CAPTURE OF SHANGHAI. 555 dition. The ships as they neared the city, silenced two small batteries with a single broadside, and the English troops, 2000 in number, entered the city without resistance. The good effects of previous kindness shown the people in respecting their property were here seen. Captain Loch says, that on the march along the banks, he passed through two villages, where the shops were open with their owners in them, and that groups of people were assembled on the right and left to see them pass. The troops occupied the arsenals, the pawnbrokers' shops, and the temples, destroying all the government stores, and distributing the rice in the granaries among the people. The total number of cannon taken, was 388, of which 76 were of brass; some of the latter were named "tamer and subduer of the barbarians;" others, "the robbers' judgment," and one piece 12 feet long, was called the "Barbarian." The citizens voluntarily came forward to supply provisions, and stated that there had been a serious affray in the city a few days before between them and their officers, who wished to levy a subsidy for the defence of the city, which even then they were on the point of abandoning. The boats before the walls were crowded with inhabitants flying with their property, many of whom returned in a few days. The admiral proceeded up the Wusung, nearly 50 miles beyond Shanghai, but having entered a wrong channel he could not reach Suchau. The troops retired from Shanghai, June 23d, leaving it less injured than any city yet taken, owing chiefly to the efforts made by the people themselves to protect their property. The eight hundred junks and upwards, lying off the town, were unharmed, but their owners no doubt were made to contribute towards the $300,000 exacted as a ransom. Sir Henry Pottinger rejoined the expedition on the twenty-second, accompanied by Lord Saltoun, with large reinforcements for both arms, and immediate preparations were made for proceeding up the Yangtsz' kiang, to interrupt the communication by the Grand canal across that river at Chinkiang fu. The Chinese officers, unable to read any European language, learned the designs of their enemy chiefly by rumors, which natives in the employ of the English brought them, and consequently not unfrequently misled his majesty unwittingly, in mentioning the wrong places likely to be attacked, but wilfully as to their numbers and conduct in the hour of victory. The fall of Shanghai, and the probable march upon Sungkiang aces, and inspirit a memoir writng of the attack, SLIK Mg prayed to i. Niu Kien, is duct was not 25-ame forward and state of the **ety of their retreat = - is text placed.” 123s brave man, the place Start there is a Hot Whet boense is SUL. 2>TS is family, Hs notice, SARA, THE LA a fortnight be divining e supreme marin chief of the 2 x vile alive, y me rebels he could gus & hem of the → In Tes. There was Junest piece more than a: saguar shape, the latter beTestamees mowed up the river the ships to two forts, when * Mantar Shanghai, twelve SEGURA Wusung, Mr. Gulati, who - mande, endeavored to reassure itre tim to say in their dwellings ; he was pied in procuring provisions for the expe CAPTURE OF SHANGHAI. 555 dition. The ships as they neared the city, silenced two small batteries with a single broadside, and the English troops, 2000 in number, entered the city without resistance. The good effects of previous kindness shown the people in respecting their property were here seen. Captain Loch says, that on the march along the banks, he passed through two villages, where the shops were open with their owners in them, and that groups of people were assembled on the right and left to see them pass. The troops occupied the arsenals, the pawnbrokers' shops, and the temples, destroying all the government stores, and distributing the rice in the granaries among the people. The total number of cannon taken, was 388, of which 76 were of brass; some of the latter were named "tamer and subduer of the barbarians;" others, "the robbers' judgment," and one piece 12 feet long, was called the "Barbarian." The citizens voluntarily came forward to supply provisions, and stated that there had been a serious affray in the city a few days before between them and their officers, who wished to levy a subsidy for the defence of the city, which even then they were on the point of abandoning. The boats before the walls were crowded with inhabitants flying with their property, many of whom returned in a few days. The admiral proceeded up the Wusung, nearly 50 miles beyond Shanghai, but having entered a wrong channel he could not reach Suchau. The troops retired from Shanghai, June 23d, leaving it less injured than any city yet taken, owing chiefly to the efforts made by the people themselves to protect their property. The eight hundred junks and upwards, lying off the town, were unharmed, but their owners no doubt were made to contribute towards the $300,000 exacted as a ransom. Sir Henry Pottinger rejoined the expedition on the twenty-second, accompanied by Lord Saltoun, with large reinforcements for both arms, and immediate preparations were made for proceeding up the Yangtsz' kiang, to interrupt the communication by the Grand canal across that river at Chinkiang fu. The Chinese officers, unable to read any European language, learned the