial Empire."

The treatment of the blacks by the whites in the "free" States is

simply founded on the conventional opinions that the blacks are not the brethren of the whites; that it is a "curse" to the country that so many blacks are in existence in it, elbowing their superiors; and that the only way to make these two distinct races of mankind live peaceably together is to draw a line of demarcation between them, and allow all the whites to say to all the blacks, "keep your distance, confess your inferiority, and do not attempt to associate with us." Although this state of things may be called ungenerous, and even cruel, towards the few blacks who have more than an average amount of intelligence, yet it has puzzled all the Philadelphia lawyers to invent more than two systems of government for a free state with niggers in it: one system being to rest satisfied with the distinctive die of nature, and to enforce obedience from the blacks; the other is sacrilegiously to break down the law,

"Whereto we see in all things nature tends,"

and "amalgamate" the two species.

I shall conclude this exordium with remarking, that I never met an Englishman, who, after being six months in the States, did not agree that the plan of treating the blacks as natural inferiors was unavoidable, and that the amalgamation doctrine is an abomination too hideous ever to be entertained except by the blacks themselves, and the most degenerate and frantic white men.

Passing on a summer evening one of the African churches in New York, I listened at an open window to the following snatches of the minister's discourse. I should have ventured within doors, but the steam at the window forewarned me.

"My belobed brebren," said the parson, "ebery ting tells me de molgamation assoity mus triump. I wab at Bosson toder day, an hard a bootiful sarmen frum de Reberend Missa Rae. He said de Queen ob Sheba wab a dark lady, may be bery dark -'spose black. Yet de Queen ob Sheba cum to Sollymun, who raise her, and pud her on a chair by em side. Reberend Missa Rae guess Sollymun wad hab made her Queen ob Israel only he wab married afore. Dis Sollymun wab a king sarten; but not like a king ob de present day. He wab so wise dat he wab the wisest man as eber live on dis circular globe as is continually surrounding the heabens. De heabens tell de glory ob heaben, and dis circular globe tell de anjust 'havior ob man to hisself, for man to man is man to hisself, or his own fam'ly." (A pause.) "Yas, I say de anjust 'havior ob man to hisself, or his own likeness. Are we not broders? I say we is. I say so wib a loud voice to ma fellow white Chrestian brebren. Em cannot answer dat. Em say no, but a say yas.” (A pause.) "I dine wib de white men in Bosson-de obilition assoity-an' dey did not turn up 'em nose at me. No; but gabe me one ob de tob seats, an' a sat wib de white men an' ma colo'd frens, wib de univarsal feelen ob ooman natur on ma soul." (A pause.) "Some say too we shall hab de millitiee-law ultered, and de black and white will go fort to battle togeder side by em side, at de next war."

After the sermon I heard the congregation singing a hymn, the concluding line of the verses, which was repeated twice, being "We shall be de soldiers in de army by and by."

The laws of New York State disqualify the blacks from serving

in the militia, or voting as citizens, unless they have freehold property of the value of two hundred and fifty dollars. No doubt there are many thus qualified, but no American mob would permit a nigger to take part with it in an election. A coloured man is not allowed to enter any part of a theatre but the gallery, and there he is carefully excluded by wooden palings from the whites. Black men are not permitted to work a fire-engine at a conflagration, although they may take up the water-plugs, and busy themselves with the hose. No nigger must enter the public grounds, called the Park and the Battery, in New York, on "celebration days." I saw a drunken nigger who had offended in this respect, when a balloon was about to ascend from the Battery, chased by the mob, and nearly murdered. The mob caught him by some iron railing, against which they beat his head and face until the poor creature was covered with blood and wounds. Certainly no English mob would have used a dog so. Some constables were on the spot, but did not interfere; the sovereign people were merely having a nigger hunt! After the balloon had ascended, their majesties, pleased with the sport they had enjoyed in "whipping" the nigger, commenced a general hunt, and obliged every coloured man to "clear out" of the streets, under pain of being brutishly knocked down and trampled on. Sometimes, on such occasions, the niggers collect together and show fight, which is then called a nigger riot; the blacks defending themselves are taken before the squires, and sent to cut stone at the State's prison: thus, a nigger riot helps the State to some valuable labour.

The river Schuylkill, near Philadelphia, is much used by the antipodo-Baptist niggers, for total immersion, in their "baptisms for riper years;" and the favourite season for this religious ablution is the depth of winter. I was witness to the baptism, or dipping, of about twenty niggers one Sunday morning, when the river was frozen over. Some grinning labourers were breaking the ice with pickaxes, while a procession of six hackney-coaches was approaching; the white coachmen looking all sorts of unutterable fun. The black minister let himself out of the first coach, and immediately commenced a discourse, the aim of which was to convince the bystanders that there was nothing ridiculous in what they were about to perform. He concluded by informing the troop of unhappy bathers that, if they trusted in the Lord, they would certainly not catch cold. The poor fellows, dressed like Spanish monks, were, however, shivering with the damp expectation. The minister walked first into the water, and, as his congregation followed him, he gave each the coup de grace by sousing the head under water so low as to make the fullest assurance of the total immersion being perfect. While this was being acted, the following colloquy ensued between three white Philadelphians and two of the black Baptists.

1ST PHIL. What on airth can these black fellows be communicating in the water?

