The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-23

Eothen-What Modern Civilization II
Doing I'm the East-Europe Drawing
Nearer to Asia.
It seems az If we are to never weary of the
East. What is it that brings this fascinating
region into our earliest fancy and colors by it's
influence our whole civilization? We feel it
in the interest which directs young, wonder
ing eyes to the Arabian Nights, to the adven-
lures Of the good Haroun al Raschid, the
misadventures and successes of Joseph, the
birth and life and death of the blessed Lord
himself. No heroes enfold our young magma
tons more eagerly than Alexander and Hanni-
bal The wars on tho Trojan plains, the glory
and the fall of Babylon, the destruction of
Carthage are themes which have not yet been
dimmed by modern achievements. And in no
age has the East shown so many claims to our
interest and admiration as the present A sue
cessor of Darius is welcomed in European
capitals with honors never before paid to q
founding ON empire greater than that which
fell before the Mussulman and building cities
on the Nile that bid fair to surpass
Memphis and Thebes. The eyes of the world
are attracted by the valor and triumphs of Rus
sian arms in Central Asia. Japan opens her
gates to us suddenly, and shows civilization
in some parts as rich and varied as that of
France-a civilization that hourished when
the Gauls were wandering on the banks Of the
Rhine in barbarism, and which now seeks o
place in our international family. And there
are signs in China-the greatest, most mystic
rious and most interesting of the Eastern
nations-which make US look for wonders far
exceeding those which now attract the Euro
pean mind.
1t is not much that M. de Lesseps can say
on the Eastern question to add to our in
formation or amazement. But it is subject
always new, and we listen to him with pleas
ure We know M. de Lesseps through his
achievements in the Suez Canal. The world
has honored him for that work-unduly we
might say, were we in grudging mood, be-
cause the success of the Suez canal is not SO
much the work of M. de Lesseps as of the ex-
traordinary Prince who now reigns over the
Nile. Without the Khedive the canal
would never have been completed, at
least not in our time. With his
aid there are thousand engineers
who would have done as well as M. de Les
seps. In fact, this gentleman admits as much
to our correspondent when he says that there
were no difficulties in the work but those Of
political nature and that these came mainly
from the opposition of Lord Palmerston. M.
de Lesseps built this canal as the agent of the
Khedive. He now proposes to build rail-
way from Russia to British India as the agent
of Russia. His views are those Of clever,
plausible engineer, and while we see in them,
now and then, complacency which men of
his class are apt to feel when they compare
themselves with Alexander and Napoleon, this
does not blind us to his merit nor lead US in
any way to detract from his name M. de
Lesseps is successful engineer-no more nor
less. His views on Eastern questions are like
the views Of engineers generally when they
enter the fields Of speculative politics. He
tells us how much better he was informed than
Lord Palmsrston; how he labored to dispel
that rough-minded and persistent statesman's
belief in the Napoleonic legend that India was
the road to victory over England; how he
built the canal to make England and Russia
friendly, and how his Central Asiatic Railway
will have the same result. It is the fashion
with men like NJ. de Lesseps, Mr.. Cyrus w.
Field and others of that rank to feel that they
are benefcent missionaries, whose labors are
for the peace and comfort of the world.
We have generally found them anxious to
make money, and to make it caring little for
political philosophy. We take it that NJ. de
Lesseps is more concerned about his divi-
dends in the ''Great Central Asiatic" than
about the extinction of rivalries'' between
England and Russia.
Of course there is no reason why this road
should not be built. The only question is,
Has the time come? Russia needs railway
communication with her Asiatic dominions.
We never began to hold our Indians in check
until we ran railway through the country of
the Plains. Brigham Young was virtually an
independent power until his capital was
brought within four or five days of Chicago.
We have heard nothing whatever of an indie
pendent republic on the Pacific since we
welded New York and San Francisco in bonds
of railway matrimony. General Grant was
right the other day when he said to some
Guatemala patriots who craved our flag that
the extension of American territory would
grow with the development of our railway
system. If the railway has thus bound our
Union together in stronger ties-a Union with
homogeneous, ocean-bordered territory-how
much more necessary does it become to the
great Empires of Russia and England, men
aced by one another and by nations which, it
would seem, have only to know their strength
to be free! These Empires have held
the East by moral force. India is SUBJ