The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-24

Malignant Spirit Displayed Towards the
Christian Religion.

New York Sun.l
Wa hive received from Mankow an exact re-
production of series Of Chinese cartoons rid
iculing and lsmpooning the Europeans. and
more especially the Christian missionaries in
the empire. Many similar publications, we
are told in the accompanying eXplana-
toryT text. are now produced in China,
chiefly in the province OF Human, and
thew arc sent in all directions by
the boat load Not less than 500. ZOO copies of
one Of these pamphlets have been distributed
gratuitously. The enterprise has the active
sympathy of many Of the official and literary
Glasses in every province. and the anti-for-
eign and anti Christisn publications are got
up in styles 20 suit oil tastes; IN the most
scholarly classical and in the familiar man
DARN cOllOQuial in poetry and prose; with
illustrations and without.
The dissemination OF this literature and
these pictures is for the purpose Ofstirring up
and exasperatlng Chinese luminosity against
the Christian residents, and most Of all
against the Christian missionaries. They are
| distributed freely among the people, as re-
lirious tracts are distributed with US and the
money for the purpose is furnished by ndi-
ylduals and associations animated by q spirit
of patriotism. as they regard 1t. Placards. lam
poons. carIcatures. and pictures blasphemOus
in the Christian estimation, are posted on
the walls and IN public places. sometimes
even alongside of imperial prOclnmatlOps.
The movement Of which they are the eX-
preston is a yeritable Chinese propaganda,
with the purpose Of preserving the native
religion and customs and protecting them
against the invasion Of Christianity and all
European influences.
The spirit toward Christianity displayed IN
| these publications is vindictIye in the ex-
IRENE utterly malignant. and thoroughly
contemptuous Death 10 the Devils Re-
ligionn is the title of one of them produced
and distributed at the expense of six wealthy
Cinnamon of Hwang pi, all OF them gentle
men of official rank. The original OF the
! book of which q reproduction has been sent
US from Hankow. is one of a
large number of similar publications
| printed in Changsha, the capital OF the
province of Human. IL is entitled: Heresy
! Exposed in Respectful Obedience TO the Sa-
cred Edict. A Complete Picture Gallery"
and il contains thrty-twO large colored pic
lures in the better style of Chinese art. but
| all of them shockingly and inconceiyaDly
| blasphemOus in Christian eyes. Christians
are represented as hogs and foreigners rs
| goats The Founder OF Christianity appears
always as a pig and the missionaries as ehou.s
and vampires engaged in vile and brutal
practices.
The blasphemy of all the pictures is so hor-
rble as TO be indescribable. unspeakable. We
| do not wonder that the missionaries who re-
| produced them FOR Western information
| shrunk from the work and only performed il
l as a duty requisite TO make known the true
animus of educated Cinnamon toward
| Christianity. This feeling. as express
ed in the pictures, IS almost in
conceiyably malignant. totally
vicious character is as,rlbed throughout to
| the Christians. They are represented as
| guilty of the grossest immortality and the
| most. horrible and revolving crimes, gouging
out eyes and inflicting the most cruel tortures
| Christianity is denounced and represented as
utterly depraved. and the Chinese religion is
| depicted az engag ID in a contest with the
| hogs which goes On until they are finally OK
| PEELED or destroyed. Haste TO sweep away the
heresy and exterminate the devilsn ten
thousand arrows and a thousand swords
would not expiate Their crimes" always and
everywhere lot not the knife aud the Ratchet
spare them" all that is foreign will DO ex-
terminated, and all the monsters will flee and
hide themselves" inscriptions such as these
are on the pictures. and that they should in
flame the Chinese hatred Of foreigners and
| Christians 10 inevitable.
This atrocous assault upon Christianity is
| the more remarkable because IL is made by
| the representatives OF everything that stands
for civilization and high intellectual cultiva-
ton in China 1t is the work Of men of let.
tiers. men OF . really lofty scholarship meas
ured by any. standard We may apply. That
such men. whose ordinary concern IN life Ia
with philosophical speculations. high political
economy, statesmanship. or purely @sthetical
divagations. should stoop to sxpedients not
only absolutely deprsved but Of childlike i'm.
becility. 10 somsthiug that does not readily
explain itself.