Xxx1v.] ON TRADERS AND MISSIONARIES IN OHINA. 847

the smuggler would only supersede the regular trader at the 1861.
ports? Even the stipulation for foreigners to be allowed to Zr. 5.
penetrate into the country by means of passports is, in my
opinion, a policy of very doubtful wisdom. Missionaries will
then, no doubt, avail themselves of the facility for travelling
in safety into the country. I have the most profound veneration
 for those, who, like St. Paul, preach the gospel at their
own risk, trusting for their safety solely to the purity of their
motives and the overruling protection of God. But itis
different when a missionary goes forth with all the force of a
powerful Government at his back ; in such a case he is likely
to do far more injury than service to the cause of Christianity.
The present war, so far as the French are concerned, arose out
of the alleged murder of a Roman Catholic priest in China;
and if missionaries are to travel through that country with
passports, it will, I fear, lead to as many wars as conversions,
There is another point to be considered. Our cruisers on
the coast of China are frequently capturing or destroying
junks, on the plea that they are pirates. There is a bad
practice of paying head-money for these pirates, taken or
destroyed. I think there is a wanton destruction of life sometimes
 committed without sufficient proof of the character of
the parties. In my opinion we ought not to undertake to
perform the duties of police on the coast, unless to protect
our own vessels, or at least those of European origin. In this
respect we ought to follow the example of United States
cruisers—watch over the security of national property, leave
the Chinese to protect their own shipping. The truth is,
our opium smugglers and our wars with the Government of
China, lead to a state of carelessness on the coast, and we
then step in to preserve the peace in Chinese waters, in
consequence of the impotence of the authorities to perform
the duties of police.”