The Hongkong Government Gazette. [No. 73.—NOVEMBER 28, 1856.
we complaia, and our assertions are contradicted; no attention is paid to our application made, once and again, for reasonable redress; we are con- strained to threaten force, and our mouaces are similarly disregarded; and last, after repeated delays, we make some demonstration of our power, and the Governor General, Yeh, forget-so ting that our act is the consequence of his own obstinacy and discourtesy, proclaims to the peo- ple that we are in league with the rebels, and sots a price on our heads.
them I
allow them to terminate. Why add another diffi- | regarding the Treaty right. Petitioners will do culty to the existing one, and so cause an inter-well at once to move His Excellency, with all ruption of the friendly understanding between speed, to abandon this false and dangerous posi- tion. If they neglect to make this appeal to him, our countries!
they will share not only the calamitous conse- quences of his stubbornness, but, at the same time, the serious responsibility of not averting His Excellency has tested these in due season. the power with which he has to deal; he must have seen with what certainty that which is threatened is accomplished. Let Petitioners re- fleet, that more sudden and terrible things are yet in its hand to do, and let them carnestly press their chief authority to yield while it is yet time.
To conclude: it is not well to trust one's own might too far, neither is it right to let a feud confirm itself, that it cannot be ended. There is one point of which you lose sight: you do not remember that our authorities are subject to promotion, translation, and similar changes of office, which may remove them from Kwang- | Would barbarisun and ignorance have gone Tung. In the twinkling of an eye its whole the length of such a declaration ! Will the peo-establishment may be changed; but the native ple of China, knowing and practising the duty of trader has been here, generation after genera- inan to man, believe the fact when it is told | tion, from father to son, from grandaire to grand- son, for hundreds and thousands of years, with- You do not reflect To conclude: this quarrel is not with the people; out interruption of the line. our proceedings have not originated in anything upon the distant future, that to inflict injury on the Canton people is to make enemies of done by the people. (They have been caused by the obstinacy and discourtesy of the chief autho-thousands and millions of men,-that the longer the feud endures, the deeper rooted it will be,- rity, and for any calamity that may result from them, the chief authority is singly responsible) that the more protracted the struggle, the more There is but one means of escape from it, and impetuous will be the zeal for it. It is in your this is in the hand of the chief authority, who, power to go the extreme length of injury that can be inflicted. To resolve on this is truculently to if he lose no time in meeting our high authori- ties, will be enabled, by arranging matters on a contemplate the extermination of every living satisfactory footing with them, to put an end to being in Canton-is to contemplate the total the existing peril, and to prevent the recurrence abandonment of its trade. What in that case would be your gain ! And if resolved to go this of like misfortune in the time to come.
length, how are you to dispose of the French, the Americans, and other foreign nations !
Think how completely at our mercy are the lives and property of the entire population of the City; and with what facility, in one moment of tinic, we could effect their utter destruction-a terrible contingency! You are told this in no spirit of boasting; the power of our nation is too well known to require that we should indulge in self-glorification; but simply because we have no wish to see a long continuance of these hostilities, so cruel to the feelings of the people, and so in- jurious to their interests.
November 1st, 1856,
Address of the INHABITANTS OF THE WHOLE CITY
to his Excellency the Plenipotentiary of Great Britain. (Similar address presented to Ad- miral Sir Michael Seymour.) Every question has its rights, every position its contingencies of advantage and disadvantage. We cannot refrain from stating those incidental to the present one for the benefit of your Excel- lency's nation.
We, the Cantonese, who have been born and brought up in this place, some of us in the public service, some of us in trade, whatever our voca- tion, have each one all our property, our very food and raiment, in this City; and to all of us, hundreds of thousands in number, (the City is our base and our foundation.)
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We
This is the unanimous declaration, made with sincerity and earnestness, of the Cantonese. submit it in the hope that your Excellency will deign to consider it, and we respectfully present our wishes for your Excellency's peace and pros perity.
Representation made by the whole Population
of Canton.
Translated by
THOMAS WADE, Chinese Secretary),
Reply of H.B.M. PLENIPOTENTIARY to the foregoing Address, purporting to be from the whole Po pulation of the City of Canton.
Hongkong, 10th November, 1856.
His Excellency SIR JOHN BOWRING, Kt., &c., &c., has received an Address purporting to be from the whole population of Canton, deprecating a continuance of the operations of the British naval forces now before that city, and in particular, objecting to the demand made by His Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief, for unrestricted intercourse between the Native and Foreign au- thorities.
Reply of His Excellency Rear-Admiral SıR M. SEYMOUR, Naval Commander-in-Chief, &c., &o., &c., to the same Address.
5th November, 1856, His Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief, has read with some surprise a paper, purporting to be an Address from all the people of Canton, in which it is stated, that serious injury has been inflicted on the inhabitants during the last few days, &c., &c.
There is no part of the City which the guus cannot reach, and with the means at the disposal of the force, its utter destruction is perfectly practicable at any moment, should such a mea- sure appear necessary: let the people be well assured of this. Still, nothing has hitherto been aimed at but the official residences and public buildings: the present misunderstanding being due to no act of the people, but to the obstinacy and discourtesy of the Imperial Commissioner Yeh. This will be seen in the papers herewith forwarded to the Petitioners, who are farther recommended to lose no time in urging His Excellency Yeh to accede to the simple and rea- sonable demands of the Commander-in-Chief. All present danger will thus be averted, and the future will be secured against any similar dis- turbance of the peace.
