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. THE
UNIVED
me von
.
.
GRSITY O
OCULI
DOTWO
HIGANS
THE
ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS
IN
CHINA
IN
1891.
==
==T==-
-
WITH AN APPENDIX.
For
SHANOJUAL:
PRINTED AT TIIE NORTH-CHINA HERALD'! OFFICE.
1892.
LONDON
The London & China Telegraph
79 GRACECHURCH ST. E.C.
0s
764
• N 87
C13-046825
PREFACE.
As the China Riots have now created world-wide interest, and as
they are still by no means satisfactorily settled, it has been thought
that a republication of all the leading Letters and Articles and
Documents that have appeared on the subject would be found
desirable for reference.
So much attention has been directed to Hunan, that we
have added as an appendix the “Record of a Six Weeks' Trip” in
the province, which appeared in the columns of the North-China
Daily News and North-China Herald in June and July, 1891.
The miscellaneous articles, correspondence, etc., in the
following pages, are all taken from the papers :just mentioned,
where it is not otherwise stated.
The investigation and settlement of Chou Han's case have
taken place since the Introduction was printed.
CONTENTS.
Introduction
...
...
PAGE
1
... ... ... ... ... ...
I. THE RIOTS : AN ACCOUNT OF.
A
O
N
1 25
Riots in Szechuan, 1886-90 ...
Yangchow Riot-Letter from a Correspondent
Wuhu Riot-Mr. Walley's Letters
O, 12
Letter from another Correspondent ...
14
Letter from a French Missionary ........
Placard translated by Mr. Walley ... ...
Nanking Riot-Letters from a Correspondent...
Ngankin Riot-Letter from a French Missionary
Tanyang Riot-Letter from Père Colombel ...
Wusueh Riot--Letter from a Kiukiang Correspondent
Letter from a Wuchang Correspondent ...
Funeral of Messrs. Argent and Green ...
Kiukiang Riot-Letter from a Correspondent ...
Wusieh Riot-Letters from Père Colombel ....
Ichang Riot—Telegrams ...
Letter by an Eye-witness ... ...
• Letter from a Correspondent
Letter from a Hankow Correspondent
Letter from a Wuchang Correspondent ...
Manchuria Riot-Mr. Carson's Letter ... ...
Attack on Dr. Greig ... ...
Mason's Arrest–Letter from a Chinkiang Correspondent
The Mason Case (Editorial)
• Sentence of Judge ...
Mongolian Rebellion-London Telegrams....
Rebellion in the North ... ...
Rising at Chaoyang ... ... ...
Disturbance at Jeho ... ... ...
Imperial Decrees and Memorials ...
... 70, 71, 74
Reports to the Throne from various Commanders (Summary) ...
Dr. Pilcher's Letter in Recorder ... ... ... ... ...
::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::
64
.
66
66
77
II. THE Riots : THEIR CAUSES.
1. Rebellion, according to Mr. Drummond ...
2. Government Incapacity, according to “Spes”
... 81, 83, 86, 88, 91, 93
... ... ... 94, 99
viii
CONTENTS
PAGE
:
121
i:::::
::::
::::::::
149
55
::::::::
192
3. Christian Missions and Foreign Governments, according to “A
Chinese" --Author of “Defensio Populi”
104
A Catholic's Reply ... ... ... ..
113
Mr. Yen's Replies ...
... 115, 120
Mr. Barber's Reply ... ... ... ....
A Missionary's Reply
Dr. John's Reply .
131
“Another Chinese’s” Letter
143
A Layman's Reply ... ... ...
147
"China and Missionaries” - Thoughts by a Layman ...
4. Mainly Ignorance and Calumnies of the Literati, according 10
Missionaries ... ... ... ... ...
Mr. Richard at Mission Conference (1890) ...
Dr. John, An Explanation ... ... ..
"F.'s" Riots : Who is responsible for them ? ...
157
"A.'s" Letter ...
176
A Popular Broadsheet-From a Nanking Correspondent
182
Dr. John on Chinese Official Sincerity .. ...
, on the Causes of the Riots
, on the Dissemination of Anti-Foreign Literature ...
, on the Hunan Manifesto... ...
195
, on the Discovery of one of the Anti-Christian Writers. 199, 203
, on the Hunan Publications... 205, 207, 208, 210, 212, 214, 216
, on the Sacred Edict and the Hunan Publications
5. Missionary Indiscretion and Status, according to "Candid Friend”
(Mr. Michie)-
Missionaries in China (Editorial) ... ... ... ...
223
Nfissionaries in China (Review) ... .
6. “Justice” on Catholic Indiscretion ... ...
228
III. THE RIOTS : THEIR REMEDIES.
Proclamation of Viceroy of Nanking ...
229
Proclamation of Governor of Anhui ...
230
Memorial of the Tsung-li Yamên
232
Imperial Edict ... ...
234
The Blue Book on China (Editorial)...
Memorial of Nanking Viceroy on the Riots ...
242
Memorial of Nanking Viceroy on the Wuhu Settlement
245
Memorial of Wuchang Viceroy on the Wusueh Settlement ...
247
Proclamation of Kirin Taotai and Note on Dr. Greig...
257
Report to the Tsung-li Yamên-Investigation of Chou Han's Case ... 260
The Tsung-li Yamên Memorial ... ...
'Imperial Decree-Chou Han Cashiered ... ... ... ... 263
APPENDIX.
Hunan: A Record of a Six Weeks' Trip ... ... ... ... 267
218
:
:::
225
:
::::
::::
:::::::
235
CA
.
i
Tyt
The Anti-Foreign Riots.
INTRODUCTION.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES AND REMEDIES.
FeINCE the foreign war of 1860, with the exception of the
anti-foreign wave of 1870 which culminated in the
M A Tientsin massacre, nothing so serious has happened to
foreigners in China as the organized Riots of 1891, beginning in
the Yangtze-valley and stretching from Shanghai to Ichang and
from Canton to the Amoor. This antagonistic movement
persisted for ten months to threaten the security of foreigners,
if indeed we may dare feel safely out of it yet. True, only two
foreigners' lives were lost, but the lives of hundreds and even
thousands of foreigners widely scattered over the Empire were
threatened for months by violent placards attributing all sorts of
barbarous and horrible crimes to the foreigners, especially to
missionaries, and calling upon all loyal, honest, and good men to
rise up, burn their houses and kill them clean out of the land;
while hundreds of native Christians were massacred, thousands
more were threatened with all sorts of horrible deaths. The
Hunanites threatened to butcher Christians, foreign and native,
like so many animals, slice them up into pieces weighing one
catty each and divide them to be feasted on! Dates were fixed
on once and again and yet again for the general rising and
massacre, making the long tension too much for some to bear.
Many inland missionaries moved to the Ports till the worst should
be passed.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
Regarding this incessant, bitter and diabolic opposition the
question has been asked again and again what is the cause of it ?
So far as published the causes of the riots may be conveniently
classed under five heads, viz.;
1.~-Government incapacity. There are problems continually
cropping up to be solved by the Government, but it does nothing
satisfactory to solve them. This is the opinion held by "Spes,"
who was one of the first to write on the subject in June last.
2.-Another cause was the intended rebellion of the Ko-lao
Hui after involving the Chinese Government in foreign war, as
put forth by Mr. Drummond.
3.—The chief cause according to another party is the
destructive and wicked teachings and practices of the missionaries,
Catholic and Reformed. This is the view put forth in a
remarkable letter by "A Chinese," the author of the Defensio, by
the authors of the Chinese anti-Christian publications, and, to
some extent, by “Candid Friend” in a pamphlet issued last
autumn in China and in England.
4.—Another view of the cause of the riots is that they are
brought about by a systematic publication and widespread
circulation of most scandalous and libellous literature by Chinese
mandarins and gentry in order to inflame public opinion against
Christians and foreigners generally. This was mentioned at the
Missionary Conference, in 1890, and trouble was then predicted
unless something should be done to prevent it. Of late, in the
same line, Dr. John has disclosed to us the diabolical nature of
later efforts of the Literati in the shape of the Hunan publications.
5.-Another view, published in Chinese books by authors
who are high mandarins, is that international intercourse is a
source of incalculable loss to China. The sale of foreign opium
drains China of its silver; the import of manufactured goods
destroys native industries throughout the land; the introduction
of steamers has thrown immense numbers of Government
grain-carriers out of employment; the increasing failure of the tea
and silk trade also drives the people generally to despair; the loss
of Annam and Burmah and other territories to France, England,
Russia and Japan, makes the Chinese officials and people fear
that they will lose their country altogether. All these things
combined make the Chinese determine to oppose foreigners
at any cost. This is the explanation given by Chinese Blue
INTRODUCTION.
3
Books and Indulgent Treatment of Foreigners. This view explains
failure to open up Chungking, and probably also Ichang riots and.
the attitude there till now.
No one who has carefully studied this question, I think, will
doubt that there is some truth in each of these views, nor will he
doubt that some of them have been monstrously exaggerated,
especially that put forth by so many mandarins and by the Hunan
publications so as to rouse up the people into a frenzy of not
merely anti-Christian but anti-foreign crusade.
If one word is wanted which more than another would
express the reason why the Chinese set themselves up to oppose
the irresistible march of universal progress, it would be the word
Ignorance; and this ignorance which was excusable thirty years
ago is now fast becoming culpable.
If China knew more, the Government would not be so
helpless as “Spes” describes it. If China knew more, the
Government would meet the Ko-lao Hui with a Reform that would
satisfy all reasonable Ko-lao Hui men. If China knew more,
the Government would give some welcome to the representatives
of those who have been in the van of progress in all lands.
If China knew more, the Government would not stain its
own civilization by publishing such libels as would be a shame
even to uncivilized savages to invent. If China knew more, the
Government, instead of grieving over international intercourse as a
loss and attempting the impossible task of stopping all intercourse,
would, like other nations, turn it to her own profit.
If these be the causes—and no others have been suggested-
the remedy is not far to seek.
To remove the incompetency of China a fair knowledge of
the chief ways of all nations is absolutely necessary. This was the
first step in the improvement of Japan. It decided to get all the
knowledge of the West, the result being that one of the weakest of
Asiatic nations has risen, within thirty years, to be the first
independent Asiatic power to-day.
To quiet the Ko-lao Hui nothing short of Reform on the
lines of complaint can be considered of permanent value. To
put to death leaders who have just grievances is only to feed the
fire of discord and insurrection. Similar grievances have been
satisfactorily settled in the West. The knowledge of such methods
used in the West is better than an army of soldiers.

THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
To remove missionary troubles there must be a better way
than indiscriminate abuse of all Christians, for this insults: the
Rulers of Christendom, high and low, as they too are Christians,
as well as missionaries. Surely the Chinese know that there
are good people to be found outside China. The Chinese must
also know that there are many intelligent men among the
missionaries devoting all their lives to education, medicine,
philanthropic and literary work and to everything that can benefit
China. If, instead of persistently maligning these, as having
some treasonable motives at heart they welcomed them for what
they truly are—their best friends—most of the missionary troubles
would vanish. Should there be a few foolish among missionaries,
as there are in every class of men, who rudely trust their own
conscience against a Chinaman’s, and seek out only the weak
points of Chinese religions and hold them up to ridicule,-- a thing
both unchristian and intolerable— let them be dealt with according
to the “Order in Council.”
. To remove the attacks of the Chinese Government through
its public documents and the wide dissemination of anti-Christian
and anti-foreign books which endanger the peace of the Empire,
nothing is easier if the Chinese follow their own laws, not to
speak of international law, for, according to these, slanders must be
suppressed and the authors and publishers of them punished
before peace can be dreamt of.
To remove all apprehension of danger from international
intercourse the Chinese should study the benefits which have
accrued to other nations from international intercourse and how
they secured them. Following a similar course China may also
reap similar benefits.
Speedy measures must be taken to remove the dense
'ignorance in regard to all foreign affairs. Schools where in
addition to Chinese education foreign education is given must
be established in every province. The experience of European
nations and of Japan, at China's very door, show that for want of
Western knowledge each province of China loses annually, even at
a tenth of Giffen's calculation of progress in England, no less than
forty million taels! Would any but the most foolish despise a
knowledge that would bring such immense blessings to the poor
of the land? And would any intelligent men ever hope to get out
of these troubles without more knowledge ?
INTRODUCTION.
But when we turn from what appears to be the proper
settlement of the Riots what do we find has actually been done
by way of settlement ?
There is the Imperial Edict got with much difficulty. There
is the punishment of a few murderers at Wusueh. There is
indemnity given for property destroyed. There were procla-
mations put forth by the provincial authorities when the riots
threatment to develope into anarchy and rebellion. But it should
be born in mind that the Sacred Edict of Kang Hi which
denounces. Christianity is, notwithstanding Treaties and last
summer's Edict, still ordered to be read and explained in every
county to the people twice every month; that nothing is done
to shew proper disapproval of the authors or publishers of the
scandalous libels of the Chinese “Blue Books”; that though the
· members of the Ko-lao Hui who meditated rebellion against the
Manchus are ferreted out for torture, execution and slicing from
every province far and near, and the rebellion in the North was
put down by the destruction of 15,000 lives and the degradation
for life of some of the leading mandarins, yet those who took
a leading part in publishing and circulating everywhere libellous
literature to incite people to violence against Foreigners—a crime
which, according to the proclamation of the Shanghai Taotai,
is punishable with death-are still unpunished and even unar-
rested! When such flagrant violators of all peace as the
authors of the Hunan publications are, after ten months, unarrested,
what claim has China to any of the privileges of international law ?
Of late the Chinese are agitating for further punishment
of Mason, a foreigner who has already been sentenced to nine
months imprisonment. But what of the hundreds of Chinese
officials and gentry who have been egging on their countrymen
to murder foreigners ? None of these have even been seriously
tried or punished, and, what is more, their iniquitous publica-
tions such as the "Blue Books," Sacred Edict, etc., are still
circulated unchecked! May it not be that foreign Governments
after failing to get even a semblance of justice will put this down
for a future day of reckoning when opportunity presents itself?
As to measures taken for circulating truth instead of
falsehood and for establishing schools in all the provinces for the
enlightenment of China in regard to all important world-wide
matters, we know of nothing having been done as yet-except talk,
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
historyo long as the Governattacks of
while the millions of its pupils throughout the empire are still kept
in absolute darkness about the geography of the world or the
history of any nations outside Asia !
So long as the main causes of the Riots are still left
untouched and the Government seems to have little objection to
persistent and widespread attacks on foreigners by the foulest libels
provided it does not come to open rupture, is there any hope of
permanent peace? As both Chinese law and international law
are persistently ignored by the Chinese, it is certain that Foreign
Powers will suddenly, and when least expected perhaps, say—as
Lord Salisbury hinted last summer-as you Chinese cannot or
will not keep the peace henceforth we will do it for you !
If I were the most patriotic of Chinamen, instead of
encouraging discord as so many leading Chinamen do now, I
would rouse Heaven and Earth to get China cease from this
attitude of constantly and deliberately irritating Foreign Powers
by the false assumption running through all their spontaneous
publications that all Christians are bad; for should it suit Western
Powers—as it may some day—to unite against China, she would
be remorselessly crushed under the European heel as though she
were a stinging intolerable viper. But if China were freely to admit
that there are good people in all countries and were to learn the
arts of the West in addition to those of her own country, then in
thirty years China would not only be the leading independent
power in Asia but would be a Power that even united Europe
would hesitate to attack. Those who best know and observe the
laws of God in nature, in men and in nations prosper best, those
who know them least prosper least. Without knowledge there is
constant weakness and peril, with knowledge and virtuous use of it
is strength and safety.
. The ignorant think that Christian civilization and Chinese
civilization are antagonistic, like two implacable enemies who
must fight a duel in which one must be killed. Those who well
know both, know that the best in China and in the West are in perfect
harmony. Let the best of the two civilizations unite and nothing
but good will follow. Should China still oppose the best and
despise knowledge, then neither the Powers in Heaven or on earth
will let it prosper long. It is for China. to choose whether to
prosper or perish!
FRIEND OF CHINA,
Shanghai, April 1892.
THE RIOTS.
THE RIOTS.
RIOTS IN SZECHUAN, 1886-1890.
TA
(Abridged from the condensed translation of the compte vendu sent
by the Lazarist Fathers in Szechuan to the French Government,
which appeared in North-China Herald"for- May 29th and
June 5.th, 1891.) *
ÎN July 1886 the Mission houses at Chungking [Roman
Catholic, Methodist Episcopal and China Inland Mission) were
pillaged and burned. Lo, a catholic, was attacked by rioters
when his house was full of friends and relatives assembled for a
funeral. He used the right acknowledged by all nations of
repelling violence by violence,—that is, when it is a case of
breaking into a house and threatening the lives of many,—but he
was on that account put to death without trial.
At Lungchui near Tawan where there were 600 Christians,
rumours of attack to be made at the Festival of Linkwan were
circulated. The mandarin put a proclamation to warn the people
that if they created a disturbance they would be punished, but
the mob disregarded that and pillaged and burnt the church and
two schools ; seventy families fled to the mountains to save their
lives while their houses were burnt and pillaged by the savage
mob. Similar violence was perpetrated at Mapao notwithstanding
the proclamation of the mandarin. This was on the 21st July.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
-.
-YY-
***. ----------------------------------------
The next day in other places-Keongao, Minkiang, Wanku,
Chewan, Ongkimiao--were likewise attacked. The rioters had
raised all the country side and proclaimed that they had orders
from the Emperor and mandarins to destroy Christianity.
Monseigneur Coupat took refuge in the Taotai’s yamên while
many Christians fled for their lives. One of the rioters who had
wounded one of the militia was shot. This put an end to the
persecution of 1886. -
A Weiyuen [Commissioner] was sent down from Chingtu,
the provincial capital, to examine into the whole question, but,
instead of examining into the merits of the case, he rated the
people for becoming Christians, adding that if they had remained
Confusianists they would not have had trouble.
In November of the same year (1886) an official document
was received stating that Tls. 15,000 should be paid as an
indemnity for property destroyed, but none of the persecutors
were punished. Thus was the persecution of that year
settled.
In March 1888, the Catholics began to rebuild the church
destroyed at Lungchui, but in July at the feast of Linkwan the
church was again burnt and a raid was made on the Christians in
the surrounding country similar to that of 1886. Twice were
leaders of riots arrested and twice were they rescued by the
rioters on their way to Chungking, and the Hsien magistrate was ·
greatly insulted while interfering in the matter.
Another Commissioner was sent down to settle the matter.
It was agreed that the church should be permitted to be rebuilt
on condition that none of the former rioters be punished !
In 1890 when the church was being built again there was
another attack on it on 4th August by about 30,000 people.
Happily they were checked then by the military authorities; but
a week later (the 11th) another attack was made, and all the
farms and shops of the Christians were burnt or destroyed for
the third time in four years, and several Christians were killed in a
most brutal manner.
On the 14th August, Mapao was similarly attacked with
more murders and burning of churches and Christians' houses
and a reign of terror was continued for months by this leader of
the rioters. A Commissioner was sent to inquire into the affair.
He made up his mind from the beginning that there must have
THE RIOTS
been faults on both sides-listened however only to the reports
of the non-Christians who declared that the Christians had killed
ten persons. i :.: .:.:.:.::.:::.:.:.:.: .:....
September 23rd and 24th. The rioters.: now numbered about
10,000 and were a terror all round; the Christians had to flee for
their lives. When they presented themselves at Chungking before
the mandarin for protection, instead of protecting them, he
exhorted them in full tribunal to apostatise then they should have
protection! After this, reminding them of what had been done
to Lo at Chungking, the sub-Prefect charged the. Christians with
assembling ioo fighting men in the oratory. .
October 23rd to November roth. At this date the rioters
finding themselves supported by the mandarins came again about
2,000 strong. On their flags they had “By order of the Emperor,
destruction of religious rebellion: General Tsiang Chow, in
command.” All the Christians were attacked again, and all the
buildings sacked, burnt and destroyed. It was then that the
local mandarin committed his most odious injustice. When he
heard that about 100 of these Christian women were fleeing to the
city for refuge from the rioters, he ordered the city gates to be
closed against them and the poor women had to go on to
Chungking, four days journey further off, before they could get
refuge from the insults of the populace. One young woman was
stripped of her clothes and dragged into a temple where the
brigands were, while an old man of seventy was murdered.
At this stage the indignation of the people was roused against
| the rioters and in favour of the Christians.
To sum up—there were about 2,000 Christians taking refuge
in Chungking not daring to return to their houses because of the
burning, spoiling, outrages and murders committed on them
incessantly. Over sixty had died of exposure and hardship. An
official report was drawn up accusing the Missionary of having killed
eighteen people in his oratory, but when the Missionary asked to be
heard in defence they refused him a hearing. Such is Chinese justice!
To settle the matter the Taotai sent three delegates and
proposed :-
"1. That there should be no indemnity, seeing that the
Christians had brought their misfortunes upon themselves.'
"2. That Father Pons should be recalled, as unsuited for
this part of the country, having been three times driven out.
IO
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
"3. The Christians who are Chinese to be judged by their
own authorities; therefore those who have wounded the people
(true or false this must be acknowledged), shall be punished
according to the laws.
"4. The two oratories of Lungchiu and Mapao shall be
placed elsewhere.
"5. The rebels, of whom a list had been sent in, having
troubled the country, shall be taken and judged one after the
other."
All this was simple mockery until peace was established.
This is how the Chinese authorities observe the Treaties in regard
to the Christian religion!
YANGCHOW RIOT.
That a serious outrage was contemplated at Yangchow some
ten days ago on the Jesuit Mission there appears to be no doubt,
but the would-be rioters were promptly “sat upon” by the Chinese
authorities with the help of a large contingent of soldiers. The
cause, as usual, is the dissemination of reports of the alleged
ill-treatment of children at the orphanage, and it was even reported
that one of them had been boiled in a bath! What an interesting
people these Chinese are !
Chinkiang, roth May.
WUHU RIOT.
I.
Sir,—News will doubtless have reached you of the disturbance
we have had here for the last few days.
It appears that two Chinese Sisters connected with the Jesuit
Mission here were out on Sunday afternoon last, and as they
proceeded along the street were greeted with the usual cry of the
beggars and children. They are said to have spoken kindly
to two of the children and patted them on the head, at which the
people set upon them saying they were using medicine to stupify
THE RIOTS.
II
and take away the speech and hearing of the children that they
might steal them and send them to Shanghai. A great crowd
gathered and took both the women and children to the local
official who, becoming frightened, sent them to the Hsien.
The crowd continued to increase and become more noisy,
and call for the destruction of the Jesuit Mission property.
The Hsien, however, managed to quiet them down though
they did not disperse.
On Tuesday they got more vociferous and in the afternoon
went in a body to the Jesuit Mission premises, but the priests had
already fled, so that after but slight resistance on the part of the
Chinese attendants, the gates were smashed in and the walls
pulled down, the crowd rushing in hooting and yelling.
Spades were called for and some of the graves of those
buried in the compound were opened and the contents held
up as proof positive of foul play. The bodies were too much
decomposed to be recognised, yet they were declared to be the
remains of Chinamen cut up by the foreigners. At the sight
of these the crowd broke into cries to destroy the premises, so oil
was brought and thrown over everything and lighted; the whole
place soon became enveloped in flame and all that now remains
of the fine buildings are bare and blackened walls and broken
bricks.
About dusk the crowd broke into the English Consulate
causing the Consul and his wife to beat a hasty retreat in disguise.
About this time the Taotai arrived with soldiers and
surrounded the Consulate, thus preventing its destruction, though
a great deal of damage was done to the walls and grounds.
The attention of the mob was now turned to several large
blocks of buildings belonging to the Jesuits, including the Customs'
premises and the residences of nearly the whole of the staff; much
of which was new property and had only been occupied a few
days. Here, however, they met with resistance.
Our gallant Commissioner and his brave staff were determined
to defend their premises to the last. Each was armed with
a musket and bayonet, the streets were barricaded and patrols set.
Such was the determination of the mob to destroy the
Customs, that the defenders had to rally time after time and, led
by the Commissioner, charge the mob, many of whom can now
tell to a trifle the weight of a musket.
I 2
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS
--------.-.---............ .. . .-- .-.-- . ..-------- -------
: Wednesday morning all the foreign residents were called
to the Tehhsing by the Consul, who had detained the steamer.
On Wednesday evening three Chinese men-of-war which were
passing up river (one of which had the Futai of Anhui on board)
came to anchor in front of the Concession and fired a broadside
or two; this with the aid of a good shower of rain quickly scattered
the people. . .
We cannot speak too highly of the bravery of the
Commissioner and all the members of both the indoor and
outdoor staff, as well as of some of the other foreign residents
who kept constant guard for nearly forty-eight hours.
It is without doubt entirely owing to this prompt and
vigorous action that the rest of the foreign residences were not
destroyed and probably some lives lost. The generous kindness
of Mr. T. Weatherstone, agent of Butterfield and Swire, and
Captain Cain and officers of the s.s. Tehhsing demand the thanks
of the whole community, most of whom are in some way indebted
to them for services rendered.
Captain Cain and his officers did all they could to make the
ladies and children comfortable by giving up their rooms and
supplying all their needs.
...I have just come away from the scene of the riot and can
only say that the destruction is complete; what the fire left
the people systematically tore down and carried away, several of
them losing their lives by falling walls in their eagerness to get all
they could.
The port is much quieter now and we are expecting the
English and French gunboats up any time.
I am, etc.,
JOHN WALLEY..
Methodist Episcopal Mission,
Wuhu, 14th May.
II.
SIR, -Since I last wrote we have been somewhat quieter.
The Futai and the attendant men-of-war left on Thursday morning,
and we have looked in vain for any further protection until Friday
evening, when the Inconstant arrived, and a small Chinese gunboat
on Saturday.
THE RIOTS.
13
But the poor Britishers are still looking for the promised Blue
Jackets. When will they appear?
The vigorous action of the foreign residents seems to have
been a good lesson and would no doubt have effectually quelled
the disturbance if it had been followed up by as vigorous a show
of authority, and we should have been entirely free from further
difficulty. But there is still a very decided anti-foreign feeling.
The proclamation issued by the Taotai instead of soothing
the angry feelings of the people is calculated rather to irritate and
is, in fact, causing an uneasy movement among the people. Though
the proclamation commands the people to return quietly to their
homes under pain of immediate death if caught in any disturbance,
yet he tacitly acknowledges that there may have been cause for
the up-rising by saying: "If you find that these institutions kidnap
or steal children, don't create any disturbance but bring the
matter before the proper authorities to be dealt with.” .
. It is probably the result of this that there appears this
morning a placard, supposed to be issued by the Ko-lao. Hui,
abusing in very liberal terms the foreigner in general and the
Catholic Mission in particular, and then proceeding to say that:
“Protestants and Catholics are about the same, you have already
destroyed the Catholic property, let 10,000 come together as one
man on the 20th of this month and completely destroy all the
property belonging to both missions on Yihchishan All Chinese
living or having goods on these premises take care to move at
once."
This is how we stand at present ; what the end will be we
cannot say. True, we have plenty of soldiers sent from different
parts to protect us, but this is not re-assuring when we know that
part of the prisoners taken with booty in their hands during the
riot, were these same protectors with their uniform turned inside
out. So I am sure you will not blame us for not placing much
trust in such protection.
The grave that was opened was that of one of the priests
who died here some months ago. The coffin was opened and the
body searched for treasure supposed to be buried there. Had
not the Hsien arrived at this juncture, it is probable that other
graves would have been served in a similar way.
An astonishing part of these proceedings is the cool manner
in which everything was torn down and carried away. A large
.
14
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
iron chest supposed to be a safe, requiring ten or twelve men
to carry, was quietly carried off in broad daylight. Heavy beams
and planks requiring several men to carry them were carried
in open daylight past the foreign residences.
Even large bronze figures nearly life size, supposed to be
intended for the Cathedral in course of erection, were carried past.
the line of soldiers on guard without any question being asked, and
now stand in an open place not far away from the scene of the riot.
It is said that some at least of the thieves and rioters have
met with severe punishment, for several have met with their death
by the falling walls, while others staying too long in the burning
building fell from the upper story into the burning mass below
and were burnt to death.
Some twenty or thirty of those taken in the act are in the
hands of the officials and are said to be awaiting the executioner's
knife.
The desecration of the graves has caused much excitement
among the men on board the French gun-vessel.
I am, etc.,
JOHN VALLEY.
Methodist Episcopal Mission,
Wuhu, 16th May.
III.
For some time past rumours had been afloat here that the
mob intended burning down the Jesuit cathedral, buildings,
etc. At first no great credence was placed in these rumours, but
on the 12th inst. immense crowds began to assemble in the vicinity
of the Jesuit compound. The Consul, acting on information
received, had repeatedly warned the Taotai that he feared a riot
was imminent and asked him to concert measures to prevent
destruction to property and probable loss of life. However, with
typical Chinese apathy, no measures were apparently taken to .
disperse the rioters who had now assembled outside the Jesuit
compound to the number of about 5,000. Meanwhile numbers
of old women were howling round the walls and endeavouring to
incite the mob to attack the Fathers, by saying that their children
had been killed by the Fathers and their eyes used as medicine.
The raison d'être of this attack on the Jesuits is not very evident.
THE RIOTS.
15
The following facts may, however, throw some light on the
situation. On the oth instant., two Chinese nuns from the Catholic
Mission went into the city on their usual round of visits to the
sick. They discovered one family suffering from an infectious
disease; the parents only had been attacked so far, so they
determined to remove the children, till such a time as the parents
were convalescent. They had set out with the little ones when
they were met by a relation of children who spoke to them and
requested them to return. On the children refusing to comply
and rushing to the nuns for protection, the relation called for
help, seized the nuns, and carried them before the Pao-chia-chu
(BR ) and accused them of spiriting the children away by
some occult means for the purpose of killing them in order to use
their eyes as medicine. This seems a popular belief here, even
among educated Chinamen, that the eyes of young children
are used in this way. This mandarin being unable to decide
the matter sent the nuns under escort to the Hsien (1)
or district magistrate, where they were detained. The Roman
Catholic Fathers on hearing this hastened to the magistrate's
yamên and obtained their release. The populace became infuriated
at this, and declared that the magistrate had been bribed to
release the nuns. They then declared their intention of attacking
on the morrow.
About 5 o'clock p.m. on the 12th inst., they began the attack
compound; not succeeding, however, in this they applied themselves
vigorously to the walls, which soon fell before a somewhat
persuasive ram wielded by some hundreds of the mob. This
breach was followed by many more, through all of which the mob
rushed with demoniacal yells till this immense compound was
filled with howling savages. Conspicuous among the mob were
two or three respectably dressed Chinamen who appeared to
which would point to their probably belonging to one of the
many secret societies which appear to flourish so exceedingly well
in China. They were very undemonstrative, and appeared to
give their orders with that perfect precision and sang-froid which
can only be acquired by long practice.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
· Once in the compound, the mob quickly effected an entrance
to the main building which they looted, and fired in two or three
places at same time. · The fire spread rapidly, so that in a short
space of time. this immense building was enveloped in flames.
The Fathers just managed to escape by the back as the mob
forced the main entrance, and succeeded in reaching the Letai
hulk in safety. They remained on board the hulk for about half
an hour and then proceeded to Chinkiang in a Chinese junk.
At this stage of the proceedings about twenty soldiers
appeared on the scene and commenced firing blank ammunition
at the mob, who evinced such a decided distaste for “villanous
saltpetre" that they turned tail and displayed as much anxiety to
get out of the compound as they had previously exhibited to get
in. Finding, however, that no casualties resulted from the soldiers'
fire, they appeared to take heart and returned to their work of
destruction with redoubled vigour. The soldiers having apparently
either exhausted their ammunition (blank) or their orders-or
perhaps both,--shouldered their rusty muskets and disappeared at
the double, leaving the rabble in full possession of the field to
work their own sweet wills. They now proceeded to ruthlessly
destroy and fire the cathedral, which was in an advanced stage of
completion and was an exceedingly handsome building. By this
time the crowd must have increased to about six thousand; all
the rising ground in the neighbourhood seemed one mighty sea of
struggling, yelling savages, who gave vent to their feelings in
mighty yells as they witnessed each fresh act of vandalism
performed by their friends within the compound of the Fathers.
The consular boundary wall at last gave way in several places and
the rabble streamed into the grounds, trampling on and destroying
whatever came in their way. Beyond throwing a few stones and
smashing some panes of glass they did no other damage to the
Consulate. Up to this time the Consul and his wife had remained
in their house, but momentarily fearing an attack, they disguised
themselves in Chinese clothes and by this means managed to run
the gauntlet of the rabble and reached the Custom House without
sustaining any injury, beyond being hustled a little. Mrs. Ford was
sent on board the Letai-all the other ladies having gone there in the
earlier part of the day—where Mr. Weatherstone endeavoured
to make everyone as comfortable as circumstances would permit.
THE RIOTS.
17
On the first alarm the Wuhu Customs' volunteer force
under their adjutant (Captain Parr), got under arms, and I must
say they presented a very formidable appearance, indeed, with
their new Lee magazine rifles. Of their doings during this trouble
I shall have something to say later on.
The rabble having completely gutted all the buildings within
the compound of the French Fathers proceeded next to loot and
fire the school house belonging to this Mission. This completed,
nothing intervened between them and the Custom House save
a row of houses, newly erected by the French Fathers and
occupied by the members of the Customs outdoor staff. These
had all been evacuated in order that the men might be concentrated
· at the Cụstom House for its better defence, and, therefore, fell
an easy prey to the rabble, who proceeded to loot these houses
in a thoroughly business style, and then attempted to fire them.
In this diabolical attempt they were happily frustrated by the
arrival of the Taotai and the prompt action of the Customs' staff,
who soon got the flames subdued. Had they succeeded in firing
these buildings, the Custom House must inevitably have been
destroyed. Some clever and plucky captures of incendiaries and
looters were made by the Customs' volunteer force, who really
handled their weapons splendidly; indeed, some of their charges
against the mob were executed in first-class style, and I may add
a word of praise for the gentleman who so brilliantly led these
charges. After the looting of the officers' quarters, the Customs'
library was transformed into a temporary 'barrack-room for the
accommodation of the volunteer force. It was rumoured on the
morning of the 13th that the mob, having failed in their attack on
the Customs' premises on the previous day, intended at 5 o'clock
p.m. to again make the attempt. Long before that hour, however,
immense crowds assembled along the shore in front of the
Customs, and towards 5 o'clock p.m. began to throw stones. On
receiving the first volley of stones the Customs' force charged the
mob and drove them back. The force was then drawn across
the shore in order to prevent the mob passing through. They,
after a time, found this restraint somewhat irksome and very soon
gave vent to their feelings in a shower of stones which struck
some of the Customs' force rather severely. The order was again
given to charge, with the result that after the persuasive argument
18
.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS. ·
.
of the bayonets and a few well directed sword cuts, they were
still furthers driven back. However, they seemed determined to
once more try the effect of a volley of stones, which certainly
compelled the Customs' force to fall back; this, I fancy, the
rabble considered a retreat, for they now advanced yelling and
hooting, but the Customs soon rallied and led by their adjutant
with his “at them again, my boys” drove the crowd back once
more. . This last charge seemed to instil into them a holy dread
of cold steel, which combined with the arrival of the Futai with
three gunboats completed their discomfiture. The crowd now
began to grow gradually and beautifully less, till eventually but a
remnant of that immense mob remained.
I think there is no doubt that but for the prompt and
effective charges of the Customs' force, matters would have
assumed a very serious aspect, as there is not the slightest doubt
but that the mob meant business. .
There are now on the spot some 500 Chinese "braves," so,
I fancy, the affair may be considered at an end. But there is no
doubt that had the Taotal promptly put 100 men in the field the
mob would never have attempted to attack the French Fathers.
It appears, however, that although he draws pay for over 500, he
actually has not fifty available men; so this may in part explain
his apparent inability to cope with the situation. A gunboat
might have done some good, but even that luxury was denied us.
It strikes one forcibly that the idea of having a volunteer
force at Wuhu is a good one, and the services they have rendered
on this momentous occasion, I think, eloquently, suggest the
advisability of raising similar forces at all the other outports. Of
course every port cannot boast a military gentleman as Wuhu .
can, but, I think, if these forces were raised, some one capable
of instructing them could easily be found.
Before concluding this hurried account, I would like to say
a word of praise on behalf of Mr. Woodruff, Commissioner of
Customs, to whose untiring exertions and indomitable pluck the
present calm is mainly due. We needed a firm hand at the
tiller during the late storm, and certainly Mr. Woodruff has
proved that he can navigate his craft in most tempestuous seas.
The dance (war) is over, but the fiddler has yet to be paid.
15th May.
THE RIOTS.
.19
IV.
..
[FROM A FRENCH MISSIONARY.]
In order to prevent misconception from incomplete and
erroneous reports, I beg to give you the following particulars with
regard to the recent outrage in Wuhu, which have been furnished
by Fathers Havret and Debrix, just arrived by the Tehhsing.. .
For the last three years the Catholic missionaries had been
living peacefully in that city which was their centre for the
management in the province of Anhui. Neither themselves nor
their Christians had ever had any difficulty, with the people, and
nothing whatever had happened that could make us foresee the
last sudden and unprovoked outrage.
On the evening of Sunday, 1oth May, two Christian ladies
employed by the Mission, had gone out of their establishment
and were crossing one of the streets of the quarter south of the
canal, not far from the Taotai's yamên, when they were suddenly
set upon, brutally arrested and dragged to the office of the local
police officer (B ). They were accused of having bewitched
two children by the use of a drug (* ); and in proof of the
charge, two children, five and seven years old, were brought
forward, who it was said had been their victims.
The police officer was glad of an occasion of showing his
zeal in favour of the accusers, and in the night he had the two
ladies transferred to the tribunal of the Chehsien.
The English Consul, Mr. Ford, applied to by the missionaries,
requested the Taotai to interfere, but he contented himself with
saying that it was a serious affair which he must let take its course,
. The mob, in spite of the great distance, had followed the
prisoners to the Chehsien's office and was waiting for that
magistrate's verdict.
The Chehsien about midnight had both parties brought to
his tribunal. After a summary examination in which the two
ladies gave the most formal denial to the charge of having drugged
the children, the Chehsien gave a provisory verdict, viz., that
“the prisoners would be set at liberty as soon as the use of
speech was restored to the children,” for it would seem that the
magical power of those poor girls had the effect of making the
two witnesses dumb.
.62
20
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
In the course of Monday, the children had no patience to
obey any longer the orders they had received ; they spoke and
thus relieved the Chehsien from his engagement. About 2 p.m.
he came himself to congratulate the Catholic missionaries and
announce the release of the ladies, who in fact returned home
about 4 p.m.
It was perfectly clear that it had been a scheme prepared
beforehand. As early as the evening of Sunday, the Customs
authorities were informed that sinister rumours were spread in
the Taotai's quarter and that there was a plot to make a rush
against the European quarter. They therefore sent word to the
missionaries of the danger, and invited them, on the first sign, to
repair to the offices of the Customs, from thence to be taken on
board a steamer which was then loading rice in the river.
In spite, however, of these well-founded rumours, the whole
of Monday and the morning of the Tuesday passed without any
outbreak. Nothing foreboded the storm at hand and the calumnies
circulated in the tea-houses and other public establishments were
no signs of the riot that was preparing underhand.
On Tuesday then, at i p.m., an unknown woman presented
herself at the Mission, followed by some twenty. ill-looking fellows.
Screaming out violently, she claimed her child whom the
missionaries had stolen, as they had done in the case of two others -
whose corpses were within the walls of the Catholic establishment.
This was the signal for a new attack. This the missionaries
understood at once and they went to beg Mr. Ford to appeal to
the conscience of Chang Taotai ; after which they came home
to set in order some urgent affairs.
In the meantime the mob was increasing in numbers and
they began to surround the walls. About 3 p.m., on the request
of the missionaries, a military officer had come to the rescue,
and had taken hold of one of the assailants who was just trying
to break open a door with a stone. At the same time the.
Chehsien, also applied to by the missionaries, made his way with
great difficulty through the mob and stood before the main
entrance, where he harangued the people who were already uttering
out hostile cries. These magistrates both declared they would
be trampled to death rather than abandon their post. In fact
they remained to the last.
THE RIOTS.
21
..
thant.
The wild clamour, however, fast increasing, was approaching
nearer and nearer. About 4 p.m. the Chehsien informed the
missionaries that he felt unable to restrain the mob; the English
Consul ought to appeal again to the Taotai.
Mr. Ford, on being applied to, answered that the Taotai
knew everything. But no one came, and such is the part taken
by the first Chinese magistrate in defence of the Catholic Mission.
At 5 p.m. there began to fall stones and brickbats within the
walls. The Chehsien sent to the missionaries, beseeching them
to take refuge in the English Consulate, only separated from them
by a narrow street. But they refused, unwilling as they were
uselessly to compromise a family as innocent as themselves.
At last at 5.50 p.m. one of the side doors of the facade gave
way. The three European missionaries who were still in the
establishment thought it was time to slip out by a back door.
On their way they were insulted in the coarsest language,
the qualification of Kuai-tse , children thieves), being
· predominant.
On board the hulk of the T'ai-ku Co. they were most
graciously received by Mr. Weatherstone, but unwilling further to
compromise a company which had already had so much to suffer .
from Chinese brigands, they went into a small boat which took
them to Chinkiang. .
Before leaving the hulk, the missionaries witnessed the
burning of all the buildings of their establishment. Two telegrams
for Shanghai entrusted on that same evening to Mr. Weatherstone,
together with another handed to the agent on the following
morning, were refused, on the plea that the Taotai had forbidden
sending any despatch from the Catholic missionaries.
On their arrival at Chinkiang on Thursday, the missionaries
heard that the fire of the Tuesday had been followed by a pillage
as complete as shameful, without any interference of the Chinese
authorities.
... The doctor of the Protestant Mission who came down with
Fathers Havret and Debrix, assured them that the tombs of two
missionaries had been broken open.
22
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
V.,
The following is a literal translation of the placard posted
up at Wuhu since the riot, referred to in Mr. Walley's letter :-
The country is betrayed and the people are ruined! Human
beings are trampled down and reduced to dust! Such being the
state of affairs we humbly beg to state the following. Wuhu is a
treaty port thickly populated with foreigners, who cause people
injury to such an extent that it is impossible for the pen to fully
describe. Lately the Roman Catholic Mission are building
churches in every portion of the place. Every convert is paid.
a monthly sum of $6 and it is by such means that ignorant males
and females are led to enter the churches where men and women
congregate together without discrimination. This breach of
morality and custom is in itself a violation of the fixed laws of
the State. Now women are procured from other places and are
paid to abduct children whose eyes and intestines are taken out
and whose heart and kidneys are cut off. What crimes have
these innocent children committed that they should suffer such
horrible deaths! What makes it more lamentable is that when a
child is stolen the child's family also perish. The loss of one's
own flesh and blood is so deeply felt that the acute mental pain
drives one to wish for death-quick apoplexy or suicide generally
follows. But their (Roman Catholics) sins have reached the
limit and the vengeance of Heaven is ready to burst forth. On
the 3rd of this moon two female child thieves went to Honan
(South side of the River) and abducted a child by drugging him.
The child's mother saw the act and called out to the child,
but the child was unable to speak, looking stultified. The people,
on apprehending the two abductresses, discovered on their persons
two bottles containing drugs for stupefying children. The female
child thieves were taken to Pao-chia-chu-street patrol's office-
and from there to the magistrate's yamên. The Roman Catholic
church priests hearing of the matter at once sent a bribe of 600
taels to the magistrate, who on receiving the money returned the
two abductresses in sedan chairs to the church. The priests of
the Roman Catholic church steal and kill Chinese children and
their crimes should have been expiated with death punishment;
but the god of wcalth bought off their lives. Money is superior
i
THE RIOTS..
23
to law, the precious code and golden rules are misapplied. It
shows the [magistrate's] intention of exterminating our Chinese
race, and of assisting the barbarian thieves. The following day
Li Sh'en-shuen lost a child'three years old, and Wang Wan-fah
a child aged five years. But this is more marvellous, a one year
old child belonging to a woman by the surname of Shen, was
lying in a cradle in the room and disappeared in the twinkling of
an eye, cradle and all, without leaving behind the slightest trace.'
The devilish tricks are so numerous that people are in despair
of protecting their lives. The two fathers and the mothers who
lost their children proceeded to the Roman Catholic church
to look for their missing ones. They perceived several carcases
and dried bones of young children and also four underground
cells. These discoveries caused suspicious thoughts and the
people were requested to make a search and examination. The
barbarians, with their thieving conscience stricken and their hearts
fluttering, bribed the petty military mandarin Yao with forty taels,
who accordingly despatched forty soldiers to keep guard over
the church's entrance. Swords were freely used on those who
attempted entrance. A Chinese official indeed! rendering
barbarians help to injure his native countrymen! Two men
were wounded with sword cuts on the head, blood trickling down
all over their face. The hearts of the people rebelled at such an
outrage. The devils' nest is torn down and burnt. The officials
turned against the petty people, arrested some and threw them
in prison with their hands and feet tied. This extraordinary
occurrence originated from the officials and not from the people.
The officials compelled the people to create a disturbance and
the people could not but produce a riot. Now the tens of
thousands of the people of Wuhu, do you, on the 20th day, with
united hearts and combined strength destroy the Roman Catholic
Church FEE) and the Protestant Church ( L) and all
the properties owned by them! When these are destroyed
no rebuilding will ever be permitted. Destroy again as soon as
they rebuild. Chase out all the barbarian thieves, then can we
rise and ascend the mats (meaning from unhappiness to happiness).
Should any of the race be left here we can never arrive at the
happy (stage or place]. Only the Roman Catholic church is to be
THE ANTİ-FOREIGN RIOTS.
destroyed but do not touch the Customs. If you injure the
Customs you will not escape the arm of the law. Know and
remember this!
The public community of the whole of Wuhu. .
N.B. Those who rent the houses belonging to the churches, ..
are warned to remove immediately to other places so as to avoid
being involved when the time comes.
• Drive away the evil (so that]:
The good may remain in peace.
.
· NANKING RIOT. .
1.
The chief theme of conversation on the streets here for
some days past have been the riots at Yangchow and Wuhu.
Considerable insolence is, manifested in certain quarters towards
foreigners, and the old-time stories of the practices of the Roman
Catholic missionaries have been freely circulated. A rumour
prevailed in Wuhu for a time that the Wuhu priests had fled to
Nanking, and threats were made by the rioters of following them
to this city, which naturally increased the excitement here. The
people here very generally ascribe the uprising to that well-known
secret society, the Ko-lao ( ), which is very strong at Wuhu
and indeed throughout this whole district. Many officials, even
some of high rank, are openly accused of belonging to it. How
correct these reports may be it is of course impossible to say, but
they find ready credence. It is commonly reported here that the
2oth of the present Chinese moon has been fixed upon for further
rioting at Wuhu. No reliance is of course to be placed in
rumours, but it is a coincidence worth noting that yesterday a ·
neatly printed placard was posted on the M. E. Hospital of this
city with the following warning :-
*
ž HX pt
461 XL - 5
DODŹ
Shih t'ien chi nei i-k'i shou
Wai-t'ou chi jen puh yao yu
Yang hang tih jen puh yao hi.
•THE RIOTS.
25
“Within ten days they will all be taken ; outside men will
· have nothing to be alarmed about; men in foreign hongs will
have nothing to be pleased about.”
The ten days mentioned would just bring it to the 20th of
the Chinese month.
.
The settled residents of Nanking as a rule seem to be
-favourably disposed toward foreigners, but there is a large floating
population containing a great many adventurers and other restless
spirits, who would be glad of any opportunity to plunder. It is
true we have a large army in the city, but the soldiers are nearly
all Hunan men and more than suspected of connection with the
secret society mentioned above. They are decidedly anti-foreign
in their views and have shown their disposition in the several
· outrages committed by them at the foreign burying ground here.
Since my last letter these outrages have been repeated; the wall
has been further damaged and a grave again disturbed. The
officials seem unwilling to take any further action in the matter,
but the American Consul at Chinkiang has been notified and will
without doubt secure redress.
19th May.
-
II.
I have been very sceptical as to, any real trouble here at
Nanking until yesterday afternoon, when we received warning from
two separate sources, both official, that the danger is real and
imminent, that the threatened riot will take place on Wednesday
next as arranged. We were advised, too, in a semi-official way,
that the soldiers are unreliable, the Taotai of the Foreign Office
out of the city, and that there may be doubts as to the ability of
the officials to protect us, and that as a measure of safety our
wives and children should be sent away. Such a step may
unfortunately encourage the rioters, but as our Consuls have so
far been unable to furnish us a gunboat and there are no hulks
here to flee to, as at the open ports, it seems unwise to neglect
this warning and advice. Consequently the ladies and children
are planning to leave the city to-day. The male part of the
community will, with one or two unavoidable exceptions, remain
here. We look daily for the Palos.
25th May.
26
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
NGANKIN RIOT.
(FROM A FRENCH MISSIONARY.]
The events at Wuhu have nearly had a serious repetition
at Ngankin. On Thursday, the 14th, rumour spread through the
town that the Taotai of Wuhu þad forwarded to the authorities
a long despatch in which he stated as true the .calumniatory
and infamous deeds laid at the door of the missionaries. From
another source, the passengers who arrived by the steamers helped
by their accounts and their excitement to irritate the inhabitants
of the capital. On the morning of Saturday, the 16th, placards
were already posted, especially in the neighbouring quarters of the
western gate.
These placards said that on that day they were going to settle
the old quarrel with the Catholic Mission, and that, if they were
not successful on the 16th, they would begin again on the 18th.
About 10 o'clock in the morning certain individuals forced
open the doors of the missionaries' house and refused to listen to
the request politely made to them by the servants to withdraw.
One of the missionaries then came forward and told them that
strangers were not allowed that day to visit the house unless they
came as representatives of the authorities of the town. The
intruders slowly retired, and the door was shut. But at the same
time information was sent to the nearest yamên and help asked
for. The help arrived, and it was time; the crowd steadily
increased, and in a short time, several hundreds of persons arrived
from all sides, and massed themselves around the house and the
orphanage of the Mission. During the whole day the position
was a very critical one. There were several alarms; they tried to,
break upon the door of the orphanage. Fortunately one of
the assailants was at once seized and punished on the spot by the
Chinese officer on duty; then the arrival in succession of about
fifteen mandarins, of whom some were of a high grade, kept back
the crowd till the evening.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Mission was not alone in danger.
A crowd equally great attacked the Inland Mission situated at the
northern gate. The Chinese authorities arrived in time at this
second point of danger, and so for this day further mischief was
THE RIOTS.
27
prevented. On the morning of the 17th the rioters changed their
tactics. Women came to the doors of the orphanage to reclaim
the children whom they had long before handed over to the
Mission. It is true that all this was done very quietly, but this
concourse of people looked dangerous, and the authorities were
requested to take further precautions. At this moment the
missionaries, knowing that a French man-of-war was at Wuhu,
telegraphed to the English Consul at that town, asking him to
inform the captain of the danger they were in. An answer was
received a few hours later announcing the departure of the
Inconstant, under Captain de Jonquières, who was making for
Ngankin. This intelligence was immediately made known to
the Chinese authorities. On the morning of the 18th the
Inconstant anchored below the walls of the town, not far from the
house of the missionaries. The captain at once 'received a letter
from the Fathers informing him of the state of affairs. Besides
he was himself already on the way in a steam-launch to get
intelligence. He went on board again to write a letter to the-
Governor of the town, assuring him of his peaceable intentions and
of his desire to act in concert with the Chinese authorities to
maintain order and put down the riot. But he made it understood
that if the rioters did not listen to the magistrate, as was the cause
at Wuhu, he would not hesitate to take strong measures, leaving
the responsibility of any further consequences to rest in the proper
quarter. The Governor replied that order, would be maintained
and that there was no need of alarm. He ordered the Taotai to
go the next day and carry from him this assurance to the captain
of the Inconstant.
As a matter of fact on the 18th perfect quiet seemed to.
prevail in the town. On the 19th the German gunboat Iltis,
Captain Ascher, which was coming down the river, anchored also
below the walls of Ngankin. In the forenoon the two captains,
accompanied by some officers, came together to the house of
the missionaries. They informed the Taotai that he could pay
his visit there. He came there with his suite and the interview
was a most amicable one. At the same time the Superior-General
of the Mission, who had arrived the same morning, thought that
he ought to make known very forcibly the incidents of which
he was a witness at Wuhu, at the house which he had left
28
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS...
only when it was set on fire. From this simple statement was
clearly shown the share of each one's responsibility in this
lamentable event.
. After having visited the Mission and its buildings the European
officer's returned on board, escorted by the guard of the Chinese
mandarin.
The following night Captain Ascher received from the
German Minister at Peking orders to leave at once for Kiukiang.
On the morning of the 20th, Captain de Jonquierès came ashore
alone to return the Taotai's visit.
At the present moment, all danger is not at end. Placards
posted up this evening announce for Friday, the 22nd, the total
destruction of all the buildings of the Mission.
20th May.
TANYANG RIOT.
The North-China Daily News received from Père Colombel,
Curé of the Church of St. Joseph at Shanghai, the following
particulars of the recent riots at Tanyang :-
Sunday, 31st May.—Whilst the procession of idols passed off
without any outward incident at Chinkiang, thanks to the presence
of the Inconstant and Swift, there were already rumours at
Tanyang of the coming outbreak.
Monday, 1st June.—The Father in charge at Tanyang
dispersed his scholars and the orphans under his charge among
the Christian famițies in the surrounding country. The Chehsien
was absent, being at Soochow on a visit to the Futai. In the
afternoon a crowd began to surround the Mission. buildings..
A military mandarin, named Heang, came about 4 o'clock
with some soldiers. Twice he succeeded in ejecting the crowd
and closing the gates, but he was soon overpowered. As he was
acting energetically, the crowd directed all their attacks at him,
whilst the Mission Father went about unmolested. At one time,
indeed, when the Father interposed with a view to restraining
those who were loudest in their denunciations of the mandarin,
one of the rioters said, "I have nothing to do with you; I want to
settle with him” (the official). At 5 o'clock the rioters were
evidently masters of the situation, and the mandarin urged the
priest to retire to the Chehsien's yamên. To do so he had to
THE RIOTS.
29
pass through the crowd which filled the courtyard and the street.
They looked at him with astonishment, but he was not even
insulted. Then the besiegers proceeded very methodically to set
fire to the church, the priest's residence, the boys' school and the
other buildings. The orphanage being in close contact with
houses not belonging to the Mission, it was not set on fire, but
it was demolished and entirely ruined. During the first few
hours there was very little pillage. Sailors belonging to gunboats
were even seen stopping the robbers, and forcing them to throw
their plunder into the flames. But when the fire had nearly
burnt itself out there was a general rush. Beggars, opium
smokers, boatmen and others all set to work to possess themselves
of whatever was portable-half-burnt wood, stones, tiles, bricks,
all were carried off.
At one end of the enclosure, which is a very large one, there
is a cemetery in which it has been the custom for a very long
time to inter Christians of the town and children of the orphanage.
The rioters dug up the bones and heaped them together. They
put the heads in a pile and dragged the mandarin Heang to the
spot, hauling him along, it is said, by his queue. One poor
skeleton, on which there still remained some flesh and a few
shreds of clothing, was carried off and hung up in front of the
priest's door, which looks out on the canal and a busy street.
These outrageous doings were performed to the accompaniment
of the usual calumnious and abusive shouts.
The Father was received in the yamên by the secretary of the
absent Chehsien, and well treated. On the following morning he
was put on board a junk, in company with two runners, and
arrived at Chinkiang at noon.
Nothing was left standing in the enclosure-trees, bamboos,
walls, even the hedge, were razed to the ground.
These details are furnished by letters dated Wednesday,
1st June. The priests at Chinkiang expressed themselves in ſear
for the safety of the smaller churches, seven in number, in the
country round Tanyang: On Thursday, at 5 p.m., a telegram
arrived from Chinkiang, worded as follows:—“Tanyang campagne,
églises, Chrétiens ruinés." Letters will no doubt furnish further
details.
11
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
WUSUEH RIOT.
I.
A shocking piece of news has just come in from Wusueh, a
city twenty-five miles above us here. Full and exact particulars
have not yet come to hand, but I give you what I have learnt.
What was the origin of the trouble is not certain and will perhaps
never be known. Most likely there was no cause at all any more
than at Wuhu, Nanking and other places. The stock story was
put about that the foreigner had killed a child. Mr. Green of the
Customs, and Mr. Argent, a missionary of the Wesleyan Mission,
a young man who has only been in China a few months, were the
victims to the rage of the mob. They were killed, it is said, in a
very brutal manner, their heads being crushed between heavy
stones. Full particulars as to the truth or otherwise of these
accounts are not yet to hand. The steamer which rescued the
ladies and children demanded the bodies, but the Chinese did
not give them up; the officials stating that they could not be
found. The riot apparently broke out in the night and quite
unexpectedly; the officials, it seems, rescued the ladies and
children and sent them on board the steamer Teh-hsing. It is
also rumoured that the church has been burnt. The U.S. gunboat
· Palos very fortunately came along an hour after the news arrived
here; the Consul boarded her and she went on up without
dropping anchor. She ought to bring the bodies back for burial
to-morrow. There is great indignation expressed by the foreigners
on all hands. Surely this rioting has reached a critical stage !
Is it possible that the British and other governments will allow
this to pass by unpunished ! Dollars paid as indemnity will restore
wrecked property but all the silver of China will not bring these
dead to life again. What are British officials in high office going
to do?
There are several more missionaries just inland from Wusuch.
The husbands of the three ladies were all away at out-stations
when the riot broke out.
Kiukiang, 6th June.
II.
The wave of riot has rolled along the Yangtze until it has
reached our province. Thirty miles above Kiukiang is an
THE RIOTS.
houses
sanatorium. In wWusueh have bissionary lives
important trading town called Wusueh, at which the steamers stop
in mid-stream for passengers. Here the Wesleyan Mission has
been peaceably established for nearly twenty years, so peaceably
that one is never called “Foreign devil ” on the streets, ladies go
out without foreign escort, often even for thirty miles inland to
Kuangchi Hsien, where also a married missionary lives. The
hills immediately opposite Wusueh have been selected for the
mission sanatorium. In Wusueh itself, there are two Mission
houses in the same compound. On Friday evening last, June
5th, ladies only occupied the premises, both ill, together with
their children and another lady, a visitor, the husbands being
away at different stations. An invalid was occupying the
bungalow, and Mr. Argent, who arrived from England six months
ago and had been taking care of the convalescent, came down to
Wusueh to catch a steamer for Hankow. As he was obliged to
wait for a day or two, the steamers being delayed, he spent the
time at the rooms of Mr. Green, the resident officer of the Imperial
Customs. Late in the afternoon four men took another to the
yamên, declaring that they had found him coming into Wusueh
with two baskets containing four young babies. These he professed
to have collected around Kuangchi for the Roman Catholic
Foundling Home at Kiukiang, and he asserted that eight other
men were similarly occupied in the Hsien. The mandarin insisted
on these four men affirming their names to the information,
which they declined, and the case was dismissed. Babies carried
in baskets away from their mothers for many miles all through a
boiling hot day would naturally be little likely to survive a further
steamer journey. One cannot but guess that the whole was a
plot for the express purpose of rousing the mob. At any rate,
plot or no, the plan succeeded. The crowd set on the man and
in the scuffle smothered one of the babies. Instantly the cry was
raised, “They will take the baby to the Wesleyan Mission to
make medicine of.”
A rush was made for the Mission compound. The ladies
hearing the scurry thought first of a fire, then of a theft, but
almost instantly stones began to crash in their windows and on
their attempting to find a safer place it was discovered that the
house was on fire-probably through the upsetting of lamps by
the shower of stones. They collected the children and had just
taken shelter in a latticed toolhouse in the garden, when all the
32
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
doors were burst in and the rabble, instead of going to the house,
catching sight of their white dresses, rushed at them with stones
and bamboos. The ladies driven out rushed down a passage
and out at a back door where the natives did not attempt to stop
them. Probably the sight of the flaming house induced their
pursuers to return after loot. Reaching the Mission chapel they
took refuge there for a short while, but a howling mob was on
them striking, kicking, stoning. All got separated, one baby in
the arms of a catechist was the butt for blows which he fended off
as long as possible; its life was then saved by his tossing it to a
native woman, after which it was lost for an hour until its amah
claimed it from the strange motherly arms. The other children
were saved in the houses of native Christians. One lady had a
heavy blow which broke her head open, and she fell for an
instant, bruising her eye, but instantly recovered herself and rushed
on; the others were also badly bruised, kicked and struck. First
two of them and then another by herself attempted to get refuge
in the yamên of the Ma Ko-sze, but on each occasion the doors
were shut in their faces, and they were driven back into the
crowd. In pleasant contrast to this was the action of the Lung
Ping-sze who urged the crowd to stop their work, offering his own
person and yamên for vicarious violence. The crowd accepted
the challenge, burnt his yamên and beat him heavily, but continued
their hunt for the foreigners. Finally two ladies and one child
found their way down a quiet lane to a mat hut, whose occupants
on the promise of reward hid them in the back of the hut, calmly
continuing smoking and chatting at the 'doors. Messengers were
sent to the Christians of their whereabouts, and first the third
lady was brought to join them; presently runners were sent who
conducted them to the yamên of the deputy prefect. This man
had taken no notice of three distinct appeals for assistance at the
beginning of the riot, but now did his best to make the refugees
comfortable. They surely needed it, for some were in mere night
clothes; but the speedy restoration of the equally thinly clad
children removed the worst horror from the mothers' minds.
Meanwhile Messrs. Argent and Green saw the glare, and fearing
the fire was near the Mission came running at full speed to help.
They were met by the servants who told them that the ladies were
gone, but couldn't make them understand that there was a riot
and that it would be dangerous to go on. Mr. Argent was at
THE RIOTS.
ci
once set on by a number of men ; he took refuge in a leather
shop close to the chapel where his assailants continued to attack.
The shopman bade them not to kill him there but take him
outside ; they instantly dragged him out and a blow from a coolie's
bamboo split his head open, the blood spurting on to his servant
who vainly tried to save him. They were mad with rage, set on
him, pounded the head on the stones and mauled the body badly.
Happily, we may feel sure he felt none of it all. Mr. Green ran
away and took refuge in the midst of a pond where he kept them
at bay for an hour or more. Then he got to land and was killed
near the yamên whither he was running for refuge. In their rage
they treated his body worse even then Mr. Argent's, the face
being unrecognisable.
Next morning early the Teh-hsing came up river and Captain
Cain received the refugees; with the greatest kindness he anchored
for some hours until a message could be sent up to the bungalow
and Mr. Fortune, who was ill there, could return. Naturally
great anxiety was felt about the safety of the missionaries inland,
especially of those in Kuangchi itself whence the rumour was
supposed to have come. Happily, as we now know, the Kuangchi
family are safe guarded in their own house to be escorted to the
foreign gunboat on its arrival, and the missionaries from Kichow
and Huangszekang have also reached Hankow in safety. The
only one yet not heard of is the Rev. F. Boden of Wusueh,
but his country journey is not likely to have led him into serious
risk. Captain Cain met the down-coming Fuhwo and sent messages
to Kiukiang ; the U.S.S. gunboat Palos was at once sent up to
Wusueh and telegrams sent to Hankow. H.B.M. Consul, Mr.
Gardner, at once communicated with the authorities. There is
no doubt of the determination of the Viceroy, for immediately
ràpid couriers were sent to the other places within a radius of a
hundred and fifty miles where foreigners are settled, to warn the
local officials and to insist on prompt repressive measures. Of
course Hankow and Wuchang were full of the usual style of
rumours, but stringent orders were instantly sent to the commanders
of police and troops on both bank of the river, and the claim of
security already confidently advanced on behalf of the capital of
Hupeh may be cheerily maintained.
It is earnestly to be hoped that the authorities will press the
punishment of this causeless and brutal riot rapidly. The mob
с
34
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
were evidently utterly mad and beyond control. It is happy that
the two missionaries were not at home. When one of the ladies
was in the clutches of the mob, some interfered and said, "Don't
kill her, only beat her and make her tell where her husband is,
we'll kill the men.” There's no doubt that the crowd believe the
story of the children-as nine-tenths of the Chinese in these three
cities do to-day. But the sternest punishment will not be too
much for the wicked men who took advantage of the folly of the
ignorant, nor for the officials who refused help and shut doors in
the face of defenceless women. If ever there was a call for stern,
unbending justice it is here, when the brutal beating of ladies and
children, and the killing of two young Englishmen in a town
hitherto entirely and continuously friendly, call aloud for the
strongest, sharpest lessons.
Wuchang, 8th June.
III.
I was able to send you only a very hurried account yesterday
of the public funeral of Messrs. Argent and Green, the victims of
the Wusueh riot. The funeral took place at 6 p.m., and though
no procession was formed at the Consulate, it was rendered
impressive by the presence of a hundred sailors from H.M.S.
Porpoise, thirty from the French Vipère, and thirty from the
German Iltis. Unfortunately it was impossible to keep off an
unsympathetic and curious crowd of Chinese onlookers, whose
presence and occasional noise jarred upon the mourners. In
addition to the red-buttoned military mandarin Ch'ang who came
from Wuchang, the Taotai and other Hankow officials were
present. It was, I suppose, too much to expect that they should
take their places beside the foreign officials during the ceremony;
but their remaining without seats in the sexton's lodge was
scarcely the most dignified mode of assisting. It rather gave the
idea that a disagreeable duty had perforce to be done, but they
scarcely seemed to reflect the courtesy of their chief, the Viceroy.
A file of marines fired its rolleys over the open grave, Mr. Green
having once been in the Royal Navy, and the great concourse of
all creeds and nations broke up. May we never be compelled
to see its like again.
Hankow, 13th June.
THE RIOTS.
KIUKIANG RIOT.
On Sunday evening the long-expected attempt came off. As
usual they made the children" the occasion of the outbreak.'
The Romanist orphanage within the city was the scene of the first
trouble. A great crowd collected around the number of children
who were being sent into the country and to the hospital in the
concession. The crowd increased and became noisy and did
a little damage by tearing up shrubbery and breaking windows,
but in five minutes, and before time was allowed for them to get
really started, troops came in hot haste from three camps and
immediately took possession. Guards were also thrown in and
around the Mission property of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Soon after a great mob collected in the concession. The
ladies and children were quietly and quickly removed to the
Consulate and Custom House, and arms handed out to the
residents, some thirty in number. In the meantime word was sent
to the gunboats, three being fortunately in harbour, and armed
boatloads of nien were sent to the jetties ready to be landed at a
second's notice. The mob was kept quiet by the presence of the
foreigners in the back streets and on the Bund. On the back
street the mob was the thickest. There one of the students
harangued the crowd and urged them to go on and kill foreigners;
said he, “What are we afraid of? We are many, the foreigners
only few, and we can overpower them.” With this they made
a rush at the three foreigners stationed here, but Mr. Millar, chief
of the police, knocked the student down and when he rose to
renew the conflict Mr. Millar's revolver was pointed at his head
and death threatened if they came on again. They prudently
declined. But the mob increased; soon some eight or ten
residents formed line and charged with the bayonet and drove
thousands before them and out of the settlement. In the mean-
time the Taotai with a great following of troops poured in and
every chance of the mob destroying property or taking life was
gone. The Chinese soldiers were requested to clear the concession
and close the barrier; they made some ineffectual attempts, so the
residents took the work in hand and drove the crowd from all the
streets at the point of the bayonet, and closed the barrier. Pickets
of Chinese soldiers were posted everywhere and residents were
under arms all night. Today the concession was crowded
and Chinese roamed all about but dared not break out, armed
C 2
· 36
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
foreigners being everywhere. As an instance of the value of the
native soldiers in a conflict with the people, one of the “braves.”
started to move on a crowd, but they would not be moved and
finally the soldier pushed one of them who turned round and
cursed him, whereat the soldier made a polite bow. Other braves
ran up but did not seem to do much and it was not till the
residents appeared with fixed bayonets that there was any stampede.
All through the day matters have been thus. Troops have erected
tents everywhere and are camping. To-night again at 7 o'clock'
the foreigners have had to clear the concession at the point of the
bayonet and guards are stationed with ball ammunition. Nothing
can take place tö-night. All foreigners from the city were removed
into the concession this afternoon, and are in safety. People are
getting a little wearied out with this much watching and patrolling;
it will have to stop some way soon. There is no danger here, we
are strong, well armed and prepared; the residents with the help
of the sailors can drive off ten thousand. The excitement will
doubtless last some time yet, but everything is well in hand. The
great popular festival of the Dragon Lanterns begins on Thursday;
there may be a little trouble then, and again during the military
examinations which begin in a few days, but the officials are
all alarmed and are doing their very best. Of course the Chinese
are talking a good deal, but they can't do anything. They had
better try and they will learn a sharp lesson. Sailors and
foreigners mean business. The Inconstant is drawn up between
the hulks close in shore and can rake the Bund; armed crews are
ready to land two or three minutes after the signal from shore has
been given. Everything is perfectly quiet at this time of writing.
Kiukiang, 8th June.
morning and destroya lost. The
WUSIEH RIOT.
I.
Telegrams were received here on Monday night and Tuesday
morning (8th and 9th June) to the effect that a mob had
attacked and destroyed the Jesuit Mission at Wusieh near the
Tahu. No lives were lost. The rioters were probably the same
people who attacked the Roman Catholic Mission at Tanyang
on the 2nd instant. Tanyang is between Chinkiang and Wusieh.
The latter is an important town on the Grand Canal, and is the
principal scene of the operations for the purchase of cocoons for
· THE RIOTS.
.
the silk filatures in Shanghai. A Shanghai resident, who was at
Wusieh a fortnight ago, had a conversation with two of the Fathers
and visited the school, in which about forty boys were at work.
The Fathers were told of the outbreak at Nanking, but expressed
no fears on their own account, Wusieh being then perfectly quiet.
The church is a very handsome.one for China, and there are some
4,000 converts in the city and neighbourhood.
• A telegram received on Tuesday evening (9th June) mentioned
that all was quiet at Wusieh, and there does not appear to be
any ground for the rumour that a large part of the town has been
burnt.
The following letter on this painful subject was received:-
SIR,-We have received telegrams informing us of a new
outbreak, at Wusieh. As far as can be understood from these
telegrams, on the afternoon of 8th June a band of miscreants
reduced the church, dwelling house and schools to ashes, but
without killing anyone.
Wusieh is on the Grand Canal, at an equal distance from
Soochow and Changchow. It is the centre of a section of our
Mission which is attended to by six Fathers, and which has over
10,000 Christians and 60 chapels. We had there our largest
church, with a boys' school which counted often 100 pupils, and a
girls' school still more numerously attended.
One of the telegrams says that of all this nothing remains
standing.
It seems very much as if these deeds were committed by
men obeying a word of command in an organised scheme-by
a band which has travelled from Chinkiang to Tanyang along the
Grand Canal, and next to Wusieh by the same channel. These
evil-doers have evidently orders to do what they have done-
destroy so many schools without taking lives.
What can be their object? Where will they appear next?
We shall soon, no doubt, have fuller particulars.
I am, etc.,
AUG.. M. COLOMBEL, S.J.
9th June.
38
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
II.
By the courtesy of Père Colombel we are enabled to give the,
following further details :-
. To begin with the preliminary signs, as soon as the
incendiarism at Tanyang became known, it was announced that
there would be another at Wusieh. Strangers speaking an Upper
Yangtze dialect, appeared in the city, spreading the usual
calumnies and stirring up the people to set fire to the church.
This was so fully expected that the large rice shops had to cease
their work of preparing the grain, the workmen expecting to have
their share of the booty.
