National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-05-10
UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN.

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UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN.
Bearing in mind the observations and
data submitted on this subject on Thursday
it may be further remarked that the present
stagnation in our commercial, manufactur-
ing and agricultural industries finds no part
of its cause in any lack of natural resources.
On the contrary, it is a disgrace to any ma
ton occupying the political position that
the United States at present maintains, and
possessing the unbounded resources that
she can boast of, that it can truthfully be
said that her industries lie dormant or that
able bodied workingmen suffer for want Of
employment. Great Britain may not to-
day stand in any great need of any develop
ment of the resources of the United States.
But let general European war, such as is
beng predicted and the Indications of which
are daily growing more and more threat
ening, be once inaugurated, and how soon
would Great Britain, with her powerful
navy and merchant marine, become the
great commissariat of Europe?
Then let general blockade of the Medi-
terrsnean and of the northern seas ensue,
as would inevitably follow general Euro
pean war, and it can be readily conceived of
how great importance would be an American
commercial alliance. In such an event, with
the profeT of British patronage and British
gold, how quickly would spring into action
all branches of American industries, in ex-
tent and with an energy commensurate with
any such demand For a supply of bread
stutfs and other provisions for armies, Eu-
rope would be compelled to look to this
side Of the Atlantic. How soon would
American farmers make provision for sup
plying such demands? When the armies
Of Europe should become unable to find
supplies of arms and munitions of war on
that side of the ocean, how quickly would
the mechanical skill of this country, with
the manufactures and materials at hand,
spring into action TO make up the defcien-
ciesf
The immense demands which such war
would create for clothing and camp and
garrison equipage for armies and navies,
and the Gripping of home manufactures,
would necessitate the seeking of those sup
plies in the United States. More especially,
should Great Britain herself become in
volved in general war, how extensive
and almost universal would be the assist
ance of the manufactures of the United
States to supply the demand which even
she, Il her neutral relations, would be able
30 ctrp,Nlrr on1 nOnfrn1
would almost lead Americans to pray for
the advent of European war. But it is
not necessary that such war should occur
TO demonstrate how important is a firm
commercial alliance with our mother coun-
try. Great Britain to day. is the great man
ufactory and commercial centre of Euro
I'm nations With all her varied manu-
featuring and commercial enterprise, with
her extensive foreign relations, her wars
and other sources of expense, she has in
her private (not national) repositories many
millions of surplus capital seeking invest
ment abroad. She has also a large surplus
of population looking for broader fields of
labor. That population is annually in
creasing and that capital yearly accumulat-
ing. All this capital and population could
be proftably employed in the United States;
and it is a source of great wonder that,
while our industries lie idle and the world
demands go on as if no such nation as Amer
lea exists, British capitalists do transfer
their interests here when such great oppor-
tunities exist for their profitable develop
ment. If it be claimed as objection that
our great commercial centres are already
so entirely under control of American cap
ital and monopolies that foreign companies
could not successfully compete here, it is
easily answered that the Chesapeake bay,
in Virginia, the great gateway of COM
meIce for the United States, is open to for
eign traffic, and the rivers flowing into that
bay, with their great water powers, are sus-
ceptible of being employed, if not con-
trolled, by foreign manufactures. The
States Of Virginia and West Virginia, with
their wealth of agricultural and mineral re-
sources unsurpassed on the continent court
foreign capital and foreign labor in their de-
velOpment. In short, here is every possible
circumstance, condition and inducement
which national or international laws could
Lold out for British capital and enterprise
10 come in and establish itself, and our So
cial and political influences all unite in a
general invitation to Englishmen to help
US to develop and enjoy these many and
valuable resources. Especially does Vir-
ginia present inducements unparalleled for
British immigration. A people desiring to
emigrate always seek a milder climate than
that they leave behind. The climate of
Virginia is milder than that of Great
Britain. All the home products can be
more abunda ntly raised and with less labor
in Virginia. In addition, there is no better
country on the globe than this for the sue
Cessful culture Of the grape especially, and
for fruits generally. The wheat crop of
Virginia for export is everywhere reckoned
the best on the continent. 1t bears transpor-
tation by sea better, and produces better
-four than any which goes out from our ports,
not excepting that Of California. The corn
crop of this State is also acknowledged in
quality superior to that G wn in nearly
all sections of the country. All other
cereals and all fruits and vegetables pro-
duced here are of the best quality. 1t is
true that, agriculturally, Virginia is far be-
hind many of the Northern and most of
the Western States; but all that is lacking
to render her the best agricultural State of
the Union is capital and skillful manage
ment, with such industry as prevails among
Northern and Western farmers. In one
branch of husbandry Virginia ought to
excel any other section of the United
States-that is wool. growing. Her climate,
her undulating surface of hills and fertile
valleys; her natural fitness for grazing, es-
pecially the spontaneous growth of white
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