GOVERNORS
Continuation
347
Perhaps his chief political feat in Eastern affairs was his successful negotiation of a treaty with Siam, where others before him (and other nations) had failed. Here, the pen was mightier than the sword. Sir John Bowring commenced a literary correspondence with the young Siamese king, who had been educated on western lines, and this gave him a footing which was used to good account. Using the services of Sir Harry Parkes, of Canton Consulate and subsequent diplomatic fame, the Governor took Mr. Parkes (as he then was) to Siam on a mission which resulted in the subsequent conclusion of an agreement which opened up trade in Siam to British enterprise. It was a distinct triumph for the Plenipotentiary of Her Majesty's Government, and he could rightly preen himself afterwards. His successes must, however, have aroused much jealousy in this Colony, or else his attitude on truly domestic affairs fell short of expectations, for there developed a campaign of criticism, fostered by a section of the local press, which lasted until his departure.
But while he had made such fine diplomatic progress with Siam, he failed in his dealings with the Chinese, and this was not lost sight of by his critics. In September 1854 Sir John made a memorable trip to Peking to try and deal direct with the Emperor, but never got further than the mouth of the Peiho, where, aboard a British warship, a conference was held with the Chihli Viceroy's representatives, but proved inconclusive.
Two years later war with China broke out at Canton, and Sir John's policy of foreign intervention in the Taiping rebellion having alienated the support alike of mission bodies in China and powerful political friends at Home, he faced the new situation less confidently. We have previously alluded to this second outbreak of hostilities with China, the so-called "Arrow" war, but this is not the place to expand upon its causes or progress. The policy of the Hongkong Governor concerns us here, as it did the merchants and other residents of the Colony at the time. It was an unhappy period - such things as the bread poisoning plot (see 26-6-33) for instance, occurred to shake the community's morale, and possibly their faith in the people who were conducting the war, and the subsequent negotiations. Lord Elgin's mission of 1857, when he treated both the Governor of Hongkong, and the residents in general, with apparent contempt, and intimated that the war was a blunder on the part of those responsible for its inception, did not restore confidence.
The British and French forces eventually captured Canton, the Viceroy Yeh surrendered, and all ended early in 1858; but Sir John found himself increasingly up against certain elements, both official and unofficial, in the Colony. Yet there is evidence that on the whole he was considered a good administrator and his policy of judicial reform, educational improvements, suppression of crime (including the rampant piracy) and so on was beneficial. As lapse of time, a historian can find little to guide him: unfortunate that the contemporary comments of at least one newspaper are found to be consistently hostile, utterly in the worst of taste and to our present way of thinking, even libellous. It is not fair to judge from such obviously biased accounts.
It is
The European residents, whether influenced by this press campaign or acting on their own, it is not possible to say, studiously ignored the Governor's departure, and, we read, made a mock of him at an auction held at Government House now.