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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
materials. You will naturally inquire, whether they have no other. Yes, brick and stone in great plenty;
but the cheapness of a frame, or wooden building, is a great inducement for the continuance of this
dangerous practice: but there is one still greater, viz. a strange idea, universal in America, that wooden
houses are more healthy, and less liable to generate or retain contagious infection than those of brick or
stone. This notion has been ably controverted by one of their best writers[Footnote: Jefferson,
vicepresident of the United States.], but with little effect; and, like all other deep-rooted prejudices, will
not easily be eradicated.
Your papers have, I suppose, informed you of a set of diabolical incendiaries having set fire to Savannah,
Charleston, Baltimore, and New York. The villainy of these infernals is likely to be productive of some
good. The inhabitants of Charleston have agreed to prohibit the erection of wooden buildings in that city.
The philadelphians had before come to this prudent resolution, within certain limits, I was present when
this matter was agitated. It was violently opposed by the democratic party; who insisted, that in a
free country, a man has a right to build his house of what materials he pleases. "True," said I, "of
stone-brimstone - use gun-powder for lime, and mix it with spirit of turpentine," Farewell.
Yours, &c.
P.S. I thank you for the Apology. It has been already twice answered in this country, or
rather, the bishop has been as often abused; first, by a deist of New York, for speaking too
favourably of the Bible; and secondly, by a hot-headed frantic of New England; who, in a work he
calls The Bible needs no Apology, rails at his lordship for the opposite reason, and
consigns him to eternal damnation, for not insisting on every sentence of scripture being
the inspired word of God.
Boston, January 7th, 1797.
DEAR FRIEND,
The states of Massachusetts and Connecticut were originally settled by brownists, and other puritans, and
were, for many years, an asylum for dissenters of all denominations, who fled from persecution in
Europe, to exercise a still greater degree of intolerance themselves, when in power in America. You have
doubtless read or heard of the Blue Laws of Connecticut. Without insisting on the sanguinary
code, said to be formerly in force under this title, I shall briefly, and without connexion, transcribe for
you some extracts from Dr. Belknap, and others of their own writers on this subject; on the truth
of which you may rely: -
EXTRACTS.
"Severe laws, conformable to the principles of the laws of Moses, were enacted against all kinds of
immorality.
"Blasphemy, idolatry, unnatural lusts, rape, murder, adultery, man-stealing, bearing false witness,
rebellion against parents, were all equally made capital crimes. The law against the latter
was in these words: - 'If any child or children, above sixteen years of age, and of sufficient
understanding, shall curse or smite their natural father or mother, he or they shall be put to death.
Exodus xxi, 17; Lev. x, 9.'
"A law was passed to prohibit, under a severe penalty, the smoking of tobacco, which was
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