Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1838-04-28
THE GREAT WEST.

THE GREAT WEST.
The following extract presents
brilliant vision but which is no mere
Pigment of the imagination.-We take
it from long, exciting report in the
New York Legislature by Mr.. S. E.
Ruggles, Chairman of the Committee
Of Ways and Means, on the Finances
and Public Works of the-now more
clearly than ever--Empire State. Moth
ing imaginable can re!ard the progress
Of the American people TO the utmost
nights of human grandeur and power
but-themselves. The God of nature
and Providence has provided the amp
lest possible means for the fullest deve
lopment Of the human virtues. On us
and our children rests the responsible
ty.-[Sentinel of Freedom.
The western termination Of the Eric
Canal looks out upon Lake Erie, the
most southerly and central Of that great
chain of navigable lakes which stretch
es far into the interior from our west
ern boundary. Around these inland
seas, cluster of S great states is rapid
Iy rising. The territory which they
comprise, and which is to become tri-
butary to the canal, embraces that great
area extending from the lakes on the
north to the Ohio on the south, and
from the western confines Of this state
to the upper Mississippi, and contain
ing 100000 square miles. TO measure
it's extent by we'll known objects. it is
Is times as large as the state OF N. Y,
west of the county Of Oneida-nearly
twice as large as the kingdom Of France,
and about 6 times as extensive as the
whole Of England. 1t contains $50
millions of arabic land, a large proper
ton Of which is Of surprising fertility.
The productive power ofthis region,
and its capabiliLy Of supplying tonnage
for export, are strengthened by the
facilities which it enjoys for cheap and
easy transportation. In this respect,
10 country on the face of the globe,
enjoys greater natural advantages, for
it is nearly encircled by navigable wa
tiers, and its broad area is intersected,
in numerous directions, by streams
furnishing ample means of conveyance
while unusual facilities for the con-
struction of canals and other artificial
channels of communication arc afford.
ed by the level and uniform character
of its surface.
These being its geographical advan
tages, it needs only the requisite popu
lation, to experience the full develope
ment Of its agricultural resources. 1T
progress in this respect has been truly
surprising. In 1916, Ohio was the on
ly organized State government withir
its limits. In that year, Indiana, hav
ing obtained the requisite number o
10000 inhabitants, entered the I'm
ion and took its place by the side o
Ohio. Illinois and Michigan were ther
distant and feeble territories, with ;
few settlers thinly scattered over theil
broad rface,-while Wisconsin, un
known even by name, was an undistin
guished portion Of the great NORTH
Western Territory. In the brief peri
cd of twenty-one years, such has beer
the influx of population into this grea
district, that Ohio, the oldest member
in this brotherhood of nations, now
numbers 100000 inhabitants, India
ma upwards Of 100000, Illinois ane
Michigan, both ofwhom have organized
their governments and come into The
Union zoo, OOO,-while west of Lake
Michigan, not only is Wisconsin ra
pidly rising, but even beyond the Up
per Mississippi, 10000 citizens hav,
already laid the foundations of yet a
notherState. Such is the onward march
of this population, that the AMOUNT o
its annual increase alone, exceeds il
number, the white inhabitants Of ter
Of the States Of the Union. The popu
ton already embraced within the dis
trict in question falls little shortofthrce
millions and if the same rate of progress.
shall be maintained for the twelve year.
next to come, by the 1856, it will prob
ably exceed six millions,
The peculiar activity and energy o.
these people, and their power most rap
idly to develope the resources of the
broad domain which they thus inhabit
are also worthy Of consideration in es.
timating the eventual extent of their
trade. They probably possess great.
err aggregate power Of production, thar