But At Tientsin The Great Crux In The Commercial Relations Between
Us And The Chinese Had Been Settled By The Legalization Of Opium.
It was
agreed that opium might be imported into China on payment of thirty taels,
or about fifty dollars, per chest.
Experience had shown that leaving the
most largely imported article into China contraband had been both futile
and inconvenient, while the Chinese government was a direct loser by not
enjoying a legitimate source of revenue. How general the view had become
that the evils of the use of opium were exaggerated, and, even admitting
them, that there was no better way of diminishing their effect than by
legalizing the import of opium, can be judged by the ready acquiescence of
the Chinese commissioners; and here, from many other matured opinions, we
may quote the final and deliberate conviction of Sir Henry Pottinger:
"I take this opportunity to advert to one important topic on which I have
hitherto considered it right to preserve a rigid silence - I allude to the
trade in opium; and I now unhesitatingly declare in this public manner
that after the most unbiased and careful observations I have become
convinced during my stay in China that the alleged demoralizing and
debasing evils of opium have been and are vastly exaggerated. Like all
other indulgences, excesses in its use are bad and reprehensible; but I
have neither myself seen such vicious consequences as are frequently
ascribed to it, nor have I been able to obtain authentic proofs or
information of their existence.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 467 of 704
Words from 126973 to 127230
of 191255
