Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-10-18
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
STATISTICS OF EUROPEAN STATES.

STATISTICS OF EUROPEAN STATES.
We received, some months ago, from one OF our
friends in the South, an urgent request to furnish
him, through the National Intelligencer or other
wise, with an account of the population, revenues
and regular armies of the several States in Europe,
for which he had immediate use in the discussion
of the question OF late much agtated in the South,
land which so far as his own State is concerned has
since been effectively setded.) With this request
we made some attempt to comply, but, discouraged
by the magnitude of the task and the difficulty of
finding authentic materials for its execution, we
were obliged to relinquish it.
By a fortunate though accidental coincidence,
whilst we were regretting an inability to comply
with the wish of our friend, our regular European
correspondent, without any understanding with us
on the subject, was exercising his particular skill
in Statistics, in preparing statements almost
acty pertinent to the inquiries of our Southern
correspondent as il we had sent them to him to be
answered.
The result of his labor will be found in the fol-
owing article, at this time not only very inter-
esting, but worthy of careful preservation for its
general usefulness.
The reader who is not familiar with Sterling currency
will be able reduce the stated in that currency
the amount in dollars, by bearing in mind that gold
sovereign represents the Of pound sterling The
current value Of the sovereign" of readers
know, is four dollars and eishty-six cents.
LONDON, SEPTEMBER 25, 1851.
The countries of Europe are burdened at this time
with aggregate national debt of FL ,735, ,056, 900
sterling, OF which Great Britain owes nearly one
haf; there is also in circulation in Europe no less
than 81 89,2l427S in paper money, taken and held
upon the credit of the property in the countries in
which tits issued Europe is therefore mortgaged
to the amount Of gl,924 ,27027s, constituting a
debt OF very nearly g7 2s. due fiom every man,
woman, or child which it contains, or, reckoning
five to family, of g35 los. upon each head of a
family. Every child comes into the world liable
to that incumbrance every person goes out of it
with that liability undischarged This is curious
state of things but we think the following tables,
drawn from authentic sources, will substanate it..
How has it been brought about Since every
country in Europe has, and has had for centuries a
Government of some kind other, it is very clear
that the present position is the work of those Gov
ernments How has the amount of debt been in
cured? In great measure, nay almost entirely,
through the wars entered into and waged by those
Governments against each other, either to resent
alleged national wrongs or to crafty national pride,
or promote national aggrandizement; or, in some
countries, to indulge the ambition of Emperors and
Kings and the schemes of Cabinets and Prime
Ministers. Again, considerable portion Of this
debt has been created by the maintenance of large
armies in time of peace. AT the present moment
there is no less than 2,773,833 men under arms in
Europe, all of whom are consumers of the produce
OF others, without adding to the general stock in
any way whatever. To pay the interest of this
aggregated national debt to support the large stand
ing armies; TO fit out and man, and maintain 2, 2,763
vessels OF wars to support the dignity of courts to
meet the expenditures of princes to provide for
the dspensation of the laws, and the administration
ofjustce and for all the other purposes for which
Governments are or should be Instituted, revenue
OF g232,oOO, 900 is annually raised in Europe con-
shutting tax Tor the support of Government Of
gO It's. "a. upon every person living there. This
amount may appear small when thus divided among
the entire population Of Europe; but, when the an
nexed table is looked at, it will be found that it
bears very hard upon some of the principal coun-
tries. Can this amount of national debt be much
increased! We think not. There is point at
which the capabity of nation to bear additional
burdens must cease. Communities are subject to
the same law as individuals in this respect This
lesson, we mink has been leaned by some OF those
who sway the destinies of nations, and we think
others are fast learning it. Besides the inability Of
the nation, there is also the enlightenment of the
people TO contend against, and both combined will,
we think, prolong the present state Of European
peace. But to the tables we have spoken of. The
first is compiled from one given in the KoEner
Zeifang.
/ 4 r =