The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-11-02

pao ENOUGH cut worse than this, dreadS to
stir up the wrath Of our thirty-six headed
Giant, whom sixty years she affected to treat
as an underling unworthy of the rights of
nation. This would seem to be the ne pins
ultra Of degradation /; but England has reached
lower depth still. The kingdom of Prus-
STA, which hundred years ago she treated
like the rest of the German. States, is looked
upon by the autocrat of France as a great
Power, when he contemptuously ignored the
existence of per6dous Albion
The cause of this great decline of the might
lest Government the world ever saw is to be
found in several facts. The supremacy ofEng-
land depended upon her navy. AS long as
ships were propelled by the Winds the skill
of the English sailors dstanced that of any
others on the earth, and the name of Colling-
wool, St. Vincent and Nelson were as dread
full to all nations of the earth as those of so
m any Bluebeards. They sailed round the
earth to spread desolation and to acquire col
ony after colony for the great mother of pi-
rates. -
The subugation of the richest producing
regions of our globe poured incalculable
wealth into the Golfers of England. She man
aged them for her own selfish purposes, and
so constructed her laws that her colonies be-
came mines of wealth to which those of Next
CO were nothing. She was secure in all this;
for she had command of the sea, and none
dared to question her supremacy.
In consequence her manufactures became
extended beyond precedent, land her cotton and
iron lords went on adding wealth to wealth
until they became so rich that Croesus was
pauper compared to dozens of them.
But now all is changed. England dares
not stir up war for the first result would
be that her colonies would be wrenched from
her, as she has not iron-clads enough to gir
even her own chalk cliffs, SO as to make Y
secure against the steam navy of any t
bly, strong power. aa
Another cause of the weakness of F
is her enormous debt So long as sh
defy nations and keep out competit
debt was even thought by some to b
sing, and its weight was not felt by
who governed her councils, and
made but the richer by the taxes
her suffering millions. These hav
had their eyes opened, and the ST
cation has made them ask why
GERS kept out of any means Of reg,
way in which the money is spent
have toiled for.
England now hestates to go to w..
that she has not had ample causes enough in
the last twenty years but her aristocracy are
beginning to fear her own people.
Wars will hereafter be conducted in diff
| ferent manner than they have been. They
will result in all time to come in the liberia
ton of the masses of the nations. Despots
cannot now depend upon making their sub
jects fight TO strengthen their own chains.
| The aristocracy Of England see this great fact,
and they know that war with France or the
United States will go very far to democratize
Great Britain; indeed we doubt that the
House of Lords could survive six months
modern war, in which the enemy would GER
tainly appeal to the republican sympathies of
the masses Of Englishmen.
The only way to strengthen the British
| Government, is to give more power to the
people, The coarse of the politics Of the
whole world is towards equality and the
privileged classes may as we'll Try to stop a
| cyclone as to stand up against the whirlwind
of democracy.
The question is this: Will the Artist Of
England have the sense to make concessions,
in time and thus, by making friends Of the
masses, prolong their rule for some years
longer, till they can at least die decently or
will they, like all oligarchies, cling to their
| traditions and superstitions till the fools and
their doctrines are swept away by the Ty-
| phoon of equality.
We love old England, and we are distress
ed to see her thus humbled. We should be
indeed panied to see her time honored institu-
tions crushed to dust, and no trace left of
what was once the admiration of the world.
If the storm comes it will sweep away not
only the aristocracy, but the national debt
and all the thousand ways by which England
has consolidated her power and oppressed her
own people and the whole world
She will arise out of the Revolution with
less conglomerated wealth and stripped of her
colonies and her former might but the peo-
pie will be benefited, and while England will
take her position as fourth rate power, her
masses will be contented, and enjoy the rights
| of man