The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-11-07

TnE LATE TREATIES WITH CHISA-CHAacEs
AGAINST TIE AMERICAN MrNIsTER.-From articles
Which We publish elsewhere, copied from two Of
the London journals it will be seen that the con-
duct Of our Minister to China continues to form
the theme Of unmeasured criticism and abuse in
England Mir. Reed is represented as not only
having allowed himself to be the mere catspaw
Of Count Puiatine, the Russian Minister, but as
having negotiated a treaty less advantageous to
the commerce Of the United States than that
which had been negotiated by Lord Elgin and
i;Ion de Gros on behalf of the governments of
England ard France. II the statements of the
English press are to be relied upon, then Mr..
Reed stands in no very creditable position, for it
is asserted that, in the interest 1f Russia and
against the interests of the United States and
every other commercial nation, he endeavored to
defeat the objects Of the French AID English ne
.otiaioIs 30 far as to prevent the opening OF ad-
dilonal ports the securing of right of transit
ii,o the interior, and the residence of foreign
n inis,ers at the capital If Mr.. Reed be not
grossly maligned and misrepresented in regard
10 this matter. he will find it very difficult,
We should think, to convince the government
or people of the United States that his
course was dictated by wise or prudent policy,
o. that ii was likely, if successful te have redoun-
dcd to the honor OF benefit Of this country. But
in the absence of any statement from Mr.. Reed,
and as we cannot compare the American with
the English treaty, we must forbear giving credit
to such grave charges as those which the English
press makes against our Minister in China.
It's somewhat remarkable, besides, that while
Mr.. Reeds diplomacy is sneered at in the most
contemp,uous terms, the Russian Minister comes
in for large share of commentator, as having
negotiated treaty advantageous in every point
OF view to his government, and which, while Sc
curing to Russia the full benefit of all the stipu
lations made in the other treaties, confers special
advantages, in which Russia will be the sole
beneficiary.
AS to the trade of China, which by these Sc
veral treaties is opened up to the commerce of the
world, it is impossible to form anything like a
just estimate of its magnitude in the future. A
remarkable instance of the eject of opening
trade and breaking up monopoly, in increasing
the productions Of country, is exhibited in re-
gard to the article of raw silk. From 1000 bales
of silk which used to be the annual export from
China before the monopoly Of trade was broken
up there, and which was thought to be the
largest quantity that could be produced in the
country, the trade has increased to such an ex-
tent that the export of silk last year from China
reached "a 800 bales, showing that in less than
half a century-since 1Sl0-.he supply had in
creased over fortyfold.
When the policy inaugurated by these recent
treaties with China is in full blast; when all
restrictions on trade and commerce are actually
not in name merely-removed when the Yang
tse-Kiang and all the other navigaole rivers of
China are traversed by steamboats,, and the great
cities connected by railroads ard telegraphs,
then will the world realize the immense advan-
tages resulting from the demolition OF the hoary
barriers that have shut out, from the remotest
past, the rest Of the world from contact with the
people Of the great Flowery Kingdom. The first
steps have been taken towards that end, and in
less than quarter of century the intercom-
munication between the United Safes and China
will probably be as great as that now existing
between the United States and Europe Let us
hope that our Minister to Gina, instead of
thwarting, has contributed to th, result.