"5. That near this schoolhouse, in a conspicuous position, there be erected by the Chinese authorities a stone tablet, on which shall be engraved the edict of His Majesty the Emperor of China, issued on the 2d of November, 1905. "6. That the said edict be also conspicuously posted in the city and district of Lienchou when the missionaries return there. "7. That in addition to the tablet described, a memorial tablet be erected also by the Chinese authorities to the memory of those missionaries who lost their lives in the massacre at Lienchou, and that such tablet shall bear an inscription stating that it is erected by the Chinese authorities. "8. That this tablet be erected near the tree in front of the cave temple at the spot to which the missionaries were dragged from the cave and where they were tortured and killed before their bodies were thrown into the river. "9. That the above-mentioned tablets be erected before the 10th of October next, and that, should they be destroyed or defaced in any way, the Chinese authorities will replace or repair them." The Chinese Government, in accordance with the arrangement just cited, has already punished sundry persons found guilty of participation in the said outrage, and engages to continue its efforts to apprehend and punish the remainder of the guilty parties. Furthermore, on the 13th of July, 1906, the sum of 46,129.65 taels, stipulated above, was paid to the aforesaid Julius G. Lay, American consul-general at Canton, to be by him handed to the mission in compensation for the property destroyed. That the Government of the United States of America and the Imperial Chinese Government réaffirm their agreement in the arrangement made by the American consul-general, Julius G. Lay, and the viceroy, Tsen Ch'un-hsüan, embodied in the nine points just quoted, and the Chinese Government hereby formally binds itself to carry out the unfulfilled engagements stipulated therein, and furthermore agreed that, in case any person or persons shall injure either of the tablets above mentioned, such person or persons shall be promptly arrested and severely punished, and the injured tablet shall be repaired or replaced by the Chinese authorities without delay. It is also agreed by the Chinese Government that the terms of the settlement, set forth in this agreement, shall be published in a proclamation, the text of which shall be prepared by the Wai-wu Pu, and submitted to the American minister for his approval, and that the said proclamation shall be conspicuously posted throughout the city and district of Lienchou. The Chinese Government hereby agrees, moreover, that in order to fully execute the commands of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China, as expressed in the edict of November 2, 1905, cited above, to wit, that an indemnity shall be paid for the lives of the murdered missionaries, it will upon the day of the signing of this agreement pay to Hon W. W. Rockhill, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States, the sum of K'u-p'ing taels 50,000, to be distributed among the families of the murdered missionaries. And the Government of the United States, in consideration of the performance by the Chinese Government of the acts already recited and the engagements entered into by the said Chinese Government, as set forth herein, hereby agrees that the payment of the said K'u-p'ing taels 50,000 indemnity for the lives of the murdered missionaries shall, with the acts already performed by the Chinese Government in relation to this case and the entire fulfillment of the engagements herein made, constitute a final and complete settlement of this case. This agreement is written in the English and Chinese languages, five copies of each being prepared, of which one of each text shall be deposited at the Chinese foreign office in Peking, the American legation in Peking, the Department of State at Washington, the American consulate-general at Canton, and the yamen of the viceroy of the Liang Kuang. In case any disagreement should hereafter arise as to the meaning of any clause herein, the English text shall be considered authoritative. Done at Peking this day of A. D. 1906, the CXXXI year of the independence of the United States of America; that is, Kuanghsü XXXII year, the moon and day. The Secretary of State to Minister Rockhill. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 13, 1906. (Mr. Root informs Mr. Rockhill that he has agreed with the Chinese minister to reduce the Lienchou final indemnity to $25,000 gold, and authorizes him to close, with this modification, the agreement set forth in his No. 381.) No. 227.] The Secretary of State to Minister Rockhill. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 22, 1906. