The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-29 00:00:00

THE WAR IN CHINA.

FOREIGN-OFFICE, Nov. 27.

The following despatches and enclosures were received at
the Foreign-office this day from the Earl of Elgin, her
Majesty's Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary in China
Ho-see-wao, Sept. 16, 1860.

My Lord,—On the early morning of the day succeeding
that on which I addressed to your lordship my despatch of
the 11th inst., from Tang-tsun, and when I was already on
horseback, two white-buttoned mandarins arrived in hot
haste from the north, bearing with them a letter to me from
Prince Tsai and his colleague, the translation of which is
the first of the documents herewith enclosed. This com-
munication, as your lordship will observe, was somewhat
defiant in its tone. The writers expressed surprise at
my having started with .a force from Tientsin, in spite
of their letter of the previous day, which letter had
not however reached me until two days after my departure
from that place ; and required me to return thither in terms
slightly imperious. It appeared to me that the proper way •
of dealing with such a communication was to take no notice
of it whatever, and accordingly, without making any reply
to it, I accompanied the advancing column of the army to
Nan-tsie-tsun, a village which had been already fixed upon
as the limit of that day's march, and which was about eight
miles beyond Yang-tsun.
About 7 o'clock in the evening a further communication
from the same personages reached me at our new halting
place. Its translation iorms the second enclosure of this
despatch. It purports be a reply to my communication to
them, of which the copy was sent to your lordship in my des-
patch referred to above. Both in letter and spirit it is more
modest than that which I 'received from them only
twelve hours before. It concedes unconditionally alp
most all the points in controversy between us. A strong
desire is expressed that the British army may not be per-
mitted to go beyond 00-see-wao, a village one day's
march in advance of Nan-tsio-tsun, and this request is
accompanied by the somewhat ingenuous remark, that, if
halted there, it will still be sufficiently near to be calk d
into play, should any hitch occur in the conduct of negotia-
tions.

Before replying to this -communication, which could
not manifestly be treated with the. same disregard as its
predecessor, I addressed to Lieutenant-General Sir Hope
Grant a letter, the copy of which, together with a copy
of his reply, forms enclosure 3 of this despatch ; with
the view of ascertaining whether or not we were in a
position to continue, without interruption, our hostile ad-
vance on Tung-chow. If the answer to this inquiry had
been in the affirmative, I might perhaps have deemed it
expedient to decline to listen to any overtures from the
Chinese Plenipotentiaries, until I should have been either
under or within the walls of that city. When I learnt,
however, that in the judgment of the Commander-in-Chief,
it would be necessary, before undertaking a march which
might end in the assault of Twig-chow, to create a large
depot of stores at Ho-see-wao, and to bring up heavy guns,
operations which would occupy from eight to ten days at
the least, and which might perhaps involve a much more
considerable expenditure of time, I resolved, with his entire
consent and concurrence, to make a communication to the
Chinese Plenipotentiaries, which might perhaps have the
effect of bringing matters to a speedier issue, and enable us
to avoid delays, which at this season of the year, and in
the present low state of the river, are not unattended with
hazard. I may add, that Ido not think I could possibly,
for the space of ten days or a fortnight, during which
the General would have been engaged in concentrating
a large army at Ho-se-wao, have turned a deaf car to
such overtures as Prince Tsai and his colleague were
making, without justifying the belief that the avowed ob-
ject of our march on Pekin was not the real one, and that
while we professed to be enforcing the stipulations of a
treaty, we were, in point of fact, bent on the conquest of
the empire. A desperate attempt to resist, involving pro-
bably an appeal to the patriotism of the populations in our
rear, or a speedy flight into Tartary, would have been the
only alternative open to the Emperor and his advisers, if
this conviction had obtained possession of their minds.
The communication which, under these circumstances, I
determined to address to the Chinese Plenipotentiaries,
was in substance to the effect that the British army would
continue its advance on Tung-chow, crushing all opposi •
lion which it might encounter. But that if the Chinese
authorities gave me the securities for their good conduct
which I required, I would cause it to halt at a point within
an easy stage of that city, and proceed from there with an
escort of 1,000 men to Tung-chow, for the signature of
the Convention, and to Peking, for the exchange of the
ratifications of the treaty of Tientsin. I embodied
theee conditions in a letter which I entrusted to
Messrs. Wade and Parkes for delivery, recommending
them at the same time to endeavour, if possible, to obtain
a personal interview with the Prince and h;s colleague, as
I thought that what they might say verbally, in explana-
tion of our real views and objects in China on such an oc-
sion, when for the first time a functionary of the highest
authority was about to come into contact with us, would
be likely to produce a much more salutary effect than any-
thing which .I could write. For reasons which they ex-
plained on their return, and which were perfectly satisfac-
tory to me, these gentlemen eventually decided not to de-
liver. my letter. But they obtained access to thy Prince
and his colleague, and conducted all the other Itties of
their important and somewhat hazardous mission wall a
courage and ability which does them the greatest honour.
A letter to me from Mr. Wade narrating briefly the prin-
cipal incidents of this mission, the translation of a com-
munication from Prince Tsai and his colleague, which
crossed them on their way, and of a further communica-
tion from the same persons which Messrs. Wade and Parkes
brought back with them from Twig-chow, form enclosures
4,5, 6 of this despatch.
On their return, I put Baron Gros and Lieut.-General
Sir Hope Giant in possession of the information which they
had gathered during their mission, and the following plan
of proceeding was, after deliberation agreed on. The Com-
manders-in-Chief resolved to proceed on Monday, the 17th
inst., from Ho-see-wao, to the point at which it.had been
arranged that the bulk of the allied army should halt, and
which it was understood would be reached in two days'
march ; at the same time, or rather before the departure of
the army, Mr. Parkes undertook to start from Twig-chow,
accompanied by some of the gentlemen of my suite, who
were to proceed thither for the purpose of making prepara-
tions for the reception of the Embassy at that place, and to
• procure for us the means of transport, in which we were
sadly deficient. Sir Hope Grant also • determined to take
advantage of Mr. Parkes's return to Tung-chow, to send
with him officers of the Quartermaster-General's depart-
ment, and of the Commissariat, and to furnish an escort
for the protection of the whole party.
The French Ambassador and Commander-in-Chief re-
solved, on their side, to adopt somewhat similar measures.
The last enclosure of this despatch is a copy of a letter,
which I requested Mr. Parkes to deliver to the Prince Tsai
and his colleague, on his arrival at Tung-chow. It in-
forms them that I agree substantially to the terms for
effecting a pacific settlement of our pending differences with
• China, which they had been induced by Messrs. Wade and
Parkes to offer. I required, however, that a proclamation
should immediately be issued to apprise the people that it
was at the request of the Chinese Commissioners them-
selves that the British army halted at the placed fixed
upon, and I added that I would como under no obligation
to withdraw it from tills advaneed position, until I should
have been satisfied that the Chinese Government had re-
solved to keep its treaty engagements. I also adverted in
this communication to the fact, that I was the bearer of a
letter from her Majesty to the Emperor of China, which I
should desire to deliver on my arrival at Pekin.--I have,
&c., ELGIN AND KINCARDINE.
The Lord John Russell, &c.

