Morning Herald

[Correspondence of the Herald.]

Piney Point, Aug. 10th, 1838.

Upon my return from Harper's Ferry, I found this city so deserted by its inhabitants, and so dreary and dull, that I resolved to get leave of absence, and once more visit this watering place, where I had been already this summer. I could not prevail upon myself to absorb the dust of the streets, which is sometimes so thick here that one can neither breathe nor see, nor to swelter in atmosphere up to fever heat. Washington was almost vacated by the fashionable, and those who wish to be thought so. One boarding house keeper, my landlady, told me she had got the hiccory sticks, and was recommended by the doctor to go to the Saratoga Springs for her health. She thought, she said, she had as good a right to go there as such as carry their heads so high, and had nothing to support it with; and as she had made a little money, she would spend it like a lady. She was determined, and would go to Saratoga, where the most fashionablest people went every summer; because W——, a member of congress from New York, told her so, and he was one of her most intimate friends, and promised to meet her there.— She had no idea she observed, of going to such a place as Piney Point, where a few of the stock holders, and their wives and daughters, and some clerks and tailors only went; and where, a man in the Globe says, that the mosquitoes are so venomous, that they would bite into a hickory stick, and almost suck the blood of Mr. Blair himself. Did you ever! That would be sucking the blood out of a carrot, said I.— His hide must be rather tough if a Piney Point mosquito could not perforate it. But I think it would be a good thing for the proprietors, if they could get him down there, as his blood would certainly poison all the insects that infest that region—and if it did not poison them, they would poison him, as a just punishment for the daily falsehoods he publishes.

Well, maybe so; but he's not coming for to go there; his wife and daughter are gone to the White Sulphur, to be among fashionable people, and to get clear of what you call the locofocos. And Blair himself, said I, is, I am sure, going as fast as he can to the blue sulphur. Well. I don't care where he goes, nor any of his brood. My friend Mrs. — the milliner, and Mrs. What takes in washing, is going to the White Sulphur too, to be with the President, and all the ladies in the city will leave it this summer. I want to be fashionable, and I think I have as good a right as printers' wives and daughters, and them there sort of people.

I thought so too, and left her to indulge her fashionable propensities as she pleased. I got on board the steamer Columbia, in company with a young naval officer who had just returned from sea, and whose wrath had been boiling over, in consequence of an attack which had been made upon the navy, by the Globe.

Don't you think it outrageous, said he, that this new Secretary of ours should make such an attack on the officers of the navy, because he has been put at the head of the department, to the surprise of every body?

Why, I don't know, I answered, that he is the person who has made these charges, but there is some truth in them, nevertheless.

Truth? I look upon them as an outrageous libel—disgraceful to the man who utters them, and especially to the head of the department. To say that we have no "esprit du corps;" that we are influenced by a "mean and pitiful jealousy;" that there is a disposition in many of our young officers most especially to "skulk from service;" and that they are "lazy louts," who are governed by the principles of "coblers and tinkers," &c., is, in my opinion, a gross slander upon the character of a class of men that the calumniator is incapable of appreciating. He may know how to fabricate the plot of a dull novel, and talk nonsense, which he thinks humor, but he knows nothing of mankind, and is only fit for a navy agent, or "such small deer." He was once made tool of by a 4th Auditor, and his present elevation has been so unexpected, as to put him beside himself.

Well, said I, after he had exhausted himself—but to the charges. You will admit that the officers have not done their duty. Look at the Exploring expedition for instance! How many men allowed upon the most frivolous pretences to excuse themselves from that duty; how many are spending their time at the fashionable watering places, and how many are yearly hanging about Congress to get some claim passed or their pay increased. The Secretary has informed the officers of the Navy that he will hereafter receive no claim presented by a member, and that if it be not bottomed on justice it shall not be allowed, and that he will keep a rigid account of the services of each officer, and order on duty every one who has been prowling about on shore doing nothing. The other day an officer who receives extra pay for taking care of some mathematical instruments, belonging to the government, asked leave of absence for a month to go to the White Sulphur Springs to be near the President, and he was told that he might go; but at the expiration of that time, he must report himself for sea duty. I like this decision and promptitude. There are several officers whom I know that have not been on duty for some months and years, while others, less forward are kept constantly on duty. There is one man in the West, who has been farming for two or three years and has performed no service during that time; several say they will resign if ordered on duty, and yet are mean enough to receive pay for doing nothing. The officer thought proper to make no reply, and we proceeded upon our voyage.

I found about a hundred visitors, not invalids at Piney Point, and among them the old clique from Washington who render every place they visit disagreeable, by a silly affectation of a style and desire to be thought leaders of the ton. It was sufficiently ridiculous for my amusement, and I let it pass; though it would be better for the proprietors if they would send these gentry to some other watering place, or teach them that there is nothing in their blood, education or rank that entitles them to act the exclusives anywhere. The stockholders are endeavoring to make the place fashionable by going to it themselves, and trying to get others to go; but I think, it will not succeed. It is a dreary and desolate spot, infested with sand flies, mosquitoes, fleas, &c. These evils are, however, in some degree counterbalanced by the advantage of salt water bathing; good fare, oysters, crabs, fish, and mint juleps.

The portion of the society that are not pretenders is generally good, and if the would be exclusives are altogether excluded, the place would be pleasant enough; but at present it is rather a bore, and will not thrive.

The other day, an incident occurred that produced some excitement among the company at this place. The wife of a respectable bookseller of Washington, supposing that she had as good a right to a seat at the common table d'hote as any of the company, had her card, with that of her husband as is the custom, placed upon two vacant plates—upon her return she found them removed, and again replaced them with a determination to watch them. In a few minutes, a naval officer, belonging to the clique I have mentioned, approached and took them off. The lady, indignant at such rudeness, was candid enough to say that "such conduct was unworthy the character of a gentleman." The officer, a stout, tall and vigorous young man, immediately went up to the husband, a small, feeble and unbellicose looking man, and demanded of him if he held himself answerable for what his wife should say? He of course, without knowing any thing of what had just transpired, answered in the affirmative, and was instantly knocked down. This incident created a great deal of excitement, and many left the Point; and all the delights of crabs, oysters, and mint juleps, that they might not run the risk of offending the exclusives, and their champions. Some had the ill nature or ignorance to remark that they could see no difference between the wife of a bookseller and that of a printer. How stupid. Van Buren is gone to Virginia to secure that state. Forsyth to New York to get back your state for his master. Prince John Longshanks has been sent to propose for the hand of Victoria, and if he succeed, to bring back the United States to the colonial condition.

HORACE.