Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-12-04
From the u. s. Gazette.
MIR. ADAMs's LECTURE ON CHINA All.
FAIRS.

N'"s' ee'ote Tue Historical society of Boston, on
the subject Of China Affairs, has created much sen.
sation. We subjoin the most extensive report that
has met sur eye enough to show the drift of the
discourse:
The lecture of Mr.. Adams before tile Historu,
Society, the other evening" was calculated 70 excite
the surprise Of most Of the audience. because il a.
doptcd a position regarding the dispute between
Great Britain and China, wholly at variance with
al the opinions that commonly entertained a.
,nons Ss Of iis real merits. As some c@riesiy has
been expressed to know the mode by which NJ.
Adams rnaiatsined the justice of the British cause,
we have 4a3eaken to give, brief, the heads of The
argument as we understood Il.
MIR. Adams commenced his lecture Ivy suggesting
inur questions for consideration as growing out Of
the controversy
J. Which party has the righteous cause!
2 The prospect of its progress and conclusion.
,. Huw the interest Of Other ns'inns or may
TO affected by it, particularly tho United States
4. The duties Of the Amerisan government, and
people resulting from it.
But although he made his extensive Distribution
Of this SUBJECT the limits of his lecture allowed him
only to dispose portion sfthe ftst point. 70 the
t1ll understanding of this, he went into the sxLmi
Ratisn OF the law of nations, sn9 the four sources
from which it springs, described hy taIte as he
necessary, the voluntary, the conventional and the
custorusey. The necessary law is the application
of nature to the intercourse between nations Who'll.
" independent of each other, and can be enforced
only between those whick acknowledge that the
state Of nature is the state Of peace. The voluntary
law of nations is the application of some law voun>
tarly assumed as for example, that of christianity
among the European nations, and their descendants
all the world, which law has been recognized
ty the United States as obligatory in the Cons,i,u.
ton.-The question between China and GreT,
Britain must be tried by tn first of these laws
The rights Of other Christian nations, far a. thoy
may he inpolved in the ISSUE must he tried 10y the
second
by the law Of nature, property springs fro two
soatces, occupancy and labor. But occupancy,
which gives exclusive night to the soil, mus, be
permanent. To be permanent it mus, be definite
by metcs and bounds, which can only lie compact.
These points being established, the righ, of c1.
change, barter, or commerce, necessarily follows
from property. And the state of nature being a
state Of peace, and the pursuit Of happiness nitu-
ru! right OF man. it is the duty Of men to contribute
much az they can to the happiness Of one anoih-
or, No way Of doing this is certain as that OF
the mutual exchange of equivalents. Commerce
is 'hcref,re among the natural rights and duties o
men.
These propositions being distinctly laid down
the lecturer went into an examination of the restric
tons which Vatte had imposed upon the duty o
commercial intercourse upon nations, and afte
separating from the question tho right Of any one
nation 10 enforce the performance of it upon anoh
er, he cndeavered 10 show that the second end lhir,
general laws laid down ia lhat eu,her's preilnina
~ chapter were al variance, aud wholly inconsist
cnt with the FIRST He maintained that il was i'm
possible to admit with Vattcl, that each naloI
ought to contribute all in its power to the happi
and perfection OF others, and afterwards alfrn
with him lha, each nation is bound to do wha,eve
it can 20 promote its Oh,n happiness, i, making il
self the exclusive Judge Of whs, that is, wi,hou
reference to that Of any other. This areumen
was the foundation Of Mr.. Adams's whole edlfc,
He bull, upon i, the duty of reciprocity betwee
nations; of commercial intercourse with each othe
not from exclusive or paramount consideration
their respective interests, bu, from equal regard I
the interests Of both. At the s-me time, he quail
fed this geReral rule far as TO admit every
ten 10 be the Judge of what species of traffic is IL
furious and TO have the right to inteIdic, it whe
10 longer fulfilling that condition upon whic
commercial intercourse is enjniued. This W,
dwelt upon at considerable length, and with gre
force aad ingenuity, bu, we find ourselves u,er
unable to follow it farther a, present than this bri
synopsis.
The basis having been thus made, nothing p
m,ined but to apply the principles evolved, 10 Il
history Of the controversy. Mr.. Adims revewe
toe relations with China, first Of the Portuguese
aud the mlnner in which they became possess Sc
of Macao, aud then Of the British, through Il
East India Company. and the mission which h.
lesn instituted in the person OF Lord Macartne
in 1892. He endesvored 10 show by it. that Il
policy of the Chinese Empire had always be-
based upon snii-commercisl principles, and y
manner in which it had been carried on was IN :
highest sense outrage upon the rights OF hum
nature, and upon those Of other nations. He
not spare some sarcasm upon the modes by win
the sovereigns Of Europe, and especially Gr'
Britain, had endeavoscd heTeofore TO .conciliale
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