MAN AND NATURE. 253 



The Federals of the present day will not look to this 

 futurity for America save through the restoration of 

 the Union. We, on the other hand, strongly incline 

 to see it in a division of territorial governments on 

 that great continent. We believe that time, with its 

 many accidents, and especially the feebleness of the 

 central Government, would inevitably bring about 

 future disruption, even were it not to occur as the 

 result of the present war, of which the Slavery ques- 

 tion has been the motive with many, with some the 

 pretext. That which is inevitable (and thus many wise 

 Americans both of the present and past generation have 

 regarded it) is often best encountered before time has 

 so entangled the question as to render any safe solu- 

 tion impossible. 



This topic may seem alien to the volume before 

 us, and yet it is not so. In treating of c Physical Geo- 

 graphy as Modified by Human Action,' Mr. Marsh 

 derives numerous illustrations from the continent of 

 his own birth ; and reasonably as well as naturally so, 

 since North America is that portion of the globe where 

 the most rapid changes have been effected by human 

 prowess, and where man still finds the largest scope 

 for the growth of population and power. We may 

 perhaps think that a slower progress would have been 

 more salutary ; but human impulses ride over all 

 theories and maxims, and Europe has hurried forth to 

 people the prairies, and glut the rising cities with races 

 having very slight kindred with the primitive settlers 

 of the country. This mixed people, however, has its 

 destiny in the future history of the world. Without 



