Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-04-22

inferred nj bc tos,o-ice Alexandra. Virginia, rs
| seco:'d-cl;ss5 matter
THE FRENCH IN CHINA.
| The French have never ceased TO regret
the collapse OF their Indian Empire. All
| that IS left TO them in the peninsula of Hin
dustap, is 4G000 hectares !gith 21l.o0o IN
! hab;tants. The conquest oi Lower Cochin
! Chin:. IN lS62-lSG1 caused France t. look
! 10 inG0.G Ghiaa FOR AZ equivalent for
the lost empire ci Hindustan. The advcn~
turous Journey Of I Dupul& down the Red
| river from Y4nnau led TO The sudden occu-
patton Of the principal !Urt:esses Of Tsnquin
Jy tina: leader and the brave Francis Gar
ner, whose d>::t!. IL The moment OF victory
was. however followed by the evacuation
Of The country. b the treaty Of 1874 the
court OF AEAln guaranteed tie freedom ol
the Red river 10 commerce, bat, partly from
bad faith. partly lroU inability: failed to
tuliil Its contract.
There is little doubt lnat the idea oi al
empire beyond the Gangcs has ior several
wears been entertained by cNcrplislng
Erenchmtn. III 1868 the remnant o.! the
once powerful kingdom OF Cambodia was
received under French protection. when
General AIiilCt, who accompanied Dupuis
III his first expedition, wrote II the RerUe
.SricatiGqae, tia; the acquisition by France
OF Anarn and Tonquin would make her
mistress Of an empire Of forty millions Of
people, and alord her Il secure stronghold
whence French policy can await tho disin-
legation OF the existing eastern empires
he only spoke predetermined resolution.
But the French began modestiy by dis
patching the commandant Rivere, with
some 500 men. 10 Hanoi, 20 demand the
inlGlmauj Of the treaty. As no attention
was paid to his SUMMONS TO surrender, NJ.
Hiyicrc bombarded the Tonquinese capital,
au,i in two hours was master Of the citadel.
But another power had long cherished
claims un0n Anam. The investi;ure Of the
kings O: that country had for many centuries
resided |i!h the emperOrS ui emma. Al
though i is TRUE iha! the Chinese regard
t!cr emperor tx lord OF the whole earth,
;ui that his claims 10 sovereignty IN lndo-
China did not prevent the British from seiz-
ing !, part Of Birmah, YET it is also true that
s; considerable portion OF northern Tonquin.
vatered by streams that discharge intc the
Bav OF Canton. has for some time been in
the possession of the Chinese government,
and occupied by Chinese regulars. at the
same ;imo the valley Of the Red river.
lnoman u0mnaily governed i.om Hue has
hCcl for g long time practically IL the hands
Of sn.ugg,crs with their bands Of retainers,
known IS The BLACK Flags" and the "lei-
low Flags" These %!ratc.l merchants who
had long held the monopoly Ct the lucrative
trade Ct the Red r!vu: naturally regarded
the French as !nter!orets, ami, receiving
more on less indirect assistance from the
! Chinese government, have proved the most
formidable enemies with which thelny2ders
haze had 10 contend. On May 9th ci last
wear. II. Riverc defeated some 1000 Ana
mites ,rho attacked Hanoi, bu! Gn June lst
in = soriic against the bcsicging bands of
tie Black Flags. his advanced guard was
almost anniiiilated, and he and fifteen men
,ylrp taken and impaled: General Bonet
,gi. ;hen sent TO reduce the strong places OF
| tbs. Ge!t;; Of the Red river, but after the
taking o. Hai-Dzuong and Phu-binh was
compelled by IN inundation to retreat to
| Hanoi.
At this epoch Admiral Courbet forced the
| ba!. o: lie river Of Hue. the capital OF Cochin
! Chiua. bombardcd that city. compelled the
| forts 20 surrender, and exacted Of the ne"
| king Hitp-HOa the successor OF 1G-due,
treaty which recognized the frepch pro-
tec;ora;c OF the entire kingdom oi Anam,
annexed the province Of Bin-thuan 10
l. !%!CD NOCiilu AuIbtt, ave lstbSS oiiS
10 clean the Tonqu;n oi the Black Flags and
secure liberty Of commerce. promised the
recall OF the Analnitc troops sent to Ton.
oi!u, and allowed France to place residents
ia MI the chief places OF that country.
Against this treaty China protested vlgo-
rousiy. and declared that the attempt on
the part Of France 10 enforce the treaty
entered into with Il vassal would result i'll
war between China and France.
In September the Marquis Tsens pro-
posed, as basis for the settlement OF the
Differences between France and CHINA, TO
init the French nrotectorate TO the De!ta
and the Red river. 10 make Lao hay the
ONLY point Of trade with the Chinese PROV
ince Of Nannan. and 10 limit the French
army OF occupation 10 1000 men, China to
prevent further incursions OF the Black
Flags. but the s@zerainty Of China over
Anam 10 be recognized by an act OF homage,
During the debate upon these terms. when
were not assentcd to by France. hostiiltles
: continued in Tonquin, and serious riots oc
cured III Canton, the Chinese popuia-
ton threatening 10 make short WORK
cf MI foreigners. At this epoch the
Black Flags occupied Sontay, while Bac'
ninh, place Of some strategic Importance
, situated about twenty miles north OF Hanoi
was held by Chinese regulars, and II was
understood that if operations were com
menced by the French against the latter
nlace, war with China was inevitable.
! Admiral Courbet, now chief III command
!. awaited the arrival of re-lnforcements unnel
E General Millot before again assuming the
offensive Son.tay was captured with com
narative ease, aud early in March Genera
Miilot marched against Bac-ninh, onttiank
inc the Chinese, who offered little resistance
; The French followed into the norther pro
vinces held by the Chinese and 'ook Thai
: nguyen. nu
The upper part of the course OF the song
koi or Red River is still in the hands OF in