The circular dispatch which below was sent by the Tsungli Yamen recently to all the Viceroys and Govern zo provinees, in obedience to us of the Eupress Dowager transmit Grand Council to the Mini ers of that Yamé "As the Italians have not had their ambitions gratified in respect to the cession of Sanmén Bay to them, it is apprehended that they may try to seek opportunity for 4 other portions of over the arbitrary and aggressive actions of the Frenchat Kuangchouwan where they are up disturbances in der to obtain further pretexts for demanding from the Imperiat Government, may lead to actual hostilities between China and France. It behoves us, therefore, to exer-the utmost vigilance and watchfulness to yuard ayainst sudden aggression, and to he always prepared to resist an enemy. Your Excellency is, therefore, urged to enjoin all this upon the Generals and Commanders of troops garrisoning important points within your jurisdiction, and not only this, but to be prepared nisse to xive aid t+ your brother Viceroys and Governors, whose territories adjoin your own, Tt has been an evil practice among the high provincial authorities to consider that the duty of any one of them lies only guarding safely the region lying within his own jurisdiction, ignoring the'erises that may he taking place in the next adjoining provinces, forgetting that his neighbours being overcome his turn for overthrow becomes a near possibility. This lack of union is hunentable, but it must not he continued from this date. This Yamen has received the special commands of Her Im-EEL. the Emperor, to. grant yeu fall erin Majesty the Empress Dowager, and
power and liberty to resist by force of arms all aggressions upon your several jurisdic tions, proclaiming a state of war, if necessary, without first asking for instructions from Peking; for this loss of time may he fatal to your security and enable the enemy tomake good his footing against your forces. Finally, Your Excellency will be held responsible for any repetition of indecision or too great trustfulness in. the declarations of an encroaching enemy, such as happened, for instance, to General Chang Kan-yua Shantung." (This General, it "may interest our readers to know, was in com-mahd-6f the Teingtao{forta when the German fleet seized Kisochou Bsy.)
Previous to the above Circular letter, namely, on the 2ist of November last, the Empress Dowager on her own initiative issued the following secret edict to her Viceroys, Governors, Tartar Generals and. Provincial Commanders-in-Chief, which has, however, only recently come to light and which we now also translate "Our Empire is now labour great difficulties which are becoming daily more serious. The various Powers cash uponns looks of tiger-like voracity, hustling each other in their endeavours to he the first to seize upon our innermost territories. They think that China, having neither money nor troops, would never venture to go to war with them. They fail to understand, however, that there are certain things which this Empire cun never consent to, and that, if hardly pressed upon, we have tio alternative but to rely upon the justice of our cause, the knowledge of which in our breasts strengthens our resolves and steels us to present a united front against our aggressors, No one can guarantee under such circumstances who will be the victor and who the conquered in the end. But there is an evil habit which has become almost a custom amongst our Viceroys and Governors which, however, must he eradicated at all costs, For instance, whenever these high officials have had on their hands cases of international dispute, all their actions seem to be guided by the' belief in their breasts that such cases would eventually be amicably. arranged.' These words seem never to be out of their thoughts; hence, when matters do come to u crisis, they, of course, find themselves utterly unprepared to resist any hostile aggressions on the part of the foreigner. We, indeed, consider this the most serious failure in the duty which the high provincial wuthorition owe of the Throne and we now tind it incumbent upon ourselves to censure such conduct in the most severe terms, "Te is our special command, therefore, that should any high officin! find himself so hard pressed by circumstances that nothing short of a war would settle matters, he ix expected to set himself resolutely to work out his duty to this and. Or, perhaps, it would be that war has already actually been declared; under such circumstances there is no possible chance of the Imperial Government consenting to an immediate conference for the restoration of peace. It behoves, therefore, that our Viceroys, Governors and—Commanders-in-Eh throughout the whole empire unite forces and act together without distinction or particularising of jurisdictions so xs to present a combined front to the enemy, exhorting and encouraging their officers and soldiers in person to fight for the preservation of their homes and native soil from the encroaching footsteps of the foreign aggressor, Never should the word Peace fall from the mouths of our high officials, nor should they even allow it to rest fora monont within their breasts, With such a country as ours, with her vast aren, stretching out several tens of thousands of li, her immense natural resources, und her hundreds of millions of inhabitants, if only each and all of you would prove his loyalty to his Emperor and love of country, what, indeed, is there to fear from any invader? Let no one think of making peace, but let ench strive to preserve from destruction and spoliation his ancestral home and graves from the ruthless hands of the invader. Let these our words be made known to exch and all within our domains."
Any one having the least experience and knowledge of things Chinese cannot deny that an Imperial decree like the above will stir up the patriotism of every Chinese who may read it; nor will it lose any free from the lips of the literato who may explain the contents to a crowd of the'great unlettered and unwashed standing around him in the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.