Tne feeling with which the recen' reverses of the French has been revived by the Chinese, was one of undisguised satisfaction, The dead of condign punishment for the misdeeds of the 21st June, has no doubt snt heavily on the minds not only of the Mandarins but of the peuple; and both one and other fancy that, in the losses experienced during thecourso of theenmpaign in Europe, they see the certainty of a postponement, and the probability ofa certain escape, from the christ iiment so justly merited. This hostile attitude towards the French is, however, apparently of recent growth, and seems: difficult to account for, except as one of those passing moods which lave, two or three times, even within the present jeentnry, led to the persecution or exipnlsion' of the French 3 ies thronghoat the country. Tu 1843, when the English had just concluded a peace with China, alter a war damaging in the last degree to that country, we find the French fawned n and petted; and, curiously, the very ame tensons were alleged for this close intimacy then, as are now used to th detriment. Keying, the Imperial Commissioner at Canton in that year, when receiving the French Minis. ter deputed to frame a commercial treaty, replied, "No, yon have no! trade with us; you are not a trading nation, but you are a grand nation; we understand one another, and shall be good friends." The practical proof that these were not altogether meant as empty words was afforded by the signature of a treaty considered more friendly than that with Great Britai as well as by the issue of an Imperi proclamation, ordering the fullest toleration for the Christian religion, "As the religion ofthe Lord of Heaven exhorts people to virtue, it differs from other sects; and we therefore exempt the same from prohibitory regulations, What this time was asked ought entirely to be allowed." Nor was this testimony to the purity of the religion taught by the French Mis. sionaries founded on ignorance. of ts tenets. On the contrary, these had been well known at Peking. Kanghi, the great ruler of the present dynasty, had himself.had as a teacher the missionary Schaal. Ricci's inflam fence during tie close of the Ming dynasty is well known, In 1692 the Bourd of Rites reported as follows, regarding the foreign missionaries. "They had seriously examined that which had j reference to the Europeans who lived in China, atid found that they merited attention and love for the signal services which they had rendered in civil and foreign wars, by their continued studies to produce useful and curious work, and by their just and sincere affection to the public good. Moreover, that the Europenns are very tranquil that they do not excite-troubles in the provinces; that Ukey do not cause evil or commit any base action." It is true that, Inter in Kanghi'a reign, the missionaries fell into disgrace, through internal dissensions, which at one time assumed so serious an aspect as to call for the interference of the Emperor, and which finally led to their expulsion, in the next reign. The first direct communication between France and China seems, however, to have been cone nected with missionaries. Louis XIV., on two occasions, sent Jesuit Missionaries as bearers of royal lettern to Kanghi, with the avowed intention of teaching Western arts and doctrines, It is therefore strange that, at the present time, what has hitherto been claimed as a recommendation should be turned into an accusation. Did we know that at any time the interests of trade or traders were taken into account by the Chinese Government, we might be disposed to imagine that they (had returned to one of their lucid intervals. Bat so far from this being the case, we have only too strong ground for the belief that commerce is as distasteful to the ralers jof China, at the present day, ap fat any previous period of on course. The Chinese theory of Gover ment, as we point out a elsewhere, is isolation of the population, with the intention of Keeping it in contiinal state of subjection. The masses whom }we describe as struggling for existence with the Tonat of the field, were hardly likely to be troublesome subjects, xo long as they were prevented from comninnicating with one another; and to throw obstacles in the way of this inter-communication, is the great aim of Chinese statecraft. Wo therefore see no more reason for the Chinese objecting, in 1870, to France as a non-tinding coantyy, than for their em-j bracing the French Minister in 1843, because his countrymen did not descend, like the English, to the vite path of commerce, The whole cry ix simply the old attempt. to blow' bot and cold. France was in 1843 attempted to be played off against England, England in 1870 is to be placed in the s: me position.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.