Enclosure 1.
Received September 12, 1860, 6 a.m.
Tsai, Prince of S. &c., and Muh, President of the Board
of War, &c., Imperial Commissioners, make a communica-
tion :
The Prince and his colleague, having had the great
honour to receive his Majesty the Emperor's gracious com-
mands to proceed as Ministers Plenipotentiary* to Tien-
tsing, and there in conference with his Excellency the
British Minister definitively settle the form in which the
stipulations accorded were to be arranged, addressed a
despatch to that effect to his Excellency the British Minis-
ter, upon the 25th inst. (10th Sept) Presuming that his
Excellency cannot fail to have inrormed himself of these
facts, they are, indeed, astonished to learn that his Excel-
lency has, notwithstanding, again arrayed his troops, and
is moving forward from Tientsin.
The purpose of his Excellency's Government being rela-
tions of friendship to endure for ever with the Government
of China, is :his hostile movement (literally, array of
troops) reasonable? If a hostile movement be necessary,
then friendly relations do not exist ; in view of these cir-
cumstances, it appears to the Prince and his colleague,
that it would be inexpedient on their part to hurry forward
without further deliberation, and it becomes their duty to
request his Excellency the British Minister to send back to
their quarters in Tientsing the whole force he has brought
thence with him, thereby to show that he has no feeling of
animosity, and to put it in some degree in the power of the
Prince and his colleague, to proceed to 'Tientsin, and in
conference with him dispose of whatever there is to be deli-
berated about ; such being the course (consistent with pro-
fessions) of eternal friendship.
They would add, that if what is required is the execution
of the treaty now concluded, without any additions extraor-
dinary, they are not like the Chief Minister Kweiliang,t
they will assuredly not eat their words.
But if the British Minister insists on advancing with
a force, if he will not send back his troops, it is plain that
he is not earnest in his desire for friendly relations. The
troops of Government hold positions throughout the neigh-
bourhood of Ho-see-wao, and if there should be any misun-
derstanding between them and the others, the negotiations
of peace will be seriously prejudiced by it; nor is it possible
for the Prince and his colleage to interfere. They can only
hope that his Excellency will think over what has been
stated. They are already at Matan,t where they will wait
until his Excellency write a reply to say that his troops
are returned to Tientsing ; that thereupon they may pro-
ceed to Tientsing. •
A. necessary communication addressed to his Excellency
the Earl of Elgin.
Hionfung, 10th
h year
Sr,
7t
,hlB6O moon, 20th day,
lt..
Translated by THOMAS WADE,
Chinese Secretary.

Enclosure 2.
Received at Nau-tsai-tsun,

Sept. 13, 1860, 7 p.m.
Teal, Prince of S, and Muh, President of the Board of
War, sce., &c., Imperial Commissioners, make a communi-
cation in reply.
On the morning of the 7th day of the present moon (12th
Septeiiber), the Prince and the Minister his colleague,
received a despatch from his Excellency the British Mini-

* Our term not the usual Chinese equivalent.
t Kweiliang's name is mentioned without any respect:
He is not impossibly degraded.
Matan, ordinarily a landing place or port, IMO ape-
-0107 of a, pine Nome wise AVM rekbas,