The Washington union., 1857-06-02
4 GLANCE AT THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE.

A GLANCE AT THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE
Count de segur relates, in his Memoirs, that his
appointment to mission to Russia naturally led him
to inquire anxously into the nature of those functions
which he was about to assume. In the course OF
his inquiries he did not hesitate to apply for nforma-
ton at the hands of the most eminent diplomatic
corps in the city of Paris. He had frequent confer
ences among others, with the Count de Amanda, the
Spanish minister, who had rendered him the help OF
his diplomatic experience. Segur tells us that he
had expected an array of formidable foios refer
ences to musty treaties, minutes of sharp negota-
tons and bundles of astute protocols. Great how
ever was his surprise when de Amanda, from book
stand by his side, spreading before him map Of the
world, pointed out the confguraton of the various
States their peculiar boundaries and their tendcn-
cy to encroach upon each others territories. Look
said he those outlines of frontiers, natural or
btrary-at those irregularities of territory-wedg-
ing into each other. To rectify the and enlarge
the other, at your neighbor's expense, is the whole
secret of diplomacy"
We are not prepared for an unqualified adoption
Of Arandas system of diplomatic ethics, nor yet to
admit the pre-eminence of physical power, resulting
from conquest the higher moralites of right In
regard to ourselves, whilst the honor of the country
declines the adoption Of such code, and its policy
turns aside from acquisitions by mere conquest we
are pleased to think that have enlarged no bound
aries at tour neghbor's expense On the other
hand we proudly boast that the expansion of our
territory is the result Of violence and that in
instance at least, what already ours by the tri-
umph of our arms in lawful warfare we made doubly
so by the sanctions of the national policy and the
contributions Of the national purse!
These reflections, however do not look to any
present considerations touching the enlargement of
our possessions. They arose in mind from our
musings on the events which are even now prepar-
ing in the Olden World and to these therefore, our
train of thoughts more appropriately returns. What
ever may be thought of Arandas system of politi-
cal ethics, based upon the suggestions of geography,
it must be confessed that he brought de Segur to the
true sources, from which the power and extension
of European governments are derived-sources from
which the skilful diplomatic may inform himself, as
they supply the rejecting mind with the secret of
the history, vicssitudes, morals and wants of the
various nations of the earth. Well have geography
and philology been called the twin eyes Of history;
losophy of perennial examples. The philosophy of
such a system, viewed out of the light of morality,
and applied to the semcrystallized civilization of
the East is sustained by the merest glance at the
con6guration of our globe. Any one familiar with
the political geography of the world of antiquity du
ring the period which swayed between the reign of
Alexander the Great and the diffusion of the Roman
dominion can easily trace ovod line resting part
ly on the continent of Asia, taking in portion of
Persia and Arabia; thence crossing the Red sea, cur
wing along the northeastern extremity of Africa and
enclosing in its periphery England, Holland, France
Germany, Spain, Italy Sicily, Sardinia, Greece, En-
ropean and Asiatic Turkey, with goodly portion of
Russia in Europe. Embracing Denmark at one
reme point and the island of Malta at another this
vast line has for its most striking landmarks the Cas-
plan sea and the Persian gulf the right and the
Pyrannees and the North sea ON the left.
However fanciful TO the eye this outline may SEEM
nothing can be more real than the fact that the area
which il encircles covers space within which all
legislation, government morals, letters sciences arts
and trade-have sprung and spread in succession,
each one of them taken up and discussed and mod-
fed in it's turn If the earlier geographers were
justified in calling the north of that space the ocina
gentiumthe depositaries of nations and trbes-later
experience may well call that portion of it immc-
diately below the north and trcnding to the south
the cradle of the civilization of the world
Within that space science settles the origins of
mankind; and twice within it the living traditions
and sacred records of our race acknowledged the d
rect revelations Of God. Within that space dy-
nasties grappled with dynastes- subiu-
gated nations-trbes absorbed tribes-until new
nations grew out of the blending of races with
their instincts of aversion, their prejudices of
blood, still lurking in their aggregates. Though in
their migrations and changes the line of march has
generally been directed to the west the 6ations have
at various periods, shown tendency to retread their
steps to the cast. AT no time has this disposition
been more fully revealed than it is in our days Eng
land is this hour turning her tremendous resources
to the uttermost regions of the eastern world, not