John Murray, Stephen Hunter to James Burrill Angell, August 6, 1881

Messrs. Murray and Hunter to Mr. Angell.

Dear Sir: Your communication of July 30 has just come to hand. Allow us to express our warmest thanks for your personal sympathy and interest in our welfare. While as the national representative, the execution of law must be one and the same, it is the source of no little gratification to us that you are so thoroughly in accord with the plans and purposes of mission work.

Before hearing further from you, we send herewith some additional information which may aid you in the prosecution of the case.

1st. The objections to our occupancy of the property bought were rather vaguely stated by the officials. In substance they were (1), unwillingness of the people; (2), proximity to the Shu Yuan; (3), spoiling the Feng Shui, and (4), occupying public ground.

2d. The origin of the difficulty, as we learn now, was mainly with two men; one commonly known as Li Shih-erh, a former governor of Honan. In addition to instigating the riot, he endeavored to deprive us of servants, by threatening to imprison them for aiding the foreigners, and said this plan had succeeded in driving the foreigners from Honan. His conduct has been so violent that it seems proper to make mention of his name. The other man, Yin-shih-fang, a former “chih fu” in Honan, seems to have been also a chief party in stirring up the people. Probably less than a hundred teachers took part in the attack upon the building, but the number of subsequent meetings was undoubtedly much greater.

3d. The officials have already offered us two locations. One of these was entirely unsuitable, being in a very retired location, and was at once refused. The other was inside the East Gate, and this we neither refused nor accepted, saying we had referred the matter to Peking. At a former conference they had pressed us so closely with the question, “If we cannot buy upon the main street, what other location is there most desirable?” That we at that time mentioned two other streets, viz, the south end of the Pu Cheng-tz, and inside the East Gate. But when we learned that three houses were for sale upon the main street, we refused to accept their statement that no houses could be bought there.

We now mention this offer, lest it should be represented that we have already consented to a location inside the East Gate. This we will not accept so long as there is any hope of being placed upon the main street. Should this hope fail us we will then consider other locations. But to leave the main street, where we have had a small rented chapel for a number of years, will necessitate a change of all our plans, and change the base of all our work.

Our hope of being placed upon the main street was not that we had any right a priori to demand a location there, but being already located there, that we should not be displaced. We had paid the full amount of purchase money, taels 3,750, and had been in peaceable possession for more than six weeks before the riot.

4th. So far as we can learn our native Christian Lui Yu Ting was beaten as much because he was a Christian, as because he purchased the property for us. Many of the questions asked him referred to his faith, and when he answered he was beaten. While we are aware that, as a general rule, we have no right to interfere with the native government in its punishment of its own subjects, yet it seems to us that, in this case, the rights guaranteed to native Christians have been infringed upon. The reason given us, however, by the “fu” officer for his punishment, was that he had deceived us (the foreigners) by selling us public land. Since we last wrote his condition in prison has been materially improved. But owing to the uncertain length of time that the case may be delayed in the courts we are anxious that he be released upon our bond which was formerly refused.

Presenting this additional statement of facts, we await the opinion of the Tsung-li Yamên, being assured that our case will be well and ably presented.

The city is now comparatively quiet, and we see little danger of further trouble.

Respectfully yours,