New-York tribune., 1901-02-15
MARX TWAIN SAYS NOT |.
THE HUMORIST INSISTS THAT THE
REV. DR.. AA1ENT ARRAIGNED
HIMSELF

In the February number of "The North
American Review" Mark Twain made a
caustic attack n the Rev. William =. Amept.
a missiOnary in China. The Rev. Dr. Judson
smith. secretary OF the American board q
Foreign Missions. wrote IN the great hunor-
1T defending Mr. Ament. aud Mark Twain
has responded through The Tribune. The
letters follow:
My Dear Mr- Clemens; In common with multi
tudes in this country and elsewhere | have a
great admiration for your genius, and read what
ever comes from "our pen with delight Your
brilliant article entitled TO the Person Sitting
In Darkness" in the February North Ameri-
can will attract wide attention and
strong influence. Its keen. lightly veled sarcasm
is well adapted to its purpose and will produce an
effect quite beyond the reach of plain argument
observe that in commenting affairs in China
you select the Rev ". s. Ament D. D.. of our
missionaries in Peking. to give point your views
and that you base all YOU say OF him single
press dispatch printed in The Evening Sun of De-
cemher "a and that you the accuracy of this
dispatch. though il DIR. Ament's frank and
fun confession of deeds and motives The ar
raignment is severe. the effect on DR.. Ament's
name and reputation must he very damaging, the
prejudice thus awakened against missionaries,
mission work and the American Board is serious
and likely 10 be of long consequence. Dr.. Ament's
wife and family friends this country will be dis
tressed, all the friends of the American Board and
Of foreign missions will be deeply shocked and
grieved for. if Or. Ament has done the deeds and
acted under the motives which you ascribe to him,
he has evidently thrown his Christian character 10
the winds. has become Il thief and extortioner and
hypocrite of the first order.
II should require, you will the ample
warrant of unquestioned facts 10 justify a public
arraignment of wide scope and far reaching
influence you have made against this mana
OF hitherto Unblemished character. Of singular
Christian devotion. of heroic courage and of splen-
did deeds H shared in the siege az Peking with
other missionaries and in the encomiums Minister
Conger pronounced upon them BY OF rare
al lfrrae Of hfs
fellow missionaries with eight children and brought
them into Pekins just before the Boxers fell on
their premises and destroyed their homes In doing
this he rsked his life and went I'm spite of the
fears and remonstrances of Mr.. Conger and the
soldiers Peking
You experienced author so
terrible an impeachment against a whose
reputation is dear TO him yours is 10 you,
and who is engaged in missionary work the
other side of the globe. upon a single newspaper
dispatch. I wonder what other information you
possessed. what inquiries you made concerning
DR. Ament's record and of whom these inquiries
were made
DR.. Ament has been missionary for twenty
three years and my correspondent above sixteen
years and l have heard from him frequently
during these last months since he escaped from the
siege in Peking. The last letter from DIR. Ameut
was written on November lS. and gives a full
count OF the events 10 which presumably The
Suns dispatch refe-s. This letter was given to
The Associated Pless after its arrival
January Z. In # he says: Il have been IN Cho-
Chow. This time proposed TO settle affairs with
out the aid OF soldiers legations. The visit
a complete success. Every one OF our dispossessed
church members in that region has been reinstated
OF justice among the yillakes wbere e our peonIe
lived and where they We're respected bv ali decent
people The villagers were extremely grateful be-
10 settle on the terms proposed. After our cond-
own a"cord ana b,otiS,s ts nIaseIs came Oh tneir
Nothing is said Of securing thirteen times the
using this Indemnity for the propagation OF the
gospel Inc whole procedure IS In accordance
village responsible for wrongs suffered IN that
village accountable for wrongs committed there
Not cash has gone 10 Dr. Ament or his asso-
been used for the relief OF those hundreds Of
90 o,sposseTsSd @ OF nome ana property n ne Wild uTy
Conger,s unstinted praise. and who. homeless ana
foa9 Saien, defaSnt ai qH thf mSaonariSs f9s
Dr. Ament's own explanation and you will note
that It lacks all those features on which your
raignment rests. We give unhesitating credence TO
Dr Aments narrative: We md It confirmed by
timation from authoritative sources that II Is not
S8faege; ana a., arthur H. smith author OF Chinese
CharacteFisiiess, are associates OF Dr. Ament, and
lows Dr Ament and Mr. Tewksbrr tI bsve as anns I1
and are still doing admirable work for the Chris
uans 10 bring order out of confusion and deliver
and Board owe much 10 Mr. Tewksbury and 7SIrr. Or.
Ament for what they nave accomplished for the
native Church this autumn. They most devoted
workers" Or. Sheffield is not accustomed to speak
thus in praise Of thieves, or extortiOners brag
CARTS
l have known DR.. Ament thirty years first as A
pupil in Oberlin College. then a divinity student
Al Andover Seminary, after this a pastor in
Ohio. and lately as first class missionary in
and good sense. / should think any
pastor here In Boston becoming extOrtoner and
robber OF DR. Ament
But do not need to say I know that YOU
would not willingly do any injustice. and
I have therefore written freely and at once that
known 10 me and all OF Us at these rooms, and be
able duly 10 amend what has been written.
Assured Of your Of fair play. and with
highest regards. ! am. very truly yours.
JUDSON SMITH.
No "a Beacon-st., Boston Feb g 1901
MARK TwAINs ANSWER.
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: This is Rev. Mr.. Ament's arraignment Of
himself-not my arraignment Of him. as charitably
suggested by Rev DR.. Smith II was cabled from
China. and appeared in THE Sum December q:
The Rev. Mr.. Ament. Of the American Board Of
Foreign Missions. has returned from a trip which
he made for the purpose of collecting indemnties
for damages done by Boxers. EVERYWHERE he went
he compelled the Chinese to pay" He says that all
his native Christians are now provided for He had
seven hundred OF them under his charge. and
three hundred killed. He has COLLECTED 300
taels for each Of these murders and has compelled
full payment for all the property belonging To
Christians that destroyed. He also assessed
fines amounting 10 thirteen times the amount of
the indemnity: This money will be used for the
propagation OF the Gospel
declares that he