Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-05-25
international Intolerance.

"A few years since an intelligent
and sagac'ous Parsee merchant trav-
cling in this country said, with q
smile, that nothing seemed to him
more outrageously impertinent than
our missionary enterprises. 1T
should remain among you," he ss,d.
land denounce Christianity as vile
and hideous table, declaring thatI
would teach you the only true and
divine religion, you would not harm
me, perhaps, but you would think me
very impudent.n And, indeed, moth
ing could be more courteous than the
Parsee condescenslon to the CHRIS
tian religion, which seemed to him .
growth of yesterday. The question
OF the real value OF missionary enter
prises to those whom they are in-
tended to affect is, indeed, always
open. Sixty years ago Sidney Smith,
writing Of British Hipdoo missions,
stingingly said: Let US ask, too, il
the Bible is universally diffused in
Hindostan, what must be the aston
ishment of the natives to find that we
are forbidden to rob, murder, and
steal-we who, in q few years, have
extended our empire from few acres
about Madras over the whole PENN
sula and sixty millions Of people, and
exemrlified IN our public conduct
every crime Of which human nature
is capable y
This sense Of the impertinencs of
foreign protests against native con-
victions and customs has become 90
intense IN China that the Government
now demands Of the European en-
bassadors that schools, for the educa-
tion Of Chinese women shall be clos
ed, that teaching 70 Chinese male
subjects any religion bat that of Con-
fucius shall beg forbidden, that mis-
scenarios shall be considered Chinese
subjects, and that no women shall
enter the country - missionaries.-
OF course, a. our missionaries teach
in China by the express permission
OF treaties, the present conduct of
the Government is . direct violation
of an agreement, and . very serious
question Immediately arises Our
missionaries have the right to persist
in their work, aud it wlll be tho duty
OF the Government to protect them
if they are attacked. But it would
te very ungracious business to fight
other people because they have de.
cided that they would rather not list
en- to our preaching. For We do not
claim to preach IN China upon the
general ground that we have . right
to teach any body and every body
who wishes to be taught, but only
because Of the permission Of the
Government.
But il this action OF the Chinese
Government seems to US barbarous,
VIC must, nevertheless, be tolerant,
because in the very papers which an
nounced the fact we read on the same
day that the American General Coun-
Gil OF Crispins resolved to resist the
immigration into this country OF Chr
nese laborers, not preachers, with
every legal weapon. in order ITO pro-
cure its final destruction, if possible"
II there be such warmth Of feeling in
Christian America against mere in
dustrial rivalry, we certainly need
not so into heroics over the hostility
Of Confucian China to religious rival
ry; tor the religious sentiment is the
'nost precious ADD vital Of ALL How
ever, riots in America against the
Chinese and massacres in China OF
Americans are not to be tolerated;
and it the Chinese Government dit
not wish foreigners to settle, trade,
and teach in China, it should have re-
fused its permission. Having grant
ed it, the permission can not bc sum.
marily revoked at will. But sur
yey Of the tacts may remind ns that
intolerance is not ell upon one sids.
II Harper's Weekly.