this remarkable achievement? It lav Humiliating as it may be to the
in her myriad humble but prosperous pride of the American heart, painful
homes, the castles of her yeomanry, and alarming as it may be to the
where ?vas fostered diversified industty Christian patriot, we have reached al
and diversified intelligence. ready, in the springtime of our nation-
In this vitally important matter what al life, the point where we must decide
is the tendency in our own country? whether this is really a government
Let official statistics furnish the answer. of the people, by the people and for
From 1870 to 1880 our farms under the people," whether the citizen or
three acres decreased 35 per cent., the dollar is sovereign in this country,
while farms of 100 to 5ofi acres in- whether we shall have an aristocracy
creased 200 per cent. Farms of 3 to of manhood, and merit, whether we
10 acres decreased 25 per cent., while shall re-enthrone in sceptered power.
farms of 500 to 1,000 or more acres the majesty and sovereignty of ihe
increased 770 per cent. Although our people, whether we shall restore our
population had increased 33 per cent., old ship of state to its ancient moor
there were in 1880 145,153 less farms ings, or whether itshall be engulfed in
under 50 acres, than in 1870. What anarchy and ruin.
