98
THE SUPAO" CASE.
(Daily Press, 4th August.)
The Press prosecntions in Shanghai have assumed an importance seemingly out of all proportion to the issues at stake, and one which can be only comprehended when we come to review the actual position of affairs in the Empire at large. For the last three years we have witnessed the curious phenomenon of a pretended govern- ment which, although supreme de jure, and able apparently to make its commands obeyed in the Provinces, has yet, when any subject of more than usual importance has come on the tapia, had to submit with, however, bad grace to the ruling of the Provincials. It was thus that when in the year 1900 Peking declared a war of exter- mination against the foreigner, the Yangtsze Viceroys not only refused to obey, but actually for a considerable time themselves assumed the government of the Empire; and themselves made conventions with the foreign Powers, the object of which was in the first instance to preserve peace, though in the long run they had for their aim the conservation of the Empire as an independent power, which had been seriously com- promised by acts of the Government at Peking. The chief spirit in this independent movement was the late LIU KUNG-YI, the high-minded Governor at Nanking, who came forward as the champion of patriotism, and openly threw down the gage to the corrupt Regency who had by force seized from the feeble hands of the young Emperor the reins of the state. Notwithstanding that LIU KUNG-YI was in open and avowed hostility to the usurping power of the Regency, his patriotism was proof against every temptation to establish an imperium in imperio, nor was he by the most bitter of his enemies accused of any attempt at disaffection. He was, in fact, content to remain first subject of the throne, and no suspicion of infidelity even through this trying period ever rested upon him. But although openly no ! charges, were, could indeed be, made, the reactionary party at Peking, including the usurping Regency, did not cense from day to day to hatch plots against the old Viceroy, which the well-known purity of his life and motives alone permitted him to stem. The death of Lru, last winter, came as a relief to the reactionaries, who felt the most powerful and most patriotic of their opponents hal at last passed away this was at once exhibited by the evident desire of the Court to run counter to every- thing advised by the late Viceroy. None had been so resolute as he in opposing the degrading subserviency of the Empress Dowager and her satellites to Russia, and none had shown so clearly its necessary effects in bringing about the dissolution of the state. No sooner was the breath out of the old man than these degrading negotiations were renewed with double intensity, and Russia by threats, and still more by unblushing bribery, did not fail to drive home her political objects. During his lifetime Lro had seen the advantage of having the Press on bis side, and more or less encouraged it in its independence. He was wise enough to see that without the sympathy of the people of China the task on which he had engaged, of saving Peking from itself, could not be accomplished, and anarchy or enlightenment seemed to him the only alternatives. It was to the credit of the Press that it on its side was willing to accept the lead of the Viceroy, and as long as he lived no complaint of the native papers, which considering the novelty of the situation was to the credit of all, was heard.
or
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
|
1
[Angu34 1a, 1903.
With the new reaction, however, another the Chinese authorities for decapitation." position of affairs arose; the reactionary In connection with this it is in leed satis- party at Peking at once commenced a factory to read in Rsurea's telegram, war against the Press, and the Pres published this morning, that Sir ERNEST deprived of the guiding hand of the old SATOW has been telegraphically instructed master descended to personalities, of which that the Shanghai prisoners are not to ba in his lifetime it had never been guilty. The surrendered. It is clear that the Chinesa principle complaint of the Press hal been Government has over-reached itself. The all through the unblushing manner in which campaign against the native journalists has the reactionary party, now alas ! returned to been carried on with too great brutality, power, had aided aul abetted Russia in and the consequence is that some of the inten led victims. аге likely to escape her partitionment of Manchuria; this was an opportunity not to be lost by the punishment. We wrote recently, explain- Russian agents in Peking. It is not likely ing how with the death of Liu Kung-yi that the Court would of itself have ventured the reactionary party summoned up courage to interfere with the practical liberty that to commence war against the native Press, had becu tacitly accorded to the native to which the old Viceroy had always given Press within the Settlements, but a council- no small measure of encouragement. The lor was at hand. Nowhere in the world is campaign has become brisk. The arrests the Press so gagged and persecuted as in in Peking have very soon resulted in one Russia-the recent expulsion of the Times execution; there is no doubt whatever what correspondent in Russia is but an instance would have happened to the Supao "sedition- of the hatred with which freedom of thought mongers," had they been handed over, as is regarded in the Empire of the Tsars-and the consular body at Shanghai apparently here Russia found a congenial method to contemplated handing them over, to the advance her own ends by expressing her Chinc e Government. Fortunately this has sympathy with Peking under the lashes of been averted. Now we do not say that the the native Press, which had incautiously Supan prisoners, or some of them at least, expressed a little more of the truth than were not guilty of seditious language; the was agreeable to the powers momentarily evidence given in the Mixed Court, Shang- in the ascendaut in Peking. Such, there is hai, was sufficient to show that some very little doubt is the nature of the pressure violent anti-dynastic articles were published. now being exerted to get into the hands of the But, of whatever offence the arrested men Government the indiscreet seven whose trial may have been guilty, it was clear that they was interrupted last week in Shanghai. The would not, if surrendered to China, have curious partof the matter is that in the days of obtained even the semblance of a fair trial. LIU KUNG-YI such expressions as have been The Chiuese Government's object was to get charged as rebellion by Peking would have hold of them, because they were dangerous been considered as only constituting a very reformers, and to execute them summarily. micor offence, at the most calling for It has never been a British custom to hand friendly reprimand; there is no doubt that over political prisoners to the vengeance of these are the opinious universally held by their governments, and it would have been a disaster had this been done at Shanghai. those best qualified to judge in China, and have the sanction of the entire people. As In such circumstances, and seeing that but the other day we ourselves were engaged with Liu in what, according to the views of Peking was an act of aggravated rebellion, we have every right and title to enquire in how far the reactionary party at Peking is entitled to be looked upon as the Goveru- ment of China. Certainly to hand over the prisoners to the tender inercies of such a Court, would be to invite a repetition of the events of three years ago, and to increase vastly the difficulties of the moment in the very peculiar position in which that Court
stands towards Russia.
•
(Dady Press, 8th August, ) A telegram to the North-China Daily News dated Peking, 1st August, states that SIN KE-WEI, journalist and reformer, was beheaded at Peking on the 31st July."' This SHEN, it appears from a paragraph appearing in another column of our Shang- hai contemporary, acted as northern correspon·lent for a couple of Japanese newspapers, and was recently arrested in Peking by the gendarmerie and handed to the Board of Punishments for sentence, ou the charge of having been concerned in the abortive attempt of the Fuyu" society at Hankow in the autumn of 1900. It is further stated, from native sources, that SHEN was executed without a trial. Thus the crusade against the native Press is being prosecuted with vigour and ruthlessness. The Universal Gazette makes the interesting state rent that it is reported that Viceroy WEI KUANG-TAO of Nanking has telegraphed to YUAN, Tantai of Shanghai, to be on the look-out for the men accused of sedition in the Supao case, as there are fears thut they may seek to escape from Shanghai if orders from Paking be received by the Foreign Consuls to turn these men over to
we wrote the other day, to do so would be to invite a repetition of the events of 1900. And we must furthermore consider to what extent we should look on the the lawful reactionaries at Peking us Government of China. We have encour aged and sheltered the reformers. Can we now, even if they abuse their privilege?, join in betraying them to those who are seeking their death? The British Govern- ment's answer to this happily is a negative, and the decision must be applauded by all. The Supao prisoners remain on the hands of Shanghai, and the problem of their disposal remains difficult. Perhaps the best policy would be to exhort them to migrate elsewhither, for the sake of their health. Being mostly men of education they should be able to prosper somewher outside the domains of China.
THE NEW WATERWORKS
ORDINANCE.
(Daily Press, 3rd August.) The debate in the Legislative Council on Friday last on the subject of the new Water-
works Consolidation Ordinance was notable for the curious ignorance of procedure shown by various members-mostly, it is to be noted, officials. This rather tended to obscure the points at issue and to lessen the value, while adding to the length, of the importance. The "objects and reasons" of the discussion, which was really one of great Bill sufficiently explain what alterations are proposed in the system of water-service in this City.
We need not go back to the familiar story how the serious water-famins of 1902 led to the intraduction, during the acting rule in Hongkong of Major- General GASCOIGVE, of an ordinance (known as the Waterworks Consolidation Ordinance), whereby practically all tenement houses
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.