The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-27
THE CHINESE TREATY.

From the " y. Tribune.
The report from Hong Hong that the Bur-
lingame treaty has been reiected that China
is not ready to enter into the family Of ma
tions; that Mr.. Burlingame has been hum
bugged; and, what is more, that the whole of
this country has been humbugged likewise, is
such an awful dashing of rosy hopes that we
naturally hesitate to believe it until belief is
forced upon us Stories of a similar character
have come to us from the English settlements
In China ever since Mr.. Burlingame started
on his mission. This latest report has, how
ever, a color of con Grmation in the rumor that
the Chinese Government has signifed its un-
willingness to receive the Duke of Edinburgh
on a footing of equality with the Imperial
family; that royal young man being entirely
beneath the notice of the boy-Emperor of the
Flowery Kingdom, and the white devils gene
rally nothing but lot of ignorant barbarians
whose first duty ought to be to pay tribute.
The treaty which Mr.. Burlingame nego-
tiated in Washington was drawn up by him
and his Chinese colleagues, and was not sub
stantially modified in the United States
Senate. 1t was, therefore, an offer from
China to us, and if it has been withdrawn
there must be some special difficulty which
the despatch does not reveal-or else Mr..
Burlingame has most egregiously mistaken
his functions and exceeded his authority.
solve itself into the opposition of the British
residents in China and the old hard-hitting
statesmen who have been for hundred years
or more butting their heads against the
Chinese wall in the vain attempt to batter it
down. Their formula for diplomatic negotia-
ton with China has generally been, Trade
with us on our own terms or well mash
your head" and we are not surprised that they
should look with disfavor upon more rational
81. g "a cod
however, that Mr.. J. Ross Browne, who
has Just been relieved from duty as United
States Minister to China. should have
assumed, on the strength of his very short
acquaintance with the present rulers OF the
empire and the disposition of the people, to
publicly declare the policy of his predecessor
a huge mistake, and intercourse with China
on a footing OF equality at present impossible.
Mr.. Burlingame had the advantage Of a
long, familiar and confidential intercourse
with the Court of Pekiu, and is likely
to have been pretty well informed about
its disposition; and he at any rate would not
admit that there was any lnsuperable diff
Guilty in the way Of bringing the Eastern
and Western civilizations into friendly con-
tact. 1t seems to Us that the opportunities
| for fair treaty with China are better now
| than they ever have been before. China
is sending thousands of her people to this
| country, and their immigration during the
next few years will probably increase at a
! greatly accelerated rate. How we shall treat
them, what rights we shall confer upon them,
whether we shall protect them in the practice
of their national customs, and give them fa-
cilities to send home to their native country
the wealth which they gather in exile, are be-
! coming important questions in our domestic
! policy, and the answer to them will depend in
a great measure upon the policy Of the En-
peror at PeBin. China can hardly be blind
to this fact, and we await an explanation Of
the despatch with considerable curiosity.