Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-03-10

Grafton, which was 21,O69 at the close of
1855, is now "a, ,476, making 3,4O7 miles
increase in the year. The electro -telegrah,
which, in connection with the railway sys-
tenn, contributes SO greatly to lessen the
loss of interest on capital, and to give in
creased activity to business, by obliterating
the great distances that characterize this
country, and which only few years ago,
was unknown, now extends in all direc-
tions, like vast network, over the face of
the Union. We have no recent informa
lion in regard to the. length of the tele-
graphic wires in operation, but Messrs.
Marie 6z Kanz estimate IL at between 40,
900 and $4,000 miles. The Atlantic tele-
graph is under way, and during the pres
ent year America will hold unbroken con-
verse with Europe. The hazards which
hang upon the foreign markets, and which
give SO much the characterof gambling to
our domestic markets, will then, to great
extent. cease; the state of the Liverpool
or London markets in the morning will be
known at night in New York or even New
Orleans. Great moral as well as business
advantages will be the result.
The merchant navy has also made great
progress, the new constructions comprising
221 steamers and 1,7O3 sailing vessels,
giving an aggregate tonnage OF 469, 1894
tons. England still claims the honor Of
being mistress of the seas; we can we'll
accord her the title, but can claim our
selves, meanwhile, the distinction of be-
| ing "master" of them. Our mercantile
marine surpasses hers in tonnage. Her ma
wy gives her pre-eminence, but 1t is pre-
eminence of hard necessity-the necessity
of defending her mercantile marine and It's
colonial resources against her foes. AS
we need no such gigantic defense, we may
well rejoice in its non-existence as an evl-
dence of superior advantage.
We have lately given from our Wishing
ton documents the state of our national
debt. 1t has been reduced 25 per cent.
during the year, bringing it down to $3O'
900, 900, with surplus, in gold, in the
Treasury of $22, 900, 900, after deducting
all expenses. Moreover, the President is
of opinion that the debt can be entirely ex-
tinguished (for the second time, having
been previously paid off in 1866 in the
early part of 1853, and he recommends
Congress to take steps to reduce the reve-
nue. down to level with the expenditures,
in order to obviate the embarrassing conse-
uuences to commerce of an excessive GcCat-
neulatiom of specie in the vaults of the
Treasury. Was there ever great nation
in similar condition No government in
Europe, great or small, (unless the very
smallest,) can compare with 1t. Great
Britain is, in this respect, like Atlas bend
ing under the weight of the world; the
young republic, meanwhile, goes forth
erect and buoyant, like young Hercules
to clear the wilds of the world for the marcf
o;,y;Ii
have lately met somewhere with an illus
tration, from an English pen, of the Brit
ish national debt. The facts are almos
stunning" Its weight in gold amounts
to 14,O88, pounds; and in silver, to 26,
666, ,669 pounds. To transport this deb
across the seas, in gold, it would require
! fleet of 25 ships of $50 tons burden each
to carry the debt by land it would requir
1860 one-horse carts, each cart beln!
loaded with half Il ton of gold. Thes
: would extend in one unbroken line, 49,
! miles. If conveyed by soldiers, and eve
ry soldier were to carry so lbs weight il
his knapsack, it would require an army G
281 ,769 men. Eight hundred million @
;, sovereigns piled one on another, OF forme
into one close column, would extend II;
miles. If this column were commence
at the Lands End and continued north
ward, it would reach ten miles beyon
> John O'Groat's house. The same numbe
= of sovereigns laid fiat in straight line
7 and touching each other, would extend l.
! O48 miles, or more than II times aroun
the moon. Eight hundred millions of one
-, pound bank of England notes, sewed to
= gether would cover turnpike road 40 fe'
!: wide and 1,O52 miles long, or from Land
End to John O. Groat's and nearly half wa
> back again. If the notes were sewed tc
gether end to end, they would go fo'
times round the world, and sixteen time
70 round the moon The whole populate
: of the world is estimated at thousan
y million of souls An equal distribute
" of the national debt would give sixtee
''s shillings to every man, woman, and chill
70 or twenty dollars to every family on Il
70 face of the earth. Were Britain to co
% quer all Europe, and levya general po
70 tax to liquidate her present debt, she mu
!, have from every man, woman, and chill
=. f5 19s 73d; or from every family throu
as aS out Europe E29 IS 28d. Whata contra
" between this state of things and our Writ
!, >. ally debtless young nation, with its publ
. domain equal to all Europe, except RUSS
Ia and it's boundless resources of eve
- kind.
re- re- 1t would, perhaps, be hardly possible
~, overrate the direct and indirect importan
Sf Of California to our national developmel
~ Instead of the gradual progress of o
o - population westward heretofore, at an a
1b erage of about 8 miles per year, a su
oa lime national march, though it now seel
~ slow, the California impulse has brok
~ down all graduation of the movement, a
~ the whole continent is traversed and Ii
=, open for the peaceful invasion of inning
W ton and settlement. Before many yet
mS we may even hope that the railroad whis
- no will be heard over all the intermediate d