I. Blue JJoo/i, pp. 2i3-2i

RAISONS DE I.ORD ELGIN 38f)

siibjfcls illegally caplured, who had died i'rom tlie ellects olthcir ill-treatment in prison, and the penalty which had been inflicted for the deed; but this proposai I finally abandoned for reasons which I bave explained elsewhere.

As the destruction of Yuen-ming-yuen is, however, an act to Avbicb exception may, with great apparent reason, be taken, it is my duty before closing this despatch to saya few words respecting the only modes of inflicting a spécifie punishment for the crime in question which, limited as were my means of action for the reasons abovc stated, 1 could hâve adopted as substitutes for that measure.

I might, perhaps, hâve demanded a large sum of money, not as compensation for the sufferers, butas a penalty inflicted on tho Chinese Government. But, independently of the objection in principle to making a high crime of this nature a mère money question, I hold on this point the opinion which is, I believe, entertained by ail persons, without exception, Avho liave investigated the subject, that, in the présent disorganized state of the Chinese Government, to obtain large pecuniary indemnitiesfrom it is simply impossible, and that ail that can be donc practically in the matter is. to appropriate such a portion of the Customs' revenue as will still leave to it a sulTicient interest in that revenue to induce it to allow the natives to continue to trade with foreigners. It is calculated that it will be necessary to take ko per cent, of the gross Customs' revenue of China for about four years in order to procure paymentofthe indemnitiesalready clalrned by Baron Gros and me, under instructions from your Lordship and the French Government.

Embarrassing cjuestions respecting the occupation of Chinese territory are involved in this arrangement, and I do not think that it would be advisable to bind the Chinese Government by engagements which Avould cause the term of liquidation of the indemnities to be indefmitely extended.

Or, I might bave required that the persons guilty of cruelly to our countrymen, or of the violation of a flag of truce, should be surrendered. But if I had made this demand in gênerai terms, some misérable subordinales Avould, probahly, bave been given up, whom it would bave been difficult to pardon, and impossible to punish. And if I had specified Sang-Ko-lin-sin, of whose guilt in violating a flag of truce évidence sulTicient to ensure bis condemnation by a court-martial could be furnished, I should bave made a demand which, it may be confidently affirmed, the Chi-

8r)0 DKSTRL'CTION Dt; PALAIS d'i^TK

nesc GovernciiKMil wonid not havc conccdcd, and mine conid not liave cnforcod. 1 niusl add lliat, tlirowina; tlic responsaljilitv (or llic acls of Government in ihis wa\ on individuals resemblcs toc closely the Chinese mode of conducling uar (o approve ilself altogellier to m\ judïment. Ilaving, llicrcibre, lo Ihe besl of mv judgment, oxainincd llie question in ail its bcarings, I came to tho conclusion tlial llie destruction oT^ ucn-minii;- \ncn was ihe least objectionable of tlie spveral courses open to me, ludess I could liave reconciled il lo mv scnse of duty to sidTer tbc crime wlilcb bad been commilled to pass praclicallv tmavengcd. I bad reason, morcover, to bclieve tbat it was an act wbicli Avas calculated to produce a grcater effecl in Cliina, and on tbe Emperor, iban persons wbo look on from a distance mav suppose.

Il was tbe Emperors favouritc résidence, and ils destruction could not fail to be a blow lo bis pride as well as to bis feelings. To tliis place, as appears from tbe dépositions of tbe Sikb troopers, copies of wbicb werc inclosed in despatcb to vour Lordsbip oftbe i.Stli ol October. be brougbt our bapless countrvmen in ordor tbal tiiev mi^bt undcr";o tbeir scverest tortures witbin its precincts. Herc hâve been found tbe horses and accoutrements of tbe troopers seized, tbc décorations torn from the breast of a gallant Frencb oflicer, and otber elfects belonging to tbc prisoners. \s almost ail tbe vabiables bad aireadv been laken from tbc palace, tbc armv woidd go tbere, not to pillage, but lo mark, bv a solemn act of rétribution, tbe borror and indignation witb wbicb we were inspired bv tbe perpétration of a great crime. Tbe punisbment was one wbicb would fall, not on tbc people, wbo mav be comparativelv innocent, but exclusivelv on tbe Emperor, wbose direct personal responsaliilitv for tbe crime commilted is establisbed, not onlv bv tbe treatment oftbe prisoners at\uen-ming-yucn, but also bv tbe Edict inclosed in mv despatcb of the 23nd October, in Avbich be olTers a pecuniarv reward for the heads oftbe foreigners, adding, tbat be is readv to expend ail bis treasure in thèse wages of assassination.

Je me permets de rappeler ici quelques lignes que j'écrivais lors des événements de 1 900 : « Parmi les mesures que les consuls de T'ien-tsin conseillaient de prendre, se trouvait celle de détruire les tombes impériales. Chose curieuse, le seul opposant fut le consul d'Angleterre; son scrupule est

INCENDIE DU WAN-CHEOU-CHAN So I

d'autant plus remarquable que ce sont ses compatriotes qui, jadis, en 18G0, incendièrent le Wan-cheou-chan dont les ruines grandioses attirent les touristes aux environs de Pe- King. Je me permets d'être de l'avis du consul d'Angleterre. Certes, la destruction des tombes impériales serait un juste châtiment des forfaits de la dynastie mandchoue, étant donné le culte dont les ancêtres sont l'objet en Chine. Mais je suis de ceux qui pensent que l'on ne doit pas punir les crimes du présent en détruisant les souvenirs du passé. L'histoire attache à son pilori le nom des grands massacreurs d'hommes et des grands destructeurs de monuments. Ne souhaitons pas de figurer parmi eux. En 1860, l'incendie du Wan-cheou-chan, par ordre de lord Elgin, et le pillage du Youen-Ming-Youen par les Français, restés vivaces dans la mémoire des Chinois, sont, quelque excuse qu'on en puisse donner, de tristes actes qui ternissent l'éclat d'une campagne' ».

INCENDIE DU AVAN-CHEOU-CnAN, l8 pCTOBRE

Le jeudi, 18 octobre, l'œuvre des incendiaires commença; le feu continua le 19 ; une fumée noire formait au-dessus des flammes un nuage qui flottait vers la capitale, frappant de terreur le prince Koung ; ce dernier, épouvanté, craignant d'être choisi par les Alliés comme victime expiatoire des crimes de son frère Hien-Foung, songeait à fuir ; s'il avait pu mettre son projet à exécution, nous étions condamnés, faute de négociateur autorisé, à faire une campagne d'hiver.

« Le 18 octobre, écrit Wolseley'^, la première divisioa, sous le commandement du major-général sir John Michel,