The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-09-16
THE NEW TREATIES

From the London Daily Nc1gs 4,,a,,st q
Inc hIsI IhIlhiatoh respecting the Chinese Trea-
ues-reGelNea Via ~. fetersburg-was sufficiently
curt and vague Some additional items of ;nfo:!
nation have since oozed out, but on the whole tbn,
have only served to render notions of what hoy
been done a little more confused. The Russian vnr
sion of the story was published-here, in London
on the I'D inst. the French version was published
Yesterday; but no English version has vet appear
ed. Has no dispatch been received from Lord FL
gin? or is it merely that in the absence of Lord
Malmesbury, those left in charge of the Foreign
office are uncertain how much he might deem it ex-
pcdient to impart to the public, and wait for his
|, return? According to the journal de 81. Peters,
boarg, the Russian Ambassador concluded a special
Treaty with China relating to the frontier of the
AmoOr. on the 2Sth of MAY, and a general Treaty.
on the 18th of June The American Ambassador
subsequently concluded general treaty with Chi
na-the date not known. The French and English
Treaties were signed some days later, between the
10Th of June-on which day Baron lie Gros wrote
"The Treaties have all been concluded and partiy
signed'-and the 27th the date of the Russian
ambassadors dispatch. 1t seems pretty certain
therefore, that the whole of the Treaties have been
sealed, signed, delivered, and awaits only the rati-
hcation OF the respective Governments
AS far as we can collect from the very imperfect
materials before u.s. the substance of these Treaties
is nearly as follows: BY the Treaties with France
and England, China has bound herself TO nav con-
siderable indemnities to these powers The Chinese
Government has, moreover, promised that the mur-
derer OF the French missionary shall be punished,
and his punishment announced in The Gazette of
Pekln; but whether this has been made a treaty
stipulation does not appear. Russia has obtained
from China, by the treaty concluded on the 2Sth of
May, ccssion of all the territory between the
Amoor and the former boundary line of the two
Empires In other respects the treaties which
China has concluded with all the four Powers are
identical. "Nearly the whole" of the Chinese En-
pire is thrown open to commerce. The laws
against Christianity to be abolished. Mission
aries are to be admitted ''everywhere.' ''Diplo-
n1utl ms do D.I
Chinese ambassador is to be sent to Paris Whether
Lord Elgin has deemed it necessary or expedent to
stipulate for similar mission to London we have
yet to learn.
leaves ample verge for uneasy questioning "Diplo-
matte agents may reside temporarily at Pekin." In
other words, the Chinese Government has only con-
ceded to the three Western Powers the privilege of
occasionally sending a special Minister to Pekin;
the privilege of maintaining permanent Resident
Mission there-whch has been long enoved bv
Russia-is still withheld. The Chinese Government
in fact, have only conceded the abstract principle
that ambassadors may certain occasions. be sent
to Pckin; the question whether, On any special
occasion, it may be necessary or expedient to
send one. must in every case be made a mat
ter of previous negotiation. In other words
the matter of direct communication with the I'm
perlal Government-instead of with officials at the
outports-stands apparently pretty nearly where it
did. Again, "MisSionaries are to be admitted
everywhere" But will the Imperial Government
vince the local authorities and the predominant fac
tons appear to do pretty much as they please Iti
not the Imperial Government alone, but the whole
OF the learned, 4. of the governing class that is
inimical to Christianity. Missionaries may, per-
aps, be allowed to penetrate into every part of the
Chinese Empires but if the Government is not strong
enough to protect them, every attack upon Il Mis-
Sionary will become the source of new misunder-
standings new negotiations, new wars with China.
1t will be time enough to congratulate ourselves
on the extension of our trade with China when we
know what additional ports have been thrown open.
1t Is only nedrly the whole Of the Empire that is
SAID to have been thrown open to the trade Of the
Vest" Lastly we still entirely in the dark as
to what stpulations have been made respecting the
retention or evacuation of Canton by the French
and English forces. Will the sample indemnity
granted to England cover all the losses incurred bv
merchants through the warlike operations
consequent on the wret ched quarrel about the
lOrcha Arrow.
The treaties, foranything that appears to the con-
trary, still leave the Chinese authorities ample OPP
portunties of battling us by their dilatorv system
of the period of free and unrcstrained intercourse
with China neither be materially accelerated
nor retarded by the action of the Governments
Until the great body of the Chinese people become
reconcilcd to the presence of foreigners among
them, their Government cannot compel them to re-
ceivc foreigners cordially; and as the
Chinese people become reconciled to the presence of
foreigners among them, their Government will find
penetrating into China must be accomplished by
private Europeans who visit it.
They accomplish it. Mr.. Fortune and many
others have penetrated far beyond the limits that
have hitherto been prescribed to foreigners; and by
conducting themselves well and peaceably they
have done with perfect impunity A frequent
repetition of such visits would have worn off their
strangeness, and the presence Of Europeans in
any part of China would in due time have
come to be regarded by the Chinese as a
matter of course. The recent military opera
tions and treaties will only impede this natural
process of familiarzing the Chinese with the pres
ence of foreigners; and the disputes which are
certain to arise out of the various constructions put
by different parties the terms of the Treaties will
only make matters worse. At Tien-Tsin the repre-
senatives Of four great powersappear to have acted
with tolerable unanimity; but how long will this
nnanimity continue? The Chinese are adroit diplo
matists after their own fashion. They will continue
to stir up dissensions among the European Minis
tiers, and will use one to thwart and battle the
others. Already the three Western Powers are
beginning to grumble, that Russia alone has Sc
cured permanent and tangible advantage by
these negotiations. The question is already asked
whether Russia has not been secretly acting in the
interest of China at the Ten-Tsin. Conferences in
return for the cesson of the country north of the
Amur? Such an early indication ofjealousv among
the Europeans is of bad omen. 1t reminds one of
the long and inveterate waged by France and
England for the ascendency in India.