Having briefly considered the first general principle laid down for the dis-
cussion, and indicated its all-important truth, how that the great cities of the
world have, in time, succeeded each other along the highway of nations, and
how the power, wealth and wisdom that once ruled in Troy, Athens, Carthage,
Bome, Genoa and Venice is now, in the still onward, and westward, movement
of the great Family of man, represented by the city of London ; the precursor
of the final great city of the world — ^will in time cross the Atlantic Ocean,
and be arrested in the central plain of North America where in less than one
hundred years, the great city of the future will grow up, let us pass to a con-
sideration of the general proposition.
II. That all the great cities of the world have grown up near to the north
and south, of the line of unobstructed navigation in mid-winter.
By the line of unobstructed navigation in mid-winter I mean that line that



Digitized by



Google



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTUBB GREAT CITY. 69

bounds the limits of freezing so as to obstruct by navigation with ice. Such a
line drawn around the earth, would pass by or near to Cairo, at the junction
of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. And to the north of it would be much oi
the internal navigation of the great basin. It is upon such a line, and near to
it north and south, that all the great cities have and will grow up on the-
globe.
The truth of this must be evident, to every person who will consider thee
subject for one moment.
