Lord Carnarvon on Friday week reviewed the blue-book on the
Tientsin massacre in a thoughtful speech, the drift of which, was that the Foreign Office were not sufficiently tenacious im maintaining our Treaty rights. They did not insist sufficiently on- protection for Europeans, tied Naval officers down too strictly,. and were too much inclined to content themselves with despatch- writing, in which amusement the Chinese were their superiors. He- did not desire a policy of constant menace, but wished that in view of the immense trade possible in China—if we could but be secure there—no breach of a Treaty obligation should be lightly condoned_ Lord Granville in reply laid the blame on the missionaries, whom,. he evidently regarded as uncomfortable and unaccountable works of God, for whom some use might be found in another world, ancb maintained that the policy for Europe in China was conciliation. Quite so, but nothing conciliates an Asiatic like evidence that you. possess power, but, if he will observe certain laws, are not going to- me it against him. When he sees weakness, he is not conciliated,. but contemptuous.
Previous page
