(See Instructions to Chinese Legations).
The present crisis in China has been caused by a succession of cunningly arranged plans, by which all corrupt influences, "or fanatical and ignorant elements, have been availed of everywhere, such a manner that the various Foreign Ministers, until too late, would not credit the perfidy of the Manchu government to which they were accredited. As our various Home Governments are so widely separated from us their nationals, and from the actual stage on which the events have passed, we desire to give, with absolute correctness, the events in their chronological order, and to speak in some detail on the question, for the special information of the Home Governments.
In the first place, there sprang up in the provinces of Chihli_and Shantung a number of loafers and riffraff, who directly encouraged by Imperial Edicts and oficial patronage, banded themselves together as "Volunteer Union Trainbands," with the optional title "Volanteer Union Fists," and by means of children, hypnotized by Buddhist monks, imposed on the fears and superstitions of the masses. So anxious had the Manchu Government become to turn the nation into a large armed camp, to overthrow the foreigners, that certain devilish magic, with invocations and incantations, was used to turn the people's heads, yet the local authorities, under instructions from headquarters, were obliged to ignore the movement. So that by the 8th moon (September 1899), s Governor of a province gave the Boxers the advice, to Ioot, burn and plauder foreign property as much as you like, but do not take life." Again and again the attention of the Peking authorities and Government was called to the abominable outrages committed by their specially patronised Volunteers, but not only withest redress, as even the Governor of Shantung referred to, Yii Hsien, was not degraded, but actually promoted to a higher post in another province.
On the 3ist December, 1899, these "loyal supporters," as the Empress-Dowager loved to term them (who, had been called into existence by her Own royal she having been so advised by and Prince Tuan), murdered in cold blood the Rev, Mr. Brooks. Yet still in April, 1900, these loyal followers were again highly commended, but waraed in kindly and affectionate terms not to admit traitors, or bad characters into their societies. So blinded had the Manchu Government become with their uwn corruption, and indignation at the demand for reform, that the full Majesty of the usurped Throne had to be given to societies that, according; to the laws of the land were criminal an forbidden, having been suppressed by the Emperor Kia Ching in 1809, All was going well for the success of the cause of Har-many" (which the Empress Dowager had in her confidential instructions ordered to be secret) when some of the rasher spirits of the movement, unable to retrain themselves until the appointed date in the 9th moon, started in May, and on the 2nd of June murdered the Revs. Norman and Robinson. The machinery was set in motion too soon. The loyal promoters of the movement had intended to effect in the autumn a general expulsion of the foreigners, in imitation of the precedent sot by the resurrected society in 1747 during the reign of Kien Lung and under hig ata The protests of the Foreign Ministers met with Royal assertions of the loyalty of the The Ch'nan. The Boxers advanced to Peking to meet a royal welcome. Hearing of the approach of this rabble, the Foreign Ministers requested permission to bring up small guards for the various Legations, and only after repeated insist tence did the authorities reluctantly grant it. By this time the wild beasts, having tasted the pleasures of looting and murder. ing native Christians, cut down the Chancellor of the Japanese Legation, As the Legations were now menaced by soldiers who were under the command of Boxer officers, the Foreign Ministers urgently asked their Admirals at Taku to send up a relief column. This column started, announcing their object not to be war with Chins, but the rescue of their nationals from the howling mob called into existence by the Peking Government. On the loth of June the supreme command of the Boxers was given to Prince Tuan and officially announced la the Peking Gazette." Guns were trained on the Foreign Lo, tions. To cover the return of Admiral Seymour's relief column, it was necessary that the Taku forts should not be used against them, so when it was observed that in obedience to Peking's orders, native troops were being hastily thrown into them and every preparation made for offensive action, the allied Admirals gave notice that they must be evacuated, or they would be forcibly occupied at 2 o'clock on the 7th. One hour before the expiry c* that time, the forts opened fire on the allied fleet, and in Seorerasace were taken. As the Chinese Navy had the good sense not to oppose what they knew was being done the Foreign Powers in the best interests their country, they were eventually allowed to proceed to the Yangtze. In the meantime, while against overpowering hordes 'Seymour was gallantly pressing' on in his brave but impossible task to relieve Peking, the Manchu Government there was issuing Edicts to all the Viceroys to exert themselves to the utmost to expel the foreigners, and on the 2ist June they were instructed to assemble their fleet and drive the foreign war-vessels from the Yangtze. On the same date, in an Imperial Decree, it was announced that the Supreme chiefs of tha Ihe Ch'uan were Prince Tuan and Kang Yi. On the 24th the Foreign Ministers were ordered to lexvo Peking within 24 hours, and at the same time a bombardment of the Legations was commenced. Even Sir Robert Hart, a Beitisher, for forty years in the employ of the Mancha Government, had had to seek refuge in the British Legation, from which any attempt was made to seek safety in ho dispatched a despairing message. If the Sacred Precincts," it was either to drag out those who were able, if they chose, to check the danger, or else to obtain shelter for the foreigners, in those palaces which were now protected by Boxer altars, We now learn from the wonderful document that has come forth from Peking, that after this the troops nud rabble were allowed a free hand, it having already come tothe cars of the Manchu officials that Seymour, five days before (on the 19: had been obliged to turn back, overlade with sick and wounded who could not be loft to the savagery of a ruffianly uncivil lised horde, such as those now in the employ of the Manchu Government, Having learnt that there was no immediate relief for those pent up in the Legations, these Manchu barbarians gave the reins to the yelling hordes, and a series of massacres and pillaging followed.
At these successes the mob all over the North fore gathered, and as, it must be noted, the Government had again and again extended n protesting hand to the Lhe Chuan, and reprimanded and forbidden those who fought them to do so again, it followed that not an attempt was made to protect the Legations, The Ministers were invited.to attend the Tsungli Yamin and as the German Minister passed through the Guard of Honour" he was shot down, but with admirable valour the faithful German guard now sallied forth and burnt the Yamen to the ground, War had been commenced by the murder of the Japanese Chancellor, and the Manchu Government rushed into war, confidently led by Prince nan who was' sure of expelling ths foreigner from the land, and longed for a '*foreigner's skin to use as his bedquilt."
Now, however, the remonstrances of the Southern Viceroys and Governors began to bring home to the bloodstained, guilty Manchu Government, the seriousness of the course they had headlong plunged into. They leant that the forces of the whole civilised world, representing a population twice greater than that of China, and armed with the most modern armament, military skill, and also with just cause, were preparing for battle. In their sudden fears, they heard approaching from all corners of the Earth, the measured tram of mighty legions, shortly' to close in ant carry out righteous judgment on a Government, whose whole career has been iniquiry. Like cowardly curs they now slunk off, to. emerge from their kennels with a whining appeal for gentle treatment.
The Mancha Government appearing before the Foreign Powers as an Injure Innocent, adds insult to violent injury. For audacious outrage on all right feelings, it can only be likened to the Devil coming forth in the robes of the Angel of Light. The Imperial Edict of the 29h of June, conveying instructions to all Chinese tions abroad, is @ diabolically clever document. It illustrates once more the utter hopelessness of ever succeeding by
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.