The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-09-30

In the summary which we gave yesterday of
the recent occurrences on the Pei-ho, we stated
upon the authority of the published accounts,
that in towing the English boats into action,
Commodore TATNALL only acceded to the urgent
request of the British Admiral 1t now appears
from the official dispatches received by Govern
ment, that no request of the kind was preferred,
but that acting upon his own knowledge of the
state of affairs in the Allied feet, and the i'm
pulses of sailors heart, Commodore TATNALL
himself rendered the aid which was promptly and
thankfully accepted. We do not think this cor
rected version of the affair." while it illustrates
more conspicuously the gallantry of the Commo-
dore, ought TO affect in the least the public
appreciation of his conduct. IF it be said that
1t was breach of neutrality on our part, it may
well be questioned whether a strictly neutral part
would have compored, on the occasion, either
with our interests or our honor. 1t must he
remembered that, as during the late war, the
Allies were in point of fact fighting our battle as
well as their own. AS we have stated, there is no
express stipulation in our treaty with China
which accords TO us the privilege of sending an
Ambassador to Peking; although there is a pro-
vision to that effect in both the English and
French treaties. 1t is upon the clause which
places US upon the same footing with those
powers, by granting to US all the privilege con-
coded to the most favored nation, that Mr.. Warn
bases his claim to appear in person at the Imperial
Court. The Chinese, it is well known. objected
strenuously to any such concession in their nepo-
tiafi viii 7 ii T.
its omission by Mr.. READ, from our own treaty.
was doubtless in Difference TO their views 1t
may admit of question, therefore, whether even
under the "favored nation clause we are iusti-
lied in demanding privilege of which our
previous action might we'll be considered as
waiver. Be that as it may, however, it is certain
that any obstacles thrown in the way of the
enforcement by the Allied Ambassadors, of their
undoubted right to go to Pe-Ning, and there have
audience of the EMPEROR in person, were equally
an impeachment to the progress of Mr. WARD:
particularly, when those obstacles assumed the
material form of batteries and cables, of sunken
stakes in the river, and earth-works on the shore.
In removing those obstacles, therefore, the Allies
were opening passage for Mr.. WARD as well as
Tor themselves, in whose company, if at all, the
former was to be permitted to visit Picking At
least, such was the understanding had with the
Chinese Commissioners at Shang-hae who direc-
ted Mr.. WARD to repair to the Pei-ho, whittier
Mr.. BRUCE and NJ BoURBoULoN had preceded him.
and who in mentioning that river, did not
specify by what particular mouth the Ambassa-
doris should enter. Being acquainted with no
other mouth of the river than the one where the
Allied squadron was already anchored, the Pom
hatan and the Toey- Van joined the French and
English vessels at that point. What subsequently
TOOK place 1t Is unnecessary to recaptuate, except
to remind the reader that if the foregoing facts
prove that our rights and interests in the matter
were identical with those of the Allies, the con-
duct of the English Admiral toward our people
constituted an additional claim upon our sympa-
thy and cooperation. When the Toey- Wan was
menaced by the guns of the Chinese forts, the
English crews labored to drag her from the bank
On which she had grounded. When, in conse-
quence OF the state of the river, and the recedng
tide, her loss seemed inevitable the use of an Eng
ilsh gun-boat was rendered in her stead When,
therefore, the English vessels, in turn, were being
nddled by the fire of the same forts, and the brave
assistance to us, was himself in want of aid-to
tow the boats containing the English soldiers and
mariners, to his relief seemed to be the least re-
turn for kindness done, which, under the circum-
stances, it was in Commodore TATNALL's power to
render In doing so, the Commodore appears to
nave acted with proper consideration for the deli
cacy of his position. The statement of The Amer
teaTS correspondent, published in that paper YES
terday, to the effect that when the Commodore in
his gig boarded the Admirars gun.boat sour
men jumped in; and, for more than hour, work.
eu 'ne guns, may be true, but is exceedingly
improbable. In the presence of their Commodore
and without his orders, ''our men, would hardly
have ventured to do any thing of the sort, and, il
we mistake not, the visit of Commodore TATNAII,
was followed almost Immediately by the transfer
OF the wounded Admiral and his flag. from the
vessel in question, which was in a sinking cond-
ton, and by the return of the Commodore and his
men to the 1oey- Van for the purpose of towing
up the English boats. But even conceding that
the line of strict neutrality was overstepped on
this OCCASION we do not see how it could
have been otherwise, or how even greater
departures from our policy in that respect can be
avoided in the future. We never thought that the
course pursued by our late Minister in China, Mr.
READ, reflected much credit upon our country. or
tended particularly to promote our interests. 1t
placed us in the attitude of reaping where we had
not sown-of following, vulture-like, in the wake
of battle to prey on the carcasses of the slain
With interests at stake scarcely less important
than those of England, and far more considerable
than those OF France-we affected a neutrality in
their contest with the tyrant and butcher YEH-of
which theirs was the blood and sweat exclusively
ours in equal proportion the gain Permitting
himself to be the dupe of the willy Russian. Count
PUTIATINE, Mr.. READ adopted role, which. while
it did not elevate our national character in the
eyes OF the Chinese, who at length came 10 con-
slider Americans only in the light of ''secondcass
"Englishmen" -at the same time caused orr GOOD
faith to be suspected by the two great Powers.
whose interests were most nearly allied with our
own and who thought, not without reason, that
they had the best right to upon our co-opera-
ton. There can be no greater mistake in Chinese
diplomacy, than to consider our interests as an
tagonstic to- or evendiverse from those of England
or In any way connected with those of Russia
Our access to China like that of the English, must
necessarily be by sea- and our interests require the
same Tree intercourse and the same security for
person and property in the ports and on the great
navigabe rivers of China Russian trade with
China is altogether overland; Russia bordero ,,non
China throughout the whole extent of her no,tha.,
frontier and the main object of Russia diplomoo,
at Pe-king as everywhere else, is territorial ag.
grandisement and the acquisition ofpolitcal power
rather than any extension of commercial privileges
or the removal of restraints which may fetter the
course Of trade To this end-Russian intrigue is