The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-09-16
s,hrlstlanlty In Cl,Inl.

Hong Kong DAILY ffcAs lll, tl,t IA
That the luminosity which has always
been entertained by the litefatefc class in
China against Christianity stills exists in
all it forces and bitterness is abundantly
evident from the demonstrations made
against 1t every now and again. Wher-
ever an attempt Is made by the mission!
aries to break fresh ground, there they are
sure to be confronted with the stereotyped
stories Of atrocities which the cunning
literati have coined to rouse the prejudice
Of theignorant people. Observation-Disclosures
tration against Christianity has been
made at Kiahing city Of Chekiang
Province, Plaearls have, it Is stated
been posted up in all directions in this
city idenouncing thelfUreign religion In
true Chinese style. After attributing the
tail-cutting scare Of last year to the Chris
tians, this precious document goes on to
say, speaking OF tho foreign religion: son
submitting 10 this religion tits necessary
first TO cat certain medicine, and then all
the ancestral tablets, kitchen gods ETC.,
are utterly destroyed, while the newly
married wives are corrupted BY, the heads
OF the religion. When death has taken
place and the remains arc being encotin-
cd, the relations are not allowed TO be
alongside, and It's declared that tho eyes
arc scooped out in order to mako kind OF
medicine" We might well afford to
smile at the childish absuriities contained
In such illusions butfor the serious conse-
quences whichtoo often follow their publi-
cation. Thellibelous statement is artfully
contrived to appeal to the angry passion
OF the mob. The Chinese hold their ances-
trail tablets in the deepest veneration, and
the idea OF destroying them Is OF itself
quite sufficient to rouse their resentment.
Then II IL set forth that the bodies of those
who diein the Christian filth are horribly
mutilaled, MI idea most repugnant to the
Chinese mind. Consequently, talso and
transparently ridiculous Us such accuse
tons seem to tho foreigner, theyfare calcu-
lated to stir up D ianatjcal Chinese mob !
into n dangerous mood. The occasion OF |
this outburst offanaticliprejudice in Kiah-
ing appears to be, from the placard itself,
that some missionaries or their native
teachers from Ningpo have been endcavor-
ingto rent premises for the purpose OF
establishing mission In the city. The |
local authorities are openly declared to be
unwilling to move inI'the ,matter,p and
their ipdisposition tointcrfero has eviden- |
tly caused considerable Irritation among
the literati, who are ready to 20 to almost |
any lengths 10 kVep tho intruders ont. ,
"We may not, indeed, boat thom, they
say; "but We must pull down their houses
and eternally root out the very founda-
tons, or ii any have rented an empty |
piece ofground to the foreigners, wo must |
at once r,ljse high mound on tho spot, 30
as TO I'LL the place ind show no forgive
ness in tho matter" It isto7be regretted
that the authorities in China will not take
the trouble to contradict these false stories.
They ought to know that they are not only |
slanderous, but also provocative OF out
RACES which tend to perpetlate ill.ieeling
against foreigners and render amiGahle in
toroourso between tho former and the
natives extremely preoarious. 1t Is con-
stantly asserted that the missionaries are
a fruitful source OF discord in China, but,
as the treaties provide that Christianity
may be taught in the Empire, It Is the
duty ottho native authorities Just as much
to SEQ that no false statements calculated
to cause violence and hostility are plaeard-
ed about the cities and towns as 10 protect
the missionaries from actual assault. al
most all the outfages on missionaries and
thoir converts have been directly caused
by this sytem OF posting libelous and In
tiammatory plaoards against the Christians
in the streets OF the various towns where
they have occurred, ~ 5s'. -" M