The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-27
.SKETCHING THE RUINS.
SCOTCH HISTORIAN ON THE EFFECTS OF THE
CONFLICT.

A SCOTCH HISTORIAN ON THE EFFECTS OF THE
CONFLICT.
On the occasion of the opening of a volunteer
drill hall at Glasgow, q couple OF weeks since,
Sir Archibald Allison spoke saL some length on
the subject Of England's national armaments.
Referring to the present state OF maIters
abroad, he said: - Europe, in Mr; Dlsraers
words has become great camp" and this
very day the French funds have sunk two and
a half per cent. from the rumors OF an approach
ing RUPTURE Now, this is the state OF affairs
when the volunteer question comes forward;
and in common with the whole empire we have
to reflect on The present alarming state OF public
AFFAIRS and the way in which we can best escape
their disastrous effects. Everything depends on
the right WSy "a
out of IL. Let the continental powers hght out
their own battle without our lnterlerence,"
All right gentlemen, if you are sure that 1t Will
keep out OF us. But will it do that? Rely upon
it, ii will not. A dreadful war is about to com;
mence on the Continent which will, to all
supremacy of one power. What such power will
vet lies buried in the womb of time; but of one
thing we may be well assured, that whenever
gains on the Continent will ere long turn
lis victorious arms against us. The sim
pie enthusiasts who think that com.
mercial interests will govern the earth and
arrest the arms of conquest, will then find
how miserably they have been mistaken; and
power won by the sword will never cease to
make use of the sword for its extension. LOOK
al Home in ancient, and France under the first
Napoleon, in modern times. The power vlcto-
rious on the Continent will beyond all question,
turn its arms against this country, the only re-
manning check on its ambition. Besides thelr
natnral and unavoidable inclination, all the
great powers of Europe have wrongs to avenge,
fnhicted on them by Britain in former times,
and which they will Willingly seize the nrst
Visits to France within four centuries, and
have occupied Paris, and her sons would
gladly return the compliment to London.
we have made long visit to Russia at Sebas.
topol, and she will always feetsaWkWard TIL
she has rs have ~ 20 6een at
ton; and the Americans are only waiting for
"England,s dihculty TO let thelr standard De
likely, may say almost certain, such coali-
tiOn against us at no very distant PERIOD what
resist il? And here an observation of the
utmost importance occurs, to which, gentle
tion,' II is. That the application of iron to the
plating of vessels, and easing all SHIPS OF war IN
armor which is imperylo9s o save TO- two two
moi only made change in the art OF naval
war, bat has, ct one blow, deprived us, SO IaT az
available ships go, OF our me Erensh or Rus
slams, the Germans or Americans, c@ouia @ n9S ~ az 40
eats as effectually as the non Vesseis
Our great wooden feet, so long Ine prt1e toi oi
Briiain. the terror Of the world, lies stored
up in Portsmouth harDor, OF no earthly nse IN
maintain ing any maritime contest, tneSI Mes,
noble three-deckeTs, such as the Duke OF Wel'
lington, would be brought to the bottom py
single gun carrying three hundred pounc
ball. We have at one blow virtually lost The
feet which had been growing up for two hun
dred years. For the constIuctton on OF new nee
oftron-clads we must walt Tor Time anu money
lust as all the other powers must 90. w,
nave lost our start in the race; we must al
set off anew and abreast. This Is the real secre
az the vast sums voted annually for the navy
and the general complaint that we have so It'll
10 show for them. We have been laying tn
foandatfons of feet which can be as yet onl
a. its infancy Other nations are just as far o
as are. tits doubtful whether our Royal nav
asyet equals that of America; United 10 Una
% Rrssfa the latter is decidedly superior
oh1thinT we could bring forward. II forest {
hostile iron-clads appear OF Spithead or n!
,6onth vain will be the Iorty or nity NOBLE sa
nfthe line lying in our haroors. EverythlI
w. viii DEPEND, notion the hfty old wooden lne,o @
battae ships but on the eight OF zen me tIo
0nT Relative position in any future naval wa
and unless steps are taken, ana Ihat spee,alii p,o !
1a,Sonnterbalance its effects, IL may safely
tSs6icted that evil days are coming upon =
Ana that the days Of our national lndepenaen
are numbered,