Mr. Conger to
Mr. Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Pekin, China, October 4, 1900.
No. 423.]
Sir: I have the honor to confirm Department
telegrams of September 22 and 29, and mine of October 1, 3, and
4.1 I also
inclose copy of Imperial decree mentioned in my telegram of the 3d
instant, and which has to-day been received by the dean of the
diplomatic corps from Prince Ching. The punishments so far named are
grossly inadequate. Titles of nobility can easily be restored, and
it is not uncommon for a Chinese officer to be degraded and soon
thereafter to be reinstated or promoted to a higher place. Governor
Yü Hsien and General Tung Fu-hsiang, who, with the exception of
Prince Tuan, were the worst of all, are not mentioned in the
decree.
The question of punishment is most important, but, in my judgment, it
may well be left until after preliminary negotiations are begun.
The arrival of Li Hung-chang is still awaited. More German troops are
arriving, while American and Japanese are being withdrawn. [Page 212] The foreign ministers all
seem to be waiting definite instructions, so no apparent progress is
being made. However, I shall do whatever I properly may to
facilitate the preliminary negotiations.
I have the honor to be, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
Translation of an Imperial decree issued by
the Emperor at Tai-yuen Fu, Shansi.
On the 25th of September the grand secretariat received a decree
as follows: The trouble at the present time which broke out
between China and foreign countries is a revolutionary movement
quite out of the ordinary, and has been the cause of bringing
calamity upon us. This was not in accordance with our wish, and
it is all due to the princes and ministers of state having
participated in and protected the Boxer banditti movement, thus
embroiling us in trouble with friendly nations, causing injury
to our State and our removing from the capital.
We certainly can not but acknowledge that we are at fault and
reprove ourselves. The princes and ministers having without
cause stirred up the present trouble, it is urgently necessary
that they should have meted out to them various degrees of
severe form of punishment.
Let Prince Chuang, Prince I, Tsai Lien, and Tsai Ying (the fast
two princes of the third order) be deprived of their rank or
title of nobility. Prince Tuan we treat more leniently, and he
is hereby removed from all his official appointments and handed
over to the Imperial clan court for the determination of a
severe form of penalty; he is also deprived of his official
salary. Duke Lan, and Ying Men, president of the censorate, are
ordered to be handed over to the yamen concerned for the
determination of a severe form of punishment. K’ang I, assistant
grand secretary and president of the board of civil office, and
Chao Shu-chiac, president of the board of punishments, are to be
handed over to the censorate and board of civil office for the
determination of a penalty, in order to make an example of
them.
We have been charged and intrusted by our ancestors with the
performance of an important post. Our only hope is to serve and
protect the public interests, regardless of others. The princes
and ministers have not served the country as good statesmen, and
they have themselves to blame. This is understood by the
officials and people of the Empire.
