Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-25
ESGLAND's SHAME
The Opium Traac---ThOusands
Sent 90 an UntimeIy Grave.


There has been, within a fortnight.
the USUAL annul meeting at the Lon
don Mansion House to protest against
the support By England otthe opium
traffic, and the meeting has been fol.
lowed by the usual efforts OF the press
to make light Of the agitation, 10
show that the opium business is not
such a bad thing alter all-and that
India cannot get along very we'll with
out il. This latter consideration has,
as upon other regulation openings Of
this interminable debate, apparently
the greatest weight with tho English
people, but it is to be noted With satis-
faction that the strength of the pro-
test against the traffic increases CON
stantly, and that there we're never so
many men Of prominence ranged
against it as there are now. At
the recent meeting the Arch
bishop Of Canterbury and Cardinal
Manning sat side by side and
moved resolutions condemnatory of
the attitude Of the lgovernment, sup
porting them in speeches between
which there was little to choose as
regarded their uncompromising hos
.tility to the business and their esti-
mate Of the cowardly and wicked sup
port of it by England. 1t has not
been a great while since the Church
lot England was either silent on this
subject or gave the government indi-
rect assistance; the situation is greatly
changed, and encouragement may be
justly drawn from the change, al
though some may hold that the grow
ing weakness Of the Church in its in
huence on State affairs must be al
lowed to Offset the effects Of it's change
of heart. Nothing can be clearer in
the way Of modern statecraft than the
fact that England would not dare to
treat any European power-eyen
the weakest-as it treats China,
in virtually compelling its accept
ance Of Indian grown opium. This is
cowardly, because China is 80 weak,
or rather so ineficiently organized, al
to be incapable of resistance; it il
wicked, because the opium habit is Sc
eminently and evidently hurtful, anC
because enlightened and Christian
England sends multitudes Of human
creatures to loathsome graves yearly
merely to balance the accounts of he
vast colonial dependency. But al
money rules the world it is not cas-,
to sec how a question of sentiment,
question Of humanity, is to prevail
against a question of profit and loss
The present revenue Of India fron
opium amounts to about $33,000.0O
annually; the total revenue of tn
= country is not more than 5000, 000,0 0C
so that the revenue from opium i
about onc-sixth of the whole. II tn
8 sixth part was not furnished in thi
4 way it would have to be contribute
e out of the wealth of EOgland, an.
G il is that single consideratio
which makes EDglishmen blow he
# and cold at once on the opiuI
question end hypocriticllly declar
they cannot see the wrong in the bus
mess, when they really mean they ca
not SEQ the propriety Of footing such
s bill themselves. But what is the rel
e value Of a colony which has to be hel
d at such a fearful cost Of manhood priI
le ciples and human happiness2 Or, WI
sr should it necessarily be the fact tn
D. barring tho opium production, Ind
ie would not be self supporting In tn
10 vast and in many parts fertile regiC
" are there no other industries whiC
Of could be 50 developed as to equal,
ut even far surpass, the results fro
o. growing opium A more geneT
to planting ofcotton would in itselfdo
d But the revolution would take sor
al time, and even for that brief VIII
ie John Bull cannot bring himself to p
i, his hands into that voluptious pock
a. which holds material to buy up Tur
ut ish bonds and Coufederates stocks, b
to can spare nothing for The relief of t
O. bilterest approach that even lay up
a civilized nation. England is fond
ID abusing the United States for dallyf
b. with the Mormon question, but that
ID a triAe, a bagatelle, compared with
10 relationship with China and India.