Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-07-09

incident to new countries, or nssparabe from human
imperiecton. Even the hardshps they encountered Sc
we're as they wee were well calculated to promote the
growth Of the manly virtues In this great and Proms-
ing field of social progress they have planted, In the
main those political Institutions which have approved
themselves in the experience of modern Europe ana e.
pecaly England most favorable to the prosperity oil
aate free representative governments written con-
sttutions and laws, greatly modelled upon hers, es-
pecially the trial by jury IA free and cheap,
and consequently allpervading press i-responsipil-
| ity of the ruler to the people; liberal provis-
ion for popular education, and very genera voiun
tary and bountful expenditure for the support OF
religion If under these circumstances the People oil
America springing from such q stock and trained IN
such school, have failed to work out satisfactory and
hopeful result and especially II within the last sixty
wears or that the distinct aegation) and consequent
ly SINCE from the increase Of numbers wealth and ma
onal power all the social forces Of the country have,
for good or evil been in higher action than ever before
there has been such marked degenercy that are now
fit 10 be held up not model 10 be Initiated out as
an example TO be shunnednot for the credit but Tor
the discredit Of popular nstuiions-hen indeed the
case must be admitted to be strange phenomenon in
human -disgracefu it Is true in the highest de-
gree to us-not rejecting credit the race from which
we are descended, holding out encouragement any
where for the adoption Of liberal principles OF govern
ment II there is any feeling in England that can well
come the thought that Amecas have degenerated the
further reflection that it is the Of Engshmen who
have degenerated chasen the sentiment II there
is any country any place. where this supposed state
of things be readily believed to exist surely it can.
be the parent country 1t cannot be in that House OF
Commons, where Burke uttered those golden words,
"my hold of the colonies Is in the close affection which
grows from common names, from kindred blood, from
similar privileges, and equal protection" 1t cannot be
in that House of Peers where Chatham, conscious that
the colonies fighting the battle not only of Amer
can but of English liberty, exclaimed 81 rejoice that
America has resisted" Ii must be in Venice Il be
in Naples or wherever else the face Of the earth lib
era principles scoed at aud constitutional freedom
is known exist only her crushed and manged form
is seen 10 witch and quver under the dark pail Of ab
tary power.
Before admitting the truth of such suppostion 10 it.
self so paradoxca in its moral aspects so mournfu in
its natural influence the progress OF liberal ideas so
dscouraging let u.s. for few moments look at facts.
The first object in the order of events after the dis
covery of America was, of course its settlement by civ
ilized man. 1t not easy task-a mighty ocean
separated the continent from the elder worda savage
wilderness covered most of the country-ts barbarous
and warlke inhabitants resisted IRON the first all
coalescence with the To subdue this waste
to plant cornelds In the prmeval forest TO transfer
the civilization OF Europe TO the world and to make
safe aud sufficient arrangements, nnder political instu-
TONS for the growth OF free princpes-was the great
problem to be solved. 1t no holiday pastime-no
ganiu speculation-no romantic adventures but grim,
persistent weary toll aud danger. That it has been up
on the whole performed with wonderful success who will
deny? Where else in the history of the world have such
results been brought about in short time And il
desired do not TO give this discussion the charac
ter of recrminstion, might not, dividing the period
which has elapsed since the commencement OF the Euro
pean settlements in America into two portions, viz the
which preceded aud the which has followed the
Declaration of Independence the former under the sway
ofEuropean governments England Holland France Spain,
the latter under the government OF the independent Uni
ted States might not claim for the LATTER under all the
disadvantages OF new government and limited resources
the credit Of greatly superior energy and practical wis
dom, in carrying this magnificent work Ii the
inherent vice of the colonial system that the growth of
the American colonies greatly retarded for cenu-
nv, in consequence of their being involved in all the
wars OF Europe There never period since Column
bus sailed from Palos in which the settlement of the
country has advanced with such rapdity within the
last sixty years The commencement OF the Revolution
found with population not greatly exceeding two
Millions the census of 1900 little exceeded FIVE mil
lions that of the present year will not probably fall
short Of thirty-two millions. The two centuries aud
half which preceded the Revolution witnessed the organi
ion of thirteen colonies 10 which the period that has
since elapsed has added twenty States | own it has
filed with amaZement TO find cities like Cincinnati
and Louisville, Detroit Chicago and So. Louis, not to
mention those still more remote, spots which, within
the memory of man, frontier military posts 10 find
railroads and electric teegraphs traveIsng forests in
whose gloomy shades, late 1889 the wild savage
still burned his captives at the stake.
