Mr. Denby, chargé,
to Mr. Gresham.
Legation of the United States,
Peking, June 15, 1894.
(Received July 27, 1894.)
No. 1867.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith
copies of a note addressed by the Russian minister, dean of the
diplomatic body, to the Yamên, and of the Yamên’s reply, with reference
to antiforeign placards which have again appeared in the province of
Hu-pei.
Copies of these placards were forwarded by the consular corps at Hankow
to the diplomatic body at Peking, and a protest against them was placed
before the viceroy at Hankow.
These placards at present complained of differ from previous attacks on
foreigners in that they do not advocate their abuse and ill treatment
directly, but denounce and threaten vengeance on all Chinese who may
have relations with “the barbarians,” and particularly those who may
sell or lease them land. In a handbill posted up in the Sung-pu district
it is stated that “foreigners may, in accordance with the laws of
hospitality, be boarded and lodged, but any innkeeper who dares to keep
them more than a few days will, on discovery, have his house razed to
the ground and his land converted to the public use.”
It is also directed that foreigners’ books must not be bought, and that
those who buy them shall “be dealt with by the people.”
This handbill threatens with death anyone who sells land to foreigners.
It closes with the announcement, “If anyone in his greed for gain
permits a foreigner to build other houses, the headman is to inform us;
we will destroy them and thus prevent future calamities.”
The proclamations in the other localities are of the same character.
The people of Sung-pu and vicinity, frightened by the terrible calamities
which the official investigation of the murder of the Swedish
missionaries last year brought upon them, seem determined on a policy of
absolute nonintercourse with foreigners. They regard the presence of a
missionary or a chapel as a source from which at any moment great
disasters may arise, and there can be no doubt of the efficacy of their
preventive measures. These proclamations, however, tend directly to
excite active hostility to foreigners, andit is to be hoped that the
authorities will use vigorous means to suppress them.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
1867.]
Count Cassini
to the Tsung-li-Yamên.
Your Highness and Your Excellencies: I
learn that placards extremely hostile to foreigners, of which you
will find inclosed several specimens, have been again posted in
different localities of Hu-kuang, and noticeably at Sung-pu itself,
where last year two unfortunate Swedish missionaries were
traitorously massacred, and at Huang-chou.
In the presence of these facts and others, as that of the outrages of
which a Russian subject at Hankow, Mr. Daniloff, was recently the
victim, which prove once more that the hostility of the people along
the Yangtze toward peaceable foreigners has in no respect
diminished, the foreign representatives believe it to be their duty
to insist in the most energetic manner that the Tsung-li-Yamên give
the most severe
[Page 151]
orders to
the provincial authorities in order to prevent the recurrence of
events so sincerely to be regretted, and in order to assure to
foreigners the liberty and security which the treaties guarantee
them.
While recognizing that the Tsung-li-Yamên has, to a certain degree,
complied with the demands formulated by Colonel Denby in the name of
the diplomatic body in his letter of the 2d February last, in having
posted anew in certain localities along the Yangtze the important
imperial edict of the 13th June, 1891, if is greatly to be
regretted, firstly, that the Imperial Government has not given it
greater publicity, and, above all, that the Government has not
considered it its duty to have this edict preceded or followed by a
sentence with reference to what occurred at Sung-pu, and that this
edict has not, therefore, produced the effect which was to be
expected of it.
The foreign representatives accredited to Peking expect that your
imperial highness and your excellencies will not fail to take the
necessary steps in order that these placards, which they (?) have
had the audacity to post beside the imperial edict of 1891, be
removed, their authors punished, and that, finally, the most severe
oversight be exercised to put an end to this excitement of the
people against foreigners, which might lead to a recurrence of the
melancholy events of last year.
I am charged to make this communication in the name of my colleagues
of the diplomatic corps, and I seize this occasion to renew to your
imperial highness and your excellencies the assurances, etc.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
1867.]
The Tsung-li-Yamên to Count Cassini.
On the 28th day of the fourth moon of the twentieth year of Kuang Hsu
(1st June, 1894) we received from your excellency a dispatch under
cover of which you sent us two anonymous placards coming from
Ma-Ch’eng (department of Huang-chou), and in which you asked us to
give orders to the high authorities of the said province in order to
secure the exercise of such protection as the treaties provide.
This Yamên, having telegraphed to the province of Hupei that the
facts be ascertained and preventive measures taken, received from
the viceroy of Hu-kuang the following telegraphic reply:
In the matter of placards at Sung-pu and other localities in
the subprefecture of Ma-ch’eng, I had previously received
dispatches from several consuls at Hankow, and I have
already ordered the local authorities to actively search for
such placards and to forbid and to destroy them. The people
of Sung-pu, fearing that some affair similar to that of last
year might occur, have joined together and exercise
themselves supervision. This causes no harm to foreigners.
If one considers attentively the sentiments of the people at
this hour one can not fail to give secret and severe orders
of a preventive character, but one can not act with too
great precipitation lest disorder might ensue.
This Yamên has again ordered the local authorities to continue their
investigations, and in case placards are found they will prohibit
them; we also send a copy of your excellency’s dispatch to the
viceroy of Hu-kuang that he may reply in detail. We consider it also
our duty to address to your excellency this reply for your
information.
