Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-23
APPEAL FROM CHINA|
For United States to Help
Suppress the Insurrection.
Allied Commanders Set Aug. IS for
the Advance on Pekin.
Remey Urges Earlier Date and May Go Ahead
With His Forces.

| Washington. July 22.-President Nc
Kinley has received what purports to
be a direct appeal from the Chinese
| imperial government to use his good
offices to cxtricatc that government
| from the difficult and dangerous posi-
ton in which it has been placed as
result of the Boxer uprising and the
ensuing hostile attitude of the great
| powers.
| Although the exact text of the APP
peal made by the Emperor of China to
| France, as outlined in the cable dis
| patches of yesterday, has not been
made known here. it is believed that
| thc address to the President is similar
| in terms To that communication.
| In our case the communication was
through Minister WI to the state de
partmcnt. Thus far a final answer has
not been returned. The French gov
eminent answered At once, hut that
answer will not serve US. Tho United
| States government is conscicntiously
| proceeding upon an entirely different
| line of policy in the treatment of the
| ease.
| Unfortunately the state department
finds itself alone in this, but. neverthe-
less. II is convinced that its plan is
the best and it has behind it the con
selling assurance that at present all the
| European governments have tacitly
| admitted that an error was made in
the beginning in not following the
common sense Of the United States
naval commander al Taku.
The point of difference between the
state department and the European
governments is that the latt"r are pro-
ceeding upon the belief that all Of the
foreign ministers ana missionaries and
guards at Pekin have been killed and
insist upon dealing with the Chinese
| government upon that basis. thereby
assuming a hostile attitude that tends
| to destroy the last chance Of awaiting
Of whatever friendly sentiment may
yet exist among the powerful Chinese
viceroys and the imp government
itself.
Thus the French reply indicated in
the four conditions laid down by NJ
Delcasse. yesterday. sets an impOssi-
BILE task for the imperial government
in its present straits and tends To drive
it at once to make terms with the
Boxers and Prince Tuans party.
Further proof Of an official character
mlnicrs in the attack upon the Taku
forts is contained in a communication
just received by the state department
from United States Consul Fowler at
| che Foo. He has transmitted an i'm
lpcrial edict which was supplied to him
by telegraph by the Chinese governor
If shan Tung, Yuan Shi kai. at This
Nan. the capital of the province. 1t
| Il I,,1, 1,
present hostilities between China and
the foreign powers.
The dispatch containing the edict
came to the state department in such
confused phraseology that it is impos-
lsible to do more than approximately its
sense. The edict appears to state in
beginning that owing to the trouble
existing between the Christians ana
the populace and to the subsequent
seizure of the Taku forts. which arous-
| ca the military to arms, the imperial
court was laying great weight upon it's
relations.
The Manchu generals. therefore, vice
rOys and governors. are ordered to as
certain whether the merchants ana
missionaries of the various nations re-
| siding in the open ports are being pro
| tected and the assertion is made that
projects and magistrates have been
| sent repeated imperial edicts to pro-
| tect the legations. Orders also have
been sent to the provincial authoritie,,
to protect missionaries. While hostili-
ties have not yet ceased, the Chinese
officials are directed to give protection
to the merchants and others of the
| various nations in accordance with
treaties. and must not fail to obey
The edict refers to the killing. last
month. Of the Japanese Chancellor
| Sugiyama, which it charactcriZes as
startling. 1t says that Il short time
thereafter the German minister was
| murdered. while residing in the capital.
| conducting international affairs. The
| edict expresses the deepest sympathy
| on account of his death and asserts
| that strong instruction would be issued
| to seize the murderer. who must be
! caught and severely punished after
| the termination of the present HOSTILE |
| ties. together with those who have
murdered foreigners and missionaries
| or taken their property without cause |
| The language of the edict, as given |
by Mr.. Fowler on this subject. is very
| much involved. but it appears to ex-
empt from punishment thnse who have |
| killed foreigners connected with war" |
The governor Of Pekin and the viceroy |
| of Chi Ii arc charged to issue instruc- |
tons to investigate and then to deal |
| intelligently with each case of wrong |
doing.
| The edict states that recently evil |
doors created riots, deliberately REBEL
ed and murdered good subjects. GER |
tainly. it says, deplorable state of af- |
fairs. All viceroys. governors and mil |
itary authorities are ordered to obtain !
accurate details. presumably of the |
outrdges committed by the Chinese and
! to make such seizures and to take such |
! action as the cases warrant in order to |
stop the disturbances. |
Beside the reference to the seizure of |
/ the Taku forts rs one of the causes of |
abe uprising. the significant features |
of the edict is the underlying express |
sion Of the desire of the imperial gov |
eminent Of China, not only to protect |