CHINA.


283


Mr. Corbett stopped while in the city of Chi-mi. Threats and imprecations
against
foreigners, native converts, and the Christian religion were heard on every
side, indi-
cating a popular feeling of hostiAity.
  Snch was the course of events in the district of Chi-mi during the month
of
December. Subsequent investigations proved that the hostility of the people
was
aroused and their passions inflamed by the accusations so long and so falsely
made
against foreign missionaries in China. Any falsehood that can be invented
to defame
the foreigner and render him hateful finds ready believers among the ignorant
mass of
Chinese; and there were not wanting in Chi-mi designing persons to thus fan
the
flame of excitement, when once it Nwas aroused. The old story of kidnapping
children
for mutilation was revived; but undoubtedly the hatred displayed against
Christian
preachers and converts was mainly due to the general belief in the truth
of such vile
and abominable charges as are made against the Christian religion in the
native
pamphlet known as the ,"Death-blow to corrupt doctrines." This
pamphlet, it appears,
was widely circulated throughout the district of Chi-mi some time ago by
influential
men among the literati, and many assert that its distribution was encouraged
by the
local officials themselves; it is certain at least that they did not attempt
to check it.
  In this affair the culpability of the district magistrate seemed unquestionable.
From
the 30th November, when the first disturbance occurred, he never attempted
to make
a single arrest, or administer the slightest punishment. This indifference
was readily
enough construed into sympathy with the rioters, and hence the latter were
embold-
ened to continue their lawlessness. In the mean time Mr. Corbett had not
neglected to
report the disturbance to the consular authority at Chefoo. Mr. Cornabd,
the United
States consular agent, first wrote to the customs Taotai, at Chefoo, on the
22d of
December, giving an account of the attack made upon Mr. Corbett at the Yuh-hwang
temple on the 17th of December, and the disorder it had occasioned in the
district, and
earnestly requesting the taotai to urge the magistrate of Chi-mi to apprehend
and pun-
ish the guilty.  The Taotai replied briefly, expressing his disbelief in
Mr. Corbett's
account, and stating that he would have the Chi-mi magistrate investigate
the matter
and report. A few days later Mr. Corbett arrived in Chefoo, and Mr. Cornab6
was
then enabled to furnish the taotai with fuller particulars, and with the
names of some
of the principal rioters.
   About this time the Taotai left Chefoo on a short visit to the provincial
capital, and
before leaving he sent a deputy official to Chi-mi to assist the magistrate
in his investi-
gation. During the taotai's absence Mr. Cornab6 repeatedly wrote to him,
giving fur-
ther details of the disturbance, as they came to hand, and earnestly desiring
him to:
send such instructions as would call forth honest exertions on the part of
the mag-
istrate.
   At length, on the 7th of February, the taotai replied in a long dispatch.
He had
 received the reports of the deputy and the magistrate, and they agreed in
representing
 that no such disturbance as Mr. Corbett complained of had occurred at Chi-mi.
The
 taotai, following the reports of his subordinates, positively denied that
Mr. Corbett had
 been attacked, and made a rambling statement, accusing a native Christian
of attempt-
 ung to kidnap a child, thus causing a disturbance at the Yuh-hwang temple;
and taking
 all this for granted, he considered that any disorder which might have existed
was
 brought about by the indiscretion of Mr. Corbett and the native converts,
hence he
 desired that Mr. Corbett should be admonished to avoid giving offense in
future. But
 the taotai betrayed his real feelings by urging that judicial proceedings
should be
 stayed, as the people of Chi-mi were now anxious to settle their differences
and live in
 peace with Mr. Corbett. Mr. Cornabd replied to this dispatch, refuting its
misrepre-
 sentations, and asking, once for all, that an impartial investigation should
be made, and
 that the principal rioters, whose names he had given, should be arrested
and punished.
 The taotai answered by simply saying that he would again send a deputy to
Chi-mi.
   It was evident that the taotai was bent upon shielding the fault of the
magistrate,
 and avoiding his unpleasant duty of redressing the wrongs of a foreigner,
as required
 by treaty.
   On the 7th of March, when navigation re-opened at this port, I received
from Mr.
 Cornabd a dispatch setting forth the occurrences related above, and informing
me that
 notwithstanding his repeated efforts be had been unable to obtain the least
satisfac-
 tion from the Taotai, or even the admission of any wrong in this matter,
and he there-
 fore requested instructionsifor his guidance. Impressed by the serious aspect
this case
 had now assumed, involving, as it did, the integrity of important treaty
stipulations,
 and fully believing that the future security of foreigners and native Christians
in the
 interior of Shantung was now at stake, and would be seriously affected for
better or
 worse by the manner of adjusting this difficulty, I determined to go myself
to Che foo,
 and endeavor to bring about a settlement with the Taotai.   With your approval
I
 therefore proceeded to Chefoo without delay, where I employed myself for
a few days
 after my arrival in collecting testimony from native Christians and others
who had
 come from Chi-mi; and this business having been completed, with the result
of fully
 substantiating Mr. Corbett's statements, I called upon the Taotai on the
24th of March.