, 1868-09-11
New Guns and Dear Bread.

A lite practical calculation sometimes goes
farther In impressing the mind with certain
truths than the most eloquent appeal to faith
and feeling. At this moment, vast districts
of Europe and the adjacent continents are
suffering from an absolute lack of bread, and
the deaths from sheer starvation during the
winter would count by thousands there. Yet
still, millions of dollars are unhesitatingly
expended by each of the great Christian
Governments in providing new instruments
of mutual destruction.
France set apart sixty millions Of francs 10
her budget of 1867, for the purchase of new
muskets has added thereto fortyYone mil
lions for 1868, and has even opened on the
balance of 1869 for two millions more, ap-
propriated to the same purpose Thus we
have in all one hundred and three million
francs, or more than twenty millions of dol
lars devoted to the procurement of an improved
deadly weapon in one branch of military SER
vice alone. Twenty millions, one fourth of
which expended for bread, would relieve the
misery of whole provinces Every Chassepot
rife costs the state seventy francs, aud every
altered musket or rife sixteen francs, and
France at her present war computation, re-
quires about 100000 improved guns; but
as nothing like this number has yet been pro-
vided, there must come fresh and heavy apN
preparations of money.
Russia, too, is about to spend $50, 900, 900
and Austria, sic, QUO, 900 for new Remington
muskets. England is in the way of laying
out some SIS, 100000 for the Snider guns,
and Prussia putting aside the Dreysse rifles
uh hi0h hou -, . ha hria &c lam
of time since the battle of Sadowa, is buying
up the Peabody, which is much more ex-
pensive piece. In fine, probably one hun.
dred million dollars will hardly cover the
combined extravaganza of the different Eu>
ropean countries in this one particular of
destructive equipment. This labor wasted
upon the construction of these articles is
another terrible item to set down in the
gathering account against that pitiable folly
which first withdraws millions of youth from
agriculture and industry, and then exhausts
the diminished revenue of the State in pay
ing for machines to perpetuate the same
madness
What a satire is this upon the boasted
enlightenment of Europe-to paralyse the
very flower of its productive force, aud let
Its peasantry starve for lack of food, while
the taxes wrung from their emacated hands
are spent on powder and ball. No wonder
that finance and trade are everywhere dis
ordered, and that guilty rulers fancy the
shout of retribution in every cry that is
heard around their palaces at night.
Pious bodies send forth missionaries to
combat heathenism, in6delity, intemperance
and vice in every form. This military im>
position upon humanity and common sense,
would afford field OF noble labor, in that
way for years to come Unless soon rene
died, the evil will reach such pitch at last
as to revolt the very instruments now used
to fetter the people. Short rations, scant
clothing, little pay and no real glory, will
finally cause the human machine, in strips
and cross bands, to turn upon his employer
and then will burst the awful tempest of pop
ular fury which these impositions are vaiuly
intended to avert.-M Y Journal.