The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-06-06

and churches, and all the other social institutions
of a highly improved community, is fast earning
the name of the Empire State of the South.
Alter repeating these lines, it is scarcely neces
sary TO say that there much Ignorance and
exaggeraton prevailing in Europe as to the state
OF things IN America. But few wears after
Uoiosmltn's poem appeared an event occurred
which aroused and fixed the attention of the world
Inc revolt OF the colonies in IT'S the Declaration
OF In dependence in l776, the battles of the Revou
uonary war, the alliance with France the &C know
Regiment OF American independence by the treaty
oi itoS' me establishment of great federatve re-
Puohe, the liiustrlous career of Lafayette, the
european reputation of Franklin, and the tower
lng character of Washington, gave to the United
states great and brilliant name in the family OF
nations Thousands in every part OF Europe then
PROBABLY heard of America, with any distinct I'M
pressions, Tor the first time; and they now heard
OF 1t as a region realizing the widest visions.
Hundreds in every walk of life began to resort to
America, and especially ardent young men who
Europe. Among these was your late venerable
President, Mr.. Gallatin, one of the most eminent
men of the last generation, who came to this coun
try before he attained his majority; and the late
celebrated Sir Isambert Brunei, the architect of
that Thames tunnel. He informed me that he be
came citizen of the State of New York be fore the
adoption of the Federal Constitution, and that he
made some surveys to ascertain the practioability
OF that great work, which afterwards gave immor.
talty TO the name of your Clinton.
Before the Revolution the great West was shut
even to the subjects of England royal procla
nation of 1863 forbade the extension OF the settle
ments in North America beyond the Ohio. But,
without such prohibition, the still unbroken
power or the Indian tribes would have prevented
1t. The successful result of the Revolu tionary war
did not materially alter the state of things in this
respect. The British posts in the Northwestern
Territory were retained. So little confidence was
placed in the value of title to land, even within
the limits Of the State of New York that the enter
prising citizens of Massachusetts,, Gorham and
Phelps, who bought 1000 900 of acres of land on
the Genesee river, shortly after the peace, for a
few cents the acre, were obliged TO abandon the
greater part of the purchase, from the difficulty u
finding underpurchasers to take enough of il o.
their hands to enable them to meet the first install
hehs. On one occasion, when Judge Gorham
was musing IN state of mental depression on the
iellure OF this magnificent speculation he was
VISITED oy bis friend and townsman, who had re.
turned from journey to Cauanda qua, then Just
isd out ms friend tried to cheer the Judge wit
bright vision of the future growth of Western
New York, and kindling with his theme pointed
10 son OF Judge GOrhsm who was in the room,
and added: "You and shall not live to see the
day. but that lad, If be reaches three score years
and ten, will see daily stage coach running az
Tar west as Canandaiguar' That lad is still Iiv
ing. what be has seen in the shape of travel and
conveyance In the State of New York. il is not ne.
cessary before this audience to say.
II was the adoption of the Constitution of the
United States In 1859 which gave stability to the
Union and confidence TO the people This was
the Promethean fire which kndled the body poll.
tic into vital action. 1t created a national force
The Indians the southwest were pacified On
the northwestern frontier the troops of the Gene
raj Government were at first defeated but after
the victory OF Wayne and the peace of Greeuville
IN l195, the British posts were surrendered and the
toe OF emigration began to pour in It was rather
however, from the older States than from foreign
countries The vast region northwest of the Ohio
mad already received its political organization "a
Territory of the United States by the immorta Al
ordinance of 1857.
While Providence thus opening the broad
est region that was ever made accessible to human
progress, want or adventure, il happened that the
kingdoms OF Europe were shaken by the terrible
commissions incident to the French revolution.
France herself, first; and afterwards the countries
overrun by her revolutionary armies, poured for III
their children by thousands. | believe there are
no official returns of the number of emigrants to
the United States at this time, but it was very
large. Among them M. de Talleyrand,
the celebrated minister of every government in
France, from that of the Directory, in 1897, to
that OF Louis Philippe, in whose reign he died
saw in Peale's museum, at Philadelphia, the ORR
ginal notice subscribed by him in 1884, of his
purpose to become a citizen of the United States.
Louis Philippe himselfemigr grated to this country,
and is we'll remembered by many persons still
living. He always spoke with gratitude of the
kindness which he experienced in every part Of
the Union.
And yet no acquisition of territory had been
made by the United States beyond the limits of the
British colonies; but in 1903 most important step
was taken IN the purchase OF Louisiana, by which
our possessions were extended, though with an un
settled boundary both on the south and north TO
the Pacific Ocean. The of 1912 reduced the
Indian tribes to the Northwestern States; and the
campaigns of General jackson few years later
broke the power of the native races on the south
ern frontier Florida acquired by treaty from
Spain in 1919; and the Indians in Georgia, Ala
bama, and Mississippi were removed to the west
of the river Mississippi ten or twelve years later
mia IN,
1888, and series of Indian treaties both before
and after that event, had e1tingushed the Indian
title TO all the lands east of the Mississippi and to
considerable tracts west of that river Texas was
annexed to the Union in 1915, and in lS4S New
Mexico and California were added to our vast do
mains.
have, as you perceive, run rapidly over these
dates, COMPRISING into one paragraph the startn o
points in the history OF future Common ealths
simply in their bearing on the subject of emigra-
ton These acquisitions not inferior in extent to
all that there solid in the Roman conquests,
have resulted in our possession of zone of terri
tory, of the width Of twenty degrees of latitude
stretching from ocean to ocean, and nearly equal
in extent to the whole of Europe.* 1t is all sub
ject to the power OF the United States; portion
of il has attained the civilization of the Old World,
while other portions shade off through ali the de
grees of culture, to the log house of the frontier
settler, the cabin of the trapper, and the Wigwam
of the savage. Within this vast domain there are
millions of acres of fertile land to be purchased at
state Of improvement; and there are hundreds OF
millions of acres in state of nature, and gradu-
ally sold a the Government price of dollar and
7ouarter per acre.
1t is this W hch most strikes the European ma gil
nation. The Old World is all appropriated. There
are public domains in most foreign countries but
Of comparatively small amount nd mostly forests
With this exception, every acre of land in Europe
is private property, and in such countries as Eng.
land the Netherlands, France, Germany and
Italy what little is sold, is sold only at high price
/ y0esume the number of andholders in England
is far less than in the State of New York. In the
course of the French revolution, the land has been
greatly divided and SUP divided in France and in
Germany, and is now held in small farms, but
these are sold only at high prices. Generally
speaking, the mass of the Inhabitants in Europe
regard the ability to hold and occupy coGsidsra
bic landed property as the summit of human for
tune. The suggestion that there is a country be-
| yond the ocean, where fertile land is to be pur
chased IN any quantity at a dollar and quarter
per acre, and that dollar and quarter to be
| in many parts of the country by the labor of
single day, strikes them Ii Ike the tales of Aaddin
| lamp, or Ali Baba's cave. They forget the costs
! and sacrifices of leaving home-the ocean to b.
| traversed-the weary piIgrimage in the land O.
| strangers after their arrival. They see nothin o
with the minds eye but the Gland of PROMISE
| they reflect upon nothing bat the fact that there
is region on the earth's surface where few day ,
unsklled labor will purchase the fee simple of al
| ample farm.
Such an attraction would be irresistible under