Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-04-16
From the Chronicle & Sentinel.
A pEACE pR0RLEM

FsAcE is once more dawning On Europe, and
lis At The close Of the last great war, inancia
embarrasslnenis are being felt. Norway and
Turkey are suffering from m"netury crises, and
commercial men in France look forward tn the
allnouncemrnt of peace rs The iorernnner OF
distress. II seems strange that n return to in.
du,lriaI pursuits should bring with it misery and
want, and vet such j.. thought by some to bu
undoubtedly the prospect in Europe. France
tr"m The reckless speculation carried on there
under the sanction of the government, is pecu.
liarly susceptible to II panic, aud all that her
fiIancial nen can do is tu relurd The evil day us
long as possible. They cannot avert it. The
;.tleudant of peace, We shall keep the present
condition nf France from our view.
When peace was proclaimed in Europe, after
the downfall uf Napoleon, there WAS II j"lcing
for day, hut soon eonsleraiiun seized Tie
minds of commercial men in England, and trade.
which had hnurisIIed for MANY years. beca;ir
aImos. slagnant. Coutid.rce Was DESTROYED.
.lud the ruulor that the government n:ended to
return 10 specie CURRENCY, paralyzed The nation.
Tile threat was shortly carried uul, aud batik-
ruplcies became general. During llle long sra.
son of distress that en>ued in England, il is
thought not too much 10 say, that as many lives
were drstr yed IA during tile wlI"'e of Ihe wars
of Napoleon. Pence has its victims as well H.
war Ju while The later frequently die 10 save
their count,ys h"n"r, The former Too often Per-
sh soiely in consequence Ut tie callc u,I,ess VI
Ignorance of slale>lliei.
The long reign Of pcace and poverty in Eng
land, utlrrs striking instance ut The truth OF
the Swedish Ctanrelor's words, lyon know
not with how little wisdom The world is governs.
3D." With war, England enjuyed pr">pe'i y, be-
Cause she had an expansive currency; with psace,
she suffered dire want, BECAUSE she had a ron.
lrac,rd currency. At the time when il WAS
natural TO suppose that population and com
urrcc would increase, her ministers pa>sed II
n-a.ure that CAUSED her people |" sarve and
her trade to sasnale. The gross blunder that
the ministers cummitted originated in surprising
lI,a, with the close of the war the exprll>es "t
the war would cease, and thai II restricted eur
r.,,cy wound serve tho purpose OF an increasing
population and al eXprlIsisr r"ninerce.
A. The war in the East has been waged ut at
immense outlay OF money and an Increase Ia
the Indebtedness Of uainnS, 40 must peace bring
with il misery, unless tile monetary laws be
changed War is, il, fact, time Tor loans, ami
peace Il lime for settlement, ana whether II
country agree TO pay The capital or merely The
interest thereon, il must cause distress II IT.
means are sil us restricted ~ before This
result is believed to be inevitable and will >uti
cirully explain why Europe j. dreading thu
difficulties lIal peuce will bring in it,: Train.
The remedy fsr this evil would be Il revsa
of the urrrncy lays; for so long ns gold i:
made the basis of all wealth, 40 lung will il bt
T. h.. q,
and wrelhe,lntss. Money must expand with lh'
growth of pr"ple, and this it can never safely
d. while il is dependent on The WELD of pre-
ciou> metal One would think from the bIinf
rrverrre otforrd To guild That ihe Supreme Pow
er had commanded us 10 worship it. instead .
selfish men in thu darkest ages Ut the world:
hi.lury having converted it TO use for whic'
il ~us never adapted.