The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-10
9 N 4

The Imperial C.n,missionerss Rsl '"f' ." 'n'
Mussarres--conpieteJ Justification -"
Christian CommunitieS--ThsS Sisters ut 'Ae'o'
and Charity Coumeuxlca-A Liberal nnt
IIisL-siinde ,eStatsment.
Tseng-kwofans memcrandumof his investigation
into the Tlentsin massacre China, Is worth reading
IN ertenso. We copy the following translation OF 1t
from Shanghae journa:--
Having been ordered by Imperial decree TO repair
70 llenlsn ana inquire Thoroughly lnto the events
Oh tne 2lst Or June, have UP TO the present time.
sad 0ccurrences:-
The first cause OF the disturbances lay in the cir
cuulstance tnat missionaries were accused OF being
Implicated In the kidnappings perpetrated by Dad
men. 10 THIS must be added the various rumOrs
about eyes dug out and hearts torn out, 1t being
pretended THAI q certain medicine was prepared
from these ingredients. And these rumors did
the simple and silly people, but even among the
gentry and literati there were many who brought
these accumulated suspicious openly expressed DIS
satisfaction arose, and amid the consequent excite
msns as grea disaster lisa, l. y therefore
truth and fabrication In order TO separate right
from wrong, and Innocence from guilt, 50 that we
may clearly show that just settlement OF the mat
ter Is our only aim. And we must specially keep In
mind that wild rumors Of this kind have been crcu
lated not In Tlentsn alone, but that formerly In
Human also and Kiangsl, in Yangchow and TIen-
men, anu even IN the province OF Chihli In the dis
trcts Of Taming-Iu and Kwang ping, anonymous
and innammaiory placards were posted about In
which It was maintained either that the msslona.
res stole children or that they dug out the eyes and
tore out the hearts OF men, or that women and girls
were seduced and polluted by them.
And although the disturbances excited by those
accusations at the above mentioned places have
been severay settled, still 1t has never been thor
oughly investigated and clearly shown how far the
lmputat1onS contained In these anonymous placards
were well founded or not and therefore, 1t has
been my principal care since my arrival ct Tientsln
TO eucidate these points sngly BY careful examina
Flrst-As to kidnapping being practised by Chi
nese Chrls ns u.s. y y true that Wonesan made
one day what he had confessed the other, and his
statements are not in accoraadce with those OF his
comrades And certainly no proof has been obtain
able OF the completely OF the foreign missionaries
themselves in these abductions Of children. Fur.
ther, have repeatedly examined all the boys and
GIRLS $50 In number taken away from the SISTERS OF
Mercy, ana they unanimously maintain that they had
they had been brought to tnat establishment spon-
taneousy by their parents to be educated there. and
That they had by no means been dragged there iorci-
Second-With regard to tearing ont Of eyes and
hearts. This is mere invention without the slightest
the fourth and fifth moons OF this year MAY and
June) cases occurred OF two or three children who
had died III the hospital being put into one colin,
which aroused the suspicious Of the people. And
the gates OF the mission premises being closed the
whole year excited suspicion by its righteousness;
and because the people could not explain to them.
selves what was gong on inside sense OF fearful
curiosity took possession OF them. In this way evil
reports spread TO all the four quarters OF the earth,
and 10000 cries Of uniform accusation went forth
against the missionaries. But 1t would be vain 10
seek Tor any foundation Of facts on which these
spectre accusations have been based; 1t would be
like trying to catch with the hands the passing
bre sze or 10 seize q shadow.
When, some days ago, arrived at Tientsin the
people crowded around anu stopped my chair, and
| numberless petitions were presented to me. Blu,
| when mad made the most careful inquiry to find
out what the truth was as to the tearing out of eyes
single proof that such things had happened at all
! And wnen inquired within and without the city
found that very few children had been stolen at oil,
vnqfj.
gated by the courts. But from what source all these
false rumors originated l have not been able TO
ascertain. have the intention now, together with
IL. Il. Chung How, TO draw up memorial to tho
throne, In which we will give general outline Of
various discussions.
Indeed to murder children and TO mutllate their
dead bodies In order to prepare medicine from them
is q deed so horrible that even unclvllized wild
tribes would be 10th to do it, England and France
/ suppose them capable Of such inhuman crimes?
/ Reason forbids US 10 think OF any such thing even
! as possible.
IL may not be denied that among the Chinese con.
| yerts there may be bad men who kidnap children
! and do other bad things covering themselves with
| the name oil missionaries as with tallsman; but
converts who are found guilty OF lawlessless, anu
must not lead US to lay these things to the charge OF
the missionary establishments generally.
1t is the ann Of the Catholic religion to teach men
to be vrtuous and the Emperor Keng hi long ago
gave permission to spread this doctrine in his do
minions. And the hospitals of the Sisters Of Mercy
| may be fairly compared with our own founding
! asylums for the miserable and poor. Charity and
mercy are their device; II, therefore, they are &C.
cused Of aDomlnabe Deeds foreigners Will be justly
prompted to resentment and wrath
II IS my wish, therefore, that the Emperor should
promulgate an edict in all the provinces Of the EN-
pire openly declaring that the mlsdeeds laid to the
charge of the missionaries In these anonymous pla
cards are nothing but calumnies; 80 that the WRONG
done to foreigners by these SANDERS mag be cXpi
ated and the doubts Of the Chinese people and The
lerati may be dissolved and that every man in the
empire may learn and know the true state OF things
In this way 1t - hoped that the cistrust existing al
present between Chinese and foreigners may be ter
minated and that the hatred and Ill will between
our people and Christians may gradually disappear
MUSICAL.