He Had Even Imperiled The Continuance Of The
Trade Which He Had Come Specially To Promote, And All He Could
Do to show
his indignation was to make a futile protest against "this act of
unprecedented tyranny and injustice." Very
Soon after Lord Napier's return
to Macao he died, leaving to other hands the settlement of the difficult
affair which neither his acts nor his language had simplified.
On Lord Napier's departure from Canton the restrictions placed on trade
were removed, and the intercourse between the English and Chinese
merchants of the Hong was resumed. But even then the mandarins refused to
recognize the trade superintendents, and after a short time they issued
certain regulations which had been specially submitted to and approved by
the Emperor Taoukwang as the basis on which trade was to be conducted.
These Regulations, eight in number, forbade foreign men-of-war to enter
the inner seas, and enforced the old practice that all requests on the
part of Europeans should be addressed through the Hong in the form of a
petition. It therefore looked as if the Chinese had completely triumphed
in carrying out their views, that the transfer of authority from the East
India Company to the British crown, with the so-called opening of the
trade, had effected no change in the situation, and that such commerce as
was carried on should be as the Chinese dictated, and in accordance with
their main idea, which was to "prevent the English establishing themselves
permanently at Canton." The death of the Viceroy Loo and the familiarity
resulting from increased intercourse resulted in some relaxation of these
severe regulations, and at last, in March, 1837, nearly three years after
Lord Napier's arrival in the Bogue, the new superintendent of trade,
Captain Elliot, received, at his own request, permission through the Hong
to proceed to Canton. The emperor passed a special edict authorizing
Captain Elliot to reside in the factory at Canton, where he was to
"control the merchants and seamen"; but it was also stipulated that he was
to strictly abide by the old regulations, and not to rank above a
supercargo. As Captain Elliot was the representative of a government not
less proud or exacting than that of China, it was clear that these
conditions could not be permanently enforced; and although he endeavored
for a period to conciliate the Chinese and to obtain more favorable terms
by concessions, there came a time when it was impossible to assent to the
arrogant demands of the mandarins, and when resort became necessary to the
_ultima ratio regum_. But for the first two critical years Captain Elliot
pursued the same policy as Lord Napier, alternating concessions with
threats, and, while vaunting the majesty of his sovereign, yielding to
demands which were unreasonable and not to be endured.
The balance of trade against China was the principal cause of the export
of silver, and the balance of trade was only against China through the
increasing import of opium. Without acquiescing in the least with the
strong allegations of the anti-opium party, there is no reason to doubt
that the excessive use of opium, especially in a crowded city like Canton,
was attended with sufficient mischief to justify its official
denunciation. The Pekin government may be so far credited with the honest
intention to reduce the mischief and to prevent a bad habit from becoming
more and more of a national vice, when they determined for far other
reasons to place it in the front of their tirade against foreign trade
generally. They soon found that it would be more convenient and more
plausible to substitute the moral opposition to the opium traffic for the
political disinclination to foreign intercourse in any form. They scarcely
expected that in this project they would receive the assistance and co-
operation of many of the Europeans themselves, who shared with them the
opinion that opium was detestable, and its use or sale a mark of
depravity.
In January, 1839, Taoukwang ordered Lin Tsihseu, viceroy of the double
province of Houkwang and an official of high reputation, to proceed to
Canton as Special Commissioner to report on the situation, and to propound
the best remedy for the opium evil. At this moment the anti-opium party
was supreme in the imperial council, and three Manchu princes were
disgraced and banished from Pekin for indulging in the practice. The
peremptory instructions given to Commissioner Lin, as he is historically
known, were "to cut off the fountain of evil, and, if necessary for the
attainment of his object, to sink his ships and break his caldrons, for
the indignation of the great emperor has been fairly aroused at these
wicked practices - of buying and selling and using opium - and that the
hourly thought of his heart is to do away with them forever."
Before Lin reached Canton there had been frequent friction between Captain
Elliot and the local mandarins, and more than one interruption of the
trade. Less than six months after his installation at Canton his official
relations were broken off, and he wrote home to his government a dispatch
complaining of the difficulty of conducting any sort of amicable relations
with the local mandarins, and indorsing the growing demand for the right
of dealing direct with the Pekin government. Captain Elliot, acting under
instructions from home, issued a public notice warning all English
subjects to discontinue the illicit opium trade, and stating that "her
Majesty's Government would not in any way interfere if the Chinese
Government should think fit to seize and confiscate the same."
At this juncture Commissioner Lin, whose fervor and energy carried him
away, appeared upon the scene, and, whereas a less capable or honest man
would have come to an arrangement with Captain Elliot, his very ability
and enthusiasm tended to complicate the situation and render a pacific
solution unattainable. Commissioner Lin, on taking up his post, lost no
time in showing that he was terribly in earnest; but both his language and
his acts proved that he had a very much larger programme than was included
in his propaganda against the opium traffic.
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