Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-04
From Hun,'s Merchant Mayarine.l
AN FAST TNDrEs To THE UNITED STATES.

There was n time when England could raise !
much larger army than she could now, yet the
increase Of her population has been greater
during the last forty Years than it ever WAS
before within the same time. The cessation of
hostilities with European powers is the cause
of this: as at this hour her finest men were
picked up by the recruiting sergeant. and sent
to the fields of slaughter. No Others arc tit 10
die. But although England, within the last
few wears, has been at war with half the hui
man race. and CRYING ont to 5o.""o.'~ of
people. "no quarter" her great wars have
ceased. Within four years she has opened her
batteries upon four of the most powerful lead
ing empires Of the earth, namely: Russia, Per
STA, China and India. Persia. containing 4
population of 100000 oo although not ut pre-
sent a first rate leading power, yet at one pc
Rod she was 4 terror to the Eastern nations.
Cyrus. the Persian. conquered Babylon and
the great Babyloniar Empire. King Ncbu-
chainezzar. with all his vast armies. provinces.
and powers, crumbled beneath his sway.
and il is this nation that England. Immediate
~ after the fall Of ScbaStopoI, and the greatest
siege hat the world ever saw. crushed into
,uhiection. Then followed China and treach-
,rors child.killing India, which. with all their
advantages. are so far conquered that the result
is known. and the news from the scenes Of
strife cease to he interesting.
We in modern times, ran scarcely fancy an
army of 10000 men, 10000 cavalry, 10000
camclS. II. oon yoke of oxen, and several thou-
sand elephants, all moving over vast deserts
subiccting themselves 10 Il screening sun
thirty degrees hotter than in the United States,
and 4 dust and thirst to many insuprortahie,
while a tlying enemy but leads them on. But
il is not the wars with those distant nations
that have rendered this scarcity Of men IN Eng
land-it is her great prosperity.
And when we read silly articles relating 10
to England not being able to raise soldiers. and
Of its being n sign Of her downfall, We cannot
but feel surprised Mt the ~rcady.made calcula-
ton. hut still more Justly at our own Incidence
in not calculating for ourselves. Engiands
wise policy in extending her possessions over
distant lands, has within the last forty years Of
pcacc. attracted the attention OF her surplus
populations: consequently. she has had other
fields and other cmployments for her men. and
instead Of shedding each others blood, they
have cleared tho forest away, and vast sheep
and agricultural regions are now the fruits of
their enterprise and labor. And 50 long ~
England has the means, she will prefer hiring
soldiers readv-madc To killing off her W men.
who are encouraged To cmigratc TO new colo
mics and build up new and great nations, Ia
create 4 trade with their native land.
If an English soldier is worth goo. what,
by the rule of three. is M e%nigrant worth =
While, therefore, France and other continental
nations will furnish bone and Sinew for the
battle field, just 50 long England will continue
To pay them. and spare her own flesh and blood
for more noble il not more glorious purposes.
No matter 10 what cline an cmigrant ship takes
her human frcights of .inglo-SaXon and Celtic
blood. England benefits in the end. II an
English soldier costs Zoo, it is n matter OF
economy TO hire the rcady-ma.ic soldier and
give him y shilling 4 lay while he is doing the
jc5-mo, hyht, no poy. Thus England has built
IN for herself. far away from home, great
and prosperous, nations, which she supplies
from her factories. &C., and receives n re-
turn in gold, silver and other productions Of
foreign parts. Her heretofore wise policy Is
nov turning into her Golfers countless millions.
II was the policy and enterprise Of the govern
incnt. and not of individuals. She held. set
tied and taxed the United States: but what OF
that Her object is obtained. Her vast ship
ping has n vast country TO open her
to and send six millions worth of productions
to every year. Then, the thousands Of men
employed on the seas all contribute largely to
make her the most powerful nation IN the
earth.
1t is 4 boast Of many leading papers, As well
lis individuals, that the United States could
raise an army far more numerous than that Of
England; but let us look into this. Suppose
it became necessary to send an army of 100000
men To fight n leading European power. where
would these men come from: Certainly the
uniform companies, excepting a few, could not
20. as they are men of family and business. AMI
have other things to do. If the regular army
could be swollen to the extent required, ii
would be from the ranks Of the thousands upon
thousands who are now drifting about the
cities, protesting every trade, business and
profession.
How far out Of New York need a man fire
off a 24.poundcr to reach the ears Of 100000
idle men. who know not what to do or where
To go TO: This is a bad state Of things. and it Is
an idle boast; and were it not that this dense
BODY is composed Of men Of various nations.
tongues and ideas. il would unite in rebellion
against the powers that be. In the event Of
an invasion, America might raise 4 large army;
on the same occasion, so could England. But
the invasions of England are over those Of
America vet to come. America has never been
called upon to raise a large army. We may
talk of tie .tIr Wtst, and the vast regions yet
unclaimed; and why cannot the surplus popu-
lation 90 there: But this is all ''eolly West
The answer is Simplc-thcrc is nothing Ia do.
Onc small island in the seas, or one small
colony abroad. would create more trade and
business than fifty times the SAINT extent at
home. There is a foreign field to be opened.
must bc opened, for the benefit Of the vast
army of professors. a~rtizans and laborerS, who
cannot till the ground or bury themselves
and their families in dense forests, and Ire
hnlf' dead with chills and fcvers. There is
an army OF martyrs now in the West, but
no employment for the shipbuilder and the
thousands Of men whom the building Of y sin
gle ocean steam vessel would create. IL is all
well enough to say to the soldier, he must pillow.
and the farmer he must fight, but we cannot
reverse the order Of things. In a single family
we find different dispositions and turns for bust
ness. professions and trades. Mems abilities
vary; one son may work hard Mt his bench or
plow, from sunrise till sunset, while his brother
will not work at all to suit his fathers ideas,
and is consequently sighed for and called n
good. for-nothing fellow. Blu in what way =
Is i; because he does not labor: Surely not
He NAV 90 through mere mental labor in on
hour than his brother would in Il week. lie is
born for something else. but his father has not
yet found ont what he is fit for. or has no field
for his ambition. But he is on the Sca.,horc.
and ro"h. his time away Scooping ont little mo
del boats. His father cultivatc> al island two
or three miles out at sea. and it is necessary
that he should have = boat and Il man 10 sail
her. 90 Il, to carry On tl'A business. rs it in
creaseS. between the little rising settlement and
the main land: and tbs die. %!oari"g. y""j:f or.
rotEing ~on builds boats and sails them. AMI in
the course of time is the leading builder in the
place: and were it not for the cultivation Of the
island. he might have remained all his lifelong
a tax upon society.
Thus We have the Government Of the United
. States. IL is fathsr. and we are its sons II