Office of the Historian

Mr. Denby to Mr. Olney.

Legation of the United States,
Peking, September 9, 1895. (Received Oct. 21.)
No. 2343.

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that on the receipt of your telegram of the 4th instant, in which you direct me to organize a commission to go to Chengtu, I addressed to the Yamên a communication, of which a copy is inclosed. At the same time I notified the prince and ministers that I desired to call on them Saturday, the 7th instant, at 3 o’clock, and [Page 129] asked them to receive me. At that time I went to the Yamên. Weng T’ung-ho, Chang Yin-huan, Wang Feng-tsao were present.

I commenced the conversation by informing them that I was directed to organize an American commission to proceed to Chengtu to investigate the recent riots; that the commission would be composed of the consul at Tientsin, Commander Barber, naval attaché, and a missionary who was not yet named. I expressed the desire that a high official should be appointed to accompany the commission and sit with it, and that an escort should be furnished.

I stated that the commission would go overland from Tientsin. They asked why we wanted such a commission; said it was too late; would be of no use; that they had the facts; that the people would be alarmed; that Americans had been slightly injured; that England would ask for a commission; that they would do justice; that there was no precedent for such a commission; it would do no good; the missionaries could give me affidavits. Was it to increase the indemnity, or what was it for?

I answered all these queries. I said my Government wanted the facts; that twenty-five Americans had been hunted like rats; had been exposed to great danger; had had their houses burned down; had been compelled to fly, and that no doubt the health of several of them would be ruined for life; we wanted to know who did these things and who was responsible, and when the guilty parties were discovered we wanted them punished; that the commission would inflict no punishment itself, but leave that to China, demanding, however, a stringent punishment; that it was not too late to take the proof; that the French had had a commission sit in Chengtu, and we had the right to have one; that the sitting of the commission would tend to pacify the people; that they had agreed some months ago that there might be a joint English and American commission; that public sentiment in America and Europe was greatly excited; that the proposed measure, if China heartily cooperated, would quiet the excitement; that something must be done to stop riots; that China gave passports to foreigners guaranteeing protection; that an example must be made of the officials; that affidavits were not equivalent to proof taken by a commission; that my Government wanted positive proof on which to base its demands; that we had no idea about increasing the indemnity; our only object was to secure protection and make further riots impossible; that the Margary case was a precedent for the proposed commission and the Kutien investigation now going on was another; that it would be greatly to the interest of China to encourage in every way the commission, and to give it dignity and consideration.

* * * * * * *

I have, etc.,

Charles Denby
.
[Inclosure in No. 2343.]

Mr. Denby to the Tsung-li Yamên.

September 6, 1895.
No. 27.]

Your Highnesses and Your Excellencies: I have the honor to inform you that I have been ordered by my Government to organize immediately a commission, consisting of Mr. Sheridan P. Read, United States consul at Tientsin, a naval officer of the United States, and an American missionary, to proceed to Chengtu and there investigate the pauses and other masters connoted with the recent antiforeign riots in [Page 130] the province of Szechuan. I am also directed to ask your highnesses and your excellencies to appoint an official of suitable rank to accompany this commission and sit as a member thereof. It is my opinion that it is desirable that an official be sent from Peking. I am also directed to request you to furnish for this commission an ample escort and to direct the officials in Szechuan to afford it every facility for the discharge of its important duties.

I should be much pleased to have an early and full answer to the matters herein stated.