Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-11-05

nor one less justifable upon any principle of
right, or by the Law of nations.
The case is simply this: England while
she herself refuses to permit the free expor.
tation Of the staff Of life to her starving pc.
pulation, makes war on China for prohibiting
the importation of a deadly poison, which,
though salutary medicine when discreetly
administered, had, by excessive indulgence,
become scourge and a curse 10 the people
OF China. England, which abounds in TEN.
perance societies, insists that she shall DO
permitted to supply means of intoxication
TO millions of people, which is more fatal in
its effects than any compound ever invented
by the perverted ingenuity of man, for his
own destruction. The Emperor of China.
learning the havoc which this drug was ma
king among his people, issued an edict
against its further Introduction; and finding
that this prohibition was Intellectual, ordered
an immense quantity, which had been snug
gled in from the British possessions in India,
in violation Of this edict, to be seized and
destroyed.
Had he not right to do so by the law Of
nations? Ifany of our merchants, or any
foreign merchants, smugges goods Of the
most useful kind into the United States, or
> even attempts to enter them at less than
their cost, they are seized and sold for the
benefit OF the government, tie informer and
the custom-llouse officers. Neither England,
nor any other power, is authorized to inter-
, tere, much less to make war on us for e1er.
csing this acknowledged right of every in
: dependent government, to regulate its own
commerce within its own jurisdiction. By
what right, then, does she make war on
China for similar exercise of sovereignty
=, China is, in great degree, a patriarchal
government, and the Emperor exercises over
his subjects dcspotlc power, similar to that
of the patrarchs of old over their families.
His will is law, and so long as the people
o OF China choose to submit TO it, hehas
t the same right 10 make internal CONNER
: cial regulations that our own free govcrnmon,
possesses and exercises.
But, say the advocates and defenders Of
f this unriehteous war, the Chinese are no bet.
ter than barbarians, and their government,
by pursuing different policy from that Of
= Europe, has forfeited all claim TO the
protection of the law of nations. They
d say the same thing Of US; they c., US
n "outsr bar5ariuns," an who shall decide
It which is which! 1t is not long sine England
len, Il, a.. 4
!, us accordingly. Every body knows thai,
E arts, scien:r, literature and civilization,
:, ilourished in China for centuries, while Eu-
i rope was plunged in ignorance and barbar.
= ism; and every body knows that it has UNI
!. dergonc less change since that period than
IF any country under the sun. But then they
n cat with chop-s,icks, wear wooden shoes,
!. and caps instead Of hats. Nay, worse than
$ all tllis-by staying at home, living to them.
81 81 selves, an declining all political or COM
d mcrcal connection with other nations, they
Of have managed to preserve peace with all tho
., world during long ages, in which civilized
10 Europe has been dc'uged in blood.
W Tho silent acquiesccnce Of the world in a
principle which menaccs the independence
of of every nation und'r the sun, is one of the
., great phenomena ofthe times. Every body
ie must see that this interference with the local
ID regulations Of China, if justified at ALL will
n Justify England in forcing her products and
n manufactures on every nation at the point of
~ the bayonet. If she can oblige the Chinese
'e to receive deadly poison, she vii! oblige
every nation, whlcl, has not the strength or
spirit to resist her pretcnsons, to admit any
thing else, on such terms as she NAV be
> pleased TO dictate.
~ An obstinate adherence to their ancient
=, manners, habits and institutions, arc the lead.
ing characteristics Of the Chinese govcrn-
= ment and people. If they should pcrse we're
:, IN their opposition to the arrogant prctcn-
,c sIons of England, the eiTuson of human
. blood will be terrible to contemplate, aud
!. the aggregate o, human suffering incaleulable.
SAould the English forces attempt to penc.
= trate tn, interior Of the country, famine will
be added to war. Even in time of peace,
:. when the operations Of agriculture are unin-
terrupted, its products are barely adequate
-, to the subsistence of the hundreds of millions
OF inhabitants, notwithstanding the simplicity
otlheir mode Of living. Ii interrupted in
these peaceful pursuits, or driven from the
. cultivation of their fields, they cannot be sup
piled elsewhere, for there is a superilui,y
=, nowhere. They must perish by thousands,
tens of thousands, hundreds Of thousands. If
they fight, it must be under disadvantages.
that will produce such results as VIC have
- just seen at Canton, namely, caranse Of
five thousand men on one side and a loss Of