The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-27
CHINESE AFFAIRS.

The advance of the allies towards
Picking seems to have been fairly sue
cessful. and fully two-thirds of the dis
lance seems to have been covered. The
point where Admiral Seymour's expedi-
ton turned back seems to have been
passed, and the guns and commissiart
are brought along with comparative
ease. Messages continue to be received
from the ambassadors in Picking. but
they are undated and none of them are
in answer to messages from the State
Department, or from the European
Government. Every message appeals
for help, speaks of the diminishing pro-
visions, and ammunition, and intimates
a dread of leaving Peking.
From this one can gather that the
Chinese Government though it forwards
messages from the ambassadors, is not
allowing the messages from the West
eTn world to reach them. The Govern
ment is as usual playing double, and
the Chinese Ministers in Washington
and in Europe are carrying on the game
of amusing the Westerners with a lot
of fairy tales.
''In the present conflict between Chi
and tergiVerSatiOn there has been an
Imperial edict promulgated which reads
very oddly and is a thorough revelation
of the manner in which the Chinese re-
gard the present position of affairs. 1t
reads as follows:
In the present conflict between Chi
nese and foreigners there has been some
misunderstanding on the part of the
foreign nations, and also a want of
proper management on the part of
some of the local authorities. A clash
of arms is followed by calamitous re-
suits, and has caused rupture of
friendly relations which will ultimate
ly do no good to the world. We here
by appoint Ii Hung Chang as our En-
voy Plenipotentiary, with instructions
to propose at once by telegraph to the
Governments of the several powers con-
cerned the immediate cessation of hos
tile demonstrations pending negotia-
tons, which he is hereby authorized to
conduct for our part, for the settlement
of whatever questions may have to be
dealt with. The questions are to be
severally considered in a satisfactory
manner and the result of the negotia-
tons reported to us for our sanction.
Respect this"
The tone of this remarkable docu-
ment is of the haughiest. There has
been a misunderstanding on the part
of the foreign nations" 1t has GER
tainly been a misunderstanding" but
it has been on the side of the Chinese
Government, which has allowed its
troops to join the mob, attack the
Representatives of the Western pow
ers, and murder at least one minister
il not more. There is a tone of con-
tempt in this precious edict which is
al
ing. .-..-.--...
1t Is evident that the Imperial au-
thorities do not consider themselves
to blame in the least, but there has
been some want of proper manage
ment by some of the local authorities"
The want of proper management"
has resulted in the murder of thou
sands of native Christians who are pro-
tected by treaties with every Western
nation, the looting and destruction OF
mission property, and the bounding out
of the country Roman Catholics and
Protestants alike.
Under these circumstances the edict
wants the immediate cessation of hos
tilities and negotiations are to take
the place of rifles and artillery. The
result of the negotiations is to be re-
ported for our sanction" From the
Chinese point of view it is the Empire
that dictates the terms, not the allies
who have been insulted in the persons
of their ambassadors, and the pro-
visions of whose treaties have been
disregarded.
However this has been seen through
and there will be no cessation of hos
tilities until there is free and untram-
meled communication between the
Western representatives and their re-
spective governments. Upon this point
all are agreed. The only way to pro-
tect the representatives effectually is
to put sufficient force into Picking to
form a guard, and the only way to
make the Chinese Imperial authorities
understand their position in this world,
is to knock their precious Forbidden
City about their ears-until the Chi
nese are thoroughly Inundated, there
will be ever recurring trouble.
~ A