Lexington—Depreciated Paper Currency, and Fraudulent Bankers—Excess of Paper Money destructive to American Manufactures—Aversion to Menial Service—Atheneum—Dirking, Gouging, Kicking, and Biting—Prices of Live-stock—Provisions, &c.—Slavery—Effects of Slave-keeping on the White Population—Illiberal Reflections of British Tories against the Americans and against Free Government—Leave Lexington—Descend the Ohio to Cincinnati—Occurrences and Reflections intermixed.
Cincinnati, Ohio, 30th Dec. 1818.
Lexington, the county town of Fayette, was the capital of the state of Kentucky, before the government was transferred to Frankfort.[65] It is situated in north latitude, 38° 8['], and in west longitude 80° 8[']. The town is surrounded by a fertile and pleasant neighbourhood, and is regularly built of brick and frame houses. It has a university, seven places of worship, (three Presbyterian, one Episcopalian, one Baptist, one Methodist, and one Roman Catholic.) Three printing offices, where three weekly newspapers are published; a branch of the United States Bank, and two other banking houses; {108} seven small cotton factories; two paper-mills, two woollen factories, five rope-walks, three grist-mills, many mercantile houses, and some good taverns. The population is supposed to be about seven thousand; but the increase has been slow for several years past.
There is here much trouble with paper money. The notes current in one part, are either refused, or taken at a large discount, in another. Banks that were creditable
