Now, with foreign troubles arising one after another, it all boils down to the strained relations between the common people and the missionaries. The Boxer Rebellion last summer and autumn shocked the palace, forcing the emperor to flee, something unprecedented in history.
We Chinese should feel deep sorrow over this, learn from the lessons, and avoid repeating the mistakes. We absolutely cannot, as we did before, act out of momentary anger and do things that harm national interests. Our department has visited various provinces, investigated many incidents involving missionaries, and found that as long as local officials can mediate with the missionaries at the very beginning, restrain the common people, strictly adhere to the treaties, and handle matters fairly and justly, the incidents can be immediately quelled. However, if they always procrastinate and fail to address issues in a timely manner, the missionaries will seek help from the consulate, leading to a stalemate between both sides, resulting in more disputes, which can drag on for years and ultimately cause a major disaster. By then, local officials will inevitably face punishment, and the common people will also suffer, resulting in a lose-lose situation.
Consider the incidents involving missionaries in various provinces over the years; has any of them benefited the country and the people or played a role in maintaining internal stability and warding off external threats? The treaty is about to be signed, and all unresolved incidents involving missionaries must be dealt with promptly. In the future, if conflicts arise between the common people and the missionaries, they must be resolved in a timely and proper manner to avoid a chain reaction that could affect the overall situation and lead to further chaos, thereby maintaining social harmony. Recently, the emperor has repeatedly issued orders requiring local officials and gentry to protect churches.
The treaty also stipulates that places where incidents involving missionaries have occurred must suspend both civil and military examinations, which must be approached with extra caution. “The current foreign troubles largely stem from the inability of the common people and missionaries to coexist peacefully. The Boxer Rebellion last summer and autumn shocked the palace, causing the emperor to flee, which is unprecedented in history.” “The treaty also includes a clause to suspend civil and military examinations in areas where incidents involving missionaries have occurred, which requires utmost caution in handling.”
Local officials must not be perfunctory as before; they need to promptly handle the educational cases. If any issues arise again, our department will report to the court based on the actual situation and enforce strict penalties without leniency. In addition to sending documents to the Disaster Relief Bureau and the Foreign Affairs Bureau to investigate the unresolved educational cases in various regions and urge for reporting and review, we must issue a joint order. Upon receiving the documents, your offices must immediately comply with the orders, notifying all regions to strictly adhere to the instructions outlined in the documents and handle matters properly. In the future, when conflicts arise among the congregation, strict guidelines should be implemented, with time limits for resolution, and records of commendations and reprimands should be maintained to encourage and discipline.
Our department suggests that each state and county can establish educational affairs offices, with local officials selecting gentlemen who are widely respected to be stationed there. In situations that require suppression, these gentlemen should be tasked with restraining their peers to prevent disturbances. If there are respected individuals among the clergy and congregation in China, it would be beneficial to invite them to the office to build rapport and prevent conflicts, making it easier to control the situation. When local officials handle matters and summon them for inquiries, it will have a clear direction. Previously, there were local militia and defense bureaus in various places, with gentlemen overseeing affairs, and the government responsible for assessing results; establishing offices can draw on this practice. However, the issues that the office is responsible for must be clearly defined and stated to be solely for mediating educational affairs, and must not interfere in other local affairs to avoid complications. Our department's intention is to pacify the congregation, and whether the situation in other places can be coordinated or if there are obstacles needs to be thoroughly investigated and verified.
Perhaps the offices can be established, but finding suitable gentlemen may be difficult, and we should not compromise on quality. In summary, effectiveness should be our benchmark. Your respective provincial offices must immediately notify all regions to take a comprehensive view based on the actual circumstances and then report.
The province should determine the regulations, ensure detailed execution, and absolutely must not treat it as a formality; this is very important! I emphasize this again.
