INFORMATION TO EUROPEANS WHO

ARE DISPOSED

TO MIGRATE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. IN A LETTER TO A FRIEND IN GREAT BRITAIN.

A

GREEABLY to your request contained in your letter of the 29th of Auguft, 1789 I have at last sat down to communicate fuch facts to you, upon the subject of migration to this country, as have been the refult of numerous enquiries and obfervation. I am aware that this subject has been handled in a masterly manner by Doctor Franklin, in his excellent little pamplet, entitled "Advice to those who would wish "to remove to America," but as that valuable little work is very general, and as many important changes. have occurred in the affairs of the United States fince its publication, I fhall endeavour to comply with your wishes, by adding such things as have been omitted by the Doctor, and fhall accommodate them to the present ftate of our country.

I fhall begin this letter by mentioning the defcriptions of people, who ought not to come to America.

I. Men of independent fortunes who can exift only in company, and who can converse only upon public amufements, fhould not think of fettling in the United States. I have known feveral men of that character in this country, who have rambled from State

to State, complaining of the dulnefs of each of them, and who have finally returned and renewed their former connexions and pleasures in Europe.

II. Literary men, who have no profeffional pursuits, will often languifh in America, from the want of fociety. Our authors and scholars are generally men of business, and make their literary pursuits fubfervient to their interefts. A lounger in book stores, breakfasting parties for the purpose of literary conversation, and long attic evenings, are as yet but little known in this country. Our companies are generally mixed, and converfation in them is a medley of ideas upon all fubjects. They begin as in England with the weather -foon run into politics -now and then diverge into literature-and commonly conclude with facts relative to commerce, manufactures and agriculture, and the best means of acquiring and improving an estate. Men, who are philofophers or poets, without other purfuits, had better end their days in an old country.

III. The United States as yet afford but little encouragement to the profeffers of moft of the fine arts. Painting and sculpture flourish chiefly in wealthy and luxurious countries. Our native American portrait painters who have not fought protection and encouragement in Great Britain, have been obliged to travel occafionally from one State to another in order to fupport themfelves. The teachers of mufic have been more fortunate in America. A tafte for this accom

plishment prevails very generally in our large cities: and eminent mafters in that art, who have arrived here fince the peace, have received confiderable fums of money by exercifing their profeffion among us.

I fhall now mention thofe defcriptions of people, who may better their condition by coming to America.

I. To the cultivators of the earth the United States open the first afylum in the world. To infure the fuccefs and happiness of an European Farmer in our country, it is neceffary to advise him either to purchase. or to rent a farm which has undergone fome improve

ment.

The business of settling a new tract of land, and that of improving a farm, are of a very different nature. The former must be effected by the native American, who is accustomed to the use of the axe and the grubbing hoe, and who poffeffes almoft exclufively a knowledge of all the peculiar and nameless arts of self-prefervation in the woods. I have known many instances of Europeans who have spent all their cafh in unsuccessful attempts to force a fettlement in the wilderness, and who have afterwards been expofed to poverty and distress at a great distance from friends and even neighbours. I would therefore advise all farmers with moderate capitals, to purchase or rent improved farms in the old fettlements of our States. The price and rent of these farms are different in the different parts of the union. In Pennsylvania, the price of farms

is regulated by the quality of the land-by the value or the improvements which are erected upon it-by their Vicinity to fea ports and navigable water-and by the good or bad ftate of the roads which lead to them. There is a great variety, of course, in the price of farms : while fome of them have been fold for five guineas— others have been fold at lower prices, down to one guinea, and even half a guinea per acre, according as they were varied by the above circumftances.

It is not expected that the whole price of a farm fhould be paid at the time of purchafing it. An half, a third, or a fourth, is all that is generally required. Bonds and mortgages are given for the remainder, (and fometimes without intereft) payable in two, three, five, or even ten years.

The value of thefe farms has often been doubled and even trebled, in a few years, where the new mode of agriculture has been employed in cultivating them: so that a man with a moderate capital, may, in the course of fifteen years, become an opulent and independent freeholder.

lf, notwithstanding what has been faid of the difficulties of effecting an establishment in the woods, the low price of the new lands fhould tempt the European Farmer to fettle in them, then let me add, that it can only be done by affociating himself in a large company, under the direction of an active and intelligent American farmer. To fecure even a

company of European fettlers from disappointment and want in the woods, it will be neceffary to clear a few acres of land the year before, and to fow them with grain, in order to provide fubfiftance for the company, till they can provide for themselves, by clearing their own farms. The difficulties of establishing this new fettlement, will be further leffened, if a few cabins, a grift and a faw mill be erected, at the fame time the preparations are made for the temporary fubfiftance of the company. In this manner, most of the first settlements of the New England men have been made in this country. One great advantage, attending this mode of fettling, is, a company may always carry with them a clergyman and a schoolmafter, of the fame religion and language with themselves. If a fettler in the woods should poffefs a tafte for rural elegance, he may gratify it without any expense, by the manner of laying out his farm. He may fhade his house by means of ancient and venerable forresttrees. He may leave rows of them ftanding, to adorn his lanes and walks-or clufters of them on the high grounds of his fields, to fhade his cattle. If he should fix upon any of those parts of our weftern country, which are covered with the fugar-trees,

he

may inclose a fufficient number of them to fupply his family with fugar; and may confer upon them at the fame time the order and beauty of a fine orchard. In this manner, a highly improved feat may'

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