116 



CHINA. 



throughout the empire received orders to cease 

 hostilities against foreigners; and until measures 

 were taken for the vigorous repression of the Boxer 

 insurrection. So long as these indispensable guar- 

 antees were not furnished nothing was in order but 

 military action. A message was also dispatched 

 to the German Emperor of the same aate contain- 

 ing a similar attestation of peaceful and friendly 

 relations and absence of distrust on both sides, a 

 similar explanation of the unfortunate and com- 

 plicated situation in which China was placed, the 

 foreign states having entertained the suspicion 

 that the Government was conniving at the perse- 

 cution of Christians when outbreaks of hatred be- 

 tween the people and the native Christians led to 

 disturbances during which Baron von Ketteler was 

 murdered an unexpected outrage, for. which the 

 Emperor expressed the deepest regret. This sus- 

 picion grew at the very time that the Government 

 was investigating the crime with the object of 

 punishing the murderers. The seizure of the Taku 

 forts followed and hostilities began. The position 

 was the more difficult to reduce to order because 

 the Chinese Government did not intend to permit 

 any change to take place in the existing good 



Copyright, 1101, by J. C. Hemment. 



CHINESE POLICE, LI-HUNO-CHANG's BODYGUARD. 



relations. The force of circumstances placed it in 

 a position whore it was not free to act as it would 

 wish. The only way to remove the resentment 

 generally felt against the Chinese Government was 

 to call in the assistance of Germany ; therefore the 

 F.mperor of China begged the German Emperor to 

 consider a plan by which the continuance of 

 friendly relations might be secured and to assume 

 the leadership in the restoration of the former 

 peaceful state of jrffairs. Count von Billow, the 

 German Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, re- 

 fused to communicate this telegraphic message to 

 the Emperor- King until the truth should be 

 known concerning the fate of the legationists and 

 other foreigners in IVkin, and until the Chinese 

 Government atoned for the atrocious murder of 

 the German minister, and gave a sufficient guar- 

 antee that its conduct in future would be in ac- 

 cordance with the dictates of international law 

 and of civilization. 



Li-Hung-Chang was appointed a peace commis- 

 sioner to deal with the powers. Only the United 

 States, Japan, and Russia were disposed to accept 

 his credentials, and they only provisionally. The 



American consul at Shanghai was instructed to 

 place himself in communication with Li and avail 

 himself of his influence in securing the objects laid 

 down in the circular note of July 3. When the 

 ministers in Pekin were notified by the Tsung-li- 

 Yamen that Li-Hung-Chang had been directed 

 to negotiate with the powers, the French minister 

 sent a dispatch on Aug. 9 protesting against nego- 

 tiations that would stop the advance of the foreign 

 troops while legations were hemmed in by barri- 

 cades and reduced to siege rations of horse meat 

 and rice, and were in imminent danger of falling 

 into the hands of the Boxers. The Chinese Gov- 

 ernment at this time was endeavoring to force the 

 ministers to leave with a Chinese escort, informed 

 them that their governments had so directed, and 

 sent word abroad that a reliable escort had been 

 provided. When the ministers repeatedly refused, 

 the Chinese Government requested the powers, 

 through the Chinese ministers in Europe and 

 America, to order their departure for the sake of 

 their own safety. Mr. Conger telegraphed that 

 imperial troops were firing on the legations, and 

 that it would be certain death for the ministers 

 to leave Pekin as proposed in the edict of Aug. 2. 

 In this edict the Imperial Government expressed 

 a doubt as to its power to restore order and secure 

 absolute safety in Pekin. In a memorandum sent 

 through Minister Wu on Aug. 8, Acting Secretary 

 of State Adee demanded the immediate cessation 

 of hostile attacks by imperial troops upon the lega- 

 tions, and said that if the Chinese Government was 

 unable to protect the ministers in Pekin it could 

 not protect them on the journey to the coast; he 

 suggested, therefore, that the Imperial Govern- 

 ment enter into communication with the relief 

 column and co-operate with it for the liberation 

 of the legations, the protection of foreigners, and 

 the restoration of order. In a later telegram Mr. 

 Conger said that foreign troops only could safely 

 escort them, and they must be in sufficient force 

 to guard 800 foreigners and 3,000 native Chris- 

 tians, whom they could not abandon to certain 

 massacre. Similar messages were received by the 

 other governments. The imperial edict appoint- 

 ing Li-Hung-Chang plenipotentiary was issued on 

 Aug. 8. The United States Government, when it 

 was communicated with, Aug. 12, with a request 

 for cessation of hostilities pending negotiations, 

 expressed willingness to enter upon negotiations 

 with Li-Hung-Chang with the desire to continue 

 friendly relations with China, but pointed out that 

 general negotiations were impossible so long as the 

 ministers of the powers and persons under their 

 protection remained in a position of restraint and 

 danger, nor could the powers cease their efforts 

 for the delivery of their representatives except un- 

 der arrangements adequate to accomplish their 

 peaceful deliverance. The United States stood 

 ready to agree with the other powers to cease hos- 

 tile demonstrations on condition that a sufficient , 

 body of the relieving forces be permitted to enter 

 Pekin and escort the ministers and residents back 

 to Tientsin, the arrangements and dispositions to 

 be satisfactory to the commanding generals. When 

 the allied troops approached Tungchau, Li-Hung- 

 Chang made an earnest request that they halt 

 there, where they would be met by high officials 

 of the Chinese Government empowered to negotiate 

 an armistice. An advance on Pekin he believed 

 would shake the empire to its foundations, besides 

 causing the deepest alarm to the Emperor and the 

 Dowager Empress and calamities to the people. 

 He pleaded especially with the United States and 

 Japan, because they had shown a willingness to 

 stop hostile action if the ministers were delivered 

 safely, observing that a further advance would 



