Future financial prospects of the United States. Military ex- Quarterly of church of England revenues, and those of the Extract from "Review of Captain B. Hall's Travels" General Table of all religious denominations throughout the United States, specifying the number of ministers, churches, Table showing the number of clergymen and churches of dif- ferent denominations in each state of the union, as far as they Table showing the governor's term and salary, the number of senators and representatives, with their respective terms and Statement, showing the aggregate number of persons in each of the states, according to the fifth census, and distinguishing the slave from the free population in each state, according to the corrections made in the returns of the marshals and their A REMARKS ON THE STATISTICS, &c. OF THE UNITED STATES. CHAPTER I. Introductory.-Misconceptions on the subject of America in Europe. Contradictory accounts of travellers.-Arguments suited to European governments not often applicable to the United States.-Government of that country well adapted to the circumstances of its inhabitants. ALTHOUGH the attention of Europeans, since the conclusion of the treaty of Ghent in 1814, has been directed to the progress of the United States of North America with more interest than at former periods, and although the rapidly increasing population and resources of the federal union have been of late years more justly appreciated than heretofore, yet there is perhaps no country of equal importance that is in fact so little known in Europe generally. No better proof can be wanting of this C די ignorance in our country, on the subject of America, than the conflicting and contradictory opinions and reports concerning it that are continually made public. Not only the allusions frequently made in either house of parliament to the theoretic tendency and practical effects of her political institutions, but the observations of the daily and periodical press furnish ample evidence of the great difference of opinion that exists on the advantages or defects of her form of government, and its influence on the social system in some measure its consequence. That many misconceptions as to the real situation of the Americans should be entertained by those who have never visited their country is the less surprising, when we observe that, even among the numerous travellers in the United States who have published their impressions of its present condition, or their views of its future prospects, there should be such diversity of opinion, that one is sometimes inclined to doubt that the different writers are describing the self-same country. This may doubtless be said of accounts of other countries; but, where intercourse is frequent, and distance from our homes not great, vulgar errors are rectified, or prejudiced mistatements contradicted, with greater facility and certainty than where that serious |