Upon the whole, the late prospects of America are cheering. Many independent nations have sprung, which deem themselves Americans, and love their homes. A general spirit of tolerance and peace is spreading, the true religion of the heart better understood; and a disposition is evincing to render tardy justice to the oppressed tribes, and the poor slaves. Those who wish oppression and intolerance to be perpetuated, are not many in this continent, at present; they will be fewer still in half a century or the year 1892.
Thus, mankind lives in fluctuations of mind and manners. A few ages have been sufficient to produce these mighty changes. Meanwhile, nature although changing slower, is still at work on the soil of this hemisphere. Since 1492 volcanoes have appeared and disappeared, the sea shores have receded, the lakes are falling, the streams are lessening, the mountains are crumbling, the swamps are draining: immense forests have been cut, and changed into ploughed fields, hills have been cut or ploughed, roads, causeways and canals made, splendid cities have been built, with innumerable towns and villages. The deltas of the Mississippi and Magdalena have been cultivated, many mines dug for metals or coals. The face of the country has been quite changed in these new seats of civilization; in the regions of Apalacha from Canada to Louisiana, in Guyana, Brazil; but in the western regions from Mexico to Chili, agriculture has rather receded: they had at least as many towns and fields in ancient times.
Earthquakes and irruptions of the sea have caused sad changes in other parts, gulfs have been formed on the coast of Cumana, Callao twice sunken in volcanic tides, mountains and cities overthrown from Popayan to Chili: while the alluvial formations proceed along the streams and shores; their floods are perennials, increasing deltas and islands: Hurricanes scatter ruins and dismay over the Antilles, whirlwinds prostrate strips of forests. The spouting springs and earthy volcanoes eject water, mud, clay and marl, pitch and other substances. The water volcanoes drown valleys and cities, have ruined Guatimala, and desolated Quito. Mexico near a lake and often overflowed by it, is now distantly removed; the lake having been drained by nature and art jointly combined.(16)