THE MASSACRE AT TIENTSIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 727, 15 September 1870, Page 4

THE MASSACRE AT TIENTSIN.

[shanghai courier, june 27;] Very serious news has reached us to-day by the Dragon. The Chinese have risen against the French. An official despatch, the very brevity of which is a significant commentary on its contents, says that the French Consulate, the residence of the Sisters of Mercy, and the French Cathedral were burning aft die time the despatch was being written. The French consul, Mpns. Fontanier, all the Sisters of Mercy, and several other Frenchmen (missionaries) had been murdered. The steamer Appin and Manchu were detained, well armed, to afford some protection to foreigners. Mr, Lay, H.B.Ms. vice-consul^ was collecting all the foreigners together.

In addition to the aboye official information, there is a rumor that Count Rochechouart, the French Minister, and some Russians had been killed at Pekin. Immediately on the receipt of this news, H.M.S. Dwarf got up steam, and Mr Medhurst, H.B.M. consul, considerately issued a circular, giving those who have connection in the North an opportunity of writing by her. . She' left at 4 p.m. Meanwhile some degree of protection would have been afforded to the foreigners at Tientsin by H.M. gunboat Opossum, which started for Tientsin immediately that the Dragon arrived there (?) on the night of the 23rd inst. The French gunboat Flamme leaves to-morrow morning, and Messrs Russell and Co. have placed the S.S.N.S. Shantung at the disposal of the French authorities ais a transport. In view of the departure of the Dwarf, leaving the foreign community here without British protection, Sir, Ed. Hornby, as the last commandant of the Shanghai Voluntebrs,' has issued a circular calling on all resident members of the corps to

hold themselves in readiness should their services be required. Meanwhile we have the protection of the French gunboats Aspic aud Scorpion, and the Zebra has been sent from Nagasaki Xo explanation is given of the cause or origin of these dreadful occurrences.

The following is from the Courier's own correspondent of the 4th July : — Tientsin-, June 22, 1870. The account given iv the Evenwig Courier of June 16, of proceedings at Nankin, would be an accurate description of the prelimina7y pare of onr troubles here connected with missionary matters. The same story of kidnapping children, of the missionary purchasing them, aud taking out: there eyes for medcine, &c, the same knowledge of the authorities of what was going on, the same (apparent) indifference on their part to the probable consequence, were consciously displayed here for some time before the massacre. Threatenings of this kind had become so frequent, that to a certaiii extent they came to be treated like the cry of " Wolf ! wolf !" in the fable, so that when the sad reality did come no one was prepared. The first iutir mation we had of trouble to our friends in the city was the sight of fire which proved to be caused by the burning of the French Cathedral and Consulate adjoining, and the premises of the Sisters of Mercy some half-mile nearer the foreign settlement. Almost immediately after news reached us of the murder Of three foreigners ; and a little later we heard of the terrible deaths of no less than 15 to 18 foreigners, all of whom were French, including the consul, Fontanier, Mons. and Madame Thomassin, who had only arrived a day: or two before en route for Pekin ; the Chancellor, M. Simon; a Jesuit father, M. Chevrier; and, saddest of all, the poor Sisters of Mercy, nire in number. To them, indeed, no mercy was shown ; the cruel outrages upon them are horrible even to relate ; their clothes are said to have ; been torn off them, their bodies stabbed and ripped, open, their breasts cut off, and their eyes dug out. To crown all, the Chinese report this morning that all that is left of them are two charred masses, quite impossible to be recognised. Truly a crown of martyrdom have they received from the ungrateful people in whose service and for whose welfare their lives were being spent here. M and Madame Chalmaisin, French, are also said to have. -been killed while attempting to reach the foreign settlement. Three Russian subjects, Mr and Mrs Protopopoff and Mr Basoff, met with the same fate on the other side of the river, close to the Salt Stacks, ! which are near the foreign settlement, while on their way from the city to the settlement. The above took place about 2 o'clock on the afternoon of the 21st. To show that the attack was premediated and threatened, [ may mention that my workmen, two miles or more from the scene of action, said to me on seeing the fire, that Englishmen had nothing to fear, for the attack was only on the French. Whether the Chinese apprehended immediate retribution or not I cannot say, but hardly a man was to be seen in the settlement after the first fire took, place. On the following day labour was partially resumed.

In its telegvaphie summary, giving the latest known on the subject, the China Mail of the 21st July says :— " The Tientsin massacre absorbs - attention. Scarcely anything else is noticed. Great anxiety is felt as to what Napoleon will do in this crisis. General uneasiness exists at nearly every treaty port, and trade is very much affected. Universal feeling points, to war undertaken by the united powers. Further dotails have fully confirmed the horrible murder and maltreatment of the Sisters of Mercy, and one (named Louise) is said to be a British subject. The mandarins are conclusively proved to have connived at, if not assisted in, the massacre. The conduct of Mr J. A. T. Meadows, U.S. ViceConsul, Consul, for Denmark, Netherlands Vice-Consul, and employe of Chung How, has been severely criticised; and the fact of. his name being coupled with that of Chung How in the mission to Paris has been regarded as ! a'n insult to the French; Emperor; Two French gunboats have arrived, and others are expected in Hongkong. -■■'■-■. '■■ --