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For the Monthly Magazine.
TOUR in DENMARK, by PROFESSOR
OLIVARIUS, of KIEL in HOLSTEIN.

(From Le Nord Littéraire, &c.)
(Continued from p. 129, No. 112.)

"WE proceeded towards Hadergeben (continues M. Kuttner,) diftant about four miles and half from Apenrade, and thus, come nearer and nearer to the mountains of Jutland, which commence in the neighbourhood of the former tour. Haderfleben is a fmall city, poffeffing fome manufactures, and a degree of maritime commerce. If its name appears much better known in Denmark and in Sweden, than that of many others, it is principally from this reafon, that it is, as it were, the first German town to be met with in coming from thofe countries, and where we feem to take leave of the inhabitants of the North. Perfons of condition here no longer fpeak Danish, but German. The former language is revertheless that which preachers employ in the pulpit, and that which the pftilions ufe among themselves. The inhabitants of this town merit praife for their affiduity in cultivating music.

From Hade: fleben the mountains rife more and more, and the forefts begin to display their immenfe curtains; forefts not formed of pine and fir-trees, as one might be inclined to think, but birchtrees, intermingled with oaks and alders. It is only further in the North, in Sweden,

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for example, and in Norway, that we find entire forests of the first-mentioned trees, which, however, are to be met with in different places of the Electorate of Hanover, and of the Duchy of Mecklenburgh, &c.

"Travellers ufually make in proceeding through Jutland, a fmall detour, to vifit the town of Christiansfeld, or, according to the phrafe of the poftilions, the Holy Torun. It is a town built by the Moravan Brethren, a little more than twenty years ago, and inhabited by thofe fectaries. You will find it handfome, of fingular neatness, and laid down as to a line-one might even call it an affemblage of Dutch villas. The buildings exhibit a yellow brick colour, which is agreeably let off by the green of the trees placed before the fronts, and separated by intervals forming either a court, or a garden. These peaceable Brethren, of fingular reputation for their probity and gentle manners, are very induftrious. We find here feveral manufactures of different kinds, fuch as frying pans, pantaloons, woollen ftuffs, of an ordinary quality, indeed, but very ftrong, very durable, and very well executed; whence the prices are generally rather dear.

"The first town on this fide, in all refpects Danifh, is Colding, fituated at the diftance of about four miles from Haderleben. Our traveller remarks, that it is exactly the fame with towns and countries, as it is with individuals, At

first, we find in their phyfiognomy, fomething which pleafes or difpleates us. If after that we feel a feries of impref. fions analogous to the former, our humour intermixes itfelf with them, and we approve or difapprove of the whole. This is, perhaps, (adds this cand d writer,) what occurred to me, on my entrance into Jutland; but, perhaps, there is likewife this difference between that province and Slefwick, that we often obferve between two countries, where a fimple rivulet forms a feparation, not to speak of thofe which have a confiderable interval between them, fuch, for instance, as an arm of the fea. The aspect of Colding difpleafed me; the inns dil'pleafed me; nothing found favour in my eyes; I was no longer in Slefwick; I was no longer in Germany; I found myself in the centre of Denmark, "Conftrained by our impartiality; (fays Profeffor Olivarius,) we are obliged to confefs, that the difference obfervable in coming near Denmark, and, all at once, at the first view of Colding, is fingularly ftriking. We have travelled much ourselves; we have several times entered Denmark by that route; we have converfed with a number of travellers, Danish and foreign, all of whom agree as to the enormous difference which prevails almost at the very inftant that you quit the frontiers; every one is ftruck with the contraft of Chriftiansfeld, of Hadersleben ; the contrast of the industry, the activity, the fashions, the manners, the air, and the character of the inhabi tants; and lastly, every thing, with all the objects perceived in Jutland. It is, doubtless, a reflection rather mortifying to make on the adminiftration of the country, but it is no lefs true; equity, however, requires, at the fame time, our obferving, that, as the mountains and forefts commence here, it is here, like wife, that the climate characterizes the contraft by a fingular concatenation of circumftances, and a dimunition of fertility in the foil."

M. Kuttner complains bitterly of the vifitation which the commiffaries of the cuftoms made of his effects; but this, the Profeffer obferves, ought not to have difconcerted him; for, can this, fays he, bear a comparison with the rigours, not to fay, vexatious, experienced in England and in Aufria?

