Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-08-21
INTELLIGENCE FROM CHINA.

| Victoria is an able production. 1t implies
homage on her part to the great emperor, aud
that they, the said letter writers, arc her
equals that England has been nourished
and has grown rich by the urbanty and kind
ness Of the Chinese, in permitting the trade
to Canton; that weeds and tarcs have grown
up in two hundred years, and that sordid per-
sons have poisoned the land with opium,
thinking only Of themselves, and robbing the
| Chinese Of immense treasures to pay for it.
| The address grows eloquent:
| This is principle which heavens providence re-
pugnates! aud which all mankind conformity look
upon with adherence! Moreover, the great emperor
hearing Of it, actually qIivcrcd with indignation and
especially despatched me, the commissioner 10 Cnn
ton, that in conjunction with the Viceroy and Lieut.
Governor of the province means might be taken for
It's suppression.
Absolute death and no mercy thereafter are
lccrccd to all guilty of smuggling, or eating
opium. 1t speaks of England as 10000
miles off, They rctort on the Queen for per-
hitting this trade of opium TO the Central
Land, but Furnishing her own people when
contraband and injurious articles are brought
to her country. They say China gives to
others nothing but what is bcncfcial-nevcr
any thing noxious. Without our tea, say
they, you could not exist single day nor
could you pay for the manufacture Of your
woollcns without our silk" The articles
that you send us arc only fit for presents or
amusmcnts, and il Is immatcrial whether VIC
have them or not 1t is only that our hcav-
cnly dynasty most freely permits you to take
of her tea, silk and other commodities, and
convey them for consumption, every where,
withou, the slghtcs, stint or grudgc, for no
other reason, but that wherever profit en-
isl Re wish that it should be dllused abroad
5 benefit of all the earth.
9lreetold profit you obtain also by your
cm.Ss. The writers put the case of foricn-
erl tlucing the English to use opium, and
asMEhat she would do. They wish all the
world to do unto others as they would wish
others to do unto them. They are Chris
tans at heart. They praise the Queen for
the laws against contraband trade, but say
they arc not put in force in the ships to Chi
ma. The Bishop of London, the great organ
of the high church aristocracy, might envy
tho following wholesome and moral advice
on the subject of the culture of opium in
) East India:
II is only in sundry parts of yonr subject kingdom
of Hilloosian such ns BENGAL, Madras, Bombay
1t I'a,na, Malwa, Bennrc- Malacca, and other places
where the very hills are covered with the opium plant
where tanks are made for the preparing of the drug
month by month and year by year the volume of poi
son increa es its unclcan stencil ,sccnds upward nm
nj hcayenltso grows angry, and the very gods there
at got indignant! lou, the Queen of the said honor
able nation, ought immediately to have the plan, in
these parts pluckcd US by the very roots cause the
land there TO be hood up afrcshsow in its stead tht
five kinds of grain,and if any man dare again tt
plant in these grounds single poppy, visi, his Grim,
with the most we're punishment Bv truly bcnev
n vnN Irb lin
Idccd reap advantage and do away with source o
levll Heaven must support you, and the gods vii
lcrown you with felicity! This will &C, for yoursel
the blessing Of long life and from this will proceed thu
stability and security Of your descendants.
We confess ourselves unable to resist it
, sound sense and powerful reasoning. Anc
" Haunting the Queen with the fact of he
H. subjects being allowed out of pure bcncvo
lcncc to reside on their soil and 10 trade, the,
proceed to say:
rs Suppose the subjects of another country were to
III TO England 10 ira lo they would certainly be require
On to comply with the laws of England then how muc
more docs this apply to us of the celestial empirc!
Now ii lsa fixed statute of this empire, that any nav
Mt Chinese " no sells opium is punishable with death an
NJ even he who merely smokes il must no less de-
g Pause and reflect moment if you foreigners did no
bring the opium hitler where would onr Chinese poo
pie get II TO resell where should they procure
nd to smoke II is .you, foreigners, who involve on
cd simple natives in the pit of death and those on
to be permitted 10 escape alive? If 50 much ms one c
o1c deprive on Of our people Of his fc he must for
more docs this apply to him, who, by means ofoplln
=, DESTROYS many of his fellow men! Does the havo
- winch he commits stop with single life! Therefor
let II those foreigners who import opium into tn
n central land condemned to be bceadcd and strar
ye gcd by the new statute; and this explains what W
sad nj the beginning about pucking up the of cy
wherever It takes root for the benefit of all nations.
'm Well indeed may we laud the subim
y" moral prcccpts Of Confucius and others G.
their ancient philosophers, for the purity c
their recommendations, taught in all til
schools and colleges of China, and imbibc
as precious fruits of instruction with thci
mothers milk. They wind up thus:
Any ono who within the next year md half mn
by mistake bring opium TO this country if he will b,
voluntarily come forward and deliver up the ontir
quantity, he shall be absolycl from nl punishment fo
his crime. IT. however, the appointed term shall hay
Iexpred, and there are still persons who continue I
bring it, then, such shall be accounted as knowngl
death on no account shall VIC show mercy or elem
ency! This then may be called truly the extreme {
benevooncc and the very perfection of justicc
I'm ce,,s,lnl empire rules over ten thousand king
doms! Most surely do we possess measure of noC
Ike majesty which ye cannot iathom Still we car
not bear 70 STAY or cNiorminne without previous wa,
nnT, and 1t Is for this. reason that we now ccarl
make known to You the fixed laws of our land
heioclgn merchants Of your said honorable naio
desire to continue their commercial intercourse the
must tremblngy obey our recorded statu,es-thf
nd must cur on forever the source from which the opul
lows, ana on no account make an experiment of OF
ln"s IN thelr own persons! Let then your hjrh no.
punish those of your Subjects who NAV be criminal
90 not Gndeayor 10 screen or conceal Them and thu
You will secure pence and quctncss TO your posse.
sons thus you vii more than display promo
sense OF respect md obod nee and thus NAV we nm
'cdly cnlov the common blessings of peace and ham
ness; What greater joy what more complete felc
" than this ''"'
Let your highness Immediately upon the rocent
this COMMUNICATION inform lis promptly oftho state
iha'tels ana OF me measures you nre pursuing ut erl
- put a stop 10 the OPIUM evil. Please let y0ur rcni
be speedy. Do not on any account make excuses {
procras,lnate.
\ most important communication!
T. s. We annex an abstract of the new law nbo,
TO he put in force.
"Any foreigner or foreigners bringing opium 10 +,
central land, with design to sell the same tho nrinc
pals shall most HssurodIy be dccapitatcd and the a,
ccssories srnnGlcd md all property found on boar
Their ship shall be coniscatcd. The space Of w.,
and half is granted, within the which, if anv'or