The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-01-08
BY COL. WIN. GILPIN.

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN.-In congrat-
ulating myself upon appearing before this
large audience, allow me first to make my
Acknowledgements to the gentleman of the
Chamber of Commerce, whose fattering
invitation gives to ME the opportunity to |
speak to my fellow citizens of Kansas
City, upon a subject of pre-eminent inter-
est to the people who dwell in the Central
Region Of our great country.
| select for your attention the Physical
Geography of our continent, a science
which places ours in contrast with the
other continents of the globe, and exhibit
their relative features in daguerreotype.
By comparison with this standard, immu-
tably fixed by science, is recognized at a
glance the supreme grandeur of our posi-
ton and destiny; the superior order, the
sublime symmetry of arrangement which
pervades nature, and the elevated inspira-
ton with which we pursue the march of
empire and plant and develope the divine
principles Of civilization.
Ihave been criticised-often censured,
for appealing to abstract truths of science,
when speaking to the assemblies of the
people. Yet / prefer to rely upon your
indulgence and your clemency, to receive
with favor and use what is solid and es-
tablished by intellectual labor. 1t is thus
that civilized society distinguishes itself
from savage life. Of all the inventions
possessed by man, the alphabet and ten
numerals are the most abstract, subtle and
wonderful. During my campaigns in the
remote wilderness, l have encountered
single Indians endowed with the highest
order of intellect, judgment, polite man.
hers, austere virtue and eloquence. To
these have exhibited books and explain
ed the uses made of them by the white
man. Stunned by this immense contrast
between barbaric and civic life, and not
knowing that the labor of centuries could
unravel for them the chaotic mystery of a
single sentence, crushing sense of dis
pair at first overwhelmed them, succeeded
by savage fury.
Yet the child of civilized life, before
leaving the parents neck, learns to accept
the alphabet, to combine letters into
words, words into sentences sentences in
to narrative. Thus is inseuSibly opened
an easy and domestic road to the whole
held and scheme of hereditary civilization
and recorded learning, which are thus in
herited, perpetuated, and enlarged from
generation to generation.
conclude that the American people,
without any exception, will consent to re-
celve the abstract truths of science in other
departments also, as they receive the alb
stract alphabet and numerals in their sys-
TEN Of literature; as they receive the ten
Commandments in their systems Of law
and Of religion. will use, then, the es-
taoIlshed laws of Physical Geography to
explain how the surface of our continent
aranges itself into Basins and mountain
chains, and thus Classics its undulations
Tue laws of Geology, which penetrate be-
meath the surface and explain the earths
t1e rocks, the metals as they appear upon
uesurface or descend beneath the exterior
crust Of the globe; the laws of Meteorolo.
y, as they explain the alterations of the
atmosphere, controlling the varieties o
inmate and of vegetation.
~, submit to your inspection three maps
T me INST is an photographic map o
north America" exhibiting in daguerreo
!pe the physical divisions of our CONT
uent; the second is map of the world
TAlIo''ing America in the center between
ASIA ASA and Europe, and having dellneate'
upon 1t the Isothermal Zodiac of Nations
lung the north temperate zone of tn
sSOU q. the third is map of the Basin Q
os 'Gysical geography arranges the surfac
'ne continents into basins and tn
~ fountains crests which divide them
rn mus the basin of the Mississippi is tina
s ss which, being drained by all tn
=, Ol.uent branches Of this river, discharge
M n iresh waters into the Gulf of Mexico
Jus surface is an undulating, calcareou
pam Oh one million two hundred thousan
yu4re miles of area--it is embraced en-
TTeiy within the temperate zone; occupit
'ue aeart md splendors of our continent
uu the most magnificent dwelling plaC
marked ma out by God for mans abode
mee more similar calcareous basins, eac
S'sined by single system of rivers II
S S4Sln OF the st. Lawrence, the basin oftl
SSaSehewan of Hudson's Bay, aud th
o,u''c basin Of the Mckenzie, resting upc
Tas another and upon the basin Of IL
arslppl, form together one continues
e~PAnSei geologically uniform and idan,