New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-07-22
AT COUNT CASSINI'S DOOR.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CzAR'S AMBAs-
SADOR HERE FOR THE TRAG-
EDY OF PEKING.
HOW HE BEGAN INTRIGUES TO STRENGTHEN
RUSSIAN AND WEAKEN ENGLISH
PRESTIGE IN CHINA
PRESTIGE IN CHINA.

(he United States. must be aScribed large
share if not the whole of the responsibility for
the appalling massacre at Picking, and it is by
no means improbable that his master, the young
Car, who is humane and sensible man. will
visit upon him the least punishment that could
be inflicted under the circumstances namely,
the deprival of all further employment
Until Count Cassini took up his residence in
the Chinese capital Russian Minister for
eigners lived there and worked harmoniousIv
together, shared their club and their amuse-
ments and pursued even their political aims
with certain solidarity, presenting a united
front against the Asiatics by whom they were
surrounded. This to such an extent the
case that a foreigner would never bid for
house, a horse a curio for which another for
e1gner was known to be in treaty The foreign
ers in Picking seemed to realize even in those
days that they were exposed to a certain amount
or peril, and that shut up they were-a COM
munity of less than one thousand at the most in
the midst of an immense walled city, inhabited
by population of nearly two millions most of
them imbued with sentiments of the btterest and
most savage kind of race hatred toward white
peope-their principal safety lay in remaining
closely united and standing fgurativeIy if not
actually. shoulder to shoulder against the vel
low peril"
1t was Count Cassin who put an end to this
concert, to this solidarity of the foreigners at
Picking. He began by sending his First Secre-
tary and worthy associate, NJ Pavloff secretly
to outbid the British Charge d'Afares for the
suburban temple which had been leased by the
British Legation each summer for more than
thirty years country residence during the
heated term. This done not with the OBJ
ject of acquiring more comfortable summer
quarters for the Russian mission, but of damag-
ing British prestige in the eyes of the Chinese
by ousting Queen VictOria's representative from
the quarters to which the British Government
was regarded as having acquired a species of
prescriptve right.
THE BEGINNING OF A SERIES
This was only the beginning of a series of
more or less petty intrgues mines and counter
mines and undisgused hostility, which the Chi
nese were quick to note and take advantage of
Matters finally reached such a pass that Count
Cassini excluded the Junior secretaries of the
British Legation and those English consul Off
Gals known student interpreters-gentlem
every one of them-from the general invitations
issued to all the remaining foreigners, bank
clerks and even storekeepers in Picking
Nor was this all. Count Cassini deliberately
set to work to foster the foreign prejudices
Of the Empress Dowager and of Prince Tuan
who ever since the days of Count Cassini in
Picking has been the closest and most trusted
ally of the old lady. Count Cassini led both the
Empress DOWager and Prince Tuan to believe
that, provided they placed themselves in the
hands Of Russia, the latter would protect them
not only against the movements of the native
reform party, but likewise against all further
aggressions on the part of the foreign Powers
and especially of England AS an earnest of
what he could do he engineered that intrigue
against Japan by which the latter was deprived
of the fruits of her military victories in China
and was forced to withdraw her troops when
they were almost at the gates of Picking
1t is said that there some European of
ncers directing the movements of the Chinese
forces against the allies at Picking and sad TO
relate, IN nearly every conflict that has taken
place between the forces of barbarism and those
OF ciVilzatiOn-between the dusky races and the
Whites-there have always been found some
renegades who have thrown in their lot with
the foes of civilization. 1t is no exaggeraton to
assert that Count Cassini is every bit as guilty
or crime against civilization as these Euro
pean renegades fighting in the ranks of the
Chinese against the allies at Tien-Tsin For il
Is he who broke down the solidarity of the for
elgn colony at Picking, and who with the OBJ
ject of furthering Russian aims and his own
diplomatic advancement deliberately encour-
aged and fostered the animosty of the Dow
ager Empress, or Prince Tuan, of the Empress's
Grand Eunuch who died the other day and of
the most influential Chinese digntaries against
them in their resistance to all the attempts of