To the Editor of the "Norra-Catsa Day New:
Sin,—As your acting Wuchang correspondent, I have already sent you a communication concerning the men who were beheaded in Wuchang. Ihave been fully gathering facts for a further communication to show that these men were members of a alled the Hung Huei "the Red Lamp Light -whose one object is, by the of the officials and the burning of Hankow, to cause an anti-dynastic ris ing. Judge then of my surprise when I find myself anticipated by the most armist telegram in your issue of August 2th, which tells of a " reign of terror" in ug, and accuses the Viceroy of heading members of the Reform party. Who the author of this tele is I have failed to discover. It may be that he is the same individual who wired to Sh: hai about a month ago that the Viceroy could not protect us for more than ten days longer. The fact that we are still in perfect safety has proved the sincerity of the Viceroy when he denied the truth of that telegram. Equally false was the telegraphic message that the breech-blocks of certain guns here had been thrown into the river; and if Iam not exceeding the bounds of parliamentary language, equally false is the news in this latest "reign of terror" telegram.
In the first place, no "reign of terror" has commenced in Wuchang. The chief terror here is that the members of the "Red Lamp Light Society" who are still at Large shall prove to have sufficient power to carry out their plans. The executions have caused no terror, but have called forth universal expressions of gratitude that the Viceroy has acted with such wisdom in this matter.
The "reign of terror" did not "commence in Wuchang" nor were the arrests made "there." The arrests. were made by the Hsiak'out'ing in Hankow. arrests hare been made here. The would have been dealt with in Han! but for the fact that the Hsialvout'ing yamen was partially involved in the great fre and was not a safe place for detaining prisoners, 4
It is difficult to understand why your correspondent in his "later advices" gave the number of executions as "two." The facts are that two were summarily decapi tated in Hankow outside the Hsiak'outing yamen. Then, after a trial in Wuchang—not, by the way, conducted by the Viceroy, but by the Hsiet'ai with other judges—cleven were executed in Wuchang, as I have nientioned in my previous munication, and six in Hankow.—You correspondent missed a fine chance to create alarm when he telegraphed " two" instead of "nineteen Your telegraphic correspondent says that these men are members of the "Reform Party." I presume he means the success sors of the martyrs of Peking. What evidence can he furnish In their examination before the authorities they boldly announced their object to be anti-dyne Is your correspondent aware that a supply of arms and ammunition has been found in their meeting-place What have real " Reformers" to do with these weapons an your correspondent. produce one single fact on his side With a final flourish your correspondent says that this "sanguinary step will not tend to the future peace of the Yangtze. Does he know that the authorities that it was members of this same who made an attempt to fire the Kiukianjs concession Or that. these same men are held to be responsible for the recent "sanguinary" proceedings at Tatung Is he sufficiently acquainted with what 4s going on in the city of Wuchang to know that we have never had greater quiet than we have had since the authorities have dealt with this Secret Society The fact is, Sir, that this step i no sense san-guitars," and if your correspondent had not been looking' for facts to support. his, own fears, he would never have taken the trouble to characterise the execution of two" (for he did not know of the other seventeen) Chinese criminals as sanguine ary," or connected such an event with the question of " the future peace of the Yang-tae."
May Ladd one word about the heading that you have affixed to the item of news 7 You have unconsciously done "H.E, Chang grievous injustice. The Viceroy is doing all that can be done for our safety. There is not the slightest evidence in his daily acts that he has become a reactionary. Genuine reformers, moh who want to change the existing corruption by lo timate means, have much cneouragement from H.E. Chang as it i8 possible for them to desir conclusion, may 1 point out how cruel it is to our friends—chielly Indies and childven—who are. separated from us to insert. such telegrams as these. Lotters that have reached us show that the news that you have published has already created "a "reign of terror" amongst those in Shanghai and the effect will be the same when the news gets to Japan and England. And may Lask when ther it is not possible for you to give, in every ease of communication from the Yangtze ports at this time, the name of your informant? Communications from Some of those here would be received us reliable by our friends; communications sent by certain others in Hankow would at once be discounted as largely as they need to be.
Tam, ete., Groner A. Cuaxtos.
Wesleyan Mission, Wuchang, 20th August.
To the Editor of the "Norta-Caiva Dairy News Sin,—The indignation of the foreign community in Wuchang has been deeply roused by the communication in your tele-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.