The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-10
4 Great Country. Sir.

! Prof James Boyce, in the new edition
| OF his american COmmOHWealth,' says.
| Nature has furnished the United states
! with resources for production ampler and
! more varied than can be found IN any
| other couutry-an immense area of fertile
| soil sunshine and moisture nj for all the
! growths of the temperate, and even a.leW
( OF the tOrrid zone, store or minerals 50
large as TO seem incXhaustible.
She has given ID a climate In which the
foremost races of mankind can thrive ana
tsave IN few districts labor, an AR IN
most regions not only SdlubrlouS, out
more stimulating than that of their an
cicnt European seats.
She has made communication easy by
huge natural water courses ana by me
general Openncss and smOOthneSs of 50
much of the continent as lies east of the
Rocky Mountains.
In laying out a vast central and almost
mhrOken plain, she has destined the ldrS-
est and richest region of the country TO he
the home of one nation, and one only.
That the lands which lie east of this re-
gion. between the Alleghanies and the At
lantic. and those which lie west OF IT, be
tween the Rocky Mountains and the Pa
cidr are also occupied by that one nation
is due TO the fact that before colonial
ton of the central region mad gone FAR
means of communication were invented
which made the AlleghanieS cease 10 be
a barrier. and that before the Pacific coast
had been thCkly settled the rest OF me
country was already 50 great IN populd-
tion wealth and power that its attraction
was as irresistible as the moon mas the
attraction of the earth to be.
Severing its home by wide ocean from
the old world of Europe on the east ana
a stiii wider one from the nan old' nan
new world Of Asia and Auslralds'd on tle
west. she has made the nation sovereign
of IFS own fortunes 1t need fear no al
tacks nor even any pressure from the
military and naval powers of the Eastern
Hemisphere and il has little temptation
to dssipate its strength IN contests WIN
them Ii mas no doubt strong heshpoT
on the north, but a friendly ohS' llINTu
bv many ties of interests, as well as KIN
dred and not likely ever TO become threat
ening. IL had on the south neighbors VINO
might have been dangerous. put fortune
favored IL by making one OF theh LoPe-
lessly weak. and obEGlnS the othels'
strong as she was, TO quit possession az a
critical moment. Thus 1t is left TO user as
no great State has ever yet peeh III me
world; thus. It's citizens enjoy an opPo' W
nifty never before granted 10 q Hd'-onn; u
making their country what they VIII 10
have H. r,t
These are unequailed advantages. Ihey
contain the elements of immense deIeh-
s.ve strength, of immense mateftdl PdoS,
perity. They disclose an uhTiNdiIeu NY
for the development of an industrial civlll-
zation. Nevertheless, students or history
knowing how unpredictable IS the dctlon
OF what we call moral causes-that Is 10
saw of emotional and intellectual IN
dueDces as cOutraSted with thoSe Iooteu
In physical and economic facts." ii,.d nUi
venture 10 base upon the most careIu!
survey OF the physical conditions o.
America any holder prophecy than ms
that not only will the state be poWefldi
and the wealth of its citizens prodlglous,
INT that the nation will probably remain
80 i'm ifs government, and still more
probably one In speech, IN chal acter anu
I'm ideas.