The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-17

Phasis; 10 that river and by land carriage OF hye
| DAYS 10 the river Cyrus; down II TO lhe Caspian
| Sea. across this sea three hundred miles, TO the
mouth OF the river 0xus; up that river nine hun
dred miles, to the city of Marcanda, now Samar-
eand; thence across the mountains to the countries
i upon the river Indus, eastward by journey Of
| eighty or hundred days, with the Baclrlan camel
| through desert countries and wandering nations,
which considered the merchant as their prey, TO the
western provinces Of the Chinese empire, Piiny The
Eldr.) This route, though long and perlous made
CUnstantinope the emporium of the India trade for
all Christian nations for several centuries afler the
conquest of Egypt by the Mahomedans, and made
Il the seat of wealth and power for many ages after
the downfall Of the Roman empire.
W. Modern channels. -Constantnople contin ued
10 be the emporium Of the India trade till the
fifteenth century. The Venetians and Genoese
engaged in il. They established trading houses
in Constandnople, and rose TO power and pre-emi-
nence from the profits of this trade. Their fleets
| commanded the seas, at a time when fleets were
yet unknown to the rest of Europe, and the citizens
of these republics displayed a magnIheenee IN
their living which surpassed the state Of the great
! eat monarchs beyond the Alps, (Ro6srtsOn) From
VeEice and Genoa the commerce OF Asia spread into
the north Of Europe. Bruges and Antwerp be-
came It's smp0ria, and retain to this day evident
signs of the wealth and splendor TO which they
attained. This was the longest and most perilous
route over which the commerce Of India has been
conducted IL is truly astonishing to think OF IT,
thence TO ConsisntinoPle, across the Black sea,
the Caspian sea, up the river Oxus TO Samar
cand, the limit Of Alexander's march towards the
northeast of Asia and at Ssmarcand it seemed that
the journey only beginning, as there COM
menced the voyage overland with the Bactrain
camel, through desert regions and nations OF rob!
bers, 10 be continued from eighty TO hundred
days 10 arrive in the western provinces Of China,
where the most valuable productions Of the East
then found Yet so great were the profits Of the
trade, that under all these Disadvantages the cities
Of Consaniinople, of Venice and Genoa, Of Bruges
and Antwerp, became the seats Of learning and re-
fnement, of luxury and magnlhcence, Of maritime
and military power, when all other parts Of Europe
we're sunk in poverty and ignorance, darkness and
barharIsm.
Towards the end Of the 18th century, the C Of
Good Hope was doubled. new route wa en-
opened into India. The Portuguese, who de
this discovery, became the masters Of the India
trade, destroyed the fleets Of the Turks and Veni-
tians which were launched upon the Red to keep
open the ancient channel through Egypt, and estab-
Iished commercial empire in India. Portugal then
became one Of the most powerful nations by and
land, and Lisbon the centre of European wealth and
commerce.
The passage by the Cape of Good Hope (some-
times by Cape Hsrn) has since continued to be the
route to India.
The Portuguese did not long retain their monopo-
lies. The Dutch became their competitors, and
after their successor in the Indian trade. Por-
tugal declined to its original insgnihcanee. Hol-
land rose to wealth and power by and land, and
| Amsterdam became the principal mart OF Europe.
The English followed the Dutch, and have sur
passed all their predecessors in the successful pros
| ecution of the India trade. A company Of their
merchants have erected empire in India, main
| tanned fleets and armies, subiugaed vast empires,
dethroned powerful monarchs, disposed of king
IONS and principaities other merchants dispose
Of bales Of merchandise; and with the riches thence
| derived England "a spot no larger than one Of our
| Siates) has been able to contend single handed
against the combined powers Of Europe, to triumph
over them, and to impress her policy, more or less
upon every quarter Of the globe.
| One other route, among the modern channels Of
| India commerce, remains to be mentioned IL is the
| line followed by the Russians from the city of Mos
COW to the frontiers Of China. BY this route the
Russians carry trade with China worth three or
| four millions Of dollars per annum, in which the
productions of the respective countries are barered
against each other almost the only instance of trade
by barter which any nation has carried on with the
people Of the East, but sufficient to show that there
| are articles for which the Chinese will barter the
rich productions Of their country This route ia
often made entirely overland, and is then upwards
1 of six thousand miles in length; sometimes by the
river Wolga, the Caspian sea, and the river Oxus
and thence overland by the ancient route from Con.
santinope, which increases the distance but relic yes
in some degree the labor of the voyage by substi.
tuting for part Of the way water for land carriage
Servilely following the Europeans in almost
everything, the people of the United States also fol-
low them in their route to India. They quit Asia,
as it were, leave it behind them, to sail thirty thou
sand miles, doubling formidable cape, and
Drawing the dangers of tempesuous sea, to
arrive in country which is only few days. sail
from their own continent. They do this because
the people Of Europe, who can do no better, have
done so before them. In the meantime the efforts
of the English to discover northwest passage to
Asia, should convince them that even the Europeans
mot limit In cIrc III r1o L.. a..
their voyage to India, if western route could be
found through, around, the northern parts of the
American continent. Still, with all the dangers add
ed to the length ofthe voyage, the East India trade
is the richest vein of American commerce. and SOON
est leads to the most splendid fortunes; convincing
proof of what it would be if new route was opened
exclusively American, short, safe cheap, and direct
and substituting trade in barter for the present
ruinous drain of gold and silver.
V. Nelo route proposed for the people of The United
States by The Columbia and Missouri ripers-Coum-
bus was the first who conceived the idea of going
west to arrive at the East Indies. His discovery Of
America was owing to that idea. He was in search
Of western passage to the eastern coast of Asia
when he was arrested by the expected interven-
ton of the American continent Nor had he an
idea that he had found new world. He believed
himself on the coast of India, and under that belief
gave the name of Indians to the inhabitants-a name
which they have retained ever SINCE although the
error on which 1t was founded has been long since
exploded. (Robertson.)
La Sale, founder of the French colony in the
valley of the Mississppi-a man pronounced by
Mr.. Adams to be second only to Columbus in the
list of great discoverers--was the next who cher
ished the idea of going west to India The French
were then masters Of the Canadas, and were daily
extending their discoveries to the interior of North
America. The existence of a chain of great lakes
stretching westward being ascertaned, he believed
that an inland passage to China might be .discov-
cred by means of these lakes and the rivers flowing
from them to the Pacific ocean. (Sioddari) Full
Of this idea he left Montreal about the year 1880
in the hope of immortalzing himself by opening to
his country a new and direct route to the commerce
of the East Indies Parting from his friends eigh,
miles above Montreal, the last word he said to them
was China, and the spot retains the La Chine
ever SINCE But death arrested him in the valley
of the Arkansas, the fate which Columbus had SO
narrowly escaped, that of being assassnated by
his own followers, who had not courage to follow
him any further.
The English of all others the most evarc;oua NJ