The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-12

Chil,. .............l 1855 1888 l05 151
These figures are full Of meaning. BY them
we can estimate the comparative strength OF
the principal powers, and ascertain in what
light a national debt is viewed by each. Take
the United Kingdom. We owe GS08, $50 ,395 or
f21 lC2. 0d per head, and yet we are content
to exercise all our financial skill, not in reduC-
ing our indebtedness, but in tightening our I'M
meoate taxation. We raise our revenue by an
average payment per head of e. Gs. 4d., and
let our national debt very nearly take care OF
itself Just the opposite course Is pursued i'm
the United States, between whose people and
ourselves there is but the difference which
necessarily exists between matuted manhood and
youth. They owe but G55S 873 SAC, or less
tnau us by about two hundred and fifty thou
sand; that Is, Ell 5s. Sd. per head, against our
G27 l6s Cd. per head. But they raise ag much
8l2 lis, cd. per head per annum which IS
9lO 5s Id. more than we do. The difference is
very great ana arises from the resolution Of the
American Government to get rid of their debt
within reasonable time. Those who maintain
the Justice of national debts urge that what has
been done by one generation Tor the benefit Of
the future as well as the present should be
borne by all. There is some truth in this-but
much more error. Every generation will have
its truly national works, internal or external,
peaceful or warlike, whereas the view referred
TO assumes that the present generation has more
TO do for the national veal than its descendants
will have.
This is obviously untrue, and we are sure that
our notion Is wrong, and that the course adopted
on the other side of the Atlantic is lust, ard by
far the best. Another tram Of thought which is
started by these figures is the relative debts of
France and Prussia. Prussia is now for every
purpose of argument united Germany, and the
enemies of Prussia are the enemies OF Germany,
the glory and distress OF the one is the glory or
distress OF the latter At this moment France,
with habitual irritation at Others gaining terri
t0rial prizes while she is left in the cold, is ask
ing Of Prussia certain concessions. The French
people watch with anxious concern the neigh
borhOod OF a united Protestant Germany ruled
by military desDOt, and they admit that they
seek TO more equally balance power on the con
tment.
Prussia only owes f4I 65l, 7O7, or G2 IS. 3d.
per head, while France owes $3.50 O38 9S5, or
ETA Is. I'd. Besides tni5 Prussans contribute
but G1 2s. sd. per head towards the revenue
and the French 81 l9s. l0d. These are practi-
cal facts, which in this instance are not affected
by other important considerations. Both Prus-
sia and France are military powers, bat It
anything the Prussian soldier Is more intel
ligent, more courageous, and capable of endur-
ing more prolonged fatigue, without Wearying
of national struggle, than the French More
over, the order which untailingly rules in
Prussia may at any time be disturbed in France,
OWING TO the hckeness Of the people and their
love of military adventures.
1t is, therefore, Of great importance to both
these countries that they should keep their re
sources well in hand. Prussia has hers, and
we know that her people in time Of national
war can voluntarily resign luxurious clothing
and ornaments, can moderate their aDpetltes,
and can even yield up their weddng-rings so
that the WhereWithal may be secured for the
nations cause This they nave done, and we
DdLflOLlSLn
everywhere abounds among them. The French
are more brilliant, but they are unaccustomed
to the prolonged contests OF either Prussia or
Britain. spain owes el63, ,O9447l, or GlO As. Cd.
per head OF her population. This is not large
debt for such "A country, which should have nu.
merous wealthy colonies and abundant home
resources.
OF all nations Spain seems to be the most
Roman Catholic the most lethargC, and most
bari arous. Her Queen is beset by priests who
serve themselves and their order before the
throne, the country, or the people; her minis.
tiers are made or unmade by revolutions; and
her subjects, while being heavily taxed in pro-
portion to the revenue raised, are badly ruled
in every respect The whole country is insoL
vent and by her irregularities in dealing with
all the world she has won well-merted con-
tempt from every side. the Mexican Govern
ment is so much behind that it has made no
statement Of its affairs. An approximate esti-
mate could easily be made by adding the sue
cessive loans raised IN foreign markets, but like
Turkey and spain, there is no doubt that beI
internal Indebtedness is OF some importance
and this would render any total of external in
debtedness very misleading.
italy has a national debt of &l76 225, 039, OF
87 los, sd. per head Besides this, the country
being equal to fl lis. I'd. Per head Of the pOpu
lation. But Italy Is Young, aud, IT well gov
erned, win very speedily improve her financial
prospects, aud rank among the moderately
powerful and well-tO-dO families of Europe
Chill, Peru and Brazil are, with many o.hel
third rate countries, following the example o
tue Olu WOIlus luuetN Llbf nave III mus GtLAc
already exceeded reasonable limits, and in NOR
than one instance have brought themselves 10
disgraceful stoppage.
Take, for example Venezuela and some othe
South American "Republicsn Their peOp
are half Spaniards, with goOdlv proportion O
Spanish chivalry,' as they term their free
bootinP. flIbusterlng raids upon each other anC
their neghbOrs. The result is certain TO bt
most disastrous. They borrow upon ruinou
terms hypothecate customs duties and othel
sources of revenue sometimes twice and in
yariably once, until there are no means of con
ducting their Government, when the rights O
the money lenders are put aside the Who'll
revenue devoted to the uses of the State, and
when demonstrated with, these 'chivalrous
descendants of Spain and Spanish rule protes
that their conduct is justhable, and should b
mentioned in sugared phrases.
The Attack on Henry Ward Beecher Reyeren
Mr. pnnnhnr cav hia pnpmiea. CAme out for tf