In going from hence to Snogboi, to cross the Little Belt, we pafs very near Frederica, fortrefs and town, endowed with fingula privileges. From Snoghoi, bur voyage croffed the Belt, with the

help of a favourable wind in about feventeen minutes, and landed at Middlefart, a very fmall town of Fionia, with nothing in it remarkable; we find here neither neatness nor architectural conftruction, nor the exteriers of the houfes of Slef wick; no more convenience, no more elegance. It is not, fays the Profeffor, without a particular fatisfaction, that we find an observation of our traveller, that, next to England, he knows of no country wherein travelling is more agreeable than in Sleswick: certainly, if he had feen the other two parts, infinitely more fertile and richer than the middle, which he traverfed, how much higher would he have rifen in his elogiums! He oblerved, however, an air of eafy circumstances, and faw not a fingle individual in wooden fhoes, as he perceived but very few country-feats; he found abundance of manufactures, many work-fhops, a very few brilliant liveries. The roads are good, or, at least, tolerably good, and travelling is pretty expeditious. An excellent regulation is in force here, that of giving a billet to the poftillions, whereon is marked the hour of departure, and which the traveller figns at every polt; which enables him to make his complaints, without laying a formal accufation. Thele billets are infpected by the poftmalters, who are obliged to pay attention to them; and, in order that foreign travellers may know the contents, they are defired to fign them in French, while the poftillions are, on their part, obliged to prefent them: the ufual travelling-rate is one mile per hour-that is the rule.

Here follows a remarkable obfervation of the author, and which is not deftitute of foundation. From Eutin, to the frontiers of Jutland, (he obferves,) "I found no inn, which was not better than all thofe that I met with in the great number that lie between Berlin, Drefden, Prague, Leipzig, Gotha, Magdeburg and Brunswick. But the boufe of Mr. Hafs at Slefwick, and the posthoufe at Appenrade, refemble the best hotels that I have feen, although they are neither fo valt nor fo brilliant as the botel of Poland at Drefden, or the celebrated inns of Fra Fort. The apartments are not fo large, or fo elegant; but, on the other hand, there is every thing that can be withed for, in refpect of agreeablenefs, neatnefs and convenience, as likewife good chear. The apar.ment where we dined at Apenrade was hung with handfome paper, and decorated with two commodes of a beautiful acajou, and alfo

with

with two tables of the fame wood. In the adjoining chambers were to be feen beds with curtains of handsome chintz; the linen appeared to be of the fineft cloth. I lay, (ays he,) at Slefwick, in a room hung with Chinese filk. I found at Flenf burgh, at Plon, and other places, tables richly fpread with porcelain vafes, that could be only confidered as objects of luxury. It is true, that in all these inns, living is not very cheap-but neither is it exceffively dear. The price of eatables is much higher in the North of Germany than in the South.

"At this moment, I am on the Great Belt, (exclaims M. Kuttner, to one of his friends.) During four years together, that I have kept up a regular correspondence with you, it has never yet been my lot to write to you from ship-board, although I have made a number of fea-voyages; but, for the most part I was on the different coafts of Great Britain, which bear very little refemblance to that wherein I am now cradled fo foftly. As hitherto I have found every thing in the North, more agreeable and engaging than I had expected; I likewife find the fea much more gentle than I had fuppofed. The Baltic, as you know, has neither flux nor reflux, and confequently, it does not give fhips in a calm that difagreeable movement which always made me fea-fick on the British coafts.

"The islands, the bays, the promontories, (continues this writer,) appear more and more striking. The fea is, at this inftant, like a mirrour, the air calm, the fun warm and agreeable. While writing this, I am feared in my voiture, a caffette or writing-box on my knees, and I feel hardly any motion; there only wants one circumstance to render the fcene a claffical one, that it was not here that the heroes of Homer and Virgil wandered, landed, ravaged, atchieved their exploits, and profecuted their memorable adven tures."-The author croffed the Belt in the height of fummer, and the Profeffor adds: We fhall confront him with the mythology of the North, the Icelandic Sagas, filled with high exploits and great adventures, to prove that it requires a milder and happier climate to animate and exalt the poetic vein of a Homer, and a Virgil."

It is about fix miles from Middlefart to Odenfee, the capital of Fionia; this is a pietry large town, but not very populous, and the buildings announce nothing of grandeur. There refide here, however, during the winter, a pretty numerous

nobleffe, and this metropolis is the only town except Copenhagen, out of the duchies, that poffeffes a theatre and a regular company of comedians. A canal has been lately dug here, about a league in length, to facilitate the transport of merchandife brought by fhipping, which can only be landed at that distance from the town.

