The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-10-14
THE GROWTH OF NATIONS.
Great Changes in the Past Forty-ilye
Years.
From The Galrcston Nc,cs.

Il
The changes which have taken place
in the status of the nations of the world
in given period, as, for instance, since
| 184O-which may be regarded as The
starting point of the new commercial
regime-form a curious and interesting
subject of inquiry. Among the great
Powers of Europe especially there have
been alterations of such magnitude that
the old "balance of power" for which
England and France once protested to
fight, is now never heard of, while a
Congress of the Powers has become very
| different from what it was forty five years
ago.
The two great European nations that
have sensibly declined in power and in
| huence since 1S40 are France and Austria,
and the latter more than the former.
Austria has always been an imposing
figure in European councils, but she has
never in actual conflict fulfilled the prom.
ise that her appearance would seem to
give. Since 1910 she has lost the leader.
ship of Germany, and has been deprived
of her Italian duchies, 80 that her terri
tory has shrunk to the extent of nearly
| 100000 square miles. Her population,
which was 100000 in 1840, is now
3S,O0000O, so that she has suffered no
loss in this respect. These figures do not
! include Bosnia and Herzegovina, which
Austria occupied under authority Of the
Congress of Berlin. These, if added,
would give Austria an increase of terri.
| tory in l840 and bring up her erea to
| 265, 900 square miles and her population
to close upon 100000. The annual
| expenditure of the Empire is now upward
! of OO00O,OOO, more than four times
| what it was in 1910, and the national
debt has grown from $500, 100000 to
s2,2 ,25O 100000. 49, ooo
France had, in lS4O, an area of 100000
| square miles, and a population of 81, ,OO0,-
600. She lost in the late war more than
5000 square miles of territory with q
population of nearly 100000, but her
present population is 100000. lnclud-
| ing colonies and protected countries there
are AZ 100000 persons under the French
flag. These colonies, however, have
proved very Improbable, and they re-.
auire the services of about 100000 sol.
diers to defend them. France in 1S40
| was monarchy she afterward became
republic, then an empire, and is now
once more republic. The expenditure OF
France in 1910 was S236, ,000, 900 and the
public debt 81 900 100000. The debt of
France is now 81, 800, 100000, and the
annual expenditure 5000, 100000. The
expenditure is, therefore, about four
times aud the debt nearly FIVE times as
great as in 1S4O. This, with population
but little increased, is certainly not a
| favorable showing. France has greatly
declined in influence since l84O, but lew
nations have so much vitality or could
have survived so many misfortunes. She
is now completely oyershadowed by
Germany, but who dan. say.how long this
condition of things will last2
Germany and Italy have emerged from
comparative obscurity to influence and
power since 1S40. In that year Prussia,
the nucleus of the present German En-
pire, had an area of:1O7 900 square miles
and a population of less than $4,000, 600.
The other German States now included
in the Empire had united population Of
$4,000 ,O00,l or 20 1000, 900 forall Germany.
Prussia. by the war with Austria in 1866,
enlarged her territory by 10000 square
miles, and her present population is 2o,'
100000, of which 100000 belongs to
The annexed territory, 30 that the increase
Of Prussia proper has been 100000:
The German Empire has now an area OF
212,O0O square miles, and a population "f
5000, 900, which is probably almost as
many, as the, territory can well sustain.
Prussia, as the mouthpiece Of the German
Empire, has become the first military
power in Europe, aud aspires to kind OF
dictatorship among the great Powers.
All this is wonderful transformation
from the position of that kingdom forty
i've years ago. Yet there are elements
Of weakness in Germany which, may
develop into dangerous prominence here
after. The financial strain caused by the
maintenance of so large an army makes
The load of empire heavy to endure, and
the German, much as be may love his
country, does hot hesitate to turn his
hack upon her for the free land OF Amer.
ica. The present German Empire is but
fifteen years old, and there are many who
predict that it will not outlast the nine
ieenth century. Time will tell.
The rise of Italy has been even more
remarkable than that of Prussia. In
1840 the little Kingdom of Sardinia, with
sn aiea about twice as large as Texas
county, and population of four and a
half million, was the sole representative
cf what is now United Italy. OF the
cther Italian States Lombardy and We
rice were under Austrian rule; Parma
and Modena were ruled BY an Austrian
duchess and duke, ,Iwhile the Papal States,
Naples and Sicily, Tuscany and Lucca,
had all separate reigning houses. ltwas
the glory of Victor EmanuePs reign to
unite all these petty States into one
strong Kingdom. Italy has now an area
cf l14,000 square miles, equal to new
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Mas
sachusetts and Connecticut, and popu-
]ation of 29,00O,000 souls. The worst
difficulties Italy has had 70 struggle
against have been of a financial character,
hut these seem to be overcome, and, as
Italy has been more liberal government
than any of her neighbors, except France,
great things may be expected Of d the new
Kingdom. Italy's annual ordinary ex-
renditure is .S3iO, 1000, 1000, and her public
debt 81, 2,250,0OO,OOO.
The Russian and British empires have
reither declined in power like France
and Austria, nor have they advanced
With such gigantic strides as Germany
and Italy. They have held their own in
the councils of Europe in spite of the fact
that Russia's military prestige was sup
posed to have been destroyed by the
Crimesn war and Euglsnd's power de.
cared by the Germans to be in state of
decline. AS the ultimate test of coun-
try's strength is the extent ofits resources,
unless these resources are shown to be
IMPAIRED. we need not believe that any
country has heclined absolutely, although
il may have done so relatively, to other
powers. Russia and Great Britain have
during the past forty-fve years been
engaged in widely different pursuits; the
first has been striving to extend her
territory, the other to iHessease her COM
nlerce and to make money. Both have
been tolerably successful in their respec-
tive efforts, but England, while steadily
working for the benefit of her commerce,
hoe ;nc;dantallv and az an Englishman