The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-10-13
The Chinese Revolution.

accounts. II would seem. however, that the
revolutionists are gradually obtaining the as
eansancv. and that there is every prospect OF
e.. oomnlete overthrow of the Tartar dynasty
This vast empire. which, with its tributary
States. consists of about 5,25o,0oO square
miles. with 242, 00o, 900 inhabitants, VIII again
eone under the rule of native chiefs, out IL
remains to be seen whether it viii be admin
;stered with new wisdom, and more iioeral
policy towards foreign nations, or whether a
bigoted and miserable system OF seciusion'
more insurmountable and lntoierabie IMAM
the Chinese wall, is still to forbid the OUTSIDE
barharians" all access to the centre of the
world
Ifreliance is to be placed upon the repeat
ed statements that the chiefs of the new rev
oIntien have announced their faith IN Chris
tianity, we may hope that this magnificent
enpire will be fully opened to the enterprise
and commerce of the world. But upon this
,,o;nt the accounts hitherto received are by
no means precise and definite. The great
mass of the nation has hitherto been strongly
attached to their own religion, and have
shown no kind of favor to Christianity. The
Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant
Churches of Great Britain and America have
sent missionaries to China, but without &C
conplishing any decisive results. The crown
of Portugal has endowed three Blshopricks
.here-those of Macao, Pekin and Nankin.-
The accounts published by tie French Mis-
sion in China give the number of Christians
in that country as 46,2e7. There was gen
eral persecution OF the Christians in 1923, In
consequence of the discovery of a conspira
CIV against the Emperor. The persecution
ceased in 1924, but Christianity has hitherto
gained no substantial triumph over the Deism
of China. The motives of christian missiona-
ries have been constantly suspected by both
the government and people, and the Christian
religion itself assailed by their writers with
an acumen and vigor which prove that the
missionaries to the East, in order to cope sue
cessfully with the Chinese polemics, oughtto
be men of the first intellect and most pro-
found learning in the Christian church, An
article in the last number of the Southern
Literary Messenger gives copious extracts
from q discussion between a Chinese and
missionary, which show that the Chinese
have controversiaists of great acuteness and
intelligence The Chinaman winds up ms
argument with the following thrust at his OPP
ponent: -.
oPebold the moral influence of the christian reh-
gon in your country, MI E.oltor ~ The nre
II seriously before you again reler lS Ser;ca NJ
sent and mast condition OF Europe anu nb
the islands of the Pacific and oil me WIZ WIZ ins .,
;son Enai;0b proyelb which says ChaIlty cesins d
an Englsh Pa ,harefare recommend that all the
generons and charitable Britona no. nom Liisa-
I; III +he cause of religion, SEND missionaries
Ken zeai IN t . Ed;tor to this distant country, and
49, -, AZ remote parts of the word, 10 convert ana
civilize the natives, should een Inc & %
ana clsInl tem from ignorance, superstition, vice,
;l,, ;an yickedness and debauchery ana then let
rent sects and denominations OF chris
an the we together, argue and determine
,1n;form mode of worship and oeiel, 10 winch they
should next attempt bs co 1I secs
" 1aformation throughout Europe IA very difficult,
erduons and almost nlpf achcable task, requiring ma
nv centuries accomplish let them send mlssona
ID 70 Ipt,ia and other countries to convert the
tives If Europe America, the Islands OF the Pacific
and other countries of the world have been civilized
&c nm owing TO the moral character and influence
of the christian religion, but to the march of intel
lect to the progress OF science and knowledge, TO
progressive refinement, experience, and the I'M
proVement ofages."
These arguments are finlsy enough, in our
view, for no one can deny that the moral
code of Christianity is perfect, and that it
ought not to be made responsible for the cor
ruption of natures which refuse to receiveits
healing truths Moreover, it he's been proved
by investigation, that large proportion of
criminals in Christian lands never received
any religious instruction, and have but vague
ideas of religion of any kind Evident as it
is TO us that Christianity cannot be held re-
sponsible for the wickedness of heather men
in christian countries the Chinese rejoinder
viii carywith it great plausibility among
people who regard all the citizens Of nomi
nally christian countries as representatives
OF their religion.
We sincerely hope, however, that the re-
ported adoption, by the revolutionist chiefs,
of the doctrines of Christianity, may turn out
to be correct, both for the sake of the triumph
of truth and the spread of civilization.