The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-10-08

Letter. on Europe-So 10.
England


The great dramatis has said that the world is stage,
and every man and woman in il players" and il is with
nations with ndviduals-each performs part, under
the control of Providence TO complete the drama OF mans
destiny Every character 10 unique, and lis part deter
mined by race by language, and by geographical position
Some attain the rank OF prima DONNA while others
become anything greater than eupernumerares or
shutters this acts heavy tragedy. and that light
comedy one makes weep and another excites our
laughter The subject human nature, the object our inn
provement, and the denouement the accomplishment OF
Gods inscruabe purposes. Aggregated humanity is the
same as individual humanity.
| have spoken OF two great nations-France and Rus
sia-and the parts they performing the former nila
ting and difusng the progressive spirit OF the age and
the latter, mmoveabe in her ideas and habits with sys
tenn of despotisp ndssoluble seemingly, the ice
of her arctic regions, making constant against the
ideas which modern civilization and Christianity have
evolved will now speak OF another mighty nation
England-and her role this great theatre shall con-
fine myself did with France and Russia, 10 the pres.
en position and future bearing OF this nation the i'm
portant political and social questions Of the age am not
writing history; and all have TO do with it is 10 make
references. illustrations, and Deductions TO elucidate my
subject As the foundation Of the present is in the past
must understand the supersuctue, recur to former
periods.
England the beautiful I" sea-girt sle"-how has she
attained her glorious position among the nations OF the
earth! With territory not much larger than our own
Virginia. and than twenty part OF the
of the United States she now rules over sixth OF
the habtabe globe-the most extensive empire of the
world-greater than the Macedonian the Roman, or the
Russian Her possessions every continent and In
every ocean, and her subjects oil all the races OF ankind
she lives in endless day and in eternal summerfo the
sun never her dominons, and she enjoys merd
in the southern hemisphere when il is winter in
the northern. In Europe, beside the British isles, she
has, 81 ofE in he and
Jersey; in the northern the Shetland and Orkney
islands; at the extremity Of the peninsula Of Spain the
mpregnabe fortress of Gibraltar, which commands the
entrance to the Mediterranean and in this important sea,
which laves the shores of three continents she holds
Malta and the Ionan islands We sail along the
of Africa, in the Atlantic. and find from Sierra
Leone the colonies at the Cape OF Good Hope she
has settlements and territory: ST. Helena, ever-memo.
Iable as the prison OF the mightes, man of modern
times the cape colonies, spreading Tar into the
known continent and in the Indian the Msurtius
and the isle of France. and at the strait Of Babeman
del, Alden, which commands the entrance to the Red
Sea. But look at her magnificent empire in Asia the
entire peninsula OF Hndosan, stretching beyond the Bur-
rampoaer TO the confines Of China and into the territory
of Tibet, reaching beyond the Punaub to Bokhara,
Persia, and the Persian Gulf and counting population
of over hundred millions; Ceyon, Singapore at tue
strait OF Maacca and Hong Kong ia the Canton river.
Beside islands in the Indian Archipelago, and The
large Europe-wth the fourishing colonies of New
South Wales, South Australia. Port Philip, and Swan
rverthe islands OF Van Dieman's Land, New Zealand,
New Guinea, and, may say Borneo, for il is under her
absolute control. In America she has territory stretch
ing from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the forty
ninth degree of latitude and the great lakes the Polar
Sea the important colonies OF Upper and Lower Canada
with New Brunswick, Newfoundl and, Nova Scotia and
others in the Gulf Of ST. Lawrence and the Pacific
Vancouvers island and others stretching 10 the Russian
possessions twenty-five Of the Antilles with Jamaica
al their head, British Guiana the continent of South
America. and the Falkland islands the extremity Of
Cape Horn have not spoken OF her sinister protection
the Mosquito territory and other parts Of the
world. which are in fact. under her government Such
is the extent of the British empire
In this rapid glance at Engands extensive essions
we see the remarkable and able policy OF securing
many points OF the highest importance in military naval
and commercial respects Is there strait. sthmus,
an island, peninsula which commands the inlercom
muncaion OF two seas or oceans, which is important
depot or point fdppui, or which has great
cia advan ages that che does not fix her eye upon and
never till she has secured the possession or control
OF il, Witness Gibraltar, Malta, the strait OF Maacca.
Alden, Torres strait, and many others, and her
look at the various points the ishmus OF Darcn
and in Central America The object is to extend her
mece for in that is the chief source OF her greatness
What a lesson we might learn And when we look at
mercantile marne already greater in amount OF ton
mage than hers, and know that we are superior in
the build and management OF our vessels-when we
look a, the rapid and unapproachabe strides are
making, and when see that the empire OF the seas
belongs to us hereaiter-s not important TO learn the
of Englands commercial greatness We have ad-
vanced without the advantages she has had but might
advance with them In times OF peace the race
is to the swift but when war comes-and we know
how it may come-then the value of such pos.
sessions is comprehended Let American statesmen
.ulu ALL, a.
tons Of Nicaragua, Tebuanepec, Cuba, and the Sand.
witch Islands are before them.
Many causes have combined 10 build the imposing
structure Of British power The insular position and
rock bound coast OF England. helping to secure her
from invasion in modern times. have given her an oppor
tunity 10 develop her in internal security With
temperate and hsmid climate. rich and teeming soil
country verdant, beautiful, and picturesque she had
Excessively captivated the Romans, the Saxons, the
Danes, and the Normans And who has this
charming country in the month of Maybe earth
cred with rich green carpet, embroidered with the
slip, the butercup, the daisy, and hundred other flow
ers and the air redolen with the perfume OF the haw
thorn the sweet brier and the primrose-and does
love in Those people who invaded Enga one after
the other became amsg in the Of time and
formed the present English nation. More recently. the
elements Of Irish and Scotch character have been mixed
NAMED always the mos, powerful, and by it's power
Stimulates the others Even the naughty Norman,
who conquered and despsed the Saxon, now prJes
himself in the name and language OF that people.
And doubtless il is the predomnatng influence OF