The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-13
Westward.


a. persstently westward row as it la
ever been throughout the history of socie
ty. Commencing with Aseyria and Persia
civilization and empire slowly progressed
to Egypt and Greece, to Italy, France anC
England. Or, taking history as exemplitec
in imperial cities, we find the chain of pro
gress in Baby Ion, Cairo, AtheIe, Rome
Paris, London. Let us cay that its mex
link will be New Orleans.
England holds now the sceptre of manu-
factures and commerce but she holds il
with q very uncertain tenure. The young
giant of the West has been boldly claim
ing its possession, and has almost wrested
it from her grasp already, though as
yet in his childhood comparatively. Glad
stone and others of the greatest Eoglish
statesmen and fnanciers admit as fore
gone conclusion the coming supremacy
of the United States, in both manufactures
and commerce. The genius of mechani-
cal inventions, the activity of commercial
enterprise, the ceaseless energy of indomit
able will, are all prominently on this side
the Atlantic
But even if there were equality in these
respects between Europe and America, ex-
listing crcumstance ces would seem to be COM
bining in such way as to place the former
contestant at a disadvantage. Earope is
hot bed of jealousies AID animosities /;
America appears destined to afford the first
instance OF permanent combination based
on enlightened mutual forbearance. While
the ab!est energies of Germany, R1ssia,
England, France, Austria and Italy are
bent to the tack of forming temporary
com binations to bene it some and ruin
others, in this country the rivalries of
Statesmen are exhausted in framing pol
icies which ehall best subserve general in
terests.
Thus we fad England and Russia on
the verge of great war for the mastery of
India. The mere struggle to keep posses
sion will place England at vast disadvan-
tage in her commercial rivalry with this
country, while the loss of India would
terminate the contest on her part very
summarily and for ever. Germany is 30
anxious to destroy British supremacy that
she s eaid to be making the most friendly
W AZ oLuCA W eCSulC tuo
neutrality of that power. If that effort
succeeds England is lost, for France alone
can save her against the combined hostility
of Russia and Germany.
Bat, after all, the loss OF India to the
Britt sh crown is only question of time,
and not much time either, if this country
continues to advance in power and impor-
tauce with the rapid strides Of its past
history. We will soon control the iron and
cotton manufactures of the world and hold
it's commerce captive under our flag. The
decay that will then necessarily sap the
life of all British home prosperity must
naturally place her in the came category
as Spain aud Portugal-nations of faded
maguifcence and dismembered empire.
When, therefore, progress shall have
definitely transferred it's banner of pre-
eminence to this side of the ocean where
will it be planted Manifest destiny
points to New Orleans as the next and
perhaps the last great metropolis of human
grandeur and power.
The Gulf of Mexico will perhaps be the
Mediterranean of latter history, and the
port of the Mississippi must be its Metro
polls. The Mississippi Valley is North
America, and it will deal with the World
through New Orleans, PROSTATE as che now
is in the dust and aches of attliction.