Upon the grounds thus briefly stated -- and the official accounts now before the people of England fully bear out the statement -- this most unrighteous war has been waged. The unoffending citizens and peaceful tradesmen of Canton have been slaughtered, their habitations battered it to the ground, and the claims of humanity violated, on the flimsy pretence that "English life and property are endangered by the aggressive acts of the Chinese!" The British Government and the British people -- at least, those who have chosen to examine the question --know how false and hollow are such charges. An attempt has been made to divert investigation from the main issue, and to impress the public mind with the idea that a long series of injuries, preceding the case of the lorcha Arrow, form of themselves a sufficient casus belli. But these sweeping assertions are baseless. The Chinese have at least ninety-nine injuries to complain of to one on the part of the English.
How silent is the press of England upon the outrageous violations of the treaty daily practiced by foreigners living in China under British protection! We hear nothing of the illicit opium trade, which yearly feeds the British treasury at the expense of human life and morality.
We hear nothing of the constant bribery of sub-officials, by means of which the Chinese Government is defrauded of its rightful revenue on incoming and outgoing merchandise. We hear nothing of the wrongs inflicted "even unto death" upon misguided and bonded emigrants sold to worse than Slavery on the coast of Peru, and into Cuban bondage. We hear nothing of the bullying spirit often exercised against the timid nature of the Chinese, or of the vice introduced by foreigners at the ports open to their trade. We hear nothing of all this and of much more, first, because the majority of people out of China care little about the social and moral condition of that country; and secondly, because it is the part of policy and prudence not to agitate topics where no pecuniary advantage would result. Thus, the English people at home, who look no further than the grocer's where they buy their tea, are prepared to swallow all the misrepresentations which the Ministry and the Press choose to thrust down the public throat.
Meanwhile, in China, the smothered fires of hatred kindled against the English during the opium war have burst into a flame of animosity which no tenders of peace and friendship will be very likely to quench. For the sake of Christian and commercial intercourse with China, it is in the highest degree desirable that we should keep out of this quarrel, and that the Chinese should not be led to regard all the nations of the Western World as united in a conspiracy against them.
SOME OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE
New York Daily Tribune June 2, 1857
by KARL MARX
AMONG THE papers relating to China which Lord Palmerston has laid before Parliament, we find some extracts from the correspondence between our Dr. Parker and Mr. Commissioner Yeh, in which we must say that our Doctor seems to come off second best. Thus, the Doctor wrote to complain of the bread-poisoning at Hong Kong to which Yeh replied as follows:
"I received your Excellency's communication of the 16th ult. on the 2nd inst., and observe what it contains: That the American Consul, who had arrived at Macao from Hong Kong, informed you personally that two or three days before, certain Chinese people in Hong Kong had mixed poison in the bread which they furnished the public, without distinction of country, of which all had eaten, and had been made seriously ill, and that it was not yet known whether they would survive.
"On reading this, I was very greatly surprised. The Chinese and Americans have usually been on good terms, and the trade between China and other countries has heretofore been conducted amicably;but the English have now, for several months, in a most unprovoked manner, brought their troops and engaged in hostilities, and repeatedly setting fire to the shops and dwellings of people, and destroying a very great number of buildings, and have ruined some entire families. Doubtless there are many Chinese whose hatred against the English has been much increased by this; but to poison people in this underhand manner is an act worthy of detestation:
still, as it all occurred in Hong Kong it is impossible for me to examine into all the facts. The act is owing to the unnumbered evils which have been inflicted upon the Chinese by the English;and the natives of the surrounding districts have taken this way of revenging their private wrongs.
"The Americans having never injured the Chinese, there is, of course, nothing to mar the good feeling existing between them.
Tour Excellency might with propriety, issue admonitory exhortations for the Americans quietly to attend to their own business, and there can be no question but the Chinese will always treat them in a proper manner. What could induce them to think of secretly poisoning them? -- a point worthy of your consideration.
For this I reply -- at the same time wishing you stable peace."Nothing could be better put than the suggestion we have placed in italics, that Dr. Parker and his countrymen would do much better to mind their own business than to be mixing themselves up in the quarrel which the English had picked.
Instead, however, of falling in with this piece of good advice, Dr.
Parker must needs write a letter to Yeh, in which he undertakes to justify himself and the American authorities for siding with the English Of this letter the following is an extract:
