Some of us called at the American Consulate on the Fourth of July, to
pay our respects to the American Consul. One of the young men present
mentioned this incident: He saw from his window a Chinaman with a vase
of water on his head. He himself showed a reckless disregard of human
life, in proposing to try his pistol on the vase. The bullet grazed
the Chinaman’s heel. The young man was arrested, but the prosecution
was withdrawn, on the plaintiff’s representation that satisfaction
had been made. The satisfaction consisted in the proposition of the
Chinaman to settle for one dollar, which the young man willingly paid.
Whereupon another Chinaman came forward and offered to stand fire for
one dollar.--The outrage on the French Catholics at Tientsin, thirteen
of whom were murdered, was atoned for in part by the authorities,
by putting to death thirteen of their countrymen. Thirteen of the
assassins were not to be found, so the authorities hired men to take
their places, which they did for five hundred dollars each. The papers
of the day represented the volunteers as saying that by their death
they should earn money for their families, whom otherwise they should
leave in poverty. One needs to live among such people, if he would
understand the degradation to which heathenism can debase mankind so
far as to make them capable of such a deed. Robbery of the dwelling,
money from clothing laid aside at night, and articles of jewelry is of
constant occurrence.