Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-07-05

me3ger anu they were afraid that this
new region OF the far west might draw
some OF their people away and leave
the farms OF the New England valleys
untitled. In other words. what l wish
10 show is that the great west, which
came into our possession during the
earlier part of the last century. was not
only undeSired land. but that God
forced it upon an unwilling people In
order to work out the destiny which
lie had for it to do. The American
people as a nation have had greatness
thrust upon them, While God was
laying the foundation OF this future
greatness in its great landed terrific
ries the American people. from Presi-
dent Jefferson down, We're almost
unanimous in their vehement protest.
The Guidance of Providence.
IL IL were not for the fact that be
lieve the Lord God of the hosts of
Moses and Joshua is guiding this ma
ton. I would say that the acquisition
or our great territories was nothing
but long series of haphazard luck,
The way we became possessed of Lou
isiana was rs Undersigned aud unsought
as is our present possession of the
Philippines. When the Spanish-Amer-
lean war broke out, most people had
never heard Of the Philippine Islands.
Admiral Dewey, with his feet, was
ordered from Chinese harbors. Where
could he go except to Manila? Then.
after we took Manila, we were I'm the
position OF Abraham Lincoln's hunter
holding on To the tall of a running
bear. He was afraid to hold on and
equally afraid to let go. Most of MS
today do not want the Philippines.
The American army officers and navy
officers do not want them. But bow
can we unload the burden? God has
thrust them on us. and Tor the present
we must keep them SO God in the
beginning of the last century thrust
the great Louisiana territory upon us.
Our forefathers did not want the land.
and yet they were afraid to refuse it.
Such was the condition of the Ameri-
can people during the occupancy of the
White House by President Thomas
Jefferson.
But with their wonderful background
OF unlimited. UNEMPLOYED land. about
which the people knew but little and
cared less. Or. Hale introduces us
to two men who were so to aid in the
national development as to render this
great heritage of territory a national
necessity. These two American patri-
OTIS were not warriors. Neither had
ever unshcathed n sword. They were
not wizards OF the pen. like Washing
ton Irving or-like James Fenimore
Cooper. who did for the Indian wig
wan what the romantic Sir Walter
Scott did for the Scottish moors. They
were not silver tongued orators, like
Harrison Gray Otis or Pinckuey or VIII
liam Writ. They were simple mechan.
les and inventors. They were humble
men, but they were social revolution.
lists. The name OF the one hero was
Robert Fulton. that OF the other Eli
Whitney. They each presented n price
less gift. One gave to America the
steamboat. the other the cotton gin
With those two gifts these two gen.
fuses revolutionized the map OF the
new world
Before these two men came upon
the scene the history OF the American
people was mainly the history of many
different localities. Each locality. TO a
great extent. existed independently OF
every other locality. The men for the
most part dressed in homespun. The
women darned their chlldren's stock
ings, wove their own garments and
made their own rag carpets. No man
could make money Off the communities
in other parts OF the land. because the
cost OF transportation would eat up all
the profits. THE reader OF today
hardly remembers" writes DR. Hale
that there were times when the mar.
ket cost or bushel OF corn was spent
when IL had to be carried forty miles
As late as 1890 heard the Jest which
ridiculcd an emigrant from Massa.
chusetts 10y saying that he left his
home year before to so west with q
jug or molasses to use In trade and
that he returned at the end OF the year
OF adventure, having made enough In
bargaining to pay him for the Jug"
When the man OF one state had to
carry his goods to another state by
wagon and horse, the cost Of transpor.
tation oblitera ted all the profit, and
thus communities in the beginning of
the last century lived almost entirely
independent OF each other.
Fulton's Invention.
But one day Robert Fulton lifted his
magic wand. Then the "chu- chu-chu''
81 the steamboat was heard. Then the
Mississippi and the Ohio and the Hud-
son and all the great rivers of our
FRY
Then the emigrants Of tt east went
west. Then the mercha ndlse and the
foodstuffs were carried from one part
or the land to the other. Then Eli
Whitney lifted his magic wand. and
the southern planters carried their
great bales OF cotton down to the
wharfs. There they were loaded upon
Robert Fnlton's steamboats, and car
ried TO the New England factories.
lhus. as IL by magic, the industries OF
one part OF our country clasped hands
with those OF other parts Of our coun-
try, and our great forests were cut
down, and villages and towns and
cities sprang up. Thus the two
mightiest nation builders OF the be-
ginning or the last century were not
two statesmen, but two inventors. who
made II possible for the industries of
our country to be developed and our
lands to be covered with the busy hives
OF human life.
Thus want you In this great nation
al holiday to realize that the greatest
men OF our nation are not the soldiers.
though who dare speak one word
against the men OF the sword and OF