Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-12-13
THE MESSAGE.
The President Discusses the
Chinese, Philippine, Finan-
cial and Other ImpOr-
tant Questions.
TO the Senate and House OF Representa-

tives:
AT the outgoing of the old and the in
coming of the new century you begin the
last session of the Fifty-sXth congress
with evidences on every hand OF individ-
ual and national prosperity anu VIII
proof of the growing strength ana lncreas-
ing power for good of republican lnstltu-
tions. Your countrymen Will 1oln WIN
you in felicitation that American a,,lr npetty nt
fore and that love for 1t and the detefHl,
nation to preserve it are more uniVersai
than at any former period OF our nistob .
The republic was never so stfons, pc
cause never so strongly inuenched III the
hearts of the people as now. me constr
tuition, with few amendments, eAiseS T dH
It left the hands of its authors. Inc ad-
.dftions which have been made TO IL pro,
claim larger freedom and more eNtenueu
citizenship Popular government mas @ ueta ~
onstrated in its 12i years OF trial mere Hs
stability and security, ana lts eIhclehCs
as the best instrument of nat!onal ueNei-
opment and the best safeguard TO huiliah
When the Sixth congress assembled in
November, 1850, the population OF the ~ 1nl-
ted States was 5,30S,iS3 1t - now 'olVl,
799. Then we had IL states. NO" we hdNe
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
In our foreign intercourse the uoiiifia lf Az
question has been the treatment OF the
Chinese problem. Apart from TINS our
relations with the powers have been nap
py. +, cbira snr,np
from the anti-foreigm agitation Whlch LOT
the past three years has galneu streIis I,zi. ~ !.
an the northern provinces. 1helt " ~ S SIi,
lies deep in the character CT the Chlhese
races and in the traditions OF thelr gov
ernment The TAPPING rebeliloh anu t9e {
opening of Chinese ports 70 loreisn is,, ~ az s
and settlement disturbed the seclusloh OF
China Meanwhile foreign activity made
itself felt in all quarters, not alone on
the coast. but along the great river a az as-
+eries and in the remoter districts, carry
ing new ideas and introducing new asso-
Citations among a primitive people WhiGh
had pursued for centuries natioiial POI
The telegraph and tt railway spread
ing over their land, the steamers ptyih5
on their waterways, the merchaht anu tae
missionary penetrating year by year IA!
tber 70 the interior, became to the Chi
nese mind types of an alien INVASION
changing the course of their natlonal ne
and fraught with vague foreDouihss ol
disaster to their beliefs and their SELF
control. For several years before the
present troubles all the resources OF lor-
eign diplomacy, backed by moral demon
stratfons of the physical force OF Meets
and arms, have been needed to secure uue
respect for the treaty rights OF foreigners
and to obtain satisfaction from tne re-
,sponsible authorities for the Sporadic out
RACES upon the persons and property OF
unoffending sojourners, whlch from time
10 time occurred at widely separated
points in the northern provinces as in
the case of the outbreaks IN Sze-Chueh
and Shan-Tung.
The sect commonly styled the Boxers
developed greatly in the provinces north
of the Yang-Tse, and with the collusion
of many notable officials, including some
jn the Immediate councils of the throne
itself, became alarmingly aggressive. No
foreigners life, outside OF the protected
treaty ports, was safe. NO foreign inter
est was secure from spohation. The dip
iomatic REPRESENTATIVES of the powers in
Pekin stroVe in vain to check this move
ment Protest was followed by demand
and demand by renewed 1ldt protest. fp6 b TO na Ge
ace and futile assurances from the
Tsung-
In China and the imminence of peril to
our own diversified interests in the empire.
as we'll as to those of all the other treaty
this government, causing it profound So
1icitude The United States from the ear
liest days of foreign intercourse with
China had followed a policy of peace,
omitting no occasions to testify good Will,
70 further the extension of lawful trade,
to respect the sovereignty OF its govern
means means TIE fullest measure of protection
for the lives and property of our law
abiding citizens and for the exercise Of
their benefcent callings among the Chi
To these ends I caused to be addressed
ito the several powers occupying territory
and maintaining spheres of influence In
China the circular proposals of 1899, in
viting from them declarations of their in
tentions and views as to the desirab bility
of the adoption of measures insuring the
foreign trade throughout China.
sp55sss Sc 5oiacidied Rtdi in this Common 5 policy,
enabling me to see in the successful ter
the friendly spirit which animates the va
rious powers interested in the untram-
dustry in the Chinese empire as a source
of vast benefit to the whole commercial
world.
In this conclusion, which I had the
ora n : q nN1a ta1
engagement to the interested powers on
March 20, 1900, / hopefully discerned a
potential factor for the abatemen of the
.distrust of foreign purposes which for a
year past had appeared to inspire the pol
Icy of the imperial government and for
the. effective exertion by it of power and
authority to quell the critical ant-foreign
movement in the northern provinces.
The Chinese government proved, how
ever, unable to check the rising strength
of the Boxers and appeared to be a prey
to internal dissensions. In the unequal
contest the anti-foreign influences soon
gained the ascendancy under the leader
of Boxers, with which the imperial forces
affiliated, held the country between Pc
Kin and the coast, penetrated into Man
churia up to the Russian border and
through their emissares threatened like
rising throughout northern China.
Attacks upon foreigners, destruction of
aheir property, and slaughter of native
converts were reported from all sides
The Tsung-li-Yamen, already permeated
with hostile sympathies, could make no
effective response to the appeals of the
legations. At this critical juncture, in
the early spring of this year, a proposal
was made by the other powers that a
combined fleet should be assembled in
Chinese waters as moral demonstration,
under cover of which to exact from the
Chinese government respect for foreign
treaty rights and the suppression of the
Boxers.
The United States, while not partIci-
pating in the joint demonstration,
promptly sent from the Philippines ali
ships that could be spared for Service on
the Chinese coast. small force of ma
rines was landed at Taku and sent to Pc
kin for the protection of the American
legation. Other powers took similar ac-
ton until 400 men were assembled in the
capital as legation guards.
Still the peril increased. The legations
reported the development of the seditlous
movement in PeSin and the need of in
creased provision for defense against II
While preparations were IN progress for
q larger expedition, to strengthen the
legation guards and keep the railway
open, an attempt of the foreign ships to
make landing al Taku was met by ~
fire from the Chinese forts The fort s
were thereupon shelled by the foreign
vessels the American admiral taking no