The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-24
The True Policy With China-Prompt Pun
ishment for Violation OF Treaties.

| Coast OF China AMI her subsequent pliiage by
| Chinese pirates with the details OF the hard
ships experienced by her crew and passengers
on shore before reaching the port Of Annoy.
| II is aboat time that som, action should be
taken whereby these occurrences will be effec-
tually prevented The coast Of China has long
been tine dread Of mariners. To be wrecked
on 1t involves not only the almost certain
loss Of vessel and cargo, but in q majority
Of cases the loss Of the lives Of all on
board. To be becalm ID close to its inhospita-
BILE shores, In an unarm,d vessel, is equally
hazardous. Ths waters are infested by profess
sional pirates and freebooters, and by those
who do not hesitate to take advantage Of any
opportunity that offers. The defenceless con-
dition of a merchant vessel is soon observed
and to gain possession Of her, and then, after
disposing of the crew and passengers, plumber
the cargo and destroy the ship, are the work of
u few hours only. The coast of China is well
adapted to cover the nefarious operations OF
these miscreants. Il abounds in secure locali-
ties in out-of-the-way noo&s and corners,
harhors secure from observation, wherein their
prizes can be taken and disposed Of at their
leisure. There can be no doubt that many
vessels which have sailed from or to a port in
China and never afterwards been heard
of, and which are supposed to have
foundered, have fallen prey to the pirates of
the Chinese coast The fishing vessels, many
of the trading junks and not few Of the Man
DARN boats are manned by class of Chinese
hN 10 h, ,toJ ,.xho tLo
open to them of obtaining rich prize, espe-
cially when it can be had without fear of de-
lection,
Cases such as we describe have been
eminent has for q long time taken prompt
measures to punish the offenders squad
ron of small, serviceable steam gunboats has
been kept ready for instant service, and upon
the news being received Of piratical outrage
they are at once despatched to the scene with
orders to sink, burn and destroy. They have
done good service. Their light draught of
water has enabled them to penetrate all the
out-of-the-way places that heavy draugbt ship
could not enter. They have hunted the enemy
to his den, seized and destroyed his vessels,
burnt his villages and captured all that did not
run away or We're not killed, and the prisoners
have been most summary dealt with. Much
property and some lives have been rescued,
and for a time the evil was abated but it soon
broke out again, and it is now almost as bad
as il ever has been. On several occasions
the United States naval forces have
co-operated with the English in these expedi-
tons, and side by side the servants of John
Bull and Brother Jonathan have inflicted
upon this ueacherous race the punishment due
their most outrageous crimes. The Chinese
pirates are exceedingly bold. They have often
committed their depredatons almost within
the harbor Of Hong Kong. They have nume-
rous haunts upon the islands of that vicinity,
from which they sally out to prey upon any
craft not capable of defending itself, and if
the truth We're known it would be found that
in many instances Chinese officials, and some
of them of high rank, are the principal aiders
and abettors OF these daring piracies. These
men profit largely by such expeditions. They
have but little risk and lions share Of the
spoils. They urge the commission of crime,
and, in fact, compel their followers to be guilty
of the greatest atrocities if they will put money
into their purses. Such are the people in whom
we trnst and in whose promises we place
reliance.
We listen to the protestations Of the Chinese
government that it is DESTROYS of progressing
in civilization; we give ear to its assertions
Of wishing to live at peace with all nations;
we receive its embassies and make treaties of
commerce and amity and yet before even the
ink is dry on the paper upon which they are
written we hear of gross violations, for which
no redress can be had save a mere money in
demnity. The whole experience with the
Chinese nation is that no reliance can be
placed upon any agreement it's government
may make. The people are born treacherous,
nature has made them SO, and we cannot
effect change. They are cunning in the
highest degree; they will promise with
smile that is childlixe and bland every
thing and anything we desire, but they
are promises made only to be broken
when they fluid that violation viii serve their
interes.-when they can commit robbery or
massacre without having TO make other re-
dress than The payment of a sum of money or
executing few miserable wretches who are
made 10 lake the place Of those really guilty.
This was all the penalty exactcd for the Ten
tsin outrage 1t was enacting farce as an
Offset for tragedy, and 50 long as the civil
lized nations of the earth are willing to put
up with such a ridiculous show of apology, so
long may we expect to hear that there is no
safety for the lives and property Of foreigners
in Chna-no guarantee that any treaty made
will be carried out in good faith. II matters
no. how much the government Of China may
assert the contrary, it is well known that the