No. 150.
Mr. Angell
to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of
the United States,
Peking, February 9, 1881.
(Received April 14.)
No. 109.]
Sir: I have to announce to you that his excellency
Shen Kuei-fen, assistant grand secretary of state, president of the board of
war, and, after Prince Kung, the leading member of the foreign office, died
after a brief illness, on January 29. I inclose the Imperial decree, a copy
of which was communicated to me by Prince Kung, which sets forth his merits
and shows the esteem in which he was held by the government, and a copy of
my response. He belonged to the party which is least unfriendly to
foreigners and to foreign ideas, though he was too cautious or too timid to
be very demonstrative.
He brought a most amiable temper to all negotiations, but, when occasion
required, was master of those “arts of delay” which characterize Chinese
diplomacy.
In the negotiation of the recent treaties with the commission plenipotentiary
the deceased minister took a much more active part than the Chinese
commissioners who were especially appointed. It seemed to be largely due to
his desire to expedite the work that we were able to complete it in so short
a time.
It will be fortunate for China and for foreign powers if a man as well
disposed to foreign nations succeeds to Shen Kuei-fen’s position of
influence in the Tsung-li Yamên.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 109.]
Prince Rung to Mr.
Angell.
Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith makes
a communication.
Upon the 1st instant I was honored by the receipt of an edict from His
Imperial Majesty, in terms as follows: “Shen Kuei-fen, late assistant
grand secretary of state and president of the board of war, a man of
pure heart, cautious in his disposition, a loyal statesman, of sedulous
habits, tried ability, an upright nature, respectful and attentive to
his duties, commenced his career as a Han Lin
(member of the Imperial Academy) and gradually rose to the distinction
of subdirector of one of the lower courts. He was then made one of the
high provincial officers. In the reign of our predecessor, Tung Chin, he
was chosen to be one of the counselors in the grand council and was
subsequently made president of one of the boards. After our accession to
the throne, relying greatly on his integrity and ability, we raised him
to the rank of assistant grand secretary of state. In the management of
all state affairs he always exerted himself with his whole mind and
strength, and when wearied and exhausted did not seek to be excused.
Recently, because he had met with a slight ailment we granted him leave
to nurse his health, but the unexpected intelligence of his death which
has now reached Us, has smitten Us with profound grief. Let there be
given him a “To Lo Ching-pei”.* Let the
Bei Le (prince of the third rank) Tsai Yi conduct ten officers of the
Imperial guard and forthwith proceed to his house to offer a libation;
and as an addition of Our favor, let there be conferred upon him the
posthumous title of ‘grand tutor of the heir apparent,’ and let the same
honors be done to his memory as if he were a grand secretary of state.
Let his tablet be placed in the Hsien Liang-tsz.† Let all
his shortcomings during his official career be blotted out and
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forgotten. Let a grant of
2,000 taels from the Imperial treasury be made towards defraying his
funeral expenses. Let the proper Yamên study the regulations for
honoring the dead and memorialize as to what is due to his memory, and
when the deceased officer’s body is being conveyed to his birthplace,
let the authorities on the road do what the circumstances may require.
Let the decree of Chii fen (provincial graduate)
be bestowed upon his son, Shen-men-t’ao, and let him be accorded the
same privilege of competing at the metropolitan examinations which
belongs to that class of students. Let his grandson, Shen hsi kuei, born
with hereditary distinction of the first rank, be granted the position
of senior secretary of a board.
“The foregoing edict is made known as a proof of the high estimation in
which the deceased officer’s virtues and abilities were held by Us.
“Respect this!”
It becomes my duty to transmit a copy of this edict for the information
of your excellency.
Peking, February 7, 1881.
His Excellency James B. Angell, &c., &c., &c.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 109.]
Mr. Angell to
Prince Kung.
Your Imperial Highness: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt this morning, of Your Imperial Highness’s
communication of the 7th instant, inclosing an edict from His Imperial
Majesty concerning the death of his excellency Shen Kuei-fen, assistant
grand secretary of state, and president of the board of war.
I desire to express to you, my high appreciation of his signal merits and
my sincere Borrow at his decease. In my brief acquaintance with him, I
was much impressed with his ready grasp of all subjects brought before
him, his perfect mastery of details, his singularly retentive memory,
and the courteous and amiable spirit which he evinced in the most
earnest discussions. The empire may well mourn the loss, while in the
full vigor of his intellectual strength, of one who has performed so
many eminent public services, who was so wise a counselor to His
Imperial Majesty, and who was so esteemed by all the representatives of
foreign powers.
I shall communicate the edict of His Imperial Majesty to my government,
who will, with deep regret, receive the sad tidings of the decease of
the distinguished statesman, whose name has become so well known to
them.
I have, &c.,
