The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-07-08
TuE STATE OF CHINA.
FROM THE BOSTON ATLAS.

Debdts (Paris) of the goth OF May an elaborate
article, whose interest induces us to translate
it in our columns, Notwithstanding its length.
1t is written by one of the editors of that
paper, (who. we believe, resided some years
in China, attached TO a French diplomatic
NJ. XAvIER RAYMOND. 1t will be
and TO give, perhaps, as clear an insight into
the present state of things in China as can
be gathered under existing circumstances,
or until the seal Of exclusion and secrecy has
been broken. The Importance Of this re-
volution to the commercial interests of the
world can hardly be overestimated. Its sue
cess may effect complete change in the re.
lu,ons of China with the other nations of
the earth, and the commerce Of no people, in
that event, will be more affected by its re-
suits than our own.
CHINESE INSURRECTION.
The news Just received from China is OF
the preastest interest The insurrccton
which commenced four years ago in the south
of the empire has now advanced more than
two hundred leagues towards the north; it is
master Of the navigation of the Yang-tsee-
Kiang, and, as was seen in 1912, when the
English besieged Nankin it seems this bare
fact makes il master of all the country; so
much so that the Imperial Government is re-
duced to solicit tho aid of foreigners. II there
was question merely of domestic revolution,
we might, perhaps, give to this affair only
such slight interest as curiosity might excite;
but, at present, the overthrow of the Man
chou dynasty or the intervention Of foreigners
in its government, must be considered as u
very grave event, destined to exercise CON-
siderable influence upon the policy and COM
mercc Of the world. This question is little
known to the generality of French readers;
we shall be excused, then, for explaining it in
some detail.
While we witness in Europe the decline Of
great empire, Crurkey) Asia too sees u still
greater empire a prey to commissions, which
would seem to announce n revolution, if not a
nigh dissolution. Both nre menaccd by the
same causes Of ruin. Undermined by do
nestle corruption, by anarchy, by the venalty
of the administration; humilated by the arms
and the moral ascendency of foreigners, who
hnvc destroyed in the eyes OF the population
the old prestige Of the conquering races who
govern them, they totter at the contact with
Europe. They appear the more mcpuced as
their relations become more intimate with
Western civilization. 1t may be said, indeed,
to be one of the laws of this social organiza-
ton to be unable to knit relations with any
civilization inferior to itself, without being
led to impose its authority on oil Of them,
even should it forbear to destroy them, as has
happened to the red men Of America and as
it happens TO the aborigines of New Holland
and to the islanders of the Pacific ocean.
Nothing seems capable of arresting in future
this movement Of conquest or of absorption
Of the rest of the world by the Christian ma
tons Like the avalanche which falls from
the mourthn, it becomes more rapid as it
neurs the goal; as the development of com
merce multplies the points of contact, and
with them the causes of conflict; as the ap-
plication of steam to manufactures of naviga-
ton renders the means of action the more
prompt and the more regular. OF yore, the
empire Of Constantine required ages to die.
Look at the progress Of the decay of the Turk
isl empire merely since the battle of Navarino,
in modern times. Since then it has lost the
Kingdoms Of Greece & Of Algeria 1t has seen
relax almost to independence the ties which
formerly connected to it Egypt, Walachia,
Moldavia, Servia, the Beyship of Tunis. The
frequent instructions Of Albania have ex-
haus'cd its treasury and discreditcd the au-
thori,y of its Sul,ans in Europe, as the battles
of koniah aud of Nczib, the rcvolts of the
kurds, the insurgencics in Syria, (Which is
still in nrms,) the anarchy of Arabia, which
some desired to return to it in 1910, g. which
certainly belongs to it less at present than
when it was in the not very sure but power
lu hands of Mchcmet Ali, have done in Asia
Each of these losses has been for Turkey the
occasion of new and more profound inter-
vrn,on of foreigners in lis affairs, to the very
day when an unfortunate expedition, sent u
gainst n handful OF mountnneers who pillagcd
its territory, and the question of the Holy
Scpulchre, Gu question in truth which should
not have touched it) produced the present
crisis, and perhaps the most dangerous it has
yet travelsed. Supcrlnduced by similar causes,
devoted for the future to the same fatality,
the present situation of the empire OF China
is not more brilliant than that OF Turkey.
Nay Is IL perhaps even more Wenuccu, Tor
the Ottoman Empire will doubtless live for a
long timo yet, protected by the reciprocal
jealousy Of the Cabinets of Europe aud by the
ears entertained by every one of the prob
Ible consequences a its fall; while China is
concerned with but one Power, (England,)
mistress to choose her own day and hour, and |
Who, far from being thwarted in the work of |
Onqucst when she shall undertake il, will
lther be pushed forward by the common in
crest of all foreign nations who desire TO see
hina opened to their commerce or their re.
gions proselytism.
We have in France generally but very
ague and very confused idea of China and
le Chinese. 1t is not only to us n very dis
INT country, although in reality the COM
Iunications with Canton at present are quite
) rapid, as frequent, and certainly surcr than {
ere in 1915 or in 1890 the correspondencies
rtween Londoa and Constantinople, but also !
strange nation, living in almost ditleren, /
onditions from those imposed on the rest of d
lc human species. Most Of us have had one t