Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-02-17

Ism diplomatic oihcers, followed by the seize
ure and destruction, upon the compulsve de-
livery, Of several ship loads of opium, the
property of British subjects, finally kindled
the war, which has very extensively, but err
roneously, been attributed to this last Incl
dent alone. The lawful object of the war,
on the part of Great Britain was to compel
the imperial despot to treat, as the sovereign
of great empire, with the sovereign of a.
mother empire not less powerful, Of the inter-
course, commercial and political, between
their two mighty nations, upon terms of per-
feet equality and reciprocity The conflict
was, in root and substance, for equal rights
Of independent nations against the inso-
lent and absurd assumption of despotic SUI
Ipremacy On this point, the committee for
bear TO express any opinion
1t is understood that one of the stipuIa-
tons of the treaty of peace recently conclu-
ded has secured to the British Government
the right of treating hereafter with that of
China, by accredited commissioners pleni-
potentiary, upon terms of perfect equality
and reciprocity. But as Great Britain was
not bound, and perhaps, in strictness, had
net the right to stipulate for the same prin-
SiPlC III OCndli vi OliCl hdliOHS, IL VIII HAT
urally follow that, as a compact, it will be
obligatory only upon the parties; and the
Chinese may continue to claim superiority
and vassalage in the intercourse Of other for
eign nations within his dominions, as he has
done hitherto.
But, the spell being once broken, the hon
or, interest and pride of the Emperor will
all be prompted to concede, in peace and
amity, to other nations, the same equality of
access to his Government which has been ex-
torted from him by British arms. The in
tercourse of these United States with the
Celestial Empire has hitherto been exclu-
sively commercial; and they have submitted
to hold 1t upon the same terms in which all
the other maratime nations of Chris
tendon have, until this recent conflict,
tamely acquiesced, Consus, TO reside at
Canton, have been appointed, from time to
time, from the period of our independent
existence; but they have never been permit
ted to enter the gates ofCanton, nor received
or acknowledged in any other capacity than
as outside arbarians-vassals to the Su-
preme Lord of the FIowery Land The hui
initiating forms in which the concession of
superiority has been exacted, is signally ex-
empliied in the following extract from the
letter of the Consul of the United States to
the late Secretary of State, Mr. Forsyth
After reporting an edict which he had recent
" received from tho imperial comm;e-;-.-~.
and the governor oil IauIon, ana ms respect
full answer to it, he says "The reply, of
which now send you copy, was returned
by this officer, 1.-THE kwang-chow-soo0 re-
guessing that | would add an expression of
gratitude for all favors bestowed on me by
the Great Emperor, and Likewise a hope for
the continuance of the Celestial dynasty s
trade with my nation, placing the Celestial
dynasty about an inch higher on the paper
than my nation, thereby admitting their SUI
periority."
Mr.. Snow very properly declined to COM
ply with this demand, but the fact fits being
made proves how tenaciously the Chinese Of
ficers then adhered to their pretension, and
to what minuteness of mere formalities it was
extended
The Committee OH Foreign Affairs, be-
lieving the present moment suspicious for
placing, by mutual consent, the future rela-
tons of intercourse between the United
States and the Empire of China upon foot
ing of national equality and reciprocity, pro-
pose an appropriation of SAC, 600, to enable
the President to accomplish that object
without deeming it necessary to designate
the specific rank or character of the agents
whom he may employ for that purpose Of
more specially to limit the amount of contin-
gent expenses which may occur in the pro-
cess of its accomplishment