Part 23 (1/2)
”_20th Dec._--The day being fine, we determined to have a look at the steamers _Feillong_ and _Sycee_. A smart walk to the Padi-cho gate brought us to the 'fifty-two arched bridge,' where we saw the heavy artillery just outside.
”We looked with regret upon those splendid 'peace-makers,' that _they_ should have been _loaned_ to the butcher of Soo-chow--that _they_ should be the property of the British Government--were thoughts upon which we need make no comment.
”Captain Baily in charge, and very creditably too! His hospitality is the last pleasant impression we had of Soo-chow, if we omit the feeling of relief we experienced when once outside of its walls on our way to Shanghae.
”_21st Dec._--On learning (to our surprise) that the _locale_ of the 'execution ground' was neither more nor less than the court-yard of the '_s.h.i.+ng-s-tah_,' 'twin paG.o.das,' where the unhappy rebels had paid with the forfeit of their lives for trusting in the word of honour of their unprincipled a.s.sailants, we determined on a trip thither. On our arrival, we examined several most ancient tablets of stone, whence we gathered that these paG.o.das were erected long anterior to the Ming dynasty (_i.e._ reign of Tai Ching, dynasty of Sung); but we will not detain our readers with antiquarian trifles. On entering the court-yard (about half an acre) we found the ground _soaked_ with HUMAN BLOOD! the creek forming its drain was still (after twenty days of slaughter) reddish with blood, as the officers of Dr. Macartney's force can testify. The ground for three feet deep stunk with blood (and the best blood of China); though the weather, except at noonday, did not favour the corruption of animal particles, Soo-chow being situated in lat. 31 23' 25”
N., and long. 120 25' E.; consequently of rather a warm climate even in winter.
”Our Chinese informants told us that 30,000 rebels had been led to these shambles, and executed. We had proofs enough to know that the number was enormous; we have it on authority of an European _eye-witness_ that this creek was so full of decapitated rebels that the Mandarins employed boatmen to clean it, by pus.h.i.+ng the bodies with boat-hooks outside of the city into the princ.i.p.al stream.
”We quitted the 'execution ground' (travellers will know it by the 'twin towers'), faint at these horrible proofs of _human_ butchery which had met our view, and overcome with emotion. Was it for _this_ that Englishmen fought? Was it for this that English guns had been loaned by the representatives of the British people? Was it for _this_ that the 'first nation of the world' and the two _Scotchmen_, Gordon and Dr. Macartney, had fought?
”Let the spirit of Robert Bruce forbid it! Let the n.o.ble sons of Scotia contemn it; and all Christendom, in the name of ...
liberty, protest against the unspeakable perfidy, the horrible treachery, and brutal butchery of Soo-chow!
”_22nd Dec._--Though the experiences of yesterday made us long to leave Soo-chow, we determined to visit the ruins of Mo-w.a.n.g's palace; though completely burned, it had evidently covered an immense area of several acres; huge bronzes half melted obstructed the pa.s.sage, and only a solitary drum stood sentinel at the entrance.
”It was with a melancholy satisfaction that we gazed at the wreck of his palace.
”Among so many traitors (his brother w.a.n.gs) he had been _true_ to his flag. He knew what Manchoo honour meant, and his death by the hands of Taeping traitors is his eulogium. If his spirit _can_ visit this world of ours, we must rejoice that the Manchoos have not profited (even in money) by his destruction.
”If the infamous barbarity of the Futai _can_ be excused; if his atrocious violation of justice and right can be pardoned; if there is any possible Jesuitical ground of justification for his immeasurable atrocities, it is this--he betrayed the betrayers of their own cause: he was a traitor to traitors, and has broken faith with the recreant w.a.n.gs.
”Depressed in spirit, we hurried from the ruins of Mo-w.a.n.g's palace to our boat, and instantly gave orders to our crew to get under weigh for Shanghae.
”Hardly had we quitted the gate, when a letter was placed in our hands by a trusty agent from Chung-w.a.n.g, dated Kia-ching-foo; what were our feelings in perusing it and finding these words:--'You foreigners are like the Manchoos; you have no honour! you have deceived us!' We, as a foreigner, felt all the bitterness herein contained. We, a personal friend of his, blushed for our nationality in being compared to perfidious Manchoos!
”We candidly avow it, if we thought that the sword was really stronger than the pen, we would have girded it on, and be one more 'witness' to the glorious cause of liberty! We should like to prove to the Taepings that European nations are not _all_ unprincipled liars, devoid of every virtue recognised by men, and that sacred volume which teaches a morality of which one would think they were ignorant. So much for our trip to Soo-choo and back.
”S. E. F. O. C.”
The dreadful Soo-chow tragedy may be considered the terminating point of that unrighteous period of British policy commencing with the organization of the Anglo-Manchoo flotilla; the hiring out of Major Gordon and other officers; and the making of those infamous Orders in Council authorizing military and naval support of the Manchoo, while it has since been declared that an ordinance of neutrality was in force all the time! That the terrible result of their policy would have so far influenced the supposed Christian and civilized principles of those members of Lord Palmerston's Government who originated it, as to make them admit their mistake with worthy humility, and seek to rectify the wrong already done by an essay towards the much easier path of right, is very doubtful. However, the spirit of Englishmen could no longer be restrained, and the Government were driven to rescind their former Orders in Council (placing the forces of England at the evil disposal of the Manchoo) by the unanimous voice of the Parliamentary representatives of the people.
