340 DAVIS ON CANTON AND HONGKONG. [April 27, 1857. 



going there we should only come in collision with those to whom we have always 

 professed perfect neutrality, — we must become either their allies or enemies. 

 The communication with Peking had been at one time, if it was not now, as 

 effectually cut off as if we were to go to the neighbourhood of Nanking. 

 With respect to the effect on Peking of the capture of Canton, we had in 

 reality never yet occupied the place. We had threatened it, but we allowed 

 it to be ransomed by the Hong merchants, instead of the inhabitants them- 

 selves, and they had laughed at us ever since, as well they might. If we were 

 fairly to occupy Canton, quarter our troops upon it, and make the inhabitants 

 pay all that our merchants have lost, they would never forget it, and there would 

 be an end of their " braves," as they called their vagabond militia. The people 

 did not pay a fraction of the last ransom ; it was the Hong merchants who paid 

 it. Canton was a provincial capital, the capital of tivo provinces ; and if we 

 were fairly in possession and our troops quartered there, it would make the 

 Imperial Court Hsten to our terms to get rid of us.* With regard to opium, 

 he quite agreed with Mr. Crawfurd as to the physical effects of the drug. It 

 was infinitely less deleterious than the spirits which we license and encourage 

 in England, and the consumption of which particularly disgraces the English 

 Sundays, from the want of more inviting recreations for the lower orders. It 

 seemed to himself quite superfluous attempting to put an end to the traffic, for 

 since the war and the treaty of Nanking the Chinese had utterly abandoned all 

 attempts to stop its sale and consumption. Several of our consuls had officially 

 reported to him that they had seen it carried about in broad day, and consumed 

 in regularly licensed houses. It would be the extreme of impertinence on our 

 part to interfere with an article which the Chinese voluntarily admitted ; we 

 had no more right to interfere than the Chinese had to interfere with our 

 consumption of both opium and (what was worse) spirits. The emigration 

 alluded to by Mr. Crawfurd was a beneficial emigration, and one which ought 

 to be encouraged. But there was another sort of emigration which was a 

 disgrace to this country, and which ought to be at once stopped. This was 

 the exportation to Cuba of coolies, who of course became slaves. He first got 

 a glimpse of it when he was in China, and the instructions he issued to our 

 consuls on the occasion prevented its spread at that time. Since then, how- 

 ever, the evil had extended, and the horrors endured by the coolies on board 

 were equal to those of the middle passage between Africa and the West, with 

 an enormously lengthened voyage. He trusted it would speedily be put a 

 stop to. In vain would Wilberforce and Clarkson have exerted their ener- 

 gies in the abolition of the slave-trade, if it was to be revived in this new shape. 

 This was the real grievance of China against us, and not the opium trade, 

 which their own toleration of it had taken out of our hands. 



The Earl Albemarle, f.r.g.s. — Do I understand that the rebels are in 

 possession of the Imperial Canal ? 



Sir John Davis.— They are, or have been, in possession of the mouth of the 

 canal — exactly the neighbourhood where we dictated peace. Chin-kiang-foo is 



* Lieut. -Gen. Sir Colin Campbell received these very remarkable observations 

 in a note some years ago from the late Consul Thom, and allows their publication : — 

 " Having once made the demand, we can hardly withdraw from it without con- 

 firming the Chinese in the impression that we are afraid of the Canton people. 

 This impression has gone abroad over the empire, and a most fatal and unhappy 

 impression it is ; and this same impression may very likely cause seas of blood at 

 some future day. In itself, the opening of the gates of Canton is (to individuals) 

 neither here nor there ; but being made the touchstone of whether we fear the 

 Canton people or not, this gives it immense importance." It is quite clear that 

 Canton must be opened viet armis; all other means would fail, either immediately 

 or ultimately, on account of the " impression " which the Consul very truly and 

 wisely commented on. — J. F. D. 



