Prince Kung to Benj. P. Avery, June 24, 1875

Prince Kung to Mr. Avery.

Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith makes a communication in reply.

I have received your excellency’s dispatch stating that in the matter of the chapel opened by the missionary Hart, in the city of Kiu-kiang, the missionary did not in person reside at the chapel, and that the shutting up of a young child in it was no act of his; and your excellency requests that the local officers issue proclamations informing the people that American citizens come among them for proper objects , under protection of treaty, and must not be molested; that in case any missionary is guilty of any improper action, no matter where or when, they can make complaint against him before the consul, and in case he does not deal justly in the matter, they can appeal to your excellency’s legation, &c.

It appears to me that the great proportion of the troubles between the people and the Christians is caused by improper conduct on the part of the chapel-keepers and their fellows in taking advantage of their position to insult the people, and when disturbances ensue they hoodwink the missionaries and the consuls, and so the officials engaged in managing international affairs are unable to find out the truth and settle the cases equitably, and the people are wronged. And the people, thus treasuring up anger, become hostile, and break out into greater violence. After the creation of a disturbance these disorderly persons, (the chapel-keepers,) the real facts of the case becoming apparent, and their guilt, they either hide in the chapels, and cannot be given up, or they abscond in advance, and the local authorities are unable to seize them.. And since at the time of the disturbance they cannot be dealt with according to their deserts, after it is over they become even more reckless. The populace, seeing this, oil hearing about the Christians, do not ask either as to the nationality of the men, nor the kind of church, (Catholic or Protestant,) nor whether the persons behaved properly or not, but are more completely filled with hatred.

Whenever there are any suspicious circumstances in the chapel, crowds gather, and everywhere disturbances occur, which have almost always the origin described above.

If your excellency will carry out the statements made in your dispatch, the people and the Christians will most assuredly be at peace, and this is certainly the road to protection and friendship. But it occurs to me that there are missionary operations throughout all the interior, while consuls are found only at the open ports, and your excellency lives in this capital. Hence, although the people are allowed to make complaints, the great distance is an obstacle, and there are many other inconveniences.

Although the missionaries know and do their duty, the chapel-keepers, &c., are all guilty of misconduct, and bring trouble upon the missionaries.

Since your excellency is now so kind as to allow the people to make complaints against the Christians, this Yamen has sent instructions to all the provinces to issue proclamations informing the people that hereafter, in case any missionary or any of his subordinates is guilty of improper conduct, that in addition to making complaint to the local authorities and abstaining from all disturbance themselves, they can make complaint to the consul at the nearest port, and in case he fails to adjust the case equitably, may appeal from hi in to your excellency’s legation.

At the moment of dispatching this communication, I hear from the acting governor of Kiangsi that, in the case of the chapel of the missionary Hart, the trouble arose from a Chinese chapel-keeper shutting up a boy on the premises. The said Chinese chapel-keeper has absconded and cannot be found. At the time of the disturbance there were no missionaries on the place. The destruction of the property was certainly deplorable. But the people acted without premeditation; they gathered instantly, and were as quickly scattered, and arrests were impossible. It has been decided to repay the losses and reconstruct the buildings, in order to satisfy the men from far, (the missionaries.) The buildings, walls, carpenter and mason work will be made good, and the value of the books, clothing, &c., paid in money. The amount paid in silver is 775 taels. The case has thus been settled after personal conference with the missionaries.

I report this mode of settlement for your excellency’s information.