The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-04-09
BLAIR AND CHINA.
The Correspondence Regarding the
Senator's Rejection.
NOT POPULARITY REGARDED THERE.
MIR. Blair Denies That He Had Ever
Abused China as a Government.
but Asserts That He Would Al
ways Oppose Further immigration
of the Celestials.

ways Oppose Further immigration
of the Celestials.
WASHINGTON, April 9.-The corres-
pondence in relation to the non-accep-
tance of ex-senator Blair as minister to
China by the government of that coun-
try was made public yesterday. The cor
respondence opens with note from Min
lister Tsin Kwo Yin to Secretary Blaine,
dated April 25, '9l, stating that he had
received two cablegrams from his gov
erninent, the nature and subject of
which made it necessary for him to see
Mr.. Blaine without delay. The cable
grams charged Mr.. Blame with having,
in 1882 and 1888, bitterly abused China in
the senate and was conspicuous in help
ing pass the exclusion pct, and requested
that he be not sent as minister to China.
On the receipt of these dispatches Sec
retary Blaine telegraphed Mr.. Blair
who was en- route to China, to return to
Washington, which he did some time
later,
Later Assistant Secretary Wharton,
in conversation with the Chinese min
lister, after referring to the communica-
tions from China regarding her unwil-
hngness to receive Mr.. Blair, asked
conhdentially and unofficially whether
1t was not possible that the Chinese gov
ernment had made its decision in the
matter without being in possession of
all the facts of the case, and stated that
he wanted to feel that the decision had
not been reached under misappre-
hension, and requested him unofficially
to telegraph his government in an in
w hath
the presentation of all the facts of Mr..
Blair's action for the thorough informa-
ton of the Chinese authorities they
would be willing to reconsider its de-
cision and consider such new facts as
might be so presented. The minister
telegraphed as Mr. Wharton desired.
He Was Friendly to China.
At the suggestion of Mr.. Wharton
Mr.. Blair sent to him summary of his
record i'll connection with legislation
upon Chinese immigration i'll the Forty
seventh and Fiftieth congresses. The
summary reviews at length Mr.. Blair's
actions regarding the Chinese question,
bearing upon the objections raised by
the Chinese government. MIR. Blair
says that his record shows at no time
did he abuse Chila OF the Chinese,
either by word or act, but on the con-
trary, while opposing, as he always ex-
pected to, further immigration of Chi
nese laborers to this country, he was a
friend of the Chinese nation i'll the SEN
ate.
On the same date Of his note to Mr..
Wharton Mr.. Blair sent the following
letter to the president.
Il have the honor hereby to tender
my resignation as minister of the United
States to China. | have today placed
on file in the department of state the
means of disproving the false and scan
dalous newspaper reports which have
been cited by the Chinese government
as the reason of my rejection us persona
grata 1t would be a source of gratifi-
cation to Inc if the truth could be made
known to the Chinese government and
to my own countrymen."
Not Popularity Regarded.
On the 23d Mr.. Wharton received a
note from the Chinese minister stating
that he telegraphed his government, as
suggested by Mr.. Wharton in his con-
versation, and had been instructed to
reply that Mr.. Blair was not popularity
regarded in China that it may be possi-
BILE some of the reports sent there may
not be all correct, but the Chinese gov
ernment understood that he had voted
for the exclusion act of 1888, and the
government had received copies of his
speeches i'll which he had compared the
Chinese in the United States as yellow
fever" that the Chinese government
would be very sorry if its conduct in
the matter was not agreeable to the
president, but il is not possible to take
any other course.
Mr. Wharton forwarded to Mr.. Blair
the kilograms received from the Chinese
government, and on July he received
a message from Mr.. Blair withdrawing
,f
TO China, and requesting Mr.. Wharton
to inform the president of his action
Mr.. Wharton did as requested.
On July ID Mr.. Blair wrote Mr.
Wharton relative to his rejection US
minister to China, and among other
things said:
.tOur interests i'll China are not likely
to suffer by the absence of the minister
now there resident during the usual
summer vacation, and the recall of Mr.
DENLY as an indication that our govern
ment is not indifferent might also serve
to relieve the situation of all criticism
from either political party
The Resignation Accepted.
On Oct. 6, 1891, President Harrison
inclosed the following letter to Mr..
Blair:
Your resignation Of the office of en-
voy extraordinary and minister plenipo-
tentiary to China was rendered some
time ago, but action upon il has been
deferred for reasons well known to you.
In accepting it now assure you that it
has been source of great regret to me
that what l believe to have been a mis-
understanding has led to an untenable
objection ON the part of China to your
acceptance as resident of this govern
ment. have directed the secretary of
state to protest to the Chinese govern
ment against the sufficiency of the OBJ
jections presented by it and to say that
by peremptory resignation. Let me
assure you that have, after inquiry,
found nothing that in any degree re-
fleets upon your character or impairs
the esteem of friendship in which have
long held you"
0p Oct Mr. Wharton CONT n I,n0