Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-06-23
From the New York Herald.

irced the most inveterate of the croakers who So
non6d emily predicted that the Commodore would et-
Eoc, nothing and that Japan would remain for many
= year 10 come secluded and as barharlousy guard
II from the eve of the world as il has been for the
It thousand wears This result has long been pro-
bobla From the moment the Emperor consented 10
hold intercourse with cur envoy, the chances OF fail
a were very slender unless indeed, the instructions
under which the latter was acting had displayed so
little diuomotic skill as to provoke it, In this
meet Mr.. Websters instructions seemed to have full
filed the expectations that formed with regard
10 their tenor and to have adrOty aroused among
the Japanese quite earnest desire TO see more OF
u.s. as we acknowledge we feel to know more OF them
II we want their coal, it is now evident lhaI Ihey CO.
vet our railroads and teegraphs ana IN agreeing 10
our proposals, they Just as likely 70 fancy them
selves the gamers The losers by the bargain his
is precisely the footing which matters should have
been placed. We ask, in TRUTH nothing than
,un are willing to give in return Intercourse with
Janan will in reality do for the people of that
empire than for US To us it will give commercial
facilities and maritime advantages they will derive
from the event not only these Identical benefits in
much larger degree, but the much greater ones of
Chrisanity civilization, and ultimately, some notion
Of political liberty The difficulty was to persuade
the Japanese that such the case; difficulty
which repeated and uniformaiIy unsuccessful ap-
plica,iona from Great Britain and other nations for
permission to trade with Japan had largely contrIbu-
ted to magnify 1t is not little gratifying to US 10
record the fact that has at length been surmounted,
and by a COuntryman Of ours; and though the feat
NAV appear somewhat insignificant today.
persuaded of nothing Intimately than that here
after the opening of Japan 10 the commerce of the
world and the extension Of civilized life into that
hitherto impenetrable haunt of barbarism will be
classed among the notable eras of history.
For ii is hardly possible to set limit on horizon
to the vista Of consequences which this single event
opens 10 our view. 1t completes the work begun by
the Portuguese and the Dutch, centuries ago, and
throws open the whole of the Pacific shores TO West
enterprise and Ang O Saxon energy. Two cen
turips ago or more the Dutch and The Portuguese
waged feeble though spirited fight with the natives
for a right of way the Eastern httoral of Asia
with partial success occasionally diversified by such
the expulsion from these very japanese is
lands now opened 10 our vessels. NOW Inc Dutch
and the ortugese are themselves but little better off
than the Pacific Islanders Their separate national
tiles exist by the suferancc of the powerful nations
Of Europe Their flag has been almost swept from
the seas The broom the former were fond Of hoist
ing at the masthead has passed into the hands of ma
lions, one of which at least was unborn when Won
TrOmp ruled the main, and their places on the Ash
attic coast is filled by Frcnchmen, Englishmen, and
Yankees.
Strange il is to sec how after these centuries of
struggles, the civilized race is everywhere victo
rious The feeble AsatiC has all sides surren-
dered his policy and his patrimony and has at last
yielded his undeniable rights more resignedly than he
could at first be brought TO rCinqush the smallest OF
the arrogant pretensions set up his behalf by
priests and HatereTS. ne English nlVclong neIu
immense prOmOntOrv of Bndostan. Within the last
ten years they have made serious inroads on the Pun
iaub and have Overrun Cabul Since 1851, they
have added fresh kingdom-Burmah-to their al
ready overgrown empire. In the South, the CONT
nent of Australia, which had aborig!nes of It's own,
but one never hears of them-it is theirs, and in a
very few years will be throwing off the colonial yoke
ands setting up like the United States. Islands of
which we hear nothing are being silently added TO
this empire every year. Nor is France behind hand.
oF ,c1o do 4hn
neighborhooOd and New CALEDONIA has just been
annexed to her empire, penal settlement.
We must expect to hear of other acquisitions to be
covered by the French Flag before long We are be-
ginning TO pursue the same policy we have OBJ
ained fooIhold in Japan, and lot of land on one
of the Lcochoo Islands we shall shortly some
thing tangible than either of these in the shape
of a Kong Kong. The Sandwich Islands are knock
ing at our door for admission to the Union, and we
shall be 70 reed to grant their prayer efore long
Other Islands will follow their example. 1t is more
than probable that out of this revolution in China
will grow State OF things which will render it pru-
dent for other commercial nations besides the
English to make sure OF port within the Chinese
dOmnOns
We cannot of course foresee the exact nature OF
the contingency 10 which allude but we can
readily conceive such combination OF events as
would dictate very plainly the necessity of our ma
king some actual settlement in our own name on the
coast so as to secure the safety and protection OF
flag, at Shanghai, would answer the purpose.
By such steps has Providence designed that the
Pacific shores shall be civilized simultaneously with
the accomplishment of this supendous task Trade
pursues her course and eagerly seeks new channels
of development. The period for opening actual com
mercial intercourse with Japan will shortly arrive
and those whose ingenuity and thrift land them first
at Matsmai Sho-di-ma, may reap golden harvests
Lines of steamers may be expected to ply between
China and San Francisco. touching at the Loo ChOC
/. 10 ,DI md III, fho Of thn fNV1
continents will for the first time be brought into rap
id contact and close intimacy. We rejoice to think
that in comforting this singular boon on his country
men and the Japanese, the Trainer OF Perry lnstruc
tons has not been animated by any selfish feeling OF
narrow prejudice and that if the boon conferred by
the treaty was not extended TO all other nations be-
sides the United States, the fault did not lie with us
England and France will lose no time 10 making the
application required by Japanese pride and before
ten years the Pacific will in all probability bt
covered by as many steamers as now float on the AT
lantic.
Spain Cuba.
The accounts from Washington in relation TO the
controversy between the United States and Spain
have of late been so contradictory, that one knows
not when to believe any statement from that quarter
bearing upon this subject. Nevertheless, we would
fam hope that the following which find in the
Washington correspondent of the New York Times
may be reliable.
Each successive arrival from Europe brings add
tOnal evidence that the Spanish Court is coming
down to the plain fact proposition for the
sale of Cuba to The United States The members Of
the Government now talk freely of that measure. as
of any other at the same time that they avoid com
ing frankly to the point OF saying that they Will sell
and of making a definite statement OF terms. II
short, they see that 20 this complexion they mus
al last but they prefer little cOyness, IN hope
of enhancing the price. The wiset Statesman O
Spain fully appreciate the fact that they would de
rive great advantages from sale of the island to