The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-09-03
Riltnlpnn gispatlb.
SATURDAY MORNING SEPT

The AmerIcan Mlnister In Chiaa..lnter.
essins Description ~ m Inter view with
the commissioners.
The American Minister to China, Hon. Mr.
Ward, had an interview at Woosung on the
I'd Of June with the Imperial Commissioners
The Official call was made with that pornp
which is necessary In China to command at
tention. A letter to the N. Y. Journal Of Com
meree thus describes it.:
Eighty marises from the Powhatan and
Mississippi, under the command Of Captain
as the escort, with the fine band from the
fownafan, while ali the officers Of both ships
VINO were not on duty,Mere required TO join
the procession, together with the Americans
band, mostly Germans, with their brass in
struments glittering in the sun, took the lead |;
then came the large company OF mariner,
dressed In blue, with caps tied under their
chins, and arms polished to the whifeness Of
silver. while every foot seemed to move by
common will which animated all the Minis
ter and his suite followed, and then the officers
OF the ships and American residents and 9th.
ers, all In palanQuins borne on the shoulders
OF coolies, some carried by two and others BY
four, according to the weight OF taste Of the
occupant, or the courage and bone and muscle
Of the bearers. The coolies were dressed for
the OCCASION, and humble as is their vocation
aud poor their usual dress, at the presentation
they looked manly and even attractive in the
strange and fantastic garb they wore. They
Were shueless, but not sans -cniottes, all wear
ing blue calico pants and white frock bor-
dered with an inch of flaming red, while their
heads were covered with white straw hats
rising to point, and resembling a dish. cover,
& to ane .op OF which red silk was tied In skeins,
ana sporting In the wind, or moved by the
joits, gracefully covered the whole cap.
We approached the wall, the crowds still in
creasing; we entered the gate and plunged in to
solid mass of humanity, about five feet and
ha III deem from ion nd foaf xp,iI
on each side Of the streets, and at least two
miles long. Such sight can hardly be pictur-
ed and conceived. The streets are quite mar
row, paved, but dirty; the recent rains also
pass through the city, containing much filth
and stagnant water, while in one glace a heap
of foul matter had been piled up for manure,
nearly as high as the houses, and covering
large square. According 10 Chinese fashion,
few of the houses are above one-story high, all
joined together in solid blocks, with the front
rooms used for stores and workshops Occa-
sionally narrow strips of board painted red
and covered with gilt Chinese characters, sus-
pended by the doors of the shops, served to give
a little taste and variety to the scene; Whlie
not a tree, nor plant, nor garden, or plot
OF the narrowest dismensions, could be seen.
Nothing was to be seen but solid masses ofmen,
women and children, without hats, without
bonnets without shoes, and almost and often
quiet naked, treading upon each other, press
ing upon each other, overlapping each other,
TedCnlHK lTOIu tuc sIuc VI llkc Stfcct udCk W
side of the houses, filling up all the space un
der the projecting roofs, and then the rooms
used for stores and workshops lying back,
while at the corners of the streets we turned
the eye could reach thesame solid human flesh
filling the entire street for a long distance.
There was no movements; there was no out
cry; not a voice was heard, nor was the ex-
preston of excitement, or admiration, or dis
like, seen on single countenance. The most
perfect order prevailed, and the most stolid
indifference. Such passionless faces in the
adult disguised one, while the little children,
held by the hand or carried in the arms, who
in America would have been on the gni rire at
hearing such strans and seeing such an impos-
ing procession, were equally apathetic, never
laughing, never crying, nor even apparently
wondering. All looked like two tiers of con-
solidated human flesh, each two miles long.
from the upper surface of which innuinerabie
heads Were thrust up, like those of frogs in a
pool or puddle. Hote they could live was a
grave question, and arhsre they could live, not
less So Degradation and Immortality must
be the necessary result, which are the we'll
known characteristics of this immense por-
tion of the human race l could but thank
Heaven for the broad domain of our own
country, which for innumerabie ages will for
Did the same density of population and the
same brutal life
Turning streets, crossing bridges and ever
meeting the same dull and DISCUS ting aspect,
at length, when we had marched about two
miles, the walls arose on the other side of the
bursting upon the ear announced that we had
reached the Governors yamun or palace
where the reception was to take place. En-
tering miserable gate, we proceeded through
a narrow court into sorry building, covering
considerable ground, but only one story high
and cut up into various apar tments. connected
by narrow and dark passages, through which
two individuals could not walk ABREAST
There was small attendance of sub-officials
aud servants, and no military. The narrow,
dark passages through which We passed into
the reception room, awakened a suspicion that
they We're playing ruse, and abont to con-
duct us down into the cellar or up into the
garrett till we We're relieved by the thought
that in China garret and cellar there are not
Entering at length the reception room, about
30 feet square, with doors opening in front in
TO a small court, and without windows in the
rear or on either side, and all of the plainest
workmanship, with strips of paper covered
with gilt Chinese characters suspended here
and there on the walls We stood in the presence
of the Imperial Ministers.
In the back of the room an elevation of one
or two feet extended from side to side like a
small stage, with one two large chairs
placed back of table in the front. Close to
the stage on the floor below, were five arm
chairs, in which the Commissioners, Mr.
Ward, and other officials Were seated, while
Mr.. Wards suite, the American officers and
citizens, We're seated in a line on chairs around
the rest of the loom. Mr.. Ward was received
by the Commissioners with many smiles and
bowings, and conducted to the central chair
one of the Commissioners being on each side
the Tartar on the right and the Chinese on the
lett, the two other chairs being occupied by the
tou-tai. or Governor of the city, and the other
by the Governor General of three adjoining
provinces. Mr.. Martin, Mr.. Wards interpre-
ter, occupied chair Immediately in 'front.'
through whom Mr.. Ward and the Imperial
MINISTERS Were able TO keep up brisk CONVEX
sation. the Ministers being in such good humor
rs often to be guilty of an undignifed laugh
The first Commissioner is said to be nearly
20 years old, wears quiet countenance. and
appears to be in full intellectual yigor. The
second Commissioner is a Manchu or Tartar:
his stout form and round face, and large head
indicating his race. He is SO years old. and
full of good nature and talk. He seemed to
he better informed in geography and about the
Western nations, than the Chinese Commits
sioner. kwei-tsing, the Governor -Geueral is
slender in form, of sharp features, and wears
pair of immense spectacles. He seemed TO
have the most active intelligence of the whole
listening to every word, freely mingling in the
conversation, and his face indicating emotion
and activity of thought. He holds in bis hand
the absolute power of life and death over
nearly one hundred nillicrs of people, or three
times the population Of the United States
His salary is $4,000.
Soon after the formalities of introduction.
and when all had been seated. cups of almond
tea Were served, which was quite agreeable
and then common tea Of superior quality, the
tea leaves being placed in the cup and hot wa
ter poured upon them, the quantity in each
cup being sufficient for three or four libations.
After this the Commissioners withdrew, with
Mr.. Ward, into another part of the yamun,
for private consultation, leaving, however,
Wang to entertain us, who was in fine spirits,
and, through the interpreter, kept up a spirited
conversation, asking questions, and, in turn,
cheerfully answering them. It betrayed sin l.
guiar Ignorance, however, or else was an at
tempt at deception, when he asserted that
Japan tcas Dependence Of CAiMa; and when
asked il the Emperor had Minister there, es-
capped by saying Japan was not thought OF
sufficient importance to be entitled to one.-
He also admitted the Japanese paid no tribute.
At the end Of an hour we were summoned
IN dinner in a rnuch larger and better hall in