lics, citizens by birth, are to be excluded from office as dangerous, has not every other government on the face of the earth as strong a right to exclude foreign Protestants from its territory? What would you say if Austria was to declare to-morrow that none but Americans who are Catholics are permitted to travel through her territories? How could you remonstrate? If you have the right to ostracize the very natives of your soil, on the ground that being Catholics they are dangerous to your institutions, Austria would have a much stronger right to ostracize American Protestants on the same plea-that they are dangerous to her peculiar form of government. You judge for yourselves. She also would judge for herself, just as unmindful as you are of any other consideration than that of her fancied security or danger.

It is our national policy to claim a sort of protectorate over Mexico, and over all those republics which have sprung up in South America; this we claim as being their elder sister. You wish your influence to predominate in this continent over that of any European power. Do you think that it will further your views to proclaim from the White House and from the Capitol that all those nations are composed of imbecile wretches, unworthy of any office of trust or profit? Do you not think that you would put, by so doing, a doubleedged weapon in the hands of your powerful and sleepless adversaries, England and France? A very wise and a fine thing it is, indeed, for those who desire to annex Cuba, to declare to those very beings whom they are goading into rebellion against the government of Spain, that, when they become Americans, they shall be held unworthy of any office of trust or profit! But it is needless to give further illustrations. It is self-evident that our government would become powerless, at home and abroad, if any administration got into power on the platform which is sought to be established. Say what you please, disguise it as you like, if you retain in the constitution of the order the obnoxious clauses which I denounce to you as pregnant with so much mischief, and if you become the government, the cry will be that the government interferes with the right of conscience; it will be the truth, and the prestige of our republic will be lost throughout the world. On the day when the wing of every wind shall carry to the most distant regions of the earth the news that one of the principles of this government is the proscription of Catholics, a howl of despair will be heard from the oppressed in every country. They will abandon forever the hope of our interfering in their favor, even through the exertion of moral influence, because they will feel that if we

have the right to oppress our Catholic brethren on the ground that they are dangerous, all other governments may use the same arguments to justify their tyrannical acts.

The reasons which you give in support of your hostile position against Catholicism are the very same which, centuries ago, were used to justify the persecution of Christianity itself, so that you cannot even claim the merit of invention. You are plagiarists. If the Emperor Julian, if Theodoric the Goth, could rise from the tomb, they would complain of your stealing their thunder. But if you are disposed to borrow the logic of that long train of Caesars who have had to answer for the blood of so many martyrs, why do you not imitate its application? Amphitheatres and arenas may still be constructed; lions and tigers may still be found to tear human limbs; men and women, the aged and the young, are still ready to die rather than abjure their God; and if the old Roman populace may be wanted in vain to shout with joy at the exhilarating scene of torture, methinks that another race of beings might be seen rising from the bowels of the earth to witness an exhibition so gratifying to their nature, and so worthy of their character.

Whilst upon the subject of Catholic and Protestant, native and foreigner, we will append some extracts from a paper prepared a short time ago by Louis Schade, of Washington. We have not had time to examine his argument, which is carried out with great labor and minuteness, but will allow him to speak for himself.

This will be to many an astonishing result, but the author is well assured of the correctness of his statement. There may be a difference of some hundreds or thousands, but the millions cannot be altered. And in order to show how well the above estimates correspond with the increase of other countries, and to remove any doubt of their correctness, the following table has been compiled:

Increase of various European nations since the last decennium of the 18th century.

This table clearly proves the above estimate of the population of the United States, without immigration since 1790, to be not only a correct one, but even exhibiting a higher increase than any other country. England, the highest among them all, is still 27 on the hundred behind the United States. The immigrants and their descendants number in 1850, since 1790-12,432,150

To speculate on these astounding results is not the object of the author, and he leaves this to all those who feel an interest in these statistics, as he is convinced that in the present political struggle his statements will be regarded and appreciated by all parties. His point of view is not so much a political as a scientific one, and, therefore, he hopes that, by all statisticians, these calculations will be honored with a thorough examination.

MANUFACTURES, MINING, AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

SOUTHWESTERN RAILROAD PROGRESS.

Colonel Campbell, President of the New Orleans and Great Northern Railroad Company, furnishes some interesting material in regard to the progress of southwestern roads. We regret not to have received the report of the Opelousas and Texas Railroad Company, so as to add its results.

By reference to the documents already referred to, which accompany this report, it will be perceived that the receipts of the company, from its organization to the present time, have been $4,694,010 33, and its expenditures $3,046,829 35, leaving a balance of $1,647,180 98 on hand, or $1,625,000 in bonds and $22,180 98 in cash. The receipts of the year ending April 3d added to the cash on hand at the beginning of the year, amount to $2,957,755 40, and the expenditures to $310,574 42. The indebtedness of the company is $695,991 44, all in promissory notes, of which $152,562 65 matures between this date and December next, and the balance, $543,428 79, after that date. The active assets of the company, or such as may be converted into cash, amount, as per the statement exhibited, to $1,797,180 98, which, after deducting the entire liabilities of the company, leaves a surplus of upwards of $1,100,000 on hand. To this sum upwards of $1,000,000 might with propriety be added for county and individual subscriptions in Mississippi, already made, and the internal improvement lands donated to the company by that State, showing a clear balance of assets, over and above the liabilities of the company, of more than two millions.

The board of directors have acted during the last year with a constant desire to retrench the expenses of the company, and to limit expenditures to our available means. Had it not been for the stringency of the times, the road might have been completed to Canton by the commencement of next year. A temporary suspension of portions of the work was dictated by every consideration of sound policy. We have continued

to press forward the work at those points which, when finished, will afford the greatest advantage to local interests, and secure additional facilities for hastening the completion of the whole line. Our principal contractors are largely interested in the success of the enterprise, and, appreciating the necessity and wisdom of our policy, have evinced a most laudable alacrity in promoting the wishes of the directors. The impossibility of selling bonds in large amounts, and the high price of money on loan, together with the necessity of providing machinery and preserving the credit of our floating debt, has cramped our operations and been the source of much labor and anxiety. We have the satisfaction of stating that, under all our difficulties, the credit of the company has been fully protected. Through three years' operations, under an expenditure of more than three millions of dollars, and with the numerous transactions in money essential to the management of our business, the company has never been dishonored by protest. No money has been expended in permanent depots or embellishments. Our constant desire is, the extension of the road. That portion of the road included in Louisiana, in a practical point of view, may be regarded as finished. The income is now more than is necessary to defray all costs, and will continue to increase. An extension of twenty miles, which may be effected by November, will double the receipts and add but little to the expense. Negotiations are in progress to put on a daily line of coaches from Jackson to the State line, and to carry the United States mail and passengers daily between New Orleans and Jackson. When the rails are laid on the first twenty-four miles north of the State line, which may be easily accomplished by the first of January, only seventy miles of staging will remain, and that over an excellent road. Passengers and the mail may be carried to Jackson in 18 hours, and to Vicksburg in 20 hours.

The board of directors are fully impressed with the importance of immediate attention to the interests of the company of Mississippi. Up to this time it has not been in the power of the president to visit that section in person. Of the last year, six months of his time were consumed in the foreign mission; and since his return, duties at the legislature, (growing out of engagements made previously to his connexion with the board,) together with many local details in the management of the business of the company in New Orleans, have necessarily confined his personal attention to Louisiana. Nearly four-fifths of our road is within the State of Mississippi, and passes through central counties remote from navi