The reply of the Ti-ping authorities to Admiral Hope's "strict neutrality" despatch, as translated by government interpreters, is thus:—
"Mung, the Tsan-sze-keun (successor elect to the Prince Tsan), of the heavenly Tai-ping kingdom, issues the following urgent orders to the Ching Tsin-kwan, Ai-teene, and Moh-hun-te" names of certain high officers, "for their information:—
"'Whereas officers, deputed by the Admiral of Great Britain, have come to the palace of the Tsan-sze-keun, and stated that, as Shanghae and Woo-sung are depôts of their commerce, they have undertaken the protection of those two places, in order that the safety of all classes of the people living there may be secured; they therefore request that the forces of the Celestial dynasty may not go to those two places, the same being unnecessary, and not likely to be attended with any material advantage. The Tsan-sze-keun accordingly issues these urgent orders to his younger brethren, in order that they may direct the troops composing the different divisions that, whenever they arrive in the vicinity of the places named, they must not approach nearer to them than 100 li, an arrangement which will conduce to the advantage of both parties. They are also to understand that the capture of those places is to form no part of the plan of campaign for the PRESENT YEAR.'"
This decree sufficiently evinces the anxiety of the Ti-ping Government to act in accordance with the wishes of that of England.
Commander Aplin thus reported the result of his mission to Admiral Hope:—
"With reference to the communication made by me to the chief Taeping authorities at Nankin.... I received a promise to-day that the order should be given, as requested, respecting the beacons; that, with regard to the 2nd paragraph of the communication, an order would be sent to their officers in command not to attack Shanghae or Woo-sung THIS YEAR"....
Mr. Parkes, in his report of the means by which the agreement of the Ti-pings to Admiral Hope's communication was obtained, states:[36]—
"We replied that, of course, any insurgents having the folly to attack Shanghae, after the Governments of France and England (?) had determined to protect that port, would meet certain destruction, but that the object of the Commander-in-Chief was to prevent collision and unnecessary bloodshed. We had long been doing all in our power to avoid this; (!!!) we took no part in the struggle between the Taepings and the Imperialists, with whom we were also at peace, and should fall out only with those who injured us ... and any Taeping movement upon Shanghae would be considered as an attempt to injure us. (!!) Were they, on their part, equally anxious to maintain a friendly understanding with us, they would surely write the orders they had been requested to furnish if this were the case, and a refusal to do so would naturally lead us to mistrust their intentions." (!!!)
Mr. Parkes continues:—