The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-11-27
Lord EIsiui in hina,


don Times, and all the lesser journals of the
metropolis were engaged in a furious war
upon the American Minister to China. (Mr.
WARD because he had had the good sense to
settle matters after a quiet fashion with the
Chinese government, without resorting to the
last argument Of Kings and nations. We were
called sneaks, towards, jackalls, seizing the
prey which the lion had disdained to touch
Europe Learned through the Times that our
NJ mister had been carried in a cage to Picking
that after having submitted to any mum Der of
indignities he had signed treaty which was
disdainfully hung to him, as bone is thrown
to a dog. We were told that the approach Of
the Allies would be managed In altogether a
different way. Their Ambassadors were to
en- Ter Picking at the head of a victorious army,
and were to teach the Emperor what it was to
break treaties, and insult the two foremost
| nations of the earth. Loud and long was the
preparation for war, and fearful were the
threats of vengeance for the defeat on the
Peiho
Well, the mighty feet and the mighty army
| have gone forth, and they have gained a
mighty victory. Thousands of Chinese have
| been slaughtered, after fighting as bravsiy as
| men ever fought in defence of fatherlaud.-
And after all, what has been gained Lord
ELGIN has gotten to Tien-tsin, where he mi Ugh
| have gone without a fight and not a step
farther. The talk Is, only, now OF negotia-
| ton and peace. With all their fleets and ar
mics, the commissioners of the Allies are
about to do the very thing Mr.. WARD did,
without fleet and without an army. Lord
ELGIN writes that he is at Tien- tsin, that
proposals have been sent TO him from Picking,
and that he is negotiating. Not a word about
debating peace in Picking.
The London Times is furious, ard deals thus
with Lord Egin:
1--WE confess ourselves 10 be utterly disappoint-
& So a as 81 e ssn IN s the
| fragments of dispatches to which we are now
ss II fhu Ch that -
thus strong IN arms, not IN order TO obtain a
treaty alone, but In order to punish a perfdy as
well. III we have aught OF manly honor in our
policy, we went there to lnfiIct punishment, not
upon the wretched sodiery whom we found de :
Tending the mud hanks upon the sea- coast, nor
upon the poor trembling underlnss who, in their
dupllclty. were but obeying the orders they had
received from their superlors, and HI were act
| lag under fear of immediate ruin; We went there
| to strike at the directing head IN which the
| and to Illuminate In the face of the Empire the
government which had perfdlousy shed the blood
| OF our cUuntrymen 70 this end there was but
| I, &C ,ept again promues which already have
proved 30 worth ess sternly to refuse, instead OF
eagerly TO solicit Ill OveTtuTes for peace until the
avenging army had reached the walls of PekIng.
and there to exact the most public apologies for
the breach OF faIth pu bllcly committed and public
assurances IN II the treaty Of TIen tsin should be
faithfully fulfilled. This. with the smart of the
payment OF the expenses OF the war-which in
no other way will ever be Obtained would
be at once humane, honorable, and effective -
such signal humiliation would be felt 10 the ut
terTGost ends OF the great Empire. 1t could not be
explained away or faislhed, and all China would
come to know that the Emperor himself had no
nU lS IA a no III
was 10 keep faith with foreigners. That course
was open TO Lord FL sIn. He had an army and a.
fleet behind him which could carry him from one
end of China 10 the other Ee had plenty of time
for his work, for when Lord NJ acartney quilted
PekIng, IN October; the weather had only just be-
gun to Re pleasantly cool. Will he use his oppor-
tunIty: We but hope he may. But what
honor will this expedition bring if il should end
,ny IN the battering down Chinese ratification /!
What dvantage will the Embassy secure If II re-
tsln: The treaty itself has been broken of what
greater value eau be ratification condekcend-
lngiy granted to an Ambas 1adOr who nav may
not be sutg ected TO any amount OF IndigntIes and
delays! w hat success can be deserved by an
Ambassador who should choose TO go up as a sup
plant to an lnsolent enemr. and who should vii
nngiy leave behind him The army which ough to
be around him to ave weight to his mission, and
to impress uEon the people OF Picking his country 8
power: 1t Lord Elgln has really acted thus, he il
as tnveterate Chlnaman as old Geh himself"
All this Lord ELGIN may deserve, for aught
we know or care; but would il not have been
as well TO have spared the lives of the brave
mes who have persisted in this war ! And
will not the Times apologize for its abuse of
the Americans