March 16, 1001]
'CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT:.
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(seek reinforcements from Calcutta. Eventual- | himself as a man of judgment and decision, ly this led to the occupation of Hongkong. He was frequently called upon for his opinion Capt. Elliot belonged to the most dangerous as to the course of events, and within his own class of humanity the amiable faddists who jurisdiótion was able to show that no encroach- have been in all ages answerable for more ments had been permitted to grow up. But misery than the most truculent of conquerors though one British Minister after another and was instrumental in rendering inevitable was willing to ask and profit by his advice, the those very abuses which he sought to suppress. old mistakes continued, and the Foreign Office, Constitutionally he was an opponent of coercive strong in its wilful ignorance of Chins still measures, yet his efforts to avoid them rendered preferred the China of its imagination to them actually necessary; he was above all | the Chins of fact. The period is, however, unë things an anti-opiumist, yet it was his peculiar of great interest in our relations with China, fate to be for ever associated with what from especially as most of the causes which have ignorance of the issues at stake has by faddista since affected our intercourse for good or evil like himself come to be known as the “ first had therein their first inception. Mr. Michie's Opium War."
work now becomes of the greater interest and importance, inasmuch as he now becamo-an interested spectator of the course of events on. the spot.
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Such was true of the British Government in the Duke of Wellington's time, and we may ask our readers in what essential particulars it dif. fers from the very similar conduct of the same Government under Lord Salisbury. This is in fact the text of the work; partial successes gain ed by the strong hand or won by the abilities of exceptional men, have by a succession of igno- raut ministries at home been frittered away, and Chinese affairs locally been placed in the hands of feeblo faddists, till the inevitable force from behind has gradually penetrated the damn, and the whole structure has been carried away at the first storm; only to envolve its entire reconstruc- tion ganerally on the same mistaken lines as at first. Truly it was said of the Jews of.old that they built the sepulchres of the prophets whom Mr. Miohio gives in brief a succinct account their fathers had persecuted, to the death, and of the events which followed the declaration our own Foreign Öflce in its apotheosis of its of war; and from its completion the real inte discarded servants and its utter neglect of their rest of the story begins. Speaking of Sir Henry These experiences are exhibited in a series of warnings may find in the simile a not inpt por- Pottinger and the peace, which for the first sketches, painted with a skilled hand, of the trait of its own disabilities and short-comings. time gave hope of improvement in the mutual general conditions prevailing, and amongst From the very beginning British intercourse relations of the two countries, he remarks: these we find chapters on the new intercourse with China has been nufortunate in its sur "It accorded with the fitness of things that at Canton, Foochow «Amoy, Ningpo and roundings. It was founded by the East India tho negotiator of the treaty should remain to last, though by no means least, Shanghai, Company, who in China had no political object, carry out its provisions.
Though the The latter affords us sketches of the progress and whose anxiety for the trade was limited to wound to the pride of China was deep and still on the Taiping rebellion, and of the origin its ability to pay the customary yearly dividend. fresh, the Imperial Commissioners' acceptance and progress of that great, and, as at one The Board of Directors in Leadenhall Street of the new state of things exceeded what the time it seemed. the most likely forerunner demanded remittances, and cared nothing for most stoical philosophy could call for. They of a new era in China, the Foreign Inspectorate the indignities which their distant agents came in person, on invitation, to the alienated of Customs. With the foundation of the In- might be forced to undergo in order to supply island, there to exchange the ratifications of the spectorate the names of Alcock and Wade must these demands. The interests at stake were Nauking treaty; entered heartily into the life of for good or evil over be associated; the former too valuable to be put at issue upon considera- the community, showed great interest in their as its first originator, the latter as its initial tions of a personal nature." To understand nascent institutions, and returned to Canton chief; and it is not too much to say that the this we must look back to early times in the Far charmed with English civilisation. In fact subsequent career of both men was deeply affect East. There the Chinese Empire was unique; it seemed as if the goal were reached, and China ed by their temporary connection with the it had indeed for a few centuries about the be were about to enter the comity of nations.institution, the latter especially for the worse, ginning of our era communicated on equal How often have we listened to the same parrot inasmuch as it served to confirm all the weak terms with the empire of Parthia, then at its like cry, which even at the moment in spite of points in a character which, with some elements zenith, but circumstances had occurred to inter- every warning wo hear wafted in a still small of possible greatness, possessed already the weak fere with that intercourse, and for nearly six-voice over the troubled waters !
