rly; and it has served a good purpose for
the country. The mercantile growth, and general producing power of this
country, will cause us to abandon our selfish protection policy; for of
all other people on the face of the earth we will want free trade; for we
will have the greatest surplus of mercantile and agricultural
productions, and in a short time our very position and ability will push
away all competitors. Once our mercantile and agricultural interests are
cast in other nations, we will then have an interest in their wars and
peace, and will be led to interfere.

The chief way in which the balance of power will fall into English and
American hands is in the fulfilling of the blessings of the text: the
multiplying of this people, first by natural increase, and second by
incorporation and absorption. Look at this law of absorption; how
vigorous and sure! If you turn into a field of grass fowls, pigs,
horses, and cows, you get chicken-meat, pork, horseflesh, and beef. The
individualism in each creature absorbs and converts the same field of
grass into themselves. So into this country are coming people of every
nation and race, but the individualism of Manasseh will in due time make
them all Manassehites. The children of the Russians, Poles, Spanish, and
so on, become American in taste, manners, and sympathies. They are being
grafted into the tree of Manasseh.

But look at the law of increase naturally. Take the population of
several countries as given in the last census, and carefully note the
relative increase, and how long it takes each nation to double its
number. Russia, eighty-six millions, doubles every 100 years; Germany,
forty-two millions, doubles every 100 years; Turkey, forty-seven
millions, doubles every 550 years; Austria, thirty-seven millions,
doubles every 100 years; France, thirty-six millions, doubles every 140
years; Great Britain, thirty-three millions, doubles every 55 years;
United States, forty millions, doubles every 25 years; Italy,
twenty-seven millions, doubles every 125 years; Egypt, seventeen
millions, doubles every 150 years; Spain, sixteen millions, doubles every
112 years; English colonies, ten millions, doubles every 25 years. Now
make a calculation for 100 years, from 1878 to 1978, and see how these
countries stand in population and their relative position. Russia will
have one hundred and seventy-two millions; Germany, eighty-four; Turkey,
fifty-six; Austria, seventy-f