Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-24
woRCEsTER.
SATURDAY, JUNE "a. 1871.
ssa1Us of Missionaries in China.

SATURDAY., JUNE "a, 1871.
status of Missionaries i'm China.
A report came from China some weeks ago
that the government of that country had issued
an ediet undertaking to makeimportant changes
in the status of foreign residents, especially
missionaries. The claims Of the Chinese gov
emmcnt, embodied in the reported edict, seemed
to conflict seriously with the provisions of ex-
listing treaties with the United States and Eu-
ropean countries. A letter written in April last
by an American missionary at Peking gives a
statement of the action of the Chinese govern
ment, from which these reports doubt
less arose. There had been nothing in
the nature of an edict or formal dec
laration protesting to change the RELATIONS
of missionaries or other foreigners to the
government of the country; but there was
circular from the Chinese foreign office ad-
dressed to the representatives of the United
States and European countries, containing sew
eral propositions bearing upon the relations of
missionaries to the government of the country
and the manner in which their work should be
conducted. These propositions were submitted
to the ministers of foreign powers for their con-
sideration in order that, if approved, they
might be promulgated in the form of an i'm
perial edct. Their substance is given as fol-
lows:
81. Orphan asylums established and main
tanned BY missionaries hereafter TO be placed
under the supervision of native officials.
so. Females not TO be allowed to engage in
missionary work, and the assembling together
for purposes of worship of persons of both
sexes TO be prohibited.
SO. Foreign missionaries TO be prevented from
encroaching upon the rights of officials and the
gentry, and from despising and maltreating the
people. Individuals so offending shall be sent
home.
~. The course of justice shall not be inter
fered with by the missionary; but In all cases
where foreigners and natives dwell together the
laws shall be equitably executed.
rs. French missionaries shall not be allowed
to change passports, nor to transfer their pass
ports to other people, and when change OF resi-
dence occurs the proper officers shall be duly in-
formed.
sc. To prevent the admission of law-breakers
into Christian societies the missionaries should
hold a careful examination in the case of
each candidate, and always insist on period of
probation; and, moreover, the number of con-
verts, with their Names shall be reported by each
mission to the proper officials once month, or
at least once quarter.
"a. Missionaries shall not be allowed to over
ride constituted authority, and they shall be
prohibited from assuming the manner and style
of mandarins. They shall not have the right to
address magistrate on behalf of any native;
while their own matters shall be represented IN
the form and manner Chat is, upon Blended
knees when in the magisterial presence,) re-
quired of subjects.
IS. No houses or lands shall be reclaimed by
missionaries on the ground of old titles, and
-..E
by native churches, not in the name of the mis-
sionary."
There is no doubt that some of the charges
implied in these propositions are well founded,
but for the offences and the dissatisfaction grow
ing out of them, the French Roman Catholic
missionaries are mainly responsible. With the
habitual arrogance of the representatives of
their nation when dealing with what they con-
slider an inferior people, they have undoubtedly
encroached upon the rights of Chinese officials,
nterfered with the course of justice, treated the
native authorities with contempt, and persisted
in claiming lands for their purposes under
very questionable titles. They have been sup
ported in these acts by the diplomatic represen-
tatiyes Of France, with an almost incredible in
science. The Tien-tsin massacre was the occa-
sion of bringing out much evidence of the
manner in which the French missionaries had
needlessly provoked the luminosity of the people
among whom they labored. 1t is not to be won.
dered at that the government, through ignor
ance or intention, does not discriminate closely
between missionaries of different creeds and ma
tionalities, but all protesting to be Christians
The reception of this circular by the foreign
ministers will not encourage the Chinese gov
eminent to persist in its purpose. The reply of
our minister, Mr.. Low, is said to have been en-
tirely satisfactory to the American missionaries
He said he would hardly be expected to reply to
several points in the communication, since they
appeared to have reference only to French Ro-
man Catholics. Protestant missionaries had
never been accused of interfering with judicial
cases, and, should they make the attempt, they
would not be upheld in such course He sug-
gests that, by judicious action on the part of
the magistrates, under the provisions of exist
ing treaties, most of the evils complained of
might be easily remedied. The proposition con-
corning female missionaries he cannot approve,
and thinks it would be universally regarded in
the west as indicating a most unwise policy.
Should the original purpose of the Chinese
authorities be carried out, missionary operations
would be much embarrassed, and they and
their converts would encounter many hardships
and probably violent prosecutions in various
parts of the empire in consequence of the
license and stimulus that would be given to the
superstitious prejudices of the people, and the
luminosity felt by the official classes toward
foreigners and their religion. The missionary
from whose letter we have quoted thinks, how
ever, that the response of the foreign ministers
to the propositions of the government has re-
moved all danger for the present