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 381, of the 28th of August last, inclosing a copy of the draft agreement which you submitted to the Wai-wu Pu on the 21st of that month, for the settlement of the indemity for the Lienchou massacre. The matter has been under negotiation with the Chinese minister at this capital, and has just come to a satisfactory conclusion, as the legation was informed by the department's telegram of the 13th instant, which reads as follows, and which I now confirm." I am, etc., E. ROOT. Minister Rockhill to the Secretary of State. [Telegram -- Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, (Mr. Rockhill reports that the consul-general at Canton telegraphs him that the Lienchou indemnity has been paid him by the viceroy, and that he is directing the consul-general to remit it directly to the department. Mr. Rockhill hopes to sign, at an early date, a legitimated settlement.) No. 228.] RIOTS AT CHANG-P'U AND NANCHANG. Minister Rockhill to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Peking, China, February 14, 1906. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that on the 9th instant I received a telegram from the American consul at Amoy informing me that English and Catholic missions at Chang-p'u had been destroyed by Boxers, but that the Americans in the vicinity were for the present unmolested. a Supra. I immediately addressed a note to the Wai-wu Pu, a copy of which I inclose, requesting that the local authorities be instructed to suppress the disturbance and to afford instant and efficient protection to the lives and property of the Americans. I also have the honor to inclose copies of three notes which I have received from Prince Ch'ing in regard to the above disturbances, the last containing an imperial edict, ordering the civil and military authorities to put a stop to the movement and to give due protection to all churches. W. W. ROCKHILL. I have, etc., [Inclosure 1.] Mr. Rockhill to the Prince of Ch'ing. PEKING, February 9, 1906. YOUR IMPERIAL HIGHNESS: I have the honor to inform your imperial highness than I am just in receipt of a telegram from the American consul at Amoy saying that rioters have destroyed the English and Roman Catholic missions at Chang-p'u Hsien in the prefecture of Chang-chou, Fukien, and that American missions have not been molested as yet. It becomes my duty therefore to request your imperial highness to at once instruct the local authorities to make no delay in suppressing the disturbance, and to afford instant and efficient protection to the lives and property of Americans in the vicinity. Confident that your highness will comply with this request, I have the further honor to ask that your imperial highness will inform me of the measures taken. I avail myself of the occasion to renew to your imperial highness the assurances of my highest consideration. (Signed) W. W. ROCKHILL. [Inclosure 2.] The Prince of Ch'ing to Mr. Rockhill. PEKING, February 10, 1906. YOUR EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch of the 9th instant stating that you had received a telegram from the American consul at Amoy to the effect that rioters had destroyed the English and Roman Catholic missions at Charg-p'u Hsien, but that the American missions had not been molested as yet; would I therefore at once instruct the local authorities to make no delay in suppressing the disturbance, and to afford instant and efficient protection to the lives and property of Americans in the vicinity. In reply I have the honor to state that my board has already telegraphed the governor of Fukien directing him to order the local officials to make an immediate investigation of the affair and report; also to take steps to quiet the people and to protect the missionaries and their chapels. This is on record. As soon as a reply has been received from the governor in the matter I will communicate further with your excellency, but in the meantime, as in duty bound, I send this reply to your excellency's recent dispatch for your information. A necessary dispatch. (Signed) PRINCE OF CH'ING. [Inclosure 3.] The Prince of Ch'ing to Mr. Rockhill. PEKING, February 12, 1906. YOUR EXCELLENCY: Referring to our correspondence with regard to the disturbance at Chang-p'u (near Amoy) I have the honor to state that on the 10th instant I received a telegram from the acting viceroy as follows: "The district magistrate of Chang-p'u reports that the people raised this disturbance because some natives had been forcibly detained in the Catholic cathedral. The trouble resulted in the burning of a schoolhouse built in Chinese style. I have already telegraphed to the provincial commander in chief of the matter and have dispatched troops to the place to cooperate with the local civil and military authorities in quieting the disturbance and dispersing the people, having given them orders also to give due protection to the churches." On the 11th, just while this matter was being dealt with, I received another telegram from the same viceroy, which reads as follows: "The Chang-p'u taotai reports that after the burning of the Chinese Catholic Church the rioters mixed with the crowd and entered the city, where they burned the English church (built after foreign style) and the hospital. The military and civil authorities sent troops to arrest the rioters, and killed twelve of them. They arrested also the ringleader, named Chang-ying. The Chinese and foreign Christians are all safe and