New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-12
,ccTS4TJON.S DLSCREDITED.
rHTNFSF MINISTER'S BELIEVED TO
HAVE ACTED IN GOOD FAITH.
rcovyrlEat. 1900: BY The New-York Tribune. ]
TBY CABLE To The TRIBUNE.l

fc1vyrlrat: Ie0o BY The New-York Trfbune.l
TBv CABLE To THE TRIBUNE.l
ronson. sept. 10, l a. rn.-The Chinese Am
bassador IN London. Sir Chih Chen Lofengluh,
has nrornptly denied a charge Of DR.. Morrison,
= correspondent of The Times" that he at
tsnpted TO delay the march Of the relief ex-
-s5i+fon bv the issue Of fraudulent edicts. DR..
Morrison clearly is better informed about the
situation in Pekng during the siege Of the lega-
tions than he is about the relations Of the
chinese Ministers in London and Washington
zitb the British and American Governments.
si- C,bih Chen is an aniable man. who has
been an optiuaist during the trying period when
everybody in Official circles here has been dis
nosed 10 accept the inventions Of sensational
journalism and believe the worst story that
was in the air respecting the slaughter OF for
eieners He was evidently kept IN the dark in
regard 10 the responsibility OF the Dowager
Frpress for the attacks upon the legations
but he was as honest and sincere as WI Ting
Fang in unfolding the dignity OF the Govern
roent which he represented, and in seeking to
bring about the retirement Of the Ministers to
Tien-Tsin under escort Little attention was
paid to him by the Foreign Office when he urged
this course, but this was because Lord Sails
bury and everybody in Downing Street were in
fatuated with the belief that the disclosures of
LEGATIONS had been destroyed. The charges now
made against him by The Timess' correspond
ent. who was unfortunate IN being wounded and
IN failing 10 send his messages through TO the
coast at an exciting crisis, are disCredited.
Al the Foreign Office the reported capture OF
the Empress Dowager by Russian troops at
Johol has not been authoritativeIy confirmed,
nor IS the motive for the march Of the allied
troops from Peking 10 Pao-Ting, a distance Of
over eighty miles. quite clear. An Imperial
edct is said 10 have been signed at Pao-Ting,
and Yung Lu, ringleader in the attack upon
the embassies, is reported TO be there; but IL is
hardly credible that either he or the Emperor
will await quietly the approach Of the Indian
and other foreign troops.
Something IS going on in Peking in the nature
Of Z reconstruction Of the Chinese Government
and the dipIomatists there are all concerned in
II. Russia will prefer TO employ Ii Hung Chang
and England has more confidence in Prince
Ching, but there is no evidence that the Powers
are agreed upon a choice Of any agent, although
Il is tolerabIy clear that they accept the princi-
pie that China must continue TO be governed
by the Chinese, whatever may have been the
crimes Of the recent reign Of terror. They have
not yet decided what is TO be done with the
Empress, by whose orders the legations were
attacked, and that Is a matter Of chief i'm
portance. Peace negotiations will be facilitated
il she is allowed the same immunity which was
accorded 70 the Sultan after the Armenia mas
sac7es; otherwise the reconstruction Of the Chi
nese Government viii be protracted and com
psx process for either Earl Ii or Prince Ching
VIII hesitate 10 act unless her name, as well as
The imbecile EmperoTs. is at the bottom Of the
warrant appointing him negouator. The
Near East is a parallel of the Far East. The
problem OF the exemplary punishment Of the
principals as well as the agents responsible for
the outrages in Peking and the massacre Of
many missionaries in China, is not one which
can be worked out unless the Powers are pre-
pared 10 hunt down the astute and willy EN-
press from one place Of refuge to another.
The English public is not vitally interested IN
the diplomatic complications. Whatever LORD
Salisbury decides 70 do will be accepted as q
choice Of evils, and the only practicable course
China VIII not enter in any way in the approach
Ing general elections. l. n. F.