The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-02-15
England and America.

neacc IkEbLA.
England and America.
The London Times of Decembrr22d,
after commenting on the smallness OF
the American army and navy. and con-
trusting them with the British, oh
serves: The Americans, though pnr-
suing policy of economy and disarm-
ament far more unhesitatingly than we
have done, cOntiive, nevertheless, to
command as much respect IA it they
were armed to the teeth; whereas we
.vith ornaments far more extensive.
are told that we have lost our title to
the consideration OF the world. 1t is
worth while inquiring how such facts,
if facts they are, can be accounted for
or explained.
The first and most obvious reflection
is that nation of forty millions "f prO-
pie, rich. industrious, energetic and in
trepid. must comprise resources winch
no enemy could venture to despise.
The Americans had no army in 1860.
bnt in 1862 they had hundreds of thou
sands of soldiers in the field. They had
no navy, and yet in a few months
time they produced u powerful fleet OF
new and formidable fighting-ships. In
the course of five years they raised and
spent upward of { GOO, OOO, 900, and such
is the magnitude Of their national re-
sources that what they did in the civil
war they could certainly, on similar
impulse, do over again. All this is
true; bnt we, also, are a people ut
thirty millions; our wealth and credit
are practically inexlanstible; and the
most inveterate alarmist would no:
scruple to admit that our national
spirit once reused, would he capable Of
any efforts or sacrifices. One advan-
tage, it must lie owned, the Americans
do certainly enioy-they are II long way
off. 1t is a 'far CRY" tn Washington,
and the Prussians observed as mncl, Ia
our correspondent in explanation OF
their patience under American offend.
: ings. Bnt this consideration does not
touch American commerce, or the liza
bilities of the navy. which, as the Presi-
; dent remarks, it the only instrument
Mt the command of the Union either for
national defense or the enforcement OF
any foreign policy.
We must look elsewhere, therefore
for the explanation we are seeking, and
) Ii it will he found, we believe, so far az il
is applicable at all, in the known readi.
ness us well as ability of the Americans
to fight, notwithstanding their practi
cal appreciation of the ben, fits a.
t peace. Their exposed points are com
parativrly few, their resources are un
Il l,nv. IL nf Is
sire war, they would not he slow t.
e accept challenge. We. on the othe
J hand, have many points exposed, W.
e make no secret of our aversion from
war, and it is alledged that almost an!
!, provncation might he offered with i'm
u pnnity. In these considerations ther'
n is q certain force but we mnst not sa.
that, in our opinion, the contrast itsel
> from beginning to end is more ap
y parent than real. We do not believ
y that what is sometimes said of us j
s actually thought either in America
n elsewhere. The people who taught u
o with reluctance to fight are mostl.
those who, for purposes of their owl
% desire to see us fighting. AS matte
o of fact, we may take it for granted tina
n foreign States have not the mean Opin
Y ion of us which we are occasiOnall
pleased to suppose. That we are ne
sudden ar quick in quarrel, they kno'
s. very well, but they also know that "
1t can fight if we choose, that our powe
10 il truly formidable, and that when W
, begin war we are not in a hurry
y. leave off. To certain extent the
!" may presume, no doubt, on onr love {
" peace; bnt at the bottom they take
. ulster measure of our temper and RI
sources than might he inferred fr"'
. their occasional sneers and our Ow
r candid comments. When it was d,
g clared that England ny the mere e!
" preston of her will could have PR
&c vented a war between the two mt"
" powerful nations of Europe, the bell
e. itself might have been false hut IL
state of opinion which it might implie
" was far nearer the trnth than TIN
which has been since represented II
~ our Warming Exchange.
n.y. TURKEY RAIsING.-The turkey
al the largest bird on this continents;
Hesl, is the, mast SavOry and Dleasa