The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-09-22
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE NATIONAL ERA
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

LONDON, sep. j, 1898
To the Editor of the National Era:
CHINA.-In looking forward to what the
civil war in China is likely to produce, it may
be instructive to look little back By this we
will perceive that no change can be for the
worse, and that the more the impenetrable
hedge of isolation from the human family is
broken down, it must be for the better.
Till a very recent date, when few couces-
sions were yielded to the grim behests OF sue
cesslul war, the bearing and 0verbearing OF the
Tartar dynasty of China was intoerable. Eng
lishmen were nance, barbarians. and not
K,ng le-Jtn, men of the English nation and
treated accordingly The people were taught
by proclamation to insult and injure foreigners
wherever they were met with and justice was
denied to their most reasonable complaints.
As individuals, they were subjected to every
wrong and cOntumely; and as commercial
clement, to chicanery, fraud, and imposition.
Every obstacle was opposed to fair trade.
No business was transacted between the real
parties interchangng commodities From the
great Hong merchant to the huckster of ivory
balls and fans, everything was done by middle
men, and the natural result was, plumber to
enrich the latter, and rules or laws laid down
by which trade was checked, and the extension
OF mutually beneficial intercourse prevented.
Merchants were forbidden even to inquire what
articles of foreign produce or manufactures
would be acceptable to the people; and ma
tive informing them what articles OF produce
or manufactures could be obtained, and at
what cost, from the provinces, was liable to a
very severe punishment. Thus knowledge
of demand aud supply was interdic.ed. All
was kept in secrecy and mystery, and extraVa-
CANT prices extorted wherever fancy or specu-
lation induced purchase. IL is therefore sat
isiactory to know that the least the insured
ton can do will be to knock all this nonsense
on the head, and open the markets OF the coun-
try TO an immense traffic, founded on good IN,
formation and common interests. The sKiii
and labor OF the Chinese will be advantage
ously exchanged for the cheap and warm clo-
thing produced by admirable machinery; and
new necessaries and luxuri5s will be spread
over the world stimulating exertion and re-
warding industry.
The last fortnight mail brings us little fresh
information, whereon to build certain scheme
Of the operations that have taken place, the
exact causes which animate and ingredients
which compose the rebellion, the absolute sta
tus quo of the conflicting forces, and the prob
able consequences which are likely immedi-
ately or proximately to be the result. AS far
as we can gather, through the mists Of the
Chinese language and imperfect accounts, the
southern moiety of the Celestial Empire has
been Overrun and conquered by the main flood
Of instruction, made known to US as the cap
tors of Nankin, at whose head is TaiPing, a
leader pretending to divine mission, and four
great chiefs, claiming to be powers Of the
North, East, South, and West. Then extra.
ordinary Interpolation of Christian laws and
precepts with blasphemous pretensions, Old
Testament massacres Of men, women, and chill.
dren, and the destruction of all idolatrOus tenn
Piles and worship, are the most remarkable
features of their successful prOpagandism.
Their last exploit recorded is the taking OF
Chin Keang foo, near Nankin, one of the strong
est places in China, situated on the junction OF
the grand canal with the river Yang se-kiang,
and the key to the provisioning and strength
of the northern provinces and the Tartar CAPT
tai Pekin. We observe, with regret, that ma
val attack by the lmperialists to recover this
important post, was sanctioned by the presence
and aided by the cooperation OF European and
American Adventures, 20 as to afford color
to the charge of breach of the neutrality
proclaimed by Sir George Bonhsm. Policy
would dictate the avoidance of 80 injurious
course the semblance OF which is to DO depre-
Gated, as it is surely for the interest Of mankind
if any aid is given, that it should be gwen to
the other side.
in addition to this general view, it Is evil
dent Is stated in preceding letters, that there
are other branches lif we may ~ call ihem) OF
conspiracies against the MantGhoo supremacy
working separately and ON their own account,
though oil tending to the same end, the over
throw OF that foreign dynasty, and the estab-
lishment Of some other entire OF divided gov
eminent. OF other events, the beheadng OF the
Tartar prisoners at Annoy by the faction vicSo-
rious thcre--the butchery of 700 MantchOo
families at Nankin-the distress and privation
said to prevail among the Chinese population Of
Pekin-.the disaffeouon Of the Mongol mag.
mates throughout the conntry--and the inetfa-
BILE cowardice displayed on every occasion by
the imperial forces, Including those that made
the psltry attempt upon Ch'n-ke"ngfoo, M
company with their foreign abettors) are all
that can be deemed data whereupon TO form
IN opinion, until other arrivals, 1t may be pre-
sumed, must put us in possession OF farther
iacss And that they must be important Is
evident; Tor the rival armies are III position,
and facing each other in the vicinity OF Nankin
so that the first movement either way is big
with the fate Of Tai-Ping and Pekin.
PoLITIcs.-Among political affairs more
significant than actually important at the time,
We may reckon the Belgian marriage, the
pomls which have attended the ceremony aud
the browning review OF camp OF $4,000 sol
diers, by the wary King Leopold. Among the
festivities, the introduction Of an ancient Ger.
manic proce ssion, such as used 10 embelllsh