Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1885-07-19
MISSIONARIES IN CHINA
What the Catholics Are Doing in the
Fiowery Kingdom,

Hog Kong or. Gobe-Dsmocratl
SIT has leen said that the Chinese are
hostile TO the Catholics because they
teach their converts that the pope is the
temporal rs we'll as their spiritual SOW
ereign, which is equivalent TO an i'm
perium in imperio."
lit is so alleged, but it is not true.
The idea OF the pope pleases the Chinese
converts, because they see in him unity,
and they are quite pleased TO hear that
they have to place their dependence on
one great central head of the church.
We never speak to the natives about the
temporal power. Our head is simply
the head OF the church. | don't really
think there are more than three or four
persons among the Chinese who know
that the pope has been deprived of his
temporal power A few native priests
may know it; not many"
ut is also alleged that the priests in
terfere between the magistrates and the
people and interrupt the administration
Of justice. "
This, also, is not true. This was one
OF the accusations made against us in
that famous memorandum which Mr..
Low so ably refuted. lie says it is an
unnatural father who would not try to
defend his own children. 1t is so in
our relations with the Chinese. Their
mandarins treat them very cruelty.
There is constant extortion and squeez-
ing. The missionaries cannot bear to
see it, and speak in their favor. This is
only natural. There was similar state
of things when the barbarians overran
Europe in the fifth and sixth cent
uries There were now laws, and the
people applied TO the churchmen to de-
fend them-that is, to state their cases,
and see that they are not wronged.
The Chinese are TO be defended against
the attacks of the mandarins Not only
do the Christians ask this, but the
pagan Chinese often ask the same thing.
The people say, Why 60 to the mandar-
ins about this little difficulty! Let us
ask the advice of the missionary.
need hardly tell you that justice, so
called, is most horribly administered in
China, and our relation to the oppressed
Chinaman is nothing more than that of
witness, or of a lawyer giving legal adj
vice when they are in trouble
more in the former capacity than the
latter. We can not refuse a subpTna,
and when We give advice it is oftener
such as village elder would give in
some rural districts in Europe He gives
gratuitous advice in the interest of har-
mony, which those who appeal to him
refuse or accept at their pleasure. The
Catholic church in China wishes only
peace and quietness, and all We do is in
their interest. IL the people ask who
is to be observed, We invariably tell them
their mandarins We never try to hide
them from justice or to shelter them
from any just penalty, and, although in
two or three cases some Catholics may
have put up lantern over their doors,
which is the sign Of a mandarin, we
have never approved of such action"
In what way do your priests in China
try to adapt themselves to the ways and
habits of the Chinese
~ missionaries dress as the Chinese
do. They eat rice, squat on the ground,
use chop-sticks, and, in all ways not
superstitious or immoral, follow the
customs of those about them. OF the
hariships they undergo | may be per-
mittel to say something. In the inte-
rior of China they live on rice, fish,
eggs, and little pork. Beef is not to
be had, nor European wine. They
do remarkable things with the
very little money at their disposal.
They spend very little of it on them
selves ] do not know Of any European
missionary in China who spends more
than SO a month on his food and cloth
ing. All the rest is employed 10 build
churches, schools, orphanages, and 10
create other necessary means for carry
ing on his work. Bishop Caicross, who
died in Fohkien four years ago, cele-
brated his golden episcopal Jubilee. He
had been fifty years in China and never
once left his mission. We have several
missionaries now who have been in the
interior of China over thirty years"
What do you teach in your schools"
"We endeav0r to make the instruc-
ton We give as practical as possible OF
course, the missionaries first master the
NnlnSse lduguuBe. we uouCn INC
Chinese classics, because without a
knowledge Of them our pupils cannot
get employment in China. Then We
teach geography and arithmetic, having
Chinese books for that purpose. We
also teach algebra, geometry, astronomy,
and physics in the higher schools in the
cities, having works in Chinese on most
of these subjects, Theology we teach,
of course, to advance pupils"
Are there Catholic monasteries and
converts in Chinai'
There are a few monasteries, main
tanned by some Of the religious orders,
but We make no noyiees. In making
changes all Of particular order would
have 10 go together, which would some
times prove inconvenient for our work. I"
do your converts remain true to the
faith
They have not the moral stamina OF
western nations, but we have every
reason 10 be satisfied with the results OF
our lahors."
Progress In FORESTRY.