"REQUEST OF THE MANDARINS AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS," August, 1826 (in Georges Taboulet, La Geste Franfaise en lndochine [Paris, 1955]), translated by Marjorie Weiner Normand Seized with fear, we bow our heads and present our request. We beg Your Majesty to think about the establishment of a true religion, so that the upper classes and the people could profit. ...Any religion which seduces and deceives the people is a perverse religion. ...

This religion [Christianity] is false and contrary to true doctrine. It seduces the people and takes advantage of their simplicity; it uses fear of torment and hell to frighten the weak, and the enjoyment of the pleasures of heaven to attract others. It is on the point of publishing a private calendar. It even has its own tribunals to judge things. Those who follow this religion assemble, offer sacrifices, and worship; thousands of people come and go, to offer homage, as if they were going to visit one of the most important dignitaries of the kingdom. They claim that their cause is divine and it bestows blessings on those who follow it. Since this religion entered the kingdom, thousands of people have followed it in all the provinces. Those who are imbued with this doctrine are animated with a zeal that transports them outside of themselves and causes them to run here and there like madmen.

Followers of this religion do not worship the Spirit of reason; they do not pay reverence to their ancestors...they multiply from day to day; they continually build new churches ...that is why we look to Your Majesty and appeal for correction of all these abuses.

We have examined the code of the prohibitory Chinese laws. There it is written: "All Europeans residing in our kingdom who make a name for themselves and who head a cause to seduce and abuse the good people are guilty of a great crime and deserve to be strangled. As for those who have neither position nor reputation, they must first be imprisoned, and then we will see. Those who have been seduced and profess this religion must be sent as slaves to the barbarians. Those who use captious speech to seduce a multitude of stupid and shameless women, as well as those who extract the eyes of sick people, if they are taken, will be punished in accordance with the gravity of their crime. Furthermore, all civil and military mandarins as well as subordinate officers, who are seen to lack vigilance, will be brought before a great tribunal to be judged."

All these rigorous defenses are very good and valuable to obstruct perverse doctrines. ...That is why we beg Your Majesty to Publish an edict...so that the whole world will know that all Europeans and advocates of the Christian religion, wherever they are, must return to their country. Give them three months for that; after this time, they will be forbidden to stay longer in this country. It is necessary to destroy the churches, burn the religious books, and forbid the people to study this perverse doctrine any longer. If, after three months, a European is found hidden in the kingdom, he who discovers and denounces him will gain all the property of he who concealed the European in his house. In addition, the one who hid him and the village chiefs will be regarded as guilty of a grave crime. If the European continues to hide among the people and they let themselves be seduced by a wicked doctrine to the point where it will be impossible to purify the kingdom of this defilement, then the stranger will be put to death in accordance with the Chinese law. ...

For us, we are worthless people. ...Have we acted rightly or wrongly? We raise our eyes to the throne of Your Majesty and beg you to examine this matter.