Americans　towards　the　West；　but　we　can　readily　apprehend　its　more　immediate　results。　　As　a　portion　of　the　inhabitants　annually　leave　the　States　in　which　they　were　born；　the　population　of　these　States　increases　very　slowly；　although　they　have　long　been　established：　thus　in　Connecticut；　which　only　contains　fifty…nine　inhabitants　to　the　square　mile；　the　population　has　not　increased　by　more　than　one…quarter　in　forty　years；　whilst　that　of　England　has　been　augmented　by　one…third　in　the　lapse　of　the　same　period。　　The　European　emigrant　always　lands；　therefore；　in　a　country　which　is　but　half　full；　and　where　hands　are　in　request：　he　becomes　a　workman　in　easy　circumstances；　his　son　goes　to　seek　his　fortune　in　unpeopled　regions；　and　he　becomes　a　rich　landowner。　　The　former　amasses　the　capital　which　the　latter　invests；　and　the　stranger　as　well　as　the　native　is　unacquainted　with　want。
  The　laws　of　the　United　States　are　extremely　favorable　to　the　division　of　property；　but　a　cause　which　is　more　powerful　than　the　laws　prevents　property　from　being　divided　to　excess。　*c　This　is　very　perceptible　in　the　States　which　are　beginning　to　be　thickly　peopled；　Massachusetts　is　the　most　populous　part　of　the　Union；　but　it　contains　only　eighty　inhabitants　to　the　square　mile；　which　is　must　less　than　in　France；　where　162　are　reckoned　to　the　same　extent　of　country。　　But　in　Massachusetts　estates　are　very　rarely　divided；　the　eldest　son　takes　the　land；　and　the　others　go　to　seek　their　fortune　in　the　desert。　The　law　has　abolished　the　rights　of　primogeniture；　but　circumstances　have　concurred　to　re…establish　it　under　a　form　of　which　none　can　complain；　and　by　which　no　just　rights　are　impaired。
  ＇Footnote　c：　In　New　England　the　estates　are　exceedingly　small；　but　they　are　rarely　subjected　to　further　division。＇
  A　single　fact　will　suffice　to　show　the　prodigious　number　of　individuals　who　leave　New　England；　in　this　manner；　to　settle　themselves　in　the　wilds。　We　were　assured　in　1830　that　thirty…six　of　the　members　of　Congress　were　born　in　the　little　State　of　Connecticut。　　The　population　of　Connecticut；　which　constitutes　only　one　forty…third　part　of　that　of　the　United　States；　thus　furnished　one…eighth　of　the　whole　body　of　representatives。　　The　States　of　Connecticut；　however；　only　sends　five　delegates　to　Congress；　and　the　thirty…one　others　sit　for　the　new　Western　States。　　If　these　thirty…one　individuals　had　remained　in　Connecticut；　it　is　probable　that　instead　of　becoming　rich　landowners　they　would　have　remained　humble　laborers；　that　they　would　have　lived　in　obscurity　without　being　able　to　rise　into　public　life；　and　that；　far　from　becoming　useful　members　of　the　legislature；　they　might　have　been　unruly　citizens。
  These　reflections　do　not　escape　the　observation　of　the　Americans　any　more　than　of　ourselves。　　〃It　cannot　be　doubted；〃　says　Chancellor　Kent　in　his　〃Treatise　on　American　Law；〃　〃that　the　division　of　landed　estates　must　produce　great　evils　when　it　is　carried　to　such　excess　as　that　each　parcel　of　land　is　insufficient　to　support　a　family；　but　these　disadvantages　have　never　been　felt　in　the　United　States；　and　many　generations　must　elapse　before　they　can　be　felt。　　The　extent　of　our　inhabited　territory；　the　abundance　of　adjacent　land；　and　the　continual　stream　of　emigration　flowing　from　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic　towards　the　interior　of　the　country；　suffice　as　yet；　and　will　long　suffice；　to　prevent　the　parcelling　out　of　estates。〃
  It　is　difficult　to　describe　the　rapacity　with　which　the　American　rushes　forward　to　secure　the　immense　booty　which　fortune　proffers　to　him。　　In　the　pursuit　he　fearlessly　braves　the　arrow　of　the　Indian　and　the　distempers　of　the　forest；　he　is　unimpressed　by　the　silence　of　the　woods；　the　approach　of　beasts　of　prey　does　not　disturb　him；　for　he　is　goaded　onwards　by　a　passion　more　intense　than　the　love　of　life。　　Before　him　lies　a　boundless　continent；　and　he　urges　onwards　as　if　time　pressed；　and　he　was　afraid　of　finding　no　room　for　his　exertions。　　I　have　spoken　of　the　emigration　from　the　older　States；　but　how　shall　I　describe　that　which　takes　place　from　the　more　recent　ones？　Fifty　years　have　scarcely　elapsed　since　that　of　Ohio　was　founded；　the　greater　part　of　its　inhabitants　were　not　born　within　its　confines；　its　capital　has　only　been　built　thirty　years；　and　its　territory　is　still　covered　by　an　immense　extent　of　uncultivated　fields；　nevertheless　the　population　of　Ohio　is　already　proceeding　westward；　and　most　of　the　settlers　who　descend　to　the　fertile　savannahs　of　Illinois　are　citizens　of　Ohio。　　These　men　left　their　first　country　to　improve　their　condition；　they　quit　their　resting…place　to　ameliorate　it　still　more；　fortune　awaits　them　everywhere；　but　happiness　they　cannot　attain。　　The　desire　of　prosperity　is　become　an　ardent　and　restless　passion　in　their　minds　which　grows　by　what　it　gains。　　They　early　broke　the　ties　which　bound　them　to　their　natal　earth；　and　they　have　contracted　no　fresh　ones　on　their　way。　　Emigration　was　at　first　necessary　to　them　as　a　means　of　subsistence；　and　it　soon　becomes　a　sort　of　game　of　chance；　which　they　pursue　for　the　emotions　it　excites　as　much　as　for　the　gain　it　procures。
