In This Document They Covered The Whole Ground Of The Dispute,
And Stated In Clear And Unmistakable Language What The English Demanded,
And They Did Not Shrink From Recommending Compliance With Their Terms.
Keying And His Colleagues Put The Only Two Alternatives With Great
Cogency.
Which will be the heavier calamity, they said, to pay the English
the sum of money they demand (21,000,000 dollars, made up as follows:
Six
million for the destroyed opium, 3,000,000 for the debts of the Hong
merchants, and 12,000,000 for the expenses of the war), or that they
should continue those military operations which seemed irresistible, and
from which China had suffered so grievously? Even if the latter
alternative were faced and the war continued, the evil day would only be
put off. The army expenses would be very great, the indemnity would be
increased in amount, and after all there would be only "the name of
fighting without the hope of victory." Similar arguments were used with
regard to the cession of Hongkong, and the right of trading at five of the
principal ports. The English no doubt demanded more than they ought, but
what was the use of arguing with them, as they were masters of the
situation? Moreover, some solace might be gathered in the midst of
affliction from the fact that the English were willing to pay certain
duties on their commerce which would in the end repay the war indemnity,
and contribute to "the expenditure of the imperial family." With regard to
the question of ceremonial intercourse on a footing of equality, they
declared that it might be "unreservedly granted." The reply of Taoukwang
to this memorial was given in an edict of considerable length, and he
therein assented to all the views and suggestions of the commissioners,
while he imposed on Keying alone the responsibility of making all the
arrangements for paying the large indemnity. All the preliminaries for
signing a treaty of peace had therefore been arranged before the English
forces reached Nankin, and as the Chinese commissioners were sincere in
their desire for peace, and as the emperor had sanctioned all the
necessary arrangements, there was no reason to apprehend any delay, and
much less a breakdown of the negotiations.
It was arranged that the treaty should be signed on board a British man-
of-war, and the Chinese commissioners were invited to pay a visit for the
purpose to the "Cornwallis," the flagship of the admiral. The event came
off on the 20th of August, 1842, and the scene was sufficiently
interesting, if not imposing. The long line of English warships and
transports, drawn up opposite to and within short range of the lofty walls
of Nankin; the land forces so disposed on the raised causeways on shore as
to give them every facility of approach to the city gates, while leaving
it doubtful to the last which gate would be the real object of attack; and
then the six small Chinese boats, gayly decorated with flags, bearing the
imperial commissioners and their attendants, to sign for the first time in
history a treaty of defeat with a foreign power.
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