The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-10-18
AFFAIR. n e,Aina !.

4
The New York Times appears to doubt the
story about our Ambassador having heen boxed
up and carried to Picking. ~ HKxRY BROWN
was conveyed to the North some years ago.
Indeed. II does not believe thAt Mr.. WARp has
gone to Picking at all; but thinks he is still
safely enjoying his ease with his dignity nn-
touched, on board the Powhasan. II, how
ever, he has actually reached the Imperial
city. the Tinass IL disposed to attribute MS
good luck to his good sense, in going there oy
the route and in the manner prescribed by the
Chinese authorities. We are very muen ois'
posed to take the same view of the case. we
go TO China IL not exactly as suppiianu' w.
As men asking great favor winch ~ . PEI
fo.,,,v ,.r,,ima,e for the Chinese government
"a grant or Withhold at it's option. III 1t should
.eceaa 10 our wishes, we most assurediey,
n, 90 no right 10 dictate the manner in which
!, hail grant the favor. Ii we do not like it,
NO., GA, decline TO accept IL, and we can consci-
a.,,;,,s,v do no more The Chinese do not
,st MS 10 come TO China and trade with them,
md "begrars are not allowed to be cheosers,'
anywhere In the world, that we ever heard OF.
II will not do to lock gift horse in tho
mouth.
We pointed out, several days ago. the nbsur-
diy of holding the Chinese responsible
for violations of international law, as IT Is
understood by European nations and their de-
scendanis. They are parties to no such law
They do not even know what il is. They nave.
never protested to be governed by 1t. IL IS ap-
plicabIe only TO the affairs OF nations WI"
trade and communicate freely with each o'h-
err and results from the necessities oil the case
Now the whole object of Chinese poiicy Is "
prevent such freedom of communication as i'i
as il possibly can. Ofeourse, II mas 40 heeu Vi
any such law as that comprised III 'pe Ah'e'-
national Code, and it neither ackno"iedees IL
nor knows anything about 1t. Inc Coae IN
question, seems to us to be more IKE coiiec-
ton Of taeit or implied agreements, thah
body of laws. A iap implies power 10
make laws. 1t is enacted by some ruiihg ah-
rhority. Now, as we have no power 10 ihake
laws for Great Britain, and Great britain mas
no power to make laws for us, TINS Code wants
the grand desideratum of all laws an author-
ity somewhere, to enforceit. Civilized hatiohs
regulate their conduct by it, because they hnd
1t convenient TO do so. Indeed, IL wouiu DC I'm
possible to do without it, in the present state
Of the civilized world, as between civilized
nations. But the Chinese are very Inherently
situated. They have no intercourse with for
eign ions, so far as they can avoid II, ana
they have, therefore, no use for the regulations
known as the Public Law. They make no
treaties unless they are forced upon them, and
such force they regard as violation OF their
rights. which they take the first opportunity
to re-assert. We doubt very much whether a
single Mandarin in the whole empire has ever
understood the treaties that have been forced
upon the imperial government, or so much rs
knows that there is such a thing as lnterna-
tianal law, or if he knows it. can comprehend
why the Celestial Empire should be made to
obey the law Of the outside barbarians, seeing
that these barbarians have not yet conquered
the country We may be sure that the Chinese
look upon these treaties, made by the English
and French as the law of the Conqueror, for
they have no other medium through which
to view them.
Any other war than war of conquest on
the part of Great Britain and France, upon
the Chinese Empire, we hold to be an utter
absurdity. They profess to be DESTROYS to
chastise them and make them behave better i'll
future But how is this to be done Is 1T by
Strengthening their people! They evidently care
nothing for that Is it by destroying their cities
They will find work enough Of that kind done
ready TO their hands. In n letter from Lord
ELGlN to Lord MALMEsBURY, dated January
5th. Of the present year, and published in the
Parliamentary Blue Books, the former tells
the latter that he has been to ChinGkiangfoc.
and has there witnessed the fruits of the re-
bellion still raging in the heart Of the Empire.
In 1912 that city had population of 100000
souls In 1859 it sits as solitary Babylon
Not a soul iuhabits it, and its houses, and the
wall by which it was surrounded, form one pile
of ruins Nor was the condition of this city
at all peculiar. 1t was identical with that of
every other which lie visited on his voyage up
the Yang tse- kiang, and he visited many. The
presumption, therefore. is, that throughout
the empire wherever the rebels have been,
such is the condition of China. What, then,
is the use of making war upon such pile of
ruins. or of reducing other cities to the same
state Let them wait little while, and the
rebels will save them the trouble and expense
In the meantime it is most extravagant alb
surdity to suppose that any good can be effect
ed, permanently, by doing. in small way,
what the Chinese themselves are doing on such
a magnificent scale. This is perfectly well
understood both a London and Paris. L is
known that The proposed chastisepent will be
no chastisement at all, and that the only way
conquer and occupy it. This, we have not the
slightest doubt, is the ultimate design of both
Cabinets Such enterprises as this design
would lead to, we may we'll suppose, have al
ways been the peculiar dread of the Chinese,
who cannot have failed to know all about the
British conquests in India, ard TO have been
influenced thereby in their restrictive policy
Ii is natural that they should be thus in
fluenced. They desire, doubtless, like all
other nations, TO retain their independence,
and they very justly conceive that it is impos-
sible to do so if free intercourse with Europe
be allowed.
Yet it is not to France or England, we con-
ceive, that China will ultimately fall. Her
destiny is manifest to us, as that of Mexico.
The Great Northern Colossus is already i'm
pinging upon her borders. He is rapidly OPEN
ing communications with his possessions in
Europe. He is erecting a mighty Empire mp
on the Pacific In few generations, Siberia
will be. independently of its European con-
nexion, the most powerful Empire in the old
World, To her China will as certainly fail,
some day. as Mexico and all South America,
will, some day fall under the dominion OF The
stars and Stripes What could England and
France do to prevent Mexico from succumbing
IN the gigantic weight already pressing upon
her from the North They might, perhaps
de,av the contamination q few years, or even a
faw generations. But what are few years
or a few generations, in the life time of q Ma.
ton
| Brothers i'm the Convention.
A correspondent gives us the following in
teresting information: