Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-04-03
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
n. O.. MONDAY. MARCH 80, 1857.
Tne DImculties near Canton.


Alth ough no longer directly interested as parties
to the conflicts going on in the Southern province Of
China, the Americans there or at home can hardly
be expected to look with the apathy OF mere OUT
side spectators. Apart from the considerations Gun
nected with our commerce with the Celestai E"pne'
commerce only second 10 that OF Great bf'aln' Tue
thing presents Itself in another and even stronger
light t. a people, who, although fond enough OF inc
mighty dollar are still fonder and prouder OF their
national honor.
Like all embecile people the Chinese are treacher-
ous and cruel This treachery and cruelty is not
confined 70 their intercourse with foreigners. With
moro common sense and cultivation than the rest OF
the world gives them credit for, the Chinese are with
out faith in anything and totally without any sense
of honor. They do not appear to know wnas SUN
a thing means This is the account gwen ny 'n0
Able NC, who knows more OF the people tnan any
wb; man living. and understands how to present
+bs rpsus of his experience in plain and sensible
manner Az an instance of their calousness and bru.
tol;tv towards each other, he mentions an incident
that csNse under bis own eye. Journeying along q
high ros in the neighborhood of one OF the large
cities of The North of China he saw number OF
WAGONS with their drivers and escort OF soldiers
approaching, and al the same time heard the moS'
awful croans and shrieks. On meeting WIN 'Hs
wagons he learned from the soldiers that they mao
made foray upon village in which gang Vi f0o'
hers was supposed 10 be barbored' 1hey maze
o,aat mnnv prisoners and after tying as many
nj them az their ropes would accommodate, they
secured the balance by mailing them 10 the wagons
face do, nwards the nails being driven through the
centre c their hands. It was from the prisoners so
ndilr that the groans and shrieks arose Inc orl-
vers and soldiers laughed and talked and passed on
" ith their bowling charge, as little concerned as
though t ey were logs of wood On HUGS remon'
stating with them, they told him that they would
SON e the city, and perhaps that evening or next
Jay, if tue nailed men were innocent they would be
unnaed And 80 they passed on, a good example
Of Chinese inhumanity. The tales OF the horrlo
buteberrs perpetrated IN cold blood, by the rebels
and Imperiasts, show what they are and of what
t. ev are capable Their conduct now, in offering
rewards for the heads Of their foreign enemies, carries
rs back to the days when the Turks, in one of their
campaigns on the Danube, during the last half of the
18th century, rode with canvass bags hanging 10
their saddle bows, 10 carry off the heads OF those
whom they might overcome in battle. They took no
prisorers, of course but got ducat for every Aus
TRAN mead they brought to the Sultan.
Now,he dificuItyis tbatthe Chinese don'ttake much
pans nor draw nice distinctions. The blood money
is offered tor the assassination of Englishmen, but
under that head they assassiuate all western men
whose language is the same, and even those who
sneak French are far from safe against this cowardy
SYSTEM for after head is cut off, it is very hard 10
say what language it may have talked.
It was in this way that the difficulties occurred
be ween the Chinese and Americans, which led to
the capture of the Chinese forts by our sailors and
marines This may occur again.
There is little doubt but the Chinese have taken 10
poisoning. At Hong Kong and every other point
where IT, ere are foreigners, the servans-cooks in
cl ded-are Chinese. The wells are poisoned, and
the food is poisoned in many cases.
We hardly think the British justified by the cir
cumstances as reported, but somehow or other we
don't think " body can hit such peoples lick amiss
We NAV say to Mr. John Bull" You did wrong"
But we fear that we would be apt to add" served
him John Chinaman] right"
:,ror, &c ov.pr dont