Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-06-27
The NIassaere fn ChIna.

The French periodical, Missions
Catalogues, gives us,the first authen-
tic and detailed narrative of the re-
cent massacre of Roman Catholic na-
tive converts in China. The account
as translated for the London Tablet.
relates that the massacre broke out on
the 25th of February, when the "liter-
artes, as the prosecuting party is
called, opened the campaign by be-
heading two men in the service of
Pere Doare and a Christian. whom
they threw into the river. The same
day they burned the three villages of
Trun Lam, Nio-Vinh and Bau-Tach.
and massacred the inhabitants that
We're in them. Those who succeeded
IN escaping to the woods were hunted
down with hounds, brought back aud
killed on the following day. The riv-
er was covered over with bodies float
ing down 10 from tho side OF Tsarer
AT that time the murderers were mas
sacreing the Christians of the parish
of HOlven,- and were burning their
villages Those who took refuge in
the cliffs of the neighborhoOd were
hunted down and burned alive. The
Grand Mandarin of Justice was at
the market of Sa-Nam with eight
hundred soldiers, but remained an
inactive spectator of the massacre Of
the Christians of Nam-Duong, only a
few of whom were able to escape.
The literates, who were
the heads of the militia appointed to
massacre tie Christians, says that the
work of determination carried out un-
der the eyes of the Mandarins was
concerted between the Court and the
literates, and was done in reprisal for
recent events. The Mandarins have
Just received orders from the Court
not to employ any other means save
those of persuasion to stop the MUIR
derers In their career. One of the
chiefs who had just caused two Chris
tians to be murdered on the highroad
went on the parade before the Cover
nor of the citadel, by whom he was
dismissed with honor. On his return
twenty women or children fell under
the sword of this man and his follow
ers. He had just come from offering
sacrifice to the Goddess of Prostitu-
ton, to whom q famous temple that
stands near the road Is dedicated.
In several localities they take an ell
tire family-father, mother, and chill
dren-bind them together with bam-
boOs, and then fling the bundle of
living humanity into the waves.
First, however, they take care to cut |
off the mans head. The multitude
of dead bodies thus fastened together |
in groups of from eight to ten block
up the principal river, but to the great !
forth any bad smell. There are then
five parishes, containing nearly 10000 !
Christians, which haYe to be blotted !
out of the missioE-namely, Lang
Nam-Duong, Hoy-Yen
and Doreg-Thank. Many of the vic
Tins died IN the midst of flames. A
village of more than 400 Christians
was attacked by the literates, and
soon became q prey to the flames.
Among these 400 Christians there were
100, more or less, who succeeded in
saving themselves by taking refuge in
a large village near by. The remain
der, about 500, were nearly all mas
sacred.
Two small villages of Christians sit
uated two hours walk from the place
at which then was, were heHmed IN
by the pagans. The Mayor visited
each house, numbered the Christians,
and forbade them, 1nder threat of
most severe punishment, to 60 out of
doors. A few of the Christian wo-
men attempted to go TO the market to
keep themselves from starving. They
never returned. Some pagan women
that went with them say that the
Christian women were captured and
beheaded. Two men from one of
these same villages haZarded a flight
during the night, they passed the
grea. river by swimming, and came to
me to tell their misfOrtunes. "Alas!"
writes Archbishop Gauthier, from
whose letters this information is chief
" derived: 81 could do nothing but
weep for them, being unable to do
anything TO succor them. Two or
three days afterwards 1 learned that
all the men in that village had had
their heads cut off, but the women
aud children were spared. And, as
their houses were intermin9led with
those of the pagans, it was forbidden
to burn them down."
ABOUT SIUMPs.-A Missouri farm
er says that he has found a remedy
for destroying stumPs in a compare
lively short time. He had eleard a
piece of ground and was troubled
with a number of large oak stumps.
He had heard that saltpetre was good
for stumps. Accordingly, about a cou-
pie of months ago he sprinkled on the
top of each stump about a tablespoon
full of pulverized saltpetre. 4 few
days ago he set fire TO these stumps,
and says they commenced and contin-