Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-11-21

RESOURCES or the wEsr.-Few per-
sons thoroughly realize what are the
capabilities OF the valley Of the Misss
sipPi, though every body has been talk
ing and wiring about them these twent,.
years. A writer in the New York Re-
view sets this matter in a most forciblt
light as follows -
"I.ook at it in that valley there are
one million four hundred thousand square
miles, or eight hundred and nIne,y-six
millions Of acres, while Great Britain
with all its islands, contains but eighty
eight thousand square miles, or fiity-six
and a half million Of acres. And what
Is tho character Of this vast region p
One third Of il at least, is capable Of cul-
tivation and thick settlement, and one
third, four hundred aud sisty-lour thou
sand square miles in extent, about seven
times as great an area as all the availa-
bile land of Eng land, Ireland, Scotland,
Wales, aud the islands Look at il more
minUtsly, and you find it, from the clear
ed iieSds of Ohio and Indiana, to the
edge of the barren prairies of the Mis-.
sour, aud from the Wild rice swamps OF
the north TO the cypress swamps of the
south. fertile beyond example, almost
level, or slightly undulAting, and acces-
sible in every direction. Never was
there finer country for the agriculture.
ist: sUnding at his farmhouse door, in
the interior OF Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois
a thousand miles from the salt water, he
may see his produce ufoat on its way to
New York, or Europe in y few year.
five complete lines of water and railway
interior Of Ohio and The ocean four are
now in operation. Nor is that valley
destined to be less emincnily manuiac
turing than agricultural. The state of
Ohio, il we may rely upon her geologisI, +,
MIR. Ma,hcr, contains as much bitumi-
nous coal Of good quality and easy OF
access, rs nll England and Wales: and
Obi" in this respect is, he thinks, no
richer,han Western Pennsylvania, West,
ern Virginia, and Kentucky /; judging
from the little that is known, Indiana
Illinois, and Missouri, are probably un
derlain to II considerable extent by this
sane great mineral treasure. Nor is il
coal alone, that abounds in the West
from the head waters to the Cumberland
river across Kentucky and Ohio, extend-
bed Of Iron ore twenty miles in width.
Tenne ssee is filed with Iron mme nse
beds were lately opened in Indiana
and who has not heard of the Missouri
mountain 0f that most precious metal
Already do Piusburg and Cincinnati
yearly, manufacture seven or eight mil
lions of dollars worth of iron articles for
export TO other points and lead abound,
also /; salt is met with in incxhausiible
quantities lime is universally disfribu
ted (; and the finest ircestone found in|
the greatest prolusion.
Here then, is land, the soil and eli
mate Of which favor tilagc in the high
est degree the interior Of which is ia,
more easy Of access than the interior OF
any country in Europe, and filled with
mineral wealth. Within its limits, grow
maize, wheat, hemp, flax, tobacco, cot
ton, and sugar. 1t is land which
scarce needs foreign commerce it is
world within itself; there is scarcely
one considerable article of commerce, if
we except coffee aud some dye-stuiis
which the Mississippi valley cannot fur
nish The first flint glass made in
America, was at Piltsburg the porce-
lain earth within the limits Of that region
rivals that of China the lake abounds
in fish !; and the burr stone of Ohio, may
be compared with the best from France.
Now, what In the common course Of
things, must be the result of this wealth
and capability : A dense population, a
population Of not less than one hundred
and twenty millions of people nay, i'll
we base our calculations on the present
population of France, Of not less than
one hundred and sixty millions, that is to
say, population greater than that now
living in Great Britain, Ireland, France
Holland, Spain, Portugal and all Ger
many.