The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-03
CHINESE DUPLICIrY.
New York Post.)

The most valuable part Of the letters
OF Or. Morrison, the Pekin correspondent
of the London Times, is that In which he
gives extracts from the official publica-
lions Of the Chinese government during
the Siege nf the embassy. About these
there can be no mistake. DIR. Morrison
may be prejudiced In his opinions; 1t
would be strange II man could be
wholly without bias against people who
had been shooting at him for forty days.
Sir Robert Harris extreme pessimism
about the future of China'may, similarly,
be result In part OF having been under
fire and on short rations for SO long. But
what appeared In the official Gazette of
the government is the litera scripta which
remains beyond dispute.
And 1t is indeed terrible exhibition OF
the duplicity and treaohery OF the re-
spon sible authorities at Pekin which Dir.
Morrison collects from their own utter
ances. After reaiing them, no one can
doubt that 1t was 5he deliberate purpose
of the Dowager Empress, or whoever was
in supreme control, TO expei or kill all
foreigners, and to give native Christians
the alternative of reoantation or death
Direct encouragement OF the Boxers is
shown. Baron Won kesteler was muir
dsred on June 20, but no official oogniz-
ance OF the crime was taken until July
1S On that day an imperial decree re.
cited the killing. and sad "Suddenly
meeting this affair caussn us deep grief
We ought vigorously to seek the murderer
and punish him." very lats repsn-
lance, and tardy resolve which, 1t Is
needless to say, was never carried out,
fha tina mr. a nj a
stats paper is the decree publishsd on Au
gust 1.-THE relieving forces In sight). it
spoke of the disturbances In and
about the capital, and proceeded: IT was
a duty to protect the ENJOYS OF the foreign
states residi ng Mt Pekin, and the princes
and mini sters of the Tsung-li-Yamen ad-
dressed frequent letters to them, inquir-
ing after their welfare" These letters
may have BEEN enclosed In the bombshell5
which the princes and ministers also fire.
q uently addressed TO the ENJOYS.
An extraordinary mortality has set In
among the Chinese officials who have
suddenly fallen under the displeasure OF
the government. Scarcely does one read
OF a decree ordering the punishment of
this general or that viceroy, before the
ne WIS comes that the unhappy man Is
dead. Grief, lurking disease, or suicid :
disposes OF him. He simply cannot live
II the imperial favor is withdrawn, II Is
my Theological justice come again. The
impious man had no public trial or exc
cution: simply a muriain fell, on his
cattle, his house was struck by lightning
and his bones rotted. The Chinese are
now displaying these strange coinol-
dences. The imperial frown Is equal to a
thunderbolt, and Is a kind Of self-execut.
ing punishment, The nearest thing to IL
inAthe Western world Is thu mysterious
way in which your plumbing needs re-
newing. and your bnilding Is found u
be in violation OF the law, when you fall
under Tammany disfavor. The unseen
ministers OF justice do 1t all At the
same time, we think the powers would
be within their rights In demanding
Identification OF those dead Chinese
officials who are no sooner marked for
punishment than word comes that they
have already gone in quest of new in.
carnation.