Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-09-03
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE UNITED STATES A CON.
= 'TINENT

Coming events are said to cast thei
shadows before. Is not this the case il
relation to the vast and almost indefinite
expansion of our republic of coniederatet
States, blended into one mighty nation fo
great and common purposes, and yet pre-.
serving their separate identity in refer.
ence tU local and domestic affairs? Wher
we emerged from our colonial state. tIro
war Of revolution, peril and suffering
into the triumphant condition. ot nallona
Independence, we numbered oct Thirteen
Stales with a population Of but three
millions, and owned a territory encOm-
passed by the stormy Atlantic on the
| East, the-father of rivers un The West, the
.ereat Lakes ON the NorIh, and foreign
power on the South, bordering on The
Mexican Gulf and commanding The month
of The Mississippi, The great outlet OF our
Western commerce In less than seven
" years with what giant strides hav we
marched 10 strength and greatness! Our
Northern and Eastern boundaries re.
manning assttey were, in the great out
lines Impressed BY the hand OF nature,
The acquisition OF Louisiana and Florida,
obtained by peaceful negotiation aud pur-
chase, has gwen US the mouth Of The Mis-
sIsslppl, and The secure natural boundary
OF The Gulf OF Mexico; and both mari.
time. discovery and exploration by land
andr,ver have yielded US IIlle 10 transcend
the Rocky Mountains and CLAIM the vast
Pacific as our Western boundary. Re-
cent .negoc,aIlon, too. has added To our al
ready vast domain The fair and fertile
plans OF Texas, peopled with those who
are boue Of our bone and flesh of our
flesh, our kindred and brethren 10 blood
aud institutions. fhe original number
OF our sister repuulics-lhe glorious old
hirteeu-whicn blaZed IN emblenIatic
and starry etfuIgence OH our revolutionary
banner; are efinore than doubled III number
our territory has expanded in yel larger
ratio, until iaved by !wo oceans, and as
well by the sgreat Southern gull. as the
vast inland seas OF the Nurn-and our
population has Swollen, in sevenlpld IN
crease, fromihree TO perhaps twenty one,
millions Corresponding, TOO, has b, co
our, progressrialn :all the. elements OF nd
lonaf gresass s;anst t'fsrpS#fh, amt fiic -dmt'
quhle colonies OF England now rank in
The national scale with 'he mighriest pow
ers OF the earth, and will mol shun com
parisop with the mother country, from
whlrh they wresled their indepe endence.
Our population continues TO increase in a
scale ol progression unexampled in the
history Of the past, and new States con
tiuually crowd on the field and heIghten
the luslre Of our star spansled banner.
Blessed. too, are we with political con-
sttullon, framed with such profound wis
dom and skill, thai /, seems capable Of
expansion, in we'll balanced rule, over at
least all contiguous territory-being so ad :.
mirably constructed and exquisilely pois
ed that, according 10 Mr.. Jefferson, every
new Stale added 10 our republican fami
ly at once increases our national power
and wields the more securely our national
Union--as, 10 use his own idea, in case
oil domestic dissension there will only be
the greater number of sound States 10
face the disaffecled ones. Who then can
set bounds 10 our territorial expansion,
short of the continent on which our des.
tiny is casl-what earthly power shall say
to US $50 far shalt thou 90 aud no far.
ther," within that ample arena! Coming
events cast their shadows before! Louisi.
ana is ours, Florida is ours, Texas is ours,
the Oregon must be ours, inundated, in
the course of nature, by the advancing
tide of our population. Mexico threatens
war, which will provoke, if not invite
her annexatiuD-Canada will 10 due sea-
son fall like ripe fruit into our lap-au;j
all the rest will then follow of course I'll
The islhmus of Darien form our eauinoc.
tiai and The Arctic Sea our polar bounda.
ry. Coming events cast their shadows
before Time was when our renpblic
although far short of her now colossa,
proportions was deemed already too vas
and unwieldy for one governneul-wher
it was thought the far YES, would uatu.
rally and necessarily flake off an form and
independent empire-or when al least the
national capitol must tower on the Mis-.
souri, Instead OF the Potomac, to preven,
our overgrown republic from breaking in
to fragments. All such fears and specu.
lalions are now as tale tha, is told, as q
legend oil The past. The discovery and
application OF the uses of s,eam-the in
venlion ol the steamboat, the railway and
locomotlve-to say noIhing of Amos
pheric pressure aud electromagnetic pow
er, pregnant with mighty lssues-and
above all The invention the magnetic
telegraph. abIe to flash intelligence with
The speed of lightning, from ocean to ocean
aud pole TO Enthusiastically annilIiating
distance, and bringing every part of our
vast republic practically into jux,a posi-
tiou-seem 10 be the appointed means aud
appliances in the hands of wonder.
working Providence, to effect thr expan-
sion OF our republic, until the whole con-
tinenl of North America shall rejoice in
our free institutions and form one vast and
enlightened nation--deslined perhaps 10
play mighty and blessed part in that
miitsnntat consummation, devou,ly to be
wished. when universal shall he the reign