The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-05-16
The War I'm China

The Moniteur de Ia Flotte published some
further details relative to the war in China:
The Chinese, it isSaid, are at present max
ing formidable military preparations. which
are not to be despised. Since the attack on
Canton, the Chinese have exhausted enor-
nous works on the Pei-hu, 4 river which
falls into the Yellow Sea, and by which
communication is maintained with Pekin.-
That RIVER is now barred in twenty-five diff
ferent places by dams built of stone, which
completely intercept the navigation. These
works are regarded as curiosity. More
over, the three branches Of the Pei no can
allied by the Emperor Kia-kang in 1S47
are cut, and the course of one of them, the
Ha no, has been turned off into the lake of
koho-tchi. When an army invades the Chi
nese Empire, the principal means of defence
is to let the waters Of this lake overflow the
country. This system of defence efficacious
again It an enemy, but most disastrous for
the country, was first used against the in
surgents in 1852. The city of Pekin is con-
sequently perfectly safe from an attack either
by land or sea, and the Emperor will in any
desperate circumstance be protected by the
fanaticism Of the people, who will stop at no
means to destroy foreigners.
A circumstance has lately demonstrated
the truth of this fact. The British ships
proceeding to Canton have been in the Gus
tom Of taking fresh water at Whampoa from
a small river which falls into the Tchoukiang.
1t was remarked that the sailors using this
water lately have been attacked with chills,
and, after careful investigation, it was dis
covered that the water had been poisoned by
the Chinese. They employed for this pur-
pose the trunks of certain trees, which, az
ter being prepared for the occasion, imparta
deadly poison in the water. The Chinese
are naturally malignant, and their wicked
ness is still increased by their fanaticism,
which is beyond description. There is but
one way to subdue them, and that is to act
on their senses, and to terrify them by dis
play of force, and by a maritime demonstra-
ton on grand scale, such as is about to be
accomplished by the British government.
1t appears, moreover, that some of the
wealthiest mandarns in the empire propose
to revive the great commercial company
founded in 1859 by Tsong Toa. These great
dignitaries, through personal interest are
highly favorable to an arrangement with the
English, notwithstanding their warlike de-
monstrations, and as they are in direct COM
munication with the members of the Nuy-
koor Cabinet Council at Pekin they can
bring their influence to bear directly on the
Emperor's advisers. The revival of the
company founded in 1895 will render it i'm
possible in future for the Chinese Govern
ment to violate at will its treaties with for
eigners. The Monteur de Ia Flatte con-
cludes that an arrangement of the difficult
ties at present existing between the Chinese
and English is perfectly possible. For this
purpose the British Government have mere
ly to adopt the only means efficacious with
the Chinese character, which is to make
formidable demonstration on the coast of the
Chimes empire.