Wells Williams to Hamilton Fish, October 2, 1874

No. 125. Mr. Williams to Mr. Fish.

Sir: I have the honor to send you the translation of a dispatch from Prince Kung (inclosure 1) and a copy of my reply (Inclosure 2) in relation to an application for the surrender of a criminal, a point upon which I think there has not previously been any correspondence with this government.

I am not fully aware of all the particulars of the enterprise in which this man, Wang-Yen-ping, was engaged in the spring of last year, but he narrowly escaped arrest and summary execution for being implicated in a wild and lawless scheme of resisting the lawful authorities near Chin-kiang, by going over to Japan. Three or four foreign sailors were taken up and handed over to their consuls, and some proof was elicited during their examination that certain persons in the plot did design to raise rebellion, but the whole affair was almost ridiculous in its inception and management. It early attracted the attention of the rulers, who are always alert to stop anything that has the appearance of sedition, and several arrests were made, and I believe a few unhappy natives, found with arms, were executed. There was no overt act of sedition, nor was anybody injured, captured, or robbed by these would-be revolutionists. This man, Wang-Yen-ping, who has, it appears, now turned from the attempt to upset his national government, to act the part of an imperial envoy to foreign countries, has probably attracted the notice of some of the Chinese teachers or students, now in New England, through whom his gasconade has been made known to their friends and superiors in this country. The reference to a Hartford newspaper is the principal reason for making this suggestion. Wang, himself, has received a good English education; but, so far as I know anything of him, he is simply an enthusiastic, excitable man, ready to engage in any enterprise which promises reward or notoriety, and this assumption on his part of the dignity of envoy is probably a piece of bravado which has been greatly exaggerated by the newspaper writers.

I inquired of the members of the foreign office as to their sources of information, but they had nothing besides the report quoted in the dispatch. I explained to them, more fully than could be done by writing, the usages of western nations respecting the extradition of criminals, and the modes of procedure followed in obtaining their arrest and surrender. It would be unwise, however, to allow this government those rights of extradition until its jurisprudence has been remodeled on a better basis than it is at present, while its application for the surrender of notorious criminals might be entertained, each case on its own merits, so as to show to the Chinese rulers that our Government is disposed to act fairly.

The twenty-first article of the British treaty provides for the rendition of Chinese criminals fleeing to Hong-kong, and I understand that the practical working of this clause has not, on the whole, been bad, though it has entailed a good deal of trouble. One result has been that notorious criminals are afraid to stay there long, and do not deem themselves safe until they can get away to sea.

I have, &c.,