Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-06-10
LECTURE.
Delivered before the Winchester Library Company
by DAVID HoLaEs CONRAD ESQ.

There is nothing which more distinguishes
the enlightened and philosophical observer.
and student of the history of bis species
from those, who do not apprehend the max
i'm, that History is philosophy teaching by
example," than the Importance assigned to,
and differences, which the one class draws
from those changes made in the fortunes Of
nations, by the enlargement oftheir geograph-
zeal limits.
The first, though he may not subscribe to
the doctrine of the ultimate perfectibility Of
man, can still believe. and upon indisputa-
BILE grounds, that the tendency of the ma
tons Of the Earth as their people improve
is to mass together small national communi-
ties and form large ones ito unite weak
and unimportant, but separate States into
strong and effective ones to bind together
the small truncheons Of governmental power
into the inyincible fasces of authority
strong enough to bear the axe Of empire. to
command in war-and protect In peace.
Thus We see that by this policy even
from the most ancient historical records of
nations, some have raised themselves above
the dead level of the dark annals of the
past and the names of Sesostrs, and AL
exander--of the Caesars, and of Charlemaeue
stand yet, as land marks, on the level
waste OF times, long gone by.
But this progression in the amalgamation
OF nations becomes still more striking In
modern times until it shows itself like a his
torical destiny in periods still more recent -
running down into our own.
ne British Islands are no longer the dis
cordant cluster Of the fIeptarchy, the Welsh,
the Scotch and the Irish "Tweed's silver
stream is now bond, not barrier.
France holds within her acknowledged
borders-in spite Of revolutions and wars and
conflicting dynastics fifteen separate
provinces, and, in defiance of differences so
long existing among her people, in laws, and
even In language, customs, and pursuits, ev-
cry Frenchman, from the Rhine to the Bay
OF Blscay, and from Flanders to the Medit-
eranean, obeys the Code Napoleon the
Langae-d &C and the LGnguc de 81 are one
the vine grower on the aaronne acknowl-
edges the farmer of Brittany or Normandy
as a Frenchman and fellow citizen and
let what may befall their common country in
the revolutionary events in the womb of the
future, which she is destined to pass through
to finish her political struggle begun sixty
years ago but not yet completed-no one
expects her territory to be dismembered or
her geographical limits TO be lesscned.
have not time to point to similar events
in Spain and Italy +; Russia and Prussia, and
the whole Germanic people. That great
central heart of Europe is painting for wi
der, more perfect and more imposing fedora
ton. The Zoll Yerein Will one day become
the government Of uHited Germany; and
when that day comes, Taud, slow as it may
be in coming, it viii come we may then look,
with some hope, upon tho regeneration of
Europe; tic abolition Of feudal barriers and
divisions; and the total downfall of absurd
and oppressive institutions.
And while Christian Europe in spite of
national obstacles existing in her very geo.
graphical and Typographical formation, is
thus gradually but surely obeying the law of
enlightened prudence; how is it with us-up-
on this fayoured land--the land of oae Ian
guage, of enterprise, of invention, and of
progress!
TO borrow the idea Of a distinguished son
of Virginia-long Western man-her ca
mails already are the arteries of the body poll
tic strength and union are found in the
iron bones of the railroad and, to carry out
the figure, her telcgraphic wires are the nerres
of this united system, which like the nerves
in the human frame impart with the speed of
lightning and ofthought; intelligence, and
motion, aud impulsive power to the remotest
part of the mighty whole.
The object however Of my address to you,
gentlemen, this evening. is necessarily CON
fined to one branch of the subjects iudica-
ted. | wish to show to you necessarily in
a brief and very general Way holo the Uni
TY, AND of course the FUTURE PROSPERITY of
our country, is mdicdtea-nay demanded,
By the geographical geological--and eli.
matte characteristics OF our country.
To do this fully would demand the inform
alton and talents combined, of a Humboldt a
Matte Brun, and Prescott. The slight
and superficial knowledge Of mere profess
sional man, who pretends to no further sci
entihc requirement than that which has
been gained in moments stolen from his
more imperative duties, of cource cannot suf-
fee for such a subject He can only hope
to make some suggestions--not entirely COM
mon place, and excite enquiry in some minds
ready for investigation, but too young to
have yet mastered even the elements of
knowledge bearing on the subjects discussed
| shall therefore, ask your attention and
kind indulgence while attempt this evening
to institute comparison between our favor
ed country and others,---in the respects indi.
Gated Instead of seeking out analogies and
supposed resemblances and, as has been
sometimes done, far fetched parallelisms.
between other countries and our own, de-
sire to show what have always appeared to
me to be marked differences, as palpable and
significant as are the differences in the polit-
| zeal institutions of the old and the new world
as divergent as are the apparent future
destinies of the ancient nations of Europe,
Asia, and Africa, from the prospective career
of this comparatively infant, but rapidly grow
ing empire in which we live.
If we cast our eyes over the map Of ASIA,
and take with it the explanations Of the tray
eler and geoprapher; we are struck with the
singular conformation of that vast region of
our globe as compared with our own.
A great central plateau or belt of high
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