Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-03-05
elADsrosE ON WASHINGTON.
1hs kszfzsh ssstesuasza's Ovislssn ia . Leo
so u Aa Asaerie4a corrssDoaaest-

y IAox-oGSe srkx3F. wHEEsBALL.t
llctober :. 80.

ll-toIer = ~
DzAR Ma SAALLExs-I as uEsillisz
. sns~er yosr letter hastily. and l there
fore Dossponed writing for 80 o. three
days, bat / 61i tkis doss at IA any d.
gree relieve aae from ny iiismma. TIE
nxsG poiat raLssd by y0u i. indeed. one
that ean be briefly disposed 0L Hhen
nrst reAd Ia dstal ths ins u Washington.
vas pr0foaaiiy Impressed With the
moral slsyatson aRd greatness of his char
scter, AID I f5anA myself AZ a loss to name
among tIs statesmen of any age "a eoan-
try many, or possibly any, who could be
hls rival Ia saying this mean no dispa-
ragemeat 10 the class OF politicians. the
men of M OWn craft and cloth, wh0Ga, IA
ay own IAnd, aud nay own experience, l
have found no less wort ny than other nasn
Of love and OF admiration. l could name
among them those Who seem TO me
60 come near even 10 him Bat | viii shut
oat the last half century from the eompsr-
ison VIII then say that IL, among all
the pedestals supplied by history for pub
lie characters OF extraordinary abiiity aud
purity, saw one higher than all the rest,
and II were required at moments no.
tfoe 70 name the httest occupant for lt. !
think my shoiee, at any time during the
last forty five years wonld have lighted,
aud lt would now light, upon Washington.
The other subject is one ON which hard
ly like % touch IN a tew lines, for the pros
pect it opens 30 me Is as vast as IL Is di-
versided. aud il is so interesting as TO be
almost overwhelming. Mr. BarhaGn Zincke,
no incompetent calculator, rsekons that
the English speaking peoples Of the world
a hundred years hence viii probably coun
a thousand millions Some French author,
whose name unfortunately forget,
in. recent estimate, places them
somewhat lower; at what precis SO
figure | do not recollect, but il is like
90 or SO millions. A century back l sup
pose they wers not much, il at all, hey
fifteen millions. | also suppose we may
now take them at IA hundred. These cal
culations are not SO visionary as they may
seem TO some-they rest upon a rather
wide induction, while the best they can
pretend 20 Is rough approximation But,
"a ] recollect, it was either Inlay or one
OF those with whom the name OF that crea-
ture is associated, that computed, CEN
tury back, the probable population of the
American Union at this date, and placed
il very nearly at the point where it now
stands.
What a prospect is that OF very many
hundreds Of millions of people, certainly
among the most ma lful aad energetic in
the world, occupying one great continent,
| may almost say two, and other islands
and territories not easy TO be counted,
with these islands at their head, the most
historic in the world. In contact, by a
vast commerce, with all mankind, and
perhaps still gnited in kindly political as
socia iOn with some more hundreds of mil
ions fitted for no mean destiny. Unit ed
almost absolu ely in blood and language,
and very largely in religion, laws and in
stitutions.
Ii anticipations such these are to be
realized in any considerable degree, the
prospect is at once majestic, inspiring and
consolatory. The subject is full OF mean
ing and Of power; of so much meaning
/. that the pupil of the eye requires time to
I let in such a Hood of lighs. | shall not at
tempt after thus sketching it to expound
T it. IL would be as absurd as il box
keeper at a theater, when letting in a par
( ty. shouId attempt to expound the piece
f | hope that some person more competent
and less engaged than myself will give
this subject the study it deserves; taking
his.stand on the facts OF the last century
and the promise, rale AZ quaRtam, of the
coming one. | can not but think, as wel
as hope, that a good understanding, in the
future near and far among English speak
. h. 70,
of certainty, yet is beyond the necessity
OF going begging, so to speak, for rec
concentrations from any individual, earn
estly and with my whole heart as l, fol
one, should recommend it. Clearly il
the English speaking peoples shal
then be anything like what vi
have now been supposing, and i
there shall not be a good understand
ing anoag them. there will have been
base desertion of an easy duty 1ra'
riduto, such as might stir another Dante 4
den0unce il, a renunciation Of the noblest
the most beneficial, the most peaceful pri
macy ever presented 70 the heart and un
derstanding OF man.
On the other hand, grea. as il would be
it would demand no propaganda, no super
IallNe lDEtnllb4 Di tAFtts tt pA-ht W 10 al
orderly and natural growth, requiring onll
that you should be reasonably true an'
loyal to your traditions. and we to ours
To gain it viii need no prefer human
strength or wisdom; to miss il will requir
some portentous degeneracy. Even wer
it day-dream il would be an improving
one. loftier and better than that which
prompted the verse
super ct Garamantas et Indos
Proforet iTnpeTium, iacet extra sidera telius
Extra ami solisque Was,
because it implies no strife OF blOodshed
and IL fun only Of the moral elements o
strength.
Believe me, dear Mr.. Smalley,
Very faithfully yours,
W. r. GLADSTONE