Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress December 2, 1895, Part I
Mr. Denby to Mr. Olney.
Peking, October 23, 1895. (Received Dec. 5.)
Sir: I have the honor to inclose as matter of information a copy of a report made by R. W. Mansfield, Her Britannic Majesty’s consul at Foochow, “on the conduct of the Chinese authorities of Fuhkien in connection with the massacre of Huashan in the Kutien district on August 1, 1895, by which eleven British subjects lost their lives and others were wounded.
This copy was kindly furnished me by Her Britannic Majesty’s minister.
I deem it best to await a report from Mr. Hixson before making any remarks on the subject-matter thereof.
I have, etc.,
Report on the conduct of the Chinese authorities of Fuhkien in connection with the massacre of Huashan in the Kutien district on August 1, 1895, by which eleven British subjects lost their lives and others were wounded.
A careful examination shows that the massacre was deliberately planned a few days beforehand by six of the more influential of a sect known as the “Vegetarians” (Ts’ai Hui) at a mountain fastness called K’un-shan-chi, some 15 or 20 miles from Huashan. As a detailed report of the facts relating to this sect is being prepared, it will suffice here to touch lightly on the antecedents in so far as they throw into relief the deplorable weakness and duplicity of the local authorities, which were the indirect cause of the massacre. It appears that this sect, though it has long existed in Kiangsi and elsewhere, only obtained a footing in this district of Kutien some five or six years ago. Up to last year (1894) it did not apparently make itself conspicuous in any way, but then began an active propoganda, and its numbers swelled to several thousand members. It was in that year, during the gerance of the district magistrate, Wang Yu-yang, that the power of the sect began to make itself felt by a number of lawless acts, such as ravaging crops, robbing houses, etc. Over one hundred cases of the kind were reported to the magistrate, but this official, instead of dealing energetically with them, not only allowed matters to take their course, but concealed from the higher authorities that his power was gone, dreading no doubt that blame would attach to himself if the high authorities became aware of the facts.
In some of the cases converts had suffered, and orders at my instance were repeatedly sent to the magistrate from Foochow to inquire into them. Nothing, however, was done, and finding that the case was not one of religious persecution I did not press it further.
In December last the magistrate had been induced by his confidential clerk, Chiang, to arrest and convey to his Yamên four of the Vegetarians who had been using seditious language. He administered 400 blows to each of these men and put them in prison. Five days later over 100 members of the sect arrived and demanded the release of the prisoners. The magistrate, afraid to resist, entered into negotiations in which the district police master, Li Chi-tseng, and a graduate named Lau, the legal adviser of the Vegetarians, acted as middlemen. The result was that the confidential clerk or head runner, Chiang, above mentioned, was punished for his activity with 400 blows administered in public, and was dismissed, and the four prisoners were sent back to their homes in chairs with colored hangings!
After this act of signal weakness, all respect for the magistrate of course disappeared, and the Vegetarians had everything practically their own way. The Foochow authorities were informed by me of what had occurred, and I believe called for a report; but the magistrate undoubtedly concealed the humiliation to which he had been subjected and the growing power of the sect.
In March last it was reported in the city of Kutien that a large force of Vegetarians were going to attack it, and the officials and gentry had the gates walled up. This state of siege lasted four days and, I have reason to believe, only terminated by further concessions on the part of the magistrate to the demands of the Vegetarians. On the report of the Rev. R. Stewart, I brought the matter to the notice of the Chinese authorities, and on the 1st of April last wrote strongly urging the viceroy to send troops, as the Vegetarians were a standing menace, not so much to the missionaries as to the Chinese Government. The viceroy, Tan Chung-lin, replied a fortnight later that he had sent a Wei Yuan to inquire into the truth of the matter, and that the Wei Yuan had returned and reported that all was quiet. I have since ascertained that this Wei Yuan was one Hi (given name unknown), a man who had been magistrate of the Kien-yang district, and who had behaved extremely badly in a recent case at his district city, when a house was burnt and filth thrown over a British missionary. He only stayed one day at Kutien. The viceroy seems, however, to have been aware of the weakness and inefficiency of the Kutien magistrate, Wang Yu-yang, for he was removed from his post, and another man, Wang Ju-lin, appointed instead, about the 2d of May last. No soldiers were, however, sent, and the new magistrate appears to have continued the weak and vacillating policy of his predecessor.
