The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 9, May, 1835Various
History
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 9, May, 1835
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
"In beholding this fine young giant of a world, with all its
magnificent capabilities for greatness, I think every Englishman must
feel unmingled regret at the unjust and unwise course of policy which
alienated such a child from the parent government. But, at the same
time, it is impossible to avoid seeing that some other course must,
ere long, have led to the same result, even if England had pursued a
more maternal course of conduct towards America. No one, beholding
this enormous country, stretching from ocean to ocean, watered with
ten thousand glorious rivers, combining every variety of climate and
soil; therefore, every variety of produce and population; possessing
within itself every resource that other nations are forced either to
buy abroad, or to create substitutes for at home; no one, seeing the
internal wealth of America, the abundant fertility of the earth's
surface, the riches heaped below it, the unparalleled facilities for
the intercourse of men, and the interchange of their possessions
throughout its vast extent, can for an instant indulge the thought
that such a country was ever destined to be an appendage to any other
in the world, or that any chain of circumstances whatever, could have
long maintained in dependance a people furnished with every means of
freedom and greatness. But far from regretting that America has thrown
off her allegiance, and regarding her as a rebellious subject, and
irreverent child; England will surely, ere long, learn to look upon
this country as the inheritor of her glory; the younger England,
destined to perpetuate the language, the memory, the virtues of the
noble land from which she is descended. Loving and honoring my
country, as I do, I cannot look upon America with any feeling of
hostility. I do not only hear the voice of England in the language of
this people, but I recognize in all their best qualities, their
industry, their honesty, their sturdy independence of spirit, the very
witnesses of their origin, they are English; no other people in the
world would have licked us as they did; nor any other people in the
world, built upon the ground they won, so sound, and strong, and fair
an edifice.
"With regard to what I have said in the beginning of this note, of the
many reasons which combined to render this country independent of all
others; I think they in some measure tell against the probability of
its long remaining at unity with itself. Such numerous and clashing
interests; such strong and opposite individuality of character between
the northern and southern states; above all, such enormous extent of
country; seem rationally to present many points of insecurity; many
probabilities of separations and breakings asunder; but all this lies
far on, and I leave it to those who have good eyes for a distance."
Vol. i. pp. 187-8.
From her description of a voyage up the Hudson river, which is one of
the most beautiful portions of the work, we can give but two brief
passages:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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