To his Excellency Frederick F. Low to His Imperial Highness Prince Kung, September 13, 1870

A.

Sir: It becomes my duty to inform you that, in consequence of the threatening attitude of the people, and failing to obtain from the local officials any satisfactory assurances of protection, the American missionaries residing at Tungchow, near Che Foo, deemed it prudent to withdraw temporarily to the latter place. The danger to them appearing so imminent, the ordinary routes of land travel being considered unsafe, and there being no other means of transport by water available, the admiral of her Majesty’s fleet in these waters, upon the request of the United States vice-consul at Che Foo, kindly sent two vessels of war on the 1st instant and transported the missionaries with their families to Che Foo, where they now are. The number of men, women, and children attached to the mission is eighteen, all Americans. One of the missionaries, in advising me of their action and the causes which led to it, asks my advice as to the proper course for them to pursue, having in view their personal safety and the security of their property which was necessarily left behind at Tungchow. Before replying to this letter, I deem it proper to lay the facts in this case before your imperial highness, and, at the same time, offer some observations upon the unhappy state of affairs which exists at Tungchow and other places.

It is a fact, painfully apparent to all foreign residents, that, since the terrible tragedy at Tien-tsin, the attitude of the local officials and the people generally there, and at many other places, toward foreigners, has been in marked contrast to that kind and cordial relation which should exist. It is unnecessary here to inquire whether the outbreak at Tien-tsin was a sudden uprising of the people to redress, by violence, fancied wrongs, and was altogether local in its origin, or whether it was a part of a more extended and wide-spread conspiracy, fomented by designing officials and persons of the higher classes of civilians, without cause, other than a purpose of gratifying a long-cherished hatred and desire for revenge against the people of western nations; whether the wrath of the people was directed specially against the French as a nationality, and the Roman Catholics as a religious body, or whether all nationalities and religions would have suffered equally, had they resided within the territory where the mob assembled, and near the scene of its bloody deeds. Without discussing the causes, I desire, most respectfully, to offer to your imperial highness the result of my conclusions as to the effects which the news of this lamentable affair at Tien-tsin has had upon the people in other places.

The tales of horrible cruelties practiced by the Roman Catholics are now reported and believed by the people generally, notwithstanding the report, after searching investigation, of the high officer Tsing-Kwoh-fan to the contrary, and in opposition to the solemn delarations of the Emperor, that all these stories are without foundation and false. It seems scarcely possible that such opinions can be entertained by the common people against the evidence before referred to, upon any other hypothesis than that the local officials and persons of rank and distinction are bringing an influence to bear to render foreigners distasteful in the eyes of the people, and inciting hostility which will, unless checked promptly, be likely to bring on a collision.

There is no evidence of any change for the better in the feelings of the inhabitants of Tien-tsin, nor are there any signs of regret for the terrible scenes enacted on the 21st June. On the contrary, the manufacture and sale of fans (until stopped by official action upon the complaint of a foreign consul) bearing engravings of the burning buildings and the murder of their inmates, show only too plainly that the people of that city desire by illustrations of their bloody deeds to be reminded of the eventful day when innocent and helpless women were, with others, ruthlessly sacrificed. The failure to punish any of the guilty actors, although nearly three months have since elapsed, tends in no small degree to confirm the people in the belief that the riot was a justifiable retribution, in which the government sympathizes; and leads to the belief that similar attacks upon foreigners will meet with official sanction and approval, rather than condemnation and punishment. In addition to all this, the knowledge that large bodies of troops are moving from the western provinces eastward into Shan-tung and Chihli affords a basis for the evil-disposed to circulate reports that the imperial government has designs hostile to the foreign residents. This adds to the excitement and fills with alarm the missionaries and others residing in the two provinces before named.

It was currently reported in Tungchow during the last days in August, that 2,000 troops were marching from the capital of the province toward that place, preparatory to the extermination of the missionaries, and threats were freely and openly indulged in that, on the 10th of September all foreigners would be sacrificed. So general was the belief that the native servants of the missionaries were appealed to by their friends and relatives to leave their employers before the day appointed, otherwise their lives would probably be sacrificed with the rest. The missionaries, hearing these reports from distinct and separate sources, felt compelled to give heed to them, and failing to get any satisfactory refutation of the reports, or any guarantee of safety from the local officials, concluded to take the steps I have before indicated.

In the collective note of the 24th June, in which all the foreign representatives joined, the danger of dilatory action on the part of the government was pointed out, and grave apprehensions of further trouble were felt, unless the uprising at Tien-tsin was promptly and effectually put down; and in personal interviews which I have had the honor to have with your imperial highness and the other members of the Foreign Office since, I have urgently pressed upon you and them the necessity of prompt and decided action in the way of searching out and punishing the guilty. I have also pointed out the great importance of taking every means to enlighten and instruct the people in regard to the peaceful purposes of all foreign residents, and the missionaries in particular; that no foreigner has been, or possibly can be, guilty of the practices imputed to them by the ignorant and superstitious, and that all missionaries are animated by pure and peaceful motives, engaged in no political intrigue, and seeking only the highest welfare of the people by striving to make them honest and good.

Candor compels me to say that there has been a lack of promptness, and, I believe, of earnestness, on the part of the officials deputed by the government to ascertain and bring to punishment the guilty persons at Tien-tsin.

Prior to the troubles, two persons at Tien-tsin, and a larger number at Nankin, accused of kidnapping, were arrested, tried, and punished with the extreme penalty of the law; and in the case of the latter the extreme haste of the officials in the trials and punishment of the criminals provoked much discussion, and, I am informed, called forth protests against what seemed to be indecent haste. If the law sanctioned these hasty trials and summary executions in cases where kidnapping was the crime, I fail to see why the assassins of peaceful foreign residents, including foreign officials and innocent and unoffending women, should have any greater lenity shown them; and in a place where the known participation in the riot is an honor and its leadership a notable distinction, it ought not to be difficult to ascertain who are the guilty ones deserving punishment. Hence the delay appears to be without cause, and leads many to doubt the good faith of the government. Unless a change in the status of affairs soon occurs, which will reëstablish public confidence in the fidelity of the government to its treaty obligations, which will reassure the citizens and subjects of the treaty powers that their residence in China will be safe and their property protected, grave apprehensions may reasonably be entertained that the good will and cordial support of some of the most influential and powerful of the western nations will be lost to China.

The traditional policy of the United States in their intercourse with China is peace, which it is the earnest desire of the undersigned, as well as his Government, to maintain, and nothing will cause a departure from this policy, except the flagrant violation of the rights and privileges of their citizens by the people and the failure of the imperial government to apply the proper remedy promptly. In view of these considerations, I again most earnestly call your attention to the condition of affairs at Tung-chow, to the end that you will cause such measures to be adopted as will assure citizens of the United States of their safety, and hasten the return of the missionaries to their homes and their posts of duty.

In the foregoing I have, with entire frankness, endeavored to place before your imperial highness a plain exposition of the situation in which all foreigners in the empire are placed, and the danger to which they are exposed, which will, unless speedily averted, lead to the most unhappy consequences.

With renewed assurances of my high consideration, I have the honor to be, your imperial highness’ obedient servant.