Constantine the Great and the Monarch of Persepolis were separated by an immense desert. The Romans of the Eastern empire, under a warlike emperor, were accustomed to make inroads on Persia; they crossed the Tigris, captured the principal cities, and imagined the country to be subdued. A single year generally witnessed their retreat. The Persian, when his leader was ambitious, invaded Asia Minor, gained victories, and captured cities; the result was the same.

Louis the Fourteenth laid waste Lorraine and Franche Compté, to form a barrier against the invasion of the Germans: though it was detestable in a moral point of view, it was correct policy as regarded the national defence, and was completely successful.

Persia is divided from the British possessions on the Indus by a desolate and arid tract of country, where armies would perish from the difficulties of the route, even were no enemy to encounter them.

The desert of Atacama forms a powerful natural boundary between the dominions of Chili and Peru.

A desert, a thousand miles long and nearly three hundred miles wide, forms a boundary to

the United States of America on the west. The political fate of nations residing in future times beyond this boundary, in that district called Oregon, will be fixed by their situation. It is not possible that the natives of the coast of the Pacific, if true sons of America, will ever send their representatives to a distance of three thousand miles, over mountains ten thousand feet high, and a desert three hundred miles wide, to ascertain the mode in which they are to be governed, or to inquire with what foreign nations they may cultivate the arts of peace or partake the luxury of war.

CHAPTER VIII.

ON NATURAL KINGDOMS OR STATES.

SMALL NATURAL KINGDOMS THEIR ADVANTAGES AND

DISADVANTAGES.

THE surface of the earth is thus separated into certain natural divisions, which may be called natural kingdoms.

Every island is a natural kingdom. Every part of the world, surrounded by strong natural boundaries, is a natural kingdom.

It is impossible to conquer one-half of these divisions. In waging war with them, you must complete a total conquest or return.

No army could conquer half the empire of China. The Tartars and Chinese once made a treaty of partition. Nature declared its execution to be impossible.

Nor could the plains of England be divided between two kings. Canute and Edmund drew an imaginary line through the centre of the island. The treaty could not be observed.

Whenever a nation occupies part of a natural kingdom, it must either advance or retire. The kingdom of Prussia must be rounded by new acquisitions, or she must recede from her present dominion bordering on the Rhine. This is the reason why the Prussian eagle holds a sword in each arm; the nation is constantly armed to defend her unjust acquisition of territory.

If we examine attentively the map of Europe, we perceive that Great Britain, France, Spain, Holland, Switzerland, Bavaria, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, are natural kingdoms.

Norway has always been in vassalage, because her population is scattered over an extensive territory.

Turkey, Asia Minor, and Egypt, are joined by the power of a fleet, as they were under the Greek

emperors.

Persia has its ancient limits.

China has had her present territorial boundary during a space of more than two thousand years.

The Arabs conquered the world, but now cultivate the same quantity of sand that was originally given to their care.

Hindoostan is a natural empire, too weak to defend herself against unjust aggression.

America is arranged almost in natural divisions. It is probable that, at some future day, the New England States, throwing off the weight of the federal yoke, may once more become free. Thus, on the surface of the earth, man finds it impossible to change the decree of that Almighty Power whose will governs the Universe.

When natural kingdoms have a certain size, it is difficult to conquer them. Nothing but the fury of religious dissension could have subjected Bohemia, with her circular rampart of mountains, to a foreign power.

Small natural kingdoms in the vicinity of those which are larger, often lose their independence. Small islands are always subdued. No one could now unfurl the standard of empire on the island of Ithaca, or become king of the Fortunate Islands. The properties of the atmosphere must have changed, for it now refuses to support the pennon of a small potentate; or is it that, as the nations of the earth become more ancient, they become more wicked, and will not allow small empires to exist.

It has been attempted, but without success. Within the last forty years an individual established an empire on the island of Tristan de Cunha.