Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-12-06

| ing OF the new century you begin the last Sos
sion of the fifty-sixth congress with evidences
on every hand II individual and national pros
| perlty and with proof Of the growing strength
ana increasing power for good OF republican
1 institutions.
When the sixth congress assembled in No
vemoer, 1900 the population of the United
states was o,3Oi4S3. 1t is now &c 30s 100 Then
| we had sixteen states. Now we have forty
hve, Then our territory consisted of 9Ooo5o
square miles 1t is row 3, $40, ,595 square miles.
Edacauon, religion and morality have kept
| pace with our advancement in other directions
ana while extending Its power the government
has adhered to its foundation principles and
apated none OF them in dealing with our new
peoples and possessions.
FOREIGN RELATIONS.
| In our foreign intercourse the dominant QUE s :
tion has been the treatment OF the Chinese
problem. Apart from this our relations with
| the powers have been happy
The recent troubles in China spring from the
| dnti-forefgn agitation which for the past three
/ years, has gained strength in the northern
| provinces. Their origin lies deep in the char
aeter of the Chinese races and in the traditions
of their government. The Tai-Piag rebellion
ana the opening of Chinese Ports to foreign
trade and settlement disturbed alike the homo
geniety and the seclusion OF China.
The telegraph and the railway spreading over
tneir land, the steamers plying on their water
ways the merchant and the missionary pene-
trating year by year farther into the interi or,
became to the Oh nese mind types OF an alien
invasion, changing the course of their national
life and fraught with vague fofebodines OF dis
aster to their beliefs ana their self-control.
Ant ,ftrtt
resulted in attacks upon foreigners destruction
of property, and slaughter of native converts
were reported from all sides The tsung-li,
yamen, already permeated with hostile sympa-
thies, could make no effective response to the
appeals of the legations. At this critical juno
ture. in the early spring of this year, a proposal
was made by the other powers that combined
feet be assembled in Chinese waters as moral
demonstration, under cover of which to exact
OF the Chinese government respect for foreign
treaty rights and the suppression OF the Box
ers.
Still the peril increased. While preparations
were in progress for large expedition, to
strengthen the legation guards and keep the
railway open, an attempt of the foreign ships
to make landing at Taku was met by fire from
the Chinese forts. The forts were thereupon
shelled by the foreign vessels, the American
admiral taking no part in the attack, on the
ground that we were not at war with China and
that hostile demonstration might consolidate
the anti-foreigp element and strengthen the
Boxers to oppose the relieving column. Two
days later the Taku forts were captured after a
sanguinary conflict Severance Of communica-
tion with pekin followed and combined force
of additional guards which was advancing to
Pekin by the Pei Ho was checked at Langfang
The isolation OF the legations was complete
On June 0 all the ministers at Pekin were
ordered to leave under promised escort. The
order was disregarded and preparations for de-
Tense made. On the morning OF the Goth the
German minister, Baron Won Ketteler, while
proceeding to visit the tsung Ii yamen, was
killed by a mob. An attempt to recover his
body was thwarted From that time until
July IL the legations were under tire almost
every hour. Attempts were made to burn the
legations by setting fire to adjoining buildings,
and the Austrian, Belgian, Dutch and Italian
legations were destroyed.
During the siege the defenders lost sixty-five
killed, one hundred and thirty-hve wounded
and seven by disease, the last oil children
The only communication had with the Chin
ese government related to the occasional de-
livery or despatch OF a telegram or to the
demands OF the tsung-li- -yamen for the with
drawal of the legation to the coast under
escort Not only are the protestations of the
Chinese government that it protected and sue- |
cored the legations positively contradicted |
but irresistible proof accumulates that the |
attacks upon them were made by imperial
troops. regularly uniformed, armed and off,
cered belonging to the command of Jung Lu.
the imperial commander-in-chief DEGREES
encouraging the Boxers, organizing them un-
der prominent imperial officers, provisioning
them, and even granting them large sums in
the name of the empress-dowager, are known |
to exist. Members of the tsung- IL -yamen who |
connseled protection of the foreigners were |
beheaded. Even In the distant provinces men
suspected Of foreign sympathy were put to |
death, prominent among these being Chang |
Yen Hoon, formerly Chinese minister in
Washington.
The policy of the United States through all |
this trying period was clearly announced and |
scrupulously carried out circular note to |
the powers, dated July 3. proclaimed our atti-
tude treating the condition in the north as one |
of virtual anarchy in which the great provinces
of the south and southeast had no share As
soon as the sacred duty of relieving our lega- |
tion and its dependents was accomplished, we |
withdrew from active hostilities, leaving our
ltBdbloH uu hutqudUt RuhTu III 1ekln, as |
a channel OF negotiation and settlement-a |
course adopted by others of the interested |
powers. Overtures OF the empowered repre-
of the Chinese emperor have beea
considerably entertained.
The Russian proposition, looking to the res-
toration of the imperial power in Pekin has
been accepted as In full consonance with our
OWE desires, for we have held aud hold - ut ef-
feetive reparation for wrongs suffered md an
settlement that Will make their re-
currence impossible can best be brought about
under an authority which the Chinese nation
reverences and obeys. While doing we ,
forego no jot of our undoubted right to exact
exemplary and deterrent punishment OF tie
responsible authors and abbetorS OF the crimi-
nal act whereby we and other nations have suf-
fered grievous injury.
REAL CULPRITS MUST SUFFER.
For the real cuLprits the evil counselors
who have misled the imperial judgment and
diverted the sovereign authority to their own
guilty ends, full expiation becomes imperative
within the rational limits of retributive justice