On Sunday, 7th June, the Father at the Mission sent to warn
the Chehsien, who replied verbally, “Make your minds easy;
there will be no disturbance. The people are well disposed here,
and if the Europeans do not go away there will be no breach of
of the peace.”. At the request of the Father, the Chehsien
promised to send two gun-junks to places in the neighbourhood,
in order to prevent any excitement. He also sent for two tipaos
and made them responsible for the peace of the district.
At the same time Father Tschepe, the superior of this
section of the Mission, was at Kiangyin, which was more threatened
than Wusieh. He made representations to the officials at Kiangyin
and Changcha, but without result.
On the morning of Monday, 8th June, the school children
had all been sent away. The burial service was read over a
Christian who had died the night before. After the mass, the
coffin was placed in another room of the church, ordinarily used
for the purpose, together with that of a child which had died that
morning. After the service, the rioters began to arrive in groups,
without shouts or outcries. They filled the court-yard of the
church and could not be induced to go away. The Father again
sent to warn the mandarins. His messenger returned with the
information that the two hsiens at Wusieh and two or three other
officials were on the way to his assistance. They came, but not
to the actual scene of the trouble, stationing themselves on the
other side of a wide canal. They were accompanied by a crowd,
in which some strangers, said to be Hunan men, were heard
crying out : “ The officials are going to destroy the church ; let us
help them.” These words produced the desired effect, hindering
the officials and exciting the mob. A single official of inferior
THE RIOTS.
39
rank, accompanied by seven or eight men, entered the priests
residence, followed by an immense crowd. He got out of his
chair, produced a folding stool, sat down, took his water-pipe and
fan, surveyed the crowd and excused himself from doing anything,
on the ground that his superiors were absent. At one time he
certainly showed a little energy. Turning back his cuffs, he
called out to the crowd to go away, but no one obeyed. Finally,
.after waiting for superiors who never came, he said that as the
mob had come in with him, it would go out with him. He
accordingly went away, but the rioters remained. They soon
began to break in the doors and windows. Some converts who
attempted to stop them received wounds. Forty or fifty soldiers
entered the priest's courtyard and drove out the mob, but at the
same time the girls' school was set on fire. The soldiers
immediately abandoned the place to the rioters, without making
a single effort to stop them.
While the priest was defending his house, the girls' school
was attacked. For some time no entrance could be effected, but
at last a stranger taunting the crowd with their ill-success, shouted
out that he would show them the way to go to work, and with a
big stone broke open one of the back doors. The only persons
remaining in the orphanage were a few Chinese réligieuses, who at
first ran some danger but were soon allowed to escape. The
building was then methodically set on fire with gunpowder and
oil, evidently brought expressly for the purpose. The church,
and next the priest's house, were then kindled by the same means,
with such effect that nothing was left but ruins. The church was
the largest and most richly decorated belonging to the Mission.
The principal authors of the attack were men speaking an
Upper Yangtze dialect, being probably Hunan men. They were
not numerous, but were certainly the ring-leaders. Their influence
in stirring up the people, their determined action during the
attack, and their sudden disappearance as soon as the torch had
been applied, are worthy of remark. The numerous rice-shop men,
most of whom are from the north of Kiangsi (Kongpoyuen), had
stopped work for two or three days, anticipating plunder. They
were the most active workers throughout the riot. As soon as
the fire had obtained a hold, an immense crowd of plunderers,
including soldiers, swooped down upon tlie place, without let or
.
40
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
hindrance. Christians attempted to stop some of these wretches, ..
laden with the spoils of the church, and take them before the
officials.
The coffin, containing the dead child was carried off and
placeci, it is said, in front of the mandarins. That of the woman
was broken open. The rioters attempted, by means of blows
with bricks and stones, to make the eyes fall out of the head,
regardless of the entreaties of the dead woman's husbänd, children
and other relations. When the priest, escaping in a junk, passed
the cemetery, he saw the wretches digging up the bodies of .
children, which they savagely mutilated, cutting the arms and
plucking out the eyes.
During the 8th Father Tschepe left Kiangyin for Wusieh,
but learning on the way that the outrage had already been
accomplished, he betook himself to saving the other Christian
communities—a circumstance which led to the report of his death
being circulated. The church at Kiangyin was most in danger.
The same threats as at Wusieh were made use of, and the house
and school were surrounded. The Father, with the help of the
Mission employés, drove the mob out, and when the mandarin
saw that, the defenders were able to hold their own, he sent
soldiers, who, with the Father's example before them, had no
difficulty in keeping the place from harm.
Unfortunately, in the two prefectures of Wusieh and Kiangyin,
the Mission has over sixty churches. We have already learnt that
twenty of these have been burnt; and it is said that a native priest
has been slightly wounded' and that two or three Christians have :
been killed. The Viceroy of Nanking has sent an official named
Yu, to take the place, it is understood, of Liu Tsi-yu. He has
visited the ruins in company with Father Tschepe. The Futai at
Soochow has sent a delegate to arrange this sad business.
. ICHANG RIOT.
I.
The following telegrams were received in Shanghai' on
Wednesday, 2nd, and Thursday, 3rd September :-
Ichang, 2nd September, 3.50 p.m.
Riot to-day at noon. Missions and all foreign property
burnt. No lives lost. Paohua in port.
THE RIOTS..
40
Ichang, 3rd September, 6.15 p.m.
There was no warning of any trouble. The American and
Catholic Missions, and Messrs. Cain's, Aldridge's, and Deans'
houses are burned, and Mr. Cockburn's looted. The Franciscan
Sisters, and one of the Fathers, are badly hurt. All are now on
board the Paohua. · The Customs are armed.
II.
For several months a riot at Ichang has been feared by those
having access to reliable sources of information, yet at 0.30 p.m.
on Wednesday, 2nd September, it came like a thunderbolt from a
clear sky, taking the most wary by sạrprise, and the programme
was carried out with a thoroughness and dispatch which are
altogether unprecedented. There was no indication of danger
until the signal of attack was given, and in twenty minutes all
was over. Nothing was left to chance; everything was carefully
planned and in no sense can the "Ichang riot be attributed to:
popular excitement or the rash act of a European. The pretext
for collecting a crowd was cunningly devised. On Tuesday, ist
September, a child was brought to the Roman Catholic convent,
and the ordinary papers were duly signed making it over to the
Sisters. The child was represented to be a girl (only girls were
received at the convent), and when it was discovered to be a
boy, the circumstance caused some uneasiness. On Wednesday
morning parties appeared at the convent declaring their child
had been stolen, and saying it was within. In due course the
child was produced and delivered to the claimants. Meanwhile
a crowd had collected, but nothing serious was suspected, although,
as was. proper under the circumstances, information was sent to
the magistrate. But the ringleaders had also gone clamouring to
the yamên, collecting the dregs of the city as they went along.
Instead of shutting the yamên doors and keeping all parties
concerned under restraint until the case was investigated, the
magistrate with his runners and body guard proceeded to the
convent, taking the crowd from the city along with him. The
military commandant of the rank of Chêntai was also on the
scene with a large number of soldiers, and some show was made
of protecting the convent. All at once a rush was made for the
house in the adjoining compound belonging to the American
42.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
Episcopal Mission. The gate was smashed in; two trumpets
were blown, and a man beating his breasť shouted out: “Come
on brothers, slay the foreigners; I am willing to die for you."
.
In came the rioters with a rush ; one of the foremost men
snatching a spade from a coolie and aiming a murderous blow at
Mr. Sowerby, who managed to disarm this assailant and evade
another. The coolies shouted at him to run for his life, and
none too soon, for the mob was of the most desperate character
and bent on murder from the very first. By jumping a fence and.
running for life Mr. Sowerby was just able to reach the Consulate
in an exhausted condition, with a sprained ankle, and exposed
hatless to the midday sun. From the Consulate Mr. Sowerby
was able to get on board the Paohua with no further adventure.
To set fire to the American Mission house was the work
of an instant, and as soon as the signal of destruction was given
yamên runners and soldiers fell back, nor did either military or
civil mandarins give a single order to protect life or property. It
is particularly to be noted that against Mr. Sowerby, whose house
was the first to be burned, there was not even the semblance of a
grudge. In less time than it takes to write it, the torch was
applied to the convent, the Sisters, seven in number, and of
various nationalities (French, German and British) escaping as
best they could down a lane to the river, escorted by Father
Braun, a very powerful man, and formerly an officer in the
German army. To give them their due, officials and soldiers
also escorted the Sisters. The mandarins seemed to receive
some rough usage; the Chêntai's hat being knocked off, an
indignity which the natives speak of with bated breath and
evidently consider of more gravity than everything else that has
occurred. As soon as the steep bank of the river was reached,
'the Sisters were thrown headlong over it by the very soldiers who
had. aided in their protection so far, an incident fortunately
noticed on board the Paohua which was anchored opposite, and
Captain Lewis instantly launched a boat, which proceeded to the
rescue and found the Sisters and Father Braun exposed to the
full fury of a shower of missiles, in a sampan without oars into
which they had scrambled. The ship's boat took the sampan in
tow and the whole party were soon in safety on board the Paohua
which had steam up to run down any boat-loads of rioters who
.
.
.
THE RIOTS.
43
.
..
'
might attempt to board, and was defended by the repeating rifles
of Captain Lewis, Mr. Moore and Mr. Grouleff. Right down to
the river bank the orphans in the convent had clung to the
Sisters, but here they were violently seized by the soldiers and
kept back. It is suspected that a number of children must have
been burned in the convent: one, unable to walk, could not
have escaped. On reaching the Paohua the Sisters presented
a pitiable sight, their long robes being covered with blood, and
one has been so badly wounded that she is still unable to rise.
Father Braun, who acted nobly throughout, shielding the Sisters
with his own person, has received a very severe cut on the head,
not to mention contusions and bruises all over the body.
From the convent the rioters made a rush to the river front
and went tearing down the Bund, the ringleaders armed with
pickaxes and knives, the rest with such weapons as they could lay
their hands on.
Down the lane at the end of the Consulate and along the
street in front of it they swept with the violence of a tropical
storm, but not a finger was lifted against the Consulate.' The
house, owned by a native-a mandarin's secretary-in which the
Rev. Mr. Deans and Dr. Pirie of the Church of Scotland Mission
lived ; Captain Cain's house (empty), the mat shed in front of
Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co.'s godown, Mr. Creagh's house
inhabited by Dr. Aldridge of the Customs, and the Franciscan
Mission, were fired simultaneously. The pickaxes made short
work of the doors, and no time was wasted by the slightest
attempt to loot. Mr. Cockburn was in a boat on the river within
fifty yards of the scene and saw the whole thing done with a
quickness and precision which leave no room no doubt that all
had been planned beforehand and that each man knew exactly
what to do, a conclusion which is forced home by the fewness of
the number of the active rioters, not over half a hundred at the
outside, and the strange coincidence that no attempt whatever
'was made to burn Mr. Cockburn's own house, which adjoins
Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co.'s on the one side and Nr.
Aldridge's on the other.
This is what took place at one house, and it is substantially
what took place at all; as soon as the door was staved in, the boy
was seized and at the risk of his life asked to point out where the
foreigner kept his silver : "He keeps none, but changes Hankow
what been plan
*44
THE ANTI-FOREİGN RIOTS.
cheques at the native cash shops." " Then, where is your
kerosine tin?” and the house was blazing in an instant. : .
The plans were well laid, and, what is far more difficult to
secure, the ringleaders kept perfect command all through the
proceedings. As has been remarked, Messrs. Jardine, Matheson
& Co.'s property was fired and the mať shed burned down. On
this their Chinese agent and compradores fell on their knees and
implored the rioters not to burn the godown as it contained
only goods belonging to natives. The request was granted on
condition that the goods were removed within three days, when
the godown would be burned. A petition was also made that
Mr. Cockburn's house might be spared as it adjoined the godown
and the one would set fire to the other. A mandarin was also in
Mr. Cockburn's compound vociferating : "Do not burn Mr.
Cockburn's house, you all know hiin, he has been here over ten
years and does works of charity (hao-sz); take anything you want,
but do not burn his house.” Some sinologue may be able to
explain whether it be more honourable to have one's goods stolen
than burned as being too vile for a Chinaman to handle. One
fact is clear; the original plan was to loot and not to burn the
house of the Rev. Mr. Cockburn, of the Church of Scotland
Mission, with the celerity with which all others were fired by the
ringleaders, who carried kerosine and gunpowder along with
them. All entreaties to spare it came too late.
As for the Consulate; a native building belonging to Mr.
Little, it was never attacked, and the Consul remained inside
in perfect security. No pretence of protecting it by soldiers was
made until all was over.
There is a shrewd suspicion that the ringleaders may have
taken their cue from a remark of His Excellency the Viceroy of
the Province, that those murdered at Wusueh were nobody in
particular, and concluded that so long as they kept their hands off
officials, the punishment meted out would not be grievous.
True to the traditions of the service, the Customs' staff stood
to arms, but had only to present their bayonets to keep back
stragglers, for here, also, the rioters made no real attack. Yet
they made it sufficiently clear that their favours were distributed
to all foreigners with strict impartiality. The land bought for the
site of a new Custom House was taken possession of, the fine
tennis lawn destroyed, and such other mischief done as the place
THE RIOTS.
45
afforded opportunity. At the new Consulate in course of building
the strong gate of the compound was broken to pieces and teak-
wood doors and window frames torn from their position, the place
becoming a thorough wreck. All the wood and builders' materials,
and quantities of the very bricks were carried off, and at the date
of writing the public are freely.helping themselves to whatever
remains..
A freak of the riot which would tax even the perfervid
imagination of the author of "Defensio Populi” to explain, is that
the extensive Mission premises of the Church of Scotland, within
the city, remain intact. Up to the very moment of the riot, male
and female schools, dispensary, hospital, not to speak of that
terrible red rag, preaching in the Church, both forenoon and
afternoon, were carried on...
Amidst all the ferment the very existence of the Mission was
overlooked alike by mandarins and rowdies. . The only people
who manifested the slightest interest were the patients who came
in nearly the usual number and took no pains to conceal their
annoyance that Dr. Pirie was prevented from attending to them in
the ordinary way. Not till Friday did the Mission receive any
attention. Long before that time the bund was covered with
the tents of soldiers guarding the blackened and battered ruins.
Already, some twenty scholars, children of heathen parents,
had resumed their places in the school, but casual remarks
were now heard on the street that the premises had been left
without official recognition or protection. .
The schoolmaster now went to the yamên and stated that
when alls the officials had gone out of the city and proved
themselves unable to prevent a riot, he had remained at his
post and succeeded in preventing any mischief being done to
property within the city walls; but the time had come when
he must either be told to leave, in which case the property would
be left to its fate, or something must be done to show publicly
that the place was protected. A ray of hope dawned on the
magistrate at once..He could at least report all foreign property
within the city to be safe and sound. Without delay, four runners
were sent by the Chehsien, and a like number by the Chifu, with
strict injunctions to arrest any one causing the slightest annoyance.
The American Episcopal Mission in a native house within the
city, the Roman Catholic Mission within the city also in a
Alreadysumed ard or
46
THE ANTİ-FOREIGN RIOTS.
native house, and the Church of Scotland Mission Station outside
the north gate are all of them safe. No protection was given, but
everything was as quiet as on ordinary occasions. If Christianity
be offensive to the Chinese and Mission work felt to be a
grievance, it is passing strange that the very centres of proselytising
should not have a single stone cast at them. What happened at
Ichang should convince all parties that it is not this or that
individual class of Europeans that is aimed at, but all Europeans
without distinction of nationality or occupation.
• But it is time to tell how it fared with the residents about
whom you have not already heard. They were Mrs. Roberts and
daughter, of Shanghai, visitors to Ichāng, Mr. and Mrs. Cockburn
and five children, Dr. Pirie, Mr. Deans, and Mr. McNair of the
China Inland Mission, from Shasi. After a variety of adventures
and remarkable concomitances of favourable incidents, all reached
the s.s. Paohua in safety, for which a debt of gratitude is due to
Captain Lewis, the ship's boat in command of Mr. Grouleff
having not only rescued the Roman Catholic missionaries, but
also picked up Dr. Pirie, Mr. Deans and Mr. McNair, similarly,
exposed to a shower of stones, in a sampan with a broken oar.
Mr. Cockburn brought off Mrs. Roberts and daughter with
his own family to the steamer, and immediately returned to see if
he could carry from his house a few things of special value that
can never be replaced. He was too late ; but succeeded in
getting an excellent view of what actually took place. Seeing
numbers of soldiers mixed in the crowd he insisted on the
boatman putting him ashore, feeling confident he would be
protected from personal violence. The reply he got was “Soldiers
will not strike soldiers." "That one and that one and that one,"
pointing to men armed with pickaxes and foremost in the riot:
“ These are all soldiers with their coats off !” Seeing how matters
stood and with stones coming from the shore fast and thick, there
was no help for it but to return to the steamer by a long détour.
Were anything more needed to show the utter helplessness
and incompetence of the mandarins, the proof is' not far to
seek. On Wednesday afternoon two of the Customs' staff
walked down to Mr. Cockburn's house, and amidst the general
wreck particularly noticed that the carpet was still on the
sitting-room floor, whilst the compound was already occupied
by a lieutenant and company of soldiers, who to make doubly
;
THE RIOTS.
47
,
sure that no stragglers should enter had barricaded the door and
pitched a tent across it. Mr. Cockburn and Dr. Pirie went to,
the house on Thursday and found the carpet gone, the floor
bearing evidence of the tacks having been carefully extracted.
The inevitable conclusion is that the carpet was appropriated by
the lieutenant himself. During the whole time the bund has
been full of mandarins on horseback and in chairs rubbing
shoulders with people openly carrying away plunder of every
description from half-burnt wood to a silver tea service, which
was observed to be taken to a house next door to a yamên. By
Friday everything worth taking was gone, and then the official
wrath burst forth against the poor people who came to get a little
firewood cheaply.
· Crowds of those caught with burdens of charred wood have
been lodged in the yamên, but the mandarins durst not lay a
finger on any of the real criminals. They are no doubt prepared
to inflict any punishment demanded by foreign powers on the
miserable creatures they have arrested, the very utmost limit of
whose offences does not exceed petty theft. More than all this,
there was an open attempt to commence the riot ten days before
it actually occurred. At that date three Chinese entered the
Scotch Mission by the back door, loudly demanding to be shown
the place where the foreigners picked out children's eyes. Making
their way to the Church, in which a native helper was preaching,
they commenced tossing the seats about and shouting abuse which
need not be repeated. Then seeing the various proclamations
which have been issued in reference to the riots on the lower
river posted up in front of the Church, one of them went up to
them and shouted out, “These too are fabrications of the
foreigners. Not one of them is genuine, nor bears the proper
seals. I am an official myself and know the seals to be forgeries,
see, here is a proper seal,” pulling something from his pocket.
By this time a crowd had collected, but contrary to expectation,
the people of the neighbourhood, among them a military graduate,
stoutly interfered, saying they all knew what was done in the
Mission, and they would permit no disturbance to be raised by
such slanderous statements. Then taking him by the shoulders
they forcibly ejected him and saw him in safety to his home.
What he said was not all false. He actually turned out to be
a military officer, named Wang, of the rank of wai-wei. Through
1
48
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
the Consul, who personally examined the witnesses, the Chêntai
was informed of what had taken place, and a reply was received
that Mr. Wang had got a black mark put against his name, three
of them being enough to ruin a man. After what has transpired,
the sooner the other two black marks are added the better.
The bearing Ichang has on the rest of China cannot be
appreciated without knowing that the Chêntai is an official of
'exceptional honesty and energy, who has hitherto been regarded
with good reason as very friendly to Europeans. For China, his, .
soldiers are in an excellent state of discipline. But he is a Hunan
man, and his soldiers are from Hunan. Hunan people in the
employment of officials are at the bottom of everything: Of the
Chehsien, not much need be said. He was on the Chinese
commission as to steamers running to Chungking, and was looked
up to as a sort of leader, having had experience in dealing with
foreigners at some former period of his career. Such a name did
he make for himself when the s.s. Kuling was stopped from going
to Chungking that he is now made the ruler of Ichang.
It only remains to be stated that those in the riot simply
escaped in the clothes they stood in. They saved absolutely
nothing, and the houses fired were burned to the ground. Mr.
Cockburn's house is as completely wrecked and ruined as if it had
been burned with the rest. Without a single hitch the rioters
carried out their plans with thoroughness, with the single exception
of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co.'s godown, where a compromise
was effected. Fortunately there has been no loss of life, but
infuriated men brandishing knives mean murder, and had the .
Paohua not been in port there would have been a sadder tale
to tell.
III.
Another correspondent, under date 4th September, says that
the mob after burning down Captain Cain's house pulled down
the walls and uprooted the trees in the compound. The
foreigners, to the number of nine, were under arms to protect the
Consulate and Customs. They each received twenty rounds of
ball ammunition, but did not need to fire their guns, for their
bayonets were sufficient to keep the mob back. The Paohua
was kept back till the arrival of the Teh-hsing. The people in the
THE RIOTS.
49
city were still very excited on the 4th, but otherwise things were
quiet. The mandarins, however, were quite unable to cope with
the rioters. · None of the C. N. Co.'s property was burnt.
Another letter states that the mob on the 3rd threatened
to blow up the Custom House with bags of gunpowder, but
fortunately they did not carry out their threat.
IV.
Information received by H.B.M.'s Office of Works at Shanghai
confirms the news of the destruction of the new British Consulate
at Ichang. At the time of the outbreak, the walls, which were
of brick, had reached a height of about four feet from the ground,..
and the scaffolding had just been fixed. The rioters tore down
scaffolding and all the woodwork and carried it off, besides
knocking down all the brickwork they had time to attend to.
All the materials for the building had been sent from Shanghai,
a process which will now have to be repeated—at. Ichang's
expense.
V.
The s.s. Paohua arrived here yesterday at 4 p.m. with the
Ichang refugees on board, in number twenty persons. There were
one Father and seven Sisters of the Roman Catholic Mission, three
gentlemen, one lady and five children of the Scotch Mission, one
Inland Missionary and one tourist lady and child; all of whom
had lost everything they possessed, save the clothes they stood in
at the moment the riot broke out. Several of them still bore the
marks of the serious violence they had lately been subjected to.
It is not necessary to repeat their story, which will be fully
told by themselves, but a few items gathered in course of
conversation with one and another may not be without some
interest or value. There has been no riot as yet which will so
well repay study. It not only occurred at a time when the
Imperial authorities are supposed to be straining every nerve to
maintain order, but it took place at noonday, without warning
and without provocation. It was carried through by a handful of
men, evidently acting under orders, in the presence of the local
civil and military officials, and a large number of the people, who
knew every man of them. Their mission of destruction was
carried out with the utmost speed, completeness and impartiality.
.
D
50
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
.
That no lives were lost seems due to a number of special
circumstances that were most providential. The members of the
Scotch Mission owed their escape to the presence of a visitor
with whom they had gone on the river at the time of the outbreak.
They hurried back on the alarm, and the senior missionary had
just time to rush to his house and seize two infant children who
had been left at home, when the rioters arrived. The Consul
escaped simply because his establishment did not seem to be in
their programme. As the riot occurred during office hours, he
took his place in his office, prepared if need be to transact the
solemn business of sacrificing life to duty, but, though the rioters
passed and repassed, they did not attack him. Two missionary
gentlemen wished to stay with him, but these he hurried off to
the steamer. With all its shortcomings, real or alleged, the
Consular service does not lack courage, and that of the highest
order. As these rioters will not face firearms, the Customs
officials were safe enough in the Custom House. Indeed, several
folks say that had they not confined themselves to the Custom
House they could easily have squashed the whole affair. The
Roman Catholic Sisters had by far the worst of it. The civilised
world came pretty near being once more thrilled with all the
horrors of another massacre like that of Tientsin.
The Chêntai, Loh Ta-jen, the head military official in charge
at Ichang, has the reputation of being an honest and friendly
man, and the residents believed in him. He, however, was a
Hunan man, an old rebel leader, and, as the event proved; a
broken reed to trust to. All available foreign and native testimony
goes to prove that the rioters were his own Hunan soldiers, and
yet he loudly declared to the Consul and others that he could do
nothing. The district magistrate, Mr. Hsu, is not unknown to
the foreign public. He was a most influential member of the
commission appointed to arrange for the opening of the Upper
Yangtze to the s.s. Kuling, which however, succeeded in most
effectually closing the same instead. He is the reputed author of
the preposterous fiction about the irate monkeys of the gorges
which is supposed to have frightened the British government into
abandoning its demands. As a consequence, he has since then
enjoyed high favour, and the reward of office on the scene of his
diplomatic triumph. Perhaps he hopes to succeed in persuading
the same government that the same ferocious monkeys originated
: THE RIOTS.
.
and carried out the late riot. The telegraph clerks, as in previous
cases, refused to send on news. « A full telegram to the North-
China Daily News was refused on the day of the riot, and all
foreign messages the day after. One gentleman tried hard to get
a message sent on credit, till he could borrow the money to pay,
all his own being lost, but he tried in vain. On the third day,
when all possible damage had been done, the military in great
force mounted guard over the blackened ruins. It is hard ta
understand the reason for this proceeding, although probably to
assist in guarding ruins is all the Swift will be able to do when
she gets up. The Paohuà had to wait two and a half days, till
the Teh-hsing arrived, but even after she left the danger was not
over, for two boat-loads of men armed with clubs tried to board
her with the passengers at Shashi. The officers succeeded in
keeping them off.
. With regard to this fresh outbreak many opinions will be
held, but it is difficult to see how any can be sustained which
does not condemn the local authorities. If they did not directly
instigate it, they.certainly gave it the benefit of their connivance.
It begins to look more and more as if while foreigners are talking
about opening Hunan, Hunan is actively engaged in closing
China to them, by the roughest and readiest means; and that too
with the sympathy of the high authorities. In proof of this
sympathy we have their unwillingness to punish rioters and
murderers; the pretended inability of local officials to prevent
outbreaks, and the avowal of such sentiments as those of the
“Defensio," where we are told by Viceroy Chang's secretary that
the wrath of the people is just, and that the worst that could be
said the Wusueh murderers were guilty of was excusable ignorance !
In this document the secretary is believed by all whose opinion is
of value to faithfully represent the views of His Excellency, his
master. If so, and if his colleague of Nanking is like minded,
there is no need to search further for causes of the present
troubles. A fresh proof of the complicity of high authority with
the anti-foreign propaganda has reached me to-day: A friend in
Szechuan writes that he had read the Governor's monthly letter
to district magistrates. It related the particulars of the Wuhu
riot, and the rumours which produced it, and asserted the latter
were quite true! There can be no longer the slightest doubt but
that, on China's own initiative, a struggle has begun which will
D
2
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
result in either vastly further opening up the country, on in
practically closing it altogether. It is quite possible that the
Ichang case may be simply made the subject of further diplomatics,
and paying of indemnities, but there will soon be another and
another case. I hear Chungking is the next place on the
programme, if not Hankow. This cannot go on for ever. If
foreigners can only be kept in terror for a while, the infatuated
officials may reasonably expect them to retire. On the other
hand, it is possible they may succeed in rousing the Great Powers
to action, in which case we shall see great changes before all is
· over. Surely those Powers which are able to protect all sorts of
alien men and nations in all parts of the globe will be equal to ..
taking care of their own people in China.
Hankow, 7th September.
VI.
The wave of rumour and uneasiness has rolled back upon
us. The success of the Ichang riot and the general excitement
· and absorption of the officials in the provincial examinations
appear to have set the mischief makers to work again. On Monday
anonymous notices were thrown into the compounds of the Roman
Catholic and London Missions, which adjoin each other near the
north gate of the city. These notices were in rhyming couplets,
the characters arranged so as to form the strokes of the big words
FK "Heaven will not endure. you.” Numerous wrong
characters were evidently intended to convey the idea of the
illiterateness of the writer. The notice itself was an exposition of
the text above given, with which we are now so familiar-that the
foreigners with their pretence of trade and religion are with
their money to be driven out of the empire, at the latest by
next spring. The letter ended with grim politeness E N
_"with compliments to the foreigners.” The matter was at once
brought before the notice of. H.B.M.'s Consul, and the native
authorities were instantly put on their guard. Immediate orders
were issued to the various camps and barracks, and guards of
soldiers ívere attached to the various Missions. A visit was paid
by the Consul and the Captain of the British gunboat to the scene
of the threat, and all precautions taken and arrangements made for
rendezvous in case of disturbance. The day occupied by the
grand procession to the Examination Hall passed over quite
,
3
'53 -
: THE RIOTS.
.
quietly. At night a fire took place outside the city beyond
the Viceroy's yamên in the extreme south. Instantly the electric
search light from one of the men-of-war was flashed over the
whole place. The writer lives in the southern half of the city,
cut off by the Snake Hill from sight of the other half and of
Hankow. In the past we have repeatedly seen the search light
flashing over the other side of the hill, but last night was the
first time our règion has been illuminated. The moral effect .
of that electric light is most valuable. It is a sort of putting
into dramatic form “The eye of Europe is upon you," which is
cheering to stray scraps of Europe stranded amidst unsympathetic
Asia. Whether the dramatised eye of Europe will be as potent as
the Gorgon's and turn the activities of evil men to stone remains
to be seen. I have been able to test the signs of the streets twice
in the last twelve hours. An opium suicide led me a long way at
midnight; the same dead streets, the same owlishly sleepy wardens
turning patiently out of their kennels to unbar the street gates,
just the same as usual; even, I find this morning, the same
thieves as usual trying to break into my neighbour's house and
failing in the attempt. This morning I walked the main streets
from end to end, and save for finding them densely crowded
through the examinations, I noticed no signs of anything out
of the ordinary. But there is an unpleasant feeling in the air;
the natives of the place certainly know nothing, and are evidently
worried at the unrest, which tells against business. There is even
a certain aggravation in a suspense which leads to no result;
the very absence of finality which is our good fortune has its
disadvantages. Ichang has but added one lesson to many others
how completely we are at the mercy of any one who chooses
to lose a baby or determines to die on our doorstep. None
the less Wuchang itself is likely to remain untouched. One is
puzzled even now whether these recent alarms may not be the
mischievous delight of some such joker to distract the foreigner by
suggestions of possible damage. The worst of it is that in China,
you can never tell till after the eụent. Meanwhile, "not being able
to tell” grows monotonous.
There is much said about vigorous telegrams received here
on Monday from the Tsung-li Yamên, and there is no doubt that .
H.E. Chang Chih-tung is highly enraged at Ichang thus stepping
in to keep up the trouble of Wusueh. As to the future, there
.
54.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
are ominous whispers here of the temper in which the numerous
official Hunanese living here have received the suggestion of
the opening of their province to trade. But, if the Imperial
Government be kept up to its duty by the Western Powers,
whispers and murmurs won't finally stop the march of events.
One thing is now absolutely essential; any demands must be
pushed right through. There must be no half measures if China
is to be bearable for the future.
Wuchang, 9th September.
VII.
The uneasiness and sense of something in the air continue.
The signs are all significant of the natives of the place knowing
nothing and therefore guessing much. The dates selected-the-
evening after the entry of the Governor into the Examination
Hall, and now that that has passed, the 15th or 16th of the moon,
when the graduates will return from examination-suggest that
nothing definite is known. Certain it is that many wandered
about on the first mentioned night expecting to see a blaze, and
report has it that many graduates delayed entering the hall
till the last moment for the sake of the promised excitement.
Meanwhile we have every reason to be grateful to our foreign
authorities for the promptitude and thoroughness of their
precautions. Everything is indefinite, so while ladies and
children are removed to the foreign concession, the men are
remaining at their work, while plans are well worked out for
assistance or rescue in case of disturbance. The city gates,
which shut us. in immediately after dusk, suggest unpleasant
possibilities. The native authorities are much on the alert, but
without that full confidence in themselves and their forces which
we should like. The Nieh T'ai (Provincial Judge) and Shieh
T'ai (Colonel in command) have called all the missionaries to
inspect the picquets of soldiers. Happy are those who are
guarded by natives; a Hunan guard at a time. like this is a
doubtful security. Notwithstanding the feeling that all this may
be a mere alarm, the absolute necessity of being on the alert; and
the feeling that "something is coming” is far more trying than
having it over and being done with it. Certainly Hunan tall
talk about the streets does not add to the general tranquility.
havifeeling that", the absolutstanding
THE RIOTS.
55
.
The threats as to what will be the result should Hunan be
humbled are emphatic, succinct, and comprehensive. But there
is a long gap between braggadocio born of long military reputation
and putting into effect threats of war and sedition.
Wuchang, with September.
.
VIII.
Yesterday a stern proclamation was issued by the Viceroy
and the Governor announcing that, in accordance with the
directions of the Imperial Edict of the seventh day of the fifth
moon, they will instantly put to death any one found inciting to
violence by placard or otherwise, and offering a reward of a
hundred taels to any one whose information shall lead to the
arrest of such offenders. This invocation of the magic of the
Imperial name and the offer of a reward so large, larger than an
individual share of any possible loot, ought to do a good deal
towards the maintenance of order. The rumours were becoming
' unpleasantly pointed and personal, and the secret warnings were
coming to hand from friends to native Christians that the soldiery
were likely to join in any outbreak, and generally the feeling of
insecurity was trying. This proclamation rather restores the
balance; and though dates, the 17th and 20th of September, are
freely mentioned we may hope that all will pass off quietly. It is
needless to say that the suspense, the expecting something that
may come but doesn't, is more trying to most of us than would
be an actual riot.' Of course in a provincial capital the treachery
of the soldiery is the only thing to be feared. Natives who
remember two separate occasions within the last ten years when
the soldiers revolted and worsted the Viceroy look gloomý as
they discuss the possibility. But with a good strong Viceroy
--though we should be glad to see more signs of perfect
self-confidence in him at this crisis-three European gunboats at
at Hankow, determined commanders, and a British Consul who
has left nothing undone to protect those entrusted to him, we
ought surely to be and I think shall be safe in the capital of
Central China. Should any riot occur the disgrace to China will
not easily be wiped out.
Wuchang, 14th September.
LL
::56.
.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
MANCHURIA RIOTS.. .
I.
SIR,—I 'beg to send you particulars of a brutal assault
committed on my colleague, Dr. James A. Greig, at a place called
Tasueibēa, near Kirin, on the night of the 7th inst. Kirin, the
capital of this province, is distant 240 li. On the date just
mentioned the doctor was returning from one of his usual monthly .
visits to the city, accompanied by his dispenser and cook. The
party left the city about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the doctor on
horseback and the other two in a small cart. As the former was
mounted he soon out-distanced his companions and arrived, about
two hours in advance of his party, at a large inn in the village of
Fusueiheia, forty-five li south-west of Kirin. After supper all
retired for the night. At midnight Dr. Greig was rudely awakened
by the grip of a strong hand on his throat. On recovering
consciousness he found himself surrounded by three or four
soldiers on the k‘ang, while others were about the door of the
little apartment. They began a violent assault, beating him with
the backs of their swords; but finding themselves hampered by
the narrowness of the chamber, they lifted him bodily and with
one' sweep landed him on the floor of the outer room. While
thus prostrate, and incapable of offering the slightest resistance,
they turned him over, twisted his hands behind his back, bound
him with a rope, and plied him with the vilest language which their
native vocabulary could supply. This first scene in the tragedy.
ended by one of the ruffians firmly planting his foot on the neck
of the victim as he lay prone, his check resting on the earthen floor.
At this point of time the doctor was asked “Where is my
child ?", to which he could only reply that he knew nothing of a
child. Not satisfied with this reply, they became still more
furious, redoubling blows with blade and bludgeon. Thinking all
the while that his ruthless assailants were mounted robbers
disguised as soldiers, and that their sole object was booty, Dr.
Greig made an attempt to buy them off by an offer of silver in čase :
they released him on the spot. The only answer vouchsafed was
"We don't want your money, but your life.” Hands and feet so
tightly bound that the circulation was suspended, and with the
ruffian's foot still on his neck, the doctor was ordered to stand up.
In vain.' He was then dragged to the side of the k'ang, which
three of his tormentors mounted, and hoisting him up lashed him .
THE RIOT'S...
.
57
to a post which serves to support the timber of the roof. Thus
suspended, solely by his arms, he suffered an agony of torture, and
longed for the parting stroke. He swooned away ; but animation
was restored by the application of cold water-dashed on the
face. He was then lowered, so as to allow of his resting on
the ground, weak and faint to the last degree, and suffering
éxcruciating pain, as the arms began to swell.
Repeatedly did he beg for water ; as often denied. So, too,
did he entreat that his bonds might be loosed; but likewise refused.
Simultaneously with all this others of the band (twenty-three in
all) were belabouring the dispenser and cook hard by. They, too,
were bound, but in a less painful attitude; in fact the fury of the
attack was directed almost entirely against the foreigner.
As daylight began to appear Dr. Greig was permitted to
lie down; but by this time he was so weak that they had to
lift him on the k'ang, when he fainted for the second time.
All this time he was in his sleeping attire, while the cold night air
played upon his person through the open windows. A trifle
alarmed lest be might die in their hands, the implacable fiends
now permitted him to sip a little hot water and the assistant Shü
Shien-sung to fetch some brandy. About.six o'clock on Saturday
morning the victim was unbound, and at the same time he
was informed that the children had just been discovered. .
It was subsequently found out that the ringleaders in this
most outrageous assault were three soldiers from the city of Kirin,
and a groom or follower to take charge of the beasts they were
riding. They were ch'in bing of the Chi Shêng Ying ( R ).*
Their number was augmented to the foregoing dimension, (twenty-
three) by additions from the outlying picket stationed in Tasueihêa
and other soldiers putting up at the same inn.
The attack altogether, lasted about four hours, the torture
inflicted during that time, both mental and physical, being as
exquisite as prolonged. By a merciful providence his life was
spared, for many a man would have succumbed to such violence.
An attempt was now made by Dr. Greig to despatch a letter
to Kwanch'engtze, but the letter was intercepted by the soldiers
and torn to shreds. A second attempt later in the day succeeded.
By and bye he was informed by two soldiers left in charge
* The body guard of the Tartar General or Chiang Chün, Military Governor
of the Province.
THE ANTI-FOREIGŃ RIOTS.
.
that he could not proceed to Kwan but must return to Kirin.
Accordingly, about 5 o'clock in the evening they started for
the latter city, which was reached about midnight; and, although
the hour was so late, there were many people awaiting the arrival.
Numerous lanterns were thrust into the cart to enable their
owners to have a look at the "kidnapper” (p'ai-hai-tze-ti). The
only conclusion to be arrived at is that some of those engaged in
the assault had preceded Dr. Greig to the city and industriously ·
circulated this foul and dangerous report. He was driven to an
inn, and not suffered to return to his own dispensary; but refused
to have his liberty so invaded, and demanded to know by whose
authority they were acting. He was informed that the Tartar
General (Chiang Chun) had so commanded it. For the following
three days he was a prisoner in this inn, without any attempt being
made to arrest the criminals, or obtain redress. How long he
might have remained in this unhappy plight, the butt of the ribald
mob who came to add insult to injury, no one can imagine.
Fortunately he was now within telegraphic reach of the British
Consul; and he was not slow to avail himself of the privilege
of communicating with Mr. Ayrton of Newchwang, and claiming
the protection to which he was entitled as a British subject.
Messages of a re-assuring nature were received in reply. The
aspect of affairs now began to change; the feeling in official circles
was that a gross blunder had been committed, and now they were
as obsequious as before they were insolent and overbearing.
By the time I reached Kirin, Dr. Greig was already installed in
the quietness of his own premises. Although the fifth day after the
occurrence, his whole body was a mass of bruises and discolorations.
At last the Tartar "had mercy on him” (ên dien was the very phrase
used !) and permitted him to leave the city, but refused an escort.
Allow me to draw your attention to one fact which has an
important bearing on this transaction. This is that the Imperial
proclamation of the 7th of the 5th moon, although received by the
Military Governor (Chiang. Chün) of this province was not posted
up, but actually suppressed. In all probability this unfortunate
occurrence would not have taken place had that admirable
document been made known to the public.
I am, etc.,
JAMES CARSON
Kwanchêngtze, Newchwang, 17th August.
THE RIOTS.
59
II.
In a considerable -number of periodicals I have seen the
unfortunate case of Dr. Greig of this province referred to, and in
them all were serious mistakes which should be corrected. In
every instance it was declared that the outrage had been committed
by the “bodyguard of the Governor-General of Manchuria," who
had also "refused or neglected to publish the Imperial proclama-
tion." How any one writing of this case, even if but half a year
in the country, could have been so utterly ignorant of the affairs of
this province passes my comprehension. In Manchuria there is
only one Governor-General, whose residence is in Moukden, and
whose body-guard, whatever its worth, had as much and as little to
do with that case as the body-guard of the King, say, of Siam. In
each of the three provinces of Manchuria there is a Governor,
always in Chinese styled the Tartar General. Probably the Tartar
General, a military official, was considered to be the same as the
Governor-General, a civil one. If any bodyguard was implicated
therefore it was that of the Tartar General of Kirin. In ordinary
cases a slip of this kind is of little consequence; in the present
instance, when so much public attention has been drawn to
the Chinese authorities, it is a serious blunder.
It so happened that our first meeting of the Presbytery in
this city was contemporary with the arrival of the telegram
announcing the anti-foreign riots in Anhui. Soon after we heard ·
the news it percolated down to the people, among whom it caused
a commotion such as I have not known for years. There was no
word then of the Ko-lao Hui, and the disturbance was set down
to the desire of the southern Chinese to drive the foreigner out of
China—for it was anti-foreign, not anti-missionary. Curious gossip
and interested animosity kept the troubled waters simmering till
at length they came to the boiling point and, for a time, by friends
and foes everything else was cast in the shade by this anti-foreign
craze. When everybody's mind was tense-except that of the
few foreigners here, who certainly kept quiet enough and when
the buzzing people were prepared for anything, what next? A
little hungry boy went up to a seller of confectionery on the
street, priced, took, and ate one or two of his biscuits. After
eating he should pay, but not a cash had he for the purpose.
The angry seller. fired off such a lot of expostulation and abuse
that the boy set up a howl which attracted all the neighbourhood
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
Standing close by was a pencil-seller who asked the cause of
the hysterical cries. The confectioner told him and at last said,
“But it doesn't matter, it is only a few cash after all!” But
mind, I'll give the cash, you cease crying and go home;" and
with that he paid over the money. The crying ceased and the
boy turned to go.
The quick argus eyes of justice saw more than pity in the
act of the pencil-seller, and from the other side of the street a
soldier who had watched the scene jumped across and seized the
pencil-seller as a kidnapper. The amazed man was taken to the
yamên despite his protestations, and the accusation, expected by
all the city, was made against him. Being so serious an offence
the Governor-General, who at that time more than half believed
the stories, deputed the mandarin now in charge of Tieling to
examine the kidnapper. His account of his connection with the
crying child was laughed at as a cleverly concocted story and
he was plied with questions to ascertain "the truth.” He was
put to him so that he might tell the kidnapper's story. "How
much did Mr. Ross give you? How long have you been
employed by him ?” etc. At length the mandarin in apparent
pity said, “Why are you so stubborn? will you not just say that
you were employed by Mr. Ross and save yourself this beating?"
“How can I ?” was the man's reply. I never spoke to Mr.
Ross, we are utter strangers to each other. ' How can I say that?
If I did say this untruth would it not lead to far greater trouble?”
As it was found that all sorts of arguments failed to elicit
“the truth," the man was at last committed to prison. Next day
the yamên was invaded by about a thousand pencil-sellers to bail
the.man out. These, his fellows in trade, declared that this was
a kind and good man, gentle in manner and decent in conduct,
who could not possibly be guilty of the horrid crime imputed
to him. The numbers of the bailers weighed with the mandarin
more than their arguments, and the man was set free. A young
mandarin, friendly both to us and that examiner, expressed his
wonder that a man like him was so ignorant of foreigners as for a
moment even to seem to give credence to such stories.,“What
could I do?" replied the judge, “from the Governor-General
down every mandarin believed more or less in the kidnapping
THE RIOTS.
61
1
stories and what could I do? I could not stand alone.” Several
other attempts were made to get up charges against us by
examining men accused of kidnapping, but the charges all fell
through.
· All this, however, still kept up the excitement and every new
charge of kidnapping increased the general uneasiness. While
the city was in this state of fermentation the Governor-General
and the commander of the forces were called to Port Arthur
to meet the Viceroy of Chihli who went there to examine the
forts. Among other subjects of conversation was the kidnapping
scare. The Viceroy had to reason and argue against the suspicions
of our Governor-General till he 'at last removed all trace of doubt
from his mind. On the day of their re-entrance into the city the
commander sent me his card with a message to “rest at ease for
he would not only secure the peace, but investigate, and punish
the authors of the wild rumours and the placard affixed to the
gate." Immediately thereafter 'the Imperial proclamation was
posted up all over the city in the name of the Governor-General
and the Taotai. From that day the evil stories began to die
down and soon general peace prevailed. Large numbers of
people have since then deprecated the crass fully of those who
could believe such mad tales—probably they themselves being
among the believers. It was some time after all this that Dr.
Greig was attacked by the Kirin soldiers. I have somewhere
seen the name of the Viceroy of Chihli brought under suspicion
in connexion with the anti-foreign movement and I think that
it should be known that it was he who brought our Governor-
General to think aright on this question.
JOHN Ross.
Moukden, 15th December, 1891.,
CHINKIANG-MASON'S ARREST.
On Sunday night last a telegram was received here, saying
that a Mr. Mason, of the Customs, who had been away on
leave, should be taken in hand on the steanier's arrival and
searched, as it was feared something was wrong. This was done,
Mr. Mason making no objections, nor showing any signs of
uneasiness. Between five and ten pounds of dynamite were found
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
in his baggage, and a bill of lading for thirty-seven cases of
steel (which a telegram from Shanghai shows to be rifles) which
were to follow on the next China Merchants' Steam Navigation
steamer. This occurred about I a.m.; about 3 a.m., fearing that
the Chinese officials, might hear of the matter and attempt to get
him into their possession, at his own request' he was put on the
gunboat Redpole, A private examinatlon was held the next
morning, with what results is not known, and that evening he was
put on one of the steamers to be sent to Shanghai.
• There seems little doubt that the arms and dynamite, four
charges of which were prepared and ready for use, were intended
for the Ko-lao Hui. But what connection he has with them is of
course a mere matter of supposition to us all.
The whole matter has been a severe shock to us all, not
only because of the possible danger we may have escaped, but
also that any foreigner, especiallò Mr. Mason, should have been
. found in league with the Ko-lao Hui. .
Chinkiang, 16th September.
II.
The Mason episode has come, as many feared it would, to a
lame and impotent conclusion :' Mr. Mason has pleaded guilty,
and the curiosity of those who felt that only a part of the truth had
come out in the enquiry before the magistrate, remains unsatisfied,
and must always remain so. The details of the episode are so
fresh in every one's recollection that it is unnecessary to repeat
them. There were three theories held to account for Mr. Mason's
action. Mr. Drummond wrote to us in September last that it was
clear in his opinion “that Mr. Mason is a monomaniac with
Ko-lao Hui on the brain . . . that all his story is untrue, and
that his actions, have been caused by a morbid craving for
notoriety, and a more or less insane vanity.” This is the first
theory, which has been otherwise expressed in the assertion that
there was a stupendous and terrible conspiracy, beginning and
ending in Mason. The second theory was that a conspiracy
leading to a rebellion actually exists, with headquarters at
Chinkiang or Nanking, of which Mason was either a member
or a tool, and which provided him with the funds which he .
spent in Hongkong, and this is the theory that underlies the
statement read by Mr. Mason in Court yesterday. But it will be
THE RIOTS.
63
noticed that there are so many discrepancies between that
statement and those previously made by him voluntarily, that it is
impossible to place much confidence in it. At the same time
the anxiety shown by the Viceroy at Nanking to have Mason
prosecuted, lends some colour to this second theory. The third
theory is the one suggested by our correspondent “Open Eyes”
in his letter published in these columns on the 21st of September;
that “the whole affair in which Mr. Mason has acted as a
performer of a part, has been got up in the interest of Chinese
government officials, by some designing person, or persons,
clever enough to dupe some of the foreigners, employed for the
purpose.” The Imperial Commissioner Lin urged on the Chinese
government many years ago that they should "attack barbarians
with barbarians, control barbarians by barbarians, and avail
themselves of the superiority of barbarians to master barbarians ;"
and Mason is supposed to have been employed, wittingly or not,
by the Chinese government in order to give them a weapon which
they could use against the inconvenient claims that foreign Powers
were urging. At the first blush, this third theory seems' almost
fantastic, but it is widely held, and by men who have had a long
and intimate acquaintance with Chinese methods. They insist
that it was obviously intended all along that the arms Mr. Mason
brought up with him in the Chiyuen should be discovered here, and
they point to the fact that the Customs here received no less than
three telegrams from Hongkong from different sources, warning
them that the arms were on board the Chiyuen. It is obvious too
that the party which has gained most by the discovery is the Chinese
government. It has been enabled to prove to the foreign
Ministers that there is a rebellion in conception which has
fomented the riots for which it is being called to account, and
that a subject or subjects of one of the Powers which is pressing
it most strenuously, are implicated in that rebellion. The Crown
Advocate mentioned in his speech yesterday that the prosecution
of Mason was in the first instance, instituted on behalf of the
Chinese government. This does not, however, necessarily
contradict the theory that Mason was the tool of that government.
His prosecution would naturally be part of the programme. The
Chinese government were anxious to show that there was a.
rebellious movement of some kind in the Yangtze valley, thus
lightening their own responsibility; and they have succeeded, for
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
we find the Crown Advocate saying: “This rising was about to
take place, or there was danger or apprehension of it, and risings
have taken place in the valley of the Yangtze accompanied by loss
of life and property. Now that is a serious matter. It is a serious
matter to assist men who are engaged in such a conspiracy, and
nothing the prisoner has said goes to show that he was not to
assist them.” On the other hand the only evidence we have of
the existence of such a conspiracy is Mason's statements, with the
slight confirmation that there was much excitement among the
Chinese at Chinkiang when Mr. Mason arrived there with the
dynamite. But if there was no one at the back of Mason, how .
can we account for his engaging some twenty men in Hongkong,
men who would look to him for their direction and support when
they arrived here? It is hard to imagine that any one's vanity or
anxiety for notoriety would induce him to take such a burden as
that on his shoulders.
Those who have read the evidence and studied and talked
over the case will form their own conclusions as to which of the
three theories that we have named is the correct one. It is
incredible that the Chinese government can be at the bottom
of Mason's action. It is difficult to believe that if he was a
member of a rebellious conspiracy, no other evidence of the
existence of that conspiracy should be forthcoming; and it is
incredible that any man, not actually insane, should go as far as
Mason did simply that he might bring himself before the public,
and get some relief from "four years' monotony at an outport.”.
Mason's own explanations of his reasons for what he did contain
so many discrepancies and contradictions that they are little
guide: possibly time will reveal the truth; meanwhile it is a
conundrum to which we have hardly yet the materials from which
to forge a key.
Shanghai, 30th October.
III.
SENTENCE OF THE JUDGE.
His Lordship-Of course. I have considered the depositions,
and looking at them with the light of your statement and of the
Crown Advocate's statement upon them, I can see I am in a
proper position now to judge what the sentence upon you ought
to be. No doubt this is not as serious a matter as it might have
THE RIOT'S.
65
been. No doubt there is in it almost a childishness which
reduces the gravity of the offence; but at the same time it is so
grave in all its circumstances that it would be impossible for me
to pass a nominal sentence. I do not forget that the charge is
the carrying of dynamite; and I agree with the Crown Advocate
that while that is the charge all the surrounding circumstances
must be taken into consideration. It might be a very light
offence; it might be a very grave one. . This I conceive to be
between the two. I take into consideration that confinement
here in China is a much more serious punishment than it would
be at home. I take into consideration also the loss of your
position and the entire ruin of your career here in China. That
that is completely ruined there can be no doubt; and if it were
not ruined and it were possible for you to remain here, I should
think it right to take steps to prevent you being here. I cannot
under all the circumstances pronounce a less sentence than one
of nine months' imprisonment, and I also include in the sentence
that you find two sureties of $2,500 each for your good behaviour
from the expiry of your sentence. If you do not find them you
will have to be deported. I also include in the sentence that you
must pay the expenses of the trial and of your imprisonment.
IV.
The four unfortunate Chinese who were implicated by Mr.
Mason have now been forced by protracted torture to confess
that they conspired with him, and will probably lose their heads.
That Mr. Mason ever contemplated such a result we do not
believe, but he has done it. Is it impossible for our authorities to
intercede for these poor men? One of them, the head road coolie,
is a poor ignorant countryman, who was hired to pull the weeds
out of the extra-concession roads at Chinkiang, and he almost
certainly does not even know what the words Ko-lao Hui mean.
There is little doubt that all four men are entirely innocent of any
evil intention, and it is a reproach to all foreigners that they should
suffer as they have done and have yet to do. All foreigners must
be shocked at this result of Mason's criminal folly, and we are
sure that all would be only too glad to hear that our authorities
had found some way of approaching the provincial government,
and getting the lives of these poor victims spared.
Shanghai, 23rd January.
66
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS. .
MONGOLIAN REBELLION.
TELEGRAMS. .
London, 27th November.
The Chronicle states that the Christians at Kinchow have all
been massacred. The revolt is extending to the districts north of
Peking.
.. London, 1st December.
The mandarins in the district of Takou arranged with the
rebel leaders to spare the non-Christian population, while giving
license to attack the Christians. Frightful atrocities are reported.
Children have been roasted, nuns outraged and brained; while
the hearts and tongues of Belgian priests have been torn out.
[The nuns alluded to are probably the elder Chinese girls in the
orphanages.]
II.
The following confirmatory telegram was received in Shanghai
on the 3rd December from Tientsin :-"Rumours about serious
troubles in Manchurią are confirmed, but position is not dangerous.”
This probably means the position in Tientsin. The U.S.S. Palos
is under orders to proceed to that port, as soon as her new
commander arrives to-day. Meantime we learn that according
to a private letter from Newchwang, dated 23rd ult., the Chinese
authorities were despatching 5,000 troops from Newchwang and
15,000 from Port Arthur, to intercept the rebels and protect
Moukden.
From authentic sources we understand that the situation in
the north is more serious than at first reported. It is said that
Li Hung, son of the ex-rebel and Generalissimo of Kiangsu,
Li Chung-shua, who was beheaded some years ago by Yü Lu,
then Governor of Anhui, is the leader of the daring enterprise,
ostensibly for the purpose of avenging his father's death on Yü Lu,
now Tartar General of Moukden. . His force consists of 30,000
or 40,000 robbers, disbanded troops and roughs, and he is
devastating the country about Chaoyang far and near. Of the
five camps of soldiers (2,500 men) sent by Yü Lu against him,
1,500 went over to the rebels. The troops remaining loyal to
this general were again and again defeated. The great danger
lies in Li Hung being an Anhui man, while the soldiers at the
THE RIOTS.
67
1
disposal of the Viceroy Li are all from Anhui. Many of them have
probably served under Li Hung's father, who was, notwithstanding
all his crimes, a most recklessly brave leader. He was besides a ..
most cruel victor.
T), und
e Chihno* (
III.
The following account was sent from Tongshan, under date
the 28th November :-
Chaoyang, ( ) is one of the six districts under the
Prefecture of Chingteh Fu ( ), under the government of
the Tartar General at Jeho* ( T), and is situated on the N.E.
boundary of the Chihli Province, just outside the wall and
bordering on Manchuria. About 70 li to the N. of the city of
Chaoyang there is a place called Peiyao, a hilly place, and there
the historical mounted hordes have their stronghold. The place
is so inaccessible and well-defended that the brigands until lately
have not been much disturbed so long as they kept within the
precincts of their stronghold. The present chief is a comparatively
young man named Kwo Hai ( R) and he is said to have
had originally a following of about 1,000 men all well equipped.
In the city, among other elements for its protection, there is
stationed a detachment of cavalry about 300 strong under the
command of an officer named Chang. Some time in August last
this officer boldly made an attack on the stronghold of the
brigands and succeeded in destroying it, the chief being away at
the time. But all the chief's household were either put to the
sword or made good their escape, but from the chieftain's harem,
commander Chang took away alive one of the concubines.
This he gave over to a friend of his in the district magistrate's
yamên. So far everything went well and a brave act was recorded
in favour of Chang, who had the distinction of succeeding in
destroying the stronghold of a formidable gang of maurauders,
who had for years defied governmental authority. On the oth of
this month General Yeh, the commander-in-chief of all the forces
of this province, came near Chaoyang in his course of yearly
inspection of the troops under his command; the cavalry
detachment had to come out for inspection, and the city was
left in a comparatively unprotected state. The routed chieftain
* Sometimes written Jehol.
E 2
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
heard of this and thought the time had arrived for him to have his
revenge, so he collected a number of his followers and made
a descent on the city, overpowered the scanty garrison left in
charge, killed the magistrate, liberated his captive concubine and
declared himself master of the town after overawing any who had
the audacity to resist his authority, and by way of revenge the
chief carried away two of the magistrate's daughters. Having
gone so far, there was left him no alternative but to declare
himself in open rebellion, hoisting a standard with the inscription of
E, or literally translated "Down with the Tsing Dynasty."
Since he took possession of the city, he set to work to govern it in
his own style, and inviting recruits so that in a short time he
gathered a following of six to seven thousand strong. General.
Yeh finding the enemy much too superior in number to the forces
he had at disposal got to the nearest place where 'he could
communicate by wire for reinforcements, and reported the
occurrence to the Viceroy Li, meantime disposing all the available
forces he had on the spot to guard all the strategical points so as
to confine the rebels within the district in their possession.
Immediately on the receipt of the news the Viceroy despatched
1,500 cavalry and 1,500 infantry of his disciplined troops to
the seat of trouble, part of the way by rail as far as the line
has been constructed, and this is the first time that soldiers
on an expedition have been transported over the line since its
construction. There is no question as to the result of the
expedition, for there does not seem a finer lot of men than the
disciplined troops who passed through the railway the past few
days, and they were perfectly armed with the most modern
weapons. The Viceroy is determined to stamp out this incipient
rebellion by one blow, hence his sending a comparatively large
force at the outset. There is no possibility of the insurgents
holding out against a force like this, the contest will be too
unequal. Therefore as soon as news of the first encounter is
received we may hear no more of the rebellion except its
annihilation. One good feature of the affair is that the country
round about is quiet, the harvest' having been good, there is
no distress, consequently the people are not easily led to enter into
the arena of disaffection.
Almost simultaneously with the outbreak mentioned above, a
disturbance of a serious nature occurred on the 14th November
THE RIOTS.
69
between a new religious sect who called themselves “ Tsai-li”
(# ), or “the Rite Itself” and some Christians in a place called
Ping-chuen (2 ), a town between Chaoyang and Jeho. The
“Ritualists" as we may call them profess a religion that is not
much known, as it is a comparatively new religion and its
adherents are chiefly confined to natives of this province. One of
their tenets is an abstention from smoking and drinking, but
notwithstanding their virtuous qualifications, they do not seem
.to get on well with the Christians who, by the way, are not known
to be either Protestants or Catholics, but these religionists seem to
hate each other as cats and dogs. Their disagreement culminated
in a sort of faction fight on the dog in question, and the Christians
became worsted having some killed, and the report includes a
foreign missionary among the latter, but with what truth there
is no means of verification. The “Ritualists” elated with success
extorted about Tls. 5,000 from the inhabitants and promised to
leave them and their property untouched. Fearing the approach
of troops from Jeho, they took to their heels and joined the
rebels at Chaoyang, situated some 400 li to the east.
The above is as accurate an account as can be got, and
our informant is a man who has recently returned from Chaoyang.
Of course, there are various versions, as is usual in such cases, and
exaggerated every time a version is repeated, so that the original
becomes utterly unrecognisable when told to the last hearer. We
do not profess that the above is correct in every detail, but the
main features are, we believe, quite reliable.
. . IV.
When some time ago Tê Fu, the Lieut.-Governor of Jeho,
reported that armed bands of lawless characters were creating
disturbances in the Jeho and Ch'aoyang districts, Li Hung-chang,
Ting An (Imperial Military High Commissioner for Manchuria),
and Yü Lu, Military Governor of Shengching, were directed to
at once despatch troops to suppress them. Shortly afterwards
Yeh Chih-ch'ao, the commander-in-chief for the province of
Chihli, reported that at Sanshihchiatzu in the Chiench'ang district
he had successfully attacked the rebels, and we have now received
reports from the three officers above mentioned, all dated on the
same day, announcing that they had been victorious in several
:70
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
encounters with these secret society scoundrels. During the
seven days from the 21st to the 28th of November Nieh Kuei-lin
and Keng Feng-ming, the Brigade Generals despatched from
Fengt'ien, made several attacks on the rebels in the Ch'aoyang
district and took alive two of their leaders, Kuo Mai-ch'ang and
Yang Ming. Tuhashih, another leader, was killed in battle along
with more than a thousand of his followers. An additional force
under Chang Yung-ch'ing has now been sent to clear the country
round about Changwut'aimen. Yeh Chih-ch'ao's troops attacked
the rebels at Wukuanying in the Chiench'ang district and slew
țwo great chiefs, Fu Lien-hsin and Pleng Tai-ho. The battle
field was strewn with the bodies of the vanquished, amongst
whom were many attired in the garb of Taoist priests. Untold
numbers of horses and a quantity of stores were likewise captured.
The troops are at present scouring the district between Chienchang
and Ch'aoyang and a body of cavalry has been sent to them in the
insurgents on the north-west in the region of the Khorchin tribes.
The news of these various successes is very gratifying to us and
we would impress on the leaders of the troops the necessity of
rapidly following them up and restoring order by clearing out.
every germ of rebellion.
. The following punishments have in obedience to our orders.
been suggested by the Board of Civil Office and are to be at once
carried into effect. Tè Fu, the Military Lieut.-Governor of Jeho,
is to be degraded one step and retained at his post. Ting Yung,
the Intendant of the Jeho circuit, is to be degraded two steps
and retained at his post. Chi Shao, the Prefect of Ch'engtê Fu,
is to be degraded two steps and transferred for service elsewhere.
No commutation of these sentences is to be permitted.—(Trans.
of Peking Gazette, 6th December.)
V.
Yeh Chi-ch’ao has presented us with a memorial reporting
a victory he has obtained over the rebels in the Yüshulin district.
When the disturbances first broke out, Yeh received instructions
to take immediate steps to restore order, and in conformity with
thesė instructions detached a body of troops under Colonel Pan
Wan-ts'ai to conduct operations at Wuhu and Maliang. Steadily
pressing in on the insurgents he came on them in force at
THE RIOTS..
77
Yüshulin on the 30th of November. The rebels, of whom
there were about two thousand, made most obstinate resistance,
contesting every street in the town and fighting with great
determination for about four hours. At length, however, being
hemmed in on all sides, they had to give way and were all
put to the sword. A great number of horses and stores fell into
the hands of the Imperial troops. The rebels in the neighbouring
villages, when they heard that their friends were being attacked,
came to their aid but were beaten off with the loss of over a
hundred of their number. Several of their leaders in yellow
garments were killed, likewise one of the pseudo-princes Chi
Yao-shih and four other conspicuous chiefs. From Yüshulin Plan
made his way to Hsich'iaot'ou clearing the country as he went
along. To the east of Chiench'ang a rebel leader Liu Huai had
taken up his head-quarters and was plundering and ravaging the
country round about. General Nieh Shih-ch'eng on the 3rd inst.
proceeded against him and utterly defeated him, capturing guns,
horses, standards and drums. The latter officer is now moving
into the Heishui district, having completely cleared the country
round Chiench'ang, the roads and means of communication being
all free.
These reports give us great satisfaction and we would impress
on Yeh and his subordinates the necessity of going on as they have
begun and of ridding the country entirely of every vestige of
rebellion.-(Ibid, 11th December.)
VI.
Ting An, the Imperial Military Commissioner in Manchuria,
. and Yü Lu, the Governor of Fêngtien, submit a memorial in
which they report the result of certain engagements which have
been fought with the rebels in the Ch'aoyang district, and give an
account of the arrangements which have been made with regard to
the disposition of the additional troops that have been despatched
to deal with the outbreak. Immediately information reached the
memorialists of the rising in Ch'aoyang, they sent troops to
suppress the movement and forwarded a joint memorial to the
Throne, reporting the action they had taken in the matter. On
the 22nd of November Yü Lu received an Imperial decree which
was transmitted to him by telegraph, and he then despatched
1
:
72
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
another memorial giving a general summary of what was going on.
Another decree reached him on the 26th of November, a copy of
which was forwarded to the military authorities with instructions to
act in concert and put forth every effort to annihilate the rebels.
On the 25th of November, General Nieh Kuei-lin telegraphed that
on réaching the Ch'aoyang district on the 21st of November,
he learnt that the rebels had fought an engagement with the
trained braves of Ch'aoyang at a place called Pachiao Shan. He
marched at the head of his men and attacked the enemy on two-
sidės, killing over two hundred of their number and taking a dozen
or more of them prisoners. The main force of the rebels effected
a retreat, and on the ensuing day he followed them up to a
place called Taohuat'u, about 60. li to the east of Ch'aoyang,
where he made an onslaught upon them with his whole force
and killed over fifty of them. One petty officer on the Imperialist
side fell in action and another was severely wounded. The rebels
made good their retreat under cover of night... The pursuit was
continued on the following day and the enemy were encountered
drawn up in regular battle array to the number of over two thousand
men. General Nieh divided his troops into three columns, one of
which was to direct the attack upon the east, the second on the
west, while the third was to assail the enemy's centre. A
most obstinate and hard fought engagement, lasting from seven in
the morning to two in the afternoon, ended in the complete rout of
the rebels, seven hundred of whom fell in action, while over thirty
others were made prisoners. Two hundred guns, spears and other
weapons, and over twenty flags were captured by the Imperialists.
After the troops had been withdrawn from the field, the muster roll
was called and seỹen men were found to be wounded. The rebels
retreated towards the north and darkness coming on, the pursuit
could not be continued.
On the 24th and 26th of November General Kêng Fêng-ming
forwarded telegraphic reports to the following effect :-On the
morning of the 23rd he came upon a detached body of the rebels
numbering over three hundred, at a place called Laoyenkou
about 60 li from the Ch'ingho gate in the palisade separating
Manchuria from Chihli. He immediately put himself at the
head of his men and made a dash for the enemy. Forty or
more of them were killed, twenty-nine, including the rebel
leader, Kuo Wan-ch'ang, were made prisoners, and over one
THE RIOTS.
73
hundred of them were burnt to death. A great quantity of flags
and ammunition was captured and the remnant of the rebels
made their escape to Tamiao, Chulêkotai, and other places. On
the 25th November the enemy were pursued as far the latter
place where they mustered to the number of about one thousand
and four hundred, all well armed and prepared to hold their ground
against the Imperial troops. The general, at the head of his
men, led the attack which lasted from early morning till late in the
afternoon, and ended in the complete defeat of the rebels, whose
loss amounted to several hundreds. The rebels gained possession
of a hill and were able to effect their retreat, but they were
being hotly pursued.
On the 28th November a report was received from the..
military commandant of Yichou. and the prefect, in which
they stated that having discovered the presence of brigands on
the frontier they despatched a force of troops to operate against
them. About eighty of the enemy were encountered at a place
called Shuich'üant'un and several women, fully armed, werė
noticed in their ranks. The enemy swarmed to the attack, but
were driven back and obliged to take refuge in a compound which
was stormed by the Imperial troops. In the mélée which ensued
a lieutenant had both his hands badly hacked, and another officer
received a severe wound. Two of the rebels were killed, one
man and one woman, and the head of the sect, Tu Pa-shih,
met with the same fate. Nine others, including two females,
subsequently fell fighting The rebel leader Yang Ming managed
to make his escape, but five of his confederates were captured
alive.
On the 28th November Captain Yi Sang-a telegraphed that in
an engagement which he had fought two days previously with the
rebels he had slaughtered seventy or eighty of them and taken
twenty prisoners. Such is the substance of the reports that have
been received from the various columns operating against the
rebels, and it shows that the troops have acquitted themselves
with dashing bravery and have gained successes in the actions
that have so far taken place. The number of the rebels in
the three departments and districts of Ch'aoyang, Chiench'ang,
and P'ingch'üan is very large; and close communication is
maintained between the numerous branches of the rebel force.
On the 23rd of November, Yü Lu sent re-inforcements under
74
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
the command of Captain Ch'êng Nan-sên to assist in the operations
that are being conducted against the enemy in the Ch'aoyang
district. Recent reports show that bands of rebels are plundering,
murdering, and burning in the vicinity of Hsinlitun and
Halat'aolikai. These two places are quite close to the districts of
Kuangning and Hsinmin in the lower province of Manchuria and
it is feared that the movement, if not checked, may spread across
the frontier. Strong reinforcements have been sent to this locality
under the command of General Chang Yung-ch'ing. The
memorialists promise to furnish the Throne from time to time
with all the reports that reach them on the subject.-Rescript
already published.--(Ibid, 12th December.)
_
VIII.
A Decree. We have received a memorial from Yeh Chih-ch'ao
in which he reports that the Imperial troops have gained successes
over the rebels at Maochiawop'u and have dislodged the rebel
encampment in the neighbourhood of Kaoêrhtêng. On the 2nd
and 3rd of the present month the rebels of Hsich'iaot'ou fell
back and joined their forces with those of Maochiawop'u, the
aggregate force amounting to over two thousand men prepared to
stake their lives in the defence of their stronghold. On the
4th they were attacked from different sides by the troops under
Colonel P'an Wan-ts'ai and another officer named Chiang
Kuang-tung, with the result that they were defeated with great
loss and obliged to seek shelter in a village. Here they were
again assailed on three sides and completely routed. Over ten
prominent leaders were killed, amongst them being the so-called
Princes Chao Chin-kuei and Hsü Hsiao-chih, and the soi disant
Marquis Ch'ên Chang. The number of the killed comprised three
hundred mounted brigands and over one thousand of the rebels
belonging to the rationalist sect. The quantity of arms and
flags that fell into the hands of the Imperialists was past all
computation, and one so-called Prince, Liu Hsien-t'ang, who was
captured alive, was instantly decapitated. On the 6th of December
the three originators of the movement, Wang T'ing-hsü, Sung
Hsüo-chih, and Sung Lo-ta were captured at a place called
Erhshihchiatzū and immediately decapitated. Another detach-
ment of the rebels, which had encamped at a place called
Kaoêrhtêng in the Chien-ch‘ang district, was attacked by the
THE RIOTS.
75
troops under the command of Brigadier General Tsêng T'êng-fang
who gained a series of victories over them, capturing the books of
their membership, killing a great number of them, and taking alive
eight of their prominent leaders, all of whom were decapitated on
the spot. Another band, led by a Taoist priest named Wu
Kuang-shêng, was completely exterminated. Brigadier General
Lin Fu-shan reported having captured in the neighbourhood of
Chiench'ang the soi disant Prince entitled “Subduer of the
West,” T'ung Chieh, who was handed over to the magistrate
for trial and punishment. All the country in the vicinity of
Kaoêrhtêng is now tranquil, and the campaign against the
rebels has been conducted with marked success. Let Yeh
· Chih-ch'ao take advantage of his present success to make a
concentrated assault upon the enemy and leave not a remnant of
them to cause further disturbance.
We have received a memorial from Ting An and his colleagues
reporting further successes against the rebels in the Ch'aoyang
district. Ting An despatched troops to make a concerted attack
upon them and gained repeated victories. The rebels retreated
and took up a position in the neighbourhood of Ch‘aopeiyingtsū.
