The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-10
The West-What IT Is, and what Il

The West-What 1t IL, and what 1t Is to be.
Under the above caption the St. Louis Intel
Hgencer has the following:
cat period within the recollection of persons
now living, the whole of this domain was an
unbroken wilderness, where solitude reigned SUI
preme, and where the arts and refnements of
civilized life wholly unknown. The world
has never before witnessed sublime spectacle,
and history records such marvellous march of
improvement the West affords. Its increase in
population, in wealth, in education, in all the arts
of civilization, ia without parallel in any age of
the world. But, as marvellous the change has
been, who will venture to deny that the next half
century will not witness even more extraordinary
results than these"
What a graphic and condensed picture of
national progress! We trust that the closing
prediction Of the paragraph may be realized
but if it be motif this bright picture of hui
man hope be marred by the results of the pre-
sent eXcitemeRt-what mournfu and morti-
flying comment upon the ambition and ingrati-
tude Of mankind!
Whilst the great West anticipates such
rational results, sectionalism threatens to inter
pose the only obstacle to their fulfilment IT.
the North prefers separation TO the moral re-
sponsibilities of the constitutional compact-f
the South prefers disunion to the political com
panionship of those who condemn her domestic
institutons-the progress of freedom must pause;
its stagnant waters will engender all manner of
social organisms Like those destructive and
omnivorous reptiles which science shows to ex-
list in all matter, these local and sectional or
CARNATIONS will successfully destroy each other.
until finally some monstrous despotism of opin-
ion, or of power, will reign over the subjected
happiness Of the American people.
This unparalleled progress of the west has
borne along mighty tide of population, wealth,
and enterprise. But it has been a tide which
owed its power TO the beneicent influences of
the Union. But for a common constitution. a
common language, community of social priv-
leges, what would the great West now be2
What if its produce were borne TO the export
ing cities Of some foreign State? What if its
commerce were trammeled by those rivalries
of interest which discourage the prosperity
OF Europe2 What if its noble rivers. of
which the Mississippi is the common embo,tche-
Dlent, were, like the Rhine, the Elbe. the
Rhone, OF the Danube, tributary to some for
egn nation which controlled their commerce?
What if the whole of its vast consumption was
taxed in the importing cities for the benefit Of
the Atlantic States?--if every measure of in
ternal prosperity or national defences were pro-
yded for by an Onerous system Of direct taxa
ton; if, instead Of demanding through its ener-
getc representatives public lands for railroads
and education, or public money for the i'm
provement Of its rivers and harbors, the west
was negotiating. like Canada, reciprocal egis-
lation," or, like Germany, endeavoring to ad-
just Ioll-Nerein amongst a selfish congeries
Of separate natiOnsl
The obvious answer 10 these questions will
show, that the growth aud progress of the
Great West has been owing alone to the bene-
icent influences Of the Union. This is but
sectional estimate Of the importance Of our in
valuable form Of government. If We could pre-
tend to calculate the value Of our national and
universal influence, we should regard the ques-
ton, What could indemnify mankind for the loss |
Of the American Union2 second only in import |
ancc TO that unanswerable inquiry, "What shall |
man give in exchange for his soul?"
The Chesapeake md Ohio Canal.
II