James Burrill Angell

“ The most brilliant minister at Peking was Von Brandt, the German. He was the son of General Von Brandt, distinguished in the war of German Independence against Napoleon. He had served several years in Japan, and understood the Oriental mind thoroughly, and had the means of getting access to the secrets of the Chinese government. As the legations acted together on matters of common interest, he was of great service to us. His diplomatic career was terminated in a very romantic manner. He chose to marry a very accomplished American lady. ”

“ To my inquiry whether he had any reason to sup-pose the Chinese were ready to accede to his propositions, he replied that General Grant had, in his interviews with high Chinese officials, received the impression that they were ready to take some steps in that direction. He added then in his inimitable way, "I should not be surprised if the Chinese should be entirely willing. They may well say, 'You are asking us to abide by our own doctrines. We always told you that we did not wish to open so intimate intercourse with you western nations. ”

“ They called on me for help so much more rarely than some of the British missionaries called on Sir Thomas Wade that he once asked me jocosely if I would not trade missionaries with him.
Quite apart from any consideration of their religious activity, the influence our missionaries have exerted in preparing the way for the great change now going on in China can hardly be overestimated. A considerable number of the young men just sent to this country for education have received their training in the missionary schools. ”

“ Our local authorities have not always been so efficient in protecting Chinamen in our cities.
When Mr. Blaine was Secretary of State, a rumour reached him that the Chinese government was cherishing a plan to seize the Hawaiian Islands. He sent me a very spirited despatch, instructing me to call the attention of the Yamen to this report and warn them that our government would not permit such an act. No one in Peking attached any importance to the rumour. ”

“ The government had founded a college for the training of young Chinese to enter into the diplomatic service. The American missionary, Rev. Dr. Martin, was the President. During his temporary absence, Mr. Hart was put in charge. He asked me to visit the college from time to time and report to him what I found. The Professors were Europeans, who were teaching English, French, and Russian and branches of Western learning. They told me that the students were so afraid of being supposed to have any connection with foreigners, that they would not recognize them on the streets. ”

“ Two young men whose names afterwards became widely known were at that time in the German legation. One was Count Tattenbach, a member of a very old Bavarian family, who won distinction by representing his country in the Morocco troubles and also by being Governor of Alsace-Lorraine. The other was Baron Von Ketteler, whose bravery in attempting to leave Peking in the Boxer troubles caused his murder on the principal street of the city, at the spot now marked by an imposing monument erected by the Chinese government. ”

“ Holcomb, Secretary of Legation, and six naval officers, I went to call on the Viceroy Li Hung Chang, at his residence. He received us very cordially and frequently took occasion to express his friendship for the United States. He was very anxious to know why General Grant had not been nominated again in June. I mentioned three reasons, one of which was that there was a strong feeling against a third term. This he could not understand, repeatedly affirming that a man who had served twice was thereby better fitted for the place. ”

“ Each missionary station has furnished an illustration of the western learning they are coveting.
We spent a few days at Shanghai, awaiting the sailing of the French steamer Ira-wadi, for Europe. Dining one evening with Mr. Cameron, the manager of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, he mentioned two facts worth repeating. He said his Bank had loaned many thousand pounds to Chinese merchants without taking so much as a scrap of paper to show for it, and the Bank never lost a sixpence by them. ”

“ We received many hospitalities. Mr. Trescot had reached there before me and Mr. Swift resided there. Especially profitable were interviews with the Chinese Consul and with Mr. Low, who had long been our minister to China. Apparently there was a general feeling that the coming of Chinese labourers should be limited, but not absolutely for-bidden. One representative of the Labour Unions asked prohibition of immigration in order to protect American mechanics. I asked him if he could name one mechanic who had been crowded out of employment by the Chinese, and he confessed he could not. ”

“ Sir Thomas was a superior Chinese scholar. He wrote the text book which most students used in learning the language, and was fond of talking about the language. He said there is great difficulty in reducing the grammar to our categories. The Chinese do not seek classification of parts of speech but are content to follow precedent and usage. Exactness is attainable in the expression of thought in it, though its machinery for mode and tense is clumsy. ”

