Perhaps this apparently trivial incident may transfer the great seat of empire to America." On the day after the Declaration of Independence, he wrote:-- "Yesterday the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America, and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men." In 1776, Galiani, a Neapolitan, predicted the gradual decay of European institutions, to renew themselves in America.

In 1778, in reference to the question as to which was to be the ruling power in the world, Europe or America, he said:-- "I will wager in favor of America." Adam Smith of Scotland, in 1776, predicted the transfer of empire to America.
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.