The Protestant missionaries feeling that the Chinese government grievously misunderstood the aims of Christian missions, pointed a Committee consisting of the Revs, at their general Conference in 1890 ap-J. Allen, p.p., L1.D.; G. John, p.p.; Rt. Rev. Bishop Moule, Revs. W. Ashmore, p.p.; J. Wherrys H. Blodget, p.p.; and T. Richard to draw up a document for presentation to the Chinese government. It was to be a statement of Christianity—the Biristan chard i—showing that the mission-principles, aims and practices of the aries endeavoured to help China in every way they could, pointing out that there was a large amount of disgraceful literature circulating the most infamous slanders about: Christian missions in China, and that they believed thatthe circulation of this literature was fraught with the gravest dangers. work the anti-Christian riots Before the Committee had hooey ea yet their jad already begun, and the Foreign Ministers had to deal with general and very serious outbreaks. But when their efforts had proved ineffectual and the sudden outburst of fresh riots in Szechuan and the terrible massacre of Kucheng shocked the world again in 1895 it was felt that a briefer and a more immediately practical memorial was needed, consequently one was drawn up and signed by. twenty missionaries—mostly senior bishops or superintendents of the various missionary societies. The Committee with this extra support from the senior missionaries decided to present the shorter one as the memorial proper, and the longer one as a book or apologia' along with it which would deal with the same subject at greater length. In this shorter memorial the Chinese government was asked besides conferring with the missionaries in order to thoroughly understand their work to grant three things, viz 1 Chinese literature slandering Christian missions should be really suppressed everywhere.
2.—That real freedom be given to the mandarins as well as the common people to become Christians if they desire it.
'3.—That the local mandarins and gentry be instructed not to missionaries. any more with suspicion as having any motives to injure China but on the contrary to them as friends, as. thi Geaded nothing but the good of Chins
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.