Litchfield enquirer., 1864-06-23
NATIONAL UNION NOMINATIONS.
Debtor and Creditor.

Debtor and Creditor.
 John Bull has long enjoyed the great com mercial distinction of being creditor to all th; world the fact that he is so, being proved by simple reference to the rate of exchange a bill on London bears 0 premium in every civil ized country on the globe. But John has re gently lost this distinction, so far as our own country is concerned. He is our debtor for a sum somewhere in the neghborhood of, per haps, fifty millions of dollars which sum, with seven per cent. interest "Jn coin," VIC, Jonathan, intend that he, John, shall pay. The debt was incurred on this wise, to wit |: That whereas we, Jonathan, had several ships at sea containing cargoes of lawful merchand- ise, he, John, fitted out certain pirates which did wilfuly and maliciously destroy the same i; for which trespasses on good fellowship We, Jonathan, propose that he John, in due time, shall, as aforesaid, pay in full with interest at the rate of seven per centum per annum.
 The account current between the two parties has not yet been formally rendered, but it is a theme of occasional conversation on our side of the Atlantic, and the only serious obstacle to the presentation and collection of the claim seems to be the alternative of war: "the mo. ney,' say the objectors, 'cannot be recovered unless we go to war for it, and that would cost more than it would come to-"
 On that point, we have word to say. The sum total of troops that England could send across the Atlantic. even supposing the ferry was unobstructed by our cruisers, is fortv Mou sand: body of men which, if all landed in one spot, could, under our present military or. Ganization, be disposed of in abo at two hours by any one of our armies. In other words. a war with England would be exclusively mari time war: our navy against their navy and our privatoers against their commerce.
 Three years ago, the proposition would have required to be differently stated. It would re quired the additional phrase "and Meiy priya teers against our commerce" But British piracy has changed all that" We have no commerce. The Florida, the Alabama, and SO forth have put an esd to it. Our imports and exports move now in foreign bottoms, and the vast influx and eflux of passengers-the most profitable of all .tieight--goes on under the protection of foreign flag. He are already, [" short, uirtualzy in Me position of Aaying oesn three gears at scar aviM Englaud!-with, however, this substantial difference to our dis advantage, that while England has, by her pirates, destroyed our commerce, ,ce hare mot refal'ated upon hers. But let the war come, which war some of our timid brethren SO much dread, and see how the tables would be turned upon our dear neutral" friends on the other side of the water!
 We, as experience every day proves, can do 'c'fhom commerce: England, without con- merce. would starvs. England, by destroying our commerce with her few pirates, has gained nothing, except negatively in the increase oe own; because her pirates, Sailing under the Confederate flag. could not carry into port the enormously valuable vessels and cargoes that tiiey captured. and therefore they were forced to destroy them by fire. But We, having few ports of our own, could not only annihilate British commerce with our privateers, but could also turn our captures to account by pouring into our treasury the untold millions of dollars embarkedin it. Our Joss, hitherto, has not been their gain Ii; but their loss would be our gain to an amount that might much more than support the war. We should perform our part Of the business on the Napoleonic system i; ~e should make the war support itself on the resources of the enemy.
 We conclude, therefore, that while we have, comparatively. no reason, and England has every reason. to dread a war, the war will not in fact ensue on our ''sendng in that little bili' but that. on the contrary, England will quietly "foot it" and pocket only the affrout.