The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-08 00:00:00

THE MASSACRE IN CHINA.

The Times correspondent at Shanghai,. after giving an
account of the funeral of the Tientsin victims, at which
all the members of the diplomatic body were present,
says that on the day following the ceremony the French
and British charges d'affaires went back to Pekin,
and the two Admirals left for Chefoo. It
is understood that M. • de Rochechouart goes to
urge personally on the Tsung -li - Yamen more
active measures of punishment for the horrible
crime of which I have just described the closing
scene. Matters have been progressing very slowly
at Tien-tsin, and the chances of coercion becoming neces•
nary to secure the punishment of the culprits appear
equally balanced. Seven weeks have now elapsed since
the massacre occurred, at the notorious instigation of the
city officials, and by the act of a body of men whose leaders
are officially recognised and registered. Yet no show of
punishment has been made, beyond the removal of the
Prefect and magistrates from office, and the arrest of a
dozen of the rioters, to whom, however, nothing has been
done.

The astounding news which reached us yesterday by
telegraph of the outbreak of war betwaen France and
Prussia adds to the gravity of the crisis. The know-
ledge that the barbarians are fighting among
themselves at home will encourage the anti-foreign
party still more to resist French demands, if it do
not encourage them to develope still further the
hostile plans to which I have before alluded. Even
now there is hardly time for the French to
undertake operations with any chance of completing them
before the Peiho is frozen, in November. And for
foreigners to remain in Pekin and Tien-tsin during the
winter with the question unsettled would be areater
risk than they would be likely to incur or the ()reign
Ministers to advise. And yet the occurrence of war at
this time is likely to encourage the Chinese to resist, at
the same time that it may prevent the dispatch of troops
from France to coerce them.
A letter from a resident at Shanghai, published in the
Pall Mall Gazette, expresses the belief that serious danger
has passed away, thanks to the display made by the vol-
unteers. This, however, was written on the 29th of July.
The writer is of opinion that only the most determined
policy will answer, and the speedy and certain execution
of the guilty parties is indispensable. Chung How lie
believes to have been unjustly suspected as he has always
been favourable to foreigners. The real criminals were lie
considers the Che-fu and Che-Hsien, who had the ear of the
mob and led them on. Chung How should be punished for
not preventing them from defying him, but the impression
of every well informed foreigner on the spot is that neither
Chung How nor Fontainer (the French Consul) believed
matters would have been so serious. Nearly every China-
man in Tien-tsin if not in the whole of China, approved
of the massacre, and to have prevented it would have
required more courage, decision, and forethought than
falls to the lot of many Chinamen.
Unless the people at home take up the matter, and in
such a manner as to shew the Chinese that we are really
in earnest, there will first of all be a simple mockery of in-
quiry and punishment performed,. and then, as soon as a
convenient opportunity arises, a similar massacre and dis-
turbance at one of the other ports, only far more extensive
and next time not to be quelled until all the foreigners in
China have shared the fate of the unfortunate French at
Tientsin.

---
Captain Patten-Saunders arrived in London on
Thursday, having. within five days succeeded in
entering and leaving Paris, passing twice through
the Prussian army. He is believed to have fully
carried out the special mission he undertook. His left
arm was slightly wounded on the 3rd instant in passing
through the skirmishing between Fontainebleau,
Rambouillet and Paris. Thefriends who awaited
him at Calais were relieved at his reappearance there, as
" running the blockade " is a serious Matter just now.
THE TICHBORNE CASE.—Those of our readerrs
who, like the lawyers themselves, can thoroughly enjoy a
good long lawsuit without being personally concerned in
its result, will soon be amply gratified, for we learn that
the celebrated trial for the possession of the Tichborne
baronetcy and estates will commence on the 12th of next
month. This extraordinary. case, the details of which, it
is said, teem with romantic incidents totally eclipsing
anything that has ever appeared in the. pages of fiction, is We regret to learn that Col. E. Wodehouse, C. B.
expected to last at least three. weeks, if not over a month,
commanding the Royal Artillery in the Southern Military
while the expenses already incurred amount, we hear, to District, died suddenly at his residence at Portsmouth on
an enormous sum. Although the trial will extend over so Th d
lengthened a period, and rather more than the shells of urs a-
%). from an attack of apoplexy.
the oyster will fall to the lot of the lawyers, still One result of the investigation made into the
it is the general opinion in legal circles that there is not elementary educational resources of Liverpool has been
the slightest doubt as to the result, and that it will be the discovery that the local schools are only about two-
most conclusively shewn who and what the rival claimants thirds filled. There is in the town school accommodation
really are. —Globe, for 67,000 children, but only about 44,000 are in attendance.