[Inclosure.]
Mr. Seward to Mr.
Bradford.
Hong-Kong, February 2,
1876.
No. 4.]
Sir: I have learned that an engineer has
arrived from England to prosecute the construction of the railroad from
Shanghai to Woosung. It is altogether likely that the Chinese
authorities will object to the work and appeal to you to restrain any of
our countrymen who may be concerned in it. I think it well, under the
circumstances, to state to you my views as to the attitude which you
should assume.
The actual situation I understand to be this: The ground for the line has
been purchased and paid for. The termini are Shanghai and Woosung, which
latter town is ten miles below Shanghai, at the junction of the Whangpoo
and Yangtsze Rivers. A line of railroad over this route would serve the
convenience of foreigners in going to and from shipping detained at
Woosung by a lack of water on the bar. There is a considerable Chinese
population at Woosung who would assist in supporting it when opened. The
ground was bought ostensibly for a maloo, (or horse-road,) and I believe
that the authorities knew that rails would be laid down for a
tramway.
The leading motive of the promoters of the enterprise is a desire to
exhibit to the Chinese a railway in practical operation, and thus to
hasten the moment for a general introduction of railways into the
empire.
Every step taken thus far has been regular and defeasible, saving,
perhaps, that in a strictly moral point of view the ultimate object
should have been declared from the outset. That this would have defeated
the enterprise there can be no doubt.
I am free to say that I sympathize most keenly with the promoters. They
are striving to confer a benefit upon China. Their spirit is such that
they will be perfectly
[Page 44]
willing
to vary the plans to meet the views of the Chinese so far as these are
founded upon reason or even upon prejudices, which are strongly held,
and saving, always, demands to abandon the undertaking. They believe
they have a right to build a road over ground which they have bought and
paid for.
The promoters have been largely our countrymen. The corporation has
become British.
Under these circumstances our office at Shanghai may now properly
withdraw from the leading position which it has heretofore taken. Such
position would not indeed be expected under the circumstances, and might
be offensive to the British authorities.
But sympathizing with the purpose of the promoters as I do, and as I
believe our Government will, I advise you to co-operate with the British
consul and your colleagues generally in their efforts to secure the
peaceable establishment of the line.
The arguments which you can best use will be of an expostulatory sort.
You may say to the native authorities, why do you object to the
enterprise? It is undertaken for the general benefit. It can harm no
one. The procedure which has been pursued need not be considered a
precedent for the future. You can always interpose treaty stipulations
against the buying of lands toward interior points for other enterprises
of the sort. By what right do you attempt to interfere with the use of
lands acquired by foreigners? Why will you persist in a course which
will seem strange and inexplicable to the people of western countries?
Such and other considerations of the sort you can freely urge, and
always as a last resort say that if they desire to restrain the
enterprise the only practical course is to take legal action in the
British court.
There will be no wisdom in assuming more of right in the premises than we
can do with justice. I would avoid any declaration which would call in
question the sovereignty of the Emperor over the soil and the right of
his government to control works of a public nature. Eastern peoples are
sufficiently likely to consider us as aggressive in the pursuit of our
purposes and careless of their rights without our giving them actual
facts upon which to support such a belief.
I wish every success to your efforts and those of your colleagues, and
will do all I can to aid you within the lines I have laid down, and
subject, of course, to the views of the Government.
I have, &c.,
O. B. Bradford, Esq.,
United States Vice-Consul-General.
