The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1845-03-14
To his Excellency CHIsc, &c.


UNTEB STATES LEGATION, April l6, 1874.
SIR have the honor to acknow ledge the receipt
Of your Excellency's communication Of the 18th in
slant.
BY this learn that no Commissioner has yet been
appointed to meet me on behalf of the august Sove-
reign.
Also, that reply from Picking 10 the despatch Of
your Excclency announcing the arrival OF the Anne
rican legation and its intention TO repair TO Pekng
may be expected IN three months time.
Under these circumstances, inasmuch your En-
celeDcy does not propose 10 open 10 the inland
road to Pekng, IN the event of my waiting here I'M
al the favorable for proceeding to the
North by shall have passed away, and as / can
not, without disregard Of the commands Of my Gov
ernment permit the To elapse without pursu-
ing the objects Of my mssicn ! shall Immediately
leave Macao in the Brapdywine.
feel the less hesitation in pursuing this course in
consideration OF the tenor of the several commun-
cations which have received from your Excelency.
1t is obvious that IL the Court had entertained any
very particular desire that should remain here il
would have caused an Imperial Commissioner to be
the spot, ready TO receive me my arrival or at
any rate instructions would have been forwarded to
your Excellency for the reception of the legation;
since in order that proper act of courtesy towards
the Chinese Government should be left uDobserved,
notice duly given last autumn, by the Consul Of
the United States, that my Government had appoint.
ed Minister to China. The omission Of the Court
aton on its part, that should probably land at
port in the North.
Besides which, your Exccllency Is well aware that
il is neither the custom in China nor consistent with
the high character Of its Sovereign to decline to re-
ceve the embassies Of friendly States. To do So
indeed, would, among Western States, be considered
act of national Insult and just cause Of war.
Permit me observe that your Excellency msap-
prehends the nature ~ my communications, if you
look upon them as conveying importuna,e request
on any subject whatever; not having understood that
your Exceency has any power to negotiate with for
egn Ministers, and having contented myself with
courteously replying to what seemed TO me the inn
Fortunate request of your Excellency to have alb
stain from gong to Peking.
Indeed my sole object originally in addressing your
Excellency to signify my high personal respect
and that Of my Government for the august Sovereign,
by Selling the earliest moment after my arrival in
China 10 make inquiry for his health.
Difference TO the Government OF the Province de-
manded that this inquiry should be addressed your
Ercelency
In doing this had the opportunity, also, of ten
derng my compliments TO your Exceency, who thus
became incidentally informed of the arrival of the Ie
CATION.
These were acts Of courtesy which seemed TO
me proper to be performed by The representative of
the Government Of the United States TO the nearest
great iunctionary oflhat Of China.
And here the correspondence my part would have
stopped but for the fact that your Erceency conceived
il to be your duty in reply, to enter into arguments
IN the question Of whether was convenient for the
legation TO proceed to Pes'ng, and whether there was