New-York daily tribune., 1855-08-21
THE NEW OPIUM WAR.

THE NEW OPIUM WAR.
Some fifteen years ago, the ciyilized world
was excited and panied by the outbreak and
progress of bloody, desolatiDg war upon sae
Chinese by the British forces in the distant
East. Millions of Chinese people, it appeared,
had nsensibly contracted habit of chewing or
smoking opium, which, as its production on
IDeir own soil waa forbidden, had been supplied
BY importation from British India, until its pro-
! 3nction and expectation (bOth mo5opolized by
the East India Company had become very im.
portant and lucrative-highy profitable to the
Company, but deadly to the Chinese. Millions
of the latter had surrendered to the fascinat0ns
of this potent narcotic their use ulness their
property their happiness and that oftheir fani-
lies, and sunk themselves lower ard lower 10
the hopeless abys, of sensuslity, i'd ocy and
despair. At length, the Chinese Government
resorted TO most energetic measures con-
templating the extirpaton Of the opium traffic,
and these soon involved it in collisions with the
importers and sellers; hence the OPIUM War.
OF course the Chinese authorities, in their igno-
rance, corruption and barbarism, did not fail to
pretexts for hOstilities, just as Mexico in like
manner supplied some color of justification for
our fOray upon her in 1o46-7-just as our Gus
tom House journals are now enabled to talk OF
Gov. Reeder's land speeulations, though perfect
ly aware that they are but tae pretext for, not
the cause of, his removal. Sach pretexts de-
ceiye nobody beyond the interested circle eager
L . ,ka;r Htstnrv uuill holl
bat one language with regard to the promptings
of Reeder's removal, the causes of the war on
Mexico or the indictments TO the British raid on
China. This last is identified in all mems minds
as The Opium Var, and as such will descend
to future generations.
But was it not right TO war on China be-
cause of her rigorous and violent repression OF
the traffic in Opiuml Consider that the drug ID
property, and thus clothed with all the immuni
ties and sanctities Of that venerable institution
that its production and transportation were
sources of vast profit TO thousands and the sole
reliance for livelihood of tens if not hundreds
of thousands-that nobody was constrained to
buy or use save by his own imperiOus appetite
that those who bought and smoked were spend
ing their own money in such manner as they
deemed most conducive to their own happiness,
while interfering with no others enjoyments-
that whstever injury they inflicted fell primarily
on themselves, (fOr no one, so far as we are in-
formed, ever beat his wife and children or COM
mitted murder because of opum)-and how
shall we justify the harsh measures by which
the Chinese attempted to purge their country of
the desOlating narcotic
And yet the whole impartial wOri does justify
it. The orator who should attempt to set forth
the inalie nable right Of every man to use opium
if be saw it and thence to argue the right of the
British East India Company 10 sell it, and the
consequent illegality of the Chinese effort to
suppress the traffic, would be laughed at or
booted off any stump in the Union. There are
sophistries too monstrous for any plausibility to
gild-for any faith to swallow-and this is Of
them
Substitute America for China and alcohol
for opium. aHd ia the case materially changed
If government may laudaSly protect its people
from the ravsges induced by an appetite which
only debauehes its immediate victims has il not
.till clearer right to suppress traffic which
renders its votares not merely idiots but de-
mons-which lifts the red hand of brother az ainst
brother, husband against wife, father against
childl If government may justifably withhold
men from selfdestructOn, may it not manifest
ly preclude them from an indulgence which rem
deIs them d terror TO their neighbors aud
curse to their familiesl In short, how can Gov
ernment be justified in warring upon gambling,
lewdness, or any form of vice whatever, without
yindicstiDg the right, policy and duty Of Liquor
Prohibition