The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1851-11-29

constrained to extract, altho' somewhat
long. We feel assured we can give nothing
which will more interest, and at the same
time enlighten our readers, upon subject
vitality important to all of us. We COM
mence with the statistical portion of his
remarks:
"Sir, let lis look for a while at the sta
tistics of this river. In its course of 2.OC0
miles from the Falls of St. Anthony to
the Balize, it receive the waters of 10000
miles Of direct tributaries, of which 5000
miles are navigable; and those of 5000
miles of indirect tributaries, of which s.
600 are now known to be navigable; but the
future will doubtless show that that COIL
putation falls far short of the reality. We
are safe in saying, sir, that the tributaries
of this stream, direct and indirect, amount
to at least $4,000 miles Of navi gable wat
ers. But are YOU aware of the fact. that
no less than eighteen States and three Ter
ritories of our country contribute to swell
this mighty river? Five of these States
are of the original Thirteen, bordering on
the Atlantic, and the whole eighteen rep
resent every interest, agricultural, manu-
featuring, commercial, political and moral,
which belongs to our common country
Every aspect of this vast region is in keep
ing with its glorious design. Not only
are its internal features stamped with
grandeur, but its boundaries are of no COM
mon character. Icy regions and Lakes of
unequalled beauty and expanse on the
Norlh-the laurel-covered Al!eghanies on
the East,-the snow-capped and rock-rib-
ed Cordilleras on the West-and the green
waves Of the Gulf of Mexico on the South
grid it round with barriers which the
invader can never pass.
Such valley, sir, has no existence else
where on the globe. An area Of three
millions Of square miles, or nearly one-half
Of the entire continent, is its ample scope.
Every variety Of climate, soil, and pro-
duction-every useful mineral-every ca
pacity for supporting lite-every oppor-
tunity and adjunct for the highest physi-
cal and moral development OF man, is here
concentrated and lavished with bounty
which Providence has no where else dis
played. And sir, how long has it been
since these regions, now teeming with
population, We're wilderness? About two
centuries ago few French and Spanish
priests tloated down our river, and some
settlements Of people of those nations were
made; but they were never large. 1t is
but three quarters Of a century since the
people east of the Allcghanies saw this
land, which stretches from that range of
mountains westward to the foot of the more
imprcgnable barrier on the other side of
the continent. They looked from the top
Of Laurel Hill, and beheld the image of In
finity in the expanse which lay before
them. Had they been any thing but An
g|o Saxons, or, perhaps, l should say .4ner-
ican Saxons, the sight would have appall-
cd them, and they would have gone back
to their homes, and told those they had
left behind that there was region too vast
in expanse for them to cope with. But,
sir, with them to look was enough to ex-
cite to action; and soon the human tide
began 10 stream over the Alleghanies, and
ever since it has come with ccaseless, an
ever-increasing, and returnless flow.
What has been the result? Why. sir,
sixty-one years ago: in 1880, the centre OF
representative population was-where do
You think? 1t was twenty-five miles
east Of Washington City. About that time
began the great westward movement Of the
people, and the stately westward march
of that centre; and in single decade we
find the centre, in 1900, to be thirty miles
,rest Of Washington; ffty-two miles it
had travelled in that brief time. In 1920,
it was seventy-one miles west of WASH
ington; in 1890, one hundred and eight
miles in 1910, one hundred and sixty
miles; and now where is it in 1851 p
Planted down in the yet young but pow
crful State of Ohio! Well, sir, where
will it be in another decade, or before the
young men is this assembly shall have seen
their grandchildren? As it proceeds
northward and westward in its course,
some in this hall may live to see the day
when it shall be here, in your new and
beautiful city Of Burlington"
Speaking Of the adaptation Of the Great
Valley to the development Of the energies
and greatness of a free people, he impress
es his ideas with the following powerful
truths:
"But, sir, while we regard with emo
tons that vainly struggle for fitting utter
ance, the physical features of the land
which spreads its expanse around us, let
us not forget the elements of intellectual
and moral glory which exhibit themselves
in this new and boundless theatre for the
development of man. Here every cir
cumstance is favorable to the highest reach
of thought, the widest range Of intellectu-
al power, and the most perfect expansion
Of moral capacities. Think you, sir, if
despotism covered this land with its mall
tie of darkness, and the human mind were
here bound round as it were with iron
bands, lest its aspirations should 90 out af-
tar hat, IL l.