New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-15


We made call the other day upon The N. I.
Times for specification of those Chinese outraseS
upon the property persons and lives OF American
citizens which that journal has heretofore 80 often
referred to in general and decamatoy terms, as not
only amply sufficient to justify war against China,
but as being so flagrant and atrocious as to leave
our Government quite without excuse for not nav
ing waped war already. In reply to this CALL we
are favored By the citation of three particular cases.
The N. T. Times presumes that even THE TRIBUNE
will not deny that an outrage was committed upon
the persons and property of American citizens,
when beats crew, trusting to their flag for secu-
r;ty. were wantonly fired at from the Bogue forts.
That the American flag was in that case ~dntonly
dIsregayded is perhaps not quite 80 clear as The
N. Y. Timts would have US believe. HOstilities
with the English had already begun and the boat
might well have been supposed to have been
British boat under false colors. Admitting, how
ever, this outrage to have been ever go great and
the reply to demand for apology ascribed to Yek
that he knew no difference between the American
and British flag to have been ever so insulting
though, after all, it was perhaps but sly piece of
Chinese satire upon the too evident disposition of
the American residents to mix themselves up in the
British quarre-it is yet entirely out Of the ques
ton to set up this ss a subsisting and unpunished
Outrage, ahordng cause and justification for war.
1t was amply, and, as our Government appear to
have thought, rather superabundantly, punished at
the moment, by the bombardment and destruction
of the Bogue forts, from which the shot complained
of was fred. Having thus made ample reprisals
upon the Chinese, it is quite out of the question to
pursue this quarrel any further.
The next specification relied upon by The ~
\. Times consists in the fact that when tho Chi
ness drove the English from whampoa some dam.
age occurred to American property there and that
man Git is not pretended that he was citizen of
the United States-he is represented as Germany
was killed in DR.. Ryder's ship, anchored there,
with the American flag flying at the time
But. before going to war with China on this
score, we could well wish that "the perfe:tly re.
liable correspondent" of The N. T. Times, who is
cited as authority for the above statement, would
go little more into the particulars of IT, Who
was this German, and what were the circum.
stances under which he was killed. Had he not
been concerned, and had not DR.. Ryder's ship,
with the American flag flying over it, been sus-
pected of being concerned, in furnishing arms and
ammunition to the rebel Chinese fleet by which the
waters of the Canton River were infested! 1t sell
dom happens that town is attacked and taken
without some injury TO the persons and property Of
neutrals who have chosen to assume the risk of re-
naming in It. We have not the slightest doubt,
judging from what has hitherto happened in China,
that these American sufferers at Whampos VIII
cohtrive to turn their losses there to very hand
some account. This. however, is not case for
war, under any aspect of it, until indemnity has
frat been atked and refused.
The third case relied upon by The N. Y. Timss
is ct directly brought forward but only by way Of
nnuendo. "The particular cases to which we
"have alluded" says The ~ Y. Times, "oocurred
within the last sixteen month"; We DO not
travel further back for our facts (Which We might
.sdo) and instance the murder Of Cunningham as
"one among other crimes permitted 70 go unpuh-
"isbed." Now. as The N. Y. Timss undertook TO
charge and did charge, that our interests in China
had suffered through "lorg neglect ana that
"the lives of more than one of our frnsw' w'citzens
are stu unavepged," it certainly seems TO us 70 De
little lame in confusing itself to affairs only six zen
months old, growing toO, directly out of the Anglo
Chinese war IN hich it is seeking to make US par
ty, and including, according to its own statement
oDy one homicide, and that not Of an American eit.
zep. but of German. II this Cunningham case had
in fact borne, even in slight degree, the character
cf murder permitted to go unpunished' doubtless
We should have had all the particulars OF IT, AZ
our cotemporsry dces DOT see fit to give them' we
will.
ibis affair took placs not at Canton but as tne
more ror,h6ly pOr. Of Foo.chow-fo There eA-
.,. hostility between the populace Of Foo-chow-
foo ard th.t of Canton very similar to that wai'n
prevails between the inhabitants Of some dl'sr'ots
Of Ireland. Iu s.rset bawi growing out f Rus