The Treaty With China, its Provisions Explained - New York Tribune, Tuesday, August 28, 1868

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Treaty With China, its ProvisionsExplained, by Mark TwainThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.orgTitle: The Treaty With China, its Provisions Explained New York Tribune, Tuesday, August 28, 1868Author: Mark TwainRelease Date: July 4, 2010 [EBook #33077]Language: EnglishCharacter set encoding: ASCII*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TREATY WITH CHINA ***Produced by John Greenman, Martin Zehr, and David WidgerTHE TREATY WITH CHINAITS PROVISIONS EXPLAINEDBy Mark TwainNew York Tribune, Tuesday, August 28, 1868Every one has read the treaty which has just been concluded between the United States andChina. Everyone has read it, but in it there are expressions which not every one understands.There are clauses which seem vague, other clauses which seem almost unnecessary, and stillothers which bear the flavor of "surplusage," to speak in legal phrase. The most carefulreading of the document will leave these impressions—that is, unless one comprehends thepast and present condition of foreign intercourse with China—in which case it will be seen atonce that there is no word in the treaty without a meaning, and no clause in it but was dictatedby a present need or a wise policy looking to the future. It will ...