Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-02-15
Authorized AGENT
From the Illustrated London News.
Signs of Decay.


From the Illustrated London News.
Signs of Decay.
We told, on hig authority, that there Is moth
ing new undor the sun-that what has been may be
again-that all things reyolye in old appointed
circle-that for empires as well as for individuals
there is period of growth and period of decay
and that neither the mighty nor the humble can es-
cape the operation of the invarable law which fixes
penalty for every transgression, and which pun
ishes with the severity the high and the lowly.
A modern writer struck with the power of these
old truths, and tracing IN the past and present his
tory of Great Britain the operation Of causes which
must in the fullncss Of time, produce its fall has
drawn vivid picture of a New Zealander, sitting
upon ruined arch of London Bridge and moralizing
upon the fate of the mighty empire, become as
much thing of the past as Rome Greece, and AS
syria. But when we read the eloquent page, we
smile at the prediction of the writer. We cannot
believe that Babylon, that mighty city, who glori-
fled herself and lived deliciousy'' who said in her
heart sit as a Queen and shall see no SORROW y
shall ever fall from her high estate We think of
the wealth. the enterprise, the lndomltabe courage,
the intelligence the zeal and the piety of her sons
We see her wondrous progress IN arts that creek and
Roman never knew-the triumphs of her science, and
the blessings of civilization superior to any
ioyed by the earlier ages of the world and fancy
that in all these things there germs of stability
and progress which shall grow up and flourish in af
tcrtime, bearing the name and fame, the power and
the glory, of Great Britain to the remocs genera
tons.
the other side of the picture and ask ourselves more
calmly whether empire is indeed so firmly root
ed-so endeared to the world by its justice, humli-
ty, and benefcence-so supported by its own integr-
ty-so much removed from all possibility OF rivalry
as to defy the agencies of decay and ruin and stand
to the most distant times the Queen and the Model
of Nations. The picture is not quite so brilliant
when it is thus considered. The golden image is
found to have feet of clay The fair peach of pros
perity is to have worm within it. and the
mighty empire to be menaced with perilS from with
in and from without. We see that we have no ex-
elusive claim to the possession OF the virtues which
have raised US to the high position that we hold
that what we have, we share; that men of our own
blood and language have pcrmeated with our lntell-
gence. industry and cur enterprise the remotest
ends of the earth; that our sons have founded new
empires at present brilliant and promising in the
future to be more brilliant, than our own. If we
calculate the growth of population, we shall find
that IN fifty or twenty years hence, or even earlier
Great Britain will longer be the principal seat OF
the vigorous of the Anglo-Saxons and that al
though that may continue to rule the world, it
may not be from the banks of the Thames. or from
any part of the old country that gave them birth. |
An empire twenty thirty, or fifty times as extensive,
and as rich ours has already risen on the other
side of the Atlantic, to entce into its bosom the best
blood which remains to The young, the hardy, |
the perseverng OF our country, and of all the coun-
tries OF Europe that groan under the weight OF debt
OF difficulty, and of surplus population, and that
cannot say to their sons the New World does, that
every man is a man, welcome, for the sake of his
manhood to the great feast of Nature, where there
enough and to spare for the meancst, daily
vted to leave the shores of efete Europe and settle
in more vigorous America. The growth of the Uni
ted States is in reality, the downfall of Great Bri-
tain All the unhappy circumstances that are OF
prejudice to us, are of benefit to them. With the
mouths that camor to be fed causes of decay
With Them every additional mouth is additional
pair of hands, and every additional pair of hands is
an increase Of wealth. power, and influence, Let us
pour our millions into the great valley of the Missis-
nd hO11 nd all air
numbers quadrupled. Such is great rival IN the
West. In the South there is another rival almost
equally formidable, equally splendid fed in the same
manner from entrails and rising daily upon our
fall. Who shall fix the bounds of the future pros
perty of the great Australian continent! While in
this old country the pauper vegetables dies, accur
sed of the land that produced him, in that cOun
try the pauper becomes laborer he no longer yege
tates but lives; and if he lives long enough he may
become patriarch, sitting under the shade OF his
own fg-tree, and counting by thousands and tens of
thousands his focks and herds-a Job in land
of plenty. Fertile soil delicious climate elbow rOOm
and freedom from taxaton-these are the blessings
of the Australian. The Englishman enjoys the first
two in an imperfect manner the last alens--he
knows them not and will never know them while
England holds her place among the nations.
Nor these the only dangers which menace us.
Although empire stretches to the east and to the
west, to the north and to the south-though have
our hands in Asia, feet in Africa, iii
America and the South Pacific Ocean, our own pecu-
liar territory is but small spot in remote corner
of Europe. We have only held that corner by the
enormous sacrifices have made. 1t
bition to become ruling power-giving the law to
the wOrld-and we became so but it was at a cost
of $780, 1000 that pauperizes population, and
lies like perpetual and killing weight upon the
ergy of all classes. In addition to this stupendous
evil share the efeteness of all Europe There is
but one empire within European boundaries that is
neEworn out and pauperizcd by debt and extrava-
gance: that empire is Russia-and she is the enemy
of all the rest and desires to rise upon their ruins
Destiny to have traced her path has ira
ced ours. The Sclavonian will inevitably be
the lords of Europe The Anglo-SaxOn race
must be contened to be the lords Of the larger and
more splendid inheritance of America and Australia
In this what becomes of the empire of Great
Britain :! 1t falls to the ground and exists only
bones and sinews of its and successors transfer
red to new SOIL and enjoying privileges, blessings
and opportunities, from which their forefathers were
excluded
Let those who dream Of perpetual Britain, think
upon these things. The signs of decay around
on every side. In our fall we shall have few
friends In prosperity have not comported our
selves so humbly as to be justified in the expectation
of sympathy aid from any quarter. Our very ex-
cellence has made foes; and violence and Gu
pidity have estranged the nations. We may have
peopled the earth we may have spread far and wide
our arts and our arms, commerce and civ-
cation but we have not had standing for our
own pretentions. Events are more powerful than
We must, or later, yield place
to the prudent the less embarrassed and the
more vigorous offSho0S of race, and consent to
occupy the easy chair Of our senity Nor is there
x anything to regret in this. What is there in our
corner Of the globe that it should forever expect
give the law to all others The civilization that is