Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 2.pdf/345

 pointing out, however, that "she speaks sweet words but is not faithful" (日言甘而寡信). Though he regarded the United States as friendly and willing to help, he pointed out that she had few soldiers, is far off, and therefore could not be depended on. In a lengthy argument, supported with numerous historical facts, he concluded that Russia was China's greatest immediate menace, as shown by her aggression in Mongolia, Sinkiang and Manchuria. In conclusion, he submitted various proposals having, among others, such objectives as reform in the civil service, selection of talented and moral men for the highest posts, economies in public expenditure, and increase of governmental revenue through state-controlled enterprise. The Grand Council and the Tsungli Yamen reported favorably on the memorial. Several of the reforms suggested—particularly those relating to the encouragement of Bannermen to earn their own livelihood; improvement in the diplomatic service; extension of the land settlement program for soldiers, enforcement of the tax laws, and restrictions on the export of gold, silver and currency-were sent by imperial decree to the provincial governors for adoption.

In September 1898 Yüan Ch'ang was appointed lieutenant-governor of Chihli province. Pending the assumption of this post, he was given the rank of a third-grade official to serve as one of the ministers in the Tsungli Yamen. In January 1899 he was made concurrently director of the Banqueting Court and, in the following July, director of the Court of Sacrificial Worship—continuing, however, to serve in the Tsungli Yamen. High officials having been instructed in May 1899 to devise plans for raising revenue for national defense, Yüan seized the opportunity to submit a memorial on the improvement of the likin system (see under ). In it he stressed the fact that the Win, having been instituted as a temporary measure at the beginning of the Taiping Rebellion, was really harmful to the people; but since it was still in operation he suggested improvements which may be summarized as follows: (1) Eliminate long-standing corruption by the appointment of honest collectors; (2) install a system of rewards and punishments to promote efficient service; (3) readjust the likin from time to time to conform to the production and distribution of the commodities assessed; (4) report in detail to the Central Government any local expenditure of likin revenue; (5) revive the old system of taxing (at place of production) native goods intended for foreign markets, with a view to off-setting the loss of revenue which resulted from the foreign demand that such goods be exempted from likin in lieu of an over-all tax of 2½ percent; (6) establish a rigorous system of punishment to curb corrupt inspectors and constables.

When the Boxer Uprising overtook North China in the spring and summer of 1900 (see under and ), Yüan Ch'ang was one of the few enlightened ministers who courageously raised their voices against the Boxers and their misguided supporters at Court. At three different audiences (June 17, 19 and 20) he declared to the throne that he regarded the Boxers as wholly undependable, and that he viewed any attack on the Legations as a grave breach of international law. Other ministers who expressed similar views were, Lien-yüan (see under ), Li-shan 立山 , president of the Board of Revenue, and Hsü Yung-i 徐用儀 , president of the Board of War. By their fearless utterances they incurred the enmity of the pro-Boxer group, led by Prince Tuan (i.e., Tsai-i, see under ), who denounced them as pro-foreign traitors. Their words and acts so angered the Boxer supporters that they lodged false charges against Yüan and against his close friend, Hsü Ching-ch'êng. Both were arrested on July 26 and two days later, at one o'clock in the afternoon, they were beheaded on the public execution ground in Peking. The decree ordering their execution asserted that their reputations had been bad, that they had frequently managed foreign affairs to serve their own interests, that in their audiences they had made false statements designed to mislead the Court, and that by their utterances they had attempted to alienate the Emperor from his foster mother, the Empress Dowager. After their decease their families did not dare even to claim their bodies, and it was left to their friend and colleague in the Tsungli Yamen, Hsü Yung-i, to look after the burial. On August 11, only three days before the Allied Expeditionary Forces entered Peking, Hsü Yung-i, Lien-yüan and Li-shan were also executed on the false charge of pro-foreign activities. [A year or so later there circulated three memorials alleged to have been submitted to the throne by Yüan Ch'ang and Hsü Ching-ch'êng in June and August 1900, denouncing the Boxer leaders. Though these documents were taken by many writers to be genuine, they are now known to be 947