Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-07-04
our TERRITORY ON THE PACIFIC.

The adjustment OF our boundary liiie in Ore
gon and the final settlement of all controversy
with England on that subject will no doubt
give an impetus to emigration to the Pacific
coast sufficient 10 form the population Of new
State in that quarter within few years. II
California shall become ours, Of which there sp.
pears to be every probability, range Of Pacific
States will soon cxisi.-Thcn will the grand
cycle be completed /; and civilization in its pro.
gress from the East will have reached its uti-
inate point. From the shores Of Oregon our
people. the latest born of the nations yet the
oldest in the worlds history. will look across
the Pacific 70 the land whero Humanity was
Graded.
Ages and sges ago from the Sanks of the
Ganges the first step in the march of civilization
was made. Babylon and Nineva next had their
days OF greatness; then Egypt, whose victori-
nus Sesostris triumpbed as she marched over to
the rcmoteet confines ofIndia. Afterwards came
the Persian sscendancy then the splentours Of
Grecian civilization and the empire Of Alexan.
der the Great ; and lastly. as the crowning
chapter of ancient history, Western Europe
swayed the world by the iron grasp of Rome's
military legions.
From India Egypt received her philosophy
and literature; from Egypt letters were car
ried by CADMUs into Greece and into both Of
the venerable seats of early civilization Pytha.
goras travelled to bring home truths Of wisdom.
All these, inherited by Rome, became the prop.
erty of the European mind. Thus from age to
on, every age and every nation, which has re.
ceivcd the transmitted heritage of the great
trust Of Humanity, having had its particular
function, sorDe to devclope one Characteristic,
some to bring forth another. And how great
the changes have been since the first step of the
onward movement one may distant!y conceive
by beholding the republican pioneer OF America
confronting the Brahmin Of lndia-the one the
latest type Of individual self dependence and
distinct personality; the other the Representa-
tive Of a priestly dynasty which locked all human
freedom in the rigid forms Of castles over which
superstition sat predominant-a dynasty which
existed before History began, and whose repre-.
.entatives at this day are connected by an un.
interrupted succession with the earliest period
Of recorded time.
We have reached the Pacific, and there on
its tranquil shores the onward progress Of our
restless population must stop. Looking over
the immense region which Providence has Civ.
en- to us to occupy, the mind is lost in the i'm
mensity OF the greatness which awaits us, and
the heart is etricken with awe at the vast re.
sponslbility which must rest upon US rs the peo-
pie who are to hold in trust the accumulated
results Of all preceding civilization. Human
rights anG human freedom self government
the history OF fallen nations once great and pow.
erful the records of wars and convulsiona
which were the parturent tI,,oes ushering some
new idea or principal into lie oil these and .
thousand kindred reflections rush into the mind
when one ventures TO consider the mighty fu.
tnre which lies before this Republic and its I'D
venturous people.-The commerce of the world
is to be ours, and both oceans are to be subject
to us. The splendours of Eastern cities which
grew into greatness by the trace between the
Valley of .hc Nile and the Valley Of the Gan.
ges, will shine but dimly, even in the enhanced
illumination of fancy and tradition, when com.
pared with the stately msgni6cence and colos
sal structure Of the cities which are to concen
,rate the rich elements OF the Valley Of the
Mississippi. The ruins Of Thebes and Mem
phs, of Palmyra and Balbcc remain still TO at
test q wonderful degree OF former greatness
but they grew up by means Of . caravan trade
on cumels. or by commerce Of galeys on III,
Red Sea and the Persian Gulf From such
traffic let the eye turn 10 the rivers, canals IN,
rail roads of this continent of ours, to the might!
agency of steam. propeling innumcrabe yes
s.l shH
alluval soil, fertile in products under the cul
ture of people who for enterprise, energy ant
invention have no superiors- we may say q,
equals.
The possession Of the Pacific coast will Civ,
new impulse to our already rapid progress
A new basis OF commercial operations, having
The Bay Of ST. Francisco and the mouth OF thu
COLUMBIA for its prominent points must soon OK
list beyond the Rocky Mountsns. CONNER
cially,' says Mr.. Senator BxsToN, the advan
'ages OF Oregon will be great-far Crater thai
any equal portion OF the Atlantic States. Tn,
eastern Asintics, who will be their chief cusio
mers in western Europe-more profitable 4
trade with and less dangerous to quarrel with
Their articles OF commerce are richer than th0s
of Europe; they want what Oregon will have I
spare, bread and provisions, and have no sys
tens of policy to prevent them from purchasn
these neccssaries OF life from those who ca
supply them. The sea which washes thei
shores is every way a better sea than the Al
lantic richer in its whale and other fisheries
in the fur regions which inclose il to the north
more fortunate in the tranquility Of its chara,
ter, in its freedom from storms, gulf stream
aud icebergH in its perfect adaptation to stesI
navigation |; in its intermediate or lf-way il
lands, and it's myriad of rich islands on its IN
ther side; in its freedom from maritime pov
ers on it's COASTS, except the American. which
TO grow up at the mouth Of the CoIumbis. 4