The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-12-12

There n0WS the COlumDla through O.
rich and alIuvial valley. Before You is
spread Upper and Lower CALIFORNIA,
with the mountain peaks burning with
gold and silver and, besides a land
! flowing with milk and honey. If You
look eastward there lies at the feet of
these mountains, our boundless prai-
ries, stretching to the very haunts OF
civilization. Through these primcval
fields and forests flows mighty rivers
whose main trunks aud tributaries
circulate through thousands and tens
Of thousands of miles, to make the
country to blossom and bloom as the
rose And from the Alleganies, you
may cast your eye over land rich in
agriculture and prolific in mineral
resources. You may here, also, see
natures great store house of latent
fire, Here beneath your feet isfonnd
|
a copious supply Of anthracite and
bitnminons coal; strata upOn strata
in inexhaustible quantities Howgrand
and truly sublime are the outlines of
our physical home, our goodly heri
tage. There is no country that can
snrpass it in magnifcence. It's noun-
tains and valleys, its rivers and lakes,
its oceans and bays, are all of the
most imposing character.
How is it 10 regard to its product !?
May We not say in this respect that
it is self-supporting Its soil produc-
es all kinds of grain and fruits, and
her graneries are filed with the finest
corn and wheat, and Sc is capable of
becoming a storehouse of plenty for
the world The land is truely prolific,
a goodly land, and the climate is gene
rally genial and healthy, and as far as
it, material nature is concerned it is
all we conld desire.
In looking in another direction we
are much more pleased with our heri-
tage. We see spread all overit, gold
en- benifcence, that which is the d.
rect outgrowth of pure and practi-
cal christianity. You may plod your
way over all the vast Roman Empire,
and you will find probably not one
monument of benevolence. But here
yon find them rising in all directions
standing thick through all the land'''
There are our Bible societies, our
Tract societies, our Missionary socie-
ties, and societies for the poor, for
the old, and for the young. There
are our Almshouses, our Hospitals,
our Lunatic Asylums, and many
other societies of similar character.
There are our Churches by the thous-
ands lifting their spires heavenward,
these all are the results of we'll appro-
priated beneyolence There is no ma
tion on the earth, that spreads out her
charities with so lavish a hand as do
Americans. No nation takes so good
care of her poor, and certainly no ma
tion provides for the wants of the I'M
fortunate sc generously as does this
nation.
There is also our system of educa-
ton, which is within the reach Of all
orr citizens and children. We have
provided as few have done for the
intellectual wants of the young Mil
lions have been spent for this philan-
tropic object, and still millions more
will flow from the treasury of the
nation for like purposes This is
what has made US a reading, as
well as a universally Intelligent people.
There is also our religious and moral
character, and in this respect we are
not behind the most favoured nations.
AS a general thing the morals of the
people are good, and their proclivities
are in favor of christianity The arts
and sciences are Furnishing, and in
creasing, and every day making long
er strides on the. pathway of success,
with many lanrels upon her brow,
standing gracefully and triumphantly
with the most exalted of the nations.
Our heritage looks more beautiful
when you contrast it with those al
ready named-the Jewish and Roman.
1t is like placing light in darkness, so
great is the contrast. Judea was a
little spot on the earth, where an en-
terprising Yankee would hardly find
room enough to turn round. 1t had
a few little mountains, a small slug
gish river, few valleys and plains, a
small lake and dead sea. There was
also grand temple, a gaudy priest
hood, but little benevolence, no j en-
eral system Of education, no philoso
piers. But one lawgiver, and he in
spired, few learned men, but little re-
hgion, no expansive power, circum-
scribed in all her operations. There
she stood alone, until brought to dis
solution BY committing self-destrnc-
ton. Rome, proud Rome, has but
little to recommend her, bat her ex-
! tent True, she had her ignoble works
Of war and conquest, beside herpoetry,