M. Fontainer to M. le Comte Rochechouart, June 21, 1870

M. Fontainer to M. le Comte Rochechouart.

M. le Comte: Our little city of Tien-tsin, usually so quiet, has for some days been disturbed by the cries of noisy mobs in the neighborhood of the establishment of the Sisters of Charity and this consulate. The Sisters are accused of taking out the eyes of children, and some of the boldest have dug up the bodies of those taken from their hospital. Lately the intendant (taotai) of this circuit wished to show me the deposition of many witnesses who declared that they had been victims of the persons employed by our missionaries to recruit young children for them. I had no difficulty in proving to him that all these rumors were the result of ill-will; but as he had presented the matter officially, I promised, on his repeated demand, to see to it that our Sisters of Charity should employ only persons of tried character.

Some hours after this meeting on the 19th, the district magistrate (chihien) came to the consulate, accompanied by a deputy from Chunghow, with the design of provoking forthwith an official investigation of the houses of the Sisters and Lazarest missionaries. But as he committed the impropriety of getting into a passion, and even of threatening me with the resentment of the people, apparently determined to exact from me that which his superiors only a few hours before had left entirely to my judgment, I took advantage of it to break off the interview by recalling to his notice that it was only with the superintendent of the three northern ports that I intended to continue this affair; but that I should none the less hold him responsible for the consequences of the troubles he seemed to be so willing to threaten me with, and of which I was persuaded he was the sole instigator.

I requested the deputy from Chunghow to inform his excellency of the result of my interview with the district magistrate until I could go myself to complain to him personally of the unbecoming conduct of this official. I had the pleasure yesterday morning to receive a visit from Chunghow. He spoke in strong terms of reprobation of this magistrate, though meanwhile trying to excuse him. I complained to him how little value the local authorities had given to his remarks when he had tried to contradict the false rumors circulated against our missionaries, the final cause of which must be found in the obligation to let them adopt a course in which he had refused to join, which had attached to him anew the epithet of “The Right Arm of Europeans.”

This little incident, which would perhaps have taken a bad turn, unless Chunghow had interfered, now seems to me to-day to be pretty much finished. He has, more-over, promised me that in a few days he will issue a short proclamation to quiet the minds of the people.