He Had Endeavored Also To Give
Something Of A Generous Character To The Struggle, And He Had More Than
Once Proved Himself A Courteous As Well As A Gallant Foe.
After the
capture of Chapoo and Woosung he sent back several officers and men who
had at different times been taken prisoners by the Chinese, and he
expressed at the same time the desire that the war should end.
Sir Henry
Pottinger's reply to this letter was to inquire if he was empowered by the
emperor to negotiate. If he had received this authority the English
plenipotentiary would be very happy to discuss any matter with him, but if
not the operations of war must proceed. At that moment Elepoo had not the
requisite authority to negotiate, and the war went on until the victorious
English troops were beneath the walls of Nankin. At the same time as these
pourparlers were held with Elepoo at Woosung, Sir Henry Pottinger issued a
proclamation to the Chinese stating what the British Government required
to be done. In this document the equality of all nations as members of the
same human family was pointed out, and the right to hold friendly
intercourse insisted on as a matter of duty and common obligation. Sir
Henry said that "England, coming from the utmost west, has held
intercourse with China in this utmost east for more than two centuries
past, and during this time the English have suffered ill-treatment from
the Chinese officials, who, regarding themselves as powerful and us as
weak, have thus dared to commit injustice." Then followed a list of the
many high-handed acts of Commissioner Lin and his successors.
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