[Several individuals having expressed their regret that the subject of Emigration had not received greater attention in the former editions of this little work, the writer yields to the general wish, and designs this chapter to supply the deficiency. At the same time, she feels bound to acknowledge her obligations to her husband, for suggestions on those subjects that lie beyond the legitimate province of her sex.]

Emigration considered as a measure of state policy, has recently employed the thoughts of some of the most eminent characters of the age; but I design to pass by their speculations, and confine myself entirely to the domestic phasis of the question. It is doubtless an important subject, and one well calculated to prove a powerful expedient, either for good or for evil, as it ever has proved to the majority of those who have ventured their temporal welfare upon the result.

Persons frequently take extreme views of emigration. Some to whom novelty and adventure has charms, have invested this subject with all the attractions a sanguine immagination could portray. These are dangerous characters as writers, and certainly incur a responsibility in exact proportion to the circulation of their remarks. Their florid views of a sublunary paradise shine only in fancy. On the other hand, some who are cased in adamantine ignorance, or home-cured in paternal smoke, receive every remark on this subject with a sneer. These regard the whole affair as a matter of transportation, and would starve on patriotic principles rather than forsake the land in which they were cradled, either for their own benefit, or for that of any one else. With both these classes I am at issue; and leaving those to enjoy their prosperity to whom this speculation has proved successful, I proceed to notice some of the more prominent causes of the failure of those who have been disappointed.

The first unpropitious speculation of this character, that I can recollect, occurred several years since, before I knew America, to a host of misguided individuals who emigrated purely from political motives. They were opposed to a monarchy; and as they had been in perils oft and in prisons oft, for the sake of their beloved republican principles, or something worse, they flattered themselves that the free-born citizens of the new world would receive them with fraternal affection, and celebrate their landing with songs and rejoicing. In this land of promise they expected to luxuriate in undisturbed enjoyment, each under his own vine and his own fig-tree; where, safe from the troublesome trammels of the law, they might sing “Down with all kings and let millions be free.”

Poor creatures! How great was their disappointment. Where they hoped for affection they were met with aversion, and contempt instead of admiration.

A total indifference to the domestic policy of other countries is one of the characteristics of the Americans. They are always too much engaged in their own election schemes to notice the opinions of foreigners, especially such as profess intemperate principles in politics and religion. Such they regard not only with caution but even with undisguised suspicion, as an indefineable species between the infidel and traitor.

Is it then any wonder that these men were disappointed? Those among them who were blessed with the means of escaping, made their exit as speedily as practicable, while some that remained abused the government, committed acts of violence, and closed their career in a prison.

One cause of the failure of these enterprises, may be ascribed to the tenacity with which so many cling to the business to which they have been brought up, and to all the peculiar modes of operation to which they have been accustomed. It is much to be regretted that too many import so large a share of self-confidence, and are so blindly prejudiced in favour of whatever is considered the standard of perfection in their own country, that they cannot allow themselves to reflect, that what may be admired in one kingdom, may be viewed with indifference by another people. Hence they become impatient, when from their pardonable ignorance of local peculiarities with regard to their respective occupations, they find themselves compelled to learn where they expected to teach; and many sacrifice their future prospects to the present gratification of their splenetic humour.

Now, in this case, instead of leaving the country and abusing the Yankees to the end of their days, it would be the wiser plan for all emigrants to conciliate the good will of their new neighbours, and yield to circumstances which they cannot control, rather than create enemies by a fruitless course of opposition.

The Americans, generally speaking, pride themselves upon the versatility of their skill. One plain countryman can perform almost every operation in the arts of common life, that a pair of hands are required to perform: I do not mean that he can execute all he attempts in a finished style of excellence. No; but he can transact in a respectable manner, as many different orders of work as we should consign to twenty different artificers. This arises from the peculiarity of their position. In a thinly inhabited country, no one knows what he may be compelled to do in passing through life, and therefore, every parent wisely prepares his offspring for the vicissitudes of fortune by a judicious course of manual instruction. Hence the use of the hands in the performance of any office not exactly menial, is here considered no more derogatory to the dignity of the highest character in the Union, than the exercise of the intellectual faculties. It is on this account, that they are apt to regard a stranger with some degree of contempt, who either from pride or ignorance, refuses to put his hand to any thing beyond the identical branch of business in which he has been regularly instructed. I could adduce some striking instances in illustration of this point; but I shall content myself by relating two that occurred within the sphere of my own knowledge.

