The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-30

organized De. Lisingstone's discovery OF easily worka.
Die coal on the zambeze river will render Africa not less
precious than America-her cotton. minerals ana 81
products being In the hands OF a trading aud exchauning
people. In fact, let US look where we will. the Who'll
world seems bat now thoroughly to open lie treasure 70
US, and TO invite us TO enter upon the goodiy inheritance
$40 rs, We say emphaticaiiy- 1t is our ships, our cx.
plorers, our armies aud nayies, our merchants. our capi.
tai, our exchangeable commodities tor, and To which
and whom all this endless abundance aud infinite variety
OF resources seems TO be chiefly available ii il this littla
island and this handful Of people 10 whom all this seen !
To be offered. With these prospects opened up to the
western world-for there Is room enough for the enter
prise Of all the States Of Europe in these prospects how
glorious a -consummation IL would be IL Emperors and
Kings, Presidents and peoples would agree 10 throw away
their swords and pile up THEN rifles, and set 70 In Garnet
TO the great business of conmerce-of making each Other
rich IN place of beggars-of serving ia place of killing
mankind of producing and accommodating In place OF
consuming scattering, and destroyingf Empcrors threat.
en- TO set nations by the ears, to make them rob and XIII
stop onr industry and progress, begin all mischief, idle.
ness, extravaganza, and crime. War is a game which,
We're people wise, Kings would not play at. And vet
Earope, IN this year 1859, appears to be mad Tor the
sport
The closing remarks Of the editor ON tho folly and
wickedness OF war are at once enlightened and humane,
and worthy OF the age in which he lives, and the sublime
and Godhke principles Of Christianity which he doubtless
admires. But on nearly all the other subjects which he
has introduced our progress has equaiicd, If not also ex.
celled, that OF England. The writer speaks Of a Journey
to Edinburgh from London once occupying sixty hours
why, formerly, nearly a week was consumed in going
from Philadelphia to Boston, and now only twelve or
fourteen hours. Then look at our steam navigation, first
carried into practical utility by that eminent American.
Robert Fulton at the electric Telegraph, inst limited at
by Benjamin Franklin, and finally improved to lis present
perfection 10y Morse, an American at our numerous and
rapid locomotives, and our linear extent Of railroads, be-
ing II, 1853 miles AZ, 900 miles of electric telegram
wires, and 8 1872 miles Of navigable canals. Then, il Eng
land has her Australia, we have likewise our California,
which averages "A product of $50, 000, 600 of gold per an.
nun. Indeed, In 1858 the United States minis coined
SCI ,357 ,08S in gold, silver, and copper. We publish
more than z 900 newspapers, against $50 in Great Britain
and ireland and, better than all, our common schools
educate nearly fonr. million scholars annually--in Penn
sylvania alone 62s, 2Ol. We have 1880 banks, with
SIS, 600, 900 in specie and $399, 600, 900 capital, and our
present metallic circulation is S2O4 600, 900, besides tho
above-named sum in the vaults Of the banks. But we
are really getting out Of breath in running up this rapid
summary, and will therefore close the account with a few
brief general statistics
Miles.
Mean breadth of United States from Allan
tic to 2,4s0
Length from North to South -------- i,84O
Land frontier 1910
Sea coast b.43O
Lake shore $50
Navigation of Mississippi and its tributaries, 20, 900
Other rivers, unknown
Public lands worth lat 81 Is per acrel-- 81, $50, 00O, 600
Manufactures and mining produce in
1850 Ola, 1886, 1853
Agricultural produce in 1850. .---------- l 500, 900, 600
Real and personal estate --------------- 1000, 900, 900
But the above three items have been largely increased
since the census of 1850 and we think that one fourth
may be safely added to the totals. Our manufactures at
that time employed 2, 900, 900 Of persons, at nm annual
cost of 1888, 900, 900 for labor. We could, had we the
time, greatly enlarge and extend and multiply the results
of the stated and ever-increasing resources of our couil-
try but our only object is to show that while the pro.
gross and prosperity OF England are gratifying and aston.
ishing, yet we i'm the United States, ut any rate, press on
ward with her in the race Of national greatness, ppi
pdssu and in some matters even outrun the mother
country. We rejoice, however, in the noble examples of
industry, skill, intelligence, and energy that radiate. in
light and from example amongst mankind from Anglo
And here, it is possible, that some carping
may say, "but the inhabitants of Che United
States are descended from several races. {, So they are
yet not only is the majority Of our people derived from
forefathers who migrated from the British Isles, but our
language, literature, laws, and consequently modes of
thought, manners, and customs and these form the
true genius of a nation-are all essentially AngloSaxon
in character.