March 16, 1901]
erick Bruce, came out accredited to the Court at Peking as first British Minister. On arriv. ing at Taku, escorted by the fleet, he found the river blocked and entrance forbidden to the Minister; an attack with such force as the admiral had available wat repulsed with consid- erable loss of life, and the third Chins war becamo a necessity.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The
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opposed to ordinary canons, could be wrong, "For more than a century we have advanced sacrifices across the barren Stappes. They are with diligencs, and at thɔ price of enormous now left behind, and we are in face of a rich and fertile land. We have a right to seek compensa- tion for our sacrifices in its acquisition."
Such was the argument, the justics of which to the lowest monjik. Contemporaneously was accepted by every Russian, from the Tsar with Lord Elgin's advance to Peking the Russians had been drawing towards the neglected region north of me
the
upright, honourable fellow; tall and strong¡ made, with a remarkably good expression of countenance.” Bruco's good qualities; the worst was that, as No one ever doubted M1. amongst the people of Laputa, they needed to be aroused; and as the Minister's Secretary and right-hand man was the last to take sach Lord Palmerston no longer held office, and testing the truth of their conviction.
a step, no one had ever the opportunity of a vacillating Government again sont out Lord career of the Minister was chiefly distinguished Elgin with a sufficient military and naval by the_negative virtues; and Peking and force. This time the French had joined in Sleepy Hollow came to be accepted as synonyms, as allies, and it was hoped that the long-lived China "difficulty" would at last be solved. It first apparition bolted to Jehol, where
The Emperor Hienfeng had on Lord Elgin's probably might have been, but by a strange
Amur, and consolidating their settlements la infatuation the errors of the past were repeated.
Through wood and dale the sacred river rạn, Then reach'd the caverns measureless to man, and rich country boundel on the east by the that direction. Across that river lay a great Warnings, as the Book of Proverbs reminds And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean. us, are thrown away on certain individuals, and He never returned to Peking, and in a little home of Manchu conquerors of China, but was Pacific Ocean, which formerly had been the Lord Elgin showed himself a notable example time died. The throne descended to his only now, save for a few plundering bands, practically of the man who could not learn. The French son, born of the concubine Tsz'hi, who, herself uninhabited. The Crimean War had shown to and English forces, after some fighting, made a native of Canton, had fascinated in turn the Russia the advantage of having a station for her themselves mästers of the Taku forts, and from Tartar General in Kwangtung, and the war-ships in the Far East, and the British had that place advanced towards Peking, nowhere Emperor himself. meeting with serious opposition. Lord Elgin's consisting of the Emperor's brothers, the pared. It might not be the case that on another A regency was formed neglected the opening which events had pre- instructions were to conclude a treaty nowhere Empress Dowazer and the Empress Mother. opportunity England would not so disinterested except in Peking; the Chinese on the other As according to Oriental etiquette the ladies hand left not a stone unturned to induce him to could not be seen, all business had to be carried
a part, and t'were better to be first in the field. conclude a truce at any other spot. The troops on by the male portion of the body; but Peking he met M. Popoff, the Secretary of the Anyway when Lord Elgin was going into had advanced as far as Husiwu, a place 30 or 40 although the business was conducted by the Russian Mission, going out their missions miles from the Capital, when the Chinese ex- late Emperor's brothers, the real power lay were curiously opposed. Lord Elgin with no pressed their desire to open negotiations; this with the Empresses, more especially with thought of territorial aggrandisement was proved, however, to have been dictated byt the Empress Mother, who treachery, as it turned out that the spot where many of those personal charms which had cap. hoped, would be to make China one of the still retained going to effect a treaty whose result, it was they had intended to induce the troops to camp tivated those with whom she had come in contact onmonalty of nations; M. Popoff had a a death-trap enfiladed by the enemy's in her early days; and who had ended by cap-scheme of his own, which did not concern the artillery. A detachment under a flag of trace turing the Emperor himself. was sent to arrange a suitable site; it was was an ideal one for the growth of intrigue, and He was going to interview General Ignatieff, The situation world, but which did largely concern Russia. received with all apparent courtesy, but with the Empress Mother was not thrown away. when out of sight was, set прои and Suffice it to say that by one means or other the instructions were to shadow Lord Elgin, and the the newly appointed Russian Minister, whose the individuals captured. They were at other members of the Regency one by one dis- French Minister, and—make the best use of the once sent in chains to Peking, where appeared, and finally the erst concabine found situation. The means were left to himself. the greater number were tortured to death herself the sole surviving member, as she had The Individuals concerned in this barbarous ao all through been the actuating spirit. were perfectly well known; they were neve The period was marked by some very im- punished, and the example, as we have learned portant measures which have had an abiding to our cost, grew into a precedent. Until the effect on Chinese policy ever fince. One and recent attempted murders of the Ministers perhaps the most important, was the sup- en bloc, no Chinese official has ever been pun-pression of the Taiping rebellion, which at one ished for his crimes, however treacherous or period seemed likely to result in the destruction' contrary to the established laws of nations. of the reigning dynasty. When Lord Elgin As if to place Lord Elgin's incapacity to com- prehend the situation in the clearest light, he made the misdeed the occasion of one of the great- est outrages on civilisation ever committed-in the looting and burning of the Saminer Palace. When Omar burnt the Library at Alexandria he had at least some ex cuso. If the books are in ́accordance with the doctrines of the Prophet, they are superfinous; if they co travene thm. they ought to be destroyed." Mis rable as was the excuse, it was better than could be offered for the destruction of this priceless museum to save the heads of a few sarages like Sankolinsin and his fellow plotters