Here they were attacked on the 3rd and 7th of December by the
troops under General Chang Yung-ch'ing. Over 1,000 of the
enemy were captured or killed. Following up this success, the
Imperialists assailed the rebel encampment at Chaoshukow and
captured a noted ringleader named Li Chiao-ming, who was
decapitated on the spot. General Fêng Shêng-a advanced against
the rebels in the direction of Tamiao and the Palace of the
Mongolian Pei-tsi, killing over 100 of them in the engagement
which ensued and capturing twenty prisoners, amongst whom
were a leader known as Ch'ên Lo-ming and a Taoist priest called
Sheng Hsin-ts'ang, all of whom were summarily decapitated.
General Nieh Kuei-lin pursued the rebels to a place called
Hsinglungwa where he slaughtered about 150 of them. In a
subsequent engagement the enemy lost over 600 of their men,
one of their leaders, Hou Kéo-chün, being captured and beheaded.
The operations have so far been conducted with great success,
and we command Ting An and Yü Lu to lose no time in joining
their forces with those from Chihli and employing their concentrated
strength in bringing about the total extermination of the various
rebel bands.
76
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
moms
: Yeh Chih-ch'ao, the commander-in-chief of Chihli, submits
a memorial giving a detailed account of the operations against
the rebels and the victories which have been won by the troops
under his command. The present memorial is in continuation
of a previous report forwarded on the same subject. The
memorialist himself has selected the town of P‘ingch'üanchow
for his headquarters. It occupies a central position, being 180 li
east of Jeho, 190 li north of the Hsifêng Pass in the Great
Wall, 180 li west of the district town of Chiench'ang, and about
200 li south of the country occupied by the Mongolian K'êlach'in
Banner force, and is a suitable place from which to direct the
operations of the campaign. Parties of troops are sent out daily
to scour the country in every direction, and over 100 of the rebels
have in this way been captured and beheaded. On the 30th
of November, Colonel Han reported that two days previously he
had discovered a division of the enemy numbering over 2,000
at a place called Wafangtien to the south-east of Chiench'ang.
The Imperial commanders collected their troops with the view of
making a combined onset upon the rebels. The latter came
swarming in a dense mass, flouting flags and banners, and gave
battle to the Imperial troops. The engagement which followed.
lasted five or six hours, and though the Imperialists fought .'
with the utmost bravery, still the rebel position was not shaken.
One of their leaders, who wore a Taoist cap and embroidered
garments, was seen brandishing a sword in the thick of the fray
and performing magical arts in a demoniacal attitude. Colonel
Han and his men made a rush for the spot where he stood and
cut him down. The main body of the rebel force was thrown
into consternation by the loss of their leader, and being attacked
on both front and rear, was completely routed. Over 500 fell in
the engagement and 100 horses were found dead on the battle
field. The enemy climbed up a steep hill and tried to effect
their retreat, but they were cut off by the Imperialists who killed
over 300 more of them in the pursuit. The whole ground
was stained with blood and strewn with dead bodies. Ten
prisoners were taken, and their examination elicited the fact that
ten of their leaders were amongst the slain. The Imperialists
lost two killed and had twenty men wounded. The memorialist
remarks that since the beginning of the present outbreak this
division of the rebels had wildly asserted their powers of witchcraft
THE RIOTS.
77
.
.
and had worked upon the popular imagination. At first, they
confined themselves to plundering and burning chapels and
Mongol establishments and later on they took to harrying and
killing the peaceable Chinese population. Their destruction has
restored P'ingchüan and the vicinity to comparative tranquility,
and it is thought that the experience of this branch of the rebel
force will serve as a salutary lesson to their confederátes elsewhere.
The memorialist confesses that on reaching P'ingch'üan he was
afraid that the forces at his disposal were insufficient to cope with
the rebels. Thanks, however, to the picked men sent by the
Viceroy, who marched a distance of between 700 to 800 li in less
than five days, the situation is now entirely changed. The
memorialist concludes by explaining the arrangements which he
has made regarding the disposition of the troops under his
command and solicits permission to submit, for the bestowal of
rewards, the names of those of his officers and men who have
distinguished themselves in action.---(Ibid, 17th December.)
VIII.
The following summary will be interesting :
Peking Gazette, 6th December :-
More than 1,000 rebels killed in Ch'aoyang district.
The field strewn with bodies at Wukuanying.
Imperial loss not stated.
Peking Gazette, IIth December :-
More than 2,000 rebels slaughtered at Yüshulin.
Rebels utterly defeated east of Chiench'ang.
Imperial loss not stated.
Peking Gazette, 12th December :-
In the fighting at Ch'aoyang (see above) the Imperial loss
was one petty officer killed, one severely wounded, and seven men
wounded.
At Laoyeukou and Shuichuantien hundred of rebels were
killed in battle and burnt to death, and two Imperial officers were
wounded.
Peking Gazette, 17th December :-
At Maochiawop'u 1,300 rebels killed.
At Kaoêrhtêng great number of rebels killed, and another
band completely exterminated.
78:
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
. At and near Chaopeiyingtze over 2,000 rebels captured or
killed.
At Wupangtien 800 rebels killed.
Imperial loss two killed and twenty wounded.
Peking Gazette, 21st December :-
Rebel victory in which 230 Imperialists were killed with a
loss of twenty rebels.
Peking Gazette, 24th December :-
At Heichêngtze 1,000 rebels killed.
Imperial loss three wounded.
At Tachangtze over 1,300 rebels killed.
Imperial loss ten killed and thirty-five wounded.
Peking Gazette, 4th January :-
In two fresh engagements 800 rebels killed.
Imperial loss not stated.
Making a moderate allowance for the indefinite phrases
which in some cases supply the place of figures, it appears that
against a loss of some 300 men, the Imperial forces had slain up
to the middle of December about 15,000 of the enemy. This
estimate excludes the large numbers said to have been made
prisoners.
Shanghai, 25th January, 1892.
IX.
To the Editor of
“THE CHINESE RECORDER.”
MY DEAR DR. WHEELER, --Everything is absolutely quiet in
and about Peking, and the same is true of Jeho. For a few
days the minds of the people in the city were greatly disturbed, and
the situation seemed alarming, but the edicts which afterwards
appeared in the Gazette sufficed to quiet all fears. All the points
that were in the hands of the rebels have been recaptured. A few
days ago a fresh re-inforcement of cavalry, I hear, were sent
north from Tientsin, and the government seems to be taking
every precaution to prevent a fresh outbreak.
Since this note was begun, I have had a conversation with a
native preacher of the London Mission, who has just returned
from Ch'aoyang Hsien. He reports all quiet, and the rebels
dispersed. From his account, it would seem that disturbances
arose at two points-Pakou and Ch'aoyang-simultaneously, but
THE RIOTS.
with no connection whatever. The trouble near Pakou originated
in the hatred of the other Chinese for the Roman Catholics,
and the immediate provocation, my informant tells me, was the
killing of a member of the “ Tsai-li-ti" sect by some Catholics in
a brawl. The “Tsai-li-tis" persuaded the members of another
sect, variously known as the “Chin-tan-tao," the "Hsiao-hao-tis"
and the “Mi-mi-chiao," to unite with them in the work of
destruction. The result was the complete demolition of the
property of the Roman Catholics at Pakou and a town go li distant,
called Sanshihchiatzû, and the loss of many lives.
The raid on Ch'aoyang Hsien, I understand, had no religious
significance, and was made by armed robbers seeking plunder.
Rev. Mr. Parker, of the London Mission, escaped from
the city and afterwards reached Tientsin in safety, but not without
much suffering from the cold by the way.
· Just now the government in the vicinity of the recent troubles
seems to be bent on exterminating the disaffected sects, and
have put to death a great many members of both sects. In all, it
is estimated, from every cause connected with the troubles, 20,000
lives have been lost.
During a recent visit to Lanchou and Tsunhua, made by
Dr. Hopkins, and Rev. W. T. Hobart, they were treated very
kindly everywhere, but they learned that there was a decided
feeling of hostility toward the Christians. The people seemed to
blame them as the cause of the troubles, and accuse them of
bringing danger upon the community. No distinction is made
between Catholics and Protestants, but all alike are called
“ T'ien-chu-chiao." The native preacher of the London Mission,
of whom I spoke above, was stopped by the official at Kupeik'ou
and only allowed to proceed on his journey after he had proven
that he was a Protestant and not a Catholic. Our missionaries at
Tsunhua were treated with the utmost consideration by the local
official. He promised, if it becomes necessary, to receive them
into the yamên and protect them to the extent of his power.
When they left, he secured conveyances for them and sent a
guard with them and promised protection to the property and
to the native Christians. He put a guard around the compound
and put the native preacher, Tê Jui, in communication with
the military official in charge of the troops about the city. After
the troubles passed over, he invited the missionaries to return
80.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
and resume their work. Rev. Mr. Pyke and family and Miss
Dr. Terry are now en route for the U. S., going now instead
of a few months later, as they had previously planned. Dr.
Hopkins and family will remain in Tientsin until after the Chinese
New Year, as the weather is too cold. for travelling with a
little babe. Miss Hale will not return until they do. Meantime,
the work is going on under the direction of the native brethren.
, L. W. PILCHER.
Peking, 7th January, 1892. .
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
81
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THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
MR. DRUMMOND'S VIEWS (REBELLION).
1.
1
.
SIR,- In the course of conversations with you (as well as
with a few others) during the past three years, the most recent
occasion having- occurred icarly a year ago, I made (inter alia)
the following statements :-
(1) That the greater part of northern and mid-China is full of
disaffection, and honeycombed with secret societies.
(2) That the provinces bordering on the river Yangtze are
the most disaffected.
(3) That Nanking itself is the head centre.
(4) That the one object in which all the secret 'societies
agree is the desire to destroy or drive out of China the present
Manchu dynasty.
(5) That the method which these societies consider to be the
most likely to enable them to effect their purpose is to embroil the
present Government with Foreign Powers, so that if a war with
a Foreign Power should occur, a favourable opportunity for a
rebellion would then arise. And that even if war was not actually
brought about, the state of friction would be such that no Foreign
Power would be likely to sympathise with, or actively assist the
Governinent of China.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RÍOTS.
(6) That no rising would take place so long as Tsêng.
Kuo-chuan was Viceroy of Nanking, but that his removal; or
death, would lead to active preparations, and serious outbreaks,
which would take the form of attacks upon foreign property in
places in or near the Yangtze valley.
(7) That the secret societies have grown, and are growing
rapidly in numbers, and strength; and that they include not
only many officials, but some of high rank, both civil and military.
I also mentioned to you, shortly after it occurred, the fact
that the Viceroy Tsêng having been granted leave to proceed
to Peking, and having started overland, an accidental discovery
was made in Nanking of a very serious conspiracy, the news
of which having been immediately telegraphed to Peking, a
telegram was sent ordering the Viceroy Tsêng to return at once to
Nanking, and that this telegram having overtaken him on his
journey, he at once retraced his steps, returned to Nanking and
never again left it.
· The Viceroy Tsêng died suddenly in November last. Liu.
Kun-yi was appointed Viceroy in his stead, and Shên Ping-chêng
was appointed acting Viceroy until Liu Kun-yi took over charge of
the post. Shên Ping-chêng handed over the seals of office to
Liu Kun-yi on the 29th of April. During the few months that
Shên Ping-chêng was in charge most daring burglaries took place
in the Viceroy's own yamên, very valuable and important documents
having been carried off and lost. And during this time the plans
of the societies have been maturing.
You mentioned to me, on more than one'occasion, that you
had no information from any other sources tending to confirm
any of the above statements; and that replies to questions you
had put to persons who had opportunities of becoming well
informed, did not tend to do so either, and that you naturally
preferred to suspend your judgment.
The recent and rapidly thickening events induce me to ask
you to allow me to place the foregoing facts upon record, and I do
so for the purpose of showing that the present riots are not
accidental and local momentary disturbances which could not
have been foreseen, and whịch are likely to be merely evanescent,
but that they might and ought to have been foreseen by the
Foreign Ministers in China, and that preparations ought to
have been made before, and ought to be vigorously made now for
.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
the protection of foreign lives and property in this country.
Foreign lives have not yet been lost in these so-called riots,
but the mobs that are being worked up by the secret societies
for their own purposes may at any time get beyond their control;
and it is also probable that if the present outbreaks do not
speedily involve the Chinese Government in serious difficulties
with one or more Foreign Governments, that the next step will be
the taking of foreign lives.
I am, etc.,
W. V. DRUMMOND,
Shanghai, 27th May."
II.
Sir, The very serious disturbances that are now occurring
in various places in mid-China, and in which two English lives
have already been taken, and an immense amount of foreign-owned
property destroyed, make it desirable that a true understanding
should be arrived at as to the circumstances connected with, and
the considerations bearing upon, these outbreaks,
Having made a special study of Chinese politics for many
years, and more particularly of the undercurrents of the internal
politics of China, I may perhaps be able to throw a little light
upon what is to all foreigners confessedly a very dark, and
unfathomable subject :
In my letter to you of the 27th ult., I stated some of the
conclusions which I had arrived at some years ago, and the events
which have occurred since you published that letter on the 29th
ult. seem to have corroborated in every detail the correctness
of those conclusions. I now propose to make a few general
observations upon certain points of special importance.
First; as regards the cause or causes of these disturbances..
I have long been of opinion that a spirit of unrest has arisen,
and has been rapidly growing in China, that it has grown much
more rapidly during the last five years, and that it exists in
much greater force in certain parts of China than in others. Its
inception arose, I think, from an unconscious, and innate feeling,
which would be considered and described by a certain class of
politicans in England and America as one of healthy discontent.
The "progressive desire” which seized upon Japan a generation
84
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
ago iš beginning to work in China, and will run its course as .
surely and irresistibly as it has in that country, though very
possibly in a different manner, and at a different pace. The
feeling has as yet produced no articulate expression of the wrongs,
to be removed, the improvements to be achieved, or the results to
be attained, but it has led to the banding together of enormous
numbers of men in secret societies which seem to have agreed
"upon one point in common, namely, that the removal of the
present Manchu dynasty, and the establishment of a purely
Chinese dynasty on the throne, is the first object of their desires..
Secret societies have undoubtedly existed in China from a remote :
period of history, but they have greatly increased in numbers
of late years, and comprise all classes, both official, mercantile,
and agricultural, the most important element at present being
- military officials and soldiers.
Next, as regards the forces that are now at work in connection
with political movements in China. During the last thirty years !
or so, two provinces of China have risen to a.commanding position,
viz., Hunan and Anhui, and the rivalry now existing between the
people of these two provinces, and which extends from the very
highest to the lowest, is the dominant factor in the politics of the
immediate future of China. The famous Tsêng family, and
especially the great General Tsêng Kuo-fan, have been primarily
. instrumental in pushing forwarıl the interests of their countrymen
of Hunan, who are now the most martial people in China. The
great Viceroy Li Hung-chang has unceasingly fostered the interests
of his countrymen of Anhui. Apart from the Tartar garrisons,
which are, with the exception of the force at Peking, of no real
strength in any part of China, the great majority of the soldiers
consist of Hunan and Anhui men. The Hunan men are so
powerful at Nanking that no Viceroy, who is not a Hunan man
and a soldier, can keep them under any control. The Hunan
men are now the leading spirits in China, but since the death of
the Viceroy Tseng Kuo-chuan, last year, they have no recognised
political chief. The Viceroy Li Hung-chang is unremittingly
pushing forward the men of Anhui in every part of China. His
brother Li Han-chang has the post next in importance to his
own, viz., the Viceroyship of Canton, and Anhui men are rising
rapidly in power everywhere. Liu Ming-chuan, who has just
vacated the Governorship of Formosa, is a native of Anhui, and
.
85
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES...
i in connection with his name an instance may be mentioned
illustrating the feeling before referred to. It is not long since the.. .
Governor of Formosa had serious difficulties in coping with the
savages who live in the hills and who broke out and attacked the
Chinese. The Viceroy Li Hung-chang promptly sent Admiral
Ting and some powerful ships of the Peiyang fleet to his assistance.
Thé present disturbances on the Yangtze are far more serious,
yet the Viceroy has not sent one of his ships to assist in quelling
them, but has even kept a number of the best ships of the
Nanyang fleet, which belongs to Nanking, lying idly at Weihaiwei
..with his own ships. The Governor of Formosa was an Anhui
.man, the Viceroy of Nanking is a Hunan man. The Viceroy Li
has for many years past exercised all the power that he possesses
by direct interference with Shanghai, although this place is entirely
beyond his proper sphere of influence, and is within one of the...
provinces governed by the Viceroy of Nanking : He often
succeeds in getting his protégés appointed to the Taotaiship of
Shanghai, which is the second richest post in the. Empire. The
last one, Kung, was an Anhui man, and arrangements have been
privately made already for the appointment of the Viceroy's son,
who is now the Minister to Japan, as the next Shanghai Taotai.
The Viceroy Li has also obtained the entire control of the China
Merchants' Company, and is working energetically to keep a .
monopoly of cotton spinning enterprises here, in his own hands,
and in many other ways is constantly striving to exercise a
paramount influence at this, the most important place in China.
The comparative inertness and weakness of the Nanking Viceroys
enable him to do this with very great success.
:. In reference to Shanghai, it may be worth mentioning that
there are about four or five thousand soldiers posted in and near
the native city, who are Hunan men, while there are aboạt eight
thousand at Woosung; who are Anhui men...
The Viceroy Li has a more thorough knowledge of what
is going on in all parts of China than any other official, and
if he had selected a different time for his inspection of the
fleets and forts, and kept his powerful Acet of ironclads cruising in
the Yangtze river instead, these terrible outbreaks at the river
ports would never have happened. There is only one other point
to which I will at present refer. The day has already. arrived,
when the internal politics of China are not only far more important
86
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
to her own interests but also to the interests of foreigners than the
so-called Imperial politics of Peking. Far more can be learnt
regarding the former at Shanghai than is known even to the
Cabinet of the Chinese Government, must less to the Foreign
Ministers at Peking, whose energies were exhaustively occupied in
grappling with the solemn farce of an Imperial Audience while
events long prepared and of momentous importance were on
the eve of occurring. Nero fiddles while Rome is burning.
It needs only very ordinary intelligence to see now that
the policy underlying the present series of outbreaks, which I
sketched briefly in my former letter, is rapidly running its course
to what appears likely to be a completely súccessful result.
The French property already destroyed must have been worth
many millions of taels. When the bills are sent in what is
the Chinese Government going to do? It will not pay, but if not,
what then? If the French submit to the loss their expulsion
from China will be practically complete, and the position of
all other foreigners will rapidly become intolerable until another
foreign war inevitably occurs. I have only touched very briefly
upon a very few points of importance, but my letter is already far
longer than I had intended it to be.
I am, &C.,
W. V. DRUMMOND,
Shanghai, 11th June.
III.
SIR,-In regard to the recent outbreaks that have occurred
it is very important that there should be no relaxation of vigilance.
It must be remembered that they were wholly unexpected by the
local officials, and by the foreigners themselves at each place;
that none of the leaders have been caught; that nothing has been
discovered as to the organisation of those who planned them;
that they broke out almost simultaneously at a number of places,
some of them over 500 miles apart, and in three different provinces;
and that the method of procedure was almost identical in each
place. I wish to add also a word of warning in regard to an
event that will shortly take place, when the probabilities of danger
will be greatly increased. This is the roth day of the 5th moon
(Chinese date), and on the gth day of the 8th moon (11th Sept.)
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
87.
.
the triennial Imperial examination will take place at Nanking.
This will therefore be about three months hence. The average
attendance of students on these occasions at Nanking is from
27,000 to 30,000. Each of these has one servant, and the
vendors of food and various other articles, who come in there to
sell to the students, number about 50,000. There are therefore
on such occasions about 100,000 people at one time in Nanking,
nearly all of whom are strangers to the place, or visitors merely.
The examination lasts nine days and nights, and the Governor of
Anhui, Shên Ping-chên (who was recently acting Viceroy of
Nanking, and whose head-quarters are at Ngankin, where a riot
recently occurred) will be shut up in the examination halls during
the whole time. This duty falls alternately upon the Governors
of Anhui and Soochow, and on the next occasion the duty belongs
to the former. About sixteen years ago, when Li Tsung-hsi was the
Viceroy of Nanking, three men got in amongst the students, and
had planned an outbreak, in concert with a number of disbanded
soldiers outside. The Viceroy accidentally discovered it, and going
in himself, he caught the ringleaders, who were summarily executed
and the rising was nipped in the bud. It is therefore very probable
that another outbreak may be planned to take place at Nanking
during the coming examination, and it is also probable that risings
may be planned to take place simultaneously at other places. It
should also be remembered that twenty-one years ago, the then
Viceroy of Nanking, Ma Sing-i, was killed three days before the
Imperial examination took place at Nanking, and it is undoubtedly
the case that these examinations are dangerous times, and
especially so when the country is in a disturbed state. A point to
be borne in mind is this. The immediate cause of the outbreaks
was the fact that the new Viceroy of Nanking had struck-off the
pay lists a very large number of military officials of various ranks
and degrees, the actual amount of money saved by these economies
being about Tls. 100,000 a year. He had distinct warning that if
he persisted in this step, attacks would be made upon foreign
property everywhere, and especially within his provinces. Two
other threats were made previously but this threat was the latest.
It has been carried out to a very great extent. The Viceroy
will now have to find the money to pay for the damage. The
question then arises, will he still persist in the course of economy
that he has adopted or will he put these men back on the pay roll ?
88
· THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
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If he puts them back, it will be a proof of great weakness and will
almost invite further aggression. If he still refuses, the secret
societies, to which all, or nearly all, these military officials belong;
will very likely proceed to take still' more violent measures to :
accomplish their purpose.
. In my last letter I mentioned my belief in the .existence
of a general feeling of unrest in a great part of China. This
feeling has merely prepared the soil to receive the seeds of
action, and the floods and droughts that have ravaged so large a
part of northern and central China during the last few years
have naturally added causes of great and active discontent to
those already existing in the minds of many millions of the people.
To those who take any interest in discussing, or endeavouring
to acquire information as to the relative position of Hunan and
Anhui men in China, I may mention that this question is always
referred to by Chinese who have any knowledge of the subject
under the terms “Shang,” and “Huai," the former meaning the
Hunan soldiers, and the latter Anhui soldiers. 'I
I an, etc.,
W. V. DRUMMOND.
Shanghai, 16th June. :
11.
. iv.
SIR, -The letters of Mr. Griffith John, and "A.," in your
issueofthe 14th inst. (printed in another page) are very interesting con-
tributions to the great question of the day in this part of the world,
viz. : What is the real cause of the recent outbreaks? They seem
to have arrived at the same conclusion, and to be of opinion that
the cause is the deliberate determination of the Chinese Government
to expel all foreigners from the country, and to take their chance
in the foreign war that will of course be inevitable before they can
succeed in effecting their object. That is a clear, and intelligible
proposition, and it is supported by much allegation, and argument.
It is entirely inconsistent with, and in fact directly opposed to
the theory given in my letters to you about four months ago,
and if it is correct, war between China and Foreign Powers
must be imminent, and inevitable. It is, as Mr. John says,
very important that a correct diagnosis should be made, at
this critical time and that opinions should be freely expressed.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES. 89
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Mr. John writes contemptuously of “cobweb theories ;” does he
mean to imply that all theories differing from the one that he
has formed are worthless? If so, his invitation to others to
express their opinions must be limited to those who agree with
him. Mr. John, having formulated his “idea,” as he says,
“fathers” it on the “governing classes," and considers that the
“congenial home" necessary for its development has been found
in Hunan. In my letters to you published early in June last
I referred to the very important part the Hunan men were taking
and were likely to take in this movement, and as I see no reason
for changing any of the views which I expressed in my previous
letters, and as I consider that subsequent events have tended
strongly to confirm the correctness of those views, I do not
propose to criticise the theories of others, but merely to make
a few more observations, in the same direction as those I have
already made, leaving it to time to prove who has the more
correctly diagnosed the present political situation in China.
' I will merely add in regard to the new theory that while it is
undoubtedly correct to say that the Government is responsible
for all the riots, it is, in my opinion, as undoubtedly absurd to say
that the Chinese Government is causing them purposely, as part of
a settled policy. The Government has everything to lose and
nothing to gain by so doing, and its interests and therefore its
wishes must be in exactly the opposite direction.
progressing towards an acute stagc, and from several indications I
think that it is not at all improbable ihat we may see the Viceroys
of Canton and Nanking changing places before long. The present
Viceroy of Canton, Li Han-chang, is an Anhui man, and therefore
ineligible, according to the ordinary Chinese rule, of becoming
Viceroy of Nanking, but we have seen so many instances of
late years, of these rules being relaxed, or ignored, for special
stand in the way. The Government is, I believe, really alarmed at
the attitude of the Hunan men, not only in their own province,
but also in all the provinces adjacent to the Yangtze river, and will
probably make some efforts to break up their present power and
disposition for mischicf. If they do not do this both quickly and
effectually, the very existence of the Government, and of the
dynasty itself, will be in the utmost peril. The great difficulty
1
,
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
90
· which the Government has to face is that the only power which it
can call into play to overawe and dissipate the power of the
Hunanese, consists of Anhui officers and troops, as the Tartar
troops are useless for this purpose. The step will be a very
critical one, but the necessity for it has arisen entirely through
the fault of the Government in allowing the military power to be
concentrated in the natives of two provinces only, and in allowing
the men of one of these provinces to obtain such a preponderating
position throughout so many provinces in mid-China, that it
cannot be evaded or postponed. The evil is growing rapidly
greater every day, and if the Chinese Government does not quickly
and thoroughly deal with it, there is no doubt that the Foreign
Powers must do so, or much worse things will happens than
any that have happened yet. At the present moment the
dilatoriness of the Chinese Government in taking active steps
seems only equalled by the dilatoriness of the Foreign Powers,
and every day's delay now will necessitate many days of hard work
very soon. The fact that the work that the Chinese Government
has to do is a very critical and dangerous one, is in no sense
an apology for inaction, but quite the contrary. It is a very
strong reason why that action should not be delayed for a day, for
the work must be done, and the longer it is delayed, the harder and
more dangerous it will be.
The Government has, not only to satisfy the just demands of
the Treaty Powers for the recent outrages, but to take sufficient
measures to prevent any recurrence. The way in which the latter
object can be attained is by reducing the military power now
absorbed by Hunan and Anhui men to reasonable proportions,
and spreading it amongst the natives of as many different provinces
as possible. This is absolutely necessary for the safety of the
Government itself, as well as for that of foreigners residing in
China, and there is therefore no reason or excuse for any delay..
The Hunanese, by means of the secret societies which are
principally controlled by them, have made great advances in their
schemes this year; they have received no check at all as yet, and
the only step taken so far, in disbanding and sending home a
certain number of them, is wholly insufficient.
The following details may be of interest in connection with
the great Shang Huai question.
.:
94
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
In the provinces of Kiangnan and Kiangsu (inland) which
are both under the jurisdiction of the Viceroy of Nanking, the
following Generals commanding troops are all Hunan men :-Tan
Pi-li, Commander-in-chief of Kiangnan; Sün Sung-ping, General
of the Langshan district; Hyan Pau-fu, General of the Fusan
district; Tsü Hwai-seng, General of the Soochow and Sungkiang
prefectures. Nearly the whole of the troops in these provinces,
exclusive of the garrisons, are under these generals.
. In the five provinces of Hunan, Hupeh, Anhui, Kiangsi,
and Kiangsu (bordering on the river) the following Generals are
also all Hunan men :-Li Chêng-mao, Admiral of the Yang-tze
river; Wu Kia-pang, General of the Kwachow district ; Ting
Yi-fan, General of the Hukao district in Kiangsi; Lo Chin-shun,
General of the Ichang district in Hupeh. The General of the
Yochow district in Hunan, name unknown. Nearly the whole of
the troops in these four provinces are under the above generals.
In this province, Kiangsu, the only general who holds an important
command and who is an Anhui man, is Tsao Kan-tang, who is in
charge of the Woosung forts.
The Hunan men hold a great number of high military posts,
but very few indeed hold very high civil rank, and very few
Hunanese comparatively, are being promoted civilly. The Anhui
men not only hold many military commands but as regards civil
promotion they are far more favoured at present than those of
any other provinces..
The Navy is falling wholly into the hands of the natives of
Fukien and Ningpo, the former filling the ships of the Peiyang
(Northern) squadron, and the latter those of the Nanyang
(Southern) squadron, but their numbers are too small yet to be of
political importance.
I am, etc.,
W. V. DRUMMOND.
Shanghai, 16th October.
i
SIR,-The latest news that I have is to the following effect.
The Chinese Government has, as you know, translations laid
before it regularly of the contents of your columns. My letters to
you have received much consideration, and secret enquiries having
92.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
-.---------------..... .... ................... .....-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
been made, the conclusion has been arrived at that the statements
in regard to the danger now existing from the monopoly of
military power by the Hunan and Anhui men, and in regard
to the necessity for prompt and vigorous action, are correct and
true. Orders have been already given for the enlistment and
drilling of troops, in other provinces, especially at Canton, and it
is intended to send these as soon as they are ready, which will be
in the spring, to the Yangtze provinces, and to break up the
Hunan predominance by disbanding and dispersing á large
proportion of Hunan troops. It is also said to be arranged
that as soon as it is considered safe, a Viceroy, who is not a
Hunan man, will be sent to Nanking. As I have previously
stated, the necessity for this policy is undoubted, and the time
when it comes to be actually carried into effect will be critical. :
The conduct of the Government in reference to its treatment
of officials who are known to be actively hostile to foreigners
appears to have given rise to the conclusion that the Government
itself is actuated by a policy of deliberate intention to drive
foreigners out of the country, and to use any weapons they can
find for the purpose. Experience, in my opinion, goes to show
that while the Government dislikes and dreads the effect of actual
outrages against foreigners, yet that officials who are known to be
strongly anti-foreign in sentiment never have been, and never
· will be, in disfavour with the Government. As the presence of
foreigners with special privileges, and treaty rights, is always
regarded as an incubus upon China, such officials are naturally
regarded as men of the highest patriotism, and worthy of
encouragement by the Government so long as they do not involve .
the Government in actual hostilities with Foreign Powers. Such a
policy of course involves a great deal of duplicity and the constant
risk of friction, but it cannot be considered as an unnatural one
for the Government of China, or any other Government in the
same position as regards foreigners living within its boundaries.
So long as the present status lasts, and there is certainly at present
no possibility of predicting the time when it can safely be altered,
so long must foreign governments make, not only occasional
display, but also occasional use of their power to maintain it.
Too long a remission of any proof or even display of power is
sure to lead to a recurrence of danger.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
93
. As the condition of the provinces near the Yangtze is such as
to constitute a serious danger to the Chinese Government as well
as to the lives and property of foreigners, and as the Government
is now well aware of this danger, there is no reason to doubt that
the efforts to break up the. Hunan-Anhui monopoly of military
power will be vigorously prosecuted, and if this can be successfully
completed before any general outbreak occurs, the danger of
rebellion will be averted. The fact, however, that the change is
to be made is becoming known, and adds considerably to the
gravity of the present situation..
I am, etc.,
. . W. V. DRUMMOND. :
Shanghai, roth November:
2
VI. ..
Sir,—The following brief statement of a few incidents
.connected with current events may be of interest. It is hardly
surprising that native piece goods merchants in Shanghai should
hesitate to clear and ship goods to the ports as they usually
· do at this season of the year, or that Chinese bankers should
hesitate to give the usual facilities, and that the trade should
consequently be in an abnormal state of stagnation..
Many years ago there was a man named Li Sze-tsung,
otherwise known as Li Sang-shao, who was formerly a Taiping
leader, and who, having surrendered to the Chinese Government,
was afterwards made the Chief General of this provincé, i.e.,
Kiangnan Titu. He was afterwards impeached and deprived
of all his rank, and ordered to remain in Ngankin, in Anhui, and
subsequently, having got into fresh trouble, was beheaded by the
order of Yü Lu, then Governor of Anhui. Yü Lu is à Manchu .
official who was Acting Viceroy of Nanking when Tsêng Kuo-chüan
started for Peking but was ordered to return after proceeding
only a short distance. Yü Lu is now Governor of Shingking.
Li Sze-tsung had a son named Li Hung. At the beginning
of this Chinese month, the tenth month, the Viceroy Chang
Chih-tung arrested some secret society men at Wuchang, and
it was discovered that the man Li Hung was one of the leaders of
the proposed rebellion, also that it was planned to commence an
.' outbreak by an attempt to seize Nanking on the 25th day of this,
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
moon (the 26th instant), and to make a simultaneous attempt
to seize Shashi near Wuchang, and all the country along the
Yangtze valley between that place and, Chinkiang. It was also
discovered that it had been planned to commence the outbreak
at the beginning of the ninth moon (October), but in consequence
of the failure to get possession of the arms to be brought up by
Mason and others from Hongkong, it was postponed and then
the later date was fixed. The man Li Hung has filed and efforts
are now being made in every direction for his arrest.,
The Viceroy Chang Chih-tung is arranging to get up 10,000
Cantonese troops to station in his provinces, and will get these as
soon as he can.
The Viceroy at Nanking has sent a despatch to the Shanghai
Taotài giving the names of eight Chinese in good positions in
Shanghai, some of them being compradores of foreign firms here,
and demanding their arrest as being concerned in the conspiracy
to aid a rebellion. No action has been taken on this despatch as
yet, the Taotai being afraid to raise such a thorny question.
I am, etc.,
W. V. DRUMMOND.
Shanghai, 16th November,
“SPES"" VIEWS (GOVERNMENT INCAPACITY).
1.
Sir,--Passing events show most unmistakeably that China is
just now in a most serious and critical position and that a
great national calamity is looming in the near future. How to
steer the ship of State through such imminent dangers as those
with which Central China is beset is a problem which may well
occupy the mind of every patriotic statesman in the Empire as well
as call forth the advice and sympathy of every foreign resident.
For people whose interests are blended through commercial or
other pursuits with those of the "Middle Kingdom” it is high
time to begin to investigate the bearings of the coming crisis in
connection with the different phases of foreign intercourse. To
diagnose the case and to prescribe a remedy we must try and get
at the origin of the trouble. . As a step in this direction I propose
to inquire into the chief causes that have brought about these
pending dangers.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
95
It is necessary in the first place to go back to the times of
the Taiping rebellion. About a million of extra soldiers were
enrolled under the Imperial banners from first to last. They
fought under various leaders—notably under Tsêng Kuo-fan and
Li Hung-chang. A large proportion were Hunan men, who with
a constitutional love for military pursuits and a wandering life,
left their farms and their families, allured by the pay and the
chances of military preferment. But the rebellion being over and
the rebels crushed the work of the Government was really only
half completed. It was one of the few mistakes made by the
talented and renowned Tseng Kuo-fan that no provision was
made to settle this million or so of disbanded soldiers, and
to ensure their return to steady and regular habits. These
“Hunan braves" had made a name for themselves. They had to
a great extent saved the country. They had passed successfully
through campaign after campaign. They had grown accustomed
to living on the results of other men's labour. Looting and
levying blackmail upon the harmless country people were not
only necessities but afforded a congenial and profitable means of
employing their energies. The poor villagers dreaded a visit
from the Imperial troops even more than from the rebels. And
now the rebellion being over what were they to do? Could they
go quietly to their homes in -Hunan and other provinces, and
settle down to the patient, humdrum plodding task of cultivating
the ground under the control of petty farmers on wages barely
enough for their subsistence? Not likely! Their families did
not want them. They knew a great deal too much for the
untravelled rustics. There was no dearth of labourers. What
they wanted was a regularly organised system by which they
could find suitable and peaceful employment. For instance,
millions of acres of waste land could easily have been given them
by the Government on free or very easy terms. Not only in the
eighteen provinces but in the outside dependencies there is only .
too much land lying waste, only waiting for some opportunity to
render it a valuable acquisition to the wealth of the country. To
have a piece of land of considerable extent on condition of living
on it and cultivating it, and thus become a landed proprietor
would have been a sufficient inducement for most of them. The
repairing of river courses or the laying out of good macadamised
roads all over the Empire, as the precursors of railways, would
.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.".
-----...... .. ......................... ..
· have found employment for others; while the best of them
might have been formed into a standing army which by proper
training and management might have proved a blessing to the
Empire, and gradually superseded the almost useless Imperial
forces, --mostly on paper, which are one of the great disgraces
and weaknesses of the nation. In these and other ways which
we need not stop to point out, this dangerous element in the
nation might have been modified or removed and future evils
averted. There was plenty of money to carry out such schemes !
with, --money spent in armaments, arsenals, warships and other
useless "white elephants.” And how was the difficulty met?
The more troublesome of the "Braves" were, it is said, pensioned
off. A long list of pensioners was drawn up, who received an
allowance from the Viceroys or other high officers. Their
number being fixed, neither the hand of time nor the hand of
death could diminish it. “As old men died off new ones came from
Hunan to take their places, and hence grew up a public abuse
and a fraud that had to be handed down to posterity, involving
to a certain extent the whole of Central China, but more especially
Nanking and the River ports. The pensioners having no regular
duties, settled down to no regular calling. They could wander
about from place to place, with enough to live on, indulging either
in opium or in robbery and theft, and joining the Ko-lao or other
secret societies, they could do pretty much as they pleased,
defying the arm of the law, through their combinations among
themselves. This pension allowance seems to have been more of
a private arrangement between the great Tsêng family and their
adherents from Hunan, than a public affair. The tendency of
the list was to grow larger rather than smaller, and hence on the
death of the late Viceroy at Nanking, the only chance to keep
these "war hounds" quiet was for his successor to continue the
pensions. The fear that these pensions would be discontinued,
or perhaps the actual discontinuance of them, may be safely
regarded as the chief cause of the present riotous state of things.
Foreigners are the objects against whom the attacks are nominally
directed, but this is only with a view of bringing about a collision
between Chinese and foreign nations, and thus bringing the high
officials of Central China into trouble and disgrace, necessitating,
perhaps, a war with foreign countries in which either as Imperial
soldiers or as maurauders they will find employment to their
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
97
heart's content. At any rate they doubtless think it would appear
to the high officials more economical to continue the pensions
than to have to pay the heavy indemnities that foreigners will
insist upon.
Another cause is to be found in the fact that there is great
disaffection all over China with the present dynasty. Anything
would be better in the eyes of numbers of the thinking and
suffering Chinese than the evils of the present state of officialdom.
But how to get a new Government is the question. By involving
China in war with foreign nations, a new Government might
result, and even if it were a foreign government it could not be
worse than the present. The hope of the Taiping rebels at one
time was, that Foreign Powers would take and hold China. Even
when the allied French and English troops captured Peking the
whole nation was said to be ready at once to accept foreign rule.
May it not be the case that these disaffected classes are easily
brought into sympathy with the Ko-lao Society or the Hunan
“braves,” and that they think by involving the country in war
with Foreign Powers, the long-wished for opportunity will arise,
and the evils of the present Government may be remedied by a
change?
Again, the centre of China, and especially the Yangtze river,
has suffered in many ways from the introduction of river steamers.
The whole of the Yangtze trade has changed hands. The old junk
stations are no longer patronised or needed. Tens of thousands
of people who got their living, either in junks or on shore, have
been cast loose upon the world. It takes a long time for a
Chinese family living away from the treaty ports to adapt itself to
the changes that Western civilisation necessitates, and to seek new
means of getting a livelihood. These people also are a dangerous
class. They have no good feeling toward foreigners, and easily
fall into the ways of thinking of those who have no regular
business to depend upon.
Once more, there are those who lised to get their living by
the transport of tribute rice to the north, but are now thrown out
of employment. No new kind of employment is open to them
and hence a large section of disaffected people who from time
immemorial have been used to gaining their living in this manner
is now at large, ready for anything good or bad that promises an
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
alleviation of their troubles, or a way of getting a living without
working for it. The famine and flood refugees no doubt help to
swell the number of these people, and make things worse.
Again the treaty ports and other places up the river abound
with opium dens. The various disaffected classes above mentioned
find it a an easy business to start an opium den. The capital
involved is next to nothing, and the profits are large. In these
dens congregate the worst classes—desperate men ready for
anything. They will borrow money or extort it; they will lay
conspiracies, and organise to commit robberies in out of the
way places. Many districts are infested with this trouble to
a lamentable extent, and the pusillanimous officials .either cannot
or will not use the necessary means to check such outrages.
Without these opium dens such classes would hardly have any
place of rendezvous. There is scarcely any crime that these
opium fiends will not perpetrate if their supply of opium is therely
ensured, or their creditors insist on it. It is in these ders
that much of the present trouble is brewed.
Lastly, and I must be brief, the regular army of China is
about as bad as it could be. It exists, to a great extent, on paper
only. How many men out of every hundred that pay is drawn
for, exist at all ?. And how many that exist ever get their full
pay? Even those who are properly looked after are merely
subordinate because it is greatly to their interest to be so. It is
said that in the various camps of Imperial soldiers everywhere in
this and the adjacent provinces, a large proportion are members
of the Ko-lao society. A stoppage of their pay, or a command
to do what their society would not allow of, would cause them to
mutiny at once. The officials know this. A call to actual service
would thin out their ranks greatly.
With such various elements in the population of Central
China, and especially at the river ports, is it any wonder that we
hear of riots and troubles ? The wonder is that the evils are not
ten times greater than they are. With such a rotten and corrupt
officialdom and with grievances real or imaginary that the Chinese
suffer from, and strive to remedy in such a lawless manner, is it
not the duty of foreign nations at once to take far-seeing steps to
protect their commercial interests and the lives of their subjects
and citizens ? Where is the Chinese navy? Where are the
ironclads, the cruisers and gunboats, and the armaments that the
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
99
Government has fooled away so many millions of taels upon ?
Why were they not sent up the river at once to suppress these
scenes of murder and violence? If in a crisis like this, the
Chinese navy can be made of no use, of what earthly use is it
ever going to be? Let the Chinese Government show its sincerity
and power by sending one or two of its well equipped gunboats to
each port on the river. They have plenty of warships to do
it with. A government that possesses such a large and powerful
navy, and yet will let it rot at anchor while the subjects and
citizens of treaty powers are openly massacred or driven from
their homes in spite of all treaty stipulations, is thereby the
enemy of every civilised nation, and cannot and must not be
allowed to go "scot free.” The longer Foreign Powers stand
idly by and condone such atrocity, the worse matters are likely to
grow. The means that should at once be adopted to meet
the pressing emergencies of the moment, and the further steps
that it will be necessary to take to ensure permanent peace
and order, are subjects which I hope to take up at no distant date.
I am, etc.,
SPES,
Shanghai, roth June.
II.
ȘIR, -My letter of the roth inst. pointed out what seemed to
me to be the chief causes that have produced the swarms of idle,
disaffected and lawless people that now infest the central parts of
China and more especially the valley of the Yangtze. They are
proving themselves more and more to be an exceedingly dangerous
element in the population, and one that will inevitably sooner
or later tax to its very utmost the powers of the Imperial
Government as well as the patience and forbearance of foreigners.
It is now therefore high time to ask the all-important question,
by what means can the present state of anarchy be quelled
or checked most quickly and safely, so that the danger which
menaces the lives and property of foreign residents may be
averted. Although so serious, I do not believe matters have yet
become so bad as some alarmists seem to imagine. A little care
and patience may even now enable us to tide over the difficulties
pressing themselves so heavily upon us. In past years all the
G 2
100
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
riots against foreigners have soon blown over, and therefore there
is reason to hope that the present waves of trouble will ere
long have spent their strength, and a temporary calm will follow.
Let us therefore confine our attention to means adapted to
the present emergencies, and leave the consideration of more
permanent plans till we are out of all danger.
First and foremost then it behoves foreigners to keep up
a bold front everywhere. We must evince no symptoms of fear
or trepidation. Let us ask for a moment what it is that has
enabled a mere handful of foreigners to hold their ground in
China so long ? Nothing but the fact of our having virtually
conquered China, and captured the capital, holding it till a very
heavy indemnity and a treaty considered more or less.ignominious
by all classes of natives, had been exacted. We must remember
that we are living here mainly dependent on our old prestige..
We have shown what we can do to China, and the lesson has
been a salutary one. The average foreigner at the ports has
since been regarded as an individual to be feared and humoured
but not to be trifled with or injured, at least openly. He is
to be tricked and cajoled at every opportunity. He is to be
flattered and cheated, but never ruffled or excited. He has most
likely a revolver in the corner of his pocket or a rifle in his
bed-room, and untold numbers of inevitable gunboats ready to
come and back him up whenever his Consul or his Minister
holds up a little finger. His nature is as ferocious as his language
is violent. He is best soothed by being invited to a big dinner.
When his stomach is full of half-raw beef, or indigestible plum-
pudding, and he has taken his fill of the wonderful “Shanping"
wine, then he becomes mollified so as to be more easily
hook-winked, and made to think black is white. In no other
way can he be dealt with openly or satisfactorily either by native
merchants or officials. Reports of his vices, only too true, alas,
combined with accounts of his wondrous scientific and mechanical
skill, spread far and wide into the interior. He can tame the
lighting into his service. He can produce “water thunder" that
will destroy at a distance the largest ship. His “steam carriage"
flies over the land like the wind. He is verily a being to be
feared, a sort of demi-god, or the impersonation of a fiend, only
tolerated because there is no opposing him and no means of
dislodging him. The missionary, with perhaps his wife and family
:
|
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
iói
living a pure and blameless life, with his comfortable house, his
apparent abundance of ready money, freely lavished on churches,
bibles, schools and hospitals, is of course an enigma. Something
must be at the back of what he comes to China to accomplish.
Is he demented, or has he not rather some deep-laid sinister
motive for all he does ? Although apparently so harmless, and
generally so conciliatory, he is of course backed up by the other
classes of foreigners, and is not to be meddled with ; but rather to
be let severely alone, and only passively resisted, for fear of
unpleasant consequences !
It is this wholesome, or perhaps unwholesome, fear of
foreigners that has more than anything else enabled us to hold our
ground in China with comparative ease for upwards of a quarter
of a century. Every attempt at riotous conduct against us has
been quickly visited with the rod. The Tientsin massacre, the
Margary murder, the Foochow, Têngchow, Chinkiang, Wênchow,
Canton, and other riots have been soon checked, and indemnities
paid with scarcely a murinur. A few heads have been cut off;
a few tens of thousands of taels have been paid; oil has been
poured on the troubled waters and all has then gone on as before.
Foreigners have shown themselves equal to the occasion every
time. And this is undoubtedly because they have shown a bold
front, both individually and collectively, justifying the estimation
in which they are held by all classes in China. In the present
very trying circumstances at the River ports we must be very
careful to keep up our prestige. Once lose it and we have to
fight our old battles over again. In Shanghai, the stronghold of
foreign interests and of foreign power, we must, if need be, follow
in the steps of our predecessors, who, by their firmness, drove
away the Taiping rebel hosts, manned the city walls, and gained
a world-wide renown. We must be prepared for the worst,
although at present there is not any danger whatever locally.
In the next place we must everywhere hold our ground, and
not budge an inch unless driven away by overpowering force.
The Chinese, like ourselves, think it is only the “wicked” that
"flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous is bold as a lion."
I do not hesitate to say that some of our Riverine troubles have been
augmented, if not actually commenced, because the missionaries
and their families left their homes. Nothing deters a Chinese
mob more than a resolute holding of one's hearth and home!
102
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
.
2
At the first sign of a retreat the cowardly spirit of the populace is
aroused into action. The sympathy of numbers begins to tell,
and thus emboldened they will stop short at nothing. I am
confidently informed by one missionary that the mob which
attacked a house thus deserted consisted almost entirely of the
worst classes of the neighbours, and when the missionary
re-appeared on the scene, the rioters fell back, and were subdued
or scattered without much difficulty. Some of us doubtless
remember how during the troubles at Têngchow many years ago,
a single missionary standing in his doorway and armed with a
revolver kept a large crowd at bay for hours, as did Mr. Nichols
recently at Nanking. If the foreigners go away, the populace
supposes the houses and effects are given up to them and hence
are a lawful prey to whoever can first take possession. Firing the
premises enables the looting to be more easily effected. To
retreat before any molestation has been attempted is not only to
invite, but encourage idle rumours, and to bring on the very
troubles that might otherwise have been averted. This, though a
general rule, admits of many exceptions.
Again, we must not allow ourselves to be too easily intimidated
by mere placards or idle rumours. For the simple love of mischief,
or the fun of seeing how easily foreigners are to be scared, a man
will scrawl a few threatening words on a sheet of paper, and in the
dead of night affix it to the wall of a foreigner's dwelling. The
foreigner sees it, grows alarmed, packs up his goods and decamps.
This is just what was intended. The Chinaman chuckles at
his discovery of a plan to intimidate the foreigner whom he has
hitherto, perhaps, hated as much as feared. Once let the worst
classes of Chinese think that we are to be terrified by a sheet of
paper, and we shall have the same thing repeated all over the
Empire, while a single foreigner is left to play the ruse upon.
To pay attention to the many idle rumours that are set afloat
by these dangerous classes is equally absurd. They are like
Dr. Cummings' predictions of the end of the world. When the
terrible day is past and people begin to breathe freely, another
date not far ahead is fixed; and so on, to keep up the ferment.
Old residents in Shanghai may remember the time when such
rumours were periodical, two or three per annum, and no body
minded them. If foreigners accept them and act as if they were
FF
foj
THE RÍOTS: THEIR CAUSES
true, the natives will also be inclined to act on them; and
they may 'thus easily become prophecies true to the very day
and hour.
Another point worthy of notice is the capital which some
foreign alarmists in Shanghai seem to make of the fact that
the mission houses are now guarded by Chinese soldiers. This is
proof positive in the eyes of many people both foreign and native,
that there must really be trouble close at hand; else why these
precautions ? They are taken, as I understand on good authority,
by order of the Viceroy, so that the timid may not work up
a panic and desert their houses. If this is done on anything like
a large scale, and a fleet of gunboats is sent for from foreign
countries, a heavy bill to pay is what the officials anticipate.
Hence these precautions which are not taken in the case of
Shanghai because there is any danger whatever, but merely to
prevent foreign missionaries and others from growing unnecessarily
alarmed, and making a mountain out of a mole-hill.
Once more, missionaries, and especially those of the Roman
Catholic persuasion, would do well to throw open their churches
and educational establishments more completely to the Chinese
public. The neighbouring officials and gentry should be invited
to come and look round their buildings while the motive and
character of their philanthropic work are explained. Having
nothing to conceal, and everything to gain by making the true
nature of their work more widely known, they would soon dispel
all the bad rumours that are currently circulated about them.
There is a natural tendency to think evil of what is apparently
kept guarded from public view.
Lastly, it must be borne in mind that the rioters at the River
ports are not bands of marauders, wandering about from place to
place like the Taiping rebels, bent only on general destruction.
They are the lower classes resident at these places, and have no
general organisation or bond of union existing between themselves
and the disaffected at other ports or cities. Hence each place
can only be troubled by its own inhabitants; and if the officials
are only half alive to their duties and take the necessary precautions
there need be no further troubles. Fortunately at Shanghai we
have not only the protection of our volunteers, and ships, but the
native soldiery are under fairly good discipline, and are kept on
the alert by their superiors, so that there is really no present cause
104
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
for apprehension. There are not enough disaffected people either
here or in the vicinity to get up a riot. I mention this because I
hear of missionary alarmists who have disbanded their schools
and come to live in Shanghai for fear of troubles. Discretion is.
the better part of valour, undoubtedly, and I cannot blame them,
although I do not think they are acting altogether wisely.
To sum up I would say, let missionaries and especially
those near Shanghai go on with their work just as usual, unless
actually requested to retire by their Consuls, or the Chinese
authorities. A long residence in different parts of China and
no inconsiderable intercourse with the natives lead me to the
conviction that in the majority of cases such is the safest and
wisest plan. As soon as people begin to breathe a little more
freely I hope to take up the subject of what permanent means
Chinese and foreigners ought to use to effectually cure the existing
state of disaffection.
I am, etc.,
SPES.
Shanghai, 13th June.
AUTHOR OF "DEFENSIO POPULI'S” VIEWS
(CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS
AT FAULT).
“It is men that can make a religion great, and
not religion that can inake men great."-
Discourses of Conſucius: Bk. XV., chap. 28.
DEFENSIO POPULI AD POPULOS,
OR
THE MODERN MISSIONARIES CONSIDERED IN RELATION
TO THE RECENT RIOTS.
In view of the recent repeated popular outbreaks against the
missionaries, I propose here to examine the activities and objects of
the missionary enterprise in China and, after such an examination,
to see if the time is not come, both in the interests alike of
Chinese and foreigners, when the Foreign Governments should
be asked to undertake, if not the entire withdrawal, at least some
modification and control of the whole Mission scheme as it now
exists in China.
THÉ RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
105
The avowed objects of the missionary at the present day,
which I will proceed to examine, may, I think, be summed
up thus :-
I.—The moral elevation of the people.
II.-The intellectual enlightenment of the people.
III.-Works of charity
1.—Now this was the real legitimate object for which the
Chinese Government was originally asked to sanction the preaching
of Christianity in China. As originally conceived, it is surely an
object worthy of all support. Any scheme that could raise the
people morally higher and make them better citizens and nobler
men, would be a scheme worth the costs of all merely temporal
interests. If therefore it can be shown that the modern missionaries
by their present modes of preaching Christianity in China, are or
have the remotest hope of carrying out this object, then, I say, let
them be protected and, if need be, supported by gunboats and
grape shot against the people. But can it be shown? If the
mere embracing of the forms of Christianity which the modern
missionaries are bringing into China, were really the means of
making men morally higher, better and nobler, one would surely
think that the best of the nation—and it is not denied that there
are still good and noble men in China—would be the people
most likely to be attracted by it. But is it so? I appeal to every
foreigner who is at all acquainted with the minds of the best and
most educated Chinese to say whether such can be converted,
whether the very foundation of their national faith and culture
can bear such a superstructure as the forms of Christianity which
the missionaries bring into China. Is it not, I say, on the
contrary an open secret that it is only the worst, the weak, the
ignorant, the needy and the vicious among the Chinese, who have
been or could be what the missionaries call converted ? If any
one should think that this is too strong a statement, I challenge
him to show me that the missionary converts are as a class not to
say morally higher but even as educated and as good and useful
citizens as those of the Chinese who have not been converted;
I ask him to show that these converts, men who have lost the
faith of their fathers, who are bidden by their foreign teachers to
have no sympathy with, if not to despise the traditions or memories
of their own past history, who live isolated and as outcasts in the
midst of their own race and people; that these men, when once
106
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
the mere hope of pecuniary benefits and other external influences
are withdrawn, will not turn out to be worse than the worst of the
Chinese are at present. If any one should still doubt the truth
of what I say here, I would ask him to read the story of the
Taiping rebellion, which ought properly to be called by the future
historians of China—the rebellion of the Chinese outcasts of the
Christian missionaries in China. Morally and intellectually the
Taipings are a type of the Christian converts in China.
I appeal therefore to every foreigner in China who has
any opportunity of judging, yea, I appeal to the missionary
himself, to ask his conscience and say whether the carrying out of
this part of the programme, namely, to make the Chinese by
evangelising morally better and nobler, has not turned out to be a
miserable failure. I ask him, the Protestant missionary, to search
his heart and say whether it is not the sense of this miserable
failure which has lately made him turn to what he calls the
teaching of science and works of charity; the two other objects of
the Mission which we will now proceed to consider.
II.-Intellectual Enlightenment.
This surely is also a great and noble work. If the exchange
of perishable commodities is necessary and valuable, how much
more so is the interchange of imperishable ideas between nations.
If then it can be shown that the missionary enterprise in China is
an intellectual movement; that the missionaries are bringing light
where before there was only darkness; that they, by connecting,
so to speak, the higher currents of thought, are bringing the East
and West closer together; then, I say, let them have the support
of all good men. But I ask again; can it be shown? No doubt -
the Protestant missionary has lately taken a great deal to what he
calls science and scientific teaching. He can no doubt tell his
native pupils that the mandarins are foolish to make a fuss about
the eclipse of the moon; but will he not in the very next hour
have to tell the same pupils that the sun and moon did stand still
at the bidding of the Hebrew General Joshua, and that the book
in which this true fact is recorded, is a holy book written at the
dictation of the all-wise Author of the Universe ? Now I appeal
to every one who has the cause of intellectual enlightenment at
heart, to say whether anything can be more anti-scientific than
this--to call it by no harsher name-intellectual jugglery. The
fact that the missionary is himself unconscious of it, only proves
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAÚSES.
109
the subtlety and magnitude of the mischief it can do. I say
therefore whatever amount of mere scientific information the
Protestant missionary is capable of bringing into China, they
bring also with them a canker worm which must eventually put an
end to all hope of intellectual enlightenment for the Chinese.
For was it not against this same intellectual jugglery that all
the great emancipators of the human spirit in Europe have fought
and are fighting to this very day ? Indeed to any one who knows
anything at all of the struggle for intellectual enlightenment in
Europe, how curious and absurd it must seem to see these men of
religion, who in Europe have burnt and persecuted, here in China
pose themselves as the champions for the cause of science and
intellectual enlightenment. So far then is it from being true that
the missionary enterprise in China is an intellectual movement,
any one who will take the trouble to look into that mass of
impenetrable darkness that goes under the name of missionary
publication in China, can easily convince himself that it is this mass
of darkness that really makes the educated Chinese intellectually
despise the foreigner; and when the educated Chinese sees that
this mass of darkness is being thrust upon the people with all the
arrogant and aggressive pretentiousness of the missionaries on the
one hand, and by the threat of gunboats on the part of the foreign
Governments on the other hand, it makes him hate the foreigners
with a hatred which only those can feel, who see that all which
they hold as the highest and most sacred as belonging to them as
a race and nation, their light, their culture and their literary
refinement, are in danger of being irreparably defaced and
destroyed. This, let me say here, is the root of the hatred of
foreigners among the educated Chinese.
I say, therefore, if to the missionary's legitimate object of
evangelising a certain indulgence is due from those who still
believe that the spirit apart from the mere form of Christianity can
at least do the Chinese no harm, certainly this pretence of theirs
to preach science with anti-scientific jugglery deserves no such
indulgence. If I have said that the work of evangelising in China
is a failure, I must say that this loud talk on the part of the
missionaries lately of science and scientific appliances to make
China strong and powerful (with the eventual object, no doubt, of
fighting against their own nation) is either a palpable imposture or
a delusion,
108
THE ANTI-FOREİGN RIOTS.
III.—Works of Charity.
This, although surely a well deserving one, is, it must be
admitted, a secular work, and as such must be judged by the
balance of merely temporal interests. If the Christian Missions
in China are to be but a mere scheme of charity, let it be proved
that, as a charity, it is worth its cost. No doubt the Protestant
hospital and Catholic orphanage are the means of doing good to a .
number of individual Chinese. But can it be shown that even
this amount of good is an adequate compensation for the outlay
in money alone, apart from other considerations, which the people
through their Government, have had to pay for the special protection
and indemnification of the missionaries in China ? I should think
the interest of all the money which has been thus spent alone
would pay for an infinitely larger and more efficient staff of mere
secular doctors and nurses (European if you will) to do the good
which these mission institutions are now supposed to do. If then
the Christian missions are to be regarded as a charity for alleviating
Chinese suffering, let me ask again, whether the work actually
done is worth the enormous sums of money which the missionaries
are so loud in proclaiming that they, forsooth, are spending every
year for the benefit of the Chinese ? Let it be shown, I say, how
much of the millions which the people in Europe and America
subscribe for the support of the missions, goes actually to the
alleviating of Chinese suffering, and how much of it goes to the
maintenance of the missionaries and their wives, to the building of
their fine houses and sanitariums, to the cost of postage and paper
for their voluminous letter writing, and to the holding of their
conferences and other fads. Considered therefore as a mere
scheme of charity, I ask is it not an open secret known to every
disinterested foreigner in China, that the whole missionary enter-
prise in China is but a huge scheme of charity for the benefit
of unemployed professional persons from Europe and America ?
In presence of this subject of charity one really feels loth to
have to speak like this, but I think the truth should once and for
all be spoken. Moreover I would ask the most generous to say,
when these men who are paid to bring peace and good will to this
nation, now heap insults and cry vengeance upon the Government
which, with all its difficulties, is still honestly trying to protect
them ; when these men, who profess to preach mercy and loving
kindness to this people, now threaten them with shells and grape
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
109
shot for what, even in these late riots, the most hardened legal
prosecutor in a court of justice could prove to be nothing worse
than excusable ignorance ; I call, in fact, upon the most generous
to say whether these men can ask that tenderness should be shown,
when one is but speaking the truth to them.
But my object here is not to have the mere wanton satisfaction
of speaking home truths to the missionaries. I have now shown
you that their work of evangelising is a failure. I have proved that
their pretence to teach science and carry intellectual enlightenment
is either an imposture or a delusion. I have further shown that,
regarded as a mere scheme of charity, the whole missionary
enterprise in China, taken at its best, is but a huge scheme of
charity for unemployed professional persons and, as such, not
worth its cost even in the money spent on its support. And my
object in showing this is to ask every intelligent and disinterested
foreigner to say, if he finds what I have shown (make what
exception and modifications he will) to be substantially correct, I
ask him to say whether this huge and worthless scheme of charity
should be allowed to imperil--as at this moment it threatens
more than ever to do—not only the lives and properties of four
hundred million Chinese, but also the large commercial, industrial
and other interests which the people of every nation in Europe
and America have now at stake in this country. For it is, I think,
not difficult to show that the presence of the missionaries in China
is a danger and injury to the interests alike of Chinese and
foreigners.
I will now prove that the present support of the missionary
enterprise in China by the Foreign Governments is both an insult
to the Chinese nation and an injury to their interests. I say it is
an insult to the nation because, when the high Chinese officials,
who now employ a large staff of technical and educated foreigners
in their service, see that even these men do not believe in what
the missionaries say, what must they think to see the Foreign
Governments still back up these missionaries as religious teachers
sent to raise the morality of the people? I say further it is an
insult because, while the Consuls are seen ordering up gunboats
for the support of the Mission cause, the very coolies in their
consulates know that the missionaries, as a body, are not looked
up to by the better class of foreigners as their moral teachers,
IIO
THE ANTI-FOREIGN: RIOTS.
But it is not only as insults that the Chinese people complain
against the presence of the missionaries in China. I have already
alluded to the vast outlay of money which the people through
their Government have had to pay for the special protection and
indemnification of the missionaries and their property. Moreover
in all cases of these riots, the foreign public can only judge from
what the missionary, an interested party, has to say on his side of
the question, and the people are not heard. Now on behalf
of the people I think it is but fair to submit the following
considerations to every candid and fair-minded foreigner.
It is, I think, admitted that the only two effective checks
upon wrong-doing of every kind are the law and public opinion.
But the missionaries here in China, who are allowed to gad about
the country with a comitatus of what I have called the outcasts of
Chinese society, their converts, have no law immediately before
their eyes, because the Consuls are far away and the Chinese
have no jurisdiction over them. They have no fear of public
opinion, because they are in touch, with a few exceptions, only
with the Chinese outcasts, their converts. I submit, therefore,
before the people are condemned even in these riots that it should
be shown that the missionaries, without the two restraints, which
I have said are necessary for ordinary men, are capable of doing
no wrong; that they, with their natural partiality for their Chinese
outcasts, their converts, and their high notions of their own
saintliness, are incapable of insolence and aggressiveness, of high
handed meddlesomeness and petty tyrannies to the Chinese
among whom they live. If any one should doubt whether the
missionaries as a body are capable of these things, let him read
and note the tone and spirit of the public utterances of these men
in the newspapers, not only on questions where Chinese are
concerned, but on social questions concerning foreigners only,
whenever the particular facts and other selfish interests of the
missionary bodies happen to be concerned. I say, therefore,
before the Chinese people are morally condemned in the Court
of foreign public opinion, let it be shown that these riots are not
the explosions of popular indignation at the accumulated amount
of petty insults and injuries, to which the stories about the babies
and their eyes are but as matches to set the already heated mass
ablaze. (See Foochow Wu-shi-shan riot case, 1879.)
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
III
This, then, I say, is the real burning grievance of the masses
of the Chinese people against the presence of the missionaries in
China; the fact that this class of what I have called the unemployed
professional persons from Europe and America with a comitatus
of the Chinese outcasts, their converts, should be let loose upon
the country with no other restraint to keep them from insulting
and injuring except their mere profession of godliness. This, let
me here emphasise, is the root of the hatred of foreigners among
the masses of the Chinese people, whereas that which I have
shown under II. is the root among the educated classes. The
missionaries are thus responsible for these, the only two deep
causes of the hatred of foreigners among the Chinese. .
But all the miseries which the Christian missions have brought
upon China may be summed up in that one ugly diabolic fact :
the Taiping rebellion, which I have already called the Rebellion
of the Chinese Outcasts of the Christian Missions in China. It
was this rebellion which changed the face of what we once fondly
and proudly called our Flowery Land as from the face of a smiling
maiden into that of an old haggard woman.
I will only here spend a few words to show that the presence.
of the missionary in China is also a danger and an injury to
foreign interests. I need here only ask every intelligent foreigner
to consider what an old experienced foreign Consul once said to
me: that what permanently injures the Chinese must in the end also
injure the foreigners. Therefore if there is any truth in what I
have shown, that the missionaries, instead of doing good, do real
harm to the Chinese, it follows necessarily that the presence of the
missionaries is also an injury to foreigners. But I have said that
the missionaries are also really responsible for the Chinese hatred
of foreigners. Now surely the hatred of the Chinese cannot
possibly do the foreigners any good. At this critical state of
China, I maintain that this hatred is threatening to do a great deal
of harm to the large commercial and other interests which foreigners
have now in China. All silly and sentimental hatreds ought, of
course, to be put down. But the hatred that is just in the core of
it, I am convinced, no amount of shells and grape shot can put
down. Those who will try to do it will only demoralise and in the
end injure themselves. The missionaries are now clamorous for
gunboats, and would lead the foreign public to believe that the
officials are merely selfish in asking foreigners not to make a display
II2
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS..
of gunboats in these missionary riots. But those who know the
temper of the people ought, I think, to tell the foreign public that
the first shot from a foreign gunboat fired in a missionary cause
will be the signal of a war not against the Government—as our
foreign wars have hitherto been-but a war against the Chinese
people. The missionaries have been loud in their denunciation
of the "opium war;" but what will they say to a “missionary war,”
of which we are now on the eve unless there is enough of common
sense, if not the sense of justice among disinterested foreigners, to
prevent it. I appeal therefore to this common sense, this sense of
justice among foreigners, to say whether the time is not come when
the Foreign Governments should be asked in the interests alike of
Chinese and Foreigners to undertake, if not the entire withdrawal,
at least some modification of the missionary enterprise in China
which I have shown at present to be a mere worthless scheme of
charity for unemployed professional persons from Europe and
America.
I have now spoken what I have long years meditated and
hesitated, from personal and other deeper considerations, to speak.
· But now I have spoken. So hilf mir Gott: ich kan nicht anders.
A CHINESE.
20th July, 1891.
· P.S.—What I have written above applies equally to Protestant
and to Catholic missions in China. But I should be wanting in
justice and to the cause of truth if I do not append this morceau
from the Journal d'un interprête en Chine by Mons. le Comte
d'Hérisson. The ardently patriotic Count, I may say here, was the
interpreter and confidential secretary of the French General who led
the French forces together with the English in their march upon
Peking. The Count says :-
"Je manquerais à la fois à la justice et à la vérité si je ne
rappelais pas ici quel puissant concours nous trouvâmes en Chine
dans le personnel des missions catholiques. Tous les renseigne-
ments qui parvenaient au général et l'événement démontra leur
précision—tant sur les ressources des provinces que nous allions
avoir à traverser, que sur les effectifs des troupes que nous allions
rencontrer devant nous, lui étaient procurés par l'intermédiaire des
jésuites, qui les faisaient relever par des Chinois à leur dévotion. ·
Les rapports confidentiels exigeaient, non seulement une profonde
connaissance des hommes et des choses, mais encore ils indiquaient
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
113
-
chez leurs auteurs un véritable courage car ils pouvaient les exposer
à des représailles terribles de la part des Chinois quand nous aurions
quitté le pays. Les jésuites ont, à cette époque, fait preuve d'un
patriotisme ardent et du plus admirable dévouement."
"Now I appeal to every foreigner, be he Frenchman, English
or German, to say whether against a body of men who are capable
of this patriotisme ardent the Chinese people are not morally right
in hurling, as they are now doing with what power they have, their
“Ecrasez l'infâme?" :
II.
SIR-I am much mistaken if the fine Roman hand" of
the letter over the signature "A Chinese” in a recent issue does
not indicate a foreign origin for that letter. There is no
misapprehending the exegesis which identifies the beating of
gongs—as a preventative of eclipses of the sun and moon—and the
standing still of the sun on the dial of Ahaz as equally inconsistent
with cosmic realities; and there is a specially racy flavour about
the idea, which would never occur to a “Chinese,” that the literati
can see through the implied fog his lucid way through the fallacies
of Christianity. There may be some truth in the assertion that to
the native observer the absence of Christian faith in foreign officials
is an argument against the truth of the foreign religion. We have
no means of judging of the faith of individuals in the Chinese
service : no doubt, there is a good deal of “laicisation" in ruling
circles, and it is also certain that the "returns" of the missions of
the various sects do not impress us, either in numbers or importance,
as considerable in proportion to the pecuniary outlay. As to the
imputed dishonesty and immorality of the converts of these sects
I can have of course no knowledge. But you will perhaps allow
me as a Catholic to question the veracity of the imputation so far
as it relates—if at all, which is not clear,-to Catholics; and afford
me a limited space that I may shortly refer to some of the results
of our Missions, the more especially as under existing literary and,
theological conditions, these results seem to drop out of their proper
places in popular records. The zeal, charity, patience, humility,
mortification and invincible courage of the men and women who
without the resources of subsidised millions and regardless of the
attractions of comfortable homesteads and appurtenances, planted
н
:
114
. THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
the standard of the cross so as to make it at least visible and distinct,
in forın to all the people, and which converted so large a number,
including some of the most distinguished Chinese, to the Universal
Church deserve surely some notice.
The imputation that only the vulgar and ignorant are found to
attach themselves to the new teaching is only as true as the like
assertions as to early Christianity. As members of the House of
Nero,—addressed by St. Paul,—Glabrio who had been Trajan's
colleague in the magistracy, the senator Appolonius, and many
other in the first century; in the second such learned Christians
as Quadratus, Aristides, Justin Martyr, Melito, Athenagoras,
Pantaeneus; in the third, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen,
Heraclias, Dionysius, Minutius Felix, &c., were adherents of the
faith--many even to the death—so in the history of Chinese
Christianity we find innumerable instances of adhesion of the best
and highest of the people.
Upon the death of the Emperor Chun Chi, who had tolerated
Christianity, it is recorded “the four Regents” put to death
amongst others five Christian mandarins for their adherence to
the faith, and that, on the young Emperor, Kang Hi, coming of
age, and putting a stop to the persecution, and allowing the Jesuit
Verbiest to open a school and Christian churches in the year 1671,
in the same year about 20,000 persons were baptised, and in the
· year following an uncle of the emperor was converted together
with a general of the Tartar troops, and several other persons of
distinction. Certain of the succeeding emperors were no less
favourable to the Christians, who were permitted to build a
sumptuous church within the enclosure of the palace. This was
not done without the concurrence of the most distinguished men
in rank and intelligence of the whole people. This was the church.
built in 1702, and recently replaced by one of at least equal
magnificence. The Dominicans moveover converted to the faith
a great part of the Province of Fukien, where the converts erected
200 churches, before the persecution commenced in which, among
others, five priests were amongst the first victims cruelly martyred.
Although the Emperor Kang Hi protected Christians, his successor,
Yung Ching, banished the missionaries out of the chief cities,
keeping only those "religious" in his palace who were employed
by him'in painting, mathematics and other liberal arts, and who
continued mandarins of the court. Kien Lung, the next emperor,
.
:
.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES. .
115
carried the persecution to the greatest, rigours of cruelty in Fukien.
