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Untitled Article
—its proper vocation—partly because no popular excitement was manifested , and partly because Lord Napier was sent out by its exfriends the Whigs- The justice of the question is plain enough ; our authorities are in the wrong ; the Chinese authorities in the ri ght . Let us now refer to some of the original documents , which are
very curious and amusing , yet full of equity and sedate reason . Governor Loo , in his official address to the Hong merchants , alludes to the dissolution of the old establised Company , and says that no proper taepan ( supercargo ) having been appointed , (< a Barbarian Eye came to Canton , saying that he came for the purpose of examining into the affairs of trade / 7
1 , the governor , commanded the merchants to inquire and investigate . The said Barbarian Eye did not obey the old regulations , but was throughout perverse and obstinate . Now , the assistant foo-magistrate of Macao has reported that Lord Napier lias , at Macao , expired in consequence of illness . ' Loo then commands the Hong merchants ' to examine and deliberate" who they shall choose , and what person ought to be made the responsible agent for our barbarian nation . He
reprehends the disorder induced by men , each coming to trade for himself independent of all authority and rule ; for that vessels " presume of themselves to sail in and out , not submitting to investigation / ' &c , and asks , no doubt with wonder-lifted brows , " What state of things is this 1 " Loo sarcastically adds , that these disorders may be all very well for the English , but that " we of the central flowery nation" must have proper order and responsible individuals . He ridicules indignantly our talking
of these matters only as bearing reference to buying and selling , instead of viewing it witli serious relation to " the orderly transaction , of public affairs . This , indeed , " continues he , " is a great misunderstanding . Let them again consult and deliberate with their whole minds , &c . Specially , do not let them (" the English nation ) again cause a Barbarian Eye to
come hither to control affairs , thereby occasioning , as Lord Napier did , the creation of disturbance in vain . All nations trading at Canton do so in consequence of the good favour of the Celestial Empire towards men from afar . It is altogether necessary that they should obey ami act according to the old established rules ; then may there be mutual tranquillity . " *
The meaning" of all this is simply that we have said to the Chinese , 'We want to trade with yon ' . —the Chinese have answered ' Very well , so you shall—but you must behave yourselves ;'to which our conduct has very plainly answered , ' We will do no such thing ! ' We are not much more justified in such proceedings than a man would be who insisted upon having the toys of a child in exchange for something else , on pain of breaking them before its face .
For the virtuoso in these matters , the richest specimen of Chinese official documents is the memorial of the Canton Government to the Celestial Mmperor . t It thus commences : * See the Times » ew 8 pa |> er , March 13 th . f Inserted at full Length iu the Morning Herald of March 17 th .
Untitled Article
Chinese Politics . 281
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1835, page 281, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2644/page/57/
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