Year: 1870

Inc progress OI tn0 Ohisou o'"'oo Nv" ~


parallel In the history Of nations. Nothing
has been seen comparable to 1t either In ma
terial development or in moral power Less
than century ago there were but two to three
millions of people, then forming remote de-


Tendencies of a monarchical and European


Power. Now the republic has population Of


forty millions or more For long time even


after the independence of the country was es-


tablished the settled portion Of it did not ex-


tend west of the Allegheny Mountains, except


through few little bands of pioneers mostly


engaged in the Indian and fur trade. Though


few sagacious statesmen had some scintilla-
tlons of light as to what the country might be-


come in the distant future, no one realized its
rapid and wonderful growth. The stream


of immigration from the Old World


was steady in former times, 1t is true;


but that was slow, and Of course the natural


increase Of population could not within so


short time make the mighty empire we now
see Still the American statesmen of the
early days of the republic began to lay the
foundations of continental republican empire.
The acquisition of Louisiana was great event
and the first one to carry the people in large
numbers to the immense and rich valley of


the Mississippi. This was really the initial
| step to our wonderful territorial expansion
and development. The ambition and national
pride of our people received powerful
stimulus in that. The acquisition Of Florida,
| of Texas, of California, of New Mexico and
| Arizona and of Alaska was but the sequel Of
| that act and followed the natural law of our
| development.


But new agencies began to work In the
course of time to increase the population Of
the United States and to spread it over the
| Continent from the shores of the Atlantic to
the Pacific The wonderful natural wealth,
variety of products, cheap lands, free repub-
lican institutions and glorious future


attracted the people of all nations from the
| Old World. vast stream of immigration
poured in and cultivated the soil, built up cities
and made the wilderness blossom as a rose.
The redundant population of Europe, with the


poverty, tyranny and political troubles there,


increased the volume of this immigration from


year to year, and it continues to swell more


and more. Here was the home Of the


oppressed and poor, and here they could find


welcome and abundance. There is not


village or hamlet in Europe where this fact is


not known. Then came those mighty agents of


modern civilization and science-the press


steam power and the magnetic telegraph-to


increase knowledge, facilitate communication


and to inspire admiration for this great repub-


lican and conglomerate representative nation


of the world. The late war startled mankind


with the wonderful power and resources Of the


republic. It revealed the fact, of which we
were hardly conscious ourselves before, that


the United States is really the most powerful


nation on the globe, and as regards foreign


nations absolutely impregnable. Within the


course of few years railroads and telegraphs


have covered like network the vast area of the
interior and have spanned the Continent over
distance of thousands of miles. A national


debt of enormous magnitude, created in four


or five years, that would have overwhelmed


any other nation under such circumstances, is


to us comparatively bagatelle, and is now
being paid off at the rate of nearly hundred
millions of dollars year. Such progress,


such wealth and resources and such power
have never been known before.


All this, however, glorious as it is, only
foreshadows the mighty future of the republic.


By the natural increase of population and the


enormous stream Of immigration we shall


have, probably, in thirty or thirty-6ve years,
hundred millions Of people. The augmenta-
ton of wealth will be still greater. Whatever
difficulties we may labor under at present with
regard to the development of our mercantile


marine, commerce and naval power, we have


such resources, such geographical position
and such harbors and vast seabOard that we
must become the first maritime and CONNER
cial nation. Nothing can prevent this. And


what is thirty years in the life of a nation or in


history? Other nations may and perhaps will
advance under the new and progressive dis


pensation Of modern sciences but relatively


they have not the resources and means that we


have. Already we see the moral influence


of American ideas and institutions upon


Europe and the rest of the world, and the


time is not distant when this country
viii control indirectly, if not directly, the
destinies of mankind. There is but one thing
we need, and that is, statesmen who can COM
prehend the position we occupy and the
glorious future before us. Instead Of being
| bound by the precedents of the Old World or
| of the past we should strike out policy for
| ourselves in consonance with our destiny.
| We should throw off the swaddling clothes
| that Europe has placed upon us and assert


our manhood. It is our destiny to give the


law to nations, for the people everywhere are


with us, and there is no use of resistance, if


we be wise, to the moral and political power
we may exercise. AS to the affairs and in


terests Of the American Continent this republic


can do as it wishes, and no one will presume
| to interfere Do the people realize their