1862年美国驻华使节与清政府互动

资料来源是美国外交档案（FRUS）里面的美国驻外使节与美国国务院的电函来往。这里摘录的是1862年8月里，时任美国驻中国公使（minister）Anson Burlingame，向美国国务卿William Seward汇报工作的电报。Anson Burlingame就是大名鼎鼎的浦安臣，Seward翻译成苏华德。这份日期为1862年8月23日的电报发自北京。下面是复述，不是翻译。

浦安臣说，8月5日他收到恭亲王的信，说他很想见浦安臣，但是之前有病，尚未恢复，无法会面。然后15日，亲王又给浦写了封信，说虽然仍未完全恢复，但是可以举行一次友好会见，日期定于星期三，8月20日，下午3点。浦安臣携另外三名随行人员到总理衙门（英文是Foreign Office，总理衙门成立于1861年，总管外交事务，所以应该就是），恭亲王与他们见面，会谈在友好的气氛中进行，双方坦率地交换了意见。浦安臣谈到美中两国的良好历史，他指出，美国对华采取的是和平政策，随着贸易的增长，未来关系将更加密切。亲王对开通美国至上海的蒸汽船航线的提议表示高兴，并表达了对在加利福尼亚州的中国人的善意询问。双方讨论了中国发生的起义（应该是太平天国），以及如何压制的方法。双方谈到洋枪队华尔的成功，谈到中国军队建设。浦安臣建议中方放弃古老的作战方式，而应该组织一支人数不多，但是机动性强的军队来打击起义军（插一句，记得李鸿章访问德国，与俾斯麦会见，谈到大清的军队，李征询俾斯麦的意见，俾给出几乎与此处一模一样的意见--兵不在多，而在于机动性，来自纽约时报当时的记载）。最重要的是，中方应该对参加起义的绝大多数群众（除了少数领导者）采取比较宽松的政策。

浦安臣向亲王赠送了Bridgeman博士写的美国历史的中文版，并通过亲王向中国皇帝呈上一本极为精美的圣经（附有Williams博士写的中文简介）。中方对此表示非常高兴，亲王手下Wansiang（应该是文祥）说，这是两国友谊的象征。会见持续了两个小时，中方似乎放弃了他们古老的闭关态度。

这是要点，原电附在下面。

先看看浦安臣提到的恭亲王给他的信，看看清朝1860年代的英语水平，当然，不大可能是恭亲王写的，应该是手下代笔或者翻译的，但是不管如何，代表了那个年代清朝最高英语水平，这是没问题的吧？查了维基百科，恭亲王生于1833年，非常年轻啊，1862年还不到30岁，就当了外交部长。

Prince Kung to Mr. Burlingame
When your excellence arrived in Peking, I was very desirous of seeing you; but, at that time I was ill, and asked for a short respite. My illness is gone, indeed, at this time and, I am at leisure; but I am left in such a weak state of body that a few days will be requisite to recover entirely before it will be agreeable to have an interview, at which we can interchange the sentiments of peace and amity which we entertain. 
I send this note beforehand to inform you, and avail myself of the opportunity to wish you the day’s enjoyment.
Enclosed the card of Prince KUNG.
August 5, 1862

在我看来，地道的英语，看不出外国人的痕迹。

 

Mr. Burlingame to Mr. Seward.

[ Extracts. ]

No.24] Legation of the United States,

Peking, August 23, 1862

  Sir: I have the honor to inform you that, on the 5th of August, I received from Prince Kung a letter(marked A,) in which he expressed a great desire to see me, but regrets that he is as yet too weak, on account of previous illness, to have an interview. On the 15th of August, I received another letter from him, (marked B,) stating that though not quite well, yet, that he might carry out his desire for a friendly interview, he would fix upon Wednesday, the 20th of August, at 3 o’clock p.m. On that day, accompanied by Dr. S. Wells Williams, B. Wistar Fellowes and J. S. G. Schereschewsky, I proceeded to the Chinese foreign office, where I was received by the Prince and suite in the most friendly manner. The interview lasted for two hours, and was marked by great freedom and cordiality of expression on both sides. I spoke to them of our long continued friendship, and said that our policy was one of peace; that our relations were such that we could never have any motive but for our mutual good; that from our contiguity, numbers, and growing trade, we must be brought in the future into more and more intimate relations, which would require mutual kindness and forbearance. The prince and suite were pleased to learn of the proposed line of steamers to Shanghai; they inquired kindly after their people in Californian. We discoursed of the rebellion in China, and of the means of overcoming it; of the success of General Ward, an American, with his Chinese soldiers, trained after the foreign forms. I recommended that they should abandon the old style of fighting, and that they should organize a smaller, but more efficient, force against the rebellion, and, above all, that they should adopt a more liberal policy towards all but the leaders of it.  

I presented a history of the United States in Chinese, by Dr. Bridgeman, to the Prince. I presented, also, through the Prince to the Emperor, a splendid edition of the bible, at the request of Bishop Borne, and in behalf of the American Bible Society. It was accomanied with a little history of the book in Chinese by Dr. Williams. They were much pleased, and one of them (Wansiang) said that they received the book as a symbol of our friendship. The interview was exceedingly agreeable, and would seem to indicate, on their part, a total abandonment of their ancient policy of exclusiveness. To-day I have been informed by letters and by messengers that a portion of the Prince’s suite would return my call next Tuesday, and that the Prince himself would call on Wednesday. I send a copy of a note, (marked C,) which I received in response to copies of the history of the United States, which was sent.

* * * * *

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

ANSON  BURLINGAME

Hon. William H. Seward, 

Secretary of State.