Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-10

tion thither once year with an annual
tribute of $4,000 for the privilege Of
trading. In 1880. by special permission
Canton was opened twice a year to the
deputation, and this continued to. be the
rule for several centuries.
Macao was at this time commercial
town of considerable Importance, and
might SO have remained, but for the
shortsighted. and plundering policy Of
the Portuguese, who had held for nearly
quarter of a century the key of the
Eastern Asiatic trade. In 1914, Macao
lost the trade of the Japanese by Sc
ries of impositions rather subversive Of
commercial morals, and thence dates the
decade of Macao as trading station.
Eight years after, Holland, having
been successful in long war with Por-
tugal, was beginning to assume consider
able Importance as commercial power,
and in 1922 made an attempt to get pos
session of Macao, thus commanding the
eastern Asiatic mart of the world. This
attempt to seize Macao was made by Ad-
miral Reyerson, and was defeated only
by the most sturdy and gallant resist
ance on the part of the Portuguese. A
second effort in 1927 met with no better
success; and in 164I the contested
peninsula was annexed to Spain and be-
came part Of the Spanish dominions.
phe fall of the Ming dynasty in 1850
gave the last coup to the commercial i'm
portance of Macao, which fingered on
for some years until 1861, when the
English and Holland traders preceded
the Portuguese in the Canton market
and Portugal was compelled to abandon
all pretensions to exclusiveness in this
direction. In 1855 an event occurred
which marked an era in the history of
this trade-Kang-he declaring the ports
of the empire open to all foreigners, an
edict which continued in force for nearly
or quite quarter of a century. In 1717
an opportunity was given to the Portu-
guese at Macao to recover something of
their lost prestige in an offer made by
Kang-he to make it the general empori-
um of all foreign trade, which offer was
most foolishly rejected by the Portu-
guese. The offer was repeated in 1882
and was again rejected by the short
sighted Portuguese, and from this date
Macao ceases to figure as a station of
Importance in the trade of the Eastern
seas. At this date its shipping number
ed twenty-five vessels engaged in trade
with Canton, while ten years. after it was
hardly mentioned as trade station of
any particular note.
The attempts of Holland to gain pos
session of the trade of the Canton river
date from 1904, though it was not until
1922 that the expidition of Admiral
Reyerzou was fitted out by the East In
dia Company, with instructions to open
an avenue for trade by force, if neces-
sary. The expedition finally founded
stations at Kee-long on the north coast,
at Zam-suy, at Zac-wam-foo and So
kang. At Zam-suy fort was built and
strong naval station founded; and be-
ing but seventy miles from the coast and
but one hundred and thirty from the
coast of Japan, it was anticipated that
speedy supersedure of all European
nations in both trades would be the re-
suit. The Emperor finally made a
grant to Holland of the coast of For
mosa, instead of the Pung-hoo islands,
to be used as trading station; and
Frederic Coyet took possession in 1856.
In 1859 they were dislodged, however,
by the rebel Kok-sing, who in 1862 held
possession of the whole island. In 1867
fleet of seventeen sail was sent with a
view to dislodge the rebel, which, how
ever, was unsuccessful in its purpose.
1t was nearly century after, in 1852.
that the first factory was established at
Canton by Holland enterprise, to which
must be accorded the honor of having
gained the first substantial foothold
which has resulted in the opening of Can
ton to comparatively free trade. This
was in the twenty-eighth year of the
reign of Keen-lung, who, in the sixtieth
year of his reign (1795), caused it to De
conveyed to the authorities of the factory
that the Emperor would take kindly the
honor of deputation from the Canton
company and accordingly an embassy
to Pekin was undertaken by Van Braun,
the Governor, and Tit-sing. They We're
treated as prisoners of war during their
stay, but were finally, after sufficient
waiting for ceremony's sake. admitted to
the imperial presence. The interview
was concluded satisfactorily, and Van
Braun and suite returned to Canton
closely guarded. ..-
The first effort of the English to open
trade in this direction was made in 1914,
and was altogether unsuccessful in OBJ
tanning an audience with the Emperor.
A second embassy from the East India
Company's agent in japan, in 1919, was
equally unsuccessful. Upon this failure
the English abandoned diplomacy proper
and betook themselves to force, sending
Captain Weddell with four ships with
instructions to negotiate with force if
necessary. Captain Weddell found his
way into the Canton river, and after
some severe fighting and considerable
threatening was permitted audience, at
which it was agreed that the East In
dia Company should pay 1000 tales,
four pieces of iron ordnance and fifty
muskets per year for the privilege of
the Canton trade. Traffic with various
profit was continued under this treaty
until 1852, when an attempt was made
to expel all strangers at the instance of
the Portuguese at Macao, who agreed to
pay the sum of $4,000 taels per year for
the privilege of exclusive trade. This
edict was rescinded in 1855, the Portn-
guese proving unfaithful to the contract.
In 1742, the mission of Commodore
'Ason (English) was undertaken, result
ing, however, in little advantage to the
English traders; for five years after the
EnnliSh had onlu airht vessels engaged