THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1888.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9150, 4 September 1888, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1888.

j To the rumours in England that China purposes invading Australia in 1891 nobody will attach much importance, indeed the transmission of such an item by cable will generally be food for banter. It is probably but the echo of the rumours that were in circulation in the colony a few months ago in connection with the official circular received ' by the Chinese community from the Governor or some other Chinese authority in Canton. The import of that I circular — which was said to have warned the subjects of the Chinese Empire to cease importing, and to prepare to return to the Flowery Land | in a couple of years—has not yet been satisfactorily explained, but it appears to have been in some way indicative of official displeasure at the treatment which had been accorded the Chinese in Australia, and more particularly those whose entrance into Australia had been unexpectedly and summarily stopped. But we have now a much more significant indication of the irritation in high official circles in relation to the foreigner, in the refusal of the Imperial Court of China to ratify the treaty recently negotiated by the American Government for the exclusion of Chinese from the United States. We have very little hesitation in connecting that refusal with the blustering and illegal conduct of the Government of New South Wales, as well as the less offensive, but still illegal and unjustifiable, conduct of some of the other colonies. That the Court of China has, so to say, " got its back up" over these indignities is extremely likely ; and, looking at the matter in a fair light, it is not at all unjustified. Driven by the mob, and in a craven fear of its power at the hustings, the rulers of the people on the other side of the water perpetrated a deliberate and acknowledged breach of the law ; and, worse than this, in disregard of the obligations of amity existing between the British Empire, of which Australia is a part, and China, they offered an insult to China, which, if it had been done to France or Germany, would have been instantly followed by a demand for the punishment of the offenders, or a declaration of war. In ignorance or forgetfulness of the vast stride which China has taken within the last decade or two, towards the comity of nations, this insult was given as it might have been given to Zanzibar or Madagascar ; and the Court of China, fully conscious of the coming strength of the empire, as well as what is due from one to another among the Great Powers of the world, has evidently determined to stand on its dignity, and not improbably to bide its time. Of course, to the swaggering hoodlumism of Australia that is nothing at

all; and feeling safe for the time under the sheltering wing of England, it will listen to no nonsense from anyone. That insolent disregard of other people s rights and feelings was unhappily too much characteristic of British policy in days passed away ; but no one car; fail to see that the recognition of others' rights is now as manifest in British international relations as it is in the relations of one member of the community with another. None but the larrikin claims now to be above law and to set the courtesies of social life at defiance; and the aspiring nationality which has signalised its start in life by the insolent disregard of international usages and courtesies and rights, shows that it is yet in its callow state. If the conduct of the Australian Governments had only served to present the colonies in an undeveloped stage of national existence, no great evil would have been done, but it is evident that they have, if not created, at least aggravated, a real difficulty with China, the consequences of which have to be borne by others as well as themselves. It is possible that the American treaty might not have been ratified even had Australia not indulged in braggadocio, though the chances are the other way , but one thing now seems very certain, that England will not be able to negotiate such a treaty as has just been refused to the United States, and which the Australian colonies after they had receded from their bluster, expressed a desire to obtain. We venture to think that China will consent to no arrangement now which will not place the Chinese on a perfectly equal footing with all other foreigners in respect of admission into, and residence in, the Australian colonies ; and that the refusal of England to conclude such an arrangement will be followed by the exclusion of English subjects from China, or in default of this a condition of war, not actual, but in suspense. Of course, to a certain class of mind that is of no importance, and the interests of Australia are to be maintained, cost what it may. That this is a position into which the colonies ought to drag England in view of possible contingencies in the nob very distant future, most sensible colonists will very seriously doubt. That England, face to face with such a possibility, will attach so much importance to the humouring of Australia, as in the past, is even much more susceptible of doubt. The singular deference and consideration which the Government of England, indeed the whole of the people of England, have shown to colonial wishes for some years past, have produced a sort of feeling that we can command the attention of the English Government to our wishes by covert or overt hints of separation. There is no doubt that the severance of the colonies would be an injury to England, but that injury would be an infinitesimal one compared with the injury it would be to us. The absolute separation of Australia from England would be its immediate absorption —or partition—by France, Germany, or possibly China itself. The indifference of European nations to the South Seas, which thirty or forty years ago made colonists sometimes talk glibly of " cutting the painter," is a thing of the past; nor did people then ever dream of China having powerful fleets, and a swarming population turning longing eyes to these shores. The British connection is to us now a matter absolutely of life or death, and that connection we should cherish with a solicitude as for our very existence as a free selfgoverning people. No doubt a hundred years after this it will be different, but at the present time, and for a generation to come, these colonies if put to it must make any sacrifice demanded sooner than isolation from the British Empire. Colonists should bear this in mind when they are inclined to say that they must have this and they must have that. The British people and British Government have 110 desire to let the colonies go ; but we should not overlook the fact that the threat of separation, covert or overt, has ceased to have any value, save for the mouthings of certain gushing people and newspapers in England who are frequently saying that the colonies must not be tempted to think of separation. The colonies durst not think of separation ; and if in the exigencies of international difficulties England said to Australia that half of the continent must be given up to China, or the bond that united the colonies to England must be severed, there is not a Government in Australasia but would say give it up to China, but let us remain under the shelter of the British connection. This is a truth that will by-and-by reveal itself to British eyes ; a>nd the time is coming when the threat of " throwing off the painter " will be used to bring the colonies to their knees whenever they are exhibiting any symptoms of being fractious. In these circumstances we may prepare ourselves for the consequences we have created by the bumptiousness of Australia in dealing with China and the Chinese; and though, so long as England is pleased to throw around our shores the protection of her power, we can afford to smile at the threats of a visit from the now powerful fleet of China, no one is foolish enough to think it would be an idle threat in the event of the " painter " being slipped. And should it come to pass that difficulties supervene in relation to China, we do not hesitate to say that Ave may anticipate that England will put her foot very firmly down when addressing herself to the colonies, |