The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-07-15
Chinese Brag---New Menaces of
War with France.

war Will Il TauCes
When the Tonquin Convention was
signed at Teutsin in May number of
French Consuls, Secretaries aud officials
sst down to sump,uous repast with a
number of Chinese Consuls, Secretaries
and officials. In the intervals of the
banquet Capt. Fournier, 10 the name OF
France, proposed the health OF the EN-
peror OF China. Ii Hung Chang, the |
Viceroy, y,repied by drinking bumper to
the President OF the French Republic.
Then the banqueters returned 10 their
chopsslcks and made merry.
The anicabe relations thus establish.
ed do not seem to have lasted very long.
NJ. Ferry has given orders that prepara-
tions shall be made for war; that M. Pa.
tenotre, his Ambassador, shall 60 to Pc
kin TO insist on the rights of France;
that Caiua shall forced topay round
indeinhity or cede more OF her territory.
In Cdina the war partyis putting on its
old airs. Gen. Tso is strutting after his
customary fashion; Marques Tseng is
pouring lnsidious counsels of bellicose
order into the ears OF the Grand Coun-
Gil, and all the military ofl .ers, who are.
as usual, short in their accounts, are look
ing forward 10 war as means of con-
cealing tteir Deficiencies.
Will they fght3 We asked this ques
tion a. long time ago. We asked it soon
after Commander Riviere was murdered
in the swamps of the Red River, when
France was sending her gunboats to
avenge him and China was insisting thai
as soon as the gunboats cast anchor be-
fore Hanoi force of Chinese regulars
would march across the frontier:
Since then what has happened France
has executed her threats to the letter
With the martial enthusiasm which never
fails TO display her best qualities she has
pushed forward under burning sun
through the deadly morass. Town after
town has fallen into her power. The op
position OF outlaws and pirates has
melted away before her advance. With
an expenditure OF NC ney and loss Of
life almost insignificant beside those OF
most oriental campaigns she has con.
quered TOnquin, has 'orced treaties from
the rulers of AMMAN aud has established
her empire over region which may
rival the splendors Of India and fall heir
to the wealth of China when the Flowery
Kingdom shall fall into inevitable disso.
luton.
We do not commend The spirit in
which the French went to occupy Ton.
quin. We we're among the first TO con-
denim it. But being once engaged the
invaders acquitted themselves WELL Their
work was done promptly and humanely,
and having done it they laid down The
sword as quickly as they bad taken ii up.
And China1 II is recounting ancien.
history to narrate those wonderful nego.
tiations which Marques Tsene conduct.
ed in London and Paris. 10 what de-
licious ferment Of excitement he used TO
keep the nations OF Europe. To-day it
was peace ) tomorrow it was war Now
it was stern demand then it was weak
concession. We recall the ESSAYS which
appeared in the English papers on the
revival of Chinese diplomacy, on Mon.
goian Rstuteness and the hereditary gifts
OF Tseng. And sl the time the poor
man was showing no astuteness what
ever; he Was merely arguing to gain time
and to save his hea when he returned to
Pekin France pushed on without heed.
ing him and while he was telling OF the
terrible consequences that would follow
the fall OF Bscninh, Bacninh fell and
rseng subsided.
That humiliating surrender alienated
the sympathy of The world. Here was
an ancient dynasty, a dynasty of con-
querors, dynasty not shaken by fac
lion, dynasty strong in the support OF
the army, which absolutely refused to
make an eff.rl to regain so fair a-prov-
ince ss Torquin. Here were war ships
purchased Tor no purpose, soldiers main
tanned at great cost for no end, arsenals
kept busy night and day and nothing
done for the defense Of the Chinese En-
pire Even to msintain the reputation
that she won at Kuldja; even to show
the Russians that her negotiations for the
Til territory was not entirely game of
bluff, even to display her power to the
two great neighhors who we're watching
her, one from Vladivos.ock, the other
from Calcutta, China ought to have made
q fight OF 1t. But she would not make a
6ght OF il. She saw the towns OF Tonquin
fall into the hands of France, and hsv
ing seen It she invited the French envoys'
to sign treaties of peace and partake OF
bird d's.nest soup at Fientsin.
1t is now too late. II China should
declare war ton orrow there is not
leading power in the world that would
end her a.heping hand. She has shirk
ed and shufiled and shilly-shallied till the
patience of her friends is exhausted. She
must now either "pay or play" and in
neither case will the bystanders pay
much attention to her game.-N. Y.
Herald.