Dreams And Reality

The history of American Civil War is a hot topic in academe. Studies mainly focus on the cause of Civil War, Comments on Abraham Lincoln, reconstruction of the South etc. Researches on William Henry Seward, the State Secretary of Lincoln and Johnson, are seldom found. There are even fewer researches on the diplomatic thoughts of Mr. Seward, who devoted his wisdoms and efforts to the makings and practices of American foreign policies and can't be underestimated in American diplomatic history. To study the experience, thoughts and achievements of Mr. Seward is just like reading a vivid description of American History of Foreign Affairs. Therefore, Mr. Seward, who made excellent achievements to American Diplomacy, was chosen as an entrance to go into the American history of diplomacy.Under the guidance of Manifest Destiny, 1840s saw a new upsurge of territory expansion in the continent with the aim to reach the Pacific Ocean.Involvement of industrial and commercial bourgeoisie make this expansion business and ocean - oriented. Young American carries on the traditional Mission Sense, brings in the democratic thoughts during the process of expansion and makes it clear that going abroad is the American future expansion. The expenditure in Pacific Ocean provides scientific evidence for doing business in Far East and expanding in Pacific Ocean. The construction of Pacific Railway makes the annexation of expansion in the continent and the ocean possible. A geopolitical perspective, with William Gilpin, Asa Whitney, Perry McDonough Collins as symbols, put forward the one region thought integrating Caribbean, Panama and the Pacific Ocean and indicating that expansion in the ocean has been put on the agenda. The Manifest Destiny and Young American lays a solid foundation for vision of the Pacific Commercial Empire by Mr. Seward. Mr. Seward carries and develops the Expansionism and puts forward for the first time in American diplomacy history the blue print of Pacific Commercial Empire. This blue print makes American change its expansion direction from the Atlantic Ocean to Pacific Ocean, from continent expansion to commercial expansion, from North American to Asia, and from using violence to doing business. Mr. Seward plans many settlements along the western coast of the continent with California as logistics center, northern settlements for doing business with Russian and south ones for with Hawaii. He launches a lot of constructions and reforms including the construction of coast-to-coast Pacific railway, continental telegraph network, united financial system and objection to slavery. The Pacific Commercial Empire has strong Sense of Mission and summarizes the diplomatic theories and practices by Mr. Seward, showing that he is a deliberate expansionist.It turns out to be the civil war rather than to realize his vision of expansion into Asia Pacific region when Mr. Seward enters the Cabinet. In order to bring the war to the end, Mr. Seward put forward a memo to President Lincoln, urging the federal government wage a war against the Europe so that the South will give up their separatist the country. As Civil War, America is facing intervention of Britain and France and the French invasion into Mexico, both of which carries the nature that the Monroe Doctrine is challenged by European countries. Sticking to the Monroe Doctrine and protecting the integrity of the federal government, Mr. Seward provides his suggestion to President Lincoln to issue the blockage policy towards the south, exercise flexibility in handling the contention with Britain in neutral,"Trent"and"Laierde ram", and successfully impedes the invasion of France into Mexico. He also make a historical breakthrough as changing development vision the American navy from functioning as small defense navy into large ocean– oriented one. Such change active and large scale and showcases the increase of American diplomacy and military powers as American starts with its ocean expansion.The Pacific Commercial Empire put Asia, particularly China, as its focus. Mr. Seward carries previous foreign policy towards China developed by previous ambassadors to China and put forward the Cooperation policy to maintain the open of China after studying the presence of other big powers in China to maintain the biggest interest from China. The Burlingame Treaty just represents the Mr. Seward's Cooperation policy, with its two constituents, it contains"the trade was free"and"preserved the Chinese territory and the administrative entity"the basic philosophy to constitute approximately the Gobi desert two note subjects. In Asian other area like Japan and Korea, Seward has adopted the threat in force and the gunboat policy. Whether the Asian country does accept the American civilization voluntarily, is the American use military force or not sole criterion. In the late-19th century, China and Japan stepped onto the different path, with Seward the different policy which in China, Japan implemented has certain relations.As soon as the Civil Wars come to the end, William Henry Seward who was in charge of the diplomatic affairs began to carry out his expanding plan which had been serious blocked during the War, enthusiastically to the foreign policy of the United States to build his lead Pacific Commercial empire on track. He operates the purchase of Alaska and Midway Island, negotiates with Denmark to purchase the Danish West Indies, plans to control Hawaii and obtain the construction right of Panama Canal from Columbia. In order to obtain this places which is very important to his empire strategy, he tries to seek supports from the media and changes the diplomatic style of America from military means from make friends and allies.The time Mr. Seward lives is a time that new powers surging and powers'interest conflicts arena, which provides a perfect stage for Mr. Seward to exercise his wisdom and excellence in diplomacy. The pragmatism can be found in Mr. Seward's diplomatic thought, which is foresight and ahead of his time, as he maintains deep understanding of American national interest and the principle that diplomacy serves the interest of the country. Remaining in the forefront of the times, Mr. Seward always feel the impulse of American during the process of expansion and point out the problems of American foreign policy timely. Due to domestic political struggle and limited economic and military capacity, most of abroad expansion advocated by Mr. Seward failed at the end. However, combing the predecessor's thoughts with the real situation American is facing, his diplomatic thoughts reaches a new height, greatly effecting the American foreign policy in the end 19th century and laying a foundation of the surge of overseas expansion in the end 19th century. His policy towards China, namely the Cooperation policy and maintaining china door open, set the tone of American foreign policy in Far East.