under protection. Chang-ying is guilty of a very serious crime, and I have already telegraphed that he be executed at once on the scene of his crime. I have also sent troops to afford efficient protection, and to arrest all other culprits." Having received the above telegrams I incorporate them in this dispatch to your excellency, as in duty bound. A necessary dispatch. (Signed) [Inclosure 4.] PRINCE OF CH'ING. The Prince of Ch'ing to Mr. Rockhill. FOREIGN OFFICE, February 13, 1906. YOUR EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to inform your excellency that on the 12th instant I received an imperial edict as follows: "The board of foreign affairs has presented a telegram from Ch'ung-shan (Tartar general and acting viceroy of Min-Che Province) saying that in the district of Chang-p'u some rioters entered the city and burned the church and a hospital; that the civil and military authorities had sent troops to the scene to scatter the crowds and arrest the rioters; that they had captured Chang-ying, the leader in the affair, who had confessed his guilt and been executed forthwith. Let the viceroy again give orders to the local civil and military authorities directing them to use their best endeavors to arrest the rest of the criminals, and put down the movement, destroying every root and branch. Let special efforts be used in giving due protection to all the churches. Let there be no remissness. Respect this." Having received the above, I have, as in duty bound, had a copy made as incorporated in this dispatch for your excellency's information. A necessary dispatch. SIR: In continuation of my No. 228 of February 14 in regard to the destruction of missions at Chang p'u, I have the honor to transmit herewith for your information copies of the correspondence I have exchanged within the last six weeks with Wai-wu Pu concerning missionary outrages or apprehended troubles at Lao-ho-k'ou in the province of Hu-pei, and Nanchang in the province of Kiang-hsi. Americans, I am glad to say, do not appear to have suffered materially at any of these localities. The direct cause of the massacre at Nanchang was unquestionably a fracas between the Catholic missionaries in that city and the local officials in connection with affairs of their missions; the Protestant missionaries and their families fell victims to the blind fury of the mob. Complete reports on the riots at Chang p'u and Nanchang have not yet been received here, but little doubt is entertained that the direct causes of these outrages are as I have stated. The only missionary cases now pending before the legation are: (1) The ownership of certain lands in Mongolia by a Mr. Friedstrom, of the Scandinavian Alliance mission. I think this matter is in a fair way to being adjusted. (2) One involving the ownership of land at Huchau, in Chekiang Province, in which missionaries of the Southern Methodist mission are involved. This, though so far I have been unable to bring the parties to an amicable settlement, does not seem to be one which could bring about serious trouble in the locality. This (3) A similar dispute about some land purchased for a schoolhouse by the Cumberland Presbyterian mission at Changteh, Hunan. is still in the hands of the consul-general at Hankow, and I am awaiting his report. The legation is not aware that any other of our missionaries have at present litigations of a serious nature either with the local authorities at their places of residence or with natives. I have, etc., [Inclosure 1.] W. W. ROCKHILL. Mr. Rockhill to Prince of Ch'ing. PEKING, CHINA, February 21, 1906. YOUR IMPERIAL HIGHNESS: I have the honor to inform your imperial highness that I am in receipt of a dispatch from the American consul-general at Hankow inclosing a copy of a letter from American missionaries at Lao-ho-k'ou, Hupeh, reporting a very serious state of affairs in that region. It appears from the letter mentioned that a society, calling itself the "Kiang-hu-Hui," has been openly enrolling members for some time past, with a view to raising a rebellion, looting the towns, murdering the officials opposed to them, and destroying the mission stations. The magistrate is reported to be lacking in courage, and the people through the villages have been terrorized into joining the society in order to save their property. One leader, named Liu, was captured last year, but escaped. More recently another leader, named Ma, was arrested, and on January 23 the local military authorities raided the headquarters of the society and captured five men and a number of swords and pistols, etc. Two of the men arrested, it is said, have since been executed. The place is quiet at present, but the situation is a dangerous one. The colonel and lieutenant-colonel are spoken of as being very energetic in their efforts to suppress the society, but they are very poorly supported with soldiers, there being only about 100 altogether, so that it would be impossible for them to afford adequate protection in case of trouble. Lao-ho-k'ou is an important commercial center, the largest place on the Han River above Hankow, and there |