Prince Kung to Benj. P. Avery, June 9, 1875

Prince Kung to Mr. Avery.

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

I have received a dispatch from the acting governor of Kiangsi, covering a statement from the Taotai of Kiu-kiang, of the following tenor: In the city of Kiu-kiang an American missionary, named Hart, has a chapel. On the night of the 1st May, about 9 o’clock, a rumor suddenly became current that a child from the shop of a stonemason was locked up in this chapel. A turbulent crowd gathered, and the Tao-tai, in all haste, sent a deputy to investigate and suppress the disturbance, &c.

It appears that the missionary Hart opened a chapel for the purpose of exhorting men to be virtuous. Why should he, without cause, shut up a young child in the chapel and so rouse suspicions in the breasts of the populace to the creating of disturbances? The local official proceeded to the spot to suppress the tumult, his thought being to afford protection; but the keepers of the chapel still kept it most closely shut and would not allow him to examine, an exceedingly improper act.

At the present time a large proportion of the cases of disturbance between missionaries and the people spring from the suspicions of the latter. How much more in the present, which was an actual case of the detention of a young child? In case people of other districts hear of it as an actual occurrence will the suspicions of all the populace not be allayed, but troubles hereafter will with difficulty be avoided.

I have sent orders, most stringent, to the acting governor of Kiangsi to examine into and investigate the origin of this affair down to its very root, and to deal most severely with the leading rioters, in order that the missionaries and people may be in mutual accord; and in addition to this action, beg leave to inclose a copy of the governor’s dispatch for the information of your excellency, and to request that you will instruct the consul to summon the missionary in charge of this chapel and tell him in future to conduct himself discreetly, and not make work for us.