The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-09-10

The struggle between France and China
presents some grave points. Whenever a
European power goes into an extensive
war with an Eastern one, such is the COM
phcation of interests that the most promi-
nent States cannot afford to see their sister
lose, and are terribly jealous if she wins.
This is the present status of affairs, with
the addition that not only is Europe inter
ested, but the Great Republic is also, and
another factor enters into the problem,
whose action cannot be so clearly foretold,
depending as it does on the turn of pop
ular election.
The present difficulty of France with
China dates back to 1859. At that date
the Chinese were defeated, and the colony
of Saigon was founded. From this as a
point ddppm French intrigues have spread
as a net work over the devoted country,
and have caught the petty chieftains of
the Peninsula in their meshes. For full
twenty years this has been at work and
then suddenly affairs were precipitated.
Actual fighting broke out, and Riviere,
one of the most gallant and most polished
men in Paris, soldier, scientist and author
in one, met with his death at the hands of
the Annamese This called forth the en-.
ergies of France and war was carried on
in more vigorous manner: China as Sou
zerain of the Province found her honor
mixed up in the affair, and massed troops
on the frontier With French success
came French demands, and material
guarantee was exacted In advancing into
the interior, the French approached the
border and at Bacninh, and further north,
encountered Chinese troops. The &C
count ofthe struggle is various. The Chi
nese claim that the French had an over
whelming force against them. The French
show that they were very much in minor
ity-however it may be the collision took
place.
Meantime the diplomatists had not been
idle and the difficulty which was being
fought out in the marshes of Tonquin was
being quietly discussed in the official draw
ing rooms of Paris and London. Through
Marquis Tseng a convocation was signed,
Ii Hung Chang being partyto it. This
convention was perfectly satisfactory to
France, but it has been broken. Hence
the claim for indemnity Much of the
negotiation is very obscure to the public
even of France, and it will probably be
twenty years if not more, before the true
inwardness of the affair becomes public
property.
One thing however, is very patent and
that is, that whatever the demands of
France may be, they will have to be iqui-
dated. France demanded S15,000,000 the
other day. She has now destroyed gov
ernmen property at Foo-chow amounting
to about that figure China will have to
pay not only the original bill, but also the
cost of destruction, and she cannot long
afford to allow the account to run up at
such ruinous rate. The French army
has been to Pekin before, and it may be
said to know the way; the summer palace
episode of Oct 9th, 1860, may be played
again in 1884 or 1885
One lesson may be learned from the sue
cess of the French, and that is, that no
amount of western knowledge can make
the eastern man the equal of his western
brother when it comes to hard knocks. In
diplomacy he is more than a match, in
lying he is distinctly his superior, but
when it comes to military matters, the
western man, no matter of what nation
atty is not only his superior, but immeas-
erably his superior. From the day that
Alexander met the Asiatic forces at Arbela
and with only 1900 Greeks routed 1,040,-
600 Asiatics; from the many conflicts of
Englishmen in Hindostan, from the recent
efforts of Russia against the very chivalry
OF Asia, the same lesson must be learned,
the western man is superior, and neither
arms of precision, nor cultivation nor any
thing short of most radical change in
character will raise the lower race The
fear of their dominating the world, ia
vorlte theme year ago, is vain chimera.
But there is another aspect of the
Franco Chinese struggle, which is very
serious. That is the trade question. France
in preying upon Chinese commerce injuries
not alone China, but all Europe and the
United States. This will lead to grave
complications should the struggle be con
tinued to any length of time. Every mail
now will be watched with intense interest,
to see the many possible developments of
this war.