No. 163.
Mr. Angell
to Mr. Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
Peking, June 18, 1881.
(Received August 1.)
No. 173.]Sir: I am happy to announce that at my request the
Chinese Government has taken action which will furnish to Protestant Chinese
converts a relief from what they and our American missionaries have regarded
as a serious grievance. This action will not only afford much satisfaction
to our missionaries and to all our people, who are interested in the
missionary work in China, but will, I think, remove what has been to some
extent a cause of friction between the local officials and the missionaries
who wished, naturally enough, to shield their converts from a burden of
taxation imposed to sustain heathen ceremonies and amusements.
Throughout the empire, in all the towns and villages, from time to time the
people assemble at festivals where acts of heathen worship and public
amusement are ingeniously combined. Now a god is received with a stately
procession and placed upon his pedestal in a temple; now costly incense is
burned before him. Often theatrical performances form a part of the public
entertainment connected with the ceremonies at the temple. The funds to
defray the expenses of these festivals are often collected as a sort of tax
by officials. So long as all the attendants were of the faith of the
conductors of the festival, this mode of meeting the expenditure was
unobjectionable; but when some of the Chinese espoused Christianity, whether
under the instructions of the Roman Catholic or the Protestant missionaries,
they very properly desired to be exempted from contributing to the expense
of ceremonies which they believed to be sinful. Accordingly as long ago as
1862, the Roman Catholics directed the attention of the Chinese Government
to the matter, and, through the interposition of the French minister,
induced Prince Kung to issue an order, which afforded to Chinese converts to
the Roman Catholic faith the relief which they desired. Unhappily, perhaps,
a different Chinese term has been used in treaties to designate
Christianity, when the Roman Catholic faith is referred to, from that which
is used to express the idea when the Protestant faith is spoken of.
Therefore, although probably the Chinese Government was as willing to grant
to Chinese Protestants as to Chinese Roman Catholics the privilege secured
by the order of 1862, and although the Protestant converts have sometimes,
in dealing with local officials, successfully appealed to the order as
substantially protecting them; still there have been many cases in which
assessments for the heathen celebrations have been levied on the Protestant
converts. This has been regarded by them as a great hardship, and the
Protestant
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missionaries to whose
flocks they belonged have deeply sympathized with them, and have at times
remonstrated with the local officials who enforced the assessment.
In 1867, when it was thought that perhaps there might be a general revision
of the treaties of China with foreign powers, nearly all the American
missionaries then resident in China, wrote to Mr. Burlingame, earnestly
asking that in the revision this subject among others might be considered
and that if possible, immunity against forced contributions to heathen
celebrations be secured to Protestant converts.
My attention was attracted to the matter a few months ago. I was not certain
that under article XXIX of the treaty of 1858, we might not ask the Chinese
Government to relieve the Protestant converts from the exactions above
referred to. But it is so extremely delicate a matter to seem to interpose
ourselves in the least between Chinese subjects and their own government,
that in all my treatment of missionary questions I have felt that that
article was to be used only with the utmost caution in seeking the
protection of Chinese converts against Chinese officials. Furthermore, it
was so obviously just that the privileges extended to Roman Catholic
converts should be granted to Protestant converts, that I could not believe
the government would insist on making any distinction in its treatment of
them.
On careful reflection, therefore, I decided to avail myself of the first
favorable opportunity to speak with the Tsung-li Yamên on the subject.
Having occasion to visit the foreign office on some other business on the
31st ultimo, I broached the matter. The ministers at once expressed their
willingness to have an order issued, granting the wished-for protection to
Protestant converts. They requested me to communicate my desire in writing
and promised to give it early attention.
Accordingly, I addressed to Prince Kung the communication, a copy of which I
inclose. On the 12th instant I received his reply, which also I forward. It
is in every respect satisfactory.
I shall inform our consuls of this action of the government, that they may
make it known to our American missionaries.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 173.]
Mr. Angell to
Prince Kung.
I have before me a copy of a most just and generous order, which your
imperial highness issued in Tung Chih, 1st year, 1st moon (1862),
assuring to Chinese, who had espoused the Roman Catholic faith (the
religion of the Lord of Heaven) exemption from certain assessments for
idolatrous processions, etc., which they could not, consistently with
their religion, consent to pay. In this order you say very properly of
these people:
“They cannot, on the ground of being members of the church, expect to be
exempt from all contribution for public purposes. If labor were wanted
for government service or money to secure useful ends were to be levied,
Christian converts are liable, in the former case, to be impressed for
duty, and in the latter to be taxed in the same manner as other
men.”
You then add, however:
“But they are never to be compelled to give anything towards receiving
gods, idolatrous processions, theatrical performances, and incense
offerings, and the like, because in none of these are they interested.
