The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-03


The LIST of January from San Francisco brought
news from our special correspondents at Hong
Kong to the Goth of November, at Shanghae TO
the 9th of November and at Yokohama to the
Oh of December. Those dates will suffice to
indicate the revolution which has commenced
in the transmission OF news from China and
japan. II is obvious that New York has al
ready assumed lis new position as a central
point for the distribution Of the news Of the
word. Hall way between Jeddo and ST.
Petersburg, New York must now daily increase
in importance When the Pacific Railroad
shall have been completed, and when ship
canal shall have been opened across the
Isthmus of Panama--and both these events
must be expected at an early day-the world
will recognize in our metropolis grand
centre Of oil the activities that pervade
the politics, the commerce md oil
the other spheres of modern civilization.
"Westward the course of empire takes Its way"
was the prophecy of Bishop Berkeley, and it
will yet DO amply fulfilled with results far
beyond his kon. Meanwhile the marvellous
change in the direction of the currents Of news
and trade from East and West to West and
East must strike every philosophical observer
and enlarge his views Of the prospective great
ness Of both San Francisco and New York.
The circuitous and tedious overland route to
the East from the old European centres, such
as London and Paris must ere long be com
paratively of little account The climatic
difficulties that render them impracticable for
six months in the year, the improbabillty that
railroads will ever be constructed across the
deserts which portions Of it must traverse, and
the unquestionable conveniences of the route
via New York and San Francisco, must prove
decisive.
Note the variety, fulness and Importance of
the news which has just reached us so speedily
from Hong Kong, Shanghae and Yokohama
thanks to the enterprise of the New YORK
HERALD. From Hong Kong we learn that Mr..
Arson Burlingame, the United States Minister,
who, significantly enough, has been chosen by
the imperial government as special envoy to
the great European Powers with which China
holds treaty relations-a selection which evil
IDENTIFY shows that China regards the United
States government as her ''next best friend and
neighbor"-is about to visit and inspec! all
the Chinese ports open to foreign trade. We
learn also the progress Of Christianity in
the most ancient and enlightened stronghold
CT Paganism from the facts that church is
about to be erected at Hank0wa, the homo
government having made grant for that pur-
pose, and that mission school and chapel
have been opened by the Casle Missionary So
ciety. On the other hand, Christian incon.
sistency has received reproot from the natives
of Canton, who, wo are told, urge the granting
Of the Hong Kong gambling house license by
the Christian authorities as an argument with
the missionaries in favor of their superiority
over the system OF the foreigners. Then we have
accounts Of severe repulses sustained by the inn
perial troops from tho Nieniei, and Of disastrous
floods In the Shan Tung province, in the
country around Tien.sin, and along tho
borders Of The Han, involving in the latter case,
1t is feared, an inundation of the city of Kan
kow. The lstest market review is given in de-
tail, and we are informed OF the safety of the
Prussian corvette Vinea, which had been
grounded on an unknown rock in Spex Strait,
and also Of the death Of MIR. L. b. CalIeld,
Consul of the United States at Foo Chow.
From Shanghae we receive an equally full
budget of Chinese news, duly noticed else
where, including the facts that ten ships had
lately left and five others were sill loading for
New York. From Yokohama we are advised
that the Tycoon OF Japan has resigned his
governing power into the hands Of the Mikado.
and that the government OF the empire VIII
hereafter be carried on under the Mikado by q
council of Daimios or mobiles We learn also
that Osaca and Viogan, on the inland sea, were
certainly to be opened, in the presence OF the
United States Minister and several Of his col
leagues, on the lst of January, 1868; that tho
opening OF Jeldo Is deferred until the 1st of
April next and that the new port to be
opened on the west coast of tho en-.
pire Is Neagara, according to the original
treaty but inasmuch as the harbor at that
place is unsafe for foreign ships coming In,
that of Ebisuuito, on the island of Sado, thirty
miles distant, is TO be made the port of entry
in its stead. Several American mercantile
houses in Yokohama are preparing to establish
branches in the various places to be opened
soon to foreign commerce. Many American
hands were wanted to go TO these places. The
American Minister, General Van Valkenburgh,
has recently married at Yokohama tho widow
of Raphael Schayer, of New York. The death
Of Commodore J. T. Watkins, on board the
steamer Costa Rica, Is announced. Stephen
Mascot was giving his drifting About enter
tainmcnts A concert had been given for the
benefit of the poor in Yokohama. Other de-
tails, including the market reports, are fur
nished, which show how important tho Ameri-
can colony has already become and how rapidly
Yokohama itself is recovering from the effects
Of the great fire which took place las. winter.
In short, our telegra phic letters from Yoko-
hama, Shanghac and Canton have brought us