The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-12-22
THE DISP ATCH.
TUEsDAY MoRNINfI,. .pHCEMnKR p Is57
The United states-Thcif former SimpIie;.
{, and Happiness-Their rapid Growth
and increasing Cares and ResponsibiIi-
fies-The Morfnonite War,

The tnlfed States-Tbctf former Simpliei.
~ aud Happiness-Their rapid Growth
and increasing Cares and ResponsibiIi-
ies-The Mormonife War.
lFrOm the London Times. December End
There are different ways Of finding out that We
are growing old. One Is the looking glass; another
il the alteration in yoar absent friend sinre va,
last saw him, and another in the enlargement Of
your library; another is the addition of now draw
efs ior your memoranda or correspondence: apo-
ther Is the growth and accsmn niation Of all sorts
OF rubbish about you that you doa't know how To
deal with. whether TO bury or to burn: another "a
the iengheniDg list Of past residences in the MEM
ory; another is change Of opinions. All these tests
DO not apply to all persons, but some to one, and
some to another. We will add another now 10 this
list of tests of advancing years. and that Ia the
gress of the Uuited States
those whose political recoilections can stretch
-and-twenty years back, can remember the idea
or image of country which the United States tban
raised In everybody's mind. 1t was the image of
newly discovered country, for two centuries seem.
cd hardly to have made any inrcad upon that ynst
cortlnent OF country that had just felt the first
passage OF the plough of primeyal forests n virgin
so, OF cities just rising to the dignity and impor
tance of commerce., and Of illimitable untrie5 re-
sources which absorbed the activity of fresh thou
sahos every month. and allowed nobody to stand
iaie.for al hour. Tt was the image of a new wnrid
over which the sun rose and set without seeing
MApt; OF world in its first spring time and inf.n
cy, "hen Nature repaid ahundred fold the slight
ai.,a ai'd had asked in order to
OBTAIN from her the ampiest nourishmeut of bowa
Ser @ rude and simple kind for every body.
lhat was one great contrast between the limited
states and England. Another was the irnmu,itv
VI .h'S new world from tho perplexties of diplo-
macy, the jealousies and rivaries the encroacb
inents and the resistance to tpcroachments invol
Sed Ia the European system. In that new benis
phere war was impossible, because there was no
zoe, ana Hi army was unnecessary because there
was no war. Thus at one stroke an expense vbirh
swelled the budget of every nation of Enrona 70 q
most portentious size was cnt off and ta.ation aid
not rise above the lowest and simplest scale Tins
a.. was M slpe ana all was primitive in the United
states, soil policy and finance: there was nothinr
OF the Old world about them; they exulted in tbo
nSht atmosphere of national vouth and ra;n;ca5
Ia a complete freedom from the gorgeous but oner
gus trappih9s oi the states Of the old world their
taxes. "-p''A'"'S' anu
SUCH was the picture of the Initial States f va
and.twenty years ago; but any one with moderate
po oltica observation will see that this pjcture is
now considerably altered The limited statss re
not, indeed an old nation yet but there are sicns
OF advancing time pressing upon them New York
was month ago the scene of bread riots. That
Is = mara oi age nation cannot call itself quite
young that finds itself involved in financial ca
tastrophe, the effect of an extremely deyeioped ar
unclal currency, and the cause of bread RIOTS
lhese are features OF an old world. of long estaf
hshed commerce, OF overgrown population. The
city OF New York may claim now the rank of one
OF those vast concentrations of human power and
activity, and condensations of human life. which
constitute the great cities of the world aud with
the rank it exhibits also the melancholy accompa
nlnents OF such a growth-its large needy de pSn.
dent masses, living from hand to mouth and
thrown out of employment Immediately by anv Sc
rious jar in the financial system.
We may now add another sign of advancing age
"a war with au unruly dependency-a war sc-
companied by great hardshps and involving end
less marches over difficult and barren ground,
where the invading army must carry everything
whatever necessary for human or brute life with
it. Fort Leavenworth is about ] 500 miles from
the American seat of Government; that is no short
distance; but when an American army has reached
Leavenworth IFS hostile journey to the Salt Lake
City is only begun. Another journey of $50 miles
up the Platte River conducts it to Fort Laramie
and after reaching Fort Laramie full months
Journey succeeds beflre the Salt Lake CITY is ar.
rived at Of this months Journey the whole is
over difficult country, aud much of it over ground
with very little grass, which. little as it is, the
Mormons wiii OF course. set fire to.
The Mormons are perfectly aware of the adyan.
fage OF their position, and meet the invasion with
insolent Defiance and, it must be added hitherto
with successful defiance. The American advanced
force, under Col. Albert Jonstone having proceed
ed $50 miles beyond Fort Laramie is stopped by
a seven inch depth snow, combined with a total
failure OF corn and grass, the Mormon force having
cut oH their traius OF wagons in The rear. Under
these circumstances the Government expedition
pauses, and the rebel State has Il temporary tri-
smph. OF the transiency of this triumph We can
have little doubt. The honor of the Fedora, Gov
ernment and the honor Of the whole of the United
States Is now pledge to suppression of the Nor
monte rebellion; but we have also little doubt
that the affair will cost good DEAL tnd swell dis.
agreeaby the United States budget.
The United States in short, they advance to
importance and dignity. are also rapidly advancing
to the cares, responsibilities and expenses of en-
pire. This Mormonte war s creditable to them;
they conld not, consistently with the national
honor, and with respect to their own position
among civilized nations, have avoided il. No ma
ton that is member of the great circle of civil
lied nations, and forms part of the established
phaanx of civilization in the world can escape the
duty of defending the necessary laws of civilza-
ton. That cause is q sacred and sublime Cause
committed to its trust by Providence, and il can
not avoid the responsibility of it without giving
up its place in the civilized world, and its fellow
ship In the association of civilized nations. The
United States have only acted in consistency with
their position a civilized State in refusing to re-
cognize and sanction the system of poygamy,
which the Mormonites have endeavored to engraft
upon the American national code and it is this
refusal which has brought on this war.
But, while we give the United States all credit
for not having avoided an honorable war, we must
observe, at the same time, that such as these
are sign OF nations growing years. This il
bad compliment to country, as il is to an indi-
vidual; the age of nation is its glory and pride
II is what gives it character, life and weight.
new nation, like new word is q formless monde
script thing ii is hardly nation at all until it is
in some seuse an old nation-till it has a past a
vista Of events TO look back upon, history to re-
call. But the honors OF growing antiquity bring
their responsibilities encumbrapces, perplexities
and grievances with them, jars and collisions in
the State, difficulties of finance. popular distress
wars, taxation. The crown of empire, like the
crown Of reason, brings its cares with it, and sits
heavily upon tho brow "Tt is not for states
man." says Homer, "to rest all the night-he
must be wide awake while others are sIeeping"-
Our transatlantic kinsmen are in their private bu-
siness quite up to this duty, and they will nov n
their national capacity have more and more to ex-
ercise 1t.