ng from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico there was not, in
the beginning of the sixteenth century, one European family settled, or
a Christian voice that woke the forest with the name of God,--not a
civilized man from Canada to Florida, who placed his foot upon the soil
to call it home. Yet now, within this immense range may be reckoned the
mightiest States of the Union; and over its wide circumference are
scattered great cities, towns aspiring to be cities, and villages fast
growing into busy towns--possessing a population which for wealth hardly
need yield to the oldest countries of Europe, and in the general
diffusion of intelligence and education offering indeed to most of these
an example worthy of their imitation.

When it is called to mind that the waters of her vast line of coast, now
daily ploughed by thousands of busy prows, were at this same not very
distant day as desert as her swamps and as unfurrowed, except where the
canoe of the scared Indian left its light track behind, when driven from
the shelter of some near river:--silent and shadowless, except when the
sail of the adventurous explorer flitted slowly over the waves, as he
steered his doubtful course filled with the many wonders seen and
fancied by his watchful, credulous crew,--some band of daring spirits
tempted hither in search of gold, or wild adventure, perhaps to perish
suddenly by the arrow of the savage, or slowly to wither beneath the
influence of the climate--God! what wonderful changes have been wrought
here, and what a living marvel is this land! Changes, which it has
required the labour of ages to accomplish elsewhere, have here been
effected by the energy of a few busy generations, whose toil was begun
and carried on amid want, and sickness, and a struggle against ignorance
and neglect without, as well as a war of extermination within; a war
which may be said to exist even to this day, for yet is the ever-growing
frontier from time to time awakened by the night whoop of the savage and
the answering shot of the hardy pioneer.

Then come the recollections connected with the war of the
Revolution,--the noble declaration of independence, for truly noble it
was: no dark compact of a crew of ruffian conspirators, but a generous
bond that their aggrieved country should be freed, given by a band of
citizen gentlemen, husbands, fathers, and brothers, to the fulfilment of
the which they pledged unto each other their lives, their fortunes, a