Page 225 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

people. To the rising generation, must we especially look
with hope and confidence. Upon them, to a great extent,
rests the responsibility-and upon their conduct as citizens
and statesmen, must the future greatness and respectability
of the State be dependent. Wisconsin is possessed of every
requisite to make her rich, populous and powerful; and
to-day she presents an appearance of prosperity, never
before witnessed in one so young.
Unwise legislation-a reckless system of expenditure of
public money, and peculation by officials-have, it is true,
given us a bad reputation abroad, and over-trading and
speculation cramped the people and caused a stagnation in
trade; but these are evils of but a temporary nature-and,
it is to be hoped, will soon work out their remedy, and serve
as warnings for the future. Viewing the present condition
of Wisconsin, and considering that, but a few years since
she had not even a "habitation or a name" in the American
ronstellation-possessing,:as she does, a rich soil-a salubrious
climate-an inland sea upon her border-magnificent nav-
igable streams traversing her entire, length and breadth-
her forests of choice timber-her' minerals and ores-and
with a population, intelligent, moral and energetic-what
may we not anticipate for her future, mhen she shall have
attained the summit of greatness, the second stage of her
political existence? It will be years before she will have
reached the strength and vigor of her maturity. When
attained, may she long pursue the "even tenor" of her way-
and may many generations pass, before the historian shall
indite the "History of her Decline!"