The New York herald., 1867-08-05


Russian and Prussian governments for lin'
| of telegraph through their territories to India
| The Times calls it line from England to India
| and it seems to be an important internationa
| project to which England also is party. Tn,
concessions made to the company by th,
countries named are liberal, and the British
regard the plan as highly valuable fo
communicating with their Eastern pos
sessions. The proposed line is acros
the continent Of Europe through Prussil
and Russia to the Black Sea, where {
submarine cable is to be laid between the Cri
mea and Circassia and thence through Teherar
and hpahan, in Persia. to India. The British
regard this, undoubtedly, as much better line
to their Indian empire than by the way of the
Mediterranean, the Red Sea, or the Persian
Gull. II Is grand enterprise worthy Of the
age; and, looking at the necessity for it, the
advantages Of the route and the powerful sup.
port given to it, there can bs little doubt Of its
success.
Europeans evidently are eagerly turning
their attention to increasing their trade with
the populous countries of Asia by means of this
modern and mighty agent, the electric tele-
graph. The British, who have been the great.
est commercial people in the world, and who
have all along exhibited remarkable foresight
in opening and controlling the trade of the
most valuable portions of the globe, see the
Importance, in this age of progress and rivalry,
OF facilitating their communications with
Eastern Asia. A new and formidable rival-the
United States-has entered vigorously into the
race for the commerce of that part of the world.
From the western shores of America, from San
Francisco and our other growing commercial
cities along the Pacific, we are reaching across
to China, Japan and India. There are no con-
tinents or foreign territory to cross in going
from our western shores to the East The
Pacific Ocean, though wide, is now crossed by
eur mail steamships in less than twenty days,
and it will not be long before Asia and America
will be connected by telegraph, as Europe is
with us now. We have no doubt it will be
found practicable to lay cable under the
ocean direct to Japan and China, but this
certainly would be accomplished by detour
along the Aleutian Islands.
Our enterprising citizens, looking forward to
this and to the immense value of the telegraph
in China, have already got the start of the
British in telegraphic enterprise in Asia. We
understand that the East India Telegraphic
Company Gan American company have conces-
sions from the Chinese government to lay
cable along tho coast from Canton to Tientsin,
the port Of Pekin, and have every reason to
believe they will obtain the privilege to con-
struct lines through the interior OF the empire,
connecting with the seaports where the cable
will touch. When we look. at the immense
population of China, particularly along the
coast, where there are. ten or twelve of the
largest cities in the world, with populous
districts lying between; when we consider that
the foreign exports and imports of these great
trading marts amount to over six hundred mill
lions Of dollars year, and that this hive of
enterprising people have no system of mails to
facilitate business transactions, We may form
some idea how extensively the telegraph will
be used when once introduced. Its great USE
fulnes5 will be so evident to the ingenious and
thrifty Chinese that their old prejudices and
notions of exclusiveness will be broken down,
and boh the government and trading portion
of the community will use 1t extensively.
But it is not only the three or four hundred
millions Of Chinese with which America
will be brought in direct communication;
India, Australia, and the rich islands lying be-
tween, with Singapore and all other parts of
the East, will easily and necessarily be con-
nected with the East India Company's lines in
China, and finally with San Francisco and New
York. 1t is said that some five or six hundred
miles of cable, which was originally intended
for making connection with Russia by way of
Behring Straits, Is now on board ship on our
Pacific coast, and will probably be used in
commencing the network Of telegraphs in
China we refer to. It could be used to no
more valuable purpose. Thus the telegraphic
enterprise Of America will meet that of
Europe-of England, Russia and Prussia-in
the heart Of the Asiatic Continent.
But in this hemisphere great progress il
made in telegraphic enterprises as well. In
few days the cable between Key West and
Cuba will be laid. The business men Of New
York and Havana will be able to carry on
their transactions In few minutes as easily as
o merchant in one part Of this city transacts
business with those in another part Then will
follow telegraphic communications with Gen.
trail and South America on both sides-with
Venezuela, Brazil and the republics beyond,
on the Atlantic side, and with Mexico, the Gen.
trail American States, New Granada, Ecuador,
Chile and Peru, on the Pacific side. The GEN.
tre, focus and radius Of oil these telegraphic
agencies Is New York. We occupy an inter-
mediate position on the globe, and this will be
the centre Of commerce and ideas for all the
world That is the future we may look to,
and the magnetic telegraph Is fastening this
grand work Of destiny.
Latest Phase Of the Easeeru Ovs.sso-