designs of their enemy chiefly by rumors, which natives in the employ of the English brought them, and consequently not unfrequently misled his majesty unwittingly, in mentioning the wrong places likely to be attacked, but wilfully as to their numbers and conduct in the hour of victory. The fall of Shanghai, and the probable march upon Sungkiang and Suchau, greatly alarmed him, and he now began to think the rebels really intended to proceed up to Nanking and the Grand Canal, which he had been assured was not their purpose. He accordingly concentrated his troops at Chinkiang fu and Nanking, Tientsin, and Suchau, four places which he feared were in danger, and associated Kíying and Ílípu, as commissioners with the governor-general, Niu Kien, to superintend civil affairs; the military matters were still left under the management of the imbecile Yihking. Only a few places on the Yangtsz' kiang offered eligible positions for forts, and Niu Kien declined to stake the river at Chinkiang, lest it should alarm the inhabitants. Fire-rafts and boats were, however, ordered for the defence of that city, as soon as the enemy's intentions were evident, and reinforcements of troops collected there and at Nanking, some of whom were encamped without the city, and part incorporated with the garrison. The tone of the documents which fell into the hands of the English showed the anxiety felt at court regarding the result of this movement up the river. One of the members of the Inner Council, Wang Ting, who had always been a strenuous advocate for war, died about this time, and at Canton it was rumored that he perished by his own hand, because he could not carry some of his favorite plans. Just before leaving Wusung, the British plenipotentiary published and circulated a manifesto for "the information of the people of the country.' In this paper, he recapitulates, in much the same manner as Captain Elliot had done, the grievances the English had suffered at Canton, from the spoliations, insults, and imprisonment, inflicted upon them by Lin in order to extort opium, which was given up by the English superintendent to rescue himself and his countrymen from death. The duplicity of the Chinese government, in sending down Kishen as a commissioner to Canton to arrange matters, and then, while he was negotiating, to break off the treaty, and treacherously resort to war, was another "grand instance of offence against England." The bad treatment of kidnapped prisoners, the mendacious reports of victories gained over the English, which misled the emperor and retarded the settlement of the war, was another cause of offence. The restriction of the trade to Canton, establishment of the monopoly of the hong-merchants, the oppressive and unjust exactions imposed upon it through their scheming, and many other minor PROCLAMATIONS ISSUED BY BOTH PARTIES. 557 grievances which need not be enumerated, formed the last count in this indictment. Three things must be granted before peace can be made; viz. the cession of an island for commerce, and the residence of merchants; compensation for losses and expenses; and allowing a friendly and becoming intercourse between the officers of the two countries on terms of equality. This proclamation, however, makes no mention of the real cause of the war, the opium trade, and in that respect was not altogether an ingenuous, fair statement of the whole question. While Sir Henry Pottinger knew that the use of this drug was one of the greatest evils which afflicted the people, he should have, in a document of this nature, left no room for the supposition, on the part of either ruler or subject, that the war was undertaken to uphold and countenance the opium trade. He could not have been ignorant that the emperor and his ministers supposed the unequal contest they were waging was caused by their unsuccessful efforts to suppress the traffic; and that if they were defeated, the opium trade must go on unchecked. The question of supremacy was set at rest in this proclamation; it must be given up; but no encouragement was held out to reassure the Chinese government in their lawful desire to restrain the tremendous scourge. Why should he? If he encouraged any action against the trade, he could expect little promotion or reward from his superiors, who looked to it for all the revenue it could be made to bring; or consideration from the merchants, who would not thank him for telling the Chinese, they might attack the opium clippers wherever they found them, and seize all the opium they could, and English power would not interfere. The emperor issued a proclamation about the same time, recapitulating his conduct, and efforts to put a stop to the war, stating what he had done to ward off calamity, and repress the rebels. The opium trade, and his efforts for a long time to repress it, and especially the measures of Lin, are in this paper regarded as the causes of the war, which concludes by expressing his regret for the sufferings and losses occasioned his subjects by the attacks of the English at Amoy, Chusan, Ningpo, and elsewhere, and exhorting them to renewed efforts. It is a matter of lasting regret, that the impression should have been left to remain upon the minds of the Chinese authorities, that the war was an opium war, and waged chiefly to uphold it. But nations, like individuals, must |