The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-12-03
Fifty Years Hence.
The London .Spectator. in some sp.

The London Spectator, IN some Specu-
latons on the changes that may possibly
occur in the next half century IN conse
quence Of new discoveries regards emf
grafton as one of, the things which is
quite as likely to be affected as any other
Should new impetus be given to this,
the consequences to Europe would be
very serious. The writer says
Suppose, if true, as SO many men of
mark in science believe, that the next
great step may be III sea going vessels,
that international communication may be
accelerated, as internal communication
has been, that we may yet see New York
/ brought within TWO days Journey Of lily
erpool, probability is that in ten years
every Social condition now existing III Euss
rope would have ceased to exist; that the
millions vino toll Tor others and on whose
toll modern society Is built would choose
to toll for themselves, would precipitate
themselves in rush to which all the
movements of mankind have been triaes
upon the New World Suppose the POD
ulation of Britain and Germany reduced
to 10000, 0O0--a change less in magni-
| tude than that which has occurred in
many countries-and those 10, oOO. 600
| only retained by advantages as great as
the New World can offer, what would all
| the changes of the past half century be
| to that? -I
This may happen, even without any
application of Stephenson;s great idea,
| the one idea he never worked out, that,
If engineers, instead Of trying to increase
the power applicable to driving ships,
were to reduce the friction which retards
ships, the world would speedily be one
great parish This writer, who has seen
many countries, and lived among many
races seriously believes that, of all the
dangers to which Europe and European
society are exposed, none is SO tormIda-
bic as the passion for emigration, serious
ly doubts whether, if education spreads
in Europe, it will be possible to retain its
population cooped up In their narrow and
half exhausted corner of the world. We
think, We English, that we know what
emigration is; but we know nothing
about it; have no idea of the changes it
would involve if aided by the whole force
of the masses then in possession of the
supreme political power. Suppose five
sixths OF those Englishmen who now work
for others choose to go els ewhere and
work for themselves.
The change between Waterloo and
Sadowa would be very Slight conn AIRED
with the change between 1868 and 1918,
and there is not sensible man i'll Eng
land who will declare that alteration be-
yond the reach of thought Why should
not emf gration in England and Germany
attain the height it has reached Iii Ireland
and the masses insist on aiding it through
the national fleets? The Irish would if
they had the power, and the British have
this year the power conferred On them
We say nothing of discovery which. if
it is ever made, will remould all human
society slowly pulverize all differences
among nations, fusing the world into one
people, and Immediately destroy all exist
ing political arrangements-thed discovery
of means OF maintaining and guiding
raft ten feet or SO in the air, for we can
not resist totally unreasonable impress
sion that the discovery will not be made,
that progress will not in our time make !
that astounding leap. Apart altogether
from that, there are physical forces I
now at work strong enough to change the |
whole face Of the world, by shifting it's