46 MARYLAND.

congress, under the present census, that there
was under that of 1790, altho' the ratio has be
en raised from 30 to 40,000 .

The actual political influence of Maryland,
as a member of the confederation, is now rather
less than one half what it was at the adoption
of the constitution, even if she avail herself of
every advantage.

Happily for Maryland, the political influence
of a state is not entirely dependent upon its
representation. Position is of vast impor-
tance. Natural conveniences of navigation is
no less so. In both those respects, as well as
in the facilities offered for internal improvement
and manufactures, Marvland has advantages
unrivaled by any state of the Union, except
New York, and might justly contend for the
palm with that prosperous state, to which
she is mainly inferior in extent only. Our po-
litical position as a central key stone to
the union—as partaking of the climate of
both the sections, and able to resort to the per-
suits of either or both—as having in her bosom,
if not under her wings, the rapidly increasing
Capital of the nation with its vast advantages as
such—possessing an extent of coast, not in-
deed of sea coast, but of water course, auperior
for domestic conveniences to any sea coast,
and larger in extent than that of any state of the
union—having a key of communication with
the north, the north west, and the west, not on-
ly equal, but fairly superior to that of New-