22ud Oct.
All the papers of China, and it' almost might be said all the papers in Europe, have taken up one side of the question as regards the relations of the Foreign Powers to the Chinese Government and the necessity for reform, approvingapparently the programme as set forth in the leaders of the N.-C. Daily News of the 15th and 25th August.
Certainly nobody can for a moment. dispute the advisability of the opening up of this vast Empire, and making secure the safety and immunity from annoyance of any one wishing to reside or travel in its interior, but the point to be considered have the Foreign Powers at present ficiently considered the difficulties lying in their path, and have they at their command sufficient means of insistance to enable them to carry out the programme as sketched out The first item is, it is said, that the Province of Hunan is to be opened up and no non possumus" admitted. The off cials themselves in this province are more "allowed" on sufferance, than submitted toas rulers. At least half, if not more, of the army of China is recruited from its inhabitants, who are universally allowed to be, by all their compatriots, the biggest rowdies in the Empire. The Imperial Government called upon to accomplish the task set before them, must in their hearts acknowledge their impotence, although at the same time they will probably plead for time; procrastination being the soul of diplomacy in China" at any rate. Should the army be called upon to suppress any disturbance that might occur, the natives of the province itself would probably revolt and join the army of the disaffected (whether you choose to call them by Kolao Hui or any other name belonging to the innumerable secret societies) the Anhui portion of the army would then have to be called upon, with the result civil war. Meanwhile the secret societies welcoming all those soldiers who through want of properly paid. wages, and all those civilians who from over-taxation, feel aggrieved, would become (in a shorter time than they will at present) a body sufficiently powerful to shake the dynasty to its foundation.
Second item.—Failing the immediate opening of Hunan, the Woosung forts are to be taken, and the revenue of the Shanghai Custom House attached—a task which with forty allied vessels is certainly easy enough, but which before being attempted seriously must require precautions or resources, that are at present very much in the dim distance. As pointed out under item 2 of the programme, anything tending to weaken the apparent strength of the Peking government must largely increase the numbers of would-be rebels, Foreigners are now widely distributed from Peking to Hanoi, and it would be manifestly dangerous and unfair to leave them isolated ip
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.