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was at first deemed necessary.
Moreover, the French in China profess to be much hurt by the tone of the English news by hers respecting their proceedings in this quarter of the globe; and complain that the English perversely refuse to understand that "imitation is the most sincere flattery"); for they contend that they are only carrying out the same policy in Indo-China that England has already carried out in India proper.
An article giving what may be called the French side of the case, which had appeared in one of the Hongkong newspapers, and is said to have been contributed by an Englishman long resident in China. Of course it will not be understood that we agree generally with the views set forth in this article. But some of those views are undoubtedly well-founded; especially, the opinion that if the French should fail seriously either in arms or in diplomacy, the self-confidence of the Chinese will be greatly increased;