Mr. Denby to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
Peking, May 20, 1891.
(Received June 30.)
No. 1304.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of
a communication addressed this day by the diplomatic body to the foreign
office, touching riots in China wherein foreigners and their property are
injured. A committee of the foreign ministers will present this
communication in person. This action was chiefly caused by the riots which
occurred at Wuhu two or three days ago. I have only received telegraphic
accounts thereof, but it appears that the buildings of the Roman Catholics
were burnt, the English consulate was threatened, and some of the foreign
customs buildings were injured. Wuha is situated on the Yangtse, in the
province of Nganhui, halfway between Chingkiang and Kiukiang. It is a
thriving town of 78,000 inhabitants. It is in the consular district of the
consul at Chingkiang. The American Methodist Episcopal Church has a mission
about a mile and a half below Wuhu, situate on the bank of the river. The
missionaries there are Rev. J. Walley and wife and Dr. G. A. and Mrs.
Stuart. No harm has yet befallen this mission, but a telegram sent by the
British consul on the 16th instant stated that the rioters openly proclaimed
that the mission buildings would be destroyed on the 31st instant. I
immediately informed the foreign office of those threats, and stated that,
as the prince and ministers were now forewarned, there would surely be no
difficulty in protecting that mission, and I urgently demanded protection.
Grave fears are entertained in China that a pre-concerted plot has been
formed for a general uprising against foreigners at several of the ports.
There were indications of this scheme some weeks ago at Tien-Tsin, when
inflammatory placards were posted calling on the populace to rise and
destroy the foreigners and then to march on Peking and dethrone the present
dynasty. The 31st of this month was fixed for the day of the uprising. Some
of the men concerned in the posting of these placards were arrested, and one
was executed. Consul Jones entertains serious fears for the peace of
Chingkiang.
Taking the condition of China into account, it will be seen that the inclosed
paper is well warranted. It sets forth the frequent recurrence of outrages
on foreigners and asserts that, though indemnities have been paid, no
rioters have ever been punished, and it winds up with
[Page 394]
the distinct assertion that the foreign powers
will themselves take measures for the protection of foreigners if the
Chinese Government fails to do its duty. The original “gunboat” policy,
which has been practically abandoned, may be renewed with great vigor. As
there is no similarity between the form of government of China and our own
dual form of government, and as here all officials are appointed by the
Crown and are practically slaves of the Crown, the Imperial Government is
properly held responsible for the acts and defaults of its agents. I did
not, therefore, hesitate to join my colleagues in presenting the inclosed
paper. In this connection, I beg leave, with diffidence, to suggest that the
squadron on the Asiatic station should be increased. I thoroughly understand
that these questions are for the Navy Department, and not for the State
Department. Nevertheless, the minister in China is more or less charged with
the protection of American citizens in China, and he may be excused for
suggesting that the squadron in the east is entirely insufficient for the
duties it has to perform. The Asiatic station covers about 14,000 miles. To
protect American interests over this enormous space we have the Alliance, the Monocacy, and
the Palos. While I write telegraphic news comes that
the situation at Nganking and other places is critical. But the Imperial
Government is doing what it can to concentrate troops at the threatened
points. Every disposable gunboat of the foreign powers has been ordered to
the scene of the recent outrages, and there is reason to hope that the worst
is over. It does not appear that any foreigner has been injured, but the
buildings of the Catholics at Wuhu were entirely destroyed.
The yamên has answered my communication. It states that all possible efforts
will be made to protect the American mission.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure in No. 1304.]
The foreign
representatives to the tsung-li
yamên.
Your Highness: Most of the representatives of
the treaty powers accredited to His Majesty the Emperor of China have
had occasion during the past few years to remonstrate more or less
frequently with the tsung-li yamên against the remissness of the Chinese
Government in protecting the persons and property of their nationals
residing in China under the stipulations of treaties.
Incendiary placards, infamous publications, insults, and attacks upon
life and property have formed the subject of their remonstrances; in
some cases indemnities have been paid, in others proclamations issued,
but in not one single case has one of the culprits been punished, even
when hundreds had been engaged, in the outrages in broad daylight. When
complaints are lodged at the tsung-li yamên, your highness and your
excellencies either give the independence of the provincial authorities
as the reason for not interfering more energetically or refer to the
feeling of the population as the reason why the authorities could do
nothing to prevent outrages or punish the perpetrators thereof. The
result of such inaction on the part of the Chinese authorities has been,
as it could not be otherwise, an increase in the insolence and daring of
lawless individuals and in consequence in the number of outrages, which
have again culminated a few days ago in an organized attack by a mob
upon the foreigners living at the treaty port of Wuhu, the fourth
repetition of such an occurrence within a few years, not to count the
numerous attacks upon the persons and property of foreigners in the
interior.
Your highness and your excellencies will be certainly aware that when in
1868 Mr. Burlingame was sent by the Chinese Government to the
governments of the treaty powers, one of the objects of his mission was
to obtain from these latter the assurance that’ in future they would
abstain from holding the Chinese provincial and local authorities
directly responsible for outrages committed within their jurisdiction,
and from securing redress on the spot by the means at their disposal,
but that they would present their complaints and reclamations to the
Central Government,
[Page 395]
who, on
their part, would see justice done and wrongs redressed. The foreign
governments and their representatives have strictly adhered to the
promise then made, hut the results of the policy have not been such as
they had a right to expect; on the contrary, instead of executing their
part of the understanding, the Chinese Government, by not exercising
over the provincial and local officials that authority which they
undoubtedly possess, have succeeded in nullifying entirely the results
expected by the foreign governments from their compliance with Mr.
Burlingame’s request. To-day, and we regret to have to say for a number
of years past, the only result of the attitude assumed by the
governments at the demand of China has been to encourage the tsung-li
yamên in abstaining from efficacious action, thus rendering the
provincial and local authorities virtually independent of the Central
Government in all questions referring to foreign interests.
Your highness and your excellencies will understand that this state of
things can not continue any longer without seriously endangering the
friendly relations between the treaty powers and China. The former have
the right to expect that the Chinese Government will instruct and, when
necessary, force the provincial and local authorities to protect the
persons and property of foreigners in the treaty ports, as well as
inland, and that when outrages against them are committed the culprits
will be apprehended and punished. The undersigned must particularly
insist that this shall be done with the cases still pending in which no
redress has been obtained so far, and especially with the latest outrage
at Wuhu. They would regret very much if the continued inaction of the
tsung-li yamên should oblige them to report to their governments that
neither protection nor redress were obtainable at the hands of the
Central Government, and that they would have therefore to look to their
own means for protecting the persons and property of their nationals and
obtaining on the spot redress for injuries or insults inflicted on
them.
The undersigned avail themselves, etc.
