Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-02

WhiCh THdHtt rE6 Hi''' ~
the East and TO the West, until they surround Tue
world like its atmospheric. ::
/ would not (Mr. S. continuedl presumptunusly IN
terpret His ways; but thiuk see Ills proVience 10
the varied and important events wiic, "eao if;
around the discovery OF this coniItien, anu wnisu
made that era stand out 30 prominently among the
preceding ones. ,o;,.;5o,
II was something more than curious coucldence
that the revival of the letters and OF the arts inc dis
covery of printing and of the polarity OF the magnet
Just preceded and the reformation oil resou just euc
ceeded the discovery Of America.
The minds Of meditative men too were ekpectant
of great change in the world asfarei anu I" new
world the scene Of it. Irving tells us Ihht me phi
osophers placed il in the lost Atlantis Ihe poets De
held it in the Islands of the Blessed and the stern
spirit Of Seneca discerned fairer aosde OF humanity
in the western ocean, in contemplation OF when De
uttered those remarkable words
-'Venent anns
Secua seris quibus oceanus
Rerum yincula laxet OF nsens
Pateat telus Typhusque noVos
Detegat orbes" &c.
cannot trace the steps which led Columbus TO the
discovery Of America without being convinced that
that great man was moved by higher inspiration
than that of mere human genius. lie seemed 10 See
by faith this new world, mariners sometimes see
the land towards which they are steering long ere
thew have reached it, indistnctly reflected upon the
clouds Again: think ses that Providence in the
process by which North America became the heritage
of The Ango.Ssxons, of the English language, Eng
lish law, English literature, and of the Engtsh Bible
think, too, l see that Providence enabling our
fathers to accomplish revolution which has no par.
ralle in the annals Of the world, aud to lay the
foundations of governments which had no model Oh
the face Of the globe. The principle which lies at the
root Of this nation is Christianity. Not Christianity
as she was fettered in the Old World but Christianity
loosed from her swsthing bands, standing alone in
her own might, shining with her own light, alike
some bird of heavenly plumage fair about to expand
her wings for grander fight Tor :he healing of the
nations. For the fret time in the history OF the
world all the great principles OF civil and reiigious
liberty--berty of thought, liberty Of faith, liberty
of worship, liberty of speech, and liberty OF the
prsss-were enacted into the organic law OF the
land. 1t would seem that the soul OF the great re-
formation had transmgrsted into the American Ooay
polite. These we're the principles that demanded
New World, a fulcrum upon which to move the oid
World. And what q fulcrum!
Her vast plains and lofty mountains, teeming with
materials adequate to furnish the food and feed the
res of all msnkiud her mighty rivers rolling in eve.
nv direction to mngle with the world Of waters which
beat upon every shore. Such is America, stretching
in an opposite direction to the Old Void, through
nearly all the climatic forms OF the earth, "enthroned
quesn-ike, between the two great oceans" stretch.
ing forth one hand to the Pacific and the other to the
Atlantic to welcome the poor and oppressed of every
land. And they have heard and needed the invita-.
ton. A great Englishman has said that the world
has never witnessed an emigration like that whicE
has taken place to America since The first dispersion
of mankind. Hordes of emgrants are continually
swarning off in crowds resistless and unreurniDg
as the travellers to eternity All the historical
# the earth have come and, like the disintegration
OF different soils, have blended into one nationality
making richness and fertility Of natural life such as
was never seen before In the language OF the Kew.
DR.. Moore, our people made up of the beat blood
of the world and this is the secret of the power and
energy of this country. The United States doubles
its population In lees than twenty five years, and
more than doubles s resources. 1t will soon contain
ten times az many inhabitants as were ever before
animated by the spirit OF free people. They carry
their affairs with them into the wilderness, and the
aborignss melt away before them like SHOWS under
an April run. The march Of the Anglo.Sa said
De Tocqueve. 10 his time towards the West has all
the soemnity Of aProvidena event; it is like de-
LUCE Of people rising unabatedy, and daily driven, az
were by the hand Of God. Since those words were
written. they have covered the shores Of tho Pacific.
where they have met the Chinese, and in process OF
time will doubtless meet England in the East, as she
comes up through Australia and India
The same enterprise will in time doubtless carry
our people through Central and spread them over
South America, until pulse shall circle through the
continent from the Arctic to the Antarctic circle. And
this result will take place without premedaton or ef
fort but in the natural course of events, from the gu
periority OF North American over South American IN
situons unless tho latter shall conform themselves
TO our model and follow in our career. What imagi.
