Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-01-03
The Defeuces ofnr;to1.


ing that while continental Europe is under arms. in
daily expectations Of a general war-whe conflict
Is actually raging in the North of Germany-and
Whiie france. the ancient rival of England, within
sixty miles of her. has established the stron ma
val depot in the world and is keeping up peace es-
adjustment offv hundred thousand regular soldiers
backed by nearly three millions of National guards
all trained to arms-she alone should be almost with
out any army. She has in England 80 00O men, and
in Ireland not 1000. In the event of a war with
France, she would inevitably be invaded from that
country, Tor steam has eectually levelled the bar
rIer by which she was protected in former wars
ne courage OF the English people might finally pre-
vail but even the most gallant nation with pop
ulation totally unacquanted with arms. cannot op-
pose regular troops with success at first We have
had ample proof of this fact in our own country
"ncn' during one or two wars with England, our
militia were opposed to her veterans. The Ameri-
cans, too were better prepared to play soldiers in
raw state than the English are, for if they are moth
ing else, they are almost to admirable marks
men. Besides, the nature of their country is pecu-
liarly adapted TO the kind of warfare practsed by
militia whereas England presents no advantages of
that character.
Blackwood does not think highly of the English
militia: He says after abiding to the resistance
offered by the ancient Britons to the Romans and
their fncal subjugation: 'The aboriginal British
Tribes, like HighlanderS in the last century,
were trained to the OF arms, however simple and
versed in some kind of tactics, however rude. They
knew how to stand to each other, and they not
operative, suddenly summoned from the factory to
take his place a national defender, wcnld be- of
all creatures the most incompetent and helpless
10 mount horse, or rather to guide horse when
he had mounted it, would be to him IL thing impos-
slblc. He would as lief thrust his hand into the
flames rs attempt to fire cannon. His ideas as to
the distinction between the muzzle and the but-end
OF a musket extremely Indefinite that YOU
might as we'll arm him at once with a boomerang;
and the odds are, that, in masticating cartridge
he would consider it part of his duty to swallow
the ball Or supposing that his piece is adequately
loaded and primed what is the betting that he does
not bring down a comrade instead of disabling an
enemy! random shot strikes the midriff of Hig-
gins, who has just patrotically rushed from the
manufacture of domestics to do his duty the bat
tie field He falls, gasping in his gore and Simp-
kins, who is his right-hand man, grows pale as
death, and is off in the twinklng of billy-rolIer
A single bvouac on frosty night would send half
the awkward squad to the hospital shivcring with
ague. Those who had previously pinned their faith
on Hogarths caricature of the spindle-shanked
Frenchman toasting frogs the point of his raper
would speedily discover their mistake at the appar
ton OF the grim bearded, and bronzed veterans Of
Algeria, armed to the teeth, and uAamed with that
credtable morale Of which so much has been said
but which resolves itself simply into burning desire
for vengeance on perflious Albion. They would
then begin though rather late, to perceive the ad-
vantages Of preparation, discipline and science and
bitterly to regret that they had turned deaf car so
long to the warnings of wisdom and experience
Discipline is powerful now in strategy as it was
nineteen hundred years ago. The cotton-clad Brton
wOuld not be white more able to repal INVASION
than his remote skin-clad ancestor: And as for a
leader, liable to the charge of pref udce when
we aver that we would rather march to battle under
the guidance of q Caractacus, than that of Cob
den ~
How TO WEAR SHAwL-lf a lady sports shawl
at all (and only falling shoulders should venture to
do SOL we should recommend it to be always either
falling off or putting which produces pretty ac-
ton. Or should wear it up one shoulder and down
on the other or in some way drawn rrcgularly, so
as to break the uniformity One of the faults of the
present costume, every real artist knows, is that it
offers too few diagonal lines Nothing is more pic
turesque than line the bust like the broad
ribbon of the order of the garter worn by Queen
Victoria, the loose grdle slopng across the hips.
in the costume of the early Plantagenets On this
account the long scarfshawl is picturesque thing
as lady With the broad pattern sweep
ing over one shoulder; and narrow one or none at
all the other it supplies the eye with that rregu-
larity which drapery requires while the slanting
forms and colors Of the border lying carelessv round
the figure, gives that Eastern idea which every
shawl more or less implies. What Oriental would
straight up and down. and uniform
on both Sides our ladies often do?
Quarterly Revieu.
ONLY One SURE ROAD WEALrH-Says the
New Yorker, Notwithstanding the great influx of
gold from California, we still hear the old complaint
at times of the scarcity Of money. Mankind are
dissatisfied of beings. and delight in grumbling
and among all their lament ations none is more fire.
quent and at the time unfOunded. as this.
Money is deficient it is articles to exchange
for it that arc needed. If man has a qu:d pro qto
to offer it is seldom that any difficulty in get
ting cash for it. Let money be as abundant rs it
may very little finds its way unworked for into
the recesses Of the poor mans pocket. 1t is Just like
any other species of property, and only he had
by those who have the means to pay for it, If a man
has nothing to give for coat, he cannot get it
cop by way of gift charity, if the market is
gluttcd with coats and just with gold, silver. and
everything else. The fact is, money will never be-
come plentiful in the way that some people imagine
for no matter how many millions may be sifted from
the sands of the Sacramento, dug from the rocky
sides of the Sierra Nevada their posscssors will not
part with them except for value received, and such
as unable to offer that must needs 90 without
Then let hear no more of this twadde, mo
neys scarce If money is with you it is be-
cause you have no labor industry no property to
give in exchange for it. and you cannot expect to get
it for nothing Go to work diligently, and practice
upon the maxim Of Poor Richard, that penny sa-
we'd is penny made, and. word for it, you will
soon cease to complain that moneys scarce. "
TRADE OF THE GREAT LAKEs.--The aggregate val
of the lake trade of the United States nl84S and
independent of Lake Superior was S185.485 ,267, or
trade of the country. Thetrade of Lake Ontario
alone 500 l4l,0O0. 1t is not probable that the
above figures of much practical value. The Dry
Goods Reporter says:
This gives increase of S41 ,3825S3 on imported
goods, which must be error. Two thirds of the
imports of the country made at the port of New
York and the official figures at this port show but