Let it be promulgated: To well protect My officers is My sincerest and most heartfelt wish. For over ten years, Lhave been by no means ignorant of the demeanour of My subjects towards Me, and know perfectly well whether their actions have been good or bad, whether they have followed righteousness or depravity. But I have never manifested either my dislikes or my predilections. With sonorosity which brooked every ill, I have been unwilli cut off evil-doers atasingle blow, desiring rather lo lead them into the way of repentance. But there has been existing in My realm 'a gang of plotters, secretly conspiring and ly wicked, who have looked upon superiors as their enemies. gio; so that mau has ist evased to be man, or the State to be a State. Alas! Troubles and seditions are not the growth of a single morning and evening, and according to the Spring and Autumn Annals (ZF TH) these traitors ought to be punished with death. Is it that I am of so cruel a disposition as to wish to slay them? No! But there is no help for it.. To exterminate the wicked, to be gracious to the good, is the only way to protect My subjects, and to ensure thi has always been My most earnest and hearty ish. Do you'll, My elficers, whether high or low in grade, be upright in your dealings, and reverential in discharging the functions of your post tain no dow if you will but change your countenances and reform your heatts will grant you an opportunity for repentance and treat you on an ty with My loyal subjects. Whether you accept this chi or nut is your own affair; but be warned that, as for Me, I shall never repeat My words, mr Sentence of Death on Guilty Nobles, in deference to Censors and Public Opi List it be promulgated; That, on cor tai days past I have dealt out punishments to various criminals, and in so doing I have followed a lenient policy without many words about it, And from the opinions now offered by My Ceusora and the expressions used by My subjects, Iam enabled to judge of the patriotic and loyal feeling that exists among us, which even seditious rebels have been powerless to repress. Al! these wicked ones have been plotting against their country and falsely accusing it; they have been secretly attempting to shake it to its foundation; they have been congra-tularing each other on the misfortunes of their fatherland; they have availed themselves of the troubled times to turn parricides; their hearts are bad beyond endurance—the words they utter are abominable. Tniquitous as they are, they scious that their crimes outweigh even the death-penalty; wherefore I decree that the condemned ones Tsao Ping-chang, Tsao Yi-hsi, Li Hui-cheng, and Jun Ying-chun, be executed, Banishment of other Criminals, Finally, let it be promulgated: that Li Tung-ying is guilty of tresson and secret conspiracy; that Wu Hsia-yung is guilty of injuring the public welfare, and is notoriously wicked; that Yin Chou-hsitan is guilty of rejoicing at the troubles of his country, and conceiving dangerous plots; and that Chiang Fan-hsin is guilt teaching himself to the conspirators an reading false and injurious reports, Their 1 against the State is great, and has boon held in detestation for a long time by My loyal subject Let these men be tranaported to the island Shan Pei Tung, escape from which is dangerous, and suller confinement. Lot it be made manifest to all that We and they cannot live in the same country,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.