The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-04-12

Very Late from China-Highly Important
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Riots I'm Canton
Shocking Barbarities Of the Chinese-he-
newaI OF Hostilities against England.
Ship Delhi, Captain Cole, arrived yesterday from
Canton. We have received by her the Canton
''Press" and "Regester' TO the 18th OF December
inclusive She sailed on the 10th.
The news is most important. 1t shows that the
difficulties between the Chinese and English are far
from being settled. War seems to be reminding
in that quarter with great rapidity
This new but not unexpected phase in the aspect
of affairs in the Celestial Empire began with most
horrible buchery Of one or two hundred British sub
jecs who had been unfortunately wrecked on the
Chinese coast. 1t then assumed the shape Of ter
ride not IN Canton, which resulted in the total de-
sruction of the English factories and the loss of
verai lives. We give an account Of this in which
the revengeu. bitter feeling of the Chinese against
the English, is seen throughout 1t had become I'M
safe for foreigners to reside in Canton and the Eng
sh have now the part of their crusade against
China TO perform. A renewal of the war appears in.
evitable.
The authorities at Canton disclaimed all partici-
patton in the riots. They offered every apology
and PROMISED to pay for all damage done. This,
however, appears merely to deceive the English
Straws tell as we'll first setting fire to the English
flag staff.
Trade was languid in Canton, although good
many chops of tea had been bought at rather high
prices
The U. S. frigate Constellation, Com. Kearney,
was at Macao on the 17lh of December
There were no lessthan eighteen American mer.
chant ships in the Chinese waters on the 10th of De-
cember, when the Delhi sailed.
From Canton Press, Dec. III
We last week laid before our readers such par
ficuars OF the riots at Canton on the 9TH and Sth of
this month as had then reached Macao. Our i'm
preston that this riot, or 1t may perhaps even be
called insurrectlon, was not momentry ebullitioR
tween the Lascars and Chinese, has become more
strengthened by all we have heard, and we cannot
but suspect that the project to destroy the English
factory had been for sometime entertained by
Tarty at Canton, and that It's execution may perhaps
have been prematurey hurried on by circumstances
The fact that the flagstaff in front of the British
hong was first fire to, and of the mob being even
anxious that the fire should not spread beyond the
lace tcas chiefly directed against the English or their
property, and it is indeed fortunate circumstance
that the weather happened to be SO calm and fine,
for had there been any wind, no matter from what
quarter, little doubt can be entertained but that the
fire which has now destroyed only three hongs,
would have communicated to the remaining ten and
to those OF the hong-merchants, in which case the
loss Of property would have been enormous. For.
unarely. atthe time OF this riot occurring, but few
Of the Factories which were all more less injured
In May last year by the populace, were inhabited
house in the Dutch, and four in the English
hong were occupied; nor was there, we are
told, much, property In the godowns formerly be-
longing to the Company. The most sensible loss on
quantity of specie. said altogether to amount to
about 1900, which was pundered by the mob.
1t was said that summary capital punishment had
been dealt upon some of the offenders, and their
however, coincidence that the number of eads,
and of those ofthe mob found dead in front of the
factories, is the same, namely five, and the susp-
clon that the heads Of the already dead were made
to serve on this occasion seems not to be Hound
ed, since during the then temper of the populace,
and the very slender authority the government
seemed to possess the latter would hardly have
tured on infilcting such summary punishment. On
the following morning, the II. c. steamer Proser-
pine anchored In front of the Factories, and her
opportune arrival with Sir Hugh Cough on board)
Chinese fancied that she would Immediately open
fire upon the town. The shopkeepers began TO carry
off their goods, and people tried to get as much as
Pessoe gu, q the steamers way In the course Of
the authoritesat Canton, at which these expressed
their regret at what had happened, excused it with
theirwant OF power oyer the excited people, and
offered compensation for the damage done fast
boat had on the day previous been despatched from
Canton for Sir Henry Pottinger at Hongkong, but
this. singular enough, was not allowed to pass down
the river by the Chinese cruisers, and the man to
whom the despatch had been entrusted, with an offer
OF $40 for It's sale delivery al H ongkong, came back
toCanton day two after, stating that the letter had
been taken from him by the Mandarins. Up to the
cation, il understood, had been received there
from Hongkong, but according to our accounts from
the latter place, the rumors that strong force was
Immediately to proceed to Canton, are without
tony Iottn Synh ants In Iato
prove how very unsafe il now has become not only
place of residence for foreigners but as depo-
sit OF commercial property as the slightest pretext
may, and will we doubt not, cause repetition OF
end still more destructlvey. If Canton is 10 remain
port tor foreign commerce, II seems to be quite
necessary that there should also have the
means of defending themselves against the people,
and fort and garrison wo,.d become Indispensable
The arrangements of the details of the treaty of
peace has by this event become more complicated,
if indeed The Chinese are sincerely bent upon nc
comprising it. There can be no doubt that among
the people much disse tstacton exists account of
the success of the British arms and that many of them
ascrbe the failure on heir side and probably not
unlusty,to the ncapacity andvenalityo their officers.
We hardly believe that after the severe lesson
read to them, the high officers of State or the I'm.
perial government should be DESTROYS of again
panging the country into war by nonfulhlment OF
the treaty; yet accounts lately received from Can
ton make it almost appear that the former pacific pro-
fesstons Of the Peting government hOl0tc as
they during the memorable erChdnge of notes be-
tloeeN the Imperial Commissioner ReSen and Capt
Elliot, and tnat since great proportion of the
force has LETT the north, the Court may again atter
itself that in second trial Of strength it may fare
better than in the first. The circumstance which
has caused our suspicion that the Chinese govern
ment does not intend with good faith to fulfil the
conditions of the treaty, the report brought from
Canton, that Elepoo, the Imperial Commissioner,
hitherto daily expected to arrive for the arrange.
ment of details, is sad when not many days Jour
ney from Canton, to have received orders immed-
aey to retrace his steps If this should prove true
it isvery probable that another campaign will be-
come necessary, it going great way to convince us
that the Chinese are not nearly enough humbled
To understand why such important concessions
should be made to a foreign nation, upon which,
to within the last few years, they have locked with
sovereign contempt
From Canton Register Dec. III
The mob at Canton continued still very mischlev-
and fhrea ninn the "a I<ro