"I fhall not repeat the eulogiums," fays the author, "that I have often henrd made on the fertility of the foil of this ifland (Fionia) and on its agriculture; I mean, that the parts which I have seen (as I only croffed it) are better cultivated and richer than the centre, and we meet with more country-feats; but I have always thought that this island cannot be compared, by any means, with the pleasant parts of Europe, and that for its repu tation in respect of fertility, and a wellcultivated soil, it is indebted to the Danes, that may have compared it with the infle of Zealand; which is ftill worfe. I have obferved in the inland parts of Sweden, tracts infinitely more fertile and better cultivated: we muft, however, caution our readers, againft entertaining the notion, that, in general, Sweden is better cultivated than Denmark; it is certainly much lefs fo, and there is a reason that it fhould be fo.

(To be continued.)

For the Monthly Magazine. CONSIDERATIONS on the CESSION of LOUISIANA by FRANCE to the UNITED STATES, and its probable confequences not only to thofe NATIONS, but to SPAIN and BRITAIN.

THE ceffion of Louifiana to the United

States of North America, although it contains in itself the feeds of the greatest political revolution that ever the world witneed, has been paffed over fub filentio, as a matter of no weight in the fcale of European politics. No axiom can, however, be more felf-evident than that it will, at no very far diftant period, transfer the fterwardship (if I may be allowed the term) of the South American treafures, from the Spanish Government into other hands: and caufe a very extraordinary, if not a total, alteration in the fyftem and relative state of politics of almost every European nation whilft the United States are inextricably drawn into the vortex of European politics-a meafure deprecated by all the philofophical and political writers who have employed their pens on American affairs, and by

none

none more fo than the late General Washington.

It is true, that the free navigation of the river Miffiffippi was a moft defireable object to the United States, and they have effectually attained it by the poffef fion of the Province of Louifiana, forming its Western bank; but they have attained alfo more than they had occafion for; they have added bulk to what was before too unwieldy; and have laid an immenfe charge on their useful poffeffions, in order to add thofe which will not only be useless but burthenfome. The purchase of Louifiana, on a fuperficial glance, may seem beneficial to the United States; yet whoever will go deeper into the fubject will foon difcover that it exhibits the ftrongest proof of the impolicy and weakness of their Government. It was not a measure of fober reafon and found policy, but a temporary fhift to gain the prefent adminißration popularity, and to prevent a fchifm in the United States, which, by the very means they have taken to avoid it, is rendered abfolutely certain at a future period.

The territory of the United States, before the acceffion of Louifiana, was too unwieldy for their Government; two infurrections of the Western against the Eaftern parts, within the space of fix years, have afcertained the impatience of the former under the reftraint impofed upon them by the Federal compact, and their wishes to have an independant Government of their own. The most material obftacle to their wishes was their having no outlet to the fea for the expor tation of their produce, but through the channel of the Miffiffippi, the navigation of which was only enjoyed by a treaty with Spain. When that was obftructed at the expiration of the treaty, they threatened their Government if it did not immediately do them juftice (as they termed it) they would intantly procure it for themselves, by attacking New Orleans and the other Spanish fettlements on the Miffiffippi. They accordingly began to arm, and the American Government faw itself strangely involved in the hazard either of a war with Spain and confequently France, or of a civil comfree themfelves from this e American Government apof Spain to renew the treaty to the inhabitants of the the free navigation of the ind the right of depofiting 1 New Orleans, on the fame MAG, No. 143.

terms as they had formerly held it; but Spain, at the time of this application, was entirely under the controul of France, and could not ftir without her confent. France was again plunged into a war with Britain, and money was abfolutely neceffary to enable her to maintain the contelt. Buonaparte was fully aware of the importance of Louifiana, not only to draw gold from the American Government, but also to procure their friendship, or at leaft neutrality, either of which was indifpenfably neceffary to his defigns against Britain. He, therefore, under a pretence of being better able than Spain to maintain Louisiana againft the United States, and of preferving for his good ally a boundary or barrier to the whole of her South American dominions, extorted it from her, and, to her great aftonishment and grief, immediately fold it to the United States for fixteen millions of dallars. From a curfory view of these facts may be collected the impolicy and weaknefs of the American Government; the total lofs of the dominion of South Ame rica by Spain; the insidiousness and ambition of the Ruler of France; and the real intereft of Britain. The effects which the ceffion of Louiñana may have upon each nation, will be feparately confidered, and fuch conclufions drawn from the whole as the extent of human probability will juftify, the foundest bafis whereon fpeculative opinion can be grounded.