A great number of Christians of all ages and sexes were banished,
beaten, and tortured in divers ways, the details of which are too
horrible to mention-"all which torments,” says a historian, “even
the young converts bore with incredible. constancy rather than
discover where a priest lay hidden, or a sacred book was to be laid
hands on, or do any thing contrary to the law of God.”
· These are but a few instances of the sincerity and devotion
of Christian converts; but the remembrance of them only stimulates
the rancour of the Voltairian “Chinese” who quotes as against
the Catholic missions the celebrated phrase applied in France to
Christianity and its Founder, Ecrasez l'infame ! !
I am, etc.,
A CATHOLIC.
Shanghai, 22nd July.'
III.
1.
Sir,—"A Chinese” has brought a severe arraignment against
the modern missionaries in China. He adopts as the motto of his
paper the saying of “The Master i
In the first place, he mistranslates . It never means
“Religion,” though its definition is wide : the best commentators
render it by “Path of duty.” Surely, too, he must remember that
“The Master did not talk about extraordinary things, strength,
disorders and spiritual beings," and he did not know about death.
Moreover, a motto when adopted as the heading of an essay,
ought to express generally accepted truths, but whether we render
by Path of duty” or by “Religion,” and whether by
religion we mean Christianity or Paganism, one need not think
, long to learn that it is only one of the two propositions of the
saying which is true to all and not its converse.
. Then again, there is no idea common to the motto and
the subject matter. On the contrary, from his translating i
by “Religion” they are inconsistent; for if "Man enlarges the
religion," then 'surely religion is an important factor in human
institutions, whereas he would have to ignore all religions except
as a moral system.
The motto being thus wrongly translated, blindly accepted, and
-misapplied, I am not surprised that there should be exaggerations,
misstatements and non-sequiturs. Stump declamation and verbiage
H
2
116
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
apart, his indictments may be distributed under four heads : that
Christianity is an insult to China whose "light, culture, and literary
refinement” are beyond approach, that foreign missionaries are
dishonest, dishonourable, and self-seeking, that their method of
evangelisation is despicable, and that they are responsible for the
hatred towards foreigners, anong educated men and the masses.
Leaving the first to works on comparative religion, and the second
to the foreign missionaries—merely saying that every Chinaman
who knows anything of them, must, acknowledge that there are
among them men of intellect, education, social position, wealth
and self-denial—I - venture some remarks on the method of
evangelisation and the accusation that missionaries are responsible
for hatred towards foreigners generally.
1.—The method.
. (1)—"A Chinese” charges the Church with being able to
receive only the poor and the ignorant. This is true only in part,
for as in the Apostolic days in Thessalonica and Berea, so now in
China ; while some converts are poor and ignorant, many are of the
middle class, and honourable men and women are not a few. In
Shanghai, which by the way cannot be taken as a fair representative
city as regards education, there are four siutsais out of a Protestant
: membership of five hundred. Down through the centuries, the
early Church was not among the rich and the learned, whether in
India, Asia-Minor and the rest of the Roman Empire, and if the
Church were withdrawn on that account Europe would not be
Christian as now. This is exactly what may be expected here as
elsewhere, for the rich, the learned and the famed have everything
to lose in any change of religion, government or society. It is.
only when the masses have changed, that the higher classes are
carried along. Water flows downwards, but reforms flow upwards.
At present, the higher classes do indeed condemn and reject
Christianity, but they do it out of court, which proves that their
spirit is illiberal, more than that. Christianity. is unbelievable. As
a proof, in China no attack on Christianity has ever been made
on philosophical and doctrinal grounds, as in the West. The
“Death-blow to Christianity” and obscene placards have been the
style of literature from the cultured and refined literati. If they
had. examined it with a calm and impartial spirit, even if they do
not accept it, they would have found much in it which is ennobling
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
Tij
and purifying. One of the missionaries in Canton- gave a prize
for essays on certain Christian texts which required research into
the Bible and the evidences, and the scholar who received it gave a
very favourable opinion of. Christianity, and he was a Confucianist.
. Moreover, my countrymen are very conservative. Reforms
even in Government, education, and material blessings are slow:
As an illustration, I take education. About twenty years ago,
when our Government called for lads to the Government colleges
and afterwards again to join the Educational Mission, it was
mostly the poor families that gave their sons, and that too for a
compensation ; and it is only lately that the next higher classes
have seen the value of Western education. Christianity aims to
bring about a new order as regards spiritual matters, and must
necessarily be slower in progress. For myself, I do not expect
any sudden evangelisation, but it is not to be abandoned on that
account. The present is the time of turning up the sod; the
sowing and the harvesting will surely come in time as they have in
.*. the West. The poor and the ignorant and the middle class will
for the present form the majority of converts ; but as with Western
: ; education, the upper classes will, in time, be carried along. I
repeat, however, the Church of to-day does not embrace only the
poor and the ignorant: the middle class forms the majority, and
scholars not a few. That there are no more siutsai among the adult
converts has been accounted for ; that there are not more among
the children of converts is, because as no Christian can consistently
advance to higher degrees, they have given up all ambition in the
literary career altogether. .
Has “A Chinese” heard of self-supporting churches and day
schools? Has he come across Christian tracts published by the
various Societies? A great number of them are written by these
illiterate converts or with their assistance. Has he seen the
religious periodicals published in Foochow and Shanghai? They
contain articles by Christians. Do these literary productions show : :
that the writers are ignorant? If he has not done all these, then
he has done a gross injustice to this class, who are as much his
countrymen as the self-styled educated set he moves in. Has he
read an answer written by the Rev. Dr. Baldwin to a similar
accusation and published in the Missionary Recorder of 1889?
tis
THE ANTİ-FOREİGN RIOTS.
**
.
If he makes his charges without having done so, he has put himself
in the same category with the authors of the placards, and he
deserves rebuke more than notice from an impartial public.
"A Chinese" may be thankful that the Church has reached
the poor and the ignorant, for many of the most prominent and
progressive men of to-day were once boys in Morrison's School and
St. Paul's College, the American P. E. Schools and others. Most
of the young men, too, in the Telegraph service, Customs service,
the Nanking Military college received their education in Church
institutions, some of whom are the sons and grandsons of the men..
above mentioned. I strongly believe that the early education of
"A Chinese” himself was likewise so derived. But for the Church,
liberal education would never have received the impetus in China
which it has; but for the Church, even those who have been
educated at their own cost, would never have the ambition, courage
and means as the case may be, to take a yet further advanced
· course. If she has so far reached mostly the lower classes, she
has, through these exerted a wonderful influence intellectually over
- the higher, and it will likewise be the case as regards religion.
If it be said that these men, now prominent in liberal China,
were benefited by the Church intellectually, but not at all religiously,
has she not done a great thing even if this were all? But surely,
no one could take a course of even elementary liberal studies
without acquiring new ideas respecting idolatry. As to these poor
and ignorant Christians who have not become better or more useful
than their non-Christian countrymen, they have at least become
better and more useful than they otherwise would have been.
(2)—"A Chinese” mentions the vicious and the outcasts as ·
being among the "so-called converted.” Now, the Church did not
in the first place receive them, nor afterwards retain them as such,
but as willing to lead better lives. A patriot ought to rejoice that
something is being done for the vicious and the outcasts, as well as
for the poor and ignorant, by the Samaritans of the Church who
have been neglected by the Chief Priest and Levite of the literati.
If there be any, however, who call themselves Christians and remain
reprobates, who is responsible? This is, in truth, a serious charge,
and it is just to the public, Christian or non-Christian, that their
names and crimes be made known. I consider this indefinite
. indictment criminal and unworthy of one who plumes himself on
“light, culture, and literary refinement.”
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
119.
in the
malieved t
The history of the Taiping rebellion, called by “A Chinese"
History of the Rebellion of Christian outcasts, is lugged in, but:
there is a great misunderstanding; Hung Siu-tsuen ( 2)
was a literary iman and not an outcast, and it was in attending an
examination in Canton that he received a Christian tract. The
rebellion began in Kuangsi, and it was the result of the extortions
of the yamên runners. He was a dreamer of dreams and wherever
he met, the character in the Bible, he applied it to himself.
“Ek was “my land," " was “my power," etc.,
and he favoured the Bible, because he believed that the Bible
anticipated and approved of his conduct. The whole story is
graphically told by the Rev. Mr. Hanbury of Hongkong, who
knew Hung Siu-tsuen personally. : From the beginning, they were
called by the Government "Haired rebels,” and not "Religious
rebels," and this is the first time that the Church has been held
responsible. The immediate cause of this rebellion, as the older
generation knows, was the extortion of the land rent gatherers, and
the auxiliary one, the great body of Kuangsi men thrown out of
carrying work by the opening of Shanghai, which diverted silk and
tea from Canton.
I had written thus far when I received a letter from a
prominent English missionary stating that "A Chinese” is erratic
in his views and opinions generally. I conclude that to write
further would be a waste of time. I wanted under the head of
method, thirdly, to ask why he has not used his talent, energy and
eloquence to establish some secular hospitals and orphanages ?
Under II, Hatred towards foreigners, I wanted to say,
Credibility of Miracles aside, firstly, that it is absurd to think that
books containing narratives of miracles are obnoxious to the
educated class. To say nothing else, has he not read of the
Viceroys' and the Governors' memorials petitioning for tablets to
the Dragon God, Kuanti and Kuanyin ; and does he not remember
that when the French were sinking the Chinese vessels, Viceroy Ho
was beating the fishdrum and chanting his prayers. To say that
this is the root of the hatred towards foreigners is to talk like one
who has no knowledge whatever of the Chinese mind. Hatred
there is, but the cause is not here; nor are the missionaries alone
responsible for hatred toward foreigners generally. If the truth
must be told, merchants have involved the missionaries more than
TOT
I ŻÓ
.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RİOTS.
vice versa. I cannot help thinking that “A Chinese" writing this:
is not because he loves the merchants the more, but Christianity
the less. I wanted, secondly, to say that his charges of "insolence
and aggressiveness, of high-handed meddlesomeness aud petty.
tyrannies," as being the cause of hatred among the masses, are
unsupported by evidence. I call upon him to give instances and
details. I am sure the Foreign Missionary body themselves would
be thankful. But under the circumstances I decide to say no
!
nore.
I am, etc.,
Y. K. YEN.
Shanghai, 27th July.
IV.,
Sir,--Soon after the riot in Wuhu, I'asked our Mission's
Chinese deacon there for details, and his answer, which was mostly
extracts from his journal, was in substance as follows :-: .
From beginning to end in the order of time the riot was
owing, (1) to the arrival of kidnappers—several boys being lost; .
(2) to the two Roman Catholic Sisters laying their hand on the ..
diseased head of a boy, the boy getting frightened and hallooing,
and the mother and the neighbours believing that they were some
of the kidnappers; (3) to the lack of judgment on the part of the
mandarins; (4) to the Roman Catholics not having a competent
Chinaman to explain matters ; (5) to the chance presence of three
Ko-lao Hui men who took advantage of the excitement to spur the
people on, leading them into the mission gate : then it was that.
burning, destroying and looting began. As to the Ko-lao Hui
- people, their idea was to' stir up a quarrel between China and
foreign countries that they might have an opportunity to enter the
soldiery and make a living.
Later on, I received also a letter from the interpreter of the
Foreign Office in Nanking. He said, “As to their (Ko-lao Hui
people's) object, opinions differ ; it is generally believed that they
want the Government to engage in a foreign war, that they may
commit depredations upon the people. Mobbing the foreigners
they thought the quickest and most efficient means to make the
Foreign Powers make trouble for China, thereby carrying out their
design, not knowing that the Foreign Governments would take
upon themselves the protection of their people."
THE RIOTS: THEİR CAÜSËS.'
1 2 )
Yesterday, a Chinese friend wrote me from Foochow: "I
have learned from good authority that this recent general outbreak
grew out of the discharge of soldiers in the various provinces by
order of the Peking Government, on account of the deficit in the
Imperial Treasury. It is true, as you have stated, that 'the soldiers
struck out of the lists were getting up rows in order to get into the
soldiery. They were smart enough to think that by getting China
into collision with foreign nations, their services might again be
required. I should say, therefore, that their present movements
were not exactly anti-Christian. They had not for their object the
extirpation of Christianity but simply used Christianity as a tool for
effecting their infernal purposes. I was once talking with a person
who was either a member of the Ko-lao Hui or its sympathiser, and
his statements regarding this subject went very much to confirm
the, above."
I lay these facts before the public, believing that they give a
clue to the right theory, viz., soldiers suddenly and in great numbers
discharged and having nothing to live on. We may expect trouble
- yet, either without or within, until the authorities go to the root of
the matter, i.e., give half-pay, reducing it gradually.
I am, etc.,
. :--Y. K. YEN...
Shanghai, ist September.
V.
.
.
SIR, In the issue of the North-China Daily News for 21st
· July "A Chinese," evidently a man of European culture, has given to
the world an impeachment of the Mission crusade in China. We
should have preferred to believe that we were dealing with honest
opinions, but are bound to recognise that your correspondent has
written as an advocate pleading before a jury. It may be cruel to
apply to his advocacy the cold investigation of a Judge in Chambers,
yet, if it be worth doing at all—which under the circumstances is
rather doubtful—that investigation alone will avail. The motto
“It is men that make a religion great, and not religion that can
make men great,” leaving aside the question how far this is a
correct translation of the words of Confucius, is of course essentially
anti-Christian, and reveals at once the hopeless difference of i.
standpoint of the talented writer and a Christian apologist. It is
i 22.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
but fair to point out that this motto with its cunningly laid
development to catch the sympathies of agnostic foreigners bids us,
adopting our Latinity to nineteenth-century needs, read as title
instead of “Defensio Populi ad Populos” “Apologia Agnostici ad
Agnosticos." No one can complain that an educated. Chinese
who disbelieves in Christianity as divine should object to see
missionaries in China ; on that ground he and á Christian can
never agree, but can respect each other's devotion to creed and
ethic. Recognising this initial difference, it may be unwise to
answer ; but certain statements adduced expressly challenge reply,
and on the question of fact, let agnostic Gallio, to whom appeal
has been made, remain on the judgment seat and hear,
The impeachment astutely includes Protestant and Romanist
at once and thus increases the difficulty of counsel for the defence.
With all feelings of respect for Roman Catholicism, we must plead
ignorance as the excuse for limiting what we have to say to that
which we know and have seen, Protestant Christianity at work in
China.
In the first count the advocate is very bold. Not content with
asserting that Christianity as preached has not made men in China
better, the gage is thrown out, “I appeal to every foreigner who is
acquainted with the minds of the best and most educated Chinese
to say whether such can be converted.” It is of course useless here,
for us to beg the question by the experimental fact which is the.
Christian's truest encouragement in the midst of discouragement,
that Christianity has proved its divine origin by changing,
“converting,” already his own and myriads of other lives. But it is
equally useless for our opponent to beg the question by the
contrary assumption of what can not be. We will simply appeal to
history. Though Tacitus or Pliny might have asked a similar
question in the days of the Roman Empire, and though a
scornful world would have overwhelmed the bare suggestion in
inextinguishable jeering laughter, yet the creed of Christ did
conquer Rome, educated classes and all, and has moulded the
Western world that came after Rome. The challenge continues.
"Is it not an open secret that it is only the worst, the weak, the
ignorant, the needy, and the vicious among the Chinese who have
been or could be what the missionaries call converted ?” So said
the early pagan observers of that strange Nazarene superstition-
ab extra-even the good and wise among them, in their ignorance,
THE RIOTS: THEİR CAUSËS.
i 23
But the catacombs have revealed their secrets and answered the .
question after a millennium with their rudely sculptured stories of
undying hope and purity amidst slaves and outcasts. And so it
will be in China ; the could be needs no answer, for it begs the
qu'estion ; the analogy of history suggests the contrary. It has
been the glory of Christianity, from the days of its Founder
downwards, that it does receive and raise " the weak, the ignorant,
the needy," ay! and even "the vicious” whom Confucianism, the
system of the cultured oligarchy, leaves úninstructed and unhelped.
The Christian Church in China is by no means so exclusively
bound within these limits as is generally supposed, but waiving
that point, that the vicious remain vicious, the testimony in
disproof of many hundreds of experts may be advanced against our
dilettante advocate. Of course neither he nor the agnostic outside
world will believe us. But then we unhesitatingly affirm neither he
nor the agnostic world has ever taken the trouble to find out; it is
to him à priori impossible that Christianity can transform the
sinner, therefore it does not transform. Many of us, Chinese
and foreign, know. None denies the presence of unworthy and
insincere members, as in Christian lands, but the proportion is at
least as low as in England. Thousands of consistent lives and
hundreds of triumphant deaths are faćts too strong even for the ipse
dixit of an educated Chinaman...
In the second count our advocate grows rather confused and
inconsistent. After asserting that the evangelistic aim of the
missionary has “turned out a miserable failure," he represents
“the educated Chinese seeing all which they hold as the highest
and most sacred as belonging to them as a race, their light, their
culture, their literary refinement in danger of being irreparably
defaced and destroyed.” The two statements appear somewhat
inconsistent, but the advocate knows that the jury is apt to forget
by lapse of time and tongue. The gist of the second count of
the indictment is apparently that science and Christianity are
incompatible, and that the missionaries' talk of teaching science is
“either a palpable imposture or a delusion.” To which the answer
is—if Christianity be false, yes !—but once more this is to beg the
question. Does the advocate know that the Royal Society of
England is the first scientific society of the world, and that its
President, Sir G. Stokes, believes and reverences the Bible and its
teaching? The many eminent men of science who still find ng
I ŹÀ
ÜHE ANTİ-FOREIGN RÌOTS.
incompatibility are sufficient guarantee that the question cannot be
settled off-hand by a reference to Joshua and the Vale of Ajalon.
It is not fair to expect a Confucianist, even though such a master
of the English tongue, to be familiar with the Revised Version of
the Scriptures ; were he so, he would not have been so eager to rest
his case on the single passage which he quotes. But the point is.
that if miracles do not prevent men like Stokes and Clark Maxwell
and a host of others from reverent faith in the Bible as inspired by
God, not even the scepticism, supposed or real, of the "technical
staffs of the Viceroys” and of “the better class of foreign residents”
can justify the closing of the case with a verdict against the sanity
or honesty of the Christian scientist.
“The mass of impenetrable darkness that goes under the name
of missionary publication ”-is another specimen of county-court
rhetoric. It is true that books written by missionaries in good style
for scholars are few; several of them are much appreciated by many
a good graduate who has never entered the Christian Church-
perhaps such an one appreciates “impenetrable darkness !” The
mass of missionary publications are in the language understanded
of the common people. There is much room for improvement, but
the great bulk are admirably clear and thoroughly idiomatic. The
scholar of course despises ; so did the Latin scholars in the early
days of Italian poetry, so did the scholars in the days of Wiclif ;
but while we should be very sorry to see Chinese Wên-li neglected,
it is a function of Christianity to give new dignity to the spoken
language as a literary medium. It is highly probable that the
Chinese advocate himself, who has obviously spent many years in .
acquiring Western education, has therefore been obliged to neglect.
the minute technical study of his native tongue, and probably, if
the truth were known, his countrymen despise him as uneducated,
or even hate him as a Westerniser. He has to share with the
missionary the hatred of ignorance. Science is truth; if the
Chinese hates the missionary for teaching science it is not because
of any perception of inconsistency between revelation and science,
but because he knows that by the introduction of other wares the
price of his own monopoly will be lowered ; because he sees new
ladders being raised to the fortress of office, whither he alone
hitherto has had access. He "saith the old is better," therefore
he hateth the new,
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES... 125.
In the third count the advocate lowers his tone. Tricks of
rhetoric may be excused, but playing to the gallery demeans. The
perpetual harping on the string "a huge charity scheme for the relief
of unemployed professional persons from England and America"
is vulgar, and both the advocate and the public know it is untrue.
A police superintendent at an outport receives far more than the
oldest and best missionary in China. Most clerks in banks out here
start as boys with incomes larger than those of most ordinary
married missionaries, who as a class at home can scarcely be said
to be likely to make less out than bank clerks. None can urge that
money can be the temptation to bring missionaries to China. We
say nothing of the large number of men and women who gladly
support themselves—and say no more, for vulgarity always fóils
itself.
.: “Charity is not a secular work;" it is the direct outcome of
Christianity. Compare the charities of Christian England with
the very best that Confucian or Buddhist China has produced,
and ask where is the spring of the difference. Our Chinese friend
cannot be serious in pitting the indemnities paid for ruffianism and
plunder against the advantages to the great mass of law-abiding
people in missionary hospitals. Surely the knowledge of the
languages of Europe cannot have been attained without a keen
longing for the presence of a Western doctor next time he is in
danger of his life and at the mercy of a native practitioner. But
it is impossible seriously to argue the point
It is insinuated that the missionaries are guilty of an
“accumulated amount of petty insults and injuries” to the
Chinese among whom they live. Our Chinese friend has probably
never walked with a missionary through a native street and heard
his wife befouled with vile epithets, and with himself stoned and
cursed. Were he to take the trouble to verify his facts he would
not insinuate the exact opposite of the truth.
And now we must disburden our soul of a great indignation
at the inflammatory conclusion of the advocate's defence. How
does an honest man dare to introduce reckless assertion of the
missionaries “heaping insults and crying vengeance on the
Government? How does he dare to suggest a “missionary war?"
Has there been anything but a calm strong demand for justice;
has not the very mention of vengeance been deprecated? Has he
never heard of the wide promulgation of publications more
126
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
blasphemous, foul, and inflammatory than dare appear in any
Christian land, and this after the high authorities of China have
been notified of the fact? Has justice been done? The one
really serious case is that at Wusueh where, alone life was taken
and violence done to persons. Is the Chinese who writes desirous
to save his Government from the burden of doing the minimum of
justice by this wild and malicious attempt to throw the blame on
the injured ? Does he write with the idea that his defence will be
translated into the native newspapers and be a new incentive to
the rascaldom which the mandarins find it so difficult to control?
Has he no sense of patriotism, no knowledge that a nation that
doeth righteousness shall be exalted, no idea that he who tries to
make the way of doing right difficult hurts his country? Proh
pudor! Proh mores! All Protestant congregations in China that
use a liturgy, and indeed most of those who do not, pray for the
Emperor and the mandarins every Sunday. Well if “A Chinese"
has influenced the common people to similar loyalty. .
. It is a great pity that the latter half of the advocate's plea so
mars the effect of the whole. One can respect a Confucianist who
from the high ground of religious difference opposes Christianity,'
but his words should be honest,' his facts correct, he should be
above abuse and innuendo. And finally when he wishes his
peroration to express the lofty patriotism which may really have
animated him, notwithstanding the faults to which we have
objected, is it not a flash of revelation to him that he finds no more
fitting vehicle than the words of Luther which were the first
freedom-cry of the religion he is seeking to decry? Can that
Protestantism be so utterly devoid of power over life and heart
which was born amidst such bitter travail, storm, and stress, and
which has changed the life of a continent ?
Christ came to bring a sword on earth. No nation can be
born to a higher life without some battle with the power of evil.
It is a battle with evil, not with England, the sword against its
own sins, not against its neighbours. But woe to the nation which
prefers and woe to the man who leads the nation to prefer the lower
life to that biting, healing sword.
I am, &c.,
W. T. A. Barber. .
Wuchang, 26th July.
THE RIO:S: THEIR CAUSES.
127
L.
?
"
HI
: :.. .
:
VI. .
.. .
.
: Sir,—The article entitled “Defensio populi ad populus" is a ..
noteworthy one, and merits the careful consideration of all who
wish to understand the causes of the present anti-foreign troubles
in China. It shows most unmistakably the spirit in which the
missionary foreigner, and, indeed, broadly speaking, all foreigners,
are, regarded by the class which its writer represents,—the official
and literary class. That is a spirit of intense hatred, not a hatred
which as you remark is “founded on reasoning," although it might
be truthfully enough said that the reasoning is founded on the
hatred.
. There are some, no doubt, who have regarded the publication
of that article as a matter of regret. I am not one of these. I think
it might be fairly said of it, as was said twenty-one years ago
by the English translators of that infamous book Death-blow to
Corrupt Doctrines in their preface to it:-"In the present juncture
of affairs in China we regard it as of too much importance to be
withheld from the foreign public, believing as we do that it is a
remarkably truthful representation of the animus of the ruling and
literary classes of China towards foreigners:”. That they do cherish
such an animus is a matter which may surprise some folks, but not
the missionary. We have been made painfully aware if or by far
· too many bitter experiences. That they occasionally give reasons
in print for their. antipathy we also know, and most of us possess a
few anti-missionary manifestoes, which we have picked up from
time to time, similar to that of "A Chinese,” only they are in the
native language. I have been turning over a collection of some
thirty of these, all of them different, and most of them new. They
are the engines by which the late anti-missionary riots have been
run. A full account of them I trust will be given later on by an
abler pen than mine. There are a great many points of similarity
between them and the effort of "A Chinese," and also some of
contrast. It is to these I wish to allude. As to similarity : like
his they are the work of the educated “enlightened”. Chinese.
Some bear the names of high officials, some those of individual
scholars, some purport to be sent out by the gentry and scholars,
others by trade guilds, while many are anonymous. All alike,
however, are the work of the literati. The spirit in which they
are witten is exactly the same as that manifested by "A Chinese;"
and their object is also exactly the same, namely, to cast odium on
128
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
or stir up a feeling against the missionary. They agree with him
in extolling “the national faith and culture," and the high character
of the natives who have not been contaminated by foreign teachings.
They are also agreed as to the utterly worthless and degraded
character of mission converts. They are only "the worst, the
weak, the ignorant, the need and the vicious among the Chinese,".
says "A Chinese," while in the Chinese before me they are more
pithily called "a gang of 'forget eights,' whore-mongers, 'barestičks,'
fools, doggish and swinish men.”
Among the points of contrast are the totally differ ent kinds of
arguments used for the totally different classes of readers. · Were ji
the arguments of "A Chinese” turned into the native language
their effect upon his countrymen would be absolutely nil. On the
other hand, if the arguments addressed to the native were turned
into plain English, in all their original grossness, could a translator
be found to dare the task, a printer to print, or a public to read
them, they would cause a thrill of horror, and produce such a
feeling of detestation for the "enlightened-Chinese” as would last
most “disinterested foreigners" a lifetime. But the writers have
been quite competent to take the measure of their audiences.
They show remarkable skill in putting forward just exactly the kind
of reasoning which will go down best, and prove most effective
with each. In these documents the natives are told that the
missionaries are the agents of foreign powers, and supplied by
them with inexhaustible funds for the purpose of creating confusion
in the Middle Kingdom, in order that these foreign powers may be
able to get possession of it. They bewitch people by charms, and
then abuse them in unspeakable ways. They do the same by
means of medicines. They practise nameless mutilations, on both
the living and the dead-digging out eyes, and scooping out brains
· is a mere trifle. Their doctrines are filthy beyond the power of the
native imagination to conceive (although it is pretly strong in this
direction), or the native language to describe (well supplied though
it be with a terminology of beastliness). As to the morals of
missionaries they are worse than their doctrines. These things,
· and such like, are reiterated in pamphlet and placard, in poetry and
in prose, in homely colloquial and in the most polished classical -
style. The printer has been called on to add to their attractiveness
by the use of coloured inks, and the artist to adorn them with
. appropriate engravings. For instance we have two foreigners
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
129
:
represented bowing down in worship of a black boar with a green
head and red snout. We have one' printed in four colours
representing a pig called Jesus hanging on a cross round which
bodies of Chinese are grouped reverently worshipping ; while in
the foreground half a dozen foreigners with half a dozen native
females in their arms are shown in various attitudes of beastiality.
This is called preaching the doctrine. , But enough of this. Such
are the arguments which the friends of "A Chinese” address to
their fellow countrymen.
There is also a considerable contrast as to the methods they
advocate for the getting rid of the missionary. "A Chinese”
would have it done legally, and with the consent of Governments;
but his friends, notwithstanding the gravity of the charges they
bring against us, never give a hint as to lawful remedies. Their
idea is that the people should beat us to death, throw ús in the
rivers, smother us in filth, burn our houses and possessions, and by
every rough and ready way have an end put to us at once. It is
to stir up the ignorant people to this, and with no other object
whatever, that these infamous productions are penned, printed, and
widely distributed by the enlightened Chinese with a result which
is all too successful.
With regard to the åbove, I think I am justified in remarking
that in addressing one's own people, I do not need to enter on a
disproof of such charges. To mention them is to refute them,
also that in all probability, their authors knew better than to believe
them to be true themselves. They were aware, however, that it was.
just the sort of thing the ignorant people would swallow greedily,
and that it would produce the result they desired. Hence, I think
it is a fair statement to say their hatred is not founded on their
reasoning, but their reasoning on their hatred. Also that the
arguments of " A Chinese” while much more difficult to deal with
are all of a piece with those of his friends. They are equally far
from the truth, and form no better basis for his hostility than theirs
do; but are yet calculated to be as successful in misleading
ignorant—of this particular matter-foreigners as the others do the
ignorant natives. I intended to deal at length with the assertions
of " A Chinese," but dare not ask for the space. To deny them
point blank, and to assert the opposite, is what truth requires with
regard to most of them, and this can be done in few, as well as in
many words. I deny that Christianity does not "attract the best
130
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS...
i
men of the nation," meaning thereby, however, not "the most
learned,” the mandarins, and literati, but the farmers, artisans and
merchants. "A Chinese” no doubt means the former class when
he says." the best Chinese” cannot be converted; and although
I do not agree with him, I will not dispute the point. At all events
he has the authority of Confucius for it that “it is impossible to
plaster a wall of filth or carve on a rotten stick.” That the phrase
fits the class in question, let the readers of the Peking Gazette
judge. He insists that the converts are the worst of the people :
on the other hand that they—the converts of the Evangelical
Protestant Missions—if not all they ought to be, or might be, are
yet the best people that be in this land. He says the Protestant
missionaries' are conscious of their miserablé failure to make
Chinese morally better and nobler by evangelising. I insist that
they are fully persuaded of the opposite, as all their publications
show.
He holds that the missionaries' attempt to communicate
scientific truth has also been a failure. It would be easy to show
that, as to all the Chinese know of Western science, they are
indebted to the missionaries for the greater part of it. Till recently
they have been the only teachers, and have written ninety per cent.
of the books. He says Christian works are a mass of darkness,
and the root of the hatred of the foreigners amongst the Chinese.
I would say that this is most accurately true of the anti-missionary
publications of his friends, and that, in these too, may be best seen
what "their light, their culture, and their literary refinement"
really amount to. !
. He allows that the works of charity, hospitals, orphanages,
etc., do some good to the Chinese, but setting against them the
indemnities that have again and again to be paid to missionaries,
holds that they are dear at the price. I would say he can have
them cheaper if he likes. No such payments need ever be made,
if he can persuade his literary friends to leave off stirring up the
people. I believe there never was an anti-missionary outbreak yet,
which was not inspired and engineered by the literati. As to his
remarks about us personally I shall only say that, granting that we
are persons of no consequence, of no earthly use, no knowledge of
how to behave ourselves, not respected by our fellow countrymen,
objects of public charity, etc., etc., still we are not to be murdered -
with impunity. And the reason is that no Western Government can
..
ICU
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES... 131
.
look with indifference on its subjects, no matter how insignificant
or what their calling may be, becoming the victims of semi-official
mob violence. If such a Government could ever exist such a facto
would seal its doom. Thus it is not the missionary who at present
threatens China with shot and shell-no one could be more anxious
to prevent bloodshed than he. It is "A Chinese" himself and his
fellow writers of anti-missionary manifestoes. "They have only to
persevere, and whether it leads to a war against the Chinese
people or not,” the fatal first shot will be "fired. The sentence in
which he alludes to the atrocious Wusueh murders as "what even
the most hardened legal prosecutor in a court of justice could
prove to be nothing worse than excusable ignorance shows, not
only his spirit, but also how little he appreciates the gravity of the .
matter. :
I would not say that "A Chinese" represents the feelings of
the whole body of the governing classes, but he certainly does that
of the greater part. And after reading such a production, it is
easy to understand how a riot can be speedily got up against a
missionary without his being in the least to blame, how one can
never know if the authorities can be depended on for aid or not;
how Englishmen may be murdered in the streets and English
ladies thrust away from closed yamên doors into the arms of a
howling mob, where they might receive treatment compared with
which the jaws of a man-eating tiger would be tender mercy, and
all without the official thinking it was anything worth making a
trouble about until actually compelled.
I am, etc.,
A MISSIONARY.
Shanghai, 28th July. . .
VII.
SIR,-In your issue of the 21st July, an attempt is made by
"A Chinese” to account for the recent riots. The writer professes
to find the cause of these riots in the hatred of the foreigner among
the masses of the Chinese people, which hatred, he maintains, -
springs from a deep-rooted detestation of the missionary. This
detestation of the missionary is to be ascribed to three distinct
causes: (1) The despicableness of the missionary himself. (2)
The worthlessness of his teachings. (3) The vileness of his
:
1 2
132
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
converts. These are grave charges, and I am willing to admit,
that, if they could be substantiated, the suggestion that the
missionary enterprise in China should be withdrawn or modified
would be fair and reasonable. But can they be substantiated ? I
am prepared to show that these charges are not based upon facts,
and that this remarkable “Defensio” is the offspring of ignorance,
prejudice, and inordinate self-esteem. Let me premise that I am
a missionary of thirty-five years' standing, that I have travelled
extensively over eight of the eighteen provinces, that I have been the
first Protestant missionary to enter into and preach in some of the
largest cities in the Empire, that I have had much to do with the
establishing of mission stations at the ports and in the interior, and
that I have baptised in all about two thousand persons. I have
seen a great deal of the Chinese people, and am not altogether
ignorant of the ways of the officials and scholars of the land. I
ought to be able to speak with authority on the points raised by
the writer of “Defensio.” It would be interesting to know how
many years he has spent in China, what is his present employment,
how far he has mingled with the masses of the people, and how
far his theories in regard to them are based upon actual experience.
A man may be a Chinese.and yet know the next thing to nothing
about either his country or his people. Should he write again, it
is to be hoped that he will let us know who he is and what he is.
It would be an interesting exercise to take up “Defensio"
sentence by sentence, and point out its great weakness with regard
to both fact and logic. But my time and your space will not
admit of that. I can only call attention to a few of the most
important points. It may conduce to clearness if I put my
thoughts into the shape of questions and answers.
1.-Are the recent riots to be ascribed to the hatred of the
foreigner among the masses of the Chinese people? My answer
to this question is an emphatic no. If a hatred such as that
which "A Chinese” describes did actually exist, how would it have
been possible for foreigners to travel and live in the interior, as
they have been doing these twenty or thirty years? It does exist
in Hunan, and we can easily account for its existence there. But
it does not exist in the other provinces. Here and there, now
and again, we meet with opposition; but the root of the opposition
THE. RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
133
is to be found, not so much in the feelings of the people, as in the
anti-foreign policy and attitude of the governing and literary
classes. The people are usually peaceable and harmless, save
when moved to hostility by their superiors. They do not cherish
any particular affection for us; but they are not averse to friendly
intercourse with us. If left to themselves they would gladly enter
into any relation with us that promised to them certain obvious
benefits. They are, however, very much under the control of the
gentry and scholars, and become most cruel and revengeful when
once their suspicions are excited and their passions roused. The
anti-foreign placards are always issued by the scholars, with the
full cognisance of the magistrates, and simply fathered on the
people. These documents evince the intensest hatred of the
foreigner. The charges brought against him are simply monstrous,
and the language is often too vile for translation into any living
tongue. He is denounced as a perpetrator of the most unnatural
crimes-crimes that I never heard of till I came to China, and
which, so far as I know, do not exist except in China. This is the
'cause of the hatred of the foreigner among the masses of the
Chinese people so far as it exists. Almost every trouble that we
have had in these parts can be traced to this source.
: I look upon Hunan as the true source of the recent riots.
For years the walls of the cities of Hunan have been covered with
anti-foreign placárds. For some years the vilest pamphlets and
placards have been pouring into Hupeh and other provinces from
the province of Hunan. The foreigner is charged with unutterable
abominations, and Christianity is denounced as inculcating
impurities and atrocities of the foulest kind. Year by year this
horrible literature has been growing in magnitude and virulence;
and that which is now circulating, and has been circulating these
eighteen months, among the people of this valley, is the filthiest
and most inflammatory I have ever seen.. At the beginning of
last year the attention of the Hukuang Viceroy was called to the
existence of this source of danger; but nothing was done to put an
end to it. If the Viceroy had taken active measures last year to
suppress this poisonous literature, it is highly probable that none
of these riots would have taken place this year. In the recent riots
we have the result of a deliberate attempt to inoculate the people
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
of other provinces with the Hunan spirit; and the responsibility
rests, not with the missionary, not with the masses of the Chinese
people, but with the scholars and officials of the land.
II.—Does the hatred of the foreigner spring from a deep-
rooted detestation of the missionary? I leave the Roman Catholic
missionaries to defend themselves. Speaking on behalf of the !
Protestant missionary, my reply to this question also is an emphatic.
no. The masses of the people do not hate the missionary, and the
longer he lives among them the more friendly they become. I
have travelled extensively over this province-Hupeh--and I find
that the people, instead of becoming less friendly as the years roll
on, become more and more friendly every day. They are far more
friendly now than they were thirty years ago, and travelling among
them is far safer and more pleasant. If the scholars and gentry
would only let us alone, we should have no difficulty whatever with
the people. Such is my experience in this province, and such is
the experience of the Protestant missionaries generally in all the
provinces occupied by them.
. As to the hatred of the foreigners among the literary and
official classes, the case is different. Their hatred is not a thing of
yesterday. It existed long before the first Protestant missionary
set his foot on the soil of the Celestial land, and if I may judge
from this “Defensio,” it is likely to exist for ages to come. The
hatred of the foreigner, be he missionary or be he layman, among
the literary and official classes, is a deeply rooted and fondly
cherished sentiment. Our first war with China is generally
regarded, in its relation to the opium trade, as springing out of
this trade, and waged in order to obtain indemnity for the losses .
sustained by the surrender of the opium. But it may be regarded
in another light, namely, in its relation to the immoderate assump-
tions of the Peking Court, and the haughty, contemptuous, and
insulting bearing of the Chinese officials in their intercourse with
all foreigners from the beginning. The principle which guided
them in their intercourse with foreigners is given by Père Premare
in the following translation of one of the Chinese maxims:-"The
barbarians are like beasts, and not to be ruled on the same
principles as the Chinese. Were any one to attempt to control
them by the great laws of reason, it would lead to nothing but
confusion. The ancient kings understood this well, and therefore
ruled barbarians by misrule. Hence, to rule barbarians by misrule
1
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
135
wi
is the true and best way of ruling them.” It is quite clear that no
beneficial results could possibly accrue from arguing with a people.
who could think, speak, and act in this way. While their
extravagant pretensions remained unrepelled, all overtures on the
part of a Foreign Government would be rejected with disdain. No
great Power, however, could possibly submit long to such insults
and humiliations as England was called upon to submit to in the
persons of her representatives; and hence war, apart altogether
from the opium traffic, was inevitable sooner or later.
The old pride and hatred still reign in the hearts of the
officials and the so-called literati. There are exceptions among
them, but they are few and far between. If any one doubts it, let
him read the Hunan anti-foreign placards. Nay, let him read this
.“Defensio,” for it is one in spirit with those disgraceful productions.
The writer has not a word of condemnation for the recent riots,
for the rioters, or for the authors of this mischievous literature.
The hatred which finds its vent in the murder of foreigners, and
the burning of foreign houses, churches, and orphanages, he glories
in as "the hatred which is just in the core of it." The "Defensio"
is simply an attempted defence of the deeds of violence and
barbarity perpetrated during these riots, and the abuse heaped
upon the missionary and his converts is only so much dust thrown
into the air with the view of blinding the eyes of foreign residents
... and the representatives of the Foreign Powers in China.
. The writer of “Defensio" will find that he has made a great
: blunder. There are not many foreigners either in China or out of
it, whose eyes are not sharp enough to penetrate this thin disguise.
Neither will they be frightened by the threat of a missionary war."
I know something of “the temper of the people," and I venture to
predict that should a “missionary war” ever come to pass, it will
not be a war against the people of China, but as heretofore a war
against the Chinese Government, and that it will be induced, not
by the doings of the missionary, but by the pride and folly of the
governing classes. I pray for the peace of China. Few things
could distress my soul so much as to see my own country and
China at war with each other again. But I would remind the
writer of “Defensio” that he is playing a dangerous game by
identifying himself with the literati of Hunan in their unholy
crusade. I would also warn the officials of these two provinces
against encouraging, whether by active co-operation or guilty
136
.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
-
connivance, the production and dissemination of the Hunan
anti-foreign literature. The masses of the Chinese people have .
hitherto not been unfriendly to the missionaries. The aim of this
literature is to make them our enemies, and spur them on to
deeds of violence. It rests with the Viceroy of Hukuang and the
Governor of Hunan to put a stop at once and for ever to this
source of danger. They might have done so last year, and thus
prevented a great deal of the mischief over which we now mourn.
Will they do so this year? If they do not, the evil must go on.
Such riots as we have witnessed recently must multiply, and
another war with China, call it by any name you please, will
become inevitable... .
III.—Is the detestation of the missionary to be ascribed to
the despicableness of the missionary himself, the worthlessness of
his teachings and the vileness of his converts ? I shall not repeat
what I have already said with regard to the hatred of the missionary
among the people of China, but proceed at once to answer the
above questions.
(1) What about the despicableness of the missionary as a
man and teacher ? The writer of “Defensio” speaks of the
missionaries as "the unemployed professional persons from Europe
and America,” who "go about the country with a comitatus of the
outcasts of Chinese society," "with no restraint to keep them from
insulting and injuring except their mere profession of godliness."
I do not think it at all necessary to defend the missionaries against
these charges, at once so vulgar and false. There are to be found
among the missionaries not a few men who would have occupied
places of marked distinction had they remained in their native
lands. Many of them are men whose names are held in the
highest esteem throughout the whole of Christendom. They have
left home, and sacrificed much, in order to promote the moral
and spiritual elevation of the Chinese. So far from going about
insulting and injuring the people, their one aim in life is to benefit
them in every possible way. They are emphatically the true
friends of the people, and the people are becoming more and more
convinced of the fact every day. The missionaries are more than
religious teachers; they are benefactors of the people in every
sense of the term. The poor are taught in their schools, the sick
are healed in their hospitals, and the helpless are helped by them
in manifold ways. They are earnest hard-working men, who are
·
137
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
trying to pour into China the light of truth. The Chinese are
indebted to them, not only for their knowledge of Christianity, but
also for nearly all the scientific knowledge they can boast of. To
speak of such men as Morrison, Medhurst, Milne, Bridgman,
Williams, Stronach, Wylie, Williamson, Mackenzie, Lockhart,
Legge, Muirhead, Edkins, Chalmers, Faber, Taylor, Martin,
Blodget, Burdon, Moule, Hill, Foster, and a host of others that
might be mentioned, as "unemployed professional persons from
Europe and America,” etc., etc., is simply outrageous. The man
who could pen such an indictment must be extremely ignorant or
hopelessly frivolous and insincere.
Taking the missionaries all in all, I do not think it would be
possible to find a class of men more earnest, more hard-working,
or more devoted to their life-purpose. That there may be here and
there a bread-and-butter. missionary among them, I will not try to
disprove. That there may be a few who have mistaken their
calling by coming to China, I am quite willing to admit. But that
the missionaries, as a body of men, belong to either the one or the
other, I utterly deny. They are men called of God to this ministry,
to whom the work itself is a joy. They love China for Christ's sake,
" (2) What about the worthlessness of the missionary's teachings?
The writer of “Defensio" tells us that the teaching of Christianity
in China has proved a miserable failure, and that the sense of this
science and works of charity. Here we have a perfect jumble of
misstatements. As a matter of fact, Protestant missionaries have
been teaching science, and doing works of charity, from the
establishment of the Protestant missions in China till now. The
first missionary hospital was opened in Canton in the year 1835, .
and the foundation stone of the Anglo-Chinese College at Malacca
was laid in the year 1818. When I arrived in China in the year
1855, I found missionaries busily engaged in translating standard
historical, mathematical, and astronomical works into the Chinese
language. What then does this writer mean by saying that the
missionaries have lately turned to the teaching of science and the
works of charity ? Again, there are in China about a thousand
Protestant missionaries. Out of this number not more than
thirty or forty are devoting themselves to the teaching of science.
Those who do teach science, however are firm believers in the
138
.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
.
.
gospel, and are actively engaged in propagating it. How then can
he say that the missionaries as a body have turned away from
their proper calling, and that they have done so from a sense of
failure? Let me assure the writer of “Defensio” that the
Protestant missionaries do not look upon their work in China as a
failure. They thoroughly believe in their work, and have no sense
of failure in regard to it.
The writer tells us again that the root of the hatred of the
foreigner among the educated Chinese is the anti-scientific character
of the Christian Scriptures and the impenetrable darkņess that
goes under the name of missionary publications. The writer of
“Defensio," whoever he may be, has been educated in Europe,
and he speaks on this point not as an educated Chinese, but as an
educated European. What do the scholars of China know about
the sun and moon standing at the bidding of Joshua ? or what
stumbling-block would that be to them? I have had a great deal to
do with the scholars of China these thirty-five years; but I have never
met with one whose mind was at all troubled by difficulties of this
nature. Rightly interpreted this story can be a stumbling-block to
'no one. But to the scholars of China, who have the power of
devouring the wild 'legends of the Shan Hai King (LLIB3),
with unquestioning faith, what difficulty could it possibly present?
That the educated Chinese do hate the foreigner, I do not deny.
But the ground of their hatred is not to be found in this direction.
If any one wishes to know what the real ground is, let him read
the Hunan anti-foreign literature to which I have already referred.
There he will find that their hatred does not spring from an
examination of the Christian Scriptures and dogmas, but from the
profoundest ignorance of both.* What the educated Chinese need,
* Among the Hunan publications there are three that stand pre-eminent
for their foulness and blasphemy :-Death Blow to Depraved Doctrines, Death
to the Devils' Religion, and the Picture Gallery. The third, being pictorial, is
the most offensively vile. The translator of the Gallery brings this work to a
close with the following note: “With this cartoon the Picture Gallery closes.
Whatever opinions may be formed of the work, there can be no doubt as to its
value in due respect; it represents faithfully the anti-Christian argument in
China. It is supposed by some that the anti-Christian writers in this land
have studied the nature and claims of the religion which they attack, and that
the argument employed by them is based upon its knowledge and reason. No
supposition could possibly be wider of the mark. The argument, in all its
height and depth, length and breadth, is presented here, and anything more
ſaise, more foul, and more blasphemous it would be impossible to conceive.
But it is exactly the kind of argument in which the scholars of China' delight,
and by which the mob in China is moved." .
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
.
: 139
above all things, is a clearer knowledge of Christian truth. If they
knew the truth, the truth would set them free from the ignorance
which now beclouds their intellects, and the pride which hardens
their hearts. But the veil will be taken away, and with its
disappearance, the pride will die out. I have known 'educated
Chinese, to whom the Christian Scriptures and the missionary
publications were at one time an "impenetrable mass of darkness,"
embrace the Christian faith with passionate ardour, and propagate
it with intense earnestness. They found, after a long struggle with
pride and prejudice, that the darkness was all in themselves, and
that the gospel alone supplied them with that light, strength, and
.consolation which their souls craved for.
If the Christian Scriptures and the missionary publications be
a mass of darkness, why should the educated Chinese feel so sore
about it? · The Buddhist and Taoist publications, which cover the
land, do not form a mass of light, and yet the educated Chinese do
not seem to be frightened by it; on the contrary, many of them
accept it as the truth of Heaven, and believe in it with all their
hearts. The fact is, the educated Chinese are coming to see that
Christianity is a power, and that it is beginning to tell on the
masses of the Chinese, and it is this that makes them so angry at the
present time. Unwittingly "A Chinese” is paying Christianity a
compliment by putting forth this argument against the propagation
of Christianity in China.
As to the threat of gunboats, that is a matter which concerns
the Chinese officials. All that the missionary asks is toleration,
and it is the duty of the Chinese officials to protect him as long as
he carries on his work peaceably. To talk about the missionaries
as thrusting this “mass of darkness" on the people, with "arrogant
and aggressive pretentiousness,” is nonsense pure and simple. If
the officials had done their duty in the past, there would have been
no need of gunboats or talk about gunboats; and if the educated
Chinese had not egged the people on to deeds of violence, the
officials would have found their task much lighter than it has been.
That a considerable. outlay of money has had to be paid for the
special protection and the indemnification of the missionaries and
their property, I admit. But who is responsible for this? The
missionaries, say '" A Chinese." The officials and the educated
classes say I. If the officials had done their duty, none of the
recent riots could have taken place. In the action of the Viceroy
140
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
of Hukuang, we have an illustration of what the officials can do,
when they are bent on doing the right thing. In Hankow,
Wuchang, and Hanyang, the elements of danger existed in
abundance. But the strong arm of the Viceroy was stretched out
at once, and never withdrawn till the crisis was over. What would
have been the condition of these three cities to-day, had the
Viceroy not done his duty, it is impossible to say. If the officials
of Hupeh will act in the spirit of the Proclamation recently issued
by the Viceroy, it is certain that the Protestant missions in Hupeh
will give them no further trouble. But will they so act? Would
that be a consummation which would commend itself to the
judgment and feelings of the educated Chinese ? :
(3.) What about the character of the Christian converts ?
This writer calls them the outcasts of Chinese society. But does he
know what he is talking about? It is true that “Not many wise -
after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.”
There are scholars among them; but they are not numerous. The
converts are, for the most part, respectable farmers, artisans,
shopkeepers, and honest labourers employed in various capacities.
Though Christians, they live on terms of friendly social intercourse
with their neighbours, and many of them are highly respected by
all who know them. Some of them occupy positions of influence
and respectability in their native towns and villages. As to their
lives, it can be safely said that they live a much higher life than
they did before they became Christians, and that it compares
most favourably with that of their heathen neighbours. Among
them are men who were once opium smokers, gamblers, drunkards,
fornicators, unfilial, and unruly, but are now completely delivered
from all these vices, and are actively engaged in leading their
neighbours into the way of life. We are constantly receiving
members into our churches who have been led into the light by
such men, and who tell us that the moral change which they
witness in the lives of such men has been the means of convincing
them of the truth of the Christian religion. In the Protestant
churches, we have a regular system of discipline, and every year
not a few are expelled from our communion. The opium smoker,
the drunkard, the gambler, the dishonest, the lawless, and all who
will not accept the Christian code of morality, are not admitted
THE RIOTS : THEIR CAUSES.
141
into Church fellowship. If, after admission, they fall into sin, they
are disciplined according to the gravity of the case, and if they
persevere in their evil course, they are cut off. This being so,
is it not preposterous, on the part of this writer, to call these men
"a comitatus of the outcasts of Chinese society ?”
I maintain that Christianity does promote the moral elevation
of the people, and that the Christians stand higher, taking them
all in all, than those whom the writer calls the “best of the
nation.” By the “best of the nation,” he means, I suppose, the
officials and scholars. For what virtue are they distinguished as a
class? Is it for purity, humility, justice, truthfulness, honesty,
charity, self-sacrifice, or any other virtue that makes the man? I
have been told again and again by respectable Chinese, nay even
scholars, that no mandarin could be a Christian, and that for the
simple reason that his position makes it impossible for him to be
an honest man. In China to-day the “best of the nation" are not
to be found among the official and literary classes, but among the
farmers, artisans, and labourers. Christianity is influencing and
ennobling many of these. This work will continue to go on;
silently and slowly for a time, but with a rush by and by. Then,
but not till then, will this writer's “best of the nation" turn to the
gospel which they now treat with disdain. * '
It is useless, and worse than useless, to try and bring contempt
on the Christians of to-day by classing them with the Taiping
rebels. This writer calls the Taiping Rebellion “the rebellion of
the Chinese outcasts of the Christian missions.” Again do I ask,
does the man know what he is talking about? Not one of the
* It is only necessary to glance through the three publications referred to
in the preceding note, in order to see clearly what is the true mental and moral
condition of the writer's "best of the nation." The publishers of the Picture
Gallery find it necessary, in order to justify their action in reproducing the
work, to insert the following note :-" This reproduction of the Picture Gallery
being intended only for the thoughtful few, and not at all for the multitude, no
attempt has been made to gloss over its extreme grossness in picture and
language. It is not the production of illiterate men. The Hunan anti-Christian
publications, almost without an exception, have scholars for their authors, and
There can be no doubt about this one. This being the case, it has been deemed
best to reproduce the Gallery just as it stands, in all its obscenity and vileness.
In no other way would it be possible to convey a right idea of the unreasoning
and blasphemeous nature of the Chinese attack on Christianity, of the low mental
and moral condition of the Chinese literati, and of the deep need of all classes
in China of the very faith which not a few among them are seeking to
destroy."
142
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
men who started that rebellion was ever connected with any
Christian mission. The Chief, Hung Siu-tsüen, spent two months
at the house of Mr. Roberts at Canton.but he left without being
baptised, Mr. Roberts not being satisfied with him. He had read
certain Christian books before he came to Mr. Roberts, which he
taught to others. But none of his early followers had anything to
do with any missionary whatever. Indeed, the probability is that
the Taiping Rebellion would never have existed, had Hung and
his followers been connected with a Christian mission, for the
converts would have been more enlightened in Christian principle,
and the missionaries would have checked any tendency, in that
direction. I would remind the writer of “Defensio," that it was
not the original intention of Hung and his followers to raise a
rebellion and that it was official persecution that drove them to it.
I do not wish to set up a plea for the Taiping Rebellion; but I
wish to call attention to the fact that the missionary was not
present and that the officials did persecute, and to point out the
obvious lesson which this fact teaches, namely, that the true and
safe policy of the Chinese Government is to cease from persecuting,
and grant the missionary full toleration.
In conclusion let me remind the writer of “Defensio," that the
main aim of the missionary in coming to China, is not to teach a
system of ethics, but to preach Christ, the one true Saviour of men.
The great need of China to-day is vital religion—not a religion which
men can make great, but a religion which can make men great. The
Chinese need a heavenly principle that shall infuse a new moral
and spiritual life into the nation; a mighty power that shall
transform them in their inmost being, a divine inspiration that
shall create within their breasts aspirations after holiness and
immortality. In other words what they need is the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. Apart from Christianity, I can see no hope for
China. There is no power in the religious systems of the country
to develop a holy character, a true manhood. China cannot
advance in the path of true progress without a complete change
in the religious life of the nation. It is Christ alone who can
lead in the glorious dawn of the Chinese renaissance; the new
birth of a mighty nation to liberty and righteousness, and ever-
expanding civilisation. Feeling this to be true in our heart of
hearts, we, the missionaries, have come to China to preach Christ,
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
143
unto one a stumbling-block and unto another foolishness, but unto
them that are called, whether the one or the other, Christ the
power of God, and the wisdom of God.
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH
Hankow, 30th July.
VIII.
SIR,—The writer, of the article “Defensio Populi ad Populos"
deserves credit for the able and earnest, if highly injudicious.
manner in which he advocated his views; and I, his compatriot,
who am equally zealous for the welfare of our people, cannot
withhold my admiration for his evident.sincerity to denounce what
he considers an injury alike to the interests of the Chinese and
foreigners.
But having pondered over the subject with deliberation, I
cannot help feeling that his over-zealous patriotism has entirely
blinded his judgment, causing him to overshoot the mark in all
his utterances, and make sweeping statements, every one of which
is a sad misrepresentation of the truth. His entire article evinces
the most superficial knowledge of matters that have come under
his attention, and shows the folly of pronouncing judgments on
questions one has only partially studied.
- To begin with, permit me to introduce myself as a convert to
Christianity, but I am not, as such, either a social outcast, or a
prototype of the Taipings, or a man "worse than the worst of the
Chinese." I have embraced Christianity from personal conviction
of its superior merits as compared with the doctrines of our
national Sage and our national traditions, and I consider that the
advent of the Protestant missionaries to China with their accessory
instruments for promoting the moral, intellectual and social
elevation of our people, instead of being an injury alike to the
interests of China and foreigners, is the greatest blessing that the
All-wise Being can confer upon our unhappy country.
The writer's opinions cannot cause surprise to the well-
informed, since they are entertained not only by a large class of
thinking natives, but, if I mistake not, they are the views of a-
majority of a European mercantile community resident in the
144
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
East. But these views are as unjust as they are discreditable to
those entertaining them, since they are the result of the most
wilful ignorance and bigoted prejudice.
I admit that in the course of my travels, I have visited
missionaries' residences whose parlours resemble royal palaces more
than the lowly dwellings of Christ's apostles. But these instances
are rare exceptions, and merely show that among missionaries, as
among all other classes of humanity, the selfish hypocritical will
find their place as tares will grow among wheat. On the other
hand, the number of truly pious, godly apostles is legion, and as I
write, recollections of humble, self-denying men and women whom
I have met and known, crowd upon my mind. Among these
recently dead, we have the Rev. J. Crosset, who, though an eminent
scholar and a gentleman, denied himself even the necessaries of
life, that he might administer to the wants of others, and was
happy to share the same bed and partake of the same food with .
the lowest of men. Truly his life was a shining light to all who
came under his influence. Then there is the Rev. James Gilmour,'
who for years lived alone among the Mongols, enduring all the
rigours of tent-life, and even practising a vegetarian diet, that he
might the better prosecute his work.
As to the living missionaries of the genuine type, let me ..
mention an incident that came under my notice. The Rev.
Hampden Du Bose, of Soochow, was one day preaching in the
streets, as was his daily wont, when an impudent lad came up to
him, and pulled his long flowing beard. Mr. Du Bose gently laid
his hand on the other's queue, remarking, "Why are you surprised
at my long beard, my lad? The only difference between us is, you
grow your hair behind, I grow mine in front.” Hearty laughter
followed among his audience, to the great discomfiture of the
would-be mocker.
I cannot forbear to mention also the extreme devotion of the
now absent Mrs. Alexander King (née Miss Howard) private
physician to Lady Li, wife of the Chihli Viceroy. She was never'
appealed to in vain by the poorest of the natives for medical
attendance at their homes, and her solicitude for her patients,
were they members of the Viceroy's family or the children of a
coolie, was ever the same.
I come now to the three principal charges which have been
noticed by others of your correspondents.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
145
Under the first charge, the writer is not content with declaring
that the Christian convert is not morally better than the ordinary
Chinaman, but is not even as good and as useful a citizen; in other
words that the convert has been debased through coming into
contact with Christianity and its professors.
Before making a comparison between the Christian convert
and the average Chinaman, as representing two distinct classes of
our people, let us see how they are each taught, trained, educated,
and controlled by external influences.
. The Chinaman from his early youth is taught that the
Confucian writings are his ideal moral code, that according to this
code, filial piety is the summum bonum of this earthly life; that the
Five Relations form the five cardinal social virtues; that honesty
and sincerity are obligatory only so far as they are consistent with
expediency; that evil is to be requited by evil, and kindness by
kindness.
Indoctrinated with such ideas, the Chinaman's ideal moral
life is a miserable failure.
Coming to the question of the average Chinaman's veracity
and sense of honour, as a result of Confucian teaching, I agree
with Carlyle that "silence is golden." The average Chinaman's
revengeful disposition is another too well known characteristic to
need comment here.
We will now examine into the principles which the Christian
convert is taught. Just as the Chinaman's summum bonum of
practical ethics is filial piety, so the Christian's is universal love.
The sincere Christian convert whose heart is full of this love, will
manifest all its attributes, which together make up the stature of
the perfect man. And I say it is an utter impossibility that such
a man can be inferior morally to the average Chinaman, indoc-
trinated, as the latter is, with solely Conſucian ideas." It is not
true that the native converts as a class are induced to join the
Christian Church through the hope of pecuniary benefit or material
advantage; but it is true that only an infinitely small proportion of
them obtain any so-called pecuniary assistance from missionaries.
The fact is, the Christian converts of China are a sober,
peaceful, and honest class of people, who, convinced that their sad
earthly lot has little or no happiness to give them, have been eager
to accept the glad tidings of the Gospel, as affording them the hope
of ameliorating their condition hereafter.
K
. 146.
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
I will now briefly reply to the second charge in which the
missionaries are accused of teaching “intellectual jugglery" to the
Chinese. I am certainly, amazed at the bold manner in which the
writer ascribes “the root of the hatred of foreigners among the
educated Chinese," a hatred which he knows and which every one
knows had its origin and existence long prior to any missionary
publications, or any attempt to teach Western science to the
Chinese. I wish, that ere the writer so unwarrantably denounced
the missionary publications as "a mass of impenetrable darkness,"
he had carefully examined the contents of such periodicals as The
Chinese Scientific and Industrial Magazine and The Review of the
· Times, in which subjects of travel, history, biography and science
are treated with great didactic skill and precision.
Permit me to give my opinion, as a native, as to the root of
this anti-Christian feeling among educated Chinese. The Chinese
scholar is taught, soon after he has learned his letters, that the
Confucian doctrine is the only true doctrine, and all other
religions are heresies, and that, as a faithful and loyal disciple of
the great philosopher and demi-god Confucius, it behoves every
educated Chinaman to repel every effort to introduce extraneous
religions into China. I say it is this fear of having their national
demi-god dethroned and his so-called sacred teachings superseded
which is actuating the literati to resist and malign Christianity,
a course which I fear they will continue to pursue until the
intellectual enlightenment of the masses become a too powerful
factor for them, and they are forced to the wall.
The third charge that the works of charity are a scheme
devised for the benefit of the unemployed professionals of Europe
and America is so outrageously absurd, that I do not deem it
worthy of further notice here. : :
Finally, I cannot conclude this article without-alluding briefly
at least to the manifold benefits which China has already received
directly or indirectly, through Christianity and its propagandists.
In diplomacy, China owes the establishment of her diplomatic
relations with Europe and America to the zeal and ability of a
Christian gentleman, the Hon. Anson Burlingame. In commerce,
the principal steamship line of the country, the C. M. S. N. Co.,
is indebted for its existence to the enterprising spirit of Mr. Tong
King-sing, a beneficiary of the Morrison school at Hongkong. In
mining industry, the only successful mine in China at present,
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
147
that at Tongshan, would never have been heard of without the
indomitable persevering spirit of the same gentleman. In railway
enterprise, such progress as has already been made both in North
China and in Formosa, owes its origin to the little and at first
unheard-of line between Tongshan and Sukochuang, which was
built and maintained through the bold spirit also of Mr. Tong. .
In education, the Tung Wên Kuan at Peking owes its
inception and final establishment to the influence of Christian
gentlemen, and it is evident our Government are in no fear of
having “intellectual jugglery” taught their young men, for we find
an ex-missionary appointed as its President. The Educational
Mission to the United States some twenty years ago, the results of
which are bound to be felt if not in this generation, in the
generations to come, was the labour of a Christian gentleman, who
had been a child of mission charity. In a word, the innumerable
schools of Western learning, scattered all over the Empire, built
and maintained by Christian enterprise, attest the intellectual
awakening that is going on among our people, an awakening
which I trust will not cease until the impenetrable darkness now
enshrouding this land is dispelled, and the new, effulgent light of
Christian knowledge is replaced in its stead. --
I am, etc.,
ANOTHER CHINESE.
Shanghai, 13th August.
IX.
Sir,-I beg to reply in a few words as a layman to the
indictment against missionary work in China by “A Chinese” that
appeared in your issue of the 21st July, 1891. I take the points
in the order your correspondent does.
1.-Moral elevation of the people.—I agree that most of the
converts made are made from the lower class of Chinese, but they
it is who are most in need of moral elevation. It is the sick man
who requires the physician. That Christianity has in the last 1,800
years elevated the moral character of poor people is an historical
fact. In China myriads who would have been criminals had they
remained heathen and have engendered a criminal posterity, have
become respectable members of society and engendered a progeny
of respectable persons, among whom have been men distinguished
for virtue and talents.
K
:
2
148
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
2.-Intellectual Enlightenment. Your correspondent con-
siders the mention of miracles in the Bible enough to condemn
Christianity as stupid and ignorant. So intelligent a man as your
correspondent must surely know the position taken up by scientific
disbelievers in Christianity. No scientific man denies the possibility
of a miracle; a miracle is merely a phenomenon. It is a pure
question of evidence as to whether we believe the miracle or
phenomenon actually took place at the time stated. But the
miracle or phenomenon may have taken place without evidence
being obtainable. In the tropics till lately no evidence could
have been obtained as to the phenomenon of the congelation of
water. Again the question as to whether a man's work leads to
intellectual enlightenment must be judged by his knowledge, not
by his ignorance. If the missionary is able to teach his convert
truth of which the convert was previously ignorant he adds to the
convert's intellectual enlightenment, even though there may be
matters in regard to which both teacher and taught are mistaken.
3.-Works of Charity:-In the first place it cannot be admitted
that work of charity is a secular work. Search all history through
and it will be found that religion has been the warp and woof of
all works of charity. Nations are composed of individuals and the
benefit to the individuals of a nation is a benefit to the nation.
As for the cost of these works of charity, it is the religious motive
that supplies it, it is the religious motive that renders the cost
small, as religious men work either gratuitously or for much smaller
salaries than they could draw in other professions. A missionary
doctor for instance rarely receives more than £300 a year. No
secular doctor would be content in China with so small a salary.
No missionary I have heard of wishes to heap insults and cry
vengeance upon the Chinese first, but your correspondent begs
the whole question at issue when he states that the Chinese
Government is honestly doing its duty. Your correspondent
considers that the murder of Englishmen, the nearly beating to
death of English women and children, the burning and robbing of
Englishmen's premises, are nothing worse than excusable ignorance.
I think there is at least room for difference of opinion here. .
Every foreign missionary is restrained by the law of his
country. European countries unlike China enforce the law
regardless of persons. As for their native converts they are
.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
149
:
amenable to the laws of China; it is not the fault of the mission-
aries that the laws of China are defective, and the 'administration
of those laws most inefficient.
I am, etc.,
A LAYMAN.
- Shanghai, 25th July.
X. .
“CHINÁ AND MISSIONARIES”—THOUGHTS BY A LAYMAN..
A little knowledge is dangerous, but depth of knowledge gives
modesty and caution. The really book-ignorant man is far from
objectionable. The fisherman, the goat-herd, the wood-cutter and
the farm-labourer may be found really pleasant and philosophic
persons. But the pedantic creature who has read much and
digested little and who has probably never been beyond the
confines of his own province and certainly never beyond the limits
of the Empire in which he has been produced and on which for
some occult reason, he is to vegetate, wither and pass away, and
who has never had any experiences except those of committing to
memory jingling sentences, and borrowing money, is infinitely ·
inferior to the rustic. Yet he is still superior to the creature who
has never entered the hall of any, but stood in the portals of many
learnings, who has never acquired any principles, but has committed
ito memory without realising the meaning many sayings, and who
sits on the rail prepared to jump into civilisation or barbarism,
well-doing or evil-doing as opportunity or reward may suggest.
Let us hope that every creature has its use--the worm serves as
food to the bird, and this as a warning to man that creatures should.
not be taken out of the sphere for which nature intended them.
In a northern province of China there was a water carrier. He
had two sons. They were taken by missionaries to America and
educated. They returned to China, but their instincts did not
lead them to be missionaries but rather to dollars, smoking, women
and wine—they went to the bad. It is dangerous to meddle rashly
with what we do not understand. Had these boys been left to
carry water and had they been taught as much Christian honesty ·
as they were capable of receiving, they might have lived and died
as respectable Chinese coolies. What Chinamen need to learn is
150
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS
.
.
not European literature but European Christian honesty. If
anything can save China it is Christianity, for Christianity will
produce honesty, and what China requires to give her life is
honesty.
Now let us look back into the history of the world. Persia,
great extensive Persia, attempted the conquest of little Greece, but
the great eastern power recoiled shattered by the force, the bravery
and the cohesion of the little western power. To the west of
Greece lay Rome, and Greece went down before Rome, fighting
bravely it is true, but fighting ineffectually against the sterner and
stronger stuff of which the western power was made. About this time
Christ entered the world in a little, powerless state. He preached
a doctrine of peace, kindness, long-suffering and humanity. Never
before had the teaching “Do to others as you would have others
do to you" fallen on the human ear. Christianity became the
religion of the Roman emperors and empire; but in becoming a
state religion it became an impure religion. The pure Christianity
of the early Christians was still held by a few. But the Christianity
of the Roman empire was tainted by paganism. In the north-
west of Europe was a race, of great bone and sinew, fierce, indeed
blood-thirsty; yet when the warlike passions were not called forth,
kind, noble, generous, and great. After a long strife Rome went
down before these men as Greece had before Rome, as Persia had
before Greece.
: From that day to this the descendants of these men have held
sway in the world. They adopted Christianity, they greatly divested
it of its sacred rites and purified it by their study of its sacred
books until they made it almost as pure as it had originally been. ,
The purification and intensification of Christianity held pace with
the increase of scientific knowledge, and with the increase of
military power. Mohametism made a lodgment in Spain but it
was defeated by France and by Spain rolled back into Africa. It
effected a lodgment in south-eastern Europe, but here Austria and
Hungary rolled it back and here it now exists, merely because
Austria-Hungary, Russia, and England cannot agree as to the
disposition to be made of the lands which it cumbers. The tide
of Mongolian conquest under Gengis Khan set westward until it
almost touched the eastern frontier of Germany, but this the
Russian rolled back eastwards and now the mighty Russian power
stands in a position to place his hand when he will not only on
- THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
151
Mongolia but on Peking too. Let us look at the map of the
world, regard the Christian countries and think of their power.
America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, with India under
Britain's wing. What remains ? What is the power of what
remains ? Turkey existing merely because the powers cannot
decide as to its apportionment, Persia existing merely because
England and Russia' are not agreed. Afghanistan exists merely
because England considers it would not pay to govern it. But
Turkey must soon be partitioned and Persia and Afghanistan must
soon be wiped out of the map of the world and become provinces
in the Russian and British empires. Japan, Siam, and Corea are
small and inconsiderable-Japan may exist for a considerable time.
China then only remains. It looks as if China would fall to Russia.
It may be that some of the other western powers may demand
a share. But let us return to our subject. The Greek and
Roman civilisations produced military systems quite strong enough
to break down all eastern nations with which they came in
contact. The east has never been able to withstand the west.
But Christianity, produced a new civilisation in Europe and
the new European civilisation produced a new military system.
European civilisation improved and the military system which
it produced improved. This military system has now attained
to such a power that a few European ships and a few European
regiments could conquer the entire non-Christian world. The
weakest of European nations could shatter any non-Christian
power except Turkey. Yet Europe with its races which once
delighted in war, with its war ships and its machine guns, neither
enslaves nor yet plunders the rest of the world. What restrains it?
One thousand years ago the fathers of Scandinavia, Germany,
England, America and parts of France, Italy and Spain delighted
in rapine and blood. The fierce freebooters harried southern
Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. If they had got to
eastern Asia, oh! how they would have stormed and sacked and
laid great tracts of country waste. Oh! how these feeble eastern
people would have been mowed down by their heavy swords. In
fancy I can see fifty Northmen storming and sacking Shanghai, going
up the Yangtze and obliging every town to Chungking and beyond
to pay a ransom or become ruins and ashes! Aye, I can see
Tientsin sacked and burned, Tungchow held by a boat's crew or
two, and Peking either paying a heavy ransom or burning !!
