consultation, was because they went that de L it assuredly did not proceed from DE STEL DI Should the trade be wholly c f I can himself doubtless distinguish ngu ant ving permit himself to be deluded by mEI LUM LE TL the said nation's king hears respetog de myan ma He consequently gives further nogenes win e trade, and sent a deputation & Leet Nisen maAIS prefects and the colonel of the depaTSIL Y BOLS ▼ come to Canton, what business be was 1700m when he would retire to Mica them, but the superscriptin s touch it. They, however, Teamed enough so se L their master what he wissed to know: the TEL. 2005 between the two could only be sected berman Infor and as Lord Napier's dispatch in LON governor by this deputation, sowed a desire to ILLErangement with the superintendent and the trade would pindala have been shortly reopened, bad act the later two degeabam sorted to the unusual and injickas measure of asset is de people in order to explain the reaves why the premur lad stopped the trade, and brought distress on tem was a short one, simply detailing the principe ensansv 01 Lat transpired since his arrival, and laying the wave buste zove the "ignorance and obstinacy" of the governor in reflong to shorte his letter; closing with, the merchants of Great Brault w to trade with all China on principles of mutual benefit: te? never relax in their exertions till they gain a point des portance to both countries; and the viceroy will fod as they to stop the current of the Canton river, as to carry into effect the insane determination of the hong.”—Ibid., p. 237. Whether this proceeding was justifiable, taking Since the said barbarian eye states that he is an official personage, he ought to be more thoroughly acquainted with these principles. Before, when he offered a letter, I, the governor, saw it inexpedient to receive it, because the established laws of the celestial empire do not permit ministers and those under authority to have private intercourse by letter with outside barbarians; but have, hitherto, in commercial affairs, held the merchants responsible; and if perchance, any barbarian merchant should have any petition to make requesting the investigation of any affair, [the laws require] that by the said taipan, a duly prepared petition should be in form presented, and an answer by proclamation awaited. There has never been such a thing as outside barbarians sending in a letter.” He then says, that there has never been any official correspondence to and fro between the native officers and the barbarian merchants; which appears to be incorrect in the translation, for the chiefs of the Company had communicated with the governor and had interviews with him in 1814, and at other times: but he means a correspondence of equality, which the Chinese government had indeed never yielded. The idea of supremacy never leaves him. He then refers to the trade in a strain peculiarly Chinese. "The hong-merchants, because the said barbarian eye will not adhere to the old regulations, have requested that a stop should be put to the said nation's commerce. (This manifests a profound knowledge of the great principles of dignity.) It is most highly praiseworthy. Lord Napier's perverse opposition necessarily demands such a mode of procedure, and it would be most right immediately to put a stop to buying and selling. But considering that the said nation's king has hitherto been in the highest degree reverently obedient, he cannot in sending Lord Napier at this time have desired him thus obstinately to resist. The some hundreds of thousands of commercial duties yearly coming from the said country concern not the celestial empire the extent of a hair or a feather's down. The possession or absence of them is utterly unworthy of one careful thought. Their broadcloths and camlets are still more unimportant, and of no regard. But the tea, the rhubarb, the raw silk of the Inner Land, are the sources by which the said nation's people live and maintain life. For the fault of one man, Lord Napier, must the livelihood of the whole nation be precipitately cut off! I, the governor, looking up and embodying the great emperor's most sacred, most divine wish, to nurse and tenderly cherish as one, all that are without, feel that I cannot bring my mind to bear it! Besides, all the merchants of the said nation dare dangers, crossing the seas myriads of miles to come from far. Their hopes rest wholly in the attainment of gain by buying and selling. That they LORD NAPIER APPEALS TO THE PEOPLE. 479 did not attend when summoned by the hong-merchants to a meeting for consultation, was because they were under the direction of Lord Napier; it assuredly did not proceed from the several merchants' own free will. Should the trade be wholly cut off in one morning, it would cause great distress to many persons, who, having travelled hither by land and sea, would by one man, Lord Napier, be ruined. They cannot in such case but be utterly depressed with grief. . . . . I hear the said eye is a man of very solid and expansive mind and placid speech. If he consider, he can himself doubtless distinguish right and wrong: let him on no account permit himself to be deluded by men around him. . . . . Hereafter, when the said nation's king hears respecting these repeated orders and official replies, [he will know] that the whole wrong lies on the barbarian eye; it is in nowise owing to any want on the part of the celestial empire of extreme consideration for the virtue of reverential obedience exercised by the said nation's king."