Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1846-04-30
BURLINGTON IOWA. APRIL go 1916
From the Edinburgh Reriep

ne TTOSrcsS ana Destiny Oh america.
This State Of Ohio is the most wonder
| ful Of all transatlantic wonders in respect
of rapid progress. Il was territory with
forty thousand inhabitants in the year
1900, il is now a republic with two mil
lions Of ciiiZens-as many as those of
Venice or the United Provinces in their
prondes. days-with proluson of agr
cultural wealth almost oulrnnning the need
of available markets; and paying her div
idends. And there is room for millions
more; for the whole State is one rich ,rac,
Of undulating plain. covered from end 10
ca, and ntersecled by navigable waters.
Its natural resources are practically IN
limited. and yet Ohio forms only small
section Of that vas. region sloping from
the AIleghanies 10 the Mississippi. which
is almos. everywhere equally productive.
and equally accessible.
The full peopling Of this Mississippi
valley-an event not very far distant
will constitute, perhaps, the most inpor.
,ant passage in The social history Of man.
Civilization commenced in hooks and
corners Of the earth; where seas. noun.
tains, deserts. afforded shelter TO commu.
mites struggling for growth against the
bleak winds Of surrounding barbarism.
Egypt. Pheuicia. Greece, the islands and
coasts Of Italy, were thus. one by one.
placed a, the head Of the movement in the
western world; leach. as it were. a sepa
rate spot Of firm gronhd, the dwelling of
inlellec. and art. and of the science of law
and order. amidst The wild chaos of The
yet void and formess continents. Slowly
and limidly did civilisa,inn relinquish
these forresses, and spread over the
neighhoring plains. And even in the lat
est periods of history. Venice needed her
lagnnes. Holland her dykes. England her
ocean, TO secure the growth Of those prn-
ciples of government. industry, and free
dom, Of which they have been the ap.
pointed nurseries. And hence il grew
up as fixed opinion among politicians,
first. that free institutions could only
| flourish in countries Of "A limited extent
and population; secondly, that the energy
and action, even Of despotic governments,
were weakened by extensive dominion.
The presen. century. SD fertile in new
circumstances aud new ideas. has devel
"ped new principles of human society in
this respect also; and the politicians Of
our generation must prepare TO 90 To a
school in which the maxims of Machiavel
/ and Montesquieu must be To certain eX.
ten, obsolete, like those of Plato and Aris-
totle. We must accustom ourselves to
the contemplation of space and numbers
as the greatest future elements Of political
greatness. With war reduced 10 an art
Of rapid and decisive results; with the
internal communications Of Peace so null
,iplied and improved. ,ha, The same social
relations will subsst between kingdoms
as NOW subsist between provinces Of the
same kingdom, while provinces become
as parishes-no civilized nation can long
keep its knowledge. its habits. its indus
try. lis very spiri! TO itself; all will be
sections Of a great whole. between which
relative size and population will form the
principal distinctions. Nor will there be
anv practical limits to the extension OF
Empire. Steam will render the action OF
1 Sp'CiuiHSb' WI all pans W VIC F'Ii'iChi
body. in ordinary times, immediate and
certain; and thus secure cen,ralisa'ion and
unity. Steam will render the action al
The people on the government. in great
emergencies, irresistible; and thus secure
freedom if the people are true To them
selves. Let us remember. that with little
increase Of our present mechanical facili.
ties, thought might be transmitted from
one extremity to The other of a state a,
large as the old Roman empire in few
minu,es.and troops dispatched in very few
DAYS: and il will he seen at once how alb
surd would be the application Of polilica
ideas formed in the infancy of society. tt
this its stage Of new and por,en,ous al
vance. These are not. perhaps. yer,
attractive speculations; they disturb "l'
and favori,e associations; they seem Il
reduce many cherished traditions. mncl
painfully acquired knowledge. - obsolet
lore; bn, these things are so, and we mus
accustom ourselves to regard them an,
their consequences witlou. shrinking. !
the Americans preserve that tenacious
spiri, Of unity which has hitherto so sin
gularly characlized them in all their ca
reer Of aggression. occupation, and annex
alton il is impossible to over. estimate lh
greatness of their future.