The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-26
EsitiAh Designs on Cnina-Pr0spect OF n New
Chinese War.

We commend to the attentive perusal OF the
public letter from Paris which we publish
in another column. The source from which 1t
comes entities it to consideration; and the
views it puts forward are equally new and
striking. II has long been known that Great
Britain--or rather its agent, the East India
CompaDy--was pushing its triumphant arms
up the valley Of the Twaddy, and reducing
the kingdom of Birmah to the condition of the
Raiahships and municipalities Of Hindostan.
The fact has been noticed over and over again
in American journals as conclusive evidence
that the remonstrances of the British journals
with this country in relation to the acquisition
Of foreign territory were hypocritical and in
sincere. But it has never been stated to our
knowledge that the chiefs of the British Indian
empire only looked to Birmah as a means or
road, and that their real aim was the South
western provinces Of China. This hypothesis
is thrown out in the letter of our correspon-
dent and copjectural as it is, and must be for
the present, it appears SO plausible that it may
well engage discussion.
The Chinese empire as is well known to
those who have paid any attention to the
books Of travellers to China is in the last
stage of decay. Everything Chinese is cor
rupt-the government, the magistracy, the
army, the judiciary, the clergy, and society at
large. The Imperial government is far too
weak to assert control over any distant portion
of the empire and the consequence has been
that band Of robbers, organized for purposes
of wholesale plumber, have been enabled to
overrun the country from south to north, meet
ing with very little resistance from any consti-
tuted authorities, and actually leading foreign
ers SO far to misapprehend their purpose as to
call their foray native revolution. The Chi
nese army is the purest farce: numbering several
millions of men, it is wholly incapable of max
ing any head against the smallest disciplined
European force, and would no more resist the
| East India Company's army than the Creeks
would Withstand United States troops. Up to
our latest accounts the feeble central authority
had not been positively thrown off by any Of
the Provinces, save the strip of sea coast which
the rebel Tapping Wang had subjugated But
| the bond was so weak and the affiaity be
| tween the northern and southern provinces
so slender, that several travellers have been
struck with establishment at the duration
of the empire, and have predicted that
the moment European energy and restless
ness penetrated the Interior disunion would
follow, and the four hundred millions of
Chinese would be split up into half dozen
nations, warning against each other, and ready
to fall an easy prey to any active and unscru-
pulous invader.
Such is the country on which the Unsuitable
statesmen of Great Britain have set their eye
If they had followed the policy pursued in
1916, and picked quarrel with the Chinese at
one Of the five ports, and waged it by sea, it
would have been impossible to hinder the
United States and France from sharing in the
spoils. AT most England could only have
hoped to obtain one third of the rich booty
Whereas, by pushing her arms gradually north
west and westward through Birmah, the OBJ
ject of the government is attained as speedily
and without attracting any attention. The
British soldiers may penetrate to the heart of
China by the southwest aank-may espouse
the quarrel Of this party against that party,
and secure the victory to whichever they
interestingly, in short, reduce half Of the
Empire to the condition of British protecto-
rate, before the world is half aware of their
designs.
Whether the Emperor of the French is
wholly ignorant Of this scheme, or whether he
is willing to shut his eyes to British ag-
grandisement in the East, in return for
a like complacency on the part of England
when he proceeds to extend the frontiers of
France in Europe, and the area of her colonies
in Africa--cannot be stated with anything lik,
certainty. The schemes which are on foot ap-
parently for the spread Of intelligence and
thought, but in reality for the diffusion of Bri
fish and French influence, are absolutely stu
pendous. Only to mention one of them--a
telegraph line is in process Of construction that
will stretch from London to Canton and Mel.
bourne, Australia. passing through France to
Corsica and Sardinia, from Sardinia to Algiers,
from Algiers along the north shore of Africa to
Cairo and Suez, from thence along the shore of
Asia to HindOstan, which it will cross; from
Calcutta through Birmah, on the one side to
Canton, and on the other along the coast to
Polynesia and Australia. What is most won
derful perhaps in this remarkable enterprise is
the fact that in the whole line from London to
Melbourne, and from London to Canton, there
will only be 400 miles of submarine wire in any
one place. The canal across the Ishmus of
Suez is another enterprise Of the same kind and
with the same purpose.
Now, if the United States do not intend to be
left far behind in the race for supremacy, these
proceedings should not be overlooked. If we
do not want to wake up some fine morning and
find the whole OF Asia British, and the whole Of
Europe and North Africa French, some notice
should be taken Of these schemes of annexation
and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. A commissioner should
be sent at once to Brmah, and the British gov
eminent should be notified that If 1t adds an
other province to its already enormous empire