Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-30
WHAT Is THE wOKLD COMING 1O4

for their own existence, and these every year
become, in an increasing degree, dependent
for food upon countries where agriculture is
the main business, and which supply them
with employment. 10 all directions human
power has been vastly extended, and human
wants have extended in proportion.
Eve country, even Russis, is unable to
supply these wants, to ELL the demand for
comforts now deemed necessary for The sus-
tensncs of the populations. This state of
things has opened an ever-iucreaaing foreign
trade, new SOURCES Of supply, new markets
to sell in. Foreign markets entail foreign
settlements, to be gained by treaty or con-
quest, held by srms or filled with colonisls.
This brings = lust for territorial sggrandise-
men;. OF the main European powers Ger
many has deferred such acquisitions, prefer
ring to make its sons soldiers rather
than colonists. France took portion OF
Italy, seized upon Algeria and Tunis, dis
pstes Egypt with England, and invades
Madagascar. England at an early day
Rrasped in all directions, and still grasps.
Spain is painting for Morocco; Italy for Tri-
poll; Austria is acquiring districts that fall
from the feeble hand of Turkey. Russia
carries conquest to the foot of the mountains
of Afghanistan, and never relaxes its de-
signs upon Constantinople and upon large
share OF the territories OF the Sultan. The
Germanic and the Sclav races dispute the
plains Of the lower Danube. Already rival
nations are beginning TO portion out interior
Africa among themselves. Livingston pene-
trated the long-kept secret recssses of "ths
dark continent" to make known to the ma
lives the love of God. He has proved to be
but an opener of the door for the admission
Of the reigning idol-Mammon. Experience
has proved that the best defense against fam
inc is the expectation of food. When dis
trict, are shut in from The worlds commerce
they grow only what ia sufficient for thei:
yearly wants; they plant only what they ex'
psct to require, and whea the harvest fails,
having an overplus, they die Of famine. Let
their country be opened to trade, aud they
increase their cultivation for export pur-
poses; then, if the crop fails, they stop ex-
porting and have sufficient surplus to stave
off famine. But the great, ominous fact re-
mains that population increases faster
than production, and all that can
be raised is wanted as much as it was before
the increase, then manufactures must sup
ply the material for export, and as the popu-
lation take to manufactures the time comes
when food itself, once exported, is now i'm
ported. Europe, the center and heart of
modern civilization, as Italy, the heart of
the old Roman world, did before it, is be-
coming dependent, each year more so, upon
countries outside itself for food. So mans
unchanged necessities repeat to-day the ex-
periences OF long past centuries. Italy took
to commerce and manufacturer, and had to
import its food or starve. Eoglsnd is falling
into the same condition, and in proportion
as the other European nations follow En-
gland in extending their manufactures, as
their increasing populations make it neces-
sary they should, they also must import
their food or stsrve. As cheap corn comes
in from America cultivation will decrease,
manufactures and commerce will be more
resorted to, and the independent produc-
ton of food will decrease. These manu-
features must have a foreign outlet,
and in this way trade between the
nations and mutual dependence increases,
but the food-producing countries have
always the advantage that, in the last ex-
tremity, they can live on their own produce,
the manufacturing countries cannot, and
these latter, besides the disadvantage that
in war the vessels bringing them food may
be taken or sunk by the enemy. The very
import and export, by extending the quality
as we'll as quantity of the supplies of the
populations, create a desire for a wider
circle of comforts and the populations live
on a higher scale. The increase of comfort
brings increase of population, until there i:
an overflow. There would be starvation
but thousands emigrate. This emigration
| decreases the ratio of increase in the coun
tries emigrated from, but there still is in
crease, while in the country emigrated to,
adequate supplies for all physical wants
bring the highest possible ratio of human
increase OF population, Austr ALA, New Zsa
land, the Cape of Good Hope, and many
other spots, and our own Western
and Pacific territory-within the mem
ory of quite large portion OF the
people now living on the globe occupied
only by uncivilized natiyes-have to. day
teemiDg millions with their cities, churches
railways and all the appliances and elegsn
cies of civilized life. Rapidiy the world ii
filling up. Railways across to the Pacific
shore on our own and Canadian, and befor:
long on Mexican territory, will soon help t
people all North America, for if the las:
sixty years have done so much, what viii
the year 1850 seer Ths South America will
have its turn to be crowded add overcrowdeC
with Inhabitants, aud finally Africa from
shore to shore. While the worlds popula
ton thus increases, the amount of larg'
potion of the earth's treasures decrease
The coal and the metals taken from thu
bowels of the earth are drawn from large,
but still limited store; not pound of coal
8 grain of gold, or crystal of iron taken
away can be replaced. The vegetable anc
animal supplies man consumes he can re-
new, but the renewal is slower than his owl
increase, for, as We have said, population
advances more rapidly than produc
ton. There is therefore au ever in.
creasing number OF humsn beings will
relatively decreasing supply of food, anc
an absolute decline in mineral supplies. In
ternational exchange of commodities favor,
the increase of population, but does mott in
crease materially the relative rate of pro
ducing food. That exchange makes it tht
interest of the nations to preserve peace, bu
peace fsyors increase of population. Where
population finds support becoms scarce
through the pressure of numbers making the
ground too small to maintain the men upor
it, or when the natural productions of ter
ritory are exhausted, will not such impov
erished populations seek relief by attackin:
nations that ara richer than themselves? Ii
this struggle for life upon the ons-third o
the globe that alone is given to man, how
will civilization survive where war an,
famine are embruting mankind? Where
will the millennium be? The scientist and
the philosopher predict confidently o
golden centuries yet to come; whel
the world teens with m"rs being
than there is food for; sh'n tn
coal is burned and the mines 49, empty
where will the Utopia be found? &C ord NJ
to the scientists Of the day, when this cIHdi
tior of things arrives, there will be no rclie
for suffering man. He is an insect crasiia
on the face OF the round world as the 4
upon pane OF glass; he has no hope beyon'
this life, no help outside this little globe. i
such is the teaching of true science, will no
men in the coming time lament that the,
were not left in ignorance, and once NOR
> | hitterlv ween that their race has again eateI