The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-06-24

does require much forecast 10 determine what il win
exact with reference 10 this oriental complication IL
will exact there everywhere Difference TO what IN dis
tant exctements sometimes lost the restraints
Of the constitution of the United States which happily
denies the power to shed blood the Executive or to an
executive subordinate have heard people who ought
to know better talk of seizing conquering islands in
the eastern seas II il easy thing for an old
soldier 10 locate and-warrant in Of our western
Territories. Other nations may fight and conquer, and
COLOMBO by the force of executive will Weand
ought TO be grateful for the restraint only do
when the whole representation of the people author
ICES it, the actual hand of aggression and insult
raised against usand then fight effectively as
other people
/ make these observations gentlemen because in the
loose talk which excitement and of commercial
injury provoke these land marks often lost sight of
and the wedefned restraints of the constitution ignored
mean 10 try 10 remember them even on the other side
OF the globe
With these lights with this consciousness of duty at
hoe with the constitution and the traditional policy of
my country always before my eyes, with the strongest
desire TO be friendly terms with ALL with determine
ton TO demand all that my country has right TO ask
trust exercise the large discretion which distance
ques, and which the confidence of the President has
clothed with, without fear viii not say of fail
for really with people peculiar the Chinese
nine times in ten failure is probabilitybut without
discredit abroad or at home. hope am not presump
tuous in this. Ii is not sefcompaccncy 1t is common
sense, scfrelance IL is patriotism of the most homey
texture.
And let.no one, and least of all of you, my
friends and fellow-citizens who know and
some of the personal sacrifices am making, underrate
the importance of the trust have assumed 1t is GER
tainy diplomatic sinecure 1t is obscure function.
BY one of those sudden whirls our planet sometimes
makes China and Chinese affairs have presented them
selves In most imposing interest the eyes of mankind
They disturbed Great Britain the other day the English
people fancying, whether rightly wrongly do not
pretend to say that point of honor involved They
occupy the attention OF the two great empires of conti
mental Europe, and in Paris and St. Petersburgh there
mr. I'M pyy
the distant world
1t has stirred the commercial policy of the smaller
States for, Observe they despatching ships ofwar
and diplomatic agents to the of trouble. The
pahies of Christcndom awakened from the venerable
power of the Church of Rome through every denomina-
ton of Protestant Christians which has made mis-
sionary experiment. and China, which from 1910
to this day has been relatively forgotten except by the
housekeeping vigilance of commercial interested in
its peculiar tradeChina looms up from the dim distance
the great object of the world interest just and
venture to affirm that no civilized nation has more di
rect and important relations to China than the United
States Not England, with her string of colonial settle
mcnts and her military and commercial marine in every
nook and corner of the world not imperial Russia with
her contermnous territory extending sixty degrees
of longitude have direct interest than this
republic mainly through its youthful settlement Of the
western coasts When Mr. Cushing, after the nogotia-
ton Of his treaty of 1874 turned his face homewmd by
the way of the Pacific he had to seek his path through
Mexico and friendly hand voice, sound of his
mother tongue greeted him the soil Of this continent
In four the flag Of this Union planted by the hand
of unexpected conquest-plantcd by the navy of the
United States, always ready for gallant enterprise
in every part of California and now thirteen years later
still, great and prosperous community, American in
name, in organization, in feeling and most American in
energy and enterprise has been created which claims
interest in the of the East beyond all measure
mcnt.
Across the waters of the Pacific ocean, in the extreme
northeast is growing of vast amount the
beginning of it, with the Russia ports and great rivers
Tho Auafra lin
the familiar sounds Of the English language words we
may always hope, of peace and endines and good WILL
to meet the echo from our shores of the friendly
voices mingled with respectful and decisive warning that
this continent it is better for all parties there should
be no intrusion interference that progress here
the progress of free principles, of trade and security of
commerce under law everywhere, and enlightened
ton need be afraid OF it, Gentlemen there has always
seemed to something sublime in the last centurys
growth of this language of and that the circle
is nearly complete, all who speak it may proudly and
gratefully think of it, just l02 years ago hostile army
hung upon western frontier routed within twenty
four hours ride of with fearful carnage the only
Anglo American force between the Ohio and the scaboard
and threatened the city of Philadelphia with desoa-
ton conquest The English language, and with it
constitutional liberty in danger here In the East
in India the struggle equally doubtful and yet in
both hemispheres it prevailed and now, have said
the centnrys triumph is complete. Victoria and San
Francisco Il wish both had Ango-Saxon names with
in hailng distance, and the of the Pacifcto
be increased to benefit UNNECESSARILY by freedom of
intercourse with Chnais mainly in the hands of those
who speak mother tongue If my mission shall sue
coed in enargng and liberalzing the free of
the world, of which Americans always manage to get
full share, if have a fair chance-if something
than superficial intercourse with China can be
create the free navigation, in FORM of her great
rivers be secured without dscoloring their waters by
the blood of her pcopef the scourgc of piracy can be
wrested from the outlaw hand that wclds tiff the Just
claims of citizens be usted If this anything
like this DC accomplished shall feel and hope you
my friends and neighbors will celwith me- that the am
bton to whose temptation have yielded has not
been unworthy one
try to look at this function of mine from ele-
waited point of yiew and though diplomatic expert to
contemplate it from statesman-ke platform and this
too, with intense impulse of selfish patriotism met
in New York the other day most accomplished and
intelligent gentlemen professors of peculiar geographic
cal faith who sought to convince me that the real centre
of the worlds the Mediterranean and par
tculary that of it known the Levant that by
proper application of the energies of man. and America
to contribute full share Tyre and Sdon were to rise
from their graves in the and Carthage to be
stored, and Venice become again n commercial queen
and the great route of the worlds traffic was to be from
China and India Persia and Asatic Turkey and
that all this far better than Pacific railroads across
deary continent and long voyages in the western seas
1t all very plausible and very captivating but one
element wanting to accomplish my conversion
1t wanted nationality 1t measured lines of distance
from New York and Boston the Ievant and the Per-
sian Gulf and showed how much shorter would be this
line Of commerce. but ignored the great inland West of
country. excluded that wonderful community
of enterprise the Pacific coast IL shut its eyes TO the
great bands of railway through this continent and turn