Part 24 (2/2)

”It would be a serious calamity and addition to our embarra.s.sments in China were you compelled to leave your work incomplete, and were a sudden dissolution or dispersion of the Chinese force to lead to the recurrence of that state of danger and anxiety from which, during the last two years, Shanghae has suffered.

”Her Majesty's Government cannot be expected to garrison Shanghae indefinitely, and tranquillity cannot be relied on until a civil administration suited to Chinese ideas and habits is firmly established in the province, and until the disorderly and brigand elements which form the force of the Taeping insurrection are either put down or so thoroughly repelled from its frontiers as to leave that unfortunate province in peace.

”To the force under your command we must look for that result, and to its efficiency and discipline your presence is indispensable. In a body so composed a state of inactivity is full of danger, and I approve your not awaiting the result of the inquiry into the Futai's proceedings at Soo-chow, _provided you take care that your efforts in favour of humanity are not in future defeated by the Chinese authorities_.[74] [4.]

”I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, ”FREDERIC W. A. BRUCE.

”Major Gordon, R.E., &c.”

[1.] Now, here we have the _condition_ upon which Sir F. Bruce agreed to Gordon's action. Let us see how the condition has been observed. If my readers will take the trouble to turn back to the preceding chapter, they will find that the capture of Hwa-soo and Wu-see (as corroborated by the letter dated ”April 28, 1864,” from one of Gordon's own officers) was followed with a complete violation of Sir F. Bruce's conditional ”acquiescence” by the wholesale ma.s.sacre of the unfortunate Ti-pings.

Furthermore, the following chapter will prove that at every city captured by Gordon and the Imperialists ”the rules of warfare as practised among foreign nations” were _not_ observed, nor even pretended to be fulfilled according to the terms of the condition upon which Gordon's action was approved: the princ.i.p.al cases referred to will be found to be the capture of Kar-sing-foo, Hwa-soo, Chang-chow-foo, and Nankin.

[2.] The preceding quotation from the _Hong-kong Daily Press_, and the description of Burgevine's hegira in Chapter XXII., sadly differ from Sir F. Bruce's ”pecuniary” and ”influence in favour of humanity”

theories formed at Pekin upon evidence supplied by Gordon himself.

Burgevine had actually _left_ Soo-chow before Gordon interfered.

[3.] Readers of this history will at once perceive the falseness of these statements, Major Gordon having, in fact, not only _prevented_ the ”pacification of the province of Kiang-soo” by the Ti-pings, but _made_ it ”the battle-field of insurrection” by his ”steadily pursued”

_invasions_ of the otherwise peaceful and settled Ti-ping territories.

As for the hypocritical cant about ”a service to true humanity,” &c., I need only refer to the narrative of the journey to Soo-chow by the sub-editor of the _Friend of China_; the travels of the silk-merchant through the _pacified_ country; the letters from two of Gordon's own officers, &c.

[4 and 1.] Combining the first and last paragraphs selected from the precious letter for review, we will briefly notice the facts proving in what manner Gordon fulfilled the proviso of Sir F. Bruce--”I approve your not awaiting the result of the inquiry into the Futai's proceedings at Soo-chow, PROVIDED you take care that _your efforts in favour of humanity_ are not in future defeated by the Chinese authorities.” In Chapter XXIII., the letter from one of Gordon's officers contains the following statement relative to the capture of the village of Hwa-soo, subsequent to the reconciliation between the official Manchoo murderer and the British bravo, and also subsequent to the establishment of the conditions by Sir F. Bruce's despatch:--”The slaughter among the rebels _after_ the capture of Hwa-soo was terrible.

Upwards of 9,000 were _taken prisoners_, and of _these_ it was estimated 6,000 were killed or drowned, princ.i.p.ally by the Imperialists.” Now, Gordon himself commanded on this occasion, but he did not ”take care”

that ”the rules of warfare as practised among foreign nations should be observed.” This distinct violation of the British Minister's conditional sanction is alone sufficient to ill.u.s.trate the fact that his _protege's_ conduct was contrary to his wish or intention, and, also, to withdraw his stipulated justification. Moreover, we shall find that, at every succeeding capture of a Ti-ping city the same barbarities were perpetrated, and the same indifference to his superior's instructions exhibited by Gordon, who stuck to his dear Imperialist friends with extraordinary devotion and tenacity, considering their sanguinary deeds and treacherous nature.

The _Shanghae Recorder_ (a paper supporting the policy of the British Government in China, and their very good Manchoo allies), in its issue of March 31, 1864, thus narrates the capture of Kar-sing-foo by the Imperialist General Ching and Major Baily, one of Gordon's subordinates:--”As we expected, the usual horrible and revolting cruelty was exercised, after the _surrender_ of Kar-sing-foo, by Ching's troops.

On entering the city they encountered no resistance, when the unfortunates (_all non-combatants_) found remaining were laden with loot, obliged to carry it out to the Imperial lines, and forthwith beheaded, as payment in full! Truly it is the cold-blooded butcheries which disgrace the Imperialist cause, and deaden every feeling except unmitigated disgust at their mode of warfare.” The city had been evacuated by the troops.

The _China Mail_ (describing the capture of the city of Chang-chow-foo) by Gordon's Anglo-Manchoo force and an army of his Imperial friends, in its issue of May 30, 1864, states:--”The two breaches were carried in a rush, and quarter was given _to only a few hundred men_ who had offered to surrender some weeks before.” The families of the garrison and the other inhabitants of this large city numbered many thousand; but all, excepting the ”few hundred men,” were cruelly butchered in cold blood during several days.

The _Times_, in its issue of September 28, 1864, in a leading article upon the fall of Nankin, states:--”What the cost of human life has been on this occasion we cannot yet calculate. It is plain that no mercy was extended, and although the treacherous deeds at Soo-chow must have acted as a warning to the European officers, the account of the European eye-witnesses makes it evident that the carnage was very great.”

According to my own private advices, the _Friend of China_ and other journals, the Ti-ping capital was evacuated; therefore, the unfortunates butchered by the Imperialists were, probably, the sick, wounded, and poor inhabitants who were unable to fly, or had not sufficient inducement to do so.

With regard to Gordon's ”influence in favour of humanity,” can any man of ordinary mind understand these results as philanthropical: viz., the slaughter of thousands in the field; the cold-blooded ma.s.sacre of thousands of helpless prisoners; and the death of even hundreds of thousands by starvation; the destruction of Christianity and free circulation of the Bible, as practised among the Ti-pings; and the re-establishment of Buddhism? Those who ascribe philanthropical motives to Gordon must entertain curious ideas as to the love of mankind, when they ill.u.s.trate it by ravaging Ti-pingdom with fire and sword!

Having now terminated the narrative of Gordon's reconciliation with the Futai, the next chapter will describe the subsequent events.

FOOTNOTES:

[60] This Order in Council was pa.s.sed on the 9th July, 1864. See ”Copy of all Ordinances relating to Neutrality in China,” issued in return to an address of the House of Commons, dated May 30, 1864. (Colonel Sykes'

motion.)

[61] Tien-chw.a.n.gs, colonels of regiments.

[62] Italics are by the Author.

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