James Burrill Angell to Messrs. Murray and Hunter, July 30, 1881

Mr. Angell to Messrs. Murray and Hunter.

Gentlemen: Your communication of the 20th instant reached me last evening. It is with deep sympathy and with great regret that I hear of the violent interference with your missionary work. But I am relieved to learn from you that you and your families are probably safe from personal harm. The attitude of the governor furnishes assurance of your safety. An hour before I received your letter, I had heard from Bev. Mr. Pilcher, through our consul at Tientsin, that perhaps your lives were in peril.

You do not state what is the alleged objection to your occupancy of the premises you had secured. But from what I have heard of similar disturbances, I presume that your proximity to the Shu Yuan was offensive to those who wished to make you trouble. I am satisfied that it is generally advisable to choose for missionary work, especially in a city where there is any spirit of opposition to missionary labor, a site not too near any important official residence. The choice of a site near a Yamên is pleaded as an excuse, if it is not the real reason, for insisting on a change of place.

I am not sufficiently familiar with the laws and usages in Shantung to decide whether there is any technical flaw in the deeds. But the presumption is that they are valid, since the authorities seem to recognize your title to the property by offering to compensate you for it with money or with other land.

Your course during the trouble seems to me to have been very judicious. I am glad that you did not leave the city and also that you promptly offered to exchange your premises for some other eligible site. You showed courage in insisting on your right to remain and a proper spirit of conciliation in respect to the property.

You request me to give for your guidance answers to four questions.

“1st. Have we or not a right to demand a house upon the main street, west end,” &c.

It must be confessed that we have very slender ground, if any, for demanding permission to purchase real property at any interior city like Chinan-fu. The British treaty of 1858, article 12, does indeed read thus:

“British subjects, whether at the ports or at other places, desiring to build or open houses, warehouses, churches, hospitals, or burial grounds, shall make their agreement for the land or buildings they require at the rate prevailing among the people, equitably, and without exaction on either side.”

But that phrase “or at other places” was inserted with reference to situations contiguous to the ports and has been so interpreted.

Our missionaries have been allowed to acquire property in the interior rather on sufferance than by right. They have now so long been indulged that we can make the indulgence a ground for remonstrating against the discontinuance of it, but it is wise for us to proceed with much caution and delicacy. I think we have, strictly speaking, no treaty right to demand a site as our own anywhere in Chi-nan-fu. But from these facts, namely, that in nearly all parts of the empire, missionaries are allowed to procure property; that you and your associates have been so long in your city without giving cause of complaint; that you were allowed without any remonstrance to purchase the property on Main street and pay 3,100 taels, you have strong ground for insisting, and you may properly insist with firmness, that if your premises are taken from you some other eligible site shall be secured to you. I advise you to stand for that until it is clear that you cannot succeed and at any rate until the governor shall have heard from Prince Kung and the Tsung-li Yamên, whom I shall at once address on the whole matter. When I receive an answer from Prince Kung, I shall inform you immediately. He will probably answer me and write to the governor within ten or twelve days.

If all efforts to secure a site where you wish it fail, I would counsel you to take an inferior site rather than leave the city. We may expect that after a time this violence will abate and you can then improve your situation.

2d. In answer to your second question I should say your only remedy against taking a house at an exorbitant price is to refuse it.

3d. In response to your third question I have to say that I suppose the terms Presbyterian Church as used by you can only mean in law the Presbyterian Board of Missions. In that case, I suppose, you missionaries who are its only agents here, must control its property.

4th. In answer to the question whether you have the right to demand the release of Lui Yü Ting, the native Christian, who acted for the church, I rely that you cannot demand it. You can, as his friend, request it, and even urge it; I know of no ground upon which you can do more.

You will have need of patience. But I trust your troubles may be ended without too much delay. You may be assured that this legation will do all in its power to assist you.

I am, &c.,