THE OPIUM TRADE. 179 



traffic "hamstrings" the country, and stirs up the 

 people to a hatred of all trading nations ; and this will be 

 fully shown in her treaties with England and America, 

 compared with that of France, and her manner of receiv- 

 ing the French representative, to whom she granted all 

 ne asked, even to full religious toleration. If that drain 

 for opium was allowed yearly to circulate in a useful 

 trade, how far more England would benefit, and to how 

 far greater extent would American cotton be consumed 

 by China, either in English piece goods, or in American 

 coarser cloths. Taking the product of the loom from 

 either parties, would be equally consuming the American 

 raw material. What does America now gain by allow- 

 ing a few individual Americans to participate in some 

 paltry profits in that trade, and prostitute the American 

 flag to the vile purposes of smuggling, in comparison to 

 what she would gain if all parties acted fairly and hon- 

 orably with China ? 



England makes treaties with China, and pays them 

 no respect ; but England regards her treaties in proportion 

 to the strength of parties to compel her to do so. She 

 made a treaty with China not to import opium. The 

 British East India Company, which is controlled by her 

 Majesty's Government, grows the opium purposely for 

 China, and with the full knowledge that it is to be 

 smuggled. The English flag protects the smugglers; 

 but they have not stopped there. The English Govern- 

 ment has, in Hong Kong, licensed, in opposition to the 

 laws of China, and in violation of her treaty, opium 

 smoking shops. This is the quasi liberator of the op- 

 pressed of Europe, the Don Quixotte of the discontented, 

 in the hopes to give other Governments enough to do at 



