THE DOOM OF ENGLAND,

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 867, 10 January 1878, Page 2

THE DOOM OF ENGLAND,

It ha3 been more thaa once hinted that EngJand has on various occasions exhibited a rather overbearing disposition toward other powers, The time has, however, arrived when we should forget whatever faults England may have committed and remember only her merits. Left us . speak only good of (he dying. .Retribution, though Jong delayed, has at last overtaken the proud British Empire, ghe has rashly stepped on the sensitive toes of Peru, and her doom is sealed. Peru has formally demanded satisfaotion for the attack on the Huaspar by British frigates, and, of course, proposes to euforce her de_u -ud at rhe tnouth of all her avai able h »rse-pistols. It will be remembered thtt the Huascar was an ironclad frigate belonging tq tfye numerous Governments that constantly succeed onp another in Peru. Some time ago an ingenious Peruvian, who desired to vary the regular routine of revolution, seized the ftuascar, es-abiisjied a new Goverpment on bee qu. ( r..er-deck, and started oa a ambling voyage with the view of eo letting taxes — in the natun* of food, tobaco, and secoud-haud o othinj4- -trum the Peruvian sea portß. Now, there happened 10 bo two BritMh frigates in the:{*eruvi«n wate -a, and their commanders, iegai'ding it as grossly irregular tor

an entire republic to sail around in an ironclad, agreed that the Huascar waaa pirite and ought to to her law. bwaer^f^^Key, thejßeFore, set suil in Boarohio^y^e.inuasciar, and, having found hejpppeni| ,fire upon her with the avid|js of noble seamen spoiling for a fjghj|| jTheJpcked Government on boarlyh^f|ppnplaa refuse! to sur^ender^phe Englishmen/ but after tighnng until the vessel was severely injured, fled into a neighbp«ng ppELand surrendered to tho Peruvian Government.' At first the Peruvians on ahorwere greatly please I at the recovery of Hbheiriirohclad, ah4 filled^ withad- ... miration for the ■nselfis.i patr oti m of the floating Gprernnient which had restored her to them. When, however, they inspected her, their joy was turned to indignation. ■ The ruthless English ' cannon-halls had knocked so much paint off the outaide of the vessel, and had smashed so much of her. woodwork, that she was in imperative need of ' repairs. . To repair a Peruvian ironclad is a work of enormous difficulty and expense. The local tin-smith of Lima confessed that^ while he could sol derup, the smaller holes, he coulff^ -pt makft" 1 hw vpoaitiV«fy *-■• roof, and that the Government nding that, the necessary repairs 0 her would cost fully seven hunIred dollars, gloomily acknowledged hat the required amount could not ie raised without heavily increasing he burden of taxation. Thus, it fas apparent that the nice new tonclad, on board of which so nany delightful balls had been ;iven, was entirely spoiled by the •ade and lawless conduct of the two British captains, and a fierce denaud foi vengeance and the expenses of repairing the Huascar was made by an enraged and angry naiion. To this demand the Peruvian Government was compelled 'to listen, jr else to witness the immediate outbreak of from six to twelve revolutions in the leading wine-shops of Peru* Of, course, it chose the former alterdative, and, hastily sending for a priest who knew how to write, and making a special appropriation for the purchase of a sheet of paper, an envelope, and a stick of sealing-wax, it drew up a formal demand upon . the British Govern' ment for satisfaction. If England should accede to this demand, and either give Peru a new ironclad or send out a man to repair the Huascar at the cost of the British Treasury, all would be well ; but the British Government is too proud to do anything of the kind. The consequence will b« war between Peru and England. Peru h»s been provoked beyond endurance, and England will .soon learn what is the ooustquence of awakening the just anger of a powerful and valiant nation. When the Peruvian fL:et sails up she Thames, and, casting anchor betore the Tower f London, cannonades that ancient and gorgeous edifice until the Queen and her courtiers fly shrinking from the btck door, the English people will know what retribution' means. Whether Peru decides to hold England .s a conquered province, or to disdainfully leave her to Tier fate after having forced every Englishman to oome on board the Peruvian Admirals ship and to publicly empty his pockets on the qiiftf ter-deok, will be of little 1 consequence. In either case England will be crushed and hum! iated and her power will be gone forever All this merely because two hotheaded English captains interfered with the sports of Peruviau Governments, and Mpi'iled a Peruvian jronclad under pretence of restoring liey to hee original owners. / Tho war will not seriously afjgaj^ the prosperity of Peru while it xfli in progress. The productions of that country consist chiefly in volcanoes, earthquakes and revolutions. The export trade in these staples is so trifling that it will not be appreciably injured by war. On the other hand, Peru can import what few things she needs • such as flour, cards, second-hand clothing, and bottles, from the United States. In fact; tne whole cost of the war will be confined to fitting out a fleet and sending it to England, and, of course, Peru made up her mind to bear this expense when she demanded reparation. Thus another great Empire is destined to go down in the smoke and flame of battle. By this ' time next year Peruvian Generals in . large straw hats and white cotton trousers will smoke their cigars in the- House of commons; a Peruvian padre will celebrate maßs iu Westminster Abbey, and the. fair wiyea of Peruvian Admirals and Captains will rummage through the Queen's trunks and closets and try on her best dresses and bonnets. This is hard fate for a country that has been bo great and proud as England, but it wi 1 v teach Engliishraeu that pride must have a full, and that a nation cannot spoil other people's new ironclads without paying the penalty, —.\ew York Times,