A despatch addressed by the Chines Imperial Commissioner Shen, to Saigo, the Commander-in-chief of the Japanese forces, The territory inhabited by the savages has been under Chinese dominion for over 200 years, and the people, ignorant and stupid though they be, are nature's children, and therefore the Government cannot bear to impose upon them all at one a rigid stem of laws, but rather seeks to human-ise and educate them by degrees, so that from being utter barbarians they may be brought within the pale of civilization, and in duo time become ordinary citizens, with external appearance of decorum and with humanity and affection in their hearts, As regards the crime of murder, however, the laws are explicit; that cannot be passed, over, although they are savages, but then itis for China to inflict the punishment, It is not right that other nations should be put to the trouble and expense of bringing troops for that purpose. When it was re-Finding soldiers at Long Ghiao, a place not orted that your country was suddenly
open to trade, everybody in Formosa was surprised, not knowing what offence they had committed that could have given occasion to such a disregard-of treaty righto, The several treaty Powers were no loss surprised at the news, and it was only on reading your despatch to the Viceroy of Fukien that we learned that the cause was because the Mutan savage tribe had murdered some distressed Loochewans.
Now, not to mention that the Loochewaus, though not a very strong nation, are quite able to complain for themselves, if your country must, out of compassion, take up the cause of their neighbours, what was to prevent your Government from first representing the matter to the Tsungli Yamen, for consultation, If China had in that cage screened the savages, and refused redress, or if she had requested your assistance, you would have had something to say, but you did not even wait the few days that would have quired, though the matter was one of years' standing. It must be apparent to you who is right and who is wrong in the matter, But even now, when the Mutan savages have been punished, you continue your raid against the Kaoszoling (2) and other innocent tribes, and how does this agree with the statement in your letter that your only object was to punish the chief perpetrators of the crime, The assistant Commissioner Pan, when passing through Shanghai, had an intervi with your country's Ambassador, and obtained from him a promise that the troops would be withdrawn. This empty words, and yet you have established camp in the Mutan territory, and it is rumoured that you intend to attack the Peinan tribe—a tribe which differs widely from the former, in that they saved your countrymen while the Mutavs murdered them—and yet you would turn their merit nto a ground of complaint.
In your letter to the Viceroy, you state, indeed, that these Peinan savages plundered some of your countrymen, but this assertion is without proof; and it is not Tikely that people barely rescued from the water would have much to plunder. Besides, where on earth would people be found who would first plunder, and then feed and support their victims for several months for nothing? A bare statement
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.