The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-03-17
U. S. LEGATION, MACAO, MAY 9, 1874.

~ % istchIioNJ MAY ~ 1914
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge the receipt
Of the Two letters addressed TO by your Exceen-
cy under date OF the fourth of the present month
In view OF the facts set forth in those letters and
OF your Encellencys earnest proiestations Of the
friendly intention Of the Imperial Government have
concluded 10 wait here short time longer in the hope
OF the arrival OF satisfactory adyces from the Court.
Al the same time, 1t seems proper to state to your
EIcellency, IN all frankness the circumstances under
which have adopted this conclusion
Foreign ambassadors represent the sovereignty of
their nation. ANY dsresPect shown TO them is dis
respect to their nation, Government or sovereign
They possess the ght the discharge of their pub
lie duty, to come and go without let or hinderance-
Causeless TO modest them, IS national injury of the
gTayest character.
Accordingly, in the. West, foreign Ministers, on
arriving at the borders OF the Government to which
they are sent are accustomed to enter the country
Immediately, and to proceed, without delay or ob
s,acle, to the Court where, after paying their re-
sPects to the sovereign, they address themselves at
once to the appropriate minister of State for the
transaction OF the business Of the mission
such are the usages followed by the West in the
general interests OF humanity. For when great ma
tons deal together such, they must deal through
the medium either of ambassador the instruments of
friendship, or OF fleets and armies the instruments OF
hostility. There IS no other alternative And thus
1t IS that the agency of ambassadors is found to be
OF the greatest utility not only the means of ter
means of securing the continuance of the blessings
of peace.
these principles are universally received in the
west, and have reason to think they are in China
also; for | find that in the fourth and sixth articles
oil The treaty OF keang Nan, his Imperial Majesty
makes special mention OF the injuries done to Cap
tain Elliot and other British officers by Chinese Min.
listers OF State, and recognises the justice and pro-
Prety oil granting reparation therefor to the Gov
erhment OF Great Britain; and find, also, that on
the occasion OF the embassy of Lord Mccartney, in
the reign OF the Emperor Keen Lung orders were
despatched to all the seapors Of China previous To
his arrival commanding public officers 10 give to him
hosP'taoe reception wherever he should appear on
the Coast, and to afford to him all facilities for imme.
diately proceeding to the Imperial Court
That the Chinese Government might no, be I'M
prepared Tor the contingency of my arrival it re-
ceved official notice last autumn that the President
OF the United States had appointed an envoy to the
Court of Picking
Whereupon, il was competent for the Chinese Co
vernment, 1t desired that the Envoy on his arrival
IN emma should confer with ain Imperial Commission
eI before proceeding to Picking, to have had such
Commissioner N readiness in the frontier Province
or, II that was nconvenent, then to have given au
thorlty and instruction to the Provincial Government
for the reception of the Envoy
Respect towards friendly nation Justice, the prin-
cPles OF International comfy, the love of peace all
required that one of these two things should have
been done
But, instead OF either Of these things, Instructions
were given to the Provincial Government to imnor
tune the Envoy, on his arrival to wait at the frontier
an uncertain time, while the Provincial Government
was lett IN the interim without any authority to re.
ceive the Envoy-Day, without authority even tn ex
change the most ordinary couresies either with m.
Envoy or with the commander of the squadron of the
United States. " VIZ
must not conceal from your Excellency the ex
IRENE dissatisfaction and disappointment which the
people oil America will experience when thew learn
that their Envoy, instead of being prompv and cor
daily welcomed by the Chinese Government ia Inns
molested aud delayed on the very threshold of the
Province of Yuh " '''
The people of America have been accustomed To
CONSIDER emma the most refined and the most enIight
ened OF the nations OF the East, and they will de-
mand how IT is possible, if China be thus re6oeJ ,b
should allow herself 90 be wanting in conr,es, .,
their Envoy; and, If China be thus enlightened how
IS possible that, having Just emerged from n ,var
WIN bngiano, and being In the daily expectation of
the arrival OF the Envoy of the French, she should
suher hersei TO slight and repel the good will of the
United States And the people of America will he
disposed Indignantly to draw back the profered b,nJ
oil friendship when they learn how inperfectly The
iayor IS appreciated by the Chinese Government
In consentng, therefore, 10 postpone for a shor,
tne longer my departure for the North and in omit
ng' ,or however brief period to consider the sc
ton OF the Chinese Government as one of omen ds
respect to the United States. and 10 take due poa.
OF redress, incur the hazard of the dsapprobs,on
and censure OF my Goyernment-for the Americas |
Government is peculiarly sensitive to anv scl of Tor
ted States 0' VI VIC UNI |
IL IS The custom Of American citizens To deme,n
themselves respectfully towards the people and an
thorilies OF any foreign nation in which thew NAV or
lhe Time peing, happen TO reside Your ExceIlencv
mas frankly and truly borne witness to the Just and
IesPeclu ueportment wh'ch both scholars and mer
Tested in China
ms cannot be more acceptable to the Goyerpmeo,
d Oh'na man It IS TO that Of the United States