New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-07

sive evidence that the antipatby Of the Chinese to
foreigners is not altogether mere prejudice, nor
the phrase in use among them of "f1relgn desh'
without pretty sufficient basis in facts. The same
article contared, also, some suggestions derived
from the some source, that before demanding from
the ChiDese any extension OF privileges, measures
ought to be taken to prevent the concessions al
ready made to us from degenerating through our
neglect into mere cover TO lawless Outragee.
We have demanded and we have obtained from
the Chinese hot mere y right to frequent certain
Chne,e ports amounting in practice to an opening
Ia us Of the entire Chinese coast south Of tho lei
low Sta--We have at the same time obtained for
Amer can cit zens in China the extraordinary p7S-
iep- If being fee from question or Trial by the
Cbi,t.e authorities, and of responsibility only to
msg,stIa'es Of our own appointment. We have
thus ASSUMED to ourselves the duty Of establishing
c, Urls bid q police upon the coasts of China, and
Of ourselves exercising tie function OF which We
have denuded the Chihese authorities that Of COM
polling our people to respect the laws the Empire
aid the Iights of the Chinese. Tois duty, thus as
sumed, We have totally failed to perform. Our stat
soDer al our Con,uls in China extensive Judicial
sutbolity over American residents; but as the
power merely is given, without any provision of the
Necessary Deans for it's exercise, this authority n
practically of very little avail. The COnsuls, for
exomrle, are authorized 70 appoint Marshals to act
AZ the ,icers of their Consulsr Courts, in the SER
vice cf process and the arrest and detention Of prs.
obers but for paying these Msrshals no provision
whatever il pade aid claim is now pending be-
fore Congress for compensation to gentleman who
on ertain occasions has acted in that capacity.
Nor is any place of detention provided for such
prisoners a. may Re srresttd on Consular warrants,
our Consus havirg generally in sncb cases besn re-
duced to tie necessity of begging the English Coz
suls to ket their prisoners for them Some assist
ance might have been expected in the pursuit.
arIe.t aid detention of offenders from our sbpsO!-
war On the coast But our East India squadron,
though kept up at very heavy expense, has
been composed of vessels too large ard unwieliy
for any practical use. The size and force OF the
vessels employe ed on this station were perhaps IN
tended to convey to the Chinese al Impression OF
cur laval power; but they are too large to ap-
proach the cties, and are hardly seen or known to
exist except by the class Of fishermen, too stold to
be uuch impressed by apythny, snd whose impr's-
sions are Of little consequence. ODce III haraor,
these great and costly ships remain moored Tor The
crews to sicken and the hulls to rot. nerchant
ship shall leave the Chinese waters, circumna'sate
the globe and, returning sgsin to her Chinese port
Of departure, find the American ship-of.war which
she left behind still doing out the period of her
commission in the very same spot, leaving not
merely the police of the coast but even the protec-
ton of our commerce and our citizens, to the briggs
of-war maintained on the coas. BY the Englsh-a
sort Of vessel which, from their size aud draft OF
water, are alone suitable for that service, but OF
which we bsve none employed on the China
coast.
Nor are the men whom We send to China 10 the
capacty of Consus much better fitted for the various
respon IDLE and delicate duties which our treaty
with China and the provisions of our statute book
impose upon them, than are the ships of-war which
we send there for the sort Of service IN which
alone they can be of any use. An American
Consul at Cbir csc port is not merely commercial
agent; he is q diplomatst, aud also judge vested
with extensive control over the property, lives
and liberty of bis fellow citizens while at the same
tine he is the only person to whom the Chinese
natives. in case Of wrong inflicted upon them by
Americans. can look for redress. And how are
these responsible Offices filed Massachusetts,
dyspeptic desires to travel for his health an Arkan
.as &c ior wishes TO see the world They get consul
ships to China, where they remain just long enough
.:t,,,. sts lasr
something of their duties wber, in order TO give to
hers taste of the spoils, they are called home,
TO be succeeded, the one, perhaps, BY an imbecile
sot, the other by an emPty-headed foP Add to
this that tbs Chinese Language is ole Of the most
difficult and least known in the world, and thst the
provisions made for securing adequste interpreters
are on par with the rest Of our Chinese establish
ment. and We shall be able to form some faint idea
of how Justice is administered on the coast Of China
in our American Consular CeuIis, and of the degree
of protection which the natives can expect from
hem sesir Il American outraged.
Even if the copsulships we're much more adj
quately filled than they are or can be expected to
b. under Il e presen, syetem. st that system would
be very defective. Death, i'll health, or other
causes may at any tune interrupt Consul ia the
Discharge Of Lis functions For vacancies thus &C.
cssicned 10 suitable provision exist. We have nor
t,)ared Vice Cor suls; and very incompetent and
urxuitable persons likely to be called upon aud
are in fact called upon, to fill the gap. A right of
appeal exists from the Consular Courts to the Com
missicrer: but il this may be supposed to &C. 10
some degree 40 a CHECK upon consular injustice or
ignorance, il i. very inadequate and insufficient
TIE Con mis.ioner's Court has or may have 40 few