The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-16 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—Your Second Edition announces on the
authority of the Moniteur that a large combined
Franco-Anglo expedition is forthwith to be de-
spatched to China, in order to avenge the late
treacherous attack on the attempted passage of the
Embassies into the entrance of the Peiho river, the
highway to Pekin. It is evident that we must strike
a signal blow and amply revenge our slaughtered
countrymen, who have fallen by one of the most de-
liberate acts of treachery that history affords.
Let us by all means, and without loss of time,
prepare and despatch an expedition large enough to
render success undoubted, to recover our dimmed
prestige, and teach these vain barbarians that they
have grievously misapprehended the power of the
nation they have first of all befooled with the treaty,
and then so outraged when we trusted to their good
faith to execute its provisions. But, whatever action
we take, let us beware of falling into the mistake of
playing " second fiddle" to the French in the shape
of a mere weak
_contingent, leaving them to appro-
priate all the glory, and to decry when the business
is over our aid, as in the East formerly, and latterly
at Canton, where the few French present claimed
most vociferously through the columns of the Paris
press the whole honour of the capture of the city,
and did their best to ignore the English force alto-
gether. A success they inflate to any dimensions,
and take the lion's share ; but a failure they care-
fully hush up, witness Cochin China, where they
are now in an " impasse," and the operations, espe-
cially in the last fighting, have been anything but
advantageous to the expeditionary corps.
We have a spleudid body of Sikhs in India ; we
have plenty of Bombay, Madras, and even some
still faithful (?) Bent,* Sepoy regiments. Any num-
ber of local corps of \tussulmans could be raised in
India for a special tenrporory service in China, and
these, with a nucleus 'of 8,000 Europeans, would
amply suffice for any purpose • but let them operate
separately, without any en tangling French auxiliary
corps. The entente cordiale is, as everybody kiows,
a mere phrase, and the feelings of the French army
are well known to be anything but cordial towards
the English, who, on their side, are not overbur-
dened with affection for their late allies in the field.
I believe that Government could not commit a more
unpopular act than to enter too closely at the pre-
sent jun,vture into a French military alliance. The
nation have had enough of that. 11te never ought to
have permitted their association wish ourselves in
the first China war, which was even then felt to be
chiefly due to the prevalent spirit of the Ministry
of the day of toadying the French Emperor. The
force they contributed was very small, and, from
that fact alone. of little assistance, while the results
they obtained were a share of the (promised) bene-
fits of the treaty, an increase of prestige in the East,
and all the honours, to believe their own accounts.
Their only disappointment was the non-acquisition
of some territory, as they had fondly calculated upon
obtaining such a compensation; but Lord Elgin's
self-denying and astute policy on this head forced
them to yield in their demand on the Chinese nego-
tiators.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
London, Sept. 14. A. C.

CONSERVATIVE REJOICINGS IN
WEST KENT.

Yesterday the Conservatives of West Kent cele-
brated their victory at the last general election by
a grand banquet in a marquee erected in the Mote-
'park, on :he confines of the town of Maidstone.
Nearly 1,000 guests sat down to dinner, among
whom were Lord Holmesdale and Sir E. Filmer, the
members for the division of the county, the Earl of
Romney, the Earl of Darnley, Lord Kingsdown, Sir
N. Knatchbull, Sir T. M. Wilson, Sir B. Bridges,
M.P., Sir J. H. Maxwell, Mr. G. Hardy, M.P.,
Col. Fletcher, and Admiral Marsham.
After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts,
Earl STANJIOPE rose to propose the toast of the
evening, " Success to the Conservative cause in West
Kent." Before adverting to the political topies in-
volved in the toast, the noble earl begged permission
to say a few words in explanation of his presence
there. For the last few years he had felt it his duty
to abstain from taking a share in any partycelebra-
tions, which he thought the proper course for him to
pursue, after the circumstances under which he lost
his seat in the House of Commons in the general elec-
tion of 1852. When, two years after losing his seat
there, he succeeded to a seat in the House of Lords,
he did not seek to connect himself anew with any,
political party. As a new peer he was content to con
sider measures as they came before him without any
reference to party considerations, and to decide upon
them as his conscience might determine. (Hear.)
But that course, however satisfactory it might be in
the ordinary current of affairs, was not so satisfac-
tory when a great contest was waging throughout
the country. (Cheers.) In the spring of the present
year, when there was in the House of Commons an
adverse vote to the Government of Lord Derby, ands
when there was in consequence an appeal to the
country, several persons had referred to his judg-
ment and counsel as to the course which they ought
to pursue under the circumstances. The course which
might suffice for an individual member of the Legis-
lature was not so satisfactory when it became a
question of advising others. Looking to all the cir-
cumstances of the country, it appeared to him that
the vote of the House )f Commons adverse to the
Government of Lord Derby was not justly founded
—(cheers)—and that it would be very desirable that
it should be reversed by the vote of the constituen-
cies then appealed to. (Hear, hear.) Taken as a
whole, the Government of Lord Derby, it appeared
to him, was entitled to support. (Cheers.) rDe
foreign affairs of the country had been conducted in
accordance with the just requirements of the honour
of the nation, and an unremitting anxiety for the
preservation of peace ; while in domestic affairs
there was, with a desire to maintain the institutions
of the country, a readiness to frame and bring for-
ward measures of' practical amendment. (Cheers.)
Holding those opinions, he had thought it desirable
that the judgment of the country when Ippealed to
should not ratify the vote of the House of Commons
—(hear, hear)—and if the counsel which he then
gave to a few private friends had brought him
more prominently forward in a political character
than had been the case for some years past, he
did not regret it, if it also brought him into
more cordial connexion with those whom he
saw around him. (Cheers.) In West Kent
the result of that appeal to the country had been a
great and signal triumph. In no part of the king-
dom, under circumstances of great discouragement
and unpromising appearances, had so considerable
a triumph been achieved for the Conservative cause.
(Cheers.) In other parts of the country, however,
the result was not the same, and though the elec-
tion added very materially to the number of mem-
bers disposed to give a general support to Lord
Derby's Government, yet on the meeting of Parlia-
ment a vote was given by a small majority which
btought about its immediate resignation. Lord
'Palmerston's Government followed it, and it would
ill become those who hold the name of Conservative
to offer a predetermined and undiscriminating op-
position either to his Government or to any (der
which might be formed in this country. (Hear.)
The policy of Conservatives should be to support
good measures from whomsoever they might come,
and to reserve their opposition for such measures as
they might deem injurious to the public interest.
(Cheers.) Nay, it could scarcely be denied that if
Lord Palmerston should turn out to he able to carry
safe and moderate measures, it would be owing
solely to the generous forbear ante of that very party
which he had done his utmost to expel from power.
(Cheers.) The measure:: of Lord Palmerston's Go-
vernment were not yet before the country; succeed-
ing to office so late In the year, it was natural and
unavoidable that they should content themselves
with despatching the necessary business, and re-
serve till next session whatever more substantial
measures they had to propose. But in the forma-
tion of Lord Palmerston's Government there were
one or two circumstances of a most unfavourable