The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-08-03
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
New Chinese EdIrt

London, July 3O.-The Shanghai car.
respondent OF the Express, teIegrapbinv
yesterday, says:
| "a new imperial edict promuIga ted
TINS evening urgently orders all yicerova
ana provincial governors 10 endeav0r
| 10 negotiate peace with the powers
| whose ministers are held as hostages
| pending the result OF the ovprturea fnr
the abandonment OF hostiljties agains+
| China "S "'"'O
| The viCerOys are also commanded ~
! guard their territories yig,IantIv aro;nat
attack and to prevent bv ali means ~
lhelr power the advance OF the FOREIGN
troops, especially along the Yanptsa.
hIang. The decree SAYS the officials will
answer Win their lives for any failure to
execute these orders.
commands are also given that not a
Siheie foreigner shall be allowed to ea
cape rom the interior, where there are
stlii iuily 1000 Europeans connected
win missionary work in isolated
stations.
When the governor Of Shan Tung
com omuuhicated to the consuls the i'm
pellal decree OF July 24 he omitted these
important passages addressed to Ii
Hung Chang:
,lt Is admittedly inadvisable to kill
all the ministers, but it il equally unwise
10 send them to Tentsin. 1t will be
mGch q wiser to keep the survivors at
PekIn as hostages.
1Ou are commanded to hasten to
iekln. You are incurring imperial dis
pleasure by delay. You have been an
pointed viceroy Of Chilli because with
your military experience, you will sue
cessiully lead the imperial armies against
the foreigners in Chilli, which Yu Lu.
the present viceroy, is unable TO do.
owing to his ignorance Of military
affairs
Iii dung Chang replied to this edct.
asking to be allowed to retire on account
OF his age
Sheng now admits that he has had
telegrams since July 10 announcing that
every foreigner in Pao Ting Fu was
murdered, including 40 British, French
and American missionaries, and an
nouncing also that two French Jesuits
ana a thousand converts have been
masacred at kwang Ping Flu, on the
borders OF Shan Tung and Chilli
"A majority Of the consuls favor
strong measures against Sheng's du-
plicity.
Priests Roasted to Death.
Local officials assert that the Italian
priests murdered in Hu Nan Wen were
wrapped in cotton which had been
soaked with kerosene and we're slowly
roasted to death. 1t is believed that all
foreigners in Chihli have by this time
been masacred, and the wave of mas
sacre is spreading toward Ming Pc and
Hong Chow, from which point 30 English
and American missionaries are endeayor-
ing to escape in boats down the river to
kiang Su. Officials here anticipate a
general rising along the Yangtse- Kang
about August l. !"
Report From Admiral Kempfr.
Washington, July 26.-The navy de-
partment has just made public the fol-
lowing additional chapter in Admiral
Kempff's report:
'Taku, June 2O-Referring to nv
recent actions in declining to take part
IN the taking OF the Taku forts and in
afterward making common cause with
the foreign forces in the protection Of
1Orelgn lie and property. | would re-
Spectiully state that the Chinese govern
ment Is now paFalyzed, and the secret
edlcts show that it is in sympathy with
the boxers.
Y. Under the existing circumstances
the troops at the forts were given much
extra drill, tOrpedOes we're provided, and,
1T is claimed, planted in the entrance OF
Pei DO river. This was considered men
aclng, and by other senior officials, suf-
ticient cause to justify them in demand
ing temporary occupation of the forts.
This eliminated in the bOmbardment OF
the forts by other foreign gunboats on
the morning Of the Both instant, which
has been described. In this lombard
ment the MonOcacy was fired upon and
struck without having received previous
warning.
=. 1t Is necessary to Join with the
other foreign powers for common defense
and preservation Of foreign people, and
the honor of our country.
a. | refused to join in taking posses
sion OF the imperial Chinese railway sta
ton, and also declined to join in the
demand for temporary occupation OF the
Taku forts, for | thought it against the
policy and wishes of our government to
be entangled with other foreign powers
ia such step, and also because it en-
dangered the lives of people in the inter
iOr in advance of absolute necessity; for.
up to early morning OF June II the
Chinese government had not committed,
so far as | am aware, an act Of open
hostility toward the foreign allied forces.
''5. In opening fire without warning
an act OF war was committed, when
many shots were fired at the place here
the MonOcacy was moored, about 1000
yards from the forts. Those firing must
have known OF her presence there, as
she had been moored in that position
for a number Of days.
"Under the circumstances | regarded
the situation as one for the protection
of the national honor and the preserva-
tion OF our people, and have acted ac-
cordingly."
TOWne Will be Withdrawn.