Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-07-04
superlatives which the English language can

perlatives which the English language can
supply.
'' Two pictures in the beginning of the
book are suggestive of the general tenor of
its contcnts- One represents q small village
by the side OF lake, consisting of a trading
fort surrounded by few cottages, and drawn
81 bout the 'ime ri the first ryform bill. That
little village Is Chicago, D0w' he largest corn,
provision and timber market In the world -
the center To w1Ich the corn of the marvel
lously fertile PLAINS Of the western states
gravltates on It's route 80 the East, and the
place whers pigs are slaughtered, cut uP, and
packed IN boxes by machinery before tbey
have time 10 squeak. The other picture
represents the little seaport town of San Frau
cisco eighteen years ago, now the fourth COM
mercial city in America, with population
Oi one hundred and sixty thousand. The
same process, n less startling degree, is
going on a different points all over the free
states. Towns rlse like exhalation from
the earth the growth of centuries into the
lifetime of boy when, to use Mr.. Bernal
Osborue's illustration, Lord Amberiy was
still his perambulator; cities which are
already gigantic Insignificant villages !;
towns 'Petrolia have started up in the
midst of desperate war quicker than chill
dEen nave learnt 10 speak The site of Pit
mole City was ore day iorest four months
after ward it big enough 20 have had
clann in England under the new Reform Bill.
There Gre, OF course, large districts in the
Iree 5tates where the growth il positively, as
we'll comparatively slow /; but 1t is slow
because their population is constantly pour
lns out towards these new cente.s OF enter
PRISE
The same journal continues
-'It is difficult to realize facts like these,
even with every hep from statistics. But 1t
Is necessary 10 mediate upon them IN order to
understand the lever of prosperity which has
seIZe1 upon the American people. Such
marvellous devei0pm eut Is enough TO fire the
Imagination OF co and calculating race !;
and Il is not ssranee that while such scenes
a.e transacting before their eyes the vision
Of unbounded material prosperity should be
constantly present IN their minds. LIZ lie q
his AXE u endeavor to explain the boassed
success Of American lnssItu tIons entirely by
the physical resources of the country. There
are many other condition which it would lie
unfair To Over,oOk-the character of their
peop.e, the habits whIch khey have Inherited
From En L.l-h ancestors, the care with which
,aey nave ait ndsd 90 education, the cIrcum
Stances Oh their political development. and
many other considerations must be taken into
account. Bus certainly an appreciation OF
the nature AMI N 5nItude Of their resources
Is primary condition towards unders .anding
their history. The apparent reckiessness, for
example, with winch they plunged into debt
during the war, the unbounded Co dence
Ihtt they were strong enough Sd overp0wer
opposition aud 10 grow stronger In spite of 1t,
is explained aud partly justified By their con
scI.ueIes- OF their vass stores of ntural
wealth. Faith IN the progressive prosperity
of the nation Ees become kind of relIgi on,
and Us effect upon their character would be
worth examination IN many application s."