Page:China- Its State and Prospects.djvu/115

 residence in the provincial city, and to open a negociation with the native authorities, together with the failure of the same, is well known. Since that period, the viceroy sanctioned the residence of his successor in Canton, for the purpose of watching over the conduct of Europeans, though he is still unwilling to treat with our agent on political matters. It is possible, however, that in the course of time these jealousies may diminish, and the British superintendent come into correspondence with the native authorities on state business. The English have much to ask of the Chinese, and are anxious to place the trade on a secure, respectable, and advantageous footing; to have the rights of British subjects recognized, and the security of British property acknowledged. When, however, the representative of our government makes a demand from the Chinese of increased privileges and advantages, the first requisition made by them will be that we aid them in putting down the illicit traffic in opium carried on by our own countrymen, who, in defiance of Chinese laws, introduce an intoxicating medium into the country, and seduce their subjects into disobedience and voluptuousness. They will not believe, that with all the power of Britain, and while the drug is grown in our own territories, we are unable to suppress the trade; and nothing will dispossess them of the idea, that the British government is accessory to the production and introduction of the article. We must then tell them that we will or will not, strive to put down the traffic in question, before we can venture to make any demands from them in our own favour. If we refuse to curb the evil, we give a public and official sanction to what is in their eyes vexatious and abominable; and