On this page

• Text (2)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    Apgtist 6, 1853.] THE LEADER. 757

  • 

    COBDEN ON THE BANGOCW. The Judge who sai...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    America Versus Russia. We Appear To Be O...

    facility and protection . But what is this care and activity in the Consular department save a part , and a very small part , of the energy which combines close attention to details with the most prompt and resolute conduct of the general administration of the foreign affairs ; and to whom is that character of administration to be imputed if not to «« Mr . Pierce" himself ? In short , it is by his boldness , foresight , and national feeling , that Franklin Pierce has identified his own name that

    with that of his glorious country , insomuch at this moment he , as well as the republic , is the object of the fear and machinations of the servants of absolutism , from the Danube to the Neva , from the Black Sea to the Atlantic . The Times might almost have complained that the second speech of the President was based on only one idea ; it may be said to have been , from beginning to end , a strain of generous compliment to England , and of aspiration for the cordial

    union of the two countries . _ The attempted disparagement of the Times does not express the English feeling . That is shown by the cheers of the South Shields seamen , when they resolved that Americans should be considered the same as English seamen . In society the strongest annoyance and surprise has been felt and expressed at the first article in the Times , and perplexity to divine the motive of a composition that could serve no purpose except to disgust Americans with England , and to divide from us + Viof oii-ir xc-Tiir . li ( ja ihpi crrpifd , counternoise of

    Russia . The second article , complimentarv to the republic , probably marks a sense that English : feeling had been outraged , and that to reconcile the readers to the journal , it was ^ ecessary for the journal to set itself right with the republic .

    Apgtist 6, 1853.] The Leader. 757

    Apgtist 6 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 757

    Cobden On The Bangocw. The Judge Who Sai...

    COBDEN ON THE BANGOCW . The Judge who said that he never felt any difficulty in deciding a case until he heard the other side , would have delighted in Mr . Cobden as leading counsel ; especially , if , as in the case of his new pamphlet , professing to give an account of the way in which the Burmese war was got up , the other party were kept out of court . The Burmese war is one of the moat cumbrous and costly follies into which subordinate officers ever dragged this country , even in India ; and the case on that head is clear enough . Certain British dealers were subjected in Rangoon to every species of oppression and extortion—imprisoned and fined on the most ridiculous pretences—such as that of ill-using men at sea , those men being themselves of a piratical genus ; of disobeving local regulations ; or even of having unfaithful wives ! If a " British subject" could be got to trump up the story , so much the better ; and the Lascars , Coolies , or mongrel Mongols that frequented that port well knew where a charge might be welcomed for the sake of the fine . These practices were long a nuisance , and

    Lord Dalhousio at last interfered ; but instead of sending a force to break the heads of a few officials and soldiers , and seize property enough to compensate the aggrieved Englishmen , ho sent an expedition with instructions to use no " hostilities ; " but to prefor a pompous claim for redress . Thus instructed , but reading his instructions by the light of the binnacle , with a sense that your steering must depend partly on wind and tide , Commodore Lambert paid little heed to the landsman ' s chart . Ho first became

    entangled in Chinese-liko " negotiations , " m which tho invisiblo Governor was over promising redress , but novor giving it ; and then , in a lit of spleen ho began those forbidden " hostilities " which dragged us into a war and tho occupation of a territory that tho King of tho Golden Foot will neither defend resolutely , nor surrender formally . AH this is very foolish , and very wrong , and very mischievous ; and it did not need Mr . Cobden's pamphlet to make us think

    so . But , indeed , when wo lopk into that notablo production , we aro struck with tho skill that an ablo ono-sidod man may havo in damaging a case by lopsided arguments and " proofs . " To Mr . Cobden all thut is Burmese is venial , fairspokon , bond jidc , and commendable . Tho English griovanccs aro no grievances . Tho damagos claimed by tho sea captains whoso injury caused tho intervention woro pared down by one-half—a common fato with damages ; yofc ]\ tr . Cobdon insinuates that thoro was no case .

