The Portland daily press., 1900-09-12

The Attacks ON Foreigners Received
Royal Sanction.

A~SJ ~ SNHCAAOMe
New York, September 1.-THE Amer
lean Bible society has received from the
Rev. John B. Hykes, it's agent in Shang-
hal, letter dated Shanghai, August /,
In which he confirms the Associated
Press despatch from Shanghai conce m
ing the murder OF 90 missionaries sent
out September 9Th.
In letter dated Shanghai, August
3, DR.. Hykes saysi
"A high Chinese official, who recently
arrived here from Picking, which city he
left on July 1, says that at the beginning
of these troubles the Chinese party
among the officials in the capital opposed
the crusade against the foreigners and
urged the Empress Dowager to suppress
the Boxers. The Manchu party, with
the exception Of Prince Shing and Ma
T'Ung, newly appointed minister of
the Tsung LII Yaamen, favored war to
the knife against all foreigners and
etoutly supported thes Boxers and advised
their being regularly organized and
armed as government auxiliary troops
to fight the foreigners. The Manchu
party leaders are the infamous and no.
torious Prince Tuan, Yung Lu, Kang
vi, Prince Chuang and Chi Hsiu. Prince
Tuan and Yung Lu, as commanders of
the two great armies in the north had
the power entirely in their own hands.
All the Chinese party could do was to
persuade the Empress Dowag er to occa-
sionaliy issue a decree ordering the sup
preston of tue Boxers, but this could
only happen when the arch-conspirator,
Kang VI happened to be away from
Peking. When he returned, fresh de-
crees were issued in which the Boxers
were called patriots and compensation
was ordered to be paid them for their
bravery and loyalty. AT one time, the
Chinese party succeeded in persuading
the Empress Dowager to send two of
their number to the Boxer headquarters
and order their dispersion, but Kang
VI fearing that this might possibly
spoil the cherished plans of himself
and his royal mistress of massacreing all
the foreigners in Picking, persuaded the
Dowager to allow him to go after the
two commissioners He did so at once,
and told the Boxers to continue their
work as they had the approval of the
Empress Dowager.
The Boxers openly boosted In the
streets Of Pekin that their mission was
first to exterminate all OF the foreigners
in the capital and then drive those on
the seacoast and forts into the sea. No
attempt was taken by the government
to control or suppress them and the
otic ial was sure that 1t was quite within
the power of the government to do either.
FRAN CE WILL ACCEPT CHING.
Paris, September lit is asserted here
that should Prince Ching arrive in Pc
kin properly accredited, France will read
lily accept him and begin peace negotia-
lions. Ching is regarded as being Ca
pable man and well fitted to act as a
peace commissioner.
The relation between te appointments
of Prince Ching and Ii Hung Chang is
rather perplexing, especially in view of
the contradictory advices, and 1t is be-
lieved in Paris that the appointment of
Ii Hung Chang to act in conjunction
with Prince Ching is due to the hope
that the powers will leave Pekin and ne
gotiate at lien Tsin or Shanghai. When
it was found that the troops of the pow
ers are not leaving the Chinese capital,
Prince Ching was named.
AS TO Ii HUNG'S CREDENTIALS.
Washington. September 1.-THE acting
secretary Of state has replied to the edict
transmitted yesterday by Minister WI,
giving Ii Hung Chang extraordinary
powers to negotiate for peace, as fol-
lows:
"The United States does not feel called
upon to express any opinion at this time
as to the sufioiency of Ii Hung Cnang's
authority, but hopes it VIII transpire
that his credentials ars full and author
itatiye not only for negotiation but to en-
able him without delay to give assurance.
that the life and property of Americans
will henceforth be respected thr oughout
the Chinese empire.
IMPERIAL DECREE.
London, September 1.-THE officials of
the Chinese legation decline to make pub
ic the text Of the imperial decree COM
manding the opening OF peace negotia-
tions but the Iegationers say thu docu
ment appoints Prince Ching, head of
the Tsung Ii Yamen. q pIenipotentiary,