My husband met with one of our countrymen at Tappan, in the state of New York, about ten days after Christmas. He was a wheelwright, had landed eight days since, and could obtain no employment. He seemed greatly disappointed and dejected and was just upon the eve of returning home. The absurdity of this step was pointed out to him. He was informed that he had landed upon a most inauspicious day—that the Americans make a general practice of doing no manner of work, for the three weeks following Christmas; and that, in order to give the country a fair trial, he should remain at least till the complete expiration of that period. To deal fairly with him, it was hinted, that even then, possibly, he might not find immediate employment in his own peculiar craft, and if so, he was advised to apply at the shops of carpenters and builders, where abundance of employment might be obtained by all who are acquainted with wood work. This friendly hint settled the matter at once. Evidently he thought it degrading to work as a rough carpenter, even for a few weeks, and although he was offered employment in wood work on the spot, he excused himself, observing, that he had seen quite enough of the country, and that he would e’en return home.

“Your countrymen are a lazy saucy crew,” was the evening’s salutation of our nearest neighbour, an opulent farmer of very industrious habits.—There is something so venerable in the appearance of three-score and ten, that it was not in our natures to ruffle the temper of the patriarch by an acrimonious rejoinder. We knew he would recover his proper feelings when he had delivered his sentiments, and till then it would cost us nothing to wait. He took the offered chair and explained himself in the following terms, as nearly as I can possibly recollect.

“My son and I were carting sand from the beach this morning, when up comes two strangers—a true born Englishman and a true born Irishman—they asked for work. The Englishman said he could do any thing, and the Irishman swore he could do every thing. We soon agreed; and I left these men with my son to cart sand, while I went up the fields to look after the blacks. At dinner time the strangers came and asked me to set them to better work. I said that must be finished first. In short, they abused the country, and said they did not come to America to cart sand. So I paid them their half day’s wages, and they are gone. Pray what kind of work do farming men do in your country? Does one man hold up the train of his mistress, and another water the roses?”

“Now,” continued the narrator, “here are a couple of men, one indeed has grown too big for his coat, and the coat of the other is too short, but they have a pair of hands each like ourselves, and yet they are too proud to use them!”

We assured our ire-fraught friend, that idleness is as commonly clothed with rags in Europe as in America; and we consoled his troubled spirit by predicting, that our countryman with a short coat, would find it long enough before he got a new one.

I believe it is generally conceded, that emigrants who bring over with them a considerable sum of money—say from two to ten thousand pounds, miss the road to prosperity much more frequently than those that land with comparatively nothing. This problem admits of an easy solution. The mode of doing business in the United States, partakes so strongly of the spirit of adventure, that commerce is fairly reduced to a species of gambling speculation. On landing, the aspiring stranger finds that money goes farther here than at home; hence he conceives himself to be a person of greater consequence. If he have fair letters of introduction, his society is courted by men of all shades and grades of property and reputation; some of these may be men of substance—others so only in appearance. Among these last, will be found a plentiful assortment of adventurers, all ready to conduct him, through the medium of some speculation or other, to the temple of Plutus. It generally follows, that he embarks his property in a variety of adventures, some of which may succeed. In this case, he extends his sphere of commercial enterprise, and thinks it incumbent upon him to enlarge his establishment also, and to support his pretensions to unbounded wealth by a display of fashionable ostentation. Sooner or later, he perceives that, through his ignorance of the thousand things that no foreigner is expected to know, he has been floated beyond his depth—no opportunity is afforded of retracing his steps, and he is at last engulphed in the quicksand of irremediable ruin.