“ He talked frankly to me of some of their serious faults and of their antipathy to foreigners, and as if foreseeing what actually befell his own house in the Boxer troubles, said "None of us know how soon in some excitement our houses may all be in flames." ”

“ He comes to look at questions from the point of view of the people with whom he has long dwelt. It was charged that Sir Thomas often instinctively took the Chinaman's view of a controversy between England and China, and so failed to satisfy the British Foreign Office.
I have heard that once when President Grant was asked to appoint as our minis-ter at Peking a gentleman who had spent most of his life in China, he replied that he had but one objection, namely, that he did not wish to appoint a Chinaman. ”

“ April 9, I was confirmed as Minister and also as Chairman of the Commission for revising treaties with China. John F. Swift of California and William H. Trescot of South Carolina were appointed Commissioners.
On April 1, I had interesting interviews in Washington with Dr. Peter Parker, formerly medical missionary at Canton, and with George Bancroft, the historian. Both of them were opposed to unlimited immigration of the Chinese. Mr. Bancroft said he did not want to see the young men in Massachusetts towns forced to compete with the Chinese who had such low standards of living. ”

“ They had brought a full projet for a treaty, containing provisions that any restriction in immigration should apply to California alone, that artisans should not be excluded, that there should be no punishment for labourers coming in violation of the treaty, and allowing persons, not Americans, to import and employ Chinese labourers. ”

“ The controversy divided for a time the church in Europe and resulted in the condemnation of the Jesuits' position by two Popes and in a decree by the Chinese Emperor expelling missionaries from the land.
All missionaries who have prohibited those usages which we call ancestral worship have found that prohibition one of the gravest obstacles to the acceptance of the Christian faith. ”

“ The Viceroy and other high Chinese officials and the foreign Consuls were present. The Viceroy made very kind and complimentary remarks about Miss Howard. In my address I of course made proper recognition of his generous interest in the hospital. It has been of great service to sufferers. I was told that one man had brought his father in his arms two hundred miles to be operated on there.
In this connection I may say that in my residence in China I was much interested in the work of the Christian missionaries, both Roman Catholic and Protestant. ”

“ They consented to change that. As to their clause about penalties they said they only wished to guard against personal abuse and maltreatment. We agreed to guard against this. We thus paved the way for dove-tailing their first Article and ours together, and the work was done. It was agreed that Mr. Holcombe, the Secretary, should come the next day and with them arrange the texts.
Greatly relieved, we were about to leave, when Pao detained us. He said he wished to speak of one thing more. When the Chinese treaties with the Western Powers were made, they were one-sided. ”

“ One of the most serious embarrassments of the Commission was due to what must be considered an error of the State Department in appointing my colleagues Commissioners Plenipotentiary, instead of Envoys or Ministers Extraordinary. The former title was unknown to our naval officers and to European diplomats. ”

“ It will be understood that I held two Commissions, one as Minister Plenipotentiary and one as Commissioner to negotiate treaties. Therefore I had in hand the regular business of the Legation as well as work on the Treaties.
When we American Commissioners met to draft a paper to present to the Chinese Commissioner, there was a sharp difference of opinion between Mr. Swift on the one side and Mr. Trescot and myself on the other. Mr. Swift wished that we should demand the absolute prohibition of the immigration of labourers. Mr. ”

“ Monocacy " and " Ashuelot." We exchanged calls with Li and hurried on to Peking.
On the journey up the river I had an interesting conversation with Mr. Trescot, concerning an event in the Civil War. After this lapse of time, I think I may be allowed to report it. In the American Case for the Geneva Arbitration of the so-called Alabama Claims, I had read that the British government, through Lord Lyons, the British Minister at Washington, invited our government to sign the Declaration of Paris (of 1856) , and informed the Confederate government of this action. ”