The morning call., 1891-07-30
THE mIssIONARIEs OF CHINA.

Private advices from China confirm the
published accounts of the attacks upon the
missionaries in the Yang-tse Valley. The
Congregatonalists and Baptists do not ap-
pear to have been molesued; the fnry OF the
mobs was chiefly directed against the Cath
olIcs and the Methodists. A letter from
Shanghai bearing date of June 18th, de-
scrbed the city as being in state of siege.
All adult male foreigners are enrolled in
military companies and armed. The entire
French fleet in Asiatic waters is at anchor
off Shanghai and Woosung, and it is re-
enforced by one American ship-of- war, three
English, one German. one Spanish and one
japanese. All vessels have orders from
their respective legations to protect their
countrymen with force, and not to wait for
action by the Chinese functionaries.
The words Of the Government at Picking
are smooth, and where mobs are caught in
the act of rioting the ringleaders are quite
often beheaded. But the writer from Shang-
hal, who has been a resident of China for
years, says that the authorities are really in
sympathy with the anti-mssionary move
ment. A few days ago the walls of the large
city OF Human were placarded with appeals
to the populace TO drive out the foreign mis-
siOnaries. An appeal was made to the Man
DARN, who affected surprise, but on investi-
CATION 1t turned out that the placards had
been pasted up under the directions of the
Chief of Police. There is but too much
reason to fear that we are witnessing the
first mutterings of long-repressed outburst
of fury against the teachers of doctrine
which the Chinese refuse TO adopt.
Some of the ablest of the Christian mis-
Misunderstanding Dr. Hopper, who is now
in this city-appear to have reached the
conclusion which has been long accepted by
laymen, that missionary enterprise in China
is failure and that its cost far exceeds its
output. This is denied by Rev. g. F. Fitch
of Shanghai, who says that the prospect
was never brighter than al the present time
and that all that is wanted to insure success
is more money and more prayer. But Mr..
Fitch himself admits that, after half
century of work, the total number of con-
verts in nation of 400 O00,0 900 is only 81, 700.
As to the sincerity OF the conversions, at
taches of the Picking legation tell us that
Chinese servants demand eight taels
month wages if their religion is not inter-
fered with, but ten taels if they are required
to figure in the list of converts.
Things now seem to have reached a crisis
in which the theological aspect of the case
is Subordinated to the material aspect. A
large number of highly educated and cult
ured persons, male and female. now engaged
IN missionary enterprise in China, are ex-
| posed to the fury of mobs so ignorant that
! they accuse the missionaries of plucking out
the eyes of Chinese babies to make medi-
cine. Several hundred precious lives are in
hourly danger and it is impossible to afford
them efficient protection. The Christian
powers may lombard Chinese seaport, or
To- of ND I
few towns and put their Inhabitants to
death. But this Is mere vengeance; barren
vengeance, which furnishes no security for
the future.
Mr.. Fitch and others impute the anti
missionary outbreak to the intrigues of a
| secret society which seeks to overthrow
the empire, and tries to compass its ends by
embroiling it with foreign powers. This Is
rather far fetched. The mass of the Chinese
| people know nothing of foreign powers, and
| believe that China is the only great power
| in the world. Perhaps more accurate
view of the situation is contained in a letter
from Chinese official, lately published at
| Shanghai. 1t says:
The Chinese are peaceable and never. as a
whole. are Inclined to any warlike undertakings
as the evidence OF centuries shows, and from
| the beginning OF the empire, more than 1000
years since, down 10 the present date, there is
but seant record of any serious trouble In this
vast country, except when the groundwork of
| Chinese family life has been undermined by
some new dogma of religious fanaticism. The
very beginning and foundation of Chinese Gov
eminent and religion rests upon the love which
| every Chinaman feels for his ancestors and his
desire TO walk In tIer footsteps in every posi-
bic way. BY their persistent and partially sue
cessiul efforts to undermine the faith OF the peo-
| rle In these sacred maxims of antiquity, with
| which every Chinese child Is inOcuated in his
| first lesson at school, the missionaries have
done much to upset and throw into direct con.
| fusion the firm basis upon which the respect for
| authority In this most populous and lightly gov.
erned country has rested for more than forty
centuries.
| 1t Is true that The missionaries are trying to
! substitute what they consider to be a higher
| code OF ethics AID morality than that which
| they are seeking TO overthrow and under which
| they think the ignorant Chinaman has suffered
these many years, but in all such attempts one
| can neutralize In day what ii takes the work
| Of years 10 build up again. The result OF all
This is to-day that In China certain portion OF
the lower classes (Which alone are susceptible
OF missionary teachings) is shaken in lis alIeg:.