The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-18 00:00:00

ing no•dilliculty in p!acing funds for it in Macao,
where also a con,•iderible busincs2 is being carried
ou in silk and odier products.

SINGAPORE.

A public meeting, convened by the Sheriff, had
been held at Singapore for the purpose of taldog
into consideration the recent Chinese outrages at
Sarawak, and to address Sir James Brooke,_ congra-
tulating that gentleman on his fortunate escape and
the re-establishment of his power.
A series of resolutions was passed expressing
sympathy for Sir James, and declaring it to be the
opinion of the meetinv that he was entitled to the
confidence of the British Government. The final
resolution was as follows :—" That it is the opinion
of this meeting that the late outbreak in Sarawak
is sufficiently indicatiie of the feelings and tenden-
cies of the Chinese, to warn all of the danger of
temporising with a class devoid of all proper feel-
ing, who view clemency as cowardice and conces-
sions as weakness, and to demand from the Legis-
lative Council of India those acts which have been
frequently asked for, and without which it is im-
possible to control the turbulent and disaffected."
A committee of four gentlemen was appointed to
carry out the resolution.

LITERATURE.

China. By Thomas De Quincey.
and Sons.

Groombridgo

A seasonable pamphlet yet. Part of it is a re-
print of articles which have just appeared in " Ti-
tan," but will deserve to be !read by all who
have Lot seen them in that spirited periodical.
The other ihalf termed a "preface" is altogether
new, and •is specially appropriate to the present
hour. We are now about to try arms and diplo-
macy together, with the most obstinate race of
officials on the face of the earth, and M. De Quincy
makes it his business to paint, as not many besides
De Quincy can, the memorable contrast between
the successful diplomacy of a consul carried on by
men of war, though without firing a shot, and the
utter failure of diplomacy carried on by ambassa-
dors, who were received, and paraded through the
Empire as the "Tribute-bearers of Barbarians."
We give some extracts in another column of the
principal details of the successful case referred to.
M. Da. Quincy, as might bs expected, has taken a
thoroughly English view of the whole question, but
he has d me, what all might not have expected, he
has waded through the blue-books en China for
this ten years past, and has, for the benefit of all of
us, evoked form, and breath, and life from the Dry-
asdust materials which we all shun if we can. His
view of the case is simply this, that " for licensed
scurrility in all their dealings with us, and
for the foul indignity of a spiteful exclusion
from a right four times secured by treaty,
the Chinese are facing the unhappy issues of
war." He challenges Mr. Cobden or any
apologist for the Chinese to name, " that Chinese
object which is here overlooked." He cites the
explicit declara. ions of the Consul at Shanghai (the
successful diplom mist) to prove that the example of
Canton is endangering the safety of foreigners at
all the other points ; and joins in urging the policy
recommended by our Government, by the merchants
of Manchester, --•
Liverpool, Glasgow, and Canton
namely, to act decisively at once, with an adequate
armed force, and to insist on.the renunciation of
the arrogant pre t ent ions to superiority hitherto
claimed by the semi-barbarian Emperor over Eng-
lish and other European Ge;vernments. This lies at
the *basis of all the ins al is and savagery whi ch foreign-
ers have to endure from the officials and the mob.
It only amused us once. We now see, however,
that it is a serious matter.