National Perils by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 6, 1874

National Perils.

By Uriah Smith

L. M. Vernon, D. D., in The Methodist, of Dec. 27, 1873, speaking of the late speech of Victor Emanuel, at the opening of the Italian Parliament, says:—

“The Government finances have long been chronically ailing. This same disease bore the late Sella-Lanza ministry to the tomb. The new ministry had wrought slight amelioration, and now many hopefully looked that the magic of ‘majesty’ might evoke light out of the troubled darkness. But alas! arithmetic is no respecter of persons. Figures are democratic. Neither will scrip rise, nor debts down at the wave of the scepter. The king could only ask new ‘sacrifices,’ meaning new taxes. These unhappy, yet necessary, words depressed the bourse in every important Italian city. Increasing armies of defense by increasing national debt and decreasing national credit is seen to be perilous—deferring only the evil day. But in this suicidal course Italy has much European company. It is to be hoped that upon a common evil will rise a common remedy.”

That is to say, Italy is groping its way through “troubled darkness,” respecting which the only prospect is that it will grow darker still. Italy, with “much European company,” is pursuing a suicidal policy. National suicide is national overthrow. Italy, with many other European nations, is doing the “perilous” work of “increasing armies of defense by increasing national debt and decreasing national credit.” This state of things is a “common evil,” and the “evil day” is only deferred.

All that is written and said by rulers and statesmen, in these days, upon the present troubled state of the nations was summed up in prophecy 1800 years ago, in these words: “Distress of nations with perplexity.” Luke 21: 25. And when, among many other things, this feature also should come out in startling relief, we were bidden to understand that the climax of earth’s misrule and mismanagement had come, and that He whose right it is to reign was about to return in power and glory in the clouds of heaven to take the kingdom to himself.

U. S.