If local authorities meet with subscriptions which have a mixed nature,
civil and religious, they must honestly and rightfully
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separate one from the other and not impose
them without judgment or discrimination. For instance were a fund to be
raised, four-tenths of which were for public objects and six-tenths for
useless (idolatrous) objects, the authorities must distinctly point out
that Christians are liable only for the four-tenths, and are not to be
compelled to pay the remaining six-tenths, the latter being for uses
which do not concern them.
“Again, should Christians, on account of their refusal to be assessed
their share towards these useless services, which are contrary to their
Christian principles, be ill treated or beaten or be plundered of their
property, or have their crops burnt or destroyed, the local authorities
must investigate the matter to the bottom in the sufferers’ behalf, and
rigidly punish the offenders according to law and order them to fully
compensate for what was plundered, burnt, or destroyed, and it must be
just and equal.”
I suppose this order has served to protect, the Chinese converts of the
Roman Catholic faith, but I have been informed by American missionaries
who hold the Protestant faith, that some of the Chinese converts to
their religion, who are good and loyal subjects, have been much annoyed
by demands for assessments for receiving gods, idolatrous processions,
theatrical performances, incense offerings, and the like. It is contrary
to the principles of their faith to contribute for such purposes.
I do not doubt that the government of His Imperial Majesty desires to
treat them with the same consideration which it has shown to the Roman
Catholic converts.
I venture therefore, respectfully, to ask whether your imperial highness
would not think it proper and just to secure by proclamation, or by
order to the provincial authorities, or in some other way, the same
protection in this matter to the Chinese converts to the Protestant
faith which has been accorded to the Roman Catholic converts. I am sure
that by so doing you would gladden the hearts of many of your countrymen
and give another proof of that spirit of justice which your imperial
highness has so long shown in treating the often delicate questions
raised by the work of foreign missionaries in China.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 173.]
Prince Kung to Mr.
Angell.
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s
communication of the 3d instant, as follows (here follows the text of
Mr. Angell’s No. 35 to Prince Kung).
In reply I beg to state that I have forwarded communications to the
generals, lieutenant-generals, governors-general, and governors of the
various provinces, and to the governors of the prefecture of Shuntien
and of Moukden, requesting them to instruct their subordinate officers
so that all may know that the decree issued by this office in the first
year of Tung Chih (1862), is to apply alike to Roman Catholic and
Protestant converts. I also forward a copy of the communication above
referred to for your excellency’s information.
[Inclosure.]
A communication from the Tsung-li Yamên.
In the 1st year of Tung Chih (1862), this office received a communication
from the French minister Pu (——), stating that the cause of disagreement
in the provinces between converts and non-converts was owing to the fact
that the local officers made no distinction in levying subscriptions for
receiving spirits, idolatrous processions, and such like expenditure to
which Christians should not properly be required to contribute; and he
requested this office to instruct the local officers to stop calling
upon Christians to subscribe for such purposes as the latter were averse
to doing so; on that representation, this office memorialized the Throne
and issued instructions to the provincial officers for their guidance.
We also caused copies of a decree to be printed which we sent to the
French minister, to be given to his missionaries and kept by them (for
reference), and, on the other hand, we sent around (to the provincial
officers) copies of the same decree. The above facts are on record.
On the 31st of May last, the American minister, Mr. Angell, came to this
office, and in conversation referred to the fact that the said decree
only mentioned Roman Catholics and made no reference to Protestant
converts; that the latter were well-disposed and law-abiding, but that
they did not enjoy the immunity (granted by the decree). He
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felt sensitive on this point.
Shortly after a dispatch was received from him, in which he says in
conclusion:
“I venture, therefore, to ask whether your imperial highness would not
think it proper and just to secure, by proclamation or by order to the
provincial authorities, or in some other way, the same protection in
this matter to the Chinese converts to the Protestant faith which has
been accorded to the Roman Catholics.”
This office finds that Roman Catholic converts have hitherto been
exempted from contributing to receiving spirits, idolatrous processions,
and such like ceremonies, but in the case of subscriptions for public
purposes, or government labor when wanted, or subscriptions to secure
useful ends, converts and non-converts are alike liable to be impressed
or taxed as the case requires. This is the rule which has been followed
in the provinces for some years.
Although there are points of dissimilarity in the Roman Catholic and
Protestant religions as practiced by the people, the government has the
same considerate regard for all, and its only hope is that converts and
non-converts may forever live on terms of peace. It has no intention to
make the least discrimination between Roman Catholics or
Protestants.
Having received Mr. Angell’s communication as stated above, we feel bound
to communicate with your excellencies the generals, lieutenant-generals,
governors-general, and governors in the various provinces, and hope you
will in turn instruct your subordinate officers so that all may know
that the decree issued by this office in the first year of Tung Chih, is
to apply alike to Roman Catholic and Protestant converts.
