Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-01-31
neetions with every part of the territory, that

y !.
under Russia not excepted.
/ There is something 50 comprehensive il
this capacity for Development that it out
ranks all inferior or single interests. HI,
opening commerce with Russian America a
San Francisco was recently noted as valua
bic interest endangered by the European
war; and, now that that shadow has been
driven away, it will doubtless be an early
purpose with the Russian Government to ex.
tend our commercial relations as rapidly as
may be done. Reversing positions, and sup
posing the west coast to lie at the cast, We
may imagine what these commercial capaci-
ties are. Newfoundland would then cores
pond to France, Labrador TO the British Is
lands, and Hudson B4v - che Baltic Eff
teen degrees of latitude, with its immense
duplication of water front along the bays
and indentations would be added to the com
Imercial coast. What terms would describe
the changes this would superadd to the com
tmerce of the Atlantic coast as it now exists
1t IS not conclusive to say that such an ex-
tent OF coast would merely spread the COM
mefce over a more scattered list of ports,
since the commerce below the ports of Maine
no more than expresses the population and
capacity of the countries below that line
and, If equally dense States and equally rich
climate and soil lay 50 many more degrees
OF latitude to the northward, there would
be just so much more ofseommerce created
In the interior the public appreciation Of
the climate has been greatly at fault. BY a
peealiarity Of CONFORMATION, which exists in
no other part of the temperate latitudes,
"a gro'cs aooraeg' IN going nofth'cafd en- The
interim. 1t required ages to convince the
migratory aneients that the heat de-
creased toward the north, or to discover this
self-ovident law Here, howey-
er, 1t is again at fault, and the pyramid
building Egyptian would find confirmation
OF his original philosophy From Fort II as
saohusetts; at the limit Of the eultivablc por-
ton OF New Mexico, at 81 % north latitude,
TO the plains Of the Saskatchewan, at the
ftty-secohd parallel, lie a,eoa temperature
.oad Ike eRltteeije eapaciig steaahiy Increase
On the Platte ii is warmer and mere cult
yahle than on the Upper Rio Granaa on
the Missouri, a. Fort Benton, it is superior
TO the Platte and On the Saskatchewan the
country is better on the whole than on the
Missouri Most Of the difference is due to
difference Of altitude, yet nearly half of it
may be assigned % exterior eimatoogieal
causes, those which reduce the temperature
iof he eastern sides OF the continents and in
crease tae mean temperature Of the western
lalies. III regard TO altitude Furt Massaehu-
sets is eight Thousand two hundred feet
aloYe the sea; Feet Laramie, oh the Platte,
four thousand five hundred: Fort Benton,
on tho Missouri, two thousand six hundred
and sixty feet; and the country Of Saskatch-
evan scarcely one thoua9nd feet above tho
sea. All those points lie in prairie districts
yet the prarias Of the Saskatchewan and
Assinnehoin are equal, If Hot superior, to tho
Others IN fertility Here is a line curying
fifteen degrees Of latitude, or almost the
equivalent Of the coast Of Atlantic States, or
the distance from New Orleans to Lake SUI
iperiGr, which represents a new and habita-
die country nearly Identical in climate. As
IA Genealogical fact simply, this is q most
interesting condition; but its significance is
much more than point in science; it is the
definition Of a region Of equal value for set
le4Nf'S''e ONNi Wis lHtihGtoC NAtciit, when ii
had been supposed that the north must nee
essarialy be uninhabitable.
From Persia, Asia Minor, and the des-
erts of Algiers, We go north in tho Old
World to Che rich prairies of the country
north of the Black Sea and tie Caspian. =
AZ Astraehan and on the Lower Volga and
Dnieper it is much like the Upper Missis-
Isippi and Missouri. At kasan, on the Vol
ga, in Central Russia, is a country celebra-
tied for its grain cultivation, although hear
the limit Of wheat and it is very much like
the country of the Saskatchewan in all res
poets. This part of America IS warmer in
winter on the upper part of the river named,
but at the lower part, near Lake Winnepeg.
the mean winter and summer temperature
are nearly the same as at Rasan the two
points are nearly in the same latitude also.
And from Kasan and Moscow, westward to
st. Petersburgh and the Baltic, the climate
grows milder as rapidly, yet not more rap
idly than in British America. The Rocky
Mountains interpose a somewhat formidable
barrier, it is true but since the country of
the interior corresponds, and that of the re-
spectiye coasts equally, there must be vast
area not rendered uninhabitable by noun
tains. On the plains east of the mountains
alone, from the Yellow Stone to Assneboin,
and from Lake Winnepeg, where the flour
fishing Selkirk settlement exists, to the
Rocky Mountains, there is an area equal in
extent to that of the provinces Of Central
Russia surrounding Moscow, ana equal to
that tributary to the great lakes in the nor
ithegu States We cannot suppose it to be
naturally SO valuable, but the comparison
suggests some idea eff It's value should the
half of it prove incapable Of occupation.
In December, 1858, the thermometer did
moi fall lever at Fort Benton, on the Upper
Missouri, than it has done in the present
month at Washington In January, 1891,
thare were much lower readings, but the
clearer atmosphere modified the effect of low
temperatures, as it is well known to DO at st.
Paul, Minnesota that is, they arc not so sen
sibly severe, and ID not effect business and
comfort so decidedly This is due to the drier
atmosphere. In February the measure Of
heat v as above dat Of February last, here
the successive months rapidly grew warmer
and the heat Of July and August equallcd
that common at Philadelphia. So far ~
known ON The Upper Missouri and the south
branch Of the Saskatchewan, this is fair
expression OF the climate, and, to under
sta01 tha inouroyolnpnt of clinatn j., ooio q