Governor Pownal, an English statesman, in 1780, while our Revolution was
in progress, predicted that this country would become independent, and
that a civilizing activity beyond what Europe could ever know, would
animate it; and that its commercial and naval power would be found in
every quarter of the globe. Again he said:--

"North America has advanced, and is every day advancing, to growth
of state, with a steady and continually accelerating motion, of
which there never has yet been any example in Europe."

David Hartley wrote from England in 1777:--

"At sea, which has hitherto been our prerogative element, they [the
United States] rise against us at a stupendous rate; and if we
cannot return to our old mutual hospitalities toward each other, a
very few years will show us a most formidable hostile marine,
ready to join hands with any of our enemies."

Count d'Aranda, one of the first of Spanish statesmen, in 1783 thus
wrote of this republic:--

"This Federal Republic is born a pygmy, so to speak. It required
the support and forces of two powers as great as Spain and France
in order to attain independence. A day will come when it will be a
giant, even a colossus formidable in these countries."[1]

[1] These quotations are from an article by Hon. Charles Sumner,
entitled, "Prophetic Voices about America," published in the _Atlantic
Monthly_ of September, 1807.