Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1854-09-20
Correspondence of,he North Carolina standard.
SAN FRANc1sco, California. Aug. IA, 1854.


/ SAN FRANcrsco, California, Aug. IA, 1864.
ED. STANDARD: Since my last date, by means of
those gavanc arteries which, in recent language of
the eloquent Chaplin, are tissues of identity and
nerves of electric sympathy around the globe news
of an event of great Importance in the far distant
East has "spread abroad wide as the waters be-"
allude to the treaty with Japan With yonr usual
promptness you have doubtless laid before your
readers all the particulars of the preliminary and
concluding negotiations concerning the treaty, and
will not trouble you with recapitulaton.
This treaty is of the most important political
movements of the century, and the fact that to the
enterprise of this Republic the world is to be in
debted for the opening of the gates of this singular
people to the commerce of the civilized world is
| subject of more legitimate pride than the subjuga:
tion of nations or the capture of fleets From time
immemorial this has been of the favorte objects
of commercial Europe, and unsuccessfully attempted
by our own Government 1t was reserved for the
administration of Fillmore to conceive and of Pierce
to consummate this important enterprise. And it
will reflect lustre upon their respective admins
trations which will mark their combined terms of
service as an epoch in our national history
Important as this treaty is to the Republic at large
and to the world, it is peculiarly so to California
and particularly so to San Francisco. The trade of
! the Pacific is her heritage-ts commerce must be
poured into her lap, and every successive develop
ment of it must add another element to her pros
| perity Through her gates the wealth of Chna-of
barbaric Jud-and the untouched treasures of Ja-
| pan VIII pour INTO the UnUeQ states. The ertreDOt
must be San Francisco, and with the vast markets
for supplies now found in China and which will now
| be rendered more accessible by the possession of
stopping place in Japan the great future of this City
seems most visibly marked out. Not even. New
| York has-by geographical position-the amount of
commerce that will spring up to supply the wants
of the myriads of Asia, and which must necessarily
be tributary to San Francisco.
| This treaty will add a powerful impetus to the
inter-oceanic railroad projects. The eastern Cities
| In -, H. al Il.
means of connecting themselves with the Pacific will
| be urged with renewed clamor Whenever this vast
| work is begun it will not Enger in the execution
The energies of powerful and united people will be
concentrated upon the work, and the same people
| have when divided, performed wonders in the eyes
| of Hartford Convention federalists and drowsy
| Europe.
With railroad communication with home-and
steamers flying to Japan-and regular packets up
and down the coast-with vast agricultural lands
all producing their rich crops and the mines Yield
ing their precious ore, what City-ancient MODERN
| European or American-can long take precedence
of San Francisco? Is it not wonderful that while
perhaps at this moment thrones are tottering and
empires rending in Europe-while perhaps the des-
| cendants of Tamerlane are sweeping over the ma
tons of the old WORTHWHILE at least the trained CO.
horts of monarchy marshaing for the shock and
carnage of war Providence is leading this young Re-
public in the paths of peaceful conquests and point
ing her out to the ettste and crumbling monarches
|
| the hope of the world?
| The present year promises to be prolific in great
! events. The contest by Russia now going on for
the mastery in eastern Europe, and the overthrow
| of the Ottomans in Turkey, and the cunning and
| deceptive alliance of England and France against
the extension Unpopular power in both hemspheres
are two of the most remarkable occurrences in mod
| ern history. And whilst the great nations of the
hemisphere arc dashing against each other in the
mod tumult and crash of battle the United States
o1r,c Il
sway. The Car, though doubtless thirsting for
greater political power and dominion yet, in seeking
to over ride the lethargc and drowsy Turk, and
build up great commercial and naval interests in the
EuXine and Levant, but treads in the track of the
| great spirit of progress of the age.
Britain and Gaul, sworn and hereditary enemies
! to each other and to repubicanism Join hands to
support despotism keep back the people, and to prop
up the shaking ruins of monarches.
Whilst our mother land is striving to preserve the
| status quo, the balance of dynastic power Cont
mental Europe and to secure her object, seeking al
| lance with the land of Haynau-free and happy
Columbia is pursuing the predestined path of Anglo
! Saxon liberty the Cordleras and across the
vast Pacific developing the hidden resources of the
remotest corners of the earth and persuading the
ignorant and dstrustful millions who dwell therein
to "come out into the light Of day." and be fellow
men and fellow nations.
| Commodore Perry's success possesses double in
terest from the fact that it is coeval with the magic
| Pacific shores, and triple significance as being
temporaneous with the project of traversing
| tinent with giant railway.
Here thirty millions of people (eXceeding our
| own number) who have never had any commercial
intercourse with the world-possessing country of
nearly 500, ,0C0 square Understanding with all the
natural of agricultural, manufacturing and
mineral production, offered to for enterprise
and part of our mighty and mysterious mission.
Offered for the diffusion of our language-our ideas
our republican spirit, which travel wherever our
ships 60, and do much to cnlighten the mind and
enrich the treasures of every port and to cement in
a common brotherhood of civilization the people of
| the whole world
Now, what is our first duty at this juncture? Is
it not the construction of the transcontinental rail-
road2 And before, by any physical possibility that
can be done the establishment of line of Govern
ment mail-steamers, connecting this country with
the islands of the Pacific, and the Japanese and
Chinese seas? This is the natural tendency of
things. The ports of the Pacific NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
and Japan, can be brought into brisk and thriving
trade before the railroad could be completed and
these advantages must be secured by we
shall be recreant to duty to the financial inter-
ests of the country.
We seek wealth to build up a nation, not for the
splendor of courts and princes, but to strengthen
our great Republic, the daring and determined pio-
neer of freedom. While the wealth of India has
been wrested from its lawful possessors and consigned
to the Golfers of England at the bayonet point and
cannons mouth, the United States have obtained ac-
cess to China and Japan by peaceful negotiations
and traternaI alliance.
Already fifty thousand of the dusky sons of Asia
peaceably pursuing their various avocatons un-
| der our flag and on our soil. These are Cinnamon
xhor o,fo and