Snaxauar, February 8th, 1869.
Sir,—Having addressed H. B.M.'s Consul at his Public invitation upon the subject of the revision of the Treaties 1 bez leave to enclose copy to you, that, in case there is anything in my letter deserving of con sideration, it may be of use to our own authorities.
seems to me that foreign nations alternate between too lenient and too forcible an attitude towards China.
sometimes assumed that it isan existence. weak jointed, and halting perhaps in physical health, but full of good intentions and even of laity aspirations. That its course is guided by maxims of profound wisdom, and its governors and statesmen animated by a sagacity and shrewdness beyond the average of those of western nations. This is the view that Mr. Burlingame advocates, and it is the view that will no doubt now for atime be in the ascendency.
The Chinese, under the temptation that results from the forbearance of foreign nations under this condition of relations, soon bring about a reaction by display of very opposite qualities.
In this reaction extreme opinions still have sway, but in the other direction. The national character is then represented by the Western Pres very low type of character indeed; full of cruelty, injustice. rapine and corruption. The truth of course lies between. There certainly does not exist a high morality. A lofty standard there may be. hut of little effect practically. Though moral platitudes appear constantly in their despatches and edicts and in their conversations with the foreign m ry little of the spirit reaches to their acts, Their sagacity is cunning, and their astutencas isdistrast. They cannot sce their way to a policy; they cannot even discriminate between useful and harmful propositions. Their simple plan is to reject all as long as the liberty of action is left tothem. They know, in fact, many advanced maxims, form their former daysuf prosperity they reached apointywhich would have been civilization one hundred pearance, but as for an e1 ned policy or any liality of ideas, such a thing is unknown in El There is the shallow pretence, but without the reality.
On the other hand, ax we who live here well know, they are not savages by any means, Education. of a sort that trains the mind retines the manners, has Tong ago reached a high point among them. It bears, in these days, fruit in no way proportioned to its pre-tention, and barren of the practical benefit to society which results from Western systems, bat at all events it elevates them far above the uncivilized portions of mankind,
if they had knowledge to sce the right, and virtue to Tu short, they cannot be treated on the one hand as do it when seen; nor on the other, as if they must, a8 a matter of course, be foreed to give justice and to to engagements Guonor F. Sewarv, United States coat titre It is more especially in their State affairs that the reforming these by their conventionalisw, their self conceit, and by what may be termed the custom of dishonesty, They cannot even think honestly on such matters. They refuse to see conclusions which are painful or distasteful, and cling to error when they must know that it is error. Their boasted wisdom merely the dry husks of maxims which they cannot apply to the current affairs of the day, There is thus no vigor in the administration, and without vigor there follows corruption in any country. In China, where the tendency is unchecked by moral considerations and encouraged by customs unsuited to the present day, it reaches the extreme.
When therefore it is asserted that this is a great and progressive country, governed upon great principles, guided by a generous policy, eager to enter upon the race for improvement among the foremost nations of the world, not only are Western nations misled, but evil is done to China herself. For in so far as the first act upon such assurances they will act to the ultimate injury of the latter. It is a simple fiction to say it isa progressive country. It would not have progressed one iota (unless it is progress to travel on the road to decay) but for the force from the West which has propelled it. It is not even a great country except in regard to numbers, and in that only by taking words for facts. For it is not one country, but several, feebly bound together, and many portions a source of weakness and expense to the Central Government instead of a source of strength.
The Government is guided by purely selfish instincts, the instincts of an alien race that fears the advent of more vigorous ideas, ap injurious and dangerous to ite now feeble powers.
As for "a policy" or generosity" as affecting the of the Empire inthe interests of the people, les either with contempt at the credulity, or admiration at the audacity, of such an exponent of their principles. These views of the progressive tendency of the Chinese rulers of to-day are of course asserted in the interest of these rulers, as, if foreign nations could be brought to believe them, they would leave the Chinese to develope in their own way. There being in trath no will, there would be no way, but still as regards the rulers alone they would be relieved from pressure and so gain their immediate object.
Whether they would gain ultimately depends upon the disposition of Russia, If 1a stood isolated in the world, the forbearance of all might be an advan Shouldered as she is by so powerful and aggressive neighbour it may be that the only effective protection for the present dynasty is in the intimacy with the other Western powers.
If it can be made to appear that the Russians have the will and the power to occupy China, it will be granted that there is at least a strong likelihood of that great event coming to pass. As to the will there is no proof of course. One can judge only by analogy. They have extended themselves in Asia wherever they have had the opportunity, and they have recently conquered and annexed the kingdom of Bokhara at great cost, completing the extension of their dominions in that quarter to the borders of British India, a boundary which they must accept as final in that direction. The difficulties in that enterprise were greater, and the advantages not to be mentioned as compared to those to be incurred or gained in the acquisition of China. In the actual direction of this Empire, they have taken and occupied with forts within " few years, the great tract of country lying between the Amoor and the present frontier, without any advantage in the region itself to attract them, and apparently only for the object of reaching nearer to China proper. They obtained a valuable port upon the coast, but that they could hace had without the costly annexation of #0 great a territory.
They have more young men learning the Chinese language in one way or another than all the other Westerns together, and they push their traders into the country with a pertinacity quite uncalled for by the exigencies of their trade.
Finally, there lies before them a prize unparalleled the history of the world! A nation of at least 200 millions of industrious, energetic and ingenious inexhaustible supplies of excellent soldiers and sailors; ipe for conquest, and capable when conquered a nation poor indeed in resources at present, but capable of @ miraculous resurrection under an energetic rule. ce
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.