Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-21
OUR ADVANTAGES.
Cause of the Growth Of tho United
States.
London (Ont.) Advertiser.

Why has the growth of the United
States been so far in advance of other
countries, some of which have not been
without material advantages fully as
great2 There is no doubt that the great
cause, overshadowing all others, has
been the political and social attractions
it offers to all the world as the home of
civil and religious liberty and of self
government. With the advance of
knowledge and the development of in
teliect comes the desire for the fullest
personal freedom and the most absolute
government consistent with law aud
order AS the masses of people begin
to think for themselves, they desire
the liberty of speaking and acting for
themselves. Democracy is unquestiona-
bly, the only form of human government
consistent with the instincts and feelings
of developed humanity. Sovereign
ties, personal governments of every form,
are but confessions of human weakness
and imperfection. No land on
the face of the earth has ever been able
to hold out attractions of this kind to the
people of the Old World to the same ex-
tent as the United States. 1t is true that
in some respects the attractions shine
with colors more glowing than the actual
facts will warrant. 1t is true there are
other countries where liberty and self
government and equality are as
great, and where the brightest hopes
are as sure to meet the fullest frui-
ton. But, then, it is not always posi-.
BILE to make the intending emigrant
recognize these facts. In Canada there
may be better government than in the
United States-a freedom as wide and
possibilities of advancement as great,
but we must not be surprised if liberty
seeking European, comparatively little
acquainted with our circumstances,
should laugh at the idea that the colonial
dependency of an old world empire
could, in any sense, be the land of free
dom that the United States is supposed
to be. Whatever the actual facts may
be, is it not to be questioned that, to the
European, oppressed whether lightly or
heavily by the political, religious, social
or commercial laws of his country, the
United States stands out prominently as
the land of brightest hopes.
And the republic is dong much to JUS
tify the hopes Of its future held by its
friends and by the friends of civil liberty
everywhere. In striving for that perfect
form of government and of society
which shall be the condition of perfect
humanity, many mistakes will be made,
many failures will be met. But there
is no country in which the experimental
course of humanity has TO follow in
its development can be more fully
and more rapidly travelled. The ma
terial resources of the country and
the energy of its inhabitants enable it to
remedy the mistakes and to recover the
failures its people may make. Faults
almost innumerabie display themselves
to the outsider; errors of judgment,
errors of action, mistaken theories and
mistaken practices. But, despite them
all, the nation makes steady advance,
correcting some errors, repeating some
blunders; all the time, we trust, leading
to something better-something nearer
that perfect condition to which all ad-
vancing movement leads.