Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-09-24


Pacific ocean, which may be requisite for the
safety of our commerce or the convenience IF
our navy might at any moment bring " irto
collision with this watchfnl ruler
With Austria we have had al hare year.
slight collisions, all of which have resulted thus
far in our favor, and have consequently touched
the pride and mortified the VANITY at that
stolil government. The Hosea ease !, likely
to dc the subject ct Some Irritating GORE,
pondepce. The law Of nations Ike every
thing else, is advancing Th. law Of nations
among the Greeks and Romans is not IN. law
OF nations laid down IN Nn'trl and Glotius. and
much less the law of nations prevailing At this
day. We have founded "A government and
enacted laws altogether different from ANY
other government or laws known in the times
OF the celebrated writers on public law Just
named. Among other things W. have repudi
ated the doctrines then fashionable, and now
recognized by nearly all the governments Of
Europe, that subjects cannot abure their nat
ural allegiance. We hold that every uiau
may choose his own government, aud IL he
obeys its laws is entitled to its protection
1t is for rs to say whether ko,ta had placed
himself under our protection, and Austria
can have no voice in determining that BY
an appeal to Pufendorf and Grotius, I'M
less we abandon the position we have hith-
erto maintained, even ut the lannon's mouth
There is only one opinion on this subject in
the United States, and that is in favor Of the
spirited conduct of Captain Ingraham We have
no doubt the President will fully sustain il, and
tell Austria, in reply to her protest, firmly that
we are the only judges of who are our own citi
zens, and who are entitled to the protection Of
our flag.
Should the controversy pending between
Russia and Turkey terminate in war, II would
unquestionably lead to general European con,
test, in which all the principal nations would
be involved While this would materially ben
eft us MS the great carrying nation Of the world,
it would, in other respects, produce enbarrass-
ment and difficulty Ports would be blockaded
cities invested--seizures made--eonhScatons
decreed, and neutral rights often be disregard
ed. These circumstances would complicate
our affairs with other governments, and de-
mand, on the part of our Executive, the highest
wisdom and the most inhexible determination
to maintain the rights Of his country
The successful progress Of the revolutionary
party in China seems to indicate that the
downfall of the Tartar dynasty, in that ancient
empire, is at hand. This is an event in
which oil nations are interested, and we hope
to see it contaminated speedily. There is good
reason to believe that the revolutionary party
will form treaties of commerce with other ma.
tons, on liberal and Just terms They appear
to have imbibed the doctrines of Christianity to
aconsiderable extent, att least, and may bereason-
ably expected toestimate Christian nations much
more favorably than their Tartar predecessors
The present state of affairs in the celestial EN-
pire is sufficiently complicated and embarrass
ing to require, as our representative in that coun-
try, one of the ablest and most sagacious men
We have amongst us. There are now, in fact,
two rival Emperors in China, each ruling over
millions of his countrymen, and holding i'm
portant commercial cities. How shall we treat
these antagonists? Shall we regard either
as the rightful ruler, or both, as DE- .t,cto
emperors within the territory subject to their
sway? Shall we prefer TO enter into treaty
stipulations with both, or with either? These
are questions Of much deicacy for the adj.
ministration to consider and decide. Suppose
these emperors should refuse 10 enter into
treaties, or other commercial engagements, with
any nation that recognised the other az any
thing better than an usurper-what is to be done
i'll that case? Here would be a new Chinese
wall far more difficult to surmount than the
old one, erected to keep ont the 'rartars. From
our geographical position and enterprise, two,
thirds of the foreign trade of China must pass
through our hands. This, if new ports be
opened, will be increased, aud will build NJ
range Of large cities and towns aclu.s our con.
tinent. Let us be on the alert to prevent Great
Britain and France from graspng injurious
advantages.
The Japan expedition is a leap in the dark
How it will end, or to what it may tend. il be.
yond our comprehension Russia, It seems,
has sent out three vessels of war to cooperate,
or to watch our movements, and to what de-
gree this may entangle us up with foreign af:
fairs remains to be seem We hope for the
best, though we confess our faith is not strong
enough to move mountains.
These are some of the questions and consd
erations of policy that must soon engage the
earnest attention of the administration and of
the country; and standing here at the capitol,
and casting our eyes abroad, on the nations of
both hemispheres, we cannot fail to perceive
that this country is destined to act leading
part in the great events that may transpire,
and has interests at stake in every quarter of
the world Of the most vital necessity TO its