By Caleb Atwater. This little volume is offered with great deference to the public. Employed as I was, on my Tour, I had only leisure to reduce to writing a few leading facts, at the time, the remarks were made. From my original remarks, I have selected only a part of them, for the public eye. Whether the selection has been a judicious one, is left to the reader. I have had in View, constantly, in this volume, the aim, to be useful to my readers, of all ages, and both sexes; and in order to be so, I have dwelt, upon subjects, that were either new, to most ot them, or, I have endeavored to present, a new view of them.
I hare avoided, as carefully as I could, technical terms, and have used popular language, throughout. To relieve the mind of my reader, amidst my most, serious reflections, I have not unfrequently, thrown into my book, something of a lighter cast of character. And, I will not dissemble the fact, that I wrote sometimes, to cheer my own spirits, depressed by ill health, and almost sinking under that depression. Indeed, I hesitated not a little, about presenting my lighter remarks, at all, to the reader.
But as those incidents, to which such remarks refer, interested me, when they occurred, and enlivened my spirits, when I related them, I entertained a faint hope, that the reader would be kind enough to the author, to be pleased with them also. The remarks, withheld now, may yet be presented, to the public, in some form.
They relate mostly to the dismissed members of the late cabinet, and "the scenes at Washington. Sunk as they have, by their own leaden weight, perhaps, no public good. If I had done injustice to any one, I can only say, I did not intend it.
As I travel along through this world, I would not, knowingly, tread even on a worm, if I could avoid it. I endeavor to upturn the sturdy oak, on the Alleghanies, not the bending willow, on the brink of the Wisconsin. It is unnecessary to say, I have fearlessly given my candid and honest opinions, on all subjects, discussed by me, in this volume; and in so doing, have excercised a RIGHT, guaranteed to every citizen.
