Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-06-19

pursued towards Mr. Balester which continued until he
forced leave without being able to effect any part
of his mission Along his progress up to the capital he
left to be attended by inferior officers and when he
reached the residence which had been prepared for him
he remained in the hands of persons of inferior station
and of servants nearly week passing before he had
interview with the high authorities of the country sub
nit the object of his mission At this meeting which
was numerousy attended, the Envoy ayaed himself Of
the aid and experience Of missionaries many Of whom
had long resided there and through them he made known
the object Of his visit to deliver letter to the King
from the President and to propose revision Of the rea
ty formerly made by Mr.. Roberts
These requests they refused compliance with, va
rious accounts such that they did not know the
tents of the letter. athough official translation Of it
had been delivered the day following his landing at
Bangkok j that the envelope Of the letter not like
that brought by Mr. Roberts, that having different seal
and ribands and consequently this could not be genu-
inc one that the treaty good one, and required
change, &C. After considerable time spent in useless
endeavors to their objections Mr. Baleser
cludsd to retire. observing tothe 6iancse that they
suned very heavy responsibility in refusingthe delivery
of the Presidents letter their King and that upon them
must all the evil that might grow out of such in
sut offered to great country like the United States.
The fact is that the principal mobiles of the country
those charged with the administration of its affairs,
only the Of the whole native shipping but they
have monopoly of the productions of the country which
they hold under farm-system from the Crown. These
they receive their valuation from the producers to
be disposed Of at their price, and also the sale of
many articles Of import armed out. These function
aries saw that if the trade with the Americans
stored to its former state Of freedom they would lose the
advantages of the monopes that had been conceded to
tLo IN OH af
existing treaty of with the United States they
shrewdy work to make it appear to the King and
the people that the embassy not what it pretended
to be- And in order to get rid of Mr. Baleser entirely
they trumped up story that at the conference he
up, behaved unbecomingly and dctatoraly indica-
tons of which appear to have been observed, and
conradiced by the four American missionaries who
companied Mr. Baleser fully appears by their writ
ten interview all Of which Mr. Balester inserts in his off,
cial report.
On the day following that of the meeting the Siamese
officers, Mr. Baester addressed to the chief of them
letter the object of his mission and expressive of his
desire to bring it to successful issue which letter
naming unnotced he again wrote the 18h request
ing to be furnished with conveyance to the Plymouth
the Goth, unless in the time official intercourse
renewed with him. On the evening of the 10th he finally
received lengthy communication in reply to his notes.
infringement of the treaty asserting that the trade
open ever and again charging Mr. Balester the
unsatisfactory result of the meeting and that prepara-
tions for his departure had been ordered This
ncaton brought forth another long letter from the En-
voy in which he enters into explanation Of his depor
ment at the meeting observing that "your Excelency
cannot fail to be aware that Europeans and much less
citizens of the United States Of America, not in the
habit of bowling the knee crouchng before their
rors however exalted in rank and much less their
equals And what your Excellency is pleased consider
indicative of anger and dsrespect nothing than
the usage Of his country which requires that person
dressing assembly should do standing and in tone
Of voice audible to the whole assembly He then adduces
the proofs Of the violation Of treaty spulatons for
an open and free market by placing the sale of the
ducts of the country exclusively in the hands and under
the control of Cinnamon and likewise giving the monopo-
y of purchasing metals imported in American ships upon
which the regular dues have already been paid by
the importing vessel to certain farmers who resell it to
Others charging duty Of tcala sixty cents per
picul.
Mr. Balestier embarked on the river the morning
following in expectation Of meeting the Plymouth at her
former anchorage But in this expectation he disap
pointed the ship not at the bar and he embarked
in small schooner in search Of her forty miles down
the gulf, where he found her and went on board.
With regard to the trade Of Siam at the time Of his
visit he says that il reduced very low condition
in consequence Of the farming monopoly system for the
very low price given to the Chinese sugar culvators
ing below the cost Of production these Industrious peo
ple the principal cutvators in Sam had for the greater
part abandoned their fields and instead crops Of about
80 900 Of pounds before ls40 when the farm sys
tenn commenced that Of 1860 supposed by competent
residents not to exceed ten and half millions of pounds
The arrival Of foreign ships had ceased altogether during
the FIVE previous years. whilst their own shipping trading
exclusively 10 the Straits Of Maacca and the Island Of
Java had increased to FIVE thousand TONS and this
than could be employed the expectation Of rice
which might be grown to any extent, is wholly pro-
hibited
The Plymouth, having left the waters Of SIAM pursued
towards Subj" small island upon which some
years before American ship stranded and lost
deliver gold meda and other presents from the Pres
dent acknowledgment Of the hospable reception given
by the chief to her crew.
The settlement of Sarawak the coast Of Borneo
next visited, TO deliver letter of friendship Sir
James Brooke, the Raah who absent but his repre-
sentaves in the Govsnment expressed their qualification
at receiving fatering mark Of attention from the
President Of the United States and their belief that the
Rajah would very readily enter into convention Of friend
ship and trade with the Americans liberal footing
From Sarawak the ship proceeded along the coast Of
the great Island of Borneo to the newly established Br
tsh settlement Of Labuan before which the Plymouth
but he had directed those in charge of the to
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