I have accordingly addressed to the foreign office a communication, of which
I inclose a copy.
It will be seen that I strongly urge a full and final settlement of these
long-standing troubles.
[Inclosure in No. 1146.]
Mr. Denby to the
Tsung-li yamên.
Your Imperial Highness and Your Excellencies: I
am constrained by my high respect for the Government of China, as by the
orders of my own Government, to bring to your attention again the
troubles existing at Chi-nan-fu between the American missionaries
located there and the local officials. It is known to Your Highness and
Your Excellencies that the American missionaries several years ago
bought and paid for a small lot in Chi-nan-fu to be used for a
dispensary and other purposes connected with their charitable and
philanthropic work. They did this with the firm belief that their
conduct was authorized by the treaties and by the universal practice of
religious toleration which exists in China, under which the Roman
Catholic and Protestant missionaries are permanently located in all or
nearly all the nineteen provinces of this great Empire.
When they made the purchase of this city lot, they understood that no
objection to its acquisition would be made by the local authorities or
the people. The owner sold in good faith, and they bought in entire
innocence of doing anything contrary to the wishes either of the local
authorities or the people. But dreadful results have followed this
simple act. Mr. Reid, when he went to take possession of the lot, was
driven out by a mob and beaten and bruised and left insensible on the
ground.
From that day to this, more than 2 years ago, no redress has been
tendered to Mr. Reid, no apology has been made to him, no indemnity has
been offered to him. His case has been simply ignored and passed
over.
I am now informed of the horrible sequel to these events which has
befallen the innocent landlord. The mission writes to me that “the
landlord, though guilty of no crime, has been repeatedly imprisoned,
beaten, and starved, and lately there was extorted from him $250, with a
peremptory order that he speedily collect an additional $350. A few
weeks ago he was taken out of prison in a weakened condition and after a
day or two of further suffering died at his home, his death being
largely due to his sufferings in the yamên.”
This is horrible, and I am stirred with wonder that such things should
happen under the mild and paternal Government of China. I can understand
that sudden mobs will sometimes do violent acts in a country so densely
populated as China, but I can not understand how local officials worthy
of their places can lend themselves to such wanton cruelty and
oppression.
I am aware that a valuable tract of land outside of the city walls has,
with the consent of the local officials, passed over to the American
mission. For this kindness I am truly grateful. But the missionaries
represent that for the proper prosecution of their work they require a
small city lot, either in the city proper or in the suburbs. My
Government has distinctly and specifically, on representation of the
facts by myself and the mission, directed me to aid and assist the
missionaries in all proper modes to secure peaceable possession of a lot
in exchange for the lot already bought.
The American mission are entirely willing to arrange all their
difficulties amicably with the local authorities. They distinctly agree
to forego all claim to the original lot and to accept at the hands of
the local authorities another suitable lot in a different
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locality in lieu thereof. They
insist, however, that this exchange of property shall he made with the
full knowledge of all concerned, with the distinct pledge that their
possession of the new lot shall be peaceable, and that, should for any
reason disorder grow out of their taking possession of it, they shall be
fully and entirely protected by the local authorities.
I regard it as important, also, in order to secure future protection of
the missionaries, that some notice should be taken of the wrongs and
injuries done to Mr. Reid by the mob and some compensation tendered to
him. I have to ask that some punishment should be meted out to the
ringleaders of the mob which assaulted him, and that redress of some
kind be afforded to Mr. Reid.
It would seem to me to be the easiest thing in the world for Your
Highness and Your Excellencies to direct the local authorities to come
to a fair and equitable agreement by which the American mission may
secure another and different small lot in Chi-nan-fu or its suburbs, to
be used for the public purposes of the mission.
There can be no difficulty in making a public example of the ringleaders
of the riot in which Mr. Reid was injured and in tendering to him some
redress for his personal injuries.
What he wants and what the mission wants is to secure their present and
future safety in Chi-nan-fu, to reëstablish their destroyed prestige,
and to enable the members of their mission to retain their self-respect,
so that they can hereafter, as heretofore, boldly and efficiently devote
themselves to their charitable and philanthropic work.
What a grand thing it would be for Your Highness and Your Excellencies if
we could settle this ancient trouble. What a fine effect it would have
on all the foreigners in China and among the nations of the world, and
particularly in my own country.
I most earnestly beg that Your Highness and Your Excellencies will
hearken to these words and will order an immediate settlement to be made
on the lines indicated.
