The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-05-23


iisA esestaUe IN ths EasG
In view Of tAe poodle results Of the Chinese
difficulty oil other questases econ 10 have sunk
into insigni6cance In the public esinaisn Of Eng
land The announcement that an American na-
val force has been ordered to the Isthmus of Pa
mama is looked upon "a a matter of course, and
both ministerial and opposition journals comment
upon the New Granada difficulties with us in q
kindly spirit and with an expressed confidence in
the proper action Of our government. Central
America has sunk into silence, and even Lord
Pslmerstons Acknowledged organ calmly ex-
presses its doubt as to whether the Clayton-Bul-
wer treaty has not ceased to exist, and contem-
plates our permanent occupation of the isthmus
with some guarantee of neutrality similar to that
hoped for from that instrument
China is the all-absosbiog theme, aud not with.
out great reason. Looking at the movements of
the several parties in this dispute from a dis
tarce, and beyond the influences of local and ma
tiopal prejudice, the probable future of the allied
French and Eoglish forces In Ada looms up be-
fore us full of doubt and possible disaster. The
military operations of these Powers in the Crmea
brings to US forcible lesson. There the cam
paign against Sebastopol was conducted in utter
violation of one of the greatest axioms in war.
Military science tells us that when an army Ia the
field and a fortified city are to be operated
against, the army must first be destroyed or
driven in, and the fortress then belesguered. The
allied operations in the Crimea were conducted
in direct opposition to this principle. The Rus.
sian army held the field and the fortress, and had
Russia possessed equal facilities for bringing her
resources into action to those possessed by the
allies in their fleets of steamers and an open ocean
the result might have been far different Yet
notwithstanding the immense resources of Eng
land and France, their armies were never able to
take the field and drive the Russians from
Simpheropol but could only sit down before the
town and expend their countless supplies of
powder and bail
The whole world is aware how the English
army during this eiege furnished and thousands
of her soldiers died from lack Of the plenty that
was near at hand France done somewhat better,
but only because the Frenchman is cook by
instinct, and can adapt himself to circumstances
with far greater facility than the Eoglishman.
The theory of French military operations is to
live upon the country around the theatre of
action. 1t was this error that drove Napoleon
from Spain. While he had no organized system
of supply FOR bis legions, Wellington was ran
sacking every approachable corner of the globe
to provision his armies. The orders in
council were disregarded by him, and hundreds
Of American merchants and shipowners
are still living upon the profits of their supplies
to him. 1t was the -four and grain Of the United
States that drove Napoleon from the Spanish pc
ninsula and finally consigned him to St He
lena
This history, at least, sphilosophy teaching by |
fthe armies of Western Europe relied |
upon US to feed them on to victory in Spain and
in the Crimea, what may not be their fate on the
distant shores of China! Land and naval forces
adequate to act against an empire of three hun
dred millions Of people must be sent there If Eng
land hopes to succeed. The brunt of the conflict
must fall upon her, for Louis Napoleon has no
other interest in the matter than to be allowed
full swing in the diplomacy Of Europe In return
for bis cooperation, and there is no reason to
suppose that there will be French column to
take the Chinese MalskoG The Pacific ocean
must be ransacked for supplies for these forces,
and Australia, Chile and California will be called
upon. New York may yet have to come to the
rescue, through her Panama road to save the
allies in China from hunger.
But what part will China play in this great
drama? The events Of the opium war are no
criterion by which 10 Judge that which may come.
England has taught the Chinese something Of the
art Of war already, as ancient Rome was taught
that is by practice. Evidences of this are pal
pable to us When, in $780, the Chinese saw the
"red devils coming in fre-ships and knocking
their forts about their heads, they got up an imi
tation Of the steam fngates A hull was built,
wheels were put upon 1t, chimney erected,
fire lighted to create great smoke, and men
were set to work in the hold to turn the crank.
But John Chinaman found that this would not do,
30 he has gone to work buying and building small
steamers, several Of which, powerfully armed,
have been for some time running in the Chinese
sea under various foreigR flags, but owned
mostly by Cinnamon, and engaged in conveying
fleets Of Chinese junks against the pirates One
of these craft sailed from here only few days
since, but her armament OF eight inch shell guns
was shipped To China months ago.
A similar revolution has been going on in the
Chinese land forces. When the English were
going up one OF the rivers Of China in 1910, we
are told that the imperial army went up high
hill and came down it throwing somersets, In full
view of the invaders, thinking that their proves
and agility in this accomplishment would frighten
the enemy and induce them to go away. No
sooner was peace with the outside barbarans set
tied, than the native population, seeing that the
imperial forces would run away, broke out into
rebellion, and for ten years the two parties have
been practising war upon each other. All &C
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