Amongst the numerous officials waiting office in Wuchang there are, at the disposal of the Viceroy, no doubt, many men both able and honest, who might have been entrusted with the management of this case, had it been His Exceliency's intention to have it honestly dealt with; but deliberately selected one whose character as given above was written and published five years ago, and who has not improved since then, We can often judge of the Kind of work required from the nature of the tools employed, and it is a fact worth noting that, in cases where foreigners are concerned, Their Excellencies of Wuchang and of Nanking deliberately choose as their instruments the basest of the base,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.