The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-05

v -
Ths I6idcn TINES Of the 18th April
hes s-xsslcSahle article upon the British
aebt and resources. II contends that in
tAis unparalleled half.century the great
war debt Of the nation should have been
reduced to something less than Els, ooo, 900
Gl pcr head on the entire population Of
the isles. II cannot be-" says tho Times,
"that experience encourages us in this
rccklessness; for we have entered on
"waf without counting the cost to our very
"grcat loss and, ,cha! some feel more, we
shave counted the cost and not gone to
"war! !" Very true.
The Times, TO impress upon the British
public the importance Of economy, OF
saving up and reducing the public debt,
makes this rather prophetic suggestion:
"In all human probability we shall have
"at least one great war before the close of
"this century, and that war, when it comes,
"will have to be fought as the Fedcrals in
"Amcrica fought, more with money than
"men."
AS if the alarm Of being unprepared for
such war, to be fought with such means,
we're not enough to stir the Government to
its duty, the Times calls attention to the
fact that il is estimated by scientific
people that in three generations all the
coal Of the British Isles that lies within
four thousand feet of the surface will be
exhausted if the increase Of consumption
goes on at the present rate! Rcciting the
importance of coal to England-that with
out it the workshops and foundries will be
silcnt-streets dark and houses uninhabit-
able--stcamboats banished from the waters,
ctc.-until the Independence of the ma
ton will be missed as man misses "his
companion, his fortune, or limb" being at
every turn and every hour reminded ofthe
irreparable loss. "Hise England ,ciA then
be the silly Virgin Without oil In her lamp"
With this doleful picture Of the dark
future which the event alluded to is to
bring upon England, the Times impresses
upon its readers the importance of economy
and prompt payment to put the nation in
the best condition to meet it. The posi-
bilty of q change of identity of the body
polite through a change Of her constitu-
ency it is feared may be followed by an
evasion of responsibility" 1t hints thus
at the danger of "Repudiation, and fol-
lows with this strong sentence: Nothing so
"much contributes to that sense of national
"identity which is in the very essence of
irrational honor, and all national great
"ness, as resolute and energetic dis
"charge of national responsibilities of
"every kind" Itputs the question to the
conscience" of the nation whether they
are showing this quality in the simple bust
ness affair of the "enormous" national
debt 1t concludes that " now or never !"
is the time for paying the lawful public
debt, or indulging sin things they could
do without
"he Times makes out strong case, and
Of the prospect of trouble and national
inc near at hand that one would sup
whle millionaire proprietors of that
IN IN stitution would be looking out for
versces to invest and erect castles of
CONAN the ruin and wreck that may
--c0iae. Some years ago, upon rumor that
the Times had been purchased by the
proprietors of the Government organ Of
France, the editors of the Times stated
that such was not the fact, and that
no proposition from Monsieur on the
subject would be entertained until he
anchored in the Thames with two ships
loaded with gold Possibly with the
gloomy anticipations now INDUCED, its
owners would lower their views to one
ship-load of the auriferous.
tits striking commentary upon the con-
dition Of the principalities and powers OF
the earth that if man were to cast about
to ascertain where he would be safest were
he to leave this Albion-this nation so
threatened-he could not settle upon any
spot of earth where he would be sure OF
peace and security for even a lifetime. He
would likely conclude that, in the uncer-
tainty of everything human, England is
about as secure in her future as any other
place on the globe. This is no doubt the
conviction of the Times. Yet the Times
is wise to hold up even to that solidest OF
Governments the dangers that flow from
national extravaganza and national bad
faith.