The morning call., 1891-08-11
THE DISTURBANCES IN CHINA.

Letters from emma, puDllSDeQ IN English
papers. contain further accounts of the
alleged conspiracy TO overthrow the empire.
Next month the usual examination of
students will take place at Marking, and it
is estimated that $4,000 literary mandarins,
with their friends and servants, viii assem-
BILE in that city. 1t is feared that so large
gathering of strangers, many OF whom are
dissatisfied and disOrderly. may lead to dis
turbances. Some writer's predict a repeti-
ton Of the Tapping rebellion, which over
spread some of the fairest provinces for
fifteen years, and held Marking for twelve
years.
In a country so thoroughly 'disorgsnized
and demolished as China everything is pos
sible. But it is due to truth to state that
the stories of an anti-dynastic movement
aimed at the overthrow of the Government
of the Emperor appear.to emanate from the
fears OF foreigners and To have no present
foundation in fact. The only disorders
which have thus far taken place have been
the work of mobs in the Yang-tse Valley,
craZed by hunger and Infatuated by the con-
trast between their own misery and the
comforts enjoyed by foreign missionaries.
They have committed outTageS, which have
been promptly followed by the punishment
of their authors. But, up to the present
time, there is no authentic information of
any concerted insurrectionary movement,
nor of any gathering of rebel TROOPS to
operate against the Government. In no
single instance have the executions of the
rioters been resisted, as would probably
have been the case If they had had a body
of supporters 10 back them.
Not fifty years ago, when Heen Fung sue
ceeded to the throne, rebellion broke out
tI,o r|t,1a L
and Yunnan. 1t was led first by a man
who took the name of Teen fh. or Heav-
emily Virtue, who pretended to be a Christ.
ian, and subsequently by soldier named
Hung-se-tsuen. He gathered force of rob-
bers and vagabonds around him and ravaged
number of provinces. finally establishing
himself in the old capital of the empire
Marking. But he remained there twelve
years without attempting TO modest the Gov
ernment at Picking, and he never tried to
exercise any of the attributes of sovereignty.
| He cut SO small figure in Chinese affairs
| that the war with England, the negotiations
| at Tentsing and the march on Picking
under Lord Elgin all went on while he was
| at Marking without the smallest reference
| TO him. He was simply bandit, who had
no political aims.
The looseness of political ties in China
almost forbids concerted revolutionary
| movements. a Cbinaman's politics consist
| in reverence for his parents, not much
| more. He has not much love fer his coun-
| try nor for his Emperor. During the French
| war the Chinese people were neutral be-
! tween the belligerents and served either at
| the usual rate of pay. They consider that
! they have nothing to do with imperial
! atfairs-those concern the Emperor and his
| council. Ii Hung Chang has higher con-
| ceptiOn of civic duty. But he stands alone,
| is Lnwelcome al Picking and is growing old.
| In China, as elsewhere, hunger is always
| the parent of disorder. The people in the
! overiowed districts are starving; the Gov
| eminent is unable to feed them, first, be-
cause it has no money, and secondly. be-
cause it has no transportation. Hence, of
| course, they break cut in riots. and the for
| eigner. being odious there as in some other
| countries, the mobs tall foul OF the mission
| aries Within the range of the cannon Of
| gun-boats the latter appear up to this time
| to be moderately safe, though one American
missionary, Mr.. Argent, has had his brains
| dashed out with a stone. But the area of
| country in China which cannot be reached
| by gun boat fire is large, and it contains
| number Of American missionaries. What
| will become of these in the event of con-
| tinued rioting is matter Of painful specu-
| lation. 1t would seem to be duty for the
| churches which have sent out these devoted
! apostles to spread the gospel to the heather
| to recall them until better times come
| Avengng their deaths will do little good
| The sensible course is to save their lives
! while we may.