Mr. Denby to Mr. Blaine .

No. 1037.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of my communication to the yamên of the 14th instant, a translation of the yamên’s reply of the 18th instant, and a copy of my communication to the yamên of the 24th instant, all relating to the claim of the Rev. Gilbert Reid for damages. It will be seen that I deny the statement that Mr. Reid was not assaulted and so injured. There is considerable force in the allegations of the yamên that a payment of damages might lead to riot and disturbance.

Damages, if paid at all, would, of course, be paid by the local authorities and ultimately by the people. Such action would lead to ill feeling, which would embarrass the missionaries in their work, and the evil results would not be compensated for by the small amount of money that in any event would be received by the Rev. Gilbert Reid. I have [Page 159] frequently expressed, in my dispatches, the opinion that Mr. Reid, having been officially notified that the deed to the lot in question would not be sealed by the authorities and the trade was off, was a trespasser in forcibly going upon the lot to take possession thereof, and does not occupy a position that the law would view favorably. It can not, in general, be expected that any government will pay damages to a person who is injured while he is doing an act that he has been forbidden to do. Besides, such a claim for money compensation on the part of a missionary tends to give the Chinese an erroneous idea of his sacred calling. In my last communication to the yamên I have endeavored to procure an order that the local authorities shall at least make some sort of an apology. The Department will recognize, without any extended comment from me, the difficulty of the minister here, in view of the new crusade that has overtaken China, to hold the balance even between the alleged rights of our missionary citizens and the Chinese. The whole question requires in the treatment conciliation, prudence, and sometimes firmness. In view of the extensive correspondence that has reached you on this subject, and the whole case being before you, I solicit some instructions as to how it shall be treated by me.

I have, etc.

Charles Denby.
[Inclosure 1 in No. 1037.]

Mr. Denby to the Tsung-li-yamên.

Your Highness and Your Excellencies: I have had the honor to receive Your Highness’s and Your Excellencies’ communications of the 1st of December, 1889, and 10th of January, 1890, having relation to the Chi-nan-fu property case, the contents of which I have duly perused. In your last communication, Your Highness and Your Excellencies made no reference to the claim presented by the Rev. Gilbert Reid, which I laid before you in my communication of the 23d of November last. I will thank Your Highness and Your Excellencies to be good enough to give me a definite answer as to whether it will be favorably entertained or not, so that I may be in a position to inform Mr. Reid. As to the original land question, I may say that I have already addressed my Government in reference to it, setting forth the circumstances. I beg to extend my thanks for the assistance that has been rendered by the local authorities at Chi-nan-fu in the matter of the land leased by Dr. Coltman.

I have, etc.,

Charles Denby.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 1037.—Translation.]

The Tsung-li-yamên to Mr. Denby.

Your Excellency: Upon the 14th instant we had the honor to receive a note from Your Excellency, wherein you stated that in reference to the claim presented by the Rev. Gilbert Reid, which Your Excellency laid before us in your communication of the 23d of November last, you would thank us to give you a definite answer as to whether it would be favorably considered or not, so that you may be in a position to inform Mr. Reid, etc.

In reply, we would observe that it appears that the Rev. Gilbert Reid in the night forced his way in the courtyard of Lin Mêng Kwei, which in the beginning was not right and proper. At the time the women and the girls pushed him and he fell, but he was not assaulted. Furthermore, his first wish or desire was that he only wanted the local authorities to assist him in hunting for another house or property. Afterwards, [Page 160] on account of our having found a house, he thereupon wishes, or has the intention, to claim indemnity for injuries, and he does not evade borrowing or assuming a cause or reason for his false and trumped-up claim, which is an unbecoming act. Now, the matter of leasing houses and land has already been satisfactorily arranged, and, if the question of indemnity is again brought up, there is certainly fear that if the people bear of it they may not be quiet, and the land now settled may be taken up and lead to other complications. Besides, Mr. Reid, in carrying on his evangelical work there, will also find it difficult to command the respect of the people. We therefore hope that Your Excellency will clearly show to Mr. Reid the right way to pursue and that he must not again bring up a nonadvantageous request.

Cards with compliments.

[Inclosure 3 in No. 1037 ]

Mr. Denby to the Tsung-li-yamên.

Your Highness and Your Excellencies: Upon the 18th instant I had the honor to receive from Your Highness and Your Excellencies a note in reply to my note of the 14th instant relating to the case of Rev. Gilbert Reid. You state that “at the time the women and the girls pushed him and he fell, but he was not assaulted.” I am not willing to allow this statement to pass without my protest and contradiction. From all the evidence before me, I am sure that there was a mob, composed of persons in the neighborhood, who had nothing to do with the house or its occupants. I am satisfied that Mr. Reid was injured by the mob by being stricken by some missile and by being thrown down on the ground. There are some other observations in the communication of Your Highness and Your Excellencies which are worthy of serious attention. I will refer them to my Government for its instructions. In this case, it seems to me that, in any event, some reparation should be made to Mr. Reid in the way of expression of regret by the local authorities for the insult and injury that he has suffered and by a proclamation to the people announcing that such rude and violent conduct as the mob was guilty of is disapproved, and the people should be warned against making any further attacks or insults against the missionaries. Being desirous, above all things, that peace and harmony should prevail between my fellow-citizens and the people by whom they are surrounded, I hope that Your Highness and Your Excellencies will see your way to comply with these suggestions.

I have, etc.,

Charles Denby.