The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-21
Circulation Statement.
Voice From the Tomb.

A Voice From the Tomb.
We are compelled to admire the vigor
with which the Administration insists that
the Conger message is genuine, because
II is in the State Department cipher.
We have not a doubt on that score our
selves. What We insist upon, however,
is that the message shows upon its face
tiat If is not an answer to Mr.. Hays
cablegram OF July Il. and that it bears
every evidence Of having been written at
.0Cut the time Of Sir Robert Harris md
Baron Nissis messages which, respective
!v.,~ere sent out from the legations on June
y and June %. These also were in cipher,
put they were successful in reaching their
addresses, while the appeal for hep
fro-s. Mr. Ccnger evidently was intercept
I'd by the Chinese authorities. and has
hcen held up for a matter OF three weeks
or more. until an occasion arose which
made il seem prudent TO transmit it.
Whether the Tsuug-i-Yamen captured the
American legations code book al the
time Of the massacre or not, does Lot
matter. The despatch is not a forgery.
II is plain enough that the Chinese could
have forwarded words so pregnant with
proof OF their own treachery. We adopt
the opinion OF the British Foreign Office
concerning the message. which is that it
is voice from the tomb
Nothing could give The Times greater
satisfaction and delight than to be able TO
think that the stories Of the massacre at
PeIin are false. Unfortunately there is
great reason for accepting them, in a gen
eral way. as true AS early as the fifth Of
July, the Chinese populations OF Shanghai
and Chefo0 were agog with gossip over the
destruction Of the legations and the tor
ture and massacre Of all within them who
had survived the bombardment and final
rush Of the Chinese troops. From that
time to this. the native accounts have not
varied in any important particular. On
the contrary. with the coming Of China
men from Pekin to the coast towns, we
have had hideous cOrroborative details
added to the tale Of horror. and in no
case has the original main story been dis
credited or modified. People who are IA
miliar with the Orient. know that in Chi
ma, as in India and Egypt, important news
travels fast. The particulars Of the massa-
ere Of Cawnpore were discussed in the ma
tive bazaars a thousand miles from the
scene Of the horror two weeks before the
British authorities heard anything Off
cially Of the occurrence
The fall Of Khartum and the murder Of
General Gordon were gossiped over in the
native quarters OF Cairo and Alexandria
twenty days before the news leaked out 70
the civilized world. II is so in China
Where the same Intelligence reaches sew
eral widely separated communities at
practically the same time. and is not con-
trad;cted on native authority, the presump-
tion always is that il is true. So from
Shanghai. Cbefoo and other places We
have heard Identical stories 10 the effect
that the legations were stormed and over
wheimed and their inmates massacred
either on June 80 or July l. Then a na-
tive runner who reached Tientsin about
July :. gave an account Of the torture and
murder Of the Russian Minister and Mad
anne de CIers. Still later. : Chinese mer-
chant who escaped from Pekin and resched
Shanghai a few days ago, is reported as
declaring that he saw the legation women
stripped and hacked to death, and little
white children impaled on spears, and car
ried in triumph through the streets by the
regular soldiers Of the Chinese Govern
ment. which, the Administration would
have us believe, is doing all it can 10 pro
tee foreigners.
Where :here is so much smoke there
must 5e some FIRE, Against the Chinese
accounts OF the massacre. what 10 We
have by way OF offset? Nothing but the
confusing and contradictory statements,
often recalled, often related. and often in
credible on their face of the Taotai, Sheng.
notorious as the prize liar of a nation CT
liars, Finally we are treated to a message
without date from Minister Couger. Euro
pean official opinion is that the Tsurg-ii-
Ysmen has a collection Of such documents
which il intercepted during the ten days
preceding the massacre OF the diplomats
Perhaps Mr.. Wu's colleague in Lo-don nay
be able to present ore OF them, writ
ten by Sir Claude Macdonald. but IN
dated to Lord Salisbury today. in order
10 assure the British Government that the
legations were safe and happy, though bom-
barded, or July 20!