No. 37.
Mr. Williams to Mr.
Fish
Legation of the United States, Peking,
July
26, 1871. (Received September 20.)
Sir: The translation of the petition from the
Chinese laborers in Peru to the American minister in Lima, which gave
occasion to the inclosed correspondence, was sent to the Department by Mr.
Low, and need not, therefore, be duplicated. When I transmitted the original
paper to Prince Kung, I endeavored to point out one mode open to him of at
least doing something to relieve the wrongs complained of by his countrymen
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in Peru, (inclosure A,) and in
addition I personally urged it upon the members of the Foreign Office as a
desirable step to show that the Emperor did not altogether ignore the
complaints of his people in foreign lands.
These officials, expressed their sympathy with their suffering countrymen,
regretted that they should have been inveigled into such a miserable, cruel,
servitude, and hoped that the evils would soon be mitigated, but they had no
vivid sense of their own responsibilities in the matter, and made no
inquiries as to the most desirable means of doing anything.
The answer, of Prince Kung is much in this sense, and is a confession of
entire inability to relieve the petitioners, (inclosure B,) though I think
he is disposed to aid them, if he could see his way clear to the manner, I
have sent copies of the two dispatches to the United States legation at
Lima, for the information of the Chinese there.
When all the circumstances are considered, I am not surprised at the prince’s
reply.
This government has now one representative abroad, and they are watching with
great solicitude the reception Chung-how meets in Europe, as well as France
in particular, and would not think of sending another envoy until his
return. They have no treaty with Peru, and it has not yet entered into their
international code to make the first proposals to negotiate with any nation.
This seems to them, therefore, to close the way to make even a remonstrance
to the Peruvian authorities, or to ask their good offices, on the ground of
humanity and self-interest, to protect the defenseless and the ignorant, and
uphold the rights of these unhappy and oppressed laborers who have been
brought to their shores. In urging this government to make a direct
application to our own in this behalf, I suggested a course which they could
adopt without risk of any entanglements, and involved only the wanting of a
letter to another power to request it to help them to do what they
acknowledged was a desirable thing, and which would show the world that they
had heard these complaints.
But none of these arguments moved the Peking official, whose secluded
position, and prejudices of education and etiquette prevent from learning
the true state of the world, and availing themselves of the opportunities
offered them.
The approaching majority of their young sovereign, involving, as it must, a
number of changes in the administration, may have had its influence in
deterring them from entering upon a new path like this, until they were sure
how it might be regarded.
At present they content themselves with crying non possumus
to every new proposal, and standing on their reserved rights;
though I do not regard this present effort as having been altogether in
vain.
I have, &c.,
A.
S. Wells Williams to Prince Kung
Legation of the United States,
Peking,
June 8, 1871.
Sir: In the month of June, 1869, the United
States minister, J. Ross Browne, sent to your imperial highness a
complaint which the Chinese living in Peru had presented to the United
States envoy residing at Lima, stating that they were very harshly
treated by their masters; to which your highness’s reply was received.
Mr. Henry M. Brent,
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the United
States chargé d’affaires at Lima, has now forwarded another complaint
presented to him by the Chinese laborers in Peru, setting forth their
grievances and harsh treatment, worse than before, and asking that he
would make their condition known to the Emperor, and see if an envoy
could be sent to live in Peru, or whether the American minister could
act as such and help them. It seems from the perusal of this petition,
as well as the last, that the condition of these laborers is very
lamentable. Far off in a distant land, they have met this suffering and
misery; they are like a bird in a cage, out of which there is no
escape.
The petition which they have sent I now submit for your highness perusal,
that you may devise measures for their deliverance and succor. If you
decide to agree to their request, and make the United States minister at
Lima the protector of the Chinese living in that land, it will be
necessary to make the proposal direct to the President; and if he is
willing to allow and instruct the American minister there to act in this
capacity for awhile, (if the Peruvian government is also willing to have
him do so.) then the arrangement can be effected. Hereafter, if China
and Peru should enter into negotiations, the stipulations of the treaty
could secure the welfare of the Chinese in that country. Just now it
would be advisable to instruct the high officers at Canton to proclaim
through all the districts and towns in Kwang-Chan prefecture, warning
the people not to engage themselves to go to Peru as laborers, so that
they may not fall into similar distress. I now inclose the original copy
of the complaint made by the Chinese laborers of their distressed
condition for your highness’s perusal.
I have the honor to be, sir, your highness’s obedient servant,
His Imperial Highness Prince Kung, &c., &c.
B.
Prince Kung to S. Wells Williams.
Tung-Chi, 10th year, 5th moon, 30th day,
(July 17, 1871.)
Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith sends
a reply.
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s dispatch
of the 8th ultimo, in which you inform me that Mr. Brent, the United
States charge d’affaires at Lima, had sent a second complaint, made to
him by the Chinese laborers in Peru, of the harsh treatment they
received there, and that you accordingly inclosed the original copy of
this paper for my examination, and to devise such measures for their
relief as might be possible. &c., &c.
In relation to this matter I may here refer to the former memorial from
the Chinese laborers in Peru, setting forth the cruel treatment of their
masters, which was made known to me by Mr. Ross Browne. I replied to him
at the time, requesting that he would write to the American minister in
Peru, asking him to kindly examine into the truth of these complaints,
and to devise some way of lending the sufferers a helping hand. It was
also ordered at the same time that no merchants of a non-treaty power
should be allowed to open an office for hiring laborers, and all natives
were prohibited from engaging themselves to such, or going to Macao for
that purpose. These regulations were communicated to all the foreign
ministers to transmit to their countrymen, so that all might know that
no laborers could be engaged or sent off from Macao. In May of last year
Mr. Low informed me that the American minister in Pern had represented
the hardships experienced by the Chinese laborers to the government at
Lima.
From these, as well as the dispatch from your excellency now before me,
it is manifest how much the miserable condition of the Chinese laborers
in Peru has moved the sympathies of the American officials there and
here. Judging from these documents, and the reports given in the
newspapers, it appears that in no country are these laborers treated
with so much cruelty as in Peru, and they are secretly and illegally
hired as coolies only in. Macao. It was plainly stated in the dispatch
sent to the foreign ministers in June, 1869, which they were requested
to make known to their countrymen that it was henceforth illegal to open
emigration offices in Macao, and no coolies could be shipped from there.
This was done in order to prevent Chinese subjects from being inveigled
into such evils in future. Though there is every probability that those
prohibitions were made known by the resident ministers to their consuls,
yet the Foreign Office has deemed it advisable to send a copy of the
dispatch now under reply to the governor general at Canton, that he may
make known to the people at large that they are not to go to Macao to
engage themselves as laborers; and if necessary, to reissue the rules
forbidding foreign merchants to open emigration offices there. He has
also been directed to confer with the consuls at Canton how to carry
these things into effect.
In regard to the best method to alleviate the sufferings of these Chinese
laborers, so that they may no longer he subjected to these troubles, I
am at present deliberating, and shall expect to avail myself of your
admirable suggestions in the matter.