Englishmen may thus flatter themselves that they have repudiated the atrocities which they had occasioned; but the very fact that their mistaken policy entirely caused such deplorable results, makes them morally responsible for the same. Still the national complicity _may_ be glossed over. The partic.i.p.ation of the agents on the spot, and especially the princ.i.p.al, Gordon, cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be excused.
If Major Gordon had resigned his employment in the service of the local servant of the Manchoo Government, he might, by thus immediately forsaking his brother generals when he became involved in their deeds of blood and treachery, have saved his honour from suspicion and his name from everlasting infamy. If he had possessed the least particle of self-respect, humanity, or Christian feeling, he could not possibly have followed any other course. Incredible as the fact must ever seem to right-minded Englishmen, Major Gordon, after craftily pa.s.sing two months at Quin-san, still in command of the Anglo-Manchoo contingent, and still receiving his pay from his employer, resumed active service with those sanguinary monsters and consummate betrayers, General Ching and the Futai Le.
Men judge by actions, but despise words. Gordon has _said_ that his disgust was something stupendous at the revolting barbarities perpetrated by his friends; yet the sentiment did not make him refuse their pay, neither did it prevent his return to partic.i.p.ate in fresh atrocities within two months, nor shock him sufficiently to stay his early reconciliation with the blood-stained wretches who had smeared him with the same unfading and polluting mark. Of course, before returning to active service, the British officer induced his Manchoo master to indite a cunningly worded Chinese despatch, setting forth that he was not actually concerned in the ma.s.sacre of the confiding Soo-chow victims. Naturally enough, to retain the services of Major Gordon (and the consequent a.s.sistance of the British Government), without which they would still have been powerless before the Ti-pings, the Manchoos, through Futai Le, verbosely declared all that was required. Shortly afterwards, besides resuming his employment, the major responded by writing an official letter, in which he forgot his former disgust, and had the singular audacity not only to exonerate the Futai from blame for his unparalleled atrocities, but to request Sir F. Bruce not to make any further complaint about the same[71]--events that had seriously stained the honour of Great Britain, and which only the most prompt and unqualified repudiation, together with entire cessation of further countenance and help to the Manchoo, could either erase from her scutcheon, or clear her policy from the imputation of complicity.
Unfortunately for the reputation of Major Gordon, since his elevation to the position of General of Futai Le's Anglo mercenaries, he had been too much accustomed to intrigue and encouragement of treachery to have felt a proper indignation at the Soo-chow affair; and it is possible he might have had some knowledge of the planned perfidy before it was put into execution, and so was not sufficiently horrified to throw up his 1,200 taels (400) per month. Gordon's behaviour in the treachery of the Burgevine-Ti-ping legion is one specimen, and a very strong one too, of the conduct referred to. He induced the Europeans who went over to him to desert the Ti-ping cause by his promises of office, bribes, and safe conduct to Shanghae for such as were tired of fighting. Some mistaken individuals have ascribed this proceeding to the humane disposition of the man who condoned the ruthless ma.s.sacre of his paroled prisoners, who a.s.sisted as a princ.i.p.al agent in the vast destruction of life and desolation of country during the unjustifiable British hostilities against the Ti-pings, and who never put himself to the trouble of saving the lives of those he a.s.sisted to vanquish. It must be a rather lax code of military honour which could reflect any _credit_ on Gordon for rewarding many of the traitors (mostly low American rowdies), by bestowing upon them various commands in his own force; and he--supposed to be an English officer and gentleman--with open arms receiving them as his messmates and brother officers: even less creditable is the fact that he obtained pecuniary reward for those whom he did not make his _friends_.
The letter written to Sir F. Bruce by Gordon as a justification for his fresh alliance with the Futai Le, appears in the Parliamentary Papers, as noticed by the foot-note on the preceding page. This doc.u.ment is so important, as showing the character of Gordon's connection with the Imperialists, that I quote it in full, and then subject it to a close a.n.a.lysis.
”INCLOSURE 1 in No. 9.
”_Major Gordon, R.E., to Sir F. Bruce._ ”Soo-chow, February 6, 1864.
”My dear Sir Frederick Bruce,--
Par. 1.--”_In consequence of the danger which will arise by my delaying inaction with the force any longer in a state of uncertainty, I have arranged with the Footae_ to issue a proclamation (which he will send to you), clearing me of any partic.i.p.ation in the late execution of the w.a.n.gs, and have determined to act immediately.”
Par. 2.--”The reasons which actuate me are as follows:--_I know of a certainty that Burgevine meditates a return to the rebels; that there are upwards of 300 Europeans ready to join them, of no character; and that the Footae will not accept another British officer if I leave the service_, and therefore the Government may have some foreigner put in, or else the force put under men of Ward's and Burgevine's stamp, of whose action at times we should never feel certain.”