ADDRESS. 71 



Is not every department of industry in a state of improvement '. 

 Not only two, but a hundred blades of grass grow where one grew 

 when we became a nation ; and our manufactures have increased, 

 not less to astonish the philosopher and patriot than to benefit the 

 nation; and have not agriculture and manufactures, wrought up 

 by a capital of intelligence and enterprise, given a direct impulse 

 to our commerce, a consequence to our navy ? and if so, do they 

 not impose new duties on every statesman ? 



Again, have we not shown that this expedition is demanded by 

 public opinion, expressed in almost every form ? Have not socie- 

 ties for the collection and diffusion of knowledge, towns and legis- 

 latures, and the commanding voice of public opinion, as seen 

 through the public press, sanctioned and called for the enterprise ? 

 Granting, as all must, there is no dissenting voice upon the sub- 

 ject, that all are anxious that jour country should do something 

 for the great good of the human family, is not now the time, while 

 the treasury, like the Nile in fruitful seasons, is overflowing its 

 banks ? If this question is settled, and I believe it is, the next is, 

 what shall be the character of the expedition ? The answer is in 

 the minds of all one worthy of the nation ! And what would be 

 worthy of the nation ? Certainly nothing on a scale that has been 

 attempted by any other country. If true to our national character, 

 to the spirit of the age we live in, the first expedition sent out by 

 this great republic must not fall short in any department from a 

 defective organization, or from adopting too closely the efforts of 

 other nations as models for our own. We do, we always have 

 done things best, when we do them in our own way. The spirit 

 evinced by others is worthy of all imitation ; but not their equip- 

 ments. We must look at those seas ; what we have there ; what 

 requires to be done; and then apply the requisite means to 

 accomplish the ends. It would not only be inglorious simply to 

 follow a track pointed out by others, but could never content a 

 people proud of their fame and rejoicing in their strength ! They 



