scarcely possible that a usurping dynasty | any man to care for brothers or cousins should maintain the independence of the as for his own descendants; and the Turkish Empire; and if they had estab-ruler who knows that he will not be suclished themselves at Constantinople, or ceeded by his son feels himself in the even in Syria, they would have loosened position of a life tenant with a stranger their hold on Egypt, which forms the in remainder. Accordingly, like more firmest basis of their power. In that than one Egyptian Viceroy, he occupies province alone a Mahometan ruler is re- himself in the accumulation of wealth for lieved from the inconvenience of govern- | his family, in entire disregard of the fuing a Christian population. The sub-ture prosperity of his country. The jects of the Khedive are better affected greatest advantage of hereditary monto the Government than the Rayahs of archy is the identity of interest which it Bulgaria and Roumelia, and they are produces between the sovereign and the more docile and laborious than the Turks.subject. As Burke said of Indian adThe Viceroys have for more than one ministrators whom he denounced for generation shown good sense in availing cupidity, birds of passage are sometimes themselves of the services of European birds of prey. It is in every way desirofficers and engineers. The administra- able that the actual owner should have tion of the country is not altogether sat- sufficient motives for improving the esisfactory; but great matérial improve- tate. The only objection to the change ments have been effected, and Egypt is is the possible danger of transition in now by far the richest part of the Otto-creating pretenders with plausible claims. man Empire. In the absence of dissent Some of the Turkish Ministers who have there is neither persecution nor religious fanaticism, and the imitative civilization which has been introduced will probably in the course of years, become less artificial. At one time the Viceroy went so far as to establish a Parliament, but the institution failed because no threat or promise sufficed to embolden any member to belong to the Opposition.

lately followed one another in rapid succession have recommended themselves to the favour of the Sultan by professed devotion to the object which he is known to contemplate. His grant of direct succession to the Khedive will be regarded at Constantinople as an avowal of his intention to leave his throne to his son in preference to collateral claimants. There is no reason why any friendly Power should hesitate to recognize a change which is evidently advantageous to the country.

From The Pall Mall Gazette. THE FAR EAST.

A main concession which has been made to the Khedive is important both in itself and because it is intended to have a reflected operation. The hereditary succession of the Egyptian dynasty is henceforth to follow the European rule of primogeniture; and it is well known that the Sultan has long been anxious to establish the same order of descent in his own family. In many ages and countries collateral heirs of mature age have been Now that the audience question has preferred to the infant sons of deceased been solved and set at rest for everrulers, on the obvious ground of their for this is one of those steps which can greater fitness to discharge at once the never be retraced we may convenientduties of their office. In Turkey and in ly make a fresh survey of our relations Egypt the system has been so far ex-with China and its near neighbour Japan. tended as to give the brother priority It is doubtful whether the Foreign Ofover the son; and the consequent jeal- fice ever rightly understood the question ousy, which often led to fratricide, has or appreciated its importance. The acalmost passed into a proverb. Aristotle tual intercourse that may follow with the is compared by Bacon to an Otto-young Emperor may not amount to much man Sultan who thinks his throne in- | beyond a formal presentation, and whatsecure till he has killed all his brothers; ever influence may be derived from perand Pope applied the same illustration to sonal communication is unlikely to make the jealous temper of Addison. Even in itself felt for many years to come. Its the East the wholesale murder of rela- real importance is to be estimated by the tives would now be reprobated by public influence it is calculated to exercise on opinion; but the effects of collateral suc- the minds of the Chinese subjects of the cession, when it is not interrupted by Emperor, both as regards his relation to violence, are incompatible with national foreigners and themselves. So long as welfare. No law or custom will induce the tradition was maintained that the Son

of Heaven was a true title for the ruler | national change of sentiment which, as of China, and that no other ruler or Sov- much as anything else, has probably conereign could claim equality with this tributed to the official recognition of the Kings of Kings and Supreme Governor foreign representatives. The solution of of the Universe, it was impossible to the audience question is treated by some treat with the people, and still less with of our contemporaries as a great triumph the governing classes, on any footing of of diplomacy, and as one reflecting great equality. They wrapped themselves in credit on the foreign representatives pride and conceit, and despised the Bar- now at Peking. But those who know barian in their hearts, whatever his pow- best what has been long going on in er to trample on them in return. All China can only regard it as a natural and this must now give way before the fact, necessary consequence of all that has known of all men, that the foreign en- gone before. During the negotiations voys even the Japanese have been in 1869 for a revision of treaties, it was admitted to the Imperial presence erect, well understood by the foreign represenand as representatives of equal and in- tatives in communication with the Yadependent Sovereigns, with no kotooing men—and of course by the British Minor genuflexions indicative of vassalage, ister more especially engaged — that and no tribute with which to purchase whenever the Emperor came to his majoracceptance of their mission. The Chi-ity the fitting reception of the Diplomatic nese are slow in thought and in action Corps could not be deferred. That the in both somewhat resembling ourselves Chinese should defer the hour of sacribut when once they move or thoroughly fice as long as they could was only natadmit an idea, they do so wholly and per- ural. A man may be willing to die or to sistently. How their own relations to be executed, but he does not usually hastthe Emperor and his Government may en his steps toward the scaffold. The be affected by the public renunciation of Chinese as a nation, as well as the more his long-asserted supremacy over all the intelligent of the ruling and official classnations of the earth, in virtue of Divine es, have long seen that there was a power right and descent, it may be hazardous in western civilization to which they could And yet we are convinced that offer no effective resistance. They have some changes must result, and they are been slow in giving any public manifeslikely to be neither few nor trivial. How tation of this conviction, but it has been they will affect the general position of growing ever since the last war, which foreigners, and the bearing of the whole gave the allies possession of Peking, and nation towards them, is another question. destroyed with the Summer Palace of its In all probability although radical change Sovereigns very much of their prestige. is inevitable, it will not be very apparent From that day to this they have turned or widely spread at first. Already a half- their thoughts, and nearly all their enerconscious doubt of the validity of the gies, to the creation of arsenals, dockEmperor's claims to universal suprem-yards, and disciplined troops, after the acy had sapped the foundations of their model of the West. Krupp's guns arm marvellous conceit. This was more es- the Taku Forts, and have taken the pecially obvious along the coast and place of gingalls, matchlocks, and partiwherever treaty ports brought the mer-zans, or bows and arrows. Armour-plated cantile classes of the West and East in steam frigates and gunboats, built in their constant relation with each other. Even own dockyards, now guard their coast, the coolie - away from the ports-the and are navigated in some cases exclutype of the lower classes, who occasionally sively by their own people, after a course encountered foreigners speaking Chinese, of European instruction. Drilled regiwas involuntarily led to regard them as ments armed with breechloaders and belonging to a higher order than the tra- Chassepôts are rapidly increasing in numditional Kueli-tze" or "Pan-Kwei" of ber. These are the first-fruits of the lesson the old Canton days; so that although from long habit he could not shape his mouth to call them by any other name, he was yet compelled to add an honorific title corresponding with "excellency." And however absurd it may have sounded in the ears of the cultured foreigner to be addressed as "His Excellency the The Japanese have run very nearly the Devil," the combination of epithets was same course, but far more blindly and significant and strongly illustrative of a impulsively, and at railway speed. We

