The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-03-04

80 49, S.a3aE El tU4H
UNDAY, MARCH 4, 1865.
at the helm, who possesses the Jacksonian
courage to confront the sseessionists and to
their faces declare that "by the eternal God
they should suffer the penalty Of the law" can
b safely trusted In this emergency.
The Great Powers or tho world and the
Representative Men ut Their Head.
The United States, Russia and France are
the three great Powers Of the world, and the
three men who are now at the head of them
President johnson, the Emperor Alexander and
the Emperor Napoleon-are in remarkable
manner the representative men Of the ideas and
characteristics of the nations over which they
preside. England too 10 great power, but
not in the same sense as the others, and not 40
much at present as in the past relatively to the
other three. England is great in manufacture,
in commerce, in the strength Of mind and
character Of her people, in many of her insti-
buttons, in her colonial empire, In her power Of
colonizing new countries and building up new
States, and in other things that might be mem
toned; but at the present time her weight is
not SO great in the affairs Of the world, nor
does she represent those mighty, active princi-
pies Of national life which exercise powerful
influence upon the fate Of tho world as do those
other Powers She has not in her what the
United States and Russia have-the germs Of .
grand future destiny. She may console her
self, however, in this, that the greatest Of all
he United States-is her offspring Inspeaking
hus proudly of our country we do so in antici-
alton of it's inevitable grand destiny as well
as in view Of its present position.
The vast area of the United States, little less
than that Of all Europe, with a variety and
boundlessness of productions not found in any
other part of the globe, would make it mighty
country if peopled by any other civilized nation
or under almost any form of government. But
when we look at the character of our people,
their intelligence, their energy, their industry
and their ambition, there appears to be hardly
any limit to the future overshadowing great
ness Of the republic. No form of government
stimulates the energies and ambition of every
class of society so much as the republican.
Glass or other adventitious distinctions do not
exist here to bar or obstruct the way to wealth
or fame to the poorest and humblest This
state of equality, freedom and rivalry puts the
faculties and industry Of the whole community
into intense action. A few millions of popu-
lation, under such circumstances, do as much
as many millions under different circumstances.
In 1860 the population of the United States
was about thirty-three millions. In 1870, four
years hence, it will be forty millions, probably,
notwithstanding the war. This is greater than
the population of Great Britain, equal to that
Of France, and only less than that of one of
the great civilized Powers OF the world-Russia.
Forty millions of free, Independent Americans
are equal to Eixty or eighty millions Of the
class-ridden, oppressed and poor Of Europe,
either IN material Development or In war; In
every point Of view, then-in the variety and
boundless resources Of the country-in the
nature Of the people, and in the character OF
our institutions, which stimulate activity and
ambition, we arc to day the first Power in the
world. The only doubt about our future was
as to the cohesiveness Of such largo popula-
ton spread over q great continent That is
to hold together. Though we occupy cont.
nent we have an insular position on the globe,
and are all the stronger, for our own peace and
progress, from being separated by vast oceans
from other great nations. At the Same time
the railroads, telegraph, steam navigation, and
our magnificent system of interior rivers and
lakes enable MS to concentrate our power and
preserve cur unity over thousands Of miles Of
territory.
But our greatest strength lies in the strong
common sense OF the people. We have our
troubles, factions, corrupt politicians, and
other evils, which are incidental to every COM
munlty and every state of society, but we have
corrective to these in the practical good
sense of the people. And here we may men,
ton President Johnson as being eminently a
representative man as regards this mental
characteristic of Americans. He has quick,
intuitive perception Of what Is proper or right,
and he reasons not upon mere theories but
upon sound principles and practical experience
of life. No man hates humbug or pretence
more, and he Is not easily humbugged. He Is,
too, representative man in other respects.
From the humblest position In life he has
raised himself step by step to the highest sta
ton. Thus, like almost every American, he
was the architect of his own fortune. He is
man Of strong convictions, infexible honesty,
and great firmness His sympatbies are es-
pecially with the industrial masses. He is
purely American, without the least faint OF
foreign ideas or manners; he Is patriotic in the
highest degree, and his mind is wildly i'm
pressed with the idea that this country will
have the grandest destiny. Such Is the man
whom Providence has raised up to be Presi-
dent in the most trying period Of our history.
Though his origin be humble, and though his
habits and bearing be plain and simple, as tho