The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-08-26

and supporters
cspecity of Great Britain for War.
A. mi, moment. when England Is suddenly pre-
elnitatea into war with China, and when the ne
ressity Of the re-oonquest Of her Indian empire
seems inevitable II becomes matter Of INTEREST," to
make some inquiry into her fighting resources
As is always the case, when that country gets into
serious difficulties, a multitude Of prophets spring
nm who predict her approaching downfall. Such
vaccinations we're as plenty blaekbcrries about
the close Of the Revolutionary war. The loss OF
her American colonies was the loss OF her brightest
ievsls. and the consequence was to be national
hsgrarv The result in fact has been that the Uni
ted States AS an independent nation, have been
more profitable 10 the British exchequer than they
.xor could have been "a colonies. So In the great
European war Of forty years ago. England was
aph,ing the whole world, with Napoleon Bonaparte
combining and directing the hostile masses. She
ought to have been ruined then according to every
lust element of human calculation, and any reas-
enable nation would have been, but John Bull 10
all obstinate old brute never knows when he's
whipped, and refused to be ruined on any terms
In fact in the most ungenerous ndirrational man
ner. he ruined nearly all his enemies, except the
United States Of America, which, being chip of
the old block inherited the family trait Of never
say die" We hear the old story again, that Eng
land is about to become tenth rate power in con-
sequence of the Indian disturbances. Why, the
coal beds of England alone are worth moro to her
than all the East Indian colonies. If the enemies
of England want TO ruin her they must deprive her
OF her COAL her iron, her manufacturing industry,
her resources of the native energy and aptitude
for industrial pursuits which characteristic OF
the English character. She Is not to be conquered
In war; for In peace she prepares for war by max,
ing the whole world tributary to her commerce,
manufactures and money chest, and thus, when
war comes, she has the snews Of war, cash, and
where cash 10, men can be procured in any number.
The Indian mutiny finds England with stand
Ing army of probably not moro than eighty thon-
sand men, half In Great Britain, half in the colo
niles; perhaps in India, at this moment, not more
than ten thousand English soldiers. The navy
consists of some seven hundred vessels, two or
three hundred Of which are steamers, and is more
formidable and efficient than at any previous pc
riod of a glorious naval history. II all her ships
were Ia commission. the personnel would be nearly
seven hundred officers and thirty thousand sailors
What she can do, whom warmed up to her work, We
can perceive by brief reference to the last great
European war, when her navy comprised more
than 900 vessels, (2t0 of them ships OF the line,
manned BY 900 seamen, while the army, impe
diately belongin to the British Empire, numbered
rix hundred and forty thousand men, and the total
number in British pay exceeded a million. The
total ways and means raised on account OF Great
Britain in ISL were eighty millions OF pounes
sterling, and nearly ten millions and half on &C
count of Ireland in all 500, q0l 600 The supple.
voted for 1912 still greater. The net produce
Of the permanent taxes in that year was 10000
az M N lfIt
c29. 26Sooo were raised by loan, including f45oo,-
900 for the service of Ireland, and 900 for
that of the East India Company, guaranteed by the
government. For the navy, 0,5O0,OOo; for the
army, E25O00oO0, besides Ga, 252, 900 for the ord
nance; the loans to Portugal, Spain, Sweden, ST.
ely and Russia f5 3f5 OOo the interest Of the
ffll d,Jt, s23 600 and still no less than flS,-
- ooO was applied to the sinking fund! That is
what Great Britain did nearly fifty years ago.
fnee which time her power population, resources,
manufactures and commerce have increased at
least four fold. To regain India, she will net be
required to make one-tenth of the outlay of her
great European war, whilst she is abundantly able
70 put forth four times the financial, military and
naval capacity of that memorable period.
Indeed, shall not be surprised If the result OF
the present Indian troubles is the increased consol
ilation Of British power in the East. The natives
have 10 money no organization, no chief OF inter
lect or influence. They may have things for a
time their own way, but this will only last until
Great Britain has collected and concentrated hor
-ptrmous energies for such Low as she alone is
,apable of giving. Then let them stand from an
der! Sir Colin Campbell will give them more
thorough skinning than Joshua gave the Canaan
ties Whatever sympathy the world may feel even
for barbarians uniusty despoiled of their national
independence, the Sepoys have forfeited it all by
their unheard of atrocities to women and children.
1t is evident that degraded and brutal re-
quire master, and the sterner and more uncon-
promising the master, the better for themselves
and for humanity India will this time be tho
roughly subjugated, and made to march docile as
a lamb in the ranks of civilization. Those who
doubt the power Of John Bull to do this, need only
wait year to find a new illustration of the pro-
verbal depth and stamina of British pluck and
the inexhaustible resources Of Great Britain for
war well as peace.