The evening times., 1900-07-13
trruia:ion >tatcment.
The Butchery in PekIn.

Today's report OF the assault upon and
murder Of the ministers and all other for
eigners in Pekin. on July 8. and which Is
alleged to rest upon high Chinese official
authority. appears to be accepted as true
in London. according to a late despatch.
The account is circumstantial and, except
in discrepancy Q; dates, agrees generally
with the native stories hitherto reported
from Shanghai and Chefoo 1t would be
foolish for anyone longer 20 entertain the
least hope for the legation people. The evil
dence points convincingly TO the conclusioa
that all Of them. men. women. and chill
dren. have been pitilessly butchered by the
regular Chinese Army. ander the personal
command Of Prince Tuan.
When the whole hideous truth shall be
revealed. it will probably develop that the
crime was committed earlier than July 8,
and most likely on June 80 or July l. On
June "a. when the last message was got
ten out from the legations. it is kuowa
that the doomed people were starving, and
lad only enough food left to keep life in
their bodies for three days longer; also
that their ammunition was nearly exhaust
ed We have reasonably reliable Chinese
news to the effect that the first assault in
force was delivered against the
British compound. on the night OF June &c,
and the runner wEo brought the informa-
tion to Tientsin declared that it was in
tended to bring artillery against the walls
on the following day. II is next 10 csr-
tain, therefore. that Prince Tuan contin-
ued fighting until the inevitable end, and
huF f-ff in Il of
June 26, at most letter recently re
ceived from Pekin by a Chinese merchant
at Chefco is said TO have been dated June
% and to have asserted that the legations
had been destroyed and all the foreigners
killed. The question OF the time when the
massacre was committed is only important
tending TO test the probable truth Of he
latest story. Remembering the differen IS
between the Western and Chinese chrou-
OlOsy. it would be very easy to account for
a discrepancy OF FIVE OF six days, and the
Shanghai reports which have been g.yen
out from tire to time have frequently teen
found to represent alleged conditions IN
Pekin five days later than Sheng. the Di-
rector OF Telegraphs. has confessed he i'll
tended they should. We are compelled 70
believe that to1ay's account is corrobo. a
tive of former native stories and rumor.
and that the assumption is safe that lot
foreigner is alive in Pekin.
Unless re-enforce.nents are pushed for
ward to the relief of Admiral Seymour
faster than We are able to hear that they
are, We are afraid that another and larger
massacre IS impending. From all that we
10 sz5- +e-,a-
it locks very much as II the international
>orces are in imminent danger of being
overwhelmed and annihilated At latest
accounts they only numbered ten thousand
men, who were compelled to maintain a
line Of defence fifteen miles in extent.
against a force ten times greater and pro-
vided with artillery superior in guns and
calibre, and all thoroughly well served
It IS generally acknowledged abroad to-
day that. were the movement feasible.
retreat from Tientsin would Be executed
at once. II has been found possible to get
the women and children 10 Taku by river;
but even that has taken many days. Il
is not to be thought that ten thousand
troops could move cut in the same wa
They would have 10 take the open. and be
tAFO5+u, lIoLL, rear. anu HANKS, 10 constant
attack and artillery fire. Under such con-
ditions they would have but small chance
to effect juncture with the international
forces below. The latter. in attempting to
relieve Tientsip, may have great difficulty
in penetrating the Chinese lines south of
the city. They will doubtless be unable
to DO so except in heavy force. We do not
hear definitely that their strength Is
as yet sufficient for such an enterprise and
unless it becomes so very quickly. there
would seem 20 be little hope for the gall
liant defenders OF Tientsin.
The news and the conditions it represents
make it the duty of the United States, as
well as all other civilized powers. to b.
stir itself for vengeance and indemnity. 1t
would never do to let China go unwhipped
Of justice, or without receiving such a bis
tering eastigation as the world has never
seen. The powers should never rest while
one stone Of Pekin lies upon another The
Chinese need the utter destruction Of their
capital. end he execution Of all their gull
t. leaders as an object lesson.