Keshen Was Remarkable For His Astuteness
And For The Yielding Exterior Which Covered A Purpose Of Iron, And In The
English Political Officer, The Captain Elliot Of Canton, He Did Not Find
An Opponent Worthy Of His Steel.
Although experience had shown how great
were the delays of negotiation at Canton, and how inaccessible were the
local
Officials, Captain Elliot allowed himself to be persuaded that the
best place to carry on negotiations was at that city, and after a brief
delay the fleet was withdrawn from the Peiho and all the advantages of the
alarm created by its presence at Pekin were surrendered. Relieved by the
departure of the foreign ships, Taoukwang sent orders for the dispatch of
forces from the inland provinces, so that he might be able to resume the
struggle with the English under more favorable conditions, and at the same
time he hastened to relieve his overcharged feelings by punishing the man
whom he regarded as responsible for his misfortunes and humiliation. The
full weight of the imperial wrath fell on Commissioner Lin, who from the
position of the foremost official in China fell at a stroke of the
vermilion pencil to a public criminal arraigned before the Board of
Punishments to receive his deserts. He was stripped of all his offices,
and ordered to proceed to Pekin, where, however, his life was spared.
Keshen arrived at Canton on November 29, 1840, but his dispatch to the
emperor explaining the position he found there shows that his view of the
situation did not differ materially from that of Lin.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 368 of 704
Words from 99928 to 100191
of 191255
