ALTHOUGH the eyes of the world are just now directed almost exclusively to Eastern Europe, in which events are occurring of far more than national import, it may not be either ill-timed, or uninteresting, to cast a hasty glance over another quarter of the globe, in which a development of power is going on, silently but rapidly -unattended by the startling incidents of battle by land or sea, yet not the less pregnant with results which may influence the destinies of a large portion of the human race. We need scarcely say that our remarks point to the American Republic, and that it is that young giant of the West whose growth to maturity affords an object of contemplation infinitely more instructive than any which barbaric Russia presents in her frenzied struggle for territorial aggrandisement, or the powers of Western Europe afford in their ill- cemented and doubtful union to repel the aggressor. Until within the last few years we have been too much in the habit of treating the accounts brought before us of American progress to greatness as extravagant gasconade. The governments of Europe have been disposed to ignore the pretensions which she has put forth, until, from one after another, she has wrung reparation for actual or imagined wrongs. Even when we saw her flag flying in every port of the world, and felt the active competition of her merchants and shipowners, we were disposed to regard her rather as an interloping trafficker, with whom, from her distance from us and her isolated position, Europe could have little sympathy, than as the germ of a powerful nation with a mighty future in prospect.

With a view to bring about a proper recognition of the actual and growing importance of America as a member of the great family of nations, we propose here to give a few statistics illustrative, not only of the innate elements of strength and progress which she possesses, but also of the genius shown by her people in turning them to profitable account.

One of the most remarkable features

In

in the history of America, and to which she owes much of her present growth and prosperity, is the foresight with which she has laid the foundations of that prosperity. this her population have not evinced the spirit of the mere huckster, anxious only for present gain, but rather the enlarged views of the patriot, anxious for the future weal of his country and his race. A striking expression of this spirit is furnished in a report made to the Legislature of the United States in 1812, by Governor Morris, De Witt Clinton, and other eminent men, appointed as a commission to inquire into the practicability and prospects of the great canal to connect Lake Erie with the River Hudson, a project scouted at the time as preposterous. After boldly stating that the tolls from this great national work— for such it has proved—would amply repay the outlay required for its construction, the commissioners remark:

difficult to imagine, how much toll would

"It is impossible to ascertain, and it is

be collected. The amount of transportation might be estimated by submitting probabilities to calculation. But, like our advance in numbers and wealth, calculation outruns fancy. Things, which twenty years ago any man would have been laughed at for believing, we now see.

"At that time the most ardent mind, proceeding on established facts by the unerring rule of arithmetic, was obliged to drop the pen at results which imagination could not embrace."

After stating some facts to bear out their view of the result of the proiect, they proceed :—

"Standing on such facts, is it extravagant to believe that New York may look forward to the receipt (at no distant day)

of one million of dollars nett revenue from this canal? The life of an individual is short. The time is not distant when those who make this report will have passed away. But no time is fixed to the existence of a state; and the first wish of a patriot's heart is that his may be immortal."

It may be mentioned, as a proof of the sound judgment displayed by these men, that, within eight years of the

completion of the canal, its tolls exceeded the estimated returns.*

It is not, however, as successful projectors that the forethought of the American people has been shown; for in fact, their public works have been anything but remunerative, and have even been the cause of bringing down obloquy upon some of the states, which have repudiated the payment of debts contracted for their construction. It is the forethought and sound judg- ment displayed in their design with which we have to deal. The great object of American enterprise has been, from a very early period, to connect the great lakes and the fertile valleys of the middle and western States with the cities and ports along the Atlantic seaboard; to improve the navigation of her great rivers, and thus bring into cultivation the valuable tracts of country along their banks; and, as a part of this great work, to connect with each other, by railways and canals, the towns and villages in the more densely-peopled and cultivated districts which lie along the entire eastern frontier of her territory from the State of Maine to the Gulf of Florida. To carry out the general design, vast sums have been lavished, and expensive works constructed, in many instances far in advance of any ascertained requirements of the country, and certainly with little prospect of an early return for the expenditure. But in the mean time the most apparently hopeless of these works are conferring important benefits upon the mass of the community, by developing sources of wealth which might otherwise have been closed for years, if not centuries to come, and affording new spheres for the enterprise of a people, whose passion for adventure and novelty seems to know no bounds. From the extended means of locomotion thus afforded, has been derived that striking feature in the American character which has so long been the subject of European remark, and frequently of ridicule the disposition to migrate upon their own soil. For upwards of twenty years her population have been moving westward, driving the red Indian before them, and subduing to the plough the hunting-grounds of his

