Canada

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CANADA.

There is a large and robust country to the north of us, that must before long enter upon the stage of American politics, literature, character, and civilization, with a power no little thought of. We speak of the British Possessions, whose territorial surface (though most of it has a too arctic barrenness) equals the extent of the United States.

Yet there is enough in the principal part of these possessions, Canada, to make it a great and rich country, as it certainly will be. Over portions of it, large as some of the oldest European kingdoms, spreads a soil of wondrous agricultural capacity and it has, a great portion of the year, the best of water communications. It is a land of forests, magnificent lakes and cataracts, and of green pastures.

The mineral wealth of Canada is not the least attraction of the country. It has iron in abundance—marble, gypsum, and lithographic stone, are common. the climate resembles that of Norway and Sweden, except down in the lake districts, or towards the southern frontier where it is more equable.

Agriculture will for ages be the principal feature of Canada. It is a great wheat country; fit also for the raising of live stock, on a large scale. Its lumber advantages are well-known. Manufactures it thus far as little of. Its commerce runs up to the figure of $60,000,000 annually. Its exports are principally lumber, furs, vegetable food, animal products, fish, and minerals. Through it noble canals pass 3,000,000 tons of shipping annually.

Canada already shows evidence not only of a high degree of educational attainments, but has even inaugurated scientific institutions of the first class. Schools, libraries, and universities are established in the large towns, and courses of lectures are common. At Toronto there is the Canadian Institute, part of which consists of one of the best of obervatories, whose observations of local and astronomical phenomena have become favorably known through the world.

When we come to consider the rapid growth of this neighboring brother of ours, and the character of the people who have grown up there, numerous, independent, bold, hardy, it is plain that it must, in time, fall into place among our United States. It cannot long remain in a tributary position to a distant, and , in effect to it, a foreign government.