Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-15
EyANGELIzrNG CHINA.
How French Missionaries Can Do More
Than French Soldiers.

Than French Soldiers.
The following passages, says a Paris
letter to the New York Herald, are from
a letter written by a Frenchman many
years resident in China:
sit is certain that two European powers
are regarded with respect at Pekin. They
are the two nations who have led their
victorious armies upon the soil OF the
Celestial Empire and whose power the
Chinese have discovered to their cost
France and England. The English GER
tainly have a trade with China worth
1000, ,000f.; at Canton, as at Shanghai,
they rule the market. France does
business to the extent of, at
most, 2O.O0O,OOOf. But China con-
tains 100000 Catholics and 500
priests and Bishops placed under French
protection. Let it be thoroughly under
stood that the French Ambassador has
not only to watch over the missionaries
of his own nationality; every Catholic
priest, be he Italian, Belgian, Spanish,
French or Chinese-all Christians, in
short, are confided to his care. 1t is his
duty to see that liberty of conscience is
strictly observed from one end of the i'm
mense possessions of China to the other.
WhOsOever becomes a Christian places
himself, by that very act, under the pro-
lection of the tri-colored flag.
FRENCH MISSIONARIES.
'France has deserved this honor, since
no other nation has sent into the Far East
either as many apostles or such large
material supplies to sustain them. Thus
lis it credible?-in spite of her inferior
commerce (for French traders are any,
thing but numerous along the coast }, In
spite of her terrible reverses during the
war of 1870, France has kept the highest
position in China. England takes the
second place. AS soon as there is a
French Government Republican or mon
archical matters not) which under
stands what a mighty influence 1t
possesses, Frances prestige in CHINA VIII
be established to last for centuries. 1t is
not by conquests in the Far East, nor by
new trading stations that the French
government will consolidate its power
What can result from the costly TOnquin
expedition? A. few French traders will
establish themselves at Hanoi, but 1t is
certain that if a European town rises up
it will only be peOpled by Germans or
Englishmen. Let the French government
thoroughly understand that its influence
in China has no other TGiSOn Getre than
the protection of Christianity.
CHRISTIANS, NOT EUROPEANS.
''TO uphold this cause it will not have to
sacrifice either soldiers or millions of
of China and Tonquin establishments
which, like the Indo-Chinese ones, are
sure to meet with almost complete fail
ure. On the other hand, it will enjoy
most important benefits. There Is
no enmity against us among the
Chinese people, who are faVorably
disposed toward Christianity. The
day the Chinese are convinced that
Europeans want to make them, not Euro
peans, but Christians; that they do not
come to destroy their nationality, but to
regenerate it by means of purer faith;
that it is not, in word, the conquest of
China which tempts Europe-then the
Power anointed to the Christian protec-
torate-that is to say, France-will pos
sess an immense, unheard of and meal
culable power, of which Europe shall be
jealous, but at the same time incapable of
doing or even attempting anything to de-
strOy it.v