The New York herald., 1850-01-11
RThe European News.

There was no tdngs of the Canada at half-past
nine o'clock last evening.
Our Commercial Progre.s-Trade with
Asia.
English writers attach great Importance to the
spread of our power on the shores of the Pacific;
and they are right. They foresee what we have
hardly dreamed Of, namely, that when the first
flush of excitement has passed. and it ceases to be
a curiosity to print or to read about the gold dig
gers California, the augmentlng of the pepula-
tion of that prolific region will turn their attention
20 the eastern shores of Asia We venture TO say
I will not be twelve months before regular lines
of steamers will be established between San Fran
cisco and Canton. China is much nearer to New
YoIk by the way OF Panama than of the Cape OF
Good Hope. II will scarcely require thirty days
for the silks and the teas OF China to reach New
York by this new route, and English merchants
and bankers, who have millions afoat on the old
beaten track around the vas continent of Africa,
begin to trembe for their insecure investments.
Hitherto, almost every Indian and Chinese product,
consumed in this country, has gone round the
other side of the world.
Causes now IN operation, which will change
the route OF AsIatic commerce, and relations will
soon be instituted by the United States on their
western coast, with ASIA, intimate as those
which now exist between the Atlantic cities aud
the western coast of Europe.
Il can hardly be believed that any man has ever
foreseen, from any great distance of time, this
mighty change in the commerce and in the affairs
Of the world. When the passage to India round
the Cape Of Good Hope was discovered by Vasco
De Cana, 1t suddenly changed the fate of entire
nations. Up TO that moment, the vast treasures OF
the Aslatic world passed over to the continent OF
Europe, by means Of land transportation. Immense
caravans were employed TO carry the products OF
tie East the plains Of Asia and the isthmus
of Suez; and so immense did this commerce be.
come, that vast cities were built up where those
mighty trains had their stopping places. Cities
sprang up in the midst OF desers, and resounded
with The hum of mighty population, while all
around was solitude and stenliry but Vasco De
Cana, by the discovery OF the Cape OF Good Hope,
gave TIE death blow TO that mighty commerce
Fret the Dutch, and afterwards the Portuguese
and the English, usurped this commerce, and it
hasre manned in the hands OF the latter, undisurbed
until the establishment of tie American race on
the shores OF the Pacific.
A change as great, if not greater, than that ef-
fected by vasco DE CANA, has been achieved by
the acquisition and settlement OF California.
ship canal must and will be built at once across
ihe islhmus, and the labor Of a day will pass
great ship from the waters of one ocean TO the
9th en- instead Of beating for months against hos
Tile ump,sts df6und the stormy cape of South
Amsnca. That passsge will at once be abandoned.
Scarcely another vessel trading with the Pacific
will b. tten buii,tiiDg the billows Of Cape Horn.
That desolste and uhrequented track Of ocean will
be- much a stranger To the keel Of the merchant
man, ss The SOLITARY and inhosprtabe siePpes of
Asia hyve for nearly four centuries been to the
caravans that once crossed them, laden with the
wealth oi Asia.
The most superficial observer can read the COZ
tequ,nces oi this mighty change upon the fortunes
OF BRUSH commerce Whole volumes might be
wrirtn her., which would sound prophetic when
they wert read but winch will be history within
a fw years English capitalists. bankers aud msr-
chsnis, see the DIFF &c events and of fortune. For
he first tine in the history OF this country, Euro
pam D. lih to estimate u for what we worth
THIS Vsst nd virgin coUtnsnt. which has remain.
Cd prolific garden dtseri--ii this be not a para
doK-loI thousands ct years, seems TO have been
was,d fem i't solitude TOR some mighty purpose
Il ~ill prove in the end, appreheEd nothing less
bon hat ct changing the fortunes Of the human
nee. Surcing hr,wten tao oceans aud extend
ng its VA ht arm towards Esropc, and laying Its
eli urou ,l, uncounied mhons Of Asia, it must
srsm. TO ib. me, "bourate ard ohtuse perception,
hat The great destiny Of this continent is to regu.
ate he afai ~ the world No o-her nation has
ever had sUch mission To accomplish. Our geo
ertphicsl p'siuon places us wherr something OF
h.. kind must be- done. The mighty eppl ances of
iel. graphs, steam. intell gencr shd rcpubhcansm,
aNor Inc prosscutier ~ the work aud smooth the .
toad 10 its execution. The race itself which do .
mnater over this continent. - one which never
o~ued master, and which finds itself compelled,
b, the mere force of IT. own impulses, to dominate
and control others. Europe seems To be gong TO
Gctsy At oil evests, the genus of dissolution
and Of thaosis biogdiRg over its bosom. While
is struggling nauoHs are working out the expert
men', whether countries that have once blazed
with The HIGHT of civduatiua can, after the era Of
darkness and of gloom has cu.n- on recuprrste and
TestoIe themselves agun. we are launched upea
the siscsc stream Of progress. aud have the world
given TO vs Tor our field Of actioa The Atlantic
coast, with ts commerce, as wealth. ITS universities
81 leaning, and IT, high ciyizauon, xesitsrve on
Europe and pats forth upon It ,ts couts snihug hand
The great valley of the Mississippi, uhiah receives
the snowy waters oi the upper lakes wisre the
sesls llay with he cy shores n Jane. and O. rrics
them down to tho heated waves of IA. Gu,. Of
Mexico. receiving, a. the Father Of waters moyas
On in his great pilgrimage, the tribute ola thousand
riyerF, will form the mighty territorial link that
will bind the two sides Of the continent together:
md beyond the snowy peak Of the Rocky Noun
ains, along the tranquil shores Of the Pacific grea,
szies are rising; aud before the present genera