Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-01-16
s.ssIK IKABLEPRoPHECY.
A REN -. !aR.
ica-Ets Past, Present and
a. Future
i- lls
nat a lEassachlsetts Propile0
Predicted One Hundred ana
Sixtael Years Ago. -
sKABBEPRoPHECY.

We recently had before us a copy OF
an old almanac, printed in Boston IN
1758. entitled "An Astronomical Diary
bv Nathaniel Ames, (which contained
an interesting and most remarkable
article Oh "America-lts Past, present
and Future" portions of which were
copied at the time of perusal, and now
transfer to our columns as singuarly
prophetic of ourtimes. We have no
means of knowing who the writer OF
the article was, except that it IS appar-
entity the production of the author oil
the Astronomical Diary, who seems 10
have accompanied this edition OF his
work with many acute and ingenious
observations upon the political and
other topics of the day.
Unless our recollection be at fault the
author of this old almanac was DIR.
Nathaniel Ames, of Dedham, Mass,
the father of Fisher Ames, the most
eminent and deservedly distinguished
man OF his times. This DR.. Ames was
a man of remarkable acuteness and
wit, and is said to have added to gree
professional skill a superior knowles
ofnational philosophy, astronomy
mathematics. He died as early As
17O4, while Fisher, his youngest son,
was still in his infancy.
The article must have been written
in 1857, when the whole country west
of the Appalachian chain ofmountains,
was in the hands of the French. In
fact, at that time, their line of fortid-
cations was complete from Nova Scotia
to the Ohio River, SO that the whole OF
that vast region over which the imag-
ination of the writer took its prophetic
sweep was to become a bloody field OF
contest before the bright visions of his
soul could be realized. But his mind
seems not to have shrunk from the
struggle, or to have INDUCED in any
fearful forebodings as to the result that
was about to follow. In writing under
the head of the l"Present OF. North
America" he says: "At this time two
mighty kings contend for this inesti-
marle prize treferring to the Scar
den of the World, ~ as he calls the coun-
try lying west Of the Appalachian
mouutains). "Their respective claims
are to be- measured by the length OF
their swords" Further on, nnder the
same head, in speaking of the numer-
ical strength and division of the col
onies, he says: "But our numbers will
avail nothing until the colonies are
united; for, whilst divided, the strength
of the Inhabitants is broken, like the
petty Kingdoms of Africa. If we dc
not Join hand in hand in the common
cause against our exulting foes l(those
who have established their extensive
Gordon Of military posts),r but fall te
disputing among ourselves, it may re-
ally happen as the Governor of Penn
sylvania told the Assembly: we shall
have no pritiieget to dispute abDut, noI
country to dispute in"
1t was at this time and under these
extraordinary circumstances that tiit
followingmest remarkable article Was
written, and we copy what the writer
says under his third or last head entire
as being the most prophetic piece o
political foreeasting to be found in tht
writings Of our colonial times. VIZ
put in quotation, the concluding sen
tence, the, more successfully to rescue i
from The corroding tooth of time tt
which the writer committed it nearly
hundred and twenty years ago. Here
is the prophecy. ''.s -,
''THERDLY-oFTHE FUTURE STATE OF
NORTH AMERICA.
"Here we find a vast stock of proper
materials for the art and ingenuity o
man TO work 1upon-treasures of i'm
mense worth, concealed from the poor
ignorant, aboriginal natives! The curl
Gus have observed that the progress Q
human literature, like the sun, is from
the east to the west; thus it has travel
ed through Asia and Europe, and nov
is arrived at the eastern shore of Ameri
ca. AS the celestial light of the gospe
was directed here by the finger Of God
it will doubtless finally. drive I he Hong
long night of heatheBish darkness frou
-Aaaeriea. So arts Tand sciences vii
change the faeeof nature intheir tou
from hence ope= TIE Appalachian
mountains to the western ocean; ant
as they march tl.roughthe svastdesert
The residence of wild beasts -xiH bl
broken IpyzaHd -theirEobseeney how.
cease foreverj dnstead aof which, The
stones and trees will dance together a
the musiclof OgipAeas, the rocks viii
disclose their hidden gems, and ttht
inestinaatie treasures OF gold tlapleiltel
be broken up. Huge yr6ountains o
iron ore will ne discovered, and vas
stores reserved for future. generations
This mata.,Jllnte Useful Than geld OIL
silver, VIII employ millions Of hands
not only toyfor1n the martial sword
and peaceful share, alternately, but al
infiniiy DiaateRsils, improved in tht
exercise Of arr and handicrait among
men. Nature, through all her works
has stamped alFtfdfity 6n1 his law
namely: THAT ail fit matter shall be
improved to its best purposes Shall
not then those vast quarries that taenl
witbInechanic stone those fer 'stract-
urc lie pied into great cities, and those
for sculpture into statues 40 perpetuate
the honor of renowned heroes, even
tli3sIs Vino snail n3w save their couu.
try. .'0l ye unborn Inhabitants o.