Mr. Denby to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
Peking, January 26, 1891.
(Received March. 27.)
No. 1234.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that, in
accordance with the terms of my dispatch No. 1227, of the 8th instant, I had
an interview with the prince and three ministers of the foreign office the
21st instant. An exact report of this interview is inclosed herewith. The
next day two secretaries of the foreign office called on the interpreter of
this legation and left with him a memorandum of the etiquette to be observed
at the audience, of which a translation is inclosed herewith. It will be
seen that the verbal answers are identical with the memorandum furnished by
the foreign office. Yesterday I reported to a full meeting of my colleagues
all that had transpired. The diplomatic body unanimously decided that the
forms prescribed by the foreign office were not acceptable, and that an
effort should be made to induce the Emperor to change his decree of December
12 last in some particulars. What change should be made was not definitely
arrived at. The dean, who has now recovered his health, was directed to call
on the foreign office, and to present a paper setting forth the necessity of
a change of programme, and to ascertain whether proposals for any change
would be entertained. If he ascertains that the members of the yamên are
willing to modify the arrangements already made for an audience, then the
ministers will definitely present the modifications which may seem
desirable. In one particular it would seem beyond any doubt that there
should be a modification made.
Foreign ministers arriving here after the Chinese new year should not be
compelled to wait for an audience until the succeeding new year. A minister
might thus stay here nearly a year before being received. In the eighteen
years that have elapsed since the audience of 1873, China has established
diplomatic relations with the foreign powers and has had representatives in
the important countries. These representatives have been received in
audience and treated with the same respect and courtesy that are accorded to
the representatives of western powers. It seemed to the members of the
diplomatic body here that they should demand corresponding treatment at the
hands of the Chinese Government, and that they should not by their actions
now stop or prevent their successors from claiming an audience within a
reasonable time after their arrival. Russia, Spain, Belgium, and France are
now represented by charges d’affaires. Ministers for those countries will
probably arrive in the spring. They should not be precluded by our action
now from demanding an audience when they arrive. There were other points
incidentally discussed; but no decision was arrived at for the reason
stated, that we should first ascertain whether any changes would be
permitted. I will send a copy of the paper of the dean as soon as I receive
it. It is possible that, as the result of conflicting ideas between the
diplomatic body and the foreign office, some delay may occur in the time of
holding the audience. Possibly the foreign representatives may conclude to
await orders from their respective government as to whether an audience
should be accepted on the terms that may be insisted on by the yamén. In
that contingency it occurred to me that I ought to call your attention to
the fact that the letter of credence held by me bears date the 4th of June,
1885, and is signed by the then President of the United States, Hon. Grover
Cleveland.
If the audience had been fixed for an early day in February, I was prepared
to present this letter of credence on the theory that by leaving
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me in my present position it had
been affirmed and might be taken as the act of Hon. Benjamin Harrison, now
President of the United States. But, as it is somewhat likely that there may
be sufficient delay to allow a new letter of credence to be sent, I
concluded to wire you on the subject. I therefore sent you to-day a telegram
to the effect that you should affirm the letter of credence I have or send a
new one.
In monarchical countries it is customary for each monarch when he ascends the
throne to send a new letter of credence to his envoys. Such has not been the
rule in our country; but, as a letter of credence is a personal letter from
one head of a state to another, it would certainly be more satisfactory to a
foreign representative to present one from the actual head of the state to
the head of the government to which he is accredited, instead of one from
his predecessor, who might be dead or a private citizen, as in this
case.
You will readily appreciate the fact that I have great delicacy in presenting
the question at all, but personal feeling should not be allowed to stand in
the way of public duty. Should the audience be held before a new letter of
credence—if one be sent—reaches me, I shall be compelled to present the one
I hold. In that event I ask that my present letter of credence be
affirmed.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 1234.]
Memorandum of an interview had at the tsung-li yamén
January 21, 1891, at which were present on the part of the tsung-li
yamén Prince Ching and ministers Hsu Keng Shen, Sun-yi-wen, and
Chang Tin-huan and representing the representatives of the foreign
powers at Peking Charles Denby, accompanied by Fleming D. Cheshire
as interpreter.
At the beginning of this interview Col. Denby said that he had the honor
of being deputized by his colleagues to put to the prince and ministers
certain questions as to the ceremonial and mode of procedure likely to
be adopted touching the proposed audience of the foreign representatives
to be held by the Emperor of China and to ask certain information on the
subject. He stated that he was not directed to enter upon any discussion
of the matters involved, but simply to report to his colleagues such
answers as might be made to his questions, leaving to his colleagues
thereafter to take such action as they might see fit to take. He then
stated in their order the following questions:
(1) The foreign representatives are of the impression that the correct
reading of the imperial decree of the 12th of December last is that the
representatives of foreign powers who may arrive at Peking at any time
after the coming Chinese new year are to be received in audience by the
Emperor in a reasonable time after their arrival and shall not be
expected to wait to be received until the succeeding Chinese new year.
Did the prince and ministers put this construction on the decree, and,
if not, what is their view touching the question?
Answer. The prince, who generally spoke for the yamén, said that the
Emperor of China has a great deal of business to do; that his time was
very much taken up with official business, and that he could not spare
the time to receive in audience each minister as he arrived at Peking,
but that at the Chinese new year succeeding the arrival of any foreign
representative he would be received in audience; that if there were more
than one minister who had arrived since the last new year they would
each one be received at the succeeding new year in separate audience;
and that each one could then present his letter of credence.
