The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-10-12
THE OPENING OF CHINA.

At the close OF the last century IISoJ Lord
Mccartney returned from embassy to China on
behalf of the British Government, and his Sec
retary, Sir Geo Staunton, published an account of
the proceedings The negotiations were broken
off finally by the demand of the Chinese officials
that Lord Mccartney, preliminary, should
salute the representative oft the Emperor by knock
ing his head nine times upon the ground before
him. The Ambassador replied that such saluta-
tions were not customary in his country, but that
he would do it provided the Chinese plenipoten-
tiary would knock his head nine times against the
ground before a picture of the King of England
This proposition knocked the negotiations all on
| the head as, no doubt, was intended. Some pro-
gress has been made, then, Within the last fifty
years, and the English government seems to have
discovered, about fifteen years ago. that the most
effectual way to negotiate with the Chinese was by
knocking a few of their officials on the head with
cannon balls There is no doubt that it is this
diffe rent method of proceeding which has produced
all the difference i'll the recent results. Yet Lord
Mccartney actually penetrated to Pekin, and only
| failed where indeed the modern negotiators have
been equally unsuccessful in establishing the right
of having a permanent minister residing at the
Capital.
Fifty years ago it would have been impossible
for the whole outer world to have produced the
impression upon China which this last expedition
has done. Steamships and Paixan guns were not
then in fashion, and the power of modern civilized
nations is nowhere exhibited in 50 progressive and
striking light as when brought into contact with
Il nation so stationary the Chinese.
The opening of China by these treaties is proba
bly, the most important political event of the cen
tury. Not the opening of India by Lord Give
not the rebellion nor subjugation of that mighty
empire, will probably effect commerce and the civ
ization of the world to the degree that the open
ing up of amicablc relations with China will do in
the next hundred years.
| There is every reason to expect that our own
country will long before then have the most i'm
portant commercial relations with that Empire OF
any nation, and it should be the study and the care
of our government to secure every possible facility
and advantage in this direction by avoiding all
entangling alliances with the English and French
in the war now concluded, we have gained all the
advantages they have secured and an amount OF
the good will of the Chinese which may be turned
to the greatest advantage. Pekin lies precisely on
the same degree of latitude Philadelphia, and
only about two degrees north of San Francisco, or
the opposite side of the Pacific. China is i'm
mensely wealthy, and although it may not desire
our manufactured goods, yet our arts and sciences
and all their application to civilized life, must in
stantly come into demand in some form. Oul
ships and steamers have been bought and will bt
for naval defense Pirates will buy them to attacl
the government, if the government is too self salts
fed to purchase them to extermlnate the pirates
Our railroads, and our arms of war, and our mech
anical contrivanccs for superceding human labor
in peace, must, by degrees, come more and more
! into requisition. a mere treaty would be useless
it is the want of what We have and they have not
which must produce profitable intercourse. Ou
maps and charts will be needed, our medical books
must be translated, for they have no medica
science in China They have, however, valuable
results of ages of experience in the of certain
herbs In the course of a very little while it il
clear that demand must spring up for Thousand
articles out of the way of, above and beyond ordi
nary commerce. but which will go far to pay fo
our tea, and procure us, at much cheaper rat'
than we could manufacture them, thousands 0
valuable productions, requiring immense labor ant
ingenuity. ...-.-.r. r.s .. ...
So far, the Jesuits have done more to 9.troduc'
valuable knowledge into China than any othe
class of foreigners They have taught them as
tronomy, surveyed the empire, and collected
thousand facts and scientific observations, usefu
not only to Europeans, but to the Chinese them
selves. Our missionaries, of all classes, will d
much more in the same way but medical mel
might 90 there instead of starving at home; ou
commercial agents, our scientific men, engineer
and patent Office men, as we'll manufacturers 0
patent medicines, and in very few years turn th
tables upon China, and cause her to send sive
back or rather silvers WORTH not only i'll the form
of tea and fire crackers, but Of everything tina
cheap labor great mechanical skill, great wealth
and a really lofty civilization, which is only littl
old fashioned can produce. 1t might be well 70
every person largely engaged in commerce to con
slider how he might drive an entering wedge int
profitable relations with China.-I'hH. Leeiger.