The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-08-10
GaEPoRTE0 FOR THE NATIONAL ERA
A ID r E S S
BEFORE THE
Phi BETA KAPPA OF YALE COLLEGE,
JULY 26, 1854.
BY WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

.oves NeVertnefeSS, the OfHce OF INSTRUCTOR TO
s.rince brought something more of dignity even
., the learning and piety of Fenelon. To study
'gs forces and tendency Of a Republic which is
~, obscure. cannot, therefore, at any time or in
~ Mace. be unbecoming an association which
I universal philosophy as the proper guide
II human life
Nations are intelligent moral persons, existing
~ the ends of their own happiness and the inn
.",rement of mankind. They grow, mature, and
3.cine Their physical development, being most
abrious. always attracts our attention first. Ger
.';nI, we cannot too well understand the mate
- condition of our own country. Il think, 7"
l-- Burke sadly, addressing the British House
= Commons, Just after the American war,
.Liok can trace all the calamities of this coun-
- % the single source of not having had stead
n, before our eyes a general, comprehensive,
rell-conneeted, and well-proportioned view of
,be whole of our dominions, and just sense of
heir bearings and relations"
Trace on map the early boundaries of the
r,,ed States, as they were defined by the treaty
. Versailles, in 1888. See with what jealousy
Coat Britain abridged their enjoyment of the fish
mos On the Northeast coast, and how tenaciously
=. locked mp against them the st. Lawrence,
he onlv possible channel between their inland
irons and the Atlantic ocean Observe how
Sain. while retaining the vast and varied soli-
,5les which spread out westward from the Mis-
s;ssippi river to the Pacific ocean, at the same
time assigned the thirty-frst parallel of latitude
as the southern boundary of the United States,
and thus shut them out from access by that river
or otherwise to the Gulf of Mexico. See now
how the massive and impossible Allegheny
Maintains trayersed the new Republic from north
10 south dividing it into two regions-the inner
one rich in agricultural resources, but without
markets and the outer one adapted to defence
and markets, but wanting the materials for COM
merce. Were not the Europeans astute in thus
confirming the United States within limits which
would probably render an early separation OF
them inevitable and would also prevent equally
the whole and each of the future parts from ever
Incoming formidable or even really independ-
eat Atlantic Power? They had cause for their
iealouses They were monarchies, and they
largely divided the western hemisphere between
them The United States aimed to become a
maritime nation, and their success would tend to
make that hemisphere not only republican, but
also independent of Europe. That success was
freseen. \ British statesman, in describing the
American Colonies just before the peace, had
said TO his countrymen % Your children do not
grow faster from infancy to manhood than they
spread from families to communities, and from
villages to nations"
The United States, thus confined landward,
leio0k themselves at once to the sea, whose
broad realm lay unappropriated; and, having fur
rished themselves with shipping and seamen equal
20 the adventurous pursuit of the whale fishery
under the Poles, they presented themselves in
European ports as a maritime people. After
wards their well-chosen attitude of neutrality in
. season of general war, enabled them to become
carriers for the world. But they never forgot for
-.
sition on the coast. France was now the owner
Of the Province of Louisiana, which stretched all
along the western bank of the Mississippi She
wisely sold possession, which she was unable
to defend, to the United States, who thus, only
twenty years after the treaty of Versailles, secur-
ed the exclusive navigation of the great river
and descending from their inland frontier, estab-
lished themselves on the coast of the Gulf OF
Mexico. Spain soon saw that her Colonies on
that coast east of the Mississippi, now virtually
surrounded by the United States, were untenabie
She therefore, for an equivalent, ceded the Flor
ilas, and retired behind the Sabine; and so the
sea coast of the United States was now seen to
begin at that river, and passing along the Gull
and around the Peninsula, and beyond the Capes,
terminate at the st. Croix, in the Bay of Fundy.
The course of the European war showed that
Spain was exhausted. Nearly all her American
colonies, inspired by the example of the United
states, and sustained by their sympathy, struck
for independence, established Republican systems
and entered into treaties of amity and commerce
with the Republic of the North.
But the United States yet needed northern
passage from their western valleys to the Atlantic
ocean The new channel to be opened must
necessarily have connections, natural or artificial
with the inland rivers and lakes. An internal
uade ramifying the country was necessary
basis for commerce, and it would constitute the
irnest possible national union. Practically
there was in the country neither canal to serve
for a model, nor an engineer competent to pro-
Jet enc. The railroad invention had not yet
ieen perfected in Europe, nor even conceived in
the United States. The Federal Government,
alone had adequate resources, but, after long
consideration and some Improbable experiments
1t not only disavowed the policy, but also dis
claimed the power of making internal improve
ments. Private capital was unavailable for
great pational enterprises. The States were moi
convinced Of the wisdom of undertaking singly
works within their own borders which would be
wholly or in part useless, unless extended beyond
them by other States, and which, even although
they should be useful to themselves, would be
equally or more beneficial to States which refused
or neglected to join in their construction. More
direct tsxation-always unreliable in a popular
Goyernment-and they had no established cred
It's, at home or abroad. Nevertheless, the people
comprehended the exigency, and their will open
81 way through all these embarrassments
The State of New York began, and she has hith-
eFto although sometimes faltering, prosecuted this
great enterprise with unsurpassed fidelity. The
other States according to their respective abili-
lies and convictions of interest and duty, have
to-operated. By canals we have extended the
NAVIGATION of Chesapeake bay to the coal-felds
Oh MARYLAND at Cumberland, and also by the
way OF Columbia to the coal-felds of Pennsylva-
ana BY canals, also, we have united Chesapeake
h.y with the Delaware river, and have, witt
alternating railroads, connected that river with
'ne Ohio river and with Lake Erie. By canals
We nave opened navigation between Philadel.
PIMA and New York, mingling the waters of the
delaware with those of the Raritan. BY canals
We have given access from two several ports or
The Hudson to two different coal-felds in Penn
SylyaRia. By canals we have also extended the
navigation OF the Hudson, through Lake Cham
pam and its outlet, to the st. Lawrence neal
montreal We are just opening a channel from
tue huuson 10 Lake Ontario, to Cape Vincent
near It's eastern termination, while we long since
opened one from the same river to central har.
DOR on that lake at 0swego. A corresponding
Improvement, made by the Canadian authorize.
On Inc opposite shore, prolongs our navigation
IRON Lake Ontario to Lake Erie We have ais,
connected the Hudson river with the eastern
uIanch OF the Susquehanna, through the VALLEY
'he Chenango, and again with its western
uloutares through the Seneca Lake We ar,
also uniting the Hudson with the Allegheny
tributary of the Mississippi, through the valley
CI 'ne tennessee. One long trunk of canal receives
.Ie tfade gathered by most of these tributar.
rnahnels, while it directly unites the Hudson
nl'h Lake Erie at Buffalo, The shores of tina
great lake are the basis of a second part of thu
zane system. Canals connect the Allegheny, il
rue rue State of Pennsylvania, with Lake Erie a
l-.e the Ohio river, at Portage and at Cincin
matt, with Lake Erie, at Cleveland and at Toledo
Aad again the Ohio river, in the State of Indiana
WIN Lake Erie, through the valley of the Wa
..A.. aka S,,-.o=;a. L;4Is=.e ao5 from