Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1907, (In two parts), Part I
File No. 167/94–96.
Minister Rockhill to the Secretary of State.
Peking,February 15, 1907.
Sir: In accordance with your telegraphic instructions, received on January 16 last, authorizing me to agree to a final settlement of the Lienchou affair by an exchange of notes with the Wai-wu Pu, I have the honor to inclose herewith copies of the two notes in question, dated January 30 and February 1, respectively.
In my reply to His Imperial Highness Prince Ch’ing, of February 1, I have stated that my Government regards the whole case as duly settled.
I have, etc.;
The Prince of Ch’ing to Minister Rockhill.
Peking,January 30, 1907.
Your Excellency: With regard to the case of the mission at Lienchou, on the 22d of September, 1906, I have received a communication from the viceroy of the Two Kuang provinces saying that on the 6th of July, 1906, the American consul-general at Canton had written him to the effect that he was authorized by his Government to ask agreement to nine articles with reference to this case, as follows:
- “1. That the sum of 46,129.65 taels be paid to the American consul-general at Canton, to be handed to the Rev. Henry V. Noyes, treasurer and representative of the American Presbyterian Mission, as compensation for the loss of property at Lienchou, the said sum of 46,129.65 taels to be paid to the said American consul-general on or before the 10th day of July, 1906.
- “2. That the rewards for the apprehension of those guilty of the murder of the missionaries and burning of the mission buildings be increased and continue to be offered until such persons are apprehended.
- “3. That the strongest assurances be given the American Government that in the future adequate, efficient protection be guaranteed to American missionaries.
- “4. That the small Chinese temple used for ta tsui celebrations, and adjacent to the men’s hospital of said mission, be at once transformed into a schoolhouse.
- “5. That near this schoolhouse and in a conspicuous place there be erected by the Chinese authorities a stone tablet, on which shall be engraved the edict of His Majesty the Emperor of China, issued on the 28th of October, 1905.
- “6. That the said edict be also conspicuously posted in the city and district of Lienchou when the missionaries return there.
- “7. That in addition to the tablet described, a memorial tablet be erected aslo by the Chinese authorities to the memory of those missionaries who lost their lives in the massacre of Lienchou, and that such tablet shall bear an inscription stating that it is erected by the Chinese authorities.
- “8. That this tablet be erected near the tree in front of the cave temple, at the spot to which the missionaries were dragged from the cave and where they were tortured and killed before their bodies were thrown into the river.
- “9. That the above-mentioned tablets be erected before the 10th of October next, and that should they be destroyed or defaced in any way the Chinese authorities will replace or repair them.”
The said viceroy stated further that he had at once replied agreeing to the nine articles proposed by the American consul-general, and that he had directed the local authorities to take proper steps to carry out in order the required measures, viz, the proclamation of reward for the arrest of the criminals, the protection of the missionaries, the conversion of the temple into a schoolhouse, the erection of the stone tablet bearing the imperial edict, the posting of the said edict also, and the erection of the memorial tablet, and the erection of the said tablets at the locations and within the time specified; that besides this, he had already paid to the American consul-general the indemnity mentioned—namely, 46,129.65 taels—and had received a note from the American consul-general acknowledging receipt thereof.
[Page 216]On the 22d of August, 1906, I had the honor to receive a memorandum from your excellency stating that the indemnity had been paid to Hon. Julius G. Lay, the American consul-general; that the unfulfilled stipulations of the nine articles must be carried out, and that if any person or persons should injure either of the tablets above mentioned such person or persons should be promptly arrested and severely punished and that the injured tablet should be repaired or replaced by the Chinese authorities without delay; that the terms of the settlement should be published in a proclamation; and that as the imperial edict of the beginning of the tenth moon (October 28, 1905) provided for an indemnity for the lives of the murdered persons, 50,000 taels must be paid to the families of such persons as such indemnity.
On the 14th of December, 1906, I received a second memorandum in which your excellency informed me that the Secretary of State had agreed with the Chinese minister in Washington that the indemnity for the lives lost should be reduced to $25,000 United States gold, in settlement of the case.
With regard to this case, the nine articles drawn up by the American consul-general were ordered by the former viceroy at Canton to be satisfactorily carried out and the indemnity for property was paid in full by him. As to the issue of a proclamation, my board has instructed the viceroy at Canton to again issue a proclamation reciting the terms of the settlement of the case. With regard to the requirement of Article IV that the temple used for ta tsui ceremonies should be converted into a schoolhouse, it has been decided by the viceroy of the Two Kuangs and the American consul-general that the temple shall be razed instead. Article IV should be changed accordingly. As to indemnity for the lives of the murdered missionaries, as the imperial edict commanded that such indemnity should be paid, my board has telegraphed the viceroy at Canton authorizing him to pay $25,000 United States gold, in accordance with the statement of your excellency, and has received a reply stating that the amount has been paid.
This case, therefore, should be considered settled.
