During the month of May, the English having been somewhat reinforced, Commodore Elliott conducted operations against Chinese war-junks up certain creeks of the Canton river with great success. In June Commodore Keppel directed similar operations with still greater success. The Chinese supposed the positions where their warjunks were sheltered were impregnable, and were astonished and terrified to find that the English stormed and silenced their batteries, and captured, sunk, or burned their warjunks with the utmost celerity. So difficult were the positions chosen by the enemy that the British, although securing a brilliant series of victories with extraordinary rapidity, suffered heavy loss.
While these events were proceeding, Lord Elgin was on his way as plenipotentiary to the Chinese emperor; he arrived at Hong-kong in July. On his way thither he touched at Singapore, where he received news of the Indian mutiny, and a request from the governor-general of India to detach a portion of his force to assist in suppressing the mutiny then raging there. From Hong-kong Lord Elgin proceeded to India with the remainder of the troops, as the peril there admitted of no delay, while the Chinese dispute would allow of postponement. In the latter part of the autumn Lord Elgin returned to Hong-kong. In October a French squadron arrived to co-operate with the English, accompanied by Baron Gros, as the plenipotentiary of the French emperor. Count Puteatin arrived in the same capacity for the Emperor of Russia; and Mr. Reed represented the North-American republic. Both Russia and the American States were jealous of the combined influence of England and France, and showed rather a disposition to coalesce, in order to thwart the allied powers of Western Europe, while yet the representative of each of the two jealous nations was solicitous to make a treaty in the separate and even selfish interests of his country. England and France were desirous for the co-operation of all civilized powers to obtain a treaty in the interests of all, but this did not suit the policy of America, still less of Russia. France moreover displayed an eagerness to force some exclusive convention in favour of the Roman Catholic religion, in which the other powers had no interest, and which they felt to be invidious and improper. The French also, in their co-operation with the British, were avaricious of glory, and by their self-assertion, vanity, ambition, and ostentatious depreciation of everything not performed by themselves, offended the self-respect of the English, who were in far superior force.
It was December before active hostilities were renewed, Lord Elgin and Baron Gros having in vain pressed upon Governor Yeh their demands. On the 28th and 29th of December Canton was bombarded. The great city was on two sides enveloped in flame. The allies landed amidst the roar of the bombardment and the engirdling flames, escaladed certain defences, drove the Chinese into the city, and occupied with promptitude the strong positions from which the enemy was driven.
The appearance of matters in Canton was now very strange. The populace pursued their ordinary occupations; the Tartar army had abandoned the city and taken post in the country; while the authorities took no notice of the enemy, made no submission, sought no negotiation, and seemed to rely only on passive resistance. Thus the year 1857 ended, and the events of the Chinese war which transpired within it. It is however desirable, for the sake of consecutive narrative, to continue here the relation of this war to its close in 1858, notwithstanding the plan of the History gives a separate chapter to the incidents of each year.
On the 5th of January, 1858, detachments of troops penetrated into the city. The three most important persons in authority were captured—Yeh, the viceroy, or chief governor; Pehkwei, governor of the city; and Tseang Keun, the Tartar general. Yeh was sent a prisoner to Calcutta. The Tartar general was set at liberty, on condition of disbanding his troops; and the civic governor was ordered to continue his functions, subject to a military commission. This last arrangement did not work well, the Chinese governor continuing to elude the vigilance of the commission, and perform many hostile and even cruel acts. It is astonishing that with all their experience of the Chinese, the English should have expected any other result.
The Emperor of ‘China degraded Yeh, and appointed another governor of the province of Canton in his stead.
The allied plenipotentiaries opened communications with the emperor, and foolishly awaited a reply, which of course never came. The Russian ambassador encouraged the plan, and affected to participate,—he knew well that no answer would arrive, and probably used whatever influence he had to prevent its arrival. The wearied plenipotentiaries at last set sail for the Peiho, hoping, by the display of their power nearer the capital, to compel negotiations. The ambassadors arrived at the Peiho on the 14th April. They were received in a very flattering manner by the mandarins, who at the same time began to strengthen the defences of the river, so as to oppose the further progress of the fleet. According to the despatch of Admiral Seymour these defences “presented a formidable appearance.” The forts were ultimately attacked, silenced, and captured. The fleet proceeded up the river, and found junks, filled with combustibles, moored across with chains, but the enemy fled. The impediments were removed, and the fleet advanced to the city of Tien-sin, at the end of the grand canal. The city contained 300,000 inhabitants. The ambassadors landed under a flag of truce, and were courteously received, on the 29th May.
When the emperor learned the resistless progress of the forces of his enemies, he sent two commissioners, who alleged that they had full powers to treat for peace. They arrived on the 4th of June. They insisted on negotiating with the European plenipotentiaries separately, and first with the representative of England. On producing their credentials, and their commission, an insolent and haughty document was read delegating power to make peace with the barbarians, if the latter did not ask for anything contrary to Chinese custom, and Lord Elgin immediately retired from the conference. After various efforts to create delay, which were resisted by the plenipotentiaries, a treaty was signed to the following effect:—
Article 1. Confirmed the treaty of Nankin of 1842, and abrogated the supplementary treaty to that so named, and the general regulations of trade then agreed upon.
Art. 2. Agreed to the residence of ambassadors at the courts of the powers party to the treaty.