Part 12 (1/2)
”_First._--Will the Ti-pings give us the same advantages which the Government of China is bound to give us?
”_Second._--Can the Ti-pings form a Government with which foreign Powers can treat?
”He argues a negative answer to these questions, and I take issue with him on his argument as follows:--
”_First._--He alludes to the agreement made with the Ti-pings at Nankin by Admiral Hope, restricting them to a limited distance of thirty miles from Shanghae. The arrangement was made about the end of 1860, and was generally understood at the time to be limited to the s.p.a.ce of one year. _The agreement was faithfully kept for that time._ When Admiral Hope and Mr. Parkes went to Nankin at the close of 1861,[31] they found the Ti-pings stubborn, and, I believe, the latter would give no further pledge, while Shanghae, under our protection, was made the a.r.s.enal, mint, and storehouse of their opponents!... I believe that the Ti-pings acted in good faith, as far as they knew, and that _the accusation is fallacious_.
”Earl Russell, on the a.s.sumption of their want of faith, proceeds to say:--'They approached very near to Shanghae. Junks belonging to British owners were seized, the crews were imprisoned, _one_ European was murdered, and every determination was shown to interfere with the British _trade_ at that port.'
”This is a very sweeping sentence, and to a great extent fallacious.
”'A. The Ti-pings certainly, early _this_ year, came in strong force close to Shanghae. Their leaders sent in a note immediately to the British and French authorities.... _All negotiation was repudiated by our authorities._'
”Seeing that Shanghae was the centre, from which, under cover of our flags, safe from harm, the Imperialists organized all their plans, provided all the necessaries of war, and found a ready treasury in the customs' revenue, it is not to be wondered at that the Ti-pings were most anxious to get possession of a place so important to the success of their cause; and it is scarcely reasonable, in this view, to suppose that they ever intended to pledge themselves in perpetuity, to allow such a state of matters to continue.
”'B. Junks belonging to British owners were seized, and their crews imprisoned.'
”This is so vague, that it is difficult to know what instances are alluded to. Some boats, British owned, were, during last season, stopped at the pa.s.ses from the silk districts, in possession of the rebels, _from their attempting to run the pa.s.s without paying the usual toll_. I have never heard of any boat being molested which stopped and paid the moderate duty exacted by the _de facto_ power....
”'C. _One_ European was murdered.'
”To what case does this allude? Several Europeans have been murdered. A Frenchman, named Salabelle, having imprudently gone up the Yang-tze in a China boat with a lot of dollars, was murdered by pirates in collusion with the boatmen. The Ti-pings had nothing to do with that.
”Another man, in charge of a silk-boat, was attacked on his way to Shanghae by a band of robbers. He was killed, but the robbers turned out to be Imperial soldiers--not Ti-pings. I have not heard of any European being so murdered by the Ti-pings. On the contrary, both last year and this season, numbers of Europeans have been engaged in the silk and green tea districts in pursuance of their business, and have been perfectly welcome, on paying the duty on their produce....
”'D. And every determination was shown to interfere with the British trade at that port.'
”_This, to a person on the spot, is a most extraordinary statement._ Both last year and this season the Ti-pings have had possession of the entire silk district, and a great part of the green tea district. Yet, for the year ending the 30th of June last, we exported 75,000 bales of silk, and fully 50,000 bales have come to market already of the new crop. What sterling money do these 125,000 bales of silk represent? Take them at 80 per bale, you have 10,000,000 sterling, or one-third of the 30,000,000, which Earl Russell correctly states as about the present annual value of the Shanghae trade. The Ti-pings might have cut off nearly all this, had they been so inclined, but they have allowed it all to come to market on payment of a moderate duty. I have not the figures of the green teas by me at this moment, but a very full supply was exported up to 30th June last, a great part of which came from districts in possession of the Ti-pings.
”Are these facts consistent with Earl Russell's a.s.sertions?
”I think they confute them altogether.... You are trying to patch up a rotten Government, which will only get weaker for all your efforts to mend it. Finally on this head, the Ti-pings have all along professed anxiety to keep on friendly terms with us, till our decided hostility, and harbouring of the Imperialists at Shanghae, has made their wish impracticable. They are not inimical to trade, as the facts above prove. They are not the savages who would murder every European who goes among them on peaceable pursuits, as many who have been among them could prove; and I believe that if we could only give up the unfortunate Imperialism we have espoused, we should find them quite ready to give every facility of trade we have now, and to restore this unlucky province to peace.
”_Second._ Earl Russell asks:--
”'Is there any chance, supposing the Ti-pings consented not to annoy us any longer, and we made peace with them, that they could form a regular government?--and upon this point we have most convincing testimony.'
”Convincing testimony, indeed! Mr. Roberts[32] is the first....
Some time back Mr. Roberts went to join his former pupil at Nankin. Whatever faults the chief might have, he was always most kind to his former teacher. The reverend gentleman, however, was alarmed one day, and left the place precipitately, and therefore wrote a recantation of his former belief in Ti-pingdom. He could not have been quite in his senses at the time, for the boy whom he said was murdered before his eyes, was seen alive and well afterwards....
”His opinion is not worth much.
”The next authority is Mr. Consul HARVEY of Ningpo.”
The writer of the letter deprecates the idea of using this gentleman's testimony in a grave debate, especially because it was permitted to overrule the opposite evidence adduced by the talented and trustworthy Mr. Consul Meadows. It is unnecessary to say more upon this subject than notice the fact that Mr. Meadows is a man of honour, of n.o.ble mind, and possesses a thorough knowledge of Ti-ping and Manchoo; Mr. Harvey is--Mr. Harvey!
The letter continues:--
”On the strength of these valuable witnesses, Earl Russell proceeds to say, 'It must therefore be clear to your lords.h.i.+ps that it is quite impossible anything like civil relations can be established with the Ti-pings, or that they can govern the Chinese empire, or conduct relations with foreign countries upon the footing of amity upon which alone peace can be preserved.'