New-York tribune., 1868-02-18
OUR RELATIONS WITH CHINA AM
JAPAN

ple of the great Empires of China and Japan
into free communication and intimate COM
mercal relations with the United States. The
development Of our own Empire on the Pacific,
which seems destined soon to include nearly
the whole Pacific coast OF North America the
gradual expansion of those States from the
primitive pursuits of agriculture and mining
to manufactures, banking, and domestic and
foreign commerce; the increasing tide of East
ward emigration pouring in upon California and
Oregon from China and India, bidding fair to
rival in numbers our own immigration from
ireland and Germany, or even to exceed
it, as the supply from whence our Pacific States
may draw their labor is hundred times
greater than that afforded by Western Europe;
the recent establishment of line of steamers
from San Francisco to Yokohama and Hong
Kong, and the prospective completion OF the Pacl-
fc Railroad, which. with the steamers, will bring
New-York within 20 days of those ports; the
introduction of American books into the schools
and colleges of both empires, following upon
the attentive study of our institutions by dep
utations and embassies of Chinese and Japan
ese dignitariesj the liberal opening of the
ports of China, and the partial unsealing OF
those of Japan, followed by revolutions and
counter revolutions between the progressive
and the conservative parties of those countries,
and the increasing tendencies of their govern
ments to seek the aid and sympathy of foreign
powers, especially of the United States; the
fact that we have territory enough of our own
and cannot be suspected of those designs OF
conquest and subjugation which have given
distinguished infamy to European nations In
their dealings with the Oriental races; and
above all, the fact that our intercourse
with them heretofore has been marked
by Justice, and has won their respect
and confidence, as evinced in the recent
appointment of Mr.. Burlingame as sort OF
universal Minister Plenipotentiary from the
Chinese Empire to all the treaty making
these facts like independent rays
from the same source, indicate that new day
is dawning upon those ancient peoples, and
that something like progress is superseding the
eternal mOnotony of Asiatic history.
Nor will the new light burst upon them
alone. 1t is the Characteristic of all nations to
despise most what they least understand AS
our men of intelligence and candor become
better acquainted with the history, philosophy,
arts, agriculture and civilization of the Orien-
tai races, many things which they had regarded
as the cumbrous devices of ignorance are seen
to be as nicely adapted TO the wants and cut
ward circumstances of the people as our own
boasted improvements are to ours.
Those who have studied the history of
British domination in India, though ever so
can find but doubtful ground for
complaint, and none at all for wonder, in the
reluctance of the Chinese and japanese to open
their ports TO European traders. The con-
quests of ancient Rome were less ruthless and
in their motives, and less desolat-
ing in their effects, than the ascendancy OF the
British flag and the reign of the British mer-
chants have been in India. Invariably their
advance has been marked 10y the breaking
down of Indian manufactures, the diversion OIL
hundreds of thousands of the unemployed op-
eratiyes to agriculture, the destruction OF all
diversity of industry and all markets for pro-
duce, and the final starvation, famine, deporta-
ton. exile, and foreign slavery of the people.
England to-day is expending the remaining
resources of India in producing opium, with
which to drug, stupefy, and swindle the CHI
nese. So far as English ascendancy has made
any progress in China, it has been marked by
the same results as in India, though on
smaller scale. The power and diplomacy of
England are all directed to the single point Of
substituting the product OF British looms IN
Chinese markets for their home manufactures
So far as it succeeds, the Chinese, like the
Coolies of India, are driven by famine from
their country, and poured, wretched tide OF
wrecked humanity, upon the nearest foreign
shore-upon Australia or our Pacific States.
1t is not unnatural, therefore, that the Chi
nese and Japanese Governments should read in
the horrors of British India the fate which over
takes those who permit their domestic indus
tries to be subverted by foreign powers. Com
mon prudence bids them watch distrustfully
the effects of this foreign .ascendancy before
permitting it to sweep away like Hood their
own power and civilization. These countries
have O civilization peculiar and little under
stood by us. But it is one which enables them
to support far denser population than could
subsist in Europe, without physical suffering
and surrounded by many of the amenities OF
culture and blessings of social life The inva-
sion of this civilization in India has caused
millions of people to be swept away by fam
inc, pestilence, and war, with comparatively
slight compensating benefits to any portion of
the world. Christianity and civilization would,
doubtless, have made greater progress had not
their path been clogged by the suffering bru-
tality and bloodshed incident to their subjuga-
ton.
1t is not until recently, and as the result of
prudence and discretion, and of our actual dis
interestedness in their affairs, that the Chinese,
especially, have come to draw a broad and
flattering distinction between the policies of
the American and those of the European Gov
ernments. The United States, more than any
European nation, has now the confidence Of the
people of these great empires, whose popula-