Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-10
Wednesday, October 10, 1888.
THE CHINA OF To-DaY.

1 But little Is known in this country about
 China, and any trustworthy information about that country is therefore very interest.
 ing, especially at this time when there is so
 much talk about her readiness and ability to 1 fight any nation that may attack her. One 1 of the diplomats at Washington has been 1 talking about Chinese affairs and much of
 what he said is well worth attention.
 According to this gentleman China is at the
 present time in 8 adeplorabls state. This it's
 best men admit in their intercourse with for
 eigners. The Maut0hu dynasty, which Is the
 ruling dynasty now, is Tartar. and the native
 Chinese are in condition of virtual subjec-
 tion to an alien power. The stories we occa-
 sionally hear about the vast armies the gov
 ernment is training and arming are over
 drawn or purely imaginary. The Tartar dy-
 nasty Is afraid to trust the natives with
 weapons, and asa consequence the army is
 small in number and scattered, although an
 efort is made to concentrate the forces
 around about Peking and make as formidable
 8 showing as possible. The Chinese do not
 want war. Their land forces are poorly
 equipped, and their navy does not amount to
 much. If the Tartars could depend upon
 the native Chinese they could soon put into
 the field one of the most stupendous armies
 the sun ever shone upon, but their safety depends upon repressing the martial spirit of the natives. The spirit of the gov ernment is one of deep seated hos tility to foreigners. and foreign en- terprise is met with 8 solid, impas- If ak 4 strong liberal clement has sprung ID ir the empire of late years which is earnestly con- batting the old fogy intolerance of the rulers, but it is not making much headway. Ii Chung, high official of the empire, Is the leader of the liberals, who include in their numbers the very best progressive thinkers of the upper class, and that means great deal where the aristocracy is an aristocracy of learning and of culture. The liberals realize l the isolation and helplessness of their great nation ksenly, and they have been striving 1 for years to induce their government to cnl l tivate more friendly relations with the other 1 powers. They have succeeded in putting the | army on better footing, however, than it | has been for many years. Ten years ago the soldiers were armed with old matchlocks and | 5pears. The German gun makers have been selling them cannon in considerable numbers, md Bismarck has loaned them hundreds of ais young and ambitious military experts This leayen has been working slowly, making tt first only feeble impression against the
 stubborn conservatism of centuries.
 The Chinese hate foreigners with maleve. ence. They see English, French, Germans md Americans settle down in their treaty ports and make fortunes and go away, and hey feel that they are being robbed. The rgument that is made against the Chinese n America is urged Ly the Chinese against in China, viz: that immigrants
 10 not come to live, but to make money and arry it away. The Chinese government is
 ot at all anxious for war, whatever may be aid to the contrary, and neither is France for hat matter. In the event ofa var between the hinese and the French England would have 1 , interfere to protect it's commercial interests ith the Orient, which are large, and Russia 'ould devastate the country, capture Peking , nd gain a foothold the Muscovites have of for centuries. The diplomatic , srvice of China is the best in the world and , the machinations of it's representatives . broad is due what little standing it has nong the nations of the earth