Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-06-12
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.

nc pISScilCe OI Inc dlll6Q forces at
Pei.in, the capital of China, and the
Headquarters of that constituencies
old woman, the Dowager Empress, re-
calls a former occasion when foreign
troops occupied the seat of government
of the oldest country on earth. and
left "a mark of vengeance for outrages
which ought to have been sufficient for
the CHI nese people for couple of CEN
turtles
The trouble on this former occasion
started away back in 1856, when the
british flag was insulted by the local
authorities at Canton, when a lorcha
called the Arrow, a Chinese ship flying
the English flag, was boarded by
Chinese force and twelve men taken
off on the charge of piracy Mr..
Parkes, the English consul, demanded
the return of the men according to the
terms of the treaty of 1S43. Governor
Yeh refused, when Sir John Bowring
reiterated the demand, and in addition
an apology and the pledge that no
such action should ever occur in the
future. Forty-eight hours were given
for compliance, the alternative to be a
bombardment. The men were sent
back, and pledges given, but there was
no apology, and as a result Admiral
Sir Michael Seymour opened his guns.
and from October 23d to November
18th there was trouble, the Chinese
Commissioner Yeh offering substan-
tial reward for every head of an Eng
lishman as an incentive to the native
troops to keep up the fight.
The news created a great sensation
when it reached England, for this was
before the days of cables, and a vote
Of censure was carried in the House of
Commons by 236 to 247. Lord Palmer
ston then dissolved Parliament and ap-
pealed to the country, and was sus-
tanned, and in 1858 Canton was cap
tured Here France came in. For
years she had nursed a grievance
growing out of the murder of some
Missionaries, and she joined hands with
England Commissioner Yeh was cap
tured and sent to Calcutta, where he
died the next year. Then Lord Elgin
and Baron eros succeeded in making
d treaty with China, by the terms of
which England and France were to be
represented by ministers in China, and
China in London and Paris, and there
was to be certain freedom of access
to Chinese rivers and ports by English
and French ships. China to pay all the
expenses of the late war. This ap-
peared to be a lasting settlement. In
fact. it lasted just one year. Frederick
Bruce was sent out from England in
1859 as minister to China, along with
a French envoy They were barred
from the capital, although nineteen
English ships of war were on hand.
Admiral Hope bombarded the Taku
forts, and was wounded, the attempt to
force them failing. There was a re-
newed sensation in England, and it was
resolved to force passage. The
forts were captured in August, 1860
| ~ the French and English, Tien-Tsin
vas occupied and the allies marched
| on Pekin. The Chinese offered to
negotiate, but while the discussions
we're in progress the secretary of Lord
| Elgin, Mr.. Parkes. and a number of
| other Englishmen were captured by
| the Chinese. Pekin was then assaulted
one of the great gates forced. and the
| allies entered the city, where it was
| learned the captives had been MUIR
6ered.
Lord Elgin then determined to burn
the great Summer Palace, as an act of
retaliation, and for two days thousands
Of soldiers looted and burned. The
palace. its surrounding buildings and
grounds covered many square miles,
and in it were gathered the accumuia-