The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-12-05


measure to all concerned. Another
change is now beginning to be effec-
ted by means ofthe cotton manufac-
lures of England and Of the United
States. Our cotton manufactures,
and our cotton-whether manufac-
tured at home or in Great Britain
are working sure alteration in the
system of trade, which will be emf
nently beneficial 10 both nations,
but particularly so to America. The
use of machinery gives Europe and
America the command of the mar
ket Of China; because, using no ma
chlnery in the cotton manufacture
herself, we can supply her wants
cheaper than she can; and the eX-
portation of manufactured cotton to
that market, whether direct from
this country, or through England,
must be of especial Importance to
us, since all our own and very
large proportion-perhaps as large
as six-sevenths-of the British man
ufacture is from the American raw
material. But the ultimate effect Of
this change will be injurious to Chi
ma. 1t must serve to break up, in a
great degree, her handicratt arts and
manufactures, throwing those enga-
ged in them out of employment, and
producing want, distress and mise
ry. Unlike the United States, Chi
ma has no untried, vast and fertile
West, for the surplus of her contin-
ually increasing population to occu-
py and cultivate when the throDg of
aggregated numbers becomes too
great at home; and the consequent
operation of the change we are con-
sidering, may be, when fully efec-
ted, to lead to political changes in
the empire. We come now to a
consideration of the aversion to for
eigners, entertained by the Chinese
nation.-Their feelings towards 9TH
err people were originally simply
those of disrespect. They saw them.
selves greatly superior in every res
pect to al! other Asiatics, which
nourished their self-pride and led
them, naturally enough, to look up
and call the others barbarians. The
same was the case with the Greeks.
The Chinese considered all foreign
ers in the same light, but they had
no absolute hatred of Europeans till
the piracies of the Portuguese, Dutch
and English. The navigators OF
these nations, when they could not
sell to profit, resorted to plumber
and piracy to make up cargoes and
swell their gains. And | suppose it
to be fact, that the English East
India Co. has committed a greater
amount of wrong in the East Indies,
itself alone, than all the wrongs
which all Europe together has in
flicted on the red and black races in
both Americas. Welcomed to Chi
ma until after the commission of these
acts by the English and Dutch, and
especially of the Portuguese these
foreigners were then expelled from
all but Canton and its neighborhood.
The quarrels of the foreign mission
aries among themselves were anoth-
er cause of this hatred. federation
for all was the policy of the govern
ment; and consequently Europeans
rose as high and as rapidly in the
service of the empire as Mr.. Gala
tin did in this country. Two, Mar
co Polo and Gubillon, were made
ambassadors, others cabinet coun-
sellers, and others again were called
to various high Offices in the State.
The missionarieS likewise made con.
verts BY hunAds Of thousands.
But then there grew up among those
missionaries controversies on points
Of faith. They were argued warm
~, nay, fnriously; the converts were
drawn into the dispute; evil COM
motions cnsued, followed of course
by foreign interference. At this.
public Jealousy was aroused, native
ism became the fashion, and all Eu-
ropeans were expelled from China.
Here is the reason why sovereigns,
wise, intelligent and liberal as many
OF the Chinese monarchs have been,
have refused license to Christianity
and Christians, while they have toll
Grated all other religions. | believe
the sole motive for their expulsion
was, and the only reason for their
continued exclusion has been, to
avoid internal troubles and prevent
domestic commissions. The Ameri-
can and French treaties have chan
ged this. Let the christian mission
aries, reintroduced into China by
those treaties, take warning from the
past, and beware of substituting
quarrels on petty sectarian ques-
tions, in place of the propagation of
those great truths of religion, which
are common to all the followers of
the Savior! A word upon the pros