The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-10-26

THE British Nati0n-History seems TO show
that it is the habit Of the nation to add things
to old so that are the most conservative, and at
| the same time, the most innovating people in the
world. We have added government by barons to
government by king, and government by the
people to them both, hardly dropping or mislaying
single inconvenience incident to all three. We
have added the peculiar exgencies of Protestant
Church to the pretensons and cost Of the Roman
Catholic and, without the assistance of the State
the people have now undertaken at least an equal
load, in the shape of their numerous dissenting
establishments. There writers who maintain,
with much gravity and some force, that the crown
and the Saxon institutions Of the country are am
ply suticienfor its government, with both freedom
and effect, and that Parliament is useless inter-
poat!on while there are others who think the
House Of Commons sufficient for all practical pur-
poses. On the combined judgement of the two
parties doubly governed, and of our
governments s superfiuous. We have thrown the
Pelion Of the statute law upon the Ossa OF the
mon law, each enough to crush any generation of
lawyers any nation Of htgants. To the two
wealthiest Of universities, and the largest aggre-
gate of endowed schools in the world, we have
added the greatest amount Of schools and colleges
maintained by local and general subscription and
the State has lately added, and is still adding, at
very great cost, systems of education, TO a
great extent occupying the very same ground To
that trade which we had with all the world we ad-
ded our colonial empire, with its monopoies, its
OHerentldI duteS, ana It's navigation laws and Tor
its support we Immensely increased our ornaments
well civil establishments. We have
lstterly discovered that the object for which This
increase was made was mistaken one, and,
cordingly, we have given up the colonial system as
an exclusive source Of profit but we have, never
theless, retained our increased nrmaments and
other colonial expenses Nay we have added to
them. In throwing ourselves more upon the
open commerce Of the world, we have undertaken
the police OF the most distant seas, and offered to
be the letter-carriers of the world. The result is
that we now charged with costs of both defunct
monopoly and regenerated free trade.
The shape in which this habit OF super addition
most appeals to the senses, and becomes most ludi
crous, is the material of our armanents. We have
astock Of guns shot, Shells POWDER ball cartridges
rockets, anchors, ropes, masts and spars sde-arms
etc, enough 10 meet the most lavish possible con-
sumption for at least three years. Yet, besides de-
terlora,iOn by time, no man would venture to say
how much Of this vast magazine of destruction has
been superseded by Improvements; 50 that if we
had 10 prepare for war in good earnest, we should
probably have TO add new material to our old. At
present, if man proposes an improvement in the
mu7ke. he is told that he must adapt il 10 the er-
istIng 6j millions Of ball cartridges and if he thinks
he has found out better cartridge or ball, he is
told they must be large enough TO fit the existing
mnsket7. Had gun cotton been found eats and
effective agent, it would have superseded 10 OOO
barrels Of guRpowder. The fire in the Tower saved
us from the necessity Of keeping hundred thousand
uD'OlclS Dul ntlbllg lS more likely llan
that our present store will be equally Of date by
the time II is wanled As for our navy, it is be-
coming almost too tragcal affair TO be talked
about We have added three decker to three.decker
and steam-fngate to steam frigate, till all that can
be said Is that we possess the largest accumulation
Of rotten wood and rusty iron in the world.
1t has been our ambition moi merely to do every
thing if did that alone, but to do every thing
on grand scale, because we do other things on a
grand scale. A nation might propose to itself to
I'M fbp 1fy
by warlike demonstrations or by a splendid and
generous diplomacy. We have aimed at both We
have swollen the pomp of our embassies that they
may fLy represent nation of vast naval power
while ii is equally true that the pride of our embas-
sizes has reacted on the size of fleets. Were it
left to our dpomatists and navy to settle it be-
tween themselves, should soon have twenty
first class embassies and Gordon of alternate ships
of the line and stsam-frigates round Europe, from
COnsantinople to CrOnsadt. That mutual rivalry
proves n common eI'rAvGghnCe. EmbassaiOrs arc
not made to rely on f.ets and fleets are not made
to back up veTatIous and clustering diplomacy
We must be reasoning in a circle, if we maintain
diplomatic Establishments at cost of about ElS0.
GOO year, and consular establishments not less
oneroua 10 our commerce and the state, because, |
simply be cause, we possess the largest and most
costly navy in the world The truth is, we attempt
too much-mOfe than any one nation can do, with |
out distress to its own people, loss to it's credit and
injury TO the general interests of humanity 1t has
often been said that man never knows what he
can do till he tries 1t is equally true that he does
not know what he cannot do till he tries. England
has tried, and she now knows that she cannot gov
ern the world. london Times.