The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-08-19
THE VALLEYS OF THE MISSISSIPPI
AND AMAZON

iiL - vi liz 1
AND AMAZON.
A writer in the "Cotton Plant" in
discussing the "Dcstiny of the Slave States"
remarks, upon the fact that the whole resour-
ces of Australia, and China, are just about to
be thrown open. In China, 3OO,OOO,O00 peo-
pie, with more accumulated capital and wealth
than any one people have ever possessed,
have been heretofore locked up from the rest
of mankind. The treaties made with Eng
land, France and the United States, n few
years ago, have broken the chain with which
they have surrounded themselves. This, to-
gether with the rebellion now in progress,
will unfold the resources of that mighty en-.
pre, and produce change in the distribution
of wealth, equal to that produced by the dis.
covery of America upon Spain and Europe.
Where is all this vast trade and accumulation
in gold to pass through the channels of com.
merce into the exchanges of the world! 1t
must concentrate upon the Pacific coast and
force its way across the Isthmus of Panama
into the Gulf Of Mexico and thence into the
Atlantic, that great reservoir basin for the ci-
viizcd nations of the earth. The Atlantic
will be to the world what the Mediterranean
was to the known world under the reign of
Antonines Of Rome. Again, the Gulf of
Mexico lies between the great region drained
by the Amazon on one side and the Mississippi
on the other. These are the two greatest
valleys upon the face of the earth, and capa-
bic of the greatest productions. 1t is not
saying too much to say that if properly de-
veloped, they are capable of producing
what is produced at present by the whole
civilized world. The former is almost in
state of nature, and the latter is not yet half
developed. The whole country between
these two mighty rivers presents the most
wonderful region now to be settled up by the
genius and enterprise of man. In the pro-
gress Of the next fifty years, the commerce
and trade that must concentrate upon the
Gulf of Mexico will far exceed anything that
man has heretofore dreamed of in his ina
gination. The island of Cuba from its cen.
trial position, and its great port Of Havana, is
the key to all this. The nation that holds
Cuba will hold control over the commerce
and wealth of this new world.
1t is not saying too much to say that if we
hold Cuba, in the next fifty years we will
hold the destiny of the richest and most in
creasing commerce that has ever dazzlcd the
cupidity of man. And with that COM
mercc we can control the power of the world.
Give us this, and we can make the public
opinion of the world. These two great val
leys of the Amazon and the Mississippi are
now possessed by two governments of the
earth most deeply interested in the African
slavery-Brazil and the United States. Cast
your eye over the map and see their vast ca
pacity for production. While the Mississip.
pi with its tributaries, can carry to market
more Of the necessaries and breadstutls of
life than any portion Of the habitabc globe,
the Amazon can float the wealth of nations
upon its surface in the production of tropics;
the whole intermediate countries between
these two great valleys, including the west
India Islands, is u region under the plastic
hand Of beneficial Providence tecming with
the fairness Of natures richest and most lux
urious productions. 1t is at present but in
its infancy, and as to capacity to produce, is,
as it were, unknown to the world. Most of
it has slnnbercd for ages in solitary grandeur.
How is it to be developed! Think you that
the Caucasian race can stand to toll and labor
under the burning rays ofits tropical sun, and
sleep in vigor and prosperity under the MAS
ma of its exuberant and mighty plains and
swamps! No! its resources are to be finally
and fully developed by that race which God
in his mercy, formed and created for just such
regions. Providence lots off earth to its APP
propriate races. The camel loves the arid
air of Arabia, and the reindeer loves the fro
zen hills Of IApland. So, in like manner,
the black man loves to breathe the humid mir
Of his native swamps, while the white man
SNuis' ohu OOuuoS A Vic CluotlC utT vi Ills IIus
tive hills. Where you can combine the nd.
ministrative governing qualities of the one
race together with the patient endurance and
physical capacities for low ATTITUDES of the
other, you have that perfect system by which
the vast tropical regions of the earth may be
developed. Whilst the laboring strata of so.
ciety is occupied by one race suited to its ex-
posures, give the other race such position
rs will enable them to preserve themselves
from those daily and exhausting exposures
under which the white race will sink in the |
the tropics. Pulling and sickly philanthropy
may preach different doctrine, but if prac.
tised, it will forever consign to barbarian
wilderness some Of the fairest portions of
the world.
KENTUCKY ELEcTroN.-Ner York August
"A private despatch to the New York Tri.
Dune to-day states that the following Con-
II. 81.