JAPAN AND CHINA. " fndf ra998 frlHDR :74 211 . 110UOI n40 Wren the
progress of the Chinese rebellion a. a Ei es progress, as to what may be the effect of that me men Q ethics of the empire, commercial as well as religtr-stjaa;se, here in London no means of testing the diverse reuenn nA of those who insist, on the one hand, that the rebela highly evangelical in their tenets and spirit, strie itlt:and
in all res ects apostles, modified only into accordanee he type
testhetical familiarized to us by the figures of our tea-apps : on the other hand, that their Biblical knowledge, is " nothing, but pre- tences," and that they are no better than a band of.adventurers„ rising up in the middle of a corrupt society, and ennqu-ering only through the utter contempt for government. In lbeIcirnier case, opium trade and other peculiarities, in which-we ourselves tare some share of questionable moral, might be the -subject of tr.oithle- some difficulties on the part of the new regime. And again, on the other hand, bandit adventurers established in _the seat of go-, vernment might be troublesome. Under any circumstances they might be so ; but bandits, animated by the quaint,notions of " Celestials,"—tea-cup and saucer ethics spiced with,a :mongrel evangelicism,—might be still more impracticable, thatEthe ward, of Chinese pirates. John Bull in the Chmashopis noidouga vexi4 atious object for the China interest, but dowgiritekt himself would be terribly perplexed 'with.- the -China: ant-m.13st in, hysterics. There appears, therefore, good reason in thonerw.ritersa who look forward with some anxiety to the course herenfterild
It is very desirable to avoid any unnecessary violencedne inter- ference ; but experience suggests a doubt whether_ oeiniiicipdefilm ence has not been paid to the fantastical tenets .whiclobbatisietaiot only our trade with the Chinese but the commerce *MAI theXhi,..., nese themselves show so much disposition to culti*etthoiffinhavel made far more progress when we have acted morel diatineklyi an& intelligibly on our, own grounds. hes The advance recently made by the Americans into the .kingabilu of Japan, peopled by a cognate race, and swayed by a atillieaterd" exclusive policy, confirms the results of our own exPerienee-in China. Certainly nothing was gained by the.regulatei intilrviews'• such as those of Lord Macartney, which only.tendeit,etoinfirlin than arrogant self-sufficiency of the Chinese. The Dutch havie,foieen4 tunes enjoyed an exceedingly limited intercourse With iitian.-Reig witted only to occupy a kind of platform in the.Waters afedivikie saki, constrained to address the Japanese onlythroughintierPheterit, and forced to observe the most humiliating defere.nem.te
Dutch stultified their own admission to Japan.. ComtandorePeinyi; however, of the United States navy, goes there ,witk-twriatiainy frigates and two war-sloops ; refuses to hold intercuurtae with subordinates ; is received by two princes of the:first-1=4-mnd marches to the interview with the American colonrs flying.- and the band playing "Hail, Columbia." He leaves in thri,liands. of the princes his propositions for the future intercourse of Anaseicans with the Japanese, and will call again for an ansairina few months: the effect will then be seen. Meanwhilei.the tfikstinunier has been broken down; the Americans have overruled the fibsoo' lute exclusion, have exhibited their force, and have dietetic] the terms of their first interview. SI These. Mongolian Governments, by refusing to enter into the usual intercourse of civilized states through.their Governments, prevent us from treating them as foreign states aretreetedinnderi international laws. Refusing to recognize usilthey.eoinpel.usAic ignore them; and the only choice left to us is,. either.
the caprices and aggressions of officials whose authorityjyre have no means of testing, and whose principles. of a.ction:iaredhati ex.) plained to us ; or to protect our own "subjeCtsein theircpatiefut avocations by any necessary means. Commerce
nothing but a peaceful occupation : the_ Chinese,-:aik,istellAti other races of that quarter,. show a' disptisitlanAtbengage in it,—a disposition which, by all the rules oft -unumenarturb.land civilization, we must commend. Those who interiuptitheintsno course, however purporting to be officials-, 'priasenttheinselvesiii no shape that can claim to be recognized; and if,threfr.resortIto aggression, commerce may claim defence. Should theilitiisticali remote, and unauthenticated Emperor of China teuchiposed in favour of some illegitimate, unknown, and unanthhnticated. ad- venturer, whatever may be the misfortune'of theChideseirtunder:, going such -vicissitudes, it is evidently not the btisiness, of e ci- vilized government to add to those misfortunes:;Iyipermitti commerce to be disturbed, or by inurendering:Britislrnubjeatin British interests to the caprices of the 'conflicting ibcfrbariansindt is probable that a well-considered plan of actguigifiii with the Chinese properly so called, but,of 'proinptlymepelling any attack, would be received in China as CoMmarideePextyltarst advances have been received in Japan. The Mi ngetlianelondi. narily exhibit a striking capacity for stern:end i.perektuptextY where they are permitted to be so,':ancl4for adeePtingIthainktbeeicto another etiquette when that assumes the, peremptory,-sspee4,lli •
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