The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-01

but the cohesion of the public plumber.
| The Chinese Question-Its Bearing on the
Commercial Politics Of tho World.
The news from China, received in England by
the way Of India, throws much doubt over the
statements that Mr. Ward, the American Minis
ter, was taken to Pekin In box and kept in
confinement there.
We have not the full particulars contained
In the correspondence from China, as the mails
by the Nova Sootian have not yet come to
hand but the meagre telegraphic accounts sent
do not indicate any contumelious proceedings
on the part Of the Chinese towards tho Ameri-
can Minister. II Ii stated that he was cour-
teously received The London Times cores
pondent regards the reception Of Mr.. Ward as
very polite stroke on the part of the Pekin
Cabinet; and the Friend Of China looks upon
him as the possible mediator between the
Western Powers aud those Of Pekin. Preju
diced az are the accounts which the English
press generally give Of matters outside Of the
circle of British domain, ii would seem from
these facts that the neutrality we have so long
pursued In the East, and which Mr. Ward and
Commodore Tatnall SO unfortunately departed
from, is beginning to produce its beneficial
effects upon all parties. The French and Eng
lish perceive that there is another path to sue
cess In Eastern diplomacy besides the bullying
course which England has 50 long pursued
| there. II will not be at all surprising to find
Mr. Ward settling tho difficulties which the
bunglng Of the Hon. Mr.. Bruce has got Eng
land into on the coast Of China; and from the
present aspect Of affairs In Europe such re-
| suit would be very satisfactory to Louis Napo-
leon and his.protegS Lord Palmerston.
The condition Of Europe is not just now such
as would lead the dynasties to desire that
| new war Of European conquest shall BE under
| taken in the far East. Affairs at home are in
| precarious state. The impulse given to the
| dissatisfied nationalitics by their success In
Italy awakens serious fears on every throne.
| Then, the commercial relations Of Europe with
China are vast, and their maintenance is a ne
cessary part of finance. Tea and silk are i'm
| revenues Of governments, and no small por-
| ton of the income of the British Empire in
India arises from the sale of opium TO the
| Chinese War must disturb all these COM
| mercial relations, and an effort at conquest
| would probably 60 far towards breaking them
| all up. This is sacrifice that the world to-
day is not prepared to make to the Asiatic am
bition Of England. A hundred years ago that
| Power could pursue her conquests in India
without disturbing anything in Europe for In
| dia had no commercial relations with the West.
The victories Of Give and Wellesley, and the
| barbarities of Warren Hastings, caused COM
motion only within. the walls Of the India House
| In London, and touched the pockets of perhaps
no more than hundred people in the kingdom.
An attempted conquest Of China would to day
cause futtering in thousands Of counting
rooms and touch the pockets of many millions
people.
These are the commercial ties that bind the
policies Of governments to very different courses
| from those which were followed in the halcyon
days of East India conquerors and nabobs.
They operate on England, and, apart from any
| other considerations, should induce her to ac-
| cept with pleasure the friendly hand of the
American Minister in China to assist In
mending the difficulties of her clustering policy.
1t is very evident that France is not going to
commit the folly of sending thousands of men
and many ships to China to help England ex-
| tend her sway there. The spirit of the treaties
negotiated last year at Tien-tsin by the pleni-
| potentlaries of those two Powers exhibits the
differing character Of the policy that animates
EACH Lord Egin insisted upon diplomatic and
commercial privileges, while Baron >Gros
| plumed himself on having secured respect
for the Christian religion and the safety of Its
teachers. Under these circumstances we may
expect to see the American Minister assuming
the character Of q mediator in China and set
ting the troubles now existing there. The
Chinese must soon become aware that they can
not resist the entering wedges of commercial
I Intercourse with the Western nations; and as
soon as they can be brought to believe that
England does not wish to pursue the domineer-
ing policy she established in India, they will
seek the profit to the revenue and the people
that an export trade will give them. The CON-
mon sense views Of the Manchester school of
politicians in England seem to be the only ones
adapted today to the Chinese puzzle.
MoRE ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS PROPOsED-OUR
MAP OF THE POLAR SEAs.--One would have
thought, from the result of the recent discove-
ries relative to Sir John Frankin's fate, and the
enormous cost Of treasure and suffering which
the Arctic explorations Of the past twelve years
have involved, that no further enterprise would
be set on foot in that direction. But it appears
that the spirit Of adventure ia still alive, and
that in all probability there are many moro
sealed volumes yet destined to be opened to
science in the icebound regions of the pole.
We believe that Dr. Hayes, who accompanied
the lamented Kane, in 1858, proposes to un-
dertake another expedition in the same direc-
ton, through Bafin's Bay and Smiths Sound,