Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-11-17
NovEMnER IA. 1859.
IThr AMERICAN COMMISSIONER AT PEkIs,-

THE AMERICAN COMMISSIONER AT PEKIN.-
BY the last arrival from Europe we have full
accounts of Mr., Wards visit to Pekin, and Of
his success in securing a ratification of the
treaty 1t appears now that he was treated
with great respect; and in his negotiations at
Pekin, there was no difficulty save what arose
from his refusal to do such bowling and kneel-
ing as was necessary in order to secure per-
sonal interview with the Emperor, The pre-
scribed ceremonial required him on approach
ing the Emperor to kneel three times and
knock his forehead on the earth nine times;
but, after considerable conference on the sub
ject, it was proposed by the Chinese that he
should be admitted to an audience, on condi-
ton that he would submit to the ceremonial of
touching one knee or his fingers to the earth
Mr.. Ward refused this and the interview did not
take place.
American ambassadors to the various courts
of Europe have sometimes volunteered good
deal more undemocratic ceremonial than can
be found in kneeling lightly on one knee. For
instance it seems to us that no American who
has willingly submitted to the ridiculous cere-
mony of what is called court dress, in order
to see "a royal parsonage" need refuse very
sternly the slight kneeling which in this case
would have been accepted. The Chinese court
seemed to feel that it had gone to the extreme
of liberality, Nothing, however, but courtesy
and good feeling came to mingle in the discus
sions, and the visit of Mr.. Ward will produce
good results beyond the immediate purpose of
his mission. AT one of the preliminary inter-
views between Mr.. Ward and the Chinese chie1
minister, the course of the English and French
was referred to as follows
"Kwelang looked more hale than when at
Shanghai, and said that his journey of thirty
six days had been, on the whole pleasant He
soon began, however, on weightier matters,
and INDICATED the late acts of his government
in respect of its plans for the exchange of the
three treaties. He declared that the Emperor
had right to obstruct the channel of his own
rivers, and had done so at the mouth of the
Peiho to prevent foreign ships ascending to
Tien.tsing that he would have been blame
worthy if all ingress had been closed, but, on
the contrary, every arrangement had been
made for conducting all the foreign ministers
to Peking by way of Pei-tang. The English
had tried to force his way through the barriers
at Taku, even when warned of the conse-
quences, AMI that by SO, doing the English had
broken the treaty, and not the Chinese, upon
whom the responsibility of the violation did
not rest. He then went on to compare the re-
fusa of the English and French ministers at
Shanghae to see him and his colleague, after
having waited in that region many months for
that purpose, with the visits which had taken
place between them and the American envoy,
and his offer of ship of war to bring them up
the gulf which the regulations of their own
government prevented them from accepting;
and concluded his harangue with the remarks
that the hostile feelings OF the English were
also seen in their bringing so large, if not larger
force, to exchange their treaty, than they had
to make it, while the peaceful designs of the
Americans were proved by their coming in
only one vessel"