Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-06-23
THREATENED FRENCH AND CHINESE WAR

THREATENED PRINCE AND CHINESE WAR |
 Marquis Tseng, the Chinese Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten- ! tiary at the courts of Paris, London and 1 St. Petersburg, upon whose advice and | reports to Pekin depends the question | of war or peace in the far east. IS forty | five years of age; his face indicates | strong will and determination, with eyes that look out calmly, giving serene expression to his cOuntenaDce. He is silent. thoughtful and courteous, and said to be very witty. He Is the son of Tseng Row Fan, the first marquis, who l for many years WAS the most distin- guished man in the Celestial empire.
 In order to understand the Tonkin (Tong King, or Tonquin) question, it is necessary to give a brief history of French annexation from a Chinese standpoint The French enterprise in Annam dates from 1860. France, taking advantage of the humbled condition of
 
 the way of annexation, and took posses | sion of the three southern provinces of Annam and established the settlement Of Saigon. Annam was then tributary to China, and the Chinese claim that she is now and has been for over two hun dred years. The French hoped by the Mekong river to defect the trade of the southwest of China from Canton and
 Hong Kong to Saigon. In 1862 and 1863 they explored the Mekong to find out
 whether 1t was navigable as far as the Chinese frontier. They found 1t was not so, owing to the rapids, and were con-
 pelled to look for more practical trade
 route"
 In 1863 the scene shifts to the north
 ern part Of the Kingdom of Annam; NJ
 Dupuis, French merchant employed
 by the Chinese authorities to provide
 arms and amunitions, discovered that
 Red river, rising in Yunnan ard empty ing into the Gulf of ronkin was naviga- ole. He proved the uavigability of Red river, by taking the arms he was provid- ing for the Chinese authorities of Yun- nan up from the sea to the chief town of that province. Prom thIs time on the eyes Of the French were directed to the acquisition Of Tonkin. M. Dupuis was then allowed to pass down the river by the Annamites. because he held pass port supplied him by the Chinese, whose l Emperor is acknowledged by the Anna l mites as their suzeriRn. Afterward, in- stead of carrying arms and munitions of l war to the Chinese authorities of Yun- l nan, he commenced smuggling salt and | other articles of commerce on his ac- | count. TheTeupon the Annsmites refus- d to allow h!m to make any more vOy- ages and stopped his boat"
 But, fearing to embroil themselves with France if they should expel him by | force, they appealed to the French Gov ernor General at Saigon to recall him. Then the Governor General, Admiral | Dupre, availed himself of the trnutle be- tween NJ. Dupuis and the Annamites to | commence the French interference in lOnkin. The Admiral sent small force | to Hanoi, on the Red river, under com mand of Lieutenant Garnier. Instead | of making a serious effort to put NJ. Du- puis out of the country, winch the An aamite authorities had been led to be- .ieve he was about to do, he joined with | hIm and fought the Annamites, and in 1873 actually took possession of Hanoi. Elated with success, Garnier advanced | further up the river for the purpose of making other conquests. With a ridic- ulously small force he took place after place until he had occupied every town of importance ID Tonkin."
 One day, having divided his forces too much, he fell victim to his rashness md WAS baheaded. This was in 1873. History repeats itself n decade later The French commander in Hanoi has net a similar fate under similar circum- stances. Lieutenant Garnier's anuexa- iOus were made without any order from he French government, and Admira Dupre became fearful of tue consequent ces. IL Is said that he had under estl- mated the opposition he would meet in Tonkin, but he would not withdraw. So l treaty was negotiated at Saigon in 1874, by winch France now seeks and claims the right to interfere in the af- fairs of T1nkin. This treaty provided for the opening of Red river to com nerce. but the French dId not attempt 70 carry out the terms of the treaty until 1889, when they sent out an expedition ot Riviere, under the pretext that they would carry out the treaty, but subse- guent action has shown this to have been a pretext only. They really iu- tended to annex the entire province of Donkin.
 The kingdom Of Annam has been ChIna's vassal for period of over two hundred years. Only five years ago when Annam was in trouble, King Tu- doc appealed to China for assistance, when China sent troops and restored the country to tranquility.
 Tonkin is bounded on the north by China, on the west by BuTmah, on the 'outh by Siam and on the east by the Gulf Of Tonkin. It lies in broad val ley which IS well watered and very fer .ile, with mountain ranges to the north and south. This is the land France has set her heart upon, but We shall have to await solution of the problem, which possibly may prove a dear experiment before she gets through with it, as Ger many looks OF with jealous eyes, and England does not relish the idea of French aggrandizement in that direc- ion.
 
 THE boom in Confederate war bonds continues in the south. North Carolina bonds have recently been sold in Rich 5ro,.I af tba -a+a ,f Sl for sI o00 Ovar