The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-09-28
A Favored Nation.

the opening address paid the following trib
ute to the PROGRESS of the American nation: |
'''rhis nation has been especially favored
during the past century. Its commerce, its
industries and its natural resources have de.
veloped in an unparalleled degree. 1t has.
in that period of time, planted liberty and
civilization over more country than it ever
existed in before it has produced men and
women peers OF any man or woman of the
time; its genius, its invention, its literature,
its learning are in sympathy with and often
in advance of sister nations. 1t has done
more to balance the minds of men and de-
stIoy the letters of women than all time has
done before, and while we do not forget the
evils among us, let US rejoice that so large
share of good has come from the seeds plan
ted by our forefathers, and determine in
this, our nations centenary Of years. to emu
late their examples of simplicity, Of honesty,
of industry and true patriotism
In an interesting sketch in the New York
Tribune of July 4 the following facts are
given:
The first century of the United States
closes to-day. 1t has been 4 century of de-
velopment without parallel in history. The
population has increased from 2.750.00O to
44,675,000 The area has been extended
from S00,0 to 3.603, S44 square miles. The
development OF agriculture under the press
ure of immigration and the stimulus of me-
chanical invention has been utterly without
precedent. The value of manufactures has
advanced from $4,000, 900 to s., 200, 900, 900.
Foreign and domestic commerce have taken
gigantic strides. The marvellous develop
ment of mineral resources has not been the
work of a century, but of fifty years. There
was not single bank in the colonies in
l776; there are more than six thousand now.
Internal Improvements and the common
school system have kept pace with immigra-
ton.
At the outbreak of the Revolution the Con-
Linental Congress neutrality-suspicious.
the population OF the thisteen Colonies, in
order that the burdens of the war might not
fall too heavily upon any section. The total
population was estimated at 2, 250 900, eXclu-
siye of 100000 slaves at the South. In 1870
the nation which the Representatives. these
Colonies founded was the fifth of the great
Empires Of the world in respect to popula
ton, and it is now undoubtedly the fourth.
The Chinese Empire in 1870 had Az 800, COO
inhabitants; the British Empire, ia, 200.0 600;
the Russian Empire, 76,500, 900; the Ger
man Empire. 40, 200.0 C0; the United States,
IS ss s6s The average increase in the ag
gregate population in 1870 in fifteen States
in which census had been taken is sixteen
per cent, and at the same rate of increase
the total population in 1876 would be H.
G75,0 900, while that of the German empire,
according to the recent census, is IL, 737, Sl2.
During sixty years (lS00-60) the population
OF the United States increased 593 per cent:
that of England and Wales l3l per cent,
and that of France 81 per cent. The great
factor Of the marvellous growth of our popu-
lation has been immigration. Annexation |
has contributed very little. The purchase
of Louisiana, Florida, California and New
Mexico brought in fewer than 100000 in |
habitants, and the acquisition Of Texas and |
Oregon merely restored to citizenship those
who had emigrated from the United States. /
In 1900 one-thirtieth Of the population was
in cities, and there were only six towns I
whose population exceeded 5000. In 1870
ope-fifth of the population was municipal,
and there were 374 incorporated cities. The
growth of some of these cities has been mar
'yelous. In ten years the population Of Jer-
Francisco, 1852. and OF Chicago, 1887.
During the colonial period the principal oc-
equations we're husbandry, numbering, tad
ing, hunting and fishing. One-third of the
labor of the country was employed in tim.
ber-cutting. According to the last census,
nearly G,000,0 are engaged in agricultural
pursuits, 100000 in trade and transporta-
ton, 100000 in manufacturing and mining,
and 100000 in professional life, and there
are 1,UUU cleFGyncf1, 4U,UUU EiWyeIS, OA,UuU
physicians, l26,S22 teachers, 1000, actors,
1920 Journalists, 900 laborers, and 49,.
900 domestic servants.
The territory nominally occupied by the
colonies that united in the Declaration of In
dependence extended from the seaboard to
the Mississippi and the great lakes, and eN-
ceeded 100000 square miles. The aggregate
area covered by population in 1890 was $780,
935 square miles. The main line of settle
ments ran 1000 miles along the coast from
the mouth Of the Penobscot to the Altama-
lla, with an average extent inland of from
100 to $50 miles. A few pioneers had made
their homes in the Ohio valley there were
two or three patches of settlement in Ken
lucky, there was village in Indiana and an
other in Michigan, and there were bands of
adventurous spirits as far west as Illinois.
The Louisiana purchase in 1903, supple
mcnted by the oregon treaty Of 1916, added
], III 1881 square miles to the national do
main !; the Spanish ccssion in 1919 embraced
IS, PCS square miles +; the annexation OF Tex
as in 1916, the treaty Of Guadalupe Ilidalgo
in 1S49, and the Gadsden purchase in 1858
brought in 967, 45l square miles; and finally
Mr. Stewards Alaska investment involved
the acquisition of 10000 square miles. The
total area is now 3.G03,S 81 square miles, or
2 ,942, 100000 acres, one-half OF which are
public lands.