The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-11-07
Alrbmonn pispatrb.
MONDAY MORNING. NOV ; !,
THE AMERICAN MINISTER IN CHINA.
I'm Route TO Pckin--Thr Made NJ Co,v.,
anee-- The Tight Box" Story Disproyed,
aaa how the Story Originated.-..Mr.
wv ard'a Witt 10 the GOV. GeneraL ac


wards Visit TO the Gov. General, &c,
The last authentic details of the movemen I,
OF Mr. Ward, the American Minister TO China
! LETT on the point of meeting the Chinese Com
missioners. A letter TO the N. ", Journal o
! Commerce, dated July 18th, con tains later &C
| counts of him. The Minister, Commodor,
Tatnail, and company of thirteen. went M
the river in junks, under the escort of tw,
| mandarssns "of the white button. When
within loo miles of Pekin, they were placed
| IN chariots," which are thus described in tn,
| letter: 80 '''
The body was about six feet long by three
| VIDE and four high from the floor TO the tor
inside. The entrance was in the front tbs
| Minister. Commodore and all, being Obliged
| 20 climb over the shaft, and then climbing
| head'foremo&t, adjust body, arms and legs ac.
| cording 10 the space they had To occupy. How.
ever brave our Commodore had shown him sci
| IN Mexico, bearing upon him the honorahl,
| scars he received there, and however sagacious
! ahu Sttapev PdraIaS" our Minister in whate, ell
! unexpected posi- flons he may be placed, here
| was position in which courage and diploma
cf were impoten ia real fix, from which there
was no moy4ng-a Complications which the
| SS"l"s OF Asit.nfch could neither create nor
| uEentangie. Then craw ting in upon ail-f -fours
! me Hon. Ambassador with his portfolio OF
| oocnments, and the Presid>nt's autograph let
ger ser 10 ms Imperial Majesty Hein-fung, "the
! Son of Heaven" and our "a liant Commodore
after him at his side eucumb ,red with sword
| epauiettes, and ehapeau
AS there were no seats in the vehicle, they
| Were content, or rather obliged. 10 seat them
serves on the hoor, which, however, was com
/ 1urtahly cushioned, with body AL d legs at light
/ angles. To add 10 the membranes of these
/ stage coaches, If not to the pleasu re OF their
motion, the shafts rest the axle without
springs, md the tires of the wheels, instead of
| he even surface of the American. ioave pro-
lectlons like the cogs in q wheel! The constant
| loltng ofsuch Il vehicle is of course anything
IE . Ia 10 ,,srltGa
| stead of horse. which, however was j II good
1 condition, and harnessed in Europe an and
! American style, and whose driver walk ed by
I his side.
| There was one popularity in the censtru elton
| Of the vehicle from which own dray men
! might derive hint favorable 10 their own IN
/ teres Is as well as 10 their horses comfort and
service. From the top of the carriage, and II a
line with IT, an awning projects over the VII ole
| length OF the mule, the front end being uphe Id
| by wooden staunchions resting on the shat s,
! thus protecting the poor mule from the te E.
/ vor of the sun, as Well as the occupants of the
! carriage he draws.
! The gentlemen tumbled and crowded into
| these deRS, as they mi ght we'll be called.
/ amidst great crowd of Chinese men and
| boys, there being not Il woman to be seen,
many of whom, very probably, were gazing
| upon 'rhire men for the first time. 1t must be
added, 10 their credit, that, intense as was
! their interest and curiosity, all conducted
| themselves with extreme propriety. Ii was
| pleasant TO observe the kindly forbearance of
| the police officers, armed sim plv with bam-
| b0oS. when the crowd, and especially the boys
| pressed 4 little beyond the prescribed line CT
| approach. They struck the ground on each
| side Of the uansgressor but carefully avoided
| iniicting blow on him. Indeed, good
! ture and, If we consider the class composing
| the crowd good manners pervaded The whole,
| proving that, notwithstanding the violent
| upathies all foreigners at first contract when
| they come liz centact with the Chinese, there
are fine innate qualities which would COM
| mand admiration had they the appropriate
| culture and scope for development
| Everything being satisfactorily Is arranged and
! all safely If not comfortably sconsed in the
| moving dens which were To carry them, the
| cavalcade proceeded, the Min isiers carriage
| leading the way, followed by that of the flag
/ officer, Com Inmodore Tatuall. while those of the
| TWO suites br Jught up the rear. Two china
men, mounted on horses. went in advance of
| the whole while several mandarins of low
rank patiently trndged along on foot, while ;ii
athletic ana hanGsoIne seaman from the Pow
hatan bore aloft the American Eagle on a
tall STAFF. AT the distance OF about 20 yards
from the jetty, the cavalcaCe entered the viii
lage by a narrow street, which, continuing on
for some % yards IN Il straig ht iine made 4 sud-
den turn, bringing TO view body of troops,
through whom, drawn up in single line on
each side of the street, the cayalcade passed to
the hall OF conference, some 100 rods di slant,
where the Minister was received by the Gov
eTnor-General and ano Their mandarin OF the
highest order, as indicated by the red button
he wore and by theIp conducted accompe MED
| by the Commodore and followed by the suites,
| through small courtyard to q hall of mt der
| ate dimensions, being about 80 fl. square, and
still more moderate in the outlays upon arr
adornment hitting Il for the residence ofa hign
official, or the reception Ofan am bassador rom
one of the four great Powers which in this age
| control the destinles of the world.