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Ignatieff was a man will known in English land. Like most educated Russians, he was society, and thoroughly conversant with Eng affable and sympathetic-a 'charming fellow."" He rendered many useful little civilities to the legation, and with due care for Mr. Bruce's personal comfort advised him not to spend the winter in an unfinished house in Peking. He had his reward.—Ignatieff did not let the snow went up the Yangtaze River he found the accumulate on his path, but went straight to greater part of the lower river occupied on both the point, and under pretence of saving Chins banks by the rebels, whose excesses had almost from the demands of the Allies persuaded depopulated this, the most prosperous portion Prince Kung into the cession of the sea-board of the Empire. It was found necessary to make of Manchuria; now the Russian province of some arrangements for the freedom of trade. Primorsk, and probably the richest district in The rebels either would not or could not abide temperate Asis. In its secondary effects the by these arrangements, and little by little the Allies were drawn in'o taking an active part' close to Peking that the political effect has cession of Primorsk, has brought Russia so against the insurgents. This led to ar gular been to increase vastly Russia's power of campaign under Gordon in lower Kiangsu, interference; and when to this is superadded which resulted in the final suppression of the the undoubted inferiority of the men succes- movement by the reciptare of Soochow. Un- sively entrusted with promoting fortunately the feeling thus engendered le interests, it is easy to calculate the rest.
British When Lord Elgin had arrived at Peking, a to a gradual relaxation of the facilities similar course was adopted. A still small voice, gained by the war, of which the Chinese took the France to a participation in her Chinese policy, For good or evil England had admitted too often to be heard subsequently in our del-utmost advantage to resume the old obstruc- and Francs at the time was well disposed. ings with China, whispered in his ear the old tive policy. The war was noteworthy in bring. But France, even when actuated by the most platitudes; Lord Elgin listened to it with the ing to the surface the Futai of Kiangsu, Li Hung-friendly feelings, had ambitions of her own, sympathy common to weak minds. The resul chang, whose name came afterwards to be so and of these the most characteristic was was that the army never entered the city, and clos ly associated with political affairs as to be refounding a colonial empire. She had long from that day till the present year the total household word in every part of the world. For put forward vague claims to be the protectress defeat of the For-igner in his impious attempt good or evil Li is henceforward the ruling spirit of Roman-Christian missions, and having got to take the capital remains recorded in all in the intercourse of China with outside coun- the point in China, easily applied the lever in tries, and more than anyone else has swayed the the "Indo-Chinese peninsula. China resented The omen was uncanny. It presently came fortunes of his country. The second measure that, as the autumn was advancing, and the with which this period is more immediately con
these efforts of France in the usual bungling British Peace Commissioner was by no means nected is the consolidation of the Foreign Cus- wrong, even when her moral position is clear.
manner which invariably places her in the disposed to face the inconvenience of a winter toms. Its foundation was indeed due to the. in North China, he as usual commenced to think previons, where it was associated with Alcook of his departure. The Russian Minister General and Wade. The accidental fact that the latter Ignatieff, a most charming man, had cautioned acted for a short time as its head left an indelible bim against the danger of remaining during impression on his after career, and the future the winter, and Lord Elgin was not a man to Minister was undoubtedly afterwards swayed in sacrifice himself in the interests of his country; many particulars by the fact that he too had so it was again in his opinion necessary to hurry out of the way. His brother, the Honourable Frederick Brace, had been appointed Minister, so no time was lost in presenting him to Prince Kang, which done, the British Commissioner washed his hands of the business, and cleared out as quickly as his private arrangements would permit.
official Listories.
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once been a Chinese official-a weakness of which his more wily colleagues' did not fail to take full advantage.
The main characteristic of this period in China must, however, be always associated with the comparative decline of British influence in China, and the advance of Russia and France From the time of Peter the Great the march of Russis through Asia, which under previous rulers had been as it were accidental. became a matter of fixed policy to be accomplished by any as Mr. Michie, and every means, right or wrong-rather in quoting Sir Hope Grant, remarks, fine this advance of Holy Russia no means, however
The Hon. Frederick Bruce was probably superior man to his brother, and when aroused was capable of exercising a sound judgment, and even acting on it.
"He was,
possession of the greater part of the peninsula, The end of all was that France came into Siam and the British territories alone excepted. France would not be France did this huge meal not quicken her appetite for more; so she established a system of gnawing at China. This, might have been of comparatively small impor tance but that she suddenly conceived a strange platonic friendship for Russia, and threw her- self with an empressement which more sober nations found difficult to realise into the arms of her gigantic amoureux. Although Russia had not sought the liaison, she would have been more than human had she neglected to take. advantage of it, and we find the two nations making together in Peking with the avowed object of undermining British influence Another Power was however affected in sourcely
■ less degree than England, and the Germany; and as Russia had unblushingly
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