New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-22

Dis potfliOu iciciiCv' afnVuS VbUi sunS"r w ~"
peodng Chinese or CGto1ess war, "if war it can
be called" at al evests, operations going On in
90 that part of the world" That war he deng-
mated "unfortun ate "-ceEtsirly about the mild
es. tenn which be could have employed 10 describe
II with any regard to its true character" unfor-
" tunate il il origin If not in its con;eqrences;
war inadvertently entered upon Another very
nild phrase-but which, having been entered upon,
he cordially Iejoiced 10 the success Of; first, be-
cause ss he ns;sts the British nation had ample
cause Of con plant If Lot Of quarrel with China;
ard secondly because he thinks be stes in the late
successes Of the British arms aa opening toward
the conclusion Of peace.
Whatever causes of complaint the British might
have hsd sganst the Chinese it is very certain that
they are but the merest dust in the balance COM
pared with the causes Of complaint, and not merely
Of complaint but of Indignation and hatred, Of
quarrel and war, which the Chinese have against
the British. The sole ground Of complaint on the
part of the British or other outside barbarians
against the Chinese is a want OF hospitality on their
part, a refusal to permit foreigners to enter the
walls Of their cities ADD especially of Canton, or
~ LhNcI dIV Itblut NJ luclf Plcdvu4c tuiouRuVub
the empire. The Chinese, on the other hand, are
unfortunately able to aitege against the British
and the other foreigners who visit China, that q
chief object of their coming thither is to enrich
themselves by smuggling opium INTO the country in
violation of the laws and to the ruin Of the health
and morals of the unfortunate persons who are Sc
duced into the use Of it.
G. 90. aAa ta,. lar
share of the total European commerce with China;
50 long as it is sustained snd substantially carried
by the British Government itself au aid to its In
dian revenue it is absurd TO expect that Europeans
and especially the British, can be anything bet
ter in the eyes of the disciples of Confucus than
foreign devils, or that any progress can be made
toward reconciliDg the Chinese to familiar and
friendly intercourse If the trade which these for
egn visitors are so anxious to extend we're one of
which the benefits were mutual, considering the in
telgepcc Of the Chinese and their aptitude for traf
fc, there would be fair prospect for coming to
I'LL Understanding With them. But so long as their tea
and their silks and their silver shall be drawn away
in exchange for pcrnicous and poisonous drug,
who wonder that the Chinese Government alH
the Chinese mandsrins continue resolutely hostile
TO ary exte nson of this dsadyantageous and disas
trous traffic, or to any closer relations with persons
who present themselves to tie Chinese in this de-
testable character!
The first step toward good understanding with
the Chinese and the opening of an extended To-
tercourse with them must be the abolition Of the
opium tIade-a thing so much the more within the
power of the British as the chief production of
this drug is monopoly of the British Indian Gov
This opium trade has very much the
same relation TO the general trade with China tina.
the African slave trade had and has to the general
trade with Africa. So long as the slave trade -four
shed, under the encouragement and support of the
British Government (as the opium trade nov dOes),
so long it efecually prevented the growth of any
legitimate and mutually beneficial commerce with
Africa. Since the legal and, TO great extent act
us abolition of that disgracefu traffic, az extensive
and rapidly increasing general trade has sprung
into existence along the African coast, and there is
every reason TO expect that, in the case Of China,
similar result might follow the suppression of the
opium trade.
If the British wish the Chine Sc to change their
policy in the direction Of humanity friendness and
good neighborhood, why not begin with giving
them an example which, in exciting their gratitude
might perhaps stimulate them TO emulation If
the Brtish Government desire 10 obtain flee access
to the Chinese ports and cities for the purposes Of
lawful, honorable and mutually beneficial traffic,
why lot offer to the Chinese, by way of equivalent
and iIducement stipulston to put stop to the
grow tn Of opium in India for the purpose of being
Smucgled into China Let Lord Derby take this
decided step ard We apprehend he would dnd IN It
what be protests in mis- speech to be Ill search OF,
safe aud honorable, snd We must add lasting
peace, with the least possible delay and
restoration of the benefits aud advantages Of
commercial intercourse" on much moe solid
basis than they have hitherto occupied.
With ut some such inGucement to negotiation on
the port cf the Chine Sc we do not see how the
occupation of Canton is to have any more effect on
the court of Pekin, or the Cantonese, than the
blockade of that city had during the year or 50 of
s continuance: or than Is bOmbaIdment appears
to have had upon the Chinese officials, who, when
taken by the British troops, were found quietly
eating their breakfasts, with entire nonchasnce, It
would appear, either as TO the past or the future.
The attempt 10 rule the city by giving to the Chi
nese Imperial Governor and Tartar General
two er three British officers as assessors, would
seem to be likely to go a good wsy toward defeat
ing the very object Of the occupation, for it will
afford color TO the idea, which the mandarins will
he apt TO difIuse that no change Of suthOrty has
taken place, and that Canton IS as much Chinese