American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-05-30
MoRGANTowN, MAY 80, 1851.
From the Louisville Journal.
CHINA.

CuiNA.
The Washington Union, by no means
remarkable for sense, has some rather
sensible remarks on the policy our Co
vernment should pursue in regard to
China. Our Governments refusal to
cooperate with Englandand France in
the hostile movement against China,
has drawn out some serious remarks,
from the English and French presses.
There is, as the Buffalo Commercial
says, something insolent in the Euro
pean comments on our policy. There
rs such an easy tone of superiority, an
assumption of being governed by high
er motives, whenever the public men
of Europe or its press condescend to
speak of the United States, dishonor-
ing to our national pride and self-re-
spect. The foremost powers of Eu-
rope are forced to acknowledge us an
equal, but they do it ungraciously, and
often in such a way that the acknowl-
'cdgment is an insult. Our aid was all.
most implored in the late war with Rus
sia. Our laws were set at defiance by
the late English Minister, and we we're
treated as if we were the modern Alsa-
tia, the general refuge of scoundrels,
whence recruits could be obtained for
any enterprise, however desperate or
unworthy. If, to defend our honor or
to advance our legitimate interests, we
make war or negotiate frankly and
openly for the cession of territory, we
are accused of possessing an agrees
i've, fillibustering spirit, and if we de-
cline to join England and Franco in
attacks on nations against whom we
have no cause of offence-attacks un-
dertaken from motives of national ri
valry or aggrandizement-wc are ac-
cused of lukewarmness in the cause of
freedom and civilization. There has
been rather too much Of this, and we
must be permitted, in phrase that none
better understands than our present
Secretary of State, to "paddle our
own canoe" The following is an cx-
tract from the article of the Union. 1t
agrees substantially with what we said
cditorially some days since, and we are
glad to see such sound doctrine in the
Government organ:
"When the Chinese iniurc us and
refuse to make reparation, it will be
quite time to assert our own cause in
our own way, without being taught
what we ought to do by the people or
press of another country. In the
meantime, we make no denunciations
of the policy or movements of either
England or France. If they have been
aggrievcd and seek reparation, they
have q perfect right to do so and we
have no disposition to gainsay it, or
interfere with it's assertion. Nay, we
can understand very we'll how the pa
tience of every civilized nation may be
sorely tried by the faults and follies of
the Chinese Government. We can
sympathize, moreover, with any move
ment which looks towards liberalizinR
the policy of that vast empire, and o.
pening wide its gates to the life and
civilization of the ''outside" world TO
accomplish such results, the United
States never have hesitated, and never
will hesitate, to use all their legitimate
influence and just cooperation. But
this is not to make war where there is
no cause of war. This is not to turn
our arms against an empire with which
we are at peace, merely because some
other power has relations with it of a
less peaceful character. 1t is easy to
use big phrases and magniloquent ex-
pressions on this subject, but they who
do so should remember, first, that the
Executive of the United States is not
the war-making power; and second,
that, although Great Britain is at war
with China, the United States are in
no such condition. SO far as the allies
in the East seek to make new and bet
ter treaties with the fowery empire,
and to break down it's semi, barbarous
barriers against commerce and society,
this Government will doubtless lend
them cheerfully its peaceful cooper
alton. This, it seems to us, is all that
can be expected Of it, and with this,
probably, both Great Britain and
France will have the good sense to be
contcnted."
While agreeing, in the main, with
what the Union says, we repeat our
declaration Of yesterday, that the u.
States Government should keep an eye
upon tho movements Of England and