The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-01
The First Railroad in China.

A despatch from Shanghai dated Oct. &c.
brought the news that the imperial Govern
mcnt had purchased from the English and
| American owners the ten miles of railroad
connecting Shanghai with Wuosung, VIII
lage near the mouth OF the Yang-tssc kiang
! The purchase was made, not for the pur-
| pose Of running the railroad as Govern
| mcnt property, but in order to discontinue
| its traffic altogether. This action puts an
end to the first attempt TO introduce steam
rs mode Of land transportation In the
/ fiowcry Kingdom. 1t also puts an end to a
corrupt and insOlent scheme Of speculation
In which GEORGE +. SEWARD, tho American
Minister To China, has borne prominent
and d!sgrao eiul part.
The history Of the Woosung railroad en-
| terprisc Is not only Interesting In itself. but
1t closely concerns the honor Of the United
| States in its relations with friendly
power. If SEWARD had projected the Woo
sung line from motives Of pure philanthropy
alone, lac would have beou proper subject
/ FOR reprimand if not for recall by the State
! Department. The fact that his connection
with the enterprise was that Of a tricksy
spcculator ought long ago TO have attracted
the attention of the department of which
| hi' u4i'AN oou 10 iihN bilt ASSISTANT DctIt-
tary, and his uncle's culugst the chief.
GruLGE +. SEWARD WAS made United States
| Consul at Shanghai in 1868, when he was
scarcely Of age. During the fourteen years
between his appointment and his promotion
To- the Pekin mission this smNt young man
accumulated fortune estimated at from
$4,000 10 S2jo.ooo During those fourteen
years charges OF Official nalf"asanca ia
variety Of forms were brought against
him; We have not heard that amy Of them
wcr" ever investigated.
Among other spcculations while at Shang-
hal, SEWARD was foremost in promoting "A
scheme To make n great city Of the village
of WOosung. The projectors bought real
estate in Immense tracts at the latter point
hen they set about dcyisng means 10 in
crease the value OF that real estate Woo
sung II separated from deep water by long
sand bar. To remove enough OF the bar 10
obtain II water front, Ia connect Woceung
with Shanghai by rail, thus making the new
port more accessible TO commerce than
Shanghai and perhaps even necesstating
the removal thithcr Of the Custom House.
was the programme Of the job.
The American Consul soon came to be
recognized as the most active promoter Of
the enterprise. He appealed in vain to
the Chinese authorities for announcement
and assistance. In the first place, the Chi
ne7e have religious scruplcs about intcrfcr-
Ing with the natural arrangement Of water
courses in the second place, they entertain
an unsurmountahlc prejudice against rail
roads and " lire DEVILS" as they stvlc the
locomotive. The latter prejudice has been
lntolhgently employed by the Govern
mcnt in furthcring a policy Of exclusion.
They are the masters Of the soil. and have
both legal and moral right TO shut out
foreign aggression If they choose. They pro-
tested against the proposed work. SEWARD
understood the force Of their objections and
set about procuring by intrigue and deceit
what he knew would never be- obtained by
fair and honorable negotiations
The eighth Of the additional articles of the
Treaty of 1888 has the following stipulation:
THE United States alway. di.ci.nne and dis.ouray
ns all praces Of unnu' dctaton intervrnon
40 the Affairs domestic administration OF An
pthcr power do hereby freely d.clan and dislvow any
hnuh or Il,hl 10 interfere ~ the dome site adlnstra
ton Of China IN regard to the construction of railroads
tri'sralh> or other material int rna Improvements
This was the plain law to govern Mr.
SEWARDs behavior toward the Government
to which he was accredited. But Rings are
formed 10 beat the law. The American Con-
sul-General did not hesitate over any
Treaty stipulation. He and his associates
went deliberately to work TO break the law
and to swindle the Chinese in order to fill
their own pockets with taols.
They accomplished their purpose 10y SNUG
Cling railroad into China Employing
n device similar 10 that often practiscd by
Washington lobbyists, they concealed their
job under seemingly innocent project.
They sought and obtained permission to
build "carriageway" from Shanghai TO |
Woosung. A company was formed calling
Itself the Woosung Road Company The
Ioaiai, or Governor Of the Shanghai Cir |
CUT granted an application made by GER
tam foreigners through the American Con-
0nlar office to buy land, improve an old and |
dl9uscd wagon road to WoOsung and to levy |
pom TAX on Passengers over tho improved |
road An official report from the Toatai |
'h"n III power says explicitly that the |
grant contained nothing which could bo
construed into concession Of additional |
rights or privileges"
Thea the spectators composing the Woo