The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-07-18

Communication From the
Pekin Government to Mln-
lster WI.

Slat USCieS OatOo su'AN N"y " o'-AN
moon was received by telegraph
today by Minister WI, from the
Taotai of Shanghai, transmitted or
July 1ss from the treasure of the
Chilli republic who received it By
special courier on June 80 from the
board of war, who in turn received
it from the privy council ID Pekln
This decree is as follows
..The circumstances which led te
the commencement OF fighting be
tween Chinese aud foreigners were
of such a complex, confusing anc
unfortunate character as to be entire
ly unexpected Our diplomatic rep
resentatives abroad, owing to thell
absence from the scene of action
have had no meaps of knowing the
true state of things, and accordingly
canpot lay the views of their govern
nent before the ministers of foreign
affairs of the respective powers te
which they are accredited. Now we
take this opportunity of going fully
into the matter for the information Of
our representatives aforesaid.
"ln the first place, there arose IL
the provinces of Chilli and Shan
Tung a band of rebellious subjects.
who had been in the habit of practlc
ing boxing and fencing liz their re-
spective villages. aud at the same
time clothing their doings With splr.
isualistic and strange rites. The local
authorities failed to take due notice
of them at the time. Accordingly
the infection spread with astonishing
zapidity. Within the space of a
month it seemed to make it's appear
ance everywhere and 6oalIy even
reached the capital itself. Every Que
looked upon the movement as super:
natural and strange and many joined
it Then there were lawless and
sreacherous persone. who sounded
the cry of Down with Christianity.
About the middle of the fifth moon,
these persons began to create dis
turbances without warning Churches
were burnt and converts were killed
The whole city was in fefment a
situation was created which could
not be brought under control At
frst, the foreign powers requested
that foreign troops be allowed to
enter the capital for the protection of
the legation. The imperial govern
ment, having in view the compare
tive urgency of the occasion, granted
the request, as an extraordinary
mark of courtesy beyond the require
nents of international intercourse
Over $50 foreign troops were sent to
Pekir. This shows clearly how
much care China exercised IN the
maintenance of friendly relations
= tn other countries The legations
at the capital never bad much to DO
with the people Blu. from the time
following the troops entering the
city the guards did not devote them
selves exclusively to the protection
of their respective legations. They
sometimes fred their guns on top OF
the city walls, and sometimes patrol
led the streets everywhere There
were repeated reports of persons
being hit by stray bullets More
over, they strolled about the city
without restraint. and even attempt
ed to enter the Tung Hua gate (the
eastern gate of toe palace grouuds)
They only desisted when admistance
was positively forbidden On this
account both the soldiers and the
people were provoked to resentment.
and voiced their indignation with
one accord
"Lawless persons then took advan
taye of the situation to do mischief,
and became bo!der than ever IN burn
ing and killing Christian converts
The powers the.eupou attempted to
reinforce the foreign troops III fes'n,
but the reintorcements encountered
aad defeat at the hands OF
the insurgents on the way and have M
not vet been able to proceed Iae
insurgents of the provinces OF ch'hll
and saan TuDg had by this time
effected a complete union and could
not be separated The imperial
government was by no means reloct-
ant to issue orders for the entire sup
preston of this insurgent element
But az the trouble was 80 near at
hand, there was great fear that due
protection might not be assured to
the legations, if the anarchists should
be driven to extremi,ies, thus
bringing on national calamity.
There also was fear that uprlsiDgs
might occu, in the provinces OF
Chihii and Shan Tung at the same
time. with the result that both forelgn