New-York tribune., 1868-05-19
AIR RURLINGAME'S MISSION.

In his speech at the banquet In San Fran-
cisco. given recently to celebrate the arrival OF
the Chinese Embassy, Mr. Burlingame elO-
ouently described the magnificent results which
must follow tho enlightened policy newly
inaugurated by one of the richest and
largest empires of the globe. The great wall
Of separation which has hitherto divided the
strange civilization of the East from the
mechanical ingenuity and intellectual culture
of the West has been broken down. Tho
proverbial exclusiveness of China is thing OF
the past. The old and the new have met and
embraced each other. and the empire which,
was already old thousands of years before
America was discovered, joins hands with the
youngest of tho family of nations, and asks
through us an admission into the great interna-
tional confederation. This is undoubtedly an
event of the first Importance. 1t must give an
enormous development to our trade, and tho
interests of Christianity will be more effectively
promoted by this action of the Chinese En-
peror than by any other political event of the
last two centuries.
These things are understood by our people,
yet We doubt if they comprehend, after all, the
full significance of tho mission of which Mr..
Burlingame is tho herald. They know it
mperfectly because they see only one side OF
it. Since Marco Polo, more than $50 years
ago, came back from his quarter of IA -century's
wanderings in that land of marvels, and told
Europe somewhat of the curious arts and
refinements of the Flowery Kingdom, China
has been for us until to-day a land OF
mere barbaric culture, which could teach us
nothing, which had everything to gain and
naught to lose from contact with the forced
elegance of the Western World. To break
down the barriers of Chinese exclu.
siveness became for Europe the object of
a sort of modern crusade. The gospel of com
merce must be carried iptP the most iphOspit-
able regions, and the missionaries who bore
the cross and the Bible into the capital of the
Buddhists must be followed by the smuggler
of opium and the Manchester bagman. Thus
began the wars Of Great Britain and her French
ally with the Chinese Empire, which, after
many years Of varying fortune, have only re-
Gently been brought to close. The policy of
these, the two great commercial powers of
Europe, has been to treat China as a nation of
savages, who ought to be whipped into subjec-
tion, and forced to buy and SELL willing or un-
willing Hence the Opium War; hence the
recent expedition against Peking, and the sign
ing of the last European treaty. But
while Europe has been pursuing this
policy Of force America has followed n more
peaceful and a wiser course. We have rccog-
nized the right Of China TO make what rules
she peases respecting her own tmdc-to deal
with the West or not, just as she sees fit; to
close her own rivers; TO shut up her own
ports. While the British have been forcing
tneir way at the point OF the bayonet into the
Chinese warehouses, we have been sending
embassies to the Chinese Government, and
trying to deal with the venerable civilization
of Asia in just and becoming spirit We
have our reward. The privileges which
Europe won at great cost of life and money,
We obtained without price. Fmnce and En-
gland beat. Qf Clipese aimies, and pushed
their way into the Empire with the cordial
hatred Of the authorities and the people.
America meanwhile treated peaceably with
the Emperor, and when the final set.
tlement came we were the favored ma
tion, and we and Russia alone enjoyed the
cordial friendship Of the 4O0,OOOOOO of people
newly admitted into the brotherhood OF ma
tions. 1t is our books which have been placed
III tHo hdHuo VI NnintSt nCnOldls' IL Is our
history which is taught in their schools as a
sample of the cultivated life of the West IL
is our Washington who is held up to the
Asiatic youth as a model of public virtue.
And finally it is one Of our citizens who has
been chosen to carry the message of alliance
and fraternity to all the ends of the earth.
The mission of Mr. Burlingame marks, it is
true, great Improvement in the sentiment of
China toward the rest of the civilized world
but it marks IN equal progress in the ideas of
Christendom respecting the Eastern nations,
and places the seal of an emphatic approval
upon the international policy of the United
States.
ALASKA EYPLOREU