race. No sooner has a state or a district been cleared, and partially populated, than the pioneers who first opened up its soil have started again in search of cheaper localities for the exercise of their untiring energies, in part, no doubt, impressed with the knowledge that, although they were increasing their distance from a market for their productions, the abundant facilities provided by nature and art for their transmission would neutralise this difficulty. Another circumstance has tended materially to diffuse the population of America, as it increased, over a larger extent of territory, instead of locating it round any particular centre. At an early period they were taught the necessity of being self-dependent, especially for the supply of those articles of clothing, &c., suitable for the wants of such a people. Every settler carried with him into the wilds the means and knowledge required for the manufacture of such articles, rudely perhaps, but sufficient for his purposes. Proximity to a market for supply was thus rendered a non-essential feature in his condition. As early as 1810, we find from a return prepared by the federal government of the Union that the domestic manufactures of America, of all descriptions, were of the value of 127,694,602 dollars annually; and it has been estimated by competent authorities that, of 36,793,249 dollars-the value of the manufactures of wool, cotton, and flax, with their mixtures-fully two-thirds were produced in the houses of the farmers and other inhabitants. Nor is it considered that this desirable state of things in a new country-the existence of household manufactures — is materially changed since 1810. At all events, it was not changed up to 1852; for, although, during the interval, large manufacturing establishments had been formed, their produce appears to have been chiefly for exportation.

In 1842 we find America capable of exporting cotton manufactures to the value of 3,122,546 dollars, and including fabrics of wool and flax to the value of 12,699,500 dollars, or one-third of the total production of 1810. Taking

into consideration the large increase of her population, the domestic production must have vastly increased during the interval, for we find no such increase of imports as would warrant the supposition that they had become less reliant upon their own industry and resources. In fact, it is estimated that in 1852 no less than 7,500,000 dollars' worth of cotton was consumed in "household " manufactures.

Whilst the agricultural portion of the American people have been thus led to extend the area of their location, and lay under contribution new and vast sources of wealth, enterprise has not been wanting to promote the growth of their cities and towns. No country in the world, Great Britain not excepted, has succeeded more signally in directing its natural advantages to the promotion of commerce. Its abundance of water power has been promptly seized upon for manufactures of every description. Machinery of the most perfect kind has been applied to all their processes, economising labour, facilitating locomotion, and aiding in surmounting those difficulties which have ever impeded the progress of young nations. The gigantic power of steam has nowhere been more abundantly and usefully employed; in the mine and in the mill; on its rivers and its lakes, its canals and its railroads; doing the work of millions of hands, and of human and animal sinews, yet without creating a vacuum in the market for labour, or diminishing, at all perceptibly, the rewards of industry in any portion of its territory. From 1830 to 1840, in a period of only ten years, the increase in the population of twenty of the largest towns in the United States, from New York to St Louis inclusive, was 55 per cent; and we shall show hereafter that this rate of increase has been fully sustained, especially in those situated in the region of the great lakes, towards which the influx of settlers has lately been drawn, both from Europe and from other portions of America herself. Yet she has been enabled not only to employ profitably the natural increase which has taken place in her population, but also to absorb, without apparent effort or inconvenience, the vast tide of emigration which

Europe has been for years directing to her shores. She possesses a foreign commerce second only to that of Great Britain, a powerful mercantile marine, a well-appointed and powerful fleet-every element, in fact, which is required to insure a nation's greatness. All this she has achieved mainly through the well-directed energies and the persevering hardihood of her citizens, whose guiding rule of action has ever been to look and struggle forward, whilst elder nations have been content to loiter upon the beaten track of mediocrity, and hesitate and count the cost of every step of progress beyond that beaten track.

Years ago-before the amazing development of her resources which we have witnessed during the past ten years-American statesmen and writers saw and predicted the future, and attributed it mainly to the facilities which had been provided in her railways and canals, for the encouragement of the commercial and agricultural industry of her population. One of these-Mr Scott of Ohio, in an able series of articles on the internal trade of the country, published in 1843 in Hunt's Merchant's Magazine-made the following extraordinary calculation of the probable rate of increase of that population :

"In 1840 the United States had a population of 17,068,666. Allowing its future increase to be at the rate of thirty-three and one-third per cent for each succeeding period of ten years, we shall number in 1940, 303,101,641. Past experience warrants us in expecting this great increase. In 1790 our number was 3,927,827.

But, lest a hundred years seem too long to be relied on, in a calculation having so many elements, let us see how matters will stand fifty years from 1840, or forty-seven years from this time. The ratio of increase we have adopted cannot be objected to as extravagant for this period. In 1890, according to that ratio, our number will be 72,000,000. Of these 22,000,000 will be a fair allowance for the Atlantic slope. Of the remaining 50,000,000, 2,000,000 may reside west of the Rocky Mountains, leaving 48,000,000 for the great valley within the States."

This will naturally strike most persons as an extravagant calculation. It ignores, in the first place, the natural tendency of a population, increasing in density, and of which large