points of want of self dependence and stability. teen centuries China hal had no communication "As long." Mr. Michie adds, "as Sir Henry Perhaps the most interesting portion of Mr. with a single state with whom it was possible to Pottinger was negotiating under the guns of Michie's book. for the ordinary mercantile res treat on equal terms. We might have seen the Her Majesty's ships he was master of the situa-sident in China will prove to be those chapters. same in Europe had the Roman Empire been left tion, but when pitted against the Chinese in to decay free from external invasion. China's the open field the position was reversed, for they neighbours had come to look upon her as the had definite aims and knew how to gain emblem of imperial power, and with her from lack them. Arrangements were found necessary for of external s imulus, had not taken note of the the conduct of trade at the five consular ports; progress of inevitable decay which had entered the relations between the colony of Hongkong deeply into the body politic. China had in her and the empire of China, as regards criminals, decay acquired from the lack of personal as- &c., required definition; and, more important sociation with equals all. the instincts of the still, the native shipping frequenting its har- petty tyrant, and when the barriers which had bour had to be regulated. The negotiations shat her out from civilisation were removed required for these purposes afforded Kiying a from outside was unable to recognise the posi- favourable opportunity for giving effect to the tion. Unfortunately the one power which reactionary policy of the Chiuese Government. might have brought about a gradual ameliora- The supplementary treaty was negotiated at tion was muffled; the East Indian Company the Bogue between Sir Henry Pottinger and acted as a buffer and effectually by its mis-Kiying in October, 1843. The Chinese version representations of the situation to each in turn seems to have bean signed by the British agent prevented any foundation being laid for mutual without his having before him a textual Eng. intercourse. The Board of Directors were by lish translation: by its provisions the Chinese no means displeased at Lord Napier's discon-authorities engaged to protect the junk traffic fiture, and the British Government listening in colonial wators. Sir Henry Pottinger did unwisely to their suggestions continued the not realise the kind of weapon he had thus old system. The third in succession to Lord placed in the hands of his friends until its Napier was (aptain Charles Elliot, and he, as damaging effects were demonstrated by exper- Mr. Michie tells us, going "far beyond his once. Then what had boen lost by diplomacy instructions in his efforts to conciliato the was ondeavoured to be recovered by persuasion. Chinese, brought down the old house about To this end strenuons efforts were made by sue- his ears, and may be looked upon as the un- cessive Governors of Hongkong to induce Kiy conscious author of our modern relations. ing to forego some of the powers which had bean inadvertently conferred on him, as their exercise was proving rainous to the trade of the island. But as this result was precisely what had been intended by the Chinese, nothing short of another war would have moved them to yield a single point."
Such is the point from which Mr. Michie's narrative starts; though nominally a history of Sir Rutherford Alcock's life, Sir Rutherford only appears in it in connection with the drama of British intercourse. It is true that his life was in an important period conterminous with that intercourse, and cannot be dissociated with its history, but Mr. Michie's work is in no sense to be taken as a biography, but rather as a bis tory from a commanding point of view of the entire subject. The comparatively brief portion of the work occupied with details of the late Minister's private life intensifies the position. **It fell to Captain Elliot's lot to have to be the first to announce the failure of his w well intended, though nuwise attempts to promoto harmony between the dissimilar elements which constitute ed European and Chinese policy. Under threat of extermination the entire British community at Canton suddenly found themselves fugitives; they were refused the hospitalities of Ma-
and I had to take refuge on board the few ships which were available, whils Captain Elliot had to despatch his last man of war to
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We have farried perhaps too long on this single incident, but as mutatis mutandis it re- presents what has inevitably on overy occasion when having dismissed his supporting forea a British plonipo-tentiary has essayed to treat on equal terms with a Chinese diplomat, wo have thought it best to copy it in full. A still graver error on Sir Henry part was his delay in insisting on the right of entry into Canton granted by the treaty. The Chinese, not un. naturally from their limited point of view, con- cluded that the delay proceeded from fear; and this it was which, with its resulting friction, finally led up to the second, the so-called "Arrow" war dage
During this period the subject of Mr. Michie's memoir,Dr,, afterwaï de Sir Rutherford, Alcock, came out to China, and soon made a name for
wherein he gives a short bat masterly sketch of the development of trade in the various com- modities which then formed the staples of trade with China. When at first British trade sprang up in Canton it was nainly confined to two commodities-opium and tea. The valus of the opium imported far exceeded the value of thẹ tea sent out of the country, and the difference soon commenced to tell on the currency, which, as in all Asiatic countries, was founded on no J well regulated principle. Unable to attribute the changes being gradually brought, about, the Chinese officials saw it in the opium trado, and a large section of the officials who lived in the interior, and consequently derived no personal advantage, were always opposed to its contina- ance. Not so the officials at Canton, whose personal perquisites were largely dependent n the trade which had practically become a mono- poly in their hands. No ther conceived nor tretended themselves to be in any measure concerned in the moral question. It was not long before the Emperor's Court at Peking dis- covorod the profitable nature of the trade; and as the offtos of Hoppo was in the personal gift of the Emperor and was always conferred a court favourite, the bonorarium tɔ be exacted grew in proportion. To have legalised the traffic would have interfered with their private arrangements, while, on the other hand, it was more than over necessary that the utmost should be squeezed out of the trade, and that it should be rigidly confined to Canton.
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Captain Elliot failed to enter into the spirit of the game, and made the capital mistake of interpreting th Hoppos interferences na pro- ceding from any genuine desire to stop the traffic. When, therefore, he himself interf and surrendered the opium on hard the shif to Commissioner Lin, ha did the thing of all others that provoked retaliation. • To save face the Commissioner had sorely against his will destroy the opinns, but in destroying the opium he took cara that he would involve. Captain Elliot in the opprobrium. Although not legalized, new treaty the trade
treaty established itself at
The the opium.
opian
it was carried on ore not indeed nominally ship went alongside manently limita her opium,
chored the port,
went
where