National Debts, by Wm. Penniman

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 3, 1875

National Debts,

By Wm. Penniman

We have reached the dignity of being third in the list of debt-owing nations, France and England preceding us. The Economist, the chief financial authority of England, makes the following estimate of the great national debt:—

COUNTRY.	1873.	1875.
France,	£748,000,000	£900,000,000
Great Britain,	790,000,000	780,000,000
United States,	433,000,000	440,000,000
Italy,	360,000,000	390,000,000
Spain,	261,000,000	375,000,000
Austria,	306,000,000	350,000,000
Russia,	355,000,000	340,000,000
German Empire,	208,000,000	200,000,000
Turkey,	124,000,000	135,000,000
India,	108,000,000	130,000,000
	£3,690,000,000	£4,040,000,000

“The net increase in two years has been £347,000,000, the annual charge on these, and the obligations of some of the smaller countries of the world is £188,550,000. Nearly all of this frightful aggregate is the cost of war, or of preparations for war. Our own national debt on the first of February, according to the treasury statement, was $2,143,966,000, or something less than the sum named in the table.

“Is it at all wonderful, while war absorbs so much of national expenditure, that the education of the people languishes, and millions are steeped in poverty? The time will come when Christian nations will put an end to these immense outlays for purposes of destruction. It cannot come too soon.”—Methodist.

The foregoing article from The Church Union, of March 6, 1875, is very significant in regard to the condition of the world. When we consider that “nearly all of this frightful aggregate is the cost of war, or of preparations for war,” we cannot but see how strikingly Joel’s prophecy is being fulfilled: “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men; let the men of war draw near; let them come up; beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong.” Joel 3: 9, 10.

When will the people wake up to the fact that we are living in the last days? When will they look through the telescope of God’s word, that they may see the wondrous things which he is doing in these times? Alas! many, the great mass of professors and non-professors, like the disciples of Galileo, refuse to look through this telescope for fear they will see the stars. They will even sound the peace-and-safety cry when the drums of war are beating, and the trumpet is sounding, that is to seal the doom of the world.

The most astonishing facts in regard to war preparations, increase of crime, increasing worldliness of professors, &c., will not cause some to give up the pet dogma of the world’s conversion; but, hopeful to the last, they cling to the delusive phantom, seeming to think something will turn up which will bring about the good time. Even the writer quoted thinks the time will come when “Christian nations will put an end to these immense outlays for purposes of destruction.” When will this time come? Echo answers, When? Christian nations never will put an end to these expenses for war; for if the nations were truly Christian, they would never get into them. God will put an end to these warlike operations when he “dashes the nations in pieces,” and when “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.” Rev. 11: 15.

Wm. Penniman.