The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-11-19
The Four mpires.

civilazlon OF Europe, he should be cautious
not TO infect him with its diseases.
The Four Empires.
From the Westminster Review.
For the present, both France and the
United States may be pleased to see us
fight battle at our cost by which they will
profit a. well a. we; but when the work is
finished, at our peril we may seek for no adj
vantages, Of which We ourselves are TO be
the monopolists-a single eagle will not he
allowed to fatten on 20 rich carcass as
China and when the present difficulty
passes off, the Chinese Emperor, If be il
wise, may make his game ont Of our quar-
rels The Russians have their Embass at
Pekin. Both Russians aud Americans have
their fleets in the Chinese waters. And in
the common jealousy which England has
displayed towards them, they have shown
tendency. AS natural a. il is marked, to co
alesce The Celestial Emperorlin his terror
Of ourselves, may bride them to become his
patrons and there, where the French have
little interest and little ability TO help US. we
may find the tables turned against lis by
combination as formidable As that which
has crushed Sebastopol. This is no imagin-
AIRY danger; with the same measure which
we mete it shall be measured 10 us: and If
we make it our business, as some Of sn
pretend, to curb the aggression Of the Mus
covites--to check the growth of the United
States, and quarrel with them for the Pro
tectorate Of yagabond Indians upon their
frontiers--n self defence they will retaiate
upon US in our own coin, and teach us that
If annexation il q crime the English have
no dispensation for the exclusive practice Of
it.
But annexation is no crime, when il ia
the substitution o. Just and vigorous gov.
eminent for a wicked and worthless one
The arbitrary frontier lines which divide
kingdom from kingdom have no magic in
them to which limits the rights Of interior.
ence. and CONVEYS license to those who
live within the boundaries to acknowledge
10 law but their own wills The conditions
cannot be laid down in terms and proposi.
tons which decide when interference become
justihabe but each separate case contains
the principles Of its own adjustment. The
liberties OF the individual are abridged By
the interest of the state; the liberties Of
each particular state must yield to common
interest OF humanity and the same right
may be said TO exist in well-ordered nations
To coerce the vicious and disorlerlv nations
as exists in separate communities 10 punish
individual criminals. This is the true Oh
Jet of war and in this spirit, for the most
part, after large necessary deductions f,r
the impsrfec,on Of oil human things, the
four empires which WELD the present strength
of this planet have grown. Ambition,
policy, iana,icism. pride Of power. and per.
haps even baer passions have had their
place in building up the fabric hut this is
for the most part true that whatever Eng
land, France. Russia. and America have set
their foot. they have taken with them some
thing better than what they have sGrpaGt-
cd, and the further that they can 20 on IN tie
same course the better for mankind. A
military mu,iny has broken the peace Of
lIindostan but that peace had already
lasted for century. and viii return again
more firmly assured Who can doub, that
the Chinese would lead far happier lives.
or i not happier, at least purcr and better
lives--if they too were under a strosg Just
hspd il their country was opened to CON-
merce, and themselves wheeled into inter
course with the res, Of the world. II Ala
Minor could be governed as Geoigia is gov
erned, or as the French govern Algeria. the
cities with which il was once covered might
rise again from their ruins and the shores OF
the Archipelago become opce NOR the gar.
den vi the world. California. a. Mexican
province. was the hunting ground OF Indians
or the asylum OF hsli.breed cut-throats.-
California in ten wears had become the
cyuosure of emigran,s--the t.do-ado Of the
old imagination. IL tie iuyuriance Of its
growth, evil had sprung mp with good. II
was the scene Of aspiring toll. where the
finer culture as vet waited for admission {:
vet who will compare the worst errors OF
the worst governed American states with
the degenerated fsrocity OF New Spain -
who does no, feel that with the Americans
in possession Of Mexico property would rise
to twenty fold iis value. and life would al
least b. moderately secure that in Cuba.
IL slavery remained. the hateful slave trade
would he honorably closed
And IL NAV ouce for all be assumed. that
the human rare, whatever Cabinet or Par.
hameut may think of II. viii not be driven
from their inevitable course. The work
which has begun 81 largely viii 20 forward.
The Asiatie independence which survives
will narrow down and grow ssebler. and a,
last die Tie will and the intellect OF the
more advanced races viii rule IN due tine
over the whole continent. The genius Of
France viii follow the shores Of the Meii.