Not to conclude the infinite scenas of the race's life and toil and
happiness and sorrow, but haply that the boards be clear'd from
oldest, worst incumbrances, accumulations, and Man resume the eternal
play anew, and under happier, freer auspices. To me, the United States
are important because in this colossal drama they are unquestionably
designated for the leading parts, for many a century to come. In them
history and humanity seem to seek to culminate. Our broad areas are
even now the busy theatre of plots, passions, interests, and suspended
problems, compared to which the intrigues of the past of Europe, the
wars of dynasties, the scope of kings and kingdoms, and even the
development of peoples, as hitherto, exhibit scales of measurement
comparatively narrow and trivial. And on these areas of ours, as on a
stage, sooner or later, something like an _eclairissement_ of all the
past civilization of Europe and Asia is probably to be evolved.
The leading parts. Not to be acted, emulated here, by us again, that
role till now foremost in history--not to become a conqueror nation,
or to achieve the glory of mere military, or diplomatic, or commercial
superiority--but to become the grand producing land of nobler men and
women--of copious races, cheerful, healthy, tolerant, free--to become
the most friendly nation, (the United States indeed)--the modern
composite nation, form'd from all, with room for all, welcoming all
immigrants--accepting the work of our own interior development, as
the work fitly filling ages and ages to come;--the leading nation of
peace, but neither ignorant nor incapable of being the leading nation
of war;--not the man's nation only, but the woman's nation--a land of
splendid mothers, daughters, sisters, wives.
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