Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-10-26
From the Baltimore american.


other English journals have at last brought to
light the details of the new treaty with China,
which the British Government had in its pos
session for many days before it manifested any
disposition to favor the public with knowledge
of its contents. 1t is an elaborate and prolix
document offfty six articles, about half of which
are devoted to settling the details of the revenue
and harbor regulations between the two nations.
AS it is understood that our own Degotiator
stipulated in advance that we were to partici-
pate in any relaxation which the allies might
obtain of the stringent rules which had limited
the intercourse between the Chinese and all
soutside barbarians," this treaty is matter OF
almost as much interest to us as to the high con
tracing parties themselves.
So far as the settled policy of great nation
can be altered by the stipulations of treaty,
the present one involves total revolution in the
relations between the people of China and the
Western nations. Not only is the right of trav-
cling in all parts of the Chinese Empire conce-
ded to these, but the long sought privilege OF
regular diplomatic intercourse with all the ma
chinery of resident legations, has been extorted
by the irresistible arguments employed by the
European powers. His Excellency the Chinese
Ambassador" will in due course form one OF the
diplomatic corps at the Court of st. james, and,
at no distant day, at Washington; and, after hg
uring as the lion of one or two seasons, will sub
side into one of the regular institutions OF the
capital. Five new ports are opened, to which
British vessels may trade, and the rights of res
idence, of holding Landed property, and OF the
free enjoyment and profession of Christianity,
are conceded to British subjects. But perhaps the
most singular feature in the treaty, considering
the antecedents of the parties, is contained IN
the articles which pledge both governments to
unite in effectual measures to stop the practice
of smuggling, and which concede to the Chinese
authorities the right to seize and confiscate all
goods which the English shall attempt to snug
gle. England has already waged one war on
the avowed ground that property belonging to
her subjects, which had been struggled into Chi
na, had been seized and destroyed by the au-
thorities, and for the purpose ofobtaining indem-
nifty therefor, This must be regarded by the
Chinese as very considerable abatement of the
pretensions OF their enemies. The Chinese are
compelled to pay the expenses of this attack up
on their country to the amount of about six mil
lions of dollars. r
Confident anticipations seem to be entertain
ed in England that this treaty will lead to q
vast and immediate extension of intercourse
and trade with great nation thus at last thrown
open to the enterprise of the European race.
But it must not be forgotten that the Chinese
people. have not been consulted in this new ar
rangement. 1t is one thing to extort liberal
concessions from terrified and enfeebled court,
when enemies are laundering at the very gates
of the palace, and another to eradicate the pref
udices of ages in the hearts of people the most,
tenacious of their antipathies OF any under the
sun, especially when these prejudices have been
aggravated and embittered as they have been by
the events of the last few years. While these
very negotiations were going on at Pekin, mu-
tual war of determination, characterized by the
most iendish barbarties, was waged between
the Chinese and the allies at Canton, where it
might be supposed years of intercourse had done
something to mitigate the prejudices mutually
existing. The small garrison left to maintain
possession Of that city had been cooped up in
their narrow quarters, stragglers were invariably
massacred, and, in retaliation for these acts large
portions of the town were reduced to ashes and an
indiscriminae slaughter madeo inhabitants of
those quarters in which the assassins were bar
bored. The right Of travellers to penetrate into
the interior of the country under the present
state of feeling is one which we would judge few
would hasten to avail themselves of for some
time to come, and even the appointment Of res
ident Minister at the Court Of Pekin will require
very strong nerves in the incumbent, unless he
is backed by the moral power of few gunboats
and q regiment or two of regulars.
But although we have no faith in the power
OF mere treaty stipulat;ons to change the long
established feeling of a great nation, there are
signs in the heart of China herself which indi-
cate that the spirit of change, so characteristic
of this age, has begun to terment amongst the
mighty masses of her people. China has hither-
to presented the extraordinary spectacle of
great nation, numbering the one-third of the
entire population Of the globe, which, after at
tanning general and in some respects very
high development in the arts of civilization, ap-
pears to have been struck with species of pa
ralysis which has prevented all further progress.
In this respect she is the enigma of the nations.
Whether this anomalous state of affairs results
in greater degree from an inherent inaptitude in
the race for attaining the higher stages of civil
cation, or is an accidental and fortuitous conse-
quence Of the artificial system of isolation under
which the Chinese have for 50 many centuries
chosen to live, and which has deprived them of
the benefits of an interchange of ideas with the
world at large, is problem which is now for
the first time to be definitely solved. This treaty
is but one step in a train of events whose opera
ton can be traced for many years past, and
which, let them result as they may in other res
poets, must surely overthrow the barriers
that have separated China from the community
of nations. The thirst for gold, which has al
ways been so potent an element in revolution
zng the world, and which has effected such as
tonishing results of late years, has already led
the Chinese by thousands to brave the penal
laws which prohibit emigration, to defy the ma
tionsl prejudice against intercourse with foreign
ers, and to encounter the dreadful perils of
cean navigation, and current of Coolie emigra-
ton has set in eastward, across the Pacific,
which bids fair to be as important an element in
the settlement of the wilderness on the Western
shore of the Continent as that from Europe has
| been in the East. The Chinese are the most as
sduous and patient laborers in the world-the
over crowded population of their own country
| has depressed the remuneration of labor to the
lowest point Of existence, and the reports of the
abundant demand for labor and the muni6cent
compensation which it receives on the other side
of the Pacific have had an immense effect
in arousing the long repressed avarice and
and ambition of the Chinese The communica-
| ton between the emigrants and their friends
at home is not infrequent and the emigrants who
return from California and Australia laden with
the moderate wealth acquired by few years of
toll end economy, are objects of establishment to
| their acquaintances who have remained at home.
The desire for an enlarged acquaintance with
foreign nations, stimulated in this way, is doing
more to undermine the exclusive spirit of the
Chinese than all the commandments which could
be inflicted on them in decade. But at all g.
vents, the period has now arrived when the
Chinese must join in with the march of civiliza-
ton and events, or yield the sway of their i'm
mense aud fertile territory to nations who know
how to develope their resources.
AN ELECTIVE JUDIoIARY.-The National