New-York daily tribune., 1859-09-28
ORR CHINESE RELATIONS.

Pekin. made simultaneously with that OF the
English ard French ambassadors, which had so
disastrous a result. Mr.. Ward. it appears reached
Sh.pehae on the 25th of Msy in small steamer OF
lich draft, adapted to the navigation of the Peho,
which he had chartered at Hong kong for the
purpose of bis visit to Pekin. Upon signifying his
wish to the Chinese Imperial Commissioners at
Shapshae to proceed Immediately to Pekn, there
TO exchange with them the rs!ihcatons oil the
treaty.. and to deliver to the Emperor letter from
the President Of the United States of which
be was tie bearer, be was met by the
statement that they were waiting the arrival oi
Lord Elein's sue cessor, whom they expected soon,
AID with whom they bad important matters to
settle; that it would take them sixty days to re'ch
Pekn, travelling in palanquins over land and tnas
Mr.. Ward, if he proceeded at once would DO
Obliged TO wait fox them at Ten tsn, which, at this
season. was very unhealthy. He suggested their
embsrkipg on one of the Chinese steamers in the
barbor by which means they might reach Pekln
in eight or ten days. but they replied that travelling
by sea was contrary to the Emperor's express COM
mands, and with persons Of their rank, not agree
able to Chinese etiquette. They said that the
time Of exchanging the ratiicaslons was not
| important and moreover offered to exchange them
| at Shsnpbae. Against this, Mr. Ward pleaded his
instructions, though his chief reason for decdnlng
TO do co. seems to have been that if the ratihcaons
were exchanged, the ground might be taken that
! be had no occasion to go to Pekin. The Commits
.oners had suggested that he could only go there
on impoi tant business the consent Of the Emperor
- L.. ka st.ty hafh
| the occasion warranted a visit 1t Was also sug-
pested that a, the privilege of sending an Embas-
| sador to Pekin, so far as the Americans were
concerned, depended not upon any express stpula-
ton in their treaty, but upon the CLAUSE in it gvog
them the same privileges that might be conceded to
| any other nation, it would be proper that the
French and Ed glish Embassadors should go first
their treaties only contained any express stipula-
ton OF the sort, and that they were soon ex-
aud 60 with them.
TIE result of all this negotiation was that Mr..
Ward neither exchanged rstifcations at Shsngbae
nor proceeded TO Pekin to do 60, though he
obtained written document from the Commission
ers admitting his readiness to have done so declar
70 the ratification and stipulatng that be should
90 to Pekin with the fret Minister Of any nation
who did, Soon after this arrangement had been
made, the English ard French Ministers arrived.
They paid little attention to the Chinese COmmis-
sioners insisted upon proceeding at once to Pekn,
and required the Commissioners to proceed thitber
also. Finding they could do nothing to prevent
IL, ~ Of fha mi s1n fha
Commissioner so at least they stated sent cOuri
ers to notify the Emperor, and themselves get out
for Pekin but by the land route, the English and
French ambassadors proceeding by sea. Two or
three days after their departure Mr. Ward followed
in the fisate Powhatan, which was lying at
Shangbae, bis little chartered steamer proceeding
also in company. After four days passage they
reached the mouth of the Peiho on the 2lst Of
June, and found the English and French feet of
twenty-one vessels lying there, Of which thirteen
only were Of light draft enough to enter the river
Admiral Hope informed Mr. Ward Of the oh.
structons 10 the river, of the steps he had taken
to remove them, and of the statement by the Chi.
nese that they were placed there not to prevent
the French and English Ministers from going to
Pekn, but as protection against incursiOns from
the rebels 1t had been added that this was not
the mouth Of the Peiho which was to be found; i!
was some ten or twelve miles further north, and
the ambassadors must 90 to Pekin by that route;
but as nobody on board the men-ofwsr anchored
there, English, French or American, had ever
heard of aIy such entrance into the Peiho, this
statement was considered mere invention Of the
moment for tie purpose Of perplexing or delaying
unyelcome visitors. Mr. Ward told the E0glsh
Admiral that he had no intention to force an en-
trance into the river; if his entrance was resist
3D. il only remained for him to report that fact to
bis Government; however be was instruct
ed to 90 to Pekin, and he would accordingly cross
the bar ard proceed till fred on or stopped BY gu
perior force.
Accordingly, on the oath of June, be crossed the
bar 10 bis little steamer, but when near the forts,
through ignorance Of the channel, she ran on
shore. The English Admiral sent one Of his small
steamers to help her off, but as the tide was ebbing
this did not succeed, and she remained aground.
A party was sent on shore, but everything was
perfectly silent about the fort and breaatworks,
which seemed unoccuped. At length few per-
sons Of mean appearance came out who pretended
to great ignorance, and stated that there Was no
officer Of rank in the neighborhoOd. They re-
peated, however, the story thst officers were wait
ing for the ambassadors at the alleged north
mouth Of the river. The next morning the steamer
hoated with the tide, and retired to position out
side the line Of the allied vessels already preparing
to attack the Chinese forts which attack took