The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-25

4
mercial interests in South America and from
his known watchiuness in everything whereby
the country can DO benefited we have no doubt
that this important question has not escaped
him.
The Crisis in China special Letters from
the Central FIowery Land.
kilograms dated in Tientsin, China, on the
7th of October report that the native fanatics
are still rampant against law, order and
Christianity. A Catholic church has been
burned at Fatschon. Imperialism has been
compelled to act. We are informed that
Chinese army is in motion and that the forts
In the neighborhood of Take have been armed
and provsioned. The exercise of blind and
unreasoning intolerance will produce attempts
at repression, and war Of race with violent
persecution for conscience sake may lead
eventually to an armed foreign interference In
the country.
Additional to our cable telegram advlces
a special correspondence from China, by
way of California and overland, enables us to
publish written exhibit of the actual situa-
ton Of affairs existing in the Central Flowery
land This report appears 10 our columns to-
day. 1t is dated in Hong Kong, Tientsin,
Cheefoo and Shanghae. The narrative is con-
tinued to moment later by one month than
any advices hitherto to hand by mail.
1t is an interesting and instructive history.
It presents the great empire of Asia battling
against the civilizations of Europe and Anne
RIGA. Religious intolerance, the violence Of
caste creed, is openly arrayed, as it ever has
been, against the light of Christianity. Politi-
cal Generalization fosters and encourages the
barbarism. The placemen of the empire urge
the millions OF the aged and hoary land to re-
sist the approach of the civilzing agencies Of
the day merely on the ground that foreigners
present the means of their utilization. There
is little doubt that the principle of the steam
engine, the electric telegraph, as well as
of the most modern of our printing presses, is
fully understood in China. 1t is equally GER
tain that a general industrial application of
the principle, with the diffusion of knowledge
which would ensue, would disturb existing lay
class interests, break down the barriers which
surround the native altars agitate the priests
of the idols in their close ecclesiastical corpo-
rations and revenues, and eventually cheaper
the working Of the executive system. The
knowledge of these facts binds the mobiles to
the hierarchs, causes the placeman to cling to
his manger as it is, and incites the really
philosophc mind Of the great far East to at
tempt the impossible work of shutting out a
new and dawning light from the people.
The grand crisis in the history Of China has
arrived Notwithstanding. The knowledge of
the murderous outrages which have been just
perpetrated on the French Christians in Pekin
and Tientsin has set the outside world to think
ing. Americans, French, Spanish and Eng
lish interests are alarmed. The great com
mercial Powers Of the world cannot go back
to the situation which prevailed at the period
of the first Anglo Chinese opium war. They
must 60 forward; they must evangelizs. The
United States will play an important part, no
doubt, in the work. We are happy to learn
from our special letters that the war ship
Colorado has been despatched from Hong
Kong northward on a mission connected with
the Christian investigation of the circum-
stances connected with the late murders. 1t
is duty worthy of our free flag. The for
eigners who are still resident in China are
deeply alarmed. In truth they are in danger
The natives remain stubborn, fanatic, exclu-
sive and truculeRt. The Pekin government
is equivocating. A general massacre of the
Christians may ensue, and it behooves Chrsten-
dom to prepare against such terrible catas-
trophe at this hour of the worlds enlighten-
ment 1t is, as we have said, the crisis Of the
history Of China. 1t may become glorious
era in the annals of Christianity