The responding the uufrendly censor viii remind
me of the blemiShes of this tumuuous civization;-
outbreaks of frontier violence in earlier aud later times
acts of Injustice the native tribes Though the poll
cy the government them has in the main been
paternal and couseientousy administered the rough
of manners in infant settements-the collisions OF
Adventures not yet compacted into a stable society
deeds OF wild justice aud wilder ipjusice- IL
cense, lynch law. All these admit and lament;-but
community cannot grow up at once from the log cabin,
with the wolf at the door and the savage in the neigh
boring thcket into the order and beauty Of communi
ties which have been maturing for centuries. We must
remember too that all these blemshes of infant set
Element the nseparable accompaniment Of that stage
of progress and phase of society and life, have their
counterpart the other end OF the SCALE in the tester
ing niquities Of large Cities the gigantic frauds Of spec
uation aud trade the wholesale corrupous in word,
of older societies When reflect that the day cell
citrate found feeble strip of thirteen colonies along
the coast averaging at most little more than 10000
Inhabitants eacb aud that THE its eighty Fourth return,
sees us grown to thrtyhree States scattered through
the interior and pushed to the Pacific averaging nearly
a million of inhabitants each well compaced repre- en-
tative republic securing TO its citizens larger amount
OF the substantial blessings of life, than enjoyed by
equal numbers o., people, in the Oldest and most prosper
States Of Europe, am lost in wonder and suf
f;ient the charge of degeneracy am tempt
ed to exclaim Look around you.
| But, merely to I'LL up the wilderness with popua-
ton provided with eordinary institutions and carrying
on the customary pursuits of civilized le-though
ly no mean achievement, by the whole of
the work allotted the United States and thus far per-
formed with signal activity, intelligence nd success
The Founders of America and their descendants have
accomplished more and better things. Ga the basis of
rapid geographical extension, and with the force Of
teemng numbers they have in the very infancy Of their
political existence successfully aimed at higher progress
| ia generous civilization. The mechanical arts have
been cultivated with unusual aptitude. Agriculture,
Manufactures Commerce. Navigation, whether by sails
steam, aud the art Of printing in all its FORMS have
been pursued with surprising skill. improvements
have been made in all these branches Of industry and in
tue machinery pertaining to them, which have boon
| gerly adopted in Europe more adequate provision
has been made for popular education than in almost any
other couatry. believe that in the cities Of Boston,
n Y, and Phi., money in proportion 10 the popu
ation ia raised by taxation for the support Of
in any other cities in the world. There semi
naries ia the United States where respectable academ
cal education can be obtained-more still mean in
proportion to the population than in any other coun
Try except Germany The Fine Arts have reached high
degree of excellence The taste for music Is rapidly
spreading in and country and every year witnesses
productions from the pencil aud the chise Of American
sculpors and painters which would adorn any galerJ in
the werld Our Astronomers, Mathematcians, Natural
sts Chemists Engineers Jurists Pupcists, Historians
Poets Novesis and photographers have placed them
selves on a level with those Of the elder world. The
best dictionaries Of the ngsh language since Johnson
are those published in America Our Constitutions whe
Their of the United States of the separate States
clule all public provision for the maintenance Of religion
but in no part Of Christendom is it generously
ported Scred Science is pursued diligently and the
| pulpit commands as high degree OF respect in the
United States those countries where the Church is
publicly endowed while the American Missionary ope-
raons have won the admiration Of the civilized world.
No where am persuaded there more liberal contri
buttons 10 pubcspted and charitable objects. In word
there is branch of the mechanical or fine arts no