Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-08-09
From the National Intelliqencer.
GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES

GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES.
| MeSsrS. Gales d. Seaton:
Not many weeks have passed since you had
| the kindness to give insertion to notice of mine
on De Hass's Indian Wars of Western Virginia.
| To me that work has, and must lifelong have, a
| heartfelt interest. This year completes a cycle
| of seventy years since Then (178D an infant
under seven years of age-was placed on the thea
tire of De Hass's work. and on that part compri-
! sing Western Pennsylvania and North-weste n
Virginia Raised to manhood on that frontier
many OF the actors [ knew personally, and
| might say all, whose names are identified with
| its early history, | have had imprinted, deeply
stamped on my memory. From early age to
middle life was resident in the Great West, from
| 1871 to l8l5-thiry- four years.
Long, however, after the infancy of the country
and writer had passed, and all the most fearful and
repulsive features of frontier society, had passed
and had been replaced by the everyday increas-
ing attributes of civilization, custom retained the
term western, and applied it to the regions now
eastern.
If we set out from the Atlantic coast on lat 40 deg.
the distance thence to the western border OF the Mis-
souri does not carry us halfway to the Pacific
though passing over upwards Of 100 miles BY this
process revea led the sinking tact that the Western
country has to be sought for fat remote from the now
classic Ohio. Where7 Let US see.
A friend OF mine has only few days past returned
Territory Of Minnesota, (St. PauI) situated the
right, or western bank of the Mississippi river nine
miles below Fort Smelling My friend, with express
| my hands ANNALS OF The Minnesota Historical So
ciety for the years A. D. 165O-'5l St. Paul, D. A.
| Robertson, printer, 1851" PIP. 1884,
AT page Sd OF the Annals, the geographical position
Of this provincial capital is given A deg 50
min. 46 Sec, Longitude from London SO deg. min. Sd
W.; very l6 degrees, Or in time an hour
west of Washington. No route between these
Ia hrF 0,,,ilo
Paul already enlightened historical society,"
preparing and issuing annual transactions replee with
material, and that material evincing public in high
state OF mental improvement, and adding evidence Of
| advancing civilization which admits no denial But
let us pause in our views OF the future, and in
spect scan the past.
There are lying before me three works on
"IAe Great West" which, taken together, and con-
trasted with the annals OF Minnesota, most admit
raby adapted 10 display the extremes in the history of
that immense region, and region OF continuous habi-
table surface il we include from ocean 10 ocean, the
most extensive on the earth:
First, "Cbronicles Of Border Warfare" by Alexan-
der S. Wihers Clarksburg, Virginia. vol. vo, 3l9
pages, 1881.
Second, in order of time, and first in extent of hsto-
rca interest, is Hdreths "Chio Valley and the Early
Settlement of the Northwest Territory" l vol 525
Third, in order OF time, "Early Settlement ard In
dian Wars OF Western Virginia. by Willis de Hass,
| vol. 6vo. 4l6 pages.
In the three volumes have before us the extremes
of revolution unequaled in the annals of mankind -
In every of the three have thrilling incidents
omitted in the others; and, taken together, have de-
piced in coors not to be eaced during lie, the horrors
ofsavage warfare the dangers, DEATHS and hardshps
| attending the early settlements of the West.
Turn from these tragic pages, and open the Annals of
the Minnesota Historical Society and the gloom passes
away, and Elysian fields open.
ltmay be noted that the organized States and Ter.
rtor on the eastern region of the United States en-
brace an aggregate area so near one million two hun
bred thousand square miles that this aggregate area
may be adopted without much departure from reality
Assuming the entire domain at three millions Of square
miles, leaves yet for the already organized sections and
the spaces unorganzed Of the great Western or Pa
cific region comprising million eight hun.
| dred thousand square miles. The actual population
OF the whole OF the United States territory may be as
sumed "a 100000 or twenty to the square mile on
! the Eastern or Atlantic region. A smi distrbuve
population the whole domain from to ocean,
would give aggregae OF sixty mllions-a number
which, on strict mathematical ANALYSIS on recorded da-
ta afforded by actual progressive numbers will be
reached by 1884, thirty three years from the present
time, may be by The annexed tabular statement
In the National Intelli gencer No 1914, llS45 NAV
be found centennial census table, cac late by me
extending from 1870 TO 1901 founded the census OF
1880 and constructed annual increment OF three
per cent. per The population in 1850 by the
census amounted 10 2326O 1884, by my ia bic The popu-
ation was gwen 23l38O 04; dfe ence l22,73O; ex-
cess in favor OF the Adopting my tabular mum
bers at every fifth year to 1885, the population will