But　from　the　Potomac　to　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi　the　coast　is　sandy　and　flat。　　In　this　part　of　the　Union　the　mouths　of　almost　all　the　rivers　are　obstructed；　and　the　few　harbors　which　exist　amongst　these　lagoons　afford　much　shallower　water　to　vessels；　and　much　fewer　commercial　advantages　than　those　of　the　North。
  This　first　natural　cause　of　inferiority　is　united　to　another　cause　proceeding　from　the　laws。　　We　have　already　seen　that　slavery；　which　is　abolished　in　the　North；　still　exists　in　the　South；　and　I　have　pointed　out　its　fatal　consequences　upon　the　prosperity　of　the　planter　himself。
  The　North　is　therefore　superior　to　the　South　both　in　commerce　*m　and　manufacture；　the　natural　consequence　of　which　is　the　more　rapid　increase　of　population　and　of　wealth　within　its　borders。　　The　States　situate　upon　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean　are　already　half…peopled。　　Most　of　the　land　is　held　by　an　owner；　and　these　districts　cannot　therefore　receive　so　many　emigrants　as　the　Western　States；　where　a　boundless　field　is　still　open　to　their　exertions。　　The　valley　of　the　Mississippi　is　far　more　fertile　than　the　coast　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean。　　This　reason；　added　to　all　the　others；　contributes　to　drive　the　Europeans　westward　…　a　fact　which　may　be　rigorously　demonstrated　by　figures。　　It　is　found　that　the　sum　total　of　the　population　of　all　the　United　States　has　about　tripled　in　the　course　of　forty　years。　　But　in　the　recent　States　adjacent　to　the　Mississippi；　the　population　has　increased　thirty…one…fold；　within　the　same　space　of　time。　*n
  ＇Footnote　m：　The　following　statements　will　suffice　to　show　the　difference　which　exists　between　the　commerce　of　the　South　and　that　of　the　North：　…
  In　1829　the　tonnage　of　all　the　merchant　vessels　belonging　to　Virginia；　the　two　Carolinas；　and　Georgia　（the　four　great　Southern　States）；　amounted　to　only　5；243　tons。　　In　the　same　year　the　tonnage　of　the　vessels　of　the　State　of　Massachusetts　alone　amounted　to　17；322　tons。　　（See　Legislative　Documents；　21st　Congress；　2d　session；　No。　140；　p。　244。）　Thus　the　State　of　Massachusetts　had　three　times　as　much　shipping　as　the　four　above…mentioned　States。　Nevertheless　the　area　of　the　State　of　Massachusetts　is　only　7；335　square　miles；　and　its　population　amounts　to　610；014　inhabitants　＇2；238；943　in　1890＇；　whilst　the　area　of　the　four　other　States　I　have　quoted　is　210；000　square　miles；　and　their　population　3；047；767。　　Thus　the　area　of　the　State　of　Massachusetts　forms　only　one…thirtieth　part　of　the　area　of　the　four　States；　and　its　population　is　five　times　smaller　than　theirs。　　（See　〃Darby's　View　of　the　United　States。〃）　Slavery　is　prejudicial　to　the　commercial　prosperity　of　the　South　in　several　different　ways；　by　diminishing　the　spirit　of　enterprise　amongst　the　whites；　and　by　preventing　them　from　meeting　with　as　numerous　a　class　of　sailors　as　they　require。　　Sailors　are　usually　taken　from　the　lowest　ranks　of　the　population。　But　in　the　Southern　States　these　lowest　ranks　are　composed　of　slaves；　and　it　is　very　difficult　to　employ　them　at　sea。　　They　are　unable　to　serve　as　well　as　a　white　crew；　and　apprehensions　would　always　be　entertained　of　their　mutinying　in　the　middle　of　the　ocean；　or　of　their　escaping　in　the　foreign　countries　at　which　they　might　touch。＇
  ＇Footnote　n：　〃Darby's　View　of　the　United　States；〃　p。　444。＇
  The　relative　position　of　the　central　federal　power　is　continually　displaced。　　Forty　years　ago　the　majority　of　the　citizens　of　the　Union　was　established　upon　the　coast　of　the　Atlantic；　in　the　environs　of　the　spot　upon　which　Washington　now　stands；　but　the　great　body　of　the　people　is　now　advancing　inland　and　to　the　north；　so　that　in　twenty　years　the　majority　will　unquestionably　be　on　the　western　side　of　the　Alleghanies。　　If　the　Union　goes　on　to　subsist；　the　basin　of　the　Mississippi　is　evidently　marked　out；　by　its　fertility　and　its　extent；　as　the　future　centre　of　the　Federal　Government。　In　thirty　or　forty　years；　that　tract　of　country　will　have　assumed　the　rank　which　naturally　belongs　to　it。　　It　is　easy　to　calculate　that　its　population；　compared　to　that　of　the　coast　of　the　Atlantic；　will　be；　in　round　numbers；　as　40　to　11。　　In　a　few　years　the　States　which　founded　the　Union　will　lose　the　direction　of　its　policy；　and　the　population　of　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi　will　preponderate　in　the　federal　assemblies。
  This　constant　gravitation　of　the　federal　power　and　influence　towards　the　northwest　is　shown　every　ten　years；　when　a　general　census　of　the　population　is　made；　and　the　number　of　delegates　which　each　State　sends　to　Congress　is　settled　afresh。　*o　In　1790　Virginia　had　nineteen　representatives　in　Congress。　This　number　continued　to　increase　until　the　year　1813；　when　it　reached　to　twenty…three；　from　that　time　it　began　to　decrease；　and　in　1833　Virginia　elected　only　twenty…one　representatives。　*p　During　the　same　period　the　State　of　New　York　progressed　in　the　contrary　direction：　in　1790　it　had　ten　representatives　in　Congress；　in　1813；　twenty…seven；　in　1823；　thirty…four；　and　in　1833；　forty。　　The　State　of　Ohio　had　only　one　representative　in　1803；　and　in　1833　it　had　already　nineteen。
  ＇Footnote　o：　It　may　be　seen　that　in　the　course　of　the　last　ten　years　（1820…1830）　the　population　of　one　district；　as；　for　instance；　the　State　of　Delaware；　has　increased　in　the　proportion　of　five　per　cent。；　whilst　that　of　another；　as　the　territory　of　Michigan；　has　increased　250　per　cent。　　Thus　the　population　of　Virginia　had　augmented　thirteen　per　cent。；　and　that　of　the　border　State　of　Ohio　sixty…one　per　cent。；　in　the　same　space　of　time。　　The　general　table　of　these　changes；　which　is　given　in　the　〃National　Calendar；〃　displays　a　striking　picture　of　the　unequal　fortunes　of　the　different　States。＇
  ＇Footnote　p：　It　has　just　been　said　that　in　the　course　of　the　last　term　the　population　of　Virginia　has　increased　thirteen　per　cent。；　and　it　is　necessary　to　explain　how　the　number　of　representatives　for　a　State　may　decrease；　when　the　population　of　that　State；　far　from　diminishing；　is　actually　upon　the　increase。　　I　take　the　State　of　Virginia；　to　which　I　have　already　alluded；　as　my　term　of　comparison。　　The　number　of　representatives　of　Virginia　in　1823　was　proportionate　to　the　total　number　of　the　representatives　of　the　Union；　and　to　the　relation　which　the　population　bore　to　that　of　the　whole　Union：　in　1833　the　number　of　representatives　of　Virginia　was　likewise　proportionate　to　the　total　number　of　the　representatives　of　the　Union；　and　to　the　relation　which　its　population；　augmented　in　the　course　of　ten　years；　bore　to　the　augmented　population　of　the　Union　in　the　same　space　of　time。　　The　new　number　of　Virginian　representatives　will　then　be　to　the　old　numver；　on　the　one　hand；　as　the　new　numver　of　all　the　representatives　is　to　the　old　number；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　as　the　augmentation　of　the　population　of　Virginia　is　to　that　of　the　whole　population　of　the　country。　　Thus；　if　the　increase　of　the　population　of　the　lesser　country　be　to　that　of　the　greater　in　an　exact　inverse　ratio　of　the　proportion　between　the　new　and　the　old　numbers　of　all　the　representatives；　the　number　of　the　representatives　of　Virginia　will　remain　stationary；　and　if　the　increase　of　the　Virginian　population　be　to　that　of　the　whole　Union　in　a　feeblerratio　than　the　new　number　of　the　representatives　of　the　Union　to　the　old　number；　the　number　of　the　representatives　of　Virginia　must　decrease。　＇Thus；　to　the　56th　Congress　in　1899；　Virginia　and　West　Virginia　send　only　fourteen　representatives。＇＇
  Chapter　XVIII：　Future　Condition　Of　Three　Races　…　Part　VII
  The　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　talk　a　great　deal　of　their　attachment　to　their　country；　but　I　confess　that　I　do　not　rely　upon　that　calculating　patriotism　which　is　founded　upon　interest；　and　which　a　change　in　the　interests　at　stake　may　obliterate。　　Nor　do　I　attach　much　importance　to　the　language　of　the　Americans；　when　they　manifest；　in　their　daily　conversations；　the　intention　of　maintaining　the　federal　system　adopted　by　their　forefathers。　A　government　retains　its　sway　over　a　great　number　of　citizens；　far　less　by　the　voluntary　and　rational　consent　of　the　multitude；　than　by　that　instinctive；　and　to　a　certain　extent　involuntary　agreement；　which　results　from　similarity　of　feelings　and　resemblances　of　opinion。　　I　will　never　admit　that　men　constitute　a　social　body；　simply　because　they　obey　the　same　head　and　the　same　laws。　Society　can　only　exist　when　a　great　number　of　men　consider　a　great　number　of　things　in　the　same　point　of　view；　when　they　hold　the　same　opinions　upon　many　subjects；　and　when　the　same　occurrences　suggest　the　same　thoughts　and　impressions　to　their　minds。
  The　observer　who　examines　the　present　condition　of　the　United　States　upon　this　principle；　will　readily　discover；　that　although　the　citizens　are　divided　into　twenty…four　distinct　sovereignties；　they　nevertheless　constitute　a　single　people；　and　he　may　perhaps　be　led　to　think　that　the　state　of　the　Anglo…American　Union　is　more　truly　a　state　of　society　than　that　of　certain　nations　of　Europe　which　live　under　the　same　legislation　and　the　same　prince。
  Although　the　Anglo…Americans　have　several　religious　sects；　they　all　regard　religion　in　the　same　manner。　　They　are　not　always　agreed　upon　the　measures　which　are　most　conducive　to　good　government；　and　they　vary