Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-09-24
THE UNITED STATES A CONTINENT.

shadows before. Is not this the case in
relation to the vast and almost indefinite
expansion of our Republic Of confederated
States, blended into one mighty nation for
great and common purposes, and yet pre-
serving their separate identity in reference
TO local and domestic alfairs2 When we
emerged from our colonial state, through a
war of revolution, peril, and suffering, INTO
the triumphant condition of national nde-
pendence, we numbered but thirteen States
with a population of but three millions,
and owned a territory encompassed by the
stormy Atlantic on the east, the father of
rivers on the west, the great lakes on the
north, and foreign power on the south,
bordering the Mexican Gull, and CON-
mandino The mouth of the Mississippi, the
great outlet of our western commerce. In
less than seventy years with what giant
strides have we marched to strength and
Oraatnessl Our northern and eastern
boundaries remaining as they were, in the
great outlines impressed by the hand of
nature, the acquisition of Louisiana and
Florida, obtained by peaceful negotiation
and purchase, has given us the mouth of
the Mississippi, and the secure natural
boundary of the Gulf of Mexico; and
both maritime discovery and exploration,
bv land and river, have yielded us a title
TO transcend the Rocky Mountains, and
claim the vast Pacific as our western boun.
Diary. Recent negotiation, too, has added
TO our already vast domain the fair and
fertile plains of Texas, peopled with those
who are bone of our bone and flesh of our
flesh, our kindred and brethren in blood
and institutions. The original number of
rour sister Republics, glorious old
Thirteen,--whic blazed in embemaiic
and starry effulgence on our revolutionary
banner, are more than doubled in number
--our territory has expanded in yet larger
ratio, until laved by two oceans, and as
well by the great Southern gulf, as the vast
inland seas OF the North-and our pGpu-
laton has swollen in sevenfold increase,
from three TO perhaps twenty.one millions!
Corresponding, too, has been our progress
sion in all the elements of national great.
ness and renown, and the umquhie colo
MES Of England now rank in the national
scale with the mightiest powers of the
earth, and will not shun a comparison with
the mother country, from which they wrest-
ed their independence Our population
continues to increase in a scale of progress
sion unexamped in the history of the past,
and new States continually crowd on the
field and heighten the Iustre of our star
spangled banner. Blessed, too, are we
with political constitution framed with
such profound wisdom and skill, that it
seems capable Of expansion, in we'll ba.
lanced rule, over at least all contiguous ter
ritory--being so admirably constructed and
exquisitely poised that, according TO Mr..
Jefferson, every new State added to our
republican family, at once increases our
national power, and YIELDS the more Sc
curely our national Union--as, to use his
own idea, in case of domestic dissension,
there will only be the greater number OF
sound States 20 face the disaffected ones.
Who then can set bounds to our territorial
expansion, short of the continent on which
our destiny is cast-what earthly power
shall say to us $50 far shalt lhoufs.. = .>l,0
farther" within that ample area! Coming
events cast their shadows before! Louis
lana 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 an
nexation-Canada will, in due season, fall
like ripe fruit into our lap-and all the
rest will then follow of course, till the
Isthmus Of Darien form our equinoctlal,
and the Arctic sea our polar boundary -
Coming events cast their shadows before
Time was when our Republic, although
far short of her now colossal proportions,
was deemed too vast and unwieldy FOR one
government-wheni it was thought the far
west would naturally flake off and form an
independent empire-or when at least the
National capitol must tower on the Missou-
ri instead of the Potomac, to prevent our
overgrown Republic from breaking into
fragments. All such fears and specula-
tons are now as a tale that is told as a
legend of the past. The discovery anc
application of the uses OF sieam-the in
vention of the steamboat, the railway anc
the locomotive Ito say nothing of the at.
mospheric pressure and electromagnetic
power. pregnant with mighty issues-and
above all, the invention of the magnetic
telegraph, able to flash intelligence with
the speed OF lightning from ocean TO ocean
and pole to literally annihilatine
distance, and bringing every part of oul
vast Republic practically into juxta posi-
tion-seem to be the appointed means ant
appliances in the hands of wonder work
ing Providence, to effect the expansion
of our Republic, until the whole conlinen
Of North America shall rejoice in our free
institutions, and form one vast and en-