Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-05-24
The Prize of East Indian Empire.

Louis Napoleon has already prepared new work
for his Crimean heroes to keep them away from
Paris and mischief He is about to march them
across the Egyptian battle grounds of his great
uncle, with the same purpose-that OF conquering
Indian Empire-and augurng from the greater sue
cess of the nephew in his war upon the Gar, he
will meet with no Acre or Sidney Smith in his
pathway to the East, which he designs to follow
down the Eastern coast of Africa to Zanzibar and
thence to the opposite shores of the great Island
of Madagascar-an insular Notwithstanding
1910 miles in length, and averaging 400 in breadth,
with population of between three and four million
Of SOULS with rich soil, covered with prolific
and valuable vegetation Astounding in numerous
herds of cattle; producing sugar and coffee; yield
ing abundant harvests rice and other grains, and
calculated to be the basis of larger commerce
than three or four Cubas, Or all the West Indian
Archipelago.
This great Island commands the Western verge
of the Indian ocean, Louis Napoleon has already
planted the French eagles upon New Caledonia and
islands commanding the southeastern limit. He
has, we know from high diplomatic sources, been
negotiating with Holland concerning New Guinea
in the south, and with Spain about Mag indinao in
the north and thus seeks to encircle Malaysia-an
Indian Empire-greater than the one that Alexan-
der conquered, that England now holds, or that the
one that shall make the power, fully capable of
controlling and developing it, the master of the
richest commerce of the world, and consequently
of the world ITSELF
England, with seeming contentment in her con-
tinenal Asatic possessions, is coverty marking out
a path for more extended insular Indian empire.
She is establishing commanding positions on the
shores of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Persia :;
Strengthening her posts at Malacca, Pinang, and
Singapore, in the Straits of Malacca that great
highway of Eastern commerce; controlling the coal
mines at Formosa has her vessels of war at Lee
buan; in the Midoro Sea; watching New Caledo-
MIA from New Britain; and then her settlements
on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentana her in
fuence in the heroic island of Bali, and her strong
holds at the Mauritcs and Cape of Good Hope,
make circle of positions and operations wholly
enclosing the coveted Indian Empire of Napoleon,
vast as Oceanca, and mighty as British maritime
enterprise.
No other champion appears to dispute for this
gorgeous prize The Russian retires to his fast
nesses to heal his wounds and recruit his strength;
the spirit of maritime enterprise is dead in Spain
and Portugal; and Holland, once merged in the
French Empire and restored to her possessions and
nationality by British power, has held her position
in the eastern seas through the sufferance of the
Cabinets of st. James and the Tueries; and these
two courteous allies, with their potential ornaments
prepare to contend for the Indian prize, without
any fear of the rivalry of a third.
Yet such a one may be found in quarter little
thought of. The four millions of Australians are
ripe for independence; and have recently been
aroused to think the more strongly Of it by the
establishment Of French troops in New Caledonia,
almost in sight of their coast. They have sent re-
monstrances to the Imperial Parliament against the
movement; they have notions of kind of Monroe
doctrine with regard to Australia; and if the Home
Government will not heed them-or pleads that her
hands are tied by treaties concessions to ally
then they talk of "cutting the painter" adritt
from the ship of State; and then those four millions
of Anglo-Saxons will drive away Frenchmen and
Dutchmen-even their own British brethren-and
establish themselves the great Empire of Oceanca.
But fourth disputant may arise up in quarter
still less thought Of The master races of the East
Indian Archipelago are fitted for high degree of
civilization for great nationality, and to be the
controllers of the inexhaustble treasures Of their
sles to be disposed Of in free trade with the world
Having common language, literature, laws, and
religion, they are, however, divided into many hun
dred petty soveregntes-an easy prey to any mo-
trader of Europe.
The higher races of Malays in the Archipelago
the Normans of the East-want ralying point,
a free and powerful flag, as nucleus for great
free entrepot-a common center of unshackled
Archipelagian trade, where eastern tropc wealth
can be exchanged for the manufactures of western
hands; and where western intelligence can direct
and organize eastern Imagination; where, in fact,
American enterprise, not trammeed like the Euro
pean, can lay the foundation of development of
the mighty resources of the East Indian Archipel-
ago; commencing with the establishment of coal
and naval depot, as we urged upon the attention
Of our merchants few days ago; and thus might
once the leading American port in East
Indian commerce, initiate an American Malaysian
that shall lead to the winning of the
paramount sovereignty of the much coveted East
Indian Empire.-Baltimore Patriot.
Ana q