The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-05-24
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
satns1iay MerninE, MAY pa, 1856.
Our Foreign Relations.

S8tun1suy ib0Entu8s Ifhoy 10y
Our Foreign Relations. a..
The complication Of our foreign reianens on's
fair to be increased by the interference u sp~.
in Central American affairs It's perhaps 11
wei that silthe European Powers VINO p'opo.e -
asure In 4 melee In the West should show tne'r
hands forthwith when II becomes eVsaen' sus'
the country win have to 60 TO war Win 1ne "no'e
world n will Law aside all other business, ana de
eide The ouestion at once, whether we are pow
...,,.. ,so ..rth. to be treated and respected as
.roh a. . nitrate and outlaw among the nations -
Au.r;o. Is equal to any emergency that may be
fo,,.s unou her, and the greater 1t is the more
sslfsseriacing and gig antc win be the efforts she
ill mt forth We do not anticipate, however, any
suoh universal row. We are peaceabie ana
long suffering people, permitting ourselves 10 DC
numbered of millions by political placement yen
too economical TO expend thousands Tor Tue pro-
lection of our vital interests and honor IL was
nroud boast, ~ am = Roman citizen, 1t must DC
A source of Just pride to Engshmen and French
men. that they belong TO States which are aois
and willing to protect their people. Ours is will
ling no doubt. but in capacity for prompt action,
is deplorably lacking Congress is afraid to spend
monev In building ships of war, and the conse
ouence is. our commerce and coasts are constantly
omen 10 depreciation and our national sensibilities
10 sights and insults. Not only the great powers
Of tho earth threaten us with vengeance. and in
,inidate us from resentng their arrogance with
promptness and energy, but every petty poten
tate and prineipality has fling at the big BOBBY
whs. they falsely think, is afraid to redress his
wrongs. Even the governments Of those con-
temp,ible barbarisms in Central America-where
nfta 0roh
cred, and where fillibusters are not only snol ou'
condemned to dig their own graves-e'eh 'ne'
have the audacity to rebuke our alleged rapac"y
and unscrupuousness. Spain, too, is ABOUT in'o''
fering in a contest which could De inuch Aio'o
readily settled without her interposhion "0e
pect next to hear that the Prince OF l"puo'oo
has organized an expedition against the U. ota'e''
and that Souloque has become an active menoei
of the MOSQUITO Alliance. We are no advocate Oh
war: we have been unable to see any reason ior
war in our present controversy with England, ano'
we are free to confess that we have not been aso'
gether insensible to the maxim that discretion Is
the better part of vaor" But it is easy to perceive
that with an adequate naval force, the country
would not be ever and anon convulsed with ap-
prshens;ons of war for our rights would be re.
snected by foreign nations, and our interests and
honor secure in every part of the earth If we
were an impoverished and effeminate nation, with
out resources or spirit, our present Chinese policy
would be in keeping with our condition; but, our
treasury is overfowing our capacities for war i'm.
measurable our people as heroic as any on earth,
and our seamen the very best without exception
in the world Yet Congress, mostly filled with place
hunting politicians in its short sighted economy,
fears to expend the money which is necessary TO
make the nation safe and respected, when, in
fact, a single year of war would cost us more than
an adequate navy would cost for century 1t il
calculated that the expenditures of the three prin.
cpal powers in the Eastern war amount to the
enormous sum of eighteen hundred millions of
dollars, but the United States, in the event of a
contest with England, would lose, in the destrue
ton of its cities and commerce, double that amount
in a single year. to say nothing of the expenses of
carrying on the struggle, all of which might be
avoided by the true economy of spending money
freely for a naval force sufficient to protect our
interests, and make other nations cautious of
provoking q quarrel.