New-York tribune., 1901-04-08

Foreign Missions is said to welcomed the lol-
lowing reply to the critics of the Rev. William 3
Ament and other missionaries who survived the
siege of Peking some of whom. conspcuously DR..
Ament and the Rev F. G. Tewksbury, have rem
dered. the executive officers of the board say,
exceptionally heroic and philanthropc services IN
behalf of the Chinese Christians including their
widows and orphans The communication is as
follows:
The Rev; Judson Smith D. D.
Dear Sir: 1t is with great reluctance that am
compelled 10 come forward and confess that IN re
latiOn TO the recent correspondence between your
Seif ana Mark twain am at last conyce@T H1 Trfb ol
American plus the editorial in The sun" are
responsible for this change of view. Previously
self, were inclined a high ideal of morality, but
it is evident that We can lay no claim to such
My purpose, however, in writing this is not 10 re-
peat what Mark Twain has said. but to set before
We We're allowed to leave the legations last August
At that time, as you remember. three courses
course which decided upon by the mission in
harmony with 4 advice Of others-to take posses
sion OF the Headquarters OF Boxer and Try 10 pro-
tect what were left of the Chinese Christians
think in time all our missionaries Will come 70 see
for America. We had 10 get out of he British
legation, where we had been living for ilt eight
In ttat case we should have avoided many un-
making blunders. and-and- stealing. 1t is time
name. AS I have said we should have avoided GER
tain unpeasantnesses We should not have in
Eaded the rights Of others. II IS terrible 70 con CON
fess it, but this is what some Of our missionaries
best OF intentions, but right is right and wrong Is
wrong as DIR. Amcnt says. One lady remem-
nese girls of whom there were so many
under the charge Of the single ladies. II was not
they went and slept with them. one Roman Cath
i OG woman vas o4Iraeea py RUSSIAN soarTt 1,te
One Of these finding soldier trying 10 get into
nlIn and he left What right this lady h3Q 10 90
this cannot imagine. She certainly was not on
her Why. that Russian might vel ask did she
not mind her own business; But that was the
ways doing something for which they could bring
Now, if they had left the city, then those girls
most mo- OF them had no defenders-coud have been
had been destroyed. At any rate, they could have
gone some Tnere They could have taken up their
believe there was nowhere else they could have
tage. No. that would not have done; that in prin-
clple would have been Just as bad going into
palace Vel. anyhow. they would have gone
someW Where-into the street. most certainly. What
s ~Iul3 H5r nave Dei2Hen them there y9H VIII have to
committed suicide rather than fan into the hands
done the same But. then. what right has arv one
10 prevent girl woman from committing sui
yyieb ba55 Sat Sai5 &c Cir @ ohE
5ima msh' have advised those ladies rightly at that
But 1 am surprised that you should attempt to
10 have landed him In State prison ana shall not
United states Is it not sad commentary upon
the whole affair that even the aged veterans there
In PefinS have attempted to defend him. and they
all knowing what he had done so much better
than YOU or I? ihIs certainly shows that there has
come INTO the mission spirit which Is far distant
rom rom me sermon On the Mount, TO say nothing Of
one trouble with Ament have 70 face IS that
ne ne seems ] TO haye doge by the native Christians
is just What the 5bineso MIN, hy 'fpro' Gp ~
4. al GaEe raj oil
and We cannot defend their code OF morals or la, s.
There was time when were instructed by the
board to learn tho customs Of the people. and so
far as was consistent with the Gospel 10 follow
.Ieh .h hbe II Is gfeat thng to have II decided upon
q Iu4iteo win the people their customs ideas
A1ment demanded Justice from the Chinese At
,i ,eSt mar F rs Is %hAt ne thought he was doing In
mand. When a man lays himself liable to a suit
case case OF extortion on the planet. l only wonder
And IT. was stealing. That Is the worst of IT,
very ugly Saxon word which expresses the truth Of
the facts and IL behOoVes missionaries 10 learn
the difference between theory and fact. For an un-
that the property Of friend be restored 10 Kim r
any part OF II restored TO him IS just eXtorton and
II Hung Chang, Tor he always acting upon
missionary place was looted. ne simply made the
village give the equivalent. Only in his case the
then the Chinese soldiers would certainly come
Astonishing the amount Of robbery of innocent
people there has been done by the Chinese Govern
ment during the last forty centures How the
angels IN heaven must weep to robbers like
those Boxers Obliged 10 make restitution 10 those
whom they have despoiled; What comment upon
fed and clothed by those who had killed their hus7
bands and fathers!
But forget It is so easy to return to the ideas
one one had had one once find il somewhat dicut adopt
PItrlty. We m4st remember these men who killed
thsse people, or at least the villagers who were
men" I'VE know they were Innocent, for Mark
Twain IVAN says So and Mark can tell the truth at
1lines' u ne mas admitted as much Now. what |
want 10 say Is this that this idea of Aments OF
following the customs OF the Chinese must be
aries to the charge OF bringing on Boxer troubles
because we have neglected TO follow said customs
mated above. somewhat perplexed Twenty years
IN IN 1he IN Cnihese Empire mas, so far my expert
cent men paid for the crimes of the guilty The
idluTai IA thought would be that Ament must have
has informed US. missionaries lack .'headpieces
might have done. and which, as / now see we
lea. Then the ladies would have been Obliged te to
leave havlng no protection, and could have
streets. without money. without homes, without
i hdiu al IlIS{, ms is precisely what ought
nave cone, but owing to the lack OF ''headpeces'
made the most egregous mistake of praising the
chinese Tor their labOrs during the siege He
for What they did we could not nave ot pulled
through Had we only left them to starve we
rather, we would have avoided breaking the Com,
hianunentS- h n HAD we been in America might
nave rented houses for them or have perhaps pur-
chased SUCH Being in China. where such bar
through We did not think of it. as drnG 10 tPgf RPgf
time the people would have starved, and there
would nave been no need of them
One other thing might have been done; It has
tsn 81 Dy pr Ament He makes the mis-
gone out on the street and camped down DR.
Adent g IL mas @ Iaiied to tell Us that would have no
IisHt 10 ohus occupy the street. and to have done
SO, 10 have lain down beside the pools reeking