In the rear and near the centIe of the hall
were placed two sraall tables, covered with
! refreshments. consisting principally of con-
| dictionary, the whole embracing 81 arieties,
| served in small cups and saucers. The Min
1 IEF "a 4f n NFiEagn nfGI ttp Iaft
hand table, according to Chinese notions of
honor, while the Governor -Gener raj and COM
panion Of the red bali occupied. that on the
right. In the rear four long tables were set
loaded with the same variety of dis hes, for the
Interpreter the Secretary of Legation, and the
rest of the party.
The conference was now opened, being sus-
tanned entirely on the one side, and mainly bY
the Goyernor-Gep eral on the other, the second
red-button Mahd arin only occasionally join
ing II. The Goyernor-General was neatly
but plainly ore ssed, easy, gentle and polite in
ms bearing a'ad, however earnestly speaking,
nsiDg bat III tie gesticulation. His age is 81
years. He is moderate III stature and size, and
aitosiher, mentally, ply ysically and in manners,
| IN Il gooc. degree OF harmony with European
| ideas. Different in all res poets was his aSso-
clate, stout, gross-built man, ana his face in
d'cati We also OF grossness of mind, cheerful and
| even laughing, and considerably boisterous in
| conversation, which he eniiyened and enforced
| by the use of much gesticulation. From his
| appearance he might be judged to be about iU
I years old.
As soon as they were seated in the room the
| Governor General asked the Minister what
| had brought him North. He replied he on
| his way 10 Pekn, there to exchange the ratifi-
| cation of the treaty. The Governor General
asked If he had heard OF the battle which had
recently taken place with the English! The
Minister replied yes" The GovernorGene-
raj then asked if the English had not acted
| harshly and improperly. The Minister re-
piled. .these difficulties must be settled by them
selves he was pursuing the course marked
| out by tn e American treaty that he hoped
| and belle Sed that the Chinese Government
would abide by the stipulations OF the treaty,
and furnish him the means OF going 10 Pekin.''
| The Go vernon Ge enerai replied that the treaty
was to be exchanged at Pekin, but that the
| Minis ter could not 20 TO Pekin until the arri-
val OF the Commissioners from Shanghae, who
had been appoin ted by His Majesty to conduct
him there. Our Miaister said il was matter
10 him. personally of no importance where he
remained, bur it was not respectful TO the ma
tion he represen ted to keep him more than
month of the coast, awaiting the arrival OF
| The Consmis sioners, and that he should so re-
| port to his Government. The Governor Gene
| raj asked at what point he would prefer re-
naming until the arrival of the Commission
ers, Our Minister replied, "ln Pekln or on
board his own frigate." The Governor-Gene-
raj then proposed that If neither of the Com
missioners arrived within ten days of that
time that our Minister should then proceed To
Pekin, and there await the arrival OF the COM
mssioners from Shanghae To this our Min
lister assen ted, and subsequently all prepara-
tions were made for Mr. Ward and his party
by the Governor General.
The hall soon became crowded Wi tn man.
larins of various RANKS, all desirous TO see the
strange sight, and TO hear, even If they could
not understand all of them standing through
The whole session, that they obstructed the
circulation of the air, and made the heat OPP
pressiye. II was estimated that about nifty OF
these officials were present in This contracted