The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-21

1
case fully reported; not because it is rare or
exceptional in its way, but rather because it
affords capital illustration Of the beautiful
| mode in which banks in this country are estab-
| lished and conducted. Er uno disco omnes.
/
The Contest In China--Our Policy and
1 Our True POsitlOn.
| The full and complete correspondence from
Japan and China recently published in the
HERALD. bringing the history of events there
| down to the latest dates received, is unequalled
| in graphic description, clearness Of detail and
fitness Of information By any other correspon-
deuce from those countries that has been pub
| lished in Europe or America
| Between European and Asiatic polity con-
test is now going on fraught with import to
the whole world. For ages the commerce of
the East made powerful the State or city, how
ever small, that controlled it. Tyre, Palmyra,
ness from it. About the middle of the fifteenth
century vasco de CANA doubled the Cape of
Good Hope, but il took nearly hundred
years for the SLOW ships Of that age to pene-
trate all the waters of those Eastern seas. For
I. another hundred years the French, Dutch,
Spanish, and lastly, the English adventures,
sought the thronged East, and followed that
career of trade, settlement, dominion and con-
| fict which marked their first appearance
| on the shores of Asia India was torn
| by the contest between Moslem and Brahmin,
| and the throne Of China was held by the dege-
nerate descendants of Gengis Khan. The mer-
| chant and the missionary prosecuted their work
each with varying success, and the marts of
Asia seemed to be on the point of being opened
| fully to the commerce and the religions Of
Europe.
The Japanese first took the alarm, and before
the middle of the seventeenth century expelled
| Christianity and its professors from their ter
ritory. Only the Protestant Dutch succeeded
| in retaining precarious foothold by tramp
| ling on the crucifx. A sterper race from Mon
goliaE Tartary had, meanwhile, seized upon the
empire of China. For while they, too, favored
| the Christians but in the early years Of the
eighteenth century their policy suddenly
| changed. Whether the cause of this was the
political dabblings Of the missionaries, or the
proceedings of the French and English in India
| can only be known when the records of Asiatic
| diplomacy shall be opened to But suddenly
| contest rose which has assumed the character
of a political, religious and social conflict
| All the theories Of Asia were ranged in self
defence. In India they have been slowly
crumblng away before the arts and arms of
England; but in China the warike Moguls have
for century and half followed the policy
Of Jealous exclusion towards the Europeans
To-day their dynasty exhibits every symptom Of
decay Domestic insurrection pervades many
provinces of the empire the red barbarians
menace them in FIRE ships from the sea, and
the forces of the White Gar are crowding
down upon them landward from the North
! Recent events have given energy and ac-
tivity to the contest between the European and
Asiatic civilizations. We know that Russia is
pushing her progress down the centre and the
eastern shore of Asia, crowding her posts
through Saghalien upon Japan, and through
the Amoor, Irkoutsk and Kiachta upon China,
awakening less jealousy, because she comes
with some appearance of similarity of race
from contiguous territory. The nations Of
Western Europe are forced to follow the ocean
track. There are indications in the present
state of home affairs that France and England
will not exhibit that perfect and active union
in the conflict which was supposed short time
since to exist. While England's preparations
are being made with activity, those of France
lag, as though her sober second thought led
her to doubt that her interests lie in the dis
tant struggle. But England must prosecute it,
though she do it alone. She must advance or
recede in Asia; and the shock Of opposing poll
teal, social and religious rule must be endured
in China. The outspoken memorial ola Chinese
noble shows the feeling that animates at least a
portion of that people. 1t breathes war to the
hilt against the advancing Powers
1t is not worth while to speculate upon the
probabilities whether the struggle will be a
short or long one. We know that if it is
short, and the exclusive policy of the Tartar
Mongols in China is overthrown, the sudden
opening of trade with three hundred millions
of industrious people will quicken the pulse
Of industry and commerce to fever heat. II
the struggle is long one, the efforts which
England must put forth in the war will have
an equally quickening impulse upon the in
dustry and trade of Europe, for time at least.
Thus rising events in Asia bear an intimate
relation to the scenes of labor on the shores
washed by the Atlantic.
In this contest we have neither art nor part
Our policy is commerce, not conquest The
compliments and thanks which the official des-
patches of the British Ambassador in China
express TO Mr.. Ward, our Minister, and Commo-
dore Tatnall our naval commander there,
prove that these officers have committed a
wrong. The gratitude for services rendered,
which one belligerent expresses, proves that