True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-10-27
The Effects Of War upon Nations.

AhS A4ASSso VA wa uPVA N""VAS
1t has been said by an able writer, that
there are not above dozen battles in the
history Of the world the fate Of which
one way or other, would have sensibly af.
fected the world at large in lis subsequent
history. This may be in a measure true,
and yet there is hardly battle fought,
the indirect effect of which upon public
opinion in thousand ways, are not far
greater than the direct result whatever
that may be.
The recent war with China is an illus
tration of this. The allies planted them
selves at the mouth of the canal that sup
plies Nankin with rice and other food
They carefully abStained from interfering
with regular commerce, but the panic Of
their presence prevented the usual sup
plies. The capital of China was threat
ened with famine, the poor threatened in
surreclion, and TO this the concessions Of
the present treaty were unquestionably
owing.
This effect upon the people never can
be effaced. 1t has taught them their
power. Hundreds of thousands of lives
might have been lost, and the throne re-
mained firm. Millions Of property might
have been destroyed but the industry Of
the people would soon have repaired that.
But when the confidence of any nation
in its executive officers is once shaken,
and the power Of the government 10 pro.
tect itself from popular assault is gone,
there is no repairing that. The former war,
i Q the opium war Of lS42, produced this
effect around Canton, and the result has
been the rebellion which has been so
long raging. The present war has hope.
- lessly demualized the whole nation, So
cially demoralized the people, and state
af things which it has taken nearly four
thousand years to produce, has been
crushed to atoms or exploded by that gun
boat that the other day dashed up the
Pei. Ho and destroyed The forls in half an
hour. ....
Henceforth anarchy must ensue. The
people will despise the government which
is Too weak 10 resist themselves, and hate
it for being conquered by foreigners,
while hating the foreigners far more in.
tensely. Precisely the same resul! must
ensue, and is al this moment ensuing in
Turkey. Il has proved vaueless for the
Sultan that he and his allies were viclo.
rious agains, Russia, and secured an hon.
orable peace. Turkey has been the real
loser to the allies, and has lost her ipde.
pendence of action on the one hand, and
the respect Of her own citizens on the
other No one dreamed of such an effect
Russia is said absolutely to have beer
improved by The war; Reforms have fol-
lowed there, and the industrial resources
Of the country have been Developed
But Turkey has absolutely broken dowr
and been given up to anarchy and confu
sion more completely through this war
than could have been supposed possible
in so short time. Hatred Of FrenchSn
reference leads them to such excessiv,
acts, that not the Sultan on the throne i
secure. The ministers from France
England and Russia have to join their as
surance that the Sulian's brother shoul
not be recognized as Sultan, or deposition
would ere this have removed him from
the throne, and probably from the earth
BY an old Musselman custom, if an,
Sultan prove inefficient, nothing is NOR
common than 10 charge him with infdel
ity to the Koran, on which all his powe
is based, and then few of the heads Q
the Matchmaker religion can pronouuc
against him the sentence Of deposition
aftei which he is generally made prise
ner and often murdered privately by hi
successor. .Tr
In this case their is no doubt that III
present Sutton has introduced Gentle re
forms enough TO entille him TO be excon
municated dozen times over, and tn
fana,icsm of the Turks is wound up
such a pitch, that they would 90 int
such a mcasurs with all sincerity. TIL
Sultan oois a weak man, and his brolhe
would be glad TO build his throne upon III
revival Of The old lana,ic0l Mahommedar
ism. But unfortunately this would
onee rouse against them all the grei
powers Of Europe, both because the
have RECOMMENDED the fanaiicsm that hi
Produced the present discomfort, and the
see the insecurity that is to follow.
In one word, then the mortars and gu
boats of modern nations have battered