The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-27 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEB. 27, 1858.

We yesterday published in eastense the admi-
rable account given by the Times' correspondent
of the capture of Canton, and the subsequent
events up to the departure of the mail. It now
remains to be seen what steps will be taken to
" improve the occasion," and to turn our triumph
to the best advantage, not only at Canton, but
also with " His Celestiality" in his comfortable
quarters at Pekin. We already have had suffi-
cient experience of the Chinese character to know
that nothing can be accomplished by moderation.
Any temporising or undue leniency will be en-
tirely misinterpreted and ascribed to fear,
rather than to any better motive.
We must deal with the existing materials,
and it is only by a resolute manifestation of
energy and inflexible determination that the
Chinese authorities and the Chinese mob can be
brought to what the Hibernian bard termed " a
sense of their situation."

Although the city is now in our hands, and the
chief functionaries prisoners, they are still striving
to maintain an affectation of independence. YEll
is still as insolent and impracticable as when he
still retained power, and cut off " heads and
tails" without let or hindrance. He is not dis-
posed to abate a particle of his pretensions, and
although in "durance vile," on board the
Inflexible, holds his head as high as ever.
" Passive resistance is his game," and he
plays it with as great determination as an Irish
tithe defaulter in the olden time.

But it is not merely with YEM or PEil-KVIEI,
or the Tartar General, that the British Plenipo-
tentiary and his coadjutors have to deal. They
must also consider the effect of their proceedings
on the great body of the people. If by any
extraordinary, and we may add, uncalled-for
courtesy the inhabitants are induced to suppose
that the old regime will still be continued, they
will carry out their tactics to the last, will still
hope to weary us out by formal difficulties and
red-tapist impediments. So far as we can form
an opinion, the reinstatement of the Lieutenant.
Governor, PEll-KwEI, and the Tartar Ge-
neral, was a very infelicitous move. It may
have induced the native population to suppose
that the " foreign devils" were still trembling.
before these dignitaries, and that we would
still be prepared to make submission. Even the
semblance of authority on their part way occasion
a general dread of untoward consequences to any
who may yield obedience to the barbarian
intruders.

There is now a golden op
theintroduction of the customs
of insisting on
omrtsuonfiTsed nations,
so far as freedom of intercourse a
concerned. The EMPEROR m P seldooef trade is
rmitted to
know the real facts of the case—never until the
truth can no longer be withhold, and the enemy
are thundering at his very threshhold. He is
the victim of habitual misrepresentation, and
nothing can be hoped for until such stringent
measures are adopted, that concealment is no
longer possible. Under such circumstances pro-
crastination of any kind would be eminently
dicious, We have already been seriously injured,
so far as China is concerned, by the delays neces-
sarily occasioned by the diversion of the forces
intended for "the flowery land" to India. To
be really valuable our successes must be promptly