152
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
And yet this did not happen! Why? Because these fierce and
irresistible men did not know the way to 'come here their sons
were softened by Christianity. Danish and English freebooters
I changed into peace-loving citizens who believed it was wrong to
kill and wrong and unfair to take that for which they, had not
worked. The Danish and English vessel which was hardly as
good as a junk or a lorcha changed into a stately ship, came
round the Cape of Good Hope, brought cottons and missionaries,
and bought tea. Happy it was for these poor people that these
Europeans ships brought missionaries, not pirates. A thousand
years before we would not have brought bibles but swords,
we would not have converted but slaughtered. That Christianity
produced the civilisation which produced our military system is a
fact that is clear to any understånding. That the continued
action of Christianity on the European conscience produced
the conscientiousness which puts a restraint on the use of a
European military power is clear to any intelligence; and that
the increase of this conscientiousness and the increase of military
power have gone step by step together is very clear. It is also a
fact that Europeans did not find their way to China until
Christianity had got such a hold on them as to restrain them from
injuring the weak. The reader must decide whether these facts
show a design or not in the governance of the world, and if they
give evidence of a design, then whether or not there is a designer
or governor. It appears certain that the Chinaman has every
reason to be thankful that Christianity existed in Europe before
the European found his way to the shores of China.
Now why is the missionary in China ? Because the European,
American, and Australian believe it to be their duty to subscribe
and send the missionary here to teach Christianity to the China-
man. It is no use to discuss whether it is right to send the
missionary or not. The western world believes that it is right,
and therefore the missionary will be sent, whatever the Chinaman
may think on the subject. As to the part western governments
play in the matter, they simply carry out the wish of the western
people. Any western government which should think of opposing
missionaries in China would soon find itself obliged to change its
policy or make way for a new government. If the English or
American government declared against missionaries it would before
six months be turned out.
THE RIOTS: THÉIR CAUSES.
153
Moral worth and material power are with Christendom.
Immorality, stupidity and weakness are with the non-Christian
world. Christianity has made its home among strong and stern
people. Can the issue be for a moment doubted ?
A non-Christian nation cannot organise a military force to
contend with a military force of a Christian power, and perhaps
the greatest of the many reasons of this is that a non-Christian
nation cannot get honest officials and honest military officers. In
the armies of all non-Christian powers dishonesty and injustice
prevail. The result is natural-soldiers do not receive pay. Arms
and ammunition are purchased and the merchant who sells them
charges 50% too much, and gives 25% to the official who purchases
them. Bad arms are sold at the price of good arms and a heavy
return made to the official who purchases.
A distinguished British naval officer was lately in charge of a
non-Christian fileet, but he found insubordination, gambling, and
pilfering so rampant that he resigned. In case of war that fleet
would simply furnish a prize and an increase of power to its
Christian enemy.
As to the few westerns there are who profess to disbelieve
Christianity—they do not understand themselves. They are the
production of Christianity. Their forefathers were moulded by
Christianity. They were evolved by Christianity. They are simply
diseased members of the Christian body; their minds are diseased
as the minds of lunatics. “Judge not that you be not judged.”
Let no man judge the poor diseased, let all men hope that Christ
will extend to them the same compassion as He extended to the
thief on the cross and remember that Christ never said what should
be the fate of the other thief.
Shanghai, 28th August.
MISSIONARIES' VIEWS.
(IGNORANCE AND CALUMNIES OF LITERATI.)
I.
. SIR,—The attention of your readers has been called of late to
the anti-foreign publications of Hunan in their special bearing on
the recent riots. It cannot but be a great relief to every well- .
wisher of China to hear that the Foreign Powers have decided that
Hunan shall be opened, and shall cease to be the fount of this
154
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
.
poisonous literature. If the Foreign Powers are united and decided,
the thing can be done, and that without firing a single shot or
sacrificing a single life.
There is another source of danger to which attention should
be called at this time. A collection of public documents on all
state questions, called King-shi-wen ( *) was published in
1826 in 120 books. It was republished by the Shanghai publishers
in 1889, with a supplement, also in 120 books. The editor of
this edition is Koh Shi-jui
), a Shanghai man. At the
Shanghai conference, May 13th, 1890, the Rev. Timothy Richard,
in his able paper on the Relations of Christian Missions to the
Chinese Government, called special attention to this collection of ',
documents. Mr. Richard, for convenience sake, calls these books
the “Blue-Books” of China, and tells us that they are in a
catalogue of the books for sale in the government bookshop of
Tientsin and probably in all the provinces. Two books of the
supplement are devoted to Christian missions. I have just glanced
through both, and can quite understand Mr. Richard when he
spoke of their contents as scandalous. Anything more false,
disgraceful, and inflammatory, it would be difficult to find even
among the vile. placards of Hunan. “After this," says Mr.
Richard, “follow scandalous. quotations from Wei Yuen, who
says that men and women sleep promiscuously together in the
churches; that 130 taels of silver are given in three instalments to
the converts to help them to do business; that the Christians' eyes
are scooped out by the priest after death; that when these eyes are
melted up with lead, eight per cent of the lead is turned to silver;
that a pill is given, which makes the convert pledge himself for life,
and so bewitched is he that the first thing he does is to destroy the
ancestral tablets. That several other things are practised by
Christians, which I consider too vile to print.” Mr. Richard
closes his remarks on the Blue-Books with the following grave
reflection: “Thus end the Blue-Books without the slightest
acknowledgment of any benefit derived from modern missionaries.
They wish to convince their people that Christian missionaries only
come here for mischief, and that the converts are the scum of
society! In face of about a million taels spent annually for the
good of China; in face of tens of thousands of patients gratuitously
healed annually of the many valuable books translated ; of the
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
155
tens of thousands of young and old taught; of the hundreds of
thousands saved from death during famines, and of the tomb-stones
of those who have given their lives for the good of China, this
collection of obscenities and lies is their version of what we have
done for them !"
It is to be hoped that some one will take these two books in
hand ; and bring their falsehood and vileness into the light. It is
· of the utmost importance also that their publication, as they now
stand, should be suppressed. The Hunan placards are intended
for the multitude; these books are intended for the officials and
literary classes. They are to be found in every yamên, and in
thousands of private libraries. The Foreign Powers have decided
that the Hunan publications shall cease, because they poison the
minds of the people. For a still stronger reason they ought to
decide that these two books shall cease in their present form,
because they poison the ininds of the officials and scholars.
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 2'Ist August.
II. ,
I am very thankful that there has been a great improvement
in the relation of the Christian missions to the Chinese Government
during the last twenty years, but it might have been far better.
The fact that we should still, in the year 1890, be surrounded by
such dynamite as these Blue Books contain, with exclusion from
some provinces and many cities, is largely because so little has
been done for this specific end. No other department of work,
such as the medical, the educational or evangelistic, could be
thought possible for a moment without men, specially qualified for
the task, devoting themselves entirely to the work.
Since coming to the Conference, I have heard of a fresh series
· of risings against Christian missions, starting in Ch'angsha in
Hunan, and coming down to Ich'ang, Wuch'ang and Nanking,
just such as we would expect to follow from the circulation of such
literature as we find in these Blue Books. I do not believe for a
moment that the circulation of these can be intentional on the part
156
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS
of the Government, as it is contrary to all social, national and
international principles, and contrary to their growing friendliness.
But their appearance among the state papers and public documents,
and their sale in the government book stores, give them a semi-
official character to the ignorant and prejudiced. It is, therefore,
to be hoped that measures will be taken at once to check further
mischief arising from their circulation. If nothing be done, after
having the matter brought before the notice of the Conference, it
will seem as if we could not answer them; and this will put the
Christian church and missionaries in many a place in a position of
utmost peril.
But this is only a single illustration of the unsatisfactory state
of our relation generally; Į therefore hope that measures will be
taken to enter fully into the whole question with a view to securing
a better understanding.
. T. RICHARD.
-.--(Mission Conference Report, 1890.)
III.
SIR,—In your issue of August 25th, there appears a letter of
mine calling attention to the "Blue Books" of China. I have just
received a letter from a highly valued friend, containing the
following sentence: “Your letter in to-day's paper amounts to
saying that the
should be suppressed.” As others may
have the same impression, I should like to state that nothing could
have been further from my intention than to suggest the suppression
of this great work. Indeed, I should be exceedingly sorry to see
it: suppressed, being, as I think, a most valuable and interesting
collection of documents. The work consists of 240 books in all.
I have called attention to two books only, found in the supplement,
and mainly concerned with Christian missions; and what I say is
that the publication of these two books, as they now stand, should
be suppressed. All I ask for is that what is slanderous, obscene,
and inflammatory in these two books should be expunged.
Whether there is more in the work which deserves the same fate,
I cannot say; but there can be no doubt that there is much in
this portion of it which ought not to be allowed to remain. The
** * is a standard work, and it is disgraceful that these false
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
* 157
and vile things should appear in it. The fact that they are
published in such a work gives them a special weight and value in
the estimation of every native reader. ..
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, IIth August. **
IV.
THE RECENT RIOTS IN CHINA. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM?
1.
It has been frequently stated of late that the real responsibility
for the recent anti-foreign riots in China rests with the official and
literary classes and not with the people. On the other hand, the
officials themselves would throw the responsibility entirely on the
Ko-lao and other secret societies, and would represent themselves
as being altogether innocent of any desire to molest and injure
foreigners. Dr. John has called the attention of readers of the
North-China Daily News to an important and semi-official pub-
lication that has a very considerable circulation in China at the
present time. A few quotations from this book may perhaps throw
some light on this question of "Who is responsible?" and if we
adinit the principle that the man who sets fire to a house is to be
held accountable for all consequences resulting from his action,
even though he was not present when the flames obtained complete
mastery over the building and when the worst mischief was done,
then we must maintain that the official and governing classes of
China are accountable both for the recent outbreaks, and also for
other earlier attacks on foreigners and foreign property, and that
they must not be allowed now to pose as innocent men and as the
champions of peace and order. For several years, outrageous
charges against foreigners and especially against the Roman
Catholic missionaries have been circulating in China with the
cognisance, and even with the imprimatur, of some of the highest
mandarins in the Empire. · The authors of the blasphemous and
obscené Hunan placards which have now become so notorious,
have really done little more than put into a popular dress statements
and charges which appear in books that have been described, more
or less accurately, as Chinese Blue Books, and in documents
published side by side with memorials to the throne from such
158
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS..
men as Tsêng Kuo-fan, Tso Tsung-t'ang, Chang Chih-tung, Li
Hung-chang, Pêng Yi-lin, Shên Pao-chêng, Ting Jih-chang, and
other officials of the very highest standing. A collection of State
papers published in England bearing the names of the Duke of
Argyll, Lords Salisbury, Ripon, Beaconsfield, Dufferin, Selborne,
Granville, Coleridge, Hartington and Messrs. Gladstone, Goschen, .
W. H. Smith and other illustrious statesmen would not carry more .
weight amongst Englishmen than the collection of papers now
under consideration carries in China. In such a collection the .
lustre of the names of the more celebrated writers is naturally
reflected on their less celebrated associates and the whole work is
apt to be regarded as stamped in every part with the highest
sanction of authoritative opinion.
The full title of these “Blue Books” is THX
Some account of them will be found in a paper by the
Rev. Timothy Richard published in the "Records of the Missionary
Conference held at Shanghai in 1890," pp. 407-410. Another
reference to them will be found in a paper by Dr. Edkins on
p. 572 of the same book. Dr. Edkins quotes from the paper of a
writer on whose mind foreign literature seems to have made a
favourable impression, but that paper does not afford a fair speci-
men of the tone adopted by the majority of the writers who deal
with foreign matters. The entire work consists of one hundred
and twenty books which are published in Shanghai in thirty-two
volumes; it first appeared in 1888 and is apparently printed
from metal type. It is a sequel or supplement to an earlier col-
lection of public documents published many years ago under a
similar name. The editor of this more modern work is a Kiangsu
man named Koh Shi-jui (lt ), who is said to be occupy-
ing a high position now in the Hanlin Yuen at Peking. The
foulest things in the book appear to be from his pen. If in
England any “lewd fellow of the baser sort" should commit to
print such vile and filthy statements as this accomplished Chinese
scholar has done, both he and his publisher would be liable to
find themselves in gaol. It would be impossible to translate
into English many of the things which Koh Shi-siun says
of the Roman Catholics. The entire collection of documents
bears on its title page the name of Wang Wên-shao ( 6)
formerly Governor of Hunan, and it may be said to be published
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
159
under his patronage. A complimentary preface speaking of the
work as invaluable, is written by Yu Yueh ( t) some time
Literary Chancellor of the province of Honan, who also himself is
the author of several papers in the book. Altogether there are
between one and two thousand documents given, bearing on a
variety of subjects such as 'Education, Principles of Government,
Naval and Military Affairs, etc. The last twenty books are devoted
to foreign affairs under various headings. The most objectionable
· passages occur in papers that treat of missions, but other parts are
exceedingly objectionable, and it is evident that no small amount
of the ill-will which missionaries awaken is due to the fact that they
are supposed to be working for a political end, using religion to
cover their real design of bringing China under foreign dominion.
The terms "barbarian" and "uncivilised” are constantly
applied to foreigners; even the term "demon" appears some-
times and that in a memorial addressed to the throne. Thus
in a document contained in Book 191 written by Liu Yun-ko
( En) sometime Governor of Chêkiang, the word "barbarian" -
is that regularly employed to describe the foreigner, though he also
speaks of opening marts or carrying on trade with the “demons.”
The whole tone of this paper is thoroughly anti-foreign. The same
book contains a secret memorial to the throne anent "the affairs
of the barbarians” from Yin Chao-yung ( ), a member of
the Hanlin Yuen.
But to pass from generalities to particular statements, the
following passage from a document in Book 104 by. Tsiang Tun-fuh
CE ) is an example of wild, reckless writing which cannot
but have a most injurious influence on people who regard it as the
utterance of a serious politician. We have only to imagine the
sentiments which are here given, filtering through the scholars and
gentry of any particular district into the minds of the common
people, and we have at once all the elements necessary for an anti-,
foreign riot and for an attempt to expel the foreigner. This Tsiang
Tun-fuh was, I believe, a Hunan man and another member of the
Hanlin Yuen, but he has been dead now for some years. His wrath
seems to have been especially awakened by some utterances of Sir
Thomas Wade and Sir Robert Hart on the relations of China with
foreign countries and on the development of the mineral and other
resources of the Chinese Empire, and he addresses himself in
160
'THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
reply to Sir Thomas Wade. After some introductory observations
he says :-"Foreigners like to come to China; the Chinese do not
desire to go to foreign lands. In this the feelings of the Chinese
and of foreigners are different. In the matter of trading and
making profit for the support of oneself and one's family the
feelings of the Chinese and of foreigners are exactly alike. But
those who come from Western lands to trade with us all do so that
they may get some profit out of us, and snatch from us the means
of gain. This is all according to treaty ; but I fear we have not yet
got to the end of Western plans. What are'the Chinese going to
depend on [by and by] for support?. It is said that in ten years the
treaties are to be altered. Your Excellencies say that foreigners
will ask, for other things and will get them, and they will go on
asking till they get all they want. If one examines this matter
calmly [it appears that] what they want, is what we Chinese cannot
grant, and that is the plain truth. China from north to south and
from east to west is to have foreign railways and carriage roads.
The mountains and the rivers of China, the natural barriers of the
country, are to be treated by foreigners according to their will, the
mountains to be levelled and the rivers filled up just as they please.
When they are allowed to do as they like, then they will be happy.
The myriads of the Chinese people are to serve them, the millions
of Chinese wealth are to go into their treasuries, the countless acres
of China with its houses and fields are to pay them taxes, all fish,
flesh, and fowl are to obey their imperious voice, and are to delight
their eyes and ears by reason of their abundance. Foreigners
must take everything, and overcome everything, and nothing short
of that will do. But if it were only one ten-thousandth part of this
that you wanted, you can't have it. We, the Chinese people, will
rise en masse and thrust our swords into the foreigners' bellies.
Wealth, goods, minerals and treasure Western people know how to
love, but they do not know what is detestable. These things
(i.e., ill-gotten wealth) must be called a poison in the system and a
cancer reaching to the bone. Into our lands and houses and fields
foreigners can come, but they will not leave them. They will be
'driven forward and taken in nets and traps and pitfalls.' They
trifle with everything and busy themselves in disturbing everything.
We will surround them and keep a look-out for them, and hem
them in, and at every point they will find trouble. And why all
this? Because they disregard the feelings of humanity and the
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
;. 161
.
laws of Heaven and only regard force. Do not be astonished.
Your Excellency only sees the present tangible gain enjoyed by
foreigners and you do not know the unseen loss which is coming
on them at another time or how great it will be."
Then comes a passage about missions, and about the supe-
riority of Chinese teaching to Christianity. In China, he says,
people have not to be exhorted to follow the teaching of the sages.
Everybody, from the Emperor to the common people, all follow it
as a matter of course unless they wish to be like the beasts. But
the missionaries use all sorts of foolish and wrong methods to .
make converts and after all only get hold of coolies, country women,
and ignorant people, and even these only outwardly yield assent;.
when the missionaries do not see them, they worship idols and their
ancestors. Even Buddhism and Taoism are incomparably superior
to Christianity. .
“But,” he goes on, “foreigners in wishing their religion to
spread in China use this pretext to cover another idea. The
Chinese do not believe, and they know it, but they have a plan.
They do a little charity in feeding the people, and by small acts of
virtue impress the eye and the ear and delude the people with talk
..^about great happiness and abundant rewards, and so they deceive
their hearts and transform their inner being, till they are befooled
so that they cannot return to their former state. Their converts
regard neither gain nor loss; neither life nor death but what they.
are told they simply follow. When there is no trouble in the
Empire they act as soldiers lying in ambush, but when once
trouble suddenly springs up our Christians appear like a cloud
and with one consent rebel against their rulers. What a calamity
to China ! . The Chinese know it and therefore are the more
unwilling to become Christians, and even though the authorities
did not forbid men to become Christians they would themselves.
tell others not to do so."
Sir Robert Hart seems to have spoken of a possible conflict
between China and Foreign Powers - which might end in the
disintegration of the Empire. The passing away of the Imperial
power would, this writer says, be far from a gain to Western
countries. “Who is it,” he asks, “who to-day allows foreign
trade and foreign missions? It is the Emperor, but the people do
not want it. However, although they do not want it, there is the i
Emperor and there are the Emperor's commands to his ministers
..
1
c
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
· 162
the
to negotiate treaties with foreign ambassadors, and no one in the
Empire dares to disobey, but this is one great and clear result of
China being under the rule of an absolute monarch. Suppose now
the Emperor should at some future date issue a proclamation
saying 'The treaties with foreign countries have many incon-
veniences for the people of China. For myself I cannot decide
[on their renewal], the people may decide the matter for themselves,
the people would in that case promptly and energetically with
accumulated passion and deep hatred oppose the foreigner. At
the news of this proclamation even the little children would
prepare themselves and take up spear and cudgel and go forward
against the foreigner regardless of danger.”
The above extracts show the temper and, the bent of this
writer's mind. He hates the foreigner, merchant and missionary
alike; the one is a thief and the other is a villain. He has more'
to say in abuse of both, but the passages already translated suffice
to explain what he thinks of us and what would be our fate if he
could obtain the desires of his heart. .
11.
The outbreaks against foreigners this year have been especially
characterised by attacks on the orphanages of the Roman Catholics.
Even in Wusueh, where Messrs. Argent and Green were murdered,
the riot was essentially an anti-orphanage riot although there was
no orphanage in the place. Children were being brought in from
country districts to Wusueh to be forwarded to the orphanage at
Kiukiang. Rumour was busy in describing what was to be done
with them when they got there. The minds of the Wusueh people
were wrought upon with horrible tales of the barbarities practised
by the Romanists on the children whom they profess to befriend ;
hints were thrown out that the bungalows of the Wesleyan Mission
on the hills opposite to Wusueh were a sort of kitchen where
babies were boiled, and at last all this wild talk produced its
natural result. An assault was made on the foreigners, the only -
men who could be found were publicly murdered, the women and
children were barely allowed to escape with their lives, and the
houses and chapel of the Wesleyan Mission were looted and
destroyed.
In view of these facts the contents of the
*
menor Chinese Blue Books, as far as they bear on the orphanage
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
163
work of the missionaries, are worthy of special attention. The
officials would find it very hard to deny that the sum and substance
of all the anti-orphanage slanders which produced such terrible
results during the present summer are to be found in these Blue
Books. The talk of the teashops in Wusueh was the echo of
documents published with the authority of high officials. The
streams of popular fanaticism spring from the fountain of official
malignity. This subject will require to be treated by itself. In
the present paper I shall content myself with showing what the
Blue Books have to say about other charges brought against the
Roman Catholics besides those that relate to orphanages.
In Book III, of this collection, missions are dealt with
at considerable length in two chapters entitled: "The gradual
demoralisation of China,” and “The expulsion of Christianity from
Kiangsi and Hunan.” The first of these two chapters seems to be
made up of about fourteen pages of quotation from an intensely anti-
Christian book entitled DL or Notes on China and the
West, with nine pages of additional matter from the pen of the editor
of the Blue Books himself. The second chapter has about seven
pages of quotation from the same source, with about two pages of
supplementary information by the editor.
I pass over, everything in these books that may be said to be
merely hostile criticism of the historic facts on which Christianity
is based, or of the doctrines which it teaches. There is plenty of
anti-Christian matter in the collection which is vulgar, coarse and
ignorant. The facts of the Gospel story are misrepresented and its
doctrines are travestied. But of that nothing need be said now.
Many of the objections which are urged against Christianity are as
old as Christianity itself and have been made again and again in
other lands. We have not now to consider assaults made on
Christianity but assaults made on life and property. In my
previous paper I pointed out that the Chinese hatred of the
foreigner is directed against him as a foreigner, and only subor-
dinately as a missionary. . A missionary friend of mine who visited
one of the large towns in Hunan some time ago tells me that the
words he heard everywhere were not “Here comes the man who
wants to make us Christians,” but “Here comes the man who wants.
to steal our trade.” In many parts of the interior the missionary
is the only foreigner who is known, and therefore calumny spends
itself in vilifying the missionary work. When in the old Canton
I 2
164
... THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
days the merchant was the only foreigner that was known, the
anti-foreign feeling used to vent itself upon him.
In the editorial addition to the chapter on “The gradual
demoralisation of China” in the Blue Books we find the following
- account of the Roman Catholics :-"When the priest receives a
convert, the convert is said 'to-eat the religion. On putting
down his name he receives four taels in silver. He pastes up on
his door a piece of red paper on which is drawn a cross in the
midst of an oval with an awl, a hook, and a spear. Some say the
God the Christians worship was torn to death, therefore they depict
on their doors the instruments with which he was killed. On the
Ist and 15th of each month men and women all assemble in their
church and chant prayers with closed doors until evening, when
they separate. In cases of sickness they do not use medicine, but
one of the sect uses a needle and caustic. They have no sense of
shame in the medical treatment of women. When any of them
dies the priest sends some one to enshroud the body. He drives
away all the kindred of the deceased, and when every one has gone
out he closes the door and the enshrounding takes place. When
that is finished two plaisters are used to cover the eyes of the
corpse. It is then wrapped up in a red cloth bag which is sewn
up round the neck and put into the coffin. It is said that they use.
this enshrounding process as a blind for scooping out the eyes of
the dead, which are used in refining silver. When the converts are
alive they receive four taels with this object in view. Therefore if
when any Christian dies notice is not given to the priest, or if the
friends of the deceased will not submit to the.enshrounding process,
they are said to rebel against the religion and a number of people
go the house and insult them in a hundred ways, while they
demand that the four taels shall be refunded with interest. Poor
people are taken in this way and fall into the trap, while the officials
and literati make a shameless profit out of them (that is, by
receiving hush money) and say these methods of refining silver are
all right. They pay court to them too, and speak of them as
Western scholars.' Wherever a priest is resident he makes friends
with the officials and they send presents to one another, and when
there is any trouble the officials do as he wishes and protect him,
therefore the sect grows. A book they have called the Keu Tóh
( ) is of a most vicious character. It has pictures in' it,
which are beautifully drawn, but though it has well executed
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES!)
T
165
.
:CLL
119
11111
representations of scenery and of a variety of things, all manner of
abominations are found in it.” [Here cannot be translated into
English]
Then comes an account of the expulsion of Roman Catholic .
missionaries from China after the reign of Kang Hsi.
Quotations are introduced from the Hai-kwoh-t-il-chi
2 of Wei Yuen. This book was published in 1844 and the
author is described by Mr. Wylie as a member of the Government
who was bitterly opposed to foreign intercourse. It may perhaps
be said that he represents the ideas of foreigners held by the
Chinese officials of fifty years ago, and that it is not quite fair to :
quote him as if he had written yesterday, but since he is quoted
with approval in the
which was published only three
years ago, we may reply that the charges he makes are virtually
charges of yesterday endorsed by present official opinion and
sanction. These charges are, amongst other things, that the priests
give their converts pills that befool them so entirely that they lose
the power of resisting the foreign teaching, that men and women
sleep together in the churches, and that the priests take out the
eyes of the dead. Some of the charges are both indescribably
nasty and indescribably silly, and cannot be quoted in English.
There was one man, this, writer says, who under false colours
entered the sect with a view to testing the truth of what he had
been told of their doings. He pretended not to eat for several
days. The priest being informed [that he was dead), came
holding a small knife in his hand. Just as he was about to take
out his eyes, up jumped the man and seizing the knife and knocking
down the priest he fled away. It is said, he continues, that from
100 catties of western lead 8 oz. (8 catties) of silver may be
extracted, while the remaining 92 catties can be sold to pay the
original cost, but this silver can only be got by using Chinamen's
eyes; the eyes of foreigners are of no avail for this purpose. Wei
Yuen is candid enough to say that his remarks do not apply to the
doings of Roman Catholics in western lands, about which he has
no information. He is only speaking of what goes on in China !
The editor proceeds to repeat a report he has heard that "the
priests go through the length and breadth of every province
[carrying their doctrine] and if they find any who will not believe
they et them in the churches and secretly administer medicine
.
166
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RİOTS.
.
to them either in tea or in a cake, after which their nature is
completely changed. "In the same way they cause women to
become thoroughly licentious.". But here again he becomes too
vile in his language for us to follow him.
III.
In the Chinese Recorder for August there appears a reprint of
a letter written by Dr. Griffith John to an English newspaper in
1883, giving an account of a journey he had made to Hunan in
the previous year. In that letter Dr. John relates his own
experience of a row got up at the city of Lungyang for the especial
benefit of himself and his travelling companion, Mr. J. Archibald,
of the Scotch Bible Society. The story is too long to quote here,
suffice it to say that before Messrs. John and Archibald left
Lungyang, the origin of the disturbance had been clearly and
indisputably traćed to the gentry and literati of the place acting in
concert with the Lungyang magistrate. In connection with this
testimony of a foreigner to the origin of an anti-missionary riot, I
that journey to an
Books by a Chinaman from a Chinese standpoint. The writer
himself was behind the scenes and tells us just how everything was
managed, who were the responsible persons, and what part each of
them played in the game. This account will be found in the
chapter on The Expulsion of Christianity from Kiangsi and
Hunan, mentioned in my last paper. It appears to be extracted
from the top . That book is, I believe, published anony-
mously, but the author speaks of himself as an actor in some of the
scenes he relates, and from what he says of the part he played, he
must have been some sort of responsible official in Kiangsi. He
tells us that in 1862 a French priest having asked for a passport to
enable hiṁ to travel, went to Hunan. The Roman Catholics of
Changsha and Hsiangtan hearing that he was coming were
delighted, but the gentry when they heard of it were disgusted.
They issued placards and held a consultation in regard to expelling
the Roman Catholics. The placards stated that if anyone let
houses to the priests the houses were to be burnt, if any one
entered the sect, his name was to be struck off the register of his
clan and his, children were to be forbidden for ever to enter the
examinations; all this was to be done principally because these
priests use the name of preaching to cover their designs of
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
167
A
immorality and to establish orphanages for disgraceful purposes,
· which things the gentry graphically and fully described, sending
the description on to Kiangsi. When Lo Ngan-t'ang, a foreign
priest, came with his passport to the provincial capital of Nan-
chang, in Kiangsi, he was detained, and proceeded no further:
The examinations were about to be held, and the leading gentry
of Nanchang met together in full force in the Yuchang college.
There were present Hia T‘ing-kü ( 1) an official in the
Hanlin Yuan who was on furlough, Liu Yü-sin ( Fe)
an ex-provincial judge of the province of Kansu, and others. They
took the Hunan placard and, raising a subscription, got a printer
within twenty-four hours to print off some tens of thousands of
copies, and with them they covered all the walls in the principal
thoroughfares of the city both within and without. When the
Frenchman heard of it he went to see the mandarins. It happened
to be immediately after the accession of the Emperor Tfung Chi
[and some changes were taking place amongst the high officials]..
The new Governor Shên Pao-chêng ( Rt) had not yet
arrived. The Treasurer of the province, Li Pi-t'ang til
who had just been promoted to this office and who had charge of .
the Governor's seals, refused to see the Frenchman, on the ground
that the Governor himself would arrive in five days. When Shên
Pao-chêng came, the priest went to him with his complaint, but he
would not see him. Then he tried to pay the Governor a visit of
ceremony but with no better success, whereat he was disappointed.
It being the time of the examinations the Literary Chancellor was
. also in Nanchang. On the 17th day of the second month I-i.e.,
the writer of this narrative—was examining the essays of the
candidates in the prefect's yamên when about midday the prefect
Wang Hia-hien (
F F ) and a servant of the district Magistrate's
came in hastily to tell me that placards had been posted up every-
where saying that next day at noon the Roman Catholic church
would be wrecked, and they said if the people were stirred up there
would be a riot which would cause inconvenience not only to the
responsible local mandarins, but to the minor officials also. I said
“What is to be done ?" They both replied, “Hia T'ing-kü the
Hanlin can give what orders he likes in the college, and although
he may not have planned [the riot] he can stop it.” I replied
“He has been drinking all day and now his door is shut and he will
168
THE ANTI-FOREİGN RIOTS.
not see visitors, but my son knows a good many of his servants,
and I will tell him to go and see how things are.” So I went back
to my lodging and told my son to go at once on horseback to the
place, but just as he was starting a messenger came from the
French priest Lo, and another named Fang, saying that the
orphanage had been looted. His master, he said, was safe and
had gone away through the Fucheu gate of the city, but the girls
from the orphanage were missing and it looked as if the trouble
might extend to the church outside the city, and he wished to
know if we would protect him. I at once went with the district
magistrate Chang to the yamên of the prefect where there were two
other district magistrates. We then went together to the Kwai-
tsz-hang (the street in Nanchang where the church and orphanage
of the mission were situated.) In addition to destroying the
orphanage the mob had also torn down some tens of houses in
which converts lived. It was already getting dark and the city gate
had been shut, so we went back to inform the Governor of what :
had happened. When he heard it he sighed and said, “These
foreigners have troubled me for a long time and now quite
unexpectedly our people have taken the matter in hand and paid
them out. Although we shall be blamed for mismanaging things,
I will take the responsibility upon myself. Don't talk of searching
for the offenders and apprehending them. I will report the facts
[to Peking) and ask that I may be severely dealt with, and no
enquiries will be made about the doings of the local mandarins and
of their assistants.” On the 18th of the month (i.e., next day), the
old Roman Catholic church.outside the city was destroyed, and a
boat in which the missionaries were was destroyed also; both by
night. The French priests Lo and Fang got away in different
directions. The former went to Fucheu and found shelter on the
road at the house of a convert named Ch'ên.........
The people sought for him and could not find him but they
destroyed several houses belonging to the Ch'ên family. The
sequel to this disgraceful story, itself even yet more disgraceful,
must be told in connection with the machinations of the literati
to discredit the orphanage work of the missionaries and to cause
even the very name of orphanages to excite the fury of the people
as a red rag flourished about before the eyes of a bull is said to
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
169
.
infuriate to madness a beast that if left alone would be perfectly
harmless. By the foregoing passage, translated from the
two things are made perfectly clear: firstly, that both in Hunan
- and also: in Kiangsi it was not the common people but the
.“educated" classes who first manifested the anti-foreign feeling
and desired to expel the foreigner with violence. What we call.
“the common people" the Chinese rulers always call “the stupid .
people.” Now these “stupid people” if left alone are generally
stupid enough to leave the foreigner alone, but when once their
superiors take them in hand and see how much they can teach them
in a short time about foreign men and foreign things, there seems
to be no limit to their powers of receptivity. They can believe
anything however absurd and however vile, and when worked up
to a white heat by means of placards and handbills, and assured of
plunder, with immunity from all danger of being punished for
stealing, they are ready for anything. Secondly, it is clear that
the most guilty persons in the transactions connected with the
expulsion of Christians from Kiangsi in 1862, were not even the
irresponsible "gentry,” but the officials themselves.
The two most prominent figures in the meeting which
assembled at Nanchang Fu in the chief college of the province to
plot a riot, were an officer in the Hanlin Yuan, of whom I shall
have more to tell by and by, and an ex-provincial judge. Either
* of these men could probably have stopped the whole proceedings;
neither of them wished to do so, but did what they could to
advance the cause of disorder. On the first appeal of the priest
to the acting governor, the riot might have been averted, but
the-acting governor declined to move. Last, but not least, when
the real Governor of the province came he' might have stopped
the trouble, but he would not. Even when it had begun and
his subordinates were alarmed, and were really anxious to stop
it he said in so many words, "Don't talk of searching for the
offenders and apprehending them.” Of course. what he said
was known all over the city in a few hours, and the rioters
finished with a light heart on the second day the work of robbery
that they had begun the day before. Dr. Edkins, in the abund-
ance of his charity, spoke at the Shanghai Missionary Conference
of Shên Pao-chêng as if he were a kind of model official. “Many
foreigners," he says, "are inclined to doubt the sincerity of the
high Chinese officials in their professions to aid the foreigner
170.
THE ANTI-FOREİGN RIOTS.
when he becomes, while conducting his missionary works an object
of hatred to the people. On this point the documents prepared
. by Shên Pao-chồng, with a view to bring anti-Christian riots to an
end, may be appealed to. In 1862 there was trouble in Kiangsi,
a. part of his jurisdiction. He writes the Regency in Peking in
response to a decree that the Kiangsi matter should be speedily
settled, “In my opinion the people must be brought to dismiss
their suspicions, so that the French missionary in going again to
Nanchang Fu may teach his religion in peace.” The tone of this
document is, I admit, excellent, except in one respect, viz., that
the writer is utterly insincere. The date of the document is the
12th month of the ist year of T'ung Chi. This riot took place
in the 2nd month of the same year. Between the 2nd month and
the 12th month Shên Pao-chêng had had good reason for coming
to the opinion that “the people must be brought to dismiss their
suspicions so that the French missionary in going .again to
Nanchang Fu might teach his religion in peace.” He had offered
to settle up all money claims with a lump sum of Tls. 5,000. He
heard soon afterwards from Peking that the French Minister
demanded Tls. 70,000! Finally he had to pay Tls. 20,000 and
to be snubbed from Peking. It is a remarkable fact that about
the very time when he was expressing these admirable sentiments
as to the reception which the French missionary ought to receive
next time he came to Nanchang, the French missionary did come, ::
and the first thing that met his eye was a great flag flying near the
landing place on which were written the characters E N
th, "The Frenchman is forbidden to enter the city.” As soon
as the missionary tried to anchor, his boat was pelted with brick-
bats, and a weiyuen came off from the Governor himself telling
him to clear out as quickly as he could! No doubt the issue of
the whole business was to make Shên Pao-chêng a wiser and more
cautious man, but when he wrote in the document that Dr. Edkins
quotes with approval, unless the history published side by side
with it lies, Shên Pao-chêng himself was saying what he knew to be
entirely untrue. “This year,” he writes pathetically, “in the
second month, it was not that there were no officials to protect
the foreigner) or soldiers to put down [the rioters], but it was
difficult to do anything against the anger of the multitude which
rushed forward like a foaming tide. Who could check it ?"
THỊ RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
171 :
Certainly not a Governor who checked his subordinates instead of
the rioters just when those subordinates proposed to exercise the
authority they possessed and put down the riot ! Dr. Edkins may
have—and I say it in all good faith-some information concerning
Shên Pao-chêng which I do not possess, and he may have reason ,
to know that the history of the expulsion of Christianity from
Kiangsi in 1862 as given in this Blue Book is untrustworthy, but
with the documents before me, I should say that the influence of
the Governor of Kiangsi was utterly anti-foreign and that the man
himself was in 1862 wholly insincere. Wherever such men are in
power to-day the foreigner has nothing to hope for in the way of
protection from riots, or from the good will of the officials.
IV.
The Blue Books of China hold Christianity responsible for not
a few things with which it has nothing to do. Mahometanism and
various secret and proscribed sects are referred to this source, and
some of the horrible evils charged against those sects are enlarged
upon as if to throw additional discredit upon the Romanists. Some
of the terminology which the Taipings used in common with
Christians. is quoted, and various absurd practices attributed to the
Taipings are connected by the writer with similar practices said to
prevail amongst the Roman Catholics. In 1842 or 1843 after the
treaties with Foreign Powers had been concluded, trouble arose in
some parts of the country about the disturbing of graves. Coffins
of newly buried persons, it is said, were being opened and the
brains of the dead were being taken away. The officials put out
proclamations treating it as the work of the Tsing Lien secret
society though there was no proof that it was so. After three years
a case occurred in the province of Chêkiang which caused great
excitement. A child was taken ill suddenly and died. In a short
time a considerable number of other children in the neighbourhood
died in the same way, but no one knew the cause of death. One
day, by chance, the father of one of the children happened to notice
that his child's grave had been disturbed. He examined it and
found that the child's sküll had been opened with a hatchet. On
investigation it turned out that all the other children had been
treated in the same way. Children at play were now inveigled by
passers-by into eating things that contained poison. Their brains
were taken out too. But the perpetrators of these crimes could
not be discovered. It was evidently some devilry connected with
172
. THE ANTI-FOREİGN RIOTS.
strange sects. '“In my opinion," writes the editors of the Blue
Books in his comments at the end of the chapter on the gradual
- demoralisation of China-“the depraved sects in making charms
and mediums use certain parts of the human body and mix them
with brains. . . . . They begin by taking what they want
from the dead, but if that does not do, they take it from the living;
therefore they stupify children and mutilate them while the life is
still in their bodies.” A little later he goes on to say “Of the
foreign missionaries who have come to China since the repeal of
the regulations prohibiting Christianity, the greater part are French-
men. Of late years the rumours of their taking out the brains of
infants and mutilating girls have been scattered abroad, for in
addition to building churches they have now opened orphanages.”
In his comments appended to the chapter on the expulsion of
Christianity from Kjangsi and Hunan, he repeats these rumours
and enlarges upon them in disgusting detail, and though he is
careful to say that there is no evidence that they are true, but
implies that he regards them as false, yet he shows in spite of what
he says about their improbability, that he is thoroughly suspicious
of the motives of the Roman Catholics in taking so many female
children under their charge.
The sequel to the story which I translated in my last paper
shows how the gentry and officials are willing to fan the flame of
popular superstition in regard to the taking out of eyes and the
murder of children, and with a few explanatory remarks, I will now:
give the sequel, continuing the translation, of the chapter on the
Kiangsi riots. The second Roman Catholic church in Nanchang
Fu having been destroyed by the mob on the 18th day of the 2nd :
month of the first year of the Emperor Tung Chi with the practical
connivance of Shên Pao-chêng the Governor, the gentry and literati
began to fear that they had rather overstepped the line of what was
expedient, in exciting the people to the extent they had done. It
was undeniable that the whole riot was due to the placards that
they had issued. “But when they heard that the Governor in his
report of the riot had not implicated either them or the local
mandarins, it was suggested by the Hanlin Hia T'ing-kü that they
should take some bones wrapped up in a parcel, and a copper
tube, and some ointment mixed with blood, and carry them to the
Governor and tell him that the bones had been dug up in the
courtyard of the Roman Catholic church, that the tube was used
:
wey
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES...173
for taking out eyes, and that the ointment compounded with blood
· was a mixture of children's brains and something else Ch . The
Governor received their statement with a good deal of incredulity,
but he deputed the prefect of Nanchang and the district magistrates
to hold an inquest and to steam the bones (a Chinese practice
which is said to show whether there are any cracks or bruises on
bones, which might have been produced by violence). The bones,..
of which there were a good many, showed no signs of having been
injured. The copper tube and the ointment had a foreign look
about them, but there was nothing to show what they had been
used for. The magistrates made their report accordingly on each
article. They said that although the gentry had no certain evidence
in support of their case, yet they themselves (the Magistrates) had
[before the matter was officially brought before them] heard
· rumours about it. The bones they had examined and the case
was perfectly clear, but they thought it would not be advisable to
talk of anything save the copper tube and the ointment. These
were evidently things used by foreigners, but there was nothing by
which they could discern their origin. If the discovery got abroad
among the people they feared it would create general consternation.
Certainly there must be some account to be given of these articles,
it was therefore their duty to return them to their superior,
· requesting that the whole case might be sent on to the Tsung-li
Yamên, in order that the French Minister might be interrogated
about it, and that on the receipt of a reply from the Tsung-li Yamên
the minds of the gentry and the people of Kiangsi might be
reassured and that feelings of good-will might be established
between the Chinese and the foreigner. The Governor accordingly
notified the Tsung-li Yamên and asked for instructions. But there
the matter was allowed to sleep.”
Here we see the gentry and the mandarins acting a play before
· the people. It is true it was after all the mischief had been done,
and the object of the farce was not to stir a mob up immediately
to any fresh act of violence, but only to intensify the hatred of the
people to the foreigner and to make it more impossible than ever
for him to return. Have we not seen during the recent riots the
same thing being done over again ? The newspapers have reported
cases of mandarins taking up the charges made by the people
against the Roman Catholics and seriously investigating them to
..see whether or not there was any truth in the rumour that in such
174
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
and such a place bones, etc., etc., had been found on orphanage
premises where a riot had been transacted. The officials may
themselves in some instances have been inclined to believe these
stories, but it is reasonable to suppose that in many more cases
they have simply used the superstitions of the people in the same
way that the gentry and magistrates at Nanchang Fu'used them in
1862, viz., as a lever to set in operation the brute force of the rabble
or as a means for keeping alive their anti-foreign feelings. The
impression left by the Chinese narrative that I have translated above
is quite clear ; the whole case was trumped up, and the mandarins
saw through it perfectly but spoke in their report in a mysterious
way about the bones, and recommended referring the case to
Peking, either out of fear of offending the gentry or because they
were themselves in thorough sympathy with the gentry. The
monstrosities connected with orphanages have come to be a
perfect nightmare' with the Chinese people. I have before me
as I write the testimony of an eye-witness to the appearance of
one of the houses of the Wesleyan Mission in Wusueh after the late
riot. The ceiling of the upper storey had been inspected by
means of a ladder. On the ground floor the boards of one of the
rooms had been fired and a large aperture made. Below the
ground floor the ventilators outside had been torn open as though
search had been made for missing infants, and the lath and plaster
walls in all rooms where they were to be found had been pierced.
The mission safe had baffled the ingenuity of the rioters but they
had done their best to open it, for it at once suggested itself to
their minds that probably eyes would be found inside it. One of
the outer plates of the safe was broken and the handle was torn
off. Finally it was carried to the yamên and sealed by the
magistrate, who kept it till it could be sent to Hankow where the
Consul wisely insisted on a mandarin being present when it was
opened. Now it must be remembered that in Wusueh there was
not, and never had been, any orphanage in connection with the
Wesleyan Mission, although the Roman Catholics have been in the
habit of forwarding babies from Wusueh to their orphanage, in
Kiukiang. Whence comes this widespread belief of the Chinese
common people in the scooping out of eyes, the employment of
brains as medicine, the mutilation of children for vile purposes ? Įt
YYY
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.:
175
filters down from the literati to the officials and to the lower
classes, and the statements contained in the
are exactly calculated to keep the belief alive in the minds of those
members of the upper classes who are capable of believing them.
The account given in these books of the charges against the Roman
Catholic orphanages is the thing that would impress the minds of
such people, for they are given at length and with a minuteness
of detail which makes many of them untranslateable on account of
their filthiness. The considerations urged on the other side would
carry no conviction to any one who needed to be convinced
that the charges were false. The editor gives an account of a
conversation he had with a .priest as to the presence of girls in
considerable numbers in the orphanages while there were few if any
boys. “The priest had no answer to give;" he says. “He evaded
my enquiries or made up excuses that were palpably false." He
gives his readers the impression that there was some underhand
work going on which the priest would fain conceal, by which a far
larger number of girls were being taken in than could possibly be
disposed of as the Catholics profess to dispose of them, viz., by
marriage to Christians.
I have attempted in these papers to give some idea of the
contents of certain chapters in the collection of Blue Books which
I have been criticising. My account of course only deals with one
side of this collection, but that side is a very important side. So
long as the collection is allowed to circulate in its present form it
must do infinite mischief. At the same time it would require a
very careful and thorough examination to say what parts of it
ought to be suppressed. A demand for the suppression of any
part of it would at once raise a very difficult question, viz., Wliat
about the parts that remain? I have come across many passages
that I regard as being very objectionable, but if they stood by
themselves I do not think any one would have a right to require
that they should be suppressed. If however a demand is made
that certain parts of the work should be expunged on account of
their being false and injurious, the natural inference in the Chinese
mind would be that the parts which are not objected to are not
regarded as objectionable. It is not the duty of Christian Govern-
ments to require that every assault on the Christian faith should be
forbidden, but in my opinion Christian Governments would put
176
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
themselves into a very false position if, while requiring that some
of the statements these books contain should be suppressed, they
left the Chinese with the impression that they regard other
statements which are highly dishonouring to Christ as being
unimportant. Once more, it would not be right to demand that
the Chinese should never criticise unfavourably the arrogance and
high-handed dealings of certain foreign missionaries which they
have sometimes, had good reason to complain of. At the same
time it would not be an easy task for any Government, while
requiring that false and libellous statements should be withdrawn,
to say of certain other strong denunciations of certain individuals-
“These may be allowed to remain." I trust that some solution of
the difficulties now suggested may be found which may result in
the re-editing of this-in many respects valuable-collection of .
books in such a form that it will be unobjectionable to any right
minded person.
F.
September 1891.
V.
When, five months ago, the present anti-foreign disturbances
broke out, the public, both in China and at home, seized upon Mr.
Drummond's explanation of them as a most probable one. It did
not appear at all unlikely that one of the secret societies, with
which China is known to be honeycombed, and which, as we learn
from history, have stirred up rebellions in the past, should be
endeavouring, by embroiling the Government with Foreign Powers,
to make for itself an opportunity to stir up another just now. In
spite, however, of the wide acceptance which this theory has met
with, and its practical adoption by the Chinese Government and
its apologists, it is worth while to enquire if some other explanation.
would not better fit the facts.
It may be said that previous to the Wuhu riot there was no
word of any dissatisfaction with the Government, in any quarter.
The central power appeared to be better able then to carry out
its will everywhere, than at any other time during the present
century; and was engaged in nothing which was likely to make it
unpopular. The provincial authorities were trusty, the literatı
loyal, and “the stupid people” submissive as usual. There was
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
177
not even a cloud the size of a man's hand to betoken the approach
of a great rebellion. Yet the rebellion theory was accepted
although unforeshadowed, and is still retained although unsup-
ported by proof. With the exception of “the man behind the
temple," no rebel has been seen by a foreigner as yet, nor have any
who have confessed to treasonable designs been seized by the
native authorities, as could hardly have failed to have been the
case were a genuine rising on foot. Such rioters as foreigners have
recognised have not been rebels, but were, and still are, the
Emperor's most loyal subjects and servants,--soldiers and yamên
men. No genuine act of hostility against the Government, as such,
can be alleged against them ; foreigners alone have suffered at their
hands. Some proof that the rebellion theory is the true one there
may be, but it has still to be brought forward. Those who are
actually on the scene of the disturbances do not endorse it, as an
examination of the correspondence columns of the newspapers
will show.
But further, the acceptance of this theory necessitates our
believing a number of other things which seem absolutely in-
credible. We must hold that the would-be rebels are so lacking
in common sense as to suppose that, in addition to defying the
dragon throne, they can afford to make enemies of, and array
against themselves, the whole military world besides. Were there
really two parties in China about to engage in mortal strife, one or
other of them would certainly court an alliance with foreigners.
At present both are equally hostile to usma most remarkable, and,
on this theory, unaccountable fact. We must also believe that the
Chinese Government is dealing with its deadly enemies in a way
in which no Government ever before dealt with such. It cannot
see them till they are actually pointed out. Their very names
and addresses must be put into its hands, or it will fail to find
them. When caught it will not punish them, unless compelled;
and is always ready to encourage those who help, and to obstruct
those who hinder them. In short, we must hold that the Govern-
ment has gone mad; and besides that it has been struck with a
strange paralysis. Officers can no longer control their soldiers,
nor Viceroys and Governors their officers, nor the Emperor any
one in connection with this rebellion business. As regards all
other matters the engine of State works as usual; on this one point
only is it helpless. All which are things increditable.
178
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
-
. Although so little can be urged in support of this theory, it
must be said in its favour that it is a most convenient one for the
Chinese officials and their friends. It puts the odium of the riots
upon parties with whom they, of course, have no sympathy. It
relieves them from the responsibility of any longer protecting
foreigners—how can individual mandarins be expected to cope
with a rebellion ? It absolves them from all fear of punishment
when riots occur; who would be so unreasonable as to insist on
punishing men for what they could not help? Best of all, it
furnishes a splendid argument why Foreign Powers should stand
quietly aside, and allow events to take their course, since by
interfering they would necessarily precipitate so great a calamity.
Amongst the maxims reverenced by the people of this country are
some which tell us that if "we would know the affairs of the
Empire, we must read the works of the ancients” and “if we would
understand the present we must study the past." These precepts
hold good anywhere, but particularly in China; whose motto might
well be semper idem. Referring then to the pages of the ancients,
we find that there was a time when the Chinese welcomed inter-
course with foreigners, but it was before the present dynasty
obtained possession of the throne. The Manchu rulers, themselves
foreigners, have constantly and consistently endeavoured to exclude
all other outer kingdom men, and, before they were compelled by
the strong arm to act otherwise, spared no pains to make life a
burden to all such as came within their reach. In thus acting the
literati, the only body in the empire whose opinion is of any
weight, were entirely at one with them. We find that troubles,
like to those we have recently had, were by no means rare in the
experience of the foreigners of a hundred years ago. It would be
easy to parallel all that has happened with similar events in the
history of the old Canton factory. It is now one hundred and
forty years since we find bitter complaint being made that "in-
jurious affiches were annually put up by the Government, accusing
foreigners of horrible crimes, and intended to expose them to the
contempt of the populace.” These "ancients” experienced the
same brutal violence, burnings and murderings, as we are now
becoming acquainted with. The only difference was that they
knew, beyond all doubt, that the Government officials were at the
bottom of it all, while we are not yet absolutely sure, but strongly
suspect it,
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
179
.
We are told that the Government has greatly changed since
those days. Indeed, with their palaces in flames and their capital
in the hands of the enemy it was imperative that they should turn
over a new leaf, but it was still the same old book. Convinced
against their will, of the advantages of foreign intercourse, they
were still of the same opinion. The change then made was not
a change of policy, but only of the method of carrying it out. If
this was not so, why have they never granted us a single privilege
which was not extorted from them? Why have they constantly
endeavoured, and generally contrived, to stop every movement
which promised to extend foreign influence ? When, in 1874,
Britain, bent on opening up a trade route through Burma into
China, despatched the Browne mission, they stopped it with the
dead body of poor Margary. When, after the conquest of Burma,
the idea was revived, they persuaded the British Government to
leave it to them they would promote the trade. In doing so they
kept the Ichang steamer running for a whole winter with cargo
destined for the western frontier, but it consisted of arms and
ammunition of all kinds, and machinery for making such. They
have fortified the frontier, and are now in a better position to stop
missions from coming that way than ever before. When France
got into difficulties with Annam, China promptly despatched several
Hunan regiments to fight them under the character of Black Flags.
It took France some time to find out who the enemy really was,
and perhaps she was never absolutely certain, but that Imperial
soldiers acted as Black Flags the writer has been assured by the
men themselves. So too with the opening of Tibet to foreign
trade. While the Indian Government, fooled by Peking, was
busy getting the Macaulay mission ready, the Szechuan Viceroy
was sending forward soldiers to keep it out of the country. Kept
out it was, and as the result of no end of diplomatics Tibet is now
being opened by means of a market in Darjeeling! Yet China is
paramount in Tibet, as the Peking Gasette frequently shows.
Another case, namely, how the Upper Yangtze was not opened to
steam navigation, need not be recounted. These things seem to
show the survival of the old exclusion spirit.
Further it is remarkable that in a country where some one can
always be held accountable for every kind of untoward events,
including floods, droughts, plagues and earthquakes, an exception
is made with regard to anti-foreign riots. For these the accountable
M
?
180
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
parties can never be found, or if found must not be punished.
This striking feature of the late riots is by no means a new one, as
Canton and Chinkiang showed. For the notorious outbreak at
Chungking no one was punished, save an unfortunate Romanist
found guilty of the crime of too vigorously defending his house
from the mob. He was beheaded. In this an old unfriendly
practice seems still persevered in.
If we suppose then, that the feeling of the governing classes
in China with respect to foreigners has not changed, but that as it
was in the beginning of our intercourse it is still, and that it is
highly agreeable to the minds of those in authority to have
foreigners excluded, thwarted, insulted and generally tormented if
it can be safely done-granting this, it is easy to construct a
theory which will fit every feature of the recent outrages as
accurately as a key does the complex wards of a lock. For a long
series of years the Chinese officials have rather got the best of it
in all their disputes with Foreign Powers, and their confidence
in their own ability to manage them is now no doubt considerable.
A generation has passed since they felt the effect of foreign war,
and they have lost their former healthful fear of it. If we suppose
then that, thus emboldened, the ruling powers, imperial and pro-
vincial alike, are simply allowing it to be ascertained how far in the
direction of making China too hot for foreigners to live in it is safe
to go, we have a theory which fits exactly. For example, when
the Chinese Minister in London explained that it would not do to
punish more rioters lest it should encourage the people to attempt
further outrages, his real fear must have been lest it should
discourage them. When it was found that this piece of inverted
reasoning was gravely accepted, he was instructed to complain of
Sir John's pertinacity, and the German Minister's officiousness
in insisting that a rebellion should be put down! For this he was
fittingly rebuked, but both pieces of impudence were alike in the
interests of the rioters. This theory readily explains why such
difficulty was experienced in obtaining the edict, why it was sent
forward by the slowest means (by courier, not by telegraph), and
why it has been found of no value. It makes it clear why rioters
cannot be caught—it is reported that at Ichang they have seized
just one,-how it is so hard to get them punished, and how all
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
181
181
proclamations against them are so ineffective. Recently, two
proclamations appeared side by side, one with the seal of a minor
official forbidding the slaughter of animals, the other, with the
name and stamp of the greatest man in the province, interdicting
the circulation of a certain kind of literature. The butchers
immediately obeyed the one, and all meat disappeared from the
market, but the other was entirely disregarded by the literature
men. This theory also explains how it comes about that the
rebels regard themselves as by far the most loyal men in the
empire. The disbanded soldiers and local roughs are merely
tools; but the Hunan officials and gentry, with their sympa-
thisers, are something more, and these believe most firmly that
they are engaged in carrying out the Imperial will. Everything
seems to prove that this theory is the correct one, and the most
that can be urged against it is that the Government is not likely to
play so dangerous a game. But the Chinese are ever ready to run
enormous risks if the inducement be thought adequate. That
they should play “double or quits" with tlie matter of foreign
influence in their country need surprise no one who knows them.
If this theory be correct, it follows that nothing can be gained
by negotiating at Peking. Mere pretended compliances with
foreign demands are worse than useless. Talk about getting the
northern army to coerce the Hunanese may be given up. Could
it be so used, which is impossible, it would then be the rebel.
Unless the Foreign Powers take action to stop them, the present
disturbances will go on, till the foreign element in China is reduced
to a few communities, cramped up in their concessions as they
were in the old factory days. Such is the case at Hankow at
present, while every mission station between that port and Chung-
king has been abandoned. If the Powers take action they may
count on opposition. It would cost any Chinese general or
admirál his head to surrender his charge without orders; and
orders to that effect he never will get. The presence of the
northern fleet in the Yangtze may mean something very different
from protecting foreigners. On the other hand the Powers may
dismiss the rebellion nightmare; no action of theirs will imme-
diately bring about any such calamity. Is it a great rebellion?
No. Will it be war? Yes. · It is war, of the usual masked kind
182
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RİOTS.
which the Chinaman loves, declared by them five months ago;
the only question about it is how long will it be before the other
side is compelled to strike back.
A.
Shanghai, roth October.
VI.
[A NANKING CORRESPONDENT.] :
A broadsheet, roughly printed on thin paper, of which the
following is a close translation, is being freely circulated among the
thousands of students at Nanking. On the top is a picture of a
Christian Catholic church, with the motto, “No distinction
between male and female," and there are four other illustrations,
showing foreigners engaged in performing the horrible acts detailed
in the text. This text is, we admit, almost too filthy to print : but
we think it desirable that the foreign public should know clearly
what the literature is, by which the Chinese people are being
incited to the outrages that have been committed this year :-
The Roman Catholic religion had its origin from Jesus, and
is practised by all the Western countries, and taught by them to
others; it exhorts men to virtue. The founder was nailed by
wicked men on a cross, and cut to death. His disciples then
scattered about the world to disseminate the doctrine. The
Principal is called the Fah Wang Fu ( IV) [His Holiness
the Pope). Sodomy without shame is called "a public meeting,"
or “a benevolent society." When they marry they use no go-
between, and make no distinctions between old and young. Any
man and woman who like may come together, only must first do
obeisance to the bishop, and pray to Shangti. The bride must
invariably first sleep with the spiritual teacher, who takes the
first fruits of her virginity. This custom is called ( ET)
Sheng-yü-lo-fuh(?) Two wives may not be taken, they say, because
Shangti created one man and one woman at first. In these
countries therefore concubinage is not practised, but no unchastity
in other directions is forbidden. When a wife dies another may
be had. When a father dies, his son may marry the mother who
bore him. When a son dies, his father may marry the son's wife;
and even his own daughter. Brothers, uncles, and nieces may
intermarry promiscuously. Brothers and sisters of same parents
also marry together,
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
183
Chang Show-ts'ai was a boat-tracker on the Hun Ho. A man
named Liu informed him that by kidnapping little children and
scooping out their hearts and eyes he could earn fifty taels a set.
A foreign devil at Canton went dropping poison down the
wells at night. Every one fell ill of a strange disease, which could
only be cured by foreign doctors. Untold numbers died. At last
the Prefect found it out, arrested over thirty people, and put them
all to death.
: When these [foreign] devils open a chapel, they begin with
their female converts by administering a pill. When they have
swallowed it, they are beguiled, and allow themselves to be defiled.
Then after the priest has outraged them, he recites an incantation.
The placenta then is easily drawn out, and is chopped up to make
an ingredent for their hocussing drugs.
At Tientsin they used constantly to beguile and entice away
young children in order to scoop out their eyes and hearts. When
the people discovered it, they tore down their tall foreign houses,
and found heaped up inside bodies of kidnapped children, boys
and girls.
All these facts should make us careful not to incur similar
dangers. We should unite hands and hearts to keep out the evil
before it is upon us.
(At the side). His Excellency the Commander-in-chief for
the Canton province.
DR. JOHN'S CHINESE OFFICIAL SINCERITY.
SIR, --I have just been reading the Blue Book containing the
"Correspondence respecting Anti-Foreign Riots in China.” In a
telegraphic despatch from Sir John Walsham to Lord Salisbury,
dated June 21st, we have a revelation of a most important fact.
He wired :-"An Imperial Edict was, however, published on the
13th inst., in which the attacks on missionaries were strongly
condemned, and the high authorities called upon to protect all
foreigners, and to punish those who incite the people against them
with the utmost severity. This Edict, and its publication in the
Gazette was obtained by us with great difficulty." The words in
italics (the italics are mine speak) volumes. The Edict is the most
satisfactory document of the kind that has ever been issued from
184
THE ANTI-FOREİGN RIOTS,
H
.
Peking. I have read it again and again, and have been delighted
with it. I have placed it in the hands of native scholars, and have
asked them to point out anything in the wording of it which
might be construed as indicating on the part of the Government
doubleness of heart. None have succeeded in finding a flaw in
it. All seem satisfied that we have in this document a genuine
expression of the Imperial mind on matters relating to the foreigner,
be he merchant or missionary. I need not add that the Edict has
brought much-joy to the hearts of many among the Christian
converts residing here and elsewhere. .
We now learn, however, that this important document “was
obtained with great difficulty.” It is perfectly clear that the
Chinese Government would never have taken the initiative, and
that the Edict would never have been issued if the Government
had been allowed to act according to its own free choice. This is
a fact of great significance, and will probably account, in a measure
at least, for the sad state of things which still exists in this valley.
The provincial officials can tell what their August Master speaks in
his secret chamber, and have no difficulty in attaching the right
value to these paper-decrees issued from Peking.
The Viceroy of these two provinces issued a Proclamation
immediately after the Wusueh riot. It is a valuable document;
and it did much good at the time in quieting the people. I have
read it once and again, and have admired its outspoken condemna-
tion of the evil, and the severity of its threats. The case of the
Christian converts is fairly stated, and no missionary could desire
anything better than to see the principles stated in this document
acted upon. Some of us were simple enough to suppose that the
Emperor's Edict and the Viceroy's Proclamation would restore
peace to the province of Hupeh, and inaugurate a new era in our
relation with the people. In this we have been sadly disappointed.
The Ichang riot upset all our calculations, and we have been
feeling ever since as if we were sitting on the edge of a volcano.
The officials cannot depend on the soldiers, and we know that we
can depend upon neither. We have been passing through times
of real danger, and we owe our preservation to the presence of the
foreign gunboats. Had these been absent there would have been
in all probability an outbreak in Wuchang and Hankow. This is
the opinion of the natives, and most of us are inclined to agree with
them. We are still dependent upon this foreign force. Were it
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSÉS.
i85
taken away, we should have an outbreak within a week. At least,
such is the opinion of many, and I share in it. The Ichang riot
has given us a deeper insight into the present state of things than
we had before. There the Emperor's Edict and the Viceroy's
Proclamation had been posted up for weeks. · Brigadier-General
Lo was there with his two or three hundred men, a force sufficiently
strong to quell any attempt to create a disturbance at Ichang. But
in the face of the Edict and the Proclamation, one of the most
serious of the riots broke out there; and, in the very presence of
Lo and other officials, the work of destruction was carried on with
unprecedented despatch and thoroughness.
Now, I will mention another fact which has just come under
my notice. One of our native evangelists left us on Monday last
for Huangpi, a city distant from Hankow only twenty or thirty
miles. He returned last night, and came to see me early this
morning. He has brought back with him two printed copies of
one of the Hunan publications, which is now being printed and
actively circulated in the city of Huangpi through the medium of
the pawn-shops. There are seven of these shops in the city, all of
which, with one exception, are busily engaged in this diabolical
work. They are large and wealthy establishments, and thousands
of people frequent them every week. The book is given away
gratuitously, so the circulation must be immense. These two
copies were given to one of our converts at two of these shops.
At one of the shops he was told that their old supply was used up,
but that they would have a new supply soon. At another of the
shops he found them busily engaged in cutting new blocks. The
whole thing is done publicly, and no attempt at concealment is
made. At the beginning of last year one of our converts in
Hunan sent me a printed copy of this book, so there can be no
doubt as to its origin. It is written in fluent mandarin, and is
entitled, Death to the Devils' Religion ( TE). Of all the
Hunan publications, I do not know one more violent, more abusive,
more filthy, or more inflammatory than this. It finishes up with a
song, which is committed to memory by the children of Huangpi,
and sung in the streets. I felt inclined for a moment to give you
a translation of this song. But it is impossible; it is too dirty and
vile for your columns. You could not print it. I may, however,
translate the word of exhortation with which the book closes :
"Let fathers and the old people teach the children to sing this
186
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
song, and thus accumulate merit and secure bliss. Let the little
boys learn to sing this song, and thus remove calamity and escape
danger. Why fear because the demons are many? We are firmly
resolved to exterminate them utterly.” Our native evangelist in
the city of Huangpi. says that the publication and distribution of
this book commenced immediately after the Ichang riot. Pre-
viously nothing of the kind could be found in that city. Let it be
borne in mind that the Emperor's Edict and the Viceroy's Pro-
clamation are posted up there as elsewhere, and that the local
magistrate has issued his Proclamation also, calling attention to
both, and threatening to punish severely any who may be found
inciting the people against foreigners, whether by means of anony-
mous publications or in any other way. The magistrate of
Huangpi knows perfectly well what these pawn-shops are doing,
and yet he allows the thing to go on without lifting a finger or
uttering a word.
What shall we say to this state of things in China ? Are the
Chinese officials wholly insincere? One hesitates to answer in the
affirmative. And yet how is it possible to do otherwise? 'The
principal instigators of the anti-European riots have not been
arrested yet. Not one of the publishers or disseminators of the
anti-Christian placards and pamphlets has been punished. What
is done in the city of Huangpi is doubtless done in many other
cities, and the authorities, in spite of Imperial Edicts and Viceregal
Proclamations, love to have it so. The names and persons of the
rioters and other offenders are well-known to the Chinese lower
authorities, and if the lower authorities were convinced that the
arrest of the criminals would be pleasing to their official chiefs,
the criminals would long ago have been arrested and punished.
Does it not look as if the Edict and Proclamations issued, are issued
merely to amuse the foreigners, and that the real instructions given
to the lower officials are "don't be too zealous ?" Is it not probable
that the highest officials in the country are encouraging the anti-
Foreign demonstrations in order to frighten the Foreign Powers
from making disagreeable demands? Probably if one could read
the wish of the highest authorities, provincial and central, it would
be that the people should be sufficiently hostile to cause the
barbarians to be very uncomfortable and apprehensive, but should
refrain from killing Consuls and too many other foreigners, for
fear of enraging Westerni nations. I believe in my deepest heart
THÊ RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
187
that the whole question rests with the officials themselves. They
have it in their power to protect us. It is not a matter of power
but of will. Let them show the people that they mean to protect
the foreigners, and these riots will come to a speedy end. But how
are the officials to be brought to act honestly in this matter? If it
were possible to so change their hearts, as to make them feel truly
friendly towards us, they would find it a very simple matter so to
act. But that change, I fear, is a long way off; and this being the
case there is only one thing possible in the circumstances. The
Chinese Government must be told plainly that the present state of
things shall not continue. The higher Chinese authorities must
be made to feel that they are playing a dangerous game; that
the perilous hostility they are encouraging, or at all events not
discouraging, may get beyond their control ; and that results most
disastrous to China may ensue. My own impression is that if
matters do not nend, and mend speedily, war between the Foreign
Powers and China will become inevitable. Things cannot go on
for long as they have been going on of late. If war is to be
averted, a stop must be put to the suicidal game which the Chinese
high officials are now playing ; but in order to bring this game to
an end, the Foreign Powers must speak out plainly, firmly, and
with united voice. My long and heartfelt interest in China's
welfare, and earnest desire that the cloud. which now darkens her
sky may melt away in peace, will, I trust, justify me in troubling
you with this letter.
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 24th September.
II.
DR. JOHN ON THE CAUSES OF THE RIOTS.
SIR,_Your article of the 3rd instant deals with the cause or
causes of the recent outbreaks in the Yangtze valley. It is not
my intention to discuss any one of the theories propounded by
others. There is probably a certain amount of truth in them all.
I should like to state in a few words my own opinion on the
subject. Having lived in this valley for thirty years, and having
travelled extensively in Hupeh, Hunan, and Kiangsi, my opinion
may be taken as based upon observation as well as reflection,
Cobweb theories, however finely woven, are of no use at this time,
188
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RİOTS.
We have to deal with stern facts, and our true policy is to face
them manfully, and to base our action on a full recognition of
their existence and potency.
My opinion may be expressed in a few words. It must be
admitted that the foreigners have forced themselves upon the
Chinese. We are here, not because they have invited us to come
or wish us to remain. We have, it is true, our treaty rights; but
every one of them has been obtained at the point of the bayonet.
Our presence in Peking, our presence at the coast ports, our pre-
sence in the interior, our presence in the valley of the Yangtze,
our autocratic settlements, our extra-territorial jurisdiction-all
these things are now, and have been from the beginning, an
abomination to the Chinese Government. The governing classes
have never changed in their hatred of the foreign element, or in
their desire to banish it from the land. They would if they could
bring things back to their pristine state, and confine both us and
our commerce to one spot.
The idea of casting out the foreigner, sooner or later, has
been tenaciously held and fondly cherished by the officials and
scholars all these fifty years. The idea may have been allowed to
sleep off and on; but they have never relinquished it, and of late
they have been greatly moved by it. The opening of Chungking
and the attempt to introduce steam navigation on the Upper
Yangtze may have had something to do with putting a new life
into it. The question before them for some time seems to have
been how to realise the idea ; and the plan which has commended
itself to their judgment appears to be this : "Let all the mission-
aries, in the first instance, be frightened back into the open ports;
if that succeeds, let an effort be made to drive all the foreigners,
whether merchants or missionaries, to the coast ports.” This is
intended for the immediate future. It does not exhaust the
scheme.
Now this idea, which I father on the governing classes, needed
a congenial home in order to take root and develop, and that
home it has found in Hunan. In Hunan the hatred of the
foreigner is a provincial characteristic. The gentry and scholars
of Hunan look upon their province as the palladium of the Empire,
and the ultimate expulsion of the hated barbarian has never ceased
to be a fixed article in their creed. It is only in a province such
as Hunan is, and in the midst of conditions such as Hunan
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
189
moment. she beginning this valley; is river.
presents, that the idea could strike so deep a root and attain to so
vigorous and gigantic a growth. The Hunan scholars have been
engaged for many years in propagating their anti-foreign creed,
with the view of preparing the minds of the people for the decisive
moment. Believing that the time for action was at hand, they
made, at the beginning of last year, a special effort to poison the
minds of the people of this valley. The Hunan publications were
widely scattered up and down this river. The poison found its
way into the homes of all classes of society, and was- greedily
devoured by all conditions of people. The way having been thus
prepared, and the propitious hour having arrived, the blow was
struck, and the work of destruction began. There was no accident
about it. The whole thing was deliberately planned, and carried
on with a definite purpose. Behind the people were the Hunan
emissaries, and behind the Hunan emissaries stood the real power,
which worked in both and through both.
This is my opinion. The opinion may be wrong, but it has
been formed slowly, deliberately, and calmly. This theory
alone will account for the fact that the anti-foreign crusade has
been carried on in Hunan for so many years, and that with the
knowledge, the connivance, and active co-operation of the pro-
vincial officials. This alone will account for the fact that the
Imperial " Edict, and its publication in the Gasette, was obtained
with great difficulty," and that the Ichang riot followed its promulga-
tion so swiftly. This alone will account for the conduct of the
Brigadier-General at Ichang, the Erhfu at Wusueh, the Taotai at
Wuhu, and other high officials at other places. This alone will
account for the inactivity of the officials almost everywhere till the
work of destruction is actually done, and their slowness to punish
when all is over. This alone will account for the fact that the
principal instigators of the riots have not been arrested yet, and
that not one of the publishers or disseminators of the anti-foreign
placards and pamphlets has been punished..
The Ko-lao Hui theory has not taken hold of my mind. We
have not been made to feel the existence or the power of the sect
in these parts. That it exists I know, and that its members are
numerous I know. . That one of its aims is the expulsion of the
present dynasty, I am quite ready to believe. Secret societies with
this aim in view have troubled the Great Tsing dynasty from its
foundation till now. Twenty years ago the Kwan-yin sect was
190
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
dominant in these parts, and I know that, though ostensibly a
religious sect, its grand aim was the expulsion of the Manchu
dynasty and the restoration of the Ming. The Ko-lao is to the
front now; but I find it difficult to attach much importance to it,
and have no expectation of seeing the sect becoming a dynasty.
