The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-04
EUROPE,
MAILS OF THE ARABIA.

From the London Times of Jam. IShl
Inc news Just received from the United States is
the most important that has come TO ms since tbo
beginning of the present troubles No one conId
read the intelligence from Washington and the nt.
ter of our New York correspondent, without feel
ing that the present month is big with the fate of
the American Union. We are almost afraid to give
publicity to the apprehensioDs which prevail. The
excessive confidence of the N0rtherners that all
would end well is giving place to sharp anxiety
ana though they seem still to expect the preserva
ton OF the Union, it is evident that they look for
events which must be most disastrous to American
sGci- tv. The minds of man ocross
the Atlantic agitated by occurrences to which
nothing similar is recorded in the history of this
country. When the British fleet mutinied at the
More, when Ireland was in open rebellion. when
Bonaparte was at B0ulOgne, when England stood
alone against the consolidated French Empire-at
any OF these periods people might be anxious
alarmed, depressed; but they had a confidence in
the tuture since they felt that a nation can never
be destroyed but by its own, guilt. Thinking men
IN America are probably more discouraged than
we were when the sword of military despotism
was at our breasts. They feel that their country
runs the greatest of all dangers-that of being
ruined by ITSELF No foreign enemy, no European
tyrant, no base oligarchy threatens them. The
laDrc OF democratic governments to be rent asun-
DER IN the name OF popular right, and by means of
universal suffrage. Caricaures represent the iubi-
latlon OF the European sovereigns at the event.
Sermons are full of despondencv. Public speeches
IN the North have generally affected to doubt the
seriousness Of the movement, and have expressed
confidence that the separation will only be tempo
rary.
This, in fact, is the hope which has kept the
North and still more the West, quiet 1t was still
nduged at the close of last year, and it remains to
be seen how far tits founded a right estimate of
things. But, supposing the sanguine politicians of
whom Mr.. Seward is type, to be in the wrong:
supposlng the gulf between free and slave soil
when once made, to widen daily more and more;
supposing the pride, or the political ambition, or
the pecuniary interests of the SOutherners to be
satisfied By their new independence, what will be
the action of the rest of the federation? Will the
North give up with the slaves States all the vast
continent which lies South and West of them? Are
all the dreams of American ambition to be forever
toregone by the youth of New England and New
York, Ohio and Michigan, the most active and en-
terprsing populations of the Republic?
If South Carolina secedes, if Georgia Florida
Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana follow
ii a Southern federation be formed, and take its
place among the Powers of the earth, there can be
no hope of keeping the border slave States These
will be drawn by natural affinity to detach them
selves from the North and join the slaveholding
federation North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky,
Missouri, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, will then
be dissocated from the free States. Such an event
cannot be regarded without dismay by the most
staunch abolitionist. 1t would, in fact make the
Southern federation the real United States as far
as territory present and prospective is concerned
and reduce the North to what our ancestors wouId
Philadelphia might be distinguished for their abi-
ty and enterprise, but they would belong to
country with hardly greater future than Canada
Every natural advantage would be on the side of
the slave States.
Look at the map, and you will see what a narrow
slip of country composes the free soil of the Amer-
can federation. Only the sea coast from the Brit
lsh frontier to the Delaware-a few hundred miles
belongs to it, all the rest, sire tching far away
down the Atlantic and along the Gulf Of Mexico, is
in the hands of the SlaveOwners. The mouth of the
Mississippi is theirs; the Missouri and Arkansas,
the great arteries Of the West, theirs. Virginia
pushes spur OF territory to within less than
hundred miles OF Lake Erie, and thus divides the
Atlantic free States from the West in manner
highly dangerous to their future Union. Indeed
it is doubtful whether the connection between New
ork aud New England on the one hand, and Hi
nois and the neighb0rng States on the other
could long survive the total separation of the
South.
The North would have a territory as Struggling
as that OF Prussia, and the Western region would
soon find it advantageous to dissolve its union with
the Eastern. In the meantime, all the riches of
the New World would be in the grasp of the South.
erners. Instead of exploring the inhospitable re-
gions in the neighborhood of the British frontier
which would be all that remained to the North,
tue save-owners would carry their "undeniable
property into lands blessed with every advantage
of climate, soil and mineral wealth. Texas has ter
rtOry enough to make three or four great States.
New Mexico is about to be admitted with slave in
stitutiOns. Arizona will follow. Mexico must in
few years be conquered, and the Southerners lords
OF the most magnificent domain in the world,
would control the passage between the two ocean.
In short, if the Union lets South Carolina 90,
there is no saving what may go with it. 1t is very
well to speculate on the return of an erring sister,
but experience shows that secessiuns, when once
made, are not easily recalled. II is the nature of
cracks to widen, and both at the North and West
there masses of people so earnest in the advo.
cacy Of strong measures to prevent disruption,
that the President may be forced into active mea-
sureS. For our own part, whatever opinions Ameri-
cans may have of English policy, we beg to assure
them that IA this country there Is only one wish
that the Union may survive this terrible trial.
Should Providence decree it otherwise, we earn
estly pray that the separation may be amicabe
one. Civil war in hOurishing country and among
a kindred people never be contemplated with.
out horror by nation like ours, and trust that
neither the violence of the people the weakness
Of their leaders will bring this calamity on the
American Union.
THE RUSSIAN TREATY WITH CHINA.
From The London Post, January IS
The Russian Government delights to take the
European public by surprise, and the Gazette Of St.
Petersburg has Just furnished case in point This
is no less than treaty concluded with the Govern.
mcnt of China, at Pekin, on the l4th of November
last, signed BY Prince kung and General Ignatieff,
the Russian Ambassador there, and ratified by the
Emperor Alexander on the lst of January. Thus
it dates three weeks later than the Chinese treaties
with Great Britain and France, which date from
the 2ith and 25th Of October. The Court of St.
Petersburg appears to have been resolved that it
would not be behind Great Britain and France in
obtaining new treaty privileges from China; and
while the tive great maritime Powers proceeded,
with worldwide notOriety, to enforce the obserya-
ion of the treaty Of Tien sin at the head of con-
siderable expedition, the Russian Government
quietly slipped into the pocket of General Ignatief
the terms which it resolved to obtain at so favor
able an opportunity.
When the Chinese authorities in Pekin be-
sought the Russian Ambassador 10 mediate between
them and the allied armies advancing on the capi-
tai, the shrewd Muscoyite doubt saw at once
what an excellent card the CelestiaIs had put into
his hand. His government would mediate, but it
must be paid for its mediation. The Court of Pc
kin probably found that beggars must not be
choosers, and it was doubtless glad to purchase
mediator of peace at the expense of a new conces-
sion to the Russian government.
What the extent of this concession in intrinsic
political importance may be it is at this moment
TOO early to determine with absolute precision
The treaty divides itself into two parts, it pro-
vides for the reconstruction of the Russian from
tier in Eastern Siberia, along the valley of the
Amoor and it defines the trading rights and other
privileges of interchange of the Russians in China,
and also (for the sake of nominal reciprocity of
tbn Chinese in Russia. To deal first with the ter
ritorial or frontier question: the Russian boundary
is by this treaty extended to within eight hun
dred miles of Pekln.
Bv the present treaty Of the l4th of November,
1860 it is provided that while the Amoor shall still
form the Russo-Chinese boundary, from the point
at which it emerges out OF the remote and inland
province of IrkOutsk, so far its confluence with
the Oussouri, about two hundred and fifty miles
from the sea- that boundary shall thence take the
course of the Oussouri, which flows nearly at
right angle with the AmOor and shapes its course
southwark in line parallel with the seacoast. 1t
follows from this that the Russian boundary in
cludes as Russian territory, all that district be-
tween the 0ussour and the sea. The treaty fur
ther defines that the frontier shall pursue the
course of the Sougatcha, river which is a con-
tinuatl0n of the Oussouri, as far as the Lake of
Hinkai which it shall bisect, one-haf of the lake
belonging henceforth to Russia and the other to
China This lake is within a hundred miles of the
sea of JAPAN on the southern seacoast of Mant-
churia near Victoria Bay; and commissioners
from the two governments are to be appointed to
define the remainder Of the Russo Chinese bouuda-
ry. Between the mouth of the AmOor, on the Sea
Of Ochotsk, and the Bay of Victoria, the Sea
of japan there intervenes seven hundred
miles of seaboard, now in the possession of Russia
This seabOard lies just opposite the Japanese
islands. with the Sea Of Japan, there about three
hundred miles wide, intervening between the Rus
sian seaboard and the japanese insuar empire.
tripes which here suddenly receive practical ac-
cantance from the two most exclusive governments
of the world. The fourth article of the present
treaty provides that trade shall for the future be
maintained along the boundary thus defined free of
all duties. Yet Russia is government which, not
content with maintaining an eXOrbtant rate of du
ties along her enormous frontiers in Europe, has
also maintained four five distinct lines of custom
houses between her Polish frontier and Moscow
St Petersburg. Nor has China been much less il
liberal while she has been far more arrogant. Rus
sian merchants are to possess the privilege OF trav
elIing in the Chinese Empire subject to the reser
vation that they are not to cOngregate in greater
IN, tha mo tbarn