The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-10-18
No Rudder.Pin,

From the New York Evening Post
The recent disaster to the Great Eastern
steamship is suggestive in good many
ways. In the first place, it is not an inapt
symbol Of the condition and prospects of
England which. in spite of all her pomp
and power, does not sail as we'll as one could
wish England is, indeed, goodly vessel,
of majestic size and proportions, but the
storms through which she has passed have
broken her rudder.pin, and she is tossed
rather wildly about by the waves of Euro
pean and American politics. AS she rolls
eastward she shows her disOrdered decks to
Russia and Austria; as her stern sinks in
the trough, France and Italy see the holes
in her bows ; and when she plunges again
westward the Americans notice that some
of her best boats are stove and her steering
apparatus dismantled. In other words, this
imperious island is in danger of conti-
mental war; arising out of continental in
terests over which she exercises little or no
control. England cannot keep the peace if
she would. 1t depends upon the Emperor
of France alone. She is already reduced
ia his calculations to the rank OF a second
rate power; and she fears him and watches
him as mouse in its hole may be supposed
to watch the cat. Now and then she ven
lures upon timid remOnstrance, as in the
case of Lord Russell's remarks, so full of
Dutch courage, on the threatened annexa-
ton of Sardinia; but she does nothing. A
periodical Indignation seizes the entire
kingdom when anybody shouts out rather
louder than usual, "a French INVASION"
The maritime force of England is the
only point in which, as military power,
she is strong. On land she is weak COM
pared with many of the smaller states of
Europe. Strange as it may appear, the
State of New York has more enrolled mi.
litia than England has regulars and voldn-
teers. The latter has. in fact, nothing but
her colonies to make her formidable, and
she sustaiEs her eXtravagant aristocracy
only by the sweat of her poor Golfers, her
wasted and half starved cotton spinners,
and the tap>rooms at which the great beer
drinkers pay the shot for the bene6t of the
government. At one time she is on the
brink of ruin for the want of cotton, and
at another for the want of bread.
England this day has no foreign policy.
She cannot carry single point against
Napoleon or Victor Emanuel. Italy and
France, if they now combine, are match
for all Europe; and they will not care jot
for Lord Pamerston. The British ship of
state is floating about unable to shape IFS
own course. Its rudder pin is gone, and a
very shabby continuance temporarily sup
plies its place.
We all remember with what glorihcation
the Great Eastern was launched into what
John Bull esteems TO be bis native ele-
ment." 1t was the very audacty of the
scheme on which he priced himself. The
engineer, who had made a poor and valueIess
tunnel under the Thames, planned monster
to alright the seas. But the sea has not
been in the least frightened. 1t had seeu
steamers before, indispensable in speed and
elegance of model, and clipper ships that
flew like the wina, designed, built and set
afloat by a young nation which could not
boast that its flag had braved thousand
years the battle and the breeze. 1t has now
shown its power over the biggest ship and
the biggest brags which England ever sent
forth. The Great Eastern is sacrifice to
Neptune" only that, and nothing more"
Let her fate teach these British to draw
their fires and lower their pressure when
thew are steering towards the United States,
whose ruin they so complacently anticipated.
Let them make sure that their own craft is
staunch and able to breast the gale, before
they attack ours. Let them get new rud.
der pin to their ship of state--one that will
hold and if they rule the waves, as they
pretend, why let them "rule them little
straighter s ~