The semi-weekly Republican. (St. Francisville, La.) 1872-1872, 1872-07-09
st. FRAN(NyILE LOUISIANA TUESDAY, July g. 1872.
The Growth Of our Country.

The Growth Of our Country.
The rapid growth Of the United
States in territory and population
from the close Of the war for indie
pendence up to the present time
embracing q period Of ninety-one
years-must serve to show the value
Of re-establishing peaceful relations
between the different sections of our
country. When CORVALLIS surren-
dered to Washington at Yorktown,
the thirteen colonies that had COM
bined to throw off English rule and
oppression contained population Of
about three millions. After the
adoption of the federal constitution,
which is acknowledged to be the ORR
gin Of our country's prosperity and
present greatness, census laws were
passed by Congress, and the first
census was taken in 1890, at which
time the thirteen colonies had be-
come States, and their whole popu-
lation was reported to be 3,929,827.
In 1880 it had increased to 23,191,-
SIG, Notwithstanding our country
had passed successfully through
another with Great Britain of
over three years duration. Since
that time we have had war with
Mexico, experienced disastrous civil
war of several years duration, and
yet, in the face of such embarrass-
ments, our country has steadily con-
tinued to grow, and has now q pop
ulation of at least 4O,OOO,OOO, and a
territory and commerce that have
expanded at q still more astonishing
rate. The United States of America
have grown from thirteen to thirty
seven States, with a large territory
left, sufficient for the formation of
many other States that will eventu-
ally shine in that bright galaxy of
stars that appear on the American
flag, and represent the States Of the
American Union.
Considering, then, that the per-
fection of republican government un-
der which we live is the origin and
stimulus of our country's rapid
growth in all the clements Of wealth
and greatness, we would ask is not
its perpetuation, in the spirit in
which it was conceived by its foun-
ders, of immense value to our peo-
pie?
If the system of government un-
der which our country has made
such gigantic strides within less than
a century is maintained, who can say
what will be its population and
wealth in 1902?
That man, then, is a patriot and
statesman who endeavors to har-
monize the various and vast inter-
terests of the different sections of a
country that has grown to such inn
mense proportions in less than n
century, and will continue, under the
same salutary government and laws,
wisely administered, to make a still
greater headway in years to come in
all that can make a nation great and
prosperous.
But the integrity of the country
and it's free institutions must be
maintained in order that the goal of
its greatness may be reached. And
the citizen whose conduct invariably
points in this direction deserves to
be distinguished as the true friend
of his country.
We believe the conduct of Horace
Greeley, the choice of the Liberal
party-the great reform party Of the
country-for President, has invari-
bly, led to the preservation of the in
tegrity Of the country and its insti-
tutions. We believe that a desire to
put a stop to civil war and harmon
ize the people of the different Sec
tions of country led him to pro-
pose, among other very important
propositions looking to the restora-
A:o., ,e - .oo..,oo,,ork >ooooo that fn,11.