The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-04-04

And these conditions arc, 80 far as regards the
Un,ied States, tho separate act Of tho Chinese Gov
ernment. They are LAID down in the document com
monty called Commercial Regulations, (iDcludng
tho tariff y which, though arranged by conferences
between the British and the Chinese Plenipotsnts-
RES yet has neither Inc form nor tho substance VI a
treaty. The Commercial Regulations" went into
effect Immediately IN all the hyc ports They did not
become articles Of treaty until subsequent period
when lhoy adopted anas1atton To the supple
nentAry treaty. They were already ia force through
out the Empire in regard to England and (so lar as
they applied) in regard to the United States.
The supplementary treaty, by It's lot and ID arti-
eles, made The tariff and commercial regulations
(what they had not previously been) obligatory on
Chiaa and obhsa tory on Great Britain; and added
other s,ipaatons IN the interest of or the other
Government.
Among these other slipulaiions is that one, the
tenor OF which has been much misunderstood,
and ia misapprehenson of which the British journals
have assumed that their Government had allowed
other nations u have To China nay, that their
Government had exhausted the field Of negotiation ia
China TO such degree as 10 render tho French and
American missions a idle and las they protcnd)
ridiculous ostentalion. The boast and the reproach
thus uttered in derogaton Of US alike contradict
cd by the facts.
In the second place, TO the stipulation Of this ar
ucle.
Of two psrts,one the substantive stipulation, which
is IN the sole and exclusive interest of England and
the other the qualification Of it, in the interest Of
China.
IL does no, grant or allow anything whatever to
other nations.
BY the frs, part, England claims that she shall be
allowed to participate in the benefits OF any
sions which China may be induced by other nations to
make to them. Agreed, says CHM provided that,
in asserting this, do not mean - understand as
inviting encouraging England or any other power
to put forth unreasonable claims additional future
concessions.
Thus, instead Of assuming in this treaty TO stpu-
late for other Powers which would have been neither
decorous his part nor on that Of his Government,
Sir Henry Pottinger looking forward TO The proba-
bity that other Powers might obtain conces-
sioAs from China, wisely provided that all such ad
vanages, should be enjoyed equally with Greet Bri-
tain. This reasonable aud proper. AS the la.
bors Of England, in bringing China within the pale
of European negotiation, had resulted In the benefit
incidentally OF all the rest OF the world IL IS right
that the labors OF the of the world in extending
European Tor Amercan) intercourse with China
should result in the benefit incidentally Of England.
Time has justified tho foresight OF Sir Henry Pot
finger. The American mission has obtained from
China and important additional concessions
The United States, TAR from going TO China TO find
the field Of diplomacy wholly preoccupied, and to
stipuate for objects already allowed to other nations
by England, has obtained new stipuations, some of
which (as those concerning the coast trade for in
stance, are of as much importance to England her
self any which she herself had extorted by arms
from her conquered enemy. And as II was impossi-
BILE for Sir Henry Pottnger, in the and difficult
circumstances wherein he placed, to anticipate
and provide for all contingencies of commercial aud
political relation between China aud Great Britain.
so, doubtless, in my own case, important points may
have been overlooked by me, may have been re-
fused by China, which M. de Lagrenee will provide
for behalf Of France, and Of which Great Britain
and the United States by the tenor Of their treaties
will enjoy the advantage equally with France.
TN nfha x.r.la 49,.
mitied by proclamation Of the Chinese Government to
the conditions of the trade of the five ports yet
such proclamation might $50 far as they We're con.
cerned) be recalled at any moment, since, towards
them, did not bind Chns any more than other mere
internal acts of the Empire.
Accordingly, Portugal, being the spot, mmedi-
aely slept in, and secured to herself by treaty. the
permanent benefit of the Commercial regu-
lstions." And the United States and France
have followed doing honor to England for what she
has accomplished Incidentally in their behalf and fully
repsyng the public debt by their own efforts in the
common benefit of themselves and of England.
consider il the more desirable TO set this matter
right on account of the expressions which the Bri
tsh Ministers put in the mouth of Queen Victoria, on
the oooaxon Of eating tho Chinese treaty TO
Parliament Throughout the whole of my
negotiations with the Government Of China" she
says, have uniformly disclaimed the wish for any
exclusive advantages. Ii has been my desire that
equal favor should be shown to the industry and
doubt not, is true. 1t was the part of wis
dom, sound policy, and honor,-pnhaps il was the
part of necessity the part OF the only
true view Of her own interest-for England not to
seek (what she could not have hed) any exclusive
commercially advantages" in her struggle with Chi.
ma. think England has from the outset adhered in
good faith to this idea. The establishment at Hong
Kong freely open to the ships of the United States,
of Holland, Of France have ample to be
satisfied with the many honorable manifestations of
good will with which my own mission was received
by the British functionaries in the East And when
Sir Henry Pottinger's official correspondence comes
to be published, it will, presume fully substantate
the declaration of the speech from the Throne. At
the same tme these declarations general that
by themselves, and unexplained, they tend to confirm
the false popular impression concerning the tenor Of
the supplementary treaty.
In The extract which have given from the treaty,
and the comments have made thereon the President
will have the means of understanding the exact me-
rtts of the question.
lam, very respectfully your obedient servant,
.n c. CUSHING.
Hon. JOHN c. CALHOUN,
Secretary ef State.