The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-06-04
A NAVAL WAR WITH ENGLAND
ITS RESULTS HERE AND THERE.
[From TIE New York Herkld.]

1
dignity, will meet the appropriation of the
country. The occurrence of naval war
with England at the present time, under the
provocation caused by the recent aagitious
outrages upon our commerce in the ports
and waters of Cuba, is not only thing moi
far beyond the bounds of probability, but is
looked upon by many interests here as o
thing eminently desirable in the present
junctpre of affairs.
There has been no time for long series
of years past, and will not be forvery many
| to come, when such war would infiict up
on us so little injury and bring SO much ben
eft as now. Our foreign commerce has
dwindled down TO It's minimum point, and
our domestic trade is stagnant, through the
| effects of the late financial reyulsion. Under
the curtailment which our commerce with
foreign nations has undergone for the past
six months, there is probably not one third
of the American interests ahoat now that
there was one year ago. Owing to the same
cause, the five hundred millions of specie
in the country has left the healthy channels
of circulation, and is in large degree accu-
nsulated as dead weight in our bank vaults.
If we should now be carried into naval
war with England it would have both pres
ent and prospective effect upon us, which
would in the aggregate be very advantageous.
In political point of view, it would stop at
once all this senseless sectional agitation up
on the slavery question. 1t wonld settle
forever the tariff discussion, by stopping for
time our revenue from foreign trade, and
force us at once into the system of direct
taxation, which we are now rich enough to
bear. II would necessitate the immediate
construction of wagon road to California
across the shortest route; and if the war
continued long enough, would build the
railroad to the Pacific. II would settle for
ever this question of the right of visit upon
the ocean, and place our flag upon recog-
nized and permanent footing. 1t would
sweep away the Clayton -Bulwer treaty,
probably bring Cuba into the Union, solve
the hanging about Central America, abolish
the last remnant of the African slave trade,
and change the entire phase of our foreign
affairs, by showing practically to the Powers
of Europe how little need the United States
really has of their good will.
But il is in its material point of view that
It would develope the greatest advantages
to this country. Under the double stimulus
given TO production and trade here, by the
cutting off Of our foreign supplies, and the
sudden demand by the federal government
for every kind of material, our domestic in.
dustry would suddenly start into the most
active life. Our cotton manufacturers would
not only have the entire home demand for
goods, but the supplies Of cotton being cut
off for England, the merchants of all the
world would come here-for time, perhaps,
under other flags than ours-to buy the pro-
ducts of our looms. The demand for these
would probably increase four.fold within a
year; and instead of consuming six hundred
thousand bales of cotton yearly, we might
consume two and half millions of bales.-
These would come North, to employ the
busy hands of our Northern population,
through the rivers, canals and railroads Of
the interior, bringing to all Of them vast
increase of traffic. Every interest attendant
upon the manufacturers and the carrying
trade would participate in their prosperity
A similar result would attend the iron trade,
with all its vast rami6cations; the coal mining
interest, the machine making, house building,
and every other branch Of mechanical skill,
would experience the same new demand up
on it, and even the common laborer would
find suddenly on every side call for his ex-
ertions.
At the same time the necessities Of gov
ernment would give an impetus to the now
accumulated specie. Loans would be called
for, the proceeds of which would be immedi-
ately distributed among the mechanical and
laboring classes, for the building Of ships,
casting of guns, making of clothes, prepar-
ing rations, and meeting the thousand re-
QUESTIONS of war; and war prices would at
once infuse life and health into every branch
of trade. Our merchant marine would be
turned into prvateers, and the officers and
crews come home with pockets full Of prize
money instead of primage. II would be sud
denly discovered that we posses every kind
of soil, climate and production within our
selves, and the development Of home indus
try would become passion throughout the
country. In conjunction with these results,
we should cease the continual remittance Of
our specie abroad, and find employment for
II at home; while the twenty or twenty-five
millions now annually paid in Europe for
interest on loans and bonds would be stop
ped altogether.
The results to England of war with the
United States would be directly the reverse
Of all this. While we should experience the
same stimulus to our domestic industry thai
she did In her war with Russia, with her
there would be a falling of in the supply Of
the staples Of industry, and consequently
decrease Of employment. Her commerce
a An kara nt rnt