    A man who had some mineral of alchemic virtues , and who refused to give it to the Governor , was charged with theft and flogged so that he died . Another was fined 1501 . for the alleged faithlessness of his wife . A third was fined 100 £ . for an irregularity committed by his men in digging for some buried money ; he having detected , and

    reported the offenders ; HNCr . Cobden calls this an absurd list of grievances ; " evidently confounding the grounds of the original charge with the result , and slighting the tragedy on account of the farce with which it began ; or on account of the Burman authorities being against the list . Eor , throughout , he receives almost without question the Burman statements .

    No doubt such grievances should be " received with caution / ' but Mr . Cobden receives them with disbelief : and the same affectionate partiality haunts him , even in discussing perfectly authenticated statements . The Governor of Rangoon is told that a deputation from Commodore Lambert is coming to wait upon him ; whereupon he straightway goes "to sleep ! " Quite naturally , says Mr . Cobden . The ceremonious ideas of the natives rendered it an important question how to receive persons of rank , especially on horseback ,

    or on an elephant ; and so the Governor , to avoid that embarrassment , went to sleep—the custom of the country at the hour improperly selected for the visit ; and to say that he was slumbering was equivalent to the English courteous evasion of saying " not at home" to an unwelcome visitor . That the Governor should tell a white lie rather enhances him in Mr . Cobden's view ; but that tlie English officers should " ride into the Governor's compound" ( courtyard ) shocks his sense of decorum ; which is thoroughly naturalised to

    the Burmese standard . The Governor reported to his Majesty that " the British officers were drunk ; " a charge which Mr . Cobden passes by " as unworthy of notice ; " but " they had no right , being subordinate in rank , to a formal reception ; " he blames them for want of "tact and temper , " and , finally , warming with his subject , he finds an excuse for the aspersion : " What should we think of an American deputation which required us to dispense with our Lord-Chamberlains , Gold-sticks , and beef-eaters , and to receive them after the simple fashion of the White House

    at Washington ? Might we not probably doubt if they were sober ? " Captain Fishbourne had the choice of standing in the sun , or in a shed allotted to common people , and the Anglo-Burmese pamphleteer is amused that this can be made a grievance . This is evidence of his thoroughly Burmanized view : being " subordinate in rank , " why should the outside barbarians object to standing with honest Burmese ; and as to sun , what is it to stand a quarter of an hour in its glare P Nothing to a Burman , when he is used to it , or compelled ; and evidently tho goldenfooted Cobden cannot perceive the hardship .

    But in vengeance for these insults , the British seized " tho yelloAV ship , " belonging to tho King of Ava , and ' blockaded his ports ; and when the Burmese attempted to impede tho removal of the vessel , four days later , tho British squadron retaliated , doing " great execution" among the 3000 of tho resisting force . At this Mr . Cobden is thoroughly outraged . The Burmese resisted , but they did so in fear of their heads , should they let a king ' s ship bo towed off ; a lino of argument which implies that at Waterloo , for tho British fire

    example , notwithstanding , Napoleon ought to havo withhold a return , because if our men had not done their duty , most assuredly they would havo boon brought to court-martial , and probably shot . Tho Burmese iircd upon us , which was venial ; moreover , thoy killed nobody ; but when wo returned tho lire , Mr . Cobdon says , that " in tho eyes of God , " every life sacrificed must be regarded as " a case of murder . " To bo bad soldiers rodooms what thoro was of questionable right in tho Burmese hostility , but to do effective execution is a crime This is the Peace

    version of tho complaint , libellously and unjustly ascribed in ridicule to tho Neapolitan soldiers , that " tho French soldiers fired with real bullets , and actually killed ! " Mr . Cobdon would agreo with tho Neapolitans , quito seriously . Ho harps much upon tho supposed American parallel , out it does not apply . Tho United Stales aro a civilizod and powerful people , able to command respect ; tho Burmese aro a rude , barbarous people , who havo no right to tho rospoct which must bo shown to tho Americans . It is a part of civilized politics to estimate rolativo

