1812
Journal of Occurrences
569
ART. V. Journal of Occurrences: letter from Niu Kien to sir Henry Pottinger; feelings of the Chinese commissioners; me- morial to the emperor relating to the treaty; particulars regard- ing the negotiations and signing of the treaty: proclamation from the authorities at Canton; U. S. A. ships of war. THE pleasing and unexpected intelligence of a treaty of peace being concluded between the English and Chinese plenipotentiaries at Nanking, which was contained in the last number, will, we are sure, be received with the same lively emotions by all those in England, America, and elsewhere in western lands, who have been watching the progress of the contest. We have been able to collect a few more particulars relating to this momentous event-the importance of which cannot be fully known till passing years have developed the benefits of the freer intercourse now about to commence. Would that it might always and for ever be conducted according to the royal law of doing to others as we would that they should do to us! We insert a letter from his excellency Niú Kien to his excellency sir Henry Pottinger, which seems to have been called forth by the latter's proclamation to the Chinese people, as given on page 510. The translation is borrowed from the Canton Register of Oct. 14th.
A letter from Niú Kien, the governor of the Two Kiang provinces, dated July 27th, conveyed by the deputies Chin and Lin to Chinkiáng, to be delivered to the English nation's public embassador. Concerning battles and strife, which are occasioned by our being separated and misunderstanding each other, I write purposely, with perfect sincerity, a perspicuous proclamation, by which we may understand the principles of reason, and our truc and sincere feelings and inten. tions. It is generally known, that men, being influenced by the clements of hea. ven and earth, by which they live, it is not necessary to discuss, whether the Chinese and the foreigners are not restrained by the two words-reason and hu. man feelings. On the vast breadth of the four seas, every kingdom has its prince, every nation its (own) people; custom-houses, where goods are inspected; and the boundaries are divided by known limits. And neither the one nor the other are allowed to intrude and usurp (what is not their own): this is agreeable to reason. Although the productions of the central and flowery empire are many and abundant, still it is cut off and separated by a great distance from (other nations.) It also possesses many excellent, rare, and extraordinary commodities; and with soine nations there is a trade, with others, none; but in commerce, fair dealing and equity inust be observed, in order to connect each other together by good understanding and harmony-so consonaut to human feelings and reason. I the present dynasty, this sunny and flowery region is tranquilly ruled; and we have swayed for ages over ten thousand /í, and (our dominion) extends to Corca, the land of the farthest cast. Your honorable country is situated in the occan, on the limits of the extrenie west; and the distance between us is immense. The emperors of our dynasty have always equally regarded natives and strangers (English), and we have been united by a friendly commercial intercourse for two hundred years. Now the high and supreme ruler (the emperor, is thoroughly learned in all evil and military matters; and in the management of all affairs, he reverently respects, like his ancestors, the laws of heaven; how, then at this time, arc our old relations so suddenly changed-so as to be the cause of a national quarrel? It arose, most assuredly from the spreading opium poison. Opumu is neither pulse nor gram, and yet multitudes of our Chinese subjects consume it, wasting their property, and destroying then lives; and the calamities arising theretión au
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