The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-06-02
The United States and the War,

correspondent, in which the opinion
was expressed that this country Is
likely to derive great advantage from
the Eastern war. The writer, it may
be, in a vein of facetiousness, cons
tended that Russia and Turkey
would confer an incalculable favor
upon the United States by beginning
the fighting at once, because, to use
his words, "the greater the waste,
and the wider the field, the more
there will be for the Americans to
do" The Times, however, did not
accept the views of its correspondent
and the communication referred t.
was criticised editorially in a subse-
quent issue of that paper. The Wri-
ter animadverts upon the cyn;cisms
Of its Philadelphia correspondent,
whose opinions, it assumes, repre-
sent those of the American nation,
and he confidently predicts the dis
appointment of hopes based upon
the necessities of war in Europe"
There is ground for the opinion that
something akin to trade jealousy
turks under this assumption of lofty
morality on the part Of the "Thun-
derer." At all events, it betoIens a
narrow minded spirit. \ war has
several aspects, and should be dis
cussed with proper temper, judgment
and appreciation from each point of
view. There is the humanitarian
side, as affects tn combatants and
all on the theatre of operations.
There are the political and the inter
national aspects. There are proba-
bilities involving geographical con-
Siderati0ns, and changes of bounna-
ries and there are also financial and
commercial sides to the subject. 1t
is only natural for any foreign nation
outside Of the contest to speculate on
the commercial results likely to Oc-
cur to itself. In the present war
England is deeply affected politically
and the United States are likely to
be affected commercially and it is
but reasonable that our thoughts
shOHld turn to that consideration
more than to any other. The fact is,
that American manufactures are
more directly concerned in the Eas-
tern war than those of Great Brit
ain, and hence, perhaps, arises, in a
measure, the animuS of the Times S
depreciation of our anticipations OF
advantage thercfrom. The Russian
and Turkish Governments have been
heavy purchasers. for some time past,
Of Peabody rifles, Colts revolvers
and metallic cartridges, in the Uni
ted States. The war will naturally
increase these purchases, and all
economists are aware that activity
in one branch of industry produces
similar activity in others. But it
does not follow that, because these
and similar orders find their way to
Providence and New Haven, instead
of to Birmingham, the Americans
therefore indulge in cynical rejoic-
ing over "the incalculable miseries
inflicted by war on a hundred mil
lions of the human race" The
United States will derive no benefit
that might not, under the same cir
cumstances, have fallen to the lot of
any neutral nation possessing equal
mechanical intelligence. Moreover,
higher consideration is involved.
War interrupts the ordinary chan.
nels of commerce. The energy of
those not involved, and the skill
they display in seizing upon their
opportunities, do much to curtail
suffering by cutting out new chan
nels and giving the necessary direc.
ton to commerce under its new con-
ditions. Those thus actively en-
gagged do good service to humanity
in assuaging the evil consequences of
war; and to rail against the motive,
and wish the hope may end in dis
appointment, shows, as we have
said, narrow mindedness and want
of liberality. ....
One Of the first and most perma-
nentt effects of the Eastern conflict
brought to bear on foreign nations
was the raising of the price of bread
throughout the world. The South
ern provinces Of Russia and the
Danubian principalities under the
dominion of Turkey are extensive
wheat growing countries, and COM
pete with the United States in sup
plying the English market. The
Russian expectation of cereals in
1874 amounted to two hundred and
thirteen millions of roubles $780,
100000 in value. But the war has
already put stop to the Russian
and Roumanian grain trade, and, as
natural consequence, prices rose at
Chicago and Baltimore. For the