The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-12
The Chinese Embassy-What tho Eng
lish Th1nk OF 1t.

lish Think OF 1T.
The pageantry Of the Chinese embassy per-
ambuiating through this country, the plctur-
esoue effect OF the oldest nation Of the world
being represented by an envoy from the young
est, the half brother Of the sun and nrst cous'
in of the moon being impersonated by SOD OF
the Pilgrims, has not failed to attract attention
in England, which is not likely to be absent
minded on anything concerning commercial
matters, and which has shrewd practical eye
of her own in which it would be very hard to
discern anything whatever green wherever her
own interests are concerned The London
Spectator, of July 18th, has quite an elaborate
and statesmanlike article on Mr.. Burlingame's
mission, concerning the personnel OF which it
dryly observes that in addition to the ambas-
sadorial fgure-head Of that rowing commits
sion, there are certain Chinese, such, for ex-
ample, ''as Chih Tajen, o slightly aged person,
with sharp eyes, and Sun Tajen, heavily built
| official ministers, with consulting and advisory
powers-i. e., as ne strongly suspect, with full
powers over their interpreter and agent, MIR.
Burlingame." The Spectator is hugely tickled
with the magniloquent speeches made to the
embassy in this country, and adds the follow
ing complimentary aIusion to Ar. Evarts: g
We sincerely hope the Lord Mayor will give
the embassy q dinner, IL only to afford Us
chance Of comparing his speech with the one
in which MIR. Eyarts, lawyer, politician and
honest man-an unusual conjunction IN the the
United States welcomed the embassy to the
Union, and showed MIR. Burlingame that ne
was nevertheless doubtful of the reality OF the
!: whole business. One can imagine MIR. EYarts,
shrewdest of mankind, with his face suddenly
| set like cast iron, and only the eyes running
over with fun, as he said in his great speech OF
| welcome at the banquet given by New York to
| its guests: 'There is one thing hear with sor-
row, that the Chinese lack national debt.
| " upon them" This is as good as anything
| Mr.. Artemus Ward ever said, and, as we hope
shortly to show it has distinct political mean
ing, which Lord Stanley will be wise to think
over before he comedies any request OF the
| Chinese Plenipotentiary. It is not the KIND OF
thing man like Mr.: Evarts would have sald II
| he had attached to the mission the serious I'M.
portance with which Mr.. Burlingame no doubt
wishes that it should be invested.
The Spectators convinced there is "dodge'
in this whole affair. a.! this is what it thinks
the .'dodge" is:
There is a dodge" We are convinced, in this
| whole affair, and after some study OF Mr. Bur,
lngames speeches, and OF the absurd protest
published BY the Anglo Chinese, who seem to
think the world is coming to an end because
Pekin and Washington have come into rela-
tion, We think We begin to perceive what that
dodge is. The Chinese government m Its rela-
tions with the European powers has one grand
wish and one grand grievance. Its WISH ls TO
have as little to do with them as possible; lts
grievance the treaty privileges claimed BY all
raj TO an exclusive people, and the grievance,
We suspect, is very real. Without ID the least
desiring to traduce either our own counIymen
or the French or the Americans, We have not
the smallest doubt that they push their priv
leges to the utmost; that they smuggle when
they can, and evade payment when they can't;
avoid them; that they utterly ignore and con-
TENN Chinese official rank; that they are prone
to use .orce whenever force seems effective,
and that they generally make themselves at
once disaereeable and dreaded. They did it
in India, they do it in Egypt, they try to do it
in Mexico, and, in fact, all over the earth they
act as if Western Europe had divine COM
mission not only to rule the rest Of the world
which, Judging BY facts alone, may be true
but to insult it, which must, under any theory
OF the worlds government, be essentially false.
Hitherto the Chinese have attempted at once
10 resist this treatment and to maintain their
own antiquated pohty by displays Of force, but
the attempt has failed, and they are aware
that it has failed.
They have, therefore, cast about for new
plan. and have found in MIR. Buringame, Amer
ican Minister to Pekin, either very astute ad-
yiser-which is probably the case-or very sa-
pacious instrument. He appears, 80 far as we
can Judge from his action, to have recommend
ed q policy of this kind. Make me your envoy,
with ADEQUATE salary and appointments, OF
course, and will, arst Of all, make treaty Tor
Won with nation which has never attacked you,
and will never attack you, but which is very
much dreaded BY the West. / will then 60
armed, not only with your credentials, but with
the sanction of my own mighty country, ,and de.
mand very simple and apparently very just
thing that you be admitted to the comfy OF CIV
lied nations, that an trea6es be abolished,
that China be declared e"open, but that you be
sat liberty to arrange the terms OF intercourse,
lust as Francs or the Union is." The Chinese,
who understand foreign nations: much better
than we think they do, though they are con.
ct tIntly, like the natives Of India, IL danger OF
forgetting the irresistible strength OF civlilZa-
ton, readily agreed to terms which would IN
volye the concession Of all they desire, and az
ter q most ssplendid'' reception in Washington
and New York, where statesmen applauded the
embassy, though s'the street folk-who have
votes-made comments OF q very levelling and
Democratic tendency" hither comes MIR. Bur.
lingame, to represent that the Government OF
the United States wishes China to be admitted
without treaties into the family Of the world.