In July a murder was committed by Vegetarians at a village called Cho-yang, some 26 miles from Kutien City, and when the runners arrived to make arrests they were prevented from doing so by the other members of the sect. This was, it appears, reported to the new viceroy, Pien Pao-chüan, who only arrived at Foochow in May last. He sent up a Wei Yuan, Ho Ting, with 200 soldiers under the command of Colonel Tang to the assistance of the magistrate, but these officials were afraid to attempt the arrest of the murderers with what they considered an inadequate force. Two days before the massacre it was reported to the magistrate that the [Page 165] Vegetarians contemplated at attack on the chapel at Auchang village, and he was vainly begged to send soldiers. Had he done so the massacre might probably have been averted, for Auchang lies directly on the road between the mountain fastness K’unshanchi and Huashan, and in the line of march of the assassins and close to the former place. As a consequence of the above-mentioned Chinese murder case the magistrate, Wang Ju-lin, was superseded, but his successor, the present magistrate, I Chien, did not arrive here until four days after the massacre. I may add that when the magistrate, Wang, was asked by Dr. Gregory for an escort to take him to the relief of the wounded he made considerable difficulty about giving it, and it was only under pressure from the the Deputy Ho that he granted it. His own conduct at Huashan on the evening after the massacre was that of a man who had completely lost his head. He said to Dr. Gregory, “This is all the fault of the Foochow authorities. I never asked for soldiers, and what was the good of sending me 200 when the Vegetarians are in thousands.”
From the above brief account the following facts are apparent:
That the viceroy, T’an Chung-lin, now at Canton, was much to blame in not taking proper measures to ascertain the truth as to what was going on in the Kutien district under his jurisdiction and in refusing to send troops to Kutien when such action would have easily checked the power of the Vegetarians. He was informed by me of the actual state of things, and contented himself with sending an incompetent and notoriously antiforeign deputy, who only remained one night on the spot.
That the newly arrived viceroy, Pien Pao-chüan, failed to appreciate the gravity of the case, and sent an insufficient force to the aid of the magistrate. He had, however, been in ill health since his arrival, and had probably been willfully kept in the dark by his subordinates. His action in sending 200 soldiers, though it appears to have been the exciting cause of the planning of the massacre, was probably well meant, and had the soldiers been boldly used they might probably have been able to do much pending the arrival of reenforcements. Such use was not made of them owing to the cowardice of the magistrate. This viceroy’s action since the massacre has been vigorous and effective, though exception might be taken to the tone of his replies to some of the consul’s dispatches.
That the district magistrate, Wang Yü-yang, displayed a weakness and incompetency which proved him absolutely unfitted for any official position, and his duplicity in concealing as far as possible from his superiors what was taking place in his district can not be too strongly blamed.
That the district magistrate, Wang Ju-lin, who succeeded the above officer continued the feeble and cowardly policy of his predecessor. He found the district on his arrival in a most critical state, and he had every opportunity to report it, as the blame rested with his predecessor. Even with the force of 200 soldiers sent him by the viceroy he could with a little courage and determination have done much. In my opinion he, too, is unfit for the public service.
That the viceroy’s deputy, Ho Ting, was not a strong enough man for the task intrusted to him. His conduct has, however, its redeeming points, and it is believed that he did his best to obtain at Foochow a stronger force.
That the district police master, Hi Chi-tseng, is highly to blame and deserving of severe punishment. Though not a Vegetarian himself, he is openly declared to have favored them, and was intimately acquainted with Liu Yinclim, one of the worst of the Huashan murderers. He took a prominent part in the disgraceful capitulation of the magistrate in the matter of the four arrests above described. He has been many years in Kutien, and had full cognizance of all that happened.
As regards the conduct of the officials here since the massacre I will add a few remarks:
The prefect, Ch’in Ping-chih, arrived here five days after the massacre. He appears to have acted promptly, and by the time I arrived on the scene, on the 16th of August, he had already effected a number of arrests, including the most important criminal. His refusal to allow the consuls to attend the preliminary examinations was not an absolute one, but merely a statement that he must telegraph to the viceroy for instructions before permitting it. To do him justice, he has since met all our demands with courtesy and attention, and I have no reason to complain of him, except in that I have observed a tendency on his part to make out that the Huashan massacre was the outcome of a feud between the Vegetarians on the one part and the missionaries and converts on the other. This is not borne out by the evidence. There can be no doubt that the movement was purely political, though doubtless the extirpation of foreigners formed a part of the eventual programme.
The magistrate, I Chien, who arrived on the 5th of August, the same day as the prefect, has shown himself an able and energetic official. In his capacity as presiding magistrate he has fulfilled his duties admirably, without undue severity, and with shrewdness and discrimination. I have, however, to complain of an animus on his part against the native Christians, whom he mentioned in a proclamation to the Lieu-chia, or home guards, along with the Vegetarians as persons who were to be [Page 166] admitted into the guard, but of whom a list was to be kept and furnished to the magistracy.
This proclamation has been withdrawn and another substituted, omitting mention of the Christians altogether; but the incident shows that without severe warning he is not to be trusted to deal impartially with cases where converts are concerned.
I have now, I think, reported on the conduct of all the officials who are in any way connected with the circumstances which led to the Huashan massacre and with later proceedings. It is probably unnecessary to add that of any complicity with the murderers I hold them entirely innocent.
There is one remark I should like to make, and that is that the general system which removes or degrades a magistrate for any outbreak or crime which may occur in his district without taking into consideration the circumstances of the individual case, which may have been beyond his control, is answerable for the manner in which magistrates endeavor to conceal and hush up such outbreaks and crimes when free speaking would easily avert future danger.
Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul.