122
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
to look at China, not as they have bou in the habit of imagining it, but just as it is. (Ap plause.) What then shall we do? Shall we be content with a few heads of coolies and a douceur of cash? The Chinese have settled such things in that way before; God forbid that we should allow it now! (Loud applause.) What shall we do? Let us place these facts before Lord Salisbury in all plainness that he. may understand the sort of Government with which he has to deal. Let him understand that the present Government of China has neither the moral nor the physical power to check these raids against foreigners. I know I am here on delicate ground and think it wise not to enter further; but in any case if the whole facts can be rightly and properly re- presented and truthfully represented, there ought to be some severe dealing with high officials, and if necessary occupation for a longer or shorter time. (Loud an prolonged applause)
The CHAIRMAN-Ladies and gentlemen, after the exceedingly interesting and pathetic address of the Bishop, for which I am sure you must all feel deeply indebted. to him, I will now call on Mr. Francis, in whose name the next resolution stands.,
BO
gone,
ap-
[August 15, 1895.
or
point of view, not to have any religion
are helpless and hopeless; and we might well say at all. They have a religion of their own,
that China, in its present condition is not but it has to do with luck and the profits of
capable of being reformed. (Applause). A re- their earthly concerns. There can therefore be
volution of the deepest character is absolutely no religious fanatics among them under these
necessary; and until the Empire has been circumstances, no storing up of evil thoughts
broken up and cast into a crucible and melted and desires and passions as there might be, say,
down no effective reform of the Government or of in India; and therefore we cannot put down
the people of China is possible. (Applause.) the propagation of Christianity as anything
Now it is well to be indignant with the Chinese like interference with native religions. Such
and with the Chinese Government, but if all an idea never enters into the native mind;
these facts-if the weakness and impotence of when he hates the foreigner he does not
the Government and the connivance of the Go care for his religion, but hates the man
vernment officials in all these outrages have been himself, just because he is a foreigner. (Loud
known to us in years past, they have been also applause.) I know there is a strong feeling,
known to our own Government, and we may justly perhaps as strong in this colony as anywhere,
feel indignant with the English Government and against missionaries; I do not know whether it
with the English Government officials because in is against the actual propagation of Christianity
the past they have neglected their duty towards I do not think so, for I do not think there
their subjects resident in treaty ports in China- is any one who would sit down to write against
(applause)-and because it is in consequence of the propagation of Christianity in all the
that neglect that the recent massacres and out. world-but the faults that are found are
rages have occurred. (Applause). When's orime against the methods of missionaries. Perhaps we
is committed in any country punishment ought are sometimes mistaken; may venture to say
to follow. If an offence is committed against that merchants' methods are not altogether in
foreigners in our own country punishment follows fallible? (Laughter.) But are we to be massacred
almost automatically by the operation of our for our mistakes ? If we are, God help us! I
laws and by our courts of justice. If Govern- trust no such feeling will continue in your minds. Mr. FRANOIS-Ladies and gentlemen, this ment officials fail in any part of their duty in I have myself had to find fault with some of these meeting has been called not merely for the pur- any part of the world they are removed from very missionaries on account of their methods; pose of expressing our deep sorrow at the their posts and incapacitated from further service - but they conscientiously did their best. These atrocious crime that has been committed and our in the State. (Smiles). What we do ourselves women devoted themselves and their lives en sincere sympathy with the survivors of that we are in the habit of demanding from other tirely to the simple good of the poor women massacre and with the friends and the nations. If a Consul is insulted and offended among whom they lived. (Loud applause) relatives of those who are
but to an enormous indemnity is demanded, and if not When the Chinese attacked them," it was express, and I hope to express strongly, our paid, blue jackets are landed and take possession simply as foreigners, as poor, weak, helpless ones! bitter auger and indignation-applause)-not of a town in Central America. (Laughter and (Groans and hisses) Well, what are we to do ? much at the unfortunate men
who, applause). Why has not the Chinese Government For that is the most important question. As misguided in their ideas as to Europeans, been treated in the same way? (Loud applause). Mr. Dodwell said, it requires wiser heads than and as to their position and objects in China As his Lordship the Bishop has pointed out, this ours, with a sense of international responsibility, -not so much against the actual perpetrators is not by any means the first outrage that has to decide; but we, who are here on the spot, of the offence, but against the Chinese so-called occurred in China. There has been a perfect understand something of what China is, and it civilised government-ear, hear, and succession of outrages of different degrees of rests upon us to place before the Government at plause) whose officials for so many years have enormity year after year. Compensation has home our knowledge that we have acquired with assisted in and connived at the most atrocious sometimes been given to the sufferers, but has regard to China. (Applause). It has always outrages against the persons and properties of any. efectivo punishment been imposed upon seemed to me to be strange, but it is a fact, that Europeans in China, to do what, as members of the Chinese Government demanded by our Foreign Office has corresponded with the what our Chairman called the democracy of Eng- our own or if demanded has not that demand Chinese Government, with the so-called Chinese land, we have a right to do to express our views been a simple farce? It has never been pat Foreign Office, though they have no conception and our opinions as to the conduct of the Chi-in force. (Applause). The individual sufferers what it means, as if the Chinese Government nese Government. We are the democracy of may be compensated and their property restored, were civilised in our sense of the word. (Loud | England, however few we may be here as its but is that a proper amends to the Gov- applause and groans,) There they are mis-representatives, and we, the democracy, are the ernment whose subjects have suffered, and whose taken. 'The Chinese Government has
As between по governors, and not the ministry of England, Bower has been made light of F manner of sense of its responsibility with and if, as the Chairman indicated, the democracy Government and Government it is not simply referencs to either its Own pe ple
that there should be a restitutio of England call ont loudly enough and clearly su int peaceful foreigners resident in the country by enough every Ministry, every Government, integrum of the property destroyed; it is Treaty rights Our Government has regarded must attend to their behests. I ask you, gentle- necessary that there should be a public apo- the Chinese Government as having, by its mak men, who are resident in China, who are logy; it is necessary that officials who have ing various treaties, entered what we call and intimately acquainted with the Chinese, and been found guilty, and who have been ne- perfectly well understand, while the Chinesa do who know more or less the history of the gligent in their duties, should be removed, as between not in the slightest understaud, the "Comity of last fifty years-I ask you to-day to express and permanently removed; and Nations." They have never done so. (Applause) elearly your opinion as to the conduct of the nation and nation when those demands are not We know only too well that it is a false view. Chinese Government; to join in the representa-carried out, what are the remedies ? In China, and it is our duty to put it before our Govern- tion to the home Government that in our as I have said before, compensation has often been ment that they must in some way entirely alter opinion every Government official in China given. Some poor coolies, as his Lordship the their way of dealing with the Chinese Govern- from the Viceroys downwards is cognizant of Bishop said, have been executed, but never the ment. (Loud and prolonged cheers). Every-what is going on and cognizant of the anti-foreign actual criminals. (Applause.) Censures have thing goes on well in China as long as the movement, and sympathising with it and conniv been bestowed upon officials and they have been Chinese are kept in hand, but when they ing at it. (Loud applause.) We have had abun- removed for a day, but promoted the very next, find foreigners who cannot defend themselves dant evidence that in the recent disturbance in and our Government, satisfied with the removal they at once look for means of exterminat- Saechuen the Viceroy of that province and the of them, have never found out that next day ing them. Since 1890 outrage has followed highest officials in charge of the Govern- they are rewarded by higher promotions. (Ap- outrage, and nothing has been done; in the ment of that province were not merely cognizant plause.) Are we not entitled to ask ourselves to Yangtase valley, property has been destroyed, of what was going on, but by their proclama-look round and see if any other Government but lives taken, and yet nothing done. Iu Szechen tions and their reports which were put in the English Government would have tolerated only lately the riots continued for days, and, al circulation were permitting the disturbance and outrages such as those which have been com though there were soldiers close by who could urging on the people. We have it from the mitted in China and demanded so little from the easily have stopped the rioters, nothing at all was last speaker that with reference to this massacre Chinese Government? (Applause I put it to done; and now we have this ghastly outrage al in Kucheng the officials, from the Viceroy you that the English Government have most at our own doors! It can only be paralelled downwards, were aware of what was going on neglected their duty in regard to the protection by the Tientsin massacre of 1870. And yet, and the threats made against the missionaries. of their subjects in China. They have not taken this is even worse than that, bad as that was. The officials took no precaution to protect the effective measures to protect their representa. The murderers of 1870 had at all events the helpless persons resident under treaty in their tives in the interior of China; and they have a appearance of a motive, because they believed midst. (Applause). We have not only to express right to be in the interior of China under the that the sisters were in the habit of murdering our opinion as to the guilt of the Chinese Govern- treaties, and the missionaries who were mur- obildren and taking out their eyes and storing | meat and its officials but we have also to point dered the other day at Kueheug had just as them in jars in the cellars underneath the mis-out to the authorities in England that in our much right to reside in the interior of China as sion promises. In Kucheng there was not the opinion-an opinion fully justified by the facts- we have to reside here, or as any traveller who shadow of an excuse; they made nose; a band the officials of the Chinese Government have not passes through the country. Their occupation of men simply left the city, aud came out the power to stay the storm that they themselves has nothing to do with the question. (Applause.) with banners aying and armed with swords have raised. (Applause). These outrages are not They were British subjects; and it is not a ques- and tridente, and rushed upon these unarmed being committed without their knowledge; they tion of what they were or how they got there, or women and children and the one man there, are fully acquainted with them; they are urging how they were conducting themselves. If they Mr. Stewart, and then did not rest until they the people on. Sometimes a disturbance goes were misconducting themselves-and I am per- had killed all but one or two! (Loud groans far beyond what they themselves desire, or what fectly certain they were not-there is provided and hisses.) The question is, what are we to do? they think prudent; and when it does, they are by treaty a means by which they might have What steps shall we urge upon our Government powerless. They have no forces at their disposal been punished; but they were murdered in cold to take in reference to such a thing? I can to carry out and give effect to the treaty rights | blood-murdered by a cruel, heartless mob, and see no other way but that we should urge them which they have granted to Europeans. They the only redress demanded by our Government
or
Page 10Page 11
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.