Smyrna times., 1857-12-03
Interesting Address.
ADDRESS OF O. N. BASS, A, B.,

l9th.
: Elghty-one years ago, the United States W;
q remote clrcumstance,-it now comprises tt
! second commercial Nation in the world.
a three-fourths of century we have revolution
lzed the world and built up an Empire. |
: seventy-eight years, we have not only change
the politics OF the world, but solved the probIer
OF selt-government, and made its truth as i'm
mortal as Washington, whose pame will be rev
erenced as long as there is heart that ca
beat IN unison with what is ennoblng or wor
thy OF admiration in the human character. Ii
that time the world has learned more commo,
sense than was taught in the previous 1000 years
Inc adaptation of republican government tt
the wants OF the most aspiring nation has beer
made most signally manifest. The rapid increas,
OF the U. States in wealth, territory and popu
la'Ion' during the past fifty years, is without q
precedent IN the history the world. We have
done IN half century as much as England has
done in 1900 years. We have carried up our
commerce from zero till it amounts, at the pre-.
sent. to more tons than are possessed bv ann
other nation sn the globe In this statement
we include, of course, not only the tonnage
connected with our foreign commerce. but the
tonnage connected with 1900 miles of the la kes
and 3O,OOO miles of navigable rivers. The
present crisis and crash in the financial world
Is but another proof of the avdity with which
American enterprise improves every favorable
ODDOrfunIfv n nd hollis 4
ergency, 10 advance its fortune aud interests.
1t Is the result Of American merchants takinO
the advantage of low tariff and increased fa
cllltIcs Tor Importation, in connection with other
SPECTATORS till, carrying his money after the
cheaper products Of the pauper labor of Eu
rope, he finds his storehouses full of goods with
out buyer, and not dime in his pocket. Ii
is but the result Of enterprise carried a little
too far. And Jonathan" who always had to
pay for his schooling and expects to (but he is
not too dull to !earn), will rise from this con-
vulsion like the Phoenix from its own ashes.
with new life aud vigor. Already the precious
metals have commenced to flow in by late arri
Vals from Europe as well as California, and the
coming winter, which for a time seemed so por-
tentous OF "hard times" with its CONSIGNMENT
Of want and misery, will, e'er long, lose its
sombfe cast,-the storm will have spent its
fury and the commercial world breathe free
again.
The resources ofgovernment, the past year. ex- |
ceed the expenses by upwards of 500, 900, 900
a sum greater than the gross receipts of the four
irst years of Washngton's Administrations
Nothing more convncingly shows US the rapid
strides we have made in advancement. The |
receipts of the year 1856 are nearly 100000. |
D0O. This fact shows that the gold d-bearng
ieds Of California as yet experience no ex. |
Iaustion, and probably never will. They NAV
20 on increasing in productiveness, unit! the
exports of San Francisco can compare fayora-
ply with New York, and perhaps be double
We may look upon the time as not far distant. |
when the shores of the Pacific to the Rocky
Mountains, from Cape st. Lucas to Nootka
Sound, may in many places contain a densely-
settled, thriving population, in addition to the
present incumbents. When this becomes
liked fact who can properly estimate the i'm
nenSe trade that will spring up between our
Atlantic ports and those of the Pacific! LARGE
IS our commerce is at present. Judging from
he past, we have good reason TO believe that il
will be doubled in the next ten years. Calfor.
Tia has given momentum to our ships, steam
'rs and activity, that must produce results of
he most stupendous character. Our mission
s just opening upon us,-within the next 25
'ears, we must put down a- railroad to the Pa
;ifc, cut ship-canal through the Isthmus of
Darien, and perhaps extend our boundaries
much beyond their present position, and exert
IN influence for freedom that shall tell upon
he world. This is what we may be in the
lext quarter of a century. Let us now glance
It what we are. The number of acres in the
United States at the present time, is reported
It t2,O6l, ,750, ,000,-as much land as IN the whole
IT Europe. Our population in 1850, was 3d.
is one person to every s9I
lcres of land in the United States. The area
'f England and Wales is 36,399,690 acres, with
l population Of 1905, (which makes one
person to every % acres. We see, therefore,
hat IT our population was as dense as that of
England we should have s32, 100000. The
population of France is one person to every 81
acres. China has population of SIG, ,249, ,225,
with an area of 800, 1920 200 acres,-which is
one person to every II acres. The increase
Of the population in the United States for the
last ten years has been about 3s per cent; in
China for ten years 10 per cent; in France for
ten years II per cent; in England for ten years
l3 per cent. . The per cent. Of increase in the
United States for ten years has been nearly
equal TO that of France, and England. and
China, gelher,--and when we state that
America is capable of sustaining a denser popu.
lation than any OF the countries before named, !
we have done no more than justice to the end.