The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 185 



tricts to degenerate into indifference to or dislike 

 of the growth of the United States toward con 

 tinental greatness; then they themselves sank 

 into the position of men who in cold selfishness 

 sought to mar the magnificent destiny of their 

 own people. 



In the Northeastern States, and in New "England 

 especially, this feeling showed itself for two genera 

 tions after the close of the Revolutionary War. On 

 the whole, the New Englanders have exerted a more 

 profound and wholesome influence upon the devel 

 opment of our common country than has ever been 

 exerted by any other equally numerous body of our 

 people. They have led the nation in the path of 

 civil liberty and sound governmental administration. 

 But too often they have viewed the nation's growth 

 and greatness from a narrow and provincial stand 

 point, and have grudgingly acquiesced in, rather than 

 led the march toward, continental supremacy. In 

 shaping the nation's policy for the future their sense 

 of historic perspective seemed imperfect. They 

 could not see the all-importance of the valley of the 

 Ohio, or of the valley of the Columbia, to the Re 

 public of the years to come. The value of a county 

 in Maine offset in their eyes the value of these vast, 

 empty regions. Indeed, in the days immediately 

 succeeding the Revolution, their attitude toward the 

 growing West was worse than one of mere indiffer 

 ence ; it was one of alarm and dislike. They for the 

 moment adopted toward the West a position not 

 wholly unlike that which England had held toward 



