The daily union., 1854-02-16
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dangss in hs face There is no change in human mo-
lives or Character Temptations TO political excesses 70
attempts less direct upon the soyeeniy o be
State, exst The same now in The days oi Sylla of
Marus and The C@ssrs. The race Oh such aspiians,
nor yet OF the Caianss aud Cehegi by 20 means ex
tineL f.ast sg HtH #N n}l
Iii true there is nothing 10 present condition. 10
excite The slightest alarm ihe eye may sweep the pat
lilca horizoa without discovering 80 much The little
cloudno larger than the pEophets handsignih oil
approaching danger But bat the present 40 The ex-
stence Of a Dationi IL is eyen day q non'h IN
the lite oi man. And m seeking ioI the country and the
institutions OF our affections that perpetuy which is the
object OF our hopes is well 10 look ahead. Lei us
Iy vision forward only the close OF the next half
centary, when, IN The impressive language OF pIesdeni
Pierce IN his message thousands OF persons who have
already arrived at maturity, and exercising the
rights Of feeen, will close their eyes The spectacle OF
more than ooe hundred millions Of population embraced
within the majestic proportions OF the American Unon
Can say with confidence that there will be danger
then from The ambition, pregdees. and conflicting inter-
ests which such population is TO ebgender, IN
the ages which are 10 unfold themselves alter Ga toe
contrary is il not the part OF wsdem, while the vessel
is sill in The haTbor TO til her Tor The dangerous nayga
ton Of boieterous seas While she is flying buoyanty
before the genial breeze and beneath beains skies, is II
not true ssaD mp 10 pn her ~ trim 10 ride oul The
storm which she IL sure 10 encounter
Nor do VIE find less source ol alarm when we advert
10 the circumstances which apt to be prolific Of such
advehurrs SO long The hardy and simple virtues OF
the early fathers endured the integrity OF the Rouan
Common wealth was sate IL was only when, with an
overcrowded population, with the progress oil conquest
luxury poured III with ils corInplng Influences that iaxi
~ OF rrncple seized upon ali ranks Of public men, and
that the State was regarded as the lawful prey OF intrigue
and andaci,y. Oh course The holders OF such projects
never avow them openy but when did corrupt ambition
ever lack pretext And though not forgetting in the
parallel the notice Of those superior Influences which
Christianity mpaIts alike 10 the community and s pub
lie representatives, cannot forget The usnlpatons OF
Cromwell. made III the name oil religion Itself.
And now, sir while protesting myself, as have done,
friend OF progress IN s best sense and believing in the
high destiny OF our race regads extension oil territory
nd nalip nj inpe Ib we
in the habit OF boasng rather more than gaot taste
would justystill, in view OF our matcless progress IN
making in wealth and luXnry with vice and corruption
brongDg in their ratn-In view, say, OF these slgnh,
cant facis in our ndon strikes as the hsi duty Of
state smanship 10 foster ans, dduse all those checks and
Influences which calculated to tie corrupt
ing tendencies OF The age and guard against hose spe-
ciai dangers 10 which, from onr form OF government as
confederacy OF States, we are peculiarly ex ,osed
No better corrective, IN my Judgment OF The tendencies
to which, from very excess Of prosperity we are prone
and no ffmer barrier the assaults OF dsunon can be
found than that which may be procured BY increasing the
number ot freehold homes We thus create aa extensive
interest, which, owing lis existence 10 the general govern
ment, will from the principle OF sef-pesefvauon as well
OF gatitude natural to uncoup.ed hearts, desire to
preseryein IFS integrity as well purity and simplicity,
that united sovereignty OF whose ssnal munhcence they
have been made the recipients,
Sir, il is the property OF rural pursuits, while giving
vgor and hardness 10 the body 10 mpart like robust
ness 10 the mental and moral charac,ef Honesty, sim.
plciiy OF hablis industry fugay, and patience, are
These 10 which will serve 10 temper The luxurious ex-
cesses Of commercial prosperity and which will Stand
uDshaken amid The waves OF iaeiion.
But what, after all is the great bonus beso wed by this
measure and which IS to mpoversh the nation II has
been already shown that oil The thirteen hundred aud
sixty millions OF scIes' which the gove nment owns, not
more than hundred and sixty millions would lor sew
eral years come under the operation OF this bill Why
sir, II TO this you add fifty millions, 10 aid IN the con-
sIucton OF the Pacific railway you have still eleven
hundred and fifty millions tor your pablc domal-a ter
rtoy fourteen times large the united territory OF Eng
land, Waes Ireland and Scotland. and sufncent 10 ex
tent make two hundred States OF the size OF MARY land
New Jersey or New Hampshire
vew then, OF the magnitude OF this imperial pos.
sesson, large portion ol which, without change OF
policy, Ienuia wilderness for centuries; OF the
mighty spn OF progress in science aud at which char
actefzes The aud pfe-einenty distinguishes this
happy land OF ours; OF the tact that all civizs asen-
cies advancing geomelfieal ratio, that that is
done now in sing e decade years which centuries be-
fore could scarcely accompilsh-wilh view too, 10 set
ng oar vacant territory, o conyeog It from an uneul
tvaled wilderness to lis natural purpose, and building IT
up into States, by which the happiness of every part
well az of the whole, to be augmented-l may be al
lowed TO say, that disposition OF these lands would
be wise that proposed in The bill under consider
alton.
SIR il is time we approach this question in different
humoy from tina OF the school ogeian. We must cease
10 reason in Icle. We must abandon old and partial
PREMISES which lead only 10 the conclusion that what
is the best We must drop the character OF the
special peade and that OF The legislator and the
statesman We must look for nei1 is,ses IN The altered
age-whlch lead 10 new conclusions oil ialih an mans
capacity, and favorable TO human Improvement
Need remind my auditors that we live Of period
when agencies have been pressed into human ser.
vice in countless applications, extending TO incalcula-
BILE degree our influence over maera That the steam
boat the steamship, the electric telegraph, and the rail-
way-he muititudes oil discoveries and improvements in
the arts. and the marvellous perfection OF machnery
mark this The most inventive age upon the records Of
our racels remark which loses its impressive signih-
csnce only iom the frequency with which we are COM
PEELED 10 after IT. s sought 10 compare the works OF
our times with those oi anquiy} Shall we place our
canals, railways, our rsphscfossng the land
and the alike sending ITS flash across the English
channel, and all but piercing tbs Atlantic; and on this
side OF The wafer extending from Halifax 10 New York,
and from thence 10 the Gull OF Mexco-shaIl we place
ihese with suspension bridges tunnels and our
national monuments, by the side oil those vast but un
meaning works the pyfamds, the wall OF China, aud
the Lake OF Moeris Shall even compare them with
the great highways of the Roman emplTe--tbe Appian
and Famnian Ways Nothing more is necessary to H.
ustrate the immeasurabe superiority of the works OF the
present era, when compared with that standard which is
recognised as the guide Tor iBdDsry-naney, The pro
motion oil human happness--ihan the mention OF these
great works IN uxtaposiloo. II IL all one II should
compare the Greciao triremes, the Roman gaeys with
the complete and effective war steamer OF day. capa
Bile of stretching grsle of vapor around the earth 10
quarter OF is revolution around the sun, and in less time
than either of the former would pass from Rome or
Athens 10 the ports OF The Euxinea one II we should
compare the cuDsness and lardness OF their merchant
ships with the weii-sppon,ed and manageable sailing
craft of our mercantile marine.
General oil the government in recent speech made at
". RhpH luXl N