Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-09-01
Our Mediterranean Sea

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Mediterranean sea Of the New World. as
the O!d World eprang Up around the waters
of the Mediterranean, and tmpres OF war
aud empires OF commerce grew TO greatness
on its sh res, so will the waters Of the gu I
be ne next greater theater of human enter
prize and endeavor. As there wac bet one
Medi erraacau in the Old World, there Is
but oae Mediterranean in the New. The
Mediterranean Has not only ha scene. it was
the nurse of empire LIS shores were en-
pires, divided only by the blue heyeand eeee
OF lie eiauous ehore lines. They drew their
prosperity, The very courage end hardihood
Of their warriors, from It's waters. The
b.sezes that bellisd The Pre- acan calls as
they drove frcm Tyre CIR Carthage to far
Ts.shish or the CaDtharidee, sent Greek and
Roman gaieys ever the Adrihtic, the Ioniap,
aud tue Tsrhens aeas, aud fllvd the soldiers
Of Greece and Roma with that "nstive dar-
Ing" which subiuad the world.
Along the shores of the gulf the nev en-.
pires ot the world viii grow to power. There
is Dot On the globe sheet of water Sd favor
able to commerca aud Whose shores are so
richly endowed. The Mediterranean In its
glory, thoagh 10 1re picturesque and entrsnc-
ing In the light CT i;s great history. was not
SC blessed by the splendid prodigalty of ma
ture. B4yong its shores was Cimmerian
darkness and no.hiog more. No majestic
Mississippi, the natural ohaDDel for the com
mercs Of the richest country Of the world,
poured its treasures upon the waters. And
get Il Gou.ishei the mightiest nations OF the
world Rnd h9sted for 1000 years the gold
laden ships Of 2. 91ca aud Solomon, the
olive and grape end wheat galleys cf Greece
and II ,me, the magnificent argosiee cf
Naples Gsnoa and Venice, and the galeons
OF Spe!p.s
Consider for q moment the great advan-
teges Of the gulf, as indicating by silent pro.
Dhecy tie future OF our Mediterranean. a
climate as balny ss Isly'5 warns its wa
te.s aud its shores Ii is almost inclosed By
rich shores OF continent aud sudF. To the
south is Yucaten, yellow With bananas and
oranges and lemons To the west Is Mexico
richer to-day thsn in the splendid reign of
tho MontezumUs. and with brighter hopes of
still! greater prosperity. To the north Is the
most favored couniry of earth-the United
States. Feom the Rio Grande to cape Sable
che rich, warm coast iucloses the waters of
he gulf In bali embrace. To the east are
the West Indies, Cuba, gem Of the ocean,
and 10 the southeast is the Caribbean, lead
ing to the republics of Central America and
the Spanish republics OF our els er conti-
nent.
These chores will yet be the scenes of q
prosperity such as the world hss not yet wit
messed That is their clear destiny. The
most fertile lands in the world ere in that
wide valley of the Mississippi. The whole
gulf coast is fertile, rich in semi tropical,
aud even tropical fruits and forests. The
world has 70 other Islands that will match
the ADtiies aud no shore that can rival the
gulf coast OF the United States.
The gulf is not, Ike the Mediterranean,
dependent upon ITS shores. The long, broad
sweep of the Mississippi drains not only It's
own matchIess valley, but bears on its bos
ON the tribute from the Ohio, Cumberland
aH0 Tennessee, draining the best sections to-
ward the east, and the Missouri, draining
the exhaustIess northwest. This traffic will
yet send down the Father of Waters to float
on the gulf waves argosies Of commerce
richer than we're ever borne iu the galleons
of Srain or aoated uader the guus of Dan
ioo.
Again. the gulf will get be the ocean high.
way Of nations. Il is the great natural ba-
sin oi tgo continents. 1t Is said that two
blocks of wood If dropped oae each 10 the
fountain sources of the Amazon aud the
Mississippi would meet On tbo waters of the
gulf. In fsw years canal or ship rail
way will ccnnect the Atlantic and Pacific,
not al Panama, but q; Nicaragua. Over the
waters. then, of the Caribbean aod gulf will
pass the merchant fl .ets Of the world as they
eirdle the globe When these things come,
es they surely and shortly will, New Or
leans will be the Tyre, or Msrseiles, or Con-
siaulinopie OF the new Mediterranean, and
the South will be the Mediterranean shores
OF tbs Nav World-AHanta Journal.