Evening star., 1900-07-20
THE MARCH TO PEKIN.
Interesting "Reminiscences of the Last
Assault of the Allied Troops.

VI inc lToopS.
ut will prove of the greatest interest to
contrast the proposed march of the al
lied forces upon Pekin during the present
insurrection, and the last expedition in
which our armed hosts camped before the
gates of the great wall which surrounds
the ancient capital of China said an at
tache in the foreign diplomatic service to
a Star reporter, "and when they de-
manded at the mouth of their guns the
surrender of the imprisoned Englishmen
and the future protection of foreigners in
the celestial empire.
The change in the conditions is extra
ordinary, and it is safe to assert that mo-
mentouS consequences will result from the
present conflict.
I'm 1850, the treaty of peace provided for
the payment of S.,0G0,000 indemnity to
England and smaller amount to France.
In some quarters it is now proposed to
make an indemnity, if demanded, run up
into the hundreds of millions. The Chinese
and the British and the French forces
clashed in Canton in 1857. The allied
forces consisted of but about 5000 British
and LOCO French troops. The United
States was represented by naval vessels
The allied forces lost ten killed and 100
wounded. The viceroy at Canton had de-
fled British authority, and had placed a
price of $50 upon each British head, which
he afterward increased to 500.
I'm 1850 the allied forces occupied Tien
Tsin without resistance, in strong contrast t
with the present occupation with its heavy
and bloody loss. Negotiations ensued be-
tween Pekin and the foreign commanders
with such unsatisfactory results that on
October q of the same year they marched
on the capital, making the distance in four
days.
Mr.. Parkes. representing the British
and party had been sent ahead to Tung-
chow. They We're seized and subjected to
the grossest ndignties and tOrtures. Out
OF the tWenty-siX men in the party but
thirteen We're rescued alive. when, forcing
their way to Pekin, the allied troops COM
PEELED the imperial government to come to
terms.
Among those who We're thus tortured
was the secretary of the British legation
and Sir Robert Hart. They were placed in
cages in which they could not stand erect.
exposed to the taunts of the popuace and
tortured with sharp sticks and red not
irons. Yet the Chinese afterward made Sir
Robert a mandarin of the first class, en-
titled to wear q yellow jacket and other
wise hCnored
1T is worthy of note that Mr.. Warde.
the American minister. who had proceeded
to Pekin in slow OK carts at the outset of
the trouble, was refused an audience with
the emperor because ne would not kotow
before his majesty. Upon MIR. Warde's
return in Shanghai he reported that the
position of the British government should
be sustained.
Some of the more violent papers have
demanded that the forbidden city, the i'm
perial residence. should be destroyed. and
the graves of the emperor's ancestors be
plowed up. OF course, no such extreme
measures will be taken, but 1t is Of i'm
portance to recall at this juncture that the
British in 1S,D destroyed the summer pal
ace of the emperor. This action was at
the time condemned abroad. but justified
upon the ground that the harbarities in
ficted upon British subjects had been such
as to deserve signal punishment, and that
no other course would have SO effectually
humbled the imperial government with so
little harm to the people.
Forty years ago 500 allied troops
marched practically unObstructed from
Tien Tsin to Pek.n. Today an army of
So.Do men is demanded. with large garri
sons at Tien Tsin. and immense fleets at
Taku, before a forward step may be taken