The territory of the United States, as has been obferved and lamented by the late General Washington in his Farewell Address to the Citizens, has been charac terized by the three geographical defcriptions of the Northern, the Southern, and the Western divifions. The inhabitants of the latter have, in two inftances, fhewn an intractability and a defire to separate from thofe of the two former, and have been retained only by force, which is quite incompatible with the doctrine of an Union founded on mutual convenience and utility. To prevent their breaking out into an open volt, the Government has been neceffitated to increase an already too large extent of territory, and to break through their natural boundary, fuch as to every one must appear to be that of the Milliffippi on the western fide. They have been compelled to purchafe an immenfe tract of land for which they can have no real ufe, and which must prove an incumbrance; although the acquifition of it has coft the northern and fouthern LI

an

divifions, on which the expence muft ultimately fall without deriving any benefit from it, the fum of fixteen millions of dollars. Can it be wondered at, that fuch a measure of inutility and expence fhould have created, as it has, a great deal of oppofition on their part? Certainly not. The valt extent of the United States was already detrimental to them, because it drew off and fcattered the population and militated against its improvement and fecurity, which were only to be attained by a feady fettlement. Multitudes daily flocked to the Weft, and increafed the Atrength of thofe who were difaffected to, and evidently difcovered an intention of withdrawing themselves from, the Union. It was therefore a matter of ferious confideration for the Government, whether it was not more political even to have given up the Western territory, which was unmanageable, than to have added to it at vaft expence of the Eaftern, over which they had a perfect command. As Washington in his Farewell Address justly obferves, "It is the unity of Govern ment which is the main pillar in the edifice of the real independence of the United States; the fupport of their tranquillity at home, and their peace abroad; of their fafety, of their profperity, of that very liberty which they fo high y prize." Was it not then madness to add to the magnitude of that edifice, whofe magnitude before threatened its falling to pieces? Louisiana has not only added to the magnitude, but deftroyed the compactnefs of the United States, without which Union cannot fubfift. Each state must be fo fituated relatively to the others, as to draw a mutual benent from the union of the whole. Louifana is totally distinct 'from, and must rather prove a clog than an advantage to, the United States. If the Government was of opinion, that the free navigation of the Miffiffippi was indifpenfably neceffary to their interest, it would have been infinitely better for them and Spain to have treated for the purchase of the Floridas, which would have given them that advantage, and have perfected the arrondiffement of the United States, without affording any cause of jealousy to Spain. The Miffilfippi would then have been an effectual and unequivocal boundary to both: but there is now no boundary between them but an imaginary one, and the confequence must be a continual heart-burning and a series of expoftulation. The Western Territory,which might have been extremely

valuable to the United States, will again become a defert as its inhabitants, attracted by the riches of Mexico, will cross over into Louisiana to partake of them either in a direct or indirect manner. If they were intractable in the Western Territory, they will of course become much more fo at a greater diftance; and being fecured from the other parts of the United States by the Miffiffippi, a ftrong barrier and easy to be defended, it may be guefied that they will be no longer obedient to them than may fuit their inclination. The United States feem to have done their utmost to render them independent; for, befides the effectual barrier of the Miffiffippi, they have procured for them the city of New Orleans, fituate on the Gulf of Mexico; fo that inftead of being, as heretofore, dependent on the Eastern States for the confumption and exportation of the chief part of their produce, they have an immediate communication with foreign parts, particularly the Weft Indies. From the vicinage of fuch a restless, enterprizing, and ungovernable horde as that which is going to people Louisiana, any attempt on the part of Spain to fupprefs illicit commerce will be fucceeded by open violence; and it does not require the leaft penetration to fee that even the Government of the United States, if ever fo well inclined to keep on terms with Spain, will be unable to stop the torrent which will burit into Mexico through Louisiana. If then (as I venture to predict) the confequence of the ceffion of Louifiana to the United States will be the total lofs to Spain of its South American dominions,† it will naturally be asked how France could have given birth to fo impolitic a measure, seeing that it would be in her power, whenever the might think fit, to extract those treasures from Spain

*The inhabitants of the western territory are no better than a horde of tartars.

If a

family leave their hut to go about their daily labor, at their return they find it, perhaps, taken poffeffion of by new comers, who will difpute it with them; no tenure being acknowledged among them but that of occupancy; no right but that of fuperior force.

It has been already predicted at a time when circumftances did not render it nearly fo probable as at prefent: the following is a literal tranflation from the fecond volume of Briffot's View of America: "I have mentioned precious metals. The Americans are

in the neighbourhood of the countries which produce them. Thefe countries are the abodes of indolence, which difpenfes not

with

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