Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-07-30
THE ENGLISH PRESS ON MR.. BUR.
LINGAME'S MISSION

Many of the English papers received By late
steamers, hive articles on Mr. Burlingame's
mission, which they do not seem to view very
fayorably. They can see no reIson whatever,
except the hope of producing a false impress
sion of menace, why a Chinese government,
any more than japanese government. should
have selected an American as ambassador and
as Little why the government of Washington
should be repress nted to the world as assum.
ing sort Of diplomatic prot ctorate In China.
II hiss no special interests there, they argue,
not shared by all other treaty powers, no infiu-
ence there greater than their own or the French.
and no right whatever 10 dictate to Europe
what course she shall or shall not pursue in
emma They protest most decidedly against
an assumption which, il It were real, they
say, 1t would he necessary to resist, but
which they claim Is not real, but merely
an attempt to- create a false impression that
demands put forward by a decaying AsIauc
state are supported by one of the most power
full pations in the world Mr.. Burlingame is
simply Chinese envoy, entitled to be heard
as ambs sssdcr from the power with which
they have very complete ted, very profitable,
and, it may be, very unjust relations; but he is
not in any way the representative of the Union
not entitled to any Difference which he does not
obtain from the justice of his cause or consid-
Grafton for his real clients. The point which
Lord Stanley and the nation have to decide, is
not whether any course of action they may
adopt in Pekin will affect their relations with
Washington, which cares no more about China
than about New Guinea; but whether the
claims OF n third Of the human race advanced
through Mr.. Burlingame are Just or unjust
expedient for Europe TO concede OF inexpe-
dlent. The claims are to be considered, not the
nationality OF the claimants mouthpiece, and
so considered, they must, unless fuller expIa-
natIon alters their character, be rejected
The London Spectator, OF July 18th, thinks
the selection oy the Oldest Of human govern
meris of an envoy from the youngest to act as
ats first ambassador to the civilized nations of
the world is in itself a picturesque event, and
may attract some attention, but that there is a
dodge" in this whole affair. The Chinese
government, in its relations with the Euro
pean Powers, has one grand wish, ard one
grand grievance. Its wish Is to have as little
10 do with them as possible; its grievance, the
treaty privileges claimed BY all manner of
foreign residents. The wish is natural to an
exclusive people, and the grievance is very
real The British, the French, and the Ameri-
cans push their privileges TO the utmost; they
smuggIe when they can and evade payment
when they can't; they never pay transit
duties if they can avoid them; they utterly
anu NOAtciuu Official rank.
they are prone to use force whenever force
seems effective, and they generally make
themselves al once disagree able and dreaded.
Hitherto the Chinese have attempted at once to
resist this treatment and TO maintain their own
aniiquatcd polity by the display OF force, but
the attempt has Jailed. They have therefore
cast about for new plan, and have found in
mr. Burlingame, American Minister to Pekin,
either very astute adviser-which is proba-
bly, the case-or very SPACIOUS instrument
The Spectator predicts another failure, and says
the general abolition of the old treaties cannot
be conceded W thout some proof that the Gov
eminent of PekIn intends TO observe a new one.
There Is, Of course, one alternative; they (the
British) can retire from China: but there is no
other, and retiring would simply leave the en-
pire at the mercy of the first daring adventurer
who had the Wit to zee that the trade OF the
ports would support Sepoy army.