Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-09-01
From the Boston Post. g
The Nations Of the Old World.

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The Nations Of the Old World.
Watchmen, what Of the night? Amer
leans may ask, as they look from their PEI
culiar point Of view upon the affairs Of the
old world. On tie face Of things there
appears the same old round Of royalty, OPP
preston, degradation, and submissicn.-
Are there signs Of the workings Of any
under current, that will heave them up,
throw them down, and bear them off go
Are whole nations slumbering unconscious
Of the injustice that bears them down, or
are there activity, progress, and sensible
anelioration? Il may be interesting to
glance at the state Of some Of the nations
Of the old world. 3#f Feas'aff
Great Britain is the first nation in inter-
est and importance. Her masses are re-
joicing in 9 victory they have just won
over the aristocracy, in the repeal Of the
odious corn laws. But there is more
work veto be done. The parliament that
passed the repeal is to be succeeded by
one fresh from the people-o or rather that
portion of it who vote-and the tories have
rallied on the principle Of re- enacting
these laws, or Of re establishing the plau-
sible but fallacious protection theory. To
suppose they will succeed, is to suppose
that revolutions of this sort go backward.
It is more probable that the power that
broke down tho corn laws, in good time,
establish equal representation, annual cleo
tons, the ballot, and other things awful to
the ears OF kings and nobility, but ideal
music to the friends of freedom. The re-
cent pecuniary pressure, arising partly
from the rush Of enterprise into railway
projects, partly by the import Of food, has
infused vigor into internal politics, SO that
the elections promise to be stoutly contest
ed. Meantime, through all the vicissi-
tudes Of internal strife, the government
keeps as sharp an eye as ever on national
grandisement; ana whenever door OPP
ems for interference in the affairs Of nations,
it needs no other invitation to walk in but
that which ambition suggests. Great Brit
ain was never playing more largely at the
game of annexation. In India her power
is growing with rapid strides. 1t is main
tanned BY an army with a nuclus of thir-
ty thousand British troops, and circle Of
hundreds Of thousands Of native troops; it
is increased by the process of fomenting
quarrels among the Hindoo governments,
then interfering to stop them, deposing the
rajahs, and seizing their dominions. In
China, Great Britain cut bloody swarth
OF humn beings, and theh planted her flag;
and because the people of The celestial EN-.
pire regard her subjects as murderers,
and hates them, she has lately swept their
forts threatened destruction to their cities,
and, for security, meditates further con-
quests. She mas continent growing up
in Australia, is engaged in bloody con-
tests with the Kafiirs Of the Cape of Good
Hope, and, as her commercial interests
may dictate, occupies island after island
on the ocean. Besides this, she is swift
to NEEDLE with nations, near or remote
She assists Turkey to manage her rebel
lious provinces, carries on antiques in
Persia, and sends troops to sustain depo-
,ism in Portugal. Such is only BIRDS
eye view Of her great foreign activity
The only power which has successfully
rivalled her in commerce and ioiled her in
politics, is the United States.
France, like England, is laboring at home
in political reform, and aims abroad at CO.
lonial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. The democratic
leaven of the revolution is still at work,
demanding new degrees Of freedom, and
an abolition Of the absurd TAXATION tina,
grinds the working classes; while CONNER
cial enterprise stimulated by British CAPT.
tai and profits, has received Of late new
impulse. The Guizot ministry totlers to
lis foundation. Besides trucking to Eng
land, it is thoroughly corrupt The man
ner in which Guizot met the grave charges
brought against it, was seIf.nficted
death blow to his power. In its foreign
affairs, save only in Algeria, France has
been miserably inefficient, manifesting not
remnant ofthe splendid energy that char
acterised her in the Napoleon period If
she NEEDLES in the Polish question she is
toiled by Russia; if in the Turkish ques.
ton she is outgeneralled by England
She conquered colony in Africa, which
requires 10 maintain an army continually
increasing in number; and her last victory
is the destruction Of thousand Of the
Chinese. @
Portugal is the seat OF savage war;
The Queen and the ministries she has had
oppressed the people until oppression
could be borne no longer, when they rose
in REBELLION, fought awhile hard and molly
to expel the tyrants, and were about to be.
come successful, when Great Britain in
terfered in behalf ofthe queen and defeat
ed the Portuguese patriots with immense
slaughter. This, if we CLEAN Alright from
interminable British debates, is the sum of
this recent medding Of England in the at
fairs Of Portugal. If so, then a more
wicked interference never was carried in
to successful operation. Be il remarked,
too, that it is the work Of ,rhig, alias of
liberal ministry! 1t is their way ofman-
ifesting love OF popular rights, viz. by
siding in favor of tyranny to put down
righteous cause! But it is only one Of the
thousand crimes committed by law in the
name Of liberty.
Spain, too-proud, beautiful, romantic,
classic as she isis torn by intestine con.
vulsions that grind the masses as between
the upper and neither millstones. In this
unhappy country we hear that sometimes