The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-05-26
Westward Course of Empire.


1t is we'll known by all who are in any degree fam
lar with the history Of civilization, that the pro-
gress Of civilization, Of science and art and every
thing which is supposed have atendency to elevate
society above the scale of savage barbarism, is from
the east towards the west; Obvious indeed, is this
that the poets line,
.Westward the course Of empire takes its way,'
has been installed rs of the proverbs Of the day.
But perhaps the philosophy of this tendency to gray
i,ate westward has not been generally apprehended
and it NAV not be uninstrucve to our readers il we
spend few moments in throwing out few thoughts
on the subject.
The valley Of the Euphratcs is supposed to have
been the cradle Of the human Here is supposed
to have been located the garden Of Eden, and from
this point migrated the progentors Of all the existing
races Of man. The is radiating from this point
center, would Of course he governed in its misra-
tons by the confguraton, the temperature and recu-
liar,es Of the climate, the produc,vencss Of the soil
and the facilities for intercourse with distant people,
The emgrant who moved eastward must traverse 4
vast extent Of country broken by mountains and des
ert wastes Of barren sand. Commerce, If engaged in
must he carried on by the slow and expensive medi-
UNI Of caravans; and there was little to encourage
concentration of industry. which is essential in
crease in wealth and the advancement of civilization.
In the valley of the Euphraes and the Tigris, howev
cr, mighty empires and ruled all the then civil
lied world; but their inherent vitality became cx-
hausted, and they crumbled into ruins. They had
sent colonies TO the four quarters Of the earth; but
those only who migrated westward found facilities for
exercising the Of social life. and developing
taste for the peaceful pursuits of industry and gain
Around the shores OF the Mediterranean were fertile
fields for conquests, and everything calculated to
call out a spirit of adventure, which must cventuatc
in producing state Of society more and more exalted
above the balbarism Of the nomadc tribes of the
east. When new colonies were to be propagated,
they must Of course go westward, in path between
the Sahara Of Africa and the SHOWS Of the north
and the Mediterranean would form an admirable
channel to convey the swarniny colonies from the
east along their westward Course. Like fire our
prares, it could not go backwards for the track over
which it had already progressed was already COM
paralively exhausted, while everything inviting
forward. 1t crowded on until it came to the shores
of the Atlantic, and this for ages formed the Western
barrier Art sprung up in Greece and Rome, and
produced great tide-wave, which moved westward,
and expired in the roar Of the Atlantc's waves.
Architecture worked its way from the Grecian penin-
sua to the Atlantic and then stayed its course. Mar
bic statutes born in Italy, and then travelled to
Paris and hailed to take breath.
But the Atlantic began to be viewed with suspicion,
and many began to be curious to know what treasures
its blue eXpansc concealed, but none dared to 90 be.
yond its vestibule to see. until Gcnoese pushed
boldly over the waves and revealed to the eastern
world continent. Possessing, as it was found
TO do, every qualification for the abode of pow crul
and civilized people, it no, strange that men
should wish to quit the despotisms under which they
had lived, and escape to reg ion where they might
be free TO achieve fortune and power, and give fee
play to Tie spirit Of adventure Unborn in their breasts
When the coast of The Atlantic had become peopled,
emigration novel westward by law as natural as
that by which water down hill.
1t is, comparatively but few Years since tho first
States of the Union, formed upon the shores of
the Atlantic. With rapid,y only co-equal with the
demonstrated "fasness'' of this age States null:
piled upon the borders Of the original thrtccn and
src, Oily populated by cmiy ants from the East
But have gone beyond the now old e. h.
toned proverb,
''Wcstward the course Of empire takes its way
and are doing things up in little modern style
AS every State in new. uncCn cious prime
Jumps like the Phoenix from the fires of Time
is almost yearly demonstrated inthe addition of States
and Territories, all peopled and plowed.
This westward movement is destined to progress
until it shall have encompassed the globe. The day
may not be distant when the passenger may look out
from the window of the rail car upon Horeb and
wonder if that could really be the spot where the
Decaogue proclaimed to mankind; and look as
they approach the extremity of the Red Sea for the
exact spot where the children of Israel crossed the
dry land The course of empire has as vet
finished but half of its journey around the globe
in the six thousand years that have past but the rar-
id strides it has taken for the last three Centuries
cmpts to prophecy that the remainder Of its rev-
otion will he accomplished in far brefer pc, od of
time.-Lis.