Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-10-13
CANTON.


ana mOSt actlVe IN emma. Apart from
its large foreign trade it has great
domestic trade, considerable pol ton
of which is carried in coasting vessels.
Any blockade of this port would very
seriously interfere with the commerce
of CAina, and il would certainly be the
objective of a blockading squadron.
But in the city of Canton n portion of
ground is set apart for foreign resi-
dence under conditions similar If not
identical to those which prevail in the
other treaty ports of the empire. If
the assumption that foreign residence
deprives hostile power of the right
of blockade be sound, Canton is free
city, but no nation would submit to
construction being placed upon con
ventions made with neutrals which
should deprive her of one of the most
formidable means of coercion and stul-
tify, in q measure, her naval forces.
The effect of blockade may be
judged from the action of the British
government in regard to Canton in
1857. That port was blockaded and
all trade was luterdicted. The rights
of residence of those foreigners who
desired to remain in the settlement of
Canton were respected" as far rs cir
cum stances would permit, but no dis
tinction was made between Chinese and
foreign trade. The blockade was in
tended to be effective, and not even a
neutral steamer was permitted to as
cend the river without the permission
of the British admiral.
In the narrative OF Lord Elgin's mis-
c.<, 80 l.,f oil, ,N,.tn
count of the blockade of Canton. 1t is
there stated that 1.-THE ambassadors
were anxious 10 effect the speedy re-
moval of this restriction. The naval
authorities fully concurred with them
in this desire, and were no less anxious
to put an end to q blockade which,
while it tended to exercise demoraliz-
ing influence upon the class of vessels
specially employed in enforcing it, had
failed in the object it was designed to
accomplish. Instead of preventing all
trade with Canton, it had simply di-
verted it to the Broadway and other
channels not guarded by our cruisers.
Thus it was both Intellectual and illegal
a circumstance which, fortunately, il
did not occur to any neutral power tC
complain Of" The blockade was only
partial, consequently twas illegal, and
according to the law of nations, any
neutral power had just cause of com
plant. Had the blockade been effect
i've it would have been legal and ne
ground of complaint by neutral powers
would have existed.
Fears of rising against Europeans
in the towns and cities of China in the
event of war are only too wei
grounded. The present riot is ONLY
, one in n series of outraSes. Recently
; a French missionary, Pere Terrasse
, and sixteen native Christians were
massacred in Yunnan, near the Ton
, quin frontier The little mission whicl
+ met with such u tragic fate was estab
! lished in the town of Yang-pi, not ia
/ from Ta-li-fu 1t was visited b,
p Messrs. ColquhOun and Wahab in thei
3 adventurous journey across Southerl
| Asia, and the former has given us al
@ interesting account of his meeting
= with Pere Terrasse. The missionar
, accosted the traveller as he entered IN
q town with the single word "English
man?" uttered interrogatiyely an
y with a strong French accent.
Y The person addressed, who We
] buried in deep reverie, his thought
e thousands OF miles away from China 6
> the time, looked up on hearing the FL
n glish word, and Immediately recOs
n nisod the speaker rs Il European, ella
e though he was in native dress and 5
y far undistinguishable from the thou
/ sands of Chinese whom the explore
a had encountered on his route. A fe
e minutes afterward the three European
s. were discussing bottle of Bordeau
IS and toasting ,la belle France tl