The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-11-07
A War Between France or England and
the United States, Impossible.
(From the Boston Post, Oct. e2)


What with sensation" dispatches,
gross exaggeration, conflicting reports
and ingenious misconstructions of fact,
it is not wonderful that the public mind
should be confused by what, in reality,
are offshoots or details, and should oc.
casionally be turned aside from close
and steadfast contemplation of the.
grand real march Of events. -
Now the one great truth about
France aud England, just now of their.
pressing need of breadstuffs. This is
admitted i'm both countries by all the
authorities. Great Britain alone, ac-
cording to the Times, has imported
$1OO, 10000 worth of cereals in the
last eight months. H faa" af
What France has purchased abroad
We know not exactly, but she has al
ready bought so much that in Paris
money is 6 per cent. while it is only 8
per cent. in Holland and Germany, and
but in Belgium, her next neighbor.
France has not had so bad a harvest
for twenty years. At last accounts
the Bank of France had borrowed fye
millions of dollars of Individuals
proceeding without precedent, and it
was reported that loan of two mil.
lions sterling was to be obtained of the
Bank of England. 3so
OF the English imports during the
last eight months, the United States
have furnished a64 per cent. in wheat,
and 81 per cent. of floor, and from the
figures given, it is evident that the con-
tinent of Europe in general has all it
can do to take care of itself in respect
to bread. AT the same time, it is a
well ascertained fact that for a wear to
come, at all events, Europe will take
all the breadstuffs We can spare at a
good price. AT this moment there are
in New York from thirty to thirty-fi
large vessels loading with grain for
Europe; while the weekly figures Of,
exports, and the known condition of
the grain markets and grain supplies
abroad, fully sustain us in our general
position. Moreover, Europe will take
all We can spare, and even then acM
haze no considerable surplus to carry
into next year. In all probability.
therefore, we are sure of large foreign
demand for grain for two years to come.
And if we stop sending grain abroad,
where is England to get the a61 per.
cent. of flour, received this year, from
the United States, and required in
1852, and perhaps in 1868? Grain ia
already quite high in Europe. Where
would it stand if the American supply
of these millions of bushels per week
were to be cut off, or even If there scere
any reasonable fear Of such a disaster.
We do not question that great Brit.
ain, under certain circumstances, could
be drawn into war, corn or no corn |;
but, as an English Minister once said
to an American Ambassador, the Unf
ted States can do almost anything with
England" Great Britain needs our
bread more than she needs our cotton.
Losing our cotton and losing our
trade, she must haze bread neuerthe-
less and France must have it even
more than Great Britain. American
affairs have already injured both coun-
tries severely, and the worst, perhaps,
, has not yet been experienced. But
war would not help them, either cotton
or trade, and they knoso it., while war
would double the price of bread to their
f work people, already needy and dis
content. Our position is, therefore.
that warwith England or France is al
most impossible, a1as5ess H be declared
6y the United States. whatever may be
the feelings of the European Govern
ments or newspapers.