The New York herald., 1874-12-27

on com mon basis. the nrst Of these, General Le
Gendre, who. 1t may be well to mention, Is the
only foreigner upon whom high Japanese rank has
ever been conferred, was despatched to discuss
whose immediate control the acknowledged SUBJ
Jects OF CHINA IN Formosa have always been. II
suance Of this mission, which was known by every
BODY 70 O. oe % IN the interest o. peace, he was ar.
China and sent to Shanghai for .A. trial. % but upon %
what charge has never been and probably win now
be At snangna he
ior ms work had passed, ana ne joined the
later Commissioner an or1cial OF very
high station, and greatly distinguished for his ap.
proved ability and force OF character-who had
been sent directly to Pekin. These gentlemen ar
from this date the record OF their TRANSACTIONS, ,
so far as It may with propriety be made public,
TIE CONVENTION FOR PEACE.
AS preliminary IT may be stated that the nu-
merous reports TO the effect that Okubo endeav-
of1cials. excepting those OF the highest rank. by
refusing to communicate with LII Hung Chang, the
had been any advantage to be gained by such a
proceeding, It was not IN this way that the Japan
ese Minister desired to olish his position. AS
matter OF fact formal COur estes exchanged at
Tlen-tsin, but no communications took place,
simply because shts was not the place where the
way back to Japan, in November, he exchanged
visits with the Vicer0y IN which the fullest recog-
nitions were shown on ootn sides. The commis.
sion left Tien-tsin on the 6tn and reacned Pekln
on the lOtn. The first conference took place on
the l3th, from which time until the close OF the
negotiations only seven weeks can be reckOned-
not by any means an inordinate period, consider
ing the Importance OF the issues at stake and the
management OF public business. At TINS intro
ductory interview the objects OF the mission were
pears SO distinctly By the
agreed upon that IT Is needless to recOunt
in detail Sseve t0., the outset there
and cOmp0sure that the Japanese could
command were necessary to give assurance
amicable result and yet to abate nothing OF their
Just demands. Certain efforts to evade the ques-
LIONS az issue were con,ronted 80 nrmy that the
momentarlly abandoned, and, in one OF the con.
ferences according to well authenticated reports
made on The part OF the Tsung Il .Yamen, 10 the
effect that China did and would claim the owner.
would yield no particle Of her pretensions on that
score. Tne Japanese envoy is said to have replied
that, on behalf OF his government ne utterly de-
These were not forthcoming and It s ESPECIALLY ISS; q
be noted that at no stage OF affairs did the Chinese
support OF this position.
Their only argulnent took the form Of endless
all ours, and we do not wish you to stay there.n
II they had any evidence to produce upon this
point 1t Is certain that they never did produce It,
DIPLOMATIC TIFF.
AS an incidental Illustration OF the temper dis.
played on both sides the discussion that followed
this little outbreak, which became known In
Pekin and was not disputed by either party, may
be cited. Instead OF responding TO Okuh611 de-
courteousy endeavored to mitigate the uHfavor-
able effect OF the tone that had been taken by one
OF tner number ana suggested that the OBJ
Guided in the record or transactions. The
advance was responded to with equal
e Tsd was the TO
Commissioner insisting that IN thlsseres OF nego-
t9ns OF concealment or misrepresentation In the
slightest particular. 1t was subsequently de-
ciaed, at the request Of the Chinese. mat any
pleasant consequence likely to be produced might
be rectiaed by correspondence, but not by altera-
tion Of the reports.
ACTION OF THE GREAT OUTSIDE POWERS.
For few days after the commencement of the
discussions the foreign Ministers gave no indlca-
tion OF q desire to take part In the proceedings.
close COMMUNICATION with the chlpese authorizes,
expressed desire to learn from the Japanese the
they were making. This information they fool.
ishly but positively refused to impart The reason
for the refusal was not withheld. The very first
edgment OF the correctness OF the statements
made BY soyezima, former Ambassador at Pekin,
Chinese authority over the savases Of Formosa, a,
and Of the proprlety OF the action taken by the
Saa Of
long as the question OF veracity between the two
governments remained unsettled the negotiations
could not take such shape as would justify the
port Mr.. Wade appeared 70 recognize the the .orce n
formation from Chinese sources, as consequence
OF which 1t seems to establish that he gradually
began TO accept TO considerable extent. the
certain tnat he admitted that China mad not made
good her claim to Formosa, although he had him.
claim existed and could be substantlated. 1t Is
somewhat remarkable that he appears 10 have
held that Japan had at some period admitted
EOrmOeQ n Chinese tarritOrV n
have acted IN that belief until he was dIsabused.
THE BRITISH COMMERCIAL LOOKOUT.
His chief concern, naturally was in regard to
English commerce, which he knew would be en-.
dangered in case OF war, and to insure the pro-
ns he SAID he @
obliged, or should feel obliged, to telegraph home
tor armed support When this circumstance was
communicated 70 the chief Japanese Commissioner
he is understood TO have remarked that it was
the best thing Mr.. Wade could do. 1t certainly
does not appear that the British Minister was
actuated at any time by q feeling hostile TO Japan
out, on the other hand, there Is not the slightest
evidence to show that he was moved by any I'M
pulse except the wish to secure British trade from
danger. And that, undoubtedly. was all that his
special duty required OF him.
CHINESE GUILE.
The conferences continued Tor nearly month
without practical results. At each meeting the
Chinese were for starting 40 QUO and I taking up
noticeable that they never once alluded to the
shipwrecked LlnKluans as their subJects-a point
which they had endeavored to gain IN some OF
their earler documentary assertions. However,
tney steadlastly declined to admit that they had
ever acknowledged the right Of an outside nation
TO deal directly with the savages, or that Japan
was justified IN her course. When pressed for
reasons they were SILENT
The Japanese were ready with the defence and
justification OF their actions, but the Tsung II
Yamen had nothing to say beyond the endless
iteration OF their desire that tue troops should
De ordered away from F0rm0sa. At last, on
the 10th OF October, an ultlmatum was sent to
delaut OF which the Japanese Commissioners
would retire. 1t was alterward discovered that
the Emperor was absent from the capital and that
Prince kung was IN attendance upon him, so that
delay was inevitable. The imperial party re-
turned on the l4th, and on the 18TH, at noon, an
answer was received which, though not In all
respects sunicient, showed decided inclination
to bring the matter to q satisfactory end.
COMING DOWN FROM THE HIGH HORSE.
Another meeting was arranged for the lSth at
Okubo's apartments, IN wDlcn the Chinese. though
still expressing o desire to avoid discussing the
question of their right TO southern F0rmosa. said
they were wiling to acknowledge that they mad
been negligent and offered a sum OF money as a
compensation for the slaughter Of the Llnkiuans.