Members of the sect have been active of late, and they may have
had something to do with striking the match which has set this
valley in a blaze. But what about the combustibles which they
found everywhere so near at hand and so ready to take fire ?
Without the preparation which had gone before, what serious
mischief could they have perpetrated in these parts ? Let it never
be forgotten that this preparation had been going on for years
under the very eyes of the officials, and that nothing was done by
them to stop it. At the beginning of last year, the attention of
the Viceroy of Hupeh and Hunan was called to the broadcast
circulation of the Hunan publications in the Yangtze valley, but
nothing was done to put an end to it. If the Viceroy of Hukuang
and the Governor of Hunan had taken active measures last year to
suppress this poisonous literature in both provinces, it is highly
probable that none of these riots would have occurred this year.
Why did they not do so ?
By this time no doubt many among the officials have been
brought to see that a great blunder has been committed. They
must see now clearly that the recent attempt to realise the official
idea has only involved them in new troubles. They probably
imagined that, by making the movement appear to be an anti-
missionary movement, and the riots an uprising of the people
against the missionaries, the Foreign Powers might be bamboozled,
and won over to their side. This was the aim of Defensio Populi ;
and we all know now who the author of that remarkable production
is and where he abides. In this, however, they have failed signally,
and they cannot but know it. They would probably be glad to
undo the work of the last five months, and they may set themselves
to the task of preventing further mischief, at least for the present.
But they will not readily relinquish their anti-foreign idea ; and it
is more than probable that the anti-foreign spirit evoked by it in
Hunan, and more or less throughout the land, will prove itself
stronger than they.
I am not now discussing the merits or demerits, the reason-
ableness or unreasonableness, of the Chinese position in regard to
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
191
foreign intercourse. Looking at things from their standpoint, it
must be admitted that the Chinese have a good deal to say for
theirs, and the one or the other must yield. The real question
which the Foreign Powers have to consider at the present time is
this; shall we maintain our present position in China, or shall we
bow to the Chinese idea and clear out? “China exclusively for
the Chinese.” That is the idea—the official idea, the realisation
of which is the grand aim of the present anti-foreign movement.
It is not an anti-missionary movement; neither is it a sudden
uprising of the masses of the Chinese people against all foreigners.
and above all anti-foreign. The people are moved, but they have
not been moved by an internal impulse. The whole movement,
in my opinion, is to be traced to a Government policy, and it is
with the Government and its policy the Great Powers are called
upon now to deal.
There is one lesson which the Chinese Government ought to be
idea, they must not and shall not use the methods which they have
been using recently in their attempts to realise it. They must be
made to see and feel that all this is barbarism pure and simple.
China wishes civilised nations to look upon her as a member of the
family, and to grant her the privileges of international law. It is
high time that China should be told that by these inhuman and
savage deeds she is showing herself to be unworthy of a place
among the civilised Governments, and forfeiting every right of
appeal to the law which regulates civilised nations in their mutual
intercourse. If she would profit by this law she must be bound
by it.
Believing that the cure of this disease depends much on a
careful and correct diagnosis, I think it well that all who have an
opinion to give should give it at this time. My opinion on the
situation may be regarded as of little value, but such as it is I send
it on to you. Our one desire is that war may be averted, that the
present difficulty may be amicably settled, and that our future
relations with China may be more cordial.
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN,
Hankow, roth October,
192
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
III.
DR. JOHN ON THE DISSEMINATION OF
ANTI-FOREIGN LITERATURE.
Sir,—Your issue of 29th September contains a letter from
me, calling attention to the dissemination in Huangpi of one of the
Hunan publications called
E, “Death to the Devils'
Religion.” Our energetic Consul, Mr. Gardner, brought the case
at once before the notice of the Viceroy, and the Viceroy sent a
deputy to Huangpi to enquire into the matter. A search was
made by the Huangpi magistrate, and the state of things was
found to be pretty much as I have already described it. The
managers of the six pawnshops were taken to the yamên, where
they are still kept in custody. The blocks were seized, and one
was sent to the Viceroy for his inspection. I am informed to-day
that two of the block-cutters have been arrested, and that the third,
who has gone to another city, is being searched for. On the 5th
inst. I was honoured with a visit from one of the gentry of
Huangpi, whose acquaintance I made some months since. He
wears a blue button (purchased), and is highly respected by his
neighbours. He came to see me on behalf of the managers of the
pawnshops, and especially on behalf of the five shops owned by
natives of Huangpi. He wanted to show me that these five are.
comparatively blameless, having got their supply of books from the
sixth, which is owned by a native of the Anhui province. He
begged that I would write to the Viceroy, and intercede on behalf
of his friends. I told him that I had no influence whatever with
the Viceroy, and that any interference on my part would be useless.
This, however, he seemed slow to believe. I tried to point out to
him the wickedness of his friends; but he would have it that they
were ignorant of the contents of the book, and actually did not
know what they were doing. After some further conversation he
handed me a bit of paper, and asked me to read it. I did so, and
found it to be a copy of the depositions of the managers of the
pawnshops, taken down by the magistrate himself at his office.
It is an interesting document, well worth translating. I can only
give an extract. The magistrate writes that, having carefully
examined the parties concerned, he presents the following reliable
statements :-
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
193
Huang Sin-cheng.deposed :-“I am 76 years old, and a native
of Anhui province. I have been assisting at the Heu Seng pawn-
shop for more than twenty years. Hitherto I have been a peaceable
man, contented with my lot, law-abiding, and quite free from
disorderly conduct. Formerly there was in the shop an employé,
named Feng Teh-tsüen, a native of Yunghien in Hunan. In the
5th month of this year, Feng went home to see his parents. In
the beginning of the 6th month he returned, bringing with him
copies of this book. He said it was issued by a Benevolent Hall
( ) in Ch‘angsha. I, however, paid no attention to what he
said. In the middle of the 7th month, Feng Teh-tsüen was taken
ill and died. When searching his baggage, I found in his box a
number of blocks, and on further examination discovered them to
be the blocks of this book. Besides the blocks, there were found
in his box twenty or thirty copies of the book itself. Being spoken
of as a good book, I willingly kept these copies, and placed them
on the book-stand in my private room. I had no time, however,
to read the book. About the end of the 7th month and the
beginning of the 8th month, friends from the other pawnshops, at
various times, visited me. I certainly did not present them with
copies of the book ; but they, seeing the books on the book-stand,
each took a copy. This is the truth of the matter. I certainly
have not been disseminating the book, or giving it away to be read.
Neither is it a book cut or printed by me. I pray for mercy.”
The managers of the other five shops deposed :-"We are all
natives of Huangpi. Hitherto we have been peaceable men and
contented with our lot. We have never been guilty of disorderly
conduct, or of meddling in other people's matters. About the end
of the 7th month of this year and the beginning of the 8th month,
we, at various times, called at the Heu Seng pawn-shop, where
Huang Sin-cheng resides. Whilst sitting there, we saw on his
book-stand twenty or thirty copies of a certain book. We asked
Huang Sin-cheng what book it was. He told us it was a good book
() which the deceased Feng Teh-tsüen had brought with
him from Hunan; that they were found in his box after his death;
and that for convenience sake he had placed them on the stand.
Seeing they were good books, we, at various times, took copies,
some two copies and some three copies apiece, and brought them
194
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
home to read. It has happened that personal friends, visiting the
shops, have themselves taken copies away. But surely there has
been no such thing as disseminating the book by us, or giving it
away to be read. Let enquiries be made, and the truth will be
ascertained. This is a true declaration. We pray for mercy.”
Such is the first statement sent by the Huangpi. magistrate to
the Viceroy. It would appear that the Viceroy is not satisfied
with it, for Mr. Gardner has not received an official reply as yet,
and I hear to-day that another deputy has been sent down to make
further enquiries into the matter. The statement as given above,
however, supplies us with three or four important facts : (1) There
can be no doubt that this vile production has come from Hunan.
Though written in mandarin, the style is such that no ordinary
scholar could have composed it. Here we have a genuine pro-
duction from the hand of an able Hunan scholar. (2) There can
be no doubt that this abominable filth is issued by one of the
Benevolent Halls of Changsha, the capital of Hunan, and therefore
issued with the connivance and sanction of the local officials. It is
a well-known fact that the book has been sent in boat-loads all
over the province of Hunan, and that the boats are allowed to
pass the Custom-houses free of all imposts. (3) There can be no
doubt that men of influence and position do not think it beneath
their dignity to disseminate this foul literature. In point of
wealth and respectability the pawn-shops stand first in every
Chinese city, and the managers as a rule hold official rank. The
managers of the Huangpi shop are all chiyïen, that is to say, they
are men who have purchased official rank, and, as such, are on
terms of intimacy with the magistrate. These men knew perfectly
well the character of this production which they are publishing
and circulating, and yet they call it a shan shu ( N), the name
popularly given to all moral and religious books whose professed
aim is to exhort the people to virtue. There is nothing in their
depositions to show that they saw anything in the book to be
ashamed of, but the very reverse. They went about their filthy
work joyfully and with a fixed purpose, believing no doubt that
they were rendering great service to their country, and covering
themselves with glory. (4) It is perfectly clear that not the least de-
pendence can be placed upon official statements in matters relating
to anti-foreign publications and demonstrations. What Huang
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
195
Sin-cheng says about his ignorance of the book, and the fewness
com citrihustad is faire falde.onlinetaleshoot the
of the copies distributed, is of course false; and the tale about the
death of Feng Tel-tsüen is in all probability a fabrication. Not
only were the books given away freely in these six pawn-shops; it is
a fact that in Huang Sin-cheng's shop block cutters were employed
in cutting blocks for a new edition. The whole story is concocted
with the view of shielding both Feng and the managers, and yet
the magistrate sends it on to the Viceroy as a thoroughly reliable
statement of fact. This, however, is no rare thing in China.
Greater men than the Huangpi magistrate do not hesitate to turn
their hands to this sort of work whenever it answers their purpose.
In Huangpi there are seven pawn-shops in all, all of which, with
one exception, are actively engaged in disseminating this book.
This is the fact. Compare the official statement as given above
with the fact, and you will have some idea of the value to be
attached to official veracity. I may add that the seventh shop is
owned by a Mohammedan, and that this will probably account for
his having nothing to do with the distribution of the book.
The author of Defensio Populi (that carefully timed and
officially inspired production) tells us that the Chinese Christians
belong to "the outcasts of Chinese society," and that “the best of
the nation" stand aloof. Well, at Huangpi you see a little bevy
of China's élite, busily engaged in their delectable work. Ex uno
disce omnes. The missionary needs not regret that his lot is cast
among “the outcasts of Chinese society," if the Huangpi magis-
trate and chiyien are a fair specimen of “the best of the nation.”
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 15th October.
IV.
DR. JOHN ON THE HUNAN MANIFESTO.
Sir, I enclose a translation of a remarkable manifesto by the
people of Hunan. It is entitled #AN, “With one heart
we offer up our lives," and professes to be an agreement entered
into by all Hunan. The document speaks for itself, but I may as
well call attention to one or two points of importance.
N
?
196
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
(1) There is not a line in this document to indicate that the
people of Hunan are in a state of rebellion. There can be no
doubt as to the intense hatred of the foreigner which inspired its
every sentence, but there is not a word in it which does not evince
the utmost loyalty to the Great Pure Dynasty.
(2) The document bears no date, but it is doubtless a recent
production, and is intended to meet the demands of the present
exigency. The Powers are supposed to be bent upon opening
Hunan, and the Hunanese assure the Emperor that they are
prepared to fight, not only for Hunan, but for the Empire. They
are quite confident that they can raise both the men and the money
which may be required .to attack and utterly destroy the foreign
enemy.
(3) The old policy of burning foreign premises is to be given
up, because it does not pay. Foreign houses cannot be burnt
without risk to the houses of the people. They are valuable
property, and ought to be confiscated for the benefit of the revenue !
And above all there is something in incendiarism which the Hunan
man feels to be somewhat trying to his compassionate heart !!
It is satisfactory to know that our property is now safe. It is so
decreed by the Hunanese.
(4) It would be interesting to know who it is that directs these.
movements. The order one day is-"Murder and burn." The
next day the order is— "Enough. There is to be no more massacre
and no more incendiarism." A mob can execute orders; but a
mob does not plan and control. How can we get behind the mob
and catch the real criminal ?
(5) In the Hunan publications, the worship of Jesus is repre-
sented as the worship of licentiousness. Our Lord is represented
as a hog crucified, and surrounded by male and female worshippers,
some on their knees, and some indulging in licentious merriment.
The term FE , "The Religion of the Lord of Heaven," is
generally written F uh, “The Squeak of the Celestial Hog,"
and the term "Ocean Men,” (foreigners), is often written
“Goat Men.” Hence the expression pig-goat-devils in
the document, applied sometimes to foreigners generally, some-
times to missionaries in particular, and sometimes to the native
Christians. Converts are also called sons and grand-sons of the
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSÉS.
197
devils and the pig-goat-devils, that is, of foreigners. With this
explanation your readers will have no difficulty in making out
the meaning of the terminology employed in this remarkable
production.
: I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 2oth October.
u #oo
AN AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BY ALL HUNAN.
I.-Each clan shall investigate its own clan. Should any
person, whether a scholar, an agriculturist, an artisan, or a
merchant be found who does not sacrifice to the spirit of the most
perfect, most holy, ancient teacher Confucius, and to the spirit
tablets of his own ancestors, it is certain that he is one who has
been bewitched by the spies of the goat (foreign) devils, and has
entered the religion of the Hog Jesus. He is to be dragged
immediately to the ancestral temple, to be severely dealt with by
the clan, and to be compelled to forsake his depraved heresy and
return to the right way. Should he dare disobey, the whole clan
shall take the entire family of the pig-goat-devil, young and old,
male and female, and drive them out of the place. Moreover the
names and numbers of them shall be printed, and the list shall be
sent all over the surrounding districts, prefectures, and subpre-
fectures, so that everywhere they shall be driven out. They shall
not be allowed to live within the borders of Hunan. The names
of the pig-goat-devils shall be erased from the family registers.
II.-If in the whole province there shall be one clan that
does not act stringently in the management of its affairs, so that
from carelessness, or favouritism, or under-handed abetment, even
one pig-goat-devil should be reared in it, when the neighbourhood
has found it out, then, besides driving out the pig-goat-devil and
his family, the clan itself shall be called the pig-goat-devil clan. If
anyone has already entered into matrimonial alliance with that
clan, he will not be allowed to have any further intercourse with it.
Henceforth no one in the neighbourhood shall enter into matri-
monial alliance with that clan; agriculturists will not be allowed to
till the fields of that clan; artisans will not be allowed to enter that
clan's service; traders will not be allowed to exchange goods with
198
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOT'S.
that clan. Should that clan have a small pig-goat-devil, who wishes
to enter the civil or military examinations, no undergraduate shall
act as his guarantee, and no graduate shall report his name.
III.-In the case of travellers coming to the province as
traders, doctors, fortune tellers, &c., it is difficult to secure that
among them there may not be pig-goat-devils. They shall therefore
be subjected everywhere throughout the province to the most
rigorous search. That such persons should not carry about with
them the spirit tablets of their ancestors is not to be made a cause
of blame. But ought they not, on the ist and 15th of every
month, and on the three festive days of the year, sacrifice to the
spirits ? Ought they not, on the anniversaries of births and deaths,
sacrifice to their ancestors ? If it is found that they do not sacrifice
on these occasions they are to be suspected. They must be asked
if they worship the Hog-form of Jesus or not, if they eat the flesh
of Jesus or not. If their reply is evasive and prevaricating, let all
unite and drive them out. They are not to be endured.
IV.-- It is reported that recently among the officials, both
civil and military, there are some who, having blinded their hearts
and lost all conscience, have renounced allegiance to the most
holy and ancient teacher Confucius and the Emperors of the
Great Pure Dynasty, and have submitted themselves to the pig-
goat-devil countries, and are now aiding the pig-goat-devil religion,
and constraining virtuous people to follow the goats (foreigners),
change into devils, and worship the Hog. The sin and guilt of
these fellows being full, they will find it difficult to escape the law
of the land and the chastisement of heaven. Our whole province
having sworn not to follow the goats (foreigners) and become
devils, nor worship the Hog, even should any of these fellows
come to Hunan, how would they dare constrain us? How could
they constrain us? We all agree that we will not avail ourselves
of any cry for expelling them to create disturbances. Nevertheless
it will be absolutely necessary, as cases turn up, to set on foot
secret inquiries, so as not to allow ourselves to be deluded by their
magical arts or be tempted by promises of gain, and thus destroy
the three bands of human society and bring to ruin the five
cardinal virtues. If, on clear evidence, it is found that any official
is a grandson of the pig-goat-devils, and that in this he is not
calumniated, then public action shall be taken with regard to him.
A portrait of him shall be painted, and portraits of his ancestors
THE RİOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
199
:
for three generations shall be painted, as goat-pig-devils. A
description of his office, birthplace, name and surname shall be
drawn up, and sent to all the high officials of Peking and the
provinces, and we will beg them to memorialise the throne, praying
His Majesty will decree such a punishment as will root out the
plague from Hunan.
V.-Should the pig-goat-devils (foreigners) dare to show any
desire to oppress the country, and from any cause create trouble,
then the moment the Emperor's command to chastise and exter-
minate them is received, the clan elders of the entire province will
themselves lead their able-bodied men to the call for troops. As
to those who shall give up their lives in gratitude to their country,
the clans will unitedly provide the money for their burial and
funeral rites, and for the support of their parents, widows, and
children. Should any clan timidly shrink and refuse to go forwad,
or should any clan.covetously refuse to contribute towards the
repose of the ghosts of the loyal ones, then the neighbourhood
shall ostracise that clan, and treat it as a pig-goat-devil clan.
VI.-Should the pig-goat-devils dare to show a special desire
to contract animosity with our Hunan, and stealthily invade our
boundaries, then the larger prefectures and districts shall provide
20,000 men, the medium sized 15,000 men, and the smaller ones
10,000 men. We will unitedly subscribe the troops and the cost
of weapons of war; and we will ask the authorities to distribute
the troops, and at once proceed to fight the foreigners.
VII.—Whether there be trouble or not, we agree that we will
not allow the burning of churches and chapels; because, first, it
might lead to the destruction of adjoining native houses, and,
secondly, because they ought to be handed over to the authorities,
to be sold for the benefit of the revenue. Besides, the burning of
houses is in itself a lamentable thing.
(Translated by Griffith JOHN.)
Hankow, 20th October.
V.
DR. JOHN'S DISCOVERY OF ONE OF THE
ANTI-CHRISTIAN WRITERS.
Sir,--A few days since, one of the literary men of this province
placed in my hands a letter, of which the enclosed is a translation.
200
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
My friend assured me that it is a thoroughly reliable document.
If it be so, and I have no reason to doubt it, you will agree with
me that it is an exceedingly valuable document. I have been
asserting from the beginning that all these publications are com-
posed by men of position ; that they are issued by the Benevolent
Halls, and countenanced by the officials. Of the truth of all this,
I am now sending you the proof. The name Chou Han ( 2)
has been well-known to me for nearly two years. One of the most
violent placards I possess bears his name. But till now I have
had a lurking suspicion that it was a bogus name. The truth is
out at last.
My friend Dr. Edkins, in your issue of 17th September,
writes thus :-"Your contributor 'F' represents the editor of the
C U ) Ching-shih-wen, as writing certain passages which on
examining I find were really written by the anonymous author of
Chung-si-ki-shih. In fact all the slanders against Christianity are
anonymous or written by authors long since dead. The passages
ascribed by 'F.' to the editor of the Blue Books, Ko Shih-jui, are
really in the older work. This editor is a Shanghai man now
living, who would never write these slanders, or, if he did, could not
put his name to them."* It is always a dangerous thing in China
to make sweeping statements like these. Chou Han is a scholar,
holding high official rank, and one of the best known men in
Hunan, and yet he is the author of some of the most vile and
inflammatory of the Hunan publications. He is the reputed
author of Death to the Devils' Religion ( JE). On
the cover of that book his name appears as ( FLR) “Chou a
disciple of Confucius.” In a day or two I will send you a
translation of one of his placards, in which he gives his name in
full. In this letter to T'an (AV), the Governor of Hupeh, he lays
the entire blame, if it be blame, of the publication and dissemination
of this vile literature upon himself and the provincial officials. He
has not been doing his work anonymously; neither is he dead.
He is on terms of perfect intimacy with the highest officials. This
letter to his friend T'an is written in the style in which equals write
to each other.
This man is still at large, and his relative T'ang together with
T'ang's companions have been, I am told, released long since. I
* The italics in both clauses are my own.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
201
line in this to the existing Yü, Tang, his life, in
hear that the pawn-shop men at Huangpi are to be dealt with
severely. No doubt they are being squeezed pretty badly, and
two or three of the principal offenders will be more or less severely
punished. But they were comparatively innocent. Chou Han
and his official friends are the real offenders; and yet it is certain
that nothing has been done hitherto to bring them to book, and
it is not likely that anything will be done.
Chou Han is truly loyal to the Great Pure Dynasty. There
is not a line in this letter, nor in any of his publications, to indicate
that he is not true to the existing Government. His gratitude to
the ancient sages Yau, Shun, Yü, Tang, etc., etc., is simply
boundless. He is prepared to sacrifice his life, in excessive
gratitude, on behalf of the ancient sages and the present dynasty.
Of course no one knows better than Chou himself that his life is
perfectly safe, and his comfort well secured. This is only a
Chinese way of putting things, which deceives no one, and amuses
many.
As I shall be writing soon again on Chou Han and his deeds,
I will say no more now. I should like, however, to assure Mr.
Drummond that, when I wrote of “cobweb theories," he and his
theory were not in my mind at all. Though I do not see things
quite in the light in which he sees them, I have read all that he
has written on the subject with deep interest.
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 22nd October.
CHOU HAN'S LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY T'AN,
GOVERNOR OF HUPEH.
To King-fu, venerable and respected Sir :
Multiplicity of affairs leaves me but little time for letter writing,
and it is a long time since I have written to enquire after your
health. I wonld humbly congratulate you on the ten thousand
happinesses which attend your down-sitting and up-rising, and on
the abundance of your virtuous deeds and meritorious achieve-
ments. With regard to the anti-heresy publications, let me state
that they are, all of them, printed and disseminated by myself, in
concert with the officials and gentry, both civil and military, who
have the management of affairs connected with the Benevolent Hall
( *) in Ch'angsha. Some time ago a relative of mine,
202
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RİOTS.
-
Tang Chêh-pih, styled Mung Liang, a native of Siangt'an, was going
to Wuchang, and we unitedly entrusted him with a hamperfull of
these publications for general distribution. After this a special
messenger was sent by Tang to Siangt'an, to inform us that he was
imprisoned on account of what he had been doing, and praying
that we would come to his rescue, etc., etc. This is amazing! If
indeed it be wrong to attack this depraved heresy, then I am, so
far as the matter of fabricating words and creating disturbances is
concerned, the chief culprit. In all reason, you ought to report
me to the Throne, deprive me of my official rank, and arrest me as
a criminal. What has my relative T'ang to do with the matter ?
And even should you take off his head, and hang it up as a warning
to all, how could you by so doing put a stop to the thing itself?
My special object in writing now is to beg of you to consult with
the Viceroy, and set at liberty my relative T'ang, and every one of
his companions, who together with him are unjustly implicated;
also to return to them every article of property which may have
been forcibly taken away from them. I beg of you also to prepare
a joint statement of facts, and to impeach me in a memorial. I
will respectfully wait my punishment in the provincial capital. I
will certainly not run away. If, however, your Excellencies will
treat good and honest people as fish and pork, and put me aside
and not examine me, then I will go at once to Peking, and cry at
the gate of His Majesty's palace. I swear that I will, with my own
body, requite the beneficence of Yau, Shun, Yü, T'ang, Wen, Wu,
Cheu Kung, Küng, and Meng, together with the beneficence of His
Majesty the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and all the Ancestors
of the Great Pure Dynasty. I shall certainly not allow my relative
Tang and his injured companions to hand down a fragrant name
to all coming ages alone. I am anxiously looking for your reply,
so as to decide whether to proceed or to stop. It is for this I now
write, also wishing you exalted enjoyment.
Your younger brother and fellow countryman, Chou Han,
writes with compliments. Chou Han imperially honoured with
the second rank, and expectant Taotai in Shensi, a native of
Ninghiang, now at his own village recruiting his health.
(Translated by GRIFFITH JOHN.)
Hankow, 22nd October.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
203
(11.)
Sir,- In the North-China Herald of June 19th, there is an
important communication from your Wuchang correspondent. It
reads thus :-"On Friday night five men were arrested with copies
in their possession of one of the cartoons, representing a hog on a
cross with mandarins worshipping before it. · Enquiries from them
led to the discovery of a box of these cartoons in a certain cloth
shop in Hankow as the source from which they obtained them.
The runners were sent across the river and brought back the
accused; he gives the name of the original publisher, a man of
Taotai rank, not living in Wuchang, who he says has been princi-
pally influential in the universal spread of this form of literature."
Ever since the arrest of these five men, we have been anxious
to find out who the “man of Taotai rank” could be. On the 18th
instant, one of the scholars of Hupeh called on me, and placed in
my hands a copy of Chou Han's (J ) letter to his friend
T'an ), the Governor of this province. I have already sent
you a translation of this letter, with certain notes and comments
upon it. In course of conversation my literary friend made the
following remarks :-"There can be no doubt as to the genuineness
of the letter, and it is perfectly certain that Chou Han and his
official friends are the real authors of these publications, and
consequently the real cause of all the riots which have occurred in
this region during the past five or six months. I hear that the
owners of the Huangpi pawn-shops are to be severely punished.
But they are comparatively innocent, why not deal with Chou
Han and the managers of the Benevolent Hall (
) in
Changsha? Why not close the Hall and punish the real culprits,
and thus put an effectual end to all this strife? There would be
some difficulty, I admit, in dealing with Chou Han, for he is a
man of position and influence, a friend of the Hupeh Governor,
and intimately acquainted with all the high officials in Hunan;
still the Government could deal with him and ought to deal with
him."
So spoke my learned friend; and I felt all the time he was
speaking, that he had the interest of his own country in view in
every word he uttered.
Chou Han's letter to his friend T'an supplies us with the very
information which we have been seeking for. It reveals to us the
of conversation certain notes
of theing remarks
204
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
fact that Chou himself is the “man of Taotai rank, who has been
principally influential in the spread of this form of literature," and
that T'ang Ch'ên-pih ( EZ) and his party are the men who
were arrested on the Friday night referred to by your corres-
pondent. Chou Han is a native of Ninghiang (M E ) in Hunan,
and a bitter hater of foreigners and everything that is foreign. His
influence is very great, and he had no difficulty in obtaining the
release of his relation T'ang Ch'ên-pih and party. He himself has
never been interfered with, though well known to the highest
authorities as the principal author, publisher, and disseminator of
the anti-foreign publications.
I want to call special attention to the time when those five
men were arrested. Chou Han's letter to the Governor bears
no date, but the date of the arrest we know. It took place on the
night of 12th June, and Chou Han's letter, demanding the release
of the party, must have reached the Governor some weeks subse-
quently. Now the Wuhu riot occurred on 12th May, the Nanking
riot on 25th May, the Wusueh riot on 5th June, and the Ichang
riot on 2nd September. Compare dates, and you will see at once
that all these riots synchronise with the presence of Chou Han's
emissaries in the Yangtze valley. Everywhere they found a state
of mind ready for their reception, and lots of Hunan men only too
glad to join them. But they themselves seem to have been the
principal agents in inflaming the popular mind and raising the
uproar. Will their temporary arrest account for the lull between
the Wusueh and the Ichang riots? It looks very much like it?
In your issue of 22nd instant, there is a translation of a
memorial submitted by H.E. the Superintendent of Trade, Liu
K'un-yi, and the Governor of Kiangsu, Kang Yi, on the mis-
-sionary question, in which I find the following statement:-"During
the fourth moon of the present year, in consequence of the dis-
semination of lying rumours, the missionary premises at Wuhu
were burnt down, and then followed in close succession the
burning and destruction of missionary property at Tanyang,
Chinkuai, Wusieh, Yanghu, Kiangyin, and Jukou. Officers were
deputed to hold the investigation, and although the facts elicited
showed that the rioting was more serious in some places than in
others, the leading feature everywhere was the fabrication of baseless
rumours by scoundrels lurking in concealment, who incited the popil-
lace to riotous proceedings, their object being to take advantage of the
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
205
occasion to commit incendiarism and pillage, and so cause a catas-
trophe of the gravest moment. In the various other districts of the
province false rumours were subsequently widely circulated and
anonymous placards made their appearance." Thus these two
great officials ascribe the riots to the circulation of anonymous
placards and the fabrication of baseless rumours; and this is
exactly what I have maintained from the beginning. Everywhere
Chou Han's placards and pamphlets have been circulated, and
everywhere they have produced the same effect.
Hunan and the Hunan publications. Up to the 18th instant,
however, I had found it impossible to lay my hands upon any one
person in Hunan and say—Thou art the man. I am able to do so
now, and if the evil is to be stopped, this man must be dealt with.
The Benevolent Hall ( B ) in Ch‘angsha must be closed,
and Chou Han, together with the officials who have the manage-
ment of the Hall, must be degraded. In my next letter I hope
to be able to send you a translation of two or three of Chou Han's
own publications, in order to give your readers some idea of the
mental and moral condition of these who are looked up to in
China as the men of light and leading. In the meantime,
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 27th October.
DR. JOHN ON THE HUNAN PUBLICATIONS.
1.
Sir,-I received a letter yesterday from one of my native
friends in Hunan, accompanied by a package of the Hunan
publications. The package contained, besides placards, three
books, one of which is the famous
E, Death to the
Devils' Religion. All these publications he bought himself at a
printer's shop, situated within the Little West Gate of Changsha,
the capital of Hunan. The name of the shop is Teng-meu-hwa
(FBI ).*
* My friendl writes:一此書出在湖南省城小西門內路邊并鄧
​MI.
206
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOT'S.
He tells me also that these three books, at the command of the
Prefect of Changsha, are being preached everywhere, at all the
theatres, by Siue-tsai graduates, along with the Sacred Edict.* ..
On this copy of Death to the Devils Religion, it is stated
that the cost of the book is 60,000 cash per 10,000 copies, and that
eight men have printed at their own expense and given away in
charity 800,000 copies in all, or 100,000 copies each.†
In a letter received to-day from the same friend, he tells me
that he has purchased from the same shop, Teng-meu-hwa, more
than a hundred of the anti-foreign publications, and that he has
entrusted them to a friend to be brought to me.
Some time ago I called attention to the publication and
dissemination of these publications at Huangpi. I am glad to be
able to say that the Viceroy took that matter up at once. I do
not think we shall have any further trouble in that district or any
of the surrounding districts on this score. I then called attention
to Chou Han, the chief offender, and his relation to these
publications. I have not heard that anything has been done in
his case. I now call attention to the very firm where these
publications are printed and published. Will the Viceroy of
Hukuang and the Governor of Hunan have the honesty and
courage to deal with this firm ? If they are truly sincere in their
desire to put an end to these troubles, they will not hesitate as to
the action which they should take in regard to both Chou Han
and Teng-meu-hwa. I have not been seeking these facts. They
have come to me from various quarters in the most unexpected
manner. I have been sending them to you, not with the view of
stirring up strife, but with the hope of doing something towards
bringing around a better understanding and a more friendly feeling
between the Chinese of all classes and ourselves. The facts are
now before H.E. Chang Chih-tung. Will he act ?
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 6th November.
* I will give again his own words :-*3*#
各處職台宣講十六條並請此書
​+ Herewith the names :- ul, am , & dil, 25
FL, , ,
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
207
. II.
Sir,-- In my letter of the 6th instant, I called attention to the
shop in the city of Ch'angsha in which the anti-foreign books and
placards are printed and published. I also called attention to
the fact that on the copy of Death to the Devils' Religion just
received, it is stated that the cost of the book is 60,000 cash per
10,000 copies, and that eight men have printed at their own
expense and given away in charity 800,000 copies in all, or 100,000
copies each. Your contemporary of the 11th instant treats the
names as fictitious, and the characters composing them as forming
a consecutive sentence. In this your contemporary is substantially
correct, and I. ought, perhaps, to have pointed this out at the time
of writing. But my object was simply to call attention to the wide
and free distribution of this infamous publication. I had been
told that the book had been sent in boat-loads all over Hunan,
and that the distribution was gratuitous. I had, however, no
written evidence of the fact till this copy came to hand. Copies
of several editions have reached me, but the last is the only one
which bears on its cover any printed reference to the matter.
Though the names are fictitious, I have every reason for believing
that the statement is strictly true. It is not at all incredible that
eight men should undertake the gratuitous distribution of 800,000
copies of this book. Of all the anti-foreign publications, this is
to-day the most popular in Hunan. It takes the place of Death
Blow to Corrupt Doctrines, published more than twenty years ago.
The Death Blow, however, was written for the scholars, whilst
Death to the Devils' Religion is written for the people. Any
one who can read at all, can read this book; and we know that it
has been read and is being read by millions of ordinary readers in
Hunan and elsewhere. There are tens of thousands in Hunan,
among the wealthy and influential, who would regard it as a most
meritorious act to contribute towards the dissemination of this
book.
We can quite understand why the contributors should wish to
conceal their real names, and any one acquainted with the Chinese
way of putting things would not be surprised to find the pseudo-
nyms so constructed as to convey a covert meaning. Let me give
the eight names again, as I find them on the cover of this copy of
.
208
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
."
JE They are given in the following order : ;
y; kat; FZ; ; Bii FL; ;
F . Let us bear in mind that 2 (the Great
Wall of China) stands in this connection for Hunan; that
(the 12th of the Twelve Animals of the Duodenary Cycle) means
pig, and stands for foreigners; that (Purity) stands for the
Great Pure Dynasty, and we shall have no difficulty in guessing
the meanings which these pseudonyms were intended to convey;
“The Great Wall (Hunan) strictly guards the Inner Land; the
officials, both civil and military, will subdue the pigs (foreigners) ;
the Great Pure Dynasty shall ever be our delight; Confucius shall
be our teacher; the masses of the people are loyal ; we with united
heart desire to fight.”
This translation (substantially the same as that given by your
contemporary) hits the meaning, I think. Here you have, first, a
list of anonymous subscribers :-Great Wall, 100,000 copies ;
Guardian of Inner Land, 100,000 copies ; pig-subduer, 100,000
copies, etc., etc. Here you have, secondly, a declaration of the
Hunan feeling, desire, and purpose in regard to the foreigner and
foreign intercourse, couched in a little riddle. The riddle is
intended to announce the fact (?) that Hunan is ready to fight the
foreigner and drive him out. Thus are we assured once more that
the Hunanese are enthusiastically loyal to the existing dynasty,
and that all their wrath is centred exclusively on the Western
barbarian.
. I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 17th November.
III.
SIR,-A native friend has just called on me with a large
bundle of the Hunan publications, which he himself purchased a
few weeks since at the Teng-meu-hwa (BI ) shop in the city
of Ch‘angsha. Some of the books and placards were wrapped in
waste sheets of the Teng-meu-hwa account books. I enclose one
of these sheets for your inspection. On the edge you will find the
name of the shop, Teng-meu-hwa, and the name of the situation,
Low-pien-tsing ( #).
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSËSA
209
.
Some of the publications are old acquaintances of mine, and
among them there are one or two whose names have become
familiar to your readers. But some are quite new to me. Among
the new ones is a pictorial work, consisting of thirty-two cartoons,
and designated
S, Heresy exposed in
respectful obedience to the Sacred Edict : A complete Picture
Gallery. My friend tells me that these works are spoken of in
Hunan as the productions of a Taotai. The name, however, he
could not give me. There can be no doubt that the Taotai is no
other than Chou Han, the friend of T'an, the Governor of Hupeh.
The title of one of Chou Han's well-known sheet tracts is
, a title identical with that of this pictorial work.
It may be taken for granted that this, the most infamous of all the
Hunan publications, is a product of this man's brain.
Anything more horribly beastly and disgusting than these
painted representations it would be impossible to imagine. Here
you have, depicted in brilliant colours, the licentious worship of the
Crucified Hog, the extracting of the foetus, the cutting off of the
nipples, the gouging of children's eyes, the emasculating of boys,
the slaying of the goats (foreigners), the offering in sacrifice to
ancestors of the dead Hog (Jesus) and the dead goat (foreigner),
etc., etc., etc. I have not seen anything, during my long sojourn
in this land, that has made me feel so sick at heart.
The reading of these books, and the sight of these pictures,
are enough to cast the most earnest and enthusiastic well-wisher
of China into a state of utter despair. We must never forget that
they are the productions of men of education, position, and
influence, and that their dissemination in Hunan is as well-known
to the magistrates as it is to the people. My friend tells me that
all the walls of Ch'angsha, the very capital of Hunan, are covered
with these cartoons. They are taken sheet by sheet, and posted
everywhere. The Emperor's Edict is there; and the joint Procla-
mation of the Viceroy of Hukuang and the Governor of Hunan is
there. And yet, side by side with these Imperial and Viceregal
documents, you have these unutterably vile placards. Everyone,
from the Governor down to the street coolie, knows it, and, with
the exception of the few Christians who may be living at Ch'angsha,
everyone rejoices in it. It is this that clothes these anti-foreign
210
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
publications with so much significance to my mind. I may call
further attention to this pictorial work next week. In the mean-
time,
I am, etc., ::
· Griffith JOHN.
.Hankow, 21st November.
IV.
SIR,-In a lefter just received from one of my native friends.
in Hunan there is one item of interesting news. My friend writes :
“I feel sure that you have received my former letter, and that you
have communicated the facts to the Viceroy Chang; for a despatch
from the Viceroy has reached Hunan, and the Governor of Hunan
has ordered the district magistrate to quickly seize, and bring to
trial, the heads of the three printing establishments, Teng-meu-hwa
(EBU ), Tseng-yeu-wen ( B), and Ch‘en-tsü-teh
( ). The management of this affair (the publication and
dissemination of the anti-foreign literature) is undertaken by Chou
Ta-jen (Htt, who formerly held the official rank of Taotai.
This man says that he has spent more than Tls. 20,000 on the
publication and dissemination of anti-foreign books, sheet-tracts,
and cartoons. At present. he is at the districtmagistrate's office
defending the cause of these three printing establishments, and
bearing all the expenses connected with their trial. He says that
he alone is responsible, and that the affair has nothing to do with
any one else.”
Such is the interesting bit of news which has just reached me.
Though my friend is wrong in supposing that there has been a
direct communication between the Viceroy and myself, there can
be no doubt that it is the discovery of Teng-meu-hwa's guilt, made
by me some weeks since, that has led to the arrest of the heads of
these three .printing establishments. The names of the other two
have not been unknown to me; but, the proof of their guilt being
not sufficient, I thought it best not to mention them at all. It is
evident, however, that their true character has been known to the
local officials all along; and it is to be regretted that it was
necessary that a foreigner should call public attention to the
existence of this source of danger in Ch'angsha, ere the officials
could be induced to take the least notice of it.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
211
Personally I am thankful for the action which H.E. Chang
Chih-tung has already taken in regard to these printing establish-
ments. But is H.E. prepared to deal with Chou Ta-jen, who is of
course no other than Chou Han? Your readers have not forgotten
Chou Han's letter to his friend Tan, the Governor of Hupeh-
how he tells the Governor that all the anti-heresy publications are
printed and disseminated by himself, in concert with the officials
and gentry, both civil and military, who have the management of
affairs connected with the Benevolent Hall (PR ) in Ch'ang-
sha-how he declares that his relative T'ang Ch'en-pih had been
entrusted by himself and the managers of the Benevolent Hall
with a quantity of these publications for general distribution in
Hupeh-how he boasts of the fact that he is the chief culprit,
defies both the Viceroy and the Governor, and demands the
immediate release of his relative and all his companions.-
On that occasion Chou Han did not interfere in vain. His
relation was released, and, ever since, he himself has been carrying
on his anti-foreign crusade with as much energy as ever. The
Hunan manifesto is, no doubt, a production of his brain and pen,
and so is the pictorial work to which I called attention in my letter
of the 21st ult. He is now interfering on behalf of these three
printing establishments, and it remains to be seen with what
success. But the arrest and punishment of these three establish-
ments is a matter of very secondary importance. The real
offenders are Chou Han and his official companions, and the
putting down of this evil will depend wholly and entirely on the
action that will be taken in 'regard to them. In one of his
placards Chou Han writes :-"My neighbour T'suei Wu-tze, when
compiling the Death Blow to Corrupt Doctrines, concealed his real
name, and called himself 'The man most distressed in heart.'
This he did in order to shun the point of the devil's spear. Not
so Han." And he then gives his own name in full, together with
the name of his native city. Whether he is a truly brave man, or
whether he is merely presuming on his position and influence, I
cannot say. In any case his name is well-known to the higher
officials as the inspirer and leader of this anti-foreign movement in
Hunan. If H.E. Chang is sincerely desirous of bringing this
strife to a satisfactory close, he will deal at once with this man and
his official associates of the Benevolent Hall. Let him secure
their degradation and banishment, and the anti-foreign agitation in
02
à i 2
THE ANTİ-FOREIGN RİOTS:
Hunan will die a natural death, the missionaries will find travelling
in Hunan as pleasant as they do now in Hupeh, and the Viceroy
himself will have less difficulty in governing the province on the
lines of his own choice. Those who are at the head of the anti-
foreign movement in Hunan are the sworn enemies of all progress,
and are bent on opposing the introduction of every innovation,
however beneficial to the country. It is not in the interest of the
foreigners only that I suggest the punishment of these men, but in
the interest of the people of Hunan also. Besides, to punish the
printers of these publications whilst their authors and real dissem-
inators are allowed to go scot-free, would be atrocious. I greatly
fear, however, that this is the very thing that is going to be done.
But can the Viceroy bring Chou Han and his associates to book?
Perhaps not; unless pressure is brought to bear upon him from
Peking. It is for the representatives of the Foreign Powers in
Peking to bring pressure to bear on the Central Government, and
thus make it possible for the Viceroy to deal with the case.
“Let them alone and the whole thing will die down of itself."
So writes a friend from Shanghai. But my friend has never been
to Hunan, and knows nothing about the Hunanese at home.
The policy of the past has been the policy of letting them alone,
and the result has been what we have seen this year. In the
interest of China, as well as in our own interest, I hope and pray
that our Ministers in Peking will not let them alone, till Hunan
shall cease to be the fount of the poisonous literature which has
done so much mischief of late.
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 8th December.
Sir, In my letter of the 8th instant, I stated that I had just
received a letter from one of my native friends in Hunan, informing
me that H.E. Chang, the Viceroy of Hukuang, had sent a despatch
to the Governor of Hunan ordering the apprehension and punish-
ment of the three printers, Teng-meu-hwa (EB ), Tseng-
yeu-wen ( BⓇ), and Ch'en-tsü-teh ( 1), and that
Chou Han ( ), was in the city defending the cause of these
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
213
three printing establishments, and taking upon himself the entire
responsibility in connection with the publication and dissemination
of the Hunan anti-foreign literature.
Another letter has come to hand to-day from the same friend,
giving me a little more information in regard to these matters.
There can be no doubt as to the perfect truthfulness of my friend's
statements. I know the man well, and have every confidence in
his veracity. He writes :-"I presume that my former letter has
come to hand. The reviling storm has subsided; the heads of the
three firms, concerning whom I wrote you in my last, have got
their neighbours to secure them and obtain their release. Their
sureties declare that there are no blocks of the reviling publications
to be found in their possession. I have been making enquiries
secretly into the matter, and I find that all the blocks have been
handed over to Chou Ta-jen. Chou's official designation is T'ieh
Chung ( tk). He was formerly an expectant Taotai in Shensi.
His temporary residence ( ) in the city of Ch'angsha is in the
Tungmau lane ( *). He is on the most intimate terms
with all the officials, and heretofore has been protected and
patronised by all the Provincial Governors. His fame is widely
spread in every direction. But he greatly hates Li Hung-chang,
and H.E. Chang, the Hukuang Viceroy, on account of the constant
intercommunication they are having with Foreign Governments."
From these two letters, it would appear that the heads of these
three firms were arrested ; that they were released soon after the
arrest; and that they owe their release to the interference of Chou
Han.
This is the second time Chou Han has triumphed. He has
proved himself more than a match for the Governor of Hupeh, the
Governor of Hunan, and the Governor-General of both Hupeh
and Hunan. He himself has never been touched, and no one
dares touch him. The blocks of the anti-foreign publications are
still in his possession; and the Governor of Hunan is doubtless
perfectly aware of the fact. There is a lull just now; but if this
man is not dealt with, it will not last long. The evil is now fully
exposed, and it does not look quite so formidable as it did at one
time. There was a time when it was thought that all Hunan was
up in arms against us; and it certainly did appear to be so. It
looks now, however, as if the Hunan opposition has its sole origin
2
214
THE ANTI-FOREİGN RİOTS:
in Ch'angsha, the capital, and that it finds its heart and brain in
Chou Han, and the Ch'angsha Benevolent Hall coterie, consisting
chiefly of civil and military officials both expectant and non-
expectant. The head of Hunan is Ch'angsha, and the head of
Ch'angsha, so far as the anti-foreign crusade is concerned, is Chou
Han, and the official clique by which he is surrounded. This
simplifies matters considerably. Now that one at least of the great
causes of the recent riots is laid bare, let us hope that something
radical will be done to put an end to it. This Ch'angsha power
to do mischief must be broken, ere peace and confidence can
possibly be restored. The blocks are still intact, and in the safe
custody of our arch-enemy. If nothing is done soon, the present
lull will be broken up, another stream of filth will pour itself into
this valley from Ch'angsha, and the bitter experiences of this year
will be repeated in the next.
. I am, etc., .
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 28th December.
VI.
Sir,— The following is a translation of one of Chou Han's
sheet tracts. It is interesting as throwing some light upon the
position and character of the leader in the present anti-foreign
agitation. As to T'suei Wu-tsze ( FI), my impression is
that it is a pseudonym. There can be no doubt that the author of
the Death Blow to Corrup t Doctrines is or was a Hunan man, for
Chou speaks of him as a neighbour of his. An effort has been
made to trace the authorship to Pêng, the late famous Admiral of
the Yangtze Kiang. Whether he was the author or not, there can
be no doubt as to the general opinion in regard to the matter.
Notwithstanding the extreme foulness of the production, the
natives do not hesitate to ascribe the work to P'êng. The light
recently thrown upon Chou Han and the official coterie of which
he is the head, reveals a mental and moral condition among the
higher classes in China which has startled not a few among us.
Chou Han is a man of high official rank, a good scholar, and
highly respected throughout all Hunan. And yet this man is the
author and disseminator of the filthiest literature, in the shape of
books, pamphlets, and pictures, that has ever disgraced even the
Chinese language.
THE RIOTS: THEİR CAUSES.
215
I would call attention to the fact that the anti-Christian
writers find a very convenient and powerful weapon in the Sacred
Edict (Shêng-yü). In the Hunan publications, this famous work
is frequently referred to in justification of the anti-foreign agitation.
The very title page of the pictorial work to which I have already
called your attention, and whose author is probably no other than
Chou Han, tells us exactly in what light the author regards his
attack on the foreigner and the foreign religion. The title of the
pictorial work is the same as that of this sheet tract, and the
author's adoption of it shows that he looks upon himself as simply
acting in compliance with the Imperial commands, as given in the
Sacred Edict. Has the time not come when the Chinese Govern-
ment should be asked by the Foreign Powers to expunge from the
Shêng-yü its every hostile reference to Christianity, and bring it
into harmony with the Imperial Edict issued this year? If
Christianity is allowed to appear as a proscribed religion in the
Shêng-yü, the recent Imperial Edict will soon become a dead letter
so far as the people are concerned.
Chou Han's sheet tract, of which the following is a translation,
is entitled, Heresy exposed in respectful obedience to the Sacred
Edict. It reads as follows :-"My neighbour T'suei Wu-tsze,
when compiling the Death Blow to Corrupt Doctrines, concealed
his real name and called himself 'The man most distressed in
heart.' This he did in order to avoid the point of the devil's spear.
Not so Han! The Roman Catholic sect (literally the Heaven-
doomed depraved-sect) have fabricated the name of the depraved
devil Jesus, and, violating the sacred rites and breaking through
the bounds of propriety, honour and worship him as the equal of
Heaven. They have fabricated monstrous books, in which they
vilify heaven, earth, and the three lights (şun, moon, and stars),
saying that they are mere utensils and things, created by the
depraved devil Jesus. They vilify the deceased parents and
ancestors of men, saying that when they leave the world, they are
nothing better than broken discarded utensils and things. All the
sages and gods of China are insulted and reviled by them. They
have the impudence to disseminate these books in every direction,
deluding the simple among the people, and committing lewdness
with men's wives and daughters. Their sins have reached Heaven.
Both gods and men are incensed. If we do not beat the drun
and attack them, how can this depraved sect and those monstrous
216
THE ANTI-FOREIG NRIOTS.
books be exterminated ? Most hateful of all are those fellows
(friendly officials) wlio follow the depraved devils (foreigners),
and assist the devils in oppressing the people. As they seek to
be at enmity with me, I swear that I will fight them to the death.
I now write a distich for my funeral scroll, to be printed and
handed down to all future generations. The distich reads thus :
"I, having suffered death in following the instructions of the gods,
expounding the Sacred Edict, and exposing depraved religions,
come boldly into the presence of all the Emperors of the Great
Pure Dynasty, and the Spirits of all the Sages, Immortals, and
Buddhas, and, bowing my head to the ground, style myself Chen
Tïeh Han (l ), (A Genuine Man of Iron, and may be
translated, ‘Han the Ironside'). But should I allow myself to be
cast down by reason of unexpected calamity, or deluded by empty
talk, or frightened by the bark of mad dogs (foreigners), and thus
be led to abandon my principles, then shall I at my death bequeath
to posterity the bad reputation of a disloyal subject, of an unfilial
son, and of a foolish, cruel, cowardly fellow, utterly unworthy of
being counted among the men of the Great Pure Dynasty.' .
. “Issued for general circulation on the ist day of the 16th year
of Kuang Hsü (January 21st, 1890) by Chou Han, styled Chen
Tïeh ( ), a native of Hunan, Ninghiang ( es) district.”
Such is the tract, and such is the epitaph which this hero has
prepared for his burial.
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN.
Hankow, 29th December.
U
VII.
Sir,-It may interest some of your readers to know that I have
had the pleasure of meeting a Ch'angsha man who is intimately
acquainted with the famous Chou Han. Yesterday being the first of
January, many of the converts called on me to pay their respects
and offer their congratulations. One of those who called is a
Hunan man, and he brought with him five or six of his heathen
friends. As soon as I found that one of them was from Ch'angsha,
I asked him if he knew Chou Han, He replied that he knew
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
217
Chou Han well, having been at one time his cook. I asked him
about Chou Han's age and character. He told me that he must
be between forty and fifty, and that he bore a good name as a lover
of the people. My visitor seemed surprised to find that I felt any
interest in Chou Han, and asked me if I knew him.. I told him
that I did not know him, but that I knew a great deal about him,
and then showed him two or three of Chou Han's placards, and .
called his attention to the various names by which he delights to
call himself, such as. T'ieh-chung ( ), T'ieh-chen ( ),
Chen-t'ieh (D ), and Chou So-ying ( TE). My visitor
recognized them all as familiar names, and said: “Yes, that is the
man.” Then I showed him a placard issued by Chou Han at the
beginning of this (Chinese) year, wherein he states that he was at
the time just fifty years of age. My visitor remarked that he had
not seen him for some years, but he thought fifty would be about
the right mark.
This day last year Chou Han was busy at work, concerting
plans for the destruction of the foreigners residing in this valley.
His name was unknown to us then. Eight months ago, his
emissaries were in this valley actively engaged in carrying out his
nefarious schemes. We were told at the time that an official of
Taotai rank was connected with the publication and dissemination
of the anti-foreign books, and placards. But we were not sure of
his name, and knew nothing of his whereabouts, and of the actual
part he was taking in the movement. In October his letter to the
Governor of Hupeh was discovered, and ever since the whole man
has been coming more and more into the light, Chou Han is no
more a myth to us. Even his quondam cook is known to us. This
is a discovery I never expected to make; but having made it I am
beginning to wonder what will happen next. The thought has
struck me that I may have the pleasure of seeing Chou Han
himself walking into my study one of these days.
I may add that my visitor was, till yesterday morning, a
perfect stranger to me, and that he had not the faintést notion that
even the name of Chou Han was known to me.
I am, etc.,
GRIFFITH JOHN
Hankow, 2nd January, 1892,
THE ANTI-FOREİGN RIOTS:
DR. JOHN ON THE SACRED EDICT AND THE HUNAN
DR. JOHN ONT
PUBLICATION Der. I called
SIR,-In my letter of 29th December, I called attention to
the fact that the anti-Christian writers find a very powerful weapon
in the Sacred Edict (Shêng-yii), and suggested that the Foreign
Powers in their attempt to suppress the cause of the recent riots
should take special notice of this important fact. In the Picture
Gallery just published at Hankow, there are two notes bearing on
this subject which I should like to see reproduced in your columns.
The Gallery is entitled Heresy exposed in respectful obedience
to the Sacred Edict. On this title we have the following note :-
." The Sacred Edict, so called because written by two of the
canonised Emperors of the present dynasty, is a kind of paternal
address from the Throne to the people, and is held in the greatest
reverence by the Chinese. In 1670, the Emperor Kang Hsi
published a hortatory edict in sixteen sections of seven words each.
His son Yung Chêng published, in 1724, an amplification of these
edicts, being sixteen lectures on the sixteen texts of his father.
These lectures with the themes on which they were written consti-
tute what is called The Sacred Edict. One of these chapters, or
lectures, is made use of as an introduction to the book Death
Blow to Corrupt Doctrines with the view of giving it the highest
possible sanction. Artful allusions are made to it in different parts
of this book, with the design of convincing the reader that to drive
out foreigners and their religion, would be but carrying out the
views of the most renowned Emperors of Chinese history." See
Death Blow to Corrupt Doctrines, page 1. Translated from the
Chinese at Têng-chow, and published at Shanghai in 1870.
"Among all the numerous writings,” says Williams in his
Middle Kingdom, "published for the improvement and instruction
of the people by their rulers, none has been so celebrated as the
Shêng-yü, or Sacred Commands. In order that none should
plead ignorance for not knowing the sacred commands, it is by law
required that they be proclaimed throughout the empire, by the
local officers, on the first and fifteenth day of every month, in a
public hall set apart for the purpose, when the people are not only
permitted, but requested, and encouraged, to attend."
The chapter made use of as an introduction to the Death
Blow to Corrupt Doctrines is the seventh, and has for its theme :-
“Suppress strange religions for the purpose of exalting orthodox
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
Žig
doctrine.” In this chapter, Christianity is classed among the
strange religions which are not to be followed by the Chinese
people. The following extract from this chapter will give the
reader some idea of its bearing on the anti-Christian literature
which has been flooding the country of late. The extract is taken
almost verbatim from the translation given by the translators of the
Death Blow to Corrupt Doctrines. It reads thus:--
“With respect to heterodox books not in accordance with
the teaching of the sages, and those tending to excite and disturb
the people, to give rise to differences and irregularities, and to
undermine the foundations of all things; all such teach corrupt
and dangerous doctrines, which must be suppressed and exter-
minated. . . . . From ancient times the three religions have been
propagated together. Besides Confucianism, which holds the
pre-eminence, we have Buddhism and. Taoism. ..... There is,
however, a class of vagabond adventurers who under the pretence
of teaching these systems (Buddhism and Taoism) bring them
into the greatest disrepute, making false parade of what is propi-
tious and what is unpropitious, and of future rewards and punish-
ments, for the purpose of giving currency to their foolish and
unfounded stories. Their object in the beginning is to make a
living. By degrees they collect men and women into promiscuous
gatherings for the purpose of burning incense. ..... The worst
of all is that there lurk within these assemblies treacherous, de-
praved, and designing persons, who form dangerous combinations,
and pledge themselves to each other by oaths. They meet in
darkness and disperse at dawn. They imperil their lives; sin
against righteousness, and deceive and entrap the people. - ...
Such are the Peh-lien, the Wen-hiang, and similar religions. They
should be a beacon of warning to you. Such also is the religion of
the West, which reveres the Lord of Heaven, T'ien Chu. It also is
not to be regarded as orthodox. Because its teachers were well
versed in mathematics, our Government made use of them. Of this
you must not be ignorant. As to unauthorised doctrines which
deceive the people, our laws cannot tolerate them; for false and
corrupt teachers our Government has fixed punishments." .
The above extract will suffice to show what a powerful weapon
the anti-Christian agitation finds in the Shêng-yü. In the Hunan
publications, it is frequently referred to in justification of the anti-
Christian movement. The very title page of this pictorial work
220
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
tells us in what light the author regards his attack on the foreigner
and the foreign religion. He looks upon himself as simply acting
in compliance with the Imperial Commands, as given in The Sacred
Edict. Has the time not come when the Chinese Government
should be asked by the Foreign Powers to expunge from the
Shêng-yü its every hostile reference to Christianity, and to bring
it into harmony with the Imperial Edict issued this year? If
Christianity is allowed to continue to appear as a proscribed reli-
gion in the Shêng-yü, the present Imperial Edict will soon become
a dead letter, so far as the people are concerned.
The second note is to be found on Cartoon XV, entitled
Hasten on the fattening of the Pigs, and might be entitled, Cele-
brate Marriages with the Slaughter of the Pigs. The note reads
thus :-“Cartoons XV-XX are of a piece, and intended to heap
contempt on the foreigner and foreign religion. They are in-
tended also as a prophecy of the fate which awaits both. The
following extracts from one of the Hunan publications, called
K'ing T'ien Chu F (A Pillar which bears the Sky), will
help the reader in understanding these Cartoons. K'ing Tien
Chu contains a petition presented to the Foreign Office at Peking,
by a number of the Hunan scholars, and a letter from the Governor
of Hunan to the then Viceroy of Chihli. Whether the Governor's
letter is genuine or not, the writer of this note cannot say: but
there can be no doubt as to K'ing T'ien Chu being one of the
best known publications in Ch'angsha, the capital of Hunan.
It is also one of the three anti-Christian books which the Siu-ts'ai
graduates are preaching at the theatres in Ch'angsha, along with
the Sacred Edict. Being circulated with the full knowledge of
the Hunan officials, we are justified in taking it as genuine.
Having acknowledged the receipt of a despatch from the Chihli
Viceroy, communicating the orders of the Foreign Office, to the
effect that the publication and circulation of the Death Blow to
Corrupt Doctrines should be suppressed, the Governor proceeds
to state that the book in question is to be found in every family,
and in all the monasteries and temples, throughout the entire
province of Hunan. “There is not,” he states, “a city, not a
village, not a book shop, not a printing shop, in which the book is
not to be found. The destruction of it is impossible. Besides, it
has for its first chapter the seventh section of the Emperor's Sacred
Įnstructions (Shëng-yü). Who among the officials of the Great
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSĖS.
221
Pure Dynasty would dare burn it? Who could have the moral
hardihood to burn it? When I first bought the book, just as I was
beginning to read I saw that the treatise was headed with the
words Sacred Instructions (Shéng-yi). I thereupon burnt incense,
knelt down, and began to chant. Then I got up, sat down, and
read. Having turned the leaves over and over again, and carefully
examined it, I saw that its noble words and perfect reasoning were
simply an expansion of the Sacred Instructions. It commanded my
most profound respect. As soon as my official duties were over, I
knelt down and chanted the Sacred Instructions, and then I got
up, sat down, and read the book. I dared not treat it with the
least disrespect." The Governor further proceeds to state that
orders for the destruction of the Death Blow to Corrupt Doctrines
must have been caused by ignorance of its true nature on the part
of both the Chihli Viceroy and the Foreign Office. · Speaking of
himself, however, he states :-"As for me, having bought and read
this book, and knowing perfectly that it is a helpful commentary on
the Sacred Instructions, were I immediately, on the receipt of your
despatch, to order the officials under my jurisdiction to act
according to your orders, then, what sort of a man would the
officials and the people under my charge take me to be? And
what sort of man would I take myself to be? To gladden the
hearts of the barbarians, by feeding the flames of depraved
doctrines, destroying the Sacred Instructions, injuring the dignity
of the Empire, opposing propriety and throwing into confusion the
five cardinal virtues, corrupting public morals and injuring good
manners, and thus sin against the renowned doctrine (of Con-
fucius), and hand down a stinking reputation to all future ages-
this is certainly what I dare not do and cannot do, though it should
cost me my life. Moreover, there are printed and circulated in
Hunan, several hundred different kinds of anti-Christian books,
ballads, and cartoons. The Death Blow to Corrupt Doctrines is
not the only book. Married women, maidens, and little children
three years old, all hate the Hog Jesus. When they call the pigs,
they use the words Je-sul (Jesus); eating pork they call eating the
Resh of Jesus; in transacting business at the butcher shops, they
all use the expressions 'selling Jesus,' 'buying Jesus.' This is
attacking the depraved religion to the utmost. Though the books
and the blocks of this one work should be burned, how could the
depraved religion of the Celestial Hog enter Hunan?”
222
THE ANTI-FOREIGN:RIOTS.
Some quotations have been given already from the infamous
Death Blow to Corrupt Doctrines. One more may be given in
order to show the kind of article this is in which the Governor
found so much to his taste. ;..;. Such is the book over
which the Governor gloáts, and before which he felt he must fall
on his knees and burn incense. His statement regarding the
attitude of the Hunan people with respect to Christianity, is as wide
of the truth as his description of the book. It simply suited him
so to represent the matter.
The passage from the Death Blow to Corrupt Doctrines which
I have omitted is altogether too filthy for your columns. Any one
who wishes to know what it is, may consult the Têng-chow
translation of that vile production, or the notes in the Picture
Gallery. My one aim in now calling attention to these two notes
is to point out the important relation between the Sacred Edict
and the Hunan publications. I am not speaking against the
Sacred Édict as a whole, or even the seventh chapter as a whole.
All I wish to call attention to is the one passage in the seventh
chapter, which treats of the Christian religion. There may be a
difference of opinion as to the exact translation of that passage; but
there can be no doubt as to its main scope and intention. Neither
can there be any doubt as to the meaning which the Chinese
themselves attach to it.' In that well-known pa ssage, Christianity
appears as a proscribed religion, and the anti-Christian writers feel
perfectly justified in using it as such. It is some months since I
called attention to the poison in the Blue Books which ought to be
suppressed. I now, with equal earnestness and more earnestness,
call attention to the poison in the famous Shêng-yü. The quantity
in the latter is infinitesimal as compared with the former, but,
being in the Shëng-yi, it is more essential and vital.'. The
expunging of this one passage from the Shêng-yä would do more
than anything else towards putting an end to the infamous litera-
ture which has been doing so much mischief of late.
I am, etc.,
Griffith JOHN.
Hankow, 27th January, 1892.
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
223
“A CANDID: FRIEND'S ” VIEWS
(MISSIONARY STATUS AND MISSIONARY BLUNDERS.)
. . I.
. In the pamphlet on Missionaries in China, which we notice
below; a monograph destined to be widely read and studied
by those who do not as well as by those who do agree with
its author, “A Candid Friend” writes with much force on the
the most of the good they cannot but find, if they look honestly,
in the religion and morality which they come to China to supplant :
others by many of the leading missionaries themselves, but it is
here well put again. “To say, as in deed if not in words many
of them do, that there is absolutely no good in systems which have
sustained so great a people through periods of time during which
the mightiest empires of the earth have risen, flourished, fallen, and
been resolved, into their elements is surely to do violence to obvious
truth. And to assign all the good which cannot be gainsaid to the
insidious devices of the Evil One is but a poor kind of monkish
subterfuge, an escape for minds driven to the wall by fixed beliefs
brought into open contradiction with observed facts. In turning
away therefore from the native virtues of the Chinese, the mission-
aries seem to be surrendering the strongest vantage ground they
could occupy as a base for evangelising operations." We.pointed
out not long since the very grave mistake made by the Churches,
both Roman Catholic and Protestant, in not adopting and
assimilating the foundation of both religion and morality in China,
ancestor worship. “What then is the attitude of Christianity,”
says our author, " towards this venerable, deep-rooted moral force ?
Do the missionaries seek to attach it to their service ? On the
contrary, they refuse to tolerate it on the face of the carth, and
bluntly call on China to choose forth with between Christ and her
ancestors :—and she does.":
It is common to assert that the Chinese are in a state of
arrested education ; that the education of the race reached what was
a remarkably high level for the time some two thousand years ago ;
but was there arrested and has never got beyond that. There is
a similar condition of arrested education from which individuals
suffer, and it is seen where men are addicted to the worship of
words. As our writer says:
224
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
“Word-worship is the perpetual bane of the book-learned,
who, like other men, become assimilated to what they work in,
and end by putting the symbols in the place of the things sym-
bolised. Missionaries seem to suffer from two forms of this
disease of the learned. One is exhibited in an array of phrases
transferred from archaic Hebrew and Aramaic Greek to archaic,
but very beautiful English, which are in early youth committed
blindly to memory, and in adult life worshipped, the little idols
being kept neatly ranged in rows in little cerebral shrines, dusted
and always ready to be brought out. The other form is the
worship of words in general, --logolatry.
“Under the tyranny of this cultus a whole generation of
missionaries have expended their strength in wearisome logomachy
about the Chinese terms used for the Supreme. The Protestants
could not of course employ the terms already made familiar to the
Chinese by the early Catholic missions, because theirs was the god
of the hills, while ours was the god of the plains--or for some
equally valid reason. During the thirty years' disputation it would
be hard to say how many new word-deities may have been added
to the Chinese Pantheon, but the dispute has ended in smoke.
With better knowledge most of the Protestant missionaries are
now unostentatiously adopting the term which was used by the
early Jesuits. But what a sacrifice to mere words—husks,' as the
late Dr. Williamson ventured to call them, to the scandal of his
missionary brethren."
“Idolatry,” which is made to cover everything that the mis-
sionary disapproves of, is one of the words whose use shows
arrested education, and so is the use of the word "worship" for
the Chinese annual commemoration of the dead. The word itself
admirably expresses the service in question, but it has become
objectionable because it is used as if the commemoration were
“idolatrous."
Then the “Candid Friend” comes to the more positive side
of the missionaries' teaching, and he says :-
“Much as the division of the Christian force into so many
separate factions is to be deplored, and detrimental to the prospects
of the missions as is the transference of these relics of strife from
their native homes to the soil of China, it is not on the missionaries
but on the Societies which send them out that the blame, if any,
rests. That it is a great evil can hardly be doubted. Whenever
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
225
Chinese converts obtain a hearing on the subject, they speak, with
no ambiguity, of the immense loss of force which Christianity
sustains through these divisions. But there is perhaps a still more
serious evil in the vagaries of hundreds of irresponsible evangelists
who go about the country retailing the figments of their own excited
brains as the pure gospel.” The most eccentric missionaries are
those belonging to the vast organism which Mr. Hudson Taylor
has persuaded the British public to subsidise so largely. We need
not dwell on the peculiarities of their evangelising methods : it
is unfortunately true that “members of other bodies may look
askance at the doings of the China Inland Mission as an English
Squire does at those of the Salvation Army, but they cannot
dissociate themselves from them in the eyes of the Chinese, who
make no fine-drawn distinctions where foreigners are concerned.”
After all, the “Candid Friend” is a little sweeping in his condem-
nation of this organism, which numbers in its ranks many men,
and women too, who mix nothing of the grotesque with their
self-denying labour. But we are with him in condemning those
who insist in binding burdens too grievous to be borne on the
shoulders of the converts. There is no reason in insisting upon
a severe Sabbatarian régime, or in repudiating those who use
in moderation alcohol, tobacco, or even opium ; and most unrea-
sonable is the condemnation of vegetarianism ; while the efforts
made to induce the vegetarians to break their vows are inexcusable.
“The breaking of an egg, innocent as it looks, is sometimes the
means blessed to this end : and we read of wily old converts laying
earnest siege to new enquirers in order that by some means they
may be seduced into eating pork in their company, a sort of
equivalent of 'taking the shilling.'”.
“Such are some specimens of the excrescences of the new
Christianity which is being planted in China." How a stricter
discipline is to be maintained among Protestant missionaries is too
large a question for the end of an article.
II.
Missionaries in China by a “Candid Friend” is the title of a
remarkable pamphlet of 63 pages just issued from the Tientsin
Press and which is on sale at Kelly & Walsh, Shanghai. Last
2.26
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOT'S.
summer we had an attack on missions by a Chinaman who ignored
the fact that Christianity is the mightiest institution on the face
of the earth for the removal of sin and suffering, and who manu-
factured facts to suit his own theory. In this pamphlet we have
no attack, as the writer freely recognises the superlative position
of Christianity among other religions and the immense services
rendered to China by many missionaries, but we have an exposure
of the weakness of the methods used by the bulk of missionaries
that reminds us of an electric search light. He goes round the
missionaries' camps and examines their attitude towards the
religions, the morals, the customs and superstitions of the country,
and reveals a number of things that certainly ought not to be. In
support of the views expressed, he quotes freely from a large
number of the missionaries themselves, and he arrives at the very
grave conclusion that “the propaganda has, over the whole country,
aroused the hatred of the people, and the feeling shows no sign of
abatement."
He suggests a remedy for this state of things, and that is, to
change the status of the missionary from being under the protection
of Foreign Governments to being under the protection of the
Chinese Government, and he thinks that toleration would then be
found much more easily than now when the Chinese are jealous
of foreign control.
We believe, however, that the writer has gone beyond his
facts when he attributes the present hatred of foreigners to the
missionary propaganda, for the chief opposition is in Hunan where
no Protestant missionary is at work at all, while a chief centre of
progress such as Shantung, where between 6,000 and 7,000 have
become Christians during the last thirty years, is more friendly
than it ever was.
Besides, the very remedy which the author suggests shows
after all that he feels the main cause of the missionary troubles
is in the political status, and not in the imperfect presentation of
Christianity which undoubtedly greatly hinders the progress of true
Christianity.
To the Author's remedy we say "no" and "yes."
As China abounds with missionaries who would gladly help
her in everything that is for her best interests, without pulling down
one element of good that is in her own systems, how is it that,
THE RIOTS: THEIR CAUSES.
227
notwithstanding the fine professions of the Imperial Edict, we have
not heard of any genuine welcome given to any of these missionaries
whom they praise, or even of granting Christianity equal privileges
with the native religions? Is this not a proof that the Edict, like
the toleration clause in the treaties, is only forced out of the Chinese
Government, and that it is still at heart unwilling to own that any
Christian or missionary can be really good? So long as the
Chinese authorities, and literati continue to calumniate Christians
and to urge their fellow-countrymen to kill, boil and eat them, with
little check, notwithstanding the apparently severe tone of the
Edict, no sane government would dream of leaving innocent men
and women to such tender mercies.
But, when we shall see the leading mandarins or gentry giving
hearty welcome to some of our best missionaries in the provinces,
and no open or covert opposition to any among the Chinese who
wish to give free assistance to Christians tó erect hospitals, establish
schools, and promote virtue, and on the contrary plainly show
their approval of such things, as does now almost every other
nation on the face of the earth, then there would be plenty of
missionaries perfectly willing to resign their present status and
become bona fide Chinese subjects. When this single step of
frank admission of the goodness of the best Christians and best
missionaries is taken, the best Christians will have nothing to
complain of, and the others whose obstructive and destructive
measures "A Candid Friend” exposes will be rightly left out in
the cold, in fact all the serious missionary troubles will be at an
end, and China will have the full benefit of a Christian church
without any internal harm or external political interference.
