The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-05
English and Scotch counties TO an extent un-
paralIoled In history.


with many others OF extent not specified In
Yorkshire, Nottingham, Northampton, HAMS.
Surrey, Shropshire, Cheshire, and even IN tne
grazing counties OF Wits, Somerset aLo
Devon. These are leases which ten years ago
could not have been bought out for less than
E5 per acre on an average, and the TACT nat
they are now being thrown up because tney
can only be held at dead loss to their hold
ers bespeaks terrible decline In the agricul-
tural prosperity as consequence OF the
DECAY OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
Of Great Britain. On top Of all these misfor-
tunes comes ut last cry OF distress from
those classes hitherto above the reach OF
want; the people OF leisure and fixed incomes
from invested capital. 1t L. not necessary to
The present purpose, even II space permit ted,
to 70 into detailed statement OF the facts
and Incidents in these cases. Suffice to say,
that since 1874, the export trade OF Great
Britain has fallen off nearly 30 per cent In
volume and over 40 per cent In values; repre-
amount Of over billion Of dollars year, or
nearly three times the total amount OF the
public revenues Of the Kingdom.
Naturally. in view OF these appalling facts,
and Of tho still more dreadful prospect that
they indicate, the English mind Is busy with
schemes for at least the arrest OF the decline,
II no. for restoration OF the former prosper
ity, which latter hope. by the way, seems to
have been altogether banished Tor The time
being. As yet no remedy has been pointed
out, and nOne appears possible. Tie efideHi-
ic OF disaster is SO universal that nobody Is
well enough TO help or nurse those who are
Ill. But dishearteninR as this outlook Is, 1t
must not be supposed that thu English people
after two hundred and forty years Of con-
quest aud success unparalleled In the history
Of mankind, Is going to bow submissive to
fate without mighty effort at self-preserva-
tion and desperate struggle to hold Its own.
In this connection a remark recently made by
a distinguished BritOn, now In this country,
Is iull Of significance. In reply to sugges-
ton that the prevailing Industrial, CONNER
cial and financial depression would operate to
unnerve the hand and weaken the heart OF
English dealing with
THB POLITICAL COMPLICATIONS
that surround her." this nobleman retorted:
ION the contrary, the effect will be exactly
the reverse. England we'll fed, fat and pros
porous, Is never so warllke as England cold,
hungry and out OF employment! The Gar of
Russia understands this fact, and 1t Ia the Sc
cret Of his oomplaisance. Lord Beaconsfield
understands 1t, too, and it is the secret Of his
| trucuIence. The commercial greatness Of
England has always been the consequence OF
successful warfare and conquest; so that in
stead Of accepting her troubles as the signal
| for retf eat, the grand old country will inter-
| pref them to mean that the time has come for
another advance. In 1888 England, finding
herself excluded from the best part Of the
American continent by your (our) successful
revolution and establishment OF independence,
| turned the arms OF her hungry subjects to-
wards the East, and the result has been the
conquest Of 200, 0O0, 900 OF people In India as
compensation for the loss OF 5000 900 In Amer
lea"
Then in response to the suggestion that
the orange Of India had been sucked dry and
| that there were no more worlds to conquer,
the reply was
"Oh, yes, there are. You have no adequate
idea Of the warike capabilities that now lie
latent In the limbs and the bosoms OF the
thousands OF young, hearty, resolute men
vino have been thrown out OF employment by
the closing Of our mines and the stoppage OF
our mills. The report OF the recruiting SER
vice for the year 1877 shows that never before
In the history Of the country were the offer
ings OF young. strong and healthy lads for
| service 80 prOfnse as now. There Is hardly
battalion OF infantry In the service, whose
complement Of men, either with the colors or
in the depot, Is not considerably above the
statutory footing. One battalion, for exam
pie, whose mess visited at Shorncliffe not
long ago had DIG men on Its rolls, although
the establishment had been fixed by the
Horse Guards authorities Immediately after
the Berlin treaty, at ITO. You will find this to
be the case with nearly all the battali0ns now
on home stations, while the depots OF those on
foreign service are almost similarly crowded.
/ venture to say that, as whole, the British
army to-day has 900 recruits at rendezvous
and in dapOts above the footing established by
the Horse Guards, and this, mind you. in spite
or the regulations as to size, sanitary condi-
tiOn and general character OF recruits more
stringent than have ever before been applied
to the service.
IN the cavalry, and artillery the pro,usIon
OF offers for service Is even greater than I'm
the infantry. great number of coachmen,
footmen and grooms have lost their situations
10 the lsst two years ON account OF the reduce
tion Of family establishments, and these al
ways seek the mounted branches OF the SER
vice when thrown out OF domestic EN-
ployment. For example, the Eighth Hus-
sats, which was also at Shorncliffe
wnen l visited there last summer
was nearly 100 In excess Of Its establishment
OF $40, and the coufnandant informed me
that, with the restrictions removed, he could
swell his regiment to the maximum footing Of
GIG men In thirty DAYS time, without sending
recruiting officer beyond the lines Of his
corps or taking ~ man not accustomed to the
use aud care OF horses. Ii war should break
out in Europe or In Asia important enough to
call forth the whole resources OF England, /
believe hundred thousand as good men as
In England, Scotland and Wales in sixty days,
without taking a single man from any pro-
ductive employment. The fact is
ENGLAND WAS NEVER SO READY FOR WAR
es she Is now, so far as resources In men, ma
terinl aud lighting spirit are concerned"
But how would great war, even II sue
cessful to your utmost wishes, help you or
ameltorate your commercial and Industrial
condition.
I'm thousand ways. The restoration Of
our prestige would bring again to our feet the
traffic that has slipped away from us during
years OF inglorious peace We shall fight only
FOR unquesti0ned supremacy in Asia and In a
war for that object there Is no telling what
policy might be forced upon US. 1t might be- |
come necessary for us to conquer and assume
the administration Of an empire greater even
than India!'
"You mean China ?"
II suppose 3d."
"But even supposing that you could con-
Quer China and reduce her three hundred |
millions to the vassalage of the Hindoos, |
what benefit would your industries derive |
from that achievement p
ut would give us control Of the commerce, |
internal and external. of the greatest popula-
ton on earth. Under our administration /
OF miles OF railway would be- built |
and equipped in China, and our iron and steel |
would thus find a new market. Moreover, |
vast demand would be created for our other
fabrics. believe