Even in my limited sphere of observation, I met with several individuals who had landed, each with thousands at command; and it is a melancholy truth, that not one of these is now above the second order of commercial clerks. Truly they enjoyed one of the advantages of a republican government, for however they might differ with respect to their notions of political liberty, their circumstances presented a tolerable specimen of equality; and to the honour of the new world’s hospitality they freely acknowledged, that they had all been strangers and were all taken in!

I have elsewhere observed, that the inebriate must be so thoroughly weaned from his bad practices, as to be beyond the reach of temptation, before he can reasonably hope to derive any solid advantages from residing in a country, where firewaters are cheaper than milk.

The indolent form another class whom no change of country can benefit. The smart quick step, and the general alacrity of movement practised by operatives of all orders, would grieve the spirit of a lazy fellow who is compelled to earn his living by manual exertion. He would discover that the high price paid for labour, impelled the employer to look sharp after his men—then there is the contempt of his fellows, and a thousand other things that would combine to harrass the quiet mind of this poor persecuted man, while against this Pandora’s box full of evils, he has but one solitary comfort as a set-off—the distressing fever and ague which carries off its thousands, would find him too lazy to shake!

Those who possess a moderate share of the comforts of life at home, with a fair prospect of retaining them, should never think of emigration. They have not been sufficiently disciplined in the school of adversity, to estimate properly the common comforts of life, and I sincerely advise no one to expect any thing beyond this standard.

Having described the order of persons who ought not to emigrate, together with the causes that have conspired to blight the prospects of the unfortunate, I proceed to notice those to whom emigration may be beneficial, and to point out the qualities required to ensure success.

The thousands and tens of thousands in various parts of our own country, who find the greatest difficulty in obtaining a sufficiency of employment, and are reduced to the necessity of disposing of their time and labour for a mere shadow of remuneration, though they are the very persons that would reap the greatest advantage from emigration, yet the want of the means, sorrowful thought! is with them an insurmountable obstacle. There is however hope for the class immediately above them. The small but industrious tradesman, the artificer, and a numerous order of persons, who are not exactly so poor as to be absolutely incapable of raising the means for removing, and yet from competition, and various other causes, are kept in a perpetual state of thraldom through fear of poverty. These and all others who are extremely anxious to bring up their families in credit and respect, and yet in spite of the most strenuous exertions, united to privations the most humiliating, find themselves incapable of accomplishing their wishes. Such may peruse this chapter with interest—let them do so with circumspection.

From all I can learn, there is no country under heaven where manual labour, attention, and personal exertion of every kind, meet with a richer and more certain reward than in the United States.

I have had the advantage of becoming acquainted with the experience of great numbers: some who have won their way to affluence, and others to the enjoyment of comparative independence, and, however they may differ in particulars, one general line of conduct seems to have been pursued by them all. They were steady, frugal, and industrious; and when subordinates, they never relinquished one post till they had secured a better.

It is a debated point, whether married pairs with families, or young people are most eligible for emigration. Doubtless the experiment may be made by the latter with far less risk of personal comfort or pecuniary sacrifice, in the event of disappointment. But still the numerous facilities that a new country affords, for the bringing up of children, for their useful employment as they grow up, and the unbounded field for exertion, and easy means of support that lies open for all when arrived at mature years, inclines me to pronounce the chance of success in favour of the former—provided the parents be not too far advanced in life; for elderly people do not transplant well.

The amount of property necessary to start with, depends greatly upon the line of life the party is desirous of following. It is of little consequence what a young man takes over for he is almost sure to lose it; and it were better to leave him to become the architect of his own fortunes; but a few scores or hundreds might probably be well disposed of in securing many advantages for a married man. To these and all others who bring over property, I would repeat the advice which I heard the British consul once deliver on a similar occasion. Pass one entire year in the country before you part with a single dollar in any important investment. This sentence deserves to be written in letters of gold, as those can tell who have pursued an opposite course.

