The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-12-22
THE REPU BLIC.
Correspondence

singer by the Council Of Government
OFFIcIAL-[rRAssLATIoN.l
Government of the Propince Of Macao, Timor, and
Solor-- General Despatch, No. CT.
CIRCULAR.
MosT ILLUsTRIoUs Sin: The Council of the Gov
eminent of this Province has the honor to transmit
herewith to your hands copy of the document it
received from the Yiceroy OF Canton, in reply to
what the Council addressed him, under date of the
23d instant relative to the assassination of the
most excellent Governor of the Province; and also
of another, which, under this date, the Council is
going to send TO the above mentioned Viceroy in
ply to the former all for your information and con-
venient ends God preserve you.
MACAO, August 81, lS49.
| (Signed)
| JERoNIMo BIsPo DE MACAO,
| JOAQUIN ASToNIo DE MoRAEs CARNEIRo,
LUDGERo JOAQUIN DE FARIA NEvEs,
| MIGUEL PEREIRA SIMoENs,
JOSE BERNARDO GoULARTE,
| MANUEL PEREIRA.
| To the most illustrous Commodore d. GEIsINGER
Commanding the United States naval forces in
| China
| (The Yiceroy of Canton to the Council of the Coz
ernnent.)
SEu, vIcERoy of Canton, &C.: Responding to
| the communication of the Council of the Govern
ment of Macao, dated the 9Th of the present moon,
(22d of August am to say that read, with great
surprise, the misfortune (desgraca) that befel the
noble Governor ! had also information of this
| event from the station of Han Khan, and from the
| Mandarin of Macao, accompanied by procama-
ton of the Council of the Government In this
proclainatRsi sec that the aggressors could not
have been of the peaceful and mercantile people of
Macao. Consequently it could not have been the
natives (Chinese) who committed the outrage, but
| must have been persons from without If this be
| true how could 1t be known SO soons AS the noble
Governor, in his lifetime, of sufficiently cruel
disposition, who knows that it not those of his
| own nation, who, having an aversion for him, en-
ployed persons do this evil deed for the purpose
of testifying their hatred3 To say that in Canton
kthere have been pacards and proclamations and
that the Chinese authorities must have known of
them, does it follow from this that the assassination
the work of the auhorties' Moreover, it is
necessary that the as5assns should be captured, to
know where the head and hand are--otherwise how
can deliver theml Therefore, what the communi-
cation sets forth is very unreasonable. The law
spectng assassination is clear; it is necessary that
| investigation should be made as well by as by
the other side that true knowledge of the fact may
be seen, to the end of being able to judge and to
sentence. The life of man is the gift ofheaven; he
ought not therefore give judgment confusedly on
one part the other. This is what have to reply
to the Council of the Government.
The 10th of the 7th moon, of the 10Th year of Ia
onkwang, Angus q, lS49.
Translated [fron the Chinese into Portuguesel
by the undersigned
(Signed) JoAo RODRIGUEZ GoNsALvEs.
4 30, 10 III Of
Cant0n)
To SEU, VICEnoY of Canton: The Council Of the
Government of Macao, responding to the commu-
nication of your excellency of the 9th instant, in
| answer TO what this Council addressed to you on
the 22d of this month"; has TO say to your cxcellency
that, in the result of the examination and investi
CATION which this Government ordered to be made
respecting the atrocious and cruel deed committed
on the afternoon of the odd Of this month, it is evil
IDENTITY proved
lst That the barbarous and brutal act was per-
petrated by Chinese, by daylight, and in sight Of
and at little distance from the barrier gate which
was garrsoncd by Chinese soldiers, this being at
| tested by eyewitness. I'd. That the assassins,
| after the contamination of the crime, taking away
the head and sole hand of the most excellent Gov
crnor, directed their 10 the barrier gate,
| through which they passed unmolestad. as i 90
tested and declared in writing by the Chinese cor
| poral of the guard at that post il being known,
ALSO that the assassns stopped there some time, and
made sacrifices and libatons TO the gods, which is
also proved by the bloody CdbalG (Chinese upper
drcss) found there, and by the vestiges Of blood
which were met WITH still fresh in various parts of
the edi6ce. 3D.. That the deed is not simply the
work Of assassins and highwaymen, is evidenced
by the fact Of the head and hand Of the llustrious
deceased being carried away, as your excellency,
| perhaps, unintentonaly Acknowledges in your
communication and since il is certain that the
asassns carried with them the proofs of their crime,
without any fear, is it not natural presumption
that they we're protected in the security and GER
tainty Of their IMMUNITY, when they committed the
crime' And this presumption is not only we'll
founded, but is being daily confirmed by the tardi-
ness and even negligence with which the Chinese
authorities have behaved in this business, notwith-
standing it is of grave and serious consequences;
and who Of those who know the activity and re-
sources ofthc Chinese police, does not see that the
little they have advanced in the present is the
consequence Of some calculation, whose ends, per:
haps il is not difficult to guess arighti From this
exposition, your cKcellency will how misapphed
the assertion, that what the council set forth in
the communication which it wrote 10 your excel
lency on the 22d instant was " unreasonable" and
with what justice this Council could make a
good application Of the term 10 the communication
which it is responding To, from which the design OF
the authorities Of the Provinces, which your eS
cellency presidcs, is clearly seen And this Council
declares anew 70 your eScellcncy, that such eva
sions and tergiversations not only unworthy Of
and derogstory TO the character Of functionaries Of
the rank Of your eIcellency, and Of ono who pro-
fesses principles Of justice and good reason, but
never can serve the end that perhaps II has in
view Of cvadng responsibility in the present case
The Council, therefore, reterating now the protes
which it sent TO your eIcellency the 22d instant
renews the reclamation il then made for the capture
Of the criminals, and restitution Of the head anc
hand Of the illustrious and ever amented Governor
placing TO the charge and responsibility your eS
collency all the consequences that may result
from this reclamation not being promptly and fully
satisfied; the right Of the most faithful majesty th'
Queen Of Portugal, offended in the person of hel
representative, remaining intact
The communication Of your excellency is con
ceived in terms Of great indifference to the fac
that took place, and offensive TO the character o