The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-11-29
Antlerapn Ontelligenter.
Tile Filling Up OF the World.

1t is q great pity we cannot have an.
other world hooked on to this one, TO be
explored and settled. There is plenty Of
spare force and enterprise to do the work,
il would be very interesting; aud if q
few lives were consumed lii the great
task, their biographers are both ready
and willing. The planet Earth grows
small. 1t is not pcoplcd yet, though it
is being peopcd at prodigious rate, till
a couple Of centuries hence New York
State may be n little China, and tlnccns-
land q somewhat crowded region; but il
is already occupied very nearly. This
TonIuin affair brings home 10 those who
think, the fact that the epoch Of colony
founding which has lasted 300 year, -
ever since men discovered America, and
realized fully that the world was Il little
ball. gyralng in space and which has
been marked by such magnificent aud
cruel episodes, ha, very nearly ended.
The day Of conquest is not over, has pos
sibly hardly begun. for science is bccpm
ing religion, aud when once that ru!i
giOn is believed, the lot of the inferior
races will be Il hard one; but the day o!
colonies proper seems to be almost over.
Not only has discovery so nearly fcaCiti
its limit that even drcamcrs cease to fan
~ iitw island, or unseen continents dis
covcrablc, but the regions lit to grow
nations are all taken, .nostly hv English
men, although Engli,hmen, according 10
themselves, unlike their rivals. nave no
ambition, are the most domestic of pcO.
pies, and never annex. The Portuguese
have a noble slice Of the world II terrific.
~ which will one day sustain Il hundred
mllions-not Of Portuguese; the span.
iards own country after country a round
IL. ,.NE
day will have histories; but the English
have the remainder, and among these
three peoples un"ccupied Earth j. now a
property, surveyed and fenced in. II
France or Germany wished ever 80 much
10 found new France or rcw Gcrma-
ny outside her own borders, it could not
be done. Either might c0nccivub!y con,
qucr place fit for future greatness, n,
for example, Brazil where II handful Of
many .cOlored people bar out manki ind
from one ct its richest possessions: but
OF lands TO be obtained without conquest,
by settlement, or 10y short wars with sav
ages, there are practically none left.
Europe is occupied, ns we all know not
an inch which is not fenced Off by civ
ilizcd state, armed with the terrible mot
crn power Of pouring out a lead spray to
distance Of ] 900 yards, through which
nothing living may burst Asia, besides
being over half its cxpan.c chokcd with
people, is held throughout by legal title
by States ready to defend their rights
Even the huge Valley Of the Amour il II
property, and though Asia Minor will
some day be rcpcopIcd by Invaders who
will restore its marvellous fertility, it is
to-day one of the Turkish ruined estates
Except an island or two in the Eastern
Archipelago, there is nothing to take on
which men Of the higher races could
settle and expect To flourish. \ group or
two in the Pacific await the c0lonist, but
can never attract him; but the only un-
occupied island of grand magnitude,
New Guinea, is virtually occupied. We
English are very virtuous just now, II
good deal overloaded, aud much bother.
ed by believing two systems of morality
at once but if anybody touches New
Guinea. we shall help Australia to fight
for it, rs we should fight for the Scilly
bly, settled is gone. Madagascar, though
not full, is full enough to defend itself;
North Africa belongs to the French,
South Africa to the English; and from
the Chotts, which are to be made sea,
down to tho Iambrsi, there is no place
where great colony could be founded.
There arc provinces badly defended, and
deltas occupied only by savngcS, and Ii,
clstrine regionsscarccly pcopl,d but they
are none OF them available for colonies.
Either they arc too secluded, like the
last named, or two full, like the Northwest
Coast, or too deadly, like the Valley Of
tho Nigar. France, and England, and
Portugal, and even belgium, are nihbling
Mt bits Of the African continent; but it
is with an idea of trading. or nt most Of
l.
or founding States. \ single American
State has more potenliaiities in it than
all the lands that Europe has been trying
for three centuries to steal upon tho
West African sea board. There remain
only tn two Americs, aud practically
the English and their American children,
with the Spaninr,ls and the Portuguese,
claim and possess them both bv legal
title. There are not a thousand square
miles anywhere which Prince Bismarck
could mark on Il map and say: "This
shall be mine" 1t is true, there are
rich. unoccupicd regions which would
hold all Germany, or all Europe for that
matter; but ,hc Prince could not say
Brazil shall De new Germany, or the
back region of Peru new Prussia Not
only would their owners fight for the
lands they cannot fill, or even explore,
but the new Power which even Bismarck
vii! not irritate, tile Power whic: adds
1000 men day to its fighting strength,
regards those vast and rich desoiations
rs its rcversionary heritage. and would
quite calmly, but finally forbid German
descent. There is practically no land
anywhere any more for great new colo
ny. Every land is either filled, or
occupied, or held by posscssors who look
forward reasonably or otherwise to future
occupation, and who are protected either,
like the Australians. by sufficient force,
or like the Brazliaus, by world wide.
laws, which, till strong necessity ar-
rives, cannot burst through. Spectator
InyersOll OH SurcpSs