The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-09-21 00:00:00

e ii 1 .t A,

Our former oceouo.s irons Chine, of w.hieh the
atilistanee has Item givi a id the late lillieben Or 77.0
Mirror, exteseied to the 20th of December), and
kft tile commercial and friendly relations, between
the Eng:halt end Clllilebr, pretty nearly re-eamblisls.
etl iii their tamer el. oinel ; and, although the pre-
sent advice* cirri:wily confirm the imeentit of all
differ. .a being oltiotately adiatetett. yet thu inter-
'eel !KAN ttli the flare of the late fedi/tow,- and inolle
Dow received, was distinguished Ly trataattionothat
not only threatened to disturie the (vitality arrange.
lona that hail been so lately doled, but to lead to
direct and open hostility hetiFeen the Chiaese and
Pot tingliese ; ut which, front the iisture of th.- case,
the English must have take.' a part as principals.
The decisitio, the spirit sad lodgment displayed on
this occasion by the Portuguese, are highly credits'.
bir to the tinverimotut of Macao. A *hart etpo-
.itio
of Ili. tarts may probably entertain the to-
riositv of the reader.
The Portuguese Priest. Father llaulerigo, whit
acted es interpreter to Adm. Drury and to Mr. Ro-
berts, in all the transactions that occurred during
the late miennilerstanding between the English and
Chinese, incurred, by the active and zealous part
that be took in the affairs of that their, the high
displeasure of Lie Viceroy and principal Maoris-
fin, of Canton. Father liodertgii had been long
regithled by the Chinese with an II nfavourahle eye;
possessing an inquisitive mind, and great personal
enterprise, he some tithe ago, with 41,111„.Cr MIA diffi-
culty, socoreded, under the disguise of a Tartar, in
making his way to Pekin ; trot, . tier residing -oust
time uultiiibwii in that c..pital, lie rutiirnr•il safely to
Macao. `Ch's clandestine visit became known some
time aftrowartli to the Government of Cm ton. npou
which the Mandarins expreeped their abhorrence
and i•idi4ilation at the impatitioo, us they tensed
it, that had been thus solowisfully prow/abed by the
Father.

On Admiral Drury's' proposed rieit to Canton,
with thi fleet of armed boats, as purticularly stat-
ed in The Mirror of the :tid tilt. Father Roderigo
accompanied the. Admire!: amd on the Chinese
Going flout their fort and war-bests upon the Adult..
rat's bArgt, this spirited priest Amid erect upon the
stern sheets, and, taking his cowl in his hand,
cheered with three loud hums; thence intending,
as the Chinese alleged, and as was, probably, the
truth, to incite the English seamen to attack, and
reduce the fort and war-boats to instant subjection.
la this, and is the whole course of the trammetion,
the Padre proved a Killing and useful agent to the
English interests. The Chinese, though silent,
particularly remarked his conduct, and determined
to take the first opportunity to sacrifice the Father
Roderip, as a proper victim of their resentment.
All the differences with the English were allowed
to be adjusted ; Admiral Drury, with the princi-
pal /111t11 of war, the transports and troops, were al.
towed to leave China, before the Viceroy and Man-
darins judged it prudent that their resentment
should burst upon the head of the Padre. As soon
as the Fuglish ships and the troops had sailed, and
theusual tranquillity was restored, Father Roderigo
wertreacheretesly inveigled beyond the Portuguese
boundaries, when he was seized and scut a prisoner
to Centel'. The Chinese were elated with their
success, they gloried is the poeseseion of their can-
titre, and the chief Manderms did not conceal the
determination of their Government to put him to
death, as ap atonemeut to the offended dignity of
the Empire.
Tire Porturiese Government were fully satisfied
that there was no alternative, but to allow Fattier
Roderigo to be put to death, or to effect his libe-
ration by an appeal to force. They did not hesi-
tate to choose, and the latter dete tttt instion was
preferred. The Ulysses. a Portuguese ship of war,
and an armed brig, were moored, as close as the wa-
ter would admit. to two neighbouring Chinese
forts, while the Portuguese troops marched out of
Macao, and invested the forts ern the land side,
Mr. Roberts, the Chief English S.upra.carge, at the
same time ordered the company's ships to suspend'
their intercourse with the shore ; and preparations
were mantle for such offensive measures as the case
utiebt require. Affairs being in this train, the
Padre was now demanded in due form. It was pe-
.... . . .

remptorily required that he should be ferthviith
delivered up, unhurt ; sad it wasdeelared, that, in
the event of any unnecessary delay, the teo fors,
which were cloudy invested, should be stormed,
and that the life of d•ery man in the two garrisons
should be held answerable foi the personal safety
of Padre Koderiza. The Portuguese were reso-
!Orly determined to carry their threats into ext.-
rittion: and their resolution did not eausiw the
pent Dation of the Chinese, who, foreseeing the dan-
ger and Illoolduat diat would (*naiad, arise from

a perseverance b•the attempt, either to pfinielt or
to detain the Father, wisely tequiesced in the de-
mand, and Roilerigo was triumphantly restored to
freednui, to Inc friends, and his country.
This inetonce of the good effect resulting from
the just, bold, and honourable e3utluct of the Por-
tuguese oil this occasion, It an I,xisaiple that we
trust will not be log in any future case of misun-
derstanding with the Chinese. Moderation auil
forbearance, like every other virtue, have their
bounds. A passive acquiescence in every caprice
and uoreasonable prejudice, is an unto:tidy expe-
dient ; it is the sacrifice of a principle to tempo-
nary convenience, and must tend to pm-lace, with
accumulated force, the evil that it seek* to

PRINeE of WA LIMN ISLA %%I), 1) ec. 7 , 1901.