-Chi. Rep., Vol. III., p. 235. .... He consequently gives further indulgence before stopping the trade, and sent a deputation to Lord Napier, consisting of two prefects and the colonel of the department, to inquire why he had come to Canton, what business he was appointed to perform, and when he would retire to Macao. The letter was again handed them, but the superscription still remained, and they refused to touch it. They, however, learned enough to be able to inform their master what he wished to know: the real point of dispute between the two could only be settled between their sovereigns, and as Lord Napier's dispatch intimates, by force alone. The governor by this deputation, showed a desire to make some arrangement with the superintendent, and the trade would probably have been shortly reopened, had not the latter, two days after, resorted to the unusual and injudicious measure of appealing to the people in order to explain the reasons why the governor had stopped the trade, and brought distress on them. The paper was a short one, simply detailing the principal events which had transpired since his arrival, and laying the whole blame upon the "ignorance and obstinacy" of the governor in refusing to receive his letter; closing with, "the merchants of Great Britain wish to trade with all China on principles of mutual benefit; they will never relax in their exertions till they gain a point of equal importance to both countries; and the viceroy will find it as e to stop the current of the Canton river, as to carry into el insane determination of the hong.”—Ibid., p. 237. Whether this proceeding was justifiable, taking a" stances into consideration, is very doubtful; it would never have been permitted in another country, where no occasion for such an appeal would probably have arisen. In many of the proceedings between the Chinese and foreigners, based as they were upon incorrect ideas, the rules of diplomacy elsewhere observed formed no guide; but as a particular step, the publication of this statement was very unwise. The people were highly excited and divided in their opinions, and the governor was irritated to the highest pitch. He issued several orders to the hong-merchants, blaming them for permitting Lord Napier to come to Canton, and making one of them, Hingtai, responsible for it, since it was his business, as the security for the ship Fort William, to have prevented his lordship availing himself of her launch to come up the river. The linguist who transacted the business of the ship, and the pilot who brought her up the river several weeks before, were likewise involved, and all three imprisoned. We feel little sympathy for officers who resort to such injustice to shield themselves, or escape from the consequences of their own acts; but this treatment was a part of the official responsibility of the members of the hong monopoly, and it was not deemed strange by the Chinese. The governor and his colleagues stopped the English trade on the 2d of September, in a long proclamation containing many inaccurate statements and absurd reasonings, in which he forbade both natives or foreigners to give aid or comfort to Lord Napier. He declares that he had lowered himself to regard the barbarian disposition, and adds, "that the said barbarian eye has listened to what has been told him as if he were entangled in a net. He is indeed stupid, blinded, and ignorant. It is impossible to make him comprehend reason. If such a misled, extravagant man be at Canton in control of the trade, the mercantile people also will hereafter be unable to enjoy mutual quiet." The traffic between the natives and the English merchants was in a good degree suspended on the publication of this order, and the servants in Lord Napier's house all left; communication with the shipping at Whampoa was also interdicted, so that in reality the entire foreign trade was stopped. A guard of Chinese troops was also placed near the Company's hong, but no personal distress was felt on account of the interdict. The superintendent immediately ordered up H. B. M. frigates Andromache and Imogene, to pro TRADE STOPPED AND FRIGATES ENTER THE RIVER. 481 tect the shipping and persons of British subjects, and the two vessels accordingly came up the river, and anchored at Whampoa on the 11th. In their passage through the Bogue, both vessels returned the fire from the forts, with little damage to either; and on anchoring, a lieutenant and boat's crew were dispatched to Canton to protect the English factory. These decisive proceedings troubled the governor and his colleagues not a little, who, on their part, prepared for stronger measures by blocking up the river, and stationing troops on the hills about Whampoa and on the banks, but were much relieved when they found that the ships quietly remained at their anchorage, instead of forcing their way further up the river. Lord Napier protested against the violent proceedings of the governor in stopping the trade, and sent it to him through the Chamber of Commerce and hong-merchants; a reply was issued. by his excellency, while the ships were coming up the river, deprecating the presence of the superintendent in Canton. The close confinement which his lordship had been obliged to observe since his arrival in July, during the hottest part of the season, had, in addition to the harassing nature of his position, seriously impaired his health, and on the 14th of September, he announced his determination to retire to Macao, until reference could be made to England. A correspondence ensued between the Chamber of Commerce and the hong-merchants, relating to the exit of the two ships, so that it was not till the 21st that Lord Napier embarked in a native passage-boat for Macao. A letter had been sent to Captain Blackwood of the Imogene, requesting him to take both ships down to Lintin, and it was not until the Chinese heard of their arrival at that anchorage, that they would proceed with their prisoner, as they in reality regarded him, detaining him five days on a journey of less than a hundred miles. The sufferings and annoyances he experienced on the passage down were too much for his debilitated frame, and he died at Macao in a fortnight after his arrival, just three months since landing. He was buried with the honors due to his rank in the Protestant burying-ground, from whence his remains were disinterred to be taken to England on Lady Napier's return. His countrymen afterwards subscribed about $2,200 to erect a monument to his memory, and the sculpture was received in China, but never put up. As soon as Lord Napier had left, the communication between |