The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-12
The Treaty of Peace with China.

IL Is well IOT lutcIcoto Vi tuot
treaty of peace has been concluded on terms
80 satisfactory between the Western Powers
and the Emperor of China. 1t is well, too,
that those reports of wantop destruction and
monopoly of plumber on the part of the French
have been partially contradicted and dis
proved, and that nothing more has been done
of coercive nature than appears to have been
necessary for carrying out the objects of the
mission which Lord Elgin and Baron Gros were
engaged in. The Publications of the treaty
of Tien.tsin were exchanged on the oath of
October, and the convention of Pekin was
signed on the same day. On the 1st of Novem-
Der the French army retired from Pekin, but
the English forces were to remain till the Am
bassadors left on the 9th of the same month.
The principal clauses of the treaty-till the full
filment of the conditions of which large force
may be thus enumerated:-An apology is to be
given by the Emperor for the affair of the Peiho
last year; French and English Ministers are to
be permitted to reside in Pekin; the indemnity
previously fixed upon Is to be doubled; TEN
tsin is to be opened to trade at once; emigra-
ton is to be allowed by repeal of the inter-
dict; Kourchou is to be ceded to the British.
Articles seven and eight provide for the i'm
mediate operation of the treaty and its
PRONUNCIATION throughout China, while article
nine stipulates for the evacuation Of Chusan
by the British army. The amount Of the in
demnity to be paid by China is eight millions
Of taels-equal to about twelve millions of dol
lars-which is to be paid by specified install
ments In addition to this Lord Elgin has de-
manded five hundred thousand dollars for the
families Of the British and French officers who
were murdered while prisoners in the hands of
the Chinese. Whether the family of poor Bowl
by, the correspondent of the London Times,
who was beheaded, alike with his captured COM
panions, will share this is not specified, but
we hope they will. He died as much in the SER
vice of his country-although he welded the
pen instead of the sword-as any of those who
persisted with him at the hand of the execution
er. The bodies Of three of these were recovered
from the Chinese and buried with great solem-
nifty.
The Emperor still remained at Zehol, in Tar
'tary. The affairs of the government, as well
as the task of negotiating with the Allies,
being, meanwhile, left to Prince Hung. When
ne returns to his capital he will find the ashes
of his summer palace in the place Of former
grandeur; and it is to be hoped he will be q
wiser as well as sadder man. But the severe
blow just dealt him, with its consequent spread
of ruin and loss Of prestige, renders it more
than probable that all his wisdom and energy
will not prevent the gradual ascendancy of
he tho Tao~ x;o ohol
and the final overflow of his dynasty.
The same mail that brings us intelli-
gence of the treaty negotiations tells us that
the insurgents were still levyng tribute in va
rious places, and are now menacing Ningpo.
The revolutionary spirit that prevails in Italy
and elsewhere has evidently a strong hold upon
the Chinese mind. This is an age Of innova-
tions, and all these nationally tend to the ad-
vancement of liberty and free institutions-to
government by the people.
Louis Napoleon, seeing the tendency of
popular aspirations, has taken time by
the forelock, and made concessions in
accordance with the spirit of the age; and,
upon the strength Of these and his own in
creased popularity, he projects still more i'm
portant changes, which will not only crafty
bis own ambition, but secure his dynasty upon
6rmer basis, and, above ALL please the peo-
pie. Those who are behind in the march of
progress will find themselves, like the Bourbon
King at Gaeta, and ss Austria and Germany
soon may be, either hurled from power or sadly
trampled upon by victorious rivals. This Ia
Abe fate which awaits the representative of the
Tartar dynasty Of China.