The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-03
China and tho United States-Tone Of the
British Press.

China and tho United States-TOne Of the
British Press.
Although the Chinese Embassy seems to
have quiet time in London, and though no
official action with regard to the object Of the
mission has been taken, as far as we know, the
British press continues to growl in piteous
and jealous manner. This is shown in the
long, carefully studied and labored article we
published yesterday from the London Times.
There are two things relative to this Embassy
and the policy it has inauyurated which are
particularly bnoxious-namely, the appoint
ment Of an American citizen by the Chinese
government rs chief ambassador in this, the
most important mission that ever left the en-
pire, and the supplementary treaty which has
first been made with the United States, that re-
verses the long established and dearly cher
ished British policy In the East and towards
China. The article referred to-and that, 1t
may be said, represents pretty correctly the
sentiments of oil the old India and China mer-
chants, as well as Of large party in England
takes q review Of the treaty rotations
oil through between Great Britain and the Chi
nese empire, and shows clearly that the uni
force-a gunpowder policy-and that China
has invariably been whipped into submission.
Yet, strange to say, after recounting all this
history Of coercion by brute force and Of treat
ing the Chinese, like all the other Asiatics,
as having no national rights which Europeans
were bound to respect, we are naively told that
England has been wonderfully forbearing and
kind. More than that, this is urged Is rea-
son why the Chinese government ought not to
have treated England so coldly in preferring
an American instead Of an Englishman for its
envoy and in making treaty first with the
United States. What ingratitude for the le-
niency. disinterestedness and humanity Of the
British
But the Chinese did not view the matter in
that light They had vivid remembrance Of
British dictation In their own affairs, Of British
assumption, Of British cannon and Of the
whole conduct of the British In subjugating q
large portion Of Asia. They have mover ceased
TO fear (and not without rcason) that the fate Of
India might be their fate and that the
English policy Of aggression step by step upon
their soil and national rights was intended to
produce ultimately the same result as had been
produced in Hindostan. They have fully I'M
derstood that the caresses Of the British lion
are dangerous and end In the victim being de :
voured. Both their own history and that Of
India taught them to doubt the English and to
look elsewhere for friends. Casting their eyes
over the Pacific Ocean they saw mighty
nation which did not want to make conquests
in Asia, which respected the principles Of
national independence, Of self government and
the integrity Of nations. They saw, too, that
this country was comparatively near neigh
Dor and that in its rapid progress IL must soon
have the largest commercial relations with
themselves. California had already stretched
out her hand to China, and steamship line
connected the two Continents. The Chinese
are sagscious people, and they could not help
seeing that the future relations with America
must be of the widest and most important cha
rscter. What more natural, then, under oil
] these circumstances. than that the government