The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-18
VOL. VII.

she is watching for 'na
The policy that in century ba. ,.,.
India from wealth to ruin, driven its ponnI.. t0
from prosperous industry of every kind 49,. a' -
cultivation Of opium for the das,,u... 'O zoe
China, and the Hindoos themselves - q
swamps of Jamaica and Guiana--tbat b.. .n'
poverished Turkey and Portugal and '' IN
than decimated Ireland-is d;.t;non "lOre
pounded in Joshua Gees work Con pro
published in 1850. He says aManns.o aue'
in American colonies should be dis ~o'ufea
prohibited, We ought always to ksen : .. aeea
fal eye over our colonies, to restrain tbon "S'Sn
setting up any of the manufactures MI, ''0fa
carried on in Great Britain. Our ooIo-. Sfe
much in the same state as Ireland was rt org
they began the wooden manufsc,o,r n
as their numbers increase, will fall NM, a"u'
ufactures for clothing themselves il A.. "
be not taken to find employment for th..'
raising such productions as may enabls a.
to furnish themselves with all the paco...1
from u.s."
The reasons given are summed up thus. ~
we examine into the circumstance of A.
habitants of their plantations and our o. :,
will appear that not one-fourth part Of 49,
product rebounds to their own profit e., -,
Of all that comes here, they obly carry boor
clothing and other accommodated g, 81.
families, all of which is Of the merchandise a.
manufacture Of this kingdom
Lord Grey, in 1850, phrases the policy d;s
ferently, but presses it to the same ob;ec, and
effect
The system OF century, growing eve,
stronger and Stronger, is, indeed, fully exnrss.
ed in the " Capitalization of Commerce in Fnr
land" making her "the workshop Of the
world" making of themselves "a nation &c
shopkeepers" and substantially acOlopizing
every country which she trades WITH
Let us see, now, how this system affects bor
in her proper function of maintaining the hal
ance of power in Europe, and vindicating The
public law of nations.
The London Times of late date has drawn
out the argument in an article upon English
Intervention in the quarrel pending between
Russia and Turkey. Let the reader look At
the involvement which this article conCesses
and apply to it the criticism which our sugges
tons afford for the true comprehension of its
meaning and drift:
"By way Of set-of against the novelty the
excitement, the enterprise, the popularity, and
the possible glory Of war with Russia let US
just sit down and count the cost We could
shut up the naval power of Russia in the Black
Sea and the Baltic by costly fleets at both sta
tions; steam always up, wind and water always
having their way We could easily enable
Turkey to make desperate fight by enormous
subsidies. We could protect our commerce
from Yankee privateers, and other free.and.
easy gentlemen who could take out letters Of
marque from Russia by recurrence to the
old system of merchantmen sailing, like wild
geese, in flights, with frigate or two leading
the way We could suspend the whole foreign
commerce of Russia, by process which would
double the price Of our corn, hemp, and tdltou
We could engage half the continent on our side
of the quarrel, by surrendering every other
question of honor, duty, or interest, We happen
to have with each separate State. We could
prolong the war indefinitely, by another ma
tioual debt We could stop it at our pleasure,
by allowing Russia to take all she wants, with
little over for demurrage With proportion
ate brides we could secure the concurrence OF
other nations.
"On the other hand, all the nations of Eu-
rope would be bankrupt, their principal credit
ors being in this metropolis. Their manufac
lures and commerce would be ruined. to the
injury Of those who consume what they make,
and make for them in return. We are all 50
bound together that it is hard to say whether,
in material consequences, ire should suffer more
by victory or by defeat. 1t is our unhappiness
10 have the largest stake in peace OF all nations
on the face of the EARTH and SO long az zoe stick
TO that game, zoe are sure TO aosn The mot
orthodox war ever fought is only an lrishman's
row-a game of cracked skulls and bloody
noses-very amusing to those whose clothing IL
of little value, and whose natural integument
is rather hard but far from amusing to gen
tleman who has paid five guineas for his coat
and whose face is susceptible of contuslons
There IS not point IN Whieh that immense gtas
house phlch aoe call the British Empire rs no
liable TO damage. "A man that hath children,
says Bacon, hath given pledges to fortune.
We have children--we have colonies We have
dependencies, we have ships, we have invest
ments, loans, railways, private debts-oN ovsi
the toorid By dint Of hard peace-making, w
manage TO keep our creditors in folerabie order
They pay, as an omnibus-horS does ITS soork, b:
the momentum of ais missry--by being kept n
harness. ,ceH up, and continually Jfogged. Onc'
give them the opportunity of war, and tina
general dissolution of morals that is sure TO 90
sue, and epery quorfer-ddy w,H add TO your DE-
faulters. Ali this, of course, is very extraneou
to the real merits of the present question
Those merits we do not here discuss But you
have known people who in private life went q
law, or rather resisted actions, when the righ'
was most clearly on their side, and when TIL
verdict was given accordingly, but who, never
theless lost thereby, both in purse and IN tame
having to suffer much annoyance, to pay larg'
costs, and to incur also, the reputation OF beint
litipous and troublesome fellows. That whicf
happens in the regular and genial atmosphere
of English society, and under the pure and i'm
peccable administration of English justice
may easily happen in the society, and forum
and arena of nations, viz: that me ProSeeuf'os'
of the ius.est quarrel may entail a martyrs 90
ioquy and cross"
Does this mean anything but that Grea
Britain is bound to keep the peace OF the world
against its interests and her own honor, and Z
submit for herself to any injury and indign''y
that her universal trade and monopoly o.
manufactures may in any emergency require
and aid and sbet, besides any outrage upon 'h'
oppressed nations Of the Continent, whose de
fence might involve general war; Cali upon
her now, for any influence or agency that JUS
tice and duty demand and her honest answel
is, that she cannot afford IL,
How have the mighty fallen! This it is C
be nation of shopkeepers this to have con
verified herself into tho workshop Of the world
Nicholas and Francis Joseph know all this
and they know that for her they may proceed
to the partitioning of Turkey at their leisure,