    powers , and to come to a conclusion upon the estimate without the trouble or cost of using those powers ; but the Burmese have not attained that point , and force must be used against them in its raw state . But let us retort the American parallel . Suppose great complaints at Washington of injury on American fishers about the Bay- of Fundy , Mr . Cobden being Governor of New Brunswick . A Commodore Wilkes is sent out with a squadron to ask restitution , and a semi-official goes before to tell Governor Cobden that the Commodore is

    coming . " I would rather transact all the business through you , " says the governor to the messenger . " Impossible , " replies the messenger ; " Governments like those of America do not dispose of these matters by verbal messages ; besides , the Commodore is on his way . " Now , Cobden is perplexed how to receive the Commodore . Shall he wear a shooting-jacket or a civil uniform ? If he wear a uniform , it will be , perhaps , too profound a reverence to Wilkes , especially as Cobden does not know his standing in the American navy . If he wear a

    shootingjacket it may be an unpoliteness , and these questions are the essentials of international relations ; the fishermen being low people , whose complaints are always absurd . But Governor Cobden hits upon a bright expedient : when Wilkes comes , he is kept in the court of Government-house , and told that Cobden is " Not at home . " " Not at home ! " cries Wilkes , enraged ; " well , then , show me into a room , and I will wait for him . " " No ; Cobden is a great man , and you cannot enter his parlour without leave ; these ceremonies must be considered . " " Well , " cries Wilkes ,

    with an eye to practical considerations , " it is awfully cold , this early winter day , and it sleets cats and dogs ; you don't mean to keep me a quarter-of-an-hour in the sleet ? " "Oh ! no . You see those poor people in that shed ; you may stand up there . " Wilkes , however , thinks a wet skin not so bad as compromised dignity , so he waits a quarter-of-an-hour , goes away in a rage , and seizes an English ship . " Good gracious . ' " writes Cobden to his Sovereign : " what could he take offence atP I only sent out word that I

    was not at home—the custom of the country , you know . He positively complains that I kept him a quarter-of-an-hour in the rain : a pretty sort of complaint for a man ! But the fellow was drunk ; and having , like a thief , taken your Majesty ' s property , he had the brutality to kill some of your unoffending people who made a show of resisting . However , there is no fear that the Americans will go to war with us on

    these frivolous pretexts ; they must be satisiied now . But if they should , do not be under any fear , for I can make speeches at them till they are tired out . " Mr . James Buchanan is coming to England , and we have no doubt that if Mr . Cobden asks tho question , that excellent authority can tell him whether or not Commodore Wilkes would contontedly wait a quarter-of-anhour in wind and rain , while Mr . Cobden was

    being " Not at home . " As Mr . Cobden totally objects to the Lambert mode of treating Burmese , wo may infer tho course which ho would pursue . Had ho been tho Commissioner in lieu of tho Commodore , ho would , of course , havo treated tho complaints of British subjects as thoy dosoryed . Ho would have received thoBurmese excuses in allgoodfaith , and , of course , lie would not havo neglected ceremony . Quito alive to tho customs of tho country , ho would not havo gone in tho middle of tho day ,

    but perhaps at nino o'clock in tho morning ; ho would not havo ridden into tho governor ' s compound , cither on a horse or an elephant ; for thoro is a time for all things , and every true Burmese knows when to put an elephant between his logs , and when not to do so . Having won hia way into tho governor ' s presence on some appropriate animal , ho would perform tho Burmese equivalent of thoko-tou , which i . s not to bo confoundod with , to fadon , —n thing nob m Mr . Cobdon's province . Tho BurmeHO , however , do

    not , like tho Chinese , knock their foreheads against tho floor , and Mr . Cobdon , of course , would know bettor than to put »\»« h an ailronfc upon tho Burmese governor . Wo are not so versed in tho oeroinony an ho is , but , probably , some-honourable member will ask him , whether tho fitting observance in not to stand upon one log with the arms Hl . n » t « l » o ( l out lileo the wingH of ii soa gull , and three tinicH to touch . the outer corner of tho loft oyo with tho little too of the right

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 6, 1853, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_06081853/page/13/