The main social, political, spine-character of the
States will probably run along the Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi
rivers, and west and north of them, including Canada. Those regions,
with the group of powerful brothers toward the Pacific, (destined to
the mastership of that sea and its countless paradises of islands,)
will compact and settle the traits of America, with all the old
retain'd, but more expanded, grafted on newer, hardier, purely
native stock. A giant growth, composite from the rest, getting their
contribution, absorbing it, to make it more illustrious. From the
north, intellect, the sun of things, also the idea of unswayable
justice, anchor amid the last, the wildest tempests. From the south
the living soul, the animus of good and bad, haughtily admitting no
demonstration but its own. While from the west itself comes
solid personality, with blood and brawn, and the deep quality of
all-accepting fusion.
Political democracy, as it exists and practically works in America,
with all its threatening evils, supplies a training-school for making
first-class men. It is life's gymnasium, not of good only, but of all.
We try often, though we fall back often. A brave delight, fit for
freedom's athletes, fills these arenas, and fully satisfies, out
of the action in them, irrespective of success. Whatever we do not
attain, we at any rate attain the experiences of the fight, the
hardening of the strong campaign, and throb with currents of attempt
at least.
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