Ir is with considerable regret that we learn that, after having expressed his consent and approval of the coming of British troops for the protection of Shanghai, the Viceroy at Nanking has been induced to alter his views in the matter, and has instructed the Taotai to wait upon Admiral Seymour with a request that Her Majesty's Government's intentions be reconsidered, and that troops be not landed here. With what took place at the interview between the Admiral and the Taotai we are not for the moment concerned; we propose now to review the situation, regarding it not from the standard of "la haute politique," but rather from the point of view of the plain man who should consider chiefly the safety and advantage of the place which we of this cosmopolitan community have made our home.
Let us examine the facts. Protection in the shape of a force of regulars to remain in our midst until the restoration of normal conditions, may, or may not, be necessary; that it is a business-like and prudent, precaution to have sud pat hand, none can deny; nor will any sensible man contest the wisdom of taking prudential measures where the amount of property at stake is so enormous—not to mention the lives and general prestige of all foreigners in the Far East. That it was advisable to send for a considerable number of troops has been recorded as the unanimous opinion of the Consular Body, whose recent alarm at the defenceless condition of the place was markedly manifested. he point may therefore be taken as suftiviently admitted. That Admiral Seymour, (to whom as Senior Naval Officer the Consular Body turned for the supervision and organisation of an improved scheme of local defence) concurred in this view, we also know from the action he has taken: the force which has been diverted on its way to the north comes at his summons, and we know that its dispatch was regarded by the British Authorities here and at home simply as a wise precautionary measure, an insurance premium aid on a policy where the risk is small, but Sepropetty too valuable to leave unprotected. That the Chinese provincial Authorities agreed in this view of the matter we also know, the Viceroy and the Shanghai Taotai having signified their approval, and the local Guilds their satisfaction, at a measure intended solely to protect and reassure the mercantile classes. For the Chinese officials to have changed their mind at this time, when the troops are already on the way, and for the Guilds to petition the Taotai with newly born fears as to the result of the coming of protection can only be interpreted in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.