(2) Col. Denby stated that he was directed to say to the prince and
ministers that some of the foreign representatives now at Peking are the
possessors of letters of credence from the heads of their governments,
which they were commissioned to present to the Emperor, and others are
not the possessors of such letters, being at present temporarily in
charge of their respective legations. The diplomatic body desires to
know what arrangement the prince and ministers propose to make as to the
ceremonial of receiving these two classes of foreign
representatives.
Answer. The prince said that the ministers would be received first and
could present their letters of credence and afterwards the chargéd
d’affaires would be received.
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The ceremony would be the same as to both classes, except as to the
presentation of letters of credence by the ministers.
(3) Col. Denby said, I am further directed to inquire whether the prince
and ministers consider that the proposed reception of the foreign
representatives by the Emperor is to be an audience or is to be a New
Year’s reception of the foreign representatives.
Answer. The prince said that it was to be in the nature of both an
audience and a New Year’s reception. Those representatives who had
letters of credence were to present them as at an audience. Those who
had no letters of credence were to be received as at a New Year’s
reception. Col. Denby then inquired whether the ministers who had been
received in audience were afterward to return to the presence of the
Emperor with the chargés d’affaires. The prince said no; the ministers
were to be received only once.
The prince here said, what he repeated several times, that the ceremony
was to be exactly the same as that adopted at the audience of 1873, in
the reign of Tung Chih.
(4) Col. Denby stated that he was further directed to inquire in what
hall the proposed audience was to be had.
Answer. The prince answered that the audience would be held in the same
hall as the one used for that purpose in 1873, the Tzü-Kuang-Ko. He
added that the hall so used was large and commodious.
(5) Col. Denby stated that the impression of the foreign representatives
was that on the occasion of the audience each of the foreign
representatives was to be attended by his respective staff, and to
inquire whether such was the understanding of the prince and ministers,
and, if not, what their views were on that subject.
Answer. The prince said that one interpreter should be present with the
minister in accordance with the audience of the twelfth year of Tung
Chih. The chargés were also to have an interpreter. The prince again
said that the forms to be observed were the same as in 1873, during the
reign of Tung Chih. He said that all the ministers had thoroughly
considered matters relating to the audience in 1873. Everything was to
be done in the same manner now, and it was not necessary to make any
changes. He further said that the Emperor had ordered an audience in
order that good will and friendly feeling might be increased between
foreign countries and China, and he hoped that the foreign ministers
would not make any trouble for the yamén.
In conclusion I inquired at what time it was likely that the audience
would be had. It was stated by several of the ministers that it would
not be until after the fifteenth day in the Chinese new year, perhaps
the 20th of the first month.
Before leaving I renewed the request that was made by his excellency Mr.
von Brandt, that no report should be made to His Majesty the Emperor as
to the details of the ceremonial until further communication was had
with the foreign representatives.
The prince said they would wait before doing anything until they heard
again from the foreign representatives.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 1234.]
Memorandum of the etiquette to he observed at the
audience to be held at the Tzü-Kuang-Ko to the foreign
representatives, the audience to be in like manner to the one had in
the twelfth year of Tung Chih, in obedience to the decree of His
Majesty the Emperor of China.
The forms have been reverently prepared as set forth below:
The foreign ministers will be accompanied by one interpreter. They will
alight from their chairs or horses at the Fu Hua gate and there be
received by the ministers of the tsung-li yamén, who will accompany them
first to the Shih Ying Kung, where they will rest for awhile.
The escorts (foreign) accompanying the foreign representatives will
remain in a tent outside the Fu Hua gate, where there will be persons to
attend to them. The retinue (Chinese) will also remain in the same
vicinity. Neither escort nor retinue will enter the Fu Hua gate.
As soon as His Majesty reaches the Tzü-Kuang-Ko the ministers of the
yamén will accompany the foreign representatives (ministers and chargés
d’affaires) and their interpreters to a marquee to the west of the
Tzü-Kuang-Ko, where they will wait for a short time until His Majesty
shall have entered the main hall. The ministers of the yamén will then
accompany the foreign ministers, chargés d’affaires, and interpreters up
the western flight of steps into the Tzü-Kuang-Ko by the western space.
The foreign representatives will stand in their proper order in front of
the yellow
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table. After their
speech or speeches they will respectfully lay their letters of credence
on the yellow table.
His Majesty the Emperor will reply, acknowledging that the letters have
been received and make some gracious remarks and put some kindly
questions. His Majesty’s remarks will be interpreted with solemn
reverence by the prince and ministers. When the audience is over the
foreign representatives will retire by the western flight of steps.
The foreign representatives, when they enter the hall, when they are
speaking or stating their names, as well as when questions are addressed
to them and replies made, and on retiring, will, in accordance with the
records of the audience of Tung Chih, make five bows.
The ministers of the yamén will accompany the foreign ministers and
chargés d’affaires to the Shih Ying Kung; there, the whole party being
reassembled, they will conduct them out of the Fu Hua gate.
The next day the yamén, in obedience to His Majesty’s decree, will
entertain the foreign representatives at a banquet.
