The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-11-08
The Four Treaties with Chana-ventalasion
or the DOruuneUts.


comprehend and appreciate the concessions OBJ
tanned from China in the several treaties nego-
tiated with her by the representatives of England.
France, Russia and the United States respec-
lively, we publish to-day clear and iatclligble
COMBINATIONS of these treaties, three of them
being given article by article. As all Of them
contain the usual clause securing to the one
government whatever is granted to the other, it
follows that the four governments represented at
Tien-tsin, where the negotiations were carried
on, mutually obtain whatever advantages were
secured for any one Of them. There is, however,
an exception to the rule in regard to the Russian
treaty, which secures 10 that government certain
advantages that must necessarily be peculiar TO
itself, such as the establishing of monthly mail
between Pekin and Kiathka, city on the FROM
tier, northwest from Pekin and in line between
| the Chinese and Russian capitals, and the pro-
yiding for convention TO settle the contermi-
nous frontiers Of the two empires. With these
exceptions the concessions obtained by the rep
resentative Of the one government are secured
for all the other governments Russia, however,
gaining the additional point of being privileged
to trade to the open ports, a privilege from
which she had been heretofore excluded.
What, then, are the principal concessions which
by these treaties, as whole, China makes to the
four great Powersg They are the opening of ad-
ditona ports on the seaboad, the right of transit
into the interior by all the rivers and highways
ofthe empire, and of trading at all points of the
samc the right of purchasing produce in the To-
calies where it is raised, and of transporting it
to any of the open ports for expectation, thereby
avoiding the expense and annoyance of nterme-
diary dealings with the native merchants; the
right of foreign subjects residing and holding
landed property anywhere in the empire; the per-
manent establishment of foreign embassies at
Pekin, and of consular agents at all the open
ports with the privilege of direct communication
with Pekin; stpuations for a revision of the
| tariff reduction Of the tonnage dues and the
suppression of piracy; the right of ships of war,
when not engaged in any hostile purpose, to visit
| all the ports Of the empire, whether open to
foreign trade or not, and to receive every facili-
| ty for procuring necessarics or making repairs;
| and, finally, the utmost liberation in religious
matters. In fact, no more ample concessions could
| be granted by one civilized Power to another
than those which have been granted by the jea-
| lous empire Of China to the great commercial
| Powers of the world. So far as we can at pre-
sent see the treaties cover every point, aud leave
nothing further TO be desired. The only question
| is the faith with which they will be observed on
the part Of the Chinese famous as they are repre-
senscd to be for treachery and double dealing.
1t is curious to observe the national character
| istCs OF the four nations, as displayed in the
treaties -espectively negotiated for them. The
| main Object Of the American and English treaties
is the Obtaining of commercial facilities; that of
the Fren,h is the promotion Of religion and civil
cation, through missionary enterprise; and that
| Of Russia lie the procurement Of territorial and
| political advantages. The Russian treaty, how
ever, doe, not exhibit all the concessions lately
made to Russia by China, for it was but Just pre-
vious to its date that another convention between
the same Powers was concluded at ST. Petersburg.
by the terms of which China ceded back to Russia
| the territory lying north of the Amoor river,
with fine harbor at the mouth of the river, and
passage thereby with the Chinese waters
The publication Of these several treaties is
important and interesting at this epoch for
another reason. II enables our people to
Judge whether the attacks recently made
on our Minister to China by the English press
were or were not justifabe. That Judgment
could be better made up if we had the complete
text of the American treaty before us. But
while it can be had in England, it cannot be had
here. So much for the absurd system of secresy
maintained by our government in regard to such
matters. II must be assumed. ON the threshold
Of the inquiry, that it was the duty Of Mr.. Reed
to have secured for the United States all the
commercial facilities that ii was possible for him
to exact from China. Our diplomacy Ii not tor
tuous nor deceptive, as European diplomacy il,
and the simple statement Of that proposition is
all that is needed. II carries conviction with it,
Such. then, being the main object that Mr.. Reed
was bound TO study in his negotiations with China,
the question arises as to whether the stipulatous
that he secured we're az valuable TO commerce as
those secured in the British treaty. Our readers
can easily, even with the lights now before them,
solve that question for themselves; but In doing
so II must be recollccted that Lord Elgin had
force at hand to cocrce submission to his de-
mands, while Mr. Reeds instructions were 10
pursue pacific policy.
Mr.. Reed stipulated for the establishment of
permanent American Legation at Shanghai, with
Alright on the part of our Minister to make annual
visits TO Pekin, and TO make temporary soourn
there. Lord Egin stipulated for the establishment
Of resident British mission at Pckin itself and
Of Chinese resident mission at London. Count
Putiatine obtained an additional advantage in
securing to consus residing at any Of the open
pors a right Of direct communication with
Pckin and provision Tor the passage Of couricrs,
by any route they might select, from the ports to
the capital. The American treaty did not Sc