Daily Republican., 1882-05-03
Our ADVANTAGES - . NA,isn.

Our Advantages - . NAiisn.
We point with pride and self'satis'
faction to the fan. that we are freed
from the fear Of entang,lng alliances
with other nations and not subject to
the commissions and sudden revolutions
like the great nations CT Europe.
We look with admiration on our little
band of patriots which We call stand
ing army of some 5000 men all told
and sometimes we wonder why 1t Is that
we, a nation as populous rs any OF the
nations of Europe with one exception,
should REQUIRE such small army OF
defence while the rulers of England,
France, Prussia, Austria and Russia
require such large armies, some of them
containing half million Of men. The
great majority of our readers generally
attribute, our more favored circumstan'
ces to our form of Government, to our
Republican institutions and to our well
known inherent strength and wealth,
which is commonly believed to be equal
to anv emergency. We do not wish to
dispei the pleasant fallacy of this day
dream of fancied security, but we are
compelled to say that it is altogether a
mistake. There are other causes which
lead to this result--causes in which we
have no other hand than to watch their
source and action. What then is the
reason of our security from the troubles
which afflict European nations? Sim
ply OUT position. This is the cause OF
our small army while European armies
are so large
Does the intelligent reader suppose
we could get along with our present
warlike establishment in case we had
France on one side of US, Germany Oh
the other, England in the rear and Bus
sia in front? Let him imagine, If pos
sible, that the United States occupied
as prominent a position as France does
in the European system and had Italy,
Austria, Germany and England lying
contiguous to her borders. What does
he think would be the result? Would
our score of requirements, our weak
navy, our undefended seaports and un'
fortified interior cities defend us from
external strife? How long does he sup
pose our great unframed strength, our
vast resources and our Republican in
stitutions would suffice to protect Us
against the power of our nelghbors ?
Our wealth and not imme ediately avail
able resources would only excite the
cupidity of our warlike neighbors and
work us harm instead of being pro
lection. We would he a standing in
vitation to them to come and gobble us
up. How long would we be in realizing
that the one great element of safety
was a standing army no matter how
costly it might be to protect us from
the rapacity of our not more powerful
but better prepared neighbors?
1t is altogether a question of situa-
tion. Few, we presume, are so poorly
uniformed as to believe that vast stand.
ing armies and mighty fleets are main
tanned as matters of pride and glory,
or for the fun of the thing; that mil.
lions of men are withdrawn from the
active and productive fields of industry
to become drones and consumers only,
necessitatipg unbearable taxation for
their support and the gradual impover
ishment of the countries themselves
or that vast fortresses are erected along
The frontiers, costing hundreds of mil.
lions of dollars, for any other reason
than that of self protection. That is
the true secret of our exemption from
vast standing armies and monster
navies. Were we situated as our Euro.
pean neighbors we too would be com.
PEELED to tall in with their method. No
other course would be possible. Our
Republican institutions and peculiar
form of government would not serve to
exempt US from the common law gov.
erning European nations at the present
hour. We too would have our hun
dreds of thousands of trained soldie.s,
ready at the bugles call to march to the
defense of our menaced territory. Wei
would be different in nothing from
them except in our form of government.
Before we break out and rail at tie
stupidity and fooishness of European
governments, it would be we'll for US to
review the situation calmly, and ask
oul selves what else could these bad
gered and closely watched nations do
than what they have done" They
would no doubt gladly shake off the
incubus of great standing armies, but
they dare not do 90. Under like cir
cumstances we would be compelled to
do as they have done. Our remo.eness
from powerful enemies has saved US
from the slough in which the nations
of Europe are helplessly plunged.