The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-12

over half of this Continent of North America,
which we call our own. II you go southwark,
! it greets you on the Bermudas, the Bahamas,
and the Carbbee Islands. On the Falkland
Islands it guards the Straits OF Magellan; on
the South Shetland Island it watches the pas
sage round the Horn and ut Adelaide Island
it warns you that you have reached the Ant
arctic Circle When you you ascend along the
southwestern coast of America, it is seen ut
Galapagos, overlooking the lsthmus OF Panama;
and having saluted it there and ut Vancouver,
you only take leave of it i'll the far Northwest,
when you are entering the Arctic Ocean. II
you visit Africa, you find the same victorious
cross guarding the coast of Gambia and Sier-
I'll Leone and st. Helena. Ii watches you at
Cape Town as you pass into the Indian Ocean
while on the northern passage to that vast sea
it demands your recognition from Gibraltar.
rs you enter the Mediterranean from Malta,
when you pass through the Scian Straits:
on the lonian Islands it waves in protection
! OF Turkey and at Alden it guards the passage
from the Red Sea into the Indian Ocean
Wherever Western commerce has gained an
entrance to the Continent OF Asia, there that
flag is seen waving over subjugated milions-at
Bombay, at CeylOn, at Singapore, ut Calcutta,
at Lahore, and at Hong Kong; while Aus
tralia and nearly all the islands of Polynesia
acknowledge its protection.
Sir, ! need not tell you that wherever that
flag waves, it is supported and checred 10y the
martial airs of England. But care not for
| that. The sword is not the most winning mes
senger that can be sent abroad and commerce
like power, upheld by armies and navies, may
III time be found to cost too much. But what
is to be regarded with more concern il, that
! England employs the steam engine even more
vigorously and more universally than her mill
tary force. Steam engines, punctually depart
ing and arriving between every one of her yari.
Gus possessions and her island seat of power
! bring in the raw material for every manuiac-
turc and supplies for every want. The steam
engine plies necessarily there, day and night
| converting these materials into fabrics of every
variety, for the use of man And again the
steam engine forever and without rest moves
over the face of the deep not only distributing
these fabrics to every part of the globe but
disseminating also the thoughts, the principles.
the language aud religion of England Sir.
we are bold indeed 10 dare competition with
such Power. Nevertheless, the resources for
it are adequate. We have coal and iron no
less than she, while corn, timber, cattle hemp,
wool, cotton, silk, oil, sugar, and the grape.
quicksilver, lead copper, silver, and gold, are
all found within our own broad domain in in
exhaustihle protusion. What energies we have
already expended prove that WE have in re-
serve all that are needtul. What inventions
we have made prove our equality to any ext
gency. Our capital increases, while labor
scarcely knows the burihen IT taxation Our
Panama route to China has "A decided advan-
tage over that Of the Isthmus of Suez. and at
Al
coming round the Horn, will reach New York
always at least five days sooner than vessels of
equal speed can double the Cape of Good Hope
and make the port OF Liverpool.
Mr.. President we now see how conspicuous
II part in the great movement of the age, Cali
iornia and Oregon are toslistain and that us yet
they are separated from us and isolated They
will adhere to us only 80 long.as our government
over them shall be conducted not for our bene-
tit hut for their own Their loyalty is great, but
it cannot exceed that of the thirteen ancient
American colonies to Great Britain and yet
the neglect and oppression of their commerce
undermined that loyalty, and resulted in their
independence. | hear often OF dangers to the
Union, and see lines of threatened separation
drawn by passionate men or aarmsts on par
allcls Of latitude; but, in my Judgment, there
is only one danger of seycrance-and that is in
volved in the possibility Of criminal neglect of
the new communities on the Pacific coast,
while the SUBMITS of the Rocky Mountains. or
of the Snowy Mountains mark the only possible
line of ACKNOWLEDGMENT Against that danger
! would guard as against the worst calamity
that could beial, not only nay country, at her
most suspicious stage of progress, but mankind
also, in the hour of their brightest hopes. !
would guard against it by practising impartial
Justice toward the new and remote States and
Territories, whose political power is small, while
their wants are great, and by pursuing at
the same time, with liberaity and constancy,
the lofty course which they indicate, of an as
piring yet generous and humane national am
btiOn.