James Burrill Angell to Prince Kung, September 7, 1881
Mr. Angell to Prince Kung.
Sir: Yesterday I sent Mr. Acting Interpreter Taylor to the Tsung-li Yamên to confer with the ministers concerning what seems to me an unwarrantable interference with the Christian work of a Chinese teacher employed at Nan Ch’ang-fu in Kiangsi by American missionaries. The ministers desire me to send in a communication.
By the instructions of the missionaries this teacher went to the provincial capital in June last, and rented premises just outside the Teh Sheng Gate and began his work. He was received with entire courtesy and kindness by the neighbors.
The owner of the house with willingness leased it to him, a deed of rental was executed in due form, and one term’s rent was paid in advance. While he was thus peaceably at work some persons from the PaoKia-chu, and afterwards the Pao Kia himself, called to tell him he must not stay. Finding they could not; easily frighten him away, they tried to alarm the owner of the house and succeeded in this, who then asked the teacher to go. On the 6th of July, the Pao Kia-chü hired a boat and ordered his men to take the teacher’s furniture from the house, and sent him away to Wu Cheng.
The American missionary, resident at Wu Ch’eng, went to Nan-Ch’ang-fu and saw the Chi-hsien. This magistrate admitted the right to hire the premises, but argued that the people were unwilling the teacher should stay, and finally produced a deed of sale of the premises leased, to show that the relatives of the man who leased the property wished to part with it. The missionary replied, and with justice, that the deed of sale could not affect the deed of rental for the term, which had been paid for, and that the neighbors were not unwilling that the teacher should remain until the Pao Kia and his men stirred them up to opposition. But as the Chi-hsien was unwilling to take any action, the missionary left and reported the fact to our consul at Hankow; we have no consul in Kiangsi.
It seems to me very clear that an injustice has been done. By the twenty-ninth article of the treaty of Tientsin, it is certainly guaranteed that a Chinese convert may peaceably teach the Christian doctrine anywhere in the empire; and as the American missionaries sent this teacher to Nan Ch’ang-fu, they may properly bring this case to the notice of your government.
I respectfully submit it to your consideration whether the authorities at Nan Chang-fu shall not be notified that proceedings like that now complained of shall not be repeated.