The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-28
THE COMPARTMENT OF CANTON.

IdE FOMBAhDmENT VI CANION.
The London and Liverpool papers received by the steam
ships Atlantic and Persia contain full particulars of the
bloody quarrel between the British and Chinese authorities
at Canton and may not be out of place here to state that
public opinion in England is far from being unanimous in
its approval of the course pursued by Admiral Seymour
and the British consul We give below account of the
bombardment of Canton as furnished by correspondent
of the New York Times posponing until the next issue
such comments the facts presented appear to warrant
Correspondence New York Daily Times]
CANTON, China Thursday, Oct 30, 1856.
send the particulars in as much detail as have been
able to obtain them of the circumstances attending the
bombardment of this great city by the English naval
forces under Rear Admiral Sir Michael Seymour. The
firing is not yet over, and where the matter will end no
one can predict " @ #1 #N
The immediate origin of the affair was outrage com
mitted the British flag about two weeks ago by the
thorities of Canton small orchd rivertradng boat
having English papers made out in due FORM owned
English property, and sailing under the English fsg
her arrival here under the charge of having
on board certain notorious pirateshe flag was hauled
down. and the twelve In number fChinese carried
off put in prison. and three Of them decaptasd Subse-
quently, when Mr.. Parkes the British consul went
board of the mar-ofwar unks to exposuate be was
treated with great ndgniy and unceremoniousy hustled
off, 1t is however, to say that be is reported 10
have provoked this treatment by bis harshness and Incl
Witty board the junk Commodore Elliott Of the frigate
Sybille, Who at Whampoa at the time proceeded
very promptly to make reprsals the Chinese and de
patched steamer to Canton, which seized man-ofwar
Yek, the governorgeneral of Canton, with surprising
obsnacy continued refuse accession to the demands of
the English which were that he should restore the
which he had taken from the lorcha with suitable
PLANTATION and apology, and should hoist again the flag
which be had lowered The English accordingly strength
ened their forces mt Canton and In its neghborhood and
evinced such determined disposition, that the governor
back the lorchas crew. with the substitution OF three
Chinese in the place Of those he had decapated but with
by this time arrived refused to receive the under
such circumstances and sent them back to the governor
whose SLENDER mercies," which are notorously most
"crue presume they have by this time experienced
The United States soop-oiwar Portsmouth, Commander
Andrew H. Foote, had been ordered to Whampoa few
days previous to the commencement OF these difficulties
in consequences of that the rebels descending
upon Canton and in order to protect American interests
during their expected invasion At o'clock the morn
ing Of wednesday the I'D Captain Foote received note
from consul Mr. Perry, stating that the English
preparing to attack the city Accordingly he fitted out
expedition Immediately and proceeded in command Of
the force seventyfve strong including seamen and
marines Canton in order that Americans might be pro-
| tected in their persons and property
BY this time almost the whole English naval force in the
China concentrated at Canton and Whampoa,
with the exception of frigae and partially dismsntied
brig which remained at Hong Kong but sent detach-
mens OF their On Thursday two steamers, with
boats in tow proceeding from Whampoa up the river
the Chinese commenced hosites by firing them. The
admiral commenced taking all the forts the whole
length of the river from Canton the Bocca Tgris
pying about fifteen minutes on an average in the capture
of each fort These well manned and supplied with
guns, many of them of size but in
did they return than few shots to the fire of
the English and in most instances the soldiers away
without any attempt at resistance The English landed
spiked the guns and in several destroyed all that
combustble about the forts by fire. but did at
tempt occupy any except round fort Immediately
opposite the factories and one known the Dutch Fol-
y" which commands the governors palace and part Of
the city, and in which they planted few thrty-two
Founders and one or two mortars.
Meanwhile at Canton the foreign residents European
and American, had been making active preparations for
defence and had shipped all their specie and treasure for
Whampo where it could be under the guns of the large
ships which get up the river to this city, for
Macao and Hong Kong The gates and streets by which
communication is had between the factories the for
eign establishments called and the rest of the city
closed and barrcaded and all the stores closed
and business suspended The Chinese servants
from compradors to coolies have all returned to their
homes refusing longer to incur the peril OF serving the
foreign residents who le to shift for Themselves All
the leading the factories commanded by field
pieces and by detachments Of marines and from the
men-ofwar The American forces under Captain Foote
were stationed with their boahowitzer atwelve-pounde
at the head of New China street. and file of marines
the American consulate The French consulate being in
the imdiae neghborhood of New China street as is also
the American of legation receives incidental pro-
lection from force, which is acknowledged in very
grateful and polite note from the French charge daares
Commander Foote. The United States sloopofwar Le
having quite unexpectedly from Shanghai
eve the Portsmouth, Captain Smith Immediately ncccded
to Captain Foote's request 10 reinforce him here and
rived Tuesday morning with force Of about seventy
men The English accordingly abandoned the defence Of
New China street and its vicinity entirely to our forces
On Saturday the 25th, large party OF the village
braves who kind OF rustic militia holding regular
meetings for military exercises and whose yalor and PROV
ess held in the highest estimation by the Chinese made
an attack upon Old China street They approached s
narrow lanes which each other the end Of the
street. They brandshing their spears turning
erscts and daring the English 70 come on. They
warned by Mr. Pskes the consul that they continued
to advance they would be fred upon and as their only
reply to this announcement repetition Of their de-