  Sometimes　the　progress　of　man　is　so　rapid　that　the　desert　reappears　behind　him。　　The　woods　stoop　to　give　him　a　passage；　and　spring　up　again　when　he　has　passed。　　It　is　not　uncommon　in　crossing　the　new　States　of　the　West　to　meet　with　deserted　dwellings　in　the　midst　of　the　wilds；　the　traveller　frequently　discovers　the　vestiges　of　a　log　house　in　the　most　solitary　retreats；　which　bear　witness　to　the　power；　and　no　less　to　the　inconstancy　of　man。　　In　these　abandoned　fields；　and　over　these　ruins　of　a　day；　the　primeval　forest　soon　scatters　a　fresh　vegetation；　the　beasts　resume　the　haunts　which　were　once　their　own；　and　Nature　covers　the　traces　of　man's　path　with　branches　and　with　flowers；　which　obliterate　his　evanescent　track。
  I　remember　that；　in　crossing　one　of　the　woodland　districts　which　still　cover　the　State　of　New　York；　I　reached　the　shores　of　a　lake　embosomed　in　forests　coeval　with　the　world。　　A　small　island；　covered　with　woods　whose　thick　foliage　concealed　its　banks；　rose　from　the　centre　of　the　waters。　　Upon　the　shores　of　the　lake　no　object　attested　the　presence　of　man　except　a　column　of　smoke　which　might　be　seen　on　the　horizon　rising　from　the　tops　of　the　trees　to　the　clouds；　and　seeming　to　hang　from　heaven　rather　than　to　be　mounting　to　the　sky。　　An　Indian　shallop　was　hauled　up　on　the　sand；　which　tempted　me　to　visit　the　islet　that　had　first　attracted　my　attention；　and　in　a　few　minutes　I　set　foot　upon　its　banks。　　The　whole　island　formed　one　of　those　delicious　solitudes　of　the　New　World　which　almost　lead　civilized　man　to　regret　the　haunts　of　the　savage。　　A　luxuriant　vegetation　bore　witness　to　the　incomparable　fruitfulness　of　the　soil。　　The　deep　silence　which　is　common　to　the　wilds　of　North　America　was　only　broken　by　the　hoarse　cooing　of　the　wood…pigeon；　and　the　tapping　of　the　woodpecker　upon　the　bark　of　trees。　　I　was　far　from　supposing　that　this　spot　had　ever　been　inhabited；　so　completely　did　Nature　seem　to　be　left　to　her　own　caprices；　but　when　I　reached　the　centre　of　the　isle　I　thought　that　I　discovered　some　traces　of　man。　　I　then　proceeded　to　examine　the　surrounding　objects　with　care；　and　I　soon　perceived　that　a　European　had　undoubtedly　been　led　to　seek　a　refuge　in　this　retreat。　　Yet　what　changes　had　taken　place　in　the　scene　of　his　labors！　　The　logs　which　he　had　hastily　hewn　to　build　himself　a　shed　had　sprouted　afresh；　the　very　props　were　intertwined　with　living　verdure；　and　his　cabin　was　transformed　into　a　bower。　In　the　midst　of　these　shrubs　a　few　stones　were　to　be　seen；　blackened　with　fire　and　sprinkled　with　thin　ashes；　here　the　hearth　had　no　doubt　been；　and　the　chimney　in　falling　had　covered　it　with　rubbish。　　I　stood　for　some　time　in　silent　admiration　of　the　exuberance　of　Nature　and　the　littleness　of　man：　and　when　I　was　obliged　to　leave　that　enchanting　solitude；　I　exclaimed　with　melancholy；　〃Are　ruins；　then；　already　here？〃
  In　Europe　we　are　wont　to　look　upon　a　restless　disposition；　an　unbounded　desire　of　riches；　and　an　excessive　love　of　independence；　as　propensities　very　formidable　to　society。　　Yet　these　are　the　very　elements　which　ensure　a　long　and　peaceful　duration　to　the　republics　of　America。　　Without　these　unquiet　passions　the　population　would　collect　in　certain　spots；　and　would　soon　be　subject　to　wants　like　those　of　the　Old　World；　which　it　is　difficult　to　satisfy；　for　such　is　the　present　good　fortune　of　the　New　World；　that　the　vices　of　its　inhabitants　are　scarcely　less　favorable　to　society　than　their　virtues。　These　circumstances　exercise　a　great　influence　on　the　estimation　in　which　human　actions　are　held　in　the　two　hemispheres。　　The　Americans　frequently　term　what　we　should　call　cupidity　a　laudable　industry；　and　they　blame　as　faint…heartedness　what　we　consider　to　be　the　virtue　of　moderate　desires。
  In　France；　simple　tastes；　orderly　manners；　domestic　affections；　and　the　attachments　which　men　feel　to　the　place　of　their　birth；　are　looked　upon　as　great　guarantees　of　the　tranquillity　and　happiness　of　the　State。　　But　in　America　nothing　seems　to　be　more　prejudicial　to　society　than　these　virtues。　The　French　Canadians；　who　have　faithfully　preserved　the　traditions　o