Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-17
CoRRESP0NDENoE FROM CHINA.
CHINA, SEPTEMBER 24lls5l

~" iOftlDiy the lilhila tJ mos AMI study
China are struck y ne MISTAKES often rdiculot and
general Ignorance relating the ancient andone Of
the largest countries in the world In these bright days
Of universal enlghtenmentof steam commercial enter
prise, and uninterrupted communication aroun the
worid-sucl ignorance about the fundamental orsniza
ton OF Chinese society their and habits dmost
objectionable The greater portion of foreigners wh visit
China only come TO make fortunes and trade andhey
have their minds SO constantly taken up with the things
relating only to the accomplishment of money-mding
that almost all things else neglected forgotten.
These observations are not made for the purpose of show
ing IN what the mistakes consist but to urge uponour
people, and particularly the editors the necessity of read
ing and studying the best books for in short methe
relations OF the world in general and the United Sat in
particular will be such with China that the most rel,be
and explicit knowledge will be required Such nfora
ton can be pretty generally found in Sir John Dayss
book on China and Mr.. Wliams's "Midde Kingdom. .
The map contained in the latter be particularly re-
commended TO commercial rivers cities ports
most fertile districts and their productions, therein
put down. The Importance of such knowledge to men
who are dealing in commercial specuations from dis
lance is too obvious to require comment Mr. Williams
certainly deserves great credit for the labor and research
he has gone through in collecting the of
rails of which his book is made An exuberance of
and detail may be its greatest fault but tits intended
should be studied u history
The Chinese empire, as it now stands is more re.
markabe for the numberless ages that it has held
together the vast swarms of human beings that are
living and sustained within its limits, than for any
active influence it exerts upon the destines of other
countries The silks and teas the principal articles
OF expectation administer to the comforts and Injuries of
the wealthy and nonaborng classes of other countries
and to the very few who are employed to prepare
them for use; but the large numbers of producers
and laborng people in the United States and Europe
very little, if at ALL benefited by the present state
of trade with China There are scarcely any foreign
manufactures and products consumed in China. The
opium trade, and mportations of raw cotton are
the only counterbalancng of reimbursement for
all the money left here for teas silks &c., and they
confined almost entirely British India and consequently
rebound to Engands advantage.
There American and other merchants who are spe-
culatng in opium in other articles of traffic but,
they have to buy from India their profits contingent
on the luck of the venture just the buyers of stocks
are at home but yet there landed manufac
turing interests in the United States that can find market
for their products and fabrics as the cutivators in India
find for their drug If this opium trade could be
pended the money which is paid for opium might find
legitimate distribution in exchange for cheap cotton
and perhaps breadstufs The profits that are now
Conlneu 10 lnua might then DE distributed over the
world and when it is considered that thirty millions of
dollars paid by the Chinese annually for opium the
world at large and part do lose something by
trade. At present dealings with China confined
very few individuals and the national wealth.
of wealth, not materially increased If were
to stop here chances for future profitable trade with
China would be gloomy enough but the developments
of the last half century have revoutonized the opinions
by which formerly governed and choosing
lugges from the ocean, and covering the utter
parts of the with clippers and steamers opening
railroads continents and have canals through
sthmuses in embryo it win not be amiss think follow
the peculatons of the and hint what may be
trade from t6 TO the rest of the world is now partially
and may be before long exclusively monoPozed by
clippers and in this way our capitalists may find pro-
able investment When the railroad to the Pacific
completed and the Ahqnco- Pacific canal cut by having
greater facilities and closer communication capital which
is now fetered by competition with Europe in order
supply the finer fabrics for home consumption be in
vested in the cheaper and articles that would
find ready market with the Chinese and the Indies gene
rally The Chinese have wholesale $50 to speak, ma
chnery and cannot compete with our steam and great
water powers and thus science and art will break down
their manual labor Cheap cottons Of good quality must
when the present disabilities have been removed from
free trade find ready market Our steamers from Cali
forna and the Ishmus shorten the time Of trans
portaon as to loosen the shackes and drawbacks upon
profit which the present great length of the passage i'm
poses. When California becomes filled up with people,
channels wealth may be opened through that country
citizens, by supplying grain TO the East Indies and
China These also do us incalculahe good
by carrying over to California coolies and China aborer
There could be better aborng class for any country
than the industrious and orderly Chinese and particularly
for servants and agricultural purposes There is no
reason why they should have the political priv
leges that the ignorant adventures Of Europe hay for
in the time required by the naturalization law make
them citizens they could learn fully much about
institutions and laws the uneducated foreigners at
least their children could Their great industry and Oye
of order make them by far preferable first settlers
may be said that this is too vague and visionary but
when reflect upon the short time that has elapsed
since Lord Give and Hastings carved out for their
try the mighty world almost Of India and with what cleo
trio speed the bonds of union have spread from the Atlantic
to the Pacific oceans which but few short years ago
linked in fraternity the first thirteen States during the
Revolutionary struggles the mind need not sagger at
any thing that is feasible though remote Why cannot
have ornaments and answer two purposes
ut the same time More be done to ciyilize and
christianize the nations of the beautiful Pacific Islands,
by showing them the irresistible powers which civilization
bestows than by years Of abstract preaching and eehng
If the gold mines lately discovered in Australia are % rich
as some reports first said they another revolution
in the commercial history Of the world may be on hand
by which possibly we may gain something
Tho in China have had arduous uphill