Arizona (New
Mexico), as acquired from Mexico by treaty in 1854, with 27,500 square
miles. Alaska, as acquired by purchase from Russia in 1867, with 577,390
square miles. This gives a grand total of three million, five hundred
and seventy-eight thousand, three hundred and ninety-two (3,578,392)
square miles of territory, which is about four-ninths of all North
America, and more than one-fifteenth of the whole land surface of the
globe.

And while this expansion has been thus rapidly going forward here, how
has it been with the other leading nations of the globe? Macmillian &
Co., the London publishers, in announcing their "Statesman's Year Book"
for 1867, make an interesting statement of the changes that took place
in Europe during the half century between the years 1817 and 1867. They
say:--

"The half century has extinguished three kingdoms, one grand duchy,
eight duchies, four principalities, one electorate, and four
republics. Three new kingdoms have arisen, and one kingdom has been
transformed into an empire. There are now forty-one States in
Europe against fifty-nine which existed in 1817. Not less
remarkable is the territorial extension of the superior States of
the world. Russia has annexed 567,364 square miles; the United
States, 1,968,009; France, 4,620; Prussia, 29,781; Sardinia,
expanding into Italy, has increased by 83,041; the Indian Empire
has been augmented by 431,616. The principal States that have lost
territory are Turkey, Mexico, Austria, Denmark, and the
Netherlands."

We ask the especial attention of the reader to these particulars. During
the last half century, twenty-one goverments have disappeared
altogether; and only three new ones have arisen. Five have lost instead
of gained in territory. Only five, besides our own, have added to their
domain. And the one which has done the most in this direction has added
only a little over half a million of square miles, while we have added
nearly two millions. Thus the United States government has added over
fourteen hundred thousand square miles of territory more than any other
single nation, and over eight hundred thousand more than have been added
by all the other nations of the earth put together: In view of these
facts, can any one doubt, looking the whole world over, which government
it is that has been, during this time, emphatically, "coming up"?

In point of population, our increase