AN AMERICAN VIEW OF ENGLAND'S POWER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 100, 27 April 1878, Page 4

AN AMERICAN VIEW OF ENGLAND'S POWER.

The following remarkable article is from the "Philadelphia Express," an American journal of wide circulation aud considerable influence i— It appears to be the disposition of the nationalities of Europe to underrate the power of Great Britain, and to regard her as too weak to exercise any potential influence in the settlement of tbe Rosso-Turkish question. " She has only about thirty or forty millions of people," they say, "and she is moreover a nation of shopkeepers, and averse to any warlike pursuits. True, she is necessarily great upon the sea, for her geographical position compels her, as an island, to keep a large navy, as does also the magnitude of her commercial interests. But on land, on the continent of Europe, opposed to the gigantic and victorious power of Russia' alone, she would be unable to hold her ground, muoh less against the veteran armies of all Southern Europe." Those 7 who thus reason greatly err in their estimate of England, her people, and her power. The shopkeepers of her marts are very plucky shopkeepers. They have in their veins the blood of the veterans of William the Conqueror, and of the bold knights aud men at arms who followed the standard of Richard of the Lion Heart. Rouse Jhat blod once by insulting tbe British, end see whether they will fight 1 How long would it be, think ye, before the \ yard-stick would be exchanged for the rifle, the eciasors for the eword ? John Bull may be sleepy, but he is not dead; and the English, though loving the peaceful pursuits of commerce, because of the gains they bring, are yet a fighting nation, who will combat with the grit, and the stubbornness of their own bull-dogs if once they go at it. Tbe disinclinauiou of the people of England to go to war does not proceed from any degree of fear. He greatly mistakes who thinks thus. It is the high Christian enlightenment of that people, not fear, that makes them averse to an appeal to the sword, and all its attendiug horrors and practical opposition to the teachings of the Saviour. But touch the national honor, threaten the trade interests, or insult the flag of Old England, and the Lion will shake hi3 shaggy mane, arouse from his lair, and shake the world with his ronr, as; less than a century ago, when he stood alone defiant and victorious agaiust the

tremendous power of Bonaparte, when all the nations of Europe cowered beneath the armed heel of the Coroican. Thiok ye that the power of Britain lies onlyjin her "little sea-girt islands? Think you that because her standing army is small compared with those of Europe, that she has no soldiers? Let but the trumped of battle sound and, as in our own war times it was proven, a million of brave volunteers would flock to the standard ©f St. George, to give, for the honor and defence of their country (not for the paltry hire of a mercenary or despot's slave), their blood, their lives, all, for the cause of their native land. Let Russia throw down the gauntlet! What then ? Why, then, uot only from the British Isles and provinces, but from India also, would rush tbe hosts of war. From the twenty-five million of her Indian subjects who hold the faith of Mahomet, would spring to action hosts of fanatic Mussulmans, who, should England raise the " Standard of the Prophet,'' would spring with eager will to the defence of the " City of the Faithful." Then, backed by England's enormous wealth | supplied with England's terrible war engines ; backed by England's matchless soldiery, Ihey would rally round the walls of Constantinople revive the hopes of the Sultan and the Porte, and bring the invading Muscovite face to face with a power that would tax its utmost strength, even though hacked by the half of Europe, in a fearful, protracted and tremendous conflict with Asia* backed by the Anglo-Saxon race of England, arid the mightiest navy of the world.