have bequeathed to Great Britain an immense national debt. In 1689, the British debt was 664,263 pounds sterling, and in 1836, it amounted to 787,638,916 pounds, charged with an annual interest of 29,143,517 pounds. The British war of legitimacy against France, in favor of the old Bourbon dynasty, and the American Revolutionary contest, cost Britain more than 722 millions of pounds sterling of her vast debt.

The French war resulted in restoring the antiquated Bourbons to the sovereignty of France, until 1830, when the printing press, and the advancing spirit of the age drove Charles the Tenth and his descendants forever from the throne of that noble people.

The policy of national intervention arose naturally out of the war of legitimacy upon France, for the restoration of the expelled Bourbons, and from the supervisory power over the nations of Europe, assumed by the Holy Alliance of the sovereigns of that continent. When a new and more liberal ministry came into power in Great Britain, and this celebrated Alliance had, by armed intervention applied this odious principle for the destruction of the constitutional governments of Spain and Naples, and sought to extend it to the continent of America, the British policy changed, and under the guidance of the celebrated Can

ning, opposed the doctrine of national intervention. The doctrine of absolute monarchy and armed intervention, its only prop, were overthrown in England by the free spirit of the age, and the expulsion of Charles the Tenth in 1830, once more repudiated the doctrine of legitimacy. In fifteen years after the fall of Napoleon, the object of the wars that had long desolated Europe was lost, and Britain found she had prodigally wasted her blood and treasure without any national advantage in the French as well as in the American war. A more instructive lesson cannot be found in all the history of the world. A war of near a quarter of a century, with a destruction of more than five millions of men, and an immense waste of treasure, covering Europe with mourning and taxes, to Napoleon and France, to Britain and legitimacy, proved in the end, an idle, a useless, and a ruinous contest. Such is the lesson which the wars of Napoleon teach us.

The Ottoman government is a living and dying example of the self-destroying power of force. From Mohammed, his followers derived the sword and licentious freedom as the legacy of the false prophet. The sword and the brutal part of our nature propagated and sustained this system of violence. The Ottoman Empire hoisted the crescent over the ancient Byzantium, in the fifteenth

century, and sat down among the Christian nations of Europe. In this short period, this dominion, which violates the fundamental laws of our nature, has grown old, and is ready to vanish away. The Porte is now under the supervision of Russia and other European powers, who at times chastise and control her, and her refractory but able Viceroy of Egypt. The destruction of the Turkish fleet at Navarino, the victorious march of the Russians upon Turkey, and the frequent intervention of the great Powers of Europe in her affairs, proclaim the second childhood and speedy decay of the Ottoman Empire. The Mohammedan scimetar and slavery have destroyed those who employed them, and the insulted laws of humanity will soon be vindicated by the dissolution of this government of force. Its fall will illustrate the self-destroying power of the Koran.

The history of Venice and Genoa, teach us the same great truth that what is acquired by violence is invariably lost by it. These States were once powerful, with great fleets and armies, a widely expanded commerce and great riches. The Venetians carried their victorious arms over a part of the Morea, and Constantinople felt their power. Where now are their proud navies and their powerful armies? They are gone, and the shadow only of these powerful oligarchies remain.

The sword of Napoleon fell upon the Venetian State, and closed her proud history, and shut up forever her golden book—a striking example of the effect of war, and its retributive power.

An examination of the history of every nation of Europe would add to the strength of our argument. But we are able to present a general view of the effect of war upon that continent, which will satisfy the most incredulous. The irregular feudal wars of the middle ages have within the last three centuries been succeeded by standing armies and regularly equipped navies. War has become a regular science. Louis the Fourteenth of France, had at times a standing army of more than four hundred thousand men-and Napoleon marched a greater one upon Russia. In Europe, about three millions of persons are ordinarily employed in the armies and navies, though in war, the number is increased to four, or four and a half millions. The European ships of war in commission, vary from 1,368 in time of peace, it is said, to about 2,641 the maximum in war. A high authority states three millions as the average number of armed men maintained by the States, Kingdoms, and Empires of Europe. Let us compute in money the amount with which wars past and armies and navies now on foot burden the annual productive industry of that continent. If upon an ave

rage it costs $200 per man, to pay, cloth, support, and arm 3,000,000 of men, the amount of these $600,000,000

items will be,...

...

The present national debts of that continent, the fruits of wars, are about 6,500 millions of dollars. The annual interest on this sum, is probably, about....

For the construction of ships and fortifications and their annual re

pair, add, say....

Add $50 for the value of each man's

time, if employed in agriculture

or on public works,.

It shows an aggregate annual loss to Europe, of......

240,000,000

15,000,000

150,000,000

$1,005,000,000

This is the annual charge of wars and warlike establishments in time of peace. Such a heavy burden upon productive industry accounts for the poverty and wretchedness of the mass of the people of that continent. The annual waste of wars and military expenditure in Europe is about equal to the entire income of the people of the United States. What an amazing punishment inflicted upon the nations of Europe by their wars and warlike establishments.

Asia has been given over to a succession of