“If this were the fact, it would be no justification.  Others are under an error equally grievous, that the Chinese Government has given reasonable redress.  It has given no proper redress at all.  Instead of reprobating the massacre, it has almost, and doubtless to the ideas of the Chinese, fully sanctioned it.  The leaders in the massacre have not been brought to justice.  The Government has readily given life for life—­a very easy matter in China—­but it has so highly rewarded the families of the victims thus sacrificed to placate the barbarians, and put so much honor on the corpses of these martyrs to foreign demands, that it has encouraged similar atrocities whenever a suitable time shall arrive for their perpetration.  The Imperial proclamation stating even this unsatisfactory redress, which the Government solemnly promised should be published throughout the land, has not been published except in a few instances where foreigners have compelled it.  The massacre at Tientsin is known throughout the empire, but it is not known generally that any redress at all has been given.

“Instead of the publication of this proclamation the vilest calumnies—­too vile to be even mentioned in Christian ears—­have been circulated secretly, but widely throughout the land.  Throughout the coast provinces of this southern half of the empire the people have been warned of a grand poisoning scheme gotten up by foreigners for the destruction of the Chinese.

“Because the foreign residents in China report the truth in regard to the feeling of hatred to foreigners, and warn the nations of the West of the coming war and designed extirpation of all foreigners, for which China is assuredly preparing with all its might, we are charged as being desirous of bringing on war.  We know that the Church will not impute such motives to her missionaries.  But the testimony of missionaries agrees in this respect with that of other foreign residents.  We see the evidence, as we walk the streets, in the countenances and demeanor of the literati and officials, and somewhat in the countenances and demeanor of the masses.

“We see it in the changed policy of the local magistrates toward the Christians; we learn it from rumors which are circulated from time to time among the people; we see it in the activity manifested in forming a proper navy and in preparing the army.

“We learn it from the secret communications, some of which have reached the light, passing to and fro between the Imperial Government and the higher local authorities, and we fear that we have another proof in the barbarous treatment of a shipwrecked crew some two weeks ago along the coast a little to the north of Amoy.

“A British mercantile steamer ran ashore in a fog.  She was unarmed.  The natives soon gathered in force and attacked the vessel.  The people on board attempted to escape in their boats.  These boats were afterwards attacked by a large fleet of fishing-boats and separated.