Meanwhile there can be no doubt that the progress of
Christianity is immensely retarded by destructive publications
written by men who do not know the difference between true
Christianity and the popular view of it. The best missionaries are
sure to hail this pamphlet as on the whole a great help to their
cause; and if those 'other missionaries—who have never given a
thought to the grave fact that they may be needlessly repelling a
hundred for every one they attract—should also give it careful
perusal and reform their methods, then this able pamphlet will have
served one great end which the author evidently has in view.
P
2
.228
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
"JUSTICE” ON CATHOLIC INDISCRETION.
SIR, -The recent riots in the different cities have been incited
by inflammatory reports of murdered babies and human remains
being divested of eyes and internal organs for medicine. How do
these reports originate? There are two causes for their origin.
One is found in the numerous foundling asylums established by
the Romanists everywhere, which of course is to be commended
as a good work in saving children from a life of starvation and
villainy and in making useful citizens of them. The other cause
is to be found in the custom the Romanists have of burying their
dead on their premises, which is greatly to be deplored.
The Romanists of course are not to be blamed for the
thousand and one reports concerning them, but by this unwise
proceeding they certainly give the Chinese a handle for their
rumours. Because others may differ from us in their opinions, it
is not right and just on our part to condemn them, but when we
see "such scenes as those at Wuhu—where almost the first thing
done by the mob after breaking into the Romanists' compound
was to dig up a coffin and open it--and again at Tanyang, where
the magistrate, after the riot, had bodies taken up as a proof of
the truth of current rumours, we cannot but see the error of such
a custom and that to use the compound for a burying ground is
but to invite mob violence and place in jeopardy the lives of all
foreigners residing in that place.
It is certainly the part of wisdom for the Romanists to change
their tactics and do as they do in other countries, viz., buy property
away from their dwellings, consecrate it, and there bury their dead.
In this way the suspicious and excitable Chinese mind may be set
at rest, valuable lives and property will be less endangered and
other foreigners will not be implicated by the custom of one sect,
which can readily be obviated by the foregoing plan. Did the
French Consul mingle with the people of the interior and hear
how they talk, it is very certain he would advise interring in
graveyards apart from the residence.
I am, etc.,
JUSTICE.
Shanghai, 25th June.
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
229
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
THE PROCLAMATION OF VICEROY OF NANKING.
The Viceroy of Nanking has issued a proclamation denouncing
the Ko-lao Society. He says : The members of the Ko-lao Hui
appoint their own leaders, secretly engrave false seals, distribute
pieces of cloth (as proof of membership), make recruits, and
commit crimes contrary to the established laws. Their guilt
cannot be expiated even by death punishment. I have taken
steps to discover and arrest them in every direction. Once
captured and convicted the members shall suffer instant death,
in accordance with the special laws which have been framed to
punish secret societies, without mercy being shown. Still in the
Ko-lao Society there are plenty who are willing members but at
the same time there are also many ignorant people who have.
been duped and misled. These joined with the expectation of
being assisted with money and food and clothing, and of being
backed up in cases of disputes. They trusted blindly to the
society's promises, and bought the cloth ticket. It is true that to
enter the society is itself a crime punishable by the laws, but taking
into consideration that their original intention was excusable and
that they have only stepped into a trap prepared for their destruction,
I am unwilling that the jade and stone should be indiscriminately
.consigned to the fire (the actually and apparently guilty should
zở
THE ANTİ-FOREIGN RIOTS.
be equally punished) just at this juncture of making arrests.
Therefore by this proclamation I notify you, people of all classes,
to take warning. Those who have bought the cloth ticket to
become Ko-lao members, should take the earliest opportunity to
retreat, burn the cloth ticket, repent, turn over a new leaf, enter
into some other occupation, and become good subjects, so as to
save their lives, or hand the cloth ticket to the authorities who will
do the burning. Any one secretly informing the officials as to
who the Ko-lao leaders are, when these are convicted, not only
will be exempted from punishment, but will be heavily rewarded.
Even if the leaders should themselves truly repent and come forth
their past conduct will not be inquired into. Should they persist
in their blind path from first to last then once apprehended they
will know that the laws of the State will be dealt out to them to the
last measure without leniency. They will then regret in vain. Let
all wake up from their dreams and seriously consider this and not
allow the good admonishing to be lost to them! Let the father
restrain his son, the elder restrain his younger brother from falling
into the clutches of the law !
29th day, 4th moon, 17th year of Kuang Hsü (5th June,
1891.)
THE PROCLAMATION OF GOVERNOR OF ANHUI.
The Governor of Anhui has communicated the following
proclamation to the Wuhu Customs Taotai, by whom it has been
posted :-On 6th June I received a despatch from the Governor
Shêng of this province proclaiming the articles of the treaty and
notifying you all as follows:-Since commercial relations existed
between China and Foreign Powers, Imperial decrees have been
repeatedly issued permitting foreigners to promulgate their religion
in the interior and natives of all places and of all classes to em-
brace the foreign faith without restraint or interference. Thus the
treaties between China and outside nations contain such clauses as
“converts [to the foreign faith] are protected both in person and in
property," "converts enjoying their occupation without committing
any fault are to be protected by the authorities.” “Chinese
converts committing crimes contrary to Chinese laws are amenable
to Chinese laws and punishable by the magistrates,” etc., etc.
These arrangements are perfectly just, erring neither on one side
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
ži.
or the other. The dfferent provinces have carried out these
stipulations to the letter and of late years the people and the
foreign religious orders have lived amicably. But on the fifth of
the present moon, in the district of Wuhu, evilly-disposed persons
under false pretexts created trouble, and gathering a multitude,
occasioned a riot. They burned the churches and in the space of
a few days the capital city of Ngankin was agitated by rumours,
causing apprehension and suspicion in the minds of the people.
There can be no doubt that the rioters at Wuhu spread these
rumours with the hope of lessening the enormity of their guilt. I,
the Governor, ordered both the civil and military officials to take
special precautions, and the people of Ngankin remained quiet.
The origin of the disturbance in Wuhu was two female doctors, Chu
and Sü, treating a young child for a certain disease and applying
medicine to render it unconscious for a time [so as to facilitate
the employment of surgical instruments]. Instantly the rumour as to
child stealing was circulated. The matter, of course, ought to have
been inquired into. As the two females are both Chinese subjects
they should, in accordance with the treaties, have been brought
before the native Magistrates and be made amenable to Chinese
laws. You, the people, instead of taking proper steps to cite the case
before your authorities, but listening to the fabrications of evil-
doers and being incited by them, took the occasion to commit
incendiarism. You are indeed recklessly defiant and madly
high-handed! I, the Governor, have issued stringent orders to
capture and punish without fail the leaders of the riot. The
Superintendent of the Nanyang trade (the Nanking Viceroy) has
requested the missionaries to hand over to the authorities the two
female doctors, who will be examined as to the true state of the
case in question, so as to clear from your minds all doubts and
suspicion. These things are all recorded. I still am anxious lest
some inhabitants not distinguishing what is beneficial from what is
harmful become again duped by rowdies and ill-intentioned ones;
the articles of the treaties are proclaimed and you, people of all
classes, are thus notified. After this warning let every parent
instruct his son and every elder teach his junior to attend to his
own peaceful occupation, not to believe in hearsay, not to harbour
groundless suspicions and raise trouble against churches. Even
when you may hear or see anything that appears to you to rouse
suspicion, you ought only to report to the magistrates and await an
232
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
investigation. · You must never take hasty action and create a
disturbance, or you will only throw yourselves into the clutches of
the law. Should any desperate character still dare to fabricate
rumours and get up riots, he will be arrested and severely dealt
with as a warning to all who rejoice in the misfortunes [of their
country). The love I feel for you is very great, and thus I am
untiring in my admonitions. That the people and [foreign] religion
will always exist in harmony, and quiet and happiness long reign
in the land is my deep and earnest hope. Do you all obey this.
THE MEMORIAL OF THE TSUNG-LI YAMÊN.
The following is a translation of the memorial to the Throne
by the Tsung-li Yamên on which the edict .was issued (see below.)
We understand that the Foreign Ministers have stipulated that it
shall appear in full in the Peking Gazette in due course :-
The Yamên Ministers, on account of the riots against foreign
religious orders that have occurred in the various provinces,
request the Throne to issue stringent orders to the Governors-
General and Governors to take immediate and urgent measures to
restore quiet to the land and to prevent future disturbances. The
memorialists hearing, in the first part of the 4th moon, that
churches in Wuhu were destroyed, at once wired to the High
Superintendent of Nanyang to despatch gunboats to suppress the
riots and to give protection to the foreigners ; at the same time to
send deputies to make investigations and settle the cases. Then
at the same time, there were anonymous placards posted and
rumours spread about Shanghai, Nanking, and other places. We
also desired the provincial authorities to take great care and to
devise precautionary measures. Afterwards a telegraphic message
was received from the Nanyang Superintendent and the Anhui
Governor to the effect that the trouble at Wuhu took its origin from
rumours that female doctors belonging to foreign religious orders
were stealing children after drugging them ; that the suspicions of
the people could not be explained away; that a crowd gathered to
make trouble ; that upon this churches were burnt and destroyed;
that two rioters were executed and their heads placed on exhibition,
and that the place has settled down to its usual quiet. Not long
after, however, churches in Tanyang and in Wusueh in Hupeh
were set on fire and pulled down, with the murder of two foreigners
THE RİOTS: THEIR REMEDIĖS.
233
in the latter place. The details have not been reported. Evil
characters were causing trouble in Nanking and Kiukiang, but
their attempts were frustrated and they were dispersed by the
Government soldiers who were keeping watch and gave protection.
If these disturbances continue the hearts of both natives and
foreigners will be full of apprehension and distrust. The reason
is this. Discharged soldiers and secret societies are to be found
in every province along the Yangtze River. Anonymous placards
are posted for the purpose of agitating and misleading the minds
of the populace, so as to find a favourable opportunity to
create disturbances. It is certain no peaceful and law-abiding
people are guilty of these acts. The memorialists find that the
religion of the great West persuades people to follow the paths of
virtue. It has been promulgated in all the Western countries
for many years. Since China commenced commercial intercourse
with foreign countries, the treaties stipulate that, in all China,
the believers and promulgators of the Roman Catholic and
Protestants religions should one and all find protection both in
person and property, and that they are permitted to congregate to
offer prayers and to sing hymns. · The hospitals for the sick and
asylums for infants are all good works. Of late years in all the
places in the different provinces visited by calamities there were
many missionaries who contributed large sums and helped to
alleviate the sufferings of the people. Their love to do good and
their generosity in giving are certainly commendable. Though
among the native converts good and bad are to be found, still they
are subjects of China and are amenable to the jurisdiction of local
authorities. In case of lawsuits and disputes missionaries cannot
interfere, so that the people and religion ought to be able to live
quietly side by side. Lovers of mischief often fabricate groundless
rumours, and spread about and raise suspicion among the mass;
and evil-disposed persons cause trouble under these pretexts with
the hope of plunder. Unless strict precautions are taken it is to
be feared that Chinese and foreign merchants and people may not
be able to live in peace. This has an important bearing upon the
state of the country. The memorialists beg the Throne to order
the Tartar Generals, Governors-General and Governors of every
province to proclaim to the people, warning them not to listen
lightly to rumours nor to make trouble. In case anonymous
placards are written and rumours are fabricated to mislead the
234
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
people, stringent and severe measures should be adopted to arrest
and severely punish the authors. The local authorities are to
afford at all times protection to the merchants, people and mis-
sionaries of all nationalities, and also their properties, with great
care. Should their precautionary measures be ineffectual, or
protection useless, let the higher authorities report them and have
them cashiered or punished. As to the present outbreaks, the
leaders of the Wuhu disturbance have been decapitated; the
Governors-General and Governors of Liangkiang, Hukuang,
Kiangsu, Anhui, and Hupeh, will be directed to discover, capture,
convict and most severely punish the guilty leaders in connection
with the riots at the other places so as to be a warning for the
future. The previous unsettled cases of the various provinces let
the Tartar Generals, Governors-General and Governors find means
to settle as quickly as possible, and not permit their subordinates,
apprehensive of responsibility, to cause further delay, so that
matters which have accumulated may be cleared off.
IMPERIAL EDICT.
On the 7th of the 5th moon (13th June) the following
Imperial Decree was issued :-The Tsung-li Yamên has memo-
rialised Us on the disturbances occurring in the various provinces
against (foreign) religious orders and requested Us to order the
Governors-General and Governors to take immediate measures for
their suppression, etc. The memorialists stated that in the 4th
moon the churches in Wuhu, in the province of Anhui, were
burned down by evil-disposed persons, and the churches in
Tanyang (Kiangsu) and in Wusueh (Hupeh) were successively
destroyed and it was urged that the leaders should be discovered
and captured and stringent preventive means should be taken, etc.
That the several nations are at liberty to promulgate their religions
(in China) is set forth in the treaties, and Imperial Decrees have
been granted instructing the various provinces to give protection
at all times. Many years have passed by and the Chinese and
foreigners have lived on friendly terms. How is it that lately
churches have been burnt and destroyed almost simultaneously?
It is certainly strange and astounding. It is only too obvious that
there must be among the evil-doers some notoriously desperate
characters who secretly plan, dupe, spread rumours and mislead
THE RIỢTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
235
the minds of the people with the expectation that an opportunity
may occur for plunder. Even the peaceful and good people have
been misguided by and forced to join these rogues to aid in
creating more momentous results. Unless severe measures are
devised to punish and suppress [these malefactors] how are the
laws to be upheld and how is the country to enjoy quiet ? Let
the Governors-General and Governors of Liangkiang, Hukuang,
Kiangsu, Anhui and Hupeh at once command the civil and
military officials to discover, capture, try, convict and execute the
leaders of the riots as a warning to others for the future. The
religion of the Western countries simply admonishes people to
become virtuous, and the native converts are Chinese subjects
under the jurisdiction of the local officials. The religions and
peoples ought to exist peaceably side by side. The risings
[against religious orders] no doubt took origin from the discon-
tented class, who fabricate groundless rumours and create dis-
turbance under false pretexts. Such cunning people are to be
found in every place. Let the Tartar Generals, Governors-
General and Governors proclaim and notify the people never to
listen lightly to floating rumours and recklessly cause troubles.
Any writers of anonymous placards manufacturing rumours to
mislead the people are to be apprehended and severely punished.
The local officials must at all times devise measures for the
protection of the lives and properties of the merchants and
missionaries of the several nations, and must not permit criminals
to harass and injure them. In case their precautions are not
effectual and disturbances occur, let the high authorities report the
exact state of the case and have such officials cashiered. Let the
various cases [of riot against foreign churches] in the different
provinces still pending settlement be promptly arranged by the
Tartar Generals, Governors-General and Governors, who are not to
allow the subordinate officials to delay and procrastinate through
fear of difficulties. Let this Decree be known to all. Respect
this!
THE BLUE BOOK ON CHINA.
EDITORIAL.
The French mail has brought us the Blue Book containing the
Correspondence respecting Anti-Foreign Riots in China, presented
to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty in July
236
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
last. It is a book of 34 pages and we can only summarise it
to-day, and the first impression of the reader will certainly be
· that when a crisis does occur, the country is very well served by its.
agents here from Sir John Walsham down, and that-as indeed we
know from many other indications—the Marquis of Salisbury has
throughly appreciated the gravity of the situation. The first
telegrams the Blue Book contains are those announcing the out-
breaks at Wuhu and Wusueh, and it shows the vigilance of our
Government towards British subjects abroad, that on 9th June
telegrams were sent to the Consuls at Kiukiang and Hankow, "If
you learn names of any British subjects who have received injuries.
in recent disturbances, telegraph them at once.". The English
Catholics are not behindhand in their anxiety for the safety of
Catholic missionaries in China, for on the 12th of June the Duke
of Norfolk writes to Lord Salisbury :-
“I have been asked to beg you to consider the question of
our Government taking some action with regard to the outbreak in
China against the Catholic missionaries on the Yangtze-kiang.
"It is stated that the American and French Governments
have made complaints, and have demanded protection for their
subjects, and the parents of English Sisters of Charity, etc., who
are out in those parts are anxious as to the steps being taken by
England.
“I have no doubt you have the matter in hand, but I
promised to write to you on the subject.”
The inclusion of this note in the Blue Book is an indication
of the consideration the Roman Catholic Church in England
enjoys, through its civil head the Duke of Norfolk, and Lord
Salisbury replies as follows, on the 17th of June :-.
"I am obliged by your letter of the 12th instant, respecting
the recent outbreak of riots at various places on the Yangtze-kiang.
"As far as I am able to judge from the reports received from
our Minister at Peking and our Consular officers in those quarters,
there has been no lack of readiness on the part of the Chinese
authorities to take prompt action for the protection of foreigners
and the suppression of disturbances, but I have consulted Sir John
Walsham by telegraph as to whether there is occasion for further
representations to the Yamên."
Then follow Mr. Mowat's reports of the Wuhu riot, which are
just what they ought to be, though it is curious that the mistake
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
237
should have been passed of calling H.E. Shên the “newly-
appointed” Governor of Anhui, as he was appointed to the post
in 1888. Mr. Mowat, we may note, draws attention to the prompt
measures taken by Nieh Taotai. Then comes a telegraphic
despatch from Sir John Walsham to Lord Salisbury, dated 21st
June, which contains some very important paragraphs, contra-
dicting altogether the idea that the Chinese Government “showed
no lack of readiness to take prompt action":-.
:. “Joint action has been taken by the foreign
Representatives, who have been continuously engaged in urging
upon the Chinese Government the immediate adoption of most
stringent measures to protect foreigners against the repeated
outrages which have been committed on them. .....
"An Imperial Edict was, however, published on the 13th
instant. ..... This Edict and its publication in the Gazette
was obtained by us with great difficulty.
“A great deal now depends on the manner in which the
Imperial orders are executed by the high officials. The Government
at present seems powerless to deal with the situation, of which they
should begin to realise the gravity.
“For the present all questions of indemnity must stand over.
As the crisis may undoubtedly become formidable, the Government
have quite enough on their hands." ..
This despatch alone (the italics are ours) is a sufficient answer
to those optimists who have thought that we have exaggerated the
gravity of the situation. The following is the substance of Lord
Salisbury's reply, dated 2nd July :-
“I understand that, in your opinion, it is desirable to obtain
the punishment of those most inculpated in the recent riots, and
adequate measures for the protection of foreigners, before questions
of indemnity for losses are considered. In this view H.M.'s
Government quite concur, and they leave you full discretion as to
the mode of urging the matter on the Yamên.”
British residents in China generally might think at first on
reading this that Sir John Walsham was hardly strong enough to
have this discretion left to him; but prone to delay and procras-
tinate as he may have shown himself in other matters, there is no
reason to doubt that he has risen to the seriousness of the present
crisis, and, as we shall see later on, that British interests are quite
safe in his hands, when he once realises the importance of the
238
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
case. Following this comes a long despatch from Vice-Admral
Richards to the Admiralty, dated Shanghai, 23rd May, in which
the Admiral recounts the riot news, and the measures he has
taken to protect foreign residents in China. He forwards long
extracts from the North-China Daily News, and includes a
despatch from Consul Ford at Wuhu to Commander Tisdall, of
the Linnet, in which Mr. Ford makes prophecies which events
soon justified :-
"From information that I have this afternoon received, I am
forced to the conclusion that the position of affairs all up and
down the river is extremely critical, and that, unless some vigorous
measures are taken soon to procure the punishment of the ring-
leaders of the late riot, there will be further outbreaks if not here,
at some other point on the Yangtze.
“It appears to me that a demonstration of force should be
made without delay, if only to strengthen the hands of the Chinese
authorities and give them courage to deal with the offenders. ...
“The conclusion I have come to is based partly upon the
appearance of more incendiary placards, which shows that the
men who are causing the disturbance are gaining courage from
their immunity from punishment so far, and also on the considera-
tion that though there is a considerable body of troops now in the
place, yet very little reliance can be placed on them, as they seem
to be utterly devoid of any kind of discipline, and apparently even
· the authorities are not inspired by their presence with confidence
enough to arrest persons who must be perfectly well-known to
hundreds of people in Wuhu.”—The experience at Ichang fully
confirms Mr. Ford's opinion of the value of Chinese soldiers as
protectors of law and order.
On the roth of July Lord Salisbury sent Sir John Walsham
a despatch, the substance of which was telegraphed, in which he
repeats a telegram from the Chinese Government to the Chinese
Minister, which the latter had read to Sir Philip Currie at the
Foreign Office on the 4th July. The telegram briefly recounts the
outrages so far perpetrated, attributing that at Wuhu to the action
of "a doctor connected with the French missionary establishment,"
which shows that the Tsung-li Yamên is very badly informed, or is
quite careless as to how it informs its Minister. The telegram
mentions the arrests that had been made, and the punishments
that had been inflicted, and goes on to say :-
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
239
“At the instance of the Tsung-li Yamên an Imperial Edict has
been issued calling on the authorities to immediately investigate
these events, and, according to Treaty, severely punish any persons
who may be found guilty.
"Sir John Walsham has been to the Yamên and expressed
great displeasure at the slowness of the action of the authorities.
“The Tsung-li Yamên have answered that, owing to the
distance apart of the places where the disturbances have occurred,
and the difficulty of immediately finding and arresting those who
are culpable, the Yamên consider that no undue delay in enquiring
into the matter has taken place....
“ The Tsung-li Yamên are desirous that the Foreign Office
should instruct Sir John Walsham to show no undue impatience
or feeling with regard to the matter."
When Sir Philip Currie told the Chinese Minister that our
Government would not be satisfied with mere enquiry, the latter
replied that due punishment would be inflicted, and in reply to
other questions said "that there had not for many years been such
an anti-foreign outbreak; that he did not attribute it to any wide-
spread feeling against foreigners, but to the machinations of the
secret societies existing among the disbanded soldiery, the object
of which was to stir up trouble against the Government."
On the 17th of July Lord Salisbury sent the following
telegram to Sir John Walsham :-
“It appears, from a further message from the Yamên, which
has been communicated to me by the Chinese Minister, on the
subject of the anti-foreign riots in China, that besides the executions
at Wuhu, two men have been condemned to death at Wusueh, and
several mandarins have been degraded.
“ The Yamên are apprehensive lest the excitement might be
revived and increased, rather than allayed by further executions.
“According to the accounts which reach them from the spot,
order and peace are no longer disturbed.
“ They are now, apparently, fully alive to the gravity of the
occurrences that have taken place, and I am inclined to accept
their assurances in this respect as sufficient, if you are satisfied that
the Chinese Government is in earnest."
There is a taint of weakness in this telegram which fortunately
soon passed off, as four days after it was sent Lord Salisbury
received Consul Gardner's full accounts of the Wusueh affair.
240
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
Too much cannot be said of the energetic way in which Mr.
Gardner took this up, and the completeness with which the story
is told. No generous man can read these details again without his
blood boiling, but they are already well-known to most of our
readers. Of the four officials at Wusueh, three behaved infamously,
and one, the Lungpingtze, did his best, and his name, 'Tso Pai-
ching, should be held in honourable remembrance. He did all he
could to check the mob, and was himself wounded in trying to save
Mr. Green, and had his official yamên destroyed. As to the
Erhfu and the Makowtze, as well as the Chinese Customs official,
the two first were actively hostile, the last merely too afraid to act;
as to the Makowtze, who, “when the ladies had taken refuge on
his premises, had them driven out and exposed to the fury of the
mob," it would be pleasant to know that he has received adequate
punishment. Mr. Gardner gives a full report of his interview with
the Taotai on the subject of the Wusueh murders, and Mr. Gardner
spoke so clearly and so much to the point, that we wish we had
room to reproduce the whole account. We give an extract from
it :-
1.-"In the newspapers it is stated that these riots are caused
by a secret society, whose object is not so much hostility to
Europeans as hostility to their own Government, which it wishes
to embroil with other Governments. Is there any truth in this ?”
They.-" There is a good deal of truth in it; but the actual
rioters are generally local people, who are stirred up by these
people.”
1.-" It will be a serious matter for you if you don't succeed
in defeating their object.”
They.—“We don't understand you."
1.-"There are now in the river gun-vessels of four nations.
Suppose four of the captains in their anger burnt a Chinese town
down, China could not fight four European nations ?”
They.-"Oh, that is impossible.”
1.-"It is improbable, but not impossible. I happen to know
that some of the commanding officers of several of these vessels
would like to do so, and I myself am by no means certain whether
it would not be best in the end, both for you and us, if they were
allowed to carry out their wishes. It would sacrifice lives in the
present to save them in future.”
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
241
There is a sentence, too, at the end of Mr. Gardner's despatch
which is worth reproducing :-
“I venture respectfully to submit that any comment of mine
on these events would be superfluous, more especially as on a
recent occasion, I ventured to state, for your Lordship's con-
sideration, my opinion that, failing fear of war, our best means of
insuring the safety of our countrymen in the interior of my
Consular district, is causing it to be more disagreeable for the
officials to neglect than to perform the duty of protecting British
subjects.” In a supplementary despatch received in London also
on the 21st July, Mr. Gardner sends a little bit of pathos, which
cannot fail to appeal to every reader : at the time the two ladies
hiding in the hut did not know but that Mrs. Protheroe had been
murdered, and the same fate might be theirs at any moment :-
"I think your Lordship might be interested in hearing one
pathetic incident that occurred during the riot. While Mrs.
Warren and Mrs. Boden were seated on the bed in the gardener's
hut, they told Mrs. Protheroe's little girl of three years old, that she
must be quiet and not talk, or they might be hurt; the little thing
did as she was told, and only stroked their faces from time to time.”
Despatches from Mr. Mowat follow, recounting the WVusieh
affair and containing a strong representation (on the 12th of June)
as to the smallness of the British squadron in these waters, a
representation that has had its effect. Then comes a despatch of
22nd July from Lord Salisbury to Sir John Walsham, recounting
an interview which Sir T. Sanderson, of the Foreign Office, had
had with Sir H. Macartney, in which the latter was told to warn
the Chinese Minister, “that if public opinion once became
alarmed and indignant in France and England, a cry for interven-
tion might arise which might have very embarrassing and even
serious consequences.” Sir Halliday took this message and it was
telegraphed to the Tsung-li Yamên. The latter replied they could
not understand it at all; they had executed two men at Wuhu,
and condemned two to death at Wusueh and degraded several
mandarins, and peace and order had been restored. “Her
Majesty's Minister had been more urgent and severe in his repre-
sentations than any other Foreign Representative, even than the
French Minister, whose nationals were the principal sufferers. . .
M. Ribot had accepted as sufficient and satisfactory the assurances
given to him by the Chinese Minister, which were identical with
242
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
those . . . . communicated to Sir P. Currie." Sir T. Sanderson's
answer to this shows a better appreciation of the circumstances
than we have given the Foreign Office credit for. He said :-
"British interests in China were larger than those of any
other European country, and that you had probably been made
aware, as he had certainly himself been informed by Consular
officers recently returned from China, of a growing tendency
amongst the Chinese population to think that the simplest way of
stopping any foreign movement or institution which they disliked
was a resort to popular outbreaks of violence, which they believed
would have no unpleasant result to themselves, and would merely
entail payment of a certain pecuniary indemnity by the Govern-
ment. It would obviously, he said, be disastrous, both for the
foreign communities and for the Chinese Government, that such
an impression should get abroad."
The Blue Book closes with some more evidence taken by
Mr. Hill as to the Wusueh murders, tending more to show that
the Lungpingtze did everything he could for the foreigners, and a
despatch from Mr. Mowat relative to the condition of affairs here
in Shanghai on the 19th June. Then everything was quiet and
expected to remain so: the Ichang affair has re-opened it all, and
the despatch of an armed British force to Ichang—which is quite
distinct from the visit of a gunboat which may be a piece of
friendly courtesy,-shows that the local authorities are now
thoroughly alive to the fact that, despite all its protestations, the
Chinese Government cannot, however good its will may be, protect
foreigners in China against its own people and soldiers. It also
shows that our Government no longer cares to preserve the fiction
that China should be treated as an equal by the civilised Powers.
Shanghai, 14th September.
MEMORIAL OF NANKING VICEROY ON THE RIOTS.
The following memorial on the subject of the recent riots in
these provinces appears in the Peking Gazette of 23rd September,
1891:-
H.E, the Southern Superintendent of Trade, Liu K'un-yi,
and the Governor of Kiangsu, Kang Yi, submit a memorial in
which they report the action that has been taken for the settlement
of the various missionary cases which have occurred in the
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
243
Prefecture of Chinkiang and in other departments of the province
of Kiangsu. During the fourth moon of the present year, in
consequence of the dissemination of lying rumours, the missionary
premises at Wuhu were burnt down, and then followed in close
succession the burning and destruction of missionary property
at Tanyang, Chinkuei, Wusieh, Yanghu, Kiangyin and Jukao.
Officers were deputed to hold an investigation, and although the
facts elicited showed that the rioting was more serious in some
places than in others, the leading feature everywhere was the
fabrication of baseless rumours by scoundrels lurking in conceal-
ment, who incited the populace to riotous proceedings, their object
being to take advantage of the occasion to commit incendiarism
and pillage and so cause a catastrophe of the gravest moment. In
the various other districts of the province false rumours were
subsequently widely circulated and anonymous placards made
their appearance. The memorialists beg to observe that foreign
missionaries, in establishing churches in China for the propagation
of their faith, are acting within their Treaty rights, and that in
carrying on at the same time foundling institutions and charity
schools, they are doing nothing but evincing their devoted philan-
thropy. If scoundrels who have the audacity gratuitously to
fabricate false rumours and spread trouble in such a reckless manner
are not arrested and sharply dealt with as a means of allaying the
popular suspicion, not only will harmony fail to be maintained
between the ordinary people and the adherents of the foreign
doctrines, but great harm will befal the country. On receiving the
reports of what had happened, the memorialists caused stringent
instructions to be issued to all their subordinate authorities
impressing upon them the absolute necessity of using their
most earnest endeavours to protect the missionary establishments
within their respective jurisdictions, and at the same time directing
them to arrest and punish severely according to law all criminal
characters found circulating false rumours or causing disturbance.
The Viceroy issued several proclamations inculcating earnest
advice, and ordered his subordinates everywhere to summon
together the local gentry and ask them to impress upon the people
in their respective districts the necessity of maintaining a prudent
attitude, and of not, on any account, creating a feeling of ground-
less alarm by lightly giving ear to false rumours. The various
district officers concerned are assuredly deserving of punishment
Q2
244
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
for their failure to take adequate precautions beforehand. The
troubles in the Soochow district began with the Tanyang riot and
the Magistrate, Ch'a Wên-ch‘ing, has accordingly been denounced
and cashiered. The acting Magistrate of Wusieh, Liu Shu-jên,
the acting Magistrate of Kiangyin, Sun Yi-shên, the Magistrate of
Yanghu, Yeh Huai-shan, and Tſang Yo, the Magistrate of Chinkuei,
have all been deprived of their buttons. Mo Ping-ch'i, the officer
temporarily in charge of the Jukao district, who had only been
three days at his post, has had a mark of disapproval placed
against his name, and the responsible military authorities have
been stripped of their buttons by way of warning and punishment.
On the receipt of the Imperial Edict of the 13th June, the memo-
rialists again issued proclamations in clear and explicit language
for general information. The doings of these ruffians who manu-
facture false rumours for the purpose of creating trouble are so
secret and mysterious, and their movements so perplexingly uncer-
tain that their apprehension becomes a matter of considerable
difficulty. The Viceroy has again sent secret agents in all direc-
tions to make enquiries, and has ordered the district officers to
exercise surveillance over the tithing system, with the result that
peace and quiet have prevailed during the past few months.
The memorialists venture to think that the first essential in the
way of reniedial measures is that a good understanding should be
effected between the ordinary people and the adherents of the
foreign creed. In arresting and dealing with the offenders, it is
absolutely necessary, in order to satisfy public opinion and to
restore harmony between the Christian and non-Christian portions
of the population, that the really guilty should be punished and
that the punishment should be commensurate with the offence.
From the successive reports received from the various district
officers it appeared that all the criminals who had been arrested
were found on examination to have been merely sympathisers
present at the occurrence. The district officials were consequently
ordered to act in concert with the deputies appointed for the
purpose in having them again rigorously examined under torture,
but without shaking their previous testimony. They have now
been sentenced, according to their respectful degrees of guilt and
under the severest clause of the law applicable in each case, 10
various forms of banishment in the chun, liu, and t'u grades, or to
bambooing. To wait until the value of the property destroyed and
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
245
lost could be recovered from the culprits could not fail to entail
an unreasonable delay and would not prove comforting to the
missionaries. The Taotai at Chinkiang, Huang Tsu-lo, was
accordingly directed to call upon the authorities concerned to
provide the requisite funds and to arrive at a settlement of their
respective claims with the missionaries. The Taotais and Prefects
responsible in the matter again received stringent instructions
directing them to enjoin upon all their subordinates the necessity
of securing without fail the apprehension and punishment of the
principal offenders so that the earnest desire of the Imperial
Court to cultivate friendly, relations with other Powers and to
maintain peace and good order within its own territory may be
duly fulfilled. The memorialists have kept the Tsung-li Yamên
informed of the steps they have taken in the matter, and they now
beg to submit to the sacred glance this account of the settlement
of the missionary questions in Kiangsu and to solicit His Majesty's
commands on the subject.-Rescript: Let active measures be
taken for arresting the criminals who made their escape. They
must positively be apprehended and punished. The Yamên con-
cerned is to take note.
MEMORIAL OF NANKING VICEROY ON WUHU
SETTLEMENT.
H.E. the Viceroy at Nanking, Liu K‘un-yi, and Shên Ping-
ch'êng, the Governor of Anhui, submit a memorial in which they
detail the circumstances connected with the settlement of the Wuhu
missionary case. During the fourth moon of the present year the
missionary establishment at Wuhu was burnt and demolished by
lawless characters who fabricated false rumours to excite the
popular feeling. The place is a treaty port, with a resident Consul,
and is a centre of resort for both Chinese and foreign merchants.
On receiving news of the outbreak, the Viceroy sent repeated
instructions by telegraph to the Customs 'Taotai at Wuhu, directing
him to call upon the local civil and military authorities to take
measures for affording due protection and for securing the arrest
and punishment of the rioters. A gunboat was at the same time
despatched to the spot to maintain order, and an expectant Taotai
on the Kiangsu establishment, named Liu Tso-yü, and other
officials were, one after the other, deputed to proceed to Wuhu
246
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
to co-operate with the local authorities in having the matter
investigated and dealt with in a thorough manner. One of the
memorialists, Shên Ping-ch'êng, happened at the moment to be
returning from Shanghai to resume his post as Governor of Anhui,
and arrived at Wuhu on the day after the riot had occurred. At
that time all sorts of wild rumours were afloat, and the popular
feeling was still in a very excited condition. The Governor gave
fresh orders for the adoption of measures calculated to dissipate
this state of alarm, and by way of redoubling precautionary
measures, had reinforcements of troops drafted to the scene of the
riot. A number of the rioters were arrested at intervals, and
having been tried by the constituted authorities acting under the
instructions of the Wuhu Taotai, Ch'êng Chang, and Liu Tso-yü
an expectant Taotai on the Kiangsu establishment, their evidence
and depositions were forwarded to the memorialists. Two of the
prisoners, Wang Kuang-chin and Fü Yu-shun, were found to be
members of a criminal confederacy who had planned beforehand
the rioting, looting and burning, and in accordance with the
regulations issued for the punishment of the adherents of seditious
societies, instructions were issued for their immediate decapitation
and the exposure of their heads at Nanking, Chinkiang, Shanghai,
and other places, in order to convey a warning to others and
to vindicate the majesty of the law. The remaining criminals
who were present as sympathisers with the movement, were sen-
tenced to imprisonment or to wear the cangue according to
their respective degrees of guilt, and Ch'êng Chang, the Taotai at
Wuhu, as well as the Magistrate, Wang Huan-hsi, were successively
removed from office and recalled to the provincial capital. The
officers who replaced them were required to trace and arrest those
of the rioters who were still at large and to use their utmost
endeavours to prevent any further outbreak. Repeated proclama-
tions were issued by the memorialists couched in earnest language
calculated to remove the popular suspicions. Wuhu is an impor-
tant centre of traffic on the Yangtze, with a mixed population of
good and bad characters, which renders the preservation of the
peace there at all times a matter of the utmost concern. The
military force at Wuhu being somewhat slender and insuffi-
cient for the local requirements, the Viceroy, after consulting by
letter with his colleague, despatched General Tan Kuei-lin, with a
battalion of Hunan troops, to take up a strategic position at the
THE RİOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
247
port and remain there permanently for its protection. An
expectant Taotai on the Kiangsu staff, named Ts'ai Chün, was
deputed to assist the acting Customs Taotai, P'êng Lu, in coming
to an arrangement with the missionaries respecting the buildings
and property that were destroyed, but they failed to effect a settle-
ment. As the Consul and the Bishop both lived at Shanghai,
the Taotai there, Nieh Chi-kuei, was ordered to make a satisfactory
arrangement on the spot with the French Consul-General, M.
Wagner, and a settlement of the whole question has now been
effected. To have waited until the sum required for payment of
the indemnity could have been recovered from the offenders
would have entailed considerable delay, and in order to wipe the
case out of the archives, the acting Taotai at Wuhu, Pêng Lu, has
been required to raise the amount in the first instance, and have it
paid over to the missionaries. The Taotai and the Prefect have
also been directed to call upon all their subordinates to exert
themselves to the uttermost in affording adequate protection to all
missionary establishments throughout their jurisdiction, and in
order to second the efforts of the Government to strengthen the ties
of friendship which bind it to foreign countries, and to maintain
tranquillity within its own territory, a limit of time has been given
within which the criminals still at large must be arrested and
brought to punishment. The steps taken by them in this matter
have already from time to time been reported by the memorialists
in telegrams or despatches to the Tsung-li Yamên, and they now
beg to submit to the Sacred Glance this memorial detailing the
circumstances connected with the final settlement of the Wuhu
missionary case. Let the concerned take note.-(Trans. of Peking
Gazette, 17th November, 1891.) -
A
MEMORIAL OF WUCHANG VICEROY ON WUSUEH
SETTLEMENT.
The Viceroy (Chang Chih-tung) reverently submits a memorial,
in which he implores the Sacred Glance, reporting the steps taken
in connection with the settlement of the questions arising out of the
destruction of missionary property and loss of foreign life at Wusueh
in the province of Hupeh. The memorialist would remark that
after the occurrence of the missionary troubles at Wuhu and other
places during the fourth moon of the present year, great popular
248
THE ANTİ-FOREIGN RIOTS.
excitement and widespread danger existed throughout the whole
valley of the Yangtze, owing to the false rumours which were
current in every direction. In repeated instructions which he
issued to the civil and military authorities, the Viceroy strongly
impressed on them the necessity of adopting secret and vigorous
measures of a precautionary nature and of taking special care to
provide for the protection of all places where foundling institutions
existed in connection with the foreign missionary establishments.
Wusueh is situated at a distance of 70 li from the district town of
Kuangchi, the only officials stationed in the place being the sub-
prefect of Wusueh and Huangchou, and the sub-district deputy
magistrates of Lungpʻing and Makou. There was an English
church there for preaching the Gospel, but no foundling establish-
ment, and the ordinary people and the adherents of the foreign
faith had long lived in harmony. On the evening, however, of the
5th of June last, a man named Au-yang-li-jan, who is a native of
the Kuangchi district and a member of the Catholic religion,
arrived outside the town of Wusueh carrying four children, which
he said he was taking to the Catholic establishment at Kiukiang.
Kuo Liu-shou and some other depraved villains who happened to
notice the incident, erroneously imagined it to be a confirmation of
the false rumours that had been circulated, and in a moment a
crowd of noisy and turbulent people collected who, yielding to the
false impression that the Wusueh missionary premises were places
for the reception and nurture of small children, threw stones
excitedly through the windows, with the result that a kerosene oil
lamp in one of the rooms having been smashed, a fire broke out
which spread and burnt down one of the foreign two-storeyed
houses. The remainder of the buildings were likewise destroyed,
and the rioters took advantage of the occasion to carry off sundry
articles of property. The deputy in charge of the Foreign Customs
station at Wusueh, an assistant sub-prefect named Hua P'in-san,
and sub-district deputy magistrate of Lungp'ing, Tsou Chên-
ch‘ing, hastened to the scene of the riot to restore order, but they
were both stoned and badly beaten by the mob. Two of the
missionaries connected with the chapel, Baden and Prothero, had
previously gone away, the former to Hsingkuo and the latter to
Hankow, and only their wives and families remained in the Mission
premises at Wusueh. A British subject named Green, who was a
tidewaiter connected with the Foreign Customs station at Wusueh,
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES
249
and a British missionary named Argent, who had been away
elsewhere, set out, while the riot was still raging, for the scene of
the fire to render assistance, and were immediately attacked and
beaten to death by the rioters. The three foreign ladies of the
Mission, with four children, made their escape through a back
door and went first to the office of the Ma-kou-ssū. The deputy
magistrate, Ch'ên Pêi-chou, seeing the turbulent and excited state
of the mob, did not venture to receive the ladies and children, who
were escorted in separate parties by the runners and soldiers of the
sub-prefect and the deputy magistrate of Lungpʻing to the yamên
of the sub-prefect of Wusueh and Huangchou where they were
received by the sub-prefect Ku Yün-ch'ang. The three ladies also
were found to have been beaten and wounded by the rioters on
the way, and they all started for Hankow on the following day.
On receiving news of the occurrence the Viceroy at once issued
instructions to the civil and military authorities urging the arrest
of the principal criminals, and detached land and naval forces
from Wuchang to proceed to the spot to restore order and afford
protection. The Taotai at Hankow was also directed to send
Commissioners by steamer to Wusueh to have the remains of the
two foreigners who were killed duly cared for, and forwarded to
Hankow, and high civil and military functionaries were deputed
to proceed to Wusueh for the purpose of maintaining order and
restoring tranquillity. By this time the magistrate of Kuangchi,
P'êng Kuang-hsin had already reached Wusueh and had made a
large number of arrests. Excluding those who were found to be
innocent and were accordingly released, there remained ten
prisoners who were real culprits. The Viceroy specially deputed
an expectant prefect named Yü Kêng to proceed as Commissioner
to Kuangchi and join with Li Tang-yü, the prefect of Huangchou
Fu, in having a thorough investigation and trial conducted under
their orders by the magistrate of the district. The Customs Taotai
at Hankow was directed to address an official communication to
the British Consul requesting him to procure the depositions of
the male and female members of the Wusueh mission, and to
furnish an account of the injuries sustained by the foreign ladies in
order to complete the evidence in the case and have it thoroughly
investigated. In due course of time the Consul forwarded copies
of the depositions, adding that the injuries sustained by the ladies
250
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
were very serious, and that one of them was, in the opinion of the
foreign doctor who examined her, probably rendered incapable of
bearing children. The subsequent investigation showed that the
incident really originated in the suspicions entertained respecting
the conveyance of children and that the riot was caused by
depraved characters inflaming the popular feeling. The disturb-
ance occurred very suddenly without any warning, and it was not
in any way a case of incendiarism for the sake of plunder. The
fact that two of the missionaries were absent at the moment the
trouble took place, having gone away some days previously, proves
that it was not a premeditated attack on the mission. Further
there was an iron safe on the premises which always contained
valuables and which was not carried away. This demonstrates
beyond a doubt that plunder was not the object of the rioters.
Kuo Liu-shou admitted that, on seeing the children being
carried away by the Catholic convert, he gave credence to the false
rumours that had been circulated, and originated the disturbance
in which Tai Yen-yü and other disorderly characters joined,
destroying the Mission property and the furniture, and severely
beating the Customs weiyiian and the deputy magistrate. It was
really he who originated the affair by inflaming the popular
passions, and it was he who stabbed the foreign Customs tidewaiter
Green, who went to extinguish the fire, several times with a knife.
Tai Yen-yü admitted without reserve that he had taken an active
part in the riot and had killed the foreign missionary Argent by
stabbing him several times with a knife. The Criminal Code
provides that, where a number of people beat another to death,
the one who inflicts a severe blow upon a fatal part shall suffer
strangulation. In the present instance, the two criminals, in a
matter which did not concern them, stirred up the popular passions
and created a riot which involved the death of innocent people.
Their behaviour was of a blood-thirsty and daring nature which
gives it a resemblance to that of local bandits and a degree of
gravity which does not attach to ordinary cases of assault and
battery by a number of people. The Viceroy recently had the
honour to receive the Imperial Decree of the 13th of June last, in
which the High Provincial Authorities were commanded to lose
no time in issuing instructions to the civil and military officials
concerned, for the apprehension of the ringleaders in the riots
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
251
and, on proof of guilt, for their decapitation as a warning to others.
These were the instructions under which the Viceroy.considered
it his duty to act.
Kuo Liu-shou and Tai Yen-yü having been both convicted
at the trial held by the Commissioner, prefect and magistrate, of
being the principals in this case, it was not advisable that there
should be the least delay in carrying out their sentence, and the
Viceroy accordingly, in order to vindicate the majesty of the law,
issued instructions for their immediate decapitation, and for the
exposure of their heads by way of warning at the scene of the
commission of their crime. Instructions were issued to the prefect
of Yükêng, who acted as Commissioner, to co-operate with the
prefect and the magistrate in examining and taking the depositions
of the eight accessories who took part in the attack upon the
deceased, beat the foreign ladies and carried off miscellaneous
articles of property. T'ao Ch'un-ts'an, Tien Tê and two other
soldiers, four converts, including Fang Hsin-hsing, and Wang
Ch'i-tso, Mr. Green's cook, all of whom had been indicated by the
British Consul as important witnesses, were confronted with the
accused, and the trial having been conducted in due form, sentence
was passed according to the provisions of the criminal law. The
report submitted by the Commissioners contained the following
depositions :-
Hu Tung-êrh admitted that he had struck the tidewaiter,
Green, over the head with an iron bar; Hu Shih-shêng confessed
to having picked up a stone and struck the tidewaiter Green a blow
on the head; Lu Erh-ti stated that he had thrown a stone and had
wounded the missionary Argent; Hsü Feng-ch'un and T'ien Fu-êrh
confessed that in the thick of the crowd they had jostled the
foreign ladies, but did not know whether the latter had sustained
any injuries in consequence. Hsü Feng-ch'un added that he had
picked up sundry articles which he afterwards threw away. Ch'ên
Lien-shêng admitted having picked up some odds and ends of
things which he also threw away. The two prisoners Fan Ssă-mei
and Yü Lao-wu, both confessed that on hearing of the disturbance
they thought of going to pick up what they could find, but could
not crush their way to the spot owing to the crowd of people. All
the evidence was given without any reservation and the accused
stood the ordeal of repeated and rigorous examination without
finching. Their testimony was not contradicted in any way by
252
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
the important witnesses who were confronted with them, and there
was not the least concealment of the truth in the evidence that was
given. The Court therefore proceeded to pass sentence on them.
The following are the clauses of the Criminal Code applicable to
the case :-
(1) Where a number of people enter into a plot to make a
combined attack upon a person, the one who inflicts a severe
wound upon a vital part, is, as explained above, sentenced to be
strangled. Of the others who have joined in the attack, those who
are proved to have wounded the person with a gun, knife, or other
deadly weapon, are liable to perpetual banishment to regions in
immediate proximity to the frontier.
(2) Robbery with violence to the person is, in the case of a
principal, punishable by decapitation after the usual period of
confinement, and in the case of an accessory, the punishment is
reduced one degree, and the culprit is branded. The punishment
is on the same scale if an accidental fire furnished an opportunity
for the commission of the robbery.
(3) For injuring a person in a fray and bringing on a serious
illness which prevents her from bearing children, the punishment
is 1oo blows and banishment to a distance of 3,000 li.
(4) Where advantage is taken of a fire to commit a robbery,
those of the criminals who have been guilty of murder or violence
to the person, or have accumulated a large amount of plunder, are
dealt with by the statute applicable to such offences. Such of
them as have only shared in the plunder and rendered themselves
liable to bambooing and banishment in the t'u degree receive a
punishment higher by one degree than that provided by the law
for an offence of the kind where no fire occurred, the principal
being sentenced to 100 blows and banishment to a distance of
3,000 li, and the accessories to 100 blows and banishment for
three years with branding.
(5) Where a person intends to commit a robbery, but does
not actually get possession of any of the spoil he is to be tried for
a grave misdemeanour.
(6) For a misdemeanour, where the circumstances are of a
serious nature, the punishment is 80 blows. .
In the present case Hu Tung-êrh, hearing that a fire had
broken out in buildings occupied by foreigners, went to the scene
of the fire armed with an iron bar, and seeing a crowd of people
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
253
surrounding and beating the foreigners, struck a foreigner over the
head with the iron bar. An iron bar comes within the category
of deadly instruments mentioned in the law. Hu Tung-êrh has
therefore been condemned to banishment to a place close to the
frontier under the statute which prescribes this form of punishment
where a number of people attack another and one of the assailants
inflicts a wound with a lethal weapon.
Hu Shih-shêng and Lü Erh-ti, seeing that a fire had accident-
ally broken out in foreign buildings, proceeded to the spot, and
finding a number of people pursuing and beating the foreigners
they picked up stones with which they struck and wounded the
foreigners. The sentence upon both men is that they receive
100 blows, be banished to a distance of 3,000 li, and have the
character “robber.” branded upon their right fore-arm, this being,
the punishment prescribed for an accessory to the crime of
wounding in a case of robbery. Hsü Fêng-ch'un, when the fire
broke out in the foreign premises, went to see what was going on,
and happening to meet foreign ladies in the surging crowd of
people, he followed and jostled them. He stated that he did not
know whether they had received any injuries, but that the ladies
were injured has been fully ascertained by the officials deputed to
deal with the case. Treating the matter therefore as one in which
the injuries sustained had such serious consequences as to preclude
the bearing of offspring, the punishment prescribed by the law is
100 blows and banishment to a distance of 3,000 li. The culprit
is likewise liable, under the law applicable to robbery in connection
with a fire, to a sentence of 100 blows and banishment to a distance
of 3,000 li for having picked up some articles of property. Where
the law prescribes the same punishment for two offences, sentence
is pronounced upon only one of the two counts. Hsü Fêng-ch'un
has therefore been sentenced to roo blows and banishment to a
distance of 3,000 li, and the characters for “robber” are to be
branded upon his right fore-arm. T'ien Yu-erh jostled against the
foreign ladies in the crowd of people, and although he stated that
he did not know whether they had received any injuries and denied
having picked up any articles of property, yet for jostling the
foreign ladies he is liable to the same punishment as Hsü Fêng-
chʻun, and he has accordingly been sentenced to 1oo blows and
banishment to a distance of 3,000 li, in accordance with the statute
which prescribes this punishment for beating a person and causing
254
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
her such serious harm that she is rendered incapable of bearing
children. Ch'ên Lien-shêng, hearing that a foreign house had
caught fire, went to see what was going on and found a crowd of
people surrounding and beating the foreigners. According to his
own statement, he took no part in the attack, but he admits
having picked up a few articles. The law is that when advantage
is taken of an accidental fire to commit robbery, those of the
criminals who have shared in the spoil and have become liable to
bambooing and banishment in the t'u degree, shall receive a
punishment higher by one degree than that applicable to mere
robbery, and that the accessories shall be condemned to 100
blows and banishment for three years. Ch'ên Lien-shêng has
accordingly been sentenced to 100 blows and banishment for three
years, and is to have the characters for “robber" brànded upon
his face. Yu Lao-wu and Fan Ssu-mei learning that the foreign
buildings had caught fire and that riotous proceedings were being
directed against foreigners, bethought themselves of going to pick
up some articles of furniture, but did not actually get possession
of any of the plunder. They have each been sentenced to receive
eighty blows under the clause of the law applicable to a mis-
demeanour of the kind.
Rewards have been offered for the apprehension of the
offenders still at large, and as soon as they are arrested, steps will
be taken for having them tried and punished in accordance with
the law. The sentences were duly revised by Yun Tsu-yi, the
acting Judicial Commissioner of Hupeh, on recipt of whose report
the Viceroy issued instructions for having them carried into effect.
The acting deputy magistrate of Ma-k'ou, Ch'en P'ei-chou,
did not venture, in view of the excited state of the mob, to receive
the foreign ladies and children and, as a consequence, they were ·
beaten and injured. In this he acted very improperly and the
Lieutenant-Governor has already been instructed to have him
removed from office and deprived of his button as a warning and
punishment. The sub-prefect of Wusueh and Huangchou, Ku
Yün-ch'ang, is really an officer charged with the conservation of
the river embankment, and has never had any responsibility of a
detective nature. As he has no special aptitude for the latter
kind of work, and as it is essential that the sub-prefect should
act in concert with the magistrate in taking active measures
for the apprehension of the remaining criminals, Ku Yün-ch'ang
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
255
will be recalled to the provincial capital and another official will
be deputed to act as sub-prefect, with instructions to institute
inquiries with a view to the apprehension of the offenders who
are still at large.
the various criminals were officially communicated through the
Taotai to the British Consul, who, in acknowledging the receipt
of the despatch on the subject, stated that they were all just and
adequate, and that he had no objections to offer to them. The
above is a summary of the facts connected with the arrest and
punishment of the rioters.
The death under such circumstances of two unoffending men,
the tidewaiter Green and the missionary Argent, is exceedingly
sad, and it is right that a grant of compassionate allowances
should be made, in order to manifest the earnest desire of the
Government to befriend the innocent. It is proposed therefore to
give the families of each of the deceased a sum of $20,000. No
ill-feeling has ever existed between the missionaries at Wusueh
and the people of the town, and the present instance, the riot in
which the Mission property was destroyed, arose from suspicions
and false rumours which had no connection with them, and was in
no way caused by the missionaries. It is right therefore that the
authorities, by way of showing their sympathy, should provide
them with funds for rebuilding the premises and indemnify them
for the property that was lost therein. The amount has been fixed
on a liberal scale at $25,000. A sum of $65,000, equivalent to,
say, Tls.. 45,000 has been arranged by the Commissioner of
Customs in consultation with the Consul and with the latter's
approval, as the total amount to be paid in satisfaction of the
various claims arising out of this case. The Consul has reported
the matter to the Minister and is merely awaiting a reply to enable
him to receive the money and close the case. The above is a
summary of the measures taken with regard to the issue of a
compassionate allowance and the rebuilding of the missionary
premises. :
The memorialist would observe that the riots which have
occurred with such frequency in the valley of the Yangtze during
the last few months in connection with missionary establishments
have, for the most part, originated in the practice of receiving and
bringing up young children which gives seditious characters an
256
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
.
opportunity of fabricating all sorts of false rumours to work upon
the feelings of credulous and ignorant people. A disturbance
suddenly breaks out and before order can be restored a great
catastrophe has occurred. After the riot at Wusueh the Customs
Taotai at Hankow, acting under instructions from the Viceroy,
addressed an official communication to the various Consuls and
asked them, with a view to removing all grounds of suspicion, to
direct the missionaries to cease for a time receiving young children
into their establishments, on the understanding that they should
resume the practice as soon as all pending cases were settled and
the popular excitement had somewhat subsided. The Consuls
having all agreed to the proposal, the Taotai was further directed
to draw up in consultation with the Consuls regulations providing
for the periodical inspection every month of missionary institutions
by officials and gentry deputed for the purpose. If compliance
with these regulations can be secured on the part of all missionary
establishments, all grounds of suspicion will be removed and
further riots are unlikely to occur. The memorialist has issued
stringent instructions to the civil and military authorities directing
them to keep a careful watch from time to time, and in the event
of their discovering any further anonymous placards circulating
baseless rumours with the object of stirring up sedition, they are
to offer rewards at once for the arrest of the culprits, who will be
severely punished under the instructions contained in the Imperial
Decree of the 13th of June last, so that all attempts at incipient
rebellion may be crushed.
Of the cases that remained unsettled there were only two
British ones the first being that of a disturbance which Hsü Hui
created against the missionaries in the Prefecture of Tean, and
the second relating to a dispute which a convert named Lan had
with the members of his Clan respecting the retention of his name
on the family register. Both have been brought to a close and
their settlement has been reported officially to the Consul by the
Taotai under instructions from the Viceroy. The memorialist has
submitted a report on the whole case to the Tsung-li Yamên and
has forwarded the depositions and confessions taken at the trial of
the guilty parties to the Board of Punishments. He now rever-
ently submits to the Sacred Glance this memorial in which he
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES2
257
.
reports, in conjunction with his colleague, T’an Chi-hsün, the
Governor of Hupeh, the settlement of the Wusueh missionary
case. Rescript: Let the Yamên concerned take note.-(Trans.
of Peking Gazette, 17th October, 1891.)
PROCLAMATION OF KIRIN TAOTAI AND NOTE
ON DR. GREIG.
The Rev. James Carson, of the Irish Presbyterian Mission,
Newchwang, to which Dr. Greig belonged, sends to the North-
China Daily News, from K‘uanchêngtze, a translation of a procla-
mation issued some time ago by the Taotai of Kirin, giving the
result of his investigation of the charge brought against Dr. Greig.
Mr. Carson writes that the proclamation had only just reached
him, although posted up in Kirin more than a month, and the
agent of the Mission had considerable difficulty in procuring a
copy. It is interesting as giving the Chinese version of the affair,
and corroborates in all important particulars the account of the
outrage which has already appeared. Of course it is considerably
modified and toned down.
Dr. Greig has been ordered home by the doctors whom he
consulted in Shanghai and in Chefoo, they being all of opinion
that it will take a year at home to restore him to health.
PROCLAMATION.
On the 5th day of the 7th moon of Kwang Hsü (9th August,
1891), I received orders from His Excellency Tartar-General
Ch'ang, deputing me to investigate the alleged case of kidnapping
of the lad Yau Chao-boa.
Accordingly I summoned into court the plaintiff Yau Kwei-
ch'ang, father of said Yau Chao-boa, corporal in the General's
Guard, together with those of the same garrison who assisted him
in the search for this lad and others—six in all.
These witnesses were all separately and carefully interrogated,
· with the following result :-
It appears that Yau Chao-boa, &c. were at the public school
on the 3rd of the 7th moon; when about noon of the day in
question they were dismissed for dinner. Because study was
found to be very irksome they resolved to run away from school
and escape to Kuanchengtze, there to enter business.
1
258
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
-
The lads left the city of Kirin by the Paerhho gate, and
by a circuitous route reached the Erhtaoling road where they
accidentally met with a foreigner Kao Chi-shan (Dr. Greig) and.
his assistant, who were riding and driving. These the children
followed along the road. The foreigner put up at Tasweihea in the
inn belonging to Ch'iao Lin. Yau Chao-boa and his companions
also arrived at the same village. Here the scholars were recognised
by a former companion, son of Tung Yung-hia an apothecary.
And the latter, because of the lateness of the hour, brought them
into his house, where he questioned them closely as to their
destination. They all agreed in stating that they were proceeding to
Kuanchengtze to learn business. No mention of undue influence.
Finally, he lodged them for the night with the intention of next
morning returning them to the city.
Yau Kw'ei-ch'ang on the disappearance of his child made
enquiries in every direction, but could find no trace of him ; quite
unexpectedly, however, he met a man called Liõ returning from
K‘uanchêngtze, whơ informed him that he had passed some half
dozen children at Laoyuling in the company of the foreigner and
his party. Yau Kw'ei-ch'ang, on hearing this, suspected that the
foreigner had decoyed the children and was carrying them off.
Accordingly, with Ma Yü and others of the guard, three in all, he
hastened late at night to Tasweihěa ; and there, from the picket-
station, was joined by Chang Yang-ts'ai and two others who
proceeded with him to the inn of Ch'iao Lin.
There they found the foreigner and his assistant, but did not
see the lads. Whereupon they imagined that the children were
somewhere secreted, and asked what had become of them. The
foreigner and his party pleaded ignorance. Yau K'wei-ch'ang was
now still more suspicious. And in a momentary fit of passion
beat and bruised the foreigner and his assistant with the backs of
their swords and riding whips. Their sole object in doing so was
to so frighten them that they would produce the lads. The
assistant declared that he had seen six children at Shiaosweihea
(5 li from Fusweihea) but did not know what had become of them.
At daylight Yau K'wei-ch'ang, still in quest of his child, found
him and the other in the apothecary's shop. After learning all the
particulars of the case he and his party returned to the city and to
his superior officer accused the foreigner of having decoyed his
child.
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
259
Inasmuch as the case was referred to me by his Excellency
I summoned all parties into court and took their evidence. It
was clearly proved that Yau Chao-boa and the other scholars had
played truant, and were afraid of being punished ; and there was
no ground whatever for the charge of enticing them brought
against the foreigner. Tuh Yung-hen and Ch'iao Lin also appeared
before the Court and their testimony tallied in every respect
with the foregoing. Moreover, Yau K'wei-ch'ang himself now
confessed that he had acted wrongly and begged to be punished
accordingly. '
Let it be borne in mind that China treats foreigners with
great grace and condescension; and that the Middle Kingdom
has been on amicable terms with Foreign Powers for many years.
Whatever foreigner travels in our land is protected to the utmost
of our power and treated with the greatest consideration. If the
foreigner were guilty of such a grave offence as child-stealing he
would render himself liable to be deported. The present Taotai
would rigidly carry out the law as in duty bound; and on no
account abate the rigour of his punishment from the fact of his
being a stranger.
If, on the other hand people bring a false accusation and
trump up a cause of offence punishment will likewise be inflicted;
they will not be allowed to escape.
In the present case Yau K'wei-ch'ang, because he lost his child
and could not find him, suspected the foreigner of having induced
him to follow him through undue and evil influence.
In the heat of passion and without satisfying himself by clear
enquiry he forthwith assaulted the foreigner and his assistant; and
afterwards brought a false charge against him. Really, a grave
mistake was committed !
Therefore in addition to punishing Yau K'wei-ch'ang and
others as by law provided, I feel it my duty to issue this procla-
mation for the information of all.
Consequently this notification that soldiers and citizens alike
may be put in possession of full particulars.
Hereafter let each one endeavour to do his duty and be law-
abiding in the hope that peace may prevail between Chinese and
foreigners.
R
2
260
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS:
: Do not wilfully create disturbance, and bring upon yourselves
condign punishment.
Let each and all give particular heed and obey. .
A Special Notification.
Translated by JAMES Carson.
K‘uanchêngtze, Newchwang.
VICEROY CHANG CHIH-TUNG AND GOVERNOR OF
HUNAN'S REPORT TO THE TSUNG-LI YAMÊN.
INVESTIGATION OF CHOU HAN'S CASE.
The Governor-General Chang Chih-tung and Governor of
Hunan report that they have investigated the charges made
against Chou Han of issuing libellous placards and forging official
documents. In the first instance a despatch was addressed to
them by the Tsung-li Yamên, which mentioned the offence which
had been committed against the laws of the country, the manifest
desire to cause disorder, the horrible indecency of the songs and
pictures in question, and their dangerous effect in stirring up the
people to commit outrages. Both in the interests of international
comity and as a matter of internal administration, it was necessary
that the offenders should be sternly dealt with. Later telegrams
from the same department indicated Chou Han and three book-
sellers at Ch‘angsha as the issuers of large numbers of these
placards, and dwelt on the fact that the late riots were all caused
by the dissemination of false reports. The matter had already
been put into the hands of the Hunan Chief Justice, when a
further telegram in March was received from the Yamên urging
promptness. The Governor-General then, through the Yamên,
obtained the Emperor's permission to send the Hupeh Grain
Taotai to join the Chief Justice in dealing with the affair. These
two officers have now presented their report. Under their orders
the Prefect of Ch‘angsha ascertained that Chou Han was a Taotai
on the Shensi staff, promoted on account of military service. He
had belonged to Ninghsiang Hsien, but was often in Ch'angsha,
where he published virtuous books under the name of The Hall
of Precious Goodness. The three men mentioned by the Yamên,
Cheng Mou-hua, Tseng Yü-wen and Ch'en Chü-tê, all kept printing
shops, but Tseng Yü-wen died during the past year. Cheng
Mou-hua on being interrogated, said that he knew Chou Han.
THE RIOTS: THEIR RE:IEDIES.
261
The latter had never been his partner, but had stayed with him a
few days last year; at times his talk was very wild and he was like
a madman. Deponent had heard that the blocks for his books
were cut by Tseng Yü-wen and Ch'en Chü-tê. ' The last mentioned
was then examined. He had cut blocks for Chou Han for good
books such as The Successful Rearing of Foundlings and others
similar. The printing was done by the purchaser. There were
many workmen in his shop; they knew nothing of books; they
did the work brought to them and took the money, without
enquiring anything about the customer. Deponent could not
remember if any of them had cut blocks for the books and pictures
of the authorship of which Chou Han was accused. Finally a man
from Tseng Yü-wen's shop was questioned. He said that his
master had cut blocks for Chou Han. They were for good books.
He could not remember if any of them were abusive of foreign
religions. When his master died the shop was closed and the
workmen dispersed. In the meantime the two Commissioners
had sent deputies to Ninghsiang to find Chou Han and bring him to
Ch'angsha. They returned with the information that Chou Han had
come back to his home eight years ago, but he soon afterwards went
off with his wife and children and had not been there again. They
brought with them, however, some of his relations and neighbours.
The evidence of these witnesses was to the effect that Chou Han
had not been at home for six or seven years; but of late he had
been subject to temporary illnesses which had an effect on his
brain. He talked nonsense and had spiritualistic fancies, being a
great believer in divination by the planchetle. He had never
believed in foreign religions, but he did not publish songs and
placards. They thought that both in this matter and in the forging
name, as that of a person in high position, in order to attract more
attention. The Commissioners, though they failed to ascertain
who was the writer of the placards, felt it their duty at any rate to
secure the destruction of the blocks. Rewards were therefore
offered to any one who would bring them in, and a promise giren
that the bearers of them should not be punished. By this means
thirty-one blocks were secured, many of them much defaced,
evidently by people who feared that they might get into trouble
for possessing them. The witnesses from Ninghsiang were then
re-examined, but their evidence was to the same effect as already
262
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
stated. Then the printer Ch'en Chü-tê was summoned again.
He declared that his shop was one of long standing. - He had
many workmen and many customers. In the accounts a cus-
tomer's surname alone would be entered, or very likely work' would
be ordered through a third party; and so nothing could be traced
by looking at the account books. He really could not say whether
some of the workmen in the shop had cut blocks for any of the
books mentioned. If so, the order had been taken without his,
the proprietor's knowledge. The other printer Cheng Mou-hua
persisted in denying that he had executed work for Chou Han,
but spoke again of his fits of madness. The Commissioners being
aware of the gravity of the case, were determined to spare no
trouble, and therefore had private enquiries made by the local
authorities. It was established beyond doubt that Chou Han had
gone away from Ch'angsha; and those who knew him, while deny-
ing that he had published anti-Christian books, all spoke of his fits
of madness, which had of late been worse than before and accom-
panied by great irascibility. Indeed it seemed to the Commis-
sioners, from the evidence as to his state of mind, that if found he
could not usefully have been subjected to examination. On the
strength of the general evidence, the Commissioners ascribe both
the libellous publications and the forged letters to persons who
made unauthorised use of Chou Han's name and they mention
that the supposed letter to the Governor of Hupeh never reached
that officer at all. But the evidence from all parties as to the
wildness of Chou Han's mind and behaviour is such that the
Commissioners think he should be reported for punishment.
Cheng Mou-hua is blameworthy for admiringly consorting with a
man whom he acknowledges to have been mad. The same is the
case with Ch'en Chü-tê who kept no check upon his workmen,
and permitted them to execute orders without supervision, thereby
allowing trouble to be caused. It is therefore proposed that these
two men should be punished for their improper conduct by a
flogging of eighty blows and three months' wooden collar, and
their shops be closed in perpetuity. At the same time the local
authorities have been desired to institute a strict search through
all the province for the real authors of the libels and forged
documents.
The memorialists represents that the preaching of Christianity
is permitted by treaty, and it is of their own free will that Chinese
1
11
11111
THE RIOTS: THEIR REMEDIES.
263
become converts; that if there be anything improper or against
treaty in the missions it should be reported to the authorities for
joint action; and that baseless reports should not be spread.
Chou Han, though acquitted of the offences charged, still by the
conduct above described has enabled others to make use of his
name for bad purposes. They therefore propose that he should
be temporarily cashiered, and kept at home under surveillance,
without being permitted to visit the provincial capital. If his
mental state. is improved and his conduct becomes exemplary, his
case might be after a time taken into consideration again. The
memorialists further recommend that the sentences passed upon
the booksellers be confirmed. The thirty-one blocks which were
discovered have been destroyed by the Hankow Taotai in the
presence of the Consul at that port. Referred to the Tsung-li
Yamên.-(Trans. of Peking Gazette, 28th and 29th May, 1892.)
THE TSUNG-LI YAMÊN MEMORIAL.
Prince Ch'ing and the Ministers of the Tsung-li Yamên present
a report on the above matter. Their memorial, except for a few
lines, is simply a recapitulation of Chang Chih-tung's statements,
and an endorsement of his proposals. The Prince and Ministers
state that their attention was called to the printing at Ch'angsha by
a letter from Mr. von Brandt in November, and by Sir John
Walsham in January, who said at an interview that a copy of the
productions had been sent by the Consul at Hankow to the
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in England. They remark
on the freedom of any who wish to become Christians, and on the
gravity of the case in question, because of the troubles which
spring from the dissemination of false tales. They beg that Chang
Chih-tung's report may be adopted. Decree issued previously--
(Ibid.)
IMPERIAL DECREE.—CHOU HAN CASHIERED.
The Tsung-li Yamên has been desired to report on a memorial
concerning the case of issuing placards and forging official docu-
ments in Hunan. The Vamên recommends that the proposals of
Chang Chih-tung be adopted. Although Chou Han has not
issued placards or forged official documents, still he, an official
264
THE ANTI-FOREIGN RIOTS.
in the Government service, by his wild language and insane con-
duct has enabled ill-disposed persons to make use of his name
and excite the public by fabricated stories. He therefore cannot
be held guiltless. Let expectant Taotai Chou Han be cashiered
forthwith. Let him further be compelled to return to his home
and be kept under the strict supervision of the local authorities,
who will not allow him to go abroad or cause trouble. The
remainder of the memorial is approved. Ibid, 21st May, 1892.,
S
APPENDIX

1
+
1
IN
bunan:
A RECORD OF A SIX WEEKS TRIP.
MAF the various provinces of the empire, Hunan is perhaps
the one with which we foreigners are least acquainted,
Song and yet it is by no means one of the least important. It
is situated right in the centre of China ; has an area of 84,000
square miles-equal to Great Britain-and an estimated popu-
lation of over twenty millions. It is shaped like a mulberry leaf,
the stalk of which is the Yangtze, with its now almost daily
steamers ; and its ribs the four main rivers the Siang, the Tsz, the
Yuen, and the Li, which discharge into Tungting lake. These
with their numerous branches give ready access to all parts of the
province. Its boundaries are skilfully drawn around their tips.
In many respects it is a remarkably self-contained province,
producing nearly everything the people require, and forming a
little kingdom by itself. It is chiefly known, however, to us as a
province which is almost inaccessible from the anti-foreign dis-
position of its inhabitants, but which produces in large quantity
coal, iron, timber, tea, oil, tobacco, rice, etc., besides the best
soldiers, and the biggest and finest mandarins in the empire. The
only foreigners resident in it are a small garrison of Roman Catholic
Fathers who have held the fort a few li from the city of Hengchow
Fu for between the last two and three hundred years. As to
travellers, the lamented Margary and the learned Richthofen
passed through it; also a too early scientific swallow, named Mr.
Ma, who turned up about sixteen years ago looking for the best
route for a railway from Hankow to Canton. He found it too, for
thented Margary, Scientific swallow for the bes
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APPENDIX
there is no other which for directness, evenness, or promised
abundance of traffic, can for a moment come into competition with
the one traced by him Let the fact be remembered to his credit
when the railway gets built.
Of Protestant missionaries, many have visited it, or crossed
it, but of persevering workers in it, it has had but three. First, in
the order of time, myself, Mr. Chi, a humble member of the tribe
of peripatetic sellers of good books. Then Messrs. Wu and Li,
two gentlemen connected with the China Inland Mission. They
spent many years in hard self-denying effort to find some place, no
matter how insignificant, where they might be allowed to live and
attempt settled work, but without success. Mr. Li lost heart, and
left the mission field; but Mr. Wu persevered until he died two
years ago in a boat. Little is known of all he did, and all he
suffered. The best work is often done by those who seem to have
no inclination to say much about it. So too it was with Mr. Mo
Ya-ko, a B. and F. man, who last year dragged his worn-out
body to a solitary mission station in Szechuan where it now
rests in peace. Few have ever heard of Mr. Mo; yet for twenty-
five years he travelled in almost every province of the empire.
His journeys would have made the reputation of half a score of
F.R.G.S.'s, but they were never written, save by the recording
angel. The noble army of martyrs still goes marching on, but not
as a rule with trumpet and drum, so the world, which is so busy
making a noise about its own affairs, seldom hears its tread.
On applying to Her Majesty's Consul for a passport last
March, I thought it right to tell him that we were bound on a visit
to the departments and cities of Ch'angsha Fu (the capital), Heng-
chow Fu, and Paoking Fu; and that in these regions the authorities
had got into the habit of contending that a passport for the
province could never mean the particular place at which one
happened to be. He kindly undertook to have this put right.
The result, however, was that no passport was forthcoming, but
instead a request from the Taotai that Mr. Chi should be informed
he must not go to these places. H.M.'s Consul declined to do this,
and insisted on the passport, but after waiting a reasonable time,
he still did not get it, but only the information that the matter had
been referred by the Taotai to the Viceroy, and was under his
consideration. Still more waiting and then H.M.'s Consul sent in
a fresh application. Meanwhile the time at our disposal for the
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journey was rapidly slipping away, and our boatmen were weary
waiting. As no one could tell how long the authorities would
keep on considering, probably just as long as we were willing to
wait—we resolved to leave without the important document in
question. In favour of such a lawless proceeding there was much
to be said. The Chinese officials consider matters very slowly.
Practically they were denying the passport without undertaking
the responsibility of saying they would not grant it, and if this
were once successfully done, it would be often attempted to the
great inconvenience of all travellers in the interior. If the pass-
port were obtained I could have it sent after me; and, if not, I
knew that where I was going it did not matter much whether I
had one or not. Lastly, supposing they caught me and sent me
back in disgrace, it would then become possible to attract bene-
ficial attention to this matter; and as to punishment it would be
a most interesting point to decide who it was that ought to go to
jail, the Taotai, the Consul, or I! So making due arrangements
for a messenger to follow us at the latest possible date, we started.
In these central provinces the action of the native authorities
with regard to passports is varied. In Hupeh, and Anhui, go
where one may, a passport is never asked for, and there is seldom
any occasion to produce one. In parts of Kiangsi, Szechuan,
and the west generally, it is demanded at every city, and generally
carefully copied, no matter how often they may have seen it
before. In Hunan they have no wish either to see it or its bearer,
and it is the traveller himself who brings it out unasked in
endeavouring to demonstrate that he has certain rights which they
ought to recognise.
The passport problem is one which the mind of the ordinary
district magistrate has not yet fully mastered. If it merely gives
permissiom for a foreigner to move about unmolested as long as he
behaves himself, and the people have no objections, he does not
see the necessity for any document; but what the passport may
mean over and above this is the thing which puzzles him. Failing
a passport, other papers may be found to answer just as well. A
friend of mine used his certificate of registration as a British sub-
ject as, a passport with most satisfactory results. He did so in
perfect good faith. Finding it was an article he had to provide
himself with at an expense of $5 a year, and that it bore on the
words :-“This certificate of registration must be carefully kept by
270
APPENDIX.
the party in whose favour it is issued, if he would avoid delay and
inconvenience while resident or travelling in China,” he very
excusably jumped to the conclusion that it was a passport, and the
Chinese never told him that there was anything wrong with it.
When his friends endeavoured to enlighten him he absolutely
refused to be illuminated on the strength of the document itself,
and when, at last, facts were too many for him, he wished to be
informed what then he was expected to do it. This information
he lacks to this day; and as such bewilderment is not unreason-
able it might be well if H.M. Government would have “directions
for use" printed on the back of these registration certificates.
Some “parties” might be put to serious inconvenience by a mis-
take of this kind.
Going slowly up the Yangtze in a native boat gave one plenty
of time to speculate on whether the passport problem might not in
turn prove too tough for even the strong mind of our Viceroy
Chang Chih-tung, and he find it necessary to pass it on to Peking,
in which limbo it could safely rest for evermore; or whether, now
we were actually off, they might not think it best to grant it. It
was granted. Before we reached the Tungting lake my messenger
overtook us, by means of one of the many steamers now plying on
the upper Yangtze, so when we entered the province we were
fully authorised to proceed, “to be protected, and treated with
courtesy."
The first Hunan city at which we called was Yochow Fu.
It occupies an elevated, highly picturesque situation at the mouth
of the Tungting lake, and is well-known to foreigners. In former
years the people there used to stone all who came that way with
the utmost impartiality ; it is only within the last year or two that
they have learned to deny themselves that pleasure. The shops
and business places are all outside the walls in a suburb on the
south side ; within the walls there are only a few residences, and
the usual official buildings and temples, otherwise it is an empty
shell. Notwithstanding, the authorities for a long time were
strongly opposed to our entering it. Even after we were able to
stay and work in the suburb in peace any attempt to enter a gate
was sure to lead to an uproar.. When, at last, we obtained "the
freedom of the city” and found nothing there, it reminded one of
the Scotsman who fought so long and vigorously in defence of an
empty purse that the highwayman declared "had there been but
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---- ---
sixpence in it he would have killed me.” Yochow is now quite
quiet, and may be visited by anyone without trouble.
Between it going south and the next city, Siangyinchien, lies
the whole breadth of the Tungting lake, 240 li as the Chinese
reckon. As is well-known, this lake is simply an immense
reservoir in which the high waters of the summer season are stored
up to a depth of thirty feet, but which drains almost dry in winter, ·
save for the rivers which cross it. We notified the magistrate of
our arrival at Siangyin by sending our card to the yamên, a
proceeding which was contrary to our usual practice, and opposed
to good policy; but which was made necessary in this case by a
promise made on our last visit that we should give them warning
next time we came back. The card brought down a deputation of
yamên satellites in charge of an oily-mouthed writer who was
commissioned by the district magistrate to say all manner of good
things about my books, my nationality and myself, and he said
them well ; but the sum of the whole matter was we must go away
at once, as there was an examination on, and the people of that
city were remarkable even in Hunan for their fierce and uncon-
trollable disposition. To this we replied in equally complimentary
terms, that we had been there frequently and all through the city,
that the people were amongst the best in the province, and
although there was an examination, yet with such an able and
experienced magistrate as Mr. Twan at the head of affairs, there
was no fear. We really could not think of passing the city of
H.E. Kuo Sung-tao, the first Ambassador to our mean country,
without paying it a visit. To these arguments there was no possible
answer, so that party left. Next came three water policemen told
off to protect us, but as no danger threatened from any quarter, we
gave them a card to show they had done their duty, and persuaded
them to return to the bosom of their families. Shortly after, half
a dozen soldiers arrived in a boat, in charge of some one who
insisted on remaining invisible inside. Their business was to
drive us away; they began shouting and swearing and hammering
on our boat, while a gruff voice from the depth of theirs kept
hounding them on to “beat them,” “ kill them," “ drive them
away." We told them to do it quietly, and recognising an old
acquaintance in one of the enemy, asked him what was up now.
He said their liao yeh insisted on their driving us away, and they
did not know how it could be done. We requested the favour of
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APPENDIX.
an interview with the said liao yeh, and when we got at him he
proved to be the same oily-mouthed rascal who so recently had
been in charge of the courtesy department! “You then are the
paper tiger ; no wonder you were ashamed to show your face,"
exclaimed we with much scorn, and watched to see him hang his
head. But not a hang : shame and a yamên man are seldom to
be found under one hat. He laughed heartily, and treated the .
matter as a splendid joke.
It was now late, but we had still another deputation to receive;
this time a blue button military man of the blunt but honest
stamp. He represented that they were really in a fix with 1,000
country students and as many followers on their hands. They had
been brought together to be examined for places in the Viceroy's
new college of the Liang Hu at Wuchang, and that the subjects
included mathematics, and other matters foreign to the teaching
of the classics, at which they were very ill-pleased. Personally he
did not believe a single one would get a place, and they were very
much afraid that it would not conduce to the public peace should
they happen to meet with me. He reminded me that I knew what
Siangyin students.could do—they had driven us into the yamên,
where we remained prisoners from ten in the morning till four in
the afternoon on a previous occasion, and sadly damaged the
building in trying to get at us while there would we not oblige
them by going away, and coming back some other time? As it
is one of our principles in Hunan to keep out of the way of the
students as much as possible, and as, in a case like this, we had no
option, for the yamên would have kept its diplomatics agoing as
long as we remained, we consented to leave, but pointed out that
the only trouble we had seen this time had been of their own
manufacture. Mr. Bluebutton was delighted. He was most
anxious for information about the telegraph which the governor
was about to introduce into the province. He understood very
well, he told us, how the messages might fly on the wires through
the air, but how they could be sent through the water without being
damaged was beyond his comprehension. If the supply of gutta-
percha fails, as threatened, I told him, our own clever men would ·
be equally at a loss on this point, which pleased him greatly.
The position which the literati occupy in China is peculiar,
and the part they play in affairs is constantly forced upon one's
attention. As all know, those of them who have obtained their
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degree are freed from the usual method of control, the bamboo, at
the disposal of the district magistrate. This practically places
them. above the law, and a similar privilege is claimed by them,
not only for all members of the fraternity, whether they have
degrees or not, but for the servants and coolies which they bring
with them to an examination. It is not at all a bad idea that
there should be some counterpoise to the almost unlimited and
irresponsible authority of the district magistrate, over ordinary
affairs and ordinary folks, and nowhere could such be better found
than in the great body of the learned. The result, however, is
that in order to check one possible tyrant thousands, and tens of
thousands, of petty tyrants are created who infest every city, town,
and hamlet, in the empire. When they come together for an
examination their behaviour is often such as makes it hard to
understand how the people can endure it. On such occasions
respectable families leave the city altogether in large numbers.
Women must keep themselves more closely secluded than ever.
Business men and officials have to make any sacrifice rather than
offend them, while the luckless foreigner may look out for stormy
times. In saying this one does not accuse the men so much as
the system. The student class in every country is proverbial for
its rowdy character, and let it be provided that this propensity for
mischief might be indulged in with impunity, and the result would
not be beneficial to good government anywhere. As anti-foreign-
ism is the badge of all the tribe, more or less, it is well for
foreigners to keep out of their way, both for their own sake, and
that of the district authorities, who, in case of an uproar, will have
to pay the piper, although they may never have ordered the tune.
From Siangyin to Ch'angsha, the capital, is a distance of 135
li up the Siang river, a noble stream about half a mile broad with
a mininum depth of six or seven feet. By the aid of a good north
wind we soon ran the distance, besides spending a while in the
half-way town of Chingkang, famous for its good rice and bad
morals. Ch'angsha occupies a fine situation, on the right bank of
the river, along which it extends for a distance of 15 li; the face
presented by the city wall occupying about half that space in rear
of the riverside street. The city is almost square, and has five
gates, four of which open towards the river. It is a place of con-
siderable trade, and the city is well filled with many fine streets,
grand temples, and colleges, besides the usual official buildings
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APPENDIX.
belonging to a capital. Its grand peculiarity, however, is that, like
the forbidden city at Peking, and the kingdom of Tibet, it is one
of the few places now left in the whole world which no foreigner
may presume to enter. It is perhaps the most intensely anti-
foreign city in China, a feeling kept up by the literati with the
full sympathy of the officials. Here are the head-quarters of that
villainous press whose unspeakably filthy anti-foreign productions,
lately drawn attention to by Mr. Richard, are widely circulated in
all the provinces, and have given rise to numerous anti-foreign
riots resulting in much suffering, and destruction of property.
Here also, strange to say, are the head-quarters of not a few
officials who have held high office in foreign countries, or in con-
nection with foreign affairs. Perhaps more officials who have been
abroad could be found in Changsha than in any other city in the
central provinces.
. Our first visit to Ch'angsha was paid thirteen years ago, just
on the back of the issue of the Margary proclamation. We got
into the river and as far as the capital unobserved and one bright
autumn morning we stepped ashore at the landing in front of the
great west gate, in company with a native helper, and hopeful of
being able to accomplish some work before the authorities came
on the scene. Our stay was brief. Almost immediately a great
shout of “foreign devil come," "beat him," "kill him," etc., was
raised. There was a grand rush of people from all quarters, a good
deal of hustling, tugging, and throwing of things, and before we
could recover from our bewilderment we were in the hands of a
dozen sturdy soldiers, being taken back to our boat, to give an
account of ourselves. We were soon convinced that we had better
take our departure, and attempt to carry on operations elsewhere.
Next time we tried the plan of staying in our boat for a while, in
midstream opposite the city, in order to receive visitors; a plan
which had answered well in other hostile places. Out here it was
a complete failure, .for no one came near us; and after three days
spent in doing nothing we came away defeated again. In those
days, with the scare of the Margary matter fresh upon their minds,
to be a British subject was to be somebody, so on a third visit,
accompanied by a friend, Mr. Wu, the authorities proposed that
we might come to the great landing and sell books from our boat,
provided we did not seek to go ashore. We agreed, but even for
this they required three days in which to make the necessary
HUNAN.
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arrangements. These mainly consisted in covering the city with
placards, some being very elaborate, some brief and pithy, but all
to the same effect, namely, that on the morning of the 13th two
foreign devils would come to the great matou, and every man must
bring bricks and stones to beat them to death.
As the fateful day approached we discovered that it was not
in the programme we should cross the river at all. Our boatmen
had been scared, or bribed, and nothing would induce them to leave
the quiet place we were anchored in on any such errand. As to
getting another boat the authorities laughed at the very idea,
assuring us that no one there would risk life and property in
such a venture. A boat, notwithstanding, was placed at our
disposal, and that in such a remarkable way as convinced us it was
the Master's will that we should see this thing through. Our men
were ashore endeavouring to engage a boat of any kind, but the
attempt appeared to be hopeless, for all had been warned officially
to have nothing to do with us, when they met with an old
Christian who had several times tried to pay us a visit, but had
been turned back—as all non-official visitors always were at
Ch'angshamby the numerous guards who were watching us. His
name was Li, a boatman connected with the L.M.S., and known
to us by report. Happening to be there on business, and knowing
the difficulty we were in, he wished to tell us that his boat was at
our service. Before the cocksure authorities knew what was on
foot we had Li's boat alongside, and Li himself, beaming with
pleasure, engaged in having our belongings transferred to it. Not
a single stipulation did he make as to what we might or might not
do with his boat, nor as to what he would receive for the service;
and yet, like a certain poor widow we read of, he seemed to be
casting away "all the living that he had.”
By the hour appointed we were ready. I shall never forget
the scene. It was a brilliant sunny morning, with a brisk cool
breeze blowing up the river. The whole frontage above and
below the great matou had been cleared of the ordinary boats, and
a row of gunboats, with here and there a still larger craft full of
officials, occupied their places. The sloping bank was packed full
of a dense crowd of human beings; there were thousands and
thousands of them. The silk dresses of the students, the gay
uniforms and banners of the soldiers, and the sunlight flashing
from their weapons, afforded a play of colour wonderful to behold.
$.?
27.6
APPENDIX.
Now at last Changsha was about to receive the gospel, and that
in what is supposed to be the grand old orthodox fashion. The
Bible was about to be blown into it by the cannon's mouth, and
hammered home with convincing blows of long-handled cleavers,
broad-toed tridents, and other slaughtering tools peculiar to the
Chinese. No doubt the hearts of the missionaries were palpitating
with very joy at the sight of such an abundant and unexpected
answer to many earnest prayers. Not so. The missionaries were
as grieved as they could be over this display for which their share
of the responsibility was simply the being there, and had it not
seemed their duty to remain they would gladly have allowed the
grand performance to fall through for want of the principal actors.
We were at anchor on the other side of the river right
opposite, and the hour arranged for crossing was ten o'clock.
Punctually to a minute Li's anchor was lifted, the sail raised, and
over we went, accompanied by our four escorting gunboats. As
we drew near we heard a yelling such as it falls to the lot of few
to hear, a grand howl of execration from ten thousand throats of
fellow men. It sounded like something unearthly. When we
came within range down came the missiles, stones, bricks, broken
implements, and domestic utensils ; everything throwable in fact.
We were under this shower about as long as one might count
twenty; and then the performance had gonc as far as it was
intended it should. We were bundled into the escorting boats
alongside, and carried out of range in a moment. Old Li never
let go the rudder, but sailed his boat out after us, as he had sailed
her in, as calmly as if such showers were a matter of daily expe-
rience with him. There was nothing more to be done or said, so
we willingly left one of the grandest theatrical entertainments ever
got up,—at Ch'angsha anyhow. The scenery was all real, and on
a colossal scale. Such ancient battle-scarred walls, towers, and
temple roofs never appeared on any stage. The dresses were
splendid, the actors countless and all in earnest, the object of the
play was to show the fierce ungovernable disposition of the Hunan
people when they smelled the blood of foreign men, and the
gigantic efforts their authorities were prepared to make in dis-
charge of their treaty obligations.
Li shovelled the rubbish out of his boat hy the bushel, and it
was found that astonishingly little damage had been done, either
to person or property; a few insignificant bruises and breakages
HUNAN.
27
was the sum total. It never seemed to strike him, then or
afterwards, that he merited any special praise or pay. Good old
man! I have not seen him for years. He seems to have sailed
away into the unknown ; perhaps he has crossed another river, and
heard the Master's "Well done.” After this experience we passed
and repassed Ch'angsha often, but troubled it no more; mean-
while my friend Mr. Li thought he would try what could be
accomplished with the aid of the native dress. He contrived to
get inside the city—the only foreigner who has yet done so—one
evening at dusk, undetected. But they discovered what he was
next morning; and although none saw him go in, there were
plenty who saw him out, and they swore by the gods of war and
literature that if he played them such a trick again he would not
live to tell the tale.
But time works changes even in Hunan. As the result of a
visit to the province at the end of last year I was led to conclude
the people were much more amicably inclined than they used to
be. Wondering whether this held good also with regard to the
"tougher" places with which I was acquainted, I considered it my
duty to go and find out; hence the journey. In one respect we
soon noticed a most hopeful sign, in the fact that the authorities
were not nearly so feverishly anxious to keep their eye on all our
movements. We were permitted to reach Changsha without being
taken in charge, and this was promising. As we anchored once
more in the evening, in the old spot, over against the city, intending,
on the following morning, to repeat the experiment of thirteen
years before, I cannot deny that I found myself very much afraid,
and with no liking for the task before us. Whether it was sheer
cowardice, or due to the fact that residence in the East unstrings
one's nerves, I do not know, but the feeling was intensely painful,
and practically unfitted me for the undertaking. There are none
so quick to note the slightest touch of timidity and try to play on
it, as the Hunan roughs. For this there was but one cure. I was
to “lift mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help."
The help came through the word which Christ addressed to the
sinking Peter when he volunteered to walk upon the water, an effort
he had no particular call to make, “Oh thou of little faith, where-
fore didst thou doubt?” I remembered that what prevented Peter's
walking from being a success was his allowing his attention to be
taken up with the winds, “When he saw the wind boisterous, he
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APPENDIX.
was afraid”-and withdrawn from his Lord ; as if he would not
have sunk just as speedily in a calm, but for His aid. The matter
was now quite plain to me. I had allowed “the winds” to occupy
my mind to the exclusion of all besides.
The Lord had been for the moment forgotten in the matter,
as if we had not been in anxious circumstances often enough before
and never found Him fail us ; or as if we had any reason to suppose
His power would fail us now. Reviving faith in Divine help
removed the fear. We were enabled next day to walk into that
nest of hornets with as little trepidation as into one's own house ;
and all the rest of the journey we were entirely free from it. I write
this because it may help another timid one in like straits.
The following morning the friendly north wind blew freshly,
and after breakfast quickly carried us over to the city. We stepped
ashore, my two assistants and I, and began our work in the river-
side street. The day was threatening, so it was not so crowded as
on our first attempt, and to our great joy we found the people in
good humour, and quite friendly. Talking and selling we came at
length to the small West Gate, and saw before us a long, straight,
busy street, hung with handsome signboards, and crowded with
people all intent on their own business. It had been our intention
to leave the city severely alone, as long as we were allowed to
remain unmolested in the suburb, but this sight proved too
tempting. Only fifty yards more and we should be openly
through the gate, and within the walls. Policy said “Turn away,
you are doing well; wait till you have been over all the streets
outside." But in such a case policy has a poor chance. We
turned towards it, and as we did so the soldiers on guard sprang
to arms, and drew themselves up on either side to keep us out.
The officer in charge came forward to meet us, and ordered us off.
We tried to reason with him, but he said he had instructions to
keep “foreign devils” out, and we had better go away quietly. As
the best thing open to us we followed his advice, and returned to
our work in the riverside street. This, however, was now at an
end; we were immediately set upon by a crowd of roughs, who
stole our books, hustled us about, and made it clear that it was time
for us to be off ; so we managed to slip down to the river, got into
a sampan and rowed away.
The results of the morning's work were about one hour's
peaceful conversation with the people on their own streets, about
HUNAN.
279
one hundred books sold, and as many more stolen. Not a great
deal certainly, but yet the most that has been as yet accomplished
at Ch'angsha. Till the city gate incident, the people were friendly
enough, but as soon as I left the officer, according to my men, he
began railing and reviling, and so started off the roughis. To the
-authorities at Ch'angsha I would make humble petition in much
the same terms as Pat used when he met the bear in the backwoods
of America. “Oh saints and holy angels,” said he, “help me, but
if you won't help me, please don't help the bear.” If they would
help us, or even simply refrain from hindering us, I think some
headway might now be made. As we had no wish to waste time
in a round of diplomatics with the officials, as soon as we got back
to our boat we took advantage of the good wind, and continued
our journey up the river.
What is the cause of the special hostility of the Hunan people
towards foreigners is a matter on which it is not easy to obtain
much light. Certainly none of the provinces have seen so little
of the foreigner, or had less reason to complain of him. The
explanation, as invariably given by themselves, is to the same effect
as Dr. Watts explanation of why dogs delight to bark and bite,
namely, because “it is their nature to." Amongst the common
people it seems to be due to a variety of causes and a good deal
of it may really be put down to their disposition, which is turbulent.
The fact that so many in every crowd have been soldiers in their
day, perhaps accounts for this. Next, they cultivate a good deal
of the feeling which Punch expressed in his picture of “There goes
a stranger, Bill; heave half a brick at him,” doubtless a survival
from the days when the words for stranger and enemy were
synonymous. But the main cause seems to be the teaching they
received during the Taiping rebellion. As is well-known, Hunan
generals and soldiers were chiefly instrumental in putting that
down; indeed, they believe they did it all themselves single-handed,
and thus saved the Throne and Empire. Foreigners supposed that
they too had a hand in this work and speak of Ward and Chinese
Gordon, and the great assistance rendered by the British and
French Governments, for which the Imperialists ought to be
eternally grateful ; but of all this they have never heard in Hunan.
They only know that foreigners gave rise to the rebellion, and then
took a mean advantage of the Government being in difficulties to
attack it on their own account. But Hunan never lost hearti
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APPENDIX.
They were prepared as soon as they had finished off the rebels, to
come and utterly exterminate the “devils,” It was not found
convenient to carry out this latter item of the programme, but the
idea was deeply lodged in the mind of the Hunan brave that every
foreigner was to be his lawful prey. If one trains up an animal to
rush at, and worry some other animal at sight, it takes some time
to forget the lesson. There is a good deal of this kind of animal
in the Hunan man, but he is forgetting ; a generation has passed
since then, and the common people are no longer specially hostile
save in every large crowds..
As to the literati, their hostility seems to be a kind of
patriotism, that kind whose chief characteristic is an utter contempt
for all other peoples save themselves, and a desire to show how
easily they could whip them. They are strongly anti-everything
foreign, because they are strongly pro-everything Chinese, and
dangerous because they run no risk of punishment. But they too
are getting sadly bewildered in these days. Small official steamers
now run to Ch'angsha—there were two there on our visit—the
telegraph is being introduced, and the very purity of the examina-
tions contaminated by foreign nations.
As to the authorities; their hostility, where any is shown,
admits of an easy explanation. Personally they are just as in-
different to our preaching and book selling as the mandarins in
other provinces, who, as a rule, “care for none of these things,"
but they are really very much afraid lest any mischief should befall
us while under their jurisdiction. They believe foreigners are
fiery, and their people they know are explosive ; so to bring them
together without special precautions they consider would be like
letting off fireworks in a powder magazine, I have heard that some
years ago they were instructed by the Throne to prevent the
settlement of foreigners in Hunan, but, without this, the other
reason alone is quite sufficient to account for their action, both in
hindering our coming, and hurrying our going. The best cure for
this state of matters is to be found not in the consul but in
frequent and brief visits; every care being taken to avoid anything
like a disturbance. This gives them confidence, and once they
are satisfied that we are not likely to give rise to an uproar they
leave us to our own devices. In this way a great number of wild
Hunan cities have been tamed, so that present visitors to them
HUNAN.
281
finding all so quiet now are inclined to accuse their predecessors
of having drawn the long bow in their accounts of their earlier
experiences.
As soon as we reached our boat, after being expelled from
Ch'angsha, we started off up the river, anxious to avoid coming
into contact with the authorities, and the consequent wasting of
time in useless diplomatics. The breeze held good, so we were
able to reach Siangtan Hsien, ninety li distant by nightfall. This is
a place of immense size, and as a trading centre comes nearest to
Hankow of any place in the central provinces. It stretches along
the left bank of the river in a half-moon for a distance of eighteen
li, and boats are anchored in tiers four or five. deep along the
whole frontage. There is probably no other place in China, not
an open port, where so great a volume of trade is done. It
possesses one Roman Catholic place of worship, but, as far as I
could learn, no foreign priest, nor are such ever seen by the
people.
Our experiences here have been varied. Once a grand
demonstration was attempted after the Changsha pattern, but it
was not nearly so well managed. From make-believe it passed
into earnest, and the mob came into actual conflict with the
authorities. There were blows exchanged resulting in many bad
bruises, and some cuts, the scars of which still remain. We did
not wait to see who won, but departed while the fight was at its
warmest. Victory, however, declared in favour of the powers that
be, and on our return they were all full of the doughty deeds they
had done that day. But just as, as Lamb tells us, when in
ancient times the Chinese people were being rendered houseless
by the supposed necessity for burning down a house in order to
obtain roast pig, a great genius arose who showed them how pork
could be cooked by a less ruinous method ; so at Siangtan some
sage must have pointed out that it was not necessary to have a
pitched battle, with all its risks and unpleasantnesses, in order to
drive away a foreign devil. After the experience of the fight we
confined our operations to the boat, and on various visits, anchored
some 200 yards from the shore, disposed of thousands of books
there. But one time, in passing Siangtan, in company with an
eminent and highly reported D.D., we thought we might venture
on a call. We found no trouble on shore until certain men arrived
from the yamên, with the request that we should return to our
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APPENDIX.
boat, and meet the authorities who were waiting us there. We
did so, and while still engaged in discussing matters, a great smoke
was raised on shore, and the fire gongs sounded all over the city.
This brought together an immense crowd which, there being no
fire to attend to, found amusement in throwing stones at us. To
avoid this we pulled out and anchored in mid-stream ; but hardly
had we done so when a great shout directed our attention up the
river, and behold! there was coming sweeping down upon us a big
gun junk full of men armed with long-handled ladles. For
ammunition they had a goodly row of buckets such as Chinese
farmers carry home from market with them, and they evidently
meant business. There are some things which foreign flesh and
blood cannot face. We did not need a second look, but with our
own hands got up the anchor' and sail, and hurried away as fast as
the wind could take us. From the time the authorities got hold
of us till we were in full retreat, there elapsed about an hour.
Siangtan possesses one unusual advantage, from the foreign
book-man's point of view; it has a large number of fine open
spaces where he may collect a crowd in peace. One of the chief
difficulties in working these new cities is the lack of this, and the
consequent crowding in the streets to the interruption of all other
business. But at Siangtan the matous; or landings from the river,
which are numerous, are large empty spaces where a crowd of
hundreds of people can stand without interfering with anyone.
At eight o'clock in the morning we stepped ashore from a sampan
at one of these, and carefully selected the shady side, so that the
sun might shine in the eyes of the expected crowd, we mounted a
stone with our back to a wall and awaited the progress of events.
We had hardly spoken a dozen sentences to the few folks we
found there, when the people came pouring in out of an alleyway
like water out of a sieve. For half an hour we were able to keep
on talking, and selling a great many books, when they got beyond
control, so we slipped into our sampan again, and rowed away to
another matou some distance off, where we repeated the perform-
ance. Once we thought it wise to cross the river, but only to
recross further up and begin afresh in a fresh neighbourhood.
About two o'clock, however, the soldiers came upon us, as we
were busy in the streets, with the old story of the authorities
waiting for us on board our boat, and back we had to go. When
we reached it we found all ready for a start; and a gunboat told
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off to escort us to Héngchow. In such cases nothing is to be
gained by being nasty, so we ceremoniously thanked them for
their care, assured them we were entirely unworthy of it, and
begging that should we come back again they must not think of
putting themselves to so much trouble, we told our skipper to
start. Captain Liao with his gunboat accompanied us some ten
li when he discovered that he had forgotten something for which
he must go back, so telling us he would soon return he departed,
and so, thought we, here endeth the protection and courtesy of
Siangtan.
There may be those who wish to know by what right we
persist in forcing ourselves into places where we are not wanted,
throwing official persons into such a fluster, and resulting in pro-
ceedings which sometimes can hardly be called edifying. Well,
we do so in virtue of a very ancient charter. It is to be found in
the second Psalm and provides that the heathen shall be given to
Christ for an inhertance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for
his possession. It is also done in fulfilment of a prophecy uttered
by Christ, recorded by both St. Mathew and St. Mark, that the
gospel shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations. And also in obedience to His last command to go into
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Thus
certain folks have it impressed upon their minds that it is their
duty to go on this mission, some to the most inaccessible corners
of the Dark Continent, some to the lovely islands of unfrequented
seas, and some to inland Chinese cities or wherever the uttermost
parts of the earth may be in which some of the every creatures
live. There need be no more said about it, for go they will or
try to.
One sometimes wonders why greater stress is not laid by
Christians on this world-wide preaching of the gospel as an evid-
ence of the truth of their faith from the notable fulfilment in our
day of this most improbable prophecy. The mandarins and
literati of Christ's time were bitterly opposed to his gospel; the
preachers he selected were anything but promising ; there, for
many centuries, seemed hardly a chance in favour of its fulfilment,
and yet it is being done. This is not one of those cases which
can be explained on the supposition that the prediction was uttered
after the event, for the highest authorities are agreed that it was
to be found in the book which contains it, substantially as it is at
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APPENDIX.
present, at least a hundred years ago; and it is since then that the
fulfilment has become most conspicuous.
I did Captain Liao, the commander of our escort, a great
injustice when I supposed he had deserted us, for on the following
day he caught us up again, and saw us safe to Hengchow. It is a
curious fact that the people of Hunan are most pleasant folks to
have anything to do with, once they are away from their homes.
As a rule they are manly, brave, intelligent, straightforward and
obliging, not greedy, good companions, and in a word more like
ourselves in disposition than the Chinese of any other province.
They may be seen at their best in the shape of an escort, if one
takes the trouble to show oneself friendly. An evening spent
chatting over the drum after the first watch is set, will bring
about a good understanding which makes it most pleasant for all,
and very convenient for the traveller. They can furnish all kinds
of information about everybody and everything all along the route.
They help your boatmen, they speak a good word for you to the
people, and if you have obtained their confidence, they will not
only let you do as you like yourself, but also do anything you care
to ask them.
From Siangtan Hsien to the next city, Hengshan Hsien, is a
distance of 270 li. The river is still of considerable breadth but
full of shallows. The country here is hilly with but few towns
of any size. The people are friendly and the houses unusually
neat and clean. On this part of the journey I find from my
diary that for want of more striking items I had to chronicle
such things as these : that the people of Siangtan are largely
occupied in chewing betelnut which is sold everywhere, made up
in one-cash-each chews. These contain a piece of husk and of the
kernel with a touch of lime, neatly fastened together with a strip
of the leaf. They also smoke tobacco and opium, and are great
spirit drinkers, all of which proves that money is plentiful there,
and that man naturally is not originally virtuous, as the trimetrical
classic says, for it would be much easier to get them to adopt an
additional vice or two than to give up one of the four of which
many indulge in all. Above Siangtan there are a large number of
lime-burning establishments, some of which are said to employ
over a thousand hands in mining and a hundred cattle in pumping
the water. These our escort would not hear of our visiting.
"No," said Captain Liao, “the proverb says there are three
HUNAN285
TY
.
.
establishments a man must keep out of-gambling, brothels, and
mining, and the proverb settled the question. We saw a number
of people searching for gold which is to be found in small grains
amongst the stones after freshets. At a small town called Sanmen
we bought some remarkably large oranges ; in size and flavour
they were like pumelocs, but in every other respect like oranges.
We failed to see the famous mountain of Hengshan which is visible
from the river for some thirty li before reaching the city of that
name. All the time we were passing it was covered by mist as
with a great cloud of incense. This is the last of China's famous
mountains which has yet to be visited and described by the foreign
traveller. We know all about Taishan and Omishan, but Hengshan
with its wonderful temples, and that most ancient Yü tablet, with
its inscription in the mysterious tadpole characters, still remains
unclimbed and undescribed. Hengshan city is small, and the
people have always been friendly, but we found work there most
difficult through the weather being overpoweringly hot. This wave
of heat was followed by a terrific thunderstorm during which fell
hailstones the size of marbles, and the temperature fell to that of
mid-winter.
From Siangtan to Hengchow took us a-week. Five li below
the latter city is the mouth of the Liu river into which the greater
part of the upward-bound boats turn. It is from this river that
the best Hunan coal comes, both soft and hard, and the natives
say there are tens of thousands of boats engaged in the coal trade
from it. It is also the direct route to the Canton province.
Hengchow city is built round an elbow of the river which brings
its whole fifteen li of frontage under the eye at a glance. It
presents a handsome appearance and its situation is very pic-
turesque. For ornament it can boast of a pagoda at either end,
of the broad squat kind; an imposing college built on an island in
mid-stream; and many temples crowning rising ground both inside
and outside the walls, whose gay porcelain roofs framed in the
brilliant green of the springclad trees gave life and colour to what
at any season must be a striking picture. Before we reached the
city we knew that all the students from seven hsiens were collected
there for the examinations, and had made up our minds that per-
haps the wisest thing we could do under these circumstances was
to pass quietly on. With their followers they were said to number
10,000; far too many for one foreigner to deal with From
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APPENDIX.
Hengchow we intended making for Paoching Fu, 250 li distant
by land, so we planned to hire coolies quietly in the evening and
slip away early next day. while the enemy would be still asleep.
This programme, however, was upset by the yamên.
: The authorities knew all about our intentions before we arrived,
and concluded they could improve on our ideas considerably.
Immediately on our putting in an appearance a brisk official
gentleman met us with the information that it was all right, and
every arrangement had been concluded for our moving on without
delay to Paoching. The despatches were already written, and a
gunboat waiting to escort us to Chiyang, a city five days further up
the river, on the direct route, as he said, to Paoching. We objected
that according to the geography of the province, as we had learned
it, we should find ourselves further away from Paoching at Chiyang
than we then were ; but this we were assured was quite a mistake,
for there was no other road. Their object, of course, was to keep
us on the water till out of their jurisdiction; so we had to tell them
that road or no road we would continue our journey by land. It
was late before we got rid of this friend and were at liberty to make
our own arrangements, but we soon found we could do nothing.
Not a single coolie was to be obtained on any terms, as the yamên
had warned them they would catch it if they engaged to the
foreigner. One bold headman after driving a bargain for double
rates promised to find us the number of men wanted, but he too
failed to obtain even one. This spoke well for the control which
the Hengchow authorities have over their city ; there are not many
places in the province where starving coolies could be kept from a
paying job by a mere yamên warning.
After we had fully learned our own helplessness, the next day
our official friend put in an appearance again to ascertain whether
we would go up stream or down. He confessed to having made
a mistake about there being no road to Paoching. There was one,
but it lay over high mountains, and through such wild districts that
no one ever went by it, and thus he had never heard of it before.
But that very morning the magistrate had sent for the head official
coolie, and threatened him with the bamboo if he did not furnish
us with men ; but neither the fear of punishment nor the love of
cash would induce a single coolie to attempt so dangerous a road.
We told him that they were still making mistakes, for there was a
splendid paved level road all the way, with inns every few li, and
HUNAN.
287
plenty of coolies to be had, but for their own prohibition. How-
ever, they must please understand that we would not go up, and
we would not go down, but just stay where we were and sell books
as long as they lasted. Then turning to my assistant I played our
trump card. “Mr. Wang, please get the books ready, and bring
me my big boots; we must not waste more time. The officials
here no doubt don't understand what they are doing ; who ever
heard before of a foreigner coming to a city during the examinations
and willing to go away of his own accord, and they won't let him ?
If there is a great uproar now they cannot blame us." This is
generally effective in bringing the authorities to terms, and was so
in the present case. Our friend begged for an hour's grace before
we attempted anything so desperate ; and at the end of the time
the coolies were forthcoming. We had still to pay the high rate
we had previously offered for these ; but the yamên threw in one
chair, two yamên runners, and three soldiers into the bargain. The
chair was to carry me through all the towns and busy places
unobserved, but nothing less than an iron safe with the keyhole in
the inside would have been necessary to carry out this idea. As
per agreement we had to leave Hengchow without attempting
work beyond selling books for a short time outside the city. The
people are friendly, and I have no reason for saying the students
may not be friendly also, for they never on any occasion molested
me there. For the first and only time on the whole trip I was
asked to produce my passport there, and then it was found that
the document which cost me so much trouble to get, was not the
one they wanted to see. They had hunted up an old despatch
referring to me which described a passport of a different number
and date. However, that matter was easily explained.
There are at Hengchow two places of unusual interest to
foreigners. One is the ancestral home of Pêng Yü-lin, late
Admiral of the Yangtze. It is a mean-looking thatched cottage,
standing under a tree on the river bank opposite the city. Hum-
ble and lowly though it would be, even for a small farmer, it was
far too grand for His Excellency Pêng, so he had an addition
made to it more to his liking with ordinary reed mats. · He died a
poor man, and his grandchildren still live in the thatched cottage.
Yet he had only to help himself, or simply to shut his eyes and
open his hand as others do, to become the possessor of untold
wealth. This grim old patriot, and apostle of things primitive,
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APPENDIX.
-
-
had the reputation of having cut off more heads than any other
man of his time. He could neither be bribed nor deceived.
Corruption trembled before him, and evil-doers quaked at the
very sound of his name. He remained a fiery anti-foreigner to the
last, but, notwithstanding, one could wish that there were more
of his kind in China. The other place of interests is the Roman
Catholic establishment. It is built at the back of a low hill, on
the left bank of the river a little way below the city. There are
not many of those who bear the Christian name, but must be glad
to think that from here, at least, in this dark province throughout
all these generations morning and night, praise and prayer has
been raised to the Christian's God. It has suffered from mob
violence frequently, but the establishment is still there as large as
ever it was. Every native one meets in that district knows about
the Roman Catholic mission, but one does not come across many
who have ever seen the fathers, or who are acquainted with their
teachings. In spite of the fact that foreign priests had been
resident there for over two centuries, I never visited a city where
a foreigner was a greater curiosity. We had to anchor in mid-
stream for a week, on the occasion of our first visit, and thousands
of people came every day, paying their boat hire, and under-
taking a good deal of bother, in order to see the great curiosity a
foreigner was to them.
There is a remarkable contrast in almost every point between
the Roman Catholic system of carrying on mission work, and that
of the Protestants. The methods followed by the former are old,
very quiet, regarded as proved and perfected and hence stereo-
typed. One seldom hears of any new departures taken, fresh
efforts made, or new places occupied by our Roman Catholic
friends. As they did a hundred years ago they are doing to-day,
and in the same places. “The spirit of the land” has completely
conquered them. Their system in the interior may have been
forced upon them as a necessity, when, in the persecuting times,
to be discovered meant death or banishment, but now it is main-
tained from pure choice. They are still as invisible as they were
then. The fathers do not personally preach to the heathen, nor
circulate books, nor carry on mcdical work amongst them, nor
educational institutions for them, nor come into contact with the
people generally in any way. They live in a state of mysterious
seclusion which the native vainly attempts to penetrate, and about
.
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289
which he invents most wonderful stories. They have methods of
their own by means of which, if the fathers do not seek the
heathen, the heathen are induced to seek the fathers; but on the
whole they are but mildly aggressive on heathenism. Being
mainly occupied in discharging the offices of their religion on
behalf of their Christians, from the fees for which indeed their
support is partly derived, they fill a position more analogous to
that of a home clergyman, whose congregation demands all his
tinie, than to that held by the Protestant missionary, who considers
that his time and effort must be mainly devoted to the heathen.
In the Central provinces Roman Catholic effort presents the
appearance of an old tree which has triumphantly withstood many :
a storm, and is still strong, but which under present circum-
stances does not promise any great further development in form
or growth.
We are so accustomed to having the works of the Roman
Catholic fathers held up to us in the press, and by writers on
Chinese matters generally, as models for us to copy and admire,
that one often wonders how much the writers know about these
matters; and how they came by their information. But, while
saying nothing about this, there are, I think, a few points in which
it would profit the fathers to copy us. For instance, in our
constant and intimate intercourse with the people at large. In the
great proportion of our efforts given to direct aggressive work. In
the pains we take to find out further and better methods of
reaching the people, and the energy with which we put them in
operation. In our efforts to make the native Christians inde-
pendent of us, self-supporting and self-extending, and in our
diligence in opening new stations and occupying fresh ground.
These are all points of strong contrast in which the advantage is
on our side. Let the two continue to run side by side, as at
present, for another score of years, and in spite of their long start
it will become obvious to all men that our Roman Catholic friends
with their ancient, unchanging, unaccommodating system are left
nowhere in the struggle for bringing the Chinese people to
obedience, to the one form or other, of the Christian faith, by
progressive Protestant energy and life.
The distance from Hengchow Fu to Paoching Fu is said to
be 250 li, but the li are of the very longest. The road too,
though good, is paved with the hardest stones one ever set foot
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upon. It leads alternately through level bottom lands where
immense crops of rice are raised, and over low hills, some barren,
and some beautifully covered with shrubs, largely flowering. The
people all along the route are friendly, and the towns frequent, but
small. When we reached one of these, our coolies and escort
would hurry off in search of refreshment, gaseous, liquid, or solid,
while we hunted up some roomy space in which the people, who
immediately turned out en nasse, could be accommodated ; and
kept on talking and selling books till their curiosity was satisfied,
after which, and only after which, would it be possible to attend to
other matters.
On this section I noticed a considerable amount of poppy
cultivation. Every other farm would have a small field set apart
for it. The flowers were then in full bloom and white, red, or
white and red mixed made the landscape quite gay. It is only
within the last two years that opium growing has been allowed in
Hunan to any extent. Once or twice the innkeepers refused to
receive our party alleging a lack of rice or bedding as an excuse,
but the discovery was made that this only happened in places
where there were no opium dens, and was due to our opium
smoking coolies rushing on ahead and warning the people against
us. The cause once discovered the cure was easy. As we drew
near to Paoching the people seemed very poor. In several places
men were drawing the plough in the fields for want of an animal
of any sort. It took four men to equal one donkey. Coal mining
was being carried on almost everywhere for local use, and iron
smelting on a small scale. We lunched one day on a delicious
dish, entirely new to me, of rice curd. It was nicely cooked and
served flavoured with five different seasonings according to taste,
and the total cost was two cash. I never remember cash having
so large a purchasing power.
. Our escort turned out to have quite a sense of humour, and
delighted in humbugging the simple country folks. While quietly
walking on ahead and supposed to be out of earshot, I would hear
them at their jokes. Hunan Hodge by the roadside, his eyes
starting out of his head, would exclaim “hao ta krei"--what a big
devil! Whereupon they would chime in “Big ! do you think
this one big ? Why it is only the little one; wait till you have seen
the big one who is coming on behind.” Upon which Hodge
would hurry off to meet this mythical big one while they roared
1
HUNAN.
291
with laughter. Or the question would be put to them, “Who,
who is that ?" and the answer would come without the slightest
hesitation, or apparent premeditation, “That is the Hengchow
Yen lo wang,”—a particularly hideous deity who is supposed to
come and nick the thread of those whose course is run, and
convey them to the shades below. “He is very efficacious, and
the Paoching people want him for some folks who have been there
too long" which effort of the imagination would take away the
breath of their hearers and give them great delight.
In spite of the friendly attitude of the country people I had
sundry misgivings in drawing near to Paoching. There were
several signs of a storm which the practised eye could note. One
was no one had ever been in that region before in foreign dress.
Another was the city had an ominous name-Paoching, "precious
love." It may be a pure superstition, but I don't like cities into
the names of which such words as love, peace, tranquility, and the
like enter. My experience has been that the rule of contraries
holds good here also, and such are likely to prove conspicuously
lacking in these desirable qualities, as if they had been so called
in sarcastic jest. Another was the fact that it had produced, and
contained the home of a very high living official, namely, H.E.
Liu Kun-yi, the Viceroy at Nanking. This fact alone was enough
to set every individual up on his high horse since the credit of it
belongs, not only to each one personally, but to the very soil and
surroundings of the city. These are just the folks to jump upon
any poor strolling person like myself who belonged to no one
knew where. Lastly, a week or two before, the city had been
visited by an Roman Catholic father who had seen the district
magistrate, and obtained permission to build a church there. At
least that was what they said, but no one knew much about it,
only they were all on the watch to checkmate the next move.
This they took for granted was my arrival on the scene; and no
doubt I had brought the abhorred church with me. As a matter
of fact I learned at the yamên that the father had simply come on
behalf of a convert in that locality who had got into legal difficulties.
Our arrival in Paoching created a great sensation. Accom-
panied by our escort, we walked rapidly through the large and
busy suburb outside the East gate, and over a long roofed-in
bridge, lined with a score of beautiful shops on either side, wherein
all sorts of knicknacks were sold. It formed an arcade which
7 2
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would have done credit to a foreign city. Entering the East gate,
we had to make our way almost to the North gate, near to which
the district magistrate's yamên is. It was necessary to proceed
there in the first instance, in order that our Hengchow escort
should be relieved of all further responsibility, and receive a receipt
for our safe delivery at head-quarters. As we passed along, the
whole population seemed to turn out, and came surging along
after us to the yamên, forming a grand procession which blocked
the streets as far as the eye could see.
We were exceedingly fortunate in his worship, Mr. Fu, the
district magistrate. He proved to be a native of Wuchang, well-
informed as to missionary matters, and a most capable, friendly,
and intelligent man. Our first business was to get all ready for a
speedy retreat should the need arise, so fresh coolies were hired
and the baggage sent on ahead, and then we were at liberty to try
what could be done with the people. We had hoped to obtain a
boat here so as to be able to continue our journey by water down
the river, but none could be had for less than forty thousand cash
to the end of the rapids. This sum, however, was said to include
the price of the boat, as it might never come back. Thus the
realisation of my dream of floating pleasantly down stream instead
of wearily trudging along on foot had to be postponed till we
reached Hinghwa Hsien, the next city further down, 170 li distant.
While our arrangements were being made, Mr. Fu astonished me
by the great variety and accuracy of his information on all foreign
subjects, religious, political, and scientific; and on expressing my
surprise he introduced to me a friend of his, Mr. Wên, who it turned
out had studied for a short time under Mr. Barber at Wuchang.
Having reached the source of the information, it was poured forth
in greater volume than ever, and then I sat listening to really
most intelligent remarks on the railway and telegraph, the tele-
phone, the phonograph; the depth of the sea, the distance of the
stars, the speed of steamers, what prices foreigners paid for pictures,
and the cost of the Suez Canal. They were decidedly abreast of
the times in the Paoching yamên. I must confess I never before
felt the importance of such labours as Mr. Barber is engaged in as
I did then, not only on account of the information imparted, but
more especially on account of the kindly, friendly, feeling which
had been induced in a quarter where it was of so great value. Its
HUNAN
293
value I could the more appreciate, as our conversation was punctu-
ated by the shouts of the mob outside.
: At last all was ready, even to the Ch'angsha braves whom it
was thought desirable to send for from the camp close by, and the
crowd which packed the courts of the yamên yard was ready too.
I never saw so many people under the influence of such a severe
attack of hullaballoo before. As the door was thrown open, and
we appeared, they received . us with such a screaming, yelling,
jeering, and capering that not a word could we get them to hear.
. They allowed us to pass through their midst right to the yamên
gate where, standing on a big stone, I tried to gain their ear. It
is sometimes possible by dint of an unsparing use of one's voice to
calm even a hostile mob, and to talk it into a better spirit, but
here I shouted my best and gesticulated in the friendliest fashion
entirely in vain. Meanwhile standing there I could see that our
particular enemy, the long gowned gentlemen with the goggles,
were present in considerable force, and their cry was “seize him,
kill him," etc. There was “precious” little "love" to be seen
anywhere, and the crowd rapidly got ugly. At last a rush was
made to get hold of me, so I stepped down from the stone and
slipped away, accompanied by a few braves, while the rest held the
gate and kept the crowd penned up in the yamên yard. . Our
retreat was well managed, and ten minutes sufficed to place a
broad river between us and the excited citizens of Paoching, with
all the ferry boats on our side. They poured out of the city, and
lined the banks in great numbers, but we went on our way and saw
them no more. The closing scene at the yamên I did not witness,
but I was told it was a very striking one. Mr. Fu had intended
accompanying me, but the sight of so many people shouting
“beat," and throwing things, roused his wrath. He ordered a
number of them to be seized and dragged into the judgment hall,
where being already in his robes he took his seat, tried them for
rioting, convicted them on the evidence of his own eyes, and
sentenced them to be bambooed forthwith. Thus, while we were
trying to get them to hear at the one end of the yard, Mr. Fu was
making them feel at the other. Justice is said to have leaden feet,
but in this instance the feet were light enough though the hands
were heavy.
It may be asked, seeing that no books were sold, or much
work done of any kind, would it not have been better to have kept
294
APPENDIX.
away altogether, or to have put on the native dress to avoid
attention, and thus prevented the uproar. As to the former, the
preachers of the gospel, since the days of St. Paul, have never
felt justified in giving any place the go-by because there was
a possibility of their presence creating a disturbance. Had they,
especially in the earlier days, adopted any such rule, the number
of cities which would have heard their message would have been
few indeed. As to the alternative of visiting hostile places in native
dress--this is just a shade better than not visiting them at all. It
is true that by means of this, and a quiet retiring course of action,
the peace may be preserved; but it is to little purpose, since the
success of the proceeding depends on its not being found out who
and what we are.
For pioneering work one's own foreign dress, ungraceful
though it be, and hardly decent as the Chinese consider some
forms of it to be, is by far the best. By its means one is enabled
to do the greatest possible amount of work. In native dress we
attract no particular attention, and have not the opportunity of
speaking to half so many people, or of disposing of half so many
books, as we are able to do in our own. Next the foreign dressed
missionary opens up the way for other foreign visitors whether
missionaries or not. Once a city has become accustomed to
seeing the foreign dressed book-man, and as a rule not many visits
are required to bring this about, then any other foreigner may visit
it on any lawful business without suffering the least annoyance.
This result does not follow from the presence of our brethren in
native dress. It is no unusual experience for one to receive a
request from them to avoid the cities in which they live, lest the
sight of a foreigner should cause a disturbance to their detriment.
But the most important reason in favour of the foreign dress for
Protestant missionaries, and the one which alone is sufficient to
decide the question in its favour against all that can be said on the
other side, is the marked distinction which it places between us
and the Roman Catholics. In new regions the Chinese regard all
missionaries as Romanists, and go where one may in China,
whether justly or unjustly, these are regarded by the heathen with
intense dislike. It is thus of the utmost importance that they
should understand that we are not Romanists, and very often
when they do so, from being bitterly hostile, they become friendly.
It is thus often necessary to say that we differ from them in
HUNAN.
295
nationality, in doctrines, in practices, and in dress. Since we are
not Romanists, I can conceive of no reason why we should
condemn ourselves to suffer on account of their bad reputation,
when this can be so easily avoided. There is no distinction so
readily seen and understood of all men as dress, and a single visit
from a foreign dressed missionary is sufficient to stamp on the
mind of a whole city the knowledge that foreign dressed men are
not Romanists. I am afraid that writing in this way I shall be
regarded by some as exceedingly uncharitable, but I must confess
to a measure of sympathy with the heathen in this matter. All this
widespread hạtred cannot be entirely causeless, and it is not so
long ago since our own ancestors who knew the Romanists better
than we do, regarded them with exactly the same feelings, as the
heathen Chinese do to-day. .
I have never been able to see much force in the arguments in
favour of wearing the native dress. It is said to give one more
influence with the people, but experience seems to prove the
opposite, and reason also. Suppose one of the Chinese literati
were to go to London to teach Confucianism, he certainly would
be more respected, and have greater influence, if he appeared in
his own embroidered robes and buttoned hat, than if he encased
his rather slender understandings in a pair of tight pants, donned
a claw-hammer coat, and adorned his head with a chimney pot.
Men must be born and brought up to a dress to become it.. As a
rule, a foreigner got up as a Chinaman presents as odd a figure to
the native eye, as a Chinaman got up as a foreigner does to our
eye. It is said that places can be visited and work done by the
native dressed, which the foreign dressed brother would find im-
possible. This I very much doubt. As a matter of fact, since
the days of Willey and Williamson, the Bible-men have been first
in nearly all the cities of all the provinces, and they wear the
foreign dress to a man. It is said the native dress brings one
nearer to the people, but this is a mistake, for it is impossible to
have them nearer to one than the foreign dress brings them. This
the poor traveller knows to his cost when, on a warm sultry day,
wearied and perspiring, he sits down at the village tea shop for a
moment's rest, and in a few moments has all the people in the
neighbourhood packed around him, some touching his hair, others
fecling what material his clothes and boots are made of, and
always the dirtiest, the deformed, and those who have repulsive
296
APPENDIX.
diseases, the nearest and closest. One gets a good deal of praise
sometimes from the unthinking for the self-denial shown in wearing
the native dress in the interior. The fact is that it is the foreign
dress which involves the self-denial, for the other saves the traveller
from three-fourths of his annoyances. But enough of this topic.
From Paoching to Hinghwa Hsien is a distance of 170 li of
· moderate length. The country is mountainous and beautiful, but
the people at the Paoching end are remarkably ugly, with ill
shaped heads, and large protruding front teeth. They look more
like Darwin's original ancestor than any I met with elsewhere.
Thirty li from the city we came upon a splendid grave. It, from
the inscription, proved to be that of a junior guardian of the heir
apparent, named Li. This man was originally a poor miner in
that neighbourhood. He went to the wars in the Taiping times,
and by applying his knowledge of his ancient craft to that art was
able so effectively to undermine the walls of Nanking that he blew
them up, and the Imperialists were able to rush in and put the
finishing stroke to the rebellion. As a result both honours of the
highest grade and great wealth were showered upon Li, but he did
not live to enjoy them long. Here our escort promised us an
interview with some Yao aborigines who, there being now peace in
the mountains, had come down selling medicine, but when we
reached the place they were gone. Hunan and western provinces
passports are now issued with a stipulation that the bearer is not to
visit the Yao, Lolo, Miao or other aboriginal districts, and quite
rightly, as the Chinese, not being in supreme authority there,
could hardly be held responsible for any mishap which might
befall a stranger. At the same time from all I have ever been
able to learn about the Yao in Hunan, no insuperable difficulty
would be found in visiting them in ordinary times, but the tra-
veller would have to keep out of the way of the authorities en
route, and take his chances without complaining.
Sixty li from Hinghwa we found coal being sold at the rate of
300 cash a ton, and larger quantities for less, as the supply was
unlimited. I think I deserve well of my country for discovering
a place where three and a half tons of good coal can be obtained
for one dollar. What would the poor folks at home, or even the
rich folks of Shanghai, say to a shilling a ton for coal, and no
dispute about the weight either! Practically this was simply the
cost of breaking it out of the mountain from a seam six feet thick,
HUNAN.
29.7
The demand for it was small, as it was twenty miles of bad road
from a waterway, and that too a bad one. I have often wondered
why it is that while so many have urged the claims of Stephenson's
invention upon the attention of the Chinese, hardly any one has
had a word to say about the still more important discovery of
Macadam. What would infinitely add to the prosperity of China
is not so much a few lines of railway as an abundance of good
turnpike roads, which would permit of commodities being tran-
sported from place to place in some less expensive way than on
men's shoulders. Indeed, till the turnpikes are made, railways
must necessarily be but of limited use, and can never obtain
traffic enough to pay. The Paoching region is rich in minerals
which might almost as well have no existence, as far as any benefit
they are to the people is concerned. They claim to have found
gold, copper, and tin, while I can answer for coal, iron, limestone
and marble being there in abundance, and also lead and zinc ores,
having seen them myself. A little lime is burned, some iron
smelted, and a limited quantity of coal extracted and sent to
Hankow ; but being without roads, without money, and without
enterprise, the people cannot avail themselves of their resources
much.
The Hinghwa people are a great improvement, in appearance
and every way, on their neighbours further up, but they speak a
dialect which no living European can make head or tail of, save
perhaps Dr. Edkins. In these regions it is very interesting to
observe how, from day to day, the cast of features and the dialect
of the people change. Fortunately Mandarin is understood every-
where, and no one who can speak it need ever be at a loss ; still
a few sentences of the real native talk come in very handy in
helping one to get on a friendly footing. As a rule it is not
difficult to pick up a few, for the new speech is made by the
systematic variation of certain sounds; and once one has got hold
of the key to the changes, what before was utterly unintelligible,
immediately becomes plain enough. To the Hinghwa dialect
there was no key discoverable.
In Mr. Wang, the magistrate, who we found had ruled over
Hinghwa for over ten years, we met with another friend. He was
a kindly Kiangsu man, and had been much in Shanghai. The
people were so fond of him that, when his three years' terms were
up, they absolutely refused to permit his leaving. Apparently a
298
APPENDIX.
good deal of latitude was allowed the people thereabouts, with
regard to their likings, for at the next city of Nganhwa they had
recently put their magistrate into a chair, and carried him back to
the capital, with the request that he should be changed for another
one, and they got their wish.. We met with no difficulties at all
in this city, although neither foreigner nor books had ever been
seen there. All classes were friendly, and the literati not parti-
cularly conspicuous.
Here we were able to procure a boat to the city of Iyang, at
the end of the rapids 540 li distant by water. It cost us 9,000
cash, a sum which did not include the price of the boat, although
it well might, for such a miserable bundle of boards and mats I
never travelled in before. We had heard a great deal about the
dangers attending the navigation of the Paoching Fu river, and
how, as a rule, if a boat once got safely down it never went back
to tempt its fate a second time, but was broken up and sold for its
timber. I had therefore given orders for hiring a stout boat, well
manned and found, and such was the one really engaged by us.
But the owner thereof saw it would pay him better to send his
neighbour than to come himself, so while we were engaged with
the crowd, and in the midst of a great bustle, he had our goods put
into the other craft. We went on board, and were off down stream
some distance, before it fully dawned upon us what had taken
place. We therefore stopped and reviewed the situation. We
found that Mr. Wang had sent us four braves as an escort, but
there being room in the boat for two only we sent the others back.
The boatman had but one boat pole, and it was broken, and but
one assistant, a small boy. The whole thing looked like as if some
one had intended poking fun at us, or at those eight-and-forty
dreadful rapids which we were now about to negotiate. We
ordered a supply of poles to be bought, also a large mat to keep
us weather tight; and that an able bodied man should be engaged
to help the boy; failing all this we would return and make it hot
for the original rascal. Our boatman was a wild Indian-looking
man who could not articulate a single syllable intelligible to us,
but he proved to be a most willing man and obliging fellow. Our
wishes were met to the letter ; a goodly stock of rice and vegetables
was laid in, including a sample potato thirty-two inches long and
thick in proportion, and we started off again to meet whatever
fresh adventures might lie before us.
HUNAN.
299
Travelling in Hunan, even by land, is not all of it worry and
trouble. It has its pleasures, some of them very exquisite. When
we get far away from the rivers, in amongst the mountains, where
the expense of breaking out the timber would be too great to pay,
and the trees are consequently allowed to grow and become great;
where the people are few, and their works scarce ; where, in short,
nature has had a chance to work uninterfered with by man, espe-
cially the Chinaman, it gives rise to intense delight to be able to
wander about in such a region. The air is fresh and invigorating ;
the scent of the pine trees brings back happy memories of other
lands and other days. Something fresh or strange catches the
eye at every turn-a flower, a plant, or a bird—and gives rise to
pleasing thought. Imagination runs wild. In the gigantic rocks,
piled up in all fantastic forms, it is easy to picture out great
cathedrals, giants' castles, and robbers' caves. Here is a crouching
lion, yonder a stately spire, or shapely dome; now we are in the
East, now in the West; sometimes it is a scene from the Arabian
Nights, and sometimes a place which Bunyan dreamed of. It is a
new world, a world of wonders. . Over there in the distant moun-
tain peaks, piercing the clouds which mantle them, are islands
floating in the air. That shaft of light might be the ladder Jacob
saw, while the mist which fills the valley, with the sun playing on
it from above, unrolls a panorama such as might have appeared to
St. John in Patmos. It is the world as God made it, a sight seen
by few in our day. It fills the soul with adoration and praise.
“O Lord, how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made
them all; the earth is full of thy riches."
Boat travelling has its good times too; the night we left it was
delightful to be able to rest in peace after a weary ten days' march.
The river was clear, and the moon full, so we floated on till late.
On either hand were high precipices, some bare, some deeply clad
with ferns and shrubs, but all crowned with graceful palms and
bamboos, nodding down to us as bent by the evening breeze.
Deep down in the clear water, as far as the eye could see, on
either hand were other rocks and other trees, nodding up in unison
with those above. For music there was the murmur of the hidden
streams, as they made their way over the stones into the river, and
occasionally the mild thunder of a distant cascade. We felt we
were “far away in a region old where the rivers wandered o'er
300
APPENDIX.
.
sands of gold," as Mrs. Hemans sung, and although with her we
knew it was not heaven, it, nevertheless, was first-rate. .
All along the river bank deeply laden boats of about 800, or
1,000 piculs burden were tied up in tiers waiting for a flood.
Some of them had waited many weeks. The greater part of them
were coal laden, and of the kind called Mao-pien-tze. These are
built of boards roughly put together, with a mat sail, and a big
tree for a mast. They draw about five feet of water, and make
only the one voyage; then they are broken up. As they won't
steer, and cannot stand any bumping on the rocks, it is these
which give the river its bad name for danger. I have noticed that
elsewhere an attempt is generally made to adapt the boat to the
nature of the waterway, or to improve the waterway for the sake
of the boat, but these are ideas which have not as yet dawned
on the Paoching mind. They go on building and loading these
great unwieldy craft, and then sit down to wait resignedly till
Providence sends a spate to wash them out into the Tungting
lake. A foot and a half of water may be counted on in the
shallows at all times, and the Chinese elsewhere can do a deal of
traffic on that depth. Besides more could be easily obtained were
it any one's business, which it is not, to do a little banking and
dredging.
The rapids were decidedly disappointing. They were of the
open mill-race kind, as a rule without obstruction, and with
ordinary care not in the least dangerous. We got a little excite-
ment out of one or two of them through a strong head wind, which
raged against us all the way, suddenly shooting down through a
gorge and turning our boat round just on the brink of the rapids,
so that we took several of them broadside on. Once while thus
occupied another boat ran into us and ought to have upset or stove
us in, but fortunately did neither, and once we ran clean out of the
water on the tail of a bank, also without scathe. These things,
however, were exceptional, and were due to our persisting in
travelling in exceptional weather.
Between Hinghwa and the town of Lungping, half-way, there
are quite a number of iron smelting works which filled the valleys
with smoke in real civilised-like fashion. We visited several of
these. They employed about fifty men each, and were said to
turn out about twenty piculs of iron a day. In on case did they
seem to be owned, or managed, by natives of that district,
HUNAN.
301
Lungping, with Kiakow, and Wangsaping, three towns all close
together, is now the centre of the great tea trade of Nganhwa, or,
as it is called in the special lingo of the foreign tea business,
“Oanſa.” Just then the trade was at its briskest. On all the
hillsides the pickers were to be seen hard at work, and the tea
leaves were drying in the sun on mats, before every cottage door.
The three great packing centres simply swarmed with people,
rushing and bustling, like great human anthills. The tea is
brought to them by the farmers from immense distances, and was
then selling at from eighty to one hundred cash a catty-six or
seven taels a picul. As the article brought from fifty to seventy
taels a picul in the Hankow market afterwards, there was a fat
profit for somebody, even after allowing a good margin for the
expense of packing, transport and Customs dues. They told me
again and again that this year's crop was much better in quality,
but shorter in quantity, than last year's, which however was the
kind of information they would have given in any case, as that best
calculated to keep up prices. It seemed to me there was tea
enough on every hand for all the ivorld to drink. .
At Iyang Hsien we were once more upon familiar ground. I
had been there before twice, and my first visit was paid under very
peculiar circumstances. This city is the third trade centre of the
province, so when I first proposed to go there, and was informed
that the thing was impossible, because it had been captured by
200 robbers who then held it, I simply supposed the authorities
were drawing on their imaginations a little more freely than usual.
The idea that 200 people could come into a city of 200,000
inhabitants, and scare every man of them out of it, by simply
running about and stabbing people with short knives, and setting
fire to houses, was one which I decidedly refused to entertain
though vouched for by the highest authorities. Since then I have
learned that such things are by no means unusual in China. . In
Hankow they still speak with bated breath of the 28th of the 3rd
moon, on which night some nine years ago a score of determined
men could have taken the town. The very rumours that something
of the sort was about to be attempted sent the people flying far and
near for days, and left it empty.
This literally happened at Iyang in the twelfth year of Tung
Chih, and nearly happened again on the eve of my visit. The ·
robbers had taken the neighbouring town of Lanchi, and were
302
APPENDIX.
advancing on Iyang when General Ma was able to intercept and
defeat them. I saw the general after the battle, and he gave me
a graphic account of it, how they fought for a whole day, and what
brave deeds were done. Altogether one robber was killed, but
none of the soldiers were hurt. When I expressed my surprise
that the slain were so few he assured me they had shot another
one, but he got up and ran away before they could bag him!
The victory, notwithstanding, was a most effective one, and Iyang
was saved that time; the authorities had insisted that it had been
lost, simply to keep me from going there, or because, not knowing
better at the time, and reasoning from previous experience, they
were actually under that impression. In the heads that were
hanging at all the mataos there was ample evidence that grim
work was a-doing. The district magistrate was catching and
executing a great many. The leader, an old soldier, Shae Tai-han
by name, had also fallen into his hands. They tried to shoot him,
but finding he was lead proof they struck off his head also, and it,
they said, weighed nine catties. In spite of this triumph of law
and order the authorities still seemed to be in perfect terror of the
sovereign people, and had but little control over them. Under
these circumstances we did not prolong our visit. On the next
occasion, although there were then no rebellions to contend with
we did not succeed much better. The people stoned us in the
city, and stoned us in the suburb, and finally when driven to our
boat they came and stoned it till we had to leave. There are
more bad characters in Iyang than in any other city of the province,
due to its standing between the immense tea districts on the south
and a vast region bordering on the Tungting lake which is under
water half the year; thus there is a large population which can
find lawful employment during only a portion of the year, and in
their extreme poverty it is no wonder if they take to lawless
courses.
On our present visit we found that Iyang had gone down in
the world during the last dozen years. The great street outside
the South gate was still 15 li long, but there were sundry gaps in
it, and the shops had a hard-up appearance. It had suffered from
frequent fires, and other troubles. Merchants from other places
did not visit its markets as of yore. As one of themselves said,
“If they come once they get such treatment that they never come
back.” Ichabod is written over it now and serve it right. We
HUNAN.
303
found the old spirit still surviving. As soon as we were discovered
a crowd gathered and began to pelt our boat. Just then our
escort had gone to the yamên to report our arrival, but had left
their swords--the only time, by the bye, on which any escort had
been provided with any weapon other than an umbrella, or a
paper lantern by way of a firearm. Our wild Indian skipper was.
so excited by this uncourteous reception that he seized one of
these swords, and made a rush, apparently with the object of
cropping a few heads, but we got hold of him before any damage
was done. Whereupon he made them a vigorous speech in his
unknown tongue. What he said no one knew, but it sounded
like strong language. As usual we could only stop the stone
throwing by moving our boat out into the stream beyond range.
Our first business was to change boats, and we were fortunate
in finding one to our mind, at a reasonable rate, to take us to
Hankow.. But after we had concluded the bargain the skipper
betook himself to a fortune teller, who told him it was a job which
would give him no end of trouble, so he quietly slipped away with
his boat. The fortune teller discovered this by dissecting a
Chinese character, and his information was perfectly correct, as
the one we engaged in his place soon found out. But we could
have told him the same thing without the aid of any occult lore,
seeing we were homeward bound in bad weather with strong head-
winds against us; and seeing the Chinese boatmen have such a
propensity for making fast whenever a passable excuse offers.
Under such circumstances, no matter who the foreigner is, the
boatman is likely to have trouble.
This matter finished we went ashore. The yainên had sent
four braves as an escort--we had specially asked them not to send
many--and we began operations on a large space recently cleared
by a fire. I was glad to observe that our four guardians were by
no means seriously alarmed by the immense crowd which imme-
diately collected. It told us that lawful authority was no longer
paralysed by craven fears, and we got on splendidly for a long time.
Our difficulties arose at last from the anxiety of our yamên friends
to preserve order. Some of the more mischievous ones on the
outskirts of the crowd took to throwing things again, and the raids
..they made on these ultimately produced a sort of Chinese Donny-
brook Fair in which pigtails were pulled, gowns torn, and umbrellas
smashed to a considerable extent. They were most anxious to
304
APPENDIX.:
TVCE
send for more assistance, so as to secure a few of the rowdies, for
the sake of making an example of them, but this we did not wish.
We were glad to note that the bulk of the people were on our side;
they listuned attentively, bought books freely, and when at last
heavy rain put a stop to our proceedings we came away feeling
highly hopeful of the possibilities in Iyang. In order to persuade
the yamên to dispense with escorting us further, we had to pass
our word not to lo lieu any more all the way home. This term is
the equivalent of the “pidgin" English “makee boblery," and is
sometimes applied to book selling. As our time was now almost
up, and there were no other places of any size for us to delay at,
we gave the required promise, and were accordingly left to our-
selves. We hurried home, getting over the 1,000 li in half the
time taken by other boats, and arrived only one day overdue on a
six weeks' journey.
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​。
10,
*
4
是不
​st.
备
​,
了
​,
看看​。
--
,
我
​“
事
​新北
​。
*
毒事​,
.
.
女
​:
一
​。
事件​,
.重劃書
​+1
,
::
::
-
-
賽​,
董事
​一直
​一
​。
门
​中小学
​