Page 133 - The interest of America in sea power, present and future

ii4 Possibilities of an

tinually upon those undeniable points of
resemblance in natural characteristics, and in
surrounding conditions, which testify to com-
mon origin and predict a common destiny.
Cast the seed of this thought into the ground,
and it will spring and grow up, you know not
how,— first the blade, then the ear, then the
full corn in the ear. Then you may put in
your sickle and reap the harvest of political
result, which as yet is obviously immature.
How quietly and unmarked, like the slow pro-
cesses of nature, such feelings may be wrought
into the very being of nations, was evidenced
by the sudden and rapid rising of the North at
the outbreak of our civil war, when the flag
was fired upon at Fort Sumter. Then was
shown how deeply had sunk into the popular
heart the devotion to the Union and the flag,
fostered by long dwelling upon the ideas, by
innumerable Fourth of July orations, often
doubtless vainglorious, sometimes perhaps gro-
tesque, but whose living force and overwhelm-
ing results were vividly apparent, as the fire
leaped from hearthstone to hearthstone through-
out the Northern States. Equally in the South
was apparent how tenacious and compelling