2ND PHIL. Can't say, if they aint washing themselves agin the

summer comes on.

3RD PHIL. Those on the airth are shaking quaking Baptists, kind of Mother Ann people, a-going to be dipped present-ly. Those in the water under the airth have caught cold, and are coming out quite cured of the excruciating enthusiasm that made them go in.

1ST PHIL. (to one of the blacks.) How is it you choose winter for this here washing?

3RD PHIL. Who gave that coloured man in the black cap leave to have the ice broke? It shouldn't be done near here. It spoils sleighing and skaiting frolics, and don't ought to be done by any. 1ST NIGGER. We are anti-podo Baptists.

1ST PHIL. Are you?

2ND PHIL. HOwoo? (how?)

3RD PHIL. What's that to do with washing yourselves, and using cakes of ice for soap?

1ST NIGGER. For total 'mersion.

2ND NIGGER. Don't 'terrupt de cerem❜ny.

You should have brought

3RD PHIL. Ceremony, you curious nigger! I should call it a frolic, only you look so eternal shivered. some apple-jack with you.

1ST NIGGER. Jamaky sperets is best. 2ND PHIL. Well said, old 'un.

1ST NIGGER. Ole enough to be oo fader. 2ND PHIL. Father? you precious nigger!

baboon, or a Hottentot monkey!

Do you say I'm a

1ST NIGGER. No, sa; but oo shouldn't make fun of 'ligious cerem❜ny.

2ND PHIL. I make fun? What's the use of that when the whole gang of you are making so much fun of yourselves, you don't give anybody a chance to strike out a funny idea in addition?

The following dialogues will serve to introduce a variety of niggers.

FIRST PART.-DECK OF A HUDSON RIVER STEAM-BOAT.

A dandy nigger, technically termed a "long-tailed blue," dancing Jim Crow's pattern dance, of which Mr. T. D. Rice has afforded the denizens of London an exact portraiture. It must be remarked, however, that the dance on deck does not include the song with which Mr. Rice accompanies it. A very old nigger is selling fruit to the passengers, who are laughing at "long-tailed blue;" a good-looking mulatto lad is selling hot Indian corn; two very ugly niggers are at the steamengine, looking on with a peculiar scowl, expressive of animosity to the "whites," of whom they are conversing; and two black stewards occasionally make their appearance at the companion door. Time, dusk of the evening.

MULATTO (chaunts.)

"Hot corn, hot corn,

Here's your nice hot corn,
All hot!"

TENNESSEE. The owners of this boat ought to be ashamed of themselves for having such abominable niggers on board. I shall complain. I overheard one of them say, that if all the blacks were of his mind they would not leave a white man on the face of the earth.

SPECTATOR. What an atrocious idea! Yet the generality of white men would agree in the wish that no black men darkened the face of

nature.

TENNESSEE. If he were in Tennessee his back should be warmed as soon as we reached the shore. I don't know how you Englishers feel, but really my republican blood boils when these black rascals dare to utter a disrespectful word in my presence, and I not to be able to punish them for it. The licence these niggers have in these infernal free States sickens any one from the south. Look at that fellow eating clams.* You don't see such an ugly nigger as that every day.

SPECTATOR. A monstrous ill-looking fellow, indeed! With some long hair, and a bear-skin, he would make a perfect representative of Shakspeare's Caliban.

TENNESSEE. There's the other, too! Why, sir, I wouldn't give a hundred dollars for both of them in one lot. What a broken-winded, spavined pair! What a sprawling, lame-handed, loose-jointed pair! Shame on the proprietors to have such rascals on board! I shall patronize the Mohawk Company next trip.

MULATTO.

"Hot corn, hot corn,

Here's your nice hot corn,
All hot!"

TENNESSEE. There's a likely young fellow, that corn-dealer,

there!

SPECTATOR. What may be the value of such a hand as that in the south?-two hundred dollars?

TENNESSEE. Oh, ay! dirt cheap at that. Now, there's a tight nigger — that one dancing; he figures it well, too. How proud he seems that the whites are looking on. Astonishing the pride of some of those fellows! That black devil has been jumping Jim Crow ever since we have been on board, I expect. What a capital hand for a light-footed messenger on a plantation! Now some of our gentlemen from the south couldn't see that fellow without wishing to kidnap him. He'd fetch a high price, he would! If he'd sell himself he might raise a little fortune.

CALIBAN (sings.)

"Ole Jim Crow has sole hisself to de debil."

TENNESSEE. Do you hear that, sir? Those scoundrels are listening.

The Tennessee and myself here separated, and I went to another part of the boat, and overheard the following conversation :WESTERN FARMER. What kind is it for a fix?

:

WESTERN MERCHANT.† They know how to go a-head pretty bustling.

W. FARMER. Did you go far out of Liverpool?

W. MERCHANT. Yes; right into the bowels of the land, as Hamblin says when he plays Richmond.

W. FARMER. And what did you see?

W. MERCHANT. Why, I went to Hull, and see the most considerable black, ugly-looking steamers, as ever were created on the entire globe. I was crossing a ferry when I first saw one, and I was

Shell-fish resembling cockles, but about as large as a London oyster.

+ An American "Western Merchant" is a similar trader to an English village shopkeeper; an epitome of linendraper, shoe-dealer, grocer, and ironmonger.