Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-07

tir up" No longer, Gays our french con-
temporary, can China be inundated by
simple dash OF our troops. The Chinese sol
diers are now comparatively well armed.
Their discipline ia not faultless, but their
commanders are German officer. TIE pres
ence of these officers at the head Of the Chi
nese troops is new proof Of the skillful du-
plicity of the German Chancellor. II we are
to make war on China we must, whether We
like it or not, use decidedly wsrlike meas-
ures, which have the Inconvenience, beaides
the disturbing effect inseparable from all
military operations, Of dissrranging the COM
merce of the Western nations, and in that
way exposing ourselves to serious difficulties
in Europe itself. There ia no fear of invasion
from armed Chinese. We are convinced that
in Gaze of war the French squadron could
carry it's national colors along the whole
channel of the Yellow sea without meeting
resistance. The enemy has no steel armoTed
vessels or others in S condition to hold TO the
high sess; at the least sign Of danger they
would seek safe shelter in their own ports.
Ia such case the French would assume the
offensive, Tor a prolongstion Of hos,ilities
would be more damaging to the interests OF
France and its neighbors than TO the Chr
n.se who can do without us, but we cannot
very we'll get along without than. The dis-
fculties would thicken. A march to Pekin
is not to-day the easy tack il may be
thought. ForGfcations defending porls and
cities have been strongly constructed by Ger
man engineers, and are armed with excellent
cannon from the factories OF Essen; there
are arsensls well provided with torpedoes
and other munitions of war; they can bring
into operation a whole feet Of gunDosts
whose artillery could greatly damage the
French transport ships; and they have
for their defense an army oil at
least 10000 men armed and drilled
an attack would at once put them ell to
flight, but their foreign instructors have self
respect enought to stand by them, and, shell
tered by their intrenchments, TO resiat attack
and possibly to achieve come success. A
single determined man can do much TO in
fuse courage even among timid Chinese aud
pesceable Hindoos. To attempt TO attack
China elsewhere than at its capital would be
useless The immensity OF the territory de-
fees attack, and no army that could be dis
embarked would be capable of occupying
territory enough to make sensible impress
sion upon the empire. All the ports, though
less strongly fortified than Pekin, are at least
sufficiently 30 to be secure from surprise.
Canton has fine arsenal, factory making
Calling gum, garrison armed IN the Euro
pean manner, dozen Thousand men,
fleet of eleven gunboals sufficient
to defend the entrance OF the
river OF Pearls; ii is sheltered by q
bar along which ia line of torpedoes, and 10
strengthened by works recently constructed
at Boccs Tgrs. Shanghai also has an arse
nal where 10000 pounds OF gunpowder a
month can be made. The port is defended
by Fort Vou-Ssug. ALI these Notifications
are provided with good arsenAls, are pro-
tected by lines OF torpedoes, and where re-
quirsd, by gunboats, and are well able ID
embarrass any attempt at effsctins landing
and even to bring failure upon such sn at
tempt. "In conclusion" says the Messenger,
off we may declare without fear of being
mistaken that, in case OF war between China
and France, the latter power would have
nothing to fear from the wsrlike enterprises
of its adversary, it is none the less certain
that it would be impossible for France to
dictate its own conditions to the adversary
The details we here translate from the col
umns Of the French paper show clearly that
their position in TonqHin is exposing them 10
grave complications in Europe, while a war
with China would prove very different
affair from the conquest earlier ia the cen-
tury. The French hope by skillful diplomacy
to detsch China from Anam, and to induce
it to renounce its suzersinship over that EN-
pire. These are great things to be asked for,
and diplomacy may fail, ia which Case The
French will iud themselves in greater diff.
Guilty than the one they go unwisely avoided
at Alexandria. We see in the tone of the
Messenger how the French detect the malefi.
cent hand of Bismarck at work, abroad a..
we'll as at home, TO accomplish their humil-
iation, but in scattering its forces and its
millions Ia petty expeditions az she is doing
at the present time, France ia doing more 10
aid the designs Of Bismarck than all the
malice of Bismarck himself can accom- plisn.