nation osn conceive the extent OF the influence which
such country would WELD over the tates OF the
WOrlQ Already mas American lunuSnC6 Deeu po~'
erfuly felt abroad.
great British author said long ago that every
pansion Of American influence was felt in Europe
The discovery vi it overturned the sys;es OF the an
clients; the opening Of its mines produced revolution
in commerce, aud the declaration of ts independence
fired train, which overturned the monarchy OF
France, and which, will add, has been exploding
rver since. II this true in our infancy, what must
be the influence Of our manhood, when our vessels
traverse every sea, our citizens vsi, every land and
our missionaries preach in every language!
But there ia one people who could not feel the
force Of our example We could not 20 to them, be-
cause "Pe.encs stood sentinel at the gates OF Ari
Ca" Providence seemed to say to tia wave OF Anglo
Saxon population which is overlooking the earth.
"hitharto shalt thou come but no further and here
shall thy proud waves be stayed" But Gods ways
are not ways. nor His thoughts our thoughts
If America could not 20 10 Africa, Africa must come
to America, ard as they could not come spontaneous
ly, having never heard Of it, He permitted avaricous
men, in the qualification Of their own usa, TO compel
them 10 come This ia a great mystery which can
not expound. can ohly see that what men mean
tor evil, az in the case Of Joseph and bis brethren
God often means for good. l do not Justify the ways
educing good. recognise facts even where cannot
explain the philosophy of them. The fact is that
nearly four milions Of Africans are in America, and
under the discipline to which they have been subject.
ed they have risen in the intellectual and moral order
until they have reached the stature far above their
the "Niobe Of nations" in her voiceless woe
IAN empty urn within her wthered hands,
Whose holy dust was scattered long ago."
How shall her countless millions he reached by Chris
Ian civilization Upon THE point allow me to read
extract from English author written long ago.
and which seems 10 me is Of the most curious and
prophetic passages in language. After surveying
he moral condition of the world. he says:
"Ths least hopeful division of it is Central Africa,
which has been cut off from any salutary inha
Al
rad her misery heightened by her intercourse with
enlightened nations, but which yet is the coun
ry which nature has blessed with the most abundant
srtity; and when the years OF its suffering 40
'omplished we may expect will be as prolific OF good
has been Of what is noxious. There s CLEAN Of
rope that arises from Africa itsel but Of the very
depths of the calamtes Of Africa prospect arises Of
Ultimate relief. The slave trade, which heightened all
he evils TO which that countrys subject he's brought
portion of the African race into close contact with
men who are civilized. Europe and Africa, discover
ID in their fates from each other, have met
ogether in the colonies of America, and the
icing prospects of that New World afford the
means and the hopes for the civilization Of Az
cs. While Europeans were prevented from set
ling in Africa. and the Africans had no means Of
acquiring the knowledge of Europe, an impossible
barrier seemed raised between them; but now thar
both have been brought to inhabt third country il
comparatively easy to train those negroes in Amer
"a who will be able to introduce into Africa the fret
ort Of the blacks that are emancipated. Placed IN
he New World in an ambiguous situation, between
he freemen and the slaves, they are looked upon
will, an evil eye, as persons who have no ascera'ned
position in society. But in Africa career awaits
hem, and they will be hailed by their kindred as the
ntroducers Of what 10 useful and the Instructors of
nascent empires. What is Eaating IS landing
place; some settlement to receive them on their frs
uuching the coast from which in time they would
'pread from one tribe to another, until they diused
themselves over the interior of the continent, anO
~hen that returning emigration has once begun, il
will every year widen, "a Quo race of emgrants will
.mooth the passage for others, 60 The slave ves
sells which carrying the 6rst victims of Euro.
pean avarice across the Atlantic were uneonscously
aging the train Of the future greatness Of Africa; and
he liberated blacks, like the Israetes from Egypt,
will return, carrying with them the ark Of God &c
What is wanting lie a landing place. The American
Colonization Society has supplied that want; it has
lot merely found landing place. but it has actually
anded between eight and ten thousand Of these Afr
.ans 10 their tather land. who have organized Gov
,rnment after our model. I will not presume to enter