The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-08-05

THE ANGLo-cHINEsE WAR

THE ANGLO-CHINESE WAR.
However people may differ to the Justice of the
course pursued by the British authorities in China rela-
tive 10 the affair Of the orcha Arrow IL is agreed all
hands that they committed great blunder in COM
mencing active hostes before they had the means of
striking efectual blow and that the delay between
the first operations of Sir Michael Seymour and the time
when sufficient force will be assembled TO justify re-
sumption of the offensive has tended to encourage the
Chinese in their resistanceto popuarze the war; and
make it unlike the first war which was against the gov
erninent general engagement OF nation against nation
in which old and young, men and women imperialiss
and rebels resolved to take part Sir John Bowrng
and his advisers to have fallen into fatal error
In supposing that they had to deal with man like
Ki-Ying, who, in lS47, Immediately made submits
sion and expressed his willingness to accede to the
British demands after the receipt of a few threat
ening notes. and the storming of few forts in the
neighborhood of Canton. They forgot that the
cession TO the Chinese throne of the present En-
peror the Inauguration of a system completely OPP
posed to that which formerly existed that the and
successor of Tao Kwang believes it to be his special mis-
sion to restore the glory power and exclusive policy of
the iowery kingdom, which the with England had
seriously damaged, and that with this view he is ready
to resist by force if necessary every attempt at further
aggressions the part of the ''barbarans The lead
ing counseors of his father, who advocated yielding
and conciliaory policy, have been all banshed from
Pen, and many of them severely punished as traitors
and naughty, ignorant of the old Chinese school,
who like Yeh, despise foreigners and hate their intru
sonwh know nothing of the modern order of things
of the power requirements and habits of other ma
onshave been called to fill their places at the imperial
court, and now occupy all the important government
offices in the empire. These men, with Yeh at their
head have announced that 'the thess tribe of barba
ans must be expated utterly banshed from the earth
The sneaking serty, and fawning conciliaory over
lures of the English authorities shall have no effect
in inducing the governor of the two Kwangs to adopt
milder measures. In the first place. the barbarians
must be overthrown and obliged to pay for the immense
damage they have occasoned and then the imperial
government will deliberate under what conditions If at
ALL the audacous rebels shall be treated with clemency
The occasion of this arrogant manifesto is the anxiety
manifested by Sir John Bowrng to conciate the Chinese
authorities by magnanimty and Kindness which is
strued as pusanmity and an appeal for forgiveness.
For instance his surrender to the Mandarns of the
entytwo Annoy pirates who at once put to death
with the utmost cruelty his conciatory circular to the
governors OF several provinces assuring them of the
friendly disposition of his government towards the Chi
nese and requesting them to inform the court of the fact
(Which they will refuse to do considered by Yeh
and his friends proofs of the weakness and cowardice
of the English The complete inability of the British
governor to undertake any operations by land for
Of menhe necessity to abandon Canton-and the aban-
donment at Whampoa las booty for the Mandarns) of
ships stores and all sorts of merchandise valued at up
wards of $500 O0O have tended in no small degree to
strengthen their opinions and to increase the popular
confidence in the ultimate triumph Of the Celestial
The hatred which the Chinese feel against the English
is to be attributed to several Since the Chinese
government compelled in ls47 to conclude the
listing treaties with foreign powers by which their exclu
sive system partly broken down and since the pirates
have become in the Chinese and along
the coasts the greater part of the coastng trade has fallen
into the hands Of foreigners particularly the English
who if they do not directly convey the goods from
port to the other make immense by escorting the
Chinese vessels with armed ships, and defending them
from pirates The rebellion of c-Ping is also attribu
ted to foreign encouragement and the religious aposacy
of the rebels to the Vaccinations of foreign missiona
res The cody traffic and the reports of their suffer
ngs which of these unfortunate beings give who
manage to return to their homes have also served to
embitter the feelings of the people against foreigners in
general and all these circumstances together have
caused deeprooted animosity which enables Yeh and
his friends at the head of affairs the easily awaken
popular enthusiasm against the robber band the tigers
and wolves who, regardless alike of divine and human
law, dare to despise luminous dynasty
Portions of regular correspondence between ''As-
ISOLATION for the Expation of the Barbarans founded
Hong Kong have fallen into the hands of the British au
thotes which disclose many of their plans and expec
tatons The leader Of this association is official of
rank in the ministry of finance in Pekn which in itself
is sufficient proof that the proceedings at Canton
known to and approved by the imperial court In the
aforementioned correspondence frequent mention is
made the barbarians heads that to be brought to
Canton and paid for at 500 apiece and the bread poi
soning at Hong Kong alluded to- although the author
Of this attempt at wholesale murder is not named Their
spies in Hong Kong inform the Extirpation Association
that the barbarians have lost all courage and know
what to do that they surrounded by thieves who
doing good business and that they so short of
provisions that it is hoped they will all perish from
hunger.
If the revolt in India does not interfere with the ar
rangemens Of the English and French for commencing
hostilitics in the fall the Chinese who believe that
he barbarans afraid that they will submit
and beg for peace will find their mistake when the
allied fleets and armies arrive in strength and number
such they have conceived There is lit
tie doubt to which of the belligcren powers will be
forced to submit but before that result is attained it is
evident that the Chinese will have made an obstinate re-
sstlnce which will cost them and their invaders an
amount of blood and treasure which is fearful to con-
template.
THE COMPAGNIE LYONNAIsE,
No 81 Bo'tlousd des Capacities, Paris.
cJLrs