The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-11-11
AMERICAN DIPLOMACY in CHINA.
.Sererc Rerie,O Of Commissioner Rect.

Il ,Secere Rerte,o Of Commissioner Rect
From the London Times de, ~
We have from time to time copied from the
American newspapers their reflex of the public
opinion of the United States upon the recent
treaties with China. 1t is not u lavoritc
subject with cousins, for il is one upon
which they cannot possibly persuade themselves
that their Government has PLAYED IA mani,
part but we are pleased to see that the nation.
and especially the mercantile community, see.
cause for much quiet JOY in the advantaari
that have been obtained. Ii is not our custom
here in England to crow very long and very
loudly over successes won, xOT, after the event
is over, or to indulge in invidious comparisons
between our own exploits an2+thOse OF other
nations. We can remember without Wanting,
and trust to history to write our annals true
In the observations we are about to make,
therefore, We have no intention of woundiue
the national vanity OF American citizens, or Of
doing more than to appeal tn their own com
mon sense and to their own patriotism, how far
they themselves have been served in the recent
negotiations.
From the commencement of the rupture with
the Chinese authorities, the position Of America
has been one OF complete security. Her inter
ests did not rest, they did previously To the
treaty OF 1872, upon a mere confidence, how
ever well grounded that England would con
| tinue to pursue generous policy, and would
| hold open for the world the door which she had
forced open by her own power. The United
States had direct stipulation with the Chinese
Government, that they should participate in any
privileges that might thereafter be granted to
any other Power 1t was quite open to them.
therefore, to look ON from distance, and TO
quietly take possession of a common interest in
any concessions that England might obtain.
Perhaps it had been a wiser course, it certain
" would have been less expensive course, had
she contented herself with this attitude. She,
however, thought otherwise. Mr.. Reed was dis
patched Ia China as the Plenipotentiary of this
iirst-rate Power. The pacific character of his
mission shown by his being sent out IN a
ship which was more powerless than any com
mon opium clipper for any purpose of coercion.
Before leaving the shores of his native country.
Mr.. Reed was teted by the commercial commu-
nifty. He boosted that he was not profess
sional diplOmatist, but man of plain mother
wit he renowned all crooked proceedings and
secret intrigucs, and promised to act, as in fact
all frst-rate diplOmatists do act, with candur
and resolution In time Mr. Reed arrived in
the Chinese waters.
We pass over the first circumstances of his
ambassadoral career. His secret overtures to
feh were not perhaps very demonstrative of
has candor, and the resignation with which he
submitted to the snubbing administered to him
by Yeh was not very crcditable to his resolution
Such as 1t was, however, it was a diplomatic
failure. 1t was the essay of tyro in the lower
walks and by-paths of diplomacy. 1t was lik.
the rude attempt of a countryman to initiate the
tricks of jugglcr. Had lac stuck to his honest
common sense, he might have held his own;
but his clumsy attempts at seight oihand only
made the old professional jugglcrs smile at his
limitations and his failures. But Canton fell
and the scene of action was moved to the PEI
no. Thither Mr. Reed followed, and by the
aid and under the protection of the English and
French guns he was enabled to proceed up the
river. We do not ask what might have been
expected of him there, as the representative OF
a close ally and kinsman Power; we ask only
what he might be expected to do as the agent
of his own countrymen. We had a right 10
speculate that the man who was sent out by the
American people to watch this important buSi-
ness should look closely after American inter
cStS. We knew, that next TO ourselves the
Americans are interested in commerce with
China. Looking little ahead, and having re-
gard to her increasing population, her growth
of cotton, and Der consumption of tea and silk,
ii is scarcely too much to say that the Amcri
can people are even more vitality interested IN
opening up this great region to the industry
even we home-bred English are The interests
of the two nations were inseparable We both
had the favored-nation clause and therefor,
the utmost that either got must bo shared bv
the other. 1t might have been imagined that a
man of common sense and "Inother wit " would
have taken plain business view of the ul,.s-
ton, and would have been content to give thu.
moral weight of his coQntry's influence TO the
cause of civilization. To the astonshment
even of the Russian, who had not hoped for 80
fond dupe, the American Minister was found
TO he Americas most ntractable enemy
Whether he had some private crotchets of his
own, or whether he thought common error
with smatterers-that the ways of diplomatst
must necessarily be tortuous, he was always on
the side of the Chnaman, and always against
his own countrymen. He once, we are told, in
no confidential or diplomatic conversation, was
told by an English official that his sentiments
were more Chinese than those the Mandarins
and that he would be better placed at the Court
of Pekin than as Minister for a civilized State;
and his answer an avowal that he thought
very much as the Chinese thought upon MANY
of the subjects under discussion. Meanwhile.
when the English and French were demandng
natural rights for all mankind, Mr.. Reed beg
ged treaty for himself and his nation. That
treaty is now before US. 1t consists of thirty
articles, and is the exact measure of what
America would have obtained if, even with the
advantage of the English and French guns.
her interests had been left to the management
Of her own representative.
The first article Of this document provides
that, If any other nation shall act uniustlv or
oppressvely, the United States will exert their
good offices, on being informed of the case to
bring about an amicable arrangement of the
question not a very substantial stipulation
and only remarkable as a commentary upon
Mr.. Reeds declared desire to avoid entangling
alliances. The fifth article confers on the Uni
ted States the right to send Minister to Pekin,
but under condition that he is not to stop there,
or to have more than twenty persons with him,
or to come into the Pe-ho in ship Of war, or
to stay when his business is done, or to come