YEH, Imperial High Commissioner, &o., &c., &c., makes this communication to His Ex- cellency Rear-Admiral SIR MICHAEL SEY- MOUR, Natal Commander-in-Chief, &c., go., go.
I have received your letter of yesterday, in which, in acknowledging my communication of the 5th instant, Your Excellency observes, "I have nothing to add to what I have before written, except that to observe with much regret that no satisfactory result is to be anticipated from a pro- tracted correspondence."
The operations in which the British navy are engaged, have been rendered necessary by the
This communication I have well considered, obstinacy and discourtesy of the Governor Gene- and have now to remark, that the several replies ral Yeh, His executive having insulted the I have made to your communications, have been British Hag, and seized persons subject to British
so exceedingly clear and distinct, that Your Ex- control and protection, he has withheld the repa-cellency, I conclude, must at an early stage of these proceedings have understood all that I ad- vanced. To resume, however: the rules which should guide us in the transaction of the affairs of our two nations, should be based upon divine prin- ciples. By this ecurse may we carry with us the opinion of our fellow men, and not by resorting to force at the mere inclination of either party.
Your nation has traded at Canton for more than a century, during which it may be said that, be- tween you and ourselves, the Cantonese, there have been relations of friendship, and not of hostility
The late affair of the Lorcha was a trifferation required of him. To the present hour, he it was no case for deep-seated animosity; no great offence that could not be forgotten. Yet you have suddenly taken up arms, and for several days you have been firing shell, until you have burned dwel- lings, and destroyed people, in untold numbers. It cannot be, either, told, how many old people, infants, and females, have left their homes in af- fliction. If your countrymen have not seen this, they have surely heard, have they not, that such is the case? What offence has been committed by the people of Canton that such calamity should befal them 1
has neither expressed regret for what was done, nor has he promised that the like shall not be done again. He has consequently compelled the Admiral to proceed from one coercive measure to another, and although every care has been taken by His Excellency the Admiral to spare the lives and property of the people, many doubt- less have suffered much. The responsibility of their suffering must be laid upon the Governor General, and on him alone.
As to the admission of Foreigners into the City, this is a Treaty right, undisputed at the rest of Again, it has come to our knowledge that you the Ports. The Petitioners themselves do not are insisting on official receptions within the city. dispute it, for, say they, "the authorities can This is doubtless with a view to amicable rela-
concede it." Were it other than a Treaty right, tions; but, when your only proceeding is to open a no such concession could be made by the autho- fire upon us which destroys the people,supposing rities. But they add that," the authorities having that you were to obtain admission into the City, conceded it, cannot protect those who avail them- ---still, the sons, brothers, and kindred of the peo-selves of it against the people." This is to entail ple whom you have burned out and killed, will be ready to lay down their lives to be avenged on your countrymen, nor will the authorities be able to prevent them. The authorities are able to ac- cord you admission into the City, but they are not able to assure to such of your countrymen as do enter a perfect immunity from harm. If, then, your countrymen were admitted, could you always have a large force here for their protection A protecting force cannot remain here any great length of time, and if death and wounds were to be the condition of your entering it, what bʊon would admission into the City be, even were you to obtain it?
There is another point :-although shell have been flying against the City for several days, burning buildings and destroying life, no fire has been returned by the troops this is friendly and conceding. It is enough to content you; and as you resorted to hostilities for a small matter, so, now, for the sake of the peoples' lives, you may suspend them; and considering what has been achieved at the present stage of proceedings, there * Now,—that is, having now taken such ample satis.
aciton
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on Foreigners the necessity of teaching the people, that if interfered with by any one in the exercise of a right conceded by the Government, they can protect themselves. The interests of commerce which, according to the petition, are to be so seriously prejudiced by the enforcement of this claim, must derive their main security from a faithful observance of Treaty provisions. It is by the violation of these alone that they are in risk of being jeopardized. These interests are indeed most important, but they are not so dear to the British nation as its honour, nor is a British Minister at liberty to give them precedence where the national honour is involved.
Petitioners have been misled on this occasion. To prevent the recurrence of small misunder- standings, which experience shews may grow to serious consequences, His Excellency the Admi- ral, with the full concurrence of His Excellency the Plenipotentiary, insists that there shall be henceforth unrestricted freedom of intercourse between the Native Authorities within, and the Foreign Representatives without, the City. This simple and reasonable request, the Governor General has mixed up with the past discussions
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I should request Your Excellency to again carefully examine all my previous communica- tions, and I avail of the opportunity to wish Your Excellency prosperity, &c., &c.
Hien-fung, 6th Year, 10th moon, 10th day, (7th November, 1856.)
Addressed to His Excellency SIR MICHAEL SEY- MOUR, K.C.B., &o, &c, &c., Naval Comman- der-in-Chief.
True Translation,
(Signed)
HARRY S. PARKES.
Proclamation issued at Canton, by the Governor General, 5th November, 1856.
YEH, Governor General of the Two Kwang, fo., fo., makes a Proclamation to the whole population of Canton, the military, trades- people, and others.
Whereas the English barbarians have com- menced disturbances on a false pretence, their real object being admission into the City,-the Governor General, referring to the unanimous expression of objection to this measure on the part of the entire population of Canton in 1849, has flatly refused to concede this, and is de- termined not to grant their request, let them carry their feats and machinations to what length they will.
Lest, however, you should feel ill at ease on other points, His Excellency considers it his duty to issue a notice to you, the military, trades- people and others, to continue to follow your vocations peacefully, not giving way to alarm, nor allowing yourselves to be misled by the fabrica- tions of traitorous Chinese.
The Governor General having resolved to abide by the proposition as it stood, and considering that
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