The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-23
EDITORS coRREsPoNDFNSs
[From our London correspondent.l

rrom our London Correspondent
LONDON, May 30, lss {
In commencing regular series of letters S .'
"Union,n l beg leave respectfully 10 snn,;O'
reader that he must not look this way for C..
able intelligence, court news, or the agreeahls ~
chat Of West-end drawing-room. Howevsr .s aS
tanning these things may be in themselves f Iaa
imposed on myself what deem far higher ,.s Iss
that of being the faithful chronicer of evsn,s
the expounder Of principles which have : ~.
on the historical development Of Europe and '. s
lea, and the lasting forms Of society which n'
the physiognomy Of mankind. | can. Of .o maa
promise nothing but that will apply mvsslSI
gently TO the work, and that my zeal - s"V
good cause shall make amends for nv wan, 'sI
pacity. My hope of success rests mainly os
indulgence of the public.
The two most prominent nations on the b;s,o. n
stage are England and the United S,ates-no, ny
land and France, or England and Russia AZ -. .y 4
writers would make US believe. France mS
military navy much larger than ours, is not MN
speaking, maritime power. She walks ,be oo..Y
but she is not at home on it. Russia is MAJ
perfatiop---a Scythian empire after the invsa''
of unpowder--receiving her strength from n
weakness of her neighbors. But her navy i Nm
up by inland seas; she has no coasng trade ANA.
fisheries to form sailors; and nation thai car
keep the sea, is like an army that cannot Keen N
hut N "a.
is weak in open battle. The sea is the erea, -.
ductor of civilization and power; and here !
where America has every advantage Of position -
terprse, and natural adaptation of her people wbs
must eventually secure to her the supremacy on ~
great road to national wealth and distinction m
Phenicians, the Venetians, the Portuguese and n n
Dutch, were in turn great navigators. But Epgl,S
had the advantage Of position. She is an islsns
bounded westward by the Atlantic ocean. Az,
D l.a pf he 81 ~
America, nothing but the effemnacy of her peo,I.
could have prevented her from becoming the ms,,..
of the ocean.
With the independence of the United States com
mences new era in history not only as regards N.
principles of government which have since i5anen,as
the progress of nations, but also as regards The A.
tribution of material power. Europe is but ueuI.
sula of Asia; America is huge continent bv ,s.l
bordering on two oceans, and intersected in am0.
every direction by large navigabe rivers The /.
tercourse between Europe and Asia, which reun,,,
the circumnavigation of thescapes, may, in time ~
a direct passage across the American continent 4
mediated by the United States. Already, the ANN,
tic ocean is to the modern commercial nations VIA.
the Mediterranean was to the ancients; and vb,
the western part of the American continent shall MI
settled, the Pacific will rival its activity The weaS
of the East will flow into the United States, and an
pear as a new factor Of American civilization.
graphical point of view, capable of exciting The an
wy of their rivals. Descended from England m
most enterprising nation of the Old World, and sun
passing her, by the superiority Of their free pstu
tons, in activity and courage, they are naturally
object of suspicion and terror to the antiquaed M
tons of Europe. "The inherent powers Of Ameua
and England" say European writers, care al len
equal, but the field of action is ncomparably larger
in the United States" And this is not only OWN
to the extent of territory, but cheAy--
lst To the economy introduced by the abolition
of the feudal system.
Cd. To the changes introduced into modern CON-
merce and navigation; and
Sd. To the monopoly enjoyed in America in h n
production of the greatest staple.
Il will speak of these in order. BY the abolition
of the feudal system, labor was emancipated and
rendered productive, and the transfer Of properly
made cheap and easy. Europe, perceiving the in.
mense advantages Of our system, has made som,
steps toward it, but cannot succeed without going
through another revolution. Here, them the exam.
pie of the United States acts as dangerous s,imu.
liant in Europe; and, for this reason, we must never
expect our institutions to become popular with lh.
privileged or ruling classes Of Europe.
As regards the changes introduced into modem 4
commerce, the most important consists in the ars
cles which now form the great staples, and conss
gueny the regulators Of prices At the time Of ls ~
Venetians, the northern Hansa and even at the com
of Dutch commercial supremacy, he +
chief articles of commerce were Of little bulk, Tn \
articles mostly imported from the east were vauabh
spices, jewels, and manufactured goods. The chs (
colonial articles Of the present day, sugar and COT
fee, were, even at later period, classed among de h
luxuries, and not the necessaries of life while he
worlds staple, (coTroN,) the most universal mate
rial for clothing was, in its raw condition only "a
article of commerce among the eastern nations who
it into cloth. All this is now tho
roughly changed. Sugar and coffee have becon.
articles OF universal consumption, while cotton II
at this moment, as much Of necessary as bread
Instead of importing cotton manufactures from In }
iia, cotton is manufactured in Europe, and erpmia
to India; SO that the latter country, once the fn
of the world, is now again changed l
into mere colony, destined to furnish the raw ma
erial.
This change in the commerce of the world could
not but operate corresponding change in navig
ton. The new staples--sugaf, coffee, Ito which
may also add teal and especially coiio,-were all d
a bulky kind requiring large vessels for their trans
portatlon, and quick passage to secure market y
The East India trade was, therefore, organized \
anew; and here il was where England signaly de- <
feated all her European rivals. Had there been no
American continent, and no West Indies to rival 4
The great staple productions of the East nothing,
the course of human probabilities, could have dlt
puted with England the supremacy of trade and
navigation.
The discovery and settlement Of America, and
the continual wars in Europe, which, while they
devastated the continent, left England, since Henry
VII, without an invasion from a foreign enemy
stimulated British industry, and laid the foundation
to that manufacturing enterprise which has since
become the admiration Of the world. The principe
which now became the British rule of action was
purchase the raw material, and pay for it by manr
features. 1t was principle which, il carried out
would render all nations tributary to Great Britain
whether they were directly dependent on her OF Il
not. 1t aimed, in fact, at nothing short of com
plete, universal commercial empire But the changes
which the progress Of commerce and manufactures X
produced in the organization Of society, soon pro,
duced civil wars in England and America. Iheoa
social edlfice was not large enough for the immense
the consequence was, new IeVe
luton at home, and the separation Qfthe united .fHr
lean colonies from England During the former, ms
national debt increased (from 1859 to ITO from
1854 1863 to fl28, 5S3, 635; which debt was neany
doubled during the American war; for in l7So r @
debt bad already increased to 9249, S5l, 62S. iM
French revolution nearly trebled this sum, whlcn,n
1917, amounted to tf84o ,262,477, and has since
January 5, 1644) only been diminished by a reduS
ton ofthe interest to S792, 339, 1913. ..
The wars of the French revolution gave mI
a fha IL he