The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-11
CHINA AND FOREIGN POWERS.

established in Spain.
CHINA AND FOREIGN POWERS.
From the Pail Mall Gazette
We do not wish for n better example of the
temper which most needs to be avoided In our
dealings with China than the address of the
American residents ut Shanghai to MIR. Ross
Browne. The recall of this gentleman from
Pekin appears to be due to his known dislike
of the Chinese policy which has lately been
adopted by the United States Government
there being an obvious inconvenience in hav-
ing an ambassador whose views are the exact
opposite of his instructions. To console him
on his departure, his countrymen at Shanghai
have been good enough TO express their ap-
proval of his conduct since he has been in
China. The spirit which pervades their ad-
dress is not such as to make his successors
post at all enviable. If the new American
Minister comes resolved to carry out the in
tentions of his Government he is
certain to be opposed by an impor-
tant section of the public to which he
naturally looks for support. If the trainers
of the address to Mr.. Browne had had the
honesty to defend the policy they wish to see
pursued by arguments founded on self-inte-
rest, we should not have cared to quarrel
with it. A distinct intimation that you covet
and intend to steal your neighbor's goods is
to be met, if met at all, by something else
than criticism. They have chosen, however,
to justify it by q hypocritical assumption of
zeal for the interests Of the Chinese them
selves. They soar, SO far as words go, to a
height far above the ordinary level of busi-
ness humanity. They define the true policy
of foreign powers towards China to be ''one
that looks towards the extension of its trade
and intercourse with Western nations" But
this extension is only valuable in their eyes
as q step towards the ''raising of China in
the scale of civilization. The vulgar notion
of mercantile advantage has no place in their
thoughts. 1t is because China is so low in
observation-disclosures she has neglected aud
forgotten the maXim5 of morality uttered by
her own sages-that the presence of
foreigners is so indispensable. China
must for her own sake be made to
advance, and as this will never be done with
the consent Of the Chinese Government, it
must be done without that consent. New
treaties must be entered into, the terms of
which must be settled by the pressure of
Western opinion, and the execution enforced
| by 1.-The pressure of Western power" 1t is
| taking too contracted a view of the circum-
stances to hold that foreign powers have
merely right to insist that China shall be
civilized. "They have a clear duty in that
| direction Their greater material power
affects them with Il moral responsibility Of
which they cannot divest themselves. If the
Chinese Government will not "advance in a
career of discreet progress it is incumbent
upon other Governments to administer the
| goad. This self-sacrifcing theory is probably
| held in moro or less OF good faith by many
people in this country as well as in the United
States. 1t is, we presume, an undesigned trib-
ute to the beauty of disinterestedness that these
| persons will not say plainly that all we have
! to do with China is to squeeze her as dry as
possible. According to their own account,
! they have always an GrTter6 pepSee in the
| I
| concessions, they defy the central or local
authorities, or play off one against the other,
! Just as it pleases them-for the good of the
! Chinese themselves. They are distressed at
the bare idea of what would happen to this
unfortunate people if they were left to their
own devices 1t is our duty to Christianize
and civilize them, even against their own
| wishes, and it is sure to turn out somehow or
other that the surest means of doing this is to
make them trade with us whether they will
OF not.
Mr.. Brownies reply to the address adopts
without reserve the theory put forward by his
countrymen, but his better acquaintance with
the subject enables him to construct rather
telling 0rg1taBentUnl Gd h0ni1lem from the
past conduct of foreign powers towards
China So long, he says, as treaties with
China, exist they ought to be observed by the
| Chinese authorities; and as even the most
extorted under constant pressure, it is idle to
profess abstinence from Interference in the
internal affairs of the empire. All our rela-
tions with China rest on compulsion. OF hel
own accord she would never have had any in.
tercourse with us, and all Mr.. Browne pro-
fesses to contend is, ''that having forced
obligations upon her, we must compel her tC
observe them, or recede from the posi-
ton we have undertaken to maintain
If by receding from our position
Mr.. Browne understands introducing consi
derable notifications into the existing treaties
whenever an opportunity offers for revising
them, we accept his dilemma. Under the
policy which was till lately pursued by Grea
Britain, and to a lesser degree by the United
States, it was considered expedent to extor
concessions from the Chinese Government
which were certain to remain a dead letter
unless the means Of insisting upon them were
constantly at hand. We do not dispute The
right Of the Western powers to impose wha
terms they pleased after a successful war
What we maintain is that experience ha,
shown that the terms actually imposed ar,
such as do not repay the cost of enforcin,
them. MIR. Browne endeavors to make ou
that the disputes which arise are all upoi
questions of Interpretation, and that Chris
tlan nations are bound to adhere to what the,
think just, and not to what pagan natioi
thinks just. ''In order to be true to on
own faith we can only concede so mucl
: as may be reconcilable with the sacred
} duties it inculcates," these ''sacred du
ties being, so far as we can follow
Mr.. Brownies argument all summed up il
? ono-the opening up new markets to Chris
#gVa Nl T.. Il