Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-05-08
The Half CentnrY---A RetrOs.
DCCt.

5 the New York Irlbuls, is of exceeding in
terest at the present time, when we are Just
entering upon a new half century. The
changes, mutations, and progress of the last
. half century may serve us to surmise, to some
extent what the next shall undergo.
Fifty years ago, George Washington had
Just gone to his grave amid the tears and
blessings of the people he had been foremost
in rescuing, first from tyranny, then from an
archy; and our country, having just escaped
the imminent peril of a war with France, af
ter securing by the Federal Constitution the
power of protecting and promoting her own
industry, was beginning to realize the bles-
sings of Independence and Freedom. Thom-
as Jefferson had just been designated for next
President by majority of the American peo-
ple but had not yet been actually elected,
there being an equal number of votes for him
and his associate (Burr) on the Republican
ticket, as it was then called, requiring an e.
lection by the House, which took place in
February following. The population of our
cmmtry was over 100000, or considera-
The Union then consisted of Sixteen States
Vermont, Tennessee and Kentucky having
been added to the original Thirteen. Ohio
had begun to be settled at Marietta Cincin-
natti, Warren, and perhaps one or two other
points, but had not yet population enough for
a State. There were small settlements at
Detroit, and perhaps at one or two other
points west Of Ohio; but Louisiana was a
Spanish province, including St. Louis as we'll
as New Orleans, and the Mississippi Span
ish river, through which our people then set
Ting in the valley of the Ohio were denied
egress for their products. Florida was of
course all spanish, and what are now Ala
bama and Mississippi partly Spanish and
wholly a wilderness. Our own State had
scarcely white inhabtant west of the sour
ces Of the Mohawk and Susquehanna; Buff;i-
10 and Rochester were forests travesed only
by savagcs. The Erie canal had hardly been
dreamed of by the widest castle-builder, and
the western limit of this State (Which few
months more will bring within "a hours of
us) was practically farther of than Paris or
Galena now is. This city had a population
of 10000 Qess than an eighth its present
number) mainly living below Chambers St,
while Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Jersey City,
and its other suburbs, did not contain fif-
tieth part as many inhabitants as now. Phil
adelphia was sixth larger than New York;
now one-ffth smaller, with a far greater dis
parity Of suburban population. Boston had
$4,000 inhabitants, Baltimore 26,500; Wash
ington City (wither the Federal Government
had just been removed,) had 5000. A few
daring spirits were just beginning to migrate
from the older portions of New England to
Western New York C. Holland Purchase'')
and Northeastern Ohio-an enterprise quite
as arduous and perilous as emigration hence
to California and Oregon now is.
In Europe, Napoleon had just reached the
. topmost round of the ladder by overthrowing
the Directory and causing himself to be pro-
claimed First Consul, though he was not
crowned Emperor till 1904. He had return
ed from his abortive invasion of Egypt in
1899, but the battle of Marengo, which made
Italy French province for twelve years
thereafter, was not fought till June, $780,
The Austrian monarch was still known as
" Emperor Of Germany Poland, after a |
melancholy, ftful struggle of twenty-five !
years against internal anarchy and the con-
spiracy of Kings for her destruction, had just
ceased to exist. Alexander had not yet as
ccnded the throne of Russia, his father Paul l. |
not being assassinated till March, l8Ol-I
Prussia had preserved peace since the defeat
of the Allied invasion of France in 1892, her
councils inclining for or against Revolutiona-
ry France as fortune smiled or frowned, and |
SO remained until 1906, when she engaged
Napoleon single-handed, and was utterly sub
dued IN single brief campaign commencing
with the double route of Jenna and Auers-
berg, and closing with the French armies vic
torlous on her eastern frontier This COM
Pleted the virtual conquest of all Germany by
Napoleon, Austria having been fully crushed
by him in tae hattie of Austerlitz. December
2, 1905 E
Fifty years ago, George III was in the
midst of his reign over the British Empire
with Pitt and Fox, the leaders of the Tory
and Whig parties at the height of their life
long struggle. They both died suddenly six
years afterward. Trafalgar was yet un-
fought, but Nelson was already idolized for
his victories of Cape st. Vincent, Aboukir,
&c. His attack on Copenhagen was not
mada I'll Anril IR0I