New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-20
GREsHAMs HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY.


GRESHAMS HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY.
THE TORTURE AND MURDER OF THE TWO JAPAN
EsE STUDENTS LIE UPON HIS HEAD.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: am only Of the multitude OF Americans
who have been shocked and Inundated by the sur
render to torture and death OF the two japanese
students who had sought asy " n under our flag In
the city Of Shanghai. and by s.e lame and mpotent
excuse by which that surrender is now attempted
to be justified. 1t Is pleasure to criticise or
condemn the conduct Of Secretary of State. but
1t is crime not to speak when silence will make
the laughing stock of civilized nations.
There is no one of the Western nations which has
such powerful for being the friend OF Japan
as the United States We found her barbarous
the China of to-day We compelled her to emergs
from her exclusiveness and introduced her to the
family of nations. She made the United States her
model and her progress in the arts science. manu-
features In education, everything which makes
a nation respected and powerful, has been marve.-
lous. We have not treated her well we united
with Great Britain. France and the Netherlands In
forcing a commercial trea.y upon her which re-
stricted her tariff upon all imports except liquors
to ) per cent ad vaorsm This treaty would have
arrested the progress Of my nation but Japan The
treaty Powers agreed to consent to Its revision,
and Influence has been many times eXerted In
favor Of removing this restriction. but the other
Powers would not consent and the RESTRICTION
stands Then we Joined the other Powers in de-
|o'VVN|~"
persons and property Of foreigners Japan could
not resist and she paid the money. Our Congress
investigated the case. found that all the clalns
which had not been previously paid were fictitious
and we voluntarily paid back our share OF the
poliatlon-over $4,000
After such treatment. when Japan was again az
with her ancient enemy. which Is Jast as bar
barous and conrmptuous OF the opinions Of civilized
nations the China Of the last century, We at
least ough, to have wished her success. She has
shown that she is amply able to carry on this war
without assistance and all she asks Is that other
Powers should deal with her according TO the pnn-
cip.es of the law % nations which binds all
civilized mankind. What the influence or the reason
was which made our Government the moral ally
Of Chiri. IL il useless TO Inquire There Is
abundant proof in the letter OF Secretary Gresham
that she is. and we doubtless have the high honor
Of being the only nation on the face or the giobc
whose Executive seems TO desire the success Of the
most savage. brutal and barbarous of the Powers
claiming TO be civilized.
Let us make plain statement of the facts. and
see hoy our conduct must appear to those who
claim to be governed by the law Of nations Shang-
hal it, in fact free city. Commercial nations vii.
not submit their property personal rights TO the
erratlc Judgment OF Chinese courts and they nave
required China TO consent to the establishment 81
consular courts FOR their determination. In August
last TWO young Japanese students who had fallen
under Chinese suspicion sought asylum under our
United States Colonel DENLY. Minister. was at
that time absent from hrs post The surrender OF
these students demanded by the Chinese under
the claim that they spies The Consul-Gen-
cra declined to surrender them because the PROOF
that they were spies unsatisfactory. and Minis
ter DENLY coneurred IN hrs refusal Another rea-
son. which not publicly given clearly was
that both the Minister and the Consul were familiar
with the detesable code and customs OF the Chnese
and knew that their surrender was equivalent to
their sentence to torture and death The chlnese
Minister AT Washington then made the demand
for their delivery. and Secretary Gresham ordered
them TO be given up having as he claims secured
the promise OF the Minister that 'precipltate or
summary action should not be had, and that the
accused should not be tried before the return OF
Both the Minister and the Consul protested
against this surrender They knew that the zee
crnor Of the province ascertain why the heads
OF the spies had not been sent to him Not
the slightest attention was paid to the promise OF
the Chinese Minister. The students we're exeSutsed
before the return OF the Minister ana thoush me
fact Is denied. they almost certainly tortured
our Secretary mast be charged with knowledge
on the ground. he was delivering these students to
certain and cruel death when he had no salts
rss v was possible. II not PROBABLE
We do not need to follow the Secretary through
our officers in this war. Tn absolute indefensi-
billy OF ms act rests nRCm nIapced p Themselves
under the protection OF our flag. N me Once OF
completely removed from the reach OF the Chinese
as n they had stood upon the deck OF one OF our
ships OF war or witn tn n H hSif Or mnapfectv
protected they were sheltered by our flag There
was but one known to the law OF nations By
which they could be taken away from that shelter.
That by formal demand. accompanied by
antee that they should have fair and impartial
trial. Until our Government was satisiled OF 'heif
guilt and with tn" guarantee OF a fair trlaL II
was an offence against the law OF nations TO sur
render them.
these students to China ever existed Inc law OF
nations applies only TO those cviiizeh nations
1t does not require our Government TO deliver
even fugitive criminal to a canniDal KING WhS
who would burn him at the stake. nation when
in the nineteenth century declares that IT Is not It's
pollcv to save the lives of its wounded soldiers
whose representatives are so VIGOROUSLY untruth-
full that confidence cannot be reposed III tnelr YER
bal agreements which maintains a criminal code
In which torture plays conspicuous part when
cuts it's convicted criminals into pieces while
alive and practlses crueltes the mention Of which
almost freezes the blood. can establish no right
TO call upon our Government for the surrender
even OF a guilty fugitive. The law Of nations has
requirement for the violation OF good SENSE,
sound judgment or the impulses OF our common
II Mr Evars or Mr. Blaine had held the port
folio. instead OF Judge Gresham 1t IS safe to say
that this question would not have arisen our ma
val officers and our consns sd1 the rgh 1a
cruel torture and certain death. or to trust the
word Of an h heads a" mem he acnses
There is only officer of our Government VINO
would take the responsibility or Su'n Hn ACT o III
humanity We would not believe ii of him If he
had not done 1t. He has surrendered two intelli-
gent youths to power unworthy OF confidence.
In direct violation OF pledges given they have been
tortured and murdered We say tortured. because
such is their custom. and the only evidence that
torture was used is the declaration OF one UNI
worthy OF belief. and murdered. because their
lives were taken In violation OF the law or nations.
There is such officer. one such man He con-
fesses the act and IL vainly trylnG to excuse
IT, He is our Secretary of State and his name.
which no man envies. Is Gresham
l.. r.. CHITTENDEN.
New-York January II. 1895.
AGAINST THE USE OF THE LASH.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.