We cannot bat think that Peng Ya li Itporial Commissioner for the Defence of the Southern Frontier, hus ran the risk of n somowhut serives compromise with respect to Ube extraordinary Proclamation which hus been attributed to it has been exposed to the ruthless a foreign Power, and hit into the deepest distress, But has not hitherto protected it, fearing lest she herself might suffer. Such is the precise value of China as a suzerain, and this onndid admission should, one sould think, go very far towards discrediting all such pretensions on her part among her cnilod vassals, But the intent of him, Not the least strange feature about it is (hut it is addressed, not to Chinese, bat to foreigners, and that, being a9, it should be pluearded al the city of Gunton and printed in the Chinese Inngunge, Passing this over, Lowever, it cannot be denied that the document is intended as both a w: ing and a threat, and that its object is tore or less an offensive one. First, we ure told that the French are seek ing to muke war on Chi Now whether French action in Longs 1 ho! justifiable or not, the alutement in this pwontence is most certainly far from trae, Lhe French muy be risking 9 wat; they may be infringing certain Himitations which they thommelves do not recognise, and which have been rily defined by Chinn herself bat in no sense can they be said to wish to make war on if by any possibility it exn be avoided th very good of the Imperial Con missioner to assure us of the Emperot's desire to trent all people like one family, whether they be foreigners or Chinese, Personally we should very strongly object to being treated by the Emperor of China as he ocersionalls rents his own subjects, and though the impertinence contained in this nswuranee is sourcely worth resenting it ix an impertinence still, It is not naunl for the subjects of Western Powers to seck the "benevolence" of the whole document is to make a scare among foreigners. China, it says, will not be responsible for their safety if war actually breaks out between her and France, and no claim for compensation will be entertained by her in the event of merchandise being destroyed, This is based upon the pien that France has "broken the treaty," Broken whut treaty Dies the French treaty with China contain a clause reengnising the suzerainty of this y over Annam Is it for this tint ts are coully wai ed that they had better remove their goods and effects without delay, and esoupe the impending danger. before fighting actually bronks out If the ut be geunine—and it may be spite of its repudiation as i—we can only say that it here presents @ marked contrast to the Im. perial instractions issued to the Viceroy of Nanking, who was commanded to take every precaution to prevent any interference with foreign trade, or any injury to foreign merchants, particularly Frenchmen, As we write, Hongkong newspapers have come to hand coutaining farther information from Cnistor upon this matter, The Admiral is ow desirous of repudiating the authorship of the proclamation altogether, It is, of course, always possible to deny ty in sucha ense. Forgories are not unknown in China, But there fami-barbarous potentates, and the souner this fact is impressed apon the tions of Admiral P'gng and the +Gavernment he represents the sooner is it likely Uinta mutual understanding between China and foreign nations will be arrived at. If a man in the Admiral's position can be betrayed into. the of such expressions uso in' a public document meant for the eyes of Europeans, it is at least fair to conclude that proclamations addressed to Chinese only are couched in terms still more preposterous; that foreign war is spoken of as rebellion, and that foreign Powers are actually referred to. as subordinate states, just us we know to be the case in the Ta Testing Hui Tien. Farther we are formed that although China has for a long period wished to send assistance to her " vassal" Aunam, she has hitherto refrained from doing 80, fearing thnt such a step would lead to a breach of the pence. We congratulate Annam upon the valuable protection of her seuzernin, Here is a country which, according to the Chinese, is virtually Chinese soil. Far removed from the sacred proviners of the Dragon Throne, is not the slightest doubt, in our mind, that the document contains the views: and intentions of the provincial autho-ities, and that it was allowed to be put forward, unofieinlly, for a pur. pose. The presumption is," writes th Canton Correspondent of the Hongkong Daily Press, "that a docamont such-as this would not have been 60 extensive ly circulated as this was for several days, without the connivance or nesistance of the local authorities, Blocks would have to be cut, and considerable preliminary expenses incurred in its issue, It must also be remembered that for forgery of #o gross a natare as this would be, provided H.E. P*éng's disavowal possesses a grain of truth, the panishmont is almost certain deco piration; so that it is bard to believe that persons centd be got to take so great arisk as the printing and publication of n spurious document, as this is now alleged to be, for the mere sake of showing dislike of or contempt for the foreigner." We believe that this view is as likely as not to be the true one, and that the authorities in Canton have, in effect, issued a ukase they were anxious that foreigners shoald see, without however rendering themselves linble to such risks as would be incurred by making an official utterance and acknowledging ite validity as such,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.