Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-12-03
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C. Ill | N A.

tons of the English forces against Canton,
ye, do the English papers we received by
the steamer Caledonia, contain several indi-
cations of the intentions of the new admins
tration towords the Celestial Empire. And
these, would seem to us, TO portcnd deter
mination OH the part Of the present members
Of the British government to carry out fully
the views Of their predecessors, and probably
to give to them still further Q t .nsor. We
see that volunteers from the Royal Artillery,
TO serve in China, are called for, and it is
added that great number had come forward
that new description Of projoctilc weapon
had been tested al the Arsenal at Woolwich,
and teing found highly effective, quantity
had hccn ordered for service in China. 1t
should also be rccolcctcd that recently in his
place in the House Of Lords, the Duke Of
Wellington declared that the conduct Of the
Chinese fully justified the hostili,cs COM
menced against them, and that on another
occasion the same eminent parsonage said
"that England could not carry on a little
War" We infer, therefore, that speedy
termination of hostitics is certainly not ex-
pectod, while it is not unlikely, that higher'ob
jects and larger ornaments arc now in con-
temptation than were at first thought Of The
Duke Of Wellington, whose influence will
now be paramount in ihc British Cabinet.
gained his first laurcs in British India, and
though his later services were more calcula-
ted to engross the attention Of Europe, tho
perseverance, talent and success which mar
kcd his early career on the more distant field,
have as they became known and appreciated,
contributed, not little to place him on the
high pinnacle Of farm where he now stands.
Like all British Indian Officers, he is likely
to entertain ideas Of continued British .ar-
grandizcmcnt in that quarter Of the Globe,
and the most perfect contemps Of the means
ofresStance in the power of the natives
These considerations should also, perhaps,
have their weight in considering the future
policy which will be adopted by England
towards China.
A Boston correspondent Of the Journal of
Commerce, giving an account Of lecture
by John Quincy Adams, in which he iusti-
fies the war waged against China, says:
ale went through the whole history of the inter
course ctwecn the Europeans and the Celestial En-
pre, and cave particular ana ,aaic accounts of The
different Embassies from the Court of ST James
IL the 'Fatler Of the flowcrv Land" lie considered
the opium question It tr ling incident in the cause
OF the present war with China and no more the origin
Of 1t than the throwing overheard OF few chests of
the tea N the harbor OF Boston was the origin of the
war OF the Revolutions. And he is right. He car
ried ba the causes of the to the niiany frs,
gwen to Lord Napier IN the rejection Of the commu-
nlcations, which he was ordered, BY his government
to make directly 10 the Vice Roy of Canton and the
proceeding that succeeded that transaction" "AIr
Adams, in the statement of facts in HI. narrative was
as accurats asst he had made Wis to the celestial
empire himself"
Now, it so happens, that either Mr.
Adams is msrepresented in these paragraphs,
or his accuracy in the statement of facts is
not so perfect as his reporter would have US
believe. lie is made to speak of the ndig-
nifty given to Lord Napier. when the truth
is, if the history Of Lord Napicr's embassy
which we have read be worth farthinp,
that all the indignity either given or received
in the affair, was suffered by the Chinese.
The whole story is simply this When the
British East India Company's superinten-
dence OF the trade to China had cxpired.
commission was issued to Lord Napier, and
two others, to proceed to China to negotiate
with the authorities. In this commission thew
were enjoincd not to excite the prcudices of
the Chinese in any way, and by strict OBJ
servance of their forms and ceremonies, to
concliate their friendly feelings. Bnt in
instructions afterwards sent to Lord Napier,
he was directed by Lord Palmers,on, ignor-
antly no doubt, to convey his letters, &c.
directly to the Vicc-Roy.
1t appears, however, that by the edic,s
and immcmoral custom Of the Empire. no
foreigner is allowed to have direct conmu-
nicalion with the Nice-Roy, and that all pa
pers and documents intended for him, must
be transmitted through the Hong merchants,
who are IN order of licensed traders. Lord
Napier, in obedience to the letter of his last
instructions, refused to conform to this prac-
tce. and consequently his communications
were returned. lie construed the act into an
indignity, worked himself into a towering
passion, fell to abusing the government and
the authorities, by placardng them as dolts
and savages, and then, or shortly afterwards,
returned nome. Suppose Charge d'Af.
flares from the United States should insist
upon handing his credentials, not to the min
lister to which the British Constitution COM
mlts such business, but to Queen Victoria in
person, would there be any "indignty" in
quietly rebuking his insolcnce by putting him
IN the right course !-Ec. Pest.
RECTpRDCTpN nv ,rDAnu