Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-05-21
The Chinese Difficulty.
PREPARATIONS OF THE CHINESE.

NJ AhAllONO OE
The Moniteur de la Flotte publishes some
further details relative TO the war in China.
The Chinese, it is said, are at present
making formidable military preparations,
which are not to be dispised. Since the
attack on Canton, the Chinese have exc
cuted enormous works on the Pehio a riv-
er which falls into the Yellow Sea, and by
which a communication is maintained with
Pekin. That river is now barred in %
different places by dams built of stone,
which completely intercept the navigation.
These works are regarded as a curiosity.
Moreover the three branches of the Pehio
canalized by the Emperor Kia-Kiang, 1877,
are cut, and tie course of one of them,
the Hu-ho, has been turned off into the lake
of Koho-tchi. When pa army invades
the Chinese empire, the principal means
of defence is to let the waters of this lake
overflow the country. This system of de-
fence, eticacious against an enemy, but
most disastrous for the country, was first
used against the insurgents, in 1852. The
city of Pekin is consequently perfectly safe
from an attack either by land or sea, and
the Emperor will, in any desperate cir
cumstance, be protected by the fanaticism
of the people, who will stop at no means to
destroy the foreigners. A circumstance
has lately demonstrated the truth of this
fact. The British ships proceeding to Can
ton, have been in the habit of taking fresh
water at Whampoa from a small river
which falls into the Tchuiang. 1t was re-
marked that the sailors using this water
lately, have been attacked with collie, and
after a careful investigation, it was discover
ed that the water had been poisoned by
the Chinese. They employed for this
purpose the trunks of certain trees, which,
after being prepared for the occasion, i'm
part a deadly poison to the water.
The Chinese are naturally malignant,
and their wickedness is increased by their
fanaticism, which is beyound description
There is but one way to subdue them, and
that is to act on their senses, and to terri
fly them by a display of force and by n
maritime demonstration on a grand scale,
such as is about to be accomplished by the
British Government. 1t appears more
over, that some of the wealthiest manda-
rims in the empire propose to revive the
great commercial company founded in 1856
by Tsong-Too. These great dignitaries,
through personal interest, are highly favo-
rable to an arrangement with the English,
Notwithstanding their warlike manifesto
tons, and as they are in direct communi-
cations with the members of the Nuy-Ko,
or Cabinet Council at Pepkin, they can
bring their influence to bear directly on the
Emperor's advisers, The revival of the
Company founded in 1856 will render it
impossible in future for the Chinese gov
eminent to violate at will its treaties with
foreigners.
The Moniteur de 10 Flotte concludes
that an arrangement of the difficulties 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 cficacious with
the Chinese character, which is to make a
formidable demonstration on the coast of
the Chinese empire,