But it may be asked, What would you have a man do who has only a few scores or hundreds—it may perhaps be spent before he has attained the knowledge required to dispose of it profitably? To such a one I would say—take good care of your money. For the sake of your own peace and the preservation of your property, give no one reason to suppose you possess any thing worth having. Seek employment as soon as you land, and if you cannot obtain exactly what you wish, take for the present, what you can get. While you remain in your first place, which it is presumed, will be in the city, you will have an opportunity of gaining for nothing, information, the value of which you can form no adequate idea. It is possible that at first you may obtain a place that you consider degrading; but be assured nothing is thought dishonourable in America but what is immoral or useless; and an undesirable post is easily relinquished when you have secured a better.

If you are desirous of locating yourself on a farm, it will be best first to hire yourself to a farmer. Here you will acquire information respecting the value of land, which is more fluctuating than any other description of property.

It is generally admitted that the intelligence which is procured on the spot is the most accurate; for the value of every species of property is subject to variations so sudden, and in such extremes, that a list of particulars deserves no dependence.

Still, amid all these changes, the prices paid for labour and provisions remain pretty steady. Of these, the following list expressed in English money, will give a correct idea. It is drawn up with due consideration, and the prices quoted, may be safely relied upon as being fair averages.

PROVISIONS.

The price of clothing, hardware, and a variety of other matters, depends greatly upon the judgement of the purchaser, and his acquaintance with the random mode of doing business practised throughout the country. Sometimes these may be obtained very cheap—sometimes they are very dear. English gold and silver coin bear a premium of about twenty per cent.—but let the stranger be careful what description of paper he receives in exchange.

Steam and sailing vessels, fitted up for passengers, admit of two, and sometimes of three orders of accommodation. The cabin is fitted up in a splendid style for gentlemen and ladies; provisions of all kinds are supplied at about thirty guineas each. A very comfortable berth may be obtained in the midships of some vessels, for five or six pounds. The steerage is the lowest; here a passage may be obtained for from four pounds, to—I know not what sum downwards—perhaps thirty shillings. In these two last departments, passengers are required to furnish themselves with provisions for six weeks. Persons of circumscribed means are advised to make enquiries of disinterested individuals on the spot, and not pay for their passage till the vessel is just on the eve of sailing.

Caution—caution—caution is required by the emigrant at every step: from the contract for his passage to his final settlement in his adopted country, this quality cannot be dispensed with.

Unfortunately the climate of the United States, was found to be so very prejudicial to the health of my husband and family, that we were compelled to relinquish all thoughts of remaining; and as we had given the land of liberty two year’s trial, and had suffered nearly two year’s affliction, we decided upon leaving those to share its blessings, whose constitutions were better adapted to enjoy them. But it would be unjust to conclude, that because we were unsuccessful, others will be so also. Want of health was our calamity. In this case, I can give no opinion with respect to others;—here individual experience can alone decide.

Let those who contemplate crossing the Atlantic carefully weigh the contents of these pages; they were penned for the purpose of imparting useful information, whose foundation is truth. The writer has no party spirit to gratify; no interest to serve; and she will be as happy to find that she has been the means of obstructing an unfortunate speculation, as that she has promoted a happy one.

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I cannot conclude without paying a tribute of respect to the exalted character of the American ladies. They certainly take precedence of the other sex, both in moral excellence and intellectual refinement; and in a religious point of view, they furnish a noble instance of consistency, in preserving themselves uncontaminated amid the acquisitive propensities, and unamiable manners of their sovereign lords.

Were it not for the climate, I could have spent my days there with a fair proportion of comfort, for I met with much kindness. I cherish no feelings of animosity against the Americans, though I have given my opinion freely on their affairs: to this they can have no reasonable objection; for as they allow freedom of speech amongst themselves, they cannot consistently deny the same to a foreigner.

D. I. ROEBUCK, PRINTER, GRACE STREET, LEEDS.

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