New-York tribune., 1891-08-30
REVOLUTIONARY CHINA.
CONSPIRACY TO EXPEL THE TARTAR
DYNASTY.

Shanghai, July T..
It is now painfully evident that not even the
most extreme alarmists have taken too serious
a view Of the disturbances in this Empire. Day
by day for many weeks the demonstrations aeainso
foreigners of all classes have been growing more
Nyidospread and more violent At first they were
confined to q few places and some ostenslDle rea-
son for them was given. The foreigners had
Themselves provoked the attack, or had made them-
selves obnoxious; or perhaps the outrageS "eio
committed by the rabble, and were disapproVeu
by the authorities and by the better class Oh the
people But these masks have been thrown OIL
Now there is 10 excuse given save that the oD-
ieets of outrage are foreigners. Americans ana
Furopeans fare alike There is no distinction
between missionaries and merchants. They are
all "foreirn devils" and they must 90 or die
Neither is there any attempt to conceal the faco
that this is National movement, promoted ana
approved by the best people, and the most eXalteu
and influential mandarinS. So strong has 10 De-
come. in fact that the Emperor himself, PROB
ably against his WILL has been constrained 70
give at least tacit approval. His Ministers Will
not apologize nor in any way give Satisfaction 10
the representatives Of foreign Powers Tor any
wrongs committed upon subjects of such Powers
Their tone is naughty and arrogant in the ex-
treme, and they are assuming the attitude Oh
"China for the Chinese, and against all the rest
Of the world"
Nor are the shrewd Celestials destitute of argyll
ments to Justify their position. In conversation
with this correspondent an eminent mandarin the
other day discussed the case very frankly, and
justified as he claimed Chino's conduct by the
example of other nations.
"Yorr America, he said I" is it not as intolerant
as you accuse us Of being? For many years China
mems lives and property have been unsafe there
Again and again you have murdered, and massa-
| cred our people But we have had no redress
1t was useless for our Government to demand
| apologies or compensation. We found that III
! settling in America our people had placed them
selves under the protection of your laws, and that
alone If. under your own laws, you sdw fit to
protect them and to punish those who molested
| them, it was well and good But if not we could
| do nothing. Nor could we complain that you wert
| partial in your treatment Of us. You acted on
the same rule at NewOrleans. The men who
| killed the Mafa-men were to be punished or not
| according to the laws Of that State. Your Gen
eral Government would not interfere, and Italy
could get no satisfaction. Very well. We claim
the same right If our people maltreat foreigners
who have settled here, our own courts and official:
will deal with them. 1t is not an international
question"
But why should you wish to make a campaign
AGAINST all foreigners? They do you no harm, but
| often much good"
"Why should Russia do the same thing? Thai
Empire, which YOU probably consider far moT'
highly civilized than this, and which enjoys TN
| Christianity which you are trying TO foist upor
us, is doing just bad as we are, if not worse
It's Government, by due process Of law is eXpellins
foreigners wholesale partly because they are for
eigners, partly because they profess a differen
relirion from the Gar. II Is lnassacring, robbn.
and exiling the Jews wholesale. Why don't tn
Powers interfere? They are sending their war
ships to threaten our ports because some of ou.
people have il-treated few Christians. Why d
they not send their ships to Russian ports. sine
Russia is treating still worse thousands Of Jews
and Christians, too, who dissent from the Car
faith p"
This line Of argument is conclusive TO th
Chinese mind, at any rate. But it does not b.
any means 90 10 the root of the matter. Thi
campaign against foreigners is only part Of tn
elaborate plan of revolution which is being worke
out and which has for its object nothing les
than the doing of the work which the Taipin.
war falied to do. The present Emperor is 10
| depossd the present dynasty ended and expelled
The TartarS are no longer TO rule China, but
prince of true Chinese blood is once more
ascend the Dragon Throne. That is what III
fcmenters Of these disturbances have in view
and so shrewdly are they managing the work tina
the Imperial Government itself has been draw
into the support OF the very movement whic
! is intended To overthrow it, The promoters
this revolution the various Hueys," or secrt
societies of which China has sucL a numbe
! These societies, or many Of them, are purel
, political in their aims. They were founded 500
| off i4. NJ +ho
+ object, earnestly cherished foT centuries is
! expe the 1artars and restore the old regime.
/, Tnis fact explains the hostility the Chine,
Government has always manifested toward tneI
societies. They are attacked without mercy; .tnt
4 are constant source OF terror TO the official
4 VINO never know the moment wnen a city
province may be thrown into the direst disOrc
and brought to o condition OF rebellion by u
c Vaccinations Of these bodies. The penalty
. | all connected with them is death yet in spi
| OF this in spite OF the utmost vigilance q
part the officials and absolute niercilesSne
? IN the pursuit OF their members, they exist ar
flourish Societies like the Triad, the Viii
billy, and Others are found in every province
, | state of more less activity. The membe
1 are bound by the most solemn oaths before u
9 idols TO inyiolate secrecy, and new forms of a
: | juratloq ma q been invented to make this mo
secure The eccentric practices which at o.
time prevailed in British courts, IN swearing
, Chinese, such as cutting of a cocks head, hrea
ING. saucer burning paper, and the like, dcri'
their origin not from Chinese Judicial pfocedhi
!" Lnt from the rules Of secret societies The ,
ciety which = taking the lead Ia thc present d
d turbapce is known as the 10 Lao Huey, and
. one Of the most numerous Influential and fornl
able Of them all, large share Of Che army 0:
ccrs belong 70 IL, and there b reason 10 bclie
+ that the bulk Of the army is only awaiting
N signal 10 turn openly against the Emperor al
vl declare for tile expulsion Of the Tartar dynast
Whether the revolutionists would be greatly aid
d in their work by. having the European Powc
6 declare war and lombard the Chinese ports
9 problem. But they evidently think that tn