Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-20


easy task, and their advance will evidently
be very difficult, as the natives clear the
country of supplies when forward move
ment is prepared. In Tonquin the opposi-
ton to the French ia proving very embar-
racing, and should the Chinese openly take
the side Of the invaded country the invaders
will find it 3 costly affair to find men, NUM-
tioDs and naval armaments; and the French
people will certainly not welcome heavy ad-
ditiens to their already burdensome taxa
ton. The Paris correspondent of the New
York Herald has interviewed the very able
Chinese Minister there, Marquis TseDg, who
informed him that diplomatic relations be-
tween France and China are practically bro
ken OF, as France has refused for year past
to reply 10 the Chinese Ministers letters
about TonquiD, but it hes itself sent Min
lister to Pekin, however. Tseng says that
even had China no rights of sUz=rainship
over Ansm, it would still question France az
to its intentions in approaching the Chinese
border. II France refuses to enter into nego-
tiations it must be because it is DESTROYS of
war. The French having possessed them
selves years ago Of the three south
ern provinces of Ansm and settled them
selves at the city of Saigon, hoped to draw
the trade OF Southwest China from Canton to
Saigon, by way of the Mekong river. but
they found that stream obstructed by falls.
They then turned their attention toward
Tonquin, that they might reach China By
Red river, upon which they placed their
fort Of Hanoi, and now they want to annex
the entire province of Tonquin. Anam, in
which country ToGquin is situated, was once
a province of China, and is still under its
suzerainty In 1874 the French made
treaty with Anam, recognising its sovereign's
independence, but China officially informed
tary, which, says Tssng, "cut away the
principal leg the treaty had 10 stand upon"
China, having suffered from war with Eng
land and France, and from the Tapping
rebellion, was not in a condition then formal
ly to assert IFS rights in Tonquin against the
French, but il had clearly stated, "the coun-
try belongs to us." The present object of
the French is to get a new treaty, clearly Sc
curing supremacy TO France, and obtaining
commercial advantages that would be iDjuri-
GUS to England and 10 the United States. In
1880 Tseng officially informed the French
government that China would not passive
ly see its relations with its vasssl
disturbed. China claims the right
to intervene because of her suzeraiu
righ;s-becsuse Touquin borders three
OF its provinces-becauss Touquin has
a large Chinese observation-disclosures Chins'a
commercial interests in Tonquin are greater
than those of all the European powers to-
gether-and because the Red river is the cole
outlet for the trade of the south and western
portions of the Chinese empire, and has It's
source in the Chinese province of YunnaD.
Should France retire, China would open up
the whole of Red river TO commerce. China
will ooncede much to France to preserve
peace, will agree that it shall retain the ter
ritory it gained before 1874, but will recog-
nizs nothing done since then, especially il
will not consent TO surrender its suserainty
The Minister assured the correspondent that
China desires .pesce; whether peace will be
maintained depends altogether upon France.
Surprising China not to go to war now,
France would have TO keep up an army Of
occupation, not knowing when hostilities
might commence, and China would probably
frontier in aid of Tonqan, making chronic
state Of war. Were France to go to war it
would probably blockade the Chinese ports;
the effect OF this would principally fall upon
Eoglsnd and the United States, who would
probably refuse to recognize a blockade of
twenty ports. 10 1860, when Chinese soldiers
were armed only with matchlocks and bows
J and arrews.Li it reanirad- 5000 troops TO
take the fortress of Taku; what would it take
now China IL armed with modern weapons
handled by men trained in the modern drill7
1t cost France 2S0,000,000 francs to establish
itself in 1unis, which is near it's doors; what
would it cost TO annex Tonquin on the other
side of the world, in opposition to the Chi
nese aud Anamese forces, when to take Tunis
required $4,000 troops? These statements of
the Chinese plenipotentiary, Marquis Tsepg,
convey the impression that the Chinese rely
principally upon the difficulty and expense
the French would have to encounter in case
hostilitiss broke out, and also upon the diff
Guilty of establishing q blockade of twenty
port, in opposition to the interest of Eng
land and the United States. China seeks
therefore TO eecspe the difficulties of the case
by diplomacy. But suppose the French
should cut the knot, by seizing wholly upon
Tonquin, appropriating its revenue and
monopolizing its trade, what would China
do then? Ii France is satisfied that China
would do no more in case she seizas the whole
OF Tonquin thsn it has done in the case OF
the seizure of six of the provinces of that
country, all China's talk will not count for
much. Were France certain that China
would forcibly interfere, then she would
doubtless be unwilling to pay the price ii
would cost to seize and hold Tonquin.
BUSINESS FAILURES.
The Assignee OF - cGeoch, EveriHghasn
G Co.
CHICAGO, June 19.-John r. Bensley has