Looxixe back at the strange ballucination which led astray, in the years 1867-68, even the most able of American statesmen; which entangled in ils meshes the " Foutons and the Hoff: mans, and the Ewarts and Vields, and the Greeleys" and joined " a loving brotherhood—the Sumners and the Cushings, and the Holmes and the Emersons, and the Whipples which in fact inspired the United States with the belief that a time akin to the millennium had arrived upon earth, when British Lion, French Eagle and the other fierce predatory creations of national heraldry should meet in bon accord, and how down their hends before the Platonic union of the Dragon and the Bird of Freedom, it seems but _uatural that aman so able as Mr. Ross Browne should have felt almost compelled to take up his parable, and utter, ina sketch which for sarcastic force has seldom been excelled, his opinions onthe events which occurred consequent on the erratic course of the Burlingame mission through the States. "Under the Dragon's Footstool" then, is not only 'a narrative of Mr. Ross Browne's experience while U. S. Minister at Pe-King, but is an able refutation of those Gasette. with which the 2 was assailed for refusing, against his better judgement to sce with eyes other than his own the halcyon sea evolved out of the imagination of his predecessor in office. Mr. Reverdy on cither side; and accordingly a treaty was drawn up and signed which, by the very depth of its unmeaningness, did actually succeed in its object of imposing on the credulity of ministers so experienced as the head of the British Johnson was recalled from England Foreign Office. The Lion did clip its because his speeches were not uttered claws for a while, so much so that Bri-in the language of the North, and Mr. fannia apologising, and Columbia asking Ross Browne, with equal infelicity,! the great Dragon of the East for the being unable to see through Burlingame Darien canal, might well be set in the glasses, found himself? at last compelled diplomatic halls of both nations, as com-to perform the one gratifying act of his panion pictures of national credulity. official areer—come home." Those, Meanwhile, however, the successor of however, may Iaugh who win; and in Mr. Burlingame, to unearth whom the February, 1871, Mr. Browne, prac-President had descended from the lofty tically at least, has very good cause ranks of the politicians to the purlieus for the laughter with which the pages of literature, and to whom the road to of the "Dragon's Footstool" are inter-China was at least known, had been {spersed. The great show-emboss transferred to the Celestial Capital. has dispersed into airy nothingness What ho saw and heard there, have and we can now afford, in the absence become for us matters of history. He of its superior effulgence, to cast had, unfortunately, as_a private indivi-glance at the attitudes assumed by the dual acquired the habit of seeing and smaller Juminaries around. Fortunate-judging, and had enlightened the inly for us, their positions and motion habitants of his own State, as well as have been faithfully recorded; the pla-those of the Union at large, on many notary sallies of after-dinner politicians subjects of social and commercial in-lave been carefully noted down by! terest and importance. It was hardly skilful reporters; and the utterances of! to have been expected that such a man, the Greeleys and the Cushings hare, for-with such antecedents, could have seen tunately for the course of progress, bematters in the same statesmanlike come matter of history. The lyrical manner for which his predecessor was strains of poets, nay even beauty and remarkable; and accordingly the Court innocence itself, came forward to help of Peking, or at least that section with on the pantomime which finally arrived whom Mr. Buvli Jingame undertook to tra-at its denouement at the great Presi-verso the world to exhibit in its resplendential reception, when the chief Magisdentcostameof progress and philanthrotrate of the State expressed his hope py, struck the new minister as being of that the great and enlightened Govern-! very ordinary stuff indeed. How Mr. mont of China would give its counten-Browne attempted to adduce some tanance to the construction of a ship cangible proof to the contrary, how he nal through the Isthmus of Darien. Then strained every effort to make some imindeed, in the words of our Author, the pression on the frigid statesmen who world seemed "progressing with railmisraled the Empire, how all his labours road speed, and Young America sat on wore found to be in vain, while Europe top, waving the Star-spangled banner, and America were gazing with child-and shouting in exultant tones, ' Hail ish delight at the grand transforma-Columbia!'" Mr. Ross Browne, howtion scene in front, are written down in ever, though not one of the politicians, diplomatic despatches, and duly chrohad sufficient insight into the springs nided in the dust of blue books, as well of human action to sce in all this parade as keenly remembered, not only by his something more than homage to the own countrymen, but by all those to whom Chinese embassy. A sensation of some his straightforward Lonesty of purpose sort was required; political parties were iliad recommended him. The end had preparing for a great strife, and it was not, however, come; pretty pictures had well that the public should be amused. j not yet been supplanted by ugly reali-With a wonderful unanimity, both sides ties, and Mr. Browne, dishonoured by threw themselves into the farce. It those who ought to have known hotier, seemed that, whatever occurred, the had to return to his native soil a sad: States could lose little by feasting der if not a wiser man. The narrative their own Minister, returned in the of the Burlingame Mission, as now put extra capacity of the trusted coun-forward by his able pen, reads almost oiller of a friendly State. So both like a romance to those who, at the sides, with a cordiality which did them time, followed, as he did, anxiously, its credit, united to honour the great em-various stages of progress. So changed bassy from the East to the West. It have affairs become within the few year, was true that Mr. Burlingame's credenwhich intervened between 1867" and tials were what, in low life, might be 1871, that the whole reads like a called shady; that a certain haze of dream. Yet a vivid reality rises up uncertainty hung about the steps by before us as we re-read the story of which he had attained to the honour that wonderfal show; and we have to representing the Courtat Peking; and thank Mr. Browne that the able and that even beyond that, there were ques- enlightened Minister, who, in 1867-8, did tions as to whom he really did re- his best to stay the mischief being done present at that somewhat anomalous! to the relations between the West and capital. These, however, were matters East, has, in 1871, taken up his facile of minor important is ndagreeablepen to recall toourrecollecvised by the President of the United tion the story of that Quixotic though States, would never be called in ques- deeply planned and carefully executed tion in dull Europe. His powers would, show, the Burlingame Mission. be best exhibited by affixing his name Browne, is however, so able a man and to a treaty which, being composed of so well posted in the causes which led up platitudes, would impose no hardships! to, and the events which succeeded that
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.