The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-09-16
what Napoleon Cos. Europe.

POAtouSo 10 VIC AuuuCiaL luebLlOu. we
see one great country Of that continent.
painting under the hoof of foreign con
queror. straining every nerve to bring
forward the huge ransom demanded for
her delivery, while most of the rest
would only too gladly engage in war il
the nerous rerum were not wanting.
But war has become 30 costly now-a-d days
that full Golfers are Indispensable for its
proper prosecution, and 80 nations are
forced to keep the peace oven against
their own will.
In work recently issued at London,
Dudley Bnxter's s'National Debts,'' we
find most interesting expose of the pre-
sent financial standing OF the different
powers of Europe. the writer dwelling
particularly upon The increase of the
debts after Napoleon III got into power.
Mr.. Baxter claims that no age ever pos
sessed costlier monarch, and that the
twenty years Of his reign we're the most
expensive the world ever Witnessed
During that time the whole indebted
ness Of Europe was more than doubled,
and this in spite Of an increased taxa
tion. This increase was most remarkn-
BILE in France itself, which almost quad.
rupled her debt in those years. When
Louis Philippe was dethroned on the
Oath Of February, 1848, the French ma
tlonal debt amounted TO about $4,000
600, which was increased under the
French republic, ut whose head wns
Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, by O
little more than $500. 900. 600. The en-
plre was never more successful than in
the creation of debts. Its costly i'm
provements, but particularly the wars it
waged in all parts Of the world, had in
creased its debt at the beginning of the
last war to about $4,000, 900, 600, aud, if
we calculate the exnenses which since
then have befallen France, and which it
will still have to incur in order to wipe
out the effects Of the war, including the
81, 1000, 600, 600 to be paid to Germany,
we hardly think that $4,000, ,000 900 will
cover it all. So we SEQ that France has
paid for the glory of being ruled by
name-sake of the great Napoleon as a
STATE about 81, 900, 100000, besides los
ing her commanding position in Europe,
and two of her best provinces, not to
count the terrible deluge of human
blood that has been shed upon her fields.
We say as q State, because the debts of
the different cities of France have like
wise increased during the last twenty
years In most alarming manner, not to
speak of the losses to individuals. Were
We to figure on the latter, we would
reach still more astounding results, but
We will at present conine ourselves to
the debts Of the different municipalities.
The debt of the city OF Paris. before the
war, bore an interest Of about So, ,QOO,-
600, or about So annually to every head
OF it's population. The debts of the
other large cities OF France were esti-
mated, before the war, at about $780,
100000, and the expenses of the war,
including the two sieges of Paris, have
assuredly increased the debt of all the
French municipalities to 81, 900, 600, 900.
This 3hows plainly what dear emperor
Napoleon III was to France, and how
desirable his restoration would be- Not
only the debt of France, but also that of
the other European powers, has in
creased vastly during lis reign. and for
the most part in consequence of wars he
was at the bottom of. The kingdom OF
Sardinin, the germ which since then has
sprouted into the kingdom of Italy,
owed in l848 only SO, 100000. At the
instigation of the Emperor OF France,
the little kingdom went into such ex.
penses to improve her army that its debt
had increased to 5000, 100000 at the
commencement Of the war of 1850, and
at present is no less than 81, 500, 900, 900.
Austria is not much better off, She
is the land of constant deficit, says
Baxter. Since a hundred years her re-
venues have fallen every year far below
her expenses. In 1848 her debt am cunt
ed to 5000, 600, 900. but in 1869, after the
wars with France and Prussia, in both
Of which Baxter sees the inspiring ge-
MUS Of Napoleon III, who at that period
had not yet learned to appreciate the
wonderful strength of Prussia, it had
risen to about 81 GOO, 100000.
Russin is also country of constant
deficits. Her debt Of S700, 900, 600 be-
fore the Crimean war was increased to
more than double by that struggle, and
the troubles in Poland, melted mainly
by Napoleon's agents, have heaped still
more burdens upon that country.
The other countries of Europe have
been similarly affectod. Spain and