Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1896 — Opium. [ARTICLE]

Opium.

The conflict known ns the “Opium War," by which the Chinese government was compelled to permit the entrance of foreign opium within its limits, began In 1840 and continued two years. The circumstances loading to it dated from the last century, wheu Warren Hastings, then Governor General of India, determined to find a market for the opium of the Ganges Valley. For many years It wns smuggled Into China, but the Emperors, discovering the evil it wus doing, took rigid measures to prevent this. From time to time, however, cargoes of opium found their way Inland, until in 1839 a special Commissioner was sent to Canton, where the British had a foothoftl, with orders to exterminate the business. He did so thoroughly, drove out the British merchants and destroyed $10,000,000 worth of opium then In stock. The British government took up the cause of the merchants, sent a fleet und military force from India, and In the war that followed the Chinese were worsted, were compelled to pay a large indemnity, to reimburse the owners of the opium destroyed, and to opeu certain ports to all English products, opium nmoug the rest.