It becomes my duty, therefore, to send this dispatch to your excellency for your consideration that the case may be closed. I trust that your excellency will favor me with an early reply.
A necessary dispatch.
Minister Rockhill to the Prince of Ch’ing.
Peking,February 1, 1907.
Your Imperial Highness: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your imperial highness’s note of January 30, 1907, in which your imperial highness states:
“With regard to the case of the mission at Lienchou, on the 22d of September, 1906, I received a communication from the viceroy of the Two Kuang provinces, saying that on the 6th of July, 1906, the American consul-general at Canton had written him to the effect that he was authorized by his Government to ask agreement to nine articles with reference to his case, as follows:
- “‘1. That the sum of 46,129.65 taels be paid to the American consul-general at Canton, to be handed to the Rev. Henry W. Notes, treasurer and representative of the American Presbyterian Mission, as compensation for the loss of property at Lienchou, the said sum of 46,129.65 taels to be paid to the said American consul-general on or before the 10th day of July, 1906.
- “‘2. That the rewards for the apprehension of those guilty of the murder of the missionaries and burning of the mission buildings be increased and continue to be offered until such persons are apprehended.
- “‘3. That the strongest assurances be given the American Government that in the future adequate, efficient protection be guaranteed to American missionaries.
- “‘4. That the small Chinese temple used for ta tsui celebrations and adjacent to the mens’ hospital of said mission be at once transformed to a schoolhouse.
- “‘5. That near this schoolhouse and in a conspicuous place there be erected by the Chinese authorities a stone tablet on which shall be engraved the edict of His Majesty the Emperor of China, issued on the 28th of October, 1905.
- “‘6. That the said edict be also conspicuously posted in the city and district of Lienchou when the missionaries return there.
- “‘7. That in addition to the tablet described, a memorial tablet shall be erected also by the Chinese authorities to the memory of those missionaries who lost their lives in the massacre at Lienchou and that such tablet shall bear an inscription stating that it is erected by the Chinese authorities.
- “‘8. That this tablet shall be erected near the tree in front of the cave temple at the spot to which the missionaries were dragged from the cave, and where they were tortured and killed before their bodies were thrown into the river.
- “‘9. That the above-mentioned tablets be erected before the 10th of October next, and that, should they be destroyed or defaced in any way, the Chinese authorities will replace or repair them.’ ”
Your imperial highness further states that on the 22d of August, 1906, you received from me a memorandum, stating that the amount of the compensation for the loss of the property agreed upon by the American consul-general at Canton and his excellency the governor-general has been duly paid the former, but that there still remained unfulfilled certain stipulations of the nine articles above referred to, all of which you fully state in your note under acknowledgment. In the same memorandum I submitted to your imperial highness a request, based on the terms of the imperial edict of October 28, 1905, for an indemnity of 50,000 taels for the lives of the Americans killed at Lienchou. The amount of the indemnity was later on, by direct agreement between the Secretary of State of the United States and His Excellency Sir Chen-tung Liang-ch’eng, imperial minister in Washington, fixed at $25,000 United States gold currency. On July 13, 1906, I received a telegram from the American consul-general at Canton, stating that the aforesaid sum of 46,129.65 taels, compensation for loss of property, had been duly paid to him, and on the 5th of January, 1907, I received a telegram from the American consul-general at Canton, saying that the sum of $25,000 United States gold currency, the amount agreed upon as compensation for the lives of the murdered missionaries, had been paid to him in full. The receipt of both sums is therefore hereby acknowledged.
Your imperial highness further states in the dispatch under acknowledgment:
“With regard to the requirement of article 4, that the temple used for ta tsui ceremonies should be converted into a schoolhouse, it has been decided by the viceroy of the Two Kuang Provinces and the American consul-general at Canton that the temple should be razed instead. Article 4 should be changed accordingly.”
On the 16th of January, 1907, I received a dispatch from the American consul-general at Canton, stating that he had agreed with his excellency the viceroy that the aforesaid temple should be razed instead of being converted into a schoolhouse, and I informed him that his action in this matter was approved. On January 31, 1907, I received a telegram from him notifying me that the temple had been razed.
Since the remaining provisions of the nine articles agreed upon between the American consul-general at Canton and his excellency the viceroy of the Two Kuang Provinces have been satisfactorily carried out, and, since your imperial highness informs me that you have instructed the viceroy to issue a proclamation reciting the terms of the settlement of this case, as requested in my memorandum of the 22d of August, 1906, and, since the sums agreed upon as compensation for property destroyed and indemnity for the lives of the murdered missionaries have both been paid in full, it appears that all the stipulations entered into between the American consul-general at Canton and his excellency the viceroy of the Two Kuang Provinces, and between your imperial highness and this legation, have been properly fulfilled, it affords me great pleasure, therefore, to inform your imperial highness by this dispatch that my Government regards this case as having been duly settled.
I avail, etc.,