The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-05-22

Britain reaches the enormous sum, at the
close of the Crimean war, of three thous
and seven hundred and eighty millions Of
dollars, whilst the aggregate indebtedness
of the great Powers OF Europe-France,
Holland, Russia, Prussia, Spain, Belgium,
and Austria, attained seven thousand five
hundred millions of dollars, to which may
be added the debt of British India, amoun-
ting to two hundred and forty millions.
In contrast to this, turn to the working
of that beautiful system under which
Providence has cast cur lot. In this
brief period to which we have alluded,
the unprovoked war with Mexico has been
ended, our army Withdrawn, the citizen
soldier has laid aside the sword and resu-
med the peaceful pursuits Of life. The
debt of the United States may be set
down as nothing. The swelling revenues
for the last several years have been such
as 20 absorb and make it matter OF con-
putation and difficulty, on the part Of the
authorities of the General Government,
to purchase and extinguish the public Sc
curities. The annual receipts from reve-
Due amount to seventy FIVE millions. The
advance in every department of civilized
life has almost exceeded belief. \ terri
tory washed by two great oceans-a peo-
pie in peace and unusual prosperity. We
have an internal trade of six hundred mil
lions, in which eleven millions of our peo-
PIE are directly concerned, as all have
general interest. The annual value Of
our agricultural productions is two hun
dred millions-the single staple of Indian
corn alone reaching four hundred mil
e cIo1- fho n .+al
invested in manufactures is six hundred
millions. The annual value of the pro-
ducts Of labor, other than agricultural,
fifteen hundred millions. Our coal fields
cover surface or 240, 600 square miles.
We have $4,000 miles Of railway in OPP
Grafton, at cost OF six hundred and fifty
millions with a sea- coast twelve thous-
and six hundred miles FIVE thousand
miles of canals, and FIVE great lakes, with
a surface of two hundred thousand square
miles. Our mines of gold, silver, cinne-
bar, copper, lead, and iron, are not surpas-
sed in the world, as the treasures OF Cali
fornia have demonstrated, and the extra
ordinary wealth Of the minerals OF Lake
Superior have abundantly proved We
have within our republic six thousand
academies, two hundred and Fifty colleges,
and four thousand churches In those
great interests that concern not only the
whole Union, but our own great Empire
State, how do we stand III the commerce
of the world Great Britain has 81 600
vessels, with a five million tonnage =
France has 1850 vessels, of 720, 600
tons; Spain 5000 vessels, with $50 ,000
tons. The aggregate vessels belonging to
Sardinia, Tuscany, Naples, Sicily, Papal
States, Austria, Greece, Turkey, Holland,
Hamburger, Bremen. Prussia, Denmark,
Norway, Sweden, Russia, Mexico, and
the South American States, is Al 400 yes
sells, with 3,466,500 tonnage. The Uni
ted States have $4,000 vessels afoat, with
five and a half millions Of tons; so we
have $500 vessels more than Great
Britain, with half million greater ton
mage than hers three times as many YES
sells as France, and at least eight times as
much tonnage FIVE times the number Of
Spanish vessels, with fourteen or fifteen
times her tonnage; and our mum Der of
vessels is nearly equal to the number of
vessels Of all the other maritime powers
of the earth, having 100000 of tons
greater than their united tonnage. Then
iOoi> az CuI ONn COlfiHckeldl marine, Nitu
its astonishing growth, and see how it
trauscends the other commercial Powers
Of the world--in tonnage and vessels, the
latter numerous enough, if stationed at
equal distances around the great clrcle
Of the earth, not only to display in sight
Of each other the symbol Of our national
glory, but to hail each other aud proclaim
themselves "Americans." Not only in
vessels and tonnage is the growth and
power of our commercial marine demon
strated, but in the skill and courage of
those sons of the deep, whose genius and
daring have placed them at the head of
their profession, and given them a com
manding position which has opened up
the markets of the world by traversing
every sea, and unsealing, even to the dis
tant Indian shores, every port where trade
could be advantageously pursued Now
it has occurred to me, that it would be a
matter of interest to the people of this
great metropolis at whose port is collected
third of the revenue of the whole Union,
to know what protection in ships OF war
our Government has provided. It is a
very great and important question, wheth-
er the present naval system is adequate to
protect our vast and swelling commerce,
and accordingly | have taken some pains
to collect data from authentic sources -