Benj. P. Avery to Li Hung-Chang, June 22, 1875

No. 165. Mr. Avery to Mr. Fish.

Sir: Early last month it came to the knowledge of the consuls at Tientsin that a picture representing the massacre of foreigners was being publicly exhibited at a fair in the interior of this province, the evident tendency, if not the motive, of such exhibition being to incite the populace to violence. The consuls of Great Britain, France, the United States, Germany, and Russia thereupon addressed a joint note upon the subject to Li Hung Chang, governor of Chihli, a copy of which is inclosed, requesting him to take steps to discover and punish the exhibitor and painter of this picture; also, to cause a proclamation to be posted stating why such punishment had been inflicted. Although this note was inconsiderately worded, and conveyed an imputation, or what seemed to be such, upon the good faith of the provincial authorities, the reply of the governor-general was quite satisfactory, and his action equally so. The proceedings had will fully appear from this document and the inclosed copy of a proclamation subsequently issued. The picture alluded to contained illustrations of the foul practices falsely attributed to foreign missionaries by ignorant and superstitious natives—such as plucking out the eyes and hearts of Chinese women and children, practices similar to those which, by the ignorant and superstitious of the Christian faith in different countries in Europe, at different times, have been so falsely charged against the Jews. Something of this kind, or kindred charges of abduction, have been made the pretext for most of the attacks on Christian missionaries in China, and it therefore becames more and more important to insist upon the aid of the authorities in preventing, as far as possible, the propagation of such preposterous but mischievous notions.

I have approved the action of Mr. Sheppard, our consul at Tien-tsin, in common with his colleagues.

I have, &c.,

Proclamation of Wu and Sun.

Wu, intendant of the circuit of Tien-tsin-Fu, Hochien-Fu, &c., &c.; Sun, superintendent of customs at Tien-tsin, &c, &c, issue the following interdictory proclamation:

During the winter of 1873, a picture called the “San-chă-ho-kŏu-tŭ” was exhibited for sale in the picture-shops of Tien-tsin, whereupon Ting, then Taotai of Tien-tsin, and Chen, then customs Taotai, directed the prefect and magistrate of Tientsin to seize and destroy the pictures and blocks, summon the shopkeepers, and oblige them all to enter into a restrictive bond, making themselves liable for heavy penalties, as duly set forth, and further to issue a prohibitory proclamation on the subject. In March last another case occurred at a fair held at Ching-chia-wu, in the Ning-Ching district, wherein a man with a picture-show had among his pictures one representing a fracas between the people of Tien-tsin and the Christians, portraying false and atrocious incidents. The foreign consuls thereupon jointly requested his excellency the viceroy to take action. We have sent reliable deputies to the district of Ning-Ching, there to co-operate in apprehending and punishing the offenders; and, as required, we now issue a strict prohibitive proclamation. Let the people of every district take notice hereby that from and after the date of this proclamation, pictures representing the fracas between the Tientsin people and the Christians, whether exhibited in town or market-place, must be at once destroyed. If any one shall presume to conceal such pictures and reproduce them for sale, he will, after detection and summary examination, be awarded most severe punishment a liberal reward will be given to any person bringing reliable information, and the offender thus informed against will meet his proper punishment. Treaties of friendship have existed for many years between China and foreign countries, and hence in every case of intercourse the mutual conduct should be that of courtesy, not suspicion and insult, lest disturbances result and penalties be brought upon one’s self. Let all obey with trembling, and evade not this special proclamation.