Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-06-02
I,ud,s share In the CalanlltIes of War, and
E"S Her Power of Meeting them.

n
E"S Her Power of Meeting them.
Unless the present cause be sngularly mismanaged,
=. should either be a short cheap one. 1t
70 resolve to put forth whole strength, and to act
18th consumate vigor grand scale, we ought 10
oinate the war with success and honor IN couple
~ campaigns IT, either from own choice or
Pnssjas policy, adopt slower and more languid
Inc of action, our ordinary military and naval ex-
npnses ought not to be very greatly enhanced, nor
noht our commerce to suffer any very extensive in
torruption If the war becomes in any degree chrOn
r. trade will gradually accommodate itself 10 the new
condition Of things, and modify lis machinery and lis
channels Its power of pliancy in this respect is re-
Tomarkabe. AS we clothed the troops Of Napoleon
in the hottest period the last war, il spite OF his
Berlin and Milan DEGREES, it is not improbable that II
necessary, Russia will help to feed our men and to
rig our ships in the present war. For a slow war;
too ten millions in addition to our usual defensive
expenditure will probably suffice Fifteen millions
sbouId be ample. Now, no one who looks deIibe-
ratelv at the comparative or the absolute resources OF
Great Brtain-at her wealth in Pitts time and al her
,ypaIth now-or at the vast sums which for years we
have been expanding in railways and foreign loans
need feel much anxiety at any inconvenience which
this comparatively small amount of annual increment
will cause The probability is that if Jud ciOuSly
raised it would scarcely be felt burden at all
1t would simply smaller expenditure in other
ways-a pOstponement of some undertakings IN which
the enterprise Of the nation would otherwise have
overlooked. Never were we in so hourishing so
capable condition Of entering costly struggle.
The population of the country has doubled since the
middle of the last war; lis wealth has probably at
least quadruped its productive power has increased
in still greater ratio while its naval and military
expenditure will certainly (per annum) not exceed
one-haf-eXcept on the suppOslton of the war being
= gigantic and therefore brief one. state of hos
GIties which our ancestors found grlevOus burden
may thus be 10 very insignificant one. Then,
look at the elastic condition Of and the
mode in which it is raised Since the return of peace
wc have removed every tax from the necessaries Of
ife and reduced within reasonable limits every duty
on the comforts and luXries consumed by the masses
of the people. We have relieved the laborng poor
10 an unexamped extent, and laid nc weight upon re-
allied property beyond such it easily stain.
Every fresh reduction of taxation has been attended
by fresh augmentation in the revenue The Chan
celOr of the EXcheQuer now fills his Golfers, not
formerly by laying taxes, but by taking them off
and, result of this policy in the last year, even
high price Of food, unequalled since the famine
wear of I847, and long and obstinate interruption
Of productive industry in the North unequaled since
1872 have together been unable to prevent actual
increase in the receipts from the ordinary sources
both Of direct and indirect taxation.
We feel, therefore, quite at to the capacity
Of the country to bear without difficulty or serious in
convenience the efforts and sacrifices which may be
demanded from us by the contest we have underta-
ken for Just cause and engaged ourselves 10 conduct
TO successful issue. But there is further consid-
Grafton, rarely adVerted to, and never sufficiently
dwelt upon, which should persuade to make these
efforts and endure these sacrifices with cheerfuness,
and even with gratitude They are the usual mode
in which England contributes its contingent to the
caamities Of war-he easiest, the happieSt, lie most
favorable, and far The cheapest mode in Uh1Ch that
contingent can be levied. Speaking broadly, other
nations contribute bood-we contribute money -
Other nations are the seat of war, we are only It's
paymasers. Other people have to mourn over des-
catc hearth stones, sacked Cities eonfagrated villa
yes and haryests--we (et us thank God that it is
so let Us pray TO God that it may ever be SO y
have only to grumbe over emptied purses and dis
tuTbed exchanges Our quota Is light indeed com
pared with that of continental countries. Look at
the last 1t lasted for US, with scarcely an in
Permission, for two-and twenty years. We alone
with only brief interval, never laid down our
Every other continental State in turns
the antagonist the subject the ally, of our ggan-
tic and pertinacious enemy We added six hundred
millions sterling to our debt. We subsidized nearly
all our allies. We, in fact, paid enormous pro-
portion Of the whole expenses of the entire Europe
struggle We maintained immense navy in
nearly every quarter of the world, and we kept a
general part of the time considerable armies on foot
We came out of the strife victorious, indeed, but
breathIess, exhausted, with fearfully
dIaned, with future deeply mortgaged. Still, in
comparison with other countries, came off cheap.
No enemy visited our shores. No English har-
vest was ever reaped except by the husbandman who
sowel the seed. No English city subject
ed to the horrors of the siege or the assault. Our
manufacturers produced and peasants labored III
absolute security. Our productive power not only
suffered interruption, but achieved steady in
crease during the whole period of the war Though
we fought on land as well as by sea, especially du-
ring the last six years of the struggle loss of life
small, to an almost incredible degree. From a
return recently published, ii appears that whereas
two millions OF men are estimated to have fallen III
the various campagns-One million of whom were
actually slain in fight died of their wounds-oul
contribution to this number was only 1900 soldiers
and this, though bore the bruns Of many of the
great battles that decided the fate of war-of Saa-
manca, Taavera, Vitloria, Toulouse and Waterloo
London Economist
Redemption CT the Public Debt for the Week End
Ing May "a, 1854.
Loan of 1912 S58, 400 90
" 1916 3O,7OO 90
" 1847 $4,000 90