New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-09
ENGLAND And CHINA.

During the last two months when were
too absorbed with own disaster to look
abroad, affairs in the East have taken Il new
turn. China has made good her claim to her
old character of subtlety and obstinacy, and is
reaping the success which those qualities usu-
ally command for races or individuals. The
affair of Kuldja is definitely settled at last,
leaving China the final winner both by war and
diplomacy.
The tentative movement made by the Gov
crnment of COrca to open that long walled
country to the outer world has been met by
simultaneous motion on the part of Russia
China and Japan to secure n hold upon it..
Even the English and French press hint that
the opportunity for laying hold OF this yet un-
plucked fowl should not be sighted. The
pickiugs and stealings which the Corean pc
ninsua would offer to n foreign Power would
be trfling compared with those yielded for
merly by India, Japan and China but il might
be worth while to secure the future trade of
these people before their eyes grow sufficiently
used to outside daylight to help them take care
of themselves. At all events that is the opinion
of the powers at Picking and they being nj
ready on the ground and possessed of some
vague ancient claim of authority over the
Coreans propose, apparently, to promptly seize
on whatever profit may be made from them
The attitude Of China in the last three months
has gained largely in dignity and scr-asser-
ton. This is notably shown in her course on
the opium question, which is the one cloud in
the East that forebodes future storms. In her
late treaties with this country aud Russia the
clause is made prominent which foIbids the
importation of opium into her ports. The OBJ
ject is not to defend herself against Russia and
the States, which grow no opium, but to pub
hcly insure her protection against the obnoX-
ious drug from every country except England,
and thus to range the moral sense of the world
against the one Nation which, despite her pro-
tests, persists i'll poisoning her people, physic-
ally and morally, for the sake of gain. The
English see and appreciate every step in her
policy, and also the dilemma in which ii places
themselves. " The Chinese says The Specta-
tor, "are within their moral right when they
place prohbitive tax on opium; and this
country could never sanction war for the
" infracrion of our treaty, when it was widely
" known that justice was OH the side of China.
" Yet the revenue from opium is absolutely in
" dispensable to our rule in India
How indispensable this revenue is is shown
in Lord llartingt toms report submitted in
August of the indian Budget for the three
years 1879, 1850 and 1881. The war with
Afghanistan cost India about 500, 900, 900 and
brought her not one dollars worth of actual
profit. TO meet this drain the Government relies
upon the taxes and the expectation of opium.
Last year, 1SSO-'Sl, this drug yielded about
$40,0O0,00O Next year, owing to the in
creased cultivation of the poppy in Persia and
the prohibition of its use in China, it is expected
to fall to $4,000, 900. 1t will readily be seen
that this revenue is absolutalv nacass.,v,. -.
the native Indian. but to the English Colonial
Government which subsists on him. The set
Element of the question will in all probability
be one of the most important brought before the
Eastern Powers and Great Britain durng tho
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