Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1822-07-27

the consequences It tbe suspension OF the
Chinese trade be continued, and the re-
admission Of the Englishto their factories
and possessions in Canton be obstiDateIy
resisted by the Chinese Government
As to the first vi these questions, there
is this important difference between the
present occurrence, and those Of a similar
| nature which have preceded II. Under
| the present circumstances, one oil his Ma.
jesty's ships have been concerned, and the
gunner having acted in performance of bis
duty, and under the command OF bis OH
Ger, It is impossible that the man can &c
delivered up, and therefore. the demand
of the Chinese must inevitably be rejected
In all former cases the individual deman-l
dsd has always been surrendered, and the
Chinese have persisted in the suspension
OF all trade, until they have obtained this
concession. In the last occurrence OF this
nature OIL the part OF our own East India
| Company, the consequences were eluded
by fortunate occurrence that OF the Chs
nese being induced TO accept the body OF
deceased. sailor as the individual by
whom the act was committed. But, in
the present case, the capt. OF his Majesty's
; ship cannot OF course descend to any COM
promise of this nature. The falsebood it.
self, implied il not expressed, being con-
trary TO the honor and dignity of the coun-
try and the act of concession 10 an absurd
and unjust demand being unquestionably
| degrading.
Under such circumstances, we confess
that we can see very little hopes OF an am
icable settlement of this affair. Such set>
Element can only be effected by one oul OF
two modest the concession OF the
English, or the retrocession OF the Chi
nese. The first as above said, is impossi.
! Bile and when we consider The notorious
character Of the Chinese Government, its
prize, its ignorance, and its obstInancy
we ale almost induced TO conclude that
the latter mode is almost equally hopeless.
The question, therefore, is what will be
the consequences. These may be very
shortly stated. Either we must submit
and relinauish Canton altogether, and the
Tea Trade; or we must demand those ex-
plantations Of the Chinese Government,
and, perhaps, those rights OF property, OF
indemnity, under some purchase or con-
tract for our Factory at Canton, which in
the notorious spirit of the Chinese Govern
ment must lead to war with that coun-
try.
In the first of these two events, we re-
iinauish trade, which produces three
millions annually TO the revenue OF the
country. Nor is this the only consequence
| The tea trade now constitutes The only
lucrative branch Of the commerce OF the
East India Company and alone supports
! the large amount of their tonnage, and
proportionate employment to British sail
ors. Add to this, that LONG use has now
rendered the consumption OF tea one Of
! the necessaries OF the country, composing
two out of four of the daily meals OF the
great body OF the community. Let Us i'm
agine, only for a moment, the national
effects of complete stoppage OF the sup.
ply OF tea-a revenue lost, almost equal
| to what now remains of the malt tax! And
how is this diicit to be supplied? The
trade OF the East India Company cut up
by the roots; and the breakfast and tea
reduced in every house in the Kingdom
Tea, instead of 7 shllings per pound,
would be guinea at least, and within
very short period, not 10 be procured at
any price FIVE put the revenue and the
tonnage out Of the question, we should not
ourselves, perhaps, much lament these
consequences, as we think the community
would gain in ease and comfort by being
compelled 10 adopt some home grown artI-
Gle. as the substitute for this far-sought
| exotic. Our own coffee planters would
gain what the Chinese and the Company
would lose; or, perhaps, we should re-
| turn to the habits OF our ancestors IN the
days of Elizabeth and James, when the
allowance for the breakfast of a young Ia
| DIV of quality was pound OF beaf.steaks
and a quart of ale. But the public reven-
| ne. the British tonnage, the sailors, &c.
are matters OF more consideration, and we
| do not see how the country, under such
circumstances, can we'll giAe up this trade.
In the second event, there is this dittl-
Guilty, indeed, at the outset; that by the
law of nations, every country has right
to prohibit another country from trading
with it., and that such prohibition is no
ground for war. 1t is indeed, absurd to
say that we have any right to go to war
with the Chinese because they refuse to
| supply US with tea. But we anticipate
that this difficulty will be removed by some
outrageous insult on the part of the Chi
nese in giving the required explanation.
The question then is, what is to be done
how is the wat to be commenced, and
what must be its object? Its object must
be- we should think, to make permanent
conquest OF Canton and about three or TOUR
hundred miles Of the country round CaD.
ton, and to guard it by posts, souie what
perhaps, in the nature of Martello towers,
from all the possible efforts of such pow.
er as the Chinese. We should think that
an army of about 10000 men would be |
G -. ler q service of this kind. |