Mr. Conger to Mr.
Hay.
No. 511.]
Legation of the
United States,
Peking,
China, January 26, 1901.
Sir: I have the honor to report that on the 22d
instant the foreign ministers met and agreed upon the reply to be made to
the “memorandum” of the Chinese plenipotentiaries, which was transmitted to
them on the 24th instant. I inclose copy and translation. We followed the
lines suggested in my dispatch No. 506, and I believe that to hold these
matters undetermined will afford us a very effective weapon with which to
induce the Chinese Government to make an early compliance with our demands,
and to impel them to such action as will facilitate a favorable termination
of negotiations.
The question of punishment was taken up at this meeting and continued on the
24th, but early in the latter meeting the sad news of the death of the Queen
of England was received, and the meeting adjourned.
The British minister informed us on the 22d instant that his Government had
instructed him to insist upon the death penalty for all persons mentioned in
the decree of September 25, 1900, and for General Tung Fu-hsiang and
Governor Yü Hsien. The names of Prince I, Tsai Lien, and Tsai Ying were
mentioned in the decree, but none of us have any information concerning
them, and therefore it was not deemed wise to demand any additional
punishment for them. Prince I is already reported dead. The Russian,
Japanese, and Belgian ministers and I believe it impossible at present to
secure the death penalty for Prince Tuan, Duke Lan, or Tung Fu-hsiang, and
therefore opposed making such demands. It is to be hoped that the British
minister’s instructions may be modified so that we may very soon unanimously
agree upon the persons and punishments to be demanded. In connection with
the punishments it has been decided to demand some sort of posthumous honors
for the four proforeign members of the Tsungli Yamen, Hsü Ching-cheng, Hsü
Yung-i, Lien Yuan, and Yuan Chang, and Li Shan, President of the Board of
Revenue and Comptroller of the Imperial Household, who were summarily
executed a short time before the arrival of the relief expedition. I tried
to get Chang Yin-huan’s name included in this list.
I have, etc.
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
M. de Cologan to
the Chinese Plenipotentiaries.
Peking, January 24,
1901.
Your Highness and Your Excellency: In
acknowledgment of your dispatch of January 16, together with protocol
signed by you, and the Imperial decree of the 27th of December, ultimo,
under the seal of His Majesty, the foreign representatives have directed
me to address to you the following communication:
It is stipulated in the note to which your highness and your excellency
have affixed your signatures, and the clauses of which have been
accepted as a whole by His Majesty the Emperor, that “Until the Chinese
Government have complied with the above to the satisfaction of the
powers, the undersigned can hold out no expectation that the occupation
of Peking and the province of Chihli by the general forces can be
brought to a conclusion.” Your highness and your excellency seem to be
of the opinion that, in signing the note and transmitting the Imperial
decree, you have conformed sufficiently to the conditions which have
been imposed, and that you are now in position to formulate several
desiderata. Such is not the scope of the conditions which have been sent
to you.
[Page 70]
In order that the foreign representatives may hold that the Chinese
Government has conformed, to the satisfaction of the powers, to the
conditions imposed, acts are necessary, not mere formal acceptance. With
this in view the foreign representatives beg to call your special
attention to articles 2 and 10, respectively, which concern the
punishment of the guilty, the publication and posting of edicts intended
to repress and prevent disturbances against foreigners. You will very
shortly be requested, in pursuance of the desire which you have
yourselves expressed, to attend a meeting at which the demands of the
Governments on these points will be clearly defined.
As to the wishes expressed by your highness and your excellency with
reference to the military questions, the disposition of the foreign
representatives to consider them will depend on the good will which the
Chinese Government will manifest by their acts, its resolution to comply
with the conditions which have been agreed to by His Majesty the
Emperor.
I avail myself, etc.,