to say.

66

:

they received on the last occasion when they measured their strength with ours. Let us not deceive ourselves. They, like us, know better now than then. They are seeking to master the secret of our superiority in war, and possess themselves of it for future use.

.doubt whether they run as safely; and of there is nothing to fear as to the result; one thing we are quite certain, that when and shaft, wire, and rail, will all be at the Chinese take to railroads and tele- work no long time after. The recognigraphic lines it will not be by foreign tion of the equality of other Powers will loans or at foreign instigation, but be- be followed at no distant period by the cause they desire them for their own use, appreciation of other than mere Confuand feel they can manage both to con- cian ideas and forces. Of course this struct and to work them without inter- change will not work marvels all at once. ference. The Emperor of China is not The ju-i, or sceptre of China, is not the yet born who would give a Baron Reuter rod of Aaron, and will not blossom in a such a firman as the Shah of Persia has night. But it will release a combination conceded. The Mikado or Tenno of of forces now held bound and inactive. Japan, in his eagerness to be possessed And in the body politic, hands will work of all European civilization, and to clear and minds think that are now cramped ten centuries at a bound, might possibly and stagnant. Hitherto in the higher be tempted; but even that we doubt. regions of Chinese policy an enlightened We cannot help thinking, therefore, that fear of consequences has been in conflict, the supporters of a scheme recently an- in all foreign questions, with an ignorant nounced for making the young Emperor conservatism ever looking back to the of China a present of a locomotive and a past for inspiration and safety. We may few miles of rail, with a view to tempt now hope also to see the end of the sohim and his counsellors to embrace the called 66 co-operative policy:" words promoters and immediately span his which formed a good text for the Ameriempire with iron roads, are labouring can "stump," but, in point of fact, were under a delusion as to the chances of designed by one party, with foreign inultimate success. There is something terests, to keep China from progressing; thoroughly unpractical in "the idea of and by another, to keep British influence the English people sending spontaneously from extending and predominating. The a magnificent present from a specially French and the Americans, the Russians subscribed fund," and that it "would and the Germans, were always very cocome with peculiar freshness to the Chi-operative whenever either of these ends nese, and would probably result in the could be advanced. More like Constandevelopment of a kindly feeling between tinople every day, there is good reason the two countries, the result of which to believe that Peking is a place where no powers of calculation could meas- the Chinese Government gets many hints, ure. We frankly confess our powers and a "collective note " does not necesin this direction are totally inadequate to realize either the "peculiar freshness of the Chinese feelings on receiving such an instalment of the railroads of the future, or the result in kindly feeling between the two countries. The more probable conclusion to which a Chinese official would come on seeing the expense and trouble taken by so many foreigners would be one much more complimentary to their pockets than their intellect. He would see in so much effort an overmastering desire to profit by the first introduction of railroads, and a proportionate eagerness to hasten the period.

Although we cannot look with any hopefulness upon such enterprises to hasten the pace of the Chinese, and even doubt the desirability of success, we are not the less satisfied that, now the audience question no longer stops the way, the Chinese court and authorities generally will open their eyes to many things they have hitherto been determined not to see. We are equally assured, that once they do look facts fairly in the face,

sarily indicate a common policy on the part of the signataries. It is not the interest of all parties to see China progress, and it is certainly not the wish of all that England should exercise influence in the country. Being already jealous of the predominance given to it by its share of commerce-amounting to more than three-fourths of the whole collective trade of China with foreign countriesother Powers, who have little trade to lose, never act cordially with us. They know pretty well by this time that England has no design on China, and only wishes to see her people happy and prosperous, though it may be too much to expect they will implicitly believe this. There is an unknown future in China yet, and it is easy to understand that rival Powers may each desire to keep the field clear for whatever action may best suit their own interests or policy as circumstances may arise. The sooner we recover our freedom of action, therefore, and pursue an independent and unfettered course, the better the true interest of both nations will be served.

PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BY
LITTELL & GAY, BOSTON.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.

For EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. But we do not prepay postage on less than a year, nor when we have to pay commission for forwarding the money; nor when we club the LIVING Age with another periodical.

An extra copy of THE LIVING AGE is sent gratis to any one getting up a club of Five New Subscribers. Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks and money-orders should be made payable to the order of LITTELL & GAY.