Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-01-12
THE FUTURE OF THE GREAT
REPUBLIC.

- a.
THE FUTURE OF THE GREAT
REPUBLIC.
We suppose that the great problem,
''can Republican form of government
be maintained, is by this time conclu
sively settled even in the minds of the
most incredulous. For nearly cen
tury our country pursued the even ten
or of its way, developing its magnif-
cent and boundless resources, making
the most gigantic strides toward pros
perity and power, every four years
quietly and peaceably changing its
Chief Magistrate, maintaining order
and tranquility at home, and exactlng
respect from foreign nations. not by
the maintenance of immense and costly
standing armies and navies, but simply
by the moral grandeur of u great peo-
pie, who believed and manifested their
belief by their actions, that that was
the best government which governed
the least. 1t is true that during this
period we had encountered but few
perils, and some skeptical people shook
their heads and said that at the first
crisis our form of government would be
found waiting, and the great republic
would crumble into dust. Well, the
hour of trial came. A curse, a cankeI,
(which existed at the time of the forma-
tion of our government, and had been
legalized and protected by Legislative
enactments) was eating into our very
vitals and finally produced its Legitimate
results. A fierce and terrible civil war
of more gigantic proportions than any
recorded in the annals of history en-
sued. Although we had no standing
army to put down a revolt, yet the
people arose in their might and after Il
a fierce and bloody strife law and order
was triumphant and the Union main
tanned. And now, we witnessed the
greatest spectacle of all. Instead of
horde of military chieftans struggling
for the spoils, Unless than six months
we saw over one million of men trans
formed from the armed soldier to the
quiet citizen pursuing his useful ayoca-
tions The Union was res tored and
the only blot that had disfgured its
otherwise spotless escutcheon was torn
away. The problem is solved. The
despots Of the Old World who looked
anxiously for the disruption OF our
Union turned away disappointed and
busted themselves in securing their
own lettering thrones, that had been
rudely shaken by our success. But, IN
the very midst of that great struggle,
% struggle that was taxing the energies
of the nation to the utmost. and involv-
ing the expenditure of thousands of
millions of treasure, such was the con-
fidence of the government in its own
strength and in the immense resources
of the country. that it engaged in the
construction of the most stupendous
enterprises ever conceived, and pushed
it forward with snch energy, that be-
fore the close of the next year we will
witness the completion of the Pacific
Railroad. The completion of this great
work will form new era in the history
Of the world New York, instead of
London, will be the great commercial
metropolis of the world. 1t will secure
TO us the rich traffic of the Orient, with
its immense pecuniary profits. 1t will
will bring us in direct communication
with the teeming populations of Asia.
The youngest nation OF the world will
strike hands with the oldest, and draw
ing from them their rich produce, re-
ship them to naughty Europe, and reap
the benefit of the exchange.
But aside from this, the opening of
this railroad will be of incalculable ben
eft in opening up to MS great sections
Of our own country, whose fertile plains
and rich mines are now lying undevel-
oped That great basin i'll the interior
of the North American Continent
which in our old biographies and maps
was designated ''The Great American
Desert" ia turning out anything but a
desert and contains sections of unexam-
pied mineral and agricultural wealth.
The completion of this great monu-
ment of American energy, perseverance
and skill win open to us all this vast