The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-10-13
The War in China.

Ascorrespondent of the New \ ork
-Evening Post, writing from Shanghai,
under date of July 18th, gives the fol-
lowing statement of the causes that led
to the recent outbreak in China, which
proved 50 disastrous to the British
So far aswe may be allowed to judge
of the future from the events of the
past, this ancient and interesting Chi
nese Empire is likely, for some time to
come, to be theatre towards which the
eyes of the civilized world viii be
turned with the most intense interest.
England, France and the United States
after weary years of war. and diploma
cy, had just succeeded in making a
treaty of peace and commerce with
the Imperial Government at Pekin that
was supposed to secure to western trade
and civilization an entrance into this
hitherto sealed country The supersti-
tions that for ages had been crystaliz-
ing into a she'll that seemnd utterly i'm
pervious to all impressions from with
out, was considered broken, so that the
religion and commerce of western ma
tons only awaited the formal exchange
of treaties that had been made by the
proper officers, and ratified by the re-
spective governments, and only lacked
the forms of an exchange by the min
listers with the government at Pekin to
become binding, and to open the whole
Chinese empire to the introduction of a
higher order of civilization.
Such was the apparent condition of
things one month ago. Early in June,
the newly appointed representatives
Mr.. Bruce, the British Minister, Mr..
Ward, Minister from the United States
and NJ. de Bourboulon, Representative
of the French Government-met here
on their way to Pekin. Each Govern
ment had appointed respectable naval
force, under command of high officer
to be placed at the disposal of the Min
lister in case of need, and to be used as
an escort when deemed proper.
Commodore Tatnall, with the steam
err Powhattan, was to accompany Mr..
Ward. To enable Mr.. Ward to move
about with greater facility, a steamer
called the Toey-wan was chartered. III.
de Bourboulon also had steamer and
one other vessel. Mr.. Bruce had quite
an imposing armament of gun-boats,
conveys, and store ships, numbering
over fifteen in all. His effective force
was by the English put down at nearly
fourteen hundred men. Imperial com
missioners came on here, and in inter
views had with Mr.. Ward and the
French Minister, gave assurances that
the different legations would meet with
a cordial reception from the Emperor.
1t is said that Mr. Bruce refused to con-
fer with these. commissioners, and even
treated, yet the government would not
permit an armament of war vessels and
an armed force to penetrate into the
heart Of the country.
About the 18th of June the escorts
left here for the Gulf of Peechelee, from
which point theyawere to ascend the
Peiho river to Suitien, where the min
listers were to have a final rendezvous
and concert measures for proceeding to
Pekin. The Peiho river empties into
the Gulf of Peeehelee by number
of months, the adjoining country being
very low and marshy.
The English having arrived first, ION
the 18th of June, proceeded to examine
the river. They found the mouth OBJ
structed by a number of barriers, com.
posed of stakes driven down and chains
stretched across. There were also q
number of large and well-constructed
forts erected to guard the entrance to
the river. An interview was had with
the officers in charge of the forts, who
reported that they had received orders
from the Emperor not to allow any
foreign armed vessels to go up the river
and direction to fire upon, any such
vessels as should attempt it or try to
remove the barriers. They were di
rooted to 90 to another branch of the
river that opened into the Gulf twelve
miles to the northward, where they
would find the Governor General o.
the Province, who had been appointed
| by the Emperor to meet and communi
cate with them.
They were tod that this Governor
General was appointed by the Imperial
government to. receive and forward the
ministers to Pekin with all proper re-
spect, by that branch of the river
The English chose to consider this as
an attempt on the part of the Chinese
to prevent them from going to Pekin
and without even sending out party
to ascertain if there was another mouth
to the river, and an official whiting to
receive them, sent them reply that
they would 90 to Pekin by that channel
and none other, and that if the Chinese
did not remove the barriers by spec
flied time they would remove them
themselves. The Chinese responded
that if they attempted such a. thing they
would certainly FIRE upon them.
This was the state of affairs wher
Mr.. Ward arrived. He immediately
sent his Interpreter on shore, who had
an interview with an officer, and had
repeated to him in substance the same
as had been told the English. They
were assured that the Emperor had
made all necessary arrangements tore
ceive and forward the american min
lister with all due respect and des-
patch. '~- - S s-A
NJ. vy.,rJ ,oo,,c ~ L.1 al