The Officials Even Showed An Inclination To Follow
Their Example, When They Learned That Taoukwang Refused To Listen To Any
Conclusive Peace, And That His Policy Was Still One Of Expelling The
Foreigners.
To carry out his views, the emperor sent a new commission of
three members to Canton, and it was
Their studious avoidance of all
communication with the English authorities that again aroused suspicion as
to the Chinese not being sincere in their assent to the convention which
had saved Canton from an English occupation. Taoukwang was ignorant of the
success of his enemy, and his commissioners, sent to achieve what Lin and
Keshen had failed to do, were fully resolved not to recognize the position
which the English had obtained by force of arms, or to admit that it was
likely to prove enduring. This confidence was increased by the continuous
arrival of fresh troops, until at last there were 50,000 men in the
neighborhood of Canton, and all seemed ready to tempt the fortune of war
again, and to make another effort to expel the hated foreigner. The
measure of Taoukwang's animosity may be taken by his threatening to punish
with death any one who suggested making peace with the barbarians.
[Illustration: CANTON - THE FLOWER PAGODA]
While the merchants were actively engaged in their commercial operations,
and the English officers in conducting negotiations with a functionary who
had no authority, and who was only put forward to amuse them, the Chinese
were busily employed in completing their warlike preparations, which at
the same time they kept as secret as possible, in the hope of taking the
English by surprise.
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Page 374 of 704
Words from 101521 to 101794
of 191255
