EWS, Sin,—Your able leading article of the Brd_on the subject of Captain Long's jon must commend itself to all Europeans interested in China, Englishman more particularly; and since after so much arduous and patient toil Captain Long could no longer be permitted to rauk in the Eh even with such an inexperienced associate as Admiral ing, everyone must concur that resign tion was the only course open to him. is hoped that when the news reaches home the Admiralty will at once recall all British officers who may be serving in or the other of the Chinese naval depar nents, since the Viceroy Li, whilst bur lly' accepting Captrin Long's resigna-ition, does not appear to have thou: tit ne to communicate with H.B.M. Guyarninants; hie;, #8; an. abt ship, permitted, & senior val "Gofechied ity ind "seats ing the so-called Chinese fleet. late years, in the writ as there been such a display able brid Burepeat delight in, as in the case of Capt. Long's treatment,' and the pemy wise and pound foolish system of a thoroughly effete government has once more been fully exewplificd. It has been discovered, no doubt, that in these piping times of peace it is inconvenient to have an energetic and tious English officer constantly urging the necessity, in the interests of fine, that such' and such reforms be ined on board shi it is equally inconvenient to provide ordinary supplies of ammunition and naval stores in general when there is ne enemy in sight, It is argued with certainty that directly swell cloud of trouble appears on the horizon, Krupp, Armstrong and the rest of them, whose agents are ubiquitous and ever offering new warlike inventions and lower quotations, will he to the front and prepared to furnish all wants in no time; so why have anything like an ordinary stock of anmunition and general requisites on hand? For the present, drill can go on just as well without target practice, bean oil will do just a3 well for delicate hydraulic machinery as glycerine, and any sort of paint which in vidual commanders can arrange to procure will do for the ship's sides and bottoms.
Alas! poor China! one wonders to whom you are going to turn for assistance when the shoe really does begin to pinch, as it assuredly must do before long, and by which time existing decent ships will be reduced to mere rattletraps, and their crews to disorganised and discontented rabble. Then it will be time for the "higher authorities" and gentlemen dircctors of the Tientsin Naval College to bestir themselves, and to cast about for a few "foreign friends" to come in hot haste to the rescue. It is to be deroutly hoped the easting about will be in vain, Then, and then only, will the present contemptuous and insufferable treatment of European officers and gentlemen meet with the reward it deserves. As you remark, however, Europeans of one sort or the other will always be found ready to serve China, but it 18 to be feared that hereafter they will be of the class who decide to pocket self-respect and look to he pay only, so that as far as the navy concerned,' without previous knuwled; of Chinese dyings on shipboard, assistance will be of little avail in time of real need. to enlightened and long-headed, very The great Viceroy who is supposed tu be
Eastern Bismarck, is proving himself quite of the old school after all, and no more inclined that he has ever been to put {his toot down and say, "Halt; we must not attempt to ran before we can. walk jwe must sacrifice sume iota of pride {and conceit in the interests of discipline and organisation," History in his case is in fact repeating itself. Hardly a quarter of a century go Gordon finished his Taiping campaign, and hardly had he left for home before the camp of instruction which he established at the hills near Shanghai, and from which he anticipated such excel Hent results for China from " military po pint of view, indied and was done away ith Li was then Governor of Kiangsu, hi appropriated all Gordon's vieturi his own, and obtained promotion accord gly. Now, just as a squadron of ships is getting into something like trim, it jis time to accept the resignation of a gallant and upright British naval atticer simply because he caumot reconcile it to his conscience to serve asin nonentity and a junior to good-natured, easy going Admiral Ting, who has no qualifications for his post whatever, and never cared for it to begin with, Li is now Viceroy of Chibli, the most enlightened man in. the astuteness which after all has to be mensurwe are told, and credited with an ed by an eastern standard to be appreciated.
Affairs might have been far different had he availed himself of his ample opportunities and shown a bold front to the obstructionists to progress; but no! why should he kick aguinst the pricks? why, as the recipient of Court favours, should he attempt to 6 against the tide of metropolitan offi pride and haughtiness But he isa Han-lin, or said to be, and Lif, amongst the turmoil of official work, be remembers anything of the classics, one would imagine that in connection with is treatment ut European officers, both naval and military, his conscience' must smite him occasionally when he recalls the following passage from "The Great Learning" [seo Legge's translation, Book I. Chap. x.]
"In the Declaration of the Duke of Tsin, it is said, "Let me have but one Minister, ud sincere, not pretending to other abilities, but with a simple, upright mind and possessed of generosity regarding the talents of others og though he himself possessed them, and when' he finds accomplished and perspicacious men, loving them in his heart more than his mouth expresses, and really showing himself able to bear with the and employ them, Such a minister will be able to preserve my sons and grandsons and black haired people, and Denetite likewise to the Kingdom nay' well be looked for from him. But, if it be his character, when he finds men of ability, to be jealous and hate them; and when' he finds accomplished and perspicacious men, to oppose them and not allow their advancement, showing hinuself really not able to bear them; such administer will not be able to protect my sons and grandsons, and Dlack haired people, and may he not also be pronounced dangerous to the state 2" Tau, ete., Shanghai, 30th July.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.