Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-04-17
NO MONEY IN IT.

AS is almost invariably the case IN sea-
sons of excitement, there is deal Of loose,
if not wild, talk as to the effect of an Anglo
Russian war upon American interests. Peo-
pie catch at some particular fact, and from
that fact they draw deductions which are
scarcely justified by an intelligent compre-
hension of all the circumstances which enter
into the case.
Thus, some leap to the conclusion that in
some way or other our business interests
must necessarily be benefited by the mis-
fortunes and losses of the belligerent ne
tions; while others, with similar shortsight-
edness, are not less persuaded on general
principles that it is mistake to contem-
plate war as the calamity which the hui
mautarians and moralists are accustomed
to represent, instead of being, as they are
sure it must be now, blessing in dis
guise."
The first effect of great war is to kndle
spirit of speculation and adventure, and
marketable commodities and securities are
the first to experience the initiation which
follows. This initiation is pleasant but
delusive experience, as its duration is brief.
A few are enabled to amass fortunes while
it lasts; but when the secondary effects
begin to be felt, it is found that the
great body of the people are not only
no better off than they were before: bat re-
latively at disadvantage, in consequence
Of the enhanced cost of food and other ne
cessaries of life which is an incident of these
conditions. In the first year of our great
civil war, it seemed as if everybody was
making money. The Government had enor-
nous disbursements for military and naval
purposes, and in those days to be coDtrac-
tor was to be not unfrequently millionaire.
The sad reflection that all this apparent
wealth was the rank outgrowth of an over
shadowing national calamity at which
humanity might shudder, was shut out by
the comrensating reflection that, though
somebody might get hurt-as the late Presi-
dent Lincoln used to express it-yet there
was money in it," The country awoke from
that dream at the end Of four years, and be-
gan then to suspect that, with q huge ma
tional debt Of near three thousand millions,
with taxation to correspond, and the cost of
living out of all proportion TO wages, there
must he some mistake about war of any
kind, civil or international. being "bless
ing" We repeat, huge fortunes were
made here and there by the few-the
spectators, the contractors and the adven-
turers; but to the masses it only meant q
burthen of debt and taxation. the influences
of which are still felt even at this distance
of time upon every avenue Of trade and in
dustrv. The Crimeao war and the later
Franco German war did not come SO near
home to us, but the effects which they final
ly worked out touching our material inter-
ests were much the same in kind, if not in
degree, as those of which our four years.
civil strife were productive.
1t is well for civilization, humanity and
the progress of the race that it should be so.
If war were indeed q means Of putting
money in the purse either of those that
engage in it or those who are simply spec.
tators of it, how long would it be ere the
earth would be q universal bear-garden,
and hopelessly abandoned to barbarism and
cruelty? 1t is an immutable law of nature
that no man shall benefit by the calamities
of another man and the law is as appli
cable 10 nations and communities as to in
divduals. The highest interests of civliza-
ton and progress, moral and material, are
all identified with the maintenance of peace
and good will among the nations. And any
policy, or any philosophy, or any economic
theory, or commercial expectation, which
proceeds upon the contrary assumption,
depend upon it, is mischievous fallacy.-
N. T. Commercial Bulletin.