The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-12 00:00:00

vning Ovitit

'LONDON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1844,

The accounts from China, brought by her MA-
JESTY'S steamer Driver to Bombay, and incorporated
in an article in the Bombay Times of the 19th of
July, received by the last Overland Mail, contain
some passages of an important, and, as we think, a
most unpleasant character. 'We subjoin an extract :
"The visit of the French frigate Alcmene to Chusan
and Shanghae had occasioned much excitement amongst
the Chinese along the coast, so that it was considered
eminently desirable that a strong naval force should be
kept in the north for the protection of British life and
property against the outbreaks of the mob. The Ame-
rican and French men-of-war Brandywine, St. Louis,
Cleopatra, and Alcmene, had arrived akost simulta-
neously in the Chinese waters. It is in no spirit of jealous
exclusivcness that we entertain the most serious appre-
hensions of disturbance ari sing from the presence of
foreigners whose conduct towards men of different man-
ners from themselves has always been petulant, irri-
tating, and overbearing. What business the French
haVe in risking the peace of their neighbours by scatter-
• ing their ships over the world for the gratification of
national vanity, we cannot discover. We will venture to
affirm that the gross value of their entire trade within
the tropics would not pay by half the maintenance of the
men-of-war dodging about in the torrid zone on pre-
tence of protecting it."

The same writer remarks that he had thought the
matter (the presence and ',interference of other Eu-
ropean vessels besides the English ones at the ports
newly conceded to the resort of English commerce)
"had been settled, by the provisions of the supple-
mentary treaty," that nothing can be more calcu-

lated to produce " embroilment and turmoil" than
French and American interference with a people of
whom they know nothing, whose prejudices they can
neither appreciate nor respect, and whom they even
exceed in vainglorious boasting ;—that at Canton, the
excitement of the mob, and their aversion for fo-
reigners, had again broken out in acts of violence,
which were exa•Terated by the accidental elevation
of an arrow as the weather index-point on the top of
a flagstaff before the residence of the United States
Consul ;—that whilst under the direction of that
gentleman a party of sailors were hauling down this
obnoxious index, a part of the mob had precipitated
themselves into the square, and threatened mischief
which appears, however, to have been averted. It is
further stated, in a letter from Hong-Kong of the
19th of July, that a native mob had not only broken
into the square of the American Factory, but had
actually endeavoured to pull down the American
standard ; that they were successfully resisted ; but
an
that a Chinese,
t be
innocent and unconcerned shop-
keeper, who happened looking on at the time,
was unfortunately shot, and that, at ten at night, the
Chinese soldiers entered the square, and cleared it ;
that the populace remained, however,
very violent;
',And Canton was placarded with threatening
notices,
poker
that
ha whatevert
that the factories would be attacked and burned.
h The
Chinese authorities appear to have no
over the mob, and it seems to be thou
some strong and decided measures are taken by us there
unless
will be no safety for either life or property at Canton."
In all this there is much food for reflection—possi.
bly some ground for apprehension. With regard to
the, visits of the Alcmene and the other French ships
of war to Chusan and Shanghae, we remarked, at the
time their sailing was ostentatiously announced by
the' organs of the French Government, that we
thought their destination had been projected in the
worst possible taste. The over-eager avidity with
which the opportunity was seized for a flimsily-
concealed design of creeping along in the wake 01
our victorious cruizers, to reap any possible advan-
tage which the peaceful and honourable close of our
operations might have left open to the designs of
others who had no sort of share in the previous fight-
ing, hardships, and sacrifices, by dint of which we
had consummated the settlement of our existing relations
with China—wilts be well remembered by our readers.
They will fully participate in the deprecations of the
v.ivtiter in the BomlArty TinteS• We are not aware,