The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-02-16
Influence Of the United states ON tho
World.

Mr. Arson Burlingame's appointment as the
representative Of China in European confer
ence is strange fact, falling quite outside the
monotony of ordinary political events. 1t ad.
mits that China can no longer stand utterly
aloof from the circle Of the nations-that she
is not, when things come to practical test
the all sufficient centre of everything, as her
wise men have thought for some thousands of
years, but is and must be more or less depend
ent upon the acts Of others; and it admits,
moreover, that, ignorant of the world and its
| ways beyond her own limits, her statesmen are
not able to cope with the out ide barbarian in
the crafty game OF diplomacy. 1t marks an
advanced point in the progress of the age that
that jealous. vain and egotistical government
should come TO the recognition of these facts,
since this recognition involves the throwing
away Of those prejudices on which was based
the system that kept the Western World shut
out for ages from the richest empire Of the
East. To have convinced China that this is an
age Of progress, and that she can no longer
with safety refuse to take part in the great
drama of national life, is to have solved one of
the greatest of political problems. And this So
luton is due to the influence of the United
States. That we should have great in
fuence on the destiaies of Eastern Asia
is natural consequence Of our po-
sition on the Pacific, which makes us
practically China's nearest neighbor among
the important Powers, renders 1t almost
necessary that the power Of the ago should act
| on her through Us. But our influence is also
| in q great measure due TO the different spirit
that has marked our career in the East The
Chinese government has come to feel that it
can trust us. We do not want colonies. 1t is
otherwise with England, France and Russia.
England's career In India, Russia's in Central
Asia, and that of France in Cochin China are
SO many constant warnings to the Celestial
Kingdom to beware of those Powers. But with
the United States it has not this suspicious
dread of further consequences 1t finds that
our approaches have no other object than the
| legitimate ones Of intercourse and trade, that
we deal justly and openly, and it meets us half
| way on fair terms.
Complimentary though this be to our national
| character and to the justice toward others
| with which our relations have been conducted,
significant as it is Of our growing influence
in the East, yet tho better fact indi-
Gated is the more general one as to
the degree In which the progress Of
knowledge is throwing down the barriers that
ignorance and fear have in other times set up
to keep nations parted. Physical science
the application Of the laws Of nature to sup
plying social wants-performs its true part as
1t reduces the world to the government Of
intellect, as il makes thought the supreme
power. In all ages knowledge, even such as
there has always been In the world, has been
unevenly distributed AT certain points thers
has been concentration OF intellectual light
with oil the rest in the darkness Of barbarlty.
Two or three spots along the Nile and Carthage
shins for the whole Continent OF Africa Athens
and Rome are all that 10 distinctly seen Of
Europe for centuries; and while Plato and
Cicero, representing the high intellectual lavsl
Of their spheres, discuss the existence OF the
soul and the nature Of the gods, contemporary
mon along the Arctic shores Of the same Goa
tinsnt seem but little different from the seals
they hunt 1t 10 the practical purpose OF
physical science to equalze these extremes
and to bring to bear Upon tie life Of every
human Creature the highest radiance that the
century possesses. II 10 for this that the press
lie putting forth day by day its vast volume Of
facts, and that Its columns give free play
for the brain Of the nation, discussing avery
thing, throwing up before the wind all that