The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-21
Entered at the Post-O Office at Richmond, Va, as
second-class matter.
CORRESPONDING
Letter from Rev. DR.. R. L. Dabney.
GoTT1NGEN, June Oath, 1880.

GoTTINGEN, June Z4tn, lOoU.
Messrs. Editors,-It is said that old
Queen Bess, in her day, made a decree
that London must not build any more
houses, because it was too big already.
What would she think of it now? I
sympathize with her however, intensely,
in her feeling London is too big, stu
pendously, fearfully, too big. l had
myself pungent illustrations of this evil.
My stay (of nearly fortnight) there
(and London dirt is almost as stu
pendous as London) the miserably gloomy
weather and the solitude of her teeming
multitudes. l learned after 1 left of the
presence in the city of two American
friends while / was there, than whom
none could have conduced more to the
enjoyment and instruction of my stay
one being Dr. Hoge But what chance
had we of meeting? About one in four
millionsl very much wonder that I
heard of their presence until after we all
got home to America; where people are
not so numerous but that they may know
something of each other. But, by some
accident, I did find it out in time to be
tantalizing-thatw was ALL
They say that this huge hive now has
four millions of inhabitants, and is grow
ing more rapidly than ever. The con-
slant impression had of its size was
Of something frightful and awe-inspiring
AS many people, say, as live in all Vir-
ginia, both the Carolnas and all Georgia,
are huddled together in one patch of
ground thirteen by ten miles in extent;
and more are coming every year What
is the end 20 be? What shall be the
limit? Is this monster-city to 90 on,
until it fills the whole Island? There
must inevitably arise some practical
check from some whittier. Now, let one
pause and consider what will be implied
in the structure of that check, when it
begins to draw. What a fearful aggre-
gate of human disappointment, misery,
and death must result from that depress-
ing cause, whatever it is to be, powerful
enough to check the mighty tide of hu-
man beings which insists so obstinately in
flowing into London? And again; when
the tide is arrested at its food, will
British craftsmanship be able to prevent
an ebb? Or, when the acme is reached,
must not the universal law of oscillation
prevail2 The city, when once it ceases
to grow larger, must begin to grow small
Ter. But the collapse of such large
mass is terrible to imagine. How many
human hearts among the four or five
millions, must be crushed when that col
lapse begins2
Indeed, to my mind, the continued
happiness of Great Britain, as a whole
seems be in very critical condition
Her greatness, population, and wealth are
out of proportion to her area. Hitherto
the free institutions, arts, and arms OF
Britain have made almost the whole
world tributary to her, either by. com
merce or subjugation. Hence has re-
suited this most artificial structure Of
British wealth and population at home.
1t begins to present the aspect of the
inverted pyramid, poised hitherto, with
apparent steadiness, upon its apex, by the
surprising skill of its arti6cers and vet
by the very mass of its body towering SO
stupendously above, and swelling so rap.
idly, suggesting a sentiment of terror al
the thought of the time when this Unstable
equilibrium is to end If the inverted
pyramid falls, great will be the fall
thereof Meantime, many things con-
cur to foreshadow the approaching end Of
these artificial conditions of abnormal
greatness. France, Austria, Germany. the
United States, and even Italy and Russia
are gradually learning from Britain the
freedom and arts by which they rival her
commercial ascendency and interfere with
her dominion over trade. Her own col.
on1es, growing too great, and too demo
cratic to remain dependencies, are bound
70 her by commercial ties looser and
iloooser; and even begin to WELD against
